Chapter 5

“I think we ought to let Gwen sleep in a bit longer”, said Francesca as she re-filled Harriet and Jessica’s coffee cups and went to do some more toast.

“She should be in bed for a week, not prancing about naked o’er hill and dale at this time of the year! Can’t you talk her out of it?” she shouted at them from the kitchen. “It’s not as if this jaunt was her idea in the first place - you thought it up, Jessie. Why don’t you call it off?”

“It’s been a dream of mine since I first suggested it to Gwendoline when we were little girls. She forgot about it almost at once but she’s become as keen as me lately and that awful few days made her more set on it than ever - I hardly know her any more. I wouldn’t have the nerve to suggest we stop now! I’ll go up and see how she is.”

Almost immediately Jessica reappeared.

“She’s not in her room. What can have happened to her?”

The answer came a few second later when a dripping Gwendoline pushed her way through the back door into the kitchen.

“Hi, Francesca! it’s strictly against the rules, but I’d better dry myself off before going into your nice breakfast room and ruining the carpet.”

“Oh, we can’t have you breaking your precious rules, go and drip over my carpet my all means you mad bitch! It’ll dry out before Mummy and Daddy get back - I sincerely hope!”

“Gwen! Where have you been?” asked Harriet.

“Where you two are going RIGHT NOW! For a swim in Francesca’s pool. I did twenty lengths and so will both of you. Don’t even think about getting out before. Now! - I could just murder some eggs bacon and sausage! See you later, girls - go on MOVE THOSE FAT BOTTOMS INTO THE POOL FAST!!!”

Jessica and Harry obeyed with some reluctance and were soon swimming up and down in Fran’s open-air pool. Jessica unwisely dived straight in. This was a show of bravado which she pretty quickly regretted. The icy water caused every nerve ending to send angry signals of protest to her brain. “SHIT,” she screamed, “you can die doing things like this - the heart just stops beating.”

Harriet was more cautious and lowered herself in feet first. It still sent shock waves up her body, and it took some courage finally to immerse herself totally. After a few seconds the pain subsided and she began to almost enjoy the experience - to her surprise!

They swam together and paused between lengths to exchange the odd word.

“Why is this pool not drained for the winter?” asked Harriet.

One more length.

“Her father’s a lunatic, that’s why!”

Another length.

“Swims every day all year round. Complete and utter nutcase!”

They completed twenty lengths and saw Gwendoline standing by the pool, looking fitter and lovelier than she had ever done.

“Don’t get out. I’m coming to join you for a few more lengths!”

And the three swam another twenty lengths at the end of which, Gwendoline had to help her friends out, so numb and stiff were they both by then.

“Wasn’t that wonderful, darlings? I’m going to take up all year swimming after this. The way your body positively burns all over when you get out - I really get myself off on that. Fantastic!”

The other two were far too cold to speak. The phrase “teeth chattering” perfectly described their condition for some minutes as returning circulation became total agony which only subsided slowly, the pain in their fingers shooting all the way up their arms.

“OK Harriet it’s you and me against Jessica.”

And their first two against one impromptu wrestling session for some time sufficed to warm them all up and dry them off. Francesca watched all this from the drawing room window in amazement and some slight envy - not she had the slightest intention of joining in!

“Any interesting news in the last few weeks?” asked Gwendoline of Francesca as they relaxed in the lounge, sipping mugs of hot chocolate.

“Not really - something about an attack on a reclusive mother and her son - the police are looking for a gang of ruffians - described as very dangerous! Oh! You remember Katie O’Brien - she was at your school, wasn’t she?”

“Sure was! A legend in her own time. Jessie and I were always being compared to her - to her advantage.”

“Well, she was recently rescued from some Middle East jail after being stitched up by a corrupt policeman and persons unknown. She was there for weeks and nobody realized. They all thought she had taken a break and gone sightseeing. She was very cagey about the details - refused to give any interviews.”

“Poor thing! I suppose she just wants to forget it! I know I would,” opined Harriet. “And I bet you two are a match for her and that friend - Angela. I bet you could beat them at anything! It was partly remembering how they always competed against each other that made me want to see you two do the same.”

“We’ll never be like those two in that way,” said Jessica. “Will we Gwen?”

