. 03

Chapter 16: Separation and Unity:

Part 3: Jacqueline

"Mireau is often away," Jacqueline said. "He does not like to stay home. He says his work tires him and he needs to go out to keep himself alert and take his mind off work. I wish I could keep him with me more often." Jacqueline seemed to have taken a liking to Danella. Danella had won her trust merely by listening to her troubles and being sympathetic. Danella could see that the woman was lonely despite her obvious joy at being married to such as handsome man as Mireau, and having two young daughters whom she obviously adored and served well as close friends. Danella took her warmth both as a sign of this woman's genuine sensitivity and compassion, but also as a sign of her weakness and loneliness. The woman despite being friendly, was missing something. Danella believed that Jacqueline was the typical bored housewife, to which Jeanette often referred. Danella had met many such in her time with Ravelleon and since. Some she found tiresome due to their adherence to Vanmarian social values, their acquisitive attitudes towards status and wealth, and their dull self absorption and incredible interest in all things petty and uninteresting. Jacqueline was alright, however. Danella found a genuine liking for the woman. She found herself sympathising with the woman's sexual plight.

Danella, as her husband's lover, knew all about Jacqueline from Mireau's perspective. She knew that Mireau loved his wife, but had found his own sexual aura sufficient to attract a number of mistresses to him over the years. What man, even in dispassionate Prancir could ignore the pull of his sexual instincts, naturally directed towards as many women as he could find.

"Where does he go when he is not with you?" she asked, knowing the answer, because she shared much of his private sexual life with him and with their mutual friends in these days. She wanted to hear Jacqueline's perceptions. There was a pause from Jacqueline now, as if she was not quite sure how much of her private fears she should reveal. Danella was well aware that despite the woman's warmth towards her personally she must suspect that she, the Priestess from Pirion, who had of late been quite prepared to talk of her past amongst their circle of friends, must be a likely possible reason for her husband's disinterest in her, maybe a lover. And yet there was nothing in Jacqueline's demeanour which even suggested resentment or distrust. Perhaps she had not suspected. Danella's growing friendship and willingness to talk might have put her at ease. Maybe she considered Mireau's unfaithfulness to be inevitable. After all it was not new. He had strayed before. Danella judged that she probably accepted that Mireau needed more women than one and had come to terms with it. In Pirion Mireau's behaviour would be normal and indeed a lovely woman like Jacqueline would be taking many lovers. There would be no jealousy, no disappointment. But here in Prancir to be accepting of a husband's 'straying' was a magnanimous act. The wife, or sometimes the husband, would take it as an insult to them and would accuse the partner of serious betrayal. Usually marriage did not end. There was a stigma upon people who divorced or separated, but within the marriage there was punishment. Jacqueline did not seem to be punishing Mireau however, but nonetheless in the Prancirian way of thinking she was suffering. Danella knew that Mireau regularly attended to his wife's sexual needs and always had but obviously this could not be every day, and there must be a gap between her desire for comfort and her receipt of it.

On another occasion they were seated together beside the dance floor. Danella had been dancing for the past hour. She had danced with many of her lovers. Valery, Albert, Philippe and of course with Mireau, as well as one or two others she had recently initiated into the group and some gentlemen she had never seen before but seemed to have taken some interest in her. She had flirted wildly with them encouraging them. Now she was returned again to the table. Mireau danced with Jeanette. The Lady Arabella was with Philippe. Valery was circulating, and Albert was trying to arouse the attentions of a young and pretty lady who was not yet married, one who naturally caught the eye of many of the men in the ballroom. Poor Jacqueline, Mireau's wife, was alone at the table, alone of the group uninitiated in the practices of Pirion and unaware of the extent of the liberality being performed around her. Danella felt sorry for this and wished to rectify it, but Mireau knew his wife best and would not have it.

"She would leave me if she knew what we do," he frequently repeated. "I would like to her to be like the rest of us. Jeanette and Arabella are enjoying themselves so much now. If she could only join in the same way. But I fear she would not take it. It would snap her."

