| The Sacred Sect, Chapter 3 – The Scent of Orchids The following Saturday it was time for Charlotte’s birthday party. The previous day she had woken up so worn out from the festivities in the temple the night before (when she had been ordained as ‘Priestess Rosebud’ within the order of Sacred Sapphists) that her mother, Laura, made a rare exception and allowed her to take the day off school. Fridays were always quiet for Laura so she decided to forget about business and award herself a well-earned day off too. When Charlotte arrived at the breakfast table, she thought it ‘funny’ for a weekday that her mum was in casual clothes instead of one of her smart work suits. Laura was in a pair of denim shorts and a white vest. She’d obviously forgotten her bra as Charlotte could see the nipples of her 34B cup breasts clearly poking through the thin material of her top. She hadn’t pinned up her long auburn hair, or put on any make-up yet, but the twenty-four-year-old woman still looked drop-dead gorgeous (Charlotte thought). As she didn’t have to go anywhere in particular, Charlotte hadn’t bothered getting dressed, just throwing on her favourite pink silk wrap after dragging herself out of bed. “What would you like to do today sweetheart?” Laura asked as she was finishing her second cigarette and third cup-of-tea of the morning. “I soooo want to watch that DVD you got me,” twittered Charlotte, jiggling up and down on her chair. “I know, hon!” suggested Laura, “Why don’t we have a girlie day in watching TV, pigging out, and just spoiling ourselves rotten!” “Fucking brilliant idea, Mummy!” Charlotte replied. Laura shot her a sideways glance to indicate her disapproval of an eight-year-old using such crude language. But she didn’t chide her either. Charlotte flung her arms round her mother and kissed her on both cheeks as much to show her appreciation as to atone for her ‘misdemeanour’. Laura prepared some snacks and drinks and they made themselves comfy on the sofa to watch ‘The Lesbian Kama Sutra’. Charlotte was in awe as she viewed the steamy, sexually explicit scenes, her eyes never once leaving the TV screen. Laura found the DVD absorbing too, and she couldn’t help noticing Charlotte’s robe fall open and her little hands absentmindedly wandering up her thighs to gently pleasure herself. She was used to seeing her daughter naked, but never before had she seen her touch herself so wantonly. Laura tried not to let her feelings about this erotic display get too out of hand. She loved her daughter dearly, but was fearful that taking things ‘further’ might ruin what was otherwise an idyllic mother-daughter relationship. But now it was Saturday evening. The birthday party had started at 3.30pm and Charlotte and her guests had had a great time, playing games, dancing, singing, eating sandwiches and cakes and trifles, and consuming gallons of soft drinks. By 6.30 the last guest to depart — her beloved Yasmine — was being picked up by her father. Charlotte so wanted to French the nine-year-old girl before she left, but had to settle for a hug, and a peck on the cheek. Just after the door had closed, and Laura was wondering how a group of children could create such a mountain of debris, the doorbell rang again. When Charlotte answered it a young woman was standing there whom she didn’t recognise at first. It was Elspeth. They hadn’t often met outside the confines of the temple, but on the rare occasions they had, she was always so immaculately turned out. Today she was in some shabby jeans, a tattered t-shirt, and a pair of pink trainers that had certainly seen better days. She had no make-up on either and was looking rather ashen and drawn (Laura thought). The penny finally dropped, and Charlotte said “Oh Hi! Orc— ermm— Elspeth!” Being unused to addressing her outside of the temple, Charlotte had almost broken protocol and called her by her sect name of ‘Orchidia’. Elspeth was holding what looked like a big box with pretty pink paper wrapped round it with a huge silver bow in the middle. She kissed Charlotte full on the lips. “Happy birthday darling,” the fourteen-year-old girl whispered in her crystal-clear voice, handing the package to the excited youngster. Charlotte frantically ripped the wrapping paper off the box, but carefully kept the silver bow thinking