Chapter 4

Stuart's haul of orders from Ireland was better than ever. He remarked that if it was this good he would have to go more often. His face belied the ebullience. There were dark bags under his eyes and his skin was blotchy, red upon grey. He did not look well at all. Kate asked him if there was anything wrong.

"No my treasure. I am just tired. A couple of nights sleep and I will be ready for the fray again, don't you worry." His work was done for the next few days; Kate's work was just starting. She went through his pocket notebook deciphering the orders he had taken. She resorted to a map, as his spelling of the Irish place names was a bit hit and miss. Even then she had to check with him from time to time. The post contained the policy for her medical insurance; Stuart was named on the policy as well. Reading the policy gave her some comfort. She would not have to run the risk of the National Health Service hospitals as Daddy had done. Mentally she thanked Meg for pushing this.

The rest of her work in the office was automatic. Without having to concentrate too much she took to thinking. A month ago she would have been shocked at her behaviour, kissing another woman on the lips and stripping completely naked but now she found it difficult to censure herself. There was a certain frisson in the situation. She also asked of herself the question, if Meg wanted to take this to a more physical level, would she object? Here she was in two minds. The standards she had grown up taught her to abhor such intimacy, being according to their teaching immoral. Her logic answered by asking if there would be any harm done to Meg or herself, and that the standards of yesteryear were exactly that yesteryear. After all her mother seemed to have cast off the standards of years gone by. Kate left it there summing the quandary up in simple way. She could only decide if Meg made the approach.

Stuart would not be away for at least a week, concentrating his sales drive in areas he could easily cover in a day. Having only one day's orders at a time to post gave Kate the chance to catch up on administration tasks that had been pushed to the back burner. With Stuart getting home everyday it also meant that Meg didn't come into the office. She did phone and issue an invitation to come one evening to dine with them. It was a very enjoyable evening. Stuart was in fine form, as he had said a couple of good night's sleep and he was looking much better. He served a very good Merlot with the beef they had. Kate and Meg had a couple of glasses each, yet three bottles of the wine were opened, with Stuart doing the major damage to all three. Kate helped Meg to make the coffee. Meg was dismayed at the amount Stuart had drunk.

"Wait until we get back in the Lounge. He will have Brandy poured as well." She sniffed, almost a prelude to tears. Kate put her arms around Meg to comfort her. It was comforting yet Kate did not feel the thrill she thought she ought to at the contact. Perhaps girls weren't for her after all.

Meg was right. Stuart had poured brandies for them all. Kate told him that as she was driving she wouldn't be able to drink it.

"No worries, Treasure. More for me."

The next day in the office, Stuart apologised to her.

"I tied one on last night. If I said or did anything that offended you, please accept my apologies." Kate grinned at him.

"Well the story about the three Nuns was a bit off, Boss." He looked horrified.

"Did I tell that one? Oh God I'm sorry." Kate let him off the hook.

"I'm pulling your leg. No you didn't tell that or even the one about Pierre the Aviator."

"How do you know about those stories, Miss?" He acted offended.

"Your customers have mentioned to me your raconteur skills. Those two stories are reputed to be the highlights." Stuart grinned at that.

"It's nice to know they remember." His attitude changed suddenly. "Right let's get to work. I'm not paying you to sit around here all day chatting. Let's get busy, orders to chase, money to make." He went through to his office, and then shouted. "And coffee to lubricate the whole process!" Kate made him coffee and took it through. The phone was already against his ear and the cigarette dangled from his lip. Kate opened the window.

Kate fielded some calls that came through. One was from a regular customer who needed a good quantity of something that neither he nor Kate had ever heard of.

"One moment Mr. Melling, I will ask Stuart." She went through to Stuart.

"Stuart. Mr. Melling is on, he's asking for five hundred metres of Petersham. He doesn't know what it is, neither do I. Can you help?" He motioned for her to put him through. Ten minutes later he came into her office.

"Listen and learn child. Petersham is a ribbed silk effect ribbon, used for trimming on upholstery and clothing mainly hats. It's been specified in a job that Melling is quoting for and five hundred metres is a very nice order because it is expensive stuff."

The day went well. More scraps of paper piled onto Kate's desk, she was getting overwhelmed. She commented wearily to Stuart as he came through to pour yet another cup of coffee.

"When are you going away again, so I can get some peace and quiet?"

"Oh! Didn't I tell you? I am doing the South Coast, the West Country and the Channel Islands next week. I shall need the basket packed for the Channel Islands."

