"How do I look?"Annabelle asked her lover anxiously. For all her confident talk earlier on, she couldn't help but let her feelings show. She'd decided against letting Simone know just how she felt about the house she'd grown up in during her teens after leaving Arkansas behind together with her close childhood Pamela Courson. A faint trace of rage pulsed through her which she tried to ignore. Now wasn't the time to bring up old scores even if the wounds weren't properly healed.
"You look absolutely amazing. You look as if you'd spent two weeks in a health spa," Simone honestly confessed with her natural enthusiasm. It was curious but she'd never had the chance to examine her lover in this way. Days on the beach had given her a golden tone to her skin and the dyed streaks in her hair had mellowed out to leave her brown hair naturally glossy with blondish tints. Her eyes looked clear and fresh and she had a natural inner glow that exuded from her being. Her simple short white dress with the v-neck front and her slip on sandals showed her devastatingly simple beauty to the best advantage. All she needed was a touch of make up and lipstick to finish off."What do you think I should wear? You're the expert."
"My choice is that white lace dress you wore at the party. It looks classy and, besides, it's a favourite of mine."
"Meaning that you ripped it off my back so you could indulge me in my first real lesbian love-making,"riposted Simone with a twinkle in her eye. "In case you wondered, darling I loved Amanda to distraction but never went 'all the way' with her. I was the strong one in the relationship but not that strong."
"Hey cool. That makes me feel really good that you trusted to me that night. I guess you've had boyfriends though like that guy at the party...," Annabelle replied, her face lighting up before a stray memory of the party caused her face to cloud over. Her astute minded lover read the younger woman's thoughts and rapidly stepped in.
"They don't count. They really, really don't count. Amanda is the only one even halfway matching up to you. Trust me."
"In that case, honey,you simply must wear that white dress. It looks misleadingly innocent," Annabelle replied, a big beaming smile illuminating her face. The earnest way that Simone spoke convinced her utterly. Both women now knew very well that there was absolutely no need to talk about Michael, the teacher at St Paul's Catholic School whom Simone had been dating before the end of year party.
Simone laughed softly at her lover's lightning quick shift in perceptions before another concern struck her.
"What about my hair? I have real trouble with the way it curls. Perhaps I ought to put it up?"
"Definitely not," pronounced Annabelle emphatically."I really love the way your hair falls round your face. You only put it up when you're feeling insecure and want to be in charge like when you're teaching. You sit down and I'll fix it for you."
Simone submitted to Annabelle's perceptive insight and the way she lovingly ministered to her hair. It made her feel comforted and secure. Finally, they were as ready as they ever would be.
They skipped their way up the flight of steps to that they saw as their car. There it stood, gleaming and polished in the sunshine and the younger woman gestured to Simone to take the wheel and passed over the car keys. Pretty soon, they were speeding southwards along the beauties of the coast road until there came the turnoff to the left down the tree shaded minor roads.
As they were going along, Annabelle had an uneasy feeling stealing over her. As she thought about it, it was as if she was living her life on wide screen and her most heartfelt love had propelled her along this road until she'd picked up the newspaper which told her, joy of joys, that her darling lover had been freed. Now she was reversing this route, she had this horrible feeling that this film was being inexorably reversed. Could it be that this had happened less than a week ago? An overwhelming sense of panic suddenly swelled up inside her, making her feel sick and faint.
"Stop the car Simone."
Immediately, the alert woman slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a halt in the middle of the beautiful rural scenery. To Simone's alarm, her lover's face was white and clammy and she was taking short, jerky breaths of air. She resisted the temptation to hug her lover and opted to put her arm round her lover's shoulders and clasp her hand with her free hand. She knew exactly what the matter was.
"Just take it easy, darling. We're stopping right here. I'll look after you for always," she said in the most soothing tone of voice she could summon up.
Her actions had its effect. Annabelle lay back in her car seat, looking up at the overhead trees and feeling her lover's warmth and comfort. As her breathing started to return to normal, she unclipped her seat belt and moved into Simone's waiting arms. She clung on tight, both oblivious of the car behind as it zoomed past them, the driver tut tutting about the two crazy women blocking the road.
