First Class Rescue (First Class Novels) (12 page)

“I’ll drive,” said Tim as he and Beth walked down the
driveway to the car.

“Are you sure you want to do that?” she asked.

“Yeah. Of course!” He was cocky. “I can drive a fire truck
that’s like fourteen ton! I can handle your mom’s car.”

“It’s not the vehicle I was referring to,” she said
knowingly.

Beth threw him the keys and as he caught them he grinned. He
walked to the door of the Jaguar and paused. “Umm.”

Beth laughed, took the keys from his hand, and walked around
to the other side of the car.

“Please don’t tell me you’re a big dumb yank who didn’t know
the English drive on the left,” she chuckled.

“I did!” he responded quickly. “But…well, I just wasn’t
thinking.” He was mortified.

“Tell you what, you drive when we’re in America, and I’ll
drive when we’re here. Deal?”

Tim knew when he was beaten. “Deal,” he grinned.

They were going to the Pig and Pony, the pub in the village
just a couple of miles down the picturesque country lane. They’d been at Beth’s
family home for two days and Tim was just starting to see some progress with
her family.

The day before, he’d gone out with Rupert to take a look at
some of the land they leased to local farmers and then they’d gone into the
neighboring village where the offices were for the equipment rental business.
The Collins family was obviously vital to the community. The leased thousands
of acres to independent farmers and then used their rental company to outfit
them, if they needed, with tractors, combines and harvesters and a myriad of
other things to maintain the land and make a living. It was actually quite
smart. The company had several employees and Mr. Collins only made an
appearance at the office a couple of times a week. He was slowly, but surely,
letting Rupert take over.

Rupert was older than Beth by a couple of years and was
unattached, romantically speaking. After eating dinner with the family for two
nights, Tim could understand his hesitation. Mrs. Collins was sure that every
girl Rupert dated was only after the family fortune and Rupert was clearly
under his mother’s spell. He sought her approval in everything he said and did.

Emma on the other hand, couldn’t care less what her parents
said and did as she pleased. Her father indulged her and her mother pretty much
ignored her. He now understood why Beth decided to leave and go to New York.
Her family was completely dysfunctional.

Driving through the country was something out of an E.M.
Forster novel. Beth had convinced him to read ‘A Room with a View’. The lush
green fields combined with the colorful wild flowers were a spectacular sight.
But as they drove a round the bend and Beth honked the horn, Tim wondered if it
would be the last thing he saw.

“These are one lane roads and you drive like a maniac!” he
exclaimed, all but covering his eyes, unwilling to watch his own death,
gripping the door. Beth laughed and called him a pansy. They made it to the pub
in one piece.

As they walked into the medieval style building, the
bartender dashed from behind the bar and swooped Beth into his arms and kissed
her on the cheek with a big ‘smack’. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was
about seventy, bald and had three missing teeth, Tim might’ve been worried.

Beth introduced Tim to those in the pub, everyone knew her
and was thrilled to see her, and George, Tim’s new rival, poured them a pint on
the house.

When Tim had been with Rupert, people were polite to him but
not friendly. With Beth he could tell they really loved and missed her. It made
his heart swell just a little to know what these people thought of her. It was
confirmed that he really was a good judge of character.

He had a pastie, meat and potatoes enveloped in flaky
pastry, and a salad for lunch. George continued supplying them with pints. So
far, it was the most fun Tim had had on his visit.

*****

When Mrs. Collins smiled at him when they returned her keys
to her later in the afternoon, Tim wondered if perhaps he was making some headway…that
is until she announced that Gerald would be joining them for dinner.

Beth had told Tim the story of the humane society benefit
and her horrendous date with Gerald, whom she not so affectionately called ‘the
wanker’. He couldn’t say the news thrilled him.

“I thought you were going to make a play for Gerald,” Beth
asked Emma as the three of them sat in the courtyard before dinner.

“Well, he was very nice and attentive to me on the flight
when we left New York, but he’s just no fun.  When he asked me to dinner the
week after we got home, I asked him if he would take me to this new club that
just opened and he said no! I mean, he wouldn’t even entertain the idea!”

