PART THE SIXTEENTH

Veronica moved her king’s pawn to start with, and the old man responded in kind. So far so good, she thought, as she brought up her queen’s pawn to be next to the other piece. What would he do now? Again, a reciprocal move. She felt the sweat begin to pour off her and her heart rate increase. “For heaven’s sake, calm down, Veronica” she told herself. After all it was only a game and she didn’t need the money anyway - not a resourceful girl like her.

All day, this thought had been building up. She was capable of making her own way in life. Even if she somehow jumped through all the hoops and cleared all the hurdles this man had put in her path, it was the journey that was important to her now and not the destination, which had  imperceptibly retreated into irrelevance as the day had progressed.  She would still take his money alright, but she didn’t need it.  All that she needed for success in life she had within herself.

He won the first game, although not without a few hairy moments for him, but Veronica was very rusty and sacrificed a pawn in the early stages, failing to gain the tactical advantage from this move that she hoped for. From then on it was a steady battle of attrition in which her position finally became quite hopeless and she resigned, seeing clearly that all was well and truly lost.

Having the advantage of being White gave him the second game also. She looked up at the clock. Plenty of time before midnight and she only needed to win once. Now that it was just a matter of beating him to satisfy her honour and make up for some of the things that had happened to her today,  she was calmer now and coldly concentrating on the game, treating it as a mental exercise rather than a life or death struggle.

Game three lasted far longer than the first two and Veronica thought she had him at one point, but he fought back with great tenacity and  was able to force a stalemate. Not good enough, but encouraging!

Game four was a scrappy and very unbeautiful game, after which the victorious Vane-Clatworthy murmured sadly and ruefully. “Unworthy of us, my dear. Quite unworthy! I suggest we adjourn in order collect our thoughts and refresh ourselves.”

He rang the bell and Miss Prosser came in.

“My lovely opponent and I are in need of coffee, strong, black and sweet. She will help you prepare it, I am sure, as long as you ask her nicely!”

“No need to ask” laughed Veronica, glad to take a break. “I volunteer!”

She got to her feet and saw the momentary surprise on Miss Prosser’s face as her full nakedness was revealed. This good lady quickly suppressed whatever thoughts she might have and smilingly showed Veronica the way to the kitchen.

“While we wait for the coffee to brew, why don’t you go and have a shower, my dear. You look as if you could do with one!”

“And probably smell as if I could!” giggled Veronica. “I’ve had a lot of exercise in the last couple of hours and that room is pretty hot.”

By the time she had showered and made herself her usual sweet-smelling self,  the coffee was ready. As Miss Prosser prepared a tray and a plate full of biscuits, Veronica asked her how long she had worked for Andrew Vane-Clatworthy.

“Since I left school, twenty three years ago. A fine employer, Miss Harmsworth, but prone to the odd practical joke. Like finding out just what people will do for money, for instance - seeing just what they are willing to do by way of sacrificing their dignity and self-respect. Sorry! That was unkind.”
“It was unkind, but quite just.” replied Veronica. “I would back out of this now, but for the fact that I shook his hand and agreed to put myself at his disposal for the day. But the glittering prize at the end doesn’t glitter any more. I know I can make my own millions without any help from an eccentric philanthropist. And if I can‘t, then I don‘t want them!”

“Well - I advise you to tell him what you just said. But that is your decision, of course. Do you want to hold the door for me, please?”

The coffee was placed on a small table and both players sipped a few drops.

“That’s better! The grey cells are in motion again, after my lapse into catatonia! Shall we resume?”

“Yes, Sir. Let battle recommence!”

PART THE SEVENTEENTH
 

The old man’s brain certainly did seem to have been rejuvenated by the coffee and Veronica lost three games in a row before her luck began to change. Tiring of her lack of success, she varied her opening in the next game, in which she was Black. The game ended in stalemate and Veronica resolved to pursue the same approach next time. The old boy clearly had great trouble coping with knights. Twice she almost managed to fork his Queen and rook, and she knew this was her only hope of overcoming him.

