“Margaret’s wearing an expression of utmost concern, but it doesn’t bother me. She knows she can’t voice her opinions, whatever they may be, no more than I can sprout wings and fly to my love.
“We hurry across the main hall to the front door, drawing curious looks from a passing footman. When we get to the door, Margaret opens it and hands me the two valises. ‘If anybody asks whether you’ve seen me, Margaret, you must tell them you haven’t. I’m counting on you not to betray me.’ But she is my mother’s lady’s maid, not mine. I know her allegiance is to Mummy, and put in the position of keeping my confidence or confessing to my mother, I know without a doubt what she will do.
“I kiss her on the cheek and lug my cases down the front steps and across the driveway. I am determined not to look back at Branford Hall, my home that I will most certainly never lay eyes on again.
“It’s a long walk to the gates at the front of the estate. My arms are already throbbing from the effort of carrying two valises and a handbag. I walk on. I congratulate myself for my strength, for standing up to Daddy. Perhaps now he’ll realise I’m a person in my own right, with my own mind. These noble thoughts are soon to evaporate, though. I’m trudging along the road into the village and already my body is exhausted. But I won’t give up. My determination to be with Charlie keeps me going when all I want to do is drop my bags and curl up in the cool grass at the side of the road and sleep.
“Later that same evening, long after the sun has gone down, I arrive at Charlie’s cottage, at the edge of the village. With what little strength I have left, I knock on the door. My throat is burning and my stomach is aching from hunger.
“Charlie answers the door. He’s shirtless and has traces of shaving foam on his face. ‘What are you doin’ ‘ere,’ he asks. ‘And what ‘ave you got with you?’ He looks a little shocked. ‘I’ve left home,’ I tell him. ‘Daddy’s being impossible.’ Charlie looks up and down the lane. ‘Well, you’d best come in then. ‘Ere, let me ‘elp you with those.’ I drop my handbag on the floor and collapse into a rocker by the fire. ‘You know you can’t stay,’ he says. I feel crushed. ‘Your dad’ll be after me with a shotgun, or at least the law.’ I stand up and rush to him. ‘No, he won’t,’ I tell him. I kiss him feverishly—on the cheeks, the lips, his chest. ‘We can leave. You’ve got a car. We can leave tonight and make a new start.’
“I can see in his face he wants to, but I can also see he’s conflicted. ‘And ‘ow are we goin’ to do that, my darlin’?’ he asks. I have answers for everything. I’ve had a long time to think about this matter. ‘We’ll get married. I’ll get a job.’ He laughs. My beloved Charlie laughs at me. ‘And what can you do? You know I love you with all my ‘eart, but you ‘aven’t done a day of work in your life.’ He takes me in his arms. ‘I don’t mean to be cruel,’ he tells me, ‘but we ‘ave to face facts.’
“I begin to sob. ‘Don’t do this to me,’ I beg. ‘I’ve just left my family and home. Turned my back on them forever.’ I watch Charlie walk a small circle around the room. He grabs a towel and wipes his face clean of shaving foam. ‘Have you got any money?’ he asks. I nod. ‘I have my passbook and my jewellery. I bought it for us to sell. I don’t care. I don’t need it.’ He continues to walk his circles. ‘I’ll tell you what we’re gonna do. I’ll take you to a friend of mine in Stamford. You can stay there for a week or two, and I’ll come back ‘ere.’ I open my mouth to protest. Charlie holds up a finger, a signal to remain silent. ‘‘Ang on. I ‘aven’t finished yet. The first place your Pa will come lookin’ is ‘ere. If he finds me and not you, it’ll throw ‘im off the scent. Then when things ‘ave settled down a bit, I’ll come for you and we can decide what we want to do.’
“He pulls on his shirt and begins to do up the buttons. ‘Grab your things and I’ll take you over now,’ he says. ‘At this hour?’ I ask. It’s well past dinner time, and by the time we get to the next village, Stamford, the hour will be very late indeed. He pulls on his boots. ‘Yes, at this hour. Why, your Pa’s probably put two and two together by now and is already on ‘is way. Better to be safe than sorry.’ And I know he’s right. Margaret has, by now, betrayed me to my parents. I don’t doubt it for a moment.
