Chapter Text
Skeldale was eerily quiet with Herriot’s all tucked up in bed and Tristan still out with Charlotte. Audrey Hall sat on the sofa, knitting needles, clacking quietly, the dying fire fizzling out a final hiss and Dash softly snoring as he snoozed next to Jess.
She let out a yawn and scolded herself for waiting up.
It was Saturday night, he were on a date, the Renniston with Dorothy, he’d warned her that he may not be home until morning. So why exactly was she still up as the clock struck eleven? Why exactly were her ears perked up at every little rustle and creak?
She huffed out a breath as she finished yet another scarf for Jimmy and tucked it into her knitting bag. She stood and stretched rousing the dogs from their slumber.
“C’mon, you two, let’s get you outside then get ready for bed. It’s getting late and I’m being daft.”
No sooner had those words left her lips, than the sound of the Rover pulling into the back caused her canine companions to woof and run to the door.
She squinted at her watch, just a couple of minutes past eleven, so not an overnight liaison after all…
A little twinge of relief washed over her, and she suppressed a satisfied smirk as she set off for the kitchen.
She paused as she was about to round the corner, the sound of hushed voices at the back door stopping her in her tracks.
She strained to hear, “I’m sorry…”, from Siegfried, then “just go” followed by a whispered command of “be brave…” from Dorothy as she brushed her lips to his cheek for the last time.
She lingered out of sight, contemplated letting him deal with the dogs and heading up to bed without letting him know she’d stayed up. It were the safe thing to do, pretend that she’d gone to bed hours ago, that she cared not when or even if he’d come home. But still she lingered until she heard the back door close and his coat being shucked off and hung up.
Again, she should have slunk off to bed, but she remained until he sensed her presence,
“Mrs. Hall? Is that you?”
She closed her eyes and thought Audrey Hall, you daft apeth…
She straightened up and rounded the corner plastering a smile on her face, “aye, I were just coming to make sure Dash and Jess got in alright.”
Siegfried hesitated, suddenly awkward in her company, given what had just happened with Dorothy. It was a very strange evening, the fumble at the Renniston followed by the cathartic confession and the surprisingly supportive little pep talk from Dorothy.
Maybe it was perfect timing, her standing in front of him, fully clothed, obviously having waited up for him.
Maybe this conversation was meant to happen…right now.
“Mrs. Hall, Audrey, I know its late, but I wonder if you have time for a cup of tea?”
She rushed toward the kettle muttering brightly, “of course. I’ll make you a cuppa, then head off to bed.”
“No!”, he said loudly, trying to keep up his nerve, then continuing softer, “I mean will you join me? Please?”
She set the pot on the hob, checked her watch, and conceded, “I guess it is the weekend.”
“Splendid,” he said as he settled in at his usual spot.
He watched her set up the cups, the strainer and the little pitcher of milk like he had done hundreds of times before and replayed his conversation with Dorothy.
Siegfried, you are going to have to be more direct, just tell her…
He felt a little queasy at the thought of just declaring himself but look at where subtlety had gotten him.
She sat and poured them each a steaming cuppa, “good evening with Dorothy? The Renniston has rooms, doesn’t it?” she said innocently as she took a first delicate sip.
“Yes…umm…no…” his hands shook as he poured the milk into his tea, then he cleared his throat, took a deep breath to calm his nerves, “I mean, yes the Renniston has rooms and my evening with Dorothy was…” he paused, “…illuminating”.
Audrey frowned as she took another deep sip, “I’m surprised she didn’t want to stay over…Dorothy’s always been up for a good time…”
He returned her frown, somehow when she said it like that it sounded very tawdry, he felt a little pang of guilt, tried to bury the memory of Dorothy’s hand stroking his…
She continued, “…but I suppose it’s a bit early for that sort of thing. You’ve only been courting for a few weeks.”
Siegfried felt another round of queasiness, Good Lord, this was going to be more difficult than he thought.
Before he could speak again, she let out a little giggle then pulled her handkerchief out of the sleeve of her cardigan and brushed his cheek, “still, it seems as if you two had some amount of fun…”
He went pale as he saw the telltale smudge of lipstick that marred her pristine white hankie, “oh, I…that is to say…. we…”
She giggled again and patted his hand, “it’s alright, Siegfried, you and Dorothy are adults, you don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
He trapped her hand beneath his, stuttering, “no! I…we…didn’t…I couldn’t.”
She blushed and slid her hand out of his, grasped her cup and sipped demurely, “well that’s none of me business.”
He flushed deep crimson up to the tips of his ears, and coughed, like he had choked on his tea even though he had taken nary a drop.
He took a deep breath as he recovered and started again, “Mrs…umm, Audrey, Dorothy and I have agreed to end our so-called courtship…”
“Oh? I thought it were going so well.”
Dorothy’s advice swam in his head, be honest...be brave.
“Well, it seemed imprudent for me to court Dorothy, when my heart belongs to another.”
There, he’d said it, finally!!