it would look nice stuck on top of her computer monitor. Inside the white box was a ‘Snow White’ costume with all the accessories, including shoes. “How did you know I wanted that!” exclaimed Charlotte. (For months she had been lusting after the outfit from the Disney Store.) Elspeth didn’t answer, but was just pleased that the little girl she adored so much was so happy. “Darling, I’d like to take you out tomorrow for a special treat,” she said, “I’ll pick you up at three o’clock. And wear something nice.” With that she paid her respects to Laura, and left. Elspeth wasn’t manipulative by nature, but everyone so revered her mystical aura, no-one would dream of questioning her word or wisdom. After Sunday lunch, Laura set about the task of getting her daughter ready for her ‘date’. Charlotte had picked out a pretty blue cotton dress with short sleeves, some matching dainty shoes, a tiny white cardigan, and the pink panties and matching frilly ankle socks that had been part of Yasmine’s birthday gift to her. Laura added the finishing touches, allowing Charlotte to wear a pair of her own dangly pearl earrings, and making her up with shiny pink lipstick, green eyeshadow, and pink nail polish. Remembering how lovely High Priestess Orchidia (Elspeth) had looked on Thursday, Charlotte asked for her hair to be pinned up, but the long red locks refused to oblige. Laura admitted defeat, and recalling ‘Heidi’ from the books she so loved reading when she was Charlotte’s age, instead put the red tresses into two plaits, weaving in green ribbons as she went. Lastly, Laura gave her a small silver clutch bag and inside it slipped a twenty-pound note. “I don’t suppose you’ll need it,” she said, “but you never know.” At 3pm sharp, the front door bell rang. Surely the vision of loveliness standing out there couldn’t be the same person as the dishevelled teenager of yesterday? Elspeth was clad in a fine Edwardian-style purple gown of crushed velvet, black fishnets, purple Doc Marten boots, and black net gloves that reached right to her elbows. On the forefinger of her left hand was a silver ring with a huge cluster of stones, and from her right earlobe hung a 4”-diameter silver hoop. A black lace shawl was draped round her creamy-white shoulders and she was carrying a small drawstring bag made from soft purple leather. After a brief word, Elspeth put her plum-coloured lips to Laura’s mouth and kissed her. She then took Charlotte by the hand and the two girls turned to walk down the path to the front gate. Laura watched as the black shiny mane of Elspeth flowed in the breeze, and Charlotte’s red plaits bounced against her back. On the road outside was parked a pink Rolls-Royce, a smart uniformed chauffeuse standing by ready to open the doors for the girls. When they were all seated in the car, Elspeth commanded, “Drive on, Janine.” “Yes Ma’am,” Janine replied. As the car glided, almost silently, along the road, Charlotte and Elspeth sat in the rear holding hands. “I’m taking you to see a movie,” Elspeth divulged to Charlotte. Not much else was said between the two girls during the twenty-minute journey, so Charlotte passed the time gazing at twenty-year-old Janine. She admired her short slicked-back wavy blond hair, but what she really liked was her peaked-cap and gold-rimmed shades, and she nearly cricked her neck trying to catch glimpses of her scarlet lips in the rear-view mirror. Charlotte imagined walking hand-in-hand with Elspeth into the glittering multiplex, but instead the car pulled up outside a quaint Jacobean building that Charlotte had passed many times. What Charlotte hadn’t ever noticed before was a plaque bearing the legend “La Belle Époque Cinema.” A signboard announced “The Princess and the Peasant Girl, cert 12A — 3.40, 5.40 & 7.40.” After Janine had helped the girls out of the car, Elspeth turned to her and said, “Janine, I’ll call you when we’re ready.” “Very good, Ma’am,” Janine replied, standing to attention and clicking the heels of her boots together. She turned to Charlotte and playfully pinched her cheeks. Winking at her she said, “Have fun, Miss.” Charlotte blushed and giggled as the pink car gracefully slipped away. As they entered the foyer Charlotte tugged at Elspeth’s skirt pleading, “Can we have popcorn please, pretty please?” “Of