The Gruinard Project Chapter 16

[khandy]

Not much spying more in the next chapter.

Chapter 16 Lucas North’s Family Home Keswick.

The house was still and quiet, all except for the noise of the grandfather clock. The simple repetitive ticking should have been comforting. It’s metronomic rhythm a calm and peaceful addition to the traditional English home. It shouldn’t irritate her but of course it did; its constant ticking and deep chimes, as it struck the hour and the half, a slow reminder of how long he had been gone. The stillness, apart from the clock ticking, was a reflection of how early it was; too early to be sat drinking tea in the farm house kitchen.

Kate had heard him fighting his demons in his sleep, even though they were not sharing a bed in his parent’s home. She wondered if anybody else had heard. If they had it seemed they were able to return to sleep, while she had lain awake until the clock had driven her mad and she had come down and made a cup of tea. She glanced about at the dim kitchen, like the rest of the house it was lived in and comfortable, a home. A huge pine table, the kind a family should congregate round, sat in the middle of the large flagstone floor. Rustic pine units with granite work surfaces were fitted to the walls. A Belfast sink and range although new, maintained the original Victorian feel of the place. Elsewhere in the house original features had been lovingly restored. Kate sighed, the sad thing was just how uncomfortable Lucas appeared here; a place that should have been a haven.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly as the clock struck five o’clock, reminding her once again how little sleep she had that night. The party had not finished until gone midnight. Judging by the number of people who had attended Marcus and Helen had a lot of friends. Kate had watched at first amused and then astonished at the stir caused by Lucas’ entrance. Whispers followed them as they made their way towards Marcus and Helen. It was obvious that neither of them had really expected Lucas to show up at the party and equally obvious how delighted they both were that he had decided to attend. Marcus grabbed him in a bear hug and tears formed in Helen’s eyes. They had both been surprised by Kate’s short brown hair but accepted Kate’s explanation that she wore the wig as bet with a friend. Lucas’ parents though had reacted very differently to their son, their hellos cautious and guarded; the conversation stilted and awkward more like strangers than family.

The evening had been a bizarre combination of whispered speculation amongst the guests, fun and enjoyment with Marcus and Helen, and sheer discomfort with his parents. Kate had actually been amazed when Philip and Lucy North insisted that they stayed at their home. Which is how she came to find herself sitting at the table drinking tea in a house that looked like a home, but one where the son was little more than a stranger.

The ticking of the clock was interrupted by footsteps on the stairs, somebody else in the house was stirring.

“Lucas not back yet?” Philip North asked.

Kate glanced up at him.

“No. I didn’t realise that anybody else knew he was up. Please excuse my being cheeky but I made a pot of tea.”

“Tea, the British answer to all that ails us, but its soothing properties are nothing more than a myth,” Philip commented.

“No, I guess that it just gives us something to do with our hands while we wait,” Kate replied.

“I have drunk countless cups of tea in the middle of the night Miss Masters.”

“Please call me Kate, it seems a little formal to call me Miss Masters, especially when we share a common love.”

“A common love?” Philip North looked at her.

“Lucas, is that not who we are both awake and worrying over?” Kate asked.

“How much do you know about Lucas?” Philip asked.

“I know he works for MI5 and that he was a prisoner in Russia for eight years,” Kate said.

“You know that,” Philip North struggled to keep the resentment out of his voice. “That is more than his mother and I knew until he was captured. He didn‘t trust us to know what his job was, so the shock at his imprisonment was enormous. We were not allowed to discuss his disappearance with anybody. Mr Wynn the liaison officer they sent was kind but he could tell us nothing. To all intents and purposes Lucas was dead to us for eight years. Then suddenly with no words of warning he returned; not the son we had lost and grieved for but a stranger in every way.

“That first two weeks when he came home, he hardly slept and when he did it was on the floor. I would hear him tormented by his nightmares; he would wake and run just like tonight. He couldn’t talk to us, eight years had passed, and circumstances had made us all so different. We were no longer a family, it was like four strangers sitting round this table; nobody knew what to say. Then Lucas dropped the bomb shell that he was returning to MI5 to work as he always had, as a Senior Case Officer. It was incomprehensible to us that he wanted to return after all that had happened. We argued about it, Lucas thought it he would be better if he stayed away seeing how his decision had hurt us so much.

“I have woken every night Kate, since he returned to London and wondered if his dreams still troubled him. Tonight I had my answer. My son is hurting and me a Minister does not know how to reach him.” Philip North looked like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Mr North…”

“Please call me Philip, as you said it seems so silly to be so formal.”

“Philip, sometimes we over complicate things trying to rationalise our actions; subconsciously always questioning ourselves, worrying are we saying and doing the right things. Often we are too frightened to do anything for fear of the consequences, so we end up doing nothing at all. Maybe all you need to do to reach Lucas is to take his hand,” Kate said.

“We are so scared that we are going to lose him again. Neither his mother nor I can face that again. If only he would come home and get a normal job.”

Kate closed her eyes tiredly, why were families so foolish? When would people learn that children have to find their own way?

“I can tell you wish to say something about that Kate?”

“I am a guest in your home Philip it is not my place…”

“Ah Kate so you say nothing fearing the consequences if you do?”

