Danny just looked at me with tired eyes.
“It’s hotpot your favorite, old family recipe. Surely Diana made it for you before?” The kids made a face but didn’t protest as i served it up.
“We eat all this, and tomorrow we can get pizza” That reassured them and urged them to eat my hotpot.
I put Lilly into her chair and spoon fed her a mashed up plate. She always eats well for me.
“We haven’t heard from Mum today” Kira said as she picked at her plate. “I did text her early on but she hasn’t replied”
Danny was about to talk.
“I expect she’ll text tonight, she’s working quite hard isn’t she Danny” I said as Danny looked down at his food.
I had Diana’s phone, I texted them every night, and once so far I brought the phone for her to talk to them making sure if she said one word that was out of place or sounded suspicious. My brother was to disfigure her face with his Stanley knife that he wasn’t really allowed to have.
She done a good job at acting but towards the end when she told her darlings that she loved them she got watery eyed and I cut her off before the inevitable anguish.
“Who doesn’t need a good cry now and again? However there is a time and place!”
I saw how she treated her lovely children for a long time, she is crying for herself and not them. Crying because she has to lay down bound and gagged while my brother has her again, and again only stopping because his own body can’t go on anymore without sleep.
That’s why she is crying, she misses her old life, of fine dining her boring superficial friends, who aren’t her even friends. Her “Kept Up With the Jones” neighbors, who are my neighbors now. Her job that took most of her time away, though she enjoyed the attention of being a the “empowered career woman” . No wonder why Danny’s eyes strayed away. He saw my beauty, mr urge to help others, my love to his dear Lilly, and my knowledge of life.
Not to mention my body that was his as soon as he first tried to kiss me.
Now I’m part of his life, and it’s forever I know it is.
“After I check in with Diana I must…….meet with Bill. ( A work colleague, a thin slimy loser, divorced single and dangerous, not the sort of man you’d want around your husband in pubs late at night). He said we are going for a pint, it is Thursday” Danny looked back down and though he had to hide his fear of eating what I’d made. (I’d never poison him!) he did so with careful bites.
“Well I was going to make a cheeseboard later, and I got a nice bottle of wine and we’d catch up about old times” Posing as his cousin wasn’t as hard as it seemed. The children didn’t seem to care or notice. I carried on helping Lilly feed herself.
“Did you……” Danny couldn’t hide his disdain.
“I did, we must still catch up, and besides I’m sure Bill can manage on his own, he looks a man who enjoys his own company”
“I’m going for a pint with Bill, the game is on and I must…….clear my head” Danny put his knife and fork down.
“Well I’m here if you reconsider, taking care of your family, taking care of her…….” I meant only one person, who wasn’t present. Danny knew what I meant.
The children finished up and I managed to get them to talk about school, their friends and teachers. Danny just sat with his head in his hands. Defeated and I brought him a paracetamol to ease “his headache”.
“You are working too hard Danny! This is your family, you have a bad migraine I think, so I really think a quiet night in will be better than drinking with Bill” I took his arm and walked him to the armchair and turned on the tv. “Now you relax, and I’ll make the tea. Kira, Carl I want to see books out and homework started after I change Lilly” I was in control. I loved this, being here and my maternal destiny had come alive. By the time of their mother ever did rescued or released. They will have forgotten about her, they’ll look to me. Grace the Governess! I like the sound of that.
I done the deeds. I helped Carl with his maths, I answered Kira’s questions about history. I read little Lilly her cot side book and let her sleep in my arms before I tucked her in.
“You’ve a proper mummy now Lilly” I whispered to her she she slept with the teddy I used to give her when I worked at the crèche.
“Sweet dreams little angel” I kissed her forehead and put the nightlight on.
I called into Carl who was playing his PlayStation. “10 more minutes it’s school tomorrow” I smiled. “Do you want some hot chocolate?” I knew he loved that.
“Oh yes please” He smiled.
I smiled back. “Marshmallows?” I knew what the answer would be.
“Yeah……wow Grace thanks, you’re just the best!” He beamed.
“I heard from Mum she was too busy to talk much, only a couple of texts!” His fade dropped. I sent them to him from her phone as I settled Lilly.
“She’s just busy Carl, she’s doing her best. That’s what she gets paid for!”
