Post by eithne on Apr 23, 2005 22:51:57 GMT 1
Chapter One
Charity King smiled to herself as she sat down in front of the mirror in the bedroom she hared with her husband Tom. She was still tired after her and Tom's arrival back home from their honeymoon in Italy (Charity shuddered at the memory of her and Tom's adventure with the Italian Dingles) early the previous evening, with baby Noah then keeping her awake for a couple of hours not too happy with travelling so far at such a young age. Charity had to admit that she was rather happy with the way things were going with her life. Sadie had let things rest between them, for the time being anyway, Debbie was being surprisingly calm and Tom was making Charity very happy.
She sighed as she picked up her make up brush, thinking about tonight's dinner with a business aquaintance and friend of Tom's, in Leeds. He had been a flatmate, and friend, of Matthew's in college in London, who Tom had grown close to. Apparently Nate left home at fifteen, claiming to be the black sheep of his family. Tom considered Nate to be his 'sixth' son, after Jimmy, Matthew, Carl, Max and now baby Noah of course. Charity had been delighted with that wedding day adoption surprise. Nate hadn't been able to come to the wedding because he and his wife were in France on holiday, so this would be the first time she met him.
Tom valued Nate's opinion so Charity wondered what he'd think of her. She stood up, done putting on her make up, and walked towards her wardrobe. She picked out the dress she'd worn just a couple of weeks ago, in the packed village church and smiled. She left it down on the chair at her dressing table, meaning to put it up in the attic later on. Charity then picked out a new white and pick foloral patterned dress. It'd be perfect for a quick trip to the village, to pick up a few things.
A couple of minutes later Charity picked up her handbag and walked towards Tom, who was still asleep.
"I'm just popping down to the village to pick up a few things. I'll be back in a while. Will you look after Noah for a few minutes?" She asked.
"Sure." Tom answered. Charity leaned over and kissed Tom on the cheek, before turning and walking away. "Charity."
She turned around. "What?"
"I love you." Tom smiled.
----------
That evening Tom and Charity drove towards Leeds.
"You worried about Noah?" Tom asked, as they reached a turn in the road.
"Yeah sorta. I hope Carl and Chas remember that's he's upstairs and don't get carried away with, ahem, other things."
"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a King after all."
Tom turned to look at Charity, and noticed she was smiling. "What?"
"It just sounds nice - Noah King."
"It does, don't it?"
There was a short silence, as both thought about how much their lives had changed. Charity was the first to speak.
"So where are we meeting Nate and Simone?"
"The restaurant. I hope we are not late."
"So what's Nate like?"
"He's very charming, but can be rather secretive."
"Sounds interesting."
"I think he gets his secretiveness from his childhood, with him being embarrassed about his parents."
Charity knew the feeling.
----------
A half hour later Charity and Tom arrived at the rather nice restauarant where they would be having dinner. Charity had never been before, and quite liked it. Tom took a seat at the reserved table.
"See, all that fussing over traffic jams and still we are here before Nate and his wife." Charity said.
"Well sorry. Do you want a drink while we wait?"
"No, I'll be fine. I'm just going to powder my nose before they arrive."
"And to check up on the babysitters?"
"Well, yeah, maybe."
"Don't worry. I forgot to tell you but I organised a small surprise for Chas and Carl, to make sure they don't get too carried away."
"What?"
"You'll have to wait and see." Tom said, with a smile.
Charity smiled herself before turning and walking away. Tom picked up the menu and started looking through it.
"Tom." Came a familiar voice from behind.
"Simone." Tom said, standing up and turning around. Behind him Nate and Simone stood. Tom shook hands with Nate and kissed Simone on the cheek."How are the kids?"
"They are fine. At home with Simone's mother." Nate said, knowing of the past between Simone's mother and Tom. There had once been some matchmaking going on involving them.
"So where is your wife?"
"Charity. She'll be back in a moment. She just gone to powder her nose."
Charity emerged from the bathrooms and noticed a blonde haired woman and dark haired man sitting with Tom. The man was turned the opposite way, so she only noticed that he looked rather well dressed in a smart suit. His wife was in her mid thirties and had long dark hair. She was wearing a black dress with one strap. Charity brushed back her hair and confidently walked towards the table.
"Hello." She said, greeting the group, interuppting the banter going on between Nate, Tom and Simone.
"Hi, you must be Charity." Simone quickly said.
"Yes. Simone ain't it?"
"Yes. This is my husband Nathan."
Charity turned to face the man, as he stood up.
"Charity!"
"Nate..." Charity said, shocked. "I..."
Charity was shocked. It had been a long, long time since she'd seen the man in front of her. She'd last seen him when she was around twelve. He'd been a few years older. She always remembered him as different from all the others. He was totally different from Cain and even Marlon. Then she remembered his wedding.
She didn't know how it had started, but the brawl ended with several of the Dingle's being brought away in police vans. Since then Zach and Nellie hadn't spoken to their eldest son. Nathan Dingle - the black sheep of the family.
"It's been a long, long time eh Nathan."
"You two know each other?" Tom asked.
"Yeah. We do." Charity answered.
