Chapter 4

Jessica and Gwendoline leaned over the brook, bathing their faces in the cold water.

“Good of you to let us stop when you did, Harry,” said Gwendoline looking around for a second.

“That’s OK. I couldn’t get any pleasure watching you two, it was truly boring - you are too evenly matched. You could have gone on for hours and neither would have won.”

“Admit it, Gwen. It wasn’t as bad as all that, was it?” said Jessica. “I mean we’re not exactly fragile - either of us. When we go up to Oxford, I vote we stop all this refusing to compete against each other - after all we’ve fought other friends and no one’s trying to kill anyone - why are we so special? Think of the trophies we’ve missed out on by being so squeamish - don’t let’s lose any more.”

“Just what I’ve been thinking.”

“It’s a real beauty - that eye of yours, Gwen.”

“So is yours Jessie - a work of art! My foot hurts a bit.”

“You mistimed a kick - I never felt it at all - well hardly,” lied Jessica rubbing her sore stomach and examining the deep red imprint of Gwendoline’s foot.

“Come on you two let’s eat that lovely food Jason left us.”

Said Gwendoline after the meal was over, “I thought you’d maybe let us off after today’s little dust up - I mean we did save you from those two guys. I think you were a bit hard on us insisting we went through with it.”

“I thought about it - and I did stop you after a few minutes. If I’d still been as mad, I was the other day, you’d still be slugging it out now until one or both of you dropped. I might still keep you to it - so mind how you treat me.”

“You surely don’t mean we’ve still got this hanging over us?” cried an angry Jessica.

“You might have.”

“Come on Gwen! We might just as well finish now as later - we’ve eaten. Now let’s get on with it. She can carry us both on her back tomorrow. Hope you’re feeling strong Harriet!”

“Right, come on, Jessica.”

Fifty minutes later.

I told you it was boring - all you’ve done is tire yourselves out for nothing.”

“It was NOT boring,” gasped Jessica taking her head out of the stream to catch her breath. “If you had any idea of the skills we were demonstrating. Some of our moves were BRILLIANT. You’re just a bloody Philistine! Gwendoline dear - how do you cure nosebleeds? Look at that stream running pink with my lifeblood - do something sweetheart.”

Gwen splashed cold water on to Jessica’s back and it actually worked!

A grateful Jess sat next to her friend, her arm around her and examined her face affectionately.

“You’ve two black eyes now Gwen and I’ve still only got one. Still, I’ve got a sore nose to even things up.”

“Look at that lazy Harriet,” said Gwendoline. “Look at her! Fresh as a daisy while we’re bruised and exhausted. Mind you we worked up a lovely sweat, cold as it!”

“Do you think she needs a dip in the brook, Jessica?”

“Just what I was thinking! Come on Harriet - bath time!”

“You’ll never catch me in the state you’re both in. You’ve bloody crippled each other - look at yourselves!”

They DID catch Harriet in spite of their tired state and dropped her wriggling naked body into the stream, immediately plunging in after her and holding her down in the freezing cold water.

“Let me up you two. I promise always to be nice to you and you can lick my pussy any time you like. Honest you can. Please you two, I’m freezing. I’m not as tough as you are - I can’t take this kind of thing like you can. I’m sorry I made you fight each other after you’d both rescued me. I’ll try to make it up to you.”

“Nice here in the brook, isn’t it Jessie?”

“I think so, Gwen and very comfortable with nice soft Harriet to sit on. Let’s spend all night here - what do you say?”

“Do you think her skin will go all wrinkled after a while in the water? Wonder how long it takes? Shall we wait here and find out?”

“Please let me up, you two!”

“Who gave you permission to speak, Harriet? Gwen and I are talking. Don’t interrupt again! You get an extra five minutes in the brook for that.”

“Isn’t it pretty the way her bush is moving about in the water, Gwen, like some delicate water weed?”

“Lovely. Shall we just sit quietly for a bit? I feel very full of deep thoughts and they need time to fructify.”

Later on, “Shall we push her head under for a bit, Gwendoline? We could look at all the pretty bubbles coming up.”

“I don’t know, Jessica. Let’s think it over for a while.”

