by Anna Rose
***
“Has Helen already departed?” I asked the coach driver, Andrew, as I made my way to the stables following the working day.
“Aye – she left at five.”
I grumbled, annoyed to have been kept behind at the Moreland’s late today.
By the time I reached home – for that was truly how I thought of the place now – I walked into the living room to find everyone settled down with cups of tea in their hands – and two extra people.
“Oh, Lara! You’re home!” my mother cried, hurrying over to me and pulling me into the room.
“Say hello to Mr Allen– you remember him?”
I nodded, taking in the handsome older man who rose to greet me.
“He’s been abroad and learned belatedly of papa’s passing.”
“Indeed,” Mr Allen said, patting me on the arm. “Terribly uncouth how everyone turned their backs on you all– shameful, I say.”
“Yes…” I blinked up into the man’s face, feeling bewildered.
“Suspect you must miss London! And Surrey, no doubt! Well, it shan’t be long before you’re back-”
“Back?” I repeated, staring at my mother and brother, who were both wearing identical looks of blinding happiness.
“Mr Allen has asked for my hand, darling. We are to be wed!”
I shook my head slightly, wondering how I could have been so blind to have missed that look in their eyes; that look that spoke of intimacy…and it would seem they’d known each other intimately for quite some time. I hadn’t really thought much of the man who’d lived in our village in Surrey for years, other than that he seemed pleasant enough, but to think that my mother had likely been carrying on an affair with him behind papa’s back…
“Well, we had best head off.”
“You mean we’re leaving tonight?”
“Of course, dear,” my mother’s thin brows rose in fond exasperation.
My eyes met Helen’s but she quickly looked away, saying calmly. “I’ll put dinner on,” before striding from the room, and I followed behind her.
“Well, everything turned out right in the end,” Helen said, not looking over from the stove.
“For mama and William, perhaps.”
Helen looked over her shoulder at last.
“You know where my fate lies that way,” I looked at her meaningfully, speaking of an unhappy marriage with a faceless, nameless upstanding young gentleman. “And I was rather happy with how it was turning out right here,” but we couldn’t continue the conversation for
William was trundling happily up the stairs to bring the luggage.
Aunt Sophia served everyone tea but it was plain to see that my mother was itching to get going – we were to travel for about an hour, London bound and separately from Mr Allen, of course, as propriety dictated – before staying the night in a hotel.
“I shall go and pack,” I said then, needing to be away from the beaming faces of my mother and brother.
I reached Helen’s room, feeling rather numb – I was too poleaxed by the news to be bereft.
“Do you need any help?”
At the sound of Helen’s voice, something in my chest tightened.
“Thank you,” I said over my shoulder, before turning away, my hands picking up stray bits of clothing.
“Maybe I could stay on for a while longer? At least until Spring…it would be rude of me to just up and leave the Moreland’s without notice, after all,” I shrugged, knowing my excuse sounded flimsy.
Helen snorted, efficiently folding one of my dresses. “Don’t be daft.”
Hurt, I said, “It’s not daft – I…well, I like it here. And I’ll miss you. But I know what this was – just a little fun, that’s all.”
“That’s not true!” Helen whispered furiously.
I moved across the room to her and reached for her hands.
“Good.”
“Oh, what a mess,” Helen shook her head, resting her head against my cheek, and I stroked her hair for a moment, my throat tight with suppressed tears.
“It’ll be alright – really it will. I’ll stay on here and-”
“Your mama would never allow it. It wouldn’t look right, you know that,” Helen said sadly.
“But – but I love you…” I whispered. “This can’t be the end.”
Helen pulled away from me, delight and sadness shining in her eyes. “I love you too…” she breathed. “With Liz it was just play…but with you-”
“Come with me,” I said then as the thought struck. “You must! It’s not unheard of – plenty of my friends at school had companions and I swear you wouldn’t have to lift so much as a finger-”
“Me?” Helen said in wonder, squeezing my hand. “A companion?”
