Hannah jumped up, threw on the nearest clothes, her rainsuit.
"Wait here", she said, as she scooted out of the bedroom, closing the door behind.
Suzi waited, listening for voices. Hannah was talking to someone, then the door burst open again. She heard a large vehicle drove down the gravel road behind the cottage and fade into the distance.
"Crap, crap, crap, holly crap", Hannah was racing, "gotta go", she stumbled out of her PVC trousers and yanked on her thong.
"Who was that?", quizzed Suzi, "slow down, I can help, if you just tell me how?"
"You can't, I am going to be fired. Stay here, I'll be back later later if they let me"
Suzi stood up and blocked Hannah from reaching the rest of her clothes, "Tell me what is going on?".
Hannah pushed forward, her bare chest pushing into Suzi's neck, "move, please, move".
"No!, I can help", said Suzi, pushing back as best she could to stop Hannah.
"I'm late for the hunt, I've never missed the hunt, I have to help set up, I am screwed!", Hannah conceded.
Suzi didn't know what to say or do, Hannah pushed past and continued dressing as she left the room.
Hannah stood outside in the sunshine, two black Range Rovers had just arrived, and people on horseback were riding up the lane towards the cottage. The gamekeeper went to step forward to find out her fate from the master.
The cottage door burst open, Suzi ran out past Hannah, she was dressed in jeans, t-shirt and the plastic jacket, apparently she hadn't got the memo that it had stopped raining and the sun was shining.
"Stop", demanded Hannah, but Suzi ran over to the first car, "please don't fire her, she saved my life last night, please don't..."
The driver held up his hand through the open window to stop her talking, "don't ask me, I am just the driver", his nodded slightly towards the back of the car, which was in darkness on account of the blacked out windows. Suzi jumped up onto the running board and peered in to the back of the car, past the driver's head, her plastic sleeve brushed Rodney's cheek as she did so, and he felt a tingling in his loins!
Suzi could see nothing, she craned in further, "hello, is anyone there, please don't fire her, can you hear me?", Rodney's face was now pinned against the Mac, but he didn't try too hard to move out of the way.
Getting no response Suzi jumped down and started walking back to Hannah.
The rear window opened slowly.
Suzi turned and climbed onto the rear running board, "why do these fucking cars have to be so fucking high", she thought as she pulled herself up.
"Hello, I'm Suzi, please don't fire the gamekeeper, she saved my life. She is only late because she was tending to me", Suzi pleaded, "tended to me until my whole body ached with pleasure", she thought, "What can I do to persuade you, I will do anything!"
---
Suzi was sitting in the grand bedroom, putting on makeup as best she could, given that she only ever wore some lip gloss on a night out with the girls. Behind her was a sumptuous four-poster bed.
"The hunt has returned and they are gathering for dinner soon, it is time to go down Miss", said the maid who was helping SuZi get ready.
Suzi looked beautiful, but she wasn't happy, "don't you have some Spanx I could use?", she asked, "I will not do justice to this beautiful dress like this", rolling her hands down her sides.
"You don't need anything like that, the dress will fit you perfectly, and you will be the belle of the ball", said the maid, quickly adding, "oh, I hope I am not speaking out of turn miss?I am sorry miss"
Suzi smiled, and the maid helped her into the dress. It did fit perfectly and she was stunning.
The clock chimed 8, "time to meet the viscount miss", the maid was smiling.
Suzi appeared at the top of the grand staircase. She paused. Below were many guests, all impeccably turned out. Silence fell and everyone turned to look up. The viscount stepped forward and held out his hand to signal for the young lady to come down. She descended eleganty and took his hand, then the whole room clapped, the viscount smiled, and he led the party through to the great hall for dinner.
After dinner the ball bagan. Suzi had once had a small amount of success with the Macarena, but generally was regarded as having three left feet, if that was possible. But the viscount led her in the most exquisite dances, Suzi was a hit, and she felt like a princess. She now knew that the viscount of Linney was Richard, available and the most definitely the most gentlemanly man she had ever met. Maybe she was falling in love? After the ball the guests left, politely thanking Ricahrd for another wonderful hunt and hospitality afterwards. Suzi and Richard retired to the library and sat talking for several hours, both seemingly lost in Each other, and feeling as if they had known each other for years.
It was 2am, "Much as I would love to chat all night...", Richard said, standing and taking Suzi by the hand, he led her out of the room and started to climb the great staircase.
"Whoa, is he being a bit presumptuous? Maybe he is taking me to a separate bedroom for the remainder of the night, i hope not!", thought Suzi.
On the stairs, half-way up, he stopped, "Thank you Suzi, this has been a most wonderful evening for me. When you offered to do anything, I couldn't help but ask you to be with me tonight, even though I had no idea what you were talking about, you see you reminded me so much of my dear departed wife...", he raised a hand and gestured to the side, above them hung a vey big painting, "...Elizabeth".
The painting was the spitting image of Suzi, even down to wearing the same dress.
