Chapter 5 Memories

The shiny, red Mercedes sped across the wooden bridge that led into Devon and zoomed tightly along a sharp curve, gaining speed. Ignoring the sign that read 70km/hr, the driver shifted into the final gear and led the car up another couple notches. Cutting across a minivan, the driver barely stopped at the coming stop sign, the brake never coming into use. It accelerated some more, racing the growing corn feilds rushing at it’s side. Suddently, a flash of red and blue lights appeared behind the car, along with a wailing siren. The police was on it’s trace.

 

The car slowed and pulled onto the side of the road, extinguishing the growling motor. The officer exited her patrol car and calmly strolled to the Mercedes, pulling a pen and notebook from her coat pocket. The driver rolled down his window and glanced out indifferent, pushing his shades onto his head with a sigh.

 

“Good-morning Officer” he said, smiling.

“Good day Mr. Churchill” she responded, jotting down his lisence plate number into her notebook.

“Did I break the law?” he wondered, raising both eyebrows at her, drumming his fingers onto the steering wheel impatiently.

“As a matter of fact you were doing 127 in a 70km zone, sir” she replied simply, adding a few points to her notes.

“Was I?” he said, acting surprised. “I barely noticed. This new baby really takes the bore out of everyday driving” Victor added with a grin, winking at the officer.

“I don’t care how fast your new car can go, Mr. Churchill, I simply pulled you over to give you a ticket” the officer told him, handing him a peice of paper. “Give the check to the address on the bottom and the charges will be dropped. If you don’t before the advisable date, you’ll be brought to court” she explained curtly.

 

“A ticket? But, I never get tickets, mam” Victor protested, looking at it disgusted.

“It’s of no regard to me how other people treat you, Mr. Churchill, I follow the law and you happenned to be breaking the law. Now you will have to pay the consequences” the officer said in reply.

“And, what’s your name?”.

“Officer Sophia Mcbush”.

 

Victor observed her for a moment, his blue eyes traveling to her navy Police cap all the way to the gun resting on her hip. Her chocolate waves were tied into a simple ponytail, her hazel eyes framed with delicate green lenses. She had rather pouted lips, stern at the moment and a multitude of freckles upon her nose and cheeks. Victor found her a quite stunning specimen.

 

“Well, Officer, if I may say, I think you are the most exquisite Officer in this county” Victor told her charmingly.

The officer blushed slightly, but kept her sharp image.

“Not everyone falls for your makeshift personality, good-day” Sophia retorted, nodding cooly and departing back to her patrol car. An instant later, she was gone.

 

Victor smiled broadly and drove off, this time staying down to the speed limit. Women could never repel his obvious intentions, they always eventually fell for his seductive attraction that they never noticed in other men.

Besides, he was famous for his natural, rugged attractiveness and cunning character and no one, not even some newly appointed Officer could run from it.

 

*

 

Elansa sat at the small kitchen table, sifting through the Devon Herald dully. She had gotten up later then usual, her hair messed up and with a bitter headache occupying her mind. The business page of the newspaper held her father’s picture, his arms folded, his usual charming smile in place, standing beside the newly opened Churchill Motors factory in Dorset. He had employed 2,000 new employees and the whole article summarized his family’s wealth and his great generosity towards the folks in England.

 

Elansa snorted loudly as she read it, shaking her head. He was quick to be nice to other people, but couldn’t even show some patience towards his daugther. Victor was a successful business man, having opened 5 new Churchill companies in the last year alone and having hosted over a dozen foxhunting tournaments in Windsor and Berkshire during the summer and fall. But, he was also arrongant and excessively conceited, something that bothered Elansa to a point where she believed her father to be a fake. He only cared for his money, Churchill Motors and the stables he ran, nothing else.

 

She closed the paper just as her father strolled into the kitchen, tossing off his sunglasses onto the porcelain counter, loosening his mint colored tie.

“I see your meeting in Dorset went well” Elansa told him, pointing to the paper beside her glass of orange juice.

“It did, thank-you for noticing, dear. Opening a new factory is a great deal of responsibility, but also another acheivement I thought practically impossible when I first started working for my father” Victor responded, looking satisfied. “In fact, I’ve gotten quite a few phone calls from Cardiff, in Wales, begging me to open another factory over there starting next year”.

Elansa nodded, not caring much for his answer. He was enjoying himself, talking about all the power he had and what his wealth could buy him.

 

“And with all the new contracts flowing in, I’ll be able to get started on the breeding program for next spring. The website that Zachary started back in November has attracted hundreds of fans who are looking to purchase Churchill foals. But first off I have to make them accessible” her father laughed, reaching for the paper. He flipped quickly to the business section and beamed at his picture, probably looking for any flaws in the article.