“Well that’s just grand,” Beth sighed.

“Do I need to challenge him to a duel?” Tim snickered.

“Now that would be brilliant!” Emma clapped. “Please do!”

Beth laughed. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. But just
knowing you would take a bullet for me warms my heart.”

“Why do you automatically assume I’d lose?” He pretended to
be physically wounded by her words.

“Sorry.” She tried to look contrite. She didn’t succeed.

But it didn’t come to that. In fact, Gerald was quite
cordial all evening and left a little after nine after the family had retired
to the drawing room to spend the rest of the evening. He said he didn’t want to
intrude any longer. Emma had whispered to Tim that he was obviously intimidated
by the gorgeous American. He was certainly out of his league with Tim in the
house.

“Anybody up for a game of scrabble?” Rupert asked.

“I don’t think so,” Mrs. Collins replied. “Our guest,” she
whispered.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Beth snapped.

“Well,” her mother began, “I wouldn’t want him to be
uncomfortable since he is a fireman,” she sneered a little more than she
probably should have.

“Fire
fighter!
” Beth yelled. “And I’ll have you know
that Tim graduated magna cum laude from NYU in fire science
AND
received
one of the highest scores on the FDNY’s written exam. I think
you
are
the one who should be afraid of playing
him
!” Her face was bright red,
her teeth were gritted and she stood with her fists clenched at her sides. “Get
the board Rupert!”

As they gathered around the table, Emma refusing to play
because it was boring, Beth leaned over and whispered into Tim’s ear.

“You’re going to have to win you know.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “No pressure,” he whispered back.

“And you should probably know that my mother has never lost
a game…that I know of.”

Tim gave Beth a look of disgust. “Thanks for getting me into
this.”

“You’re welcome,” she grinned innocently. “Go get ‘em!” she
said in her best American accent.

Needless to say, Tim didn’t win. Mrs. Collins did, but only
by twelve points which, according to Mr. Collins, was the closest anyone had
come to beating her in a long time.

“Well done Tim,” Mr. Collins patted him on the back.

“
Quizzes
helped me a lot. I got that blank at just
the right moment. And thank you for giving me the triple Mrs. Collins.”

“Hmph. Yes well, good game. You surpassed my expectations.”

Tim could see how difficult it was for her to admit that.

She excused herself for the evening and Rupert followed
shortly behind her. Mr. Collins said he had work to do in his study and said
goodnight, leaving Beth and Tim alone with Emma.

“So why are you here?” Emma asked.

“We’re here for a visit,” Beth answered somewhat offended by
the question. “I’m allowed to come home you know.”

“I know, but it seems like there’s something else…something
you’re not telling us.”

Beth snorted. “When and if there is something to tell,
you’ll be the first to know.”

“Sure I will,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as
she walked out of the room.

Beth shook her head. “Finally alone,” she smiled.

“Actually,” Tim said, “There’s something I need to take care
of.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll be back.”

“Tim? What are you doing?” she yelled at him as he closed
the door behind him.

*****

Tim had encouraged Beth to take this trip. He wanted to meet
his future in-laws and he wanted them to meet him and while he wasn’t
old-fashioned, he knew Beth’s family was steeped up to their noses in family
and cultural tradition and he wanted to do this right.

The door to Mr. Collins study was open and Tim peeked
inside. Beth’s father was sitting behind his desk, his glasses perched on his
nose, working on a laptop.

It’s now or never
, he told himself and despite the
butterflies in his stomach he lightly knocked on the door and walked in. He was
never scared when he ran into a burning building. He respected the fire and was
cautious, but never afraid. Walking into Mr. Collins study however, he was
literally petrified.

Mr. Collins looked up as Tim approached the desk. “Yes?”

“I was hoping, sir, to have a few minutes of your time.”

Mr. Collins motioned him to sit in one of the leather chairs
in front of the desk and he closed the lid of his laptop. “Just boring email
anyway. What can I do for you?”

Tim looked around the room. There was a wall of shelves
behind the desk that housed books and books and more books. There were also
several framed photographs of the family. Mr. Collins followed Tim’s gaze to a
small frame off to the side. He leaned back and grabbed it.

