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As I cycle into the yard, I spot my uncle and the twins unloading their car. I shout, “Hi,” as I ride past into the barn. It has just gone twenty past six. I follow them into the house, calling out to my parents that I’m home.

Our guests only arrived a few minutes before me. My father directs them to where they’ll be sleeping, “Peter, Anne, you’re in the guest room. The boys are in Mike’s room and Emily will be in Simon’s room.”

I smile at my father’s choice of words. By saying ‘the boys’ instead of ‘Simon and the twins’ he has left it vague as to where I’m sleeping. I take the opportunity to imply that I am in my own room by immediately saying, “Don’t worry Emily, you don’t have to sleep with me. I’ll sleep in the barn if you are uncomfortable with sharing the double bed.”

I start the sentence looking at Emily, but swiftly focus my gaze at my father. I know he won’t let me sleep with Emily, but he could still insist I sleep with the twins instead of in the barn.

Emily shrugs her shoulders and replies, “It’s your bed, don’t be put out on my behalf. I have had to share a tent with those two Neanderthals before, so I’m sure I can manage sharing with you.”

I get the impression Emily doesn’t like her brothers much, which matches my own opinions of them.

“Simon!” my father says loudly.

“Fine, I’ll sleep in the barn then, as you seem incapable of trusting us.” I interrupt him before he can tell me to sleep in Mike’s room.

“You will sleep on the fold out chair-bed in Mike’s room,” my father instructs.

I raise my eyebrows at him, cross my arms and fix him in a stare, “You already know my opinion of that option. The barn will definitely be more comfortable.”

“Don’t you fancy sharing with us?” Kevin asks.

“Not really. Besides, the pull-out bed isn’t the most comfortable of options. It’s up to you whether either of you use it, but if you don’t you will have to share the double bed,” I answer. I push past the crowd and up the stairs before this argument gets any worse.

I enter my room and empty my bag into the linen basket, hanging the trunks over the edge to dry. I am getting some fresh clothes out for the morning when Emily appears at the open door with her bag.

“May I come in?” she asks.

“Sure,” I reply, smiling.

She enters and closes the door behind her. “Sorry about putting you out of your bed, I can go sleep in the barn if necessary.”

“Won’t work, Dad would never allow it, guests come first,” I reply. “I already had this argument yesterday. The logical answer is for me to sleep in with the twins, but I hate them and I know the feeling is mutual. The chances of me surviving the two nights without injury are low.”

“They aren’t quite that bad are they?” Emily asks.

“Would you like to sleep with them?” I counter.

“No thanks, I had to share a tent with them once. At least we slept fully clothed in our sleeping bags. I don’t like the idea of being alone with them at night. The sods might try to cop a feel,” Emily replies, “I keep my bedroom door locked at night.”

“If they are willing to go that far with their own sister, imagine what they would do to me, especially as they think I’m gay,” I say. “I told my father that I was afraid I’d get raped and he told me not to be ridiculous.”

“Are you gay?” she asks.

“Considering what happened when Mike came out, do you seriously expect me to admit that I’m attracted to boys instead of girls?” I answer, deliberately wording it to imply I am without declaring it. “Not only would I likely be beaten into a pulp by my father, I am sure Kevin and James would be all too willing to assist.”

“I’m not like my brothers, you can trust me. I know a couple of my friends are experimenting with a lesbian relationship,” Emily states, “I also think I can trust you so please don’t repeat this, but I consider myself to be bisexual.”

I smile and nod, replying, “Your secret is safe with me. I knew Mike was gay for two years before Dad found out. As for my own secrets, watch this space. When my parents find out about my activities at school, I fully expect it to be worse than Mike.”

“What have you been up to?” Emily asks.

I shake my head and mime zipping my mouth shut, and then say, “Sorry, but if you don’t know you can’t tell. I do trust you, but after Mike came out, I seriously fear what will happen. I can’t risk you letting slip.”

“You can’t dangle a carrot like that without getting me hungry,” she answers.

I smile and tell her, “Perhaps at the end of your stay I will admit what I have been doing, but not before. If you find out before then, try not to act surprised.”

I am comfortable talking with my cousin. I don’t think she would be hostile to me, but I am not taking that risk for the moment.

“Let me see if I can go sort out our sleeping arrangements,” Emily states, “being a Daddy’s girl can have its advantages.”

