Chapter 4

Today was colder than the first and there was a biting wind to add to their misery. Gwendoline had taken pride throughout the winter, in being outdoors and stripped bare. She had been mostly nude since discarding her mourning garb. But even she was beginning to think that they should take a break after a couple of hours. As soon as Harriet asked for a respite in the warmth she would agree.

"Come on Harry" she thought half an hour after the two hours were up. "Ask me to let us have a break, PLEASE Harry!"

Harriet herself was desperately hoping that Gwendoline would realise the impossibility of staying out all day without a few periods inside to thaw out.

"Just ten minutes would be enough," she thought. "PLEASE Gwen, have some pity on me - it's alright for you, but I'm only flesh and blood."
But neither proud young woman would lose face in front of the other and they were stilll working away, feeling more dead than alive and in horrible pain, when Jenkins came out with their lunchtime picnic meal. He paled in sheer horror at sight of their bodies, blue with cold. Their pain was etched on their drawn faces.
"If you don't mind my saying so, your Ladyship - you two really should get indoors, at least for a while. You both look terrible and I don't doubt it's just because just neither of you wants to be the first to give up."

"Put the things down, Jenkins and come back for them later. I take note of your advice. It was well meant I don't doubt and your fond feelings are most deeply and warmly reciprocated." She kissed him on the cheek and said, "Now bugger off."

Jenkins went away, pleased to have been told that Gwen was fond of him, but appalled at his mistress's headstrong pig-headed folly. Her lips had been deathly cold against his face, but it had been an unexpected pleasure and unprecedented to be kissed like that by the golden haired girl he had always doted on! He felt he was walking on air as he returned to the kitchen and prayed she would come to no harm out there. At least there's a nice warming drink in that basket for them, he thought.

They sat down to eat the meal, but soon got up and got back to work. It was the only way to survive. The extra-strong mulled wine, laced with rum, did its work on them and they struggled through somehow until four o'clock, when Gwendoline threw her pick-axe aside and said she had a little paperwork to do and was going inside and Harriet was free to follow suit if she wished.

Harry watched her walking back towards the house and prepared to resume working, but Gwen suddenly turned round, came back and started digging furiously again. When five came she sent Harry inside and carried on working herself for some minutes - she had showed weakness and so sentenced herself to extra misery as a self imposed penalty.

Once both girls were indoors, the brandy was produced again and they drank it in the same sexy way as before. They inspected each others' pinched and frozen bodies.

"I have a confession, Harry. I was ready to suggest coming inside every couple of hours to warm up for a bit. It was atrocious out there today. But I just couldn't lose face in front of you!"

"I've exactly the same confession to make to you." Harriet laughed hysterically. When she had recovered she continued "Why couldn't we have listened to Jenkins. He must think we're both certifiable - I saw it in his face yesterday."

"No, Harry. We made it, didn't we? That means that we can do it again, if need be. We stayed out all day today and we'll do the same tomorrow. Just think about it Harry! We can do it! We did it! We're two very hard, tough ladies! Now, doesn't that make you feel just great?"

Harry agreed and after dinner, she suggested they have another early night and told Gwen there would be no dropping asleep before they had warmed each other up with a bit of violently active sexual athleticism.

As she rolled over and off Gwen's hard body, Harriet wondered exactly what her friend had been doing to make herself so incredibly fit.

"Oh, I have a private gym in the house. I have been working out under a personal trainer for weeks and weeks. The only disappointment is that I don't look muscular like you were starting to in the autumn and soon will be again. My stomach is hard as a rock now but just seems to be more concave. I think I've actually lost weight. I'm still stronger than you are, though - you could see that, could you not?"

Harry certainly could see that. Gwendoline had been shifting twice as much stony soil as she. She didn't want her friend to look too rugged, though - it wouldn't be right for one of her graceful build. Now she, Harry, was different! Her large bones simply begged to be covered by lots and lots of rippling muscles! And by God, they were going to be!