“This was Beth at her first fox hunt,” he smiled. “No, don’t
worry,” he added after seeing Tim’s horrified expression. “We don’t hurt the
foxes, but it’s still good fun to take the dogs and go for a ride.”

“Beth’s talked about Esmeralda,” Tim nodded. “She loves that
horse.”

“Have you been to see her?”

Tim nodded. “We went riding yesterday, although I held her
back. It was my first time on a horse.”

“Really?”

“New York isn’t a horse friendly place,” he smiled.

“No, I guess not. So what is it that you want to talk to me
about?”

“Well, sir, you have probably guessed that I have feelings
for your daughter, well, I’m in love with her.”

“Hmmm.”

“I want to marry her so I would like to ask you for her
hand.”

There was a long pause. Tim didn’t know if he should say
something. Beth’s father just stared at him so Tim started to ramble.

“I know that you are concerned about her future and
security, but I assure you that I have a good job that pays a decent living and
I can provide for her financially.”

Mr. Collins still just stared giving Tim no idea what he was
thinking.

“You may consider my profession as dangerous,” he continued,
“but I assure you that I do not take unnecessary risks and I am
well
insured,
so, God forbid something did happen, she and our children would be well taken
care of. Plus, I’m working my way up and I hope to be Captain in just a few
years and that will definitely be a safer job and a lot more money.” Tim
decided he should probably just be quiet now.

It took an eternity for him to speak, but finally Mr.
Collins blinked… and then sighed. “Tim, I can see that my daughter obviously
loves you and you seem like a nice enough chap but let’s be honest here. You
and I both know that me giving you my blessing is irrelevant. You need Beth’s
mother’s blessing. And if you can get that in the next three days before you
leave, then you have mine.”

Bloody hell!

Tim had three days to make Mrs. Collins fall in love with
him as a prospective son-in-law. Mr. Collins had offered to help, if possible,
but Tim’s plan was to just be as pleasant and helpful as possible, and, he’d
decided that even though Beth didn’t want to, he’d play the ‘Lathem’ card if it
came to that. They were not leaving England without both of her parents happy
for their upcoming marriage, or at the very least resigned to the fact.

Mary already loved him. He’d carried in the sacks of shopping
and had swept off the courtyard, but Mrs. Collins was proving more difficult.
He offered to help her cut flowers in the garden but she declined his help. He
suggested they play a game of Scrabble after lunch but again she refused. By
the time dinner was served, he’d figured he was out of luck.

But a strange thing happened over roasted chicken and baked
potatoes. She told Tim he should call her Ann. He almost choked on his peas.
And then after dinner, she laughed at one of his jokes. Hope swelled as he watched
her smile…at him!

With only two days left at her home, Tim wanted to do
something special for Beth, so he caught Ann in the kitchen having her tea
while Beth was still upstairs.

“I was hoping you could help me,” he asked, sitting down
next to her.

“What do you need Tim?”

“When Beth was a child, did she have a favorite place to go?
Like a tree house? Or, I don’t know, the attic?”

Ann smiled. “Actually, whenever we couldn’t find her she’d
always be at the stables.” Ann chuckled as the flood of memories came back.
“She would go straight from church and her shoes would always need a complete
cleaning, and sometimes her frocks too. Yes, I would definitely say the
stables.”

“Do you think you could help me make tonight a very special
evening then? I was thinking…”

Tim shared his plan with Beth’s mother and to his surprise,
she happily agreed to help.

*****

As requested, Beth was ready for dinner at seven o’clock.
She had worn a forest green taffeta dress she found in her closet from years
before. She was grateful it still fit.

Tim had asked her to dress formally and as she met him at
the bottom of the staircase she understood why. He was in a tuxedo and looked
ridiculously handsome. Her parents were also there, although they weren’t
dressed up. This was apparently an evening just for the two of them.

“You are breathtakingly beautiful,” he smiled and kissed her
hand.

“You clean up nicely too,” she grinned.

“You are a handsome couple,” Mr. Collins said.

“Yes,” Ann smiled. “You both look lovely.”