"Don't get me wrong but I had this crazy idea I was being taken back to my parents. I really freaked out. I'm not some neurotic," Annabelle said shakily into her lover's ear. Simone could still feel the tremors running through the younger woman's body. She resolved that if they were a little late, that wasn't a big deal. Annabelle's emotions
were the most precious thing on earth.
"Honey, I know you're not. Wild horses could drag you away from me," Simone murmured, running her hands through her lover's long sleek hair. The suspension of time , Simone's calming nature and her emotional and physical reassurance finally had its effect.
"I look terrible. Just give me time to fix my makeup and I'll be ready," the younger woman said in a more confident tone of voice as she kissed Simone on her cheek. She became conscious of a gentle breeze and the beauties of the countryside. She reached for her makeup bag and leisurely attended to herself. She blessed the fact that not one hint of the need to hurry up emanated from this very kind-hearted understanding woman.
Simone started the engine and drove them gently down the road. Annabelle gave regular and precise directions as her way of centring herself. It started to dawn on her
that her lover's panic attack was well-founded. She wasn't sure what she was letting herself in for and suspected that Annabelle had been being very nicely solicitous in withholding the worst when they talked matters over earlier on. Finally, she caught sight of a long grey wall and a set of wrought iron gates which a nudge from Annabelle announced that they'd arrived at their destination.
"We'll stop outside and walk in through the gates so to get the feel of the place," Simone said in a deliberately casual manner, keeping half an eye on her lover."Just remember, I'm new to this situation so give me a little time to tune in. Don't forget," added Simone very quickly, sensing the momentary panic stricken look on Annabelle's face and squeezing her lover's hand," if you stumble, I'll pick you up. If I stumble, you'll pick you up. Ready?"
"I'm ready. I'll phone my mother to say we're here so she'll open the gates," Annabelle replied, her voice gaining confidence with something to do. Sure enough, the faintest sounds announced that the gates were folding in on themselves and Simone took in the palatial country house for the first time. Her jaw hung open. Her own parent's house was large enough and built in the traditional white clapboard Americana style but this was one huge step towards unbridled luxury. An immaculately pebbled drive was flanked by a wooden garden seat on either side, a geometrically precisely cut privet bush leading off to the left . A fir tree on the right and a wide, low brick built mansion with a Roman porch in the front, small gabled windows in the roof and two symmetrically placed brick chimney stacks and either side, a wing of similar design. Simone sensed the existence of rolling gardens behind the mansion and on either side extending back miles. This mansion felt like a different world, splendidly detached from anything outside the wrought iron door. Simone sensed that it greedily and seductively swallowed up everything that came within its reach and mocked the possibility of mild criticism of its pretensions. Despite the obvious beauty, it made her shiver inside, especially as the wrought iron doors swung silently back and clicked shut behind them.
"It's a house, not a home like our place is. Don't let it throw you, Simone. We'll get out when we want,"Annabelle's quiet voice sounded next to her ear as they walked slowly up the drive.
Simone smiled briefly at her partner's sensitivity and her first thought was to admire Annabelle in escaping this wall to wall security in cadging a lift off Cat Pegrum's brother so she could retrieve her car from St Theresa's. The two women took heart and aimed for the front door, looking neither to the left nor the right of the. Suddenly, a thought crossed Annabelle's mind. She hadn't got a front door key or even if she possessed one as she'd left her holdall behind. Simone spotted the solid wrought iron knocker on the brown front door, the porch hanging high over their heads and gave it a smart tat tat tat. A few minutes later, it swung noiselessly open and a Negro maid silently greeted them, pointing the way to the right.
Instantly, the two women were swallowed up by this museum atmosphere of total stillness which seemed to suck at their souls. Annabelle immediately felt tense but, seeing her lover start to fiddle at her neck where her crucifix used to hang, squeezed her lover's hand quickly.
"I think I know where we'll be going," Annabelle said quietly." Follow me."