"What? You... How?" Simone asked.
"We're cousins."
Charity King smiled to herself as she sat down in front of the mirror in the bedroom she hared with her husband Tom. She was still tired after her and Tom's arrival back home from their honeymoon in Italy (Charity shuddered at the memory of her and Tom's adventure with the Italian Dingles) early the previous evening, with baby Noah then keeping her awake for a couple of hours not too happy with travelling so far at such a young age. Charity had to admit that she was rather happy with the way things were going with her life. Sadie had let things rest between them, for the time being anyway, Debbie was being surprisingly calm and Tom was making Charity very happy.
She sighed as she picked up her make up brush, thinking about tonight's dinner with a business aquaintance and friend of Tom's, in Leeds. He had been a flatmate, and friend, of Matthew's in college in London, who Tom had grown close to. Apparently Nate left home at fifteen, claiming to be the black sheep of his family. Tom considered Nate to be his 'sixth' son, after Jimmy, Matthew, Carl, Max and now baby Noah of course. Charity had been delighted with that wedding day adoption surprise. Nate hadn't been able to come to the wedding because he and his wife were in France on holiday, so this would be the first time she met him.
Tom valued Nate's opinion so Charity wondered what he'd think of her. She stood up, done putting on her make up, and walked towards her wardrobe. She picked out the dress she'd worn just a couple of weeks ago, in the packed village church and smiled. She left it down on the chair at her dressing table, meaning to put it up in the attic later on. Charity then picked out a new white and pick foloral patterned dress. It'd be perfect for a quick trip to the village, to pick up a few things.
A couple of minutes later Charity picked up her handbag and walked towards Tom, who was still asleep.
"I'm just popping down to the village to pick up a few things. I'll be back in a while. Will you look after Noah for a few minutes?" She asked.
"Sure." Tom answered. Charity leaned over and kissed Tom on the cheek, before turning and walking away. "Charity."
She turned around. "What?"
"I love you." Tom smiled.
----------
That evening Tom and Charity drove towards Leeds.
"You worried about Noah?" Tom asked, as they reached a turn in the road.
"Yeah sorta. I hope Carl and Chas remember that's he's upstairs and don't get carried away with, ahem, other things."
"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a King after all."
Tom turned to look at Charity, and noticed she was smiling. "What?"
"It just sounds nice - Noah King."
"It does, don't it?"
There was a short silence, as both thought about how much their lives had changed. Charity was the first to speak.
"So where are we meeting Nate and Simone?"
"The restaurant. I hope we are not late."
"So what's Nate like?"
"He's very charming, but can be rather secretive."
"Sounds interesting."
"I think he gets his secretiveness from his childhood, with him being embarrassed about his parents."
Charity knew the feeling.
----------
A half hour later Charity and Tom arrived at the rather nice restauarant where they would be having dinner. Charity had never been before, and quite liked it. Tom took a seat at the reserved table.
"See, all that fussing over traffic jams and still we are here before Nate and his wife." Charity said.
"Well sorry. Do you want a drink while we wait?"
"No, I'll be fine. I'm just going to powder my nose before they arrive."
"And to check up on the babysitters?"
"Well, yeah, maybe."
"Don't worry. I forgot to tell you but I organised a small surprise for Chas and Carl, to make sure they don't get too carried away."
"What?"
"You'll have to wait and see." Tom said, with a smile.
Charity smiled herself before turning and walking away. Tom picked up the menu and started looking through it.
"Tom." Came a familiar voice from behind.
"Simone." Tom said, standing up and turning around. Behind him Nate and Simone stood. Tom shook hands with Nate and kissed Simone on the cheek."How are the kids?"
"They are fine. At home with Simone's mother." Nate said, knowing of the past between Simone's mother and Tom. There had once been some matchmaking going on involving them.
"So where is your wife?"
"Charity. She'll be back in a moment. She just gone to powder her nose."
Charity emerged from the bathrooms and noticed a blonde haired woman and dark haired man sitting with Tom. The man was turned the opposite way, so she only noticed that he looked rather well dressed in a smart suit. His wife was in her mid thirties and had long dark hair. She was wearing a black dress with one strap. Charity brushed back her hair and confidently walked towards the table.
"Hello." She said, greeting the group, interuppting the banter going on between Nate, Tom and Simone.
"Hi, you must be Charity." Simone quickly said.
"Yes. Simone ain't it?"
"Yes. This is my husband Nathan."
Charity turned to face the man, as he stood up.
"Charity!"
"Nate..." Charity said, shocked. "I..."
Charity was shocked. It had been a long, long time since she'd seen the man in front of her. She'd last seen him when she was around twelve. He'd been a few years older. She always remembered him as different from all the others. He was totally different from Cain and even Marlon. Then she remembered his wedding.
She didn't know how it had started, but the brawl ended with several of the Dingle's being brought away in police vans. Since then Zach and Nellie hadn't spoken to their eldest son. Nathan Dingle - the black sheep of the family.
"It's been a long, long time eh Nathan."
"You two know each other?" Tom asked.
"Yeah. We do." Charity answered.
"What? You... How?" Simone asked.
"We're cousins."
