Miltone
Shameless Romantic
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2001
- Posts
- 1,493
Denton P. Willis
I’m sure it was quite by accident that I chanced to glance out the front window of my private office, the one that looked down upon Main Street, at the precise moment that Amelia Nelsen passed along the far side of the street with an interesting looking gentleman. I would have thought that perhaps he was a customer or a fellow antique dealer, but when I saw her arm slipped snuggly inside his and how her head fell back as she flashed a coy and charming smile at him, it was obvious that this was not a business relationship. So one of Scottsville’s finest had finally taken notice of Miss Nelsen! Or perhaps this was the return of the lover she had lost to Martha. I smiled warmly at the sight, for she was truly a lovely woman, deserving of more than a fawning notice by the right man. This would not make my own decision easier, or would it?
I glanced at my watch and noticed that it was nearly ten o’clock, her normal opening time. Yet as they proceeded along the south side of Main Street, there was no indication that they were headed toward her little shop. She was animated in pointing out marquees and stores and of course the antique clock in the square. He seemed truly interested in what she had to say, making me think that he was a stranger, and how unlike it would be of Amelia to take to a strange man. But then she had taken to me easily enough, and that gave me pause for thought as they disappeared from sight crossing the side street near the bath boutique.
The next hour passed quickly for I had some important background work to do in preparation for my appointment with Mrs. Laura Hatfield, whose case was scheduled for a court date within the week. No sooner had I organized and reviewed the depositions and affidavits when I heard the sound of her light footsteps tiptoeing up the stairs. How quickly the hour had passed! I stood up and made ready to greet her at the door.
“Come in, Laura,” I said, holding the door open for her. She wore a light pale yellow sundress that contrasted with her sky blue eyes perfectly. Her long blonde hair was pulled back from her pretty face and pinned in a delightful French twist, and held in place by a pair of sparkling antique hair pins. “Mrs. Hatfield, you look absolutely beguiling this morning.”
”Now, Mr. Willis, I’m not a Mrs. any more. Please call me by my real name,” she demanded in the sweetest voice. I took her gloved hand in mine and raised it to my lips. Helping her into a chair I returned to my desk. I noticed the impish look in her eyes when she glanced over at the door to the inner office. Then she leaned back in the chair, crossing her long shapely legs, enough to let the lace tops of her sheer nude hosiery show.
“Your court case comes up this next week, Miss Medley,” I said. “Are you comfortable with our preparation to this point?”
She smiled appreciatively and meticulously removed her gloves, one at a time, revealing the long slim tanned fingers and the lovely emerald ring on her middle finger. She uncrossed and re-crossed her legs, shifting her weight to the other side of the chair, which also allowed the hem of her dress to rise a bit higher.
“You have been so generous with your time, Mr. Willis,” she said, her voice deep and languid as a mint julep. “But I’m afraid that I may need some additional coaching, if you don’t mind.”
“That is part of my job, Laura, to be sure that you are prepared for court,” I said. “If you are not ready in time, I can easily obtain a delay.”
“No, I want to do this and get it over with,” she said, leaning forward to rest her elbow on my desk.
As she did so, the neckline of her dress fell away from her body, revealing the full rounded curves of her breasts, bespeckled with an appealing dusting of freckles, and barely contained by a sheer white bra.
“This will not be an easy interrogation, Laura,” I cautioned. “Why don’t we step into my private office that we may rehearse.”
“Why, of course, Mr. Willis. That is why I am here,” she began, taking my hand and rising from her chair. “I wish to be completely prepared.”
***
It was well into the luncheon hour by the time we had finished, and I stood for a moment with Miss Medley by the door while she pulled on her gloves. She was the consummate lady, I couldn’t help but notice.
“Mr. Willis, I do see the time and was wondering that since I have kept you so long, may I make it up to you by buying lunch?”
“Why Miss Medley, that is a generous offer,” I said. “And certainly one that I cannot refuse.”
We left my office and headed toward Beale’s a remarkable restaurant with an unremarkable façade. Perhaps that was why one could always find a table and be served the most wonderful light European cuisine without the dense pretensions of the other Scottsville eateries. She paused in the front of The Carousel Shoppe, and took notice of a particularly sparkling set of etched wine glasses, complete with matching decanter, corkscrew and wicker case.
“Denton, look!” Laura remarked. Isn’t that the loveliest set you’ve ever seen?”
“I can certainly see a pair of lovers ensconced by a riverside park, pulling that set from the back of the Duesenberg roadster complete with a basket lunch and a ukulele for entertainment,” I remarked.
“There are always such lovely things in here,” she remarked wistfully. “They just always set me to dreaming.”
Once her interest was quenched, I took her arm and we walked toward the restaurant. The hostess, an older lady of refined preference, greeted us and presently seated us at a lovely table with a view of the entire restaurant. As we were about to take our seats, I noticed none other than Miss Nelsen and her gentleman seated at the next table. Their animated conversation and laughter was interrupted when Amelia looked over and saw us. Although her gentleman friend continued his discourse, she turned away, looking from Miss Medley to me and back again.
“Why, Miss Nelsen,” I said with a smile. “How nice to see you. Miss Medley and I were just discussing the lovely wine set you have in your front window. A truly wonderful set and in such fine condition.”
