1

About the Author

Lydford Williams is the pseudonym of a retired hospital

consultant who, after retirement, followed a course on creative
writing which fired his imagination, leading to this book, his first
novel using his hospital experiences as a background. He has,
though, written two medical textbooks as well as numerous
medical scientific papers.

Dedication

The author would like to thank his family for all their support
during the writing of this novel.

Lydford Williams

A SUMMER OF
LOVE AND DEATH

Copyright Lydford Williams (2015)

The right of Lydford Williams to be identified as author of this
work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and
78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this
publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims
for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British
Library.
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any
resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely
coincidental.
ISBN 978 1 78455 672 3 (paperback)
978 1 78455 674 7 (hardback)

www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2015)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LB

Printed and bound in Great Britain

ONE

Jenny, slim, long blonde hair and understatedly pretty, sat

behind the cash desk at the supermarket checkout, scanning
the goods as they passed along the conveyor belt. She looked
surreptitiously at her watch quarter to three. Only fifteen
minutes more before her shift ended. Luckily, the customer
did not have a huge amount still to check, and Jenny pushed
the sign saying Sorry, this checkout is now closed at the end
of the pile of goods. She finished scanning the last item, and
turned to the customer, locking her welcoming smile back on
her face.
Thats 38.25, please. Do you need any cash-back? Do
you have our loyalty card or any coupons, or a car park
ticket?
The customer shook her head and reached into her purse,
proffering two 20 notes. Jenny was pleased. Less time
needed to cash up. She gave the change, and closed down her
till, removed the cash box, and went upstairs to the office. She
checked the money and coupons, entered the amounts on the
tally sheet, put the float back in to the till box and took the
takings and form in to the finance office, leaving the till box
in its place in the rack. Briefly saying hi to the girl in the
office, she went through to the changing room, combed her
hair, took her jacket and bag, ran down the stairs and out into
the street. It was a warm April afternoon, and she went down
the road and round the corner towards the school. School
finished at 3.15 she would just be in time to meet her son.
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She ran the last few yards to the school gate, and as she
approached, could hear the noise of the children running
through the playground to the exit. She nodded to several of
the mothers she knew, exchanged a few pleasantries with a
couple of others, and then saw her son, Colin, a quiet boy of
seven, coming towards her with another boy she didnt
recognise.
Mummy, Mummy, Colin said, this is my friend Mark.
He has asked me to come round to play and for tea. Can I,
Mummy, can I? Please!
Jenny smiled lovingly at him, and said, Well, we had
better find Marks mummy and ask her. She might not know
about this invitation.
At that moment, a lady came up to Jenny and introduced
herself as Marks mother, and confirmed the invitation. Mark
has been talking about Colin for days now, as they sit next to
each other in class. Please let him come. We live in Cathwell
Avenue, and we will walk Colin home at, say 6.30, if that is
OK by you. She scrabbled in her handbag. Here is our
address and phone number.
Jenny agreed, to Colins great pleasure, and walked
slowly away, looking back at the two boys who were
laughing, jumping and chattering at great speed. She was
pleased that Colin had made a friend. He was a shy, rather
introverted lad who was in the first year of Junior School, and
didnt make friends easily. To see him like this was a great
pleasure.
When she got home, she tidied up a few things, looked at
the post, and decided she would have a leisurely bath. It was
not every afternoon she had a chance to do what she wanted,
alone. She ran the tub, on an impulse poured in some bubble
bath crystals that Geoff had given her for her last birthday,
took off her clothes and sank gently into the foaming water.
She lay there a while, thinking of nothing in particular,
looking at the patterns on the water created by the sun coming
through the window, and then started to wash. As she washed
between her legs, she was caught out by the sensations she
10

had engendered. Smiling, she continued caressing herself.