“Where are we going?” Beth asked.

“You’ll see,” he replied coyly.

“Tim?” Ann interrupted. “May I have a quick word?”

He left Beth’s side and the two of them walked to the other
side of the foyer.

“I don’t know exactly what you have planned for this
evening, but Rupert told me about your conversation the other night.”

Tim gulped.

“But I want you to know,” she continued, “that even though
you aren’t what I had in mind for Beth’s husband, I do see that you love her
very much and really, that’s all a mother wants…for her daughter to be loved
completely. So, if you would like to marry her, you have our blessing.”

Tim was speechless. He had no idea how to respond except to
say thank you and he kissed Ann on the cheek.

“Be right back,” he yelled at Beth as he ran up the stairs,
two at a time and disappeared down the hall.

*****

One end of the stables had been transformed by adding white
twinkly lights and a table set for two. As they walked down the cobbled path,
hand in hand, Beth choked up just a little at the sight.

“You know this has always been my favorite spot of the whole
estate,” she sighed.

“I know. Your mother told me.”

“Oh you have been sneaky, haven’t you?” she giggled. “But
this is a wonderful surprise.”

They ate fish and chips by candlelight, George had brought
over what Beth had said were the best fish and chips in all of England, and Tim
divulged his conversation with her father when he’d left her in the drawing
room.

“You’ll never get her blessing,” Beth sighed after hearing
her father’s reaction. “She has an image of what this family is supposed to
look like from the outside and in her mind, you don’t fit in.”

“I thought I was doing pretty well when your dad didn’t
throw me out of the house!” Tim laughed. “Besides, I’m a good looking guy. Your
mother can’t be immune to all my charms.”

“Humble too!” she chuckled.

“You don’t think I can sway your mom onto my side?”

“Oh Tim,” she sounded forlorn. “I have grown up with her
telling me a hundred…no a thousand times what I’m supposed to marry. I don’t
see her changing her mind.”

Tim just grinned and let her stew for just a minute longer.

“I don’t care though,” she continued. “I
will
marry
you and they can’t stop me! It’s my life and I love you.”

“Finish your chips,” he chuckled. “George brought them all
the way here just for you and you shouldn’t let it go to waste.”

“How did you know to get fish and chips?”

“Oh, just because you talk about them
every
time we
go out for dinner!” he laughed. “There’s nothing better than a plate of fish
and chips from the Pig and Pony,” he said doing his best impression of her
accent.

She threw her napkin at him. “Stop!” But she laughed.

Tim slipped off his chair and kneeled in front of her.
“Beth?” he whispered. “I love you with all my heart. I have loved you since I
first met you. I knew that you were the woman that I wanted, no,
needed
to spend the rest of my life with. I promise to love you, to worship you
forever.” He pulled a velvet box from his pocket and lifted the lid. “And I
know that I already asked you to marry me, but I didn’t have the ring and I
didn’t have your parents’ blessing, but now I have both, so Elizabeth Ann
Collins, will you be my wife?”

Beth’s eyes got big and her mouth opened.

“That’s what your mom just told me before we left,” he
grinned. “So? How about it? Marry me?”

“Oh yes! I’ll marry you!”

*****

Rupert and Ann Collins were sorry to see their daughter
leave so soon. And they were sorry they didn’t have more time to get to know
Tim a little better. But they promised to visit them in New York in a couple of
months and Ann reminded her daughter that they had a wedding to plan.

As Tim loaded their suitcases into the boot of the car, Beth
decided it was as good a time as any to let her family in on Tim’s secret.

“Oh, and I don’t think I told you Tim’s last name,” she grinned.
“It’s Tim Lathem.”

“WHAT????” Emma squealed.

“Matt is my older brother,” Tim confirmed.

“What’s a Lathem?” Ann asked. “Who are the Lathems?”

“Only the richest family in New York,” Emma replied.

“No,” Tim chuckled. “Not even close.”

Ann hugged Beth and Tim goodbye and as they slid into the
back of the Jag, Emma took her mother by the arm and led her back into the
house while saying, “Let me tell you all about Matt Lathem. I wonder if there
are any other brothers?”