“Jane! You're back early!” was all I could find to say.
“Not all that much-it's just on five.”
“How-how long have you been in?” asked Stella faintly, stretching the halter across her breasts and tying it at the back.
“Oh, about half an hour, I suppose.”
I remembered my swim-suit and pulled it up to a more decent position. I desperately wanted to look at Jane's face to see what sort of expression she had-her voice gave nothing away-but I couldn't risk meeting her eyes just then. Had she watched us coming up the path? And, much worse-had she seen us down on the beach? She would only have had to look down from the top of the steps. I wanted time to think; I brushed past her, heading for the bedroom.
“Start getting tea, darling,” I tried to infuse lightness into my voice, but it sounded flat and hoarse. “I'll come and help as soon as I'm dressed.”
I went into the bedroom and stripped off my costume, numbly towelled off the surplus lotion. As I stepped into a pair of panties, Stella came in.
“Oh. Stella-what am I going to do now? Did she say anything after I came in here?”
“Nothing much. I asked her if she'd enjoyed her trip round Bridlington and if she had had a good lunch and she said she had, that's all. I must say, though-she sounded just a little bit peculiar: sort of preoccupied. But did she ogle me! Wow! — those hot little eyes of hers or, rather, big eyes! Did you notice the hot looks she was throwing at our bare titties before we covered up?”
“I was too shocked to notice anything.”
“Rita- you have one very sexy little girl on your hands!”
“She's got a very sexy mother on hers!” I said ruefully. “Did she say anything else?”
“Only that she was going to start getting tea, then she went into the kitchen. Come on-let's get dressed and have tea. Don't brood on it, darling; try and act as though nothing had happened-if she sees you looking all worried, she definitely will suspect something. She may not have noticed anything — we don't really know for sure.”
“She must have seen our antics as we came up the path-and she couldn't have missed my kissing you where I did.”
“That could have been in fun.”
“But supposing she looked down at us when we were on the beach-nobody could mistake that for fun!”
“We could go on supposing all night, Rita. Look- if she saw us, there's nothing we can do about it now. My advice is not to say anything or do anything that looks like you might be worried. Anyway, even if she did see us on the beach, she'll probably have forgotten all about it after she's gone back to school. Be thankful we didn't go any further than kissing and squeezing each others tits down there. We just might get away with that, but it would have spelt real disaster if we'd been groping for what we've got between our legs!”
We dressed, not bothering with stockings or suspender-belts, and I took a deep breath, as we went to the door.
“Now remember,” Stella cautioned. “Try and act as normally as possible-that little action coming up the path could be explained away as fun; so, but at it pinch, I'll admit, could the beach episode-if she saw it.”
We went out and joined Jane in getting tea. I did my best during the meal, to make light conversation, but kept stealing glances at my daughter, trying to read what lay behind her expression. Stella came frequently to the rescue when I flagged or when the silence began to drag on too long. Jane's conversation was monosyllabic, but that wasn't an unusual occurrence especially towards the end of a holiday.
We got through the meal somehow and cleared a way. Stella stood at the window, looking out to sea, watching the golden clouds take on a reddish hue as evening drew near.
“I know!” She turned from the window as Jane switched on the radio. “How about a nice little drive blow away the cobwebs? There's still plenty of time before it gets dark. There's a nice public house about five miles from here; it has a garden at the back-the three of us could sit out there and have a drink. What do you like, Jane — lemonade! With perhaps a little dash of port for kicks?”
Jane didn't get wildly enthusiastic, but I saw her eyes open with interest, which was the most encouraging thing that had happened since we'd come back from our swim.
“If you'd like to,” she murmured.
“No-if you'd like to! This is your week-end, darling.” Stella smiled, flickering an eye-lid at me. “Would you?” she pressed.
“Yes-I think I'd like that.” She smiled, then. “And if I could have a lump of ice with it.”
“Whatever you want, my pet,” laughed Stella, both of us exchanging looks of relief.
I sat in the back, and, remembering the peeking I had done earlier, watched my daughter sitting beside Stella. I'm afraid she reminded me of me-if anything. Perhaps a little more blatant about it! It seemed that every other minute that blonde head was turning and ogling Stella's thighs; I wasn't sure whether I was annoyed, jealous-or both! Stella was wearing an even more clinging and shorter dress than she had before we went for our swim, and I knew she only had panties and bra underneath, so Jane was getting her money's worth!
I found I was looking at the scantily-clad female holiday-makers with new eyes. There were two or three dozen of them in the big garden at the back of the pub. Waiters flitted from table to table collecting and delivering orders and the inside bars were crowded.
The tables were spaced out on a close-cropped lawn the size of a tennis-court and surrounded by well-pruned trees, strung with lights ready for darkness.
Stella leaned towards me as Jane's attention was distracted.
