Cutler 04 - Midnight Whispers

a game," Aunt Fern snapped. "It's like breaking a promise to keep a secret," she added, smiling at me.
    I unbuttoned my blouse. Morton's smile widened and he licked his lips. Aunt Fern unfastened her bra and without hesitation slipped it down her arms as if she were alone in her bedroom. Her breasts shook as she started on her skirt.
    "Fern! You're drunk and you're disgusting!" Gavin screamed, standing. "I can't believe you're my sister."
    Aunt Fern threw back her head and laughed. With his face red and swollen, Gavin turned and rushed out of the room. That only made her laugh harder.
    "GAVIN!" I cried standing. I heard him run down the corridor and out the front door of the plantation house so I started after him.
    "Hold it," Fern said, her laughter stopped short. "You haven't taken off your six pieces."
    I looked at her and then Morton, who sat back with a licentious smile, gaping at me hungrily.
    "The game's over, Aunt Fern," I said, looking down.
    "You don't walk out without paying what you owe," she insisted. "Those are the rules."
    "Please, Aunt Fern. Can't we stop now?"
    "Not until you pay up what you owe," she insisted. "Pay."
    I took of my blouse.
    "That's three," she said. "Go on."
    I unfastened the skirt and it fell to my ankles. "Four."
    All I had left were my bra and panties.
    "Do you want help?" she asked. I shook my head.
    "Aunt Fern . . ."
    "It wouldn't be fair," she said. "I didn't hesitate to pay what I owed."
    I gazed at Morton. He was staring at me so hard, I felt he could already see through my remaining garments. I reached behind my back and undid my bra, but I hesitated to slide it of my bosom.
    "Come on, princess, you did it for your uncle Philip, you can do it for us," she coaxed.
    "Aunt Fern! That's horrible, a horrible thing to say," I cried. "I didn't do it for Uncle Philip. I didn't."
    I scooped up my shoes and socks and my skirt and holding my bra against my breasts, I shot out of the living room.
    "You bitch!" she screamed after me. "You can't welsh on a game of strip poker. You'll be sorry . . . YOU'LL BE SORRY!"
    I ran down the corridor and stopped in a room to dress myself. Then I went outside to look for Gavin. He was nowhere in sight, so I went around the house toward the barn. Halfway there, I heard him whisper.
    "Christie."
    He was standing off in the shadows. I went to him quickly.
    "Gavin, you were right. I shouldn't have tried to please her. She's horrid and she'll never stop tormenting us, especially me. I don't care about her threats anymore. I'm not going to do anything else for her."
    "Good. Now maybe you'll listen to me and leave."
    "Yes, Gavin, I will. I think once we're gone and no longer here to provide her any amusement, she'll leave too. I'll explain it all to Luther and he'll keep Charlotte and Homer away from them until they go," I said. "We'll leave in the morning."
    "Good. We'll get up early and ask Luther to drive us into Upland Station."
    "But what will we do then, Gavin?" I asked, my excitement waning when I let reality seep into our plans. Gavin thought a moment.
    "I guess we're just going to have to call my daddy," he said. "He's not going to be happy we've gone so far away, but he'll help us, especially when he learns what happened to you. And he is Jefferson's grandfather, Christie. Don't forget that."
    "I know. I just can't help being scared about it all. But you're right. We should call him," I said.
    "He'll help us. You'll see. He's nothing like Fern claims he is," Gavin said, obviously sensitive to her taunts.
    "I know that, Gavin. I've always liked Granddaddy Longchamp. Let's go back inside and go to our rooms and go to sleep."
    He took my hand and we returned to the house, entering as quietly as we could. We could hear Fern giggling in the living room. As we walked by, we gazed in and saw the two of them naked, embracing on the floor. We hurried up the stairs and stopped at my doorway.
    "She makes everything seem dirty," Gavin said, his eyes lowered.
    "It's not, if you really care about the person you're with, Gavin. Then, it's beautiful. We've got nothing to be ashamed of," I told him. He smiled and I kissed him quickly on the lips.
    "Sleep tight," he said.
    "And don't let the bedbugs bite," I added and went in. Now that we had made our decision, I felt as if a heavy load had been lifted from my shoulders. I went to sleep relieved that we would finally be rid of Fern. I was sorry our time in our special paradise had come to an end, but somehow,