by Jenny Frame
Bridge was so ready to come it was unreal. “Finn, I need you inside, now.”
Finn stopped her attentions on her breasts, and came up to look in her eyes. She stroked Bridge’s cheek softly. “You’re so beautiful, Mistress. I love you. I want you to really believe that.”
“Of course I believe that, darling. I can see it in your gorgeous eyes, Finn.”
“May I make you come?” Finn asked.
Bridge grasped Finn’s hand and placed it on her sex. “Make me come while you kiss me.”
Finn’s lips were on her instantly, while her fingers pushed past her underwear and inside her.
Bridge groaned into the kiss and grasped Finn’s hair. Nothing had ever felt like Finn and nothing ever would. She couldn’t give this up, this love that was pouring from her heart into Finn’s.
She gripped Finn’s hair harder as her orgasm was fast approaching. Their kiss deepened ever more, and Finn’s thrust hastened to match Bridge’s hips. Bridge’s orgasm hit her, and then washed all over her body. It felt like all the residual hurt and pain that she had been keeping locked up inside her soul was released by Finn in this one exquisite moment. Her moans of pleasure were swallowed by their kiss, until her body went limp.
Finn pulled back and placed tiny kisses on Bridge’s chin, nose, and cheeks. Bridge gasped, trying to calm her heart. She felt truly worshipped, just as Finn promised.
“I love you, Finn. I love you.”
Finn gave her a small smile, stroked her hair, and looked deeply into her eyes. “You’re the mistress of my heart, and no matter what, I’ll love you forever.”
* * *
Bridget sat in the vicarage dining room, with a plate of uneaten food in front of her. The news of her relationship with Finn was due to hit the Daily Tribune as an exclusive at midnight. How could she eat? She hadn’t told Harry yet. She knew if she did, Harry and Annie would gather around her and try to comfort her, but she didn’t want comfort. She wanted to be alone and contemplate what came next.
She gazed around the vicarage and thought about how she would miss the old place. It was draughty, falling apart in places, but had been her home at the happiest time of her life. But with Finn she hoped she would have more happiness in the future.
Bridge got up and walked to the dining room window. She wondered if she and Finn would stay in the village. She would hate to leave Harry, Annie, and Riley, and Mrs. Castle, but Bridge also doubted whether she could watch another vicar take over her church and her parishioners. It might be too painful.
She clasped her hands together and prayed for God’s guidance. The sound of tyres on the gravel driveway made Bridge’s eyes spring open. It was Finn’s motorbike. She ran to the front door, but by the time she got there, Finn was driving out of the vicarage driveway.
“Finn, wait!” she shouted after her, but Finn never slowed down or looked back.
Bridge looked down and discovered what looked like a canvas wrapped in brown paper. Sitting next to it was an envelope.
Bridge’s heart started to crack. She instinctively knew this was not good. She pulled the paper from the canvas and found the finished painting of the church that Finn had been doing. Then, with shaking hands, she picked up and opened the letter.
Dear Bridge,
I know you won’t deny us while I’m here, so I’m going to do the right thing and leave. I won’t take your life away from you and you away from the people of Axedale. Your work is too important. I want you to keep fighting for the rights of gay people in the Church. You must be the trailblazer like your ancestors were, so that the Church changes, and no other woman or man of God has to choose between their love of their faith and the love of their partner. You are just the Claremont to do it. I believe in you.
I’m going back to work. My manager got me some shows at the London Arena after Adele cut short her tour. You gave me back my hope that there might be a greater power out there, and that Carrie is safely with them. I’ll always be thankful, and I’ll always love you.
For now I want you to be able to deny us with a clear conscience, but I’ll always wait for you, Mistress. If and when it becomes safe for us, we can be together. Until then you don’t need me complicating your life. Remember, I love you.
Your boy xx
Bridge clasped her hand to her mouth, and tears ran down her face. “No, no, Finn.”
She screwed up the letter in anger and threw it on the ground. “Why do you need to be so bloody noble, Finn? I love you.”
She closed her eyes and she was back on the side of the road watching Ellen leaving her, and it was happening again, as she’d always feared. Except this time her lover was riding away into the sunset to protect her. She wiped away her tears.
“You can’t get away from me that easily, boy. I’m going to fight for us, even if you can’t.”
Chapter Twenty-three
The three weeks that followed were the most heart-wrenching and stressful of Bridget’s life and career. Each day that counted down to her disciplinary meeting was a day without Finn, and only emphasized how much she loved her, how much she needed her, but she was gone now. Gone back to her life before Bridge, the life of celebrity, fawning audiences, and probably fawning dancers. The thought of anyone touching her beautiful boy made her feel sick, but she could do nothing about it, for the moment. Finn had left her here alone to deal with the fight, even though Finn thought she was doing the noble thing.
Bridge had stayed with her aunt Gertie the night before and she was accompanying her to the meeting. Harry was by her side, as she had always been.
The radio in the taxi started to play a new cover version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” She thought of dancing with Finn to that song at the barn dance, and felt the tears threatening to come.