“No, Jessie - never! Come over here for a couple of hours - I missed you last night. Fran won’t mind watching us - she’s a big girl now.”

“Just don’t leave any stains on the sofa - that’s all I ask,” an open-mouthed Francesca said after twenty minutes or so of watching the confusion of writhing, intertwined arms and legs. “Come on Harriet, I suggest we leave these two very acrobatic people to it. It’s begun to give me a few disturbing ideas I’d rather not have! I’m going all wet - never mind what it’s doing to them.”

Harriet and Fran sat at the kitchen table.

“Do you think they will always be like that?” asked Harriet.

“Not a chance,” replied Francesca. “Gwendoline is her father’s only child and his heir - it’s one of those funny titles that can pass through the female side. She’ll find she’s too concerned to pass on her precious Norman genes and the family title to spend her life with Jessica. Jessica must know that herself deep down.”

“I guess so,” sighed Harriet a little tearfully. “They look SO happy together.”

“You mark my words, when this is over, she’s going to start looking around for a suitable fellow. You’d do the same in her position.”

“The Hell, I would,” Harriet said vehemently. “My Dad’s a Marquess and so bloody what! The whole thing’s so fucking mediaeval and pathetic! This is the Twenty First century, for Heaven’s sake! I want to make it in life on my own because of WHAT I am not who I am!”

“We’re all the result of who are family are and were - it’s biology, genetics, heredity. You can’t escape from your ancestry Harriet and it ought to be a source of strength, not something to dismiss! I wish I had that sort of family history - going back so far! You’ve got a lot to live up to, and you’re afraid you might not have what it takes. Gwen knows she can’t let her side down; and in the last resort, Jessica wouldn’t want her to. People think it clever to sneer at ‘Noblesse Oblige’ and traditional values and all that, but Gwendoline’s just started to realize what it’s all about. That’s what fired her up to carry on.”

“Shall we go and join them - try and prize them apart?” said Harriet

The pair had withdrawn from each other’s arms and were standing over the table studying a detailed map of the next stage of their route north.

“Are you sure you can go on so soon, Gwendoline? That back could still do with a bit more rest,” a concerned Fran asked.

“Well, it’s not going to get any rest! I’m OK I swam forty lengths of your pool this morning.”

“Not all at once like we did,” said Harriet. “You had to take a break.”

“Are you telling me I couldn’t swim forty lengths of that little piss-hole of a pool in one go?”

“Yes.”

“Well, just watch me!”

And before her friends could protest, she was away and running over the lawn past the tennis court and throwing herself back into the water.

“Are you two just going to sit there? Get on in after her - NOW!” shouted Francesca.

The first thirty lengths were easy enough, but all three girls had to struggle to complete the remaining ten. They were joined by Francesca for the last few lengths. She helped Jessica and Harriet out, but Gwendoline refused any assistance - even going on for a couple more and following after the others.

“Aren’t you three going to wrestle again? I’m going to get myself a towel - hang on until I get back.”

Three shivering girls waited for Fran to return. When she did... “You and Jessie against me, Harriet.”

“You sure you want to take us both on - doesn’t seem right!” from Harriet.

Gwendoline threw herself onto Harriet and forced her to the ground, sitting on her breasts. Jessica grabbed Gwen around the waist and tried to pull her off Harriet, but Gwen somehow managed to throw her off and onto the ground next to Harry; and Gwendoline was on top of them both for a few seconds, before the effort of holding both down at once became too much. It was a full twenty minutes before the inevitable happened and Harriet held Gwen’s legs firmly in place and Jessica sat on her chest her hands keeping Gwen’s arms on the ground.

Francesca counted up to five and Gwen’s shoulders remained firmly pinned for this time and so the other two were declared the winners.

“Gosh, look at the time you guys; we won’t have much daylight left if we don’t make a move. Thanks for putting up with us Franny - tell your dad he’s made at least one convert as far as winter swimming is concerned - can’t vouch for the other two!”

“He’ll be tickled pink to think it had FOUR people using it today and I was one of them! I might just join him now and again - Mummy will think I’m as mad as he is! Bye for now and good luck!”

“All that down there,” said Gwendoline as the three lay on the grass looking down from the hillside, “will be mine one day.”

“What do you mean Gwen, your fathers got at least thirty years to live.”

Gwendoline did not reply for a few moments.

