Self-catering cottage nestling in a remote valley in Derbyshire. This 2-bedroom farmhouse dates from the 17th century and has many original features, yet is luxuriously furnished and equipped. Its magical atmosphere and peaceful surroundings makes this the perfect place for a romantic getaway, to rekindle old relationships or spark new ones ... Click here for tariff and full details.
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I met Jan on my first day at university, and fell in love with her immediately. She was tall and willowy, with cascades of auburn hair framing a pretty face. She was fun to be with, always ready to party, but also intelligent and thoughtful. I worshipped the ground she walked on, and tried to be with her as much as possible. Unfortunately Jan didn't share my feelings for her. She was a reliable friend but nothing more; always ready for an intellectual discussion or for going to the pub with a group of mates, but either she didn't fancy me or she was saving herself for her husband, for she didn't date as far as I knew. Eventually I learned to live with my unrequited lust and stopped trying to seduce her; it had come very close to destroying our friendship, and I dared not risk that.
After a few years I fell in love again and got married; Jan followed suit shortly afterwards – we went to each others' weddings and the four of us became and stayed firm and loyal friends throughout bringing up children. Jan and Russell lived at the other end of the country, so we didn't see them that often, but we'd visit occasionally and also meet up with other university friends. Every time I saw Jan I wondered how life would have panned out if she had responded to my advances and we had ended up married. She and Russell seemed to have a loving relationship - they still held hands when out walking, for instance - and although I liked him a lot I felt obscurely jealous of the fact that he had had sex with Jan countless times ...
One year – by that time we were all in our early fifties and the kids had left home – they invited us to share a little cottage they had booked in Derbyshire. Of course my wife Debbie and I accepted immediately – there were few people with whom we would rather have shared a cottage, and we looked forward to long walks, good food and conversation, and sizeable amounts of wine being consumed. Arrangements were duly made and we arrived at the remote farmhouse about half an hour before Jan and Russell, lit the fire (it was March) and chose one of the two double bedrooms – the one we thought was the less desirable, to be polite, although in fact the whole place was luxuriously appointed.
Jan and Russell arrived and we kissed and hugged and cracked open a bottle of wine. Jan sorted out the food they had brought while Russell unpacked their clothes upstairs. It was a very old house with many quirky features – a stone spiral staircase, for instance, as in a castle – and it took us a while to locate some of the facilities we wanted, such as a washing machine. The weather forecast was not good and I anticipated we might need one if we went walking in the rain.
'There doesn't seem to be a drying room, or anywhere to air stuff off,' Debbie observed.
'Oh, there's a big cupboard under the eaves off our bedroom,' Russell said. 'More like an extra room really. The hot water tank's in there, it'd be ideal for drying stuff off.'
The website had made a big feature of the wild birds which frequented the garden, and being something of a twitcher I had brought my big phallic telescope and tripod, and set it up in front of the picture window which looked out onto the garden and down the valley.
'Well, that'll give us something to do if it rains all the time,' laughed Jan. 'That and playing Scrabble.'
'Yes, we can watch the neighbours,' said Debbie. 'Except there aren't any.'
My wife and I cooked the meal that night (the couples planned to alternate) and we ate and drank to repletion. I normally go to bed pretty early, and get up at dawn, but tonight everyone else seemed of a like mind too, and we tottered off upstairs before 11. Jan was looking desirable in thin tight jeans and a blouse, and I wished that I was accompanying her to bed. She's aged well – her hair is shorter but still startlingly ginger, her figure still slim apart from a little tummy. I resolved to vent my lust on my wife, but in fact I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.
I awoke early, as usual, and pottered downstairs in the silent house to make a pot of tea and look at the birds, as always more active at dawn. To my delight a greater spotted woodpecker clung to one of the feeders.
After a while I heard a noise, and turned to see Jan come into the room. She looked sleepy and her hair was tousled, her face without any make-up, which made her look older but prettier and more vulnerable. She wore a full-length blue silk nightie with spaghetti straps and from the way the morning sun outlined her body it was clear that there was nothing under it. She squinted at me.
'Morning. Anything interesting to see?' Jan's voice is soft and husky at the best of times.
'Woodpecker. Come and have a look. Oh, there might be some tea in the pot.'
She sat next to me on the bench which I had placed in front of the window and peered through the telescope. I felt the warmth of her hip against mine. In aligning the 'scope again I automatically put my arm around her waist, letting my hand rest casually on her hip. Only a flimsy layer of silk was between me and her naked skin. Jan can be very affectionate, although she doesn't flirt, and we quite often put our arms around each other.
This time I felt her arm around my waist too, and when she had looked though the 'scope we just sat there like an old couple. Jan rested her head against my shoulder.
'I had the most amazing sex last night,' she said softly. We hardly ever discussed sexual matters, at least not in a personal context, so I was rather surprised at this conversational gambit.
'Hmmnn?'
'Mmm. I had dozens of orgasms. I'm still tingling.'
I couldn't think of a suitable response, and just concentrated on the feel of her tingling warmth under my hand.
'I suppose,' she mused, 'if I'm honest, I've never really enjoyed sex much.'
'Really?'