"But it might be just what she needs." She had suggested.

"It would do her much good. Then she would not dote over me so much. But she would punish me if she ever knew, probably disappear back to her family."

On another occasion he had said, "one of these days she might be ready to accept this lifestyle, but I don't want to risk what I have with her."

"I think she might be persuaded," said Danella confidently, "but I would need to work on it. I won't tell her anything too soon."

And so Danella occasionally talked to the woman, and found out more about her. Jacqueline obviously like her and was willing to place some confidences in her ear. Jacqueline was glad to have someone to talk to again. She had been sat out for some dances while Mireau consorted with Danella and now Jeanette, although he had danced with his wife earlier, and Valery had also danced with her.

"You know I envy you Danella," she leaned towards her.

"Do you?"

"You are so popular with all the men. This is the first time you have been off your feet this whole evening. As soon as you sit another one asks you for a dance. And they like talking to you. I can see them talking to you when you dance with them."

"I am lucky yes. I do seem to be quite popular, tonight at least," Danella admitted.

"What is your secret Danella? I would love to be as popular as you," asked Jacqueline. There was no resentment or jealousy in her voice, although maybe she could not help feeling some jealousy. She was a good humoured woman, well suited to partnership with an easygoing man like Mireau, thought Danella.

"I am willing to dance with all of them, and they know that, and they probably find me attractive."

"I have never known a woman who was so popular with the men," Jacqueline's tone was encouraging. There was no sign of disapproval in her words. She seemed more likely to wish that she were as popular as Danella.

"Well you could be more popular too. You are an attractive lady also. I can tell you, any man would be happy to dance with you. If they thought you would accept I am sure more men would ask you."

"But I am married. They know I am married. They must know that and believe I cannot accept," said Jacqueline.

"Mireau is married too, and he dances with others. Therefore you can too. If he dances elsewhere, he will hardly forbid you from doing so."

"I suppose that is so, but I am a woman. It is not considered correct for me to have more than an occasional dance with other men."

"Is Mireau being incorrect also then," suggested Danella.

"Well it is perhaps not unusual for a husband to know so many women," Jacqueline spoke carefully now, the thought that Mireau was too friendly with these other women had doubtless come to her, and she was wondering whether Danella thought it right. After a short pause she continued, "Do you think it correct that my husband should dance with so many women. I fear that others might disapprove."

"Do you disapprove. That is all that is relevant here. The thoughts of theirs should not concern you. They have their own lives to be concerned with. You and Mireau are no special concern of theirs."

"But what do you think Danella?" Jacqueline persisted. Danella wondered that this very Prancirian woman should ask these questions without condemnation of she who was one of the women who took Mireau away from his wife most of all. Little did Jacqueline know of the pleasures and games they regularly played with her husband and the other men.

"You don't need to dance with all the men in the room," tested Danella, "you're married."

"Well yes of course. I am married to one of the loveliest men I have ever seen. But he insists on 'socialising' with other ladies. He leaves me on my own some of the time, but few come to dance with me," Jacqueline seemed to be in introverted mood tonight. Danella guessed that the evening made her mildly depressed. She observed her gallant husband enjoying the company of other women, saw his natural easy smile and the good way he had with most women and was therefore jealous. She wanted to participate in the general enjoyment, but instead was an observer. In Danella she found a confidant, someone who would listen to her agony of woes. Also Danella was a lady who appeared, like her husband, to be able to enjoy the company of many. Jacqueline probably felt that she could learn something from Danella, and admired her ability.

"If he goes to dance with other women, why don't you dance with other men? You have the right," suggested Danella. "You do not have to wait for your husband or some friend of his whom you already know. You may dance with strangers if you wish."

"That would not be quite polite, although if they asked me I would," Jacqueline said. "But they do not come."

