Texas Gal
by   C. Sprite
© 1999

 

Chapter Eleven     My Secret Is Uncovered

In the morning I awoke early and went into Auntie's bathroom to run our bath. After I had slipped in, she walked in, shrugged off her gown and panties, and got in with me. We soaked until we pruned, then I stood up and got out. As I toweled off, Auntie screamed. I looked at her and saw that she was staring at me.

"What's the matter, Auntie?" I said.

She closed her eyes and trembled, but didn't say anything. I walked around the tub and put my hand on her shoulder. She pulled away from me.

"Auntie, please. What's wrong?"

She just sat there and stared at me. Finally, she said, "David!"

I stepped back, as if someone had slapped me, and stood there stunned. I took it to mean that she wanted David to come back. I was shattered. I collapsed onto the floor and began crying. I didn't want to leave. I had been so happy here. I didn't want David to ever come back because it would mean that I had to leave. I cried and cried, uncontrollably.

I don't know how long it was before I felt Auntie's hands on my back. She picked me up in her arms and cradled me, as we rocked together on the floor, with her trying to calm and soothe me. She hadn't even toweled off and was still slick with soapy bubbles.

As I regained control and managed to stop crying, she said, "Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just shocked. I had forgotten about…. . Listen, David, I'm so confused right now."

"Auntie, I'm not David. I'm Darla Anne. You told David that I could come here. Don't you remember? I know that I stayed a lot longer than I was supposed to, but I was so happy here, and you never asked for him to come back. So I decided to stay as long as I could. David hasn't come back from his trip yet."

Auntie was quiet for a long time as we sat and rocked on the floor. Then she said, "Darla Anne, can you bring David back?"

"Yes, Auntie. Don't you want me anymore?"

"Oh honey, of course I want you. But I'd like to talk with David about some important matters. Can he come back right now?"

"It'll take a few minutes. I have to call him."

"On the phone?"

"No, I can send him a message with my mind."

"Okay, why don't you go to your room and tell him that I need to talk with him."

"Can I come back sometime, Auntie? Please?"

"Of course. I'll tell David… to call you… when you should come back. Okay?"

"Okay Auntie. I love you. And I'll miss you very much."

She didn't say anything. I stood up and wept as I went to my room.

I sat down on my bed and focused on David's return. He had never been gone anywhere near this long before. I concentrated on his returning in the cab that he had left in several weeks ago. I met him as he got out and we embraced, then Darla Anne got in, smoothed her skirt as I closed the door for her, and watched as she left in the cab. I walked upstairs and… realized that I was sitting on Darla Anne's bed, naked. I walked down the hall and got my robe from my closet. It no longer fit right. My chest was way too big, my waist too small, and my hips too large. I hadn't worn it since I had summoned Darla Anne. I walked down the hall to Auntie's bedroom and knocked on the door.

Auntie said, "Come in."

I entered and found her sitting on the edge of her bed, wearing a housecoat.

"I'm back, Auntie."

"David?" I nodded.

She said, "Come over here, sweetheart, and sit down with me." I did as she asked. "Has Darla gone?"

"Yes, she's gone for now."

"David, do you realize that you are Darla?"

"Yes, Auntie."

She thought for a moment. "If you realize that you are Darla, then why doesn't she realize that she's also David?"

"I can't let her have that thought. It would leave her vulnerable to a slip up. She has to believe that she is now, and always has been, only Darla."

"You talk as though she is a separate person."

"In a way she is. I slip into that role like any method actor takes on a role. You become the character that you are portraying. I read a book about acting and character immersion. I take it one step further, though. I block any thoughts about a different existence. Therefore, Darla is only aware of being Darla, just as you are only aware of being Katherine. I have read about people who practice self-hypnosis, so I think it's like that. Darla can summon me back, but never acknowledge that we are the same person. To her, David is her brother that travels a lot, and should never be discussed outside of the family. She only knows that when he returns, she must leave."

Auntie thought about what I said for several minutes. I sat quietly on the edge of the bed, next to her, until she spoke, "Tell me how you do it."

So I told her how I concentrate, and visualize Darla coming in a cab, and after we embrace, how I, David, leave in the same cab for an extended trip. "When Darla comes, David is gone almost completely from her conscious mind. It's the only way that I can convince everybody that I am a female. In my own mind, I AM a female. If I believe myself to be a female, then everybody else believes me to be a female. NO male thoughts are permitted. I don't even think about my genitalia as being male. Just different and something to be hidden from everybody. That's difficult to do in a bathtub though."

