Chapter 3

“Fiona, let me tell you a secret, which you must keep to yourself. All of us were virgins, and none of us had even been out on a date! When you are not pretty, or even worse, too tall, no boy wants to ask you out. Reg didn’t ask us out, either; he didn’t even know HOW to ask a girl out. Through our study group we gradually became closer, and Reg was invited by Frances to share her accommodation as it is much better than his basic university student lodgings, and free as well. Then, as Reg continued sharing Frances’ accommodation, and Freda and Erika were also invited to stay there, things changed.

Freda and Erika joined Reg in bed and persuaded him to make love to them. They did not know much more than he did about the act of fucking, so it was a swift learning curve. It turned out that Frances had intended to be first with Reg, but the other girls beat her to it. She was able to have her time with him the next night, and from then on, the quartet were a team. I eventually was able to join their study group, and slowly sussed out how close they were. My joining their loving team came later, but only because I wanted it and was prepared to do what was needed to join.

Reg had treated me like a beautiful woman, without any intention of bedding me, and I fell for him quite strongly, despite knowing that he was making love with the other three.

That is a quick summary, Fiona, but from that you can see that what we have is not your usual polygamous family. We have a group marriage which is probably stronger than any legal marriage would be. We have committed ourselves to each other, thus loving is so easy for us. We have not allowed ourselves a get-out clause, because we never expect to want to leave the marriage.”

“You sound so mature, Prudence. Your words have an authority that suggests that you all feel the same way about Reg and each other.”

“You are correct, Fiona. Ask any of us, and you will get much the same response.”

Fiona said softly, shyly, “Can I get in?”

Prudence was startled by this response, and stared at Fiona in surprise.

“What? You want to join us? Why? This a quite a large group, already. Why would you want in?”

“I have a need to belong, Prudence. I want to belong to a family that will remain stable and secure. I want to be part of such a loving family, and yours is the only one that I have ever found worth asking. Any boy I have been out with, I checked on his family situation, and they all fell at that first hurdle. You Robertsons are different; so can I join?”

Prudence spoke slowly, carefully. “It is not as easy as that, Fiona. Joining us is an awkward process, mainly because we haven’t been asked before, at least not directly. You would need to become an integral part of the operation that is now this family, which means convincing all the others that you are worthy of inclusion. At one time, in the beginning, the girls were thinking of me getting pregnant by Reg, so that I would be more committed to the family if allowed to join. That didn’t actually happen, but all of us intend to have Reg’s children before too long. That is a result of love.

So, the problem you are facing is, you have to show that you can be a part of this cooperative team, be willing to devote your entire life to the family, and have Reg’s children as well. That is not something you can achieve immediately, Fiona; perhaps never, if any of us objects to your presence. We all have the power of veto, remember. I think you ought to go home and think about all this for a while. Commitment is more than just a word.”

“For the Commitment Ceremony, do I have to do this publicly, Prudence? I don’t want to stick my neck out, and be rejected, in the eyes of everyone outside.”

“I would never expect you to do anything publicly until you are at the point of no return, Fiona. I cannot promise you anything beyond telling the others and letting them have their say. I will need to get back to you after that, to say whether you can put your foot on the first rung.”

“That’s fair, Prudence. All I want is to know I have some chance. I know I have to convince Reg to love me as well as you.”

“Not quite, Fiona. You have to convince all of us to love you, which is not the same. Then there is the matter of finance. Does your family have any long-term financial backing for you, or does it all stop once you graduate with a PhD?”

“I don’t know for certain. My dad has a senior job in a large company, so he is not poor. It is more to do with my stepmother. If her desire to see the back of me is more important than my Dad’s money to her, she might be persuaded to help me pay my way if I were to join you. What financial input would be required?”

“At the moment, with us sharing a largish building owned by Frances’ father, we live rent-free, but we have arranged to engage a pair of twins as cook and housekeeper to let us concentrate on our studies. These girls may also act as nursemaids for our children, if they stay long enough. It is their first paid employment.”

“Oh, I agree. They have to be paid. What percentage of their salary do I have to contribute, if I get to join you?”

“We don’t have a hard and fast amount. Our various parents are sharing the cost, so it is a manageable portion per spouse’s family, but several thousand pounds per year is a rough figure. Would your dad be willing to help with that?”

“Assuming I was to live with you, I would save on my present accommodation costs, so I am sure the figure you suggest would not be a burden. My own digs are quite expensive, as Daddy wanted me to be comfortable, and not live in a hovel.”

“Okay. Well, I will put you forward as a prospective trainee for a wife position, if the others are willing to consider you. Let’s leave it at that, Fiona.”

Fiona exited Prudence’s car, and went off home, saying “Please say goodbye to the others for me, Prudence. I could not face them at the present, the way I am feeling just now.”

Prudence accepted that, and returned to the house, thoughtful. She waited until she was asked where Fiona was, and replied, “Gone. We need to have a family discussion about her.”

