“And here we go again - another summer over, and another year of high school awaits!”
“Yeah, I know,” Cindy said as she looked out of the car, “but just imagine what we get to tell the others about our trip!”
“That’s true - they’ll be so jealous of us,” Heidi said as they looked out of the window. The new year was due to start on the Monday, and Natalie’s Aunt Heather had invited the girls to spend the last day of summer vacation at her farm “Doing whatever they wanted” as she put it. Nats had driven up with her mother and Veronica the day before, and now Heidi and Cindy were heading there with Amy and Dorothy for Sunday lunch and an afternoon doing anything except homework and assignments.
“Hey - did I hear a rumour that we’re getting some new teachers this year?”
“You get new teachers every year,” Dorothy said from the front of the car. It was still warm, so all four of them were wearing shorts, khaki and white for Dorothy and Amy, while the girls were wearing blue denim cut-offs.
While the older women had on short sleeved blouses, Heidi had a t-shirt on with a picture of Edinburgh Castle on it, while Cindy was wearing a vest top with “I♥UK” in silver detail on the light blue background.
“Have you spoken to the boys since you got back,” Amy said as she turned off the main road and onto a bumpier way.
“Nah - I guess we’ll see them tomorrow,” Cindy said as she looked out of the window. “It’ll be good to see them though - I missed them during our trip.”
Eventually, Amy pulled up outside the large farmhouse, the woods stretching off into the distance behind it. Stepping out of the car, she looked round and said “So this is where Heather hangs out - I can see why she might like it so much.”
“Very peaceful,” Dorothy said as she closed the car door. “Do you think we’re early? I don’t see anyone about.”
“If I know Nats’ aunt, she’s probably in one of the workshops round the back,” Heidi said as she started to walk round the house. “Come on, we know the way.”
As they walked round the side of the house, and onto the large lawn at the rear, they saw that the back door was open. “See,” Cindy said as she looked into the kitchen, and saw no-one there, “Heather’s probably working in the barn. Let’s go and surprise her.”
The group turned and made their way across the lawn, not seeing the person who came into the kitchen and watched them cross over the lawn. A small smile played on her lips as she went back to her charges...
“Wow - this really is some workshop,” Amy said as she ran her hand over the fake Sarcophagus that was leaning against the wall, “you have to look really closely to see it is not stone.”
“Come on Mum,” Heidi said as she walked round the storage room, “That magazine rack she gave us tells you how skilled she is in metalwork. This is bread and butter stuff for her.”
“I suppose so,” Dorothy said as she sat in a wooden chair, and picked up the leather cuff that hung from the arm by a chain, “but do you know what I think?”
“No,” Cindy said as she came back in from another room in the barn, “she’s not in here.”
“Got it in one,” Dorothy said as she stood up. “She must be in the house - shall we go in and have a look?”
The quartet strolled out of the barn and towards the back door, which was still lying open. “Miss Reid? Heather,” Heidi called out as they walked in, “It’s Heidi and Cindy. We’ve arrived with our mothers.”
There was silence, as Amy called out “Veronica? Are you anywhere within earshot?”
Again, there was no answer, as the four of them looked at each other. “Maybe they’re all still in bed,” Cindy said as she looked at the clock, but it showed it was noon.
“I don’t think so,” Amy said as she put her hand over the range. It was warm, and she could see pots with vegetables prepared in them on the stove. “We’re expected, so I guess they’re somewhere out of ear shot. Didn’t you say Heather had a big attic?”
“That’s true - and Nats and Aunt Veronica are already here,” Heidi said as she looked round, “Do you want me and Cindy to...”
“Oh, so THIS is the famous Heidi and Cindy? I’ve heard a lot about you two from Natalie.”
The four turned quickly at the sound of the new voice. A tall woman was standing in the doorway, leaning against it with her arms folded. She had blonde hair with a hint of grey at the temples, and although she was thin there was a slight roundness about her body. She was wearing a long sleeved grey jumper and slacks, and had a warm smile on her face.
“She looks like an older version of Katherine and Heather,” Cindy whispered to Heidi, a little too loudly.
“Well, I hope I do,” she said as she stood up and walked forward, her hand extended. “I’m Roberta Reid - Heather and Katherine’s Mum. You must be Dorothy and Amy - it’s a real pleasure to meet both of you.”
“Natalie’s grandmother,” Heidi whispered as Amy and Cindy shook her hand. “I’m sorry,” Amy said as she sat down at the table with both of them, “I didn’t know you lived in the area.”
