Reverend Dumfry

In the darkness under the boat, Rev Dumfry grew aware of the sound of his breathing, harsh and loud. He deliberately calmed himself with suitable portions of the Psalms, recited silently. Then, having strengthened the inner man, he turned to the business at hand. Doreen.

She was so close that he could feel her body-warmth at his side. The thought of her so close disturbed him and he suddenly wanted to leave again. But he called on his Guide and Comfort for strength, growing calm again and finding, with a surge of confidence, that he had the strength to remain.

Doreen’s voice murmured in the dark. ‘I never thought I’d be seeing you here, minister.’

‘How can you see anything? It’s pitch black under here.’

‘Your eyes grow accustomed to it. After a while.’

He snorted. ‘I don’t expect to be here long enough.’

Her hand grabbed his arm. ‘Oh don’t go.’

Mixed with the tar of the boat and a disturbingly familiar musky smell, he could smell her perfume. He’d noticed it before – she wore it to church. It was a sweet scent and rather lovely, but he thought it was not really suitable for times of worship – though he’d never told her so.

‘Please,’ he said, ‘don’t touch me. This is already a rather compromising situation, and I will have to leave if you make it any more difficult for me.’

‘No, don’t go,’ she cried, pressing herself against him. ‘Don’t leave me alone in the dark!’

He almost laughed. That her wiles should be so transparent! He could almost feel her eyelashes fluttering theatrically in the dark.

‘My dear,’ he said, patting her arm, ‘I rather think you are more used to the dark than I.’

‘Of course. I’m sorry.’

‘Now, no more of this nonsense between us.’ He noticed that she still had her body pressed against his, but to his surprise found after all that he had the strength to let her lie close beside him. ‘You must be forthright and honest with me.’

‘Yes, of course,’ she said meekly.

‘Now, it seems to me that, not to beat about the bush, you have been coming here for some time, to meet people of the other sex. And to...’

Doreen said nothing. In the silence Dumfry thought about what it was that he thought Doreen might be doing with young men under the boat, and how he was to express himself on the matter. The silence grew long and Doreen’s body was warm against him.

‘Is this the case?’ he asked in desperation.

‘Yes, I’m afraid so,’ she murmured. Her voice came from a place in the dark very close to his ear. He could feel her warm breath on his neck and he felt the sudden danger of her closeness. He shifted uneasily and Doreen drew back a little, then, as he lay there unmoving, moved closer again. Guide and Comfort notwithstanding, he wasn’t sure if he had the strength to let her warm breath caress his neck. Not for very long, anyway.