You tell her a historic story

A few minutes later, you have laid down the picnic, and put some snacks and lemonade ready. Suzanne is sitting on the blanket, playing with her baby.

'Would you like some white wine actually?' you ask, taking a bottle from your rucksack. 'I could freeze it a little.'

'I would love some wine,' she tells you.

You walk over to the lake, and pull out the net you have always kept there for situations like this. You close the wine inside of the net, and drop it into the lake. Then you walk back to Suzanne. 'Will take a few minutes. Then it's nice and cold.' You sit down next to her.

'So. How did you find this place?' she asks.

'Oh yes, I was going to tell you,' you start, as you're properly sat down on the blanket. 'Well, you know I was a nerdy kid. I was really interested in history especially. So naturally, I became interested in my own history, and the history of this town. And as you might know, this town has a long history, beginning with the large estate close to here.'

She nods, understanding.

'So I became very interested in this estate, and the many families that lived here. So I did some digging. About most of these people, not much is known, as there are not many records left of their existence. Except for one; Countess Belle of Nottingbridge. And do you know why? Because she left a diary, unknown to most people. It's in the small museum, located inside the estate.

'But there's only one copy, and no real records of it. So I decided to do a class project on it, to maybe have a chance to look in the diary, and maybe copy it for further use. As I was such a top student, my teachers didn't hesitate to give me permission, and off I went to municipality, asking to have a look at this historic artefact.

'It took a while to convince them, but after a while I did, and I was permitted to study it under supervision from a government worker. As I was copying it, I read the tale of the beautiful Belle of Nottingham, which goes like this;

'In the year 1607, Belle was born as Belle of Ambershire, to the Lord and Lady of Ambershire, a very wealthy and influential family in Europe. Belle was a reckless young child, and often got in trouble for breaking the rules. This characteristic is a defining one, in the years to come, because when she was a teenager, she fell for one of the stable boys on her family's estate, who went by the name of Robbie the Tall.

'Her father, who found out about the affair, forbade her to pursue her interests in this stable boy any further, because she was to marry a rich and handsome lord to continue the family's legacy and connect him with important people.

'Belle, being the disobedient girl that she was, did of course not stop seeing him. She only became more careful, so she wouldn't get caught. But when Belle turned eighteen, and according to her father's predictions, she was off to be married a stranger, who lived in the middle of nowhere.

'This man was the Earl James of Nottingbridge, a serious and spiteful man, as well as older and unattractive. Belle did not like him one bit, but she didn't have a say in the matter, as was the norm then. So without further ado, she was married off into a loveless relationship, and moved away from her family to Nottingbridge.

'She was devastated to be so far away from her Robbie, and so was he apparently. In her diary she describes him as a very handsome, earnest man who was very well endowed. And much to her pleasure, he showed up at the estate a few months later. He was looking for a job as a handyman, and was quickly hired. They always needed workers on the estate, especially young, strong men.

'Belle couldn't stay away from him then, and she often had long walks with him. They acted on their passion when they thought no one could see them. But of course someone did. It was another help, looking to cut down some fire wood. He saw them making love in the woods, and quickly informed the lord of this happening.

'The Earl was understandably furious, and ordered the young handyman killed for his criminal act before beating his wife, the beautiful Countess Belle of Nottingbridge. Luckily, the handyman was informed about the espionage in time, and fled into the forest.

'Belle was told in the morning were to find the young lad, and went to look for him, while the Earl and his men spent the night and day searching him in the country. Robbie the tall had found a beautiful forest spring. This one in fact, hidden from society.

'So Belle built a house for him here, on this exact spot perhaps, made by only the most trusted builders. And Robbie lived here, living of the clean water of the spring and the food Belle had her personal maids send. Usually scraps from the kitchen.

'Robbie had a hard life here, so closed off from people. But he stayed for Belle, his one and only love. While Belle endangered her head every day to come here, often switching places with her handmaid, and making love to Robbie.

'She even bore many children without her husband's knowledge of the real father. Until finally, the Earl died of old age, and the secret lovers didn't have to stay so secret anymore. At age 52, she finally married Robbie, burned the little house down, and moved into their massive mansion, blessed with an enormous inheritance. And so they lived happily ever after... And every day, they would make love on this spot, to remember their hardships. And every year, the sex got better and more passionate than their last...'

Suzanne has been listening intently, her mouth agape with excitement. 'What a beautiful story,' she gasps, clapping her hands. 'So romantic!'

'That's what I thought,' you say, glad she enjoyed the story. 'So I was very interested in this secret place, and instantly went looking for it. Within a few weeks, I had found this, and decided to drop the assignment, and did something else. I kept this place for myself throughout the years, until now.'

'I'm very flattered that you showed me this,' Suzanne answers earnestly. 'And told me this story.'

'Anything for you princess,' you smile. 'Oh yeah, the wine!'

You get up from your seat and walk back over to the lake. You pull the net out, and a significantly colder bottle of wine.

'The water feels so nice,' you say. 'Do you want to go for a swim?'