The two girls continued to hold the frozen Harriet firmly in position. Harriet was much too scared of her friends in their present vengeful mood to utter another word or to put up any more of a struggle. Finally, Gwendoline spoke, relaxing her grip on the poor girl.

“Come on she’s had enough. This stopped being funny ages ago, if it ever was! Let’s get her out and warm her up. Come on Harriet.”

And they assisted their friend out of the water.

“Lie down here, darling, we’ll soon get you lovely and warm - we’re experts - no hard feelings, I hope. We’re nasty little bitches sometimes, but you should have let us off and that made us mad with you.”

“No hard feelings, Gwendoline. I know I should never have made you do what you did to each other. Part of me wanted the excitement of watching you knock each other about - that was bad - made me no better than those awful people the other night. I know I’m going to be the permanent underdog around here from now on, but I do like being around you two - I truly do, if I’m still welcome!”

“Don’t be so silly, Harriet - you and Gwen can half drown ME in the morning if you like - that’s a promise - IF you can catch me! We quite enjoyed pitting our skills against each other once we got going! Surprised ourselves! And we didn’t really hurt each other- didn’t try to - to let you into our little secret! So, no silly talk of underdogs around here. Let’s go to bed and all get warm together!”

Bed was the open meadow where the struggle between Gwen and Jessica had taken place, with great vigor and without much injury. The two kept Harriet underneath them all night and this time she did not complain or struggle to escape.

The girls arranged a meeting with cousin Jason on the next day. They wanted to know what had happened to Frederika and Tamsin. More than that; he brought wonderful ham sandwiches and coffee for them on his visits. They were all beginning to appreciate his delicious breakfasts!

When he arrived, he looked startled?

“What happened to you two - you had a few healing bruises last time. Now you’ve freshened them up a bit and added some new ones. Did Harriet do that to you - surely not?”

“In a way she did,” replied Gwendoline with a laugh. “We were just brushing up a few of our kick boxing and associated techniques to entertain her. It was a great way to keep warm.”

“Then they threw me in the river and sat on me and wouldn’t let me out for ages! We have such super fun together!”

“Sounds like it” he dryly retorted. “Anyway, here’s your breakfast. It should keep you going for a few hours. Your two friends’ relatives came and picked them up yesterday. They would very much like to see you all and thank you personally. You may be asked to give evidence. The police are involved now and they are taking it very seriously. They’ve questioned the people at the camp and arrested the so-called Pastor and the girls’ parents.”

“Oh, shit. Can’t they wait until November 24th! No! I suppose not. We’ll just have to break off and that’ll mean the whole Ladies Masonic Society thing’s off - DAMN!”

Harriet spoke up. “I’ll go and give a statement to the cops. Maybe I can rejoin you in a day or two, if you like. That should do the trick for now. The Crown Court trial won’t be for ages and we can all give our evidence then.”

And so, the three became two again.

“Hope she does rejoin us, Jessica. She’s a sweet girl and I’m really going to miss her.”

“Me too. I wish we hadn’t been so beastly to her! We must be nicer when she comes back.”

“If she comes back,” said Gwendoline sadly. “When she’s got her clothes back on and had a few nice warm nights with Jason, and got used to regular hot meals she won’t want to come and put up with our funny little ways again and all the freezing cold. Why did we pick on her so cruelly last night? God, but I really hate myself for that! Please hug me, Jessie - I feel so miserable!”

It was two days since Harriet had left so to give evidence to the police against the abusers of Freddy and Tamsin. Jessica and Gwen had covered about fifty miles in that time. They were on higher ground now and the days of trudging over sodden marshy meadows and wading or swimming over watercourses were over. At least for a while.

They had found suitable places to sleep at night, but still woken half frozen in the mornings. The thought of just over a month of this - and worse- was beginning to seem very intimidating. And in terms of distance, they were getting behind schedule.

They both missed Harriet. The more they thought about her the more bitterly they both regretted that they had treated her so shamefully in the last few days. They especially repented of their cruelty on that final evening, when they had thrown her into a brook and held her under only her head above water, for over twenty minutes until she was half dead with cold. At one point they had threatened to push even her head under and the look of sheer terror on Harriet’s face still haunted them with guilt. She might have provoked them into this, but they had over-reacted - not for the first time.