She refused to give details until everyone was gathered together. When that was done, she asked Reg, “What did you think of Fiona, Reg?”

He pondered, and answered, “Nice girl, quite good looking too, but I found her a bit confusing. I was not terribly clear about what she was proposing for her thesis. In fact, I got the impression that she was not terribly clear about it, either. That does not encourage me to support her research, I’m afraid.”

Erika added, “Funnily enough, I was not all that certain either, that she had all her dominoes in a row. For a PhD student, one would expect she would be right on the ball with her ideas and plans, yet that was not how she came across.”

Freda contradicted her. “Really? I thought she was a very nice girl. I was looking forward to having her poke around the house, interviewing us and so forth.”

Frances gave a short laugh. “Freda, you tend to view people as people to start off with, and not as a research student looking for assistance. Remember, you beat me to getting Reg to fuck you, while I was still worrying about it.”

Freda just smiled. “Why don’t we let Prudence tell us what she wants to tell us. I can see she is desperate to say something more.”

Frances looked at Prudence. “Really? Well, what DID you have to tell us, dear?”

Prudence took a quick look at all their faces, then burst out, “Fiona was not telling us the truth!”

This caused a few eyebrows to be raised, but no-one said anything while waiting for evidence to support this claim. Erika just nodded to herself; her suspicions confirmed. Prudence, having got their attention, explained.

“I was suspicious, and challenged her about her plans, saying I thought she intended something more than what she was claiming. She asked to speak with me privately, so we had a heart-to-heart in my car before she left. She admitted that I was correct. She was actually checking us out for her own needs. She comes from a dysfunctional family, where her stepmother wants rid of her, so she has Fiona’s father to herself. I can see where the stepmother is coming from, much as I disagree with her intentions. Fiona is looking for a stable family where she can fit in. She wants to be part of a loving family that looks to be permanently together.

That is what she was actually looking at, when she visited. She needed to assess us from her own perspective, as a potential family to join. I think we passed that test.”

Reg frowned. “What did she mean, ‘a family where she can fit in’? Fit in, in what way?”

Prudence sighed. “Ah, that is the question.” She looked around at them all and added, “She wants to be considered as another possible wife.”

That stunned them all.

Frances was the first to react. “Surely she can’t think she can just walk in and lay her marker down?”

Prudence raised a cautioning hand. “No, Frances. I laid down the rules to her. I pointed out that for me to join you, well before our Commitment, I had to convince every single one of you that I was worth it; not just Reg. I told her that she needed to show love to us and receive love from all of us, and that would take time, IF EVER IT HAPPENED. I emphasised that proviso for her.”

“Go on,” Frances urged.

“I explained that as we were a group marriage, we all had to be happy with her; just one objection was enough to cancel her application. I also pointed out that she should be prepared to have Reg’s children. I ended up asking if her family would be prepared to put some cash towards helping the marriage to pay for our cook and housekeeper’s salaries. I quoted an estimate of two or three thousand, and she didn’t balk at that. Her present accommodation must be a fairly hefty expenditure, the way she reacted to that; she would save on that, if she moved in with us. Her father is fairly well off, so can afford such a contribution, and her stepmother will probably see it as a way of getting rid of her permanently, thus is unlikely to object.

To end my report: I promised to bring it before you, as an application for trainee status towards becoming another wife; no more than that, and that I would get back to her.

What do you think? Am I in your bad books now?”

Everyone looked to Reg for an opinion. He saw that he was expected to formulate the family’s response, and worded his reply carefully.

“First and foremost, we do not have the information to formulate a real response to Fiona. We can only give a first approximation based solely on this one visit, so no hard and fast decisions are possible; merely impressions. My impression of her was as a I said earlier: a nice girl, and when I said ‘good looking’, that was a factual statement, and not a comparative. You girls are still beautiful to me, I assure you.

As to her sudden overture to us, I don’t want to say either way, for I need to know her better. That is ‘know’ in terms of knowledge, not in the Biblical sense! Frances?” He passed the buck.

“I need more time, as do you, Reg. In principle, I have no objection to sharing you further; for example, with Carol and Holly, but it is vital for any prospective partner to be on the same wavelength as us. The twins know what is expected. As for Fiona, Prudence has made the rules clear to her, so she can think it over, but compatibility is the vital component here. It will take time to work that out.”

Freda put in,”You already heard my reaction. I liked her, so I think she is in with a shout, PROVIDED she will endeavour to fit in. We can’t allow a prima donna into our marriage.”

Erika realised she was next, so added her pennyworth. “Notwithstanding my earlier suspicions, I felt she was a nice girl in many ways. However, we MUST be certain she is not an inveterate liar, for we depend on each other being truthful. Nothing spoils love quicker than untruths.”

There was a murmur of agreement.

Prudence now concluded the round.

“What say we make some enquiries around the university as to her general behaviour, and a quiet word with the police sergeant about her? That will give us some unbiased data to work from.”

