Reginald's Children
Chapter 1

Copyright© 2017 by Gordon Johnson

Pregnant? Father? Good grief!

Reginald Robertson was stunned. Okay, it had to happen eventually, he accepted, but he didn’t expect it so soon.

“Fiona? How certain are you?”

Fiona gloated, “I conducted the test twice, and got the same result each time. That usually confirms it, according to the instructions with the kit. There are various ifs, buts and other constraints on the results, that the manufacturers put in, but that is just to cover themselves. It should be definite.”

“Still, I think we should ask the doctor in the medical centre to medically confirm it for you. You don’t want to inform your folks and later have to confess to your stepmother that you got it wrong, do you?”

Fiona’s face fell. “Oh, God, that’s true. I wouldn’t want HER to be able to say that. I’ll phone the health centre first thing on Monday. But you ARE pleased, Reg, if it is proved correct?”

“I AM pleased, Fiona. What my wives will have to say about it, though...” He grinned cheekily.

Frances interrupted, “Reg, stop that teasing! You know perfectly well that we are okay with Fiona being pregnant. With a bit of luck we will have a succession of such announcements over the next few weeks.”

“Yes, dear. Sorry. I must apologise, Fiona. In my excitement, I tend to over-react. You now have something else to pray about in church tomorrow, lucky girl.”

“Hey, yes. Of course I will. All I want is for things to go smoothly with the pregnancy, and that I have a healthy baby. It is not too much to ask, is it?”

Freda had been quiet, and now spoke. “Reg, about tomorrow ... even if Sidra and her mother are church-goers, they have to stay out of sight for now, so they can’t got to church this weekend, not without checking it out first.”

Erika was in agreement. “Yes, that is the best thing to do for now: play safe. We can work out when and how, but we can’t have them go to church as new local residents. That would pin them down for anyone searching for them. Why don’t we have them be officially visiting the area, and just popping in to a church service? If they want to go more regularly, we could find a group of churches and allow them to visit each one once, with the same story.”

“Worth trying,” agreed Reg. “Still, I would prefer they stayed away from churches and other public places for a few weeks, except for shopping, where we control things.”

He paused to think, then asked, “Do I have to go to bed with Jessica tonight again, do you know, Frances?”

She glared at him. “Last night you didn’t wake me up to tell me about it before you went. I should have been told earlier than this morning, Reg.”

“Sorry, Frances. I had assumed Prudence would have woken you to let you know.”

“Well, of course she didn’t! She knows how irate I get if woken from a deep sleep, and you did fuck me to sleep quite thoroughly, my man.”

“There you are, then. Should I have made you angry by wakening you up just to tell you I was off to sleep with Mrs Sadaf?”

“Ah, if you put it that way, I suppose I have to forgive you.”

“Thank you, my love. It doesn’t answer my question though. Does anyone know how she is feeling this evening?”

No-one did, so when Sidra walked into the room, Frances collared her.

“Sidra, how is your mother tonight? Is she going to be able to sleep alone; does she want one of us to be with her, or does she need our Reg again?”

Sidra thought for a moment.

“You know, I don’t really have an answer to that. Shall I go and talk to her in private?”

“Good suggestion, Sidra. You are the one she is most liable to confide in.”

“You want me to go ask her now, or nearer bedtime?”

Frances grimaced a little as she pondered, then told Sidra, “If she needs Reg again, he has to attend to the sexual needs of two of his wives before he is available for cuddling duty. Make it clear that if she wants someone with her earlier, it has to be one of us ladies.”

Sidra reflected, “It probably depends on how tired she feels, as to when she goes to bed. I will remind her to shower first, so she is not sweaty or anything. Was she sweaty last night, Reg?”

“I didn’t notice, Sidra. She was wearing a nightdress and fell asleep as soon as she felt me cuddled up to her, then I drifted off shortly after, I think. I slept all night except when I had to go pee; didn’t even feel her go off to the toilet during the night, she told me.”

“Right. I’ll go see her now.” Sidra left.

Frances declared, “If our Pakistani ladies are staying home tomorrow morning, someone should stay with them. I’ll speak to Holly and Carol about that. Teenagers are seldom enthusiastic church-goers, anyway.”

“None of us have done much church-going, Frances,” Reg admitted. If we are going to be a family with children, perhaps we should make an effort in that direction?”

