Aubrey/Biebe/Skinner/Thorne: Touching the Flame

By Atonia

Part 1

It would be the last time all four of the brothers would be together for awhile. Ludivine had set up breakfast in the dining area at the long table covered with a bright yellow cloth and an ironstone pitcher of sunflowers. It was more Sunday brunch than breakfast, but there was enough food to satisfy all of their appetites. She had insisted on preparing the meal herself, shooing Connie out of the kitchen and directing Donna outside when she came in to help. Toni was the last one of the women down, but that was good, she’d spent some time in bed with her husband Terry, who had been gone for three weeks, and Jacky.

She clasped her hands together and smiled when the four brothers gathered around the table, so handsome and manly, and the women all so beautiful.

“What time is your flight, John?” Terry asked as he sat down.

“We’ve got a 2:00 flight.” John settled in his seat and surveyed the table.

“I’m giving him a key to my flat, no need to be uncomfortable in a hotel.”

“I appreciate that, Max.” John answered.

“We’ve got a plane coming for us on Monday so we’ll see you when we get home.”

“Private jet?”

“Yeah, SI’s plane.”

“You’re splitting hairs there, Terry, SI belongs to you and therefore the plane belongs to you.”

“I never think of it that way, Max”

“Must we speak of planes with this nice meal before us?” Jack frowned.

“I heard about your trip over here, Jack,” Terry smiled helping himself to the dishes passed around the table.

“Memory tends to fail me.” Jack passed a dish to Connie.

“Just keep him out of the airport bars and he’ll do fine.” Toni grinned.

“I doubt he’ll have time, we’re gonna be cutting it close, especially since I got the car to return.”

“If you follow the route I mapped out for you, John you should have no problem.” Max sipped his orange juice.

“It’s been really nice having you here, Donna I hope you and John will come back.”

“We will, Connie whenever we get a chance. School starts up mid August and the kids will be back in school so we’ll be home for awhile.”

The chatter went around the table but Jack didn’t join in, he had that flight ahead of him to occupy his mind. True he had been well lubricated the last time, but this trip he would attempt sober and alert. Max had given him a book to read so perhaps…”I’m sorry you were saying?” he smiled at Connie who had spoken to him.

“I said I’d like for you to come back sometime, if ever you get a chance or just want to um, cross over.”

“Thank you for the invitation, your hospitality here has been welcomed.”

After the meal John and Donna went upstairs to finish packing and Terry went outside to smoke, and he wanted a chance to talk to Jack.

“I want to thank you, Jack for answering the summons, my back was against the wall I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Yes, well I believe you put it there did you not? You had prior knowledge of this trip?”

“No, actually I didn’t. I know that’s what Max thinks is true because I trained an elite team in Paris. I saw the need for that team and in fact that need came up sooner than I had anticipated. I knew there was a possibility three days before I left when negotiations began to break down. I didn’t like what I had to do to Toni.”

“There will be things of course that you cannot discuss with her about your work, Terry, but I think you should talk to her; especially if you intend to do this again.”

“Yeah, I have to do that, I know. I’m not good at it.”

Jack walked over to the stonewall in the front courtyard, “That’s a strange statement coming from someone who negotiates for a living.”

“Yes but this is Toni, other things get in the way.”

Jack smiled. “Can you not tell me, did this job involve Her Majesty’s family?”

“I can tell you but I will not tell anyone else, yes it did; a distant relation was snatched in Greece. His company happened to be insured with SI. The pressure was on, that’s why I took the job, I knew I could do it and I didn’t trust anyone else to go in.”

“I like that about you self confidence that never wavers. Perhaps you have made a friend.” He turned to see John coming out of the door with luggage. “Oh the time has come.”

“Thanks for looking after Toni.”

“It was a pleasure, Terry, but she is yours; that fact is quite evident. Now I must find my own courage; I am to fly.”

“Now that’s a strange statement coming from you, courage and Lucky Jack Aubrey are one and the same.”

“You did say…lucky.” He chuckled and walked toward the door where Killick was exiting with their bags.

