Copyright 2003. All rights reserved.
No resemblance to anybody living or dead is intended.
Rubies are Red. Part 34.
Jenny.
I replaced the receiver. That woman. Yes I wanted to be alone. Yes I had enough food. No, I didn't want to stay at her house. Yes the house was plenty warm enough. I was going to be all right. No I didn't want to stay at her house. Yes, I would go to church with her on Sunday.
Finally.
I switched on the lights in the hall, living room and kitchen and the landing and main bedroom. I wanted anybody who could see the house to have no illusions that somebody was staying there. Especially from the house next to the rectory that Ron and his family were living in.
The phone was ringing and I stopped in the hall to answer it.
"Hello." I said.
It could be Ron checking if it was all right to come over. I could feel myself becoming damp at the thought.
"Jenny?" My mother's voice came from the other end. "Is that you?"
She still shouted into the mouthpiece as if she wasn't confident her voice could travel all the way from our village between Gloucester and Cheltenham and Somerset.
"Hello Mum." I replied. "What's wrong?"
"I just rang Shirley."
"Yes."
Its Mandy, your sister."
I knew who Mandy was. My youngest sister.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked.
"She rang Shirley earlier." It was hard work getting anything out of my mother at the best of times. "She told her you were down there."
"Yes."
There was the sound of footsteps outside then a knock on the door. There was the frame of a large man in the frosted glass.
"I'll be right back." I told her and placed the receiver on the table.
I opened the front and porch doors and Ron entered. He took off his coat and hung it up as I went back to the phone.
"Sorry." I said. "Somebody at the door."
"It wasn't Mandy?"
"No." I said as two hands slid beneath my arms and onto my breasts. His face nuzzled my hair. "Should it be?"
"She is coming to see you."
Something hard was pressing against my buttocks. I pushed back and wriggled them against it.
He groaned softly.
"Who's that?" Mother asked.
"It's the curate."
I lifted my head so he could reach my neck with his lips.
"Oh."
"Come to see about Paul." I was starting to pant.
"Her train should get into Taunton in forty-five minutes."
"Why is she coming to see me?"
It felt so good. I knew my nipples were hard and my fanny in flood. His hand was moving down towards it. Pressing against my stomach as it made its way down my body.
"Oh."
It came out without warning.
"Jenny? Are you all right?" I pulled his hand away as it closed upon my pubic mound and shook myself free.
"I'm fine." I assured her in my most business like voice. "Just a little tired."
I turned to face Ron. He looked crestfallen. He could sulk almost as well as Paul did when he couldn't have his way.
I smiled at him, kissed the tips of my fingers and dabbed them on his nose.
"Why is she coming to see me?" I repeated.
"I don't know." My mother sounded close to tears. "She been acting strange for the last couple of days."
"Don't any of the others know?"
I referred to my three other sisters who came between myself and Mandy in age. Elizabeth or Liz, Barbara or Babs, Alison or Al and Amanda or Mandy. My name Jennifer shortened to Jenny. Why they didn't just register us with the shortened versions of our names I never knew.
"No. They all say they know nothing." I could hear voices in the background. "Your father's home. You will pick her up and ring me."
"I will." I promised, conscious that Ron was moving closer.
"I must go. Give my love to everyone."
"Bye Mum."
"Bye."
The line went dead then the dialling tone came back on. I replaced the old fashioned handset on its cradle as his hands closed on my breasts again.