“Are you all right, Bridge?” Harry said across from her.
She quickly pulled herself together and put a forced smile on her face. “I’m fine.”
Aunt Gertie squeezed her hand. “Not long now.”
Harry checked her phone and said, “There’s a lot of people and protest groups there, according to social media, Bridge. You really have caught the public imagination with this fight.”
It had happened quite naturally over the three weeks since she had been notified about this meeting. Her own protest group had spread the word about this issue, and other gay Christian groups had joined them, and then non-religious gay groups, and it had gotten bigger and bigger. Suddenly the conversation on TV and the internet was whether two people in love should have to choose between the Church and their love, and it had captured the public imagination, with Bridget as its figurehead. Of course, anti-gay protestors joined the debate and were making themselves heard loudly, but it seemed as if everyone else prayed that love would win.
Bridget never thought she’d be one of those Claremonts who blazed a trail, but here she was about to give a speech on equal rights before going into her meeting.
“We’re here,” Harry said.
Aunt Gertie kissed her on the cheek, and whispered, “Remember, you’re a Claremont, and we don’t run from a fight. Blaze that trail.”
Bridget smiled and nodded. She didn’t know where she’d get the strength, and could only hope for God’s guidance.
Harry helped her out of the taxi, and she was hit with a wall of noise and shouts from journalists. She walked up to the microphone, and the crowds of protestors and gathered media quietened down, and all she could hear were the clicks and pops and cameras going off around her. She had written this speech from her heart, and practised it last night with her aunt’s help, and it was a shortened version of what she would present to the disciplinary council.
She was a confident speaker, but something so personal as this was a different matter. Bridge tried to think of all the wonderful support she had been given by those liberal elements within the Christian community, and the world at large, and she gained strength from that, but the cameras and eyes upon her made her waver.
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br /> It was then that she noticed a big red double-decker bus drive by with a huge advert for Finn’s show. Seeing Finn’s face reminded her what she was fighting for. She was fighting for their love and her heart.
Finn thought she was being noble letting Bridge go. She thought she was protecting Bridge’s career and way of life, and she didn’t believe that it was possible for their two lives to coexist. Bridge realized that it was her job to lead the way, her job to show Finn that their love was worth fighting for, because that’s what a mistress did. She took control and led the way, and helped her submissive push their limits and realize just what was possible if they tried hard enough.
A new surge of strength and confidence came over Bridge, and it was Mistress Black who was giving her the strength to fight for Finn. Bridge realized in that moment that she could only move forward to a new, happier, truthful life when she accepted Mistress Black was part of her, a big part of her that couldn’t and should never be hidden.
Bridge stood taller, and smiled at the assembled press pack.
* * *
“Not now, Christian,” Finn shouted at her assistant.
Finn was sitting in her dressing room backstage at her arena show, waiting to see Bridge on the rolling news.
“I’m sorry, Finn, it’s just the director wants—”
“He’ll have to wait. I’m not to be disturbed, okay?”
Christian nodded. “Is it today?”
“Yes, I need to see her,” Finn said sadly.
Christian put a comforting arm on her shoulder. “Okay, I’ll keep the director off your back for a bit.”
When he left, Finn looked up to the TV on the wall, and saw Bridge exit her taxi and walk to the assembled press pack. I love you, Bridge.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I joined the Church because I wanted to spread the word of God. I wanted to spread his word because his love for us is infinite. God loves us no matter if we are straight, gay, black, white, rich, poor, spiritual, or atheist. It doesn’t matter how far we run from him—he will always take us back into the warmth of his love.
I joined the Church as a gay woman, and I have always been sure of God’s love for me, and my place in the Church. I have never had a relationship until recently, when I fell in love with someone who means everything to me.
The Church has moved forward leaps and bounds in terms of gay rights, but it still lags way behind society’s norms. I say to the Church that I love, it’s time to move forward again. If we hope to stay relevant to the population we serve as clergy, we must reflect those people and their families. If we do not, the Church will wither and die.
God made us to love one another, not to hate. So today and every day in the Church, love must win!
A huge cheer went up from all Bridget’s supporters, and Finn couldn’t have been prouder of her.
Finn knew then that Bridge truly loved her, and she was fighting for them.
* * *
Finn took the applause of the audience for the last time doing this version of her show. Her next tour show would be all about close-up magic, and bringing wonder and belief back to people’s faces.
She took off her top hat and bowed, but didn’t get the rush she used to. Her heart wasn’t in it any more, because her heart was aching for another life, a simpler life in Axedale with Bridge and her friends.
Christian met her at the side of the stage with a towel and a bottle of water. “Great show, Finn. The audience loved it.”
“Thanks,” Finn said with no conviction. She had the feeling the clamour for tickets after her return to the stage was more about the scandal surrounding her, rather than the magic.
She walked towards her dressing room and one of the crew said, “Layla is looking for you, Finn.”
Finn sighed and nodded. “I bet.” Since she had returned, she had barely escaped the attentions of her overeager dancer. The thought of being with another woman was just beyond the pale, and after being with Bridge, her mistress, she didn’t think she’d find joy in sex ever again. She hesitated before turning the corner to her dressing room, worried that Layla might be there. Finn just couldn’t deal with her, not today.