The first night without her they had slept separately and, without their shared warmth, consequently they had shivered all night. Feeling somehow obliged to do something to expiate their guilt they had decided to experience the same misery they had caused their poor friend.

“Harriet was right - we really are going to need help if we mean to finish this,” said a shivering Gwendoline as they lay in a ditch on the morning after their second Harriet-less night.

“Oh, don’t be such a bloody peso...”

Just as Jessica was half-way through the word “pessimist” the bushes over the ditch parted and a large human penis appeared and was directed by two strong hands in a downwards direction - pointing directly at the two girls. Someone was clearly about to piss all over them!

Both girls did what any nice well brought up young ladies would in such circumstances. They screamed loudly!

More of the foliage was disturbed and a face appeared. The penis was speedily withdrawn and rehoused.

“Gosh - ladies! I’m most frightfully sorry - usually get this ditch to myself - find myself another spot to do the necessary! Stay where you are - might be some help. I mean to say - you must be in some sort of jam! Be right back.

Two minutes later a tall young man dressed in rather oily jeans and anorak pushed all of himself through the bushes and climbed down into the ditch. He was holding some covering for the girls to put on.

“No thanks. We don’t wear clothes any more. All those cleaning bills and that awful ironing. I mean - who needs it?” Gwendoline giggled.

“You can’t be serious! It’s bloody freezing today and you don’t look warm at all. Come and sit in my cab for a while and get some heat into you - I’ll stay outside.”

So, the girls climbed out of the ditch and found themselves in a layby where a large lorry (truck) was parked. They climbed up into the warm cab and began to thaw out.

“Please don’t stay out in the cold. Come up and talk to us. We trust you - worse luck!” cried Jessica.

The young man hoisted himself into the cab and sat beside them.

“Are you sure you aren’t in some kind of trouble - you’re covered in bruises - has some swine beaten you both up?”

“No. We did this to each other in a bit of practicing - except for a few very faint bruises which date from when we took part in an illegal bare knuckle prize fight and emerged triumphant.”

“How absolutely splendid! I like to see girls who make something of themselves - their bodies, I mean. My sister, she’s a total wimp - arms and legs like sticks - picks at her food - mopes about in her room all day - pathetic! You two are my kind of girl every time! The days of the little woman sitting at home having coffee mornings and sewing meetings - gone forever I should hope!

“I was a boxing and rowing blue at Cambridge, myself. Nothing like sport for keeping you on your toes. Healthy mind in a healthy body.”

“You seem a bit of an odd fellow to be driving a lorry! By the way, we’d better introduce ourselves - I’m Jessica Maltravers and this is Gwendoline Foxe my best friend and life’s partner.”

“Pleased to meet you both. Lady Gwendoline Foxe and the Hon. Jessica Maltravers. You two are famous!”

“You didn’t say how you came to be doing a job like this, with your education. And how do you know about us?”

“We’re new money in my family, unlike you two blue-bloods! Into all sorts of vulgar enterprises! My grandfather started this firm and now I own and run it, together with quite a few others, since my dear old Dad died a couple of years ago. But I prefer driving this thing on my own once in a while to unwind. Change from sitting in some bloody board room with a bunch of stuffed shirts; so, a lot of the time I let other people do the hard work and I relax and enjoy myself in my own funny way!

As for knowing about you two - well you caused quite a stir - rescuing two young girls from a whipping at the hands of a bunch of freaks. Quite the heroines - you two and your friend Lady Harriet!”

“You mean it’s in the papers?”

“Very much so.”

“Harriet went to make a statement, but we want to making finish a little mission we are on first before we have our say.”

And they explained.

“What an amazing idea! Pretty devilish kind of initiation, though! I’d let you pass it for just having made it this far! I really would! If you like, I can try to contact this Harold Fitz James and get him to relax the conditions.”

“NO! NO! NO!” shouted Jessica, with Gwendoline nodding agreement. “WE WANT TO DO IT, EVEN IF IT KILLS US!”

“It really has become that important,” agreed Gwendoline. “We just couldn’t live with ourselves if we didn’t see this thing through right to the end. Though it seems to be getting harder all the time.”