It was left at that, and Reg returned to his reading of ‘Geologic Time’, by Don Eicher. Reg himself was fascinated by mankind’s varying concepts of time, from place to place and time to time. Mediaeval Europe’s idea of a short-lived Earth, assumed to be around 6,000 years old if one took the ancient Hebrew texts literally, contrasted strongly with the South American cultures’ vision of an immensely longer span of time. Similarly, Indian philosophy viewed time as infinite, via an endlessly repeating cycle. The ancient Greeks also had the idea of a wheel of time with no beginning and no end, but Aristotle saw time as merely the measurement of change, and not an attribute by itself.

Mithraism, an early competitor of Christianity, derived from Zoroastrianism another repeating cycle, this time of 12,000 years.

China, on the other hand, developed a multitude of views on time, with no overarching concept of what time actually was. The Chinese were influenced by their ideas on balancing forces – the yin and yang principle – which distracted them from the Western concept of time as progression towards an end.

The Europeans were being misled by the contemporary attitude of literal thinking about the Bible texts. The Hebrews loved to use pseudo-historical stories and morality tales to convey more complicated ideas, and they simplified the time factor accordingly to gain more impact. Their viewpoint was that time for God was not the same as time for humans, and so viewing a ‘day’ as 24 hours human time need not be the same in God’s view of time. Assuming that time for God is the same as for us, is to impose a human-centred view of the cosmos. Most early concepts of time were strongly influenced by religious belief, cultural standpoints, or myth-influenced philosophy, Reg had come to understand, producing a number of differing viewpoints.

Even today, time was not fully comprehended, allowing science philosophers and science fiction writers to play around with concepts of alternative universes where time is different.

Reg’s theorising was interrupted by Frances tapping his thigh for his attention. He looked up and saw that Sidra had brought her mother into the room. It was clear that Mrs Sadaf had been crying, and Sidra looked worried.

Sidra said to Frances, “I found my mother in her bedroom, crying her heart out. I have managed to get her to stop, but I still don’t know why. I brought her here, for you grown-ups to deal with.”

Frances peered at Mrs Sadaf for a long minute, then asked her, “Jessica, is this delayed-action shock? You feel depressed and unable to cope?”

Jessica nodded, confessing, “I just feel so terrible, Frances. I can’t seem to stop crying.”

“I understand, Jessica. The trauma of the last day or two, after the stress of not knowing what had happened to your daughter, has all piled up on you. It is not your fault; it is the culmination of the whole complicated series of traumatic events. This is just your body and mind reacting to all the pressure there has been on you. I cannot tell you how long it will take you to get over it, but get over it you surely will.”

“You think so, Frances? It is not a long-term ailment?”

“Nope. How do you feel about sleeping, tonight?”

Jessica looked embarrassed. “Can I speak with you privately, Frances?”

“I don’t see why not. Let’s go to your bedroom and have a chat, woman to woman. Sidra, I have to tell you that this is not for your ears, even though you are now sixteen. This is adult women’s talk. Come along, Jessica.”

Frances and Jessica went out, hand in hand, and were soon in Jessica’s bedroom. Jessica cuddled to Frances, telling her, “I am still upset, Frances, so I need some help tonight.”

“I follow you, Jessica. You need Reg again.”

“Yes, please, but also ... more.” She seemed apprehensive.

Francis raised her eyebrows. “More what, Jessica?”

“Tenderness, closeness, that sort of thing. May I sleep with him without my nightdress, Frances?”

Frances furrowed her brows this time, and enquired, “Is there more?

“Frances, I do not want to impose on your generosity, but may I get Reg to place his hands gently on my breasts, to show tenderness, so that I feel ... at home, here?”

“Jessica? Are you working your way up to him fucking you, my dear?”

“Oh, no! Not immediately, at least. I had been putting off my husband for a long time, partly as my way of punishing him for beating me, but partly because I found his base intentions unwanted. He had not been bathing as frequently as he should, and it put me off him. Your Reg is different. I am told that he showers daily and always smells nice ... a good manly smell. He certainly did last night; it was so pleasant that I fell asleep with exhaustion at once, or I might have asked him ... No, not without your approval.”

“MY approval? Jessica, I may be Senior Wife, but I do not have carte blanche to offer my husband to women outside our marriage. We ALL have to approve such an offer. I think I can allow some petting, if it helps you, but no further unless all Reg’s wives agree. Is that clear? It is for your benefit as well, Jessica. We all have to abide by the rules of this household.”

“That would be wonderful, Frances! Would you clear it with Reginald, in case he finds me unacceptable?”