Finn took a moment and walked around the corner. She stopped breathing. Instead of the dreaded Layla standing by her dressing room door, Bridge stood there nonchalantly, hands in her biker jacket pockets, and her gorgeous legs crossed at the ankles.
“Bridge? What?” Finn stumbled.
Bridge smiled, walked over, and took Finn’s hands. “I was at your show. It was wonderful, although I had to hiss at one of your dancers who was hanging around waiting for you back here. She soon ran away when I told her you were taken.”
“You did?” Finn couldn’t quite understand what this meant. “What happened at your disciplinary meeting? I just saw you going in—”
Bridge caressed her cheek with the back of her hand. “Come with me.”
They went into Finn’s dressing room, and Bridge immediately pulled Finn into an embrace.
Finn held her with desperation. “I missed you so much, Bridge. I feel like my heart is being ripped out every day I’m apart from you.”
Bridge scratched her nails soothingly down the shaved short hairs at the back of her head. “Shh, I know. You’ve been so noble in trying to protect me, but I had to fight for us, Finn. Claremonts never run from a fight. I won’t be forced to choose between God and the woman I love, when I know in my heart that God wants me to love you. Your sister Carrie sent you to me. We were meant to love each other.”
“But I can’t live with knowing that our relationship has driven you from the Church you love, from the people of Axedale—”
Bridge silenced her with a finger on her the lips. “We won.”
“What?”
“I’m to return to my parish and continue as vicar there, and my private life is my business, if I am discreet.”
“You’re kidding.”
Bridge smiled and shook her head. “Not kidding.”
Finn couldn’t quite believe this was happening. They were being given another chance.
Bridge gave her a serious look, and said, “There’s just one thing.”
She knew there must be some catch. “What?”
“I have to live my life in Axedale. Can you give up your life in London to be with me?”
“Are you kidding? I have no life in London. My life is with you, Bridge, in Axedale.”
Bridge smiled broadly. “Then you’re mine, Magician.”
Finn had never felt such joy in her life. She picked up Bridge and twirled her around. “I can’t believe it.”
Bridge slid down Finn’s body and lightly grasped her chin. “That’s what I’ve been trying to teach you ever since I met you, Magician. You have to believe.” She kissed Finn’s lips and felt the thrill that she knew she would never tire of.
When they separated, Finn asked, “What happened after your speech?”
“Apparently while I was in the meeting, the clip of my speech went viral. I suppose having a well-known, well-connected family has its benefits.”
“So?”
“Aunt Gertie says that they were frightened of making a martyr of me, because of the public opinion, and some senior closeted figures in the Church hierarchy, including my old bishop, threatened to come out, which would cause havoc and a split in the Church. The council felt it best to send me back to work, and to make their don’t ask, don’t tell policy stronger. Plus, marriage for clergy is back on the policy agenda.”
“So we can be together,” Finn said with a huge smile.
Bridge nodded. “Forever.”
“And one day I might be able to marry my mistress.”
“Yes, my beautiful boy.”
Finn picked her up and spun her around. “I can’t believe it.”
Bridge caressed her cheek. “Believe it.”
Finn was bursting with happiness, elation, and energy from just finishing the show. She kissed Bridge passionately and grasped her thigh.
Bridge pulled away and said, “Uh-uh. Have you forgotten the rules already?”
Finn felt dazed. She just needed to touch her lover. “I’m sorry. I’m hungry for you.”
“I know you are.” Bridge rested her forehead against Finn’s, and whispered, “So am I, but things don’t change just because we’re in your world. We don’t touch without asking.”
Finn groaned. Her mistress was back.
Bridge pulled back and took from her pocket the leather wrist strap and chain they had used on their night out together. She opened the cuff and said, “As much as I love your sweet little costume, Magician, take off the jacket.”
Finn had that indescribable excitement of not knowing what was coming next, which was one of the biggest reasons she loved Bridge. She threw her jacket to the side, and was left in sleeveless T-shirt and trousers.
“Lift your arm, Finn,” Bridge said.
Once she did, Bridge held the cuff around her arm, but didn’t close the buckles. “I’ve come to take back possession of my boy. Do you wish to have me as your mistress?”
Finn smiled, knowing there was much more significance to this than met the eye. They would be tethered emotionally as well as physically.
“There’s only one mistress who’ll ever have my heart,” Finn said sincerely.
Bridge smiled and fastened up the cuff. “I love you, Judith Maxwell and Finnian Kane. I love all of you.”
Finn was taken aback but touched by the use of her former name. Bridge loved all of her, and that couldn’t be clearer.
“I love you, Mistress Black and Bridget Claremont.”
Bridge pulled Finn closer by the chain and whispered close to her lips, “I bet you’ve had lots of little groupies in this dressing room.”
Finn gulped and nodded. She had to be honest, but Bridge just smiled.
“I bet they couldn’t do this.” Bridge gave her a tender kiss and whispered, “Kneel, boy.”