It was afternoon in England when Ian finally zapped himself and Betty Jo to Avery House. It was spring and the grounds were full of soft sunlight and birdsong. A bright breeze rattled the newly green leaves on the trees and bushes. They were standing on the raised stone patio that ran the length of the drawing room.  

She could already see changes. The garden, which had looked a bit neglected when last she'd been here, was even as she studied it, being worked on by a smiling gardener, who tipped his hat to her and Ian, completely unsurprised by their sudden arrival out of thin air. The French doors to the drawing room, both sets, were open to the spring air. It was a bit cool, but smelled of fresh earth and a hint of spring flowers.

"Welcome home, darling," Ian said as he wrapped her in his arms. "Your mother and father will be along in time for dinner, but I thought perhaps we could have a few hours alone together. With no one poking and prodding at you. Well, except me."

"It sounds wonderful, perfect in fact," she said, smiling with pleasure.  "You've been so busy lately."

"I've had a lot of help. Baz helped me arrange a full roster of staff for this old pile, and Laz hired security for us.  Even the gardener is vetted. And quite a few are talented so if anything goes pear-shaped we'll have plenty of help. Cal came and redid the plumbing and upgraded the bathrooms and kitchen. I'd rather hoped to get you involved in much of it but since... well, I wanted it all to be comfortable for you now.  But if you see something you don't like we can easily enough change it."

"Knowing you I'm sure it's perfect.  But uhm, what does a full roster of staff mean?" she asked.  "And uhm, what security?"

"Ah, well, a housekeeper, maids, full-time cook, butler and Edwards of course. I've got a temporary woman to look after you until you and Edwards hire you someone permanent. She comes highly recommended by Baz and Tsura.  And the gardener and groundskeeper who's always been here but you just never met.  Security, well, at the moment it's Toby and Chance who are working out the kinks of the alarms and sensors and so forth. We'll go over all of it once you're rested. No hurry."

"Okay, I won't worry about it then.  Maybe we could have Baz and Tsura for dinner or something, to thank them."  She stretched up and kissed him.  "Now if you would, define what look after me means.  So I understand, and I can either cooperate with being looked after or devise a plan of evasive action when needed."

He laughed. "She's a bit of a harridan. Maid, personal assistant, a sort of female version of Edwards. I hope you won't mind. To do the everyday boring things like iron my shirts."

"Ah, okay.  That means you're still handling the important parts of looking after me," she said, dimpling.

"Oh yes. I've a few things I'll need to see to still, but that will be my full-time job for some time yet."

She grinned.  "Full-time, huh?"

"Too much? Would you prefer part-time?"

She put her arms around his neck.  "Oh no, honey.  Definitely full-time.  I'm no dummy.  I know perfectly well what's good for me."

"Good."  He held out his arm and she took it. "I'll introduce you to everyone later. Shall we just take a walk? It's a lovely day, and you haven't really seen the grounds. Especially the wretched folly in the middle of the fake lake. The things were so popular back then."

She burst out laughing.  "Fake lake?  How can it be fake?  The water's not real?  Or some other essential element."

"Come on, I'll show you," he said as they headed out across the fields.  "Don't step in the sheep shit."

"I'll be sure to try not to.  Are they your sheep or do you lease the pasturage?"

"You know, I'm not certain. I've been a wretched fellow. I've stuck poor Thornton with everything. I do pay him well, however."

"Other interests, I understand.  But if you're down here all the time won't he and the vicar and everyone else want to involve you in those things you've avoided so adroitly before?  And are we expected at church on Sunday morning?"

He looked at her aghast. "Oh, God. You aren't serious."

"About church?  Or the rest?" she asked, struggling to keep her face straight.

"Maybe we should just move back to London."

She broke out laughing.  "No.  I see now what my new mission in life is.  I'm here to run interference between you and the Ladies Aid, the church wardens, the village fete committee and all the rest of them, right?"

He stopped walking and wrapped her up in his arms. "Would it be such a terrible fate - pardon the pun?"

"No, not at all darling.  Just don't expect me to take on Thornton and issues of pasturage.  You'll end with yaks or something else equally unwelcome in the EU."