There was a long pause before Amelia responded.
I’m sure it was quite by accident that I chanced to glance out the front window of my private office, the one that looked down upon Main Street, at the precise moment that Amelia Nelsen passed along the far side of the street with an interesting looking gentleman. I would have thought that perhaps he was a customer or a fellow antique dealer, but when I saw her arm slipped snuggly inside his and how her head fell back as she flashed a coy and charming smile at him, it was obvious that this was not a business relationship. So one of Scottsville’s finest had finally taken notice of Miss Nelsen! Or perhaps this was the return of the lover she had lost to Martha. I smiled warmly at the sight, for she was truly a lovely woman, deserving of more than a fawning notice by the right man. This would not make my own decision easier, or would it?
I glanced at my watch and noticed that it was nearly ten o’clock, her normal opening time. Yet as they proceeded along the south side of Main Street, there was no indication that they were headed toward her little shop. She was animated in pointing out marquees and stores and of course the antique clock in the square. He seemed truly interested in what she had to say, making me think that he was a stranger, and how unlike it would be of Amelia to take to a strange man. But then she had taken to me easily enough, and that gave me pause for thought as they disappeared from sight crossing the side street near the bath boutique.
The next hour passed quickly for I had some important background work to do in preparation for my appointment with Mrs. Laura Hatfield, whose case was scheduled for a court date within the week. No sooner had I organized and reviewed the depositions and affidavits when I heard the sound of her light footsteps tiptoeing up the stairs. How quickly the hour had passed! I stood up and made ready to greet her at the door.
“Come in, Laura,” I said, holding the door open for her. She wore a light pale yellow sundress that contrasted with her sky blue eyes perfectly. Her long blonde hair was pulled back from her pretty face and pinned in a delightful French twist, and held in place by a pair of sparkling antique hair pins. “Mrs. Hatfield, you look absolutely beguiling this morning.”
”Now, Mr. Willis, I’m not a Mrs. any more. Please call me by my real name,” she demanded in the sweetest voice. I took her gloved hand in mine and raised it to my lips. Helping her into a chair I returned to my desk. I noticed the impish look in her eyes when she glanced over at the door to the inner office. Then she leaned back in the chair, crossing her long shapely legs, enough to let the lace tops of her sheer nude hosiery show.
“Your court case comes up this next week, Miss Medley,” I said. “Are you comfortable with our preparation to this point?”
She smiled appreciatively and meticulously removed her gloves, one at a time, revealing the long slim tanned fingers and the lovely emerald ring on her middle finger. She uncrossed and re-crossed her legs, shifting her weight to the other side of the chair, which also allowed the hem of her dress to rise a bit higher.
“You have been so generous with your time, Mr. Willis,” she said, her voice deep and languid as a mint julep. “But I’m afraid that I may need some additional coaching, if you don’t mind.”
“That is part of my job, Laura, to be sure that you are prepared for court,” I said. “If you are not ready in time, I can easily obtain a delay.”
“No, I want to do this and get it over with,” she said, leaning forward to rest her elbow on my desk.
As she did so, the neckline of her dress fell away from her body, revealing the full rounded curves of her breasts, bespeckled with an appealing dusting of freckles, and barely contained by a sheer white bra.
“This will not be an easy interrogation, Laura,” I cautioned. “Why don’t we step into my private office that we may rehearse.”
“Why, of course, Mr. Willis. That is why I am here,” she began, taking my hand and rising from her chair. “I wish to be completely prepared.”
***
It was well into the luncheon hour by the time we had finished, and I stood for a moment with Miss Medley by the door while she pulled on her gloves. She was the consummate lady, I couldn’t help but notice.
“Mr. Willis, I do see the time and was wondering that since I have kept you so long, may I make it up to you by buying lunch?”
“Why Miss Medley, that is a generous offer,” I said. “And certainly one that I cannot refuse.”
We left my office and headed toward Beale’s a remarkable restaurant with an unremarkable façade. Perhaps that was why one could always find a table and be served the most wonderful light European cuisine without the dense pretensions of the other Scottsville eateries. She paused in the front of The Carousel Shoppe, and took notice of a particularly sparkling set of etched wine glasses, complete with matching decanter, corkscrew and wicker case.
“Denton, look!” Laura remarked. Isn’t that the loveliest set you’ve ever seen?”
“I can certainly see a pair of lovers ensconced by a riverside park, pulling that set from the back of the Duesenberg roadster complete with a basket lunch and a ukulele for entertainment,” I remarked.
“There are always such lovely things in here,” she remarked wistfully. “They just always set me to dreaming.”
Once her interest was quenched, I took her arm and we walked toward the restaurant. The hostess, an older lady of refined preference, greeted us and presently seated us at a lovely table with a view of the entire restaurant. As we were about to take our seats, I noticed none other than Miss Nelsen and her gentleman seated at the next table. Their animated conversation and laughter was interrupted when Amelia looked over and saw us. Although her gentleman friend continued his discourse, she turned away, looking from Miss Medley to me and back again.
“Why, Miss Nelsen,” I said with a smile. “How nice to see you. Miss Medley and I were just discussing the lovely wine set you have in your front window. A truly wonderful set and in such fine condition.”
There was a long pause before Amelia responded.