“Touché,” Kate said with a laugh. “Very well I don’t wish to be critical, but it seems that you would ask Lucas to be less than he is. If Lucas turned his back on MI5 and returned here you still would not have your son. He would be a shell of that man and as much a stranger to you as he is now but worse, he would grow to resent you for asking him to give up something that is as essential to him as breathing.”

“It is that important to him?”

“Yes it is that important to him. He was in that prison for eight years. You’re not naïve I am certain you know what that means. Despite all he must have suffered it seems he remained loyal to his country and so to his family.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

“How long is he usually gone?”

“Well I have only stayed with him all night twice. He was disturbed for about two hours so I imagine he will be back soon. I would have a cup of tea if I were you it helps to pass the time if nothing else.”

They sat talking and drinking tea as the clock ticked on, it had just struck the half hour when Lucas pushed open the kitchen door.

He stopped abruptly at the sight of his Dad sat talking to Kate. Christ he hadn’t realised he had woken anybody up. He wasn’t sure he could deal with the inevitable questions. Exhaustion crept over him as it always did following his dreams; all he craved was a warm bed and sleep. He staggered slightly, his legs heavy after the punishing workout.

Philip North moved to his son's side.

“Come on lad let's get you back to bed,” he said offering his arm for support.

Kate followed them up the stairs and opened Lucas’ bedroom door. She pulled back the covers and watched as Philip North got his son back into bed. Lucas’ eyes shut the moment his head hit the pillow. Philip reached to switch off the lamp but Kate stopped him, explaining he needed to leave the light on. Lucas’ voice stopped them as they made to leave the room. It was little more than a whisper.

“Dad, will you stay with me… please?”

Philip looked at Kate remembering what she had said before turning back to his son. He pulled up the chair and took his son’s hand.

Kate pulled the door closed leaving father and son alone. Turning to return to her room she saw Lucy North leaning against the wall a little further along the hall.

“He used to ask his Dad to stay when he was troubled by his memories when he was little.” Tears slowly slipped down Lucy North’s cheeks. “We thought we had lost him and he was there inside all the time.”

“It’s a beginning Mrs North,” Kate said.

“It’s Lucy dear, and you are right we have a second chance to help him. You look as tired as Lucas, why don’t you return to bed? Lucas will be alright with his father and if he wakes asking for you, you have my word I will wake you. She wiped her tears.

***********

The sun was streaming in through the window when she was woken by the soft touch of his lips on hers. He deepened the kisses as her eyes fluttered open, and her mouth parted allowing his tongue to join the tender assault on her mouth. Wordlessly he slipped beneath the covers and continued to kiss her. Within some part of her mind she recognised that this loving was different from any they had shared before, beautiful in its simplicity; no long teasing foreplay, no heated words just two people sharing that most intimate experience. Time lost all meaning: all she was aware of was him.

“Good morning, have I told you how much I love you?” he murmured.

She smiled.

“Yeah I think you mentioned it, I love you as well.” She pressed a kiss on his lips. “Thank you for such a beautiful wake up call.”

They lay in a beautiful tranquil, post love making haze, fingers tracing lazy patterns over each other’s skin, quiet words interspersed with soft butterfly kisses.

“You spoke to your parents then?” Kate asked.

“Yeah I did.”

“And how was it?”

“Difficult initially, humiliating too but then easier and ultimately cleansing. I still have the wound but I don’t feel as if it is festering anymore. For the first time I even think it might even heal. We are not how we were before but that was never going to happen, we are all different but I think we can learn to like who we have become.”

“I’m glad Lucas, where are they now?”

“Church, it is Sunday busiest day of the week for Dad.”

Kate blushed.

“Why are you blushing?”

“It just occurred to me I have made love to the minister's son while he is in Church preaching about good and evil.”

“Yeah you naughty woman how sinful is that?” Lucas’ smiled in wicked delight.

“Seriously they put us in separate rooms!”

“Yeah which makes sneaking in here to make love all the more exciting,” he teased.

“Stop it,” she told him.

“Oh no Kate, I have no intention of stopping, in fact I am going to do it again,” he told her.


***********

The rest of the day was better than anybody could have imagined. Lucas and his father went to the pub while Lucy and Kate made lunch. They had sat round the kitchen table instead of the dining room its comfortable surroundings less formal. Conversation had flowed fairly easily and certainly wasn’t stilted. Kate and Lucas cleared away the dishes before they went for a walk around Derwent water. Kate began to realise one of the reasons Lucas’ was so good at what he did was no matter his surroundings he never seemed out of place. Here he was as much apart of his surroundings as the hills and mountains that surrounded the lake. He had even reverted to his local accent.

“The next time we come I will take you up Skiddaw.” Lucas pointed at a mountain beyond the lake. “But... you need proper boots.”

“I’m glad there is going to be a next time Lucas,’” she told him quietly.

“So I am, I didn’t realise how much I missed them.”

Much to his parent's delight and surprise Lucas told them he would like to attend the evening service with them. Kate looked across at Lucas as he sat in church wondering if this had helped him in Russia, his faith. She supposed it must have.

That night when the house was in darkness and all that could be heard was the Grandfather clock in the hall, Lucas sneaked into her room once more.

“Lucas what are you doing?”

“This,” he said kissing her deeply. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Never,” she replied.

They made love exploring each other's bodies leisurely and fell asleep in each other's arms.

It was when the clock struck 6am that Lucas realised he had not been woken by a nightmare.

[HellsBells]

A very beautifully written chapter.