Chapter 2 Memories of Happier Days

Gwendoline had to postpone her marriage after her father's sudden death just after Christmas. As his only child she was now now a Countess, which pleased her a lot, and very rich, which pleased her even more.

She had been incredibly busy for the first few months, moving into her parent's apartments and out of her own small but beloved flat in the upper floors. Her mother had gone to live in France with a sister. There had been some very hard financial decisions to take and negotiations with the Estate Duty Office. It was not until February that she had got things on to an even keel.

Harriet, meanwhile had returned to her cottage in Devon and terminally quarrelled with Bill to her great relief. Bernie had been right, a boy was no substitute for a real man. She still had her ambition to be a manual worker but soon discovered that it is not easy to be a woman in a very macho man's world and even less easy for the posh-accented daughter of an aristocrat.

She was beginning to slip back into her old hedonistic routine when in early February the phone rang and Gwen was on the other end.

"Hi darling. How's the search for back-breaking toil?"

"Not very well, I'm afraid, Gwendoline. It seemed such a good idea when I thought of it, but it's not an easy thing for a toffee-nosed snob like me to get into - AND I'm a woman."

"Come up to Hampshire and stay awhile. I may be able to help. Come now - this minute"

Harriet leapt into her car after throwing some clothes into a suitcase and was ringing the bell of Gwendoline's stately home a few hours later. It was answered by Jenkins, an imperturbable man type-cast to be a butler.

"Lady Harriet? Her Ladyship will see you upstairs. She instructed me to say you may undress down here and follow me upstairs when you are ready. She further instructed me to say that there was no compulsion - she merely thought you might like to for old time's sake. You may undress in the drawing room."

An amazed Harry followed this apparition into the drawing room and removed all her clothes. When she emerged, the unflappable man showed her upstairs and ushered her into a room on the very top floor, announced her in a sepulchral voice and retired with majestic dignity, as if this kind of thing happened all the time. (it did under Gwendoline's highly eccentric management).

Gwendoline was standing on the top rung of a ladder and removing some dusty old files from a high shelf. She was quite naked and covered in dust. This room must have been unused for decades, if not centuries.

When she had climbed down, she cried out in delight and put her arms around her friend, squeezing her to her breasts and eagerly pushing her lips against hers, hungrily inserting her tongue into Harriet's mouth in a well remembered demonstration of affection.

"I'm just going through all these old registers. Hundreds of years old, some of them. All in a shambles. They need cataloguing and all sorts of things like that. Might be very valuable, some of them - but I'd hate the tax-man to know that!"

"You want me to help with them?" asked Harry.

"Hells bells - no. I've got some outdoor work on the estate all lined up for you. I'm going to have a large swimming pool and YOU are going to dig it for me! And you don't have to wear clothes - aren't you lucky?"

"Have you been getting out lately Gwen? It's several degrees below freezing out there. You cannot be serious?"

"Now where have I heard that phrase before? Yes, darling I'm quite serious. You must be getting soft to ask a question like that! We'll have no more of that nonsense. You get your clothes back when you leave this house and not before. Let's go to bed for a bit, dear old Harry - I feel tired! And we've a lot of catching up to do. We can have sheets and blankets if you like for a day or two until you get back into the old routine."

"No thanks, Gwen. I'm not that soft!"

"Scrumptious! Lets hit the sack!"

As they lay together, Harriet asked Gwen about her life.

"When are you getting married, Gwen?"

In June, darling. Big society wedding, you're going to be a bridesmaid. Fuck knows what creep Jim will have for his best man. Some of his friends! Oh, Harriet - what a crew they are! You wouldn't believe it. And I don't who who's going to give me away now that darling Daddy is gone."

"Do you still see anything of Janet, Gwen?"

"I see everything of her, but only now and again. She was here last week. Look closely at my belly and you can still see the marks. What a woman! Hard as nails - but I'm not soft - not by a long chalk! She still thinks she can make me cry off first - fat chance of that, Harry my love!

"Any way let's just enjoy each other, shall we? You're my favourite girl now that Jessie is a married woman and has all these boring notions of lifelong fidelity, and Janet is strictly a very part-time pursuit. I'm sorry to see you've started shaving again Harry. I don't want any more of that when you're staying here. Don't worry - I know you'll be a bit stubbly for a while, but you'll look so much nicer with that lovely red down on those strong legs of yours and that sweet red bush that I want to bury my nose in again. Be good to me, darling and do as I say!

"Let's finish making love" she continued, "and then go down and get something to eat. It should be ready in an hour and a half. Now come here and let's get to know each others lovely secret places again! You do smell so good, Harry! Breathing in the odour of that darling body of yours is like drinking champagne, only much, much better!"

On their way down to dinner, for which they did not dress, despite being waited on with all due formality, Gwen explained that Harriet's duties would begin as soon as it was light.