"Jacqueline, I can tell you there are many men here who would be very interested in dancing with you. They are shy. Convention forbids them. They know you are married, but they would ask if they dared. See your husband, he is not afraid to ask strangers to dance these days. When he has danced with us he may occasionally dance with a new woman. If he does it, you may do it too. I dance with whoever I choose, so why should not you?"

"Because I am married," Jacqueline said quietly. "I know you are from a different country and your customs are very different to ours. So I do not expect you to understand why I cannot ask men to dance. My husband is breaking some of our rules when he asks strangers to dance. Oh, many men do that, I know, but it isn't right by our rules. He is allowed to dance with friends such as yourself. That is acceptable, but there are limitations on what he may do with friends. And strangers, that is not considered to be normal behaviour."

"Jacqueline, I have been in Prancir for some time and I see something of your customs. Mireau dances with many women tonight but he harms no one by it."

"He harms me." Danella could see that Jacqueline was indeed upset. A conversation that had begun as a mere desire to be on the dance floor had led to a revelation of Jacqueline's anger towards her husband.

"You are too sensitive. Look at him. He is happy. He loves to be popular and he has many friends. And yes, his wife sits lonely and feeling betrayed at the table watching him. That is a pity, but you could look at it in other ways. Think of how happy he is. You can see how happy Jeanette and Arabella and myself seem to be. We are not all completely happy. How can I be happy while my countrymen and women are attacked and enslaved for no just cause. But in myself I am happy. I have the attention of men. I am popular and I can dance with whoever I like."

"You are a married woman at the beginning of your thirties. You have a handsome, friendly and loving husband who provides for you. But you unhappy because you know that he enjoys other women. Not just one mistress but more, you don't know how many. You feel jealous. Your peers tell you your husband should be your very own, to be with you almost every hour after his work for the rest of your lives. You feel you are more unfortunate than other women because you happen to have a husband who is not satisfied with the love you can give him, so you blame him and you feel angry, low and despondent. But you don't have to be that way. You can be free of all that. It is a question of attitude and a new approach to love and to pleasure.

"You have been led to believe that children, a wealthy and successful husband and houses of high value filled with the ornaments of success should be your life's reward. But you find that an errant husband and the loneliness of not being wanted have severely tarnished the perfection of your dreams. You are not the only woman to feel his way. Some are abandoned by husbands. For others there is the tedium of a love less marriage with a man they no longer find attractive, the hurt of blaming themselves for past decisions which have been proved wrong. Still others have husbands who are cruel towards them or beat them; they believe they are trapped. They have been bought by owners who will never allow them to escape. All of you women have things in common. You believe you are the victims of your husbands. You think that you cannot escape, that your lives have been blighted by something outside your control."

"But you can escape from these feelings. It is merely a question of your own attitude. By your rules I should be unhappy. Not only have I escaped from a land being destroyed by war but I am unmarried. I should feel lonely and depressed but I am not. My life is full with sexual satisfaction and social variety. If you wanted you could be like me. You are attractive Jacqueline. Most men would be very pleased to give you the pleasures which I am sure you crave. All you need is to accept that these pleasures are not wrong, and to believe in your own beauty. Your life will become exciting, more than it ever was before. Every day will be a new adventure."

Far from appearing uplifted by the words of Danella, Jacqueline was in turmoil. She tried to suppress it and to remain calm. She liked Danella, felt comfortable in her presence and found sympathy in her comforting arms. She was the kind of friend Jacqueline could reach out to for support, share her inmost secrets. She had suspected her from the beginning. She had always known that this was an exotic foreign woman who, if one believed the stories, came from a country which practised sexual habits which were very uncivilised. A part of her had known that Danella was one of the women who her husband might have been having an affair with. She had known this, but nonetheless had responded to the foreigner's affection. Jacqueline recognised that she had not wanted to know the truth. She had been willing to try to ignore the truth in return for support. She had tricked herself into believing that this woman who seemed so understanding about her problems and so willing to talk about her husband, could not possibly be the one who was leading him astray at the moment. Jacqueline recognised that she had been covering up and trying to ignore her husband's infidelities for years. She had in a sense accepted that her husband would stray from her and that she could not do anything about it.

