The girls gathered on him, with a sigh of relief. Somehow, this loving physical act dissipated the air of tense expectancy which had built up. The three of them spent nearly five minutes in hugs and kisses.
“Jane my darling, are you excited about where we are now, and where things are going?”
“Very,” replied Jane, “I think you’re leading us toward something beautiful and wonderful.”
“Alison my darling, how about you?”
“I’m walking on air, Ron. It is all amazing,” said Alison.
“It’s time to deal with the elephant by me telling you how we got here. Remember just what we have done in the last thirty six hours; the excitement we feel about what is happening, and what is going to happen. Hang on to that, because unless we all share an understanding of what’s happened to get us here, then the elephant will hang around.”
I won’t dwell on the details,” said Ron, “You know what happened, but you don’t know all of what it did to me. I think you had glimpses, and felt awkward and maybe a bit guilty. I became something of a spectre. I was suddenly cut off from ordinary physical affection and touch. There was frost. There’s no need for me to say more on that than I said on Friday afternoon. However, I slid deeper and deeper into a very dark place. There seemed nothing I could do, to turn things around. So, it got blacker and blacker.”
“It wasn’t that I wanted to turn the clock back, it was that I wanted to be a part of something. There was no overt exclusion, other than the bedroom and anything physical, but I began to feel unwanted.”
Jane and Alison listened, with a growing sense of misery, horror and remorse. Each time one made to speak, Ron smiled and held up his hand. They waited.
“Remember my darlings, what we now have,” said Ron softly. “It could only have been born out of pain.”
“I reached a point, by the end of February, of being very calm and relaxed. The abyss beckoned me like a friend, and I was ready. I was ready to go from one blackness to another. So I took a walk up Greygarth Hill to begin to let go of things. But then an extraordinary thing happened.”
“I was sat on the big slab, when the angels arrived.”
Jane and Alison watched, in wonder, as a huge smile spread over Ron’s face. It was as if he was recalling a dream.
“No! Not celestial ones with wings and harps. Real people, a couple standing in front of me. A beautiful voice, with a French accent, spoke.
“Hello, I am Marie Odette, and this is my husband James. You have a sad dark face mister man sitting by himself, so we will sit and listen to you. Will you talk to us about your sadness, and let us listen to your story?”
“I poured out everything to these strangers. I cried until I was empty. James had his arm around me and Marie Odette held my hands. It was the warmest touch I had felt for a very long time, except when Viv called to see us briefly last year.”
“Then Marie Odette told me the amazing story of her life. She told me of Mama and Papa and Celeste. Celeste had always been there, as long as she could remember, and she loved her as much as Mama and Papa. One day, when she was sixteen, she came home early from school and discovered Papa and Celeste making love. She was about to run out of the house when Mama caught hold of her. She led her into the kitchen for a talk. Then Mama had brought Celeste in, and her very embarrassed Papa.”
“Marie Odette told me to learn, and I did. I needed to stop thinking of my misery, and think instead of how to make the new reality something we could share. If I was to be celibate, then so be it. There had to be a way in which we could share our lives, and, at that point in time, I was perhaps the one standing in the way of that happening.”
“James talked to me about the importance of timing, which is why I have waited so long. I needed to be able to open the conversation from a position of strength. Not strength born out of power, more of you two being vulnerable, and needing to listen. Then Marie Odette said something which gave me the strength to go another mile, and then more, and so here we are my darlings.”
He stood and opened his arms wide.
“It’s time for another round of hugs, I think,” he said, with a gentle smile.
Jane and Alison were crying.
“Ron,” said Jane, “I never meant to shut you out like that. I love you and I’m so sorry. I had no idea. I didn’t mean to be so horrid. You were so gracious and gentle. I didn’t know how to love Ali and you, in the same way at the same time. What can I, I mean what can we do, to make it up to you?
“Jane, Alison, I love you both. We’ve got there. There is no more you have to do, except forget about guilt. You were forgiven the moment I understood what Marie Odette was saying. It didn’t mean that I wasn’t still angry and hurt, but I had hope.
What we have now could not have happened without me going through the darkness. You both needed to know that, to understand where all this has come from. So now, the elephant is leaving the room, and we don’t have to pretend anymore, that he isn’t there.”