“I nod and move to pick up my handbag, but Charlie catches my arm and pulls me to him. ‘You know I love you, don’t you?’ he says, and his voice is so tender. We kiss and it’s like a burst of passion amidst the chaos. I feel safe in his arms, secure and beyond the reach of anything that would harm me. I feel a burning between my legs, a burning for Charlie’s tongue, his finger, his cock. ‘I want you so much,’ I say. I’m almost breathless, and full of desire, though I know this is neither the time nor the place for Charlie to give me what I so desperately want. I reach under my dress and grab myself between my legs. I detect dampness through the thin fabric of my undergarment.
“Charlie stops kissing me and looks into my eyes. ‘Soon, my love. Soon. Now we’d best be gettin’ out of ‘ere,’ he says. We hurry from the cottage. I feel a sense of foreboding, a sense of doom. I can’t describe why I should be feeling such a thing, but the terror I’m suddenly experiencing far outweighs any logical reason to which I can attribute it to.
“I hear Charlie tell me, ‘The car’s in the side lane.’ As we get to the corner, I hear police sirens wailing through the night. ‘Good God!’ I shriek. I hadn’t considered the fact Daddy would call the police. I didn’t think he’d involve someone else in what he’d term ‘a matter for the family.’
“‘Perhaps it isn’t for us,’ I say as we near the car. Charlie throws me a dirty look. “Of course it’s for us, girl.’
“He throws my bags into the back seat. ‘Get in,’ he tells me as he reaches into the driver’s side to retrieve the crank handle. I watch as he hurries to the front of the car and cranks the engine. When it starts to purr, Charlie jumps into the driver’s seat and releases the brake. Just as the car begins to move off, there’s a flash of light as the police car turns into the lane. The sirens wail like banshees about to attack and I’m more frightened than I have ever been in my life. ‘Hurry. Please, hurry,’ I shout.
“Charlie drives to the other end of the lane and turns right. He speeds through the cobblestone streets, narrowly missing a drunkard staggering home. We race onto the main thoroughfare, speeding past the church, the schoolhouse, and the common where school children play during their recess. Charlie takes us over the bridge and into the countryside, with the police car in hot pursuit.
“I can’t stop myself from leaning out the window. ‘What are we going to do?’ I call back to Charlie. He doesn’t answer. He’s too busy concentrating on evading the police. We speed around a bend and come to a fork in the road. He turns down the narrower, less-used road, drives through a small opening in the trees, and dims the headlights.
“We hear the police car race past along the main road. I turn to Charlie and he’s already looking at me. We throw our arms around each other and kiss as though it’s to be our final kiss. I feel him fumble about and then he presses my head towards his erect cock, which he has freed from his trousers. The danger, the panic, and the fear have an unexpected side effect. It seems we are both highly aroused because of it.
“I take his organ into my mouth and it tastes so sweet. I feel it, swollen and firm, between my lips. The engorged head hits the back of my throat and I keep it there. I can smell the slight aroma of manly sweat emanating from his pubic hair. The heat returns between my own legs.
“I suck him until he’s in such a state of arousal he’s thrusting into my mouth. At that point, I reach under my dress and somehow manage to pull down my damp undergarment. When I’ve removed them, I climb, exercising no small amount of dexterity, into Charlie’s lap and sit on this thick cock. As it slides into me, it melts me. His burning prick penetrates me deeply, as though it’s penetrating my very soul.
“I begin rocking my hips back and forth. The sense of danger means I’m in danger of climaxing much sooner than I’d have
liked. But when he grips my shoulders and starts thrusting into me, when his kisses turn wild and his breath is bursting into my mouth, I know he is close to climax as well.