course, darling,” Elspeth replied. Elspeth bought two Cokes and a big bucket of popcorn, paid for their tickets, and the two girls took their seats in the cosy atmosphere of the small auditorium. The movie was the story of a young princess who lived in a big castle and fell in love with a peasant girl who worked as a kitchen maid for the royal family. Royalty were of course forbidden to fraternise with the servants, and finding it increasingly difficult to conceal their affair, they had to run away to another land and take whatever work they could find to survive. Many years later after the king and queen had passed away, the princess returned (with her lover) to the kingdom, to claim her inheritance. The two girls got married in the castle, the same day as the princess’s coronation, and lived happily ever after. “That was such a beautiful story,” Charlotte blubbered with tears streaming down her cheeks as they emerged from cinema. Elspeth wiped her face, and said, “Let’s take a walk.” Elspeth took hold of Charlotte’s little hand, and they spent about ten minutes weaving through a labyrinth of alleyways and narrow streets, until they came to an old-fashioned looking restaurant called Suzanne’s. They were greeted by a slender girl (who looked about 17), dressed in a classic black & white waitress uniform, with her blond hair in a neat ponytail. “Welcome, Miss Elspeth,” she said, “and who’s your charming little friend?” “This is Charlotte,” Elspeth replied. “It’s so nice to see you again, Billie.” Billie curtseyed and fondled the little girl’s sweaty hand, “Charmed to meet you, Miss Charlotte.” She turned to Elspeth and added, “I’ve saved your favourite table by the window.” For starters they had soup made from fresh spring vegetables, followed by fillet steak with fries and all the trimmings. For afters, Elspeth ordered portions of Black Forest Gateau with ‘lashings of cream’. When the dessert arrived, Charlotte’s tummy was almost full, but she was determined to devour the scrummy-looking chocolate cake that was laced with black cherries, and soaked in cream. When they finally finished eating, Elspeth thought Charlotte’s face looked quite a picture, covered in chocolate crumbs and with cream stains smeared round her lips. From her bag, Elspeth took a six-inch long black cigarette holder, placed in it a pink, gold-tipped ‘Sobranie’ and lit it using her gold-plated lighter. She took a deep long drag and was just starting to exhale smoke through her nostrils when Charlotte admonished, “I keep telling Mummy, smoking is bad for you!” (Though Charlotte did think how glamorous this made Elspeth look.) “I know it is darling,” Elspeth’s voice trailed off, “but it doesn’t matter now.” Charlotte wondered what she meant, but knew it was useless pumping Elspeth for information. She would only tell you things in her own good time. “I’ve got leukaemia,” she whispered. After a slight pause Charlotte piped up, “Oh, but surely they’ve got medicine and pills and stuff for that to make you better!” as she noisily slurped her Coke up through a curly straw. Elspeth took another long drag on her cigarette and a sipped her Irish Coffee. “Yes, but the treatments don’t always work,” she sighed. She lifted Charlotte’s hands to her lips to kiss them. “Listen darling,” she half whispered, “we need to talk, but not here. Meet me half an hour earlier than usual on Tuesday.” As they were waiting for the bill, Elspeth took out her mobile phone to inform Janine they were ready. Charlotte couldn’t believe the cost of their meal! “£115.00” read the total on slip of paper lying on the gilt-edged plate. Elspeth took out six crispy new twenty-pound notes and laid them on top of the bill. “Tell Suzanne she can keep the change,” she laughed to Billie, “and here’s a little something for you. Get yourself something nice.” She pressed a folded piece of paper into her hand. It was a fifty-pound note. “Why, thank you so much Miss Elspeth, you’re too fucking kind!” she blurted out, stuffing the money into her apron pocket as she tried to hold back her tears. She curtseyed to both girls. The two girls collapsed into the lush soft leather rear seat of the pink Rolls-Royce. “Drive on, Janine,” Elspeth commanded, “the scenic route tonight, I think.” “Certainly Ma’am,” the chauffeuse replied. As