Chapter 6: Kelly

Kelly Culberson Grimes waited until all the hugging and crying and welcoming home was done before, in front of the family, friends, and servants, she slapped Harry so hard it knocked him back. Had Candy not been standing behind him, by Kelly's order, he would have hit the floor.

Harry grimaced as he rubbed his cheek.

"Love you too, honey."

Kelly wasn't in the mood. She knew she was dangerously close to losing it and just starting in on him with a rage-fueled beatdown.

"Harry, you have hurt your family, your friends..." she gazed around at all those assembled before continuing, "and that was bad enough. But what you did to Carol is unacceptable. We hurt. She bled."

Kelly's hand flashed out again, slapping him on the other cheek. The change in angle and unexpectedness of the action knocked him from Candy's arms and onto the floor.

"I see I have some penance to perform," Harry said, accepting a hand up from Camille.
"Oh, my darling husband, you have no idea," Kelly replied before turning and leaving the room.

"Ow, goddamn, I think I pulled something in both shoulders," Kelly said as Twilla worked her over on a massage table.
"I'm not surprised, Mistress," her body servant replied. "You gave those your all."

"No ... not really. Not the all I wanted to give. Twilla, if I'd done what I wanted he'd be in a body cast. I understand him needing solitude, but if he could handle having Sal, or Jeanine, or whatever the slut's name was, taking care of him, he could have handled Carol in the same role."

"Not to question you..."
"Yeah, that wouldn't be wise right now," Kelly snapped. But she got the message. How sure was Kelly of her conviction? Enough to risk her husband's psyche, and Carol's as well?
Self-righteousness plus "self-evident" frequently equals self-delusional.

"Goddamn it, Madam," Kelly murmured. "I'm glad I've finally caught the family's insanity."

"Excuse me, Mistress?" Twilla said.
"Nothing. A little harder near the shoulder blades."

Kelly's daily excursions into town had made Devon her shadow, and put a load on the security people to cover anyone else's travel. It was enough to make her feel guilty, but she wasn't shopping for herself – she had the entire staff, a staff that had grown extremely large, to outfit, as well as her and her spouses. Even the one she was extremely pissed at.

"Devon, put something violent in the CD player."

"Yes, Mistress. Rage Mix One, Two, or Three?"

"Three ... definitely Three."

"You do realize he was just doing what all of you have urged him to do multiple times?"

"Excuse me?" Kelly said, her voice icing over.

"You tell Master Grimes to take care of himself, again and again from what I've heard. He tried to do so. None of you were happy with how he was trying, so you ended up driving him away to where he could deal with his issues the way he needed to. Still unhappy, you all but shoved the one person you knew could bring him back out to where he was healing. She did her job, and upon getting what you've worked so hard to achieve, you slap the shit out of him.

"He was just taking care of himself, like you want him to."

"Turn the car around, don't put in Rage Mix Three. Put in something light and ambient," Kelly said, sighing. "I have to talk with my folks."

"Devon has a point, honey," Kissie said, sitting across from her daughter, holding her hands. "I know you don't like admitting it when you're wrong, you're like your father that way..."

"I don't have any such problem," Kelly's father said, as his daughter rolled her eyes and his wife chuckled.

"Daddy," Kelly said, "you're one of the most stubborn people ever ... and I am, too."

"Look, baby," Earl said, sitting down beside his wife, "if there's one thing living with your mother, and not having her kick me out on my ass, all these years has taught me, it's that most times, no matter how good feeling righteous is, if you're mistaken in your righteousness, it honestly does feel better to admit it than to hold on to a lie.

"And as your mother is never wrong..."

"Bullshit, Earl," Kissie said, inerringly elbowing him in the ribs despite her blindness. "I'm wrong plenty. I just don't hold on to 'being right' as hard as you do."

"True," Earl said, wincing. "I do remember a time or two..."

"And if you want to sleep in my bed tonight, that's as far as you'll take that memory."

"Yes, dear."

Kelly smiled at the familiar interplay between her parents, and wondered if things between her and her spouses would ever be so free and easy again.

"Mom, Dad ... please, reconsider an extended vacation at the ranch? Please? All of us would sleep a lot better knowing you two were safe. These people who want to hurt us ... they're serious, and I don't think they'd have any problem tracking you down."

"Nobody's chasing us out of our home, darling," her father replied, as her mother nodded her agreement. "We're grown-ass people and we've made our choice, aware of the possible downside."

"Dad, that downside is the two of you dead, and if I had the power, I'd have the staff move you out there against your will."

"Dear," Kissie said, "I'll make you a proposition. If something else happens, we'll strongly reconsider ... yes, Earl, we will," she continued, staring at him with her blank, blind eyes. "Of course, I hope and pray should something else happen, no one is hurt, including us. For that matter, I pray nothing else happens."

"But I have a feeling this isn't over, not by a long shot," Kelly said, kissing her mother on the cheek.

"I have the same feeling," Earl said. "And though I won't like it, if, or when, something else happens, we will reconsider."

"Won't like it? Listen to you, old man, acting like you'd find living in a house full of naked women unpleasant!"

Kelly and Kissie laughed as Earl smiled and said, "Oh, okay, maybe it wouldn't be too bad..."

"Okay, you two ... thank you," Kelly said. "Time for me to face the music back at the ranch." She stood, nodding to Devon. "And I'm pretty sure facing the music is going to hurt ... more than just emotionally."

The family was shocked when Kelly walked naked out of the bedroom, not by that per se, as it was by no means uncommon, but by what she did afterward.
She went to the front foyer, dropped into a submissive's presentation pose, and waited, responding to no one, not even Twilla.

It was a long wait, as Harry had decided to test the bonds of his freedom by setting out for a walk on the property, using his cane to help with the uneven ground, followed at a respectful distance by Camille.

When he finally did return to the house, he was more tired than he wanted to let show, and was looking forward to a long soak in a hot tub, probably followed by some intense massage work from Helen McReady. As he entered, he saw Kelly, as in a soft voice she said, "Master?"

"Yes?"

"This one owes you an apology. Devon explained to me the inconsistency of my actions in punishing you for acting to take care of yourself, something we all have repeatedly urged you to do. Therefore, while the anger was mine to feel, I acted upon it inappropriately. Furthermore, I callously used Carol's pain as a cover for my own temper. While I am angry she was hurt, that was far from my prime motivation. I acted selfishly and in a petty fashion.

"Therefore, I submit myself to you until such time as you decide I am again allowed to be a Mistress of this household."

"Fine," Harry said, giving in to the urge to breathe hard from his exertions. "You've got bath girl duty. Follow me."

"If I may, sir, I've missed you," Kelly said as she slowly and gently washed her husband.

Head leaned back on the tub rim, eyes closed, Harry replied, "I've missed all of you. But it was like trying to breathe jello around the family, and I just couldn't. I need my space, and it looks like y'all've learned I'm serious about that shit." He took a deep hit off the water pipe, held the smoke, and eased it out. "Although I think having to stay out of my face is driving Camille crazy."

"Probably so, sir," Kelly replied.

"Now, about your actions when I came back. Yes, I deserve some punishment for the way I handled my end of things."