Once again he asked for a pause, and the now tepid coffee was replaced by some freshly brewed.  Once again Veronica stood chatting in the kitchen to Miss Prosser, who tried unsuccessfully not to show how much she liked being so close to the naked guest. Just as they were about to rejoin the old financier, she touched Veronica on the arm. There was an earnest look on her face, in which the nude girl also detected and undertone of longing.

“Don’t think those two brutes who arrested you are typical . We aren’t all predatory - live and let live is the code most of us go by. I can’t say I blame them in a way, though. You are so lovely - so very, very lovely. Coming upon you the way they did must have unhinged them a bit, and I can see why, although I hope they both are dismissed form the force - and they will be!”.

“Thank you very much for the compliment!” Veronica blushed scarlet. She returned the older woman’s gesture, placing her hand on her shoulder.

“Do you have a lover, Miss Prosser?” she asked.

“No. I never have done. Mostly I stay celibate. The name is Phoebe, by the way.”

“Would you like to kiss me, Phoebe? You have been so kind. I would like it if you did - really I would!”

The other woman needed little encouragement and the pair embraced, tongue seeking out tongue for many long seconds. Veronica had never done this with a woman before and certainly had no intention of doing so again, but found the experience quite enjoyable, nonetheless. Phoebe obviously found it a great deal more than mildly enjoyable!  This previously calm and capable lady began to gasp and moan and as their mouths drew apart there was a look of longing on that previously impassive face. She uttered a string of passionate endearments. Then her customary self possession returned and she disengaged herself.

“You’d best get back to the game, my dear. And I hope you do beat him at least once. You’ve still got over an hour! Good luck, and don’t forget to say “Goodbye” when you leave!”

They went back into the front room with the coffee. Mr Vane-Clatworthy looked up briefly.

“Wipe Veronica’s lipstick off, Miss Prosser. It really doesn’t suit you!  But I’m glad the two of you are friends!”

The good lady went the deepest shade of red that Veronica had ever seen anyone go in her life and looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment. Infuriated that Phoebe had been spoken to so rudely and that she was the cause of her embarrassment, Veronica walked over to the sideboard, where she saw a box of tissues. She wiped her own mouth free of the stuff and went across to Phoebe.

“Let me wipe it off for you. It’s my fault it’s there in the first place.” She did the necessary and then clasped Phoebe in her arms and kissed her again, much longer, much harder and  much more passionately than before. Finally she drew back and smiled at the other woman.

“There, I think that was a better effort, don’t you? And try to find a lover. We all need someone to love, each in our own way!”

Alone again, Veronica resumed her seat.
“That was bloody rude of you and quite unforgivable. I hope you apologise to her pretty soon. Her loyalty to you deserves a better reward than that”, she hissed in a voice laden with icy fury.

“How right you are, my dear. I will indeed make my peace with her later on, as she knows full well I will!
Now. I suggest we get back to the fray. I see that time is marching on, as the saying goes. Only time for a couple more and all will be lost for you. Such a pity!”
 

PART THE EIGHTEENTH

It was half past eleven when Veronica had the pleasure of checkmating the old gentleman. He leant back in his chair and sighed.

“A most enjoyable evening, my dear. I am so grateful! You are a talented player, you know! Just rather out of practice. I suggest you take it up again. A wonderful way to meet people. You don’t meet enough, you know. And I really will apologise to the excellent Phoebe, have no fear!”

“Thank you, Sir. I enjoyed the games and I really feel lucky right now to have beaten you even once!  You are one of the toughest opponents I have ever had. And you are so right. Well! Is that it? Do I get the money now?

Andrew Vane-Clatworthy laughed in a faintly malicious and disagreeable manner.

“Almost, my dear, but not quite. There remains yet one more task to perform. It will take you until midnight and well beyond, but as long as you complete it before dawn, all will be well.”