“Look at that thing at my elbow-or have you seen it already?”
“What thing?”
“Here behind me.” She moved her eyes to indicate the direction. “She moved round behind you, now.”
I looked round quickly, not quite sure what I was looking for and nearly stuck my nose into one of the largest female bottoms I'd ever seen! I drew back and took stock as she turned to talk to a male companion. She must have been about six feet tall and had everything outsize to match. All she more were a pair of shorts and a silk scarf across her breasts, which stuck outwards and upwards like massive footballs. She couldn't have been more than about twenty-five or so.
“I actually had my elbow up her arse.”
“Stella!”
“True-she came too close and I turned and it went right between the cheeks; she apologised, too.”
“I hadn't noticed.”
“I know — you were too busy watching the other talent that abounds! How would you like to have her in bed, eh?”
“I don't think I'd know much about it-she could lay you out with one swipe of those great breasts!”
“I was nearly raped by a woman of her size once; she caught me in a toilet with my pants down. It was my own fault, really I was silly enough to have a drink in a pub frequented by lesbians, on the more sleazy side of London. You know-one of those moods when one takes a fancy to see how 'the other half live'. I suppose she noticed me eyeing one or two of the better looking locals and thought I was trying to get a pick-up for a few kicks.
“Well, I went to have a pee, and, of course, it had to be one of the places that don't have any locks on the doors. I was just squeezing out the last drops, when in walks this character. I got up and made a grab at my pants but I wasn't nearly quick enough; I hadn't got them half way up my legs when she had a great hamlike hand over my poor little cunny-.her hand covered the whole lot, including half my bottom! I don't know if you've ever had someone grab you there-I mean when you don't want it-but it's a revolting sensation-humiliating, too. Then she was trying to kiss me. Ugh! I'll never forget that horrible, beery breath!
“Things went from bad to worse; she started trying to push a finger up me. I screamed, then, and several people came in-including the publican! I got out feeling unclean, but lucky. I went straight home and soaked for hours in the bath, blushing every time I thought of all those people-a man included-seeing me with my knickers down and another woman's hand pawing me between my…”
“What are you two whispering about?” Jane's attention had come back to us. I began to feel uncomfortable again, when she added: “Something that I shouldn't know about?”
“I was just telling your mother about something that happened to me a long time ago.”
“Exciting?”
“Definitely not! Shall we have another drink before we go?” Stella was already catching the eye of a waiter. By the time she had given the order, Jane's mind had wandered off the subject.
However, the subject having been brought back rather spoilt the rest of the trip for me. I started to notice something else, then-Jane kept eyeing me when she thought I wasn't noticing, and she had the most peculiar expression on her face. I began to wish I was sitting behind her in the car. When we got back, I wished it were bed-time, so that I could shut myself in with Stella and not have to face those eyes.
I had convinced myself by now that she had seen everything that afternoon-even when we were down on the beach. I had also convinced myself that she had enough knowledge about the sexes to know what was going on between her mother and Stella.
By the time Jane went off to her room, I was feeling like a criminal.
“Come on, darling-I know what will pull you right.” She poured two stiff whiskies and handed me one; lit two cigarettes and stuck one in my mouth. Taking me by the arm, she led me into the bedroom, locking the door after us. “Now sit down there and talk it out of your system-by the time we've finished our cigarettes talk ceases, action starts. By the way-I have a surprise, for you and I don't want you all broody!”
“I won't be, Stella,” I smiled. “Even though this whole business about Jane has me worried sick I know I shall still enjoy our love-making-is that strange?”
“Of course it isn't; sex is as important as eating and drinking. One only ceases to want them when one is approaching the suicide stage-and it isn't nearly as serious as that.”
She sat on the bed beside me. “Is there anything you think I could do-any advice you want to ask? I'll do anything-after all, it was really me who got you into this in the first place; I practically raped you.”
“Oh, shut up! It became mutual before it got to the rape stage-how can you rape a willing woman? You gave me something I hadn't known I'd wanted before. That's all.” I finished the whisky and reached over to stub out my cigarette in the ash tray by the bed.
“And that's your talking time run out!” grinned Stella.
“Oh, all right, then.” I stood up, hands on hips and struck a sexy pose for her, pushing one hip out, “Now I suppose we strip for action?”
“Talk, if you want to-if it helps.”
“There's nothing to talk about and it certainly won't help. I'd rather forget it for tonight-and this is about the only way I can.”
“All right-strip!” Stella bounded up from the bed and began to struggle out of her dress while I did likewise. Once stripped to the buff and seeing Stella in all her naked glory, erotic excitement rapidly pushed all other worries from my mind. I pulled Stella to me for a long kiss, running my hands up and down her back, squeezing her plump bottom-cheeks, pressing myself to her to get as close as possible to that soft warmth.