Waves of pleasure engulfed her. She lay back, and suddenly
thought how she enjoyed sex with Geoff, a kind, caring father
and husband. She resolved to initiate sex more often, and she
decided to ask him about starting another baby. How
wonderful, she thought. I must have bubble baths more often!
At that moment she heard the front door open, and a voice
called out. Hello, anyone in?
It was Geoff, home early, and Colin was out! Now was a
good time to start. Jenny called down to Geoff, Darling, hi!
Im in the bath. Come on up and join me!
He came up the stairs, went into the bathroom, and looked
at his wife, her beautiful body lying in the bubbly water, just
her face and her nipples visible, her hair piled attractively on
the top of her head. He bent down and kissed the tip of her
nose. Wheres Colin? he asked.
Oh, he was invited to tea by a school friend, and will be
back around 6.30. Come into the bedroom, there are things I
want to discuss. He walked out, and she got out of the bath,
dried herself, draping the towel around her. In the bedroom,
she sat on the bed and patted the duvet next to her. Sit down
here with me, she said, and as he sat down, she turned to him,
hugged him, smothered him with kisses, then undid his shirt
and trousers, pushing him down on his back, her towel falling
away.
What are you doing? he laughed.
Youll see, she said, and quickly pulled his clothes off.
She ran her finger round his tummy button, then down the line
of hair to the base of his penis. She saw it quiver, then she
gently started rubbing him. She loved the result, as she saw
his penis stiffen and enlarge. She enjoyed that power in her
fingers, and also as she massaged him gently, she felt herself
becoming wet. She could wait no longer, and raising herself
up, held his penis and pushed it into her, moving rapidly up
and down until with a great sigh she arched back and they
both climaxed. She sat on him until she felt him become

11

small, and then she rolled off and lay next to him, hugging
him tightly and kissing his face and hair.
Well, he said, looking at his wife, what a lovely
homecoming. I shall have to finish work early more often,
specially if Colin is out. He stretched, looked at the alarm
clock, then got up, and went into the bathroom. Jenny heard
the shower running. A couple of minutes later he came back
into the bedroom, Jenny took his hand and pulled him down to
her, kissing him again and again. He held her tight, kissed her
lips and then moved down, sucking her nipples which stood
firm. Smiling, he pushed her back, separated her legs and
entered her, loving her passionately until they both climaxed
again. Jenny lay back and sighed with pleasure, as Geoff
kissed her lips, breasts and stomach. They lay side by side,
holding hands and kissing each other. As she turned to
massage him again, Jenny noticed the alarm clock and
stopped.
Geoff, its getting late. We must get dressed! Colin will
be home soon. She jumped up, put her clothes on and threw
Geoff his discarded shirt and trousers.
Going downstairs hand in hand, they sat together on the
sofa and listened to the six oclock news, and as the headlines
were repeating, there was a ring at the door. Geoff went to the
door, opened it, and let in Colin with Mark and his mother.
Daddy, Daddy! shouted Colin, this is my friend Mark
and his Mummy. Geoff smiled, and introduced himself.
Marks mother shook hands, and said, Im Carmel.
Carmel Richards. We live near here, in Cathwell Avenue, and
only moved in a few weeks ago. Colin and Mark are in the
same class, and have become firm friends, Im pleased to say,
as Mark didnt know anyone in this area.' Colin had
meanwhile taken Mark up to his room, and the happy noises
of boys playing with a train set could be heard. The three of
them sat and chatted, till Carmel said she had better be going
home, as her husband would be in shortly. Jenny gave Carmel
a card, and said, Here is our address and phone number,
although of course you know where we live! Carmel thanked
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them, and called up to Mark, who came down asking if they

really had to go, and then off they went. Colin stood by the
open front door, waving, till they turned down the road out of
site. He shut the door and went back into the kitchen.
Did you enjoy yourself, darling? Jenny asked.
Oh, yes, lots, said Colin. Theyve asked me again.
Geoff and Jenny looked at each other, nodding, pleased
that Colin had such a nice friend. Yes, of course, darling, but
perhaps well ask Mark here for tea next time. When we see
him and his mother tomorrow, well fix a date.
The next afternoon when Jenny collected Colin, she saw
Carmel and arranged that Mark would come round for tea on
Tuesday of the next week, which was in five days time, a day
that Jenny wasnt working. Every day for the next four days
Colin pestered his parents, asking if tomorrow was the day
that Mark was coming. Finally the day arrived, and while
Colin was at school, Jenny busied herself with making
sandwiches, little cakes and a large fruit salad. At 3.15 she
was outside the school, waiting for Colin and Mark, and as the
bell rang, she saw them running out across the playground
towards the gate. Laughing, she scooped them in her arms,
and all holding hands they walked home. Tea was a great
success, and then the boys went into the garden to play
football. After about twenty minutes, they came in and Colin
asked if they might go up to his room and play with his train
set. At 6.30 Jenny went upstairs and told the boys that they
needed to pack up, as Mark had to go home.
Oh Mummy, does he have to? wailed Colin.
Yes, darling, said Jenny, and with that waited until the
boys had restored order to Colins room. Then they went
down, took their coats, and set off for Cathwell Avenue,
which wasnt so far away. When they got to Marks house,
Carmel was waiting at the gate, she greeted them and invited
them in. The boys rushed away to play while Jenny and
Carmel sat and enjoyed a cup of tea and Jenny told her that
Mark had been a perfect gentleman. Then, repeatedly calling

