Chapter 12: Lynne's Deeply Personal Dilemma

In the car returning to London, Richard and I joked back and forth while Ellen and Lynne conversed quietly in the back seat. I would pick up murmurs of their conversation and a giggle now and then but I couldn't make out what they were talking about. I assumed it was just girl talk concerning some aspect of the evening's activities.

When finally Richard eased the Jag up to our hotel's front portico, I asked if he would like to come up for a nightcap but he demurred, citing his need to be rested for tomorrow and his planned meeting with the estate agents. "You're sure it has nothing to do with being alone in a hotel room with three horny ladies," I asked innocently.

As Lynne and Ellen giggled in the back seat like a couple of tipsy college girls, Richard explained that he would certainly enjoy the opportunity to pleasure all of us, either one at a time or all together... just not this evening." Leaving it at that, we laughingly bade him good night and proceeded up to our rooms.

As we crossed the lobby, planning to go directly upstairs, the night clerk called me over and handed me a legal size envelope, saying it had arrived in the late post shortly after we had left. I thanked him and stuffed in into my handbag after noting that it had been sent from the Chicago home office. We proceeded to the lifts and rode up to our floor in silence.

In the corridor, I invited Lynne and Ellen in for a nightcap but they both also demurred, thanking me for the kind offer but saying that they were really very tired; that it had been a long day and they both desperately in need of sleep. So I wished them goodnight and entered my own suite where I poured myself a small glass of white wine.

Switching on the television, I flipped through the channels. Finding nothing to hold my interest, I turned the set off and watched the picture shrink to a solitary white dot in the center of the screen then wink out. 'Oh well, time enough to worry about it in the morning' I thought as I finished my wine, slipped quickly out of my clothes, and crawled into bed planning to read for awhile.

The next thing I knew it was morning, bright sunlight streaming through the bedroom window, my book lying unopened beside me on the coverlet. My teeth felt grubby and I had a foul tasted in my mouth. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was already nearly half past eight. I treated myself to a long hot shower, brushed my teeth and slipped into a robe. When I at last felt somewhat more human, I dialed room service and ordered a large carafe of coffee, scrambled eggs and toast.

As I waited, I retrieved the letter from my handbag, slit it open and scanned its contents. For the most part it was basically a formalized recap of the facts that Bill and I had agreed to over the phone, only couched in legalese. Attached was a personal, handwritten note from Bill wishing me luck and saying he hoped to fly over for a visit later in the month. I folded the documents and tucked them into my brief case for future review.

A few moments later there was a light knock on the door. Opening it, I was greeted by Bridget looking fresh and rejuvenated, pushing a heavily laden service cart, a wide grin on her face.

"Good morning, miss sleepy head," she quipped, pushing the food cart into the lounge.

"Miss sleepy head, my ass," I grumbled. "How long have you been up?" (I hate perky people before I've had my first cup of coffee!)

"To tell the truth I just got here myself," she admitted somewhat ruefully. "Want to share your breakfast? I haven't had a thing to eat yet either. That was a long, hard night and I'm afraid I slept in a little longer than usual."

"I agree it was long, and quite surely very hard," I laughed. "I saw a tape of your antics with Richard during the ceremony. It's no wonder he went home without even asking to come up to my room. You pussy-whipped the poor boy," I teased her.

"I pussy-whipped him? I think not! And another thing, Dianne wore Kevin out so thoroughly he didn't even try anything with me when we got home... just rolled over and fell sound asleep!"

"I know, I observed the antics of Kevin and Dianne also," I grinned. "Where is the lad now?"

"He left for the Castle before seven this morning. Said something about having to finish up some project or other for Marianne," she grinned back.

We pulled chairs up to the coffee table and had no sooner sat down than another tap was heard at the door. It was Ellen and Lynne in their robes and slippers; Ellen looking tired but happy, Lynne wearing her newly earned garnet Castle ring proudly on her right hand. She appeared to be somewhat refreshed but more than a little subdued, as if deep in thought.