“I don’t expect Reg to find you unacceptable, Jessica. You are not old and ugly; in fact you are probably prettier that any of us who are married to Reg. What age are you, Jessica? You can’t be that ancient.”

“I am thirty-five, Frances. I was married at nineteen, and had Sidra the following year. After that, I used protection, an I.U.D. from my doctor, to avoid having more children, without telling my husband. Then I was uncomfortable with the I.U.D., and switched to birth control pills. My husband merely thought I had become infertile, thank goodness.”

“Thirty-five is still young, Jessica. You could have more children, if you so desired. However, that is not the question at issue. I shall speak to Reg about permitting petting between you. Go to bed when you are ready, but have a shower first. Reg will come to your bedroom when he is free to do so. He has previous duties to attend to as a husband.”

Jessica nodded her acknowledgement of that duty, which came first.

Jessica had drifted off to sleep when there came a tap at her door. She scrabbled until she found the light switch and turned it on. “Come in,” she called.

The door opened and Reg slipped in, clad in his pyjamas. Jessica gestured for him to come to her, and as she sat up to do so, the bedclothes slipped down and exposed her breasts. Reg stopped in his tracks and stared, wonderingly.

Jessica told him, “Take off these pyjamas, Reginald, and come to bed. It is cuddling time again, but closer, on this occasion.”

“Frances explained, but I didn’t really expect this,” he stammered.

“I need your closeness, Reginald, and this is the best way to achieve that result.”

Reg walked to the bed and shed his pyjama top, then paused as before, looking embarrassed. She observed that his penis was tenting his pyjama bottoms. “Take them off, Reg. I have long been a married woman, so you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before. See it this way: it is a compliment to my attractiveness, so nothing to be ashamed of.”

Reg unfastened the bottoms and let them drop to the floor. Jessica looked him over, saying, “Not bad at all. I can see why your wives like your attention at night.”

Reg admitted, “Sometimes it is not just at night.”

“My goodness. A ravished man, is it?”

“No, but I hate to refuse when asked. That is why I was pleased to see Frances as my Senior Wife. She organises all the lovemaking, and that avoids unnecessary pressure on me.”

“Well, young man, I am not asking for sex tonight, so relax. I simply want for us to be able to feel each other, skin to skin. I want to see how it feels, with a younger and gentler man. It is something new for me.”

“You poor woman; you must have put up with so much!”

“I did, but please don’t remind me. I want to forget that man; not think of him at all. I have been avoiding even saying his name. Your presence will help me to forget that monster. Please, get into bed and cuddle me close, with your arms round me.”

Reg did as he was bid. The bed had been warmed up by Jessica’s presence, so he found it encouraging, especially when she wrapped her arms round his torso and pulled him against her breasts. His penis was suddenly trapped against her belly, the way he was lying, and he was grateful that it was not against her groin area.

“Gosh, you are lovely and warm, Jessica” he whispered to her. “Your breasts are much firmer than I expected; very much like those of my wives. You may be in your mid-thirties, but you feel like a mid-twenties girl.”

“My goodness; you do have a nice way with words, Reginald. Frances was right about you. But remember, no actual sex. I just want a reassuring and comfortable cuddle with you, body to body, to reinforce my femininity in a non-confrontational way.”

“You will forgive my hardness against you, dear lady?”

“Naturally, Reg. It proves to me that I am still the kind of woman who can be desired, instead of simply a female for fucking, which is what I was with my husband. It makes a big difference.”

“Jessica, I do ONLY what my girls desire me to do, so that is what we will do.”

She sighed with pleasure at the body touches, and his pleasant man smell in her nostrils. There was a hint of female aromas on him too, so she asked, “You have made love to at least one of your wives tonight, Reg? Or am I wrong?”

“Two wonderful girls allowed me to enjoy their charms, Jessica, so I am sated. I was surprised my penis did not agree with my that assessment. You have a reviving power all of your own,” he admitted.

Jessica gave out a girlish giggle.

“I have never had my charms assessed in that way, Reg. My husband simply wanted me to open my legs for him to have his way with me. Do you do things for your wives before penetration?”

Reg was surprised. “Of course! That is the way they taught me how to make love, and I agree with them. The woman should be the priority in lovemaking. She should get what she wants first, and then the man will deserves what he desires. Women can have multiple orgasms, I found, but men have just the one and have to wait a considerable while before being able to perform again. My wives allow for that when there are two, or sometimes three, in bed with me of a night. One may prefer to have sex in the morning when we wake up.”

“Thank you for telling me that, Reg. May we go to sleep now, like this?”