“I don’t - not really. I live in Washington state, but I’ve come over for an extended visit while I - sort a few things out,” she said with a smile. “I’m sorry Heather wasn’t here to greet you, but she’s... Well, she’s...”
“A little tied up at the moment?”
“You might say that,” Dorothy said with a laugh. “Forgive me, Roberta, but I can’t help feeling I know you from somewhere. For the life of me, however, I can’t place where.”
“It’ll come to you eventually,” she said with a smile. “Look, do you mind if I start to cook the vegetables while we talk? I’m sure Natalie’s other friends will be here soon, and I don’t want to delay lunch. Why don’t you two go and see them? They’re in the front room.”
Heidi and Cindy nodded and left their mothers talking to Roberta as they headed down the corridor. “Nats’ grandmother? I didn’t know she had come to stay,” Cindy said as they approached the door to the front room.
“Why would you? We’ve only been back a week and haven’t had a chance to really see her since then. Besides, if she lives the other side of the country, that would explain a lot.”
“True,” Cindy said as she opened the door and walked in, stopping and laughing as Veronica looked up and said “Utkkkurtm.”
“And good afternoon to all of you as well,” Heidi said as she looked down the row. First was her aunt Veronica, who was wearing a cream silk roll neck jumper, blue jeans and sneakers. Next was Natalie, wearing a sleeveless white blouse and a long gypsy skirt. Next to her was Katherine, who had on a knee length black leather skirt, a long sleeved white blouse with the top two buttons undone, and knee length black fabric boots.
Finally there was Heather, in her denim dungaree shorts and a white t-shirt. She and Katherine had their arms and legs raised behind them, and secured with two sets of double handcuffs so that they could only wriggle on their bellies. As for Veronica and Natalie, they had their arms folded behind their backs, their wrists securely tied to their elbows and a length of rope around their forearms, which ran to between their ankles as they lay on their bottoms. Heidi could see the rope around Veronica’s legs, while the skirt covered most of the secure rope around Natalie’s legs. Her big toes, however, had also been tied together with a length of string, as had Heather’s.
“Who did this to you anyway,” Cindy said as she stood behind Natalie, and stroked her fingers up her soles. “Tkwldgssseehhhhh,” Natalie said as she tried to move her sensitive feet out of the way, her voice muffled by the thick scarf that was tied between her lips, the knot visible behind her teeth. Veronica had been gagged in the same way, while Katherine and Heather had leather pads covering their lower faces.
Heidi looked out of the window at a car pulling up, then said “That’s Alice - we’d better get you untied. Where’s the keys to your cuffs, Heather.”
Heather indicated the bookcase with her head, while Cindy started to untie Natalie. As she stretched out her arms, and then untied the gag from her mouth, Heidi unlocked the cuffs from Heather and helped her to sit up. Natalie’s aunt reached round and unbuckled the straps round her head, removing the bung from her mouth and wiping her chin.
“Tip for you girls as you get older,” she said as she took the keys and started to release Katherine, “Never assume that as your mothers get older, you’re going to win.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Cindy said with a smile as Veronica untied her gag. “How long have you guys been like that?”
“Couple of hours,” Veronica said as Katherine stood up. “Still, at least we got to start lunch before Bobbi secured us.”
“Bobbi?”
“Grandma Roberta,” Natalie said as she hugged her friends. “She likes to be called Bobbi by people she...”
“OHMYGODITSREALLYOUIDONTBELIEVEIT!!!!”
“That sounded like Alice,” Heidi said as she looked at the others.
“It was,” Nats said with a smile, “she’s probably just met my grandmother and recognised her.”
“Recognised her? From where? Mum said she looked familiar but I though she meant she looked like your mother and aunt.”
“Not quite,” Nats said as they walked back into the kitchen. Alice was standing there, in her short denim skirt and drop top, her hands together as she looked at Roberta, while her parents stood with Amy.
“Nats,” Alice said as she looked at her friend, “Why didn’t you tell me your grandma was Bobbi Beaton?”
“It never came up in conversation,” Nats said as she sat down. “Mind you, it would explain a lot, wouldn’t it?”
“Of course,” Dorothy said as she slapped her forehead, “Montreal 1976. How did I forget?”
“Because,” Roberta said as she sat down, “Everyone remembers Olga and Nadia. Still, I can’t complain - to get a bronze against those two was an achievement and a half.”