"Oh thank God, you've got coffee," Ellen exclaimed as Bridget poured her a cup.

"I suspected you two might be joining us so I brought up enough for all of us... I haven't had time to eat either," Bridget grinned.

Suddenly the door, which Lynne and Ellen had apparently forgotten to lock behind them, flew open and Richard burst through, kicking the door shut behind him with his heel.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you it was polite to knock on a lady's door before bull-rushing your way on in? What would you have thought if the four of us had been naked for God's sake?" I chided him in mock indignation.

"The beginning of a perfect day?" he asked with a wide grin. "What's for breakfast this morning?" he asked, stepping to the serving cart, lifting the container's covers and inspecting their contents.

Bridget slapped his hand with a serving spoon and said, "Don't be so impatient, Richard. It's just the standard fare; coffee, tea, eggs, sausage, bacon and toast. If that doesn't meet with your aristocratic standards, I'm sure the pub around the corner would be more than happy to meet your more esoteric demands."

"Not likely, luv," he retorted, as he grabbed a plate and proceeded to heap it with a huge amount food.

Bridget elbowed him aside and prepared plates for the four of us, which we all dug into with gusto. When we were at last feeling human once more I told Richard and Ellen of Bill's plans to visit later in the month and indicated that I wanted to be well along in our efforts to get a company up and running before he arrived, then asked them their plans for the day.

After we had stuffed ourselves, Ellen announced that Lynne had a received some news and wanted to discus it with us. I turned to Lynne with concern and asked, "Is it about something that happened last night at the Castle dear?"

"No," she said, "It isn't anything that happened at the club, it's something that I learned last night after we returned. It certainly has nothing to do with anything connected to the Castle... not yet anyway. I received a phone call from my husband James. It seems he's been offered a new position within his company, one which entails a rather large salary increase but also requires a minimum two-year commitment to relocate to the London office. He wanted to know how I'd feel about staying on here in the UK on a semi-permanent basis. I told him that I'd sleep on it and call him today. I got the impression that the job offer won't stay open too long."

We waited expectantly for Lynne to continue. When she didn't, I said, "Well Lynne, how do you feel about it?"

"I'm not sure... there are so many positives and negatives involved," she replied.

Richard, ever the statistician and the analytically driven member of our group, asked Lynne to tell us all the reasons she felt that she and James should not relocate to London and then list the positive factors in doing so.

Lynne, caught off guard, thought for a few seconds before speaking, then said, "If I were to say yes to his accepting the promotion and moving to London I fear we would revert to the same old lifestyle we had in Chicago. So the first thing that comes to mind is purely selfish. For the first time in years, I have a vital, satisfying sex life again, thanks to all of you in this room. If James and I were to set up housekeeping here, I fear the I'd have to go back to my old dull sex life, with only Kevin's magic dildo for a partner. Don't get me wrong, it's a great little toy but it's no longer enough.

"OK, what's your second concern?" Richard prompted her.

" I guess the second thing that comes to mind is also selfish. I went through mental and emotional hell preparing myself to go through the Castle's initiation ceremony... but I did it... and fairly well by all accounts. I now have earned the right to enjoy all the benefits and services the Castle has to offer," she said holding up her right hand to display her trophy ring, then continued. "Not to mention all the lovely people I met there. If James were living here that would all be denied me, except for when he was traveling."

Richard nodded and asked, "Anything else?"

Lynne thought for a long moment, then blushed slightly as she said, "Forgive me Ellen for bringing this up but I can't help thinking of how guilty I felt the entire time your mother, God rest her soul, and I were having our relationship, the sexual part of it of it I mean. I know I won't be able to go back to the dull, predictable, passionless sex life James and I've experienced for the past few years... I'd probably try, but I've come to enjoy the impromptu sex I've experienced here with you folks and I know I'd never be able to return to my roll of meek house frau again. Oh, I'd feel the guilt and self-recrimination, but I'm sure I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation and DAMN IT, I'm sick and tired of feeling guilty about something that hurts no one, except perhaps for their egos!"