“Ron,” asked Alison quietly, “may I ask two questions? What did Marie Odette say, that gave you strength, and what would have happened if we hadn’t listened?”
“Marie Odette said, ‘Life is a great gift from God. A gift, once given, becomes yours to do with as you will; and that includes giving it back. Before you give it back, make sure you have explored all the alternatives. If you had rejected me, then I would have given the gift back to God.”
The girls were horror struck.
“But, I love you both,” cried Ron. “I needed to plan, and to be able to show you what I meant. I couldn’t just ask you to sit down and talk about this. You would probably have backed away, and just become more furtive. Much as I was, at the time, upset at catching you on Friday, I knew it gave me the best chance of you listening for long enough to hear what I had to say. Thank you, my darlings.”
“Look at the new rings on our fingers. They would not be there, if I hadn’t been to that dark place and met Marie Odette and James. So, let’s smile and laugh my loves. Let’s hold each other tight and shout ‘I love you’, but shout loudly, because the elephant has left the room, and it won’t hear us otherwise.”
Tears ran down their cheeks as they laughed and they shouted, and pledged themselves again.
“Janie,” shouted Alison, “when will the lamb be ready?”
“Two o’clock, but good until four if I check the stock. Why?”
“Let’s be giddy! Let’s take a bottle of bubbly up to the top of Greygarth Hill, and drink a toast.”
“Yoh!” cried Ron, “I‘ll get the bottle and stuff while you check the oven.”
Forty minutes later they spread a blanket on a knoll near the top of the hill, where they could look down on Greygarth House. Ron got out the Bollinger, a pack of plastic cups, and some nibbles.
“I brought a second bottle, in case we feel really giddy,” said Ron. “I’d better be careful where I point this. It’s been a bit shaken in the walk up the hill.”
Ron was just removing the foil from the bottle when he suddenly froze. He had a look of amazement on his face, which transformed into a huge grin and a laugh. He put the bottle down, and started to run towards the top. The girls watched in surprise, as he had a quick conversation with a couple which dissolved into a huge embrace, with much cheek kissing.
“Not sure I’m ready for menage a cinq,” said Jane.
They stood up, as Ron pulled the couple toward them.
“Jane and Ali, my darlings, let me introduce you to Marie Odette and James; the authors of our happiness and delight.”
Jane and Alison flung themselves on the newcomers in excitement. The champagne flowed. Privately Odette had thought that if she ever came across the ‘sad man’ again, it would be a report of his tragic end. Now, she was revelling in their obvious happiness. She felt like a mid-wife who had been present at both conception and birth.
James had proposed their toast, “The Greygarth menage a trois!”
They parted, with some regret. Marie Odette and James had been visiting his aunt, but were returning to Lyon the next day. They visited quarterly, and they all reflected on the odds of their having had two encounters.
“It is called ‘Grace’,” said Marie Odette, simply.
Contact details were shared, and an open invitation to stay at Greygarth was made. It was a bit cramped staying with Aunty Mary at Laverton, James had confessed.
The giddy, happy mood continued while they enjoyed the lamb, which simply fell off the bone. Ron had opened a bottle of Nuit St Georges.
“Did you hear Marie Odette telling James that one menage a trois in the family was quite enough?” asked Alison.
“Yes,” said Jane, “and I heard him tell her not to worry. One wife was all he could cope with, and he expected Ron to retreat to a monastery occasionally.”
“That raises an interesting point,” Alison went on. “What are we to each other? I mean, you two are still husband and wife. Am I a second wife? Janie, do you have a husband and a wife now? Do I have a wife and a husband, or am I a mistress to you both?”
“An interesting thought,” said Ron. “Not a mistress, because that implies an inferior relationship somewhere. We are equal in this.”
“How about ‘concubine’,” suggested Alison. “I’m not sure of the definition though.
“Definitely not!” said Jane. “Concubines were recognised in history, but it was a form of slavery.”
“They were also ‘owned’ and that, most definitely, is not the case here,” said Ron.
“I like the idea Ali my love,” said Jane, “that you and I each have a husband and a wife. Poor old Ron, he only has wives.”