"The advice Danella had just given revealed everything about her real opinion. Jacqueline could see that Danella believed it to be acceptable to have affairs, as many as one cared for. She knew now as sure as daylight that the Priestess must be her husband's lover of the moment, or at least of the recent past. If he consorted with someone of Danella's opinion perhaps he had more than one lover at the present time. After all if it were possible to love one's wife as he always protested and to have an affair at the same time, why not other lovers as well.

Danella offered her buttock upraised to him as she leaned against the wall for support. He grasped at it and fondled it for a while, searching in it's cracks with his fingers until he might lightly place them inside of her. Danella moaned softly. This was good. Mireau was already an expert lover before she found him but now he was improving all the time. He excited her very much as always. In recognition of his skill she stuck her body out further to him arching her back and moving against his fingers to bring herself added stimulation. He bent his head to her and nuzzled his face into her cleft between the smooth cheeks.

"Drink me," she cried.

Wetly he began to suck on her, tenderly one moment, using his tongue to lap her clitoris and then to explore the crevasse of her vagina. Danella's sensitive ears prickled as she detected a distant noise down below in the house somewhere. It could not be the servants for they were not due in until the evening. Perhaps her plan was close to fruition and it was Mireau's wife Jacqueline, returning earlier than expected. She had implied to her that her husband was a man of strong appetites, knowing that it would set the seed of curiosity in her head about what her husband like to do in his occasionally spare afternoons. She knew now that Jacqueline adored her handsome and charming husband and that whatever she learned of his infidelities she would never want to make a fuss or to spoil her relationship in any way. Jacqueline knew Danella quite well now. When she had been with Ravelleon the two couples had gone out on two occasions. At such times Danella had been careful not to upset her possessive lover Ravelleon. Later after the break with Ravelleon there had been times when she had been out with Mireau and his wife, sometimes in a larger group which included her other lovers. Jacqueline knew that she was not with Ravelleon anymore and must have wondered as she flirted with and touched many of her friends, which one or ones she now bestowed her favours upon. To a Prancirian, for a woman who was so obviously attractive to the male sex, it must seem unusual that she should flirt so and yet remain unattached. The others had been sensitive towards Jacqueline, not wishing to upset her with the knowledge of the exciting life her husband was leading when he was not with her, not deeming her ready to be told or initiated yet. Danella, however, now believed it was time to open Jacqueline up to the life which she could so easily be leading.

If Mireau had known that his wife was in the building and possibly beginning to climb the staircase he would most certainly have attempted to hide his lover, under the bed or in a wardrobe and to pretend to be changing his clothes. Danella had suggested to him on a few occasions that Jacqueline suffered from insufficient sexual variety and yet she sensed the woman contained a strong sexual interest. Danella believed that part of the reason for Jacqueline's enjoyment of her company was a sexual attraction by the woman towards her. The attention she felt was more than merely that of a lonely woman seeking solace in the presence of a sympathetic fellow female. Their conversations had been interesting recently. Danella had revealed that she had been conducting relations with a number of lovers in recent months. Jacqueline's response had been encouraging. Instead of the typical Prancirian woman's predictable response declaring that only naughty males behaved that way, she was reserved, a little embarrassed perhaps, but highly interested and excited underneath her guarded exterior.

Danella, of course, had not revealed that Mireau was one of her lovers, but Jacqueline was free to guess that if she was perceptive enough. Danella believed that she was perceptive enough. Her revelation had not caused Jacqueline to stay away from her. Far from it she had steered the conversation back to men on recent meetings. Danella had the sense of Jacqueline becoming aware of possibilities beyond her husband, being excited by the idea that women could have affairs. She was aware that Jacqueline, a few years older than herself, nonetheless, looked up to her now, partly because she was a woman who seemed able to lead an exciting life, but also perhaps, Danella thought, because she found her attractive and wanted to be near her.