“I hope so, Jessica. But he’s signing those farms and a lot more over to me when I leave College.”

“To avoid inheritance tax, you mean?” said Harriet.

Gwendoline nodded.

“You only have to live seven years after a Deed of Gift for it to be effective. Why so soon?”

“Dad has aged a lot recently.”

“You never said! We haven’t ever had any secrets before.”

The three were looking at a trio of farms lying in the valley.

It was the morning after they had left Francesca’s house. They had swum in her pool and Francesca had joined them, casting off all her clothes and swimming a couple of lengths with them. In future her father might be surprised to find a companion for his morning dip!

They had not slept well. The grass was covered with a light dusting of frost.

Harriet and Jessica lay on either side of Gwendoline. They both shivered, but Gwen made no move to get up.

“Can’t we visit that farm and ask for some food from the farmer?” asked Harriet pointing to the nearest house.

“Fat chance. He’s easily Daddy’s worst tenant. The man’s always behind with his rent and complaining and asking Dad to pay for repairs that are due to his negligence. Dads too easygoing. When I’m in charge it’ll be another story. He’ll be out of that farm so fast his feet won’t touch the ground.”

“What would the poor man and his family do then?” cried Harriet. “And he’s the one who works the land, not your father.”

Gwen and Jessica usually tried to ignore Harriet’s irritating Marxism, but this was too much for Gwendoline.

“WORK,” she exploded, “that idle sod and his Neanderthal brood don’t know the meaning of the word! Look at the place! You can see from here how neglected it is!”

Harriet did not look convinced, but held her peace. She and Jessica were feeling colder by the second. Their skin was blue and covered in gooseflesh but Gwen seemed impervious both to the frost and her companions’ discomfort.

“Can’t we DO something, Gwendoline? Some exercises to get the blood flowing?”

She continued to recline on the grass looking down on a very small part of her future inheritance, lost in thoughts of her possible coming bereavement and future burdens. It was only when the other two reminded her, for the umpteenth time that they were freezing, that she came out of her daydream.

“Sorry, girls. Just getting a bit morbid.”

“You two against me, this time?” asked Harriet.

“I’d have thought you’d had enough of being sat on, darling!” laughed Gwen, “But if you’re quite sure - don’t blame us! Come on Jessie!”

Harriet put up an amazingly fierce resistance against the others and it took them forty minutes to subdue her, by which time they were, if not warm, at least not quite so cold.

“I’d forgotten just how comfortable she was to sit on, Jessie - she’s so soft and warm!”

“Remember how she said we could lick her pussy whenever we liked?”

“After you, Jessica.”

Gwen laughed as Jessica moved off Harriet’s legs and tried to take her up on her recent promise. It was not easy! The said limbs flailed about in such a dangerous manner that Jessie soon gave up. They all rose.

“Maybe we should find a less violent way of warming up in future,” said Gwen. “I mean someone could break something and where would we be then?”

“Rubbish!” said the other two together.

Harriet spoke for both of the other two, “We don’t try to hurt each other or try anything too fancy - we’re always pretty careful - and it’s fun.”

“Where do we go next, Gwen and Jessie - I saw you looking at all those maps in Francesca’s place?”

“Keep going North until we hit the Pennies! We will have to be careful when we get to Saddleworth Moor - very near Manchester. This is one of the worst parts of the trip as far as conurbations are concerned. That fictional Tami had it easy with all those wide-open spaces!”

“Who was Tami?” asked Jessie.

“You remember the story Bill was talking about in Minehead? You know - the American student who had to pretend nudism was her religion, just so she didn’t get thrown out of College - silly berk!” Harriet said, impatiently.

“Oh, I remember. That story seems to upset you, Harry! I thought it sounded quite a good tale. I wonder if anyone will ever write about us!”

Gwendoline agreed. “I loved the story of her journey across America - made me want to go and see it all for myself. Not that I ever will - going to be too busy.”

“We haven’t been held prisoner by a bunch of loonies for a few days - I should think we’re about due to fall into some crazy person’s clutches any time now! I wonder what kind of off the wall type it will be next?”

Gwendoline’s little joke produced no sign of amusement.

“You seem to ask for trouble sometimes, Gwen. You scarcely heal up after that awful beating you got and now you want more! What do you say, Jessica? She’s tempting Fate talking like that!”