"So you really believe yourself to be a female?"

"Don't you believe yourself to be a female?"

"Yes, but I was born that way."

"Darla Anne believes that she was born that way also. She only knows that her crotch is shaped a little different from yours and other women, and so must hide it to prevent ridicule. But to herself, she is a woman from head to toe. She didn't understand when you rejected her."

"Do you like being Darla?"

"More than anything. As David, I don't fit in with boys my own age, or anywhere else. I'm no good at any sports where a ball is involved, and as a result, I'm excluded from the games and shunned by other boys. I think that my good grades made them dislike me a little also. At home, I was excluded from a close relationship with my sisters because of my sex. My life had been very lonely, with books as my only real companions. While my sisters would be doing fun things together, I would be in my room reading. When I was introduced to the world as a female, I found my place. Mother and the girls know how I feel, as do Gina and Maria. That's why they all accepted my presence here so quickly. As Darla, everybody accepts me. For the first time in my life, I fit in. I don't have to be an athlete to be accepted. I wish that I were born a female. It's the life I would choose if I had the option. I am rather surprised how thoroughly you accepted me though. I thought that Darla was only going to be here for two days. I am happy that you allowed her to stay much longer."

"I attempted to convince myself from the first day that Darla was a female so that we could convince Mabel," Auntie said. "But your performance was so convincing that, coupled with my own efforts to think of you as a female, I came to actually believe you a female almost immediately. And I do mean immediately. I guess that that was a form of self-hypnosis too. You didn't slip up once. Until this morning I believed that you were a female. It was quite a shock to be yanked back to reality."

"I didn't slip up because there was nothing to slip. Darla is a female, in mind and spirit, as much as you are, in your mind, a female.

Auntie looked at me and thought for a long time. "So you wish to continue as Darla?"

"Yes. Of course."

"I don't think that I should allow that until I talk to your mother."

"We've talked to mother a number of times, with me always as Darla. If she didn't approve, she would have said something already to you in one of your private conversations."

"How did you know that we were having private conversations?"

"You never discuss lawsuits, insurance, or other legal business in our speakerphone conversations."

"You must be related to Sherlock Holmes."

"Elementary, my dear Watson."

She smiled for the first time since I had become David again.

"You are such a clever girl, Darla Anne, I don't think that I will ever be able to have any secrets with you around."

I threw my arms around her and hugged her and kissed her. She said, "Will Darla Anne have any memory of our conversation."

"To her, David is a separate person, so she won't have any conscious recollection."

"Will she still be upset about my reaction?"

"Yes. That happened to her, not to David."

"How soon can she come back?"

"As quickly as I did."

"I'd like very much to have her back, if that is what you want."

I smiled and said, "I'll go summon her and send her in."

I walked back to my bedroom and hung up my robe, then went to Darla's room, put on panties and a robe, and sat on the bed. I focused my thoughts and visualized my leaving the house as the cab pulled up with Darla. I opened the door and she stepped out. We embraced, then separated, and David got in the cab as I watched. I waved as he left on another of his trips.

I went upstairs to my bedroom and sat on the bed. I remembered that David had said that Auntie wanted to see me, so I went to her bedroom and knocked on the door. I heard her say, "Come in," so I entered. She was standing by her bed and she put her arms out. I ran to her and hugged her as hard as I could. She hugged me back and I started crying. She asked what was wrong and I said, "I thought that you didn't want me here with you anymore."

"Darla Anne, I love you. I'm sorry that I hurt you earlier. I was confused about some things. I needed David to enlighten me. He clarified everything before he left. He did leave didn't he?"

"Yes, I waved to him as he left on another of his trips."

"I'm hungry. How about making some of your wonderful French Toast for me? I have to call my secretary and tell her that I'm going to be a little late this morning."

I smiled up at her. She did want me to stay with her. "I'll go start breakfast right away."

I went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast. I sang as I worked because I was so happy. After I made fresh OJ, cut up some fruit, and made a pot of tea, I put the frying pan on to warm and then made the French Toast mixture. When I heard Auntie's bedroom door, I turned up the heat on the frying pan.

She came into the kitchen and came over to me. "I hope that you'll show me how you make these some time."

"A girl can't give away all her secrets."

She hugged me and swatted me on the behind. I giggled as I hugged her. She squeezed me and said, "I love you, Darla Anne. I want you to live here with me as long as you want to stay."