Her heart sank at this news. All she wanted was to be in her own home and her own bed, stretched out between the sheets and recovering from all her trials of the past day. And there was still more to be done. Oh, shit!

“May I suggest we all three of us have a drink together before you embark on the final home run in this, your pursuit of great wealth? Go and get Miss Prosser in here. Linger with her in the kitchen if you wish - you did her good, I could see that very clearly.”

Veronica did as she was told. After that last kiss, she was inclined to leave it at that, having very successfully demonstrated to herself that she was one hundred per cent heterosexual,  but when she found the poor lady sitting disconsolately at the kitchen table, red-eyed and obviously not long recovered from a bout of weeping, she changed her mind. “The things I do for this woman!” she thought as she felt Phoebe’s hands exploring her most secret places and her tongue hungrily seeking out the furthest recesses of her mouth.

Finally Veronica broke away from the other lady‘s eager grasp. “Come on Phoebe. That’s all you get from me - ever! Find a lover and don’t be too long about it. Now let’s go and have a drink with the old buzzard! I have to start my final task after that.”

“I know.” replied Miss Prosser. “You haven’t been told what it is, yet have you?”

Veronica shook her head. “No. I hardly think it can be worse than anything else I’ve been put through today!”

Phoebe shook HER head sadly.

“On the contrary, my dear. The worst part of your day lies ahead. Oh, yes! You won’t like your last task one little bit!”
PART THE NINETEENTH

The housekeeper/secretary/right-hand woman’s rather intimidating and gloom laden words were still ringing in Veronica’s ears as they settled down in the front room. The industrious Miss Prosser put the table and chess board away and the three took their seats. The old gentleman occupied an armchair and Veronica and Phoebe shared the sofa.

Veronica, tired by this time of being the object of the older woman’s lust - never mind that she had been the one to arouse it in the first place! - sat right at the end of the settee and noted with dismay that Miss Prosser nevertheless contrived to be close enough to the girl for her to feel her body pressed against her. She breathed a silent prayer of gratitude that at least the still insatiate Phoebe was fully dressed and so at least the naked girl had the consolation of not having to feel bare skin pushed hotly and steamily against her. Andrew Vane-Clatworthy observed Veronica’s embarrassment with a malicious twinkle in his eye and a sardonic smile on his aged and wrinkled face.

“It really is so awfully hot in here, Miss Prosser. An old man such as I needs to be warm but to the hot bloodedness of youth it must indeed be unbearably stifling in here. Why do you not slip out of that awful tweed jacket and blouse? Relax - make yourself comfortable like our pretty young friend here! I seem to remember you have quite the handsomest shoulders and arms of any woman I ever met - until darling Veronica came into my life, that is!”

Miss Prosser, with a word or two of gratitude, responded positively and promptly to this suggestion, in fact Veronica could not recall to mind anyone divesting themselves of their clothing more quickly and eagerly in all her born days. The jacket and blouse were lying neatly folded at one end of the sofa and Veronica was squeezed next to a bra-clad Phoebe at the other - in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. So she WAS, after all, doomed to be pressed closely against steamy hot flesh! And, by Golly, was it ever steamy and hot!! All the pent up frustration of a life of self denial was to be felt in that body now pressing nakedly and lustfully against hers.

Andrew had spoken truly when he paid that compliment to the charms of his assistant’s body. She did indeed have the finest arms and shapeliest firm and well-muscled shoulders. Despite her being on the wrong side of forty, she was trim and well toned - without a trace of flabbiness. Except for her hands, which were ill cared for and hardened, with chipped and dirty nails, she could pass for a woman in her twenties.

Veronica caught a whiff of the other woman’s body smell and felt herself stirring uncomfortably down below. Uncomfortably and almost pleasurably - to her shame and horror. She put her arm around Phoebe and the gesture was returned with the same decisive speed that had just deposited the jacket on the other end of the couch.