“Finally, he grunts, his teeth gently biting my top lip. His hands clench my shoulders and I know he’s blasting his seed into me. I erupt like a waterfall over his cock, our juices mingling inside me where they have mingled countless times before. Then I remember my news. My most important news. The news I should have told him. But the sound of approaching sirens throw us both into a panic. I climb off my darling Charlie and return to my seat to scramble back into my damp and dirty underwear.
“He grabs the crank handle and dashes to the front of the car. The engine starts and the whole car jerks backwards. I gasp. Charlie returns to the driver’s seat and we wait until the police car goes past before we pull onto the main road and continue to drive away from the village.
“Unfortunately, we are a little too hasty in our getaway. We drive a little way without the headlights, but the police have obviously had the same idea. As Charlie turns on our lights, we see another set of lights appear behind us.
“My heart begins to pound. ‘Oh, my God,’ I shriek. Charlie presses his foot on the accelerator and we are soon flying through the night. For a good while we outrun the police. ‘Anyone would think we were criminals,’ said Charlie, glancing into the rear vision mirror. ‘To Daddy we probably are, or at least you are,’ I say. ‘But have no fear, my love. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.’
“Charlie places his hand on my thigh as the police start to gain on us. He’s driving so fast the whole car is shaking. I’m a little frightened the whole thing might fall to pieces with us in it. We can’t stop now, though. The sirens are growing louder, maddeningly louder. I bring my hands to my ears, but still that shrill wail penetrates my brain. I turn to Charlie. ‘Charlie,’ I say. ‘I realise this is not the right time to tell you, but if the police catch us, I might not get the chance later on.’ He glances at me, then up at the rear vision mirror.
“Suddenly there’s a clattering sound as we drive onto a narrow bridge. The car is shaking violently. We veer towards the railing, but Charlie turns the steering wheel to prevent us from going over. Then there’s an almighty jolt as we drive over something, a rock perhaps. Charlie turns the wheel again, but over-corrects. There’s an explosion of sound and all of a sudden we’re falling through the air. I scream. I scream and scream until my throat burns. I hear Charlie shouting something as we tumble about in the car. He grabs my hand. ‘I love you,’ he shouts. ‘I love you.’ I feel the force of the impact. I have seconds to understand what has happened. I hit my head on something and the warm, metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. I taste it for only a moment.”
There was a minute of silence.
“What was it you wanted to tell Charlie, Miranda?” asked Alison.
“I wanted to tell him I was pregnant with his child. I wanted to tell him so many times, but in the end I never got the chance. He deserved to know. He deserved to know we were about to have a child together. That’s why I had to run away. Why Charlie and I had to leave.”
“He knows now, Miranda. He knows now so you can finally rest in peace.”
There was another minute of silence.
“Miranda,” said Alison. “Are you still with us, Miranda?”
There was no reply.
“When I count to five, you’re going to wake up, Paul. One. You’re going to wake up and feel…two…content…three… comfortable…four…and relaxed. Five.”
Paul felt as though he’d been asleep for a week. He was so rested he was barely aware of his physical form. There was a strange sensation around his eyes, and when he wiped them, he touched the dried crystals of tears, which he soon brushed away.
“How do you feel?” asked Alison smiling.
“Very relaxed,” said Paul. “Where’s Calvin?”
“He’s right behind you,” said Alison with a nod.
“Here,” said Calvin, leaning down to kiss Paul. “You okay?”
Paul nodded. “I think so. I’m very relaxed.”
Alison stood. “Stay there until you’re ready to get up. There’s no hurry. Would either of you like another glass of water?”
“Oh, thank you,” said Paul. “I’d love one.”
“Yes, please,” said Calvin.
“I’ll be right back,” she said.
When she had left the room, closing the door after her, Calvin once again kissed Paul, who reached up and embraced him.
There was no little electric shock. The fact registered with Paul, but far away in the back of his mind.
“What happened to me?” he asked.
“Can’t you remember?” asked Calvin, sitting on the recliner beside him.
“I can remember most of it. It was like a dream. The most vivid dream I’ve ever had. Did I do anything, you know, embarrassing while I was under?”
Calvin laughed. “You cried and I think you cracked a stiffie.”