"I love you too Auntie. I've never been happier, although I hope that you understand how much I want my sisters and Mother here with us."

"Of course, I do sweetheart. I want them here also. Just like one big family. Tonight we'll pack up David's things and put them in storage in the cellar since he will be away for such a long time. Now, where's my breakfast?"

She swatted my behind again and I giggled.

"Go sit down and let me cook," I said. "Drink your orange juice."

"Yes, dear."

As she sat down, I put the French Toast in the frying pan. When it was done, I dished up the two portions and brought the plates to the table. "Your ordeh of ze French Toast, mademoiselle . Zank you for eating at Café Darla."

"My favorite restaurant. Ummm, that smells good."

After breakfast, Auntie and I talked for a while at the table. She was going in a little late this morning so she wasn't rushing in her usual fashion. "Darla Anne, do you like to cook?" she asked.

"Yes, I do. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment. Mother always tells us girls that we have to know how, so that we can take care of our husbands and families someday. But it goes beyond that with me."

"Do you want to go to college, or get married and raise a family?"

"Both, in that order."

She smiled, and said, "What career path do you think that you'd like to follow?"

"I don't know yet. I still have 7 grades before college, so I have a lot of time to decide. I had thought that I might follow a career in medicine, but since coming to Texas, the business world of oil and logging has held my interest. If I keep my grades up, I should be able to choose whatever career path appeals to me when I finally have to decide."

She looked thoughtful for a minute. "I have to look into the schools in this area for you and your sisters. I hadn't thought of that before. We'll want a good school that will prepare you properly for your colleges. Gosh, it's getting late, I'd better start getting dressed for work." 

I began the cleanup as soon as Auntie had left to get dressed. By the time that she was ready to leave, I had finished in the kitchen. We kissed and she left. I went to my bedroom and dressed. I was wearing one of my new panty girdles. My built-in padding was now sufficient so that I didn't need the padding from Judy's girdle any more. My waist was so slim from the corset that I didn't need the waist nipper either. I put on ranch clothes and went to the stable. I cared for the horses and cleaned the stalls. Then I went back to the house and cleaned myself up. Since it was Monday, I began my weekly chores, first cleaning Auntie's bathroom and bedroom, then cleaning my bathroom and bedroom. I had changed the bed linen and bath towels as usual. I vacuumed the bedrooms, the hallway, and the stairs, then went downstairs and vacuumed all the rooms.

It was a little after lunchtime when I took a break, so I made a light lunch before returning to work. I did the laundry, and polished and dusted while it was running. After folding and then bringing everything upstairs, I looked around to see if I had missed anything. I looked into the refrigerator and decided to discard a few things. I wiped the shelves down and closed the door. With everything done, I got the book about logging and went to the front porch to read. I read until 5 o'clock when it was time to start preparing dinner. As I put the bookmark in, I saw that I was more than halfway through.

I went upstairs and started dinner. Auntie came home at the normal time. I was glad to see that she hadn't had to stay late to make up for going in late since dinner was ready now. I met her at the door to the kitchen and we kissed, before sitting down to eat. After dinner, she went to change, and then go to care for the horses, while I washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. She returned just as I was finishing up. We went to David's room and packed up all his things and took them to the cellar. They would be there waiting for him when he returned from his trip. We went to our bedrooms and put on our sleepwear, then went down to watch TV. She thanked me for cleaning her rooms, and we snuggled on a couch instead of the chairs. At 10 o'clock we walked upstairs to retire. She gripped my hand as she led me to her bedroom. We climbed up onto her bed and talked until sleep overtook us. That night I dreamed about riding our horses. As I rode along, David was on a horse that looked just like Emily, which I was riding. He matched my pace and we rode along together into the sunset.

I awoke a little early. I debated whether to bathe in Auntie's bathroom or my own. She had gotten so upset yesterday when she had seen my little secret. I left her bedroom and went to my bathroom to run my bath. I poured in a lot of bath crystals and slipped into the hot water as it rose in the tub. As I shut the water off, Auntie came into my bathroom and shrugged off her gown and panties. She slipped into the tub, sat beside me, and said, "Why didn't you run our bath in my tub?"

"I was afraid of upsetting you like yesterday when you saw my little secret."

"Oh honey, I told you how sorry I was about that. It won't ever happen again. I love you and would never hurt you intentionally." She put her arm around me. "Now tomorrow we'll bathe in my tub."