“What a charming thing it is to behold the sweet and touching sight of the two of you so happily embracing. Oh, the precious, forbidden and mysterious love of Sappho! Although the last thing I want is to be thought a kill-joy, I must issue one minor caveat. Whilst nothing makes me more happy that to observe the simple joy of others, particularly those near and dear to me, I must ask that you endeavour by all means in your power, my darling Veronica, not to leave any stains upon my valuable sofa! I perceive that the cup of your awakening desire is full and begins to run over! No doubt the excellent Miss Prosser will come to the rescue with a tissue - or her tongue. I leave it to the pair of you to settle this delicate matter in what I do not doubt will be an amicable fashion. I must leave you for a few minutes and then we can finish our drinks.”

With this, he lifted himself painfully to his feet and walked to the door. As soon as he had gone, Veronica grinned ruefully.

“OK, Phoebe - this is really your lucky night isn’t it? Why don’t you slip out of the rest of your clothes so we can make a proper job of this! And I’m sure you’d much sooner use your tongue to dry me out down there than a tissue, so we’ll take that one as read!”

Once again the decisive Miss Prosser needed no second invitation and Veronica resignedly opened her legs to allow Phoebe to have her fill of her. It was a surprisingly pleasant feeling on the whole, although she could not prevent herself thinking how much nicer it would be to have Douglass doing all these things to her - to say nothing of that one supreme and very special thing that Miss Prosser, for all her resourcefulness and demoniac energy, could never do!

It was well after midnight when the ancient and creaking Andrew returned, by which time Veronica was close to exhaustion and bathed in sweat, her hair once more plastered against her shiny, dripping wet back. By this time both of the women had rolled off the sofa and on to the deep-piled turquoise and yellow-patterned carpet, where they continued thrashing about, both of them, by this time, aroused to the same intoxicating level of enthusiasm, until a discreet cough alerted them to the fact that they were no longer alone. Veronica had learned quite a lot in that hour with Phoebe!

The indefatigable Miss Prosser was obviously good for another few hours, but dressed herself when her employer came back and sat on a separate chair. Veronica was again the sole naked occupant of the room as the three finished off a bottle of wine between them. It was clear that a still desperately lustful Phoebe knew that her fling with Veronica was now well and truly over, at least for tonight.

Veronica hoped that Phoebe would quickly find a lover on a permanent basis. Whoever she was, the chosen one would need to be strong and possessed of extraordinary stamina. Too much more of this and she would need a month’s rest and rehabilitation to recover! And it STILL very definitely wasn’t her scene, although she was forced to confess that she was a lot more adaptable than she would have ever imagined herself to be when she woke up that morning, all those long and eventful hours ago!

Glancing down Veronica saw what her feelings were telling her, namely that the sofa was still in imminent danger of being stained! She walked over to the sideboard and pulled out a pile of tissues. Returning, she arranged them on the sofa beneath her, blushing furiously as she felt the eyes of the other two boring into her back. She wondered which of them would have the tissues as a souvenir after she had departed! Perhaps they would share them! Ugh!
 
 

PART THE TWENTIETH

Veronica finished her last glass of wine and thankfully realised that she had at last got her errant body under control. The tissue was cold and clammy beneath her, but the embarrassing and shameful seepage had ceased at long last. As she glanced across at Miss Prosser, once more clad in her sensible clothes, she had difficulty believing that the two of them had just passed such a strenuous and very articulated time together. As for her having so thoroughly enjoyed herself, that, too, seemed quite unbelievable.

“I understand that I still have one more thing to do for you, Sir.”

“Indeed you have, my dear. I so hope that your sojourn in this, my humble dwelling, has enabled you to recover fully from your recent distressing encounter with the Law, in all its corrupt and bestial brutality.”