“I’ll cope,” said Ron, in a mock resigned manner.
“We hope you do,” responded Alison, with a giggle.
“When we toasted ‘the Greygarth Menage a Trois’ it was like toasting the ‘Bride and Groom’ at a wedding,” said Ron. “Nothing can change our legal status, but we can have a different psych for ourselves. I think I would like to find a way in which we can do something that marks our commitment, even though it cannot be a wedding.”
“We ‘came out’ with Marie Odette and James, this afternoon, and it felt so good,” said Jane. “We have told someone; there won’t be many people we can tell. I hope we get a blessing from Viv and Susan. I expect we wouldn’t from Beth, so we might keep her in the dark. If we do get support from Viv and Susan, perhaps they can put something together for us?”
“Oh! I do hope so,” said Alison, “that would be wonderful. Where shall we go for our honeymoon?”
Ali my darling,” said Ron, “may I take your wife to bed with me tonight?”
“Certainly Ron, in fact I insist you do. I shall bring you both a cup of tea in the morning.
Ron and Jane lay cuddling and caressing.
“I’m sorry it has been so long my love,” whispered Jane.
“Shhh!” said Ron softly, “We don’t go there, remember? The elephant is gone. I love you Jane, and we are all going to have an amazing time loving each other.”
“I want to do something special for you Ron. I think we’re both pretty tired, but I am going to fuck you. Lie on your back for me, and just go with it.”
Ron lay back and Jane went to work on his cock with her mouth, while she played with her clit at the same time. Once she had him good and hard, she squatted over him, and guided his cock into her cunt. She began to move herself up and down, keeping the head of his cock close to the entrance of her cunt so she could give it the maximum stimulation. Ron felt the early build up and knew he would not last long. He began to buck his hips and thrust into her hard. She began to shudder as her own orgasm began to build.
“Shoot it inside me Ron, come on please, fill me with your cream.”
Ron gasped and grunted. He grabbed Jane’s thighs and held her still while he pumped. She ground against him and cried out, “Yess, yess – oh my God yes,” as she came at the same time.
It had not been a long bout of lovemaking, but that is what it had been. They had made love rather than simply have sex and it was beautiful for them both. As they came down from their highs they kissed, and pledged love for each other; and love to their darling wife, Alison.
“Sweet dreams Jane my darling, sweet dreams,” whispered Ron, as he realised they were both falling asleep.
“And you Ronnie my husband, and thank you for such a wonderful day.”
Monday
Ron woke first and lay just relishing the sensation of Jane being next to him – of not being alone. Very gently he ran his fingers up her spine and was rewarded by an appreciative moan. Jane turned toward him with her eyes still closed as one milking the last moments of sleep.
“Good morning my little love kitten,” said Ron softly.
Jane opened one eye and then the other and smiled. Her attempt to say ‘good morning’ got lost in a yawn and her second try was defeated by her lips being taken over by his in a long soft kiss. She slid her hand down across his tummy to take hold of his hardening cock. Breaking their kiss she moved under the cover to take him in her mouth. There was a gentle knock on the door, then in walked Alison carrying a tray of mugs of tea.
“Good morning my darling husband,” she said. “Is my wife hiding under the duvet or has she found something to play with?”
Jane emerged grinning.
“Well, I found something rather nice, but I’m sorry Ron, our wife has brought us a cup of tea and that takes priority.”
Alison put down the tray and kissed them both. She was wearing a loose wrap around silky robe that gaped beautifully as she leaned over.
“Did you sleep well Ali my darling?” asked Jane.
“Wonderfully thanks, once I drifted off. I was lying there thinking how wonderful it was to be actually living here and thinking of what I wanted to bring from Windyrigg. I must admit to being a little disorientated when I first woke up though. I’m so excited about having my own little room to entertain my wife and husband in.”
“Excuse me,” said Ron, “I need the loo.”
A few minutes later he returned to find the two girls entwined in each other.
“And what do you think you are doing with my wife,” he demanded in mock indignation.
“Which one of us are you talking to?” asked Jane, coming up for air.
“Just keeping her warm for you darling,” said Ali, “I’ll go and set the table for breakfast.”