Elansa, repulsed, got up and headed out of the room.

 

“Where are you going so quickly?” her father called to her, stalling her footsteps.

“Just to get dressed. I’m thinking of going to study for my Algebra test, since it’s this afternoon” she responded in haste, leaving him alone a second later. She didn’t want to discuss anything to do with her upcoming exam as it always left her feeling stressed out.

*

 

Victor lay in his bed that night, thinking about Officer Sophia McBush. She had sure been a rare beauty, just like his own wife had been. He closed his tired eyes and ran one hand over his face, sighing deeply. How he missed being with a woman, one that knew all the ins and outs of his life and could take care of him properly. But only Marina had been able to to that, only she had dug the path to his heart, discovering his pain and anguish along the way. Young as she had been when he’d married her, she’d still had a strong sense of maturity that most other girls had never unearthed from their souls. Marina had been thoughtful, witty and most importantly open-minded and beautiful. He remembered their wedding day, over 18 years ago, like it had just been yesterday.

 

Victor stood with his fizzling glass of champagne amongst the other men dressed in tuxedo’s, watching his new bride. Marina was with her parents, glowing in her strapless gown, her long hair holding a crown of white roses. Her smile shone on her happy face, those luscious lips painted a hot red.

 

His father strolled up to him, his usual glass of Vodka visible in his right hand.

“You sure know how to pick them” Samuel chuckled, clapping his son’s shoulder affectionately. “What made you so sure it was Marina?”.

Victor continued looking at his wife and replied “Who can say no to a woman like that”.

Samuel laughed heartily and took a sip of his drink.

“Too right, my son, she is a quite shocking beauty. It’s not everyday that you can get a girl like her”.

 

His mother appeared at his other side, a glass of Sherry at her thinning lips.

“Nice party, darling, the food was delicious” she admitted, pecking her son on the cheek.

“I quite agree mother, this wedding has been a success” Victor nodded approvingly. “But to tell you the truth, I can’t wait until it’s over. Our tickets to the Canary Islands are waiting and I havn’t been anywhere near Spain in years. I have a feeling it’s going to be fantastic”.

“Of coarse it will be. But start by just enjoying your night, son, you might be too busy to have such a successful party in the future” Samuel reminded him, pulling his wife close and chinking glasses with her.

“Care for a dance, madam?” he asked her.

“I wouldn’t mind, monsieur”.

They drifted off, hand in hand to join the other couples on the dance floor, leaving their son to watch.

 

“Having fun?” a sweet voice asked beside his ear.

Victor turned and saw Marina standing beside him, looking like an angel.

“Quite, how are you dear?” he responded, grinning charmingly.

“Fabulous, I believe this is the most beautiful day of my life” she replied, twirling a strand of her long, curling locks.

“I second that statement” Victor said, nodding and drinking his champagne.

 

His parents were spinning about the crowded dance floor, laughing and holding their glasses of alchohal in their spare hands.

“I think they drank a bit too much” Victor told Marina, shaking his head with a smile.

“Well, it’s a wedding, it’s legal. I’m getting a bit tipsy myself” she admitted coyly, leaning onto his side.

“You? Tipsy? That’s a first”.

Marina giggled, slipping her hand into his and squeezing his palm gently.

“I wasn’t allowed to party much when I was younger, you know how strict my parents used to be. My curfew was 10 pm and that’s when most parties began” she explained with a shrug.

“Yeah and they end up letting you marry at 19, very shocking change of mind” Victor reminded her, wrapping one arm around her bare shoulders.

 

“As soon as I turned 18, they left me to my own perogative. They thought they had fully taught me the good and bad of the world and that as an adult, it was time for me to assume responsibility for my actions”.

“I started going out later and later every night, until one time I arrived at 5 in the morning. But my parents stuck to their word and told me to keep my judgement at hand and didn’t even punish me” she went on, reminiscing.

“It’s better that way. If they would’ve keep a hold on you then we would have never run across each other. I’ll admit I was rather perplexed when we first met and you asked the bartender for orange juice” Victor said, smiling at the memory.

“I didn’t care much for alchohal at the time, I like my orange juice with ice, very refreshing”.

He laughed, finishing his champagne and dropping the glass onto a passing waiter’s tray.

 

“But you’ve had a change of taste, as I can see” he pressed, interested.

She nodded.

“A few drops of wine now and then never harmed anyone. Besides, it makes me look mature and sophisticated”.

Victor raised both eyebrows in humour.

“It sure does, but not when you chug the contents and start telling you husband how tipsy your getting”.

This time Marina laughed.