the car purred away, Elspeth scooped up Charlotte’s body onto her lap and cradled her into her arms. She gracefully bowed her head down till her lips met with Charlotte’s expectant, open mouth. Elspeth could taste the chocolate and cream that lingered on her lips as her tongue slipped in deep, teasing the soft pink appendage that was Charlotte’s own tongue. Charlotte looked up into Elspeth’s dark eyes and admired her long soft lashes, but wished she wasn’t wearing so much mascara, and she thought that the hot-pink eyeshadow looked a bit much. But she didn’t care because she was snogging with a woman she loved so much. There were three women in Charlotte’s life that she adored more than anyone else in the world: her mother Laura with whom she’d spent all her life so far; Elspeth, her idol, mentor and role model; and her Asian ‘fiancée’ Yasmine with whom she was completely and utterly in love. Elspeth, feeling that Charlotte’s little body was on fire, slipped the white cardigan off her shoulders, and helped her wiggle out of her dress. Her gloved hands slid Charlotte’s panties down to her ankles and Charlotte shook them off her feet, and kicked off her shoes and socks. For the first time outside the confines of the temple, she was totally naked in the presence of her goddess. Elspeth took her lace shawl and wrapped it round Charlotte, and again cradled her in her arms. They started to French once more. Then Elspeth peeled the glove off her right arm, licked her index finger and plunged it inside Charlotte’s pink slit, making her moan. Charlotte had no idea how long they had been driving along when the car came to a halt deep inside a forest area, known colloquially as ‘Lovers’ Paradise’. Janine got out of the car. She pushed her peaked-cap back a little, leaned on the side of the car, and took a small packet out of her breast pocket to light up a cigarette. She loved her job of chauffeuring for Elspeth’s family, but today had been quite stressful and she so needed a nicotine fix. After she had taken two or three drags, Elspeth wound down the window and said to her, “Janine, I could use some of that.” “Sure, Miss Elspeth,” said Janine, and handed her the half-smoked cigarette. Elspeth got a slightly disapproving look from Charlotte as she took a deep inhale before handing the cigarette back to Janine. But this time, Charlotte thought the smell of the smoke was actually quite nice as it mingled with the fragrant aroma of Elspeth’s perfume. Janine finished smoking and trampled the butt into the ground. “Janine, would you like to join us for a little fun?” Elspeth’s words rang out like music to Janine’s ears. “Of course I would, Ma’am!” “Here, take Charlotte while I disrobe.” Janine lifted Charlotte out of the car and held her close. Charlotte loved the feel of the soft leather driving gloves clamped round her arse cheeks. She flung her arms around Janine’s neck and wrapped her legs round her thighs. The sight of the two of them standing there looked just like a monkey clinging to a tree, Elspeth thought. “Miss Charlotte, I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Janine said softly as she pressed her scarlet lips onto Charlotte’s mouth. Charlotte purred and got on with the job of Frenching with this beautiful young woman. Her eyes were transfixed on Janine’s dark glasses as she tried to glimpse her luscious bright-blue eyelids. “Ladies, I’m ready,” called out Elspeth. Janine reluctantly stood the little girl down on the ground to open the car door. Charlotte couldn’t believe her eyes! Elspeth was naked, save for her fishnet stockings, black suspender belt, and the net glove on her left arm. But there was something new. A chunky silver hoop hung from Elspeth’s left nipple. “Fucking hell Elspeth, when did you have that done?” Charlotte enquired. “Yesterday afternoon,” Elspeth replied, “I thought I’d get it done before it’s too late.” Charlotte hopped back into the car to play with the breast adornment. Janine took off her cap and placed it and her gloves, on the driver’s seat, slid off her black boots, removed her red bow tie, and stripped out of her crisp white ‘pilot’ shirt and tight grey pants. Down to her matching white lace bra & thong set, and her ever-present shades, she slid into the rear seat alongside Charlotte and Elspeth. Charlotte