[MaC] And so it begins ... Oswald and Lucinda Skeffington-Nottle

[Mel Mason]

"Here you are!" said Lucinda Skeffington-Nottle, relieved.  "I thought you 
were never coming!"

She bestowed a kiss on Oswald, her husband, and then turned around in her 
dark rose and cream striped satin dress.

"Very nice," said Oswald admiringly.  "Is it new?"

Lucinda laughed.  "In a way," she said.  "Mummy made it for me - from the 
old library curtains.  So ... no coupons needed!  I brought it up last time 
I went to see Timmy and Joan."  Her face fell briefly.

"I know, old bean," said Oswald.  It's hard to be away from the kits at 
Christmas.  But all being well, we should be driving down to Hampshire on 
Boxing Day, and we can have fun and frolics till the New Year then."

Lucinda nodded, although her amiable husband noticed that her lower lip 
still trembled.

"Tell you what," he said, "How about opening your Christmas present early? 
It's under the tree.  Go on ... I'll wrap you an egg cup or something for 
the morning."

Lucinda gave a little chuckle.  "Oswald," she said, "you are an ass."

"That's me," he agreed cheerfully, although he was shrewd to enough to 
realise that he was being successful in diverting her thoughts from her 
evacuated children.  He watched as she went to the tree - decorated even 
though the children were absent - and stooped to the unusually small pile of 
presents beneath.  "No, not that one," he added quickly.  "The long narrow 
one beneath."

Shop wrapping paper had failed this year, but Oswald and Lucinda had cut up 
some old pre-war magazines.  The black and white illustrations made the 
wrpping rather more interesting, they agreed, than plain paper would have 
done, although now Lucinda did not bother to examine the illustrations.  The 
wrapping was removed and folded, even as her eyes were widening at the sight 
of the jeweller's box.

"Oh ... Oswald!"

"I hope you like it, old thing," said Oswald, as she oped the lid.

The way her eyes lit up told him that she did.

"Oh ... Oswald!  It's beautiful."  Carefully she lifted the delicate silver 
chain with its setting of small diamonds.  "Will you fasten it for me?"

He was more than happy to oblige.

"Do you think I need to change?" he murmured into the back of her neck as he 
did up the clasp.

She shook her head.  "I don't think so.  I imagine several people will be in 
uniform - and you don't really have time to change."

"Good," said Oswald, relieved.  "One of the advantages of being in khaki is 
not having to wear a penguin suit for things like this."

Ten minutes later the Skeffington Nottles were ready, and leaving their 
flat.

"Let's take the lift, " said Oswald.

The lift was a handsome piece of iron engineering - an open cage, with a 
plain grilled on the inside, and more elaborate mouldings on the outside. 
(OOC - see images on the wikki at 
http://www.amberpbem.net/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/~MurderAtChristmas/Main/TheLift). 
As Lucinda and Oswald waited there, they heard it clank into life, rising 
from the lower floors.


(OOC - anyone else wish to emerge on their floor, or share the lift to the 
top with them?)