The Scent of His Woman

by Maggie Pritchard

  ‘Oh don’t cry, please don’t cry, I know, the doctor said to talk to him, come on, sit her and chat to him, he’ll hear you.’

  ‘I can’t, I just can’t...’

  Lexie broke off with a sob, Mared searched for something to say, some way to help.

  ‘I know, perfume, where’s your perfume, put it on and he’ll know you. it’s unique, so special to you, it’s bound to get through to him.’

  Not knowing what else do do, Lexie reached for her bag, found the little glass atomizer and sprayed liberally.

  ‘On his pillow too, come on, before the nurse comes back, there, now take his hand, say something.’

  Lexie took Geth’s hand, she realised hers was cold only when the heat of his warmed her. The machines ticked loudly in the silence, she could hear her own breathing, Mared for once was silent. Lexie offered her prayer again, the same simple prayer, and waited.

  The cloud of perfume seemed to settle around them, enveloping them both in familiarity. His breathing changed, as if he was trying to assert some control, then slowly, with no real focus he opened his eyes. Just a little, only a very little, and they closed immediately, but he had opened them.

  ‘See,’ said his sister, ‘I told you, I’ll go tell the others and a nurse, you stay here, so when he does that again he’ll see you first.’

  Lexie sat after Mared had left, hardly daring to breathe, her tears didn’t begin immediately, it took the pressure of his fingers squeezing hers to make her cry.

  Epilogue

  Lexie looked up as the doorbell tinkled and Mared swept in.

  ‘Hi, Jason says to tell you that he’s emailed another appointment for Friday at 10am, a Lady Miranda Jefferson, no less. Huh and if she’s a lady I’m chopped liver! Anyway she’s getting married and wants her own signature perfume for her big day.’

  ‘Put it in the book will you, I’m up to my ears in potpourri. Sales have gone through the roof since that magazine feature, that was a stroke of genius on your part.’

  ‘Thanks but it was just a bit of common sense, and of course my invaluable London contacts. Shall I put the kettle on, and then we can begin working through the guest list. Mam insists we get it finalized today so that if we need another marquee she can get it ordered as soon as.’

  ‘No way are we having more guests that will fit in the one she’d ordered already, honestly, I think it might have been better if we’d eloped.’

  ‘If you think for a moment you would have done Mam out of her big day, you are so mistaken, she’s in seventh heaven. Arranging the wedding of the year at long last for the golden boy.’

  ‘Go make the tea, I’ll be through in a second.’

  Laughing Mared made her way through to the kitchen, and Lexie was left to finish blending her herbs and flowers. The pungent scents soothed her mind and she let it wander. It had been an amazing year, each day she thanked God for letting her keep Geth and for the gift of his love. She’d sat by his bed that night, feeling his grip on her hand strengthen and by morning he’d come fully awake. They hadn’t said much, just been content to be together, explanations, declarations, plans, that could all come later. For now all she could concentrate on was his recovery. That had been swift, if a little acrimonious, with Lexie and his Mam insisting he follow doctors orders and Geth doing his best to flout them at every turn. He’s signed himself out of hospital by the afternoon of the second day, declaring that if he stayed a minute longer he’d swing for that staff nurse. The nurse in question looked glad to get rid of him.

  They’d spent the next week at the farm, where Mam could keep an eye on him and as a result Geth declared himself fit to return to Cardiff as soon as he was able to.

  ‘Mam Lexie will take care of me and report to you every time I show even the slightest sign of overdoing it, she’s nearly as bossy as you.’

  ‘Hey, I object to that, the girl has years of practice to do before she’d anywhere near as good as me at watching your back.’

  For the next few weeks they’d stayed at the apartment, wrapped up in one another, exploring the wonder. The first time Geth told Lexie he loved her he’d been barely able to whisper the words, and no matter how many times he said it as he recovered, she could still barley believe it. They talked for hours, sharing memories good and bad, until planning a future together seemed to happen of its own accord. Slowly things returned to normal, Geth healed and took up the reins again at GLM, while Lexie began to spend more time at the shop, giving Florence, who had stepped into the breach a chance to get back to normal too. Though as it turned out, due to Mared, that was to be short-lived.

  Mared had breezed in one day, full of excitement and brimming with ideas.

  ‘Listen, I’ve been talking to Jason Montford, you remember, we met him in London that day we went shopping, it was his stylist that did your hair. Well Jason remembers your perfume, and loved the one you made for me too. I explained they were secret formulae, you made just for us. Then I put it to him that what he needed was an exclusive range of designer perfumes, made to measure. He loved the idea and wants in! You blend perfume exclusively for each client, she gets a consultation, so you can learn about what she likes, and then craft a scent just for her. Unique down to the last detail, even the wrapping.’

