feelings in acts.’
‘You mean a trade-off? All the way?’
‘All the way! A fair exchange is no robbery.’
I didn’t hesitate. ‘Yes!’
‘Oh, good! Do you want a chance to consult Brian?’
‘Not necessary. I know. He wants to eat you, raw.’ I took her face between my palms,
kissed her deeply. ‘How do we go about this?’
‘Whatever is easiest for you, Maureen little love. My sitting-room converts into a
second bedroom in only seconds, and it has its own little powder room. So it can be
either two couples, or all four of us together.’
‘Briney and I don’t hide from each other. Eleanor, I have found in the past that, if
I simply take my clothes off, it saves time and words.’
Her mouth twitched. ‘I’ve found it so. Maureen, you astound me. I’ve known you ten
years, I think. Back when we still lived on South Benton and we all attended Linwood
Boulevard Methodist, Justin and I discussed you two as possible playmates I told
Justin that Brian had that look in his eye but I couldn’t see any way to crack your
armour. The perfect lady, right out of Goday’s Lady’s Book. Since in order to be
safe this sort of family seduction has to be negotiated between wives, we simply
moved you to the Too-Bad list.’
I was unhooking and unbuttoning, while chuckling. ‘Eleanor love, I broke my
maidenhead at fourteen and I’ve been in heat ever since. Brian knows it and
understands me, and loves me anyhow.’
‘Oh, delightful! Sweetheart, I gave my cherry away at twelve to a man four times my
age.’
‘Then it couldn’t have been Justin.’
‘Heavens, no!’ She stepped out of her drawers; it left her in opera-length hose and
evening slippers. I’m ready.’
‘So am I.’ I was eyeing her and was sorry, Briney hadn’t shaved me, as she was as
smooth as a grape – Briney was going to love her! Tall, statuesque, blonde.
A few minutes later Justin placed me on the Persian rug in front of the fire in
their upstairs sitting-room. Eleanor was beside me, with my husband. She turned her
head toward me and smiled and took my hand, as we each received the other’s husband.
I’ve heard formal discussions at salons in Boondock, complete with Stimulator and
Interlocutor, debating the ideal number for polymorphous sensuality. There were some
who favoured trios, each of the four sorts of all four or any, and some who favoured
high numbers, and some who insisted that any odd number could produce maximum
pleasure but no even number. Me, I still think that a foursome of families, all
loving and lovable, cannot be, beaten. I’m not running down any other combination
and I like them all. I’m simply naming what I like best, year-in and year-out.
Later that night Brian telephoned Father and explained that the streets were getting
icy; would he mind being zookeeper for us tonight?
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Brian looked down at me. ‘What was the far-away look in your eye?’
‘I was thinking about your favourite girl -‘
‘You’re my favourite girl:
‘Favourite blonde girl. Eleanor.’
‘Oh. Granted.’
‘And your favourite oldest daughter.’
‘Something ambivalent there. Positional grammar? Oldest favourite daughter.
Favourite oldest daughter. Yes, I guess they both mean Nancy. Continue.’
‘News I couldn’t put into a letter. Nancy did it.’
‘Did what? If you mean she did it with that pimply kid, I seem to recall that you
concluded that a year ago. How many times can she stop being a virgin?’
‘Briney, Nancy finally decided to tell me. She had a scare and that pimply kid
doesn’t come here any more, because he wouldn’t stop after a rubber broke. So she
told Mama. So I douched her and checked her calendar with her and she Game around,
just fine three days later, and she stopped being scared. But at last we were women
together and we talked. I gave her some hurry-up Father Ira instruction, including
the lecture that goes with the Forberg etchings – hey, that thing does have a bone
in it after all!’
‘What do you expect? You’re talking about Nancy’s fancy; did you think I could stay