Chapter 11

Veronica had just taken shelter from a sudden downpour, but had been told by one of her elderly benefactor's watching minions to get back into the rain and not be a baby and a wimp. (Not quite in such a blunt manner, perhaps, but the implication had been obvious.)

"I'll be the one with arthritis at this rate, never mind that old bastard" she muttered as the rain beat into her face, making her half close her eyes and lower her head, to protect them from the stinging drops. Dimly she became aware that they were a little solid for raindrops and that she was in the midst of a sudden and violent hailstorm! "At least my nipples are slightly protected - for the time being at any rate!" she thought as her entire body was turned an ever brighter pink by the combination of the cold air and the sharply stinging impart of the hail. She glanced down at her fine athletic body and saw the white stones bouncing off her finely toned stomach and well-formed thighs as she continued her painful and dogged walk to a fortune.

The crowds of people, sheltering from this appalling downpour, watched her with amazement, admiration and not a little pity. Poor girl! Obviously either mad as a hatter or stoned out of her tiny little mind! Her lovely blonde hair was drenched and clinging to her back, dripping water down her handsome and jutting bottom, which felt the tickling dribble as keenly, in its way, as her front felt the lashing of the large hailstones.

At least she longer had to listen to the increasingly irritating comments of plain and simple working men as they passed open mouthed and admiringly by her. Fine fellows, the proletariat, but possessing, alas, a sadly restricted vocabulary, for the most part - and she had never been partial to obscenity! There is a limit to the number of times one is flattered by being told one has a "fucking lovely bum, and great tits, darling!"

And THEN! She passed a large plate glass window and saw herself reflected therein. "Golly! What a sight! What a fantastic body, I've got!" she excitedly realised as she saw herself stride by!

All at once she felt a surge of pride as she thought how she was braving this terrible storm and taking such a ferocious beating to her almost bare body, while all around her, the fully clothed and protected had scurried for shelter! The shamed and hang-dog air that she had never been able to shake off all day disappeared, never completely to return, even after the initial euphoria had faded. She lifted her head high, put back her shoulders, straightened her back and walked a little taller with every step. She felt like a million pounds now - never mind whether she ended the day owning it!

...

The hail and rain stopped as suddenly as they had begun and soon the clouds were clearing and the sun shining once again. The street began to fill up with people, emerging from shelter to continue about their business. One such person passed Veronica and slapped her backside sharply making a very loud cracking noise as he did so. It was a deftly delivered slap however and did not sting. The guy must be an expert, she thought! He turned round as he overtook her and grinned in a friendly way.

"Made my day, watching you brave that shower! Makes me feel proud to be British!"

She laughed and told him the pleasure was all hers and was glad to be the means of entertaining such a nice looking fellow! She would never have reacted that way this morning! Whatever was happening to her?

With the drying pavement and the sun shining on her back, she started to return to something like normal. She was still damp and her hair felt as much of a mess as it must be looking. There were hours to go before the day was done and she knew Mr Andrew Vane-Clatworthy was by no means done with her yet!

What had that letter said? A ride on the North London Line and dressed like this? Well - she was walking along the public highway like this! What difference did it make for her to get on a train? She had only seen one policeman since leaving the striptease pub and he had looked as if he was about to come across and speak to her, but something must have distracted him and he had hurried away, no doubt to deal with something more pressing than a marginally indecent display of flesh.