She stared at him blinking rapidly, and whispered, “another?”
He took her hand and raised it to his lips as he held her gaze, “yes, another…you.”
Her eyes widened, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as his warm breath lingered on her hand. She sucked in a breath and her heart lurched painfully in her chest, she whispered, “no, you must be mistaken.”
He smiled and scoffed, “I assure you, my dear, I am not mistaken. I love you, Audrey Hall.”
She panicked and tried to pull her hand back, “you can’t…I’m not…I mean, I am…”
He held it firm, then placed it over his heart, “Audrey Hall, you are everything that is good in my life. I have known it for a long time but was not brave enough to tell you until now. Dorothy told me you don’t believe in fairytales, but this life we have built together is my idea of a fairytale and I want it to continue…forever.”
His eyes bore into her, his words caused her heart to burst in her chest, but her head needed a moment, so she abruptly stood, “we can’t have tea without a bit of shortbread…”
She fled to the pantry leaving him sitting at the table staring at his hands. The cat was well and truly out of the bag, there was no going back, he had been brave, but had he taken it too far? Should he have left it with love and saved forever for a moment in the future?
He sat awkwardly sipping his tea for a few seconds naively waiting for her to come back with shortbread so they could continue their discussion, but seconds turned to minutes and the bottom of his cup became visible, so he scooted his chair back and got up.
He approached the closed pantry door with caution, he leaned his head in to listen for any sounds of distress, but heard only silence, so he rapped quietly, “Audrey, are you alright?”
Deafening silence hung in the air, he thought about leaving it, leaving her to come to him with a response. But Dorothy’s words again resurfaced in his head, fairytales are not for the likes of her, love has damaged her…be brave.
So, he placed his hand on the door, splaying out his fingers like a caress and said softly, “I remember the day I opened the door to find you standing on my stoop. I had completely forgotten you were coming to interview for the job, and I had gotten called out to some farm or another. I was frantically looking for my keys when the bloody doorbell rang. I was so annoyed when I whipped open that door, I’m sure I said something unpleasant to you, but you just stood there, blinked a few times and showed yourself in. You calmly explained that you were an excellent housekeeper and a very competent cook as I proceeded to tear apart the foyer, muttering more unpleasantries, and then I heard you clear your throat loudly. I stopped and looked at you, really looked at you for the first time, you were impossibly beautiful and you were extending your hand toward me. You said very serenely ‘are you looking for this?’ and there, in your hand sat my blasted keys. I looked straight into your eyes, and I said ‘yes’ and that was it. You stayed and my life, my soul, was forever changed…”
He heard some rustling from within the pantry, he smiled at the door, and bravely continued, “so here we are, a dozen years later, with another door between us, a new opportunity just waiting to be embarked upon, another new phase in our lives…”
With that, the door opened and she pulled him by his lapels over the threshold and into the pantry. His face was inches from hers; she was breathing fast and her eyes were gleaming with unshed tears. He smiled, and raised his hand to cup her cheek, catching a tear and sweeping it away before whispering, “so what do you say, Audrey Hall, are you ready to complete this journey with me? Are you ready to say ‘yes’?”
There were no more words to be said, no more excuses to be made, she loved him and he loved her. Their souls had somehow, someway become irreparably joined, so she just leaned into him resting her forehead to his and whispered, “yes”.
They hovered together, breath mingling, and eyes closed until she inched her mouth toward his, and ever so slowly they melted into a tentative kiss.
It quickly evolved into a deeper kiss, a passionate kiss, a kiss that finally stirred his flesh and made his spirit soar.
Epilougue
The doorbell at Skeldale rang out just as the family were finishing breakfast, “I’ll get it!” Siegfried jovially exclaimed hopping up from the table as he plopped his napkin down.
Audrey smiled fondly at him as she sipped the last dops of her tea.
He flung open the door with a dramatic flourish, with manic energy born from a lack of sleep and overwhelming joy.
His beaming smile faded immediately, “oh, Dorothy, good morning…”
He paused awkwardly, then found his manners, “do come in.”
Dorothy swept in, her stylish and confident exterior betraying the bubbles of trepidation that danced in her belly, “thank you, Siegfried, I hope I’m not disturbing…”
Her words were cut off by Audrey’s surprising approach, “Dorothy!” she exclaimed with genuine delight, pulling her into a brief hug before taking her place at Siegfried’s side.
Dorothy held her breath for a moment, then let out a relived slow exhale as she watched Siegfried place his arm around Audrey’s shoulders and her oldest friend practically melt into his embrace.
She clapped her hands together happily, and met Siegfried’s eye with a wink, “I see you took my advice; you were brave…”
Audrey blushed as Siegfried squeezed her tighter, “I did and I…we… just wanted to say…”
Audrey freed herself from Siegfried’s arms and flung her arms around her oldest friend, pulling her into a fierce hug.
They all broke into enormous, happy smiles, Siegfried and Audrey exclaiming in unison one last heartfelt sentiment… “thank you”.
The end