ASHLEY AND BERNICE ~ THE UNTOLD STORIES (2)
07/05/00
Bernice shooed the last of the customers out of the Woolpack’s double doors and shut them.
“Honestly some nights it seems to take forever to clear this place” she said turning to look at Ashley behind the bar.
“If only I had the same problem” Ashley replied with a laugh
“Oh they’ll come round , now I just need to clear these glasses away then I’m all yours. you can go in the back if you want, take the weight off your feet , Mum and Alan are in there.”
“No!” Ashley said a little louder than he meant “I mean , no of course not I’ll stay here and help you”
“They won’t bite you know , they’re happy for us they really are.”
“I know , I know it’s not that I just want to stay here with you , besides with two of us doing it it’ll only take half the time won’t it”
Bernice smiled knowingly “Ok” she said “well why don’t you start over there and I’ll start here and we’ll meet in the middle”
They were busy clearing and wiping and chatting about their up and coming camping trip when Dianne appeared leaning on the bar.
“Hey you two we were beginning to think you’d got lost”
“Just clearing up Mum” Bernice answered “So fill us in on all the gossip from the cook off , was Marlon devastated when he lost ?”
Dianne laughed “Oh you should have seen it , he though his ship had come in when Seth got the casting vote , he was already preening himself. Then when Seth said he had to pick Carlos’s Paella because no one could make a better steak and kidney pudding than betty I thought we were going to have to pick Marlon up off the ground.”
“Sounds like it was a good night I’m sorry I missed it” Bernice said
“You haven’t heard the best bit yet” Dianne continued “Then that bloke from the Hotton Courier was taking a picture and Seth asks Carlos what he had for starter well just as the reporter says smile Carlos say’s Stuffed Snails. Well Seth’s face was a picture and I thought I was going to die laughing”
“Stuffed Snails ?” Ashley said stopping and looking at Dianne “How do you ........”
“Don’t say it Ashley if I hear one more stuff a snail joke I think I might cry”
The three laughed as Dianne turned and headed out “Anyhow I’m going to turn in see you love birds in the morning , try not to keep us old folk up all night won’t you”
Ashley stopped half way to the bar dropping one of the glasses he had precariously balanced on his arm.
“Mother !!!!” Bernice shouted after Dianne then went to the other side of the bar to retrieve the dust pan and brush “Just ignore her Ash she’s just pulling your leg “
“You see” Ashley said placing the other glasses on the bar and taking the brush from her “This is going to be impossible !”
He brushed up the broken glass and put the glitter fragments in the bin then stood looking at Bernice. She came up and putting her arms around his waist kissed him lightly.
“Ash” she said “It’ll be fine , I promise , Mum’s just being .... well just being herself really , she can’t help it she loves to mix it. Just this morning we talked about it and she hasn’t got a problem with you staying here and neither does Alan. Now come on lets leave this until the morning I don’t know about you but I feel like a glass of wine before bed. Shall we ?”
“Ok” Ashley said but she could still hear the doubt in his voice . Be patient with him , she told herself , just get him through tonight and it’ll be easier after that.
“Right I’m going to nip up stairs and freshen up , I’ll only be five minutes , there’s a bottle of wine in the fridge you get it out and our us some , the cork screw is in the drawer under the kettle and there are glasses in the cupboard”
“Ok” Ashley said again and turned disappearing out of sight
“Right now mother” Bernice said out loud as she followed him walking purposefully up the stairs.
*******************************
As Ashley entered the Woolpack’s small living area he noticed Alan engrossed in his paper. He looked up as he heard the door
“Hello Ashley” he said “Did I hear something break ?”
Ashley blushed slightly as he went to the kitchen lifting a bottle of wine from the fridge. “that was me I’m afraid” He said “butter fingers”
“Oh it’s easy done” Alan said without looking up from his paper “If I had a pound for ever glass I’d broken over the years I’d be retired to somewhere a heck of a lot hotter than here”
Ashley laughed then as Alan looked up felt suddenly uncomfortable about just coming in a rooting around in the fridge “Bernice told me to open the wine , she’s just nipped up stairs” he said fidgeting with the corkscrew
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me” Alan said smiling “make yourself at home , I’m off to bed anyhow. See you in the morning”
“Night” Ashley replied as he watched Alan leave the room
Upstairs Bernice banged on her mother’s door.