“What a great couple! Get out of the cab and into the back, where you won’t be seen. I’m going to drive to a transport cafe and get something to eat. I’ll bring you two a few morsels to warm you up for the day - never fear!”

Half an hour later, in another layby, they ate a magnificent breakfast with their new friend.

“I can pass the word to our drivers to keep an eye out for you two. But obviously they mainly use the Motorway and that’s no help. Can your memories my phone number?”

“Gwendoline’s got a photographic memory” said Jessica proudly. “We were given a map and loads of detailed instructions at the start of the journey and they’re all there up in that sweet, beautiful, adorable head of hers!”

“Which you were kicking and punching so enthusiastically the other day,” laughed Gwen embracing and kissing her friend. “Or would have if I wasn’t too quick for you.”

“Glad you were too quick, my sweet!”

“Where can I drop you two off? I’m going North.”

After they had all eaten, he let out of the cab late in the afternoon in a remote part of the High Peak District where the only beings to see their nudity were sheep who didn’t seem that interested.

“Good luck girls and keep in touch. I’ll be back in London for some boring old meetings, but I’ll always be available to answer a call from you two.” And he drove away, leaving the two adventuresses to face the cold again after hours of warmth.

“Gosh, Gwen you’re covered with gooseflesh and turning blue already,” shivered Jessica. “Let’s start running - the ground’s pretty even - and get the blood flowing.”

As they ran Jessie continued, “I’ve not known it this cold yet; and the wind! Gosh it’s like a knife.”

“I know, Jessie. It’s really bracing, isn’t it? See that old house over their - looks like a ruin. Let’s take a look!”

By the time they reached the house after an hour’s running, they had warmed themselves up and were getting used once again to the open air after their warm day. The building was indeed derelict and they had a shelter for the night. The pump in the garden was working and they could wash and drink. A walnut tree provided them with a meagre supper. Most of the fruit had fallen from the apple trees and gone putrid.

After a cold but bearable night - such a relief to get out of that wind - they went into the overgrown garden and took turns to pump water over each other’s shivering scarlet bodies. A few minutes of wrestling and kick boxing practice - no actual blows being landed - dried them off and induced some degree of warmness.

They set off to experience a fourth day without Harriet, now doubtless back in her Devon cottage organizing some wild party and very relieved to escape from being a perpetually cold victim of the others’ cruelty.

They were able to walk all day without having to take cover, although they did see a car in the far distance at one point - too far way to see two nude girls - they hoped.

It was a hungry day for them. The food store had been very poorly sited and someone had long ago consumed all the stuff they wanted and left the rest for the beasts of the field, who had eaten the remainder. Lack of proper food had lowered their spirits and impaired their resistance to the cold.

“Look, Jess - over there. Are we dreaming or is that a chicken out here in the middle of nowhere?”

“Can’t belong to any one - only be caught by a fox sooner or later. Let’s go!”

And two nude and starving girls, their long untidy hair flying in the wind and their breasts flying up and down as they ran, chased and caught the vainly protesting fowl and expertly wrung its neck.

The rich young lorry driver had given them a book of matches to replace the one they had used to rescue the girls from the loonies. They dined that evening out on the windswept hillside on eatable if rather charred chicken.

“That bird was half starved, poor old thing. We did her a favor by eating her while she still had some meat on her!”

“We’ve always been kind to animals, Jessie. No one can accuse us of being all bad. Would have been nice to have Harriet to share it with. She could have caught it for us while we cheered her on! Best presses on. Maybe there’s more ruined houses around here!”

As dusk was falling it seemed their wishes for some shelter from the wind - colder and stronger than ever - were to be granted. A dark old building loomed up in the murk only a few hundred away. It was surrounded by a high wall, but looked as empty as the one the previous night. They moved closer to the house to inspect it. And walked straight into another disaster, the worst yet.

As the two girls came near the old house, they noticed an open doorway leading through the surrounding wall. They pushed through it and entered the garden. This garden was nowhere near as overgrown as the one last night, but there seemed nobody around and they felt safe enough in creeping up to the house itself.

They had only walked a few yards when a genteel female voice shouted from an upstairs window.

“What’s the matter with you girls - some kind of attack? Come on in out of the cold - the doors not locked.”