Toni came out to say goodbye to Jack, “I don’t know what to say, you’ve done it again. I wonder sometimes if I will ever see you when I’m not in some peril.” She kissed him and he put his arms around her.

“You may someday, Pet, I love you; and Toni try and understand Terry’s position.” He kissed her on the lips and turned to go having said his farewells to Max and Connie before he came outside.

John waved, “See you in London.”

Max and Connie came out to wave goodbye.

“I hope you don’t have anything planned this afternoon, Max, I’m ready for a day of R&R.”

“No, Terry, I may go over to Duncan’s later, what about your Jean Paul?”

“He’s coming to London with us tomorrow, but if he’s okay to stay there another night…”

Connie laughed, “I am sure Penny will keep him if she can.”

“She couldn’t do much better, Connie, he’s a mate.”

“You’re on your own today, Terry just relax and enjoy yourself.” Max took himself back inside and to his study.

“Well then, Mr. Thorne?” Toni took his hands.

“I think I’d like to go for a swim and then just be lazy with you, you want to swim?”

“Sure, I’ll go find my suit, I think I brought it.”

“Well if you didn’t um, that would be okay too…”

“Oh you’d like that wouldn’t you,” Toni winked and walked back inside.

Terry had no problem with stripping down to his underwear and diving in.

Toni was back in a few minutes in her bikini and had a pair of Max’s swim trunks for Terry.

“I guess you couldn’t wait, I have a swimsuit for you.” She piled the towels on a chair.

“I’m not as modest as you are. You didn’t used to be…at the House of Four Seasons.”

“If we were alone here it would be different, Terry. Anna’s going to bring Jacky down in a little while so you might think about that while you’re contemplating modesty.” Toni slipped into the pool.

Terry sighed and got out stripping down completely and putting on Max’s trunks. “There always seem to be people around.”

“Jacky’s not people.”

“I wasn’t thinking about him."  He dove back in and came up beside her.

“What were you thinking about?”

“Some time alone with just you and Jacky.”

“Do you want to go somewhere for a holiday?”

“I can’t right now there are things I have to do, something we have to do. We’re going to be presented to the Queen.”

“WHAT!”

“Yeah, you and me and Jean Paul; how about that?”

“Terry…how…what?”

“This mission I had was for one of the rellies. That’s why I had to go, Toni and I couldn’t tell you.” He ran his hands up her arms.

“Terry…I am gobsmacked.”

“Don’t say anything about it…here.”

“No but…Terry!”

“Sometimes you have to trust me, luv. I don’t take on things myself unless I see a need for what I can offer. It won’t be the last time; I’m being honest with you.”

“I know I’ve not been supportive of you at all. I’ve been selfish wanting you all to myself. I don’t stop and think about you and what you need to do for others. I should have been at home waiting for you instead of falling apart and causing you more worry.”

“I’m glad I found you here. When I left I had no idea how long I would be gone, we just got lucky. I don’t like to think of you alone.”

“But I can be, and like you said I’m never alone there are always people around; Anna and Wiggins and little Jacky.”

“Are you saying you didn’t need Jack?”

“Maybe I did this time but somehow it was different you were never far from my thoughts. If you…see the need of your services again I can handle it and if it drags on for any length of time I can come to Max and Connie or to John and Donna…if I need to. I’ve been like a spoiled little girl who’s toy was taken away…I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Toni.” He held her to him, “I thought this was going to be so hard to get you to understand, you know I’m a coward where you’re concerned.”

“I would never ever call you that; you’re one of the bravest men I have ever known. You just have to come back to me. I am so proud of you.”

Terry kissed her deeply and then pulled away, “Better not start that, Anna would never recover,” He smiled and went under the water coming up on the other side of the pool. He never knew until that moment just how much he needed to hear those words from her.

Toni ducked under the water to cleanse the tears from her face; she wondered how she could have been so blind, his eyes always said so much more than he would allow himself to speak. She’d had a lot of time to think about him while he was gone. Who he was and what he was and it was time to let him be that person. This was, after all the man she fell so deeply in love with.

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