“If that is what milady desires, that is what milady gets,” quipped Reg.

This time during the night, when Jessica needed to get up to pee; untangling herself from Reg caused him to wake, and he found he needed to pee as well, so they shared the facilities attached to the bedroom. Jessica went first, and found that Reg simply watched her with interest. He was used to this with his wives, so didn’t ogle or make her uncomfortable. She soon relaxed.

She wiped herself dry, then got up to allow Reg to use the loo. She took the opportunity to watch him in turn, and when he headed back to the bathroom door, she stood aside for him, but he stopped and raised his hands towards her chest with the obvious intention of fondling her breasts. He asked, “May I?”. She just nodded, and he laid his hands on her mammaries, gently and thoughtfully massaging them.

He remarked, “Yes, quite firm, as I thought. You DO have nice breasts, Jessica.”

She paused for a moment, startling him and making him wonder what was happening with her.

Suddenly, she grabbed hold of his arms and pushed herself against him, kissing him passionately. While he welcomed this and responded as expected, Reg was puzzled by her behaviour until she released him and said, “That was a lovely compliment you paid me, Reg. My husband never paid me compliments, so this was something special for me. I want you to know that.”

“You have been severely deprived, dear lady,” he said, and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, in return for her earlier kissing spree.

She shivered slightly, and asked, “Can we get back to bed again, Reg? I need warming up again.”

With alacrity, he rushed to attend to her request, and within a few minutes both were asleep once more.

Morning was a wake-up call, in this case by Frances opening the bedroom door and switching on the light. “Morning you two? Still asleep?” She looked closely at the pair who were coming awake. “Are you glued together?”

Jessica became embarrassed and pulled away from Reg “Oh, sorry, Frances. He is YOUR husband, after all.”

“Yes, but at the moment he is your security blanket. Was it worthwhile, Jessica?”

“Wonderful, Frances. He is everything you say he is, and more. He treated me like I was his first girlfriend, taking care of me as if with kid gloves, making no overt advances. I was able to relax with him: it was wonderful! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I slept well, except for getting up to pee. Does he usually watch you when you are on the toilet?

“Yep. That is one of his many perversions. BUT, but that is one of the things that make me feel more than ever that we are together for life, if you know what I mean. The fact that we can share everything, including peeing, gives a great feeling inside of me. Do you feel the same, Reg?”

“Actually I do, though I would have difficulty putting it into words. We are just together, with a familiarity that says it all.”

“Well, get out of that bed, Reg, and get a shower. You have to prettify yourself for taking your loving wives to church today.”

Reminded of that appointment, Reg dragged himself out of bed, and observed his morning woody. Frances told Jessica, “This exhibition is a normal human male, needing to pee, as if you didn’t already know, Jessica.”

“I do understand that, Frances, but Reg is better to look at than ... him.” Frances noted that Jessica could not find it in herself to use her husband’s first name. That had been the case right from the start when she was rescued.

Reg asked her, “Jessica, are you going to be okay while we are off at church today? We will only be away for a couple of hours or so. You will have Sidra with you, and we have asked Carol and Holly to look after you, answer the phone, and such things.”

She nodded, hesitantly. “Sidra will be good company.”

Reg excused himself to go get dressed for church.

Frances checked with Fiona on which church they should attend, and was told, St. Bartholomew’s. “It is only a couple of miles from here, but is far enough away that the rest of the congregation will be strangers to us. Safer that way, I believe.”

Frances agreed. “Good thinking, Fiona. Do the others know?”

“Yes, They approved my choice, just like you; so now it is definite.”

“And Reg? Did he approve?”

“Sorry. Never thought to ask him. I assumed that if all the girls were okay with it...”

Frances admitted, “You are probably correct. It is best, though, to at least ask his opinion, Fiona, so that he feels included in the decision.”

“You are right again. Your choice as Chief Wife was justified.”

Reg appeared a few minutes later, and asked, “Where are we off to then, ladies?”

Fiona told him, “I suggested St. Bartholomew’s, and the girls seem to be happy with that, provided you are, of course.”

“Sounds fine. Do we know who the pastor is?”

“I rang the church office and was told that they had a visiting priest as their own is on sick leave.

I forgot to ask his name.”

The two cars took the family to St. Bart’s, and they trooped into the church. They were welcomed by a lady in a wheelchair, who told them to sit anywhere. The chose a vacant pew, and fully occupied it. By the time the service was timed to start, they still made up about a third of the congregation. When the visiting priest walked out from the vestry, they found that ‘he’ was a woman priest.