shuffled onto Elspeth’s lap and started suckling on her nipples like a baby. “Kiss me, Janine,” whispered Elspeth. “It would be a pleasure, Ma’am.” Janine affectionately slid an arm round Elspeth’s shoulders and she leaned over so they could lock lips. Her free hand started caressing Charlotte’s naked back and arse cheeks. She then started to run her red nails along Charlotte’s flesh, digging them gently into her soft peaches. “Ooooh fuck, that feels good!” squealed Charlotte. Charlotte continued sucking Elspeth’s tits, but paying the most attention to the left nipple. She found that if she licked round the silver ring and gently tugged on it with her lips, Elspeth would moan. All of a sudden she pulled her arse cheeks apart, as wide as they would go. “Finger me, Janine.” “My pleasure, Miss Charlotte!” replied the chauffeuse. Janine licked her fingers and gently pushed her forefinger into Charlotte’s arsehole, and her middle finger slipped into her tiny cunt. It was dripping wet. Janine furiously finger-fucked the precocious child’s holes whilst remaining lip-locked with Elspeth, savouring the taste of her lipstick and plunging her tongue in deep. Charlotte suddenly spat out the ringed nipple. “Oh fuck that feels so fucking good! Keep fingering my wet cunt you bitch!” “Yes, Miss Charlotte.” By now, Elspeth was fingering her own wet cunt, but her lips never strayed away from Janine’s mouth. Charlotte screamed, “F-F-F-U-U-U-C-C-C-K-K-K!” as a wet torrent shot out of her tiny pussy. She sprang up and kissed Janine on the cheek. “Time for you to get naked, Janine!” “Certainly Miss!” Charlotte shuffled aside and Janine broke her kiss with Elspeth so she could remove her underwear. “Fuck!” Charlotte exclaimed, ogling the saucer-like areolae of Janine’s 38D breasts. “Got any lube?” she enquired. Janine leaned over and took a tube of K-Y jelly out of the glove compartment. Charlotte kneeled in front of the two beautiful women with a cheeky grin on her face. “Legs open wide please ladies!” She covered her hands in K-Y and started to work her little fists into the smooth shaven vaginas of the two wanton sluts before her. They started to French again whilst the eight-year-old girl expertly fist fucked their wet holes until two jets of cum juice shot out almost simultaneously. Charlotte withdrew and looked quite content with her handiwork. “Thank you darling,” the two young women replied in unison. Elspeth turned to Janine, “We better clean up. Time for us to get this little one home.” On Tuesday evening at 7pm Charlotte arrived at the temple and went in search of Orchidia. She found her sat in the chapel on her seat behind the altar. It seemed as if Orchidia’s thoughts were far, far away and it looked like she had a tear in the corner of her eye. “My darling Rosebud,” said Orchidia rousing from her reverie. She held out her arms, “Come here my sweet child.” Rosebud trotted up, jumped onto Orchidia’s lap and snuggled her head into her bosom. Orchidia squeezed her and said “Sunflower and Lily can’t make it for tonight’s meeting — some school project they’ve got to work on. Let’s go sit in the pool, the water should be heated up by now.” The girls went off to the initiation pool and stripped naked. Rosebud plonked herself down cross-legged in the shallow end, tossing her hair back whilst Orchidia poured out two glasses of wine. “Here you are darling,” she said as she sat down in the shallow water, crossing her legs modestly at the ankles. Rosebud thought that Orchidia looked much paler than usual, and she sure didn’t seem to be quite as focused as was normal for her. “I went to the hospital again yesterday for some tests,” Orchidia’s frail voice began, “it’s not good news — I’ve got no more than a few months of this life left, maybe only weeks. It’s as if the great Goddess Sappho is calling me early to be with her, and if that’s her desire, then so be it.” Rosebud tried to make sense of what Orchidia was saying, and couldn’t speak as she struggled to take in the importance of it all. Orchidia continued, “There is one last great duty I must perform before I go, and that is to preside over your ‘Sacred Union’ to Poppy. It won’t of course be a ‘legal wedding’ in the eyes of the law, but you will be united together in the eyes of Sappho, for all time and