“Come in” Dianne called
She opened the door then closed it again behind her “Right mother !” She said “What was that all about down stairs ? I told you how Ashley feelings about staying here and that little comment didn’t help !”
“Aw I was only pulling his leg. He shouldn’t be so sensitive”
“Well he is , now if we can just get through tonight we might be getting somewhere so just quit it with the leg pulling Ok ?”
“Ok Love I’m sorry” Dianne said smiling “I didn’t realise he’d be annoyed. Where is he now ?”
“Down stairs opening a bottle of wine , so I best get back to him. See you in the morning.” Bernice kissed Dianne on the cheek and headed back out of the room “Oh and Mum” she said pausing at the door
“Yes”
“No follow up comments in the morning got it ?”
“My lips are sealed”
“Good keep them that way”
As she closed the door Bernice turned and came face to face with Alan
“Night Bernice” he said
“Night Alan see you in the morning” she replied
She went into her own room and looked around. Until Dianne had mentioned it she had never thought that Ashley might associate that room with her and Gavin. “Well it’s just silly” she told herself “I don’t think about Gavin when I’m in it so why should he”. She pulled the curtains and switched on the bed side lamps before leaving to join Ashley in the kitchen.
When she reached the door she could see him sitting on the sofa with his glass of wine trying to finish Alan’s crossword.
“See” she said making him jump “I told you you’d fit right in. Although I should warn you it won’t always be so easy to finish the crossword , sometimes mum tries her hand at it and once she’s mis-solved a couple of clues ever Carol Vorderman couldn’t fix it”
She sat down beside him lifting her own glass of wine and snuggling closer and resting her head on his shoulder. The chatted about their camping trip some more and about Trisha and about Adam and his slightly exaggerated stories and after a while and a couple of glasses of wine Ashley seemed as relaxed as he normally would be in the vicarage.
“Shall we turn in ?” Bernice asked yawning
“Yep. it’s been a long day. I tell you something I’d take my job over yours any day” Ashley replied “I don’t know how you do it , my feet are killing me”
“Come on then” Bernice said taking his hand and switching off the lights as they left the room.
**********************************
Morning came all too quickly and as light streamed in through the thin curtains Ashley rolled over gently putting his arm around Bernice’s waist and kissing her shoulder.
“Morning” she said sleepily
He looked at the clock by the bed “It’s 9.30” he said “I should be getting ready I have hospital visits to do at 11”
Bernice opened her eyes and rolling over looked at him “No point getting up just yet” She said “If I’m not very much mistaken that sound sort of like a strangled cat that you can hear is my mother in the bathroom , and as she’s still on the first verse of Oh what a Beautiful Morning you can rest assured she’ll be at least another 20 minutes”
“I see” Ashley replied laughing
“Yeah it’s like Piccadilly Circus in that bathroom of a morning”
“Well .....”
“I know , I know before you say it , I know it wouldn’t happen at the Vicarage” Bernice sighed closing her eyes and yawning
“I was going to say , if you’d let me finish” Ashley continued “Well if I’m going to be staying here I better book a slot in future hadn’t I”
Bernice’s eye’s shot open “you mean you’ll stay here again ? You don’t mind ?”
“I’m saying we’ll try and make it a bit fairer , we can stay at both here and the Vicarage . I’ll even buy a new bed”
“Oh Ash that’s wonderful !” She said kissing him
“Just one condition”
“Name it”
“We either get a volume control for your mother or when we go bed shopping you buy me some ear plugs”
“Done !” Bernice said getting out of bed and opening the door “Mother” she shouted
“Yes love ?” Dianne called from behind the bathroom door
“Shut up , some of us are trying to sleep” She shut the door and climbed back into bed.
“Is that better” she asked smiling at Ashley
“Much” he replied “ But suddenly I just don’t feel like sleeping.”