"Okay, Auntie."

We shifted around so that she could wash my back. Then she continued and washed my arms and breasts and legs. Then we shifted around again and I scrubbed her. We relaxed for a short time and then rose from the tub and toweled off together. Auntie examined herself in the mirror, then I examined myself as she powdered. She waited until I powdered then she kissed me and said that she'd see me at breakfast. I put on my panties, bra, and face. I finished dressing in ranch clothes, and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Auntie came in and I dropped her eggs into the fry pan after I popped her pumpernickel into the toaster. When the eggs were done, I brought the plates to the table and we ate. Auntie had an early appointment, so she hurried through breakfast, kissed me goodbye and left. I cleaned up the kitchen and went to take care of the horses. When I came back, I cleaned up and changed into a summer dress.

While I was changing, Karen called. We hadn't talked since Thursday, so we gabbed for about two hours. She asked me if she and Mike could come over tomorrow to ride. I told her that I would be looking forward to it. She said that she would call before they left. We talked for another 10 minutes then said goodbye and hung up. With my chores done, I went to the parlor and sat by a window to read the logging book. I took a break at lunchtime and then returned to read again. At 5 o'clock, I book-marked my page and went to start dinner. I was almost finished with the book. A couple of more hours should complete it. After dinner, Auntie took care of the horses while I cleaned the kitchen as usual. We watched a movie after we had put our sleepwear on. It was called High Noon. I had seen it once before but I loved seeing it again. Grace Kelly looked beautiful in her corset and tiny waist. When it was over, we rewound it and retired to bed.

The next morning, I awoke to find Auntie draped across me. I kissed her and she mumbled something and rolled over. I went into the bathroom and ran our bath. When it was ready, I took off my sleepwear and was about to get into the tub, but decided to wake Auntie first. I went back into the bedroom and climbed up onto the bed. Auntie was lightly snoring. I shook her gently and her eyes fluttered open. "Time to wakeup sleepyhead." She smiled at me, wrapped her arm around me and pulled me down on top of her. She kissed me and squeezed me. We climbed off the bed and went into the bathroom and stepped into the bath after she shrugged off her sleepwear.

As I was cleaning the kitchen after Auntie left for work, Karen called to say that they were on their way over. I made some sandwiches and put them and some fruit into a canvas sack, and finished cleaning up. Then I went to my bedroom to touchup my makeup, put on my lipstick and grab my hat and gloves. I walked out and sat on the front porch until Karen and Mike got there. The cook dropped them off and drove away, and we walked down to the stable. Mike got very excited as he looked at all the horses. He said that he wanted to ride the palomino. I told him that he would have to pay first. He looked at me with a blank expression on his face. I said, "Not with money. We have to clean the stable before we go." He nodded and smiled. We led the horses out into the corral and mucked out the stalls. Karen had helped me last week so she knew what to do. Mike worked very hard and did most of the heavy work. After the stable was clean, with fresh hay and water in each stall, we put fresh hay in the rack in the corral and filled the water trough. I got several bridles and when I stepped into the corral, Emily came up to me. I bridled her, and then the Palomino, and I bridled one of the Walkers that Karen had selected. I led the horses back into the stable and we saddled them.

We left on a tour of the ranch. After we had toured the small ranch, we followed some paths and roads around the main ranch, in areas where Auntie had said that we could go. We passed some of our neighbors and I waved. At lunchtime we stopped at the small brook where Auntie and I had stopped, and ate our lunch. In addition to the sandwiches and fruit, I had brought some lemonade, but it had gotten warm so we put it into the brook while we ate. We rode for another two hours and when we got back, Mike was complaining of severe soreness. It had been a long time since he had ridden, and we had been out for five hours. Karen was a little sore and I was only mildly feeling anything, so the task of rubbing down the three horses fell to Karen and myself. Karen called the cook to come pick them up because of Mike's condition, and we sat on the front porch and rocked while we waited. When the cook got there, Mike struggled to walk to the car. Karen and I hugged and they drove home.