“Let’s look for some nice little stream, Jessie! Harry needs another bath!”

Harriet stopped smiling at this and Gwendoline quickly put one strong, golden-skinned arm around her ivory-white shoulders. “Sorry, sweetheart - that was unforgiveable. Am I forgiven, please?”

“Sure - but you gave me a fright. It all came back to me how you held me under so long - mind you, it served a purpose. When I went back to Jason’s place, I felt so hot indoors - kept getting out into his garden to cool off!”

Harriet continued,” I’m getting awfully hungry - can’t you remember any one around here we can scrounge a meal from?”

Gwendoline frowned. “Maybe one guy - a bit of a risk that he might tell Mummy and Daddy - but if you two agree, I could try it - our combined charm might persuade him to keep mum!”

The three girls studied each other carefully. None had had any depilation for weeks and it struck them just how hairy women’s bodies could get in a very short time!

Harriet’s auburn locks were matted and untidy. It could do with a wash, the other two thought. The cold was doing nothing for her skin tone.

Jessica was covered in scratches as the result of an argument with a bramble bush earlier in the day. Her feet were filthy and her legs were caked with mud.

Only Gwendoline, with her fine, smooth skin and golden hair - hair which seemed miraculously to look after itself and shone as brightly as the late autumn sun - still possessed some remnants of female charm. But even she was by no means free from blemishes. Her back still bore plenty of evidence of Richard’s unpleasantness to her. She also had her fair share of scratches and had been stung by nettles on her arms and thighs.

“I think we ALL could use a bath - never mind Harry!” was Jessica’s judgment. “We look an absolute fright - even you Gwen. Sheena the Queen of the Jungle always kept herself so smart and pretty - how the fuck did she do it?”

“Because Tanya Roberts had the makeup department of an entire film production company on hand!” laughed Gwen. “Maybe they’ll do a film about this journey one day and the girls playing us will look perfectly groomed all the way through! Any way let’s find somewhere to wash ourselves and then try and find a phone box we can use.”

They found a rather muddy brook and washed off some of the accumulated grime. After this they pressed on looking for a phone box that was out of sight of any habitation - not an easy task. Finally, they saw one near a layby.

“Oh shit!” said Harry. “Someone’s parked a lorry to make a phone call. Haven’t people heard of mobiles?”

The other two were sheltering behind a stone wall while Harriet poked her head over the top. After a few minutes she hissed, “I think he’s coming out - yes! Quite a dish guy!”

“What firm does the lorry belong to?” asked Jessica.

“Josiah Enskin - Haulers.”

“That’s Andy’s firm!” cried Jessica. “We must attract his attention.”

And so all three girls emerged into view and waved frantically as the lorry’s engine roared into life and it began to move ponderously away.

Andrew was just driving off when he saw out of his rear mirror, three naked girls frantically waving to him. He smiled delightedly and stopped. As they drew level, he wound down the window.

“Hi girls - got a new recruit, I see!”

“Thanks to you, sweetheart - when Jason got your message I was haring after these two like a shot!”

“You will be Lady Harriet I presume?”

“I’m no bloody Lady - happy to prove it to you any time, mate!”

“What can I do for you three?”

“We are very hungry, darling Andy,” said Gwendoline.

“Hang on ladies. I’ll be right back - give me twenty minutes!”

He was as good as his word and twenty minutes later his lorry returned.

“Got a few bits and pieces from the cafe - should stave off the old hunger pangs for a few hours. Mind you don’t leave polystyrene cartons all over the place. Keep Britain Tidy and all that! Care to join me up here, ladies?”

“No room for all of us in that cab - go on Jessica you go and talk to Andy!”

With this she placed her hand under her friend’s bottom and pushed her up into the cab next to Andy, who handed two packages down to Gwen and Harriet.

“There’s room for us all, Gwen - easily -what the fuck are you playing at. I’m fucking frozen out here and we have to watch those two all warm and cozy while we freeze and shiver - are you finally plumb mad?”

“I know what I’m doing. And a nice bit of cold will do you good! Can’t have you getting soft on us - the worst weather is still to come.”

Jessica climbed up into the cab assisted by Gwendoline’s affectionate hand on her rear end and settled down on the seat next to Andy, knees spread out and her legs crossed in front of her.