I could feel everyone's eyes upon us as we walked back into the Grand hall, we took our seats and Alex and Mary came in behind us, they were seated at the same table across from me. I tried my hardest to ensure I didn't make eye contact with them, if I did I was sure to burst into tears, and I daren't cry. I hadn't cried in nearly 2 years, what was the point no one was there for me to listen, and I couldn't show weakness, those Vultures prayed on weakness.
I ate quietly, Frank occasionally touching me under the table, there was nothing I could do, but let him, but I felt their eyes on me, and everyone else. Not that I really cared about everyone else, but My Aunt and Uncle, that was different, I was embarrassed.
When we finished eating the waitress came round to ask who wanted to desert, I knew not to answer, it was Frank's decision, everything that was to happen was to be his decision.
"We won't bother with desert" he said, he laughed and looked at me with a wink and a quick glance to my Aunt and Uncle "we will have our desert upstairs in the hotel room" he said, and my eyes darted to the pattern on the table cover, and my face glowed a vivid shade of red that matched my dress. He stood, and I followed him up to the room.
Three hours later, I was scared, I had been in sexual situations that were rough, but that was beyond anything I had ever encountered before. I looked over and noticed he was asleep, I wanted out, as far away from him as I could get from him. I got out of the bed and quickly got dressed, as fast, but as quietly as was possible. I grabbed my bag, and crept down to reception. The few people who did see me stared, my face was bleeding and I knew I was going to have a few bruises in the morning.
I approached the man on the reception desk. "Can, I help you?" he asked drearily.
"I'm looking for someone, Alex and Mary Fenshaw? I think they are staying here"
He looked on the computer and smiled. "Yes they are staying here" he confirmed.
"Can you tell me their room number, please" I asked politely, hoping he would, I glanced behind me again, hoping that Frank was still asleep in the room, and hadn't noticed my disappearing act.
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you that" he said abruptly.
"Please, I'm their niece" I said as I pulled my passport out of my bag. I always carried it, mainly because I was only 19, but looked about 16 or 17 and was constantly asked for ID everywhere I went.
"I'm sorry" he reiterated.
"Well can you phone them please" he did that and once they had confirmed who I was, he led me to their room.
I had just finished telling Katie about my experience and how I had been found by our Uncle on Valentines day 1989, but I hadn't quiet finished the story. I knew Katie knew I had been a prostitute, but she didn't understand the implications that had on me, until tonight.
"Did you live with Uncle Alex after that?" she asked me.
"I did for a little while, it was his idea for me to change name, and I lived with him and Auntie Mary for just over a year. I stayed and rested for a few months, and in September went to College to do my A levels"
"Rachel, why did you not just go there to start, when Dad and my Mum drove you out?"
I wish I had done that, my live might have been different, better even, but I would never know, and now, I had a good life, a good job, lots of money, nice car.
"Because they told me not to, your Mum could be a very persuasive woman, she turned everything around to make it my fault, and when I went back to stay with Uncle Alex, he had stopped talking to Dad and Kimberly, and Mel, well she had been shipped off to boarding school"
"But Dad, he was always so nice to me, why was he so horrible to you?"
"Oh honey, it wasn't Dad, he was blinded by love for your mum, he would have done anything she said"
"I'm not like her, am I?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice, but Katie was nothing like her Mum, she was such a kind girl.
"No honey, your nothing like her" I kissed her head, and she smiled at me, it reminded me of her as a little girl, she still was a little girl to me.
Once I knocked the door, my Aunt answered, and I gave her a huge hug, and sobbed, I was safe, but I had no idea what I was going to do the next day.
Uncle Alex and Auntie Mary were so kind, they let me stay with them that night, Uncle Alex wanted to call the police, but I was having none of it, I was scared the other girls would get into any sort of trouble. Once I had a nice bath, I fell asleep.