Emily winks at me before leaving the room. I don’t hold out much hope of changing things, but she’s welcome to try. I am surprised when she comes back in with my mother, who is carrying what looks like my winter duvet, and a ball of string.

“Take this and roll it as tight as you can length ways, tie it up and put it down the centre of the bed. Neither of you will cross this barrier under any circumstances during the night,” she states, “I expect to see it still in place when you get up in the morning. Simon, turn your alarm off, you can have a lie in tomorrow until half seven. I don’t think Emily will appreciate being woken at six. Be quick, dinner will be served in ten minutes.”

I just stare in amazement doing a goldfish impression. My mother smiles and winks before heading back out of the door. I turn and look at Emily who holds up her hand and waves her little finger at me. I am not going to argue with the decision, so start to do as instructed.

After we have eaten, we retire to the lounge for coffee. Our guests are staying with us as they are going to a wedding tomorrow. My father and Uncle Peter are brothers. It is one of Aunty Anne’s nieces getting married in the morning. We don’t really know her side of the family so won’t be attending.

The wedding should have happened a fortnight ago, but the original venue caught fire a few days before. They were able to transfer the wedding to tomorrow at a local hotel, but the wedding is happening at ten a.m., instead of in the afternoon as originally planned. It is a three-hour drive for them, so they would need to leave home at half six in order to be sure to arrive on time.

We are about three quarters of an hour away, so at least they won’t have to leave as early, hence why they arranged to stay with us.

I am the first to head off to bed. As I am being allowed to stay in bed late so that I don’t disturb our guests, I have to make up for it by doing extra chores this evening, so I help put the animals to bed. With the extra work, the cycling to the park, and the swimming, I am exhausted. This also has the advantage that I am first in the queue for the bathroom as everyone prepares for bed.

I take my nightclothes into the bathroom with me so that I can change into them. I would like to be able to wear girls’ pyjamas, but I don’t dare in case I’m caught. I certainly wouldn’t be able to wear them tonight anyway with Emily sharing my room. I wear standard boys’ cotton pyjamas. I enter the bathroom and strip naked before using the loo. I then put my pyjamas on and brush my teeth. I pick up my discarded panties and put them in my dressing gown pocket, as I can’t leave them in the main laundry basket with my other clothes, in case they are spotted.

As I walk across the hall to my bedroom Emily comes up the stairs, and I follow her into my room. She grabs her pyjamas and toothbrush from her case and heads across into the bathroom. While she is occupied, I close the door and secrete my used underwear in my usual hiding place.

Having positioned the spare duvet down the centre of the bed, I take my preferred side, the left, and get in. I am joined a few minutes later by Emily.

“Does this lock work?” she asks as she closes the door.

“Yes,” I reply.

Emily locks the bedroom door, switches off the overhead light so that the only illumination is my bedside lamp, and then walks round the other side of the bed. She puts her robe over a chair and I get to see what she is wearing underneath: a long cotton nightie. Reaching under the bed covers, she grabs the rolled up duvet and deposits it on the floor.

“I don’t think that will be needed, its only taking up room. Besides which I am going to be spending most of the night on top of the covers rather than under them. I get hot in the night and like to lie on top,” Emily states.

She then does something that catches me by surprise. She removes the nightie and puts it over the chair. Turning to face me she is now stark naked. I get a full frontal view of her as she climbs on the bed and lies down beside me, facing my direction.

“Got a hard on yet?” she asks.

“No,” I reply casually. I turn the light off and roll to face the edge of the bed, away from Emily. “Good night,” I say as I shuffle into a comfortable position and close my eyes.

I am not sexually attracted to Emily, and even if I was, I can’t get erect as my penis is glued down flat. I can get aroused, which is actually uncomfortable in my current position, but I won’t be forming any tents in my underwear.

Emily reaches over me, switches the light back on, and asks, “You really don’t find me attractive, or are you scared that we may get caught.”

I roll over so that we are facing each other, only a few inches apart, “I’m not attracted to girls like that, never have been. Looking at you naked doesn’t affect me in that way. Before you ask, looking at the twins wouldn’t have any affect either. You are the closest things I have to siblings, and it doesn’t feel right. I’m not into incest.”

“I understand,” she replies, “I definitely don’t want to get pregnant, and it does feel a bit odd, but I wouldn’t mind some fun. Truth is I’m horny as hell and need some relief.”