It was still early so I got the logging book and read the remainder of it. I went back through it using my speed-reading, pausing at several places to reread certain passage more thoroughly. When I reached the end, I felt that I understood everything that I had read. I closed the book and rocked while I thought about what I had read, and related it to what I had seen in Oregon. The book had explained some things that I had seen but hadn't understood at the time. I went to the office and took out the papers that Grandma had left. I skipped over the industry articles because I knew that material already. I spent a lot of time pouring over the quarterly reports, and dissecting the information. As I tried to understand exactly what was being reported, it seemed that some of the data was superfluous, and some things that I had seen mentioned in the book, were missing. I took some blank paper, and a ruler, and designed several reports which would include the data that I thought was missing, and which would delete the data which served no real, useful purpose, that I could see. When I was done, I sat and reviewed them for a very long time. Based on what I had recently read, and everything that I had seen and been exposed to, I felt that they would provide a little better information than the quarterly reports being used now. I reread Grandma's notes and felt that I knew what I should be looking for on an inspection.

It was almost 5 o'clock, so I put everything away and went to prepare dinner. Auntie arrived home a couple of minutes after 6 o'clock and we sat down right away to eat. After dinner she went to care for the horses while I cleaned up. When I was done, I went to my bedroom and called Grandma. When she came to the phone, we talked for a few minutes about incidentals, and then I informed her that I had finished the material that she had left with me. She said that that was wonderful. She was free tomorrow and would like to come over and discuss it while it was still fresh in my mind, if I didn't have anything else scheduled. I told her that my entire day was free and at her disposal. She said that she would see me in the morning then. We said goodbye and hung up. I put on my sleepwear and went downstairs as Auntie came in. She said to see if anything good was on TV while she went to clean up. We watched TV until 10 o'clock and then retired to bed.

Grandma came the next morning around 9 o'clock. I had finished my cleaning chores both in the house and the stable, and had changed into a light summer dress. We sat out on the porch and enjoyed a cup of tea. When we started talking about logging, she posed several simple questions to me and was happy with my answers, so she asked some more complex questions and was even happier with my responses. She asked me if I had looked at the quarterly reports and I told her that I had studied them. When she asked me if I understood them, I told her that I understood everything that was on them but didn't understand why some information was missing. She looked at me questioningly, and said, "Missing information?"

"Yes. Some of the data seems a little bit superfluous, and some things that I believe are important are not there."

"Give me an example."

"I wrote down my thoughts." I took out the forms that I had drawn and handed them to her.

She looked at them carefully for several minutes, then looked at me with a funny expression on her face and said, "You made these forms?"

"Yes."

"Some of this data isn't spoken about in any of the articles that I left."

"I found some books in Auntie's library and read them before I worked on the forms."

"Could I see the books?"

"Of course, Grandma, I'll get them."

I went to the library, got the five books that I had read, and returned to the porch with them, where I handed them to Grandma. I drank another cup of tea while she looked through the books. When she was done, she looked at me and said, "And you read all of these books since I was here on Friday?"

"Yes. Only one of them took any time. The others are very general and I could read through them quite fast." She looked at the books and selected the one that I had spent so much time on.

"This one?" she said as she held it up. I nodded. She put the others down and looked through it more closely then the cursory inspection she had given it earlier. She said, "This reads like a college textbook." She stopped at a section near the back and read for a minute, then asked me a question formulated from the information she found there. I thought for a couple of seconds and found the information in my mind, then answered the question, while she looked at the book. She looked up at me and said, "That's exactly right. Not word for word as written, so you don't have a photographic memory. But even better because it shows that you absorbed it and understand it, and you're not just repeating what you read.

"Darla Anne, I'm astounded. I knew about your excellent memory from the way that you memorized the information when we were on our way to Portland, but to have studied the articles, reports, and notes that I left, AND to have read, and understood, all these books on your own, just amazes me. You must have worked very hard on this. I gave you the forms to look at, not analyze and redesign. I didn't want you to dedicate so much time to this project. As bright as you are, you're still just an 11-year-old girl, even though you act like 11 going on 25. But you should be doing young lady things, not spending all your spare time doing research for me."

"I just want to help out, Grandma. You've been so good to me. Besides, I really enjoyed it. I like being busy, and I found it very interesting. I learned a great deal about the lumber business." 

"You've already repaid me many times over. Just being my granddaughter is payment enough. I've so enjoyed our time together.

"I'm going to send these forms, that you designed, to each of my VPs for their analysis," she said. "I'll ask them to discuss them with their staffs and prepare a written report, to be forwarded to me by the end of next week. Then we can review their ideas together and see what they think. I want you to understand that some of the reports may not be favorable. People sometimes resist change; even when change is good. Also, a number of people use these reports. Some may need the information that you have deleted. What I'm saying is, don't take their criticism to heart. It won't be personal."