He cackled in his wheezy manner. Veronica became almost alarmed for his safety and wondered if she should go to his aid. Miss Prosser, also, seemed to be trying to fight down her mirth. Her shoulders were shaking with suppressed and increasing merriment. Oh, dear! What HAD this old bastard got lined up for her this time?

“Go home on foot, my dear! That is your next and final task. Sounds so easy, does it not?”

“If I knew the route, it would indeed. I guess I’m not too far away - close enough to be back home well before dawn.”

He wheezed and croaked his mirth again for some moments, Miss Prosser snorting into her glass.

“Have no fear, my lovely young friend. I will let you study a map before you leave and that fine and powerful mind of yours will memorise the details, which will,  I doubt not,  be stamped indelibly upon your inner eye from this time forward,  until the very end of your days.”

“Good. That should be no problem, then. I’m pretty tired, but I’ll make it OK. Frankly I’d expected something rather harder than……………”

And then it struck home! Of course - how stupid of her!  She was to walk back home naked! Oh no! It had been bad enough on the train,  clad as she had been,  in a thong and nothing else, but that was a total breeze compared to walking through London’s  streets in the absolute, unvarnished unadulterated altogether! Oh, fucking, bloody Hell!

Resignedly, she reached for her shoulder bag and prepared to leave. But Andrew Vane-Clatworthy, full of surprises to the very end,  had yet more bad news for our heroine!

“Not the bag, my dear. A vulgar accessory in any case, an unworthy accoutrement for a fine young woman of your undoubted good taste. I think the rather garish nail varnish can also be removed before you leave. It will be merely you, in all your natural sweet loveliness, that will venture into the cold and dark  night to wend a weary and footsore way back to Happy Hampstead!

“But - my keys!” stammered a despairing Veronica. “Just supposing I did make it without either being caught or freezing to death, how am I supposed to get in to my home?”

“You will just have to sleep outside your front door until, in the morning, your things are returned to you! Fear not, my sweet, I do not expect you to gain entry as a condition of your fulfilling your mission. Suffice it that you make it back to your front door!”

As she busied herself with the varnish remover, something inside Veronica snapped. She had been progressively and humiliatingly denuded all day of clothes which she had been ashamed to be seen wearing in the first place. She had been drenched with rain and battered by hail. She had been terrorised by a pair of gruesome uniformed dykes and finally debauched by this despicable old bastard’s frustrated retainer. And now, to cap it all, she was expected to walk back in the freezing cold, half way across London,  to a flat, whose front door key she was forced to leave behind  with this horrible couple!

She had had ENOUGH! Veronica now saw with fearful clarity the meaning of those words that had been dinned time and again into her as a young schoolgirl. “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul”. That was just what she had been doing to herself all day! Bit by bit she had been voluntarily allowing herself to be robbed of all about her that made her precious, unique and worth-while - and all in the pursuit of so contemptible a prize as a large sum of money! She knew, now, what she must do.

“OK, show me the map and I’ll be on my way. Don’t bother sending me the cheque, even if I do make it back without mishap! I don’t either need or want your fucking dirty money. Keep it!  I’ll obey your last command, but not to make myself rich - just as an act of penance for my terrible greed. I hope I do suffer on my way back, and suffer a lot,  because it‘s no more or less than I deserve.”

She threw the red shoulder bag across the room in a fury. After looking at the map and memorising all the details. (Andrew had been right about that!) she turned on her heel and stalked out of the room and the house, hearing the door slam to behind her and feeling,  for the first time in hours,  the cold air against her skin. It felt clean and good as she walked away from that house. She welcomed the chill as it began to eat into her, making the warmth of the living room,  and its extraordinary session of Sapphic love,  a distant and loathsome memory.

She decided it would be best to walk across Hampstead Heath. Once there, she would almost certainly be able to cross it undetected. The problem was - how to get there? The Kentish Town Road was the obvious route, but it would still be busy. No - she must go through the back streets to Gospel Oak and slip across Gordon House Road and go past the Lido. Once there it would be easy to get to the East Heath Road and then she would have a few back streets to negotiate safely before dashing across the High Street to her block of flats. Thank heaven the Police Station, just down the road from her flat, was no longer manned twenty four hours a day!