"When?"

"Monday."

"Thanks for the notice, Boss. Have you let Meg know as well?"

"Oh shit! No." He rushed off to phone his wife as Kate picked up the phone to make his bookings. She looked up his itinerary from the last time he made the trip and he was fortunate insomuch as she could get him accommodation. The flight was a different matter. She could only get him a flight from Southampton. Sod him. If he didn't give enough notice, what else does he expect?

Kate again came in on the Saturday to pack the basket. She phoned the courier service to get it picked up first thing Monday morning. It would be at the hotel in St Helier in Jersey when Stuart arrived on Thursday. Stuart would have to fly back to Southampton then drive home on the Sunday; Kate hadn't been able to get him a Saturday flight.

Life regained an even tenor after Monday. Kate was up to date and could relax a little until Meg came in with news.

"Kate I have an invite for dinner at Julie's on Friday, and she especially asked if you could come." She put on a face. "But I expect that you will be going out with one of your beau's." Kate shook her head vehemently.

"If I were, he would be stood up. The invite sounds lovely, of course I will attend."

"Good. Come to the house as soon as you leave work. We can shower and dress without rushing, and I will order a car to take us."

"What time do we have to be there?"

"Seven for seven thirty."

"Dress?" enquired Kate.

"Long." The expression on Kate's face told Meg that she didn't have a long dress. "Don't worry, we can go through my wardrobe, I am sure we can find you something, after all apart from your chest, we are about the same size." She could see that Kate was not certain of that. "Kate! What's the point in going out to buy a dress that you will wear only rarely? Don't worry it will be ok."

Kate had relinquished her diffidence of walking around naked with Meg, so it was that after showering that Friday evening they were together putting on their makeup using the same long mirror in Meg's bedroom. That was when Kate noticed that Meg had shaved her pubes.

"You've shaved down there." She stated the obvious. Meg looked down and nodded.

"Yes. The dress I am wearing is quite light, and even through my panties my dark bush can be seen. You are alright; your blonde wisps won't show." That was true. Many blondes like Kate had a sparse growth and being so pale they wouldn't show through light fabrics.

Kate fastened the garter belt around her waist then pulled up her panties. With stockings she wore French cut panties; it was so much easier to get the suspenders underneath. She picked up her bra. Meg stopped her.

"You won't be able to wear that with the dress. I'll show you." She opened the wardrobe door and lifted the dress out on its hanger. It was a beautiful shade of green with a touch of grey. It was cut square at the neck, revealing her shoulders. It was held together with ties at the turn of the shoulder. However when Meg turned it round she saw that the back plunged to just above her waist...

"Meg. That's lovely. Are you sure you are ok with me wearing it?"

"Of course, my dress is a little similar. I have never worn your dress, the colour doesn't go with my dark hair, but it will be perfect on you." It was. Kate turned and swirled in front of the mirror, trying to catch the view from all angles. The smile on her face refused to fade. Meg's dress was vaguely similar and it was white. Kate could see why she had shaved. When the light was right she could see the lace pattern on her panties. Kate realised that Meg had something on her mind but seemed loathe to say. She was astounded when Meg said.

"Kate. When we leave later tonight, I may be going back." Kate heard the words but at first they made no sense. For a few moments she was confused then some little clarity washed over her.

"To see Julie and Gid?" Meg nodded.

"Ah!"

"It may or may not happen. I just thought I would warn you."

"You didn't have to do that. I would not have known anyway."

"No, but as my friend I feel I should be honest with you."

Julie and Gid's home was a large Edwardian house, set in its own grounds. The drive from the road to the door was almost four hundred yards. Julie welcomed them warmly at the door, with kisses on their cheeks. Surprisingly Kate was just as happy to see them as before; her mind was unchanged despite Meg's disclosure.

"Come through, the others are already here." She led the way into a large Salon with wide French windows opening on to a traditional conservatory. Gid smiled happily to see them and immediately set about pouring them a drink each of Pimms. Charles and Bobbie, Alistair and Jillian were equally happy to see them. Kate was impressed to see the men in Dinner Jackets, crisply starched white shirts and bow ties. The irregularity of the bows told her that that had been tied by hand. They made her so much at ease. She would be chatting with Charles and Jillian would join the conversation. Charles would wander off to pursue a topic being discussed that had interested him and Gid would take his place. Meg would suddenly be at her side and the topic would slide effortlessly elsewhere.