"I understand Grandma. I don't have the expertise that they do on these matters, and I won't be hurt if they scoff at my ideas. I know that people who have been doing this all their lives will have much more knowledge and different opinions. I was just expressing my opinion, based on the books that I read, and the questions that came into my mind when I looked at the reports."

"Darla Anne, you're wonderful. So intelligent and yet still humble. Like I said on the plane, it's too bad that I can't put you on the payroll right now." Grandma really knew how to schmooze.

We talked for several more hours. Grandma answered some questions that I had not been able to answer from the books. We talked about other corporate matters regarding competition, sales, future development efforts, taxes, and government regulation. At one o'clock, I interrupted our conversation to ask if she would like some lunch, and we went upstairs to the kitchen to grab a bite. I made some grilled cheese sandwiches, and we continued to talk in the kitchen while we ate and afterwards. At four, she said that we had to break off because she had to attend a political dinner in the city at 7 o'clock. I walked her to her car, and we embraced and cheek kissed. She said that she would call me in a couple of days. She drove down the driveway as I stood there and waved.

I returned to the house and cleaned the things from the porch, then the upstairs kitchen. I retrieved the notebook that Auntie had given me and sat down to summarize and record everything that I had learned from Grandma today, as well as to make some notes to myself about upcoming events.  

The next day, Karen came over. Mike was still sore. Karen said that he had such big blisters that Grandmother had forbidden him to ride for two weeks so that they would heal properly. We took a four hour ride, returning at about one o'clock. We rubbed down the horses and went up to the house. We washed thoroughly, changed our clothes, and set to work in the large downstairs kitchen. I had to have four baked good items for tomorrow morning, for the church. Karen said that Grandmother and Mike had raved so much about her pie that she'd like to take something home with her again. We peeled, cored, and sliced enough apples for four pies. We put them in the refrigerator while we worked on the piecrusts. When the crusts were ready, we mixed the ingredients and filled the pie tins, then put the tops on and crimped them at the edge. We put all four pies in to cook and started on the cakes. We mixed up enough ingredients for four, three layer, chocolate devil's food cakes. We put the 12 cake tins into the oven to cook while we sat and enjoyed a cup of tea. When the pies and cakes were cooked we took them out to cool while we started making the icing for the cakes. By the time that it was ready, the cakes had cooled enough to put them together. So by 5 o'clock we had 4 pies and 4 cakes. The large kitchen was wonderful to work in. So much room and so many wonderful cooking implements made the job easy. We could have made twice as many in the same amount of time. We cleaned the kitchen and went upstairs to make dinner.

Auntie came in at 6 o'clock and we sat down and ate. She smelled the cooking when she came in, so we told her that we had baked the pies and cakes for the church. We would have to deliver them tomorrow morning for the bake sale. For desert, we started on one of the cakes. We wanted to make sure that it tasted Okay. We felt confident about the pies because we had made them before. As we took our first taste it was evident that we had another winner. We all took a second helping of the cake when we had finished the first piece. When we took Karen home, she had one of the pies and one of the cakes to show off her new culinary skills. On the drive home, Auntie told me that she had spoken with the doctors at St. Augustine's and Mother could travel by Wednesday. She had left a message with Mabel's housekeeper earlier.

The next morning, Auntie and I took the 2 pies and 2 cakes to the church's bake sale booth at the fair. After we dropped them off, we walked around looking at the exhibits, rides, and game booths. We met a number of neighbors and church members as we walked around. Auntie told them that we had come to drop off the pies and cakes, and that if they appreciated good deserts then they should run right over and buy them before they were sold. I blushed in the face of her generous compliments. We spent several hours at the fair before we returned to the car and drove home. Auntie and I changed our clothes, and right after lunch, went for a four-hour ride on Emily and Henry. We rubbed our mounts down when we returned, and then went into the house. After pouring cool drinks, we took them and went to the front porch to relax.

 The phone rang as we rocked, and I went inside to answer. It was Grandma. We talked for several minutes and then she said that she had received the message and the plane would be available on Wednesday or Thursday. I called Auntie and she came in to talk with Grandma. She said that Wednesday would be preferable and leave Thursday in case of bad weather. She named the closest airport to St. Augustine's Hospital that could handle the plane so that the pilot could prepare his flight plans. After they hung up, I hugged Auntie because I was so happy. Mommy and my sisters would be here in less than a week. It was getting late so I went up to start dinner. I sang as I worked. Auntie came in and worked with me on the meal. After we ate we cleaned the kitchen and cared for the horses. Then we cleaned up and after changing into our sleepwear, we watched TV until 10 o'clock. We turned off the TV and went upstairs to bed. I dreamed about our family being reunited that night. They were happy dreams.