All went well for the first half of her walk to Gospel Oak and she was beginning to feel confidence growing inside her. It would have been better for her if she had remembered the old adage about cups and lips and many a slips.

Passing one darkened doorway, she became aware of a movement and made to run away but was too late to avoid being grasped by two pairs of hands, which turned out to belong to a couple of youths, both of whom had obviously spotted her as she had left the house and been following, waiting for their chance to spring out and surprise her.

These far from amiable young gentlemen announced in the most obscene way, their intention of screwing her arse off, among other things that were even more unpleasantly distasteful to her fastidious ears.

Was there no end to her troubles, she asked herself?

PART THE TWENTY FIRST

The two youths, panting and gasping from the combined effects of exertion and eager animal anticipation,  dragged her into the mouth of an alleyway, where one of them released his grip of her arms, leaving her,  as he thought, in the safe hands of his partner in crime. As the  eager, acne faced, evil smelling  and priapic youth fumbled with his trousers Veronica kicked up at him with all her strength and had the sadistic and righteous satisfaction of watching him drop to the ground screaming  and writhing in what was obviously great pain.

Now that she had only one of them to worry about, she easily broke free of the other and made it back to the road. At this point a car drew up and came to a noisy halt, the driver jumping out and running after the second of Veronica’s attackers, who had started on his hurried way homewards as soon as the car arrived. Veronica saw her rescuer catch up with the fellow and start to drag him back towards her. She went back to the first boy and pulled him roughly to his feet.

Emerging back into the road, dragging the would-be rapist behind her, she administered a thorough and painful chastisement to the wretched youth, soon reducing him to bleeding and broken-nosed unconsciousness. She was a big girl, as I have said before, some five feet eleven inches tall and this fellow was three inches shorter than she, scrawny and feeble with it. Add to this her extreme, superheated anger,  and the youth’s immediate prospects were poor to say the least. She tossed his unconscious form aside with contempt and turned to the other creature, now firmly in the grasp of the young man in the car. She noted with grim satisfaction that all this had barely caused her to break sweat. Great to be fit!

“Do you want me to deal with this one, Veronica” asked Douglass. “Or are you up to it yourself?”

“I’m very much up to it, thanks! Hand him over!”

Fifteen  minutes later a subdued and very sore couple limped dejectedly away and Veronica and Douglass embraced long and lovingly.  Between frenzied kisses and wild groping they poured out their hearts to each other, amazing themselves with the inventiveness and general soppiness of their lovelorn eloquence. Veronica had not been wrong! Douglas had fallen in love with this tall blonde beauty the moment he had seen her sitting in the Lamb, with that revealing split skirt exposing her luscious thighs for all to see.

“Can I give you a lift home, darling?” he said, finally emerging for a moment from the whirlpool of passion.

“No, sweetheart.” gasped Veronica. “ Thanks all the same. I can’t explain this. It’s a whole jumbled up mixture of reasons, that even I can’t fully understand. I started this crazy enterprise, albeit for the worst of motives, and I’m going to finish it. I shook hands with that old man, and I’ll keep to my side of the bargain. Another thing is, I feel I need to expiate my guilt in some way. I’ve been such an avaricious bitch, putting monetary gain above all else. Hell, Douglass! - if  it had been his wish, I’d even have exposed my pussy in that strip joint, to all those leering dirty old men!  I want to purge and punish myself somehow, and this is my way of doing it. So I‘ll see you tomorrow sometime, and then we can talk and talk and talk  about the rest of our lives together and the absolutely enormous family we‘re going to have.”

“Enormous family! Are you sure?”

“Course I am! Two such exceptional people as we are - we owe it to a mediocre world to produce lots of quality offspring -  just like us!”