Reg reacted, “That sounds eminently sensible, Prudence. How about you organise our enquiries, and collate the results? You have appointed yourself spokesperson and contact between the family and Fiona, so that additional task would be an advantageous arrangement. You okay with that?”

She nodded, reluctantly. “Yes, I can do that, if you are all happy with it?” She looked to the others, and found no objections.

Freda had an idea. “Why don’t we invite Fiona to our house to celebrate the arrival of New Year? It would give us more time with her, and we might be able to get enough alcohol into her system that she will open up to us.”

Erika murmured, “Now that is a good idea. Do we all have to stay sober, or can I have some fun with some spirits?”

Frances adopted her status of senior wife, and laid down the law.

“Erika, this family will not countenance drunkenness, so you can have a few drinks, but not to excess. This goes for all of us, understand?”

Erika pouted, but agreed, saying, “I understand, Frances, and I go along with you. Drunkenness would not show me as a good wife to Reg. I will behave.”

The others, including Reg, made similar promises. He declared, “Frances, you have taken it upon yourself to act as senior wife, and if you other ladies will permit, we can officially declare her to that position. You retain that position as long as the family is in general agreement.”

The other girls voiced approval. Prudence announced, “It is a position of responsibility. It is not for me. Frances is a good choice.”

Frances declared, “Well, in that capacity, I’ll go and phone Fiona, to invite her here for New Year’s Eve. Shall we tell her to come for lunch?”

Reg told her, “We certainly want to get to know her, so the earlier the better. We could do with making our estimate of Fiona well before the twins arrive, in case we have to tell them that our numbers may increase by one.”

“Right, I’ll see if we can arrange that, darling. Have we got the supplies for our little party; food and drink? Can someone check our pantry and freezers, and the drinks cupboard? Erika, love?”

She went off to make her call, leaving the others to sort out the catering.

Erika hurried to check the comestibles, and soon decided that extra supplies were needed. After a quick consultation with Freda, she phoned her orders to the grocer and butcher, getting promises of delivery within a few hours. The drinks cupboard was assessed by Prudence as adequate for the task, assuming no-one was aiming to get blotto.

Frances confirmed that Fiona was able to come for lunch and remain through the New Year revels. “She told me she was not very welcome at her former home, and coming to us was a bonus, she felt.”

The other girls reported on supplies, and what was due for delivery. They were satisfied they could provide a good lunch and dinner for Fiona to enjoy with them.

Reg checked on what attire would be regarded as suitable for New Year’s Eve, and was told pretty well anything, as long as he was dressed well. He nodded his acceptance.

Phone calls were made to staff personnel at the university who were on holiday duty, and whose opinion was worth listening to. They gave Fiona Prentiss a clean bill of health. Her records had no indication of doubts as to her suitability as a student.

On the day itself, they got up late. Two of the girls had managed to get Reg to pleasure them that night, so the other two insisted on the same in the morning, while the first pair snoozed on. He complied without complaint, saying softly, “I hope I can get a nap sometime during the day, so I am not dropping off before midnight.”

Reg was told to make himself scarce while all the preparations were being made, so he went out for a walk in the morning sunshine. He used his amble to explore the area further, for he had not been out walking much since he moved to Frances’ house.

He found himself in a street of semi-detached houses, with paths to their front doors. Ahead of him, a front door was open and sounds of an altercation drifted towards him. He couldn’t make out the words, but as he walked closer, it became clear that a woman and her husband were yelling at each other; or rather, she was yelling at him.

“It is either it or me, David! Get rid of it, and you can come back, but keep it and you can keep away. I have had enough!” She thrust something into his hands, and he took it, standing there as she slammed the door.

Reg was puzzled by what was going on, but there was no-one around to ask. The street was conspicuously empty, as if the neighbours had heard such rows before, and wanted nothing to do with the couple.

The man continued to stand still, clearly unsure of what to do, then he looked around wildly. Spotting Reg, he called, “Hey, do you want this?”

Reg came closer, and saw the man was holding a long-handled machine of some kind. He answered, “Pardon? What are you talking about?”

“This! A metal detector; do you want it?”

“I don’t follow you. What does it do? What would I want to detect metal for?”

The man looked exasperated. “It detects metal in the ground, of course. You can find coins with it, for example; perhaps treasure.”

Reg looked bemused. “Don’t you want to detect treasure for yourself?”

“I do, but my wife is fed up when all I find is tin cans, belt buckles, and other worthless trinkets. She says I waste my time with it, when she wants me to be with her. I am afraid she is right, so I am giving in to her. If you want to try it, you can have it for nothing.”

Having lived with very little for so many years, the idea of something for nothing appealed to Reg’s acquisitiveness, so he stretched out his hand.

“I am willing to have a go with it, but how do you work it? Is there an instruction booklet?”

The man thrust it into Reg’s hands, and declared, “Wait there. I’ll be right back!”, and rushed to his front door.

“Doris! I’ve given it away, but the guy needs the instruction book.”