“Do whatever you need to do, just do it quietly. I’m exhausted; perhaps tomorrow night I’ll have the energy to join in,” I reply.

Switching the light back off I roll over and soon fall asleep.

I awake the next morning at seven. I sit up and look at Emily. She is still naked. I can see her nightdress on the chair, but she is now underneath the covers, although one leg is hanging out the side.

I grab my dressing gown off the hook on the back of the door and head downstairs. I am careful as I leave so that nobody gets a glimpse in the room.

My mother is heading to the back door as I enter the kitchen. She tells me Dad has already gone out to see to the sheep and she is about to milk the cows. I am to see to our guests when they get up. I quickly grab some breakfast cereal and a glass of apple juice.

Once I have eaten, I head for the downstairs bathroom. We have two bathrooms. The main one is upstairs, but we also have a small one off the kitchen that contains a toilet, washbasin, and shower. We fitted it so that you can strip off and get clean without trailing mud through the house.

I lock the door behind me and switch on the shower. While it warms up, I use the toilet. I have just gotten under the water when there is a knock on the door.

“Who’s in there?” I hear Emily ask.

“Simon,” I call back.

A few seconds later, I hear the door being unlocked from the outside. It’s a safety lock, which can be opened using a coin or similar sized item. Emily dashes in the door and locks it behind her. She lifts her gown and nightie above waist height as she runs across the room and spins round to sit on the toilet. However, it is already too late and she starts to pee before she can sit down. A small amount of urine misses the bowl and lands on the floor as she sits down and empties her bladder.

“Sorry,” she says tearfully as she relieves herself. She looks at the floor in shame. This bathroom is a wet room, so it doesn’t matter that the floor got wet. The shower is in one corner of the room and there is no curtain or panel around it, so there’s nothing between her and me.

I am stood holding a flannel in front of my crotch. I turn round, face the wall, and continue to wash myself while she is sat finishing her business.

“Sorry,” she says again after a few minutes, “There was a queue upstairs and I couldn’t wait. It was come in here or make a puddle in the yard. Please don’t tell anybody.”

“That’s okay,” I reply. “I won’t tell anyone. Would you like to join me in the shower now you are here?”

“I suppose I might as well, if you don’t mind,” Emily replies, standing and removing her clothes. Luckily, they didn’t get wet. She hangs them with my robe on the other side of the room, near the washbasin.

I still have my back to Emily and I’m looking at her over my shoulder. “I said yesterday that I have a secret. If I reveal it to you, do you promise not to freak out, shout, or scream? It is imperative that nobody else finds out about it.”

“Yes, I promise,” she replies. “Besides, you now have enough ammo to get me in serious trouble. Sleeping naked, invading your shower, wetting myself.”

“Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath, “The secret is that I attend school as a girl.”

I turn and face Emily. She is only a couple of feet away. She is looking me in the face with a puzzled expression. I indicate to look down with my eyes. She looks at my crotch and gasps. She drops to her knees for a closer look.

“Wow, it looks real. How?” she whispers, before returning to her feet.

“You don’t want to know, trust me on that,” I reply, “its fake, but it’s good enough that I can use the showers when at school. Obviously, my parents don’t know, and I tricked the school into thinking I’m female. I claimed my name is Simone and that they left an E off, although I have now convinced them to call me Jasmine instead, saying I prefer to use my middle name. ”

Emily stares at me for a few second before wrapping me in a hug. We press our naked bodies together, but there is no hint of sexual chemistry between us.

“Your secret is safe with me, Jasmine,” she whispers in my ear.

We quickly wash ourselves, helping each other to do our backs. Before shutting the shower off, we rinse the floor near the toilet. After drying ourselves off, we put our dressing gowns back on. We brush our teeth and Emily combs her long hair, putting it in a ponytail to finish drying. I have two brushes, one in each bathroom, and Emily is carrying hers in her dressing gown pocket.

When we are both ready, I open the door and we emerge. James is standing outside waiting and looks surprised when the two of us come out. I simply grin at him as I walk past. Emily puts her fingers to her lips to indicate he should keep quiet.

“Don’t you dare tell on us or else,” I hear her whisper to him, “and you can tell Kevin that our cousin is definitely not gay.”

James shakes his head in disbelief and enters the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

“Will he say anything?” I ask worriedly.