  It had not taken Lexie long to decide to work with Mared and Jason, to explore where this could take the shop. Jason put in a generous investment and Mared took up a role as marketing and promotion. While Lexie stocked up on the essential oils and other ingredients she might need. Sandalwood, rose, cypress, musk, jojoba, hypericum, frankincense and many more, unique combinations blended into unique perfumes for each client and named for her, or him alone. The recipe for each never repeated in quite the same way. After a lot of persuading Lexie let her own unique scent be recreated by a leading fashion house. A haunting mix of everlasting essential oil, peony, rose and sandalwood, “Lexie’ was the in fragrance of the year, though Geth swore it was not quite the same, Lexie just smiled, not confirming or denying it.

  They’d set that date for the wedding, June, so that they could hope for fine weather, and of course they would honeymoon in Canada.

  Lexie was roused from her reverie by the sound of Mared squealing.

  ‘Lexie, Lexie, are you? I mean I went into your bag for the list and found this. You haven’t done it yet, oh my wait till Mam finds out...’

  This, was a pregnancy test she’d bought earlier, meaning to do the test in the privacy of her own bathroom before Geth picked her up on the way home. She’d not bargained on Mared finding it, now there would be no time to ease into this, allow the two of them to get used to the idea before telling the world, taking a deep breath she turned meeting her excited sister in-law to be at the kitchen door.

  ‘Oh don’t be cross, I wasn’t being nosey, well maybe just a bit, I really did want the list. Well when are you going to do it?’

  ‘Well later I suppose, I mean I’m probably not.’

  ‘Oh do it now, please I have to know if I’m gong to be an aunty, please Lexie do it now.’

  Ten minutes later a stunned Lexie sat on he beloved garden seat while Mared multitasked making tea and ringing Geth on her mobile as she danced around the kitchen.

  ‘Hi Geth, it’s me, I’m at Lexie’s and you need to come here as soon as. No nothing wrong, quite the opposite, just get here and you’ll find out.’

  ‘Thanks, I’m sorry I wimped out just now, it was just having it confirmed, it came as a bit of a shock. I’m not sure what Geth will say, I mean it’s early days for us yet and...’

  ‘Tosh, he’ll be thrilled. OMG wait till Mam finds out!’

  ‘No you mustn’t, just wait and let it sink in and then we’ll come and tell them ourselves. I, we, need time to get used to the idea ourselves, we never planned this.’

  ‘Of course you must tell Mam and Dad, I won’t breathe a word, just don’t take too long or I will burst with the pressure of keeping the secret.’

  Geth made it from the sit
e to Lexie’s in record time, abandoning the car in front of the shop oblivious of the double yellow lines. A moment later he was striding through the shop, heart pounding, every sense on high alert.

  ‘Lexie, Mared.’

  Mared answered as she made her way past him to leave.

  ‘Lexie’s in the garden, I’ll be off now and I’ll see you at the farm later.’ ‘At the farm, why?’

  ‘Just go to Lexie and you’ll find out.’

  She was sitting on her seat, the early afternoon sun burnishing her hair to a deep

  golden copper, her small hands clasped around a pink china mug. His heart stopped when she lifted her eyes to his, troubled violet met concerned blue and he dropped to his knees at her feet, gathering her to him.

  ‘Cariad what is it? What’s...’

  The words died in his throat as he took in the white plastic wand on the wrought iron table beside them. Still holding her close he reached out one hand and picked it up. He knew that he’d remember the simplicity of the message in the display for the rest of his life.

  “PREGNANT 1-2”

  ‘Say something Geth, please.’

  Her words were softly spoken, he could hear the tremor she tried to suppress, emotion flooded through him, she wasn’t sure of him, of his reaction, or was it that this was not good news to her?

  ‘Cariad, don’t be afraid, I’m scared enough for both of us, but we can do this, if that’s what you want.’

  ‘Is it what you want? We haven’t talked about a family, made plans.’

  ‘Plans, how can anyone plan for something as momentous, as amazing as this? I wouldn’t know where to begin. I do know something though, as long as I have you, I can do anything, be anything. Just tell me if this is what you want, are you happy Cariad?’

  ‘I didn’t think it was possible to be happier than we were before but I am, just as long as you are too.’

  He silenced her then with a deep kiss of such tenderness she melted into his arms and for a long while he was in heaven, oblivious to anything except the scent of his woman.