The next day was Saturday and Gwendoline said they would work until noon and have thirty six hours respite. She further warned Harriet that they would be going to church the next day and would obviously need to be dressed for that and for Sunday dinner to which several guests had been invited. She did add that she, Gwendoline, would discard her shoes straight after church and Harry was very welcome to do the same.

"Is there a law that says you have to wear shoes to church, Gwen?"

"I hadn't thought about it, Harry"

She went out and returned in a few minutes.

"I just phoned the Rector. He says he doesn't have any objection to Lady Bountiful occupying the family pew without shoes. Nice old boy! And I'm the patron of his living anyway. Thanks for raising the matter, darling - come here and be kissed! and let's get out there or the morning will be over - we're a real pair of lazybones today."

In truth Gwen had still not got over the last terrible day and it took great will power for her to take Harriet's hand and walk demurely with her out into the gardens. They had been working two complete days, one of them together, and the signs of their labours were pitiful to behold. Every blow to the ground had yielded a derisory result in terms of soil excavated.

"I hope it thaws out soon, Harry. We could be here twenty years in this icy hard cold and still have hardly scratched the surface!"

Then she saw the wheel marks on the lawn where they had been tranporting stuff over to the projected rockery. She gasped with horror.

"Oh, Harry! Just look at those horrible, unsightly tracks on our lovely lawns. My gardener will murder me!"

Jameson, the gardener was the only servant Gwen had always dreaded. Her father had early on given him permission to smack her if he caught her stealing fruit and he had never failed to take full advantage of this sanction. Her bottom had not felt the heavy impact of his hand for many years, but she still feared him, even now that she was his employer.

She scurried away and came back carrying two large rectangular metal boxes, each with a handle at each end and each capable of holding as much as one of the barrows.

"We'll just have to carry the stuff over in these"she announced. "Feet marks won't upset old Jameson as much as wheel tracks, Start transferring the stuff and take it over, I'll carry on digging."

Harry obeyed and gasped and strained to lift the first full box off the ground. Gwen looked up from her labours and scowled furiously at her.
"Stop fucking about, Harry and get that fucking stuff moved! GO ON!!!. You fucking feeble useless arsehole. You frail wimp. Call youself a labourer? - you're pathetic - you cripple."

Stung by these insults, just as Gwen intended, Harry managed to lift the heavy box and carried it over to join the distant heap of spoil. Her muscles stood out like steel bands and the veins in her forearms and upper arms looked fit to burst out of her skin. A steady stream of jibes and insults caused her to hurry up and she never once paused to lower her burden to the ground. She was sweating at the end, for the first time in the last two days - and this was the coldest day yet. She rejoined Gwendoline who smilingly congratulated her. Gwen then picked up the other full box as if had weighed no more than when empty and carried it over and returned at a run.

"See Harry. I'm a whole lot stronger than I look aren't I?. I think I could probably take two of those boxes across at once, one on top of the other. What do you bet me?"

"I wouldn't waste my money, Gwendoline - your ladyship. We both of us know quite well that you could do it!"

One of the guests for Sunday dinner was none other than Janet. She sat opposite Gwendoline and kept eying her and Harriet throughout the meal. Her presence seemed to act as a conversation stopper and Harry was relieved when the meal was over.

She had enjoyed going to the old Norman church with the Countess and been highly amused when her barefoot friend and a barefoot Harry had been ushered by the sidesman into the Foxe family pew. The two girls had stood outside the church after the service of Matins and spoken to all the other worshippers, most of whom were Gwen's neighbours and/or tenants. All had affected not to notice the exposed and not too warm feet of the two girls, and had spoken to Gwen with all the respect that they had once reserved for her beloved and dead father.

"They're all afraid I might put up their rents" giggled Gwen as they walked back to the house, through the frost covered fields. Then her voice became more serious. "Chance would be a fine thing. You can't do a thing in this country any more without cutting through masses of red tape. Just as well for some of them, I can tell you. Worry brought Daddy to his early grave and they caused him a lot of worry, some of those people we just met. You needn't think I'll forget in a hurry - their time will come."

