Chapter 10

We returned to real life and real life problems. Aubrey was bringing in so little business, and seemed to be drinking, or so Andy told me.

"He was in yesterday. I could smell Whisky on him, but he appeared sober, although I am not sure if he would pass the breathalyser test." I was concerned about this and was prepared for another vicious attack when next I saw him. However I would not postpone Eve's and my plans to marry. In many ways I had had enough of Aubrey. No longer would I tip-toe around him. Discovering Eve had finally made up my mind that he would no longer be a factor in any decisions I would make.

Three weeks later, Eve and I married at the Registry Office. Andy was my witness, and one of Eve's friends, Jillian, acted as hers. I was surprised when Eve was married as Evelyn York; I hadn't known her maiden name. She told me why later.

"I wanted to marry you as Eve York, not Eve Chatsworth; I am attempting to wipe out that period in my life." I grinned telling her.

"In that case 'Now is the Winter of our discontent made Glorious Summer by this Daughter of York'." She made a face as she laughed.

"That was horrible." I was laughing too; it had been a very contrived quotation. Bob Sellick came and insisted on taking us out that evening for a meal. There was little else to celebrate this union. We had partaken of the Honeymoon already.

Eve decided that she did want to move into my father's old house, and we finished clearing it before getting the decorators in. I left the choice of colours to Eve, and she spent some time with the decorator deciding her colour scheme. She paid particular attention to the bedroom that would be ours. My dad had rather old-fashioned ideas about decoration, and the place was a museum piece dedicated to the nineteen forties. When the decorator had finished the house had metamorphosed into the year two thousand and eight. It seemed bigger, light colours predominated, the kitchen gutted and re-fitted with modern appliances and a conservatory had been built on to the back, a wedding present from Bob. Eve and I settled quite easily into married life, without the hiccups that could arise as two people got used to sharing life. We shared all the mundane tasks, cleaning, cooking, and gardening and most importantly the loving, especially the loving. Eve was delighting in her new found freedom, playing variously the Vamp, the Femme Fatale, and the ingénue however her fancy took her. She didn't rebel completely against the rules laid down by Aubrey, dressing to go out with all the elegance she had been used to, but mostly preferring to dress in Jeans and a Tee shirt, and to my delight often nothing at all. We trolled through the papers, finding concerts we could go to, discussing the various merits and making decisions. Orchestral, Shakespeare at the Rep and at Stratford, and ballet at the Hippodrome, all were grist to our mill.

We were discussing what we would do to remodel the garden, when suddenly tears came to her eyes. Concerned I asked.

"What's the matter? Did I upset you in some way?" She shook her head.

"No. Completely the opposite. It came to me suddenly. You let me make all the choices about colours in the house, now we are talking about the garden, and you are asking for my opinion and listening to me. That is a new experience for me. He." As she referred to Aubrey now, "would make decisions and then inform me." She wandered away a little then turned with that irrepressible grin on her face.

"We must have a secluded area in this garden, because now I have this all-over tan, I want to keep it, and perhaps my husband will join me there." She smirked, "with particular emphasis on the 'join' bit."

"Hussy." She grinned.

"I know, and don't you just love it? I know I do."

I knew that it would not be long before Aubrey possessed the facts, you cannot keep a wedding a secret. I had decided that I was not going to take his vituperation anymore, and let Andy know that time had come to let Aubrey know his place.

"About bloody time." Was his comment.

We had been married for three months before Aubrey learned of the marriage. He exploded into my office like a tornado.

"You evil little Sod and that goes for that bitch I just got rid of. You must have been planning this for months, you poofter. How the hell do you think you can satisfy her? Lifting shirts is more to your taste. Well you have had your laugh, now I am going to have mine. Start clearing your desk, arse-licker, how do you think you will keep her when you're out of a job, she's expensive you know. I'm going to see Andy, and this time you're gone. Then I am going to Sue you for alienation of affection. Not only will you be out of a job I shall take every last cent you have." I looked calmly at him, and picked up the phone.