He laughed. "Oh, it is so good to see you this relaxed."

"Likewise," she said, slipping her arm back through his to walk on.  "But you know, it all means I should probably do something about giving up my status as an illegal immigrant, much as I cherish it."

"If you like. I doubt anyone will check. You'll turn on that southern belle accent and charm and have them kissing your hand."

"Honey that only works with men.  The Ladies Aid and the Village Fete, well let's just say they have a different agenda."

"How is it you know so much about English village life?  Have you been holding out on me?"

"Well I have a terrible confession to make," she said, her voice suddenly serious.  "It will probably change your every opinion of me, but it can't be helped, I just can't hide it any longer."  She stopped and looked at him and then looked at the ground.  "I'm an addict," she whispered.  Then she paused and looked at him again.  "I just can't stop reading romances in the bathtub."

"And romances teach you all about village life? Can you draw me up a reading list?"

"It's all in the nuances, darling.  And I'd be happy to.  There's a couple of boxes of them in the basement of the brownstone.  All sorts, from contemporary to regency and historical, conservative with barely a kiss to practically soft porn.  All three of us read 'em, but don't tell I told you."

"We should go visit the brownstone. I dare say there's more there than books you'd like to move in. Since you're staying. You are staying?"

"I didn't know it was an open question," she said.  "Why wouldn't I be?"

He looked out over the fields. "Well, the relationship was a bit different when we first began seeing one another. And you moving in was a bit... sudden. So I just wanted to be sure you still felt that way."

She fought and won the battle against panic.  But she couldn't do anything about her sudden pallor.  "Yes, I do.  But as I said at the time, only if it would make you happy."

"It would make me very happy. And I'm tiring you out. Let's get back to the house, all right?"

"And miss the fake lake?" she asked.

He laughed, grabbed her hand and zapped them down the field to where a lake lay glimmering in the afternoon sunlight. a fancy gazebo sat on an island toward the center of the lake. "Fake," he said. "Created from scratch. Just so the bedroom could look down on a pretty little scene. All the rage in the 18th century. One of Capability Brown's wonders to improve the English landscape. Cost a pretty penny I'm sure."

"Added before your time, huh?"

"Well,  I had an accident and lost my memory. So I'm unsure if I'm the guilty party in this or not. I suspect I probably am. Not half pompous in those days I've been given to understand."

"And now you keep it have something to grouse about or as a tourist attraction?"

"Well, what else is one supposed to do with it?" he asked grinning. "I expect the Ladies Aid will want to throw a tea party here. You can preside, dressed in chiffon with one of those large garden hats and speak in Georgian tongue."

She giggled.  "I'm holding out for opening day at Ascot."

He grinned. "Be careful what you wish for. Baz will probably arrange it."

"And you in a top hat and tails.  I'll have pictures for the Christmas cards."

"Come on," he took her hand and zapped them across the lake to the pavilion. It was a bit dusty and full of dried, dead leaves. He brushed off a stone bench and sat pulling her down with him. "Adele used to play here with her teddy bears. I'm surprised the bloody things aren't still hopping around looking for her."

"Maybe they are, just invisible, like the best childhood playmates," she said.  "And waiting for her to come see them again."

"Hmmm. Yes. She wants to come. I've told her when her term ends to come with Alex if she can, otherwise go make love with him. There's time enough."

"It would be lovely to see her again," she said, nestling against him. 

"I miss her," he admitted.

"Go visit her," she said.  "Surprise her and take her out to lunch or dinner or something.  What's the point of being able to zap around if you can't do things like that?"

"Good idea. Speaking of zapping, security tells me your folks have arrived. Ready to go back?"

"After you kiss me," she said.

He pulled her towards him and met her eyes. "I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

"No.  It's just I missed my quota for a while, so I'm in withdrawal and very greedy."

He kissed her, and kissed her again, until...

She was clutching him, boneless in his arms when she lifted her lips from his enough to speak.  "We're either staying here for hours while you make love with me or we have to stop because in a moment I'll be a puddle and unfit to face my parents."

"Well, since I invited them, I suppose we should go greet them. Damn. Come on," he said with a grin, and zapped them both to the house.