Harriet, the Marxist idealist, held her peace for once.

Now they were back at the house and Harry, uncomfortably clothed, tried to join in the conversation, but could see that her friend's sunny happiness had been badly affected by Janet's unexpected arrival. She, Harriet had intervened to rescue that relationship towards the end of the journey, but the more she looked at the two, the more she regretted doing so. This woman was a very nasty character indeed, she intuitively decided.
...
Gwendoline and Janet retired to Gwen's room and undressed. The Countess made to embrace her lover, but Janet struck her a stinging blow across the face.
"You have been a naughty girl, Gwendoline and I am very angry with you. You know what happens to naughty girls, don't you Gwen, my pet?"

"What are you talking about Janet. I was so looking forward to seeing you again. Don't spoil it for me - please Janet!"

"I hear you have been very unkind to Harriet this week. Naughty Gwen! Well, I'm about to be unkind to you. Far more unkind than you were to Harriet. You need a severe lesson and part one starts right here and now and more will follow throughout the coming week!"

"But it was for her own good Janet. I'm only trying to help her and she's free to leave if she likes! I know that girl so well - I know what I'm doing and I'd do her no harm - really Janet my love!"

"Bend down and touch your toes, Gwendoline. I think fifty of the best will do to start with. If I see you move I'll start again at number one -so it's in your own best interets to keep perfectly still. You will count them out for me in a clear voice. If I can't hear properly I shall start from the beginning. I don't care if you have to stay in that position all night - we are going to do this properly."

Janet picked up that studded belt that that once entranced Gwen and now horrified her after her very effective aversion therapy at Mrs Travers's hands.

"I'm not into that sick kind of thing any more Jan. I hate it now -- please don't hurt me. I was so looking forward to seeing you. Don't spoil itall like this."

Nevertheless she bent down as ordered, such was the quasi-hypnotic power this woman had come to have over her. Janet stepped back her eyes aflame with demonic glee and anticipation. She held the belt by its furthermost extremity and aimed it so that the other end would strike Gwendoline's as yet unmarked bottom, bearing down on it with maximun speed and force. She gave the belt a few preparatory swishes, that made Gwen sick with fear.

"Very Well! Let's waste no more precious time! I'm waiting to hear that loud clear voice, Gwendoline! It's time to begin!"

Gwen shuddered and in a clear if tremulous voice called out "One"
...
Harriet chatted to the other guests for half an hour after Gwen and Janet had left, but found herself beginning to nod off to sleep and made her excuses to the assembled guests, who all prepared to leave. She wandered out on to the terrace and stood against the balustrade for a few minutes, looking out over the dark-enshrouded grounds and up at the clear and starry sky, lost in thought, until the cold began to penetrate her clothing and she became uncomfortably chilled. She then made her way slowly upstairs, pausing to look at some of the paintings hanging on the walls. Grim loking lot, Gwen's ancestors, she thought - all looking down on her disapprovingly. Small wonder she feels she's a lot to live up to. I'd sell them all off if it were my house and replace them with something more cheerful - Jim's painting of me, for instance! She continued her leisurely way up to the first floor.

As she neared Gwen's room - where she had spent three wonderful nights - on her way to her own, she heard that terrible noise - that sound that she had hoped never to hear again.

From inside that room came the all too well remembered sound of leather being viciously applied to skin and Gwen saying "Forty-Five". She ran along the corridor until she reached the door, which was locked. Five more blows were landed even in that short time as tried to open the door. Gwen's voice sobbingly cried out "One". She banged her fists against the panel and screamed at Janet to leave her friend alone. The hideous noise and her Gwen's counting continued and Harry thought she would go insane with rage and frustration. Jenkins, alarmed by the commotion came hustling along the corridor.

"You can't go in!"

"Bollocks" cried a tearful and angry Harry. "You can hear that can't you? OPEN THAT FUCKING DOOR - NOW!!!. You love Gwendoline don't you! Known her since she was a baby. Do as I say. I'll take the consequences! If she sacks you, then you can come and work for me."