The grateful pair pushed open the front door and found themselves in a hallway. They waited until an elderly and rather shabbily dressed lady came down the staircase and smiled at them.

“Come into the kitchen. I expect you could use a hot drink and you can tell me all about yourselves and whatever misfortune has robbed you of all you possess - even your clothes.”

They were led into a large and very old-fashioned kitchen; the sort you see in period films. The girls were each given a steaming mug of Bovril and some whole meal bread and butter. They both felt that yet another life - saving deliverance from cold and hunger had materialized in the nick of time!

“We are trying to get to Northumberland without clothes or money and without being spotted by the Law,” explained Gwendoline in answer to the lady’s questions. “We’ve had a few close shaves, but kept out of trouble so far - well almost! We aren’t able to stay more than one night anywhere - it’s in the terms of our ‘dare’ you see.”

The lady smiled again. “I think you’ll find yourselves here for more than just one night, my dears. There’s so much to do about the place. RICHARD, COME INTO THE KITCHEN DEAR!”

“I’d like you two to meet my son. He’ll be keeping an eye on you now that you have come to work here. Here he comes - Look, Richard - We seem to have solved the servant problem at last.”

A large unkempt unshaven man entered the room.

“Aren’t they strong looking girls, Richard? Look at those backs and those arms and shoulders and strong muscular thighs! We’ll get them to work in the garden tomorrow. Tonight, they can start sweeping and cleaning the house. We won’t have to clothe them; they don’t like wearing anything - dirty little trollops. Keep your hands off them Richard - ‘touch pitch and be defiled.’”

An alarmed pair started to their feet and prepared to leave in a hurry. Things seemed to be taking a bit of a turn for the worse. Richard drew a hand gun from his belt and waved the two back to their seats. The lady proceeded to tie their arms behind the chairs.

Richard replaced the gun and took off his leather belt.

“If you keep us against our will, you’ll be in big trouble”, said Jessica. “This is unreal.”

Richard started to bring the belt down rhythmically slapping the palm of one hand.

“You call me ‘Ma’am’ when you address me. And you call Richard ‘Sir’ when you talk to him. You NEVER speak until spoken to, if you know what’s good for you.”

“FUCK OFF!” shouted both girls together, but with a sickening awareness of their helplessness and the similar way they had intimidated Harriet the other day. A few chickens seemed to be coming home to roost!

Richard brought the belt crashing down onto the table, causing the crockery to rattle.

“Next time it comes down on those flawless young backs of yours. It’s time you learned some manners; you foul mouthed little guttersnipes.”

“Sorry to swear. What we meant was ‘Get Lost’,” said a quietly defiant Gwendoline

At this, Gwendoline was released briefly, only to be tied up facing against the wall, her arms above her head. Richard raised his belt.

“Don’t hurt her! Please we’ll do as you say only, please, please don’t hurt her!”

“You’re going all wimpish and cowardly Jessica - shame on you!” said Gwendoline. “I’m disappointed.”

“Go on,” she said to Richard, “beat me as hard as you like, you ugly fucking freak, but I don’t kowtow to scum like you. Not now and not ever - so get fucked!! And we won’t be doing much work if we’re more than half dead.”

“Good old Gwen.” said Jessica, rather unwillingly shamed into emulating her friend’s courage. “Let these shit-faced arseholes do what they like to us!”

Neither girl would agree to address these people as they required and after tiring himself out on them, Richard finally gave up. They were left, suspended side by side to recover.

“How’s your back feel, my darling” asked Gwen.

“Painful. How does it look?”

Gwendoline bent her head round and tried to look at her friend’s back.

“Not too bad, dear old Jessica. Lots of red marks and a few really nasty weal’s - but at least there’s no blood. He didn’t break the skin. It’s still the loveliest back in the whole wide world! Can’t wait to kiss it all over and over again! How’s mine - not so good, I guess?”

“Sorry Gwen, but it’s not good at all. Not too much blood, thank God, but you’ve a lot of weeping sores. He really laid into you for being the defiant one. How could you go through all that and not make a sound?”

“Don’t forget, Jessie! I’m the daughter of an Earl! I might not make a big thing about it, but I don’t crawl to anybody - let alone degenerate bastards like that! No bloody way!”

