"Yes" replied Patrick firmly, "it's over."
All four women sat in silence, save for Barbara's muffed sobs; the finality of what they had just been told too much to take in. Louise, Jenny, Patrick and Cynthia waited patiently, watching the myriad of emotions play out across their faces.
"Is there anything that you would like to ask us?" asked Louise gently.
"What happens now?" stammered Delia nervously. All these months they had cursed what had felt like imprisonment and now, with events almost having reached their decisive conclusion, they suddenly felt uneasy, daunted by the prospect of venturing beyond the confines of the grounds. The four of them had become almost institutionalised, so attuned were they to their restrictive surroundings, rendering them inexplicably terrified of the world beyond.
Louise smiled kindly, sensing their apprehension.
"Nothing, just yet," she reassured them. "We understand that you will need a bit of time to put arrangements in place; besides, we would not wish you to leave before sentencing has taken place. It is important that the court process is completed."
She watched the relief flood their faces before continuing.
"I think that, tonight, a little celebration is in order,"
All four looked back at her, intrigued.
"It's a lovely evening and Fred is a dab hand in charge of a barbecue; I think that we should permit him to showcase his talents this evening."
She paused, uncertain as to the reaction that this suggestion might receive and was pleasantly surprised as all four faces broke into wide smiles.
"That would be lovely," gushed Barbara, genuinely delighted at the prospect.
"Good, then that's decided; let's reconvene at...say 7:30... And please, if any of you wishes to talk to us at any time, don't hesitate. We honestly do understand that this is an awful lot to take in and you may have many questions as time goes on."
Up in their bedroom Patsy reclined on her bed watching in amusement as Delia rifled through her wardrobe.
"I just can't decide," sighed the brunette despondently.
Patsy got up, strode purposefully across the room and reached for a sleeveless pale blue dress, patterned with delicate white flowers.
"This one," she nodded decisively, passing her the garment. Delia cocked her head and considered the dress before glancing up at Patsy, who raised her eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh, OK," she giggled. "But, in that case, I get to choose yours..."
She marched to Patsy's wardrobe and immediately honed in on an emerald coloured satin number, an elegant dress that Delia had previously admired on the redhead, fully appreciating the way the smooth fabric clung to the curves of her breasts before flowing out gracefully from her waist.
Patsy shrugged dubiously.
"Ok, if you say so."
Delia lay the dress on Patsy's bed before stalking back over to her.
"Pats, since I am going to have to spend the next few hours satisfied with admiring you fully clothed and, let's be honest, from more of a distance than I would like, I am going to have to insist that you wear your sexiest dress."
Patsy blushed; even now, she could not reconcile herself to the concept that someone could find her sexy. She was still processing the thought as Delia fastened her arms around her neck and continued.
"You see, I have quite another form of celebration in mind, my darling, and I have to tell you that it doesn't involve Louise or Jenny,... or even Fred and his talented tongs!" she added with a laugh
Patsy smiled shyly. Delia positioned her mouth millimetres from Patsy's ear.
"...but it does feature me removing your very beautiful green dress and discovering all the different ways that I can bring you pleasure," she whispered, biting gently on Patsy's earlobe, eliciting a soft moan of longing from the redhead.
The four young women gathered on the landing, just before 7:30pm. Much of the tension of the past few weeks had now vanished; their smiles now wider and infinitely more genuine. Trixie appeared the most transformed; the deep-seated anger and hurt that had previously been a permanent feature behind her striking blue eyes was no more. She happily linked arms with her room mate as they made their way down the stairs, their mouths instantly beginning to water as the aroma of chargrilled food filtered through the door on the ground floor.
Out in the garden, Fred was, as promised, in command of the barbecue, albeit sporting a disturbingly feminine apron, adorned with butterflies. Patsy was just about to pass comment when Tom approached carrying a tray of what appeared to be champagne. Trixie, Patsy and Delia all pounced eagerly, whilst the reticent Barbara took a little more persuasion.
"Sweetie, go on, you deserve it; one glass won't hurt you and I promise you, I will make sure that you make it safely to bed tonight," Trixie assured her.
Delia bent in close to Patsy,
"Don't worry, I promise that I'll make sure that you get to bed tonight too, Pats" she winked.
Whilst initially slightly guarded, the four women gradually began to relax in the company of Louise, Jenny, Tom, Fred, Cynthia and Patrick. Trixie made a beeline for Tom, much to Delia's amusement; the vivacious blonde full of flirtatious smiles and animated conversation, which was keenly reciprocated by the handsome young security guard. Fred's gourmet grilling did not disappoint and, having feasted on chicken wings, burgers, vegetable skewers, corn on the cob and a generous helping of Louise's highly acclaimed home-made coleslaw, they had each collapsed gratefully into a garden chair.