“If your mama agreed, would you?” I said hurriedly, demanding an answer.
“I – I don’t know. I know that working at the Moreland’s is thankless but it’s still honest work and I have my friends there…”
“Oh – I see,” I nodded, pulling away from her, but Helen took my hand again, opening her mouth to reply.
“Do you need help, girls?” my mother’s voice floated through the door, and Helen and I jumped nervously apart.
My mother briskly helped with my remaining items and then, far too soon, I was stepping into a plush carriage on the dreary Maypole Street and everything passed in a blur.
***
After a nasty winter, Spring was equally as dreary, the rain almost constant in the small Surrey village I’d grown up in.
I paced around the day room of Mr Allen’s – or my step-father, as he was now legally known – waiting impatiently.
My mother sauntered into the room, startling me.
“She’s here, dear,” she said off-hand, settling herself into a chair, the picture of lazy elegance.
I heard Helen’s voice in the hallway as a servant brought her into the day room, and when at last she stood at the threshold, I wasn’t sure how I felt. It has been a good four months since we’d seen another, and now here she was, set to spend the remainder of Spring and Summer with us as my companion – and all on the suggestion of my mother, who had brow-beaten Aunt Sophia into allowing Helen to join us and experience the benefits of life as a privileged member of society.
At a loss for words, my mother filled the silence, exclaiming over Helen, asking as after her journey, and the afternoon passed by with the two of them chattering on, Helen still her usual effervescent self.
“I didn’t think you’d want to come at first, even after my mother expressed her enthusiasm for your joining us.”
“Well, it was as I said – I had to think of work…but if I had a choice, I’d pick you in a heartbeat,” Helen grinned. “So I did. But it’s been some time since we saw one another and
I’d understand if you wanted…well, if you’d prefer if we didn’t continue-”
I cut her off with a quick kiss to the cheek.
“Well, just wanted be sure,” Helen laughed low. “As for how I feel,” she grabbed my hand and led me to the bed. “We won’t be disturbed?” she added worriedly.
I smiled slightly, thinking back to how exasperated she’d get when I’d worry of the same back at Maypole Street.
“I’m a bit beyond the age where my mama tucks me in at night – besides, my mother and Mr
Allen won’t return from the party until the early hours and William is away at Oxford. We’ll be perfectly alright.”
She climbed into bed after me and for a moment we did nothing, not even speak, perhaps suffering from mutual nerves, but then we were kissing and holding one another, and Helen
gently placed one of my hands between her legs.
Through the fabric of her gown I felt her damp heat against my palm.
We found each slowly, her fingers reaching beneath my drawers to stroke me whilst I searched through her garments until I came to her bush, pleased that she’d grown out her shaved mound.
She pressed herself fully a
gainst me, her hard nipples stabbing into my own through the fabric of her nightdresses, her naked mound pressed against my own, and I thought I might swoon.
Clumsily, we adjusted ourselves, and despite how unfamiliar this all was to me, we finally fit together perfect, arranging out limbs until our cunnies rubbed together beneath the blanket, the texture of her nether hair against my throbbing, wet centre arousing me even further.
The slow pace grew, our hips pressing together, our mounds sliding against each other, the room filled with the sound of wet skin against skin, and I felt my release climbing as we rubbed against each other. I buried my face between Helen’s breasts to muffle my joy, pressing myself tightly against hers as I came.
I drifted up from my blissful climax to Helen panting in my ear, still pushing her groin against mine, and on a lazy, contented smile, I reached between our bodies and took her clit between my fingers, and Helen jerked against me on a gasp.
She pulled away from my slowly, sighing deeply.
“No,” I said, feeling suddenly shy. I stroked the hot, slippery flesh between her legs. “Not yet,” I ordered, and Helen giggled.
“Fair’s fair then,” she grinned, placing her own hand between my legs once more, and we fell quickly sleep soon after.
End