Chapter 5

The visit to Molly's parents marked a turning point in the relationship between Dan and Gina. The later visit to Ned's parents was a success and Jean formed a favourable opinion of Gina. The turning point did not mean that the children became bosom pals but at least Gina no longer ignored Dan although their lack of common interests meant that they still did not do a lot together. If they were cooped up in the house too long without friends they would squabble. This continued into their teens and in their verbal fights Gina could become quite vicious.

On one occasion when Dan had turned eighteen and was waiting to go up to university Molly asked him to drive Gina to a party. Gina appeared in a very tight jersey which exaggerated her bust and also showed lot of it. She was also wearing a pair of low-slung, very tight-fitting trousers. Dan looked at her first in shock and then strong disapproval. She had developed into an extremely pretty girl with her blue eyes and fair hair which she had inherited from Hilary. She had a small but not ungenerous bust, slim hips and endless legs. There was no need to flaunt her charms in the way she had.

"I'm not taking you to a party dressed like that," Dan said flatly.

"Why not?" Gina asked belligerently.

"Because you look like a tart."

"What do you mean?"

"These are my boobs: want a feel? This is my bum: want a grope?"

She slapped his face. Dan caught her wrist and held her away from him.

"Nasty temper," he said quietly, "and don't you ever try to hit me again."

She tried to kick his shin and screamed in frustration and fury when he avoided it.

"Or kick me," added Dan.

"What are you going to do about it?" she shouted.

"Put you over my knee and give you a jolly good spanking."

"You wouldn't dare."

Fortunately, before she could test him on that the noise brought James into the hall.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Dan called me a tart."

"No," said Dan calmly. "I said you looked like a tart. What do you think, James?"

He swung Gina round so that James could see her front. He swung her round again so that James could see her bottom.

"I rather agree," said James. "Go and change if you want to go out, Gina."

Dan released her and she stood there defiantly for a moment before stamping her foot and shouting "Swine!" at Dan. Then she fled upstairs to her room.

"Well done, Dan" said James and followed Gina upstairs. He knocked on Gina's door.

"Go away!"

"Don't speak to me like that, Gina."

There was silence.

James knocked again: still silence.

"Very well," said James, "if you're going to behave like a child I'll treat you like a child. You're to stay in your room until supper time."

Gina lay face down on her bed seething with rage and frustration. She screamed furiously into her pillow and pummelled it then she wept tears of self-pity before returning to anger.

Molly had also emerged from the kitchen to see what the fracas was about. Dan told her what had happened.

"Oh dear," she said. "I should have confiscated that jersey when she first bought it. Was it really that revealing?"

"It didn't leave much to the imagination. OK a bikini would have shown more than her get-up but wouldn't have been nearly so provocative."

James came back downstairs. "Now she's throwing a tantrum and sulks so she's confined to her room until supper. If she continues to behave like a small child then she'll go to bed without supper."

Molly and Dan both looked surprised. They had never seen James so upset with Gina.

"I think I'll go for a walk," said Dan.

"Would you like me to come with you?" asked James.

Dan smiled and shook his head. "I'd prefer to be alone if you don't mind."

James nodded understandingly.

"Come on, my love," he said to Molly. "I could do with a drink after that little hoo-ha."

Dan had no constructive thoughts on his walk. He was just deeply saddened that an argument about Gina's taste had gone so badly wrong. He did wonder if it was all about a fifteen year-old trying to be grown-up and being shown the error of her ways.

That was certainly the way Molly viewed it. "Don't fuss, my darling," she said to James. "I'll have a quiet chat with her later."

In the meanwhile Gina was not going to let Dan get away with belittling her as she saw it. She watched him in silent anger as he walked down the lawn and out through the gate at the bottom of the garden. She crept across the landing to his room and slipped in closing the door silently behind her. She looked round wondering what to do. There were some photographs on the wall of Dan's school rugby and cricket teams. She thought of smashing them but decided it would be too noisy and would alert her father and Molly. Just emptying his drawers and wardrobe onto the floor did not appeal to her. Then an almost evil smile flitted across her face. She crept back to her room and collected a lipstick. On Dan's mirror she drew a picture of a naked man without a penis. Under it she wrote 'If I can't do it nor is anybody else!' She went back to her room.

After his walk Dan went up to his room to run a comb through his hair before supper. He looked at the drawing on his mirror.

"Oh dear," he said to himself. "Silly girl!" Then he started to laugh: not a quiet chuckle but loud, helpless laughter. Gina could not help but hear him. Initially her anger flared again but was replaced by chagrin and then shame. She felt she ought to apologise but could not bring herself to do that. She heard Dan go downstairs and tiptoed to the bathroom where she collected the bottle of bath cleaner and a cloth. She crept back to Dan's room and cleaned the mirror. She then went and collected her face towel from her room and dried it. She put everything away and went back to her room where she changed into her normal clothes. She waited for the summons for supper. Would Dan tell on her?

Eventually James called her down for supper. She went in trepidation. She went to James first.

"I'm sorry I was rude, Daddy," she said quietly.

He smiled at her. "Forgiven," he said, "but never again, please."

"No, Daddy."

She turned to Dan. "I'm sorry, Dan."

Dan held her eyes for a moment and then winked. Gina had the grace to blush but looked at him with thanks.

At bedtime, Gina knocked softly on Dan's door. He opened it to her and stood aside to let her in.

"Thanks, Dan, for not saying anything about the mirror."

Dan smiled at her. "Actually it made me laugh," he said.

"I know I heard you and it made me feel ashamed."