Part 12 (2/2)

'Now, on the floor if you just have a look you've got three pedals. Left for gears, next to it is the brake, and right one is the accelerator, that makes you move, so don't be too heavy on that.'

Marion looked at her feet and at the pedals, concentrating. She nodded.

As Darkie continued with the lesson he found he was enjoying himself and noticed that Marion had lost that strained look. Before long she made her first tentative start, jerking along first but then the car began to roll smoothly.

'All right,' Darkie said. 'Put your foot on the gears, take your foot off the accelerator and brake gradually.' They pulled to a stop and Marion beamed over at him. 'I did it.'

'Aye,' he said, laughing at her pleased expression. 'Good. Try again.'

She put the car in gear and pressed the accelerator. She lurched forward at a snail's pace.

'Now change gear like I showed you,' Darkie said, which she did with an alarming crunching sound. He winced, 'easy, easy.' The words had hardly left his mouth when the car suddenly shot backwards at what seemed like a hundred miles an hour. He yelled and Marion clung to the steering wheel, her foot firmly glued to the accelerator.

'Take your foot of the accelerator,' Darkie yelled, 'jumping b.l.o.o.d.y Moses!' He tried to put his foot over hers to reach it. He looked through the back window and saw a hedge looming. He grabbed the wheel, but Marion hung onto it as though she was part of it.

'Jumping b.l.o.o.d.y Moses,' he shouted again as twigs and leaves from the hedge sc.r.a.ped the car. Then the car swerved over to the other side of the road. Now they were heading for a ditch. If only she'd take her foot off the b.l.o.o.d.y accelerator, he thought in panic. He was sweating, an image flas.h.i.+ng through his head of the car upside down and them inside it. The car tipped dangerously. Frantic, he kicked Marion's foot off the accelerator and managed to get his other foot on the brake. By this time he was almost sitting on her knee. The car suddenly stopped at the edge of a steep incline.

There was complete silence for a moment, except for heavy breathing. Marion's legs were like jelly. She began to shake. Darkie turned the ignition off with a trembling hand. He was almost on top of Marion. She didn't seem to notice but just stared at him, her eyes enormous.

'It's all right, now, it's all right,' he said.

Marion drew a deep breath. Darkie's face was so close to hers that she could see the fine dark hairs on his upper lip. He had full red lips. Just the white tips of his teeth were showing as he gazed down on her. Her mouth began to twitch and she said in thick dialect. 'Jumping b.l.o.o.d.y Moses?'

Darkie looked surprised, 'aye, jumping b.l.o.o.d.y Moses.' His voice shook a little. They looked at each other for a moment, then began to laugh hysterically.

'That's one I haven't heard before, Darkie,' Marion said when she got her breath back.

'Aye, we said it all the time at the Front,' Darkie said. 'Moses was jumping all over the place there.'

He smiled at her ruefully. 'Well, so much for driving lessons. Had enough for today?'

Marion nodded, aware of how close they were. She could feel his breath on her cheek. A hot flush swept through her. His gaze dropped to her lips and he slowly bent forward and kissed her, lightly at first and when she didn't draw back, more firmly. His lips were soft, with a gentle pressure, which made her want more. Another heat wave engulfed her. She was weaker in the knees now than she had been when the car had shot bac 'I shouldn't have done that,' he said. 'I'm sorry.'

Marion put her finger to his lips. 'Don't say that. I know what you're thinking, but times have changed.' She looked at him and said fiercely. 'I liked it.'

'So did I!' Darkie was in a daze. A few moments ago his mind had been on nothing more than going to see his mother. Now his heart was beating like a drum. He'd kissed Mrs. Grentham like he'd never kissed any one in his life before. His mind was in a whirl, not to mention the little drama with the driving. He moved slightly away from her.

'I've never felt like this before,' he said in a low voice.

'Me either.'

'But you're married!'

Marion sighed and pulled her hat on which had come off when Darkie had kissed her. 'If only you knew,' she said softly.

'Knew what?' Darkie said.

She told him. Everything! Darkie sat and listened in stunned silence. It didn't make sense. 'You mean in all this time he hasn't touched you?'

Marion shook her head. 'Not once.'

'I can't believe it. He must be wrong in the head. He hasn't got someone else, has he?'

'I don't think so, but if he has he's been pretty good at hiding it.'

'You don't think it was the war, do you?'

'I don't know, Darkie, I honestly don't know. I've tried to talk to him about it but he just ignores me. Do you think it's me?'

Darkie laughed. 'Don't be stupid.' Marion blushed.

'All I can say,' Darkie said, 'Is that there's something seriously wrong with the man.' He took a packet of Woodbine's out of his pocket and lit up. Marion watched him. She felt comfortable with him.

Darkie turned to her. 'What are we going to do, then, Mrs. Grentham?' He hesitated.

'Call me Marion,' she said, smiling.

'Not when other people are around.'

'Of course, just when we're on our own until we decide what to do. And I will do something, believe me Darkie.' She kissed him on the cheek.

'What?'

'I don't know. I could have the marriage annulled. I'll just wait for a few days to think things over.' She looked at her watch on her coat lapel. 'We'd better go. Mother will be expecting us.' She opened the car door. 'I'd better get in the back. I think we'll forget the driving lessons for a while.'

'Aye,' he nodded, 'that would be a good idea.'

'Thanks for the driving lesson, I'm sure you've had a rough ride, though. She got in the back and slammed the door. He saw her grin through the mirror. He laughed.

'That's an understatement. If I want a ride like that I can go to Blackpool and it won't be half as dangerous.'

He put the car into gear and drove off. Very carefully!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

Leah stood under the stairs, s.h.i.+vering. Her mother's voice floated in to her from the partially open door. Through the crack she could see her having an animated conversation with Mr. Toomey the Club Man, as he was called who collected her insurance money every week.

'Ee, well, Mr. Toomey, fancy that. Who would have thought that of Elsie Pierce? It just goes to show that some people'll do owt for money.'

'Aye, aye, it does that,' Mr. Toomey replied in his ponderous voice.

<script>