13

Colin, they left, with much sadness on Colins part, and went
back home.
Later that evening, as she and Geoff were watching
television, she told him how successful tea had been, and that
she had arranged with Carmel that once a week the boys
would meet for tea, one week in their house and one week at
Carmels. Geoff thought that was a splendid arrangement,
wonderful for Colin, and then told her about his work that day
in Connaughts, the factory where he was a senior designer. He
didnt normally talk much about his work, but he had been
asked to set up and lead a new team working on a new product
and wanted to tell Jenny all about it; he mentioned that it
might lead to promotion, if it all went well. As they sat in the
evening light, Jenny noticed that Geoff was coughing more
than usual. She asked if he was alright, but he said that he was
fine, and she thought no more about it. In bed that night, she
snuggled up to Geoff and kissed him lovingly while rubbing
his tummy then gently massaging him. As she got more and
more excited, his penis got bigger and bigger, and he began
making love to her. Afterwards, she lay back stroking his
penis and asked him if they could start another baby. He put
his hands behind his head on the pillow and thought for a
while, then said that he wasnt earning quite enough for that,
as at the moment they had to count on Jennys wages from the
supermarket, plus the discounted prices she got, so perhaps
they could wait till the new production line, and the implied
promotion, came through. Promotion would mean a
significant pay rise, but might take a few months. Jenny had to
agree as the financial considerations were important, but
consoled herself that she would have lots of time for
spontaneous lovemaking with Geoff at odd times. Thank
goodness for the Pill! The following week she surprised him
three times, once when he came home early and she pulled
him up to their bedroom, once when he was up in the attic,
when they got extremely dusty and laughed so much it hurt,
and once on Saturday afternoon in the garden shed when he
was trying to repair their mower. On this last occasion, Colin
had gone out to the nearby playing field with some friends,
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and Jenny went down to the shed in a t-shirt and shorts. When
she went into the shed, she quickly took them off, crept up
quite naked behind Geoff, and before he could say anything,
she had pulled down his jeans, and made energetic love to
him, although afterwards he did say that he hoped none of the
neighbours had seen, as theyd be jealous!
A few weeks later, in bed one hot early May night, they
lay naked together, and as Jenny moved towards Geoff, she
noticed that he seemed a bit puffed, and wondered if it had
anything to do with the coughing, which was still bothering
him quite a lot. She plumped up his pillow, and snuggled up
to him, again stroking his stomach and hoping for a response.
Instead, the puffing and wheezing continued, and suddenly he
pushed her away, sat up and said that he could not breathe
well. She switched on the light and looked at him. His face
seemed redder than usual, his neck seemed a little swollen,
and the veins rather more prominent. She was worried by this,
and asked if he would like some more pillows. He nodded,
still coughing and wheezing, so she got up and fetched a
couple. With them in place, his breathing became a little
easier, but the veins were still full and his face red. She
watched over him for about ten minutes, and as he seemed no
better, she picked up the phone and called their GP. When the
on-call doctor answered, Jenny described what she saw and
the symptoms, adding that the cough had been going on for
several weeks. The GP immediately said that with the history
she had given him, there was no need for him to call at their
house, rather she should take Geoff to the hospital at once,
and he would be expected as the GP was going to phone the
appropriate team as soon as they had finished talking.
Although it was late, Jenny phoned her best friend Annie
who lived nearby, told her the situation, and asked her if she
could come over and stay so Colin would not be alone. Annie
was an old school-friend of Jennys, unmarried, who lived
nearby in a large Victorian house which had belonged to her
parents. She said she was on her way, and was as good as her
word, knocking on the door in 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Jenny
and Geoff had got dressed, and as soon as Annie was in and
15