“I doubt it,” she replies, “I have enough dirt on him for mutually assured destruction if he goes too far. Besides, it’s our word against his, two against one, and I’m a good girl who never misbehaves.”

We enter the kitchen to find my aunt and uncle making some instant coffee. I ask them if they have everything they need, and then assist them in getting breakfast.

“Does my dress need an iron, or did it make it without being creased,” Emily asks her mother.

“I don’t know, I will take a look,” she answers as she gets up and heads upstairs, depositing the breakfast dish in the sink where I’m standing doing the washing up.

I hear a faint shout of, “Oh shit,” coming down the stairs, which causes the room to fall silent. A few seconds later Aunt Anne comes into the room.

“Emily, I am afraid I picked up the wrong garment bag. I picked up the one with my red suit inside, instead of the one with our two dresses,” Aunt Anne states worriedly. “Did you bring anything else you can wear?”

“No,” Emily replies, “Only jeans and tops and I can’t wear them to a wedding.”

I dry my hands on a towel and interrupt, “Don’t panic, I can phone round my friends and see if they have anything you can borrow. Aunt Anne, I assume you are okay, or can borrow off mum.”

Aunt Anne nods, so turning to Emily I tell her to follow me. We head into the study and I close the door behind us.

“I meant what I said, I do have friends who might be willing to lend you clothes, although that may be awkward as not all of them know I’m a boy and may wonder why I can’t lend you something,” I state, “The other alternative is that you borrow some of my clothes. As I said, I attend school as a girl, but I do have other clothing besides my uniform. I don’t keep them here though.”

“We are about the same size,” Emily says, “I will take anything suitable you can give me, I don’t have a lot of choice.”

“Okay, let’s get dressed and I will take you to my secret cache,” I reply, “follow my lead and let me do the talking. Go up to my room and put some underwear on, I will join you in a minute.”

I open the door and we head out where my aunt and uncle are waiting. Kevin and James are now sitting having breakfast. Emily heads upstairs to get dressed.

“Problem solved,” I state. “I am going to take Emily to one of my friends so that she can borrow an outfit.”

“Do you need a lift?” my uncle asks.

“No, it’s quicker to cut across country by buggy,” I reply. I definitely don’t want anybody to find out where we are going. “I can’t drive on the road, but the farm tracks take us to within twenty yards of where we need to go.”

I dash upstairs and into my bedroom. Emily is waiting for me, sitting in a pair of knickers and a bra. I open my wardrobe and take out two jumpsuits. Handing one to Emily I tell her to put it on, explaining that we are going across country at speed and could become covered in mud if we hit a puddle. I grab a pair of panties from my secret stash, no longer needing to hide from Emily, and don the other garment. I give Emily a hat to wear to keep her still-damp hair from getting mucky.

I lead Emily to the barn. I grab the keys to the two-seater and a pick up a torch. Most farms use quad bikes, but we prefer a full roll cage; therefore have several dune buggy type vehicles. I take the driver’s seat and we are soon whizzing down the farm tracks towards the bunker.

We have two sets of fields, the meadows and pastures for the animals to graze in, and a number of fields growing crops. The meadows are closer to the farm so there isn’t a large distance to bring the cows and goats in for milking.

The bunker is in the opposite direction to the pastures we are currently using, so I don’t have to worry about running into my parents. The bunker is in a small piece of woodland surrounded by our crop fields.

I can’t take the buggy onto the road, as I am under the legal age required to drive. As it has four wheels and an engine, it’s classed as a car. I can operate them on private land without issue. All of our fields are interconnected and I can access over half of them without crossing any roads. The woodland and bunker are within reach of the farm via private tracks.

It only takes us a few minutes dashing through the countryside to arrive at the bunker. I make Emily open the gate to the woodland and I park the buggy a little way in. You can’t get very far inside before you reach the steep slopes of the hole.

I lead Emily to the hidden entrance to my underground lair. Taking the torch, I light the way until I can illuminate the inside with the paraffin lamp. Emily follows me into the underground room and surveys the scene.

My bike stands against the end wall, chained to the ladder heading up to the manhole cover that was the original entrance. In front of us is an old desk with a mirror set up on it. A canvas chair sits in front of the desk, with a second further down the room. Stacked neatly down the sides of the room there are airtight plastic storage boxes in which I keep my clothes.