“She never had time for us” Carl looked down.
I sat down with him and held him close.
“Hey…don’t say that, I’m sure she’s a great mother when she’s around, don’t be sad”
Carl made a face. “She’s just never around Grace” He then went back to his game and I felt sorry for the boy. He’ll have such a better life now I’m here I thought, they all will.
I saw Kira as she was in her room on her phone. She was sending a Tiktok to someone. “Does Diana allow you to be on that?” I never did like the app. She hushed me.
“Yeah she does but don’t tell Dad he’s kind of old fashioned about it says it’s full of creeps.
“And he’s absolutely right, you really shouldn’t be Kira, I can’t believe Diana allows you” She put the phone away then.
“Hey, it’s fine, it’s just my friend Millie we are doing this dance routine and……..”
“Then do it when you are with her and not across the internet, the internet is a scary place, you just never know who can see that and really? Is Millie 12 too? And she dresses like that???” The girl that was on the screen was wearing little more than swimwear.
“Oh Grace don’t be that way!” She said with teenage sneer.
“Well I’m not your mother but I think I know what I’m talking about” I said with my own sneer but it was well hidden.
I bid her a goodnight, I didn’t want to get into an argument, she was always going to be the hardest challenge, but being a nearly a teenager she was oblivious to what was going on around her self centered bubble. I had sent her a text from “Her mother” but it was barely acknowledged.
I came down to Danny who just sat with wide eyes of fear at the television.
I fetched the bottle of wine I bought earlier and the cheeseboard I had prepared in the day.
“Red wine, French……” I poured some into the two expensive feeling glasses, the type that seemed like a wedding present.
“Just stop……just stop this let me see Diana……Just let my wife go……” Danny pleaded. It was hard to see a man I loved so much in such anguish, but we needed to make the best of this situation.
I patted his arm and handing him a glass.
“It’s not going to be easy Danny, but the best things are never easy are they, she’s ok. Do you really want to see her again? After last time?” I smirked though I did feel bad for him.
Danny shuddered and with narrowed eyes stared at me with hatred.
The last time I shown him his wife, was the second night I was here, Danny wouldn’t perform on me, and begged to see his wife, so I let him see her. For an hour, on my phone, as my brother fulfilled his masculinity. It was rather uncomfortable seeing my brother doing anything sexual so I looked away but Danny had to watch. He had to watch her being taken hard and unforgiving, hearing her cry out each time my brother relentlessly satisfied himself on her naked bruised body.
“You don’t want to see your wife again” I said as I sat on the arm of the chair. “Take my word for it, she’s alive and my brother has even got a take away tonight so I’m sure they are ok, I’m more concerned about us” I put my hand on his knee and ran a finger up his leg.
“You are sick, you and your brother are both sick!” He raised his voice to unacceptable levels.
“Be quiet!” I scolded him in my irate tone.
“You’ll wake the children, and if they get any way effected in all this, it’s your fault!”I found his crotch and then gripped it gently, just enough to feel what was beneath.
“And believe me Danny, what I can do with my hands right now is nothing compared to what will happen to your precious Diana. The children don’t get effected and stay out of this, unharmed, and that’s been our arrangement since I moved in”
I enjoyed speaking with such control. I learned that from my father, through his drunken self loathing ramblings he taught me how to evoke terror when you needed to.
“Come on Danny, I’ve made an effort” I whispered in his ear as my hand relaxed against his crotch feeling his parts through the fabric.
“Cheese board, wine, us…….! It’s what you’ve always wanted isn’t it” I kissed his neck and slowly undid the fly of his pants.
“Plus I found something nice to wear under this dress, must be your wife’s, still has the tags on it, but a better woman is wearing it now” . I had found a red and black lacy two piece basque set with suspenders. I didn’t bother with stockings tonight. Diana was of similar size to me perhaps a bit taller but I think it looked well on me.
She must have bought it as a treat for him. However he was just too busy……with me…..in the back of his Mercedes, hotel rooms and against a tree in a large wooded area outside town.
Now he has me at home, his home, THEIR home, and though I’m facing reluctance on his part, that won’t go unpunished, I’m unwrapping my prize tonight as it slowly hardens against his will in my hand. He has all night to unwrap his present, and he will, HER life depends on it.
To be Continued.