The service proceeded as normal, and the service leaflet said that tea and coffee were served after the service, to allow everyone to know each other better. Reg and his women hung back, but were soon encouraged to come to the back where the tea urn was standing ready, steaming gently. There was even a choice of cakes, courtesy of a couple of the congregation’s ladies who were keen bakers.

Reg stood back and gestured for his girls to get their own mugs of coffee or tea. Frances knew he preferred tea, so asked the server for a mug of tea for her husband. The lady told her to help herself to a slice of cake, and one for her husband.

Standing there companionably, Reg chatted with his ladies about the church’s stained glass windows and its Romanesque architecture. The priest eventually got around to them and addressed Reg. I am told you are the Robertson family. Are you local?”

Reg explained, “No, we are visiting friends, so came along to see what this church was like. It is quite an impressive structure.”

“I find it so also, on my occasional service here. So, who are your family?”

“This is Frances, Prudence, Freda, and Erika Robertson, and Fiona Prentiss. We are all university students.”

“An impressive family, if I may say so, Mr Robertson. It must be nice to have your sisters at university with you.”

“We are exceedingly keen on education; I admit that, Reverend. None of us are studying for the priesthood, though.”

“Pity. So few clergy are in training these days,” she sighed. “We have to depend more and more on retired clergy to fill temporary gaps in service provision.”

“That is rather a shame, Reverend. Do you have a permanent position of your own?”

“Indeed I do. My husband and I are both priests, and between us we cater to the needs of three charges in our own area. David is taking services in two of them this morning, and I will get back in time to take an evening service in the third. It keeps us occupied, though our children are not happy with us being away so much. However, the church’s need is greater than that of our family. Do you have similar problems with all of you at university?”

“We did have, but recently a pair of twins related to my wife Frances have taken on the tasks of cook and housekeeper for us. The finances were tricky, but relatives have been generous on our behalf.”

“A fortunate situation, indeed. Well, I am back here again next week, if you are able to join us again before heading home.”

“Thank you for the invitation. We may be able to take you up on it, if our schedule permits. We must be getting off now, as our meal will be about ready for us. Come along, girls. Time is awasting.”

Reg collected his flock of hens and escorted them out to the cars. Fiona giggled as they sorted themselves out. Prudence asked her, “What was humourous, Fiona?”

Fiona explained, “I was talking to an elderly lady with a hearing aid, and she asked about the visiting group. I said it was Reginald and his wives, with an emphasis on the sibilant s, but she misheard or misunderstood and nodded sagely, saying, “Ah, yes. Reginald and his wife’s sisters. How nice of him to bring them all!”

The others found that funny, and it cheered them even more than the interesting sermon, which had been quite informative about women in the Bible.

Back at the church, the hard of hearing lady was telling the priest, “One of these young ladies was telling me that Reg had brought his wife and her sisters. Rather nice of him to do so.”

The lady priest frowned, “That cannot be quite right, Mrs Frobisher. They all had the surname Robertson, except the one you were talking to. If they were sisters of his wife, the man’s surname would be different, wouldn’t it?”

The elderly lady shrugged, “I wouldn’t know, Reverend. You have to admit, they did look like sisters; all with the same unfortunate facial looks.”

The priest suddenly had an epiphany. “Wait a moment! I recall that in some old families where there is no male heir, the daughter’s husband in a marriage contract had to agree to take the family name, to ensure continuity of the old surname. That must be what it is. He has adopted HER surname. They are probably from an old landed family. Perhaps they might make a contribution to the launch fund to build a toilet at the church. If they appear next Sunday, I shall make such a suggestion.”

Getting home, the Robertson family found that their hot lunch was waiting, as expected, and they tucked in ravenously. Sidra had contributed to the menu once again, and the natives enjoyed the unexpected tastes and spicy flavours.

Fiona made a special point of thanking Sidra for her efforts. “This morning was special for me, Sidra, and your food offerings have made it complete. I feel at one with the world again. I can forgive my stepmother for her attitude, as it is probably not consciously deliberate but merely an outcome of her general inbuilt approach to life. I am in her way, that’s all.”

Reg was startled at her words. “Fiona, does this mean you might want to return to your father’s household?”

“What? Me and my unborn baby? They should be so lucky! No, I have weaselled my way into your heart, Reg, and at the same time I placed you into my own heart. I want to stay, Reg, and girls, I want to have OUR baby, if I am confirmed pregnant, and be happy here. Just because I forgive the woman doesn’t mean that I want to put up with her constant presence. I have been welcomed into all your hearts, girls. Who could ask for more?”