for all eternity, and that’s all that matters.” Orchidia paused to catch her breath. “But this is the first time we will have had such a ceremony in the sect and as such we have no set procedure for it. I need to do a bit of research on the net, and pray to Sappho for some divine inspiration.” After another pause she took hold of Charlotte’s hands and added, “My child, I know you have great plans for the group and you will accomplish them all. Your time will come.” The two girls sat chatting together in the water for a long time, and for once Orchidia was more forthcoming about herself than ever before. Eventually Orchidia announced, “The Sacred Union will take place at the group meeting next week. I’ll talk to you and Poppy more on Thursday.” The day for the ‘Sacred Union of Rosebud and Poppy’ came. This evening, instead of just dropping Charlotte and Yasmine off at their customary place (the end of the lane that lead to the isolated temple), Laura turned off the Range Rover’s engine and also got out of the car. “Tonight I’m coming in with you,” she calmly said. “But-but-but Mummy, it’s n-n-not allowed, it’s umm—” Charlotte started to protest. Laura sealed a finger over Charlotte’s lips, and Charlotte suddenly realised that her mum knew far more about the secret sect than she had ever imagined. As they entered the temple building, Laura said to Charlotte and Yasmine, “Run along now girls and get ready. I’m off to find Orchidia.” ‘Rosebud’ and ‘Poppy’ scurried off to the robing room where Daisy and Buttercup, the nine-year-old twins, were waiting for them. They of course had been asked to be the two brides’ ‘Maids of Honour’ for the ceremony. Tonight they wouldn’t be wearing their normal sect robes, but instead they had traditional wedding attire, and full-length white satin gowns for the little brides, with veils so long that they trailed on the ground. And unusually, instead of going barefoot and pantyless in the temple, they had white suspender belts & stockings, white lace thongs, and silver shoes with 2” stiletto heels. The outfits for the maids of honour were similar, but in pink. As usual, Buttercup did their make-up — identical for all four girls this time — red lips, blue eyes, and red nails. The only items they wore from their sacred attire were their silver signet rings on their wedding fingers. They were to carry posies of flowers that were consistent with their sect names. The Bridal Procession approached the altar to the music of Purcell’s ‘Trumpet Voluntary’. All the other sect members were in their robes of chiffon, and everyone had a flower in their hair to match their ‘name’. Behind the altar on their chairs sat the 3 priestesses. On Rosebud’s chair, in a translucent silver gown was ‘Laura’, or ‘Abbess Snowdrop’ as she was known. Also seated amongst the other girls in priestess robes were (surprisingly) Orchidia’s and Poppy’s mothers. Charlotte later discovered that when her mum had turned eighteen, she had inherited five million pounds from the family fortune, using some of it to establish the sect, which had been her dream since she was a little girl. She had bought the derelict meeting house for next-to-nothing, and had employed the services of carpenters and stonemasons that specialise in renovating places of worship, to transform it into the temple she dreamed of. She had founded the sect with some ‘close’ friends, who included Yasmine’s and Elspeth’s mothers, and of course Elspeth herself. As time went on, her two girlfriends ‘left’ the sect for personal reasons, and Laura herself took a ‘back seat’ in the running of the group some two years later, but she continued to take an interest, and financed everything. No one ever officially left ‘The Mystical Order of Sacred Sapphists’, once you joined you were a member ‘for all eternity’. As she rose from her seat to start the proceedings, Orchidia looked a little better tonight than she had been doing (Rosebud thought). “We have come here today to witness the union of Rosebud and Poppy. The rite that celebrates their love and commitment is Sacred Union in the eyes of the great Goddess Sappho,” she began. Rosebud turned to Poppy and said her vows. “Poppy, I promise to treat you with loving respect. I promise to mend my own mistakes, and forgive easily. I promise to defend and