Awaking at my usual early hour, I ran our bath and then went to wake Auntie. Instead of shaking her, I felt playful and slapped her behind in the Judy fashion. She came instantly awake and grabbed me and began to tickle me. Since I had already removed my sleeping corset, I didn't have any problem with breathing and we rolled around on the bed as I reacted to her fingers assault on my sides and underarms. We finally collapsed together laughing and hugging each other on the bed. We got up and went to take our bath. I always loved this time of the morning. As always, we soaked until we pruned, then washed each other and got out of the tub to towel and powder. After breakfast, we went to services. The preacher thanked everyone who had worked to make the bake sale a huge success. I was once again embarrassed when he told everybody that he had been given a slice of pie baked by Miss Darla Ann Bliss and he suspected that I would be giving some heavy duty competition to this year's state fair baking finalists. The congregation applauded me and I turned crimson. After services, everybody wanted to congratulate me. One of the members had purchased one of my cakes and kept telling everybody how delicious it was. I couldn't understand all the fuss. It was true that I thought the pies and cakes tasted good, but anybody with my cookbook could have done the same.

As we returned home, I voiced my thoughts to Auntie. "Some people just have a knack for cooking, like some people had a 'green thumb in gardening," she said. "Anybody can plant some seeds, but some people make beautiful gardens while others can't get weeds to grow. Everybody can cook, but some people get delicious foods, while others wind up with dishes that are barely edible. Cooking is really more scientific than an art. You mix a defined set of ingredients according to a very specific formula, then cook at a precise temperature for a precise amount of time. If you have followed the formula faithfully, you will get predictable results. Your precision, and attention to detail, is the reason that you've had such wonderful and consistent results. 

"You're right, Auntie. But it still seems silly that people are making such a fuss over a couple of cakes and pies."

"Just relax and enjoy it. Very few people are lucky enough to get such recognition in their life. And to get it at such a young age is exceptional." I thought about it for the rest of the trip home. It would probably blow over in a week. I would just forget it.

We changed our clothes when we arrived home and relaxed on the porch. Grandma drove up and joined us. I greeted her as she got out of her car and we walked up the porch stairs together. "I had to come over and tell you how wonderful your chocolate cake is," she said. I stared at her. She started laughing at the perplexed look on my face. "My cook was at the fair yesterday and saw the cake with your name on the 'baked by' tag," she said. She couldn't resist buying it. Bless her, she thought that she was doing a good deed. She didn't want you to suffer embarrassment from not having your cake sold. After she got home, she decided to try it to see if it was good enough to serve me a piece. She couldn't believe her taste buds. She ran to bring me a piece. Sweetheart, it is delicious. My cook told me that Charles had three helpings and he doesn't usually have a sweet tooth."

"Grandma, it was just a simple cake."

"It's no use Mabel," Auntie said. "She thinks that we're all being silly with our praise."

"She's got the worst case of humility that I've ever seen," Grandma said.

I said meekly, "It was just a simple cake. We made four cakes and four pies."

"Who is the we?" Grandma asked.

"Karen and myself. We worked together on Friday to make them."

"I'll have to stop at Barbara's and compliment Karen as well."

I wanted to change the subject, so I said, "Would you like some tea, Grandma?"

"I'd love some." I started to get up, when she added, "And a piece of your apple pie if you have any left."

"Okay Grandma. Auntie?"

"The same for me sweetheart."

I went upstairs to make the tea and cut into the new pie. I was glad to be away from the compliments for a while. Hopefully, they would be talking about something else when I got back.