They continued to stand clasped together for some time and then Veronica steeled herself to make a confession.

“Douglass, darling!”

“Yes, my sweet?”

“I’ve a confession to make. Please don’t hate me for what I’m about to tell you!”

He held her even tighter and laughed.

“Miss Prosser?”

Veronica sighed with relief, melting thankfully into his powerful embrace and squeezing him for all she was worth. He knew and he still loved her! She rested her head against his breast and wept silent tears of gratitude. All her other problems, such as her job and the little matter of getting back home without either freezing or being caught, were nothing to her now.

“Yes.” continued Douglass. “Andrew told me all about that. I can’t pretend to be happy, but the way you kissed me just then sort of set my mind at rest. Anyway I’m so crazy about you,  for whatever reason, I’d forgive you pretty well anything!”

“You’re crazy about me because I’m the loveliest, sweetest,  most talented and sexiest girl in the whole wide world and you - you lucky sod - are going to have me to yourself to be your very own for ever and ever!”

Douglass digested this for a second or two and then asked.

“And why are you crazy about me?”

“Because I am - that‘s all! Isn’t that good enough for you? And now, you absolutely gorgeous lovely man, be off with you. Don‘t even think about following me. Just go home and come round and see me sometime after work tomorrow. I mean that! I‘ll let you wrap me in cotton wool for the rest of my life, and I hope you will, but tonight is mine. I‘ve got to do this on my own and with no help from you. OK?”

He protested, asking her how she would have coped if he had not come to her rescue. She hooted with laughter at this question.

“I was doing fine. Just crippled one to the everlasting detriment of his procreative prospects and after that I’d have done the same to that other pitiful creep. Admit it, now!”

He released her, not before kissing her wide-open and warm mouth again,  very long and very tenderly. Then he drove off home, worried sick about her, but not daring to disobey,  seeing very clearly the reason for her decision and loving her all the more desperately because of it.

Alone once again, Veronica hastened to cover the remaining distance to Gospel Oak. This time she was very careful to keep out of sight and check that she was not being followed. Despite her bravado in front of Douglass,  she was fearful of another such encounter. She might not be so lucky next time!

PART THE TWENTY SECOND

A group of returning late night revellers forced her to take refuge under a parked car. There seemed no other place she could hide, owing to the absence of trees in this particular bit of street. She felt the oil dripping onto her back and cursed the owner for the slovenly way he maintained his vehicle. The wretched people hung around chatting and making their farewells for what seemed to the impatient and shivering Veronica to be an age.  Finally all but two left. This particular pair were obviously young and deeply in love - something with which Veronica could appreciate after her recent enjoyable cuddle with Douglass.

And then she recognised the voices! Emerging from her very uncomfortable refuge she was enthusiastically greeted by Gwendolyn and her faithful Daniel.

“I always seem to hiding away from you two!” she laughed, relieved that she could finally be on her way; it had been uncomfortable and cold cowering under that car.

“Golly! Have you been wandering about like that ever since we saw you?” asked Gwendolyn. “You must be awfully cold by now. It’s going to be a frost later on according to the forecast!  I see you‘ve lost that tiny red thong! What a fantastic body, you’ve got - hasn’t she Danny? You really are brave aren‘t you?”

Veronica assured her that she had been indoors for much of the time and further related  how , since emerging back into the open, she had been given plenty of opportunities for vigorous exercise! Gwendolyn’s eyes were as wide as saucers when she told her about the two attackers and their subsequent rout.

 “My, Oh MY! They certainly picked on the wrong girl when they chose you as their victim. I wish I were a tenth as brave and tough as you - I really do!”

Daniel murmured his agreement and Veronica could see that he was looking at her with even greater approval than he had been earlier on at the railway station. And Veronica was years older than he! She felt like a baby snatcher! The poor boy obviously  felt, at least for the present, that poor Gwendolyn was a very inferior girl! Not wishing to spoil their romance, she made her apologies, explaining that she had a deadline to meet,  and left then to resume their romancing.