Trixie found herself sat alongside Cynthia and fidgeted uncomfortably. She knew that she has behaved badly during her previous encounters with the diminutive officer and felt extremely embarrassed.
"May I say thank you?" she started quietly. Cynthia looked around in surprise.
"Sorry?"
"Thank you, for supporting us at the court, and especially for putting up with me. I am sorry that I was so awful."
Cynthia smiled pleasantly.
"Oh Trixie, you weren't awful, you were scared. I promise you, I wasn't remotely offended."
Trixie smiled in relief.
"Thank you. I think that I have just felt like the whole world was against me for such a long time. It's hard to believe that anyone actually wants to help," she admitted.
Cynthia nodded.
"Of course; you have been through the most trying time imaginable. Someone that you trusted betrayed you in the most appalling fashion. That's not something that you can be expected to forget quickly."
Trixie was touched by the small woman's empathy and compassion, and found herself reciprocating with an unexpectedly tearful smile of gratitude.
Meanwhile Delia and Patsy had drawn closer together, finding it increasingly difficult to contain their longing for each other.
"How much longer do you think we need to stay?" whispered Delia into Patsy's shoulder as she plucked away an imaginary stray hair.
Patsy shook her head and yawned.
"Don't you dare!" chided Delia, "Of all the things I have planned for tonight, I can assure you that sleeping is not one of them."
Patsy giggled nervously and went to grab some more wine for them both, smiling politely at Louise, who was sat nearby, chatting with Barbara.
Just before 10, Tom stood up and excused himself; he was due to start his night shift over at the security lodge. Trixie looked ever so slightly bereft, but consoled herself with another glass of wine, before settling back down alongside Cynthia, with whom, in the space of the past few hours, she had developed quite the kinship. However, having had a long day themselves, and with a lengthy journey home ahead of them, Cynthia and Patrick soon stood to leave too.
Trixie picked up her glass of wine and strolled across the garden, listening contentedly to the distant sound of the waves, feeling at peace with the world for the first time in many many months. She had no idea where she would go when she left the house; she had no job to return to and certainly had no desire to return to the neighbourhood where she and Rafi had lived and socialised; that would be positively unbearable. She found herself heading towards the summer house and perched on the porch swing, still contemplating her future.
"Penny for them?"
Trixie had been so lost in her thoughts that she had failed to notice the redhead approaching.
"Oh hi Pats, just wondering what the future has in store for me," she shrugged nonchalantly.
Patsy nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes, it's certainly going to be strange."
"But you and Delia are going to stay together, aren't you?"
From her tone of voice, Trixie clearly deemed the alternative to be a preposterous course of action.
"I mean, you two are simply made for each other..." she added with a misty smile.
Patsy shifted uncomfortably.
"I really do hope so, Trix..." she muttered, doing her best to disguise any hint of anxiety in her voice, as she gazed affectionately at the vivacious Welsh woman who was engaged in an animated conversation with Jenny on the opposite side of the garden. "She truly is the best thing that has ever happened to me," she professed with absolute sincerity.
The sun had long since set and the garden was now shrouded in darkness, the only light, coming from the passageway just beyond the back door, and the handful of tea lights that had been placed sporadically along the table. Fred was in the process of cooling the barbecue coals whilst Jenny and Louise appeared to be preparing to say their good nights, shooing both Delia and Barbara away when they dutifully tried to assist them with the clearing away of plates and glasses.
With their offers of assistance having been graciously declined, the two young women traced the path across to the summer house, to join their housemates, Delia opting, with neither hesitation nor permission, to climb onto Patsy's lap.
"You two really are insufferably cute together," teased Trixie with a grin, as the small brunette nuzzled into her girlfriend's shoulder, shivering slightly.
"It is getting a bit chilly, isn't it," observed Barbara, "time to go in, maybe?"
Reaching the first floor landing, Trixie hesitated.
"Does anyone want a cuppa, or are you all headed for bed?"
Delia groaned inwardly, wondering how much longer she would have to wait before she would be granted the alone time with her beloved that she so desperately craved. Luck, or in this case Barbara, was on her side, however. The younger woman shook her head;
"Not for me thanks Trix, I am ready to go up."
"Hmm," muttered Delia casually, seizing the opportunity to piggy back, "me neither, champagne always seems to render me fit for nothing other than bed," she commented, her face the picture of innocence. Patsy disguised her giggle of disbelief at her girlfriend's brazenness with an exaggerated cough, as they all continued up the second flight of stairs.
"You are so naughty," chuckled Patsy, closing the bedroom door firmly behind her.
Delia grinned.
"I don't know what you mean. Am I to be held responsible for your errant mind, Ms Mount?" she commented slyly.