support you. I will walk beside you on our path, but I will not try to choose for you, nor ask you to make my decisions for me. I vow to communicate and grow in understanding, from this day forth. So may it be.” Poppy responded: “Rosebud, I promise not to isolate you on a pedestal, expecting perfection, nor to demean you or take you for granted. I will listen to you closely, and speak to you honestly. I will hold your welfare equal or greater than my own. I vow to put our relationship of the utmost importance. I promise to work alongside you, to use my creative energy and the labour of my hands for the benefit of our union. As I have sworn it, so may it be.” High Priestess Orchidia continued, “We will now light candles as a symbol of the sacred union of Rosebud to Poppy.” The two brides laid their posies on the altar and Orchidia lit two white candles, handing one to each girl. They put the flames to a third unlit candle which was standing in the centre of the altar. Orchidia went on, “This light is a symbol of your love for each other, may you both continue to shine as lights of sapphic love. Now you will exchange rings to celebrate your sacred union.” Daisy came to the altar bearing a red cushion on which lay two gold signet rings. Orchidia removed the two brides’ sacred silver rings, and put them aside. She then laid her hands over the wedding rings and said, “May these rings be blessed and be the symbols of your undying love.” The two brides placed their new rings on each other’s wedding fingers saying, “With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, for all time and all eternity.” Orchidia laid her hands on the girl’s heads and proclaimed, “By the power vested in me at the hands of the great Goddess Sappho, I proclaim that you both be woman and bride together. May you hold your mutual well-being foremost in your hearts and minds. You are now wedded in the sight of the Goddess, and those gathered here who represent our sapphic community, for as long as love shall last. You may now seal your union with a kiss.” Rosebud and Poppy wrapped their arms around each other and Frenched for several minutes. The brides had prepared a little musical item next. Their voices rang round the chapel as, to the music of the classic love song ‘Je t’aime (moi non plus)’, they serenaded to each other: “I love you, I love you Oh my love I go, I go and I come (I come) Oh my love You go, you go and you come I love you, I love you Oh my love I go, I go and I come (I come) You go, you go and you come I love you, I love you Oh my love I go, I go and you come Orchidia was the first to congratulate the newly wedded brides with kisses. Next were the brides’ mothers, and for the first time in her life, ‘Charlotte’ was French kissed by her dearest ‘Mummy’. The two brides were kissed and congratulated by everyone else in the room, to the accompaniment of the ‘Toccata from the 5th organ symphony’ by C.M. Widor. A great feast took place and everyone wined and dined and danced long into the night. A few days later Elspeth fell gravely ill and was taken to the hospital, but there was nothing more (medically) they could do for her. So she was transferred to spend her remaining days in the care of a hospice. Her mother kept a constant silent vigil at her bedside, and Charlotte and Laura visited every day. And then the call came, the call that they knew was inevitable (but wished would never happen). Laura put the phone down and said to Charlotte, “We have to go now.” When they arrived at the hospice, Elspeth looked so peaceful just lying there on top of her bed in a white cotton nightgown, and slipping in and out of consciousness. Her mother was sat beside her, holding her hand as ever. Charlotte walked up to the bedside and took hold of Elspeth’s other hand. Her eyes struggled to open. “Darling Charlotte, my time has come,” she whispered, barely able to speak, “all that I ask is you take care now. I love you.” Charlotte leaned over and tenderly kissed her on the lips. With that, Elspeth’s eyelids fell shut for the very last time. [N.B. The lyrics to ‘I love you (me either)’ were written by Paul Ives, Chan Marshall and Boris Bergman. Parts of the wedding service were adapted from Zaratyst’s handfasting ritual, as can be found at http://www.handfasting.info/slh.html.] |