Celestine looked wounded rather than joyful as Dylan had anticipated. “Dylan,” she said, her voice shaking as if she were struggling not to cry, “How could you pull a trick like that on me? Don’t you realize what a miserable situation I’m in?”
“It’s not a trick!” Dylan said. “She said she would do it! Something about the captain of some ship owing her a favour, and they’re sailing this week! She’s going to give us some of her savings. All she wants in return is for us to send for her when we’re settled. Which I would’ve done anyway, of course.”
The tears had come while Dylan was talking, and Celestine brushed them away. “You’re not joking,” she finally said, still not sounding like she believed it.
“I’d never joke about this! Don’t you know how much I hate Troy?”
“One question,” Celestine finally said. “This must be one big favour the captain owes her.”
“She set him up with his wife,” Dylan said. “At least that’s what she told me, and I believe her. I mean, I had no idea, but I guess she’s been playing matchmaker behind the scenes for years. Always heard a rumour that Fliss hated her because she helped so many men find what she’s selling only for free — now I see why.
Celestine’s crying turned to laughter. “Okay, that’s funny, and I believe her, too. I hate to say it, but how many other ways could a woman save any money of her own in this country?”
“That’s why I was afraid to ask her,” Dylan agreed, as they resumed their stroll. “But she told me without my asking, probably because she wanted to make sure I knew she wasn’t a…you know. So how about it, Celestine, come away with me?”
Celestine took a deep breath and gave her friend an admiring look. Then she leapt into his arms without another word.
As he and three of their friends watched Jimmy lace up his shoes on the dock, Ben still hoped to talk his partner in crime out of this particular crime. “It’s not Celestine you have a problem with is it?” he said yet again. “It’s her ma, innit?”
“Can it, Ben!” said Sam, while Jimmy ignored his plea again. “That bird’s the finest young cunt in Candover and how else are we ever gettin’ a piece o’her?”
“Yeah, no one’s sayin’ you gotta take your turn, Ben,” added Rich, the oldest of the lot, who’d been permanently banned from Portia’s restaurant since before Ben could even remember. “But we’re the heart o’this town and she gets all the praise just for bein’ born on that hill. ‘Bout time we put ‘er in ‘er place!”
“You don’t have to like her, Rich,” Ben protested, “But –”
“But shut yer goddamn beer hole!” snapped Scott, the newest addition to the gang. “You don’t want no part in it, you ain’t got to go, ‘ave you?”
“But I also don’t want you guys getting in any trouble!” Ben saw it was no use appealing to better angels that didn’t exist. “You want to get sent up the mountain?”
At last, Jimmy stood up and addressed his friend. “We ain’t gettin’ caught, ‘less you tipped the cops off. I’m askin’ you once and once only, did you do that?” He thrust his hand in his right pocket for the knife he always hid there, and Sam and Rich closed in on his either side, ready to shove Ben into the harbour.
“No.” Ben was relieved — a question he could answer truthfully. “I ain’t told the cops.”
“Good,” Jimmy said. “But I don’t trust you anyway. Boys?” He stepped back to give Sam and Rich full access. Ben raised his arms in defence, but he was no match for a shove from them both. His shoes skidded helplessly on the edge of the dock, and he fell sprawling into the briny water.
“Enjoy your swim,” Jimmy teased, and he led the other three up the dock, none of them taking another look back at Ben.
Splashing around in the water, Ben attracted the attention of several passers-by, who rushed to help him as soon as Jimmy and the others were gone. So he was soon safe back on dry land, but helpless to go after them without arousing any further suspicions. Just as well, he mused as he thanked his rescuers, but he could only hope Troy wasn’t too chickenshit to save his fiancée. Of that he was not certain at all.
“Don’t be shy!” Celestine commanded as she unbuttoned Dylan’s shirt. “If I’m going to run off to Polerma with you, surely we’re going to make love day in and day out, aren’t we?”
“I sure hope so,” Dylan said. “I just…I don’t know what to do, Celestine.”
“What to do?” Celestine laughed. “Just let it be natural! We love each other, that’s all that matters.”
“That’s sweet,” Dylan said. “And I always did feel it was kind of unfair, you always being naked up here while I kept everything on.”
“So did I, but I always have loved the way you admired my body. And yesterday…oh, Dylan, that was so beautiful.”
“So…is that what you thought about last night? In your room?”
“Dylan, if you have to ask…” Having pushed his shirt off, she now unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down, and saw just how happy he was with the situation even before he had started undressing her. She gave it an affectionate squeeze and raised her arms. “Help me off with my clothes already!”
They kissed and caressed one another a bit on the rock, and for a wonderful moment Celestine thought they would make love then and there. But Dylan sensibly pointed out that their risk of getting caught was higher than usual, and wouldn’t that be an awful shame when they were so close to an escape? That mollified Celestine — let it be the cherry on top of their victory when they were safely on their way to Polerma! So she happily contented herself with splashing about in the water, admiring the warm glow on Dylan’s skin and exulting in the serene way he looked at her as they waded and floated and enjoyed the one wonderful thing about growing up in Candover for one last time.
“Isn’t it just as wonderful as I’ve always told you?” she asked Dylan.
“Better! But I almost wish I hadn’t done it this time either.”
“Why, Dylan?!”
“Now I know what I was missing! And when will we ever be able to do it again?”
“I know, I know,” Celestine admitted. “But think of it as our real beginning!”
Dylan looked delighted. “That’s a great way of looking at it!” He took her in his arms and they kissed.
They were still locked in one another’s arms, chest-deep in the glow, when a pebble plopping in the water caught their attention. With a panicked gasp, they both looked up onto the rock it had fallen from, and saw Jimmy Aldrich leering down at them. Celestine screamed and wrapped her arms tightly around Dylan, who glared angrily back at the interloper. But he knew it was hopeless.
“Well hello,” Jimmy said in a smarmy drawl while Sam, Scott and Rich guffawed behind him. “I am ever so sorry to interrupt your little encounter, but I’ve got to wonder what your groom-to-be would think about this, Miss Celestine. What’s his name again? Roy?”
“It’s none of your business what his name is or what we’re doing,” Dylan grumbled. “Act like a gentleman at least and get lost, huh?”
“You boys gonna let ‘im talk to me like that?” Jimmy asked his minions.
Without a word, the three of them jumped into the water fully clothed. Dylan tightened his protective embrace of his dear friend, but they had no trouble pulling Celestine away from him. Rich soon had her hamstrung against his chest with his arms locked around her shoulders, while the other two easily subdued Dylan.