“No, stay where you are and we’ll drink our tea and plan the day,” said Ron. I’m going to fire up the architect for a site meeting, so sometime over the next few days I want you two to sit down and look at the plans carefully. Is there anything you would like to change in the layout, or something you would like to add? I’m, going to start to warm up some builders with a view to an early start on the bathroom and your room Al.”
“Aren’t builders difficult to get hold of and pin down?” asked Alison.
“Not when Ron clicks his fingers they’re not,” said Jane. “Explain Ron!”
“The family trust has 87 properties of one sort or another, and this provides quite a lot of maintenance and development work from time to time. During the recession we knew the builders were suffering. As the trust is quite cash rich we brought a huge amount of work forward – about £2.4 million worth – to keep our chaps going. We deal with six firms principally, and I called them all together for lunch at the Crown, in the private dining room. I told them what we planned to do, and asked them what sort of work they needed to keep them going. The architect was there, with the QS making notes, and they all survived.”
“Two of them were facing ruin, as their banks were calling in their loans. I got our people to work out a deal and we re-financed them. The managers of HSBC and Nat West know they will never get any business from us again. I even went in to see Jackson at Nat West, and called him a bully, then we began shifting all the family trust accounts elsewhere, and that really hurt his figures. Lucy Chambers at the Clydesdale couldn’t believe her luck when I asked for a meeting with her and her regional director.”
“No darling, we won’t have any difficulty at all in getting builders swarming over this place. Are you two likely to go into Ripon in the next few days?”
“Well we need some more food, but what do you want us to do?” asked Jane.
“I want you to take Ali into the Trust Offices and introduce her to the staff. Tell them that as Ali is going to have a little flat within Greygarth, you wanted her to meet them. A few of them knew Ted anyway, so they’ll be pleased to see you Al. If we’re likely to be seen around town together Al, say when Jane is down with Viv, I want people to realise it’s okay.”
Alison once again felt a rush of emotion, and crawled the bed to give Ron a great big hug and a kiss.
“Having a wonderful husband and a wonderful wife is just so utterly amazing,” she said. “Is there anything we can be doing for you Ron?”
“Don’t go stripping too much out of Windyrigg just yet. We might find it’s a good idea for the three of us to move in there if it means the lads could work faster on the bathroom etc – if they could turn off water and not worry about people in residence.”
Ron’s excitement for action was infectious and the girls were at Windyrigg by nine o’clock packing more of Alison’s clothes and gathering pictures and family photographs to take back to Greygarth.
“Janie, I’m almost overwhelmed with everything. I want to pull my weight; what can I be doing?”
“Our husband, my darling, can be a whirlwind. I haven’t seen him like this for a long time. We sent the elephant packing yesterday, with the help of Marie Odette and James, but you and I know that Ron is the one who’s worked at finding a way for us. So we can make sure we really look at those plans, we can make sure we start to work out how we share out jobs. Most of all my darling, we make sure we all feel loved all of the time. And tonight you make love to him, and tomorrow you must tell me all about it.”
“Now, off we go to Ripon and while we are there let’s find out about king sized beds.”
That evening Alison cooked a lasagne. They all joked about the garlic bread, and agreed that garlic, chilli and spicy food must be shared by all at the same time. Ron had just finished telling them that one of his builders would be along tomorrow with his plumbing contractor for an initial assessment of the bathroom plans – the only delay being how long it took them to choose exactly what they wanted, and the delivery time – when the phone rang. Ron went to answer it, and they heard him exclaim “Viv, sweetie! How’s my baby girl?” The chatter went on for several minutes before Jane was called to the phone.
“Hello darling, I was going to phone you later but we’re having a jolly meal here.”
“No, don’t worry we’ve finished eating. Alison’s with us, and your Dad is in full cry with projects. I’ll tell you about them over the weekend.”
“Yes, 6.25 at Kings Cross on Thursday. Can you meet me?”
“Oh that will make life so much easier.”
Jane returned to the table.
“Well Ron, it’s going to be an interesting experience telling our daughter about menage a trois. You’re going to have each other for four nights while I’m in London. I’m taking a battery operated boyfriend with me, and if Viv hears me then tough. I shall be thinking of you two. Monday night’s a threesome okay?”