There are also bottles of drinking water and tins of food. A small gas stove is situated underneath an air vent in the ceiling. You could live in the bunker for a couple of weeks without issue. I have stocked it up in case I ever need to run away. I plan to live here when my secret gets out. My parents don’t know about the bunker, but my friends know where to find me if something should happen.

My best clothes are stored in vacuum bags inside the airtight containers. I don’t have opportunity to wear them very often and I don’t want them to get damp and musty being stored underground. By sealing them up tight, they stay fresh for when I want them.

I lead Emily to the box with my best outfits and I bring it to the desk, under where the lamp is hanging providing the main source of light. Opening the box, I start to take clothes out so that she can try them on. I don’t have many outfits, but the ones I have are very nice - at least I think they are. After trying several outfits, she chooses my court suit.

The suit is a two-piece skirt and jacket set in a dark blue with a faint white pinstripe. She matches it up with a white blouse with lace on the front. It is a formal business suit in a petite size. I specifically bought it for if I end up in court having been arrested for indecent behaviour entering girls’ toilets and changing facilities.

Emily has brought with her a pair of black two-inch heels that she can use. We put the other clothes back into their vacuum bags and I suck the air out using a foot pump designed for the purpose. We put the suit into a plastic bag for transport and then extinguishing the lamp we head outside.

The two of us climb back on the buggy and whiz back to the farm at high speed. We arrive back in the yard about twenty minutes after we left. I reverse the buggy into the barn. Before she gets out Emily kisses me on the cheek and whispers “Thanks Jasmine.”

Emily dashes upstairs to get ready to go out. After putting the torch and keys away, I enter the kitchen. Uncle Peter is already ready and sitting in his suit at the kitchen table. I assume the rest are still changing.

I pour a glass of apple juice and sit at the table opposite my uncle.

“So have you seen Emily naked yet?” he asks.

“No,” I cautiously say.

“In that case you are either lying, or you need your eyes tested,” my uncle replies, “I know Emily sleeps naked on the top of her bed most nights, so I doubt she did anything different last night.”

“I wouldn’t know,” I say denying what I saw, “I was lying with my back to her when she got in bed, and so I didn’t see what she was or wasn’t wearing.”

My uncle chuckles, “I suggest you pay attention tonight, you can get yourself a good look.”

“You don’t mind me seeing Emily naked?” I ask. “You obviously assumed that I would see her last night when you gave permission for me to sleep with her.”

“My daughter is an extrovert. She would be quite happy to walk round naked. For her, clothes are optional. She thinks nothing of sunbathing nude on a crowded beach,” he states. “I know you have seen her naked, and if James and Kevin aren’t letting their imaginations run away with them then it sounds like you have gone a lot further this morning.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I answer.

“James saw you both exit the bathroom this morning. I overheard him tell Kevin about it. When you entered the kitchen this morning when we were having breakfast, you came in from that door,” he says pointing to the door we entered through, “The only places that door leads to are the utility room, shower room and outside. You both had wet hair so I’m guessing you showered together. My only question is did you invite her in, or did she enter without your permission.”

“Are either of us in trouble? I don’t want to say anything that may make things worse,” I say cautiously.

“Nothing you tell me will get you in trouble. I won’t say anything to my brother about your behaviour, and I promise that Emily is going to get a talking to no matter what you say. So it isn’t going to make any difference if you tell me, lie, or simply refuse to talk,” he tells me.

“I was taking a shower when she banged on the door desperate for a pee. Finding out it was me inside she let herself in by springing the lock,” I say truthfully, leaving out the bit about her starting to wet herself. “So yes, I got a good view of her as she relieved herself. I then invited her to join me in the shower. We washed each other’s backs, but that was the only physical contact between us.”

“You missed your opportunity. I would have insisted on a blow job as compensation,” Uncle Peter chuckles.

“Are you seriously suggesting I should be asking for sexual gratification from your daughter?” I ask surprised. “You do realise I would never do that. Apart from being underage, and therefore illegal, she’s also family. I don’t go in for incest, even if it is borderline between cousins.”

“I know you are not likely to do anything. One of the arguments Emily used yesterday was that with four other men within running distance if she were to scream, you would be too worried to do anything,” he says. “Look, as long as Emily doesn’t complain and doesn’t end up pregnant, then I will turn a blind eye, so do your worst. I will