Simone's heels clicked on the tiled floor while Annabelle's sandals paced lightly over them. Passing through the accumulated wealth of decades, they found themselves in this vast room where everything had to be most severely in its place. The sheer homeliness of their small beach house would have fitted inside any two of this large mansion. They sat down in a constrained manner on a small two-seater settee and waited for the silently pacing maid to bring Annabelle's parents. Finally, a middle sized woman with immaculately tendered blond bob, wearing an elegant blue trouser suit and high heels came in out of some dim corridor and took her place. Immediately, Simone became hyper conscious of the woman's intimidating coldness of manner.
"Your father sends his apologies, Annabelle,"Senator Tillman said in distant tones, scarcely acknowledging Simone's presence."He has a most important meeting with the board of directors but he has given me instructions on how to handle the matters before us. I think I can safely speak for him. "
Jesus, Simone thought, at her coldest, the Mother Immaculata radiated heat like the sun by contrast as Annabelle mouthed a meaningless greeting, the tremor of her hand indicating a suppressed emotion. She immediately decided that emotional appeals to this woman's better nature would be wasted as there wasn't such a better side to her. Only after a little while, she turned her condescending attention to Simone.
"I'd heard quite a bit about you, Ms Bradley. My position gives me access to a lot of information. Don't you think it's unusual, possibly ill-advised for you, a mature early thirties woman to associate with an eighteen year girl who's barely more than a child?" Mrs Tillman said in her coldest, most severe tones.
Simone's sidelong glance at Annabelle took in at once how this malicious criticism got to her lover and she disregarded her earlier promise to gradually tune into the situation. She
took fire at once and launched into a counter-strike against this cold fish.
"Your remark betrays your total ignorance of your daughter. For your information, Annabelle is a mature woman whose understanding, intelligence and maturity is way ahead of her years. In terms of real emotional age, we come out level pegging. I'm really sorry for you that you have as little understanding after all the years she's been under your roof."
"You've obviously seen her on her best behaviour," Mrs Tillman replied not emotionally moved in the slightest."I'm sure the novelty and romantic gloss will wear off over time. I've seen the troublesome side of Annabelle Tillman, believe me."
"Maybe Simone and I get on and you and I don't. You'd better realise that we've had a year to get to know each other pretty good. Since I've stopped at her place, a lot can happen in a week," put in Annabelle.
"Haven't you even seen how well she's looking?"Simone asked incredulously."Plenty of sun, sea and...sand and making music."
Mrs Tillman blinked first at the her daughter replied in precise measured tones and spring heeled logic. Annabelle had kept a very low profile between leaving St Theresa's and moving to Simone's so her last real contact before then was nearly a year ago when she'd screamed down the phone at her after being mildly reproved by Simone in class. This creature was a stranger and it unsettled her as it threatened her sense of control. As a Senator, highly used to the power she wielded, her portentous utterances were never questioned amongst her circle, being wrapped around by a candy floss layer of like minded people while underlings cowered in the fear of the slightest look of displeasure. Her word was law and slipping back into the messy world of family situations offended her fastidious that reason, she never spotted Simone's near fatal gaffe, something that Annabelle spotted a mile away.
"You know, Ms Bradley, you were lucky not to be tried and convicted for sexually molesting an under age girl. You must be very grateful for the guardian angel who was looking after you. The best that can be said about the situation is that thank God you'll never teach again."
This sly calculated manipulation got Simone shaking inside with anger. She hadn't bargained for this. Annabelle saw that she had to step up to the mark and she borrowed a lot from Simone's debating technique. After all, she's seen it in action close up.
"Simone and I have been doing our homework. I know that the Mother Immaculata wouldn't have wanted a scandal to ruin the school's reputation, one involving her niece and the daughter of a bigshot senator . You wanted to bust Simone but you couldn't do it without the Mother Immaculata's evidence. I'm turning eighteen day after tomorrow and we'll have the perfect right to live together and you know it."
Those quiet words took Mrs Tillman totally aback. She realised that this teacher might be privy to all sorts of dark secrets that lay behind the walls of the prim Catholic School. As usual, she bottled down her feelings so nothing showed on the outside. She felt fortunate that her politician's experience of acting like someone else helped her but for all that, she sensed that, right now everything hung in the balance and the final outcome wasn't certain.