“I wish I’d been the one to get the worst of it, rather than you. This was my daft idea! Now I wish I’d never thought of it. If we get out of this, the whole silly thing’s off and we just get you into a nice warm bed and plenty of tender loving care - especially from me!”

“Shut up, Jessie. We’ll still make it in November - you’ll see.”

“Not if we’re stuck here, we won’t.”

“Jessie?”

“Yes, darling?”

“I can’t put my feet on the ground. I’ve got to keep standing on tiptoe. If I don’t, my wrists hurt so much when they pull against the cords.”

“I know, my love. It’s the same with me. These two creeps have done this kind of thing before. Still - we can keep this up for hours - right?”

“Right - it’s a piece of cake.”

“Gwendoline?”

“What, Jessie?”

“Will you marry me?”

“We already are married, you silly goose.”

“I’m going to be so good to you - just you watch!”

“Me too.”

After a couple of hours, the nasty couple came back and released the two lovers. They sank to the ground and rubbed their wrists in an effort to get the circulation flowing. It was agony for a while.

When they had recovered, they were told to follow their host and hostess. At the top of the main staircase was a long corridor, covered in dust. (Ever seen a movie called “The Omen”?) They were set to work sweeping up the detritus of what must have been at least ten years of willful neglect. When this had been done, they were given polish and rags and forced to make the whole floor shine. Neither wished to endure another beating and while still refusing to use any kind of respectful language to their captors they obediently and industriously did as they were told in all other respects.

Finally, they were thrown into a small room and locked in.

“Let’s have a look at that back, lovely Gwen.”

“What’s the verdict, Jessica my darling?”

“I think you’ll live. If you don’t, you’ll have me to answer for!”

“Isn’t it wonderful, my darling lovely girl? We’ve all the rest of our lives together from today!”

“Not much of a honeymoon suite - but who cares?”

And so, the two lovers slept in each other’s arms. No matter what might lie ahead, they had finally admitted their lifelong love for each other. Nothing could ever defeat them now!

The door of their prison burst open early next morning and Richard came in and put a plate down on the floor. He motioned the girls to back up against the wall and they obeyed, still fearful of his gun. The old lady came into the room, holding a couple of chains which she used to secure the two to a couple of hooks on the wall so that they were reduced to kneeling on the floor. All the while a very menacing Richard kept his gun trained on them.

Richard left and returned a few seconds later with a large copper saucepan which he partially emptied into the dish.

“Eat up you sluts. That’s all you get today and you’ve a lot of work to get through.”

With these few briefs and carefully chosen words, he left them.

“Looks horrible, Gwen. And so horribly humiliating. But we’d better try to eat it. After you with the trough!”

And the two took turns to eat from the dish like a pair of dogs.

Richard came back a few minutes later.

“Nice meal - sluts?”

“Whoever taught you to cook should be fucking shot - you arsehole!” said Gwendoline.

Richard took of his belt again and raised it in the air, but did not use it on Gwendoline - yet.

“Good job in the house last night. Work in the garden today. Get moving!”

“There’s only two of them, Jessie. She’s obviously senile and he looks a half-wit. Surely we should have sorted them both ages ago!”

“Don’t underestimate them, Gwen. They lured us into this place by leaving that door open - bet they had us under observation for hours as we tramped across the hills. And he knows how to use a gun, my love. We’ve both done a bit of shooting - don’t tell me you can’t tell a pro when you see one. He could shoot us dead as soon as blink and we can’t take the risk he wouldn’t. And even without the gun I have a gut feeling he would be no pushover.”

“I wonder? I tell you this, my darling, he and his gruesome old mother are going to regret the day they met us.”

“You’ve said it.”

They emerged into the garden and noticed at once that the east wind was as strong as ever. It slammed into their naked bodies like a solid wall of ice.

“Start cleaning up the lawn - you two naked whores.”

The first hour was spent picking up fallen leaves and piling them on to a heap lower down near the wall. They were not allowed the use a rake and it was a couple of hours before the mad couple were satisfied.

“They are a lazy pair,” said the mother. “Tie that insolent one to a tree let the other one digs the foundations of the new shed.”