Chapter 5

“Well, it wouldn’t have been any use anyway, Elspeth. We’re so far away from the nearest mast,” said Frances as Jenny examined her mobile phone, the only one between the five of them. The battery had been removed by person or persons unknown. It was late afternoon and Jenny had belatedly remembered that she had brought her mobile with her, despite a mutual agreement to leave them all behind.

Now that she had recovered from the rigors of her barefoot experience with the car, Frances had recovered her composure. The five were lying beside the pool, three bikinis clad and two nudes. The sun still shone and the sky was still blue. There was plenty to eat and plenty to drink. Mrs. Maloney was bound to come back fairly soon. A mood of acceptance had settled over them all. Despite Frances’s earlier fury, the magic of this remote retreat was once more exerting its influence over them all.

“I wonder what we will have lost in the morning...” speculated Jenny.

“We won’t,” answered Frances. “We will none of us sleep alone again. I’ll share with Jenny and Elspeth and Harriet can sleep with Dorothy. That should fix it!”

Jenny doubted this, but held her peace. She declined to give up her privacy and nothing any of the others said could change her mind. Whatever the others did, she knew how she was going to react to this bizarre situation!

Next day, Dorothy found that she had joined the ranks of the barefoot and her companion Harriet was now without her minuscule shorts.

Frances sported her ample bosom at breakfast, having involuntarily shed her bikini top overnight - this despite having slept in it! “Extraordinary - I never noticed a bloody thing!” she gasped to the others. Frances’s companion, Elspeth had lost her shorts and breakfasted in bikini bottom and shoes.

All four expectantly awaited the arrival of the solitary Jenny. They gasped as this young lady arrived downstairs totally naked.

“Golly, Jenny! We warned you not to sleep alone!” gasped Harriet. “At least the rest of us still have something to cover some of ourselves.”

Jenny laughed merrily. “Oh! I threw all my stuff out of the window before I went to bed! Why fight it, girls? We’re all doomed to be starker’s sooner or later. You should join me! It feels great!”

Frances went outside to see if Jenny’s clothes were still underneath her bedroom window. They were - minus her bikini bottom. She handed them over to Jenny without saying a word. She wondered whether this was actually happening or whether she was going insane.

Beside the pool later in the day, Frances, now the only non-nude member of the group, was talking about the gentleman who had built this house all those years ago.

“He was a very disreputable fellow,” explained Frances. “Made his money out of the exploitation of women - a kind of high-class pimp. Ghastly man. Ebenezer Braithwaite, his name was. At the age of forty he was so stinking rich as a result of his activities that he retired prematurely and built this place. Funny thing, though - he left very little money when he died, despite having lived pretty frugally in his retirement.

“The place came down to me after his great grandson died a few years ago. He was the only one to live here for much of the time. For some reason the place has always had a bit of a bad reputation, but I love it, even if we are being stalked by some madman!”

“I don’t think he is mad,” said Jenny. “He just likes the sight of naked young women. I think that’s extremely sane! Now that I ‘ve given him what he wants, I feel so lovely and peaceful. I feel somehow that I ‘ve made him happy, whoever he is!”

Before anyone could reply, the sound of an approaching car was heard. ‘Thank God,’ thought Frances, ‘Mrs. Maloney is back - we are saved!’

They moved over to the front of the house and watched the open two-seater approach. No! This was never Mrs. Maloney! That car cost a great deal more than that good lady earned in a year! As the expensive vehicle came to a noisy, squealing halt, they all stared open-mouthed as a pretty girl got out. It had been years since any of them had last seen this effervescent young lady, but all recognized her immediately.

“Tricia Fordyce! My God, what the hell brings you here?” spluttered Frances.