Sidra found she had tears in her eyes and murmured, “Aww, that is SO romantic!”

Fiona told her, “Yes, it IS romance that I feel with Reg, and with Frances, and with Prudence and with Freda and with Erika; and I rather like you and your mother too, Sidra.”

“You are sure it is not your pregnancy that is making you feel so emotional, Fiona?” Sidra queried.

“No, Sidra. It is far too soon for my hormones to have changed that much. Later, I may get much more emotional, once my body starts preparing for motherhood, but not just yet.”

“Oh, I see,” replied Sidra, as the others looked on silently at this exchange.

Jessica was perceptive, and asked Sidra, “How are you feeling, yourself, Sidra?”

Sidra’s face reddened, then she slowly admitted, “I was feeling jealous of you, ammi.”

“Jealous? In what way, my bayti?”

“Getting to cuddle with Reg. Everyone seems to get to cuddle Reg except me.” She looked embarrassed as she admitted this.

Carol had just come it with the sweet dishes, and overheard this statement. She intruded, “Hey, Sidra: can it, girl. You are not alone in not getting Reg in bed with you!”

“Oh, sorry, Carol. I forgot.”

“Yeah. Everyone is starting to take me and Holly for granted. Well, let me tell you, WE are in the queue for Reg’s cuddling, and more!”

Jessica’s eyes goggled at this revelation. Was everyone wanting to be part of Reginald’s love life? Even her own sixteen-year-old daughter? This could become embarrassing, considering how she herself had been feeling. Jessica had only this morning come to the conclusion that she wanted more than just cuddling close. What would that do to Sidra’s feelings? Sidra would be devastated if her mother got too close to the man she was developing affections for. The matter needed an extensive period of deep thinking.

Her panicked thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt. She was rescued by Reg. “Sidra, my dear, come now and sit on my lap for a special cuddle, to show that you are not forgotten.”

Sidra was not slow to move round and join Reg. She swung round to sit on his lap and put her arms round him to hold him close.

Reg was a trifle unsure of his position here, and whispered to her “Sidra, I thought you were afraid of men?”

She whispered back, “I view you as a kind person, not a mere male. You are an exception to that vile category, Reg.”

“I am glad to hear it, Sidra. You are displaying rare talent in perceiving the world accurately. I think you will do well with your schooling.”

Jessica instructed her daughter, “Enough of the whispering, Sidra. It is not seemly for a teenage girl to act that way with an adult.”

“Sorry, ammi. I was just telling Mr Robertson that I was not afraid of him, as a man. Was that the wrong thing to say?”

“No, that is acceptable, but in general, no whispering, especially at mealtime when we try to be sociable to the family.”

“I understand, mother. I will do as you say.”

“But cuddling with Sidra is all right, Jessica? You are okay with that?” asked Reg.

“Whyever would I not be? She has a need to get over her fear of men. You are a very good antidote to that poisonous antagonism, Reg.”

“Thank you, Jessica. You are a very wise mother.” He smiled over to her, and her heart sank at what this might mean to Sidra.

After a little, Reg pointed out to Sidra that he needed to eat the rest of his lunch, and couldn’t do it with her in his lap. She gasped, and apologised.

Reg told her, “No need to apologise, Sidra. It is sheer practicalities, that’s all.”

The remainder of Sunday was a pleasant family time of togetherness, except that Reg had to go to the kitchen and give a short cuddle to Carol and then to Holly. He explained, “We can’t have you girls feeling left out, can we? Just remember that Sidra is still in some shock and requires some reassurance that she is loved by us all. Please give her a hug from time to time, to let her know she is at home here.”

Carol told him, “We will do that for you, Reg. We saw that Sidra is still suffering from her mistreatment at the hands of her father, poor girl!”

Monday morning was a busy day, even with university classes. Fiona had to get an appointment at the medical centre, and Reg had to check with his bank, to see if a bank transfer had been made.

He phoned, but they would only confirm that a transfer had been received. He would have to appear in person to view his account, as there were restrictions on how the account could be operated, due to money laundering restrictions. He agreed to visit them in the next few days.

The health centre had spaces in their day’s patient appointments list, so Fiona got a time booked in the afternoon when she had no lecture. Reg asked whether she wanted him to go with her, but she refused the offer. “I want to deal with it by myself, whichever way it goes, Reg. I will come back and tell you later.”