The couple watched Veronica’s oil smeared, but still sexy, bottom as it wiggled its bewitching way into the night.

“I do hope she gets home OK, Danny!” sighed Gwendolyn. “Do you wish I was as lovely as she is? I don’t blame you if you do!”

“Naah! You’re my girl, Gwen and I’m happy about that. My place or yours tonight?”

Gwendolyn giggled delightedly. She had not, as yet,  surrendered herself to him in the way he was implying, and was glad that  he should have taken the initiative at long last. Much as she admired Veronica - hero worship would not be too strong a term - she hated to think of losing her beloved Daniel to her. Off they went to Daniel’s humble bed-sitter  where the dawn appeared all too soon, to the great satisfaction of them both.

There, if you do not mind too much,  we will leave these young people to their simple pleasures - to say nothing of a happy event which their unrestrained, injudicious and unprotected lust made inevitable some nine months later.

Veronica, meanwhile, had almost made it to Gospel Oak and the entrance to the Heath when a car-full of  hooting and whooping young men came round a corner and careered up behind her. The roars of delight which betrayed the fact that they had spotted this tall and naked wanderer,  rent the night air with  raucous and uncouth hideousness.

“Going our way, Darling?  You’ve got a greasy bum - like me to wipe it for you?” shouted one of them, to answering laughs from his three friends.

She broke into a run and reached the Heath entrance just as the car came to a stop, allowing  two of the men to leap out. She was yards inside the gate and swallowed up by darkness in seconds, but  kept running until she heard the car start up and drive away. Another narrow escape! Life would never be quite the same for her after today.

In front of her was the looming bulk of the redbrick Lido, still closed during its annual refurbishment. There were lights winking on the top of the surrounding wall and she heard laughter.  Some one was climbing over, despite all the barbed wire and other impediments to unauthorised entry! There had been several incidents of intruders causing damage to this open air swimming facility in the past, and another such episode of youthful vandalism was obviously in progress. Veronica huddled close to the perimeter hedge, prepared to take shelter behind the hawthorn bushes if need be.

Sure enough, a few moments later a transit van presumably belonging to the Heath Police arrived and the entire area was bathed in light. She kept out of sight until the intruders had either fled or been caught. Finally, the van departed and silence and darkness returned.

It was certainly getting no warmer, she reflected. The exertion of running away from the hooligans had kept her from feeling it for a while, but the enforced sheltering behind the bushes had reminded her afresh just how chilly it was becoming. Best not be too long getting home! And then she remembered that she would still have to sleep outside her front door, to be allowed into her apartment in the morning by one of Andrew’s minions! Any way, it would be warm enough to spend a few hours once inside the apartment block.

After weighing up the various alternative routes back to Hampstead High Street, she decided that it would be best to cross the Heath until she got to East Heath Street. There she would be within striking distance of her destination, having to negotiate a couple of side roads before coming to the High Street. At this time of night, there should not be too much difficulty crossing the normally busy high street undetected.

Having made this decision she struck off up Parliament Hill, keeping far from the perimeter path by the running track. Soon she was high above London and turned around and saw the whole panorama spread out beneath her. It was a beautiful sight, a mass of light. She reminded herself sharply that this was no time for aesthetic appreciation and pressed on, coming to a dip and a hollow in which she saw something that made her blood freeze and her heart leap up into her mouth.

From behind the shelter of a hedge she saw a group of men and women dancing around a fire. Some of them were masked and there was the sound of chanting coming form their direction. It must be some kind of Satanic ritual, she thought. What nerve they must have to be doing this kind of thing the heart of London! It did look a lovely big fire, though! Just what she needed to warm her up before she made the final dash for home. But it would not be wise to fall into the clutches of people like that!

And then she saw something that caused her to change her mind!