Paul blushed. “You’re kidding? She saw it? She saw my erection?”
Calvin laughed. “I don’t know. Probably. You were really getting into it. It was like listening to a soap opera.”
“Do you think we’ve fixed the problem?” asked Paul.
Just then, Alison returned with the water. “One of the key reasons lifetimes overlap,” she said, handing Paul one glass and then Calvin the other, “is unfinished business. People can return to this plane either as spirits or as completely new people, but there’s usually a reason. Usually. Not always. Some children are born with memories of a past life. They can recount, in great detail, events of their former lives. It’s been documented many times. But most of them eventually forget the details. As the events of this life accumulate, the memories of past lives get pushed aside. They never really disappear, though. They can be remembered under hypnosis, as we’ve just seen.”
“Do you think we’ve finished the unfinished business?” asked Paul.
Alison nodded. “Definitely. I think the fact you were pregnant and you hadn’t told Calvin, or rather Charlie, was absolutely the reason your two lives were overlapping. The energy created by sexual contact allowed Miranda to break through and experience her lover once more. I’ve no doubt she was using you to communicate with the spirit of Charlie. The only problem was, that had you not come here today, it would have taken many encounters for the truth to come out, if at all.”
“So the strange experiences that happen when we make love won’t happen again?”
Alison took Calvin’s empty glass. Paul finished the contents of his glass and likewise handed it back to Alison.
“It shouldn’t,” said Alison, placing the glasses on the small table beside the candle, which she blew out. “Of course, when dealing with spirits, there are no guarantees, but I’m confident.”
Paul began to sit up.
“Slowly, now,” said Alison.
Calvin helped Paul to stand.
“I’m fine,” he said. “I feel totally fine.”
Eventually, they paid Alison her fee and she hugged each of them at the door.
“It was lovely to meet you both,” she said.
She waved to them as they drove down the driveway, being half-heartedly chased, Paul noticed, by Sasha and Binka.
“I can’t wait to see if it’s worked,” he said, winding up his window.
“Me, neither.” Calvin laughed. “I guess I’d better step on it so we can find out.”
Chapter 8
Later that evening, during a commercial break on television, Calvin turned to Paul. “What was it like? You know, being under hypnosis? Looking back on a past life? Do you believe it was real?”
Paul smiled. “Oh, it was real.”
Calvin put his arm around Paul’s shoulders, and Paul rested his head on Calvin’s chest.
“It’s hard to explain how I know it was real, but one of the things that convinced me was the familiarity of it all. When I was ins
ide Miranda’s massive house, I knew what rooms were behind every door, even without going into them. I recognised everyone as soon as I saw them. I knew who they were, their character, what I could expect from them. Oh, and another thing, I could smell aromas and hear sounds. You don’t get that in dreams, or at least not as vividly. I could smell the dusty, old carpets, and the aromas wafting out from the kitchen. Outdoors, I could smell the grass and the flowers, even the moisture in the air.
“The main reason I believe, though, was the sense of myself while these things were happening. I knew, absolutely knew, they were happening to me. Even now, I feel as though I was remembering things I really did experience. Actually, you know how, when someone reminds you of something you’ve forgotten, something that happened a long time ago, the more you listen, the more you have a feeling you can remember it, even if you don’t really? Well, that’s what it was like.”
Calvin kissed the top of Paul’s head.
“Well, darling, do you want to go and find out if the hypnosis worked?”
Paul laughed. “Absolutely.”
He stood and helped Calvin up from the couch. They walked to the bedroom hand in hand, and when they got there, they undressed and lay on the bed.
“I love you so much,” said Paul.
“And you always have,” said Calvin with a chuckle. “Apparently.”
He took Paul’s face in his hands and kissed him on the lips. It was a tender, lingering kiss, enough to get them both hard.
“No electric shock,” said Paul. “No tingling. No nothing.”
Calvin jerked back his head. “Charming. I’m trying to turn you on and you feel nothing.”
Paul slapped Calvin’s buttock. “You know what I mean. No sign of Miranda. No sign of anything out of the ordinary.”
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