He saw her reasoning, and accepted her decision. At lunch, he noticed that Fiona’s lunch was different from his and his wives, and asked about it.

She informed him, “I looked up the best foods for a pregnant woman to eat, so Carol and Holly have adjusted my diet to take that advice into account.”

“Isn’t that a bit premature?” Asked Reg.

“Of course it is, but I want to get into the way of things right from the start. I don’t have to stick to this diet every day, just treat it as a regular part of my food intake. I am going off alcohol immediately though, and I have never smoked, so that is one less matter for me to worry about.”

Reg told her, “You seem to be happy with the idea of possibly being pregnant, Fiona, and pretty organised with it. I hope your enthusiasm survives morning sickness, which I gather is fairly common.”

“I’ll deal with that hurdle if and when I come to it, Reg,” she retorted.

“Anyway, best of luck this afternoon. I hope it gets confirmed, Fiona.”

They all returned to their afternoon studies, until much later, when Reg got a text on his phone from Fiona. It simply said “YES”, followed by a smiley.

Reg sent back the same smiley with the word, “Congrats”. He assumed that Fiona would inform the rest of the family, so left off duplicating such efforts.

They gathered at the car park to go home, but Reg was one of the last to arrive, after a discussion with one of his lecturers. The girls were all smiling; Fiona was clearly being congratulated, so Reg added his own verbal enthusiasm, and they set off home.

When they arrived, Frances informed Reg, “Daddy has confirmed the appointments for your driving lessons, Reg. I made sure that none of them would impinge on your lectures, and for most of the appointments the instructor will collect you at the university car park entrance. Any exceptions, you can sort out at the previous lesson.”

“I see. Okay, Frances, I recognise I need to do this. Hope I don’t mess up with this, as it is mostly physical dexterity, I believe.”

Frances disabused him of that notion. “Not all, Reg. There is an extensive theory part, so you will have some studying to do for that.”

“I won’t mind that. I have been watching how you drive, over the last few months, Frances, so I have a general idea about road signs, ways of turning at junctions and roundabouts, and so on.”

“Yes, well don’t copy some of the dolts who swing to the left at T-junctions before making a turn to the right. They do that to give themselves a larger turning circle, when it is entirely unnecessary if you prepare properly for the turn.”

“Yes dear,” Reg said with a straight face, then repeated, “Yes, dear, three bags full, dear.”

Frances squawked at his temerity, then relaxed and laughed. “Reg Robertson, you are SO acting like a husband these days. I like it.” She leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose.

“Mrs Robertson, I love you so much.” Reg pulled her back to him and kissed her passionately. “She whispered in his ear, “I want to be pregnant, too, Mr Robertson.”

He whispered back, “I’ll do what I can to oblige, Mrs Robertson.”

They all trooped inside, with Frances telling the other wives what the whispering was about, and got a few squeals in response. Reg just rolled his eyes, and went off to find out how Sidra and her mother were. He found them in the kitchen, in intense discussion with Carol and Holly.

Reg interrupted them by announcing, “We’re home, girls.”

This brought a flurry of hugs and kisses from all four, with Mrs Sadaf saying to him, “Girls, Reg?”

“Naturally, I now look on you as a girl. You fit in so well with all the teenagers that I see you as just another teenager, Jessica.”

She gave him a big grin. “How nice of to say that of me, Reginald.”

He gave her a serious look and said, “All my girls call me Reg, Jessica. You are one of my girls, too.”

She gave a small smile. “Thank you, Reg. Not in quite the same way, though.”

“I view Carol, Holly and Sidra as my girls as well, as they are part of my household, and I have responsibility for them, and I care about them.”

“And you now have responsibility for me too. Yes, I can accept that. Very well, ... Reg. Do you care about me as well?”

“I do, surprisingly. I never expected that to be the case. I thought I was simply rescuing a battered woman, but now, ... I care.”

Jessica gave him a small kiss and he swiftly turned away and left the kitchen. Jessica discovered her daughter had been watching them.

“Muuuum! You kissed Reg.” She looked accusingly at her mother.

Jessica smiled at her. “Yes, I did. He is a nice man, Sidra, and SO different from your father.”

Sidra declared, “Oh, I know THAT! Reg is very loveable, ammi. I think you have noticed that as well as me.”

Jessica stared at her daughter. Reg’s charm was definitely working; she had better watch what she did and said now to Reg, so as not to make things difficult for Sidra. She noted that Sidra’s bruises seemed to be going away, or her daughter was applying better make-up to cover them.