I carried the tray with the tea and pie down and brought it out to the porch. Grandma and Auntie were talking about oil drilling. I served the tea and pie and sat down. They continued to talk about oil until they tried the pie. Then they couldn't stop talking about the pie. I groaned inside. I just smiled sweetly when they complimented me. I thought that if I downplayed it, they would eventually stop and talk about something else. It worked and they changed the topic after a few minutes. Grandma and Auntie talked about the flight on Wednesday. We would call later and relay the information to the girls and Mother so that they would be all ready. Grandma stayed for several hours. We talked about oil drilling, ranching, and lumber production. Auntie told Grandma that she had some concerns over my going to inspect a logging site with the deliberate intention of infuriating the site manager. She had a great deal of experience with rough characters and didn't think that I was ready to handle one. Grandma said that she would never place her granddaughter in danger. Mr. Sloan was a gentleman not an oil roughneck. And she promised Auntie that I would be perfectly safe. Auntie's fears seemed to be allayed. After another hour, Grandma got up and said that she had to be going. I asked her to wait for a minute. I hurried upstairs and after removing two slices, wrapped up the rest of the pie.

I handed it to her and said, "Tell Charles to save a piece for the cook, and not to eat the rest of it all at one sitting."

Grandma laughed and we kissed.

After she left, Auntie said, "I think that you're going to have to spend more time in the kitchen. Your baked goods are creating quite a demand."

"That's Okay, I enjoy cooking, and they're really easy to make. I'll cook something on Tuesday so we have it for Wednesday night.

We just relaxed for the rest of the day. We had skipped lunch so I made up for it at dinner. We watched some TV and retired at 10 o'clock. We talked as we lay in bed. Auntie told me that despite grandma's assurances, she was worried about my inspection trip. I told her that I would be fine. If necessary, I would scream so loud that every lumberjack in the county would come to my aid. She started to laugh and I hoped that she would let me go. Again I dreamed about my mother being healthy and my new family being together. I was including Grandma now. I felt like she was a part of my family.

I ran the bath as soon as I woke up. Auntie got up without being spanked. As we relaxed in the tub, she told me about the progress of the survey crew on Grandma's big ranch. She was very optimistic about a major well coming in there. They would begin exploratory drilling in a few weeks. I got out after we washed each other's back, and after dressing, went to prepare breakfast. Auntie ate and left for work within an hour and I started my Monday cleaning after taking care of the horses.

The next day, Karen came over and we did some more baking. Grandma had stopped at her house and raved to her Grandmother about our efforts. Mrs. Wallace said that she was already aware of Karen's talents. They had been enjoying the pies and the cake that she had brought home. We made 4 apple pies, plus 3 chocolate devil's food cakes, and 3 Angel's food cakes. She asked me if there was another bake sale and I told her that with my family coming I just wanted to have some treats on hand, plus send a couple to friends. We cleaned up after we were done and went to my bedroom.

 We lay on the bed and relaxed. She asked me if she could try on a corset. I went and got Auntie's from my closet. Karen took off her skirt and blouse. She was only wearing a tight half-slip, like mine, so I gave her a camisole to put on. I loosened the laces, put the corset around her, and joined the busk pieces. Then I went behind her and took up the slack. I adjusted the corset so that it was in the right position then tightened the laces slightly. I asked her if she was ready to proceed. When she said yes, I took the corset in two inches. She was having a little trouble breathing. I told her how to relax and breath evenly. After she was comfortable I took her down another inch. This time she had a little more difficulty getting used to it. When she was breathing more or less normally, I helped her to get dressed again. She walked around the room trying to get used to it. She went to the mirror and examined her figure. She smiled, and I knew she was hooked.

"Well, how does it feel?" I asked.

"It's wonderful. I love it. It reminds me of being tied very tightly. It's just going to take a little getting used to. Can I borrow it for a couple of days?"

"Of course. But you have to promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"You can't play any tie-up games while wearing it until you've gotten used to it, and are wearing one 24 hours a day." 

"I promise."

"Okay. Let's go for a walk. I'm tires of sitting."

We walked down to the corral and looked at the horses. Emily came over to me and I stroked her face, then gave her the apple that I had brought. Henry came over and I gave him one also. We walked around until it was time to begin preparing supper, then returned to the house.

After dinner, we drove Karen home. She had become fatigued. I told her it was from the corset but she wouldn't allow me to remove it. She did promise me that she would remove it before going to bed and not put it on again before noon the next day. I told her that her body would have to become accustomed to it slowly, and that rushing it would be bad. When we got to her house, I carried her pie and cake in because I was afraid that she would drop them. I kissed her goodnight and we left. At 9 o'clock, I called her and she told me that she had removed the corset. She said how wonderful it was to be able to breathe fully again and that she would not put it on before noon tomorrow. I told her that the corset had to breathe overnight also because of the moisture that it had absorbed from her body. She said that she understood and we said goodnight.

 

(continued in Part 12)

 

 

 

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