“I must go to the toilet before we go any further, darling-won't be a minute.” She slipped on her negligee and went out.
To make myself as desirable as I could for her, combed my hair and quickly repaired my make-up being purposely a little heavy-handed with the lip-stick. I gave myself a spray, in the most important places, of my favourite perfume and drew an admiring “wow” when she came back. She looked closely at my car-mined lips, had a peck at them and sniffed deeply.
“Darling-you're taking a hell of a chance! I was randy to start with, now I'm nearly boiling over- you could get scalded! By the way-do you want to pee before we lock the door for the night? You should-sex is better with an empty bladder and you don't want to have to get up in the middle of the night. Off you go!”
“I suppose I could manage a few drops.” I covered my nakedness and went to the toilet. As I passed Jane's door on the way back, I hesitated, then decided I ought to look in on her. I opened her door and poked my head inside. She was sitting up in bed reading.
“Came to tuck you up, darling,” I said, going over to her. “Not sleepy yet?”
“I was just going to lie down,” she answered, putting her book on the bed-side table.
“I can tuck you up, then?”
“If you want to.”
“Of course I want to, darling whatever made you think I didn't?” And whatever made me choose those words? I mentally kicked myself.
“Oh, I–I just thought you didn't have time for me.” She kept her face averted as she slid down under the covers.
“I've got all the time in the world for my own little Jane. I love you.” I pulled the clothes up to her chin, but she pushed them down again to her waist.
“Do you-really?”
“You know I do.” I sat on the bed and leaned over her. “I love you very much, and don't you ever think otherwise.”
I looked down at the pool of blonde hair surrounding her pretty face, her swan-like neck and the young buds of her breasts, glowing palely through her thin nylon nightie.
“All of you, my darling.”
“Kiss me good-night, then.”
I bent and kissed her; her arms went round my neck and she pulled her head hack to look up at me.
“Hold me as well-tight!” I slipped my arms under her back and pressed her to me as our lips met. Then my heart was suddenly thundering as she started to suck on my mouth, tongue flicking across my lips, trying to get between them. I started to pull away, but she clung to me. I managed to pull my head back.
“No, darling-no,” I panted. “We mustn't…”
“Darling,” she whispered, in a tone I had never heard from her before. It had the depth of passion in it that only a woman's should have. “Darling,” she whispered again, as she stifled my protests with her mouth.
She knows, I thought. She knows all about Stella and I She saw everything that went on down on the beach this afternoon. If I try to be firm with her, it will all come out. What will I say to her? What can I say? Whatever it was, it could only make things worse. My own daughter would be accusing me of being a lesbian!
No, I couldn't face that. Let me get over this week and it will give me time to think while she's away at school. I let her go on kissing; even when her tongue forced its way between my lips and licked around inside.
I didn't move as her arms slipped from my neck and her hands fumbled at the front of my waist, undoing the sash of my negligee and pulling it open. Her hands went inside to cup my breasts and I stifled a moan of shame as she gently pinched the nipples. The whole time her mouth never left mine for a second, constantly sucking.
Then she was reaching down between us, pulling her nightie up to her neck. Finally, her hands went inside my negligee, her arms this time going right round my back and pulling me hard down so that my bared breasts were flattened against hers.
We lay there like that for what seemed ages: I felt our nipples in full erection, hot and pulsing on our heaving breasts. And all the time her mouth kept sucking on my lips. Her hands wandered down to my bottom, stroked over the cheeks, taut with the position of half sitting and half laying over her. She squeezed hard, stroked down one hip and along my thigh. I tensed as her fingers traced tingling lines back up the thigh and stopped near the top, moved inwards across the lower part of my stomach, paused at the pubic hair.
Surely I couldn't allow this, I thought, no matter what the cost. I steeled myself for her next move, then almost went limp with relief as her hand moved away from the danger area. She made me gasp with a hug and then she had pulled her head back and released me.
I stood up shakily; both of us were breathing heavily and I saw her little nipples erect and dark pink with her emotion. She pulled her nightie down and I re-tied the sash at my waist.
“Good-night, now,” she said huskily, sliding between the sheets. “Good-night, darling.” I waited for her to add “mummy,” but she didn't.
“Good-night, Jane.” I almost choked, as I switched off her light and left the room. I had almost closed the door when she called “Mummy.”
“Yes, dear?”
“We don't want to disturb Stella-will you come to my room to give me my cuddle in the morning, please?”
Now I was getting my orders! I heaved a sigh of resignation.
“Yes. Jane.”
“And mummy! You won't dress until afterwards, will you? Just your nightie will do.”
“Yes Jane!”
I closed the door and leaned against the jamb with my head spinning. Where was this all going to end? How was it all going to end? Yes, Jane; no Jane-three bags full, Jane!