Richard smiled, and in that moment Suzi felt conflicted. Was this man only after her because he reminded him of his dead wife? How would she break it to Eric, if she ever saw Eric again. She thought of Eric in that moment and missed him.
The butler walked towards the front door below them. "Did anyone sleep in this house", thought Suzi. He opened the door, and in the darkness a familiar figure stood, and Suzi's heart raced. She knew in that moment that Richard was perfect, but she had another true love. She flew down the stairs and flung her arms around Eric, he grabbed her round the waist, lifting her up, and spinning her round. They kissed. Richard smiled.
"How did you find me?", Suzi said excitedly.
"I got a call about two hours ago from a man, telling me you were safe and giving the address.
The butler smiled, "that was I sir", he said with a nod, " a woman came to the kitchens earlier this evening and handed in a mobile phone which she had found, she said simply, check the contacts for Eric, the young lady needs him".
"Hannah!", shouted Suzi, "Hannah found my phone!".
Richard's face changed, "that is not possible, Hannah is no longer with us".
He went on to explain, "Hannah was the gamekeeper five years ago at the time of the tragic accident. A young couple's car had broken down and they were looking for help when the saw Elizabeth and Hannah on the old bridge. The rickety hand rail has broken, Hannah was holding Elizabeth tight, trying to save her from falling, but both women had slipped. Their bodies were recovered downstream. The coroner said both had had fallen unconscious when they hit the rocks below and were unable to save themselves from drowning.". He went on, "Elizabeth adored the woods, and spent many hours with Hannah, they had become best friends despite being employer and employee".
"Was it raining the night of the accident?", Suzi asked.
"Yes, it was, what made you ask that", enquired Richard.
"And what time did the couple find them on the bridge?, if you don't mind me asking, I know it must be painful memories", Suzi continued.
"yes, very difficult, it was about 8pm", Richard replied.
Suzi remembered that it was about the time her car had broken down when she first checked her mobile for a signal.
"Final question"
"Look, I don't know what you are getting at, dragging this up after all these years, well it's just not cricket", the viscount protested.
"Please, just this one question? Please?", Suzi insisted, "what were they wearing?"
"Er, what a question, very irregular, well, I suppose, Elizabeth was wearing her favourite long black mac, she always did when the weather was bad."
"Shiny PVC sort of MAC?", queried Suzi.
"Yes, and I am sure Hannah would have been wearing one of her rain suits, she always did, sometimes when there was no chance of precipitation", Richard reported.
Suzi and Eric thanked Richard for his hospitality. Suzi offered to change out of the red dress, but the viscount insisted she keep it, "Elizabeth no longer needed it, and it did look exquisite on Suzi". They parted company, but as they were about to leave the butler handed Suzi her belongings from the bedroom, then separately offered the plastic jacket, "I think it has just started to rain miss", he said. Looking out the open door, Suzi confirmed this, and was delighted to be able to slip the Mac on. As they walked out to Eric's ancient Ford Mondeo he turned to her and said, "you look gorgeous in that, and the red dress is pretty nice too", and he grinned.
On the way out Suzi said, "Wait, go up there", pointing to a side road that she remembered coming down with Richard earlier that day. Eric swerved, "bloody hell, you could have given me a bit more warning", he said.
"Sorry, its about half a mile along here, through the woods you will see a cottage, I just want to say goodbye to someone I met yesterday".
"Ooo, that sounds mysterious!", Eric replied.
They pulled up outside, the headlights illuminating the small cottage, and Suzi ran out and in through the door, "Hannah, Hannah, are you here?"
She stopped in the living room, the bright cozy cottage was not like that now. It was musty and sad. Extra dark even though it was nighttime. It looked like nobody had been there for years. Slowly she walked to the bedroom. The bed was there, but the wardrobe was empty. There were no signs of Hannah here. She returned to the living room. "She loved you Hannah. Elizabeth loved you. I know that, I feel that. She didn't blame you for the accident. I know you weren't holding her to stop her falling, you were holding each other before the rail gave way. Last night and today I was Elizabeth for you and Richard, I didn't know it at the time, but i felt her love for both of you. Time for you and Richard to move on."
A beam of moonlight suddenly illuminated an area next to the fire. Hannah's rainsuit was hanging up. It didn't look dusty, it looked like it was recently worn and hung up. Suzi picked it off the peg, "I bet this will fit Eric perfectly", she thought, smiling to herself.
As they left the cottage and made their way down to the gates Suzi swore that she could see a tall figure in the trees, and then it was gone. As they turned out onto the road a recovery lorry was next to Suzi's stricken Mini, orange lights flashing in the dark. As Eric drove up the road away from her car Suzi said, "I love you Eric".
Eric replied, "hmmm, now, let me see, love eh?, well er"
"oi, you bugger!", Suzi poked him.
"Just kidding, of course I love you"
--- FIN ---
Broken Down - The Finale
Re: Broken Down - The Finale
Great story, nice twist in the tail for the final part. Thanks
Broad minded enough to acknowledge we all enjoy different things:)
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Deleted User 5375