“You are looking much better, my bayti.”

“I feel much better as well, ammi. I am healing. I am comfortable here, and I never want to see my father again.”

“I will do my best to ensure that remains the case, Sidra.” Jessica promised.

“They have told me they want to home-school me for the school exams. Is that all right with you, mother?”

“I was told that as well, and I approved. It means you are safe. Attending a school would reveal your whereabouts, and we don’t want that, do we?”

“We don’t. How do we do this home-schooling, ammi?”

“I don’t know, but these university students are clever, so they will have the answers for you before long. I will speak to Reg about it.”

“Thank you, ammi.”

Jessica went to Reg and asked about the procedure and qualifications needed for home schooling. He told her, “I did a quick online search, Jessica, and there is no official requirement for the parent or parents to have qualifications. In the case of Sidra, ALL of us will participate in teaching her in preparation for the required exams, as if we were her parents. As far as her former school is concerned, you have to write to them and ask for Sidra to be de-registered at the school. The school is then required to delete her from their school register.”

“But Reg, if I do that, they will have my address!”

“They won’t, because the letter will come from your lawyer, who will be Hubert Dangerfield, one of the top lawyers in London. The address given will be care of his office, thus the anonymity is preserved.”

“But Reg, I can’t afford a lawyer, never mind a high-powered one!”

“Jessica, that lawyer is my father-in-law, so either there will be no fee, or this family will pay it. There will be nothing for you to pay, Jessica; I promise.”

She stared at him, open-mouthed. “So what is this letter required to say, Reg?”

“It has to state your daughter’s name and date of birth, and state that from a specific date – which will be now, she will be receiving home education in accordance with Section 7 of the Education Act 1996. You ask that she be removed from their register in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulation 2016 section 8(1)(d). You end with: Please confirm in writing to the above address that my child has been removed from the school register.

Simple, isn’t it?”

Jessica eyed Reg with awe. “That’s it? And no identification of our location?”

“None.”

“Wonderful. Let’s do it, Reg.”

“Right. Give me a moment till I sort it out.” He went off to find Freda.

Locating her in the dining room talking to Holly, he asked to speak to her as soon as she was free. Holly broke off and said, “This can wait, Freda. See what Reg wants, please.”

Freda thanked her and came to Reg to listen to what he wanted to say.

“Freda, I want to impose on your Dad’s legal authority again. Do you think he will mind?”

“Depends on what you want from him, dear.”

“An official letter to Sidra’s school, informing them that she will now be receiving home education – I can quote the text that the letter should use, but the most important bit is that Jessica should state her address as c/o your Dad’s office, to maintain Jessica and Sidra’s secrecy. He must not give out their actual address to anyone; not to ANYONE! Please make that clear, as it is vital.”

“But Dad knows nothing about Sidra and Jessica, darling. We have to tell him something.”

“Quite right, my lovely clever clogs. Give him a brief summary, and explain that we are now the place of safety for the two of them.”

“I can do that. Should we add that, as Jessica is now estranged from her husband, he should NOT be informed?”

“Good thinking, Freda. Ask him to threaten the school with a breach of contract, or something that involves them paying out money, should they not follow this instruction from Jessica. That should make them obey his letter.”

“Sounds good, Reg. I am sure Daddy will be happy to do this pro bono, as he is helping a battered wife and daughter.”

“Great. I told Jessica that might be the case, but if not, we as a family would cover the cost.”

“As it should be, Reg. Right, if you give me the legally-required text of the letter, I will pass it to Daddy with all the additional facts that he needs to know. Daddy will come through for us, Reg. You can depend on it.”

“Thanks, love. You are an angel – or the next best thing!”

Frances came to Reg to tell him that Jessica wanted to try being alone tonight, and if she needed a cuddle, would ask Frances to help out. Reg was pleased that Jessica and Frances were getting along well, and thanked her for taking care of the matter.

“Oh, Frances? Another thing. Please tell Sidra that we are arranging for her mother to send a formal letter to the school that she will now be home educated; AND that there would be no connection back to here.”

“Right. That I can do, Reg. Leave it with me. You know which girls you will be with tonight?”

“Um, uh, Prudence and Erika?”

“Correct. Be nice to Freda as well. I understand she is acting for us with her father, in the matter of home education.”

“She is. She is a real darling, is Freda.”

“She is that. I love her too, Reg.” Frances reminded him. She was establishing that she was in charge of this family, Reg noticed.

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