Chapter 26: Priorities

London, Winter 1867 to 1868

A very conflicted Priscilla returned to Heyworth House with Rose. The latter only knew that Cilla had spoken privately with Lady Wilkes, but upon her gentle probing Priscilla had not revealed anything. Thus they rode the coach in silence, and in silence they entered the house and went to their respective rooms to change.

Even over the next days, Priscilla did not reveal the subject of her conversation with the old lady, and Rose gradually forgot about the matter. She noticed other things, however. The quality of their nights together changed. There was a new urgency to Priscilla's lovemaking. No longer did she wait for an invitation by either Jim or Rose, but she initiated their lovemaking with less and less subtlety. Rose ascribed this to her friend's growing self-confidence and awakening libido, and she enjoyed the sexually charged atmosphere that permeated their household.

The season continued, and on most evenings Jim and Rose attended soirees and dinner parties. Priscilla accompanied them to most such events, but not all. One particular soiree was to feature a reading by Mr. Wilkie Collins of his new, yet unpublished novel The Moonstone. Priscilla was very eager to attend, but their hosts rather pointedly insisted on Mr. and Mrs. Tremayne attending by themselves. Jim's first impulse was to scorn the invitation entirely, but Priscilla would not have it.

She surprised her friends on the next day by announcing that Sir Hamilton Crewes had asked her to accompany him and that she would be at the reading after all. Obviously, Priscilla was acceptable to the hosts in Sir Hamilton's company but not with the Tremaynes.

For the next week and until Christmas, Priscilla claimed the malaise and abstained from joining her lovers in their marital bed. Rose felt guilty, yet she had no inkling as to where she had offended her friend, and Priscilla herself was not forthcoming about the reasons. She left the house a number of times without much explanation and stayed away for hours. She would be deep in thought on her return and often went up to her room wéschewing dinner. Christmas was subdued for the friends.

Priscilla became animated again in the days before New Year. The Tremaynes held their own New Year's soiree at their Cheyne Walk house. It was close friends and family only, and Priscilla seemed to thaw from her reclusive mood. She was gay and outgoing, and as the evening wore on, she exchanged brief touches with Rose and with Jim.

Indeed, after the last of their guests left at two o'clock, Priscilla took her two friends' hands.

"My darlings, I know that I was remote and withdrawn in the last weeks. I promise to explain my reasons tomorrow, but tonight, I ask you to allow me in your midst again. Will you indulge me?"

Rose beamed at her friend. "You are not angry with us anymore?"

Priscilla shook her head so fiercely that her tresses danced. "Rose, I was never angry at either of you. I'm sorry if I gave that impression. I had to mull things in my head and that made me moody, but I have come to a decision. Can we just be lovers tonight?"

"We can never be just lovers, Cilla," Jim answered earnestly. "You know that we care about you too much to enter into a cavalier tryst."

Priscilla accepted the gentle rebuke and nodded. "Then, will you make love to me?"

"To that I happily agree," Jim smiled back.

They quickly adjourned to Jim and Rose's bedroom. The women helped each other to peel off their dresses, corsages, and various accessoires, and before long they joined a naked Jim under the bedcovers. It was chilly in the bedroom, and Jim felt two pairs of puckered nipples press against his sides. Two pairs of legs scissored his thighs, already leaving traces of female nectar on his skin, while two pairs of lips took turns nibbling on his skin.

He felt that the usually shy Priscilla was needful of his attention, and thus – after giving Rose an apologetic look – he focused his attention on their paramaour. He rained kisses on her face, her neck, and on the sensitive skin just below her ears before he moved lower, capturing her protruding nipple with his lips.

"Oh, yes! Kiss my boobies! Suck my boobies!" Priscilla moaned in the little-girl voice that she used only in the privacy of their bedroom.

By silent agreement, Rose slipped out of the bed and fairly skipped around it until she could slip back under the covers on Priscilla's other side. Jim moved into the vacated space pulling an oblivious Priscilla with him. He switched his attention to the left areola whilst Rose took over the right nipple from Jim. Their combined assault made Priscilla arch her back with pleasure and intensified her girlish babble.

"Oh, heaven! Yes! Make my titties feel good! Ow! You bad girl! You're tickling! Not fair!"

Playfully, Priscilla tickled Rose back who squirmed under the attack. Giving up her passive role, Priscilla gave Jim a playful kiss and turned to her right. Latching her mouth on one of Rose's much larger boobs, she continued poking and prodding her ticklish friend. Rose alternated between giggling and squealing, protesting and cooing, while her whole body shook under Priscilla's ministrations.

The women's antics left Jim incredibly aroused, and presented as he was with Priscilla's delectable backside, he lost no time aligning his straining member with her snatch. He pushed forward.

"Aargh!" Priscilla exclaimed, for once releasing Rose's boob. "This is sneaky!"

Jim chuckle reverbrated through his body and Priscilla squealed with delight.

"I'm only defending my poor wife against your vicious attack," he maintained whilst starting a steady in-and-out movement.

"My hero!" Rose giggled, looking at her friend's face which was taking on an expression of rapture. "Will you help Cilla in the same way when I attack her?"

"Oh, no! Not yet!" Priscilla panted. She looked over her shoulder. "I wa-as a very ba-ad girl tickling your wife, Mr. Tre-mayne. I de-e-serve yo-ur pun-ish-ment."

Her speech was certainly suffering under Jim's forceful thrusts. He had picked up on her mood and for once he did not hold back. Pounding her from behind, he latched his lips on her graceful neck under her left ear and sucked. He could feel how this made Priscilla's quim contract around his member, and he kept nibbling and sucking on her soft skin while his belly smacked against her jiggling buttocks.

Rose was not idle. She had slipped downward, and her lips tortured Priscilla's breasts while her own ample boobs were pressed against the blonde's taut belly and her legs scissored her thigh. Sucking on Priscilla's breasts and rubbing her own sex against her friend's thigh, Rose experienced a minor peak. Once recovered, she resumed her actions until a second, stronger climax made her tremble again. Whilst working towards her third release and frantically humping Priscilla's leg, she suddenly felt her friend tense up. Priscilla arched her back pressing her titties against Rose's lips. Her thigh pressed hard against Rose's mound, whilst her behind met Jim's thrusts with counter-thrusts.

A wailing sound escaped from Priscilla's throat. Hearing this, Jim hammered into her like a man possessed, feeling her pulsing flesh around his member, until his own violent release came over him. He pressed forward then, unconsciously aiming for the deepest possible penetration, and then his manhood spewed forth his essence deep into Priscilla's womb.

It was good that they were all lying on their sides already. They took a while recovering with Jim still embedded in Priscilla. Rose was the first to speak. She looked into Priscilla's eyes.

"Something is different tonight."

Priscilla gave her friend a pleading look. "Tomorrow? I'll tell you everything tomorrow."

Rose nodded silently while Jim extracted his member from Priscilla's opening. She flinched and moaned feeling the sudden emptiness and turned to Jim.

"Thank you, you darling man."

"It was my pleasure," Jim smiled back.

°°°

Priscilla waited until the housekeeper had left them alone at the breakfast table before she spoke up.

"Jim, Rose, you have given me a new life. With your kindness, your acception, your understanding, you have allowed me to find myself again. The last years were the best since my childhood, and the last few months opened my eyes for the beauty of life."

"You gave us back a lot, Cilla," Jim threw in.

"Yes, that, too! I felt useful for the first time in my life. I know now that I can be more than a bitter widow, disappointed and betrayed by my scoundrel of a husband." She took both Jim and Rose's hands in her own. "Our time as lovers must end."