“I didn’t chug it, darling, just sampled it” she corrected him.

“Sampled what? Buckets?”.

She laughed again, letting her head fall onto his chest.

“No, dear, I sampled glasses. I was too polite to say no to the waiters. Red, white, sharp, bland, I’ve tasted them all”.

“Then I suppose I can now officially call you a wine expert” he wondered.

“Or simply an expert wine taster”.

“And tipser”.

They both burst out laughing and went to sit at their table by the dance floor, whiping tears as they went.

 

“How’s Spain anyhow, I’ve never been?” Marina asked, interested, as they sat.

“Crowded, loud, full of tourists” he responded, as a waiter stopped to fill up their glasses once more.

“Oh” she said, looking dissapointed.

“But not where were going” he added with a smirk. “We’ve got a nice, spacious cabin on the beach, with two hammocks, an extraordinairy view of the ocean and no one for miles but us”.

Marina started smiling again.

“What are we going to do for two weeks apart from swim and tan?”.

Victor grinned, leaning in to kiss her soft mouth.

“Guess?” he replied.

Marina caught on and pushed his shoulder playfully.

“I mean besides that?”.

“Well, there’s horseback riding, they screen old movies at the theatre in town, shark diving, scuba diving and pretty much any aquatic sport invented” he told her, shrugging.

“Sounds like we’ll be pretty busy getting wet”.

“Naturally, we’ll be on an island surrounded by water, darling, it’s that or play monopoly at the retirement home”.

Marina giggled, reaching for her filled glass.

 

“What about children?” she asked, looking up at his ruggedly handsome features.

“What do you mean, dear?”. His bright blue eyes held a hint of puzzlement.

“You know, our kids, have you thought about it?”.

“I suppose. But we’re in no hurry, Marina. Were younger then most couples who marry these days, we’ve got plenty of time for that later on”.

She agreed, looking around the room at the dancing couples and her own parents, who were talking to Samuel and Vanessa Churchill by the bar.

“Compared to our parents, it seems as if we’ll live forever, huh?” she said.

“Yes, it does. No wrinkles yet, were not alchoholics or starting to wear fur coats, I believe you might be on to something” Victor nodded.

She hugged him tight and they both chinked glasses, toasting to a “long, long life of happiness and love”.

 

Victor rolled over, letting the tears flow from his eyes as the memory of his only love swept past him and out of the open window, carried away by the calm breeze of spring.

 

*

 

Elansa sat by the stables, the mutt at her feet, panting in the warm morning sunlight. She hadn’t slept much that night, her dreams bringing echos of her time with Carl, all the kisses they’d shared, the plans they’d formed while hiding in empty stalls or in the dark tack room. She’d been so sure that her father would never find out about them, that they’d have a future together, only to have all that come crumbling down at her feet in minutes.

 

Elansa looked up from staring at her knees to see her father by one of the pastures, observing his horses with his usual air of arrogance. Anger and frustration boiled up in the pit of her stomach as she watched him. How dare he try and take control of her life. Who did he think he was to order her around, to send her to London, to get rid of the only boy she ever loved? Did he enjoy ruining her dreams, trampling on everything that she cared for, while he basked in his greed and wealth from his high, gold throne.

 

Victor looked around and saw his daugther glaring at him from afar and wondering what could possibly be wrong, he set off towards her. The closer he got, the more angry she looked.

“What’s the matter, darling, you look positively ready to blow up with hatred?” he asked her, rather puzzled.

“Do I, father, how bizarre” Elansa responded in a sarcastic tone, rolling her eyes.

“I guess I can agree you’re not to happy with me at the moment” he assumed, raising his eyebrows.

“You can guess whatever the hell you want, for all I care” she replied in a snap, folding her arms to her chest.

“Remember who you are speaking to, Elansa” he warned her.

“Oh yeah, how could I forget, Sir Churchill, or whatever people call you these days” she retorted.

“I prefer you stick to father, you are not one of my employees”.

“But I’m sure as hell treated that way” Elansa muttered.

“Don’t curse, it’s unladylike-” Victor began.

“I don’t give a rat’s a*s what you think!” she bellowed, cutting out the rest of his words. “You just care about you stupid reputation, your damn money and nothing else! I hate you!”.

Victor watched her blazing eyes and quivering mouth with a slightly shocked expression.

“Me who thought you were ready to be treated like a lady, I was wrong as you just showed me. As punishment for yelling, swearing and your curt impoliteness, you will be staying in your room for the rest of the week. And if I ever catch you using that tone again with me, you won’t ever see that precious mutt you love so much” he told her, his own tone cold, as he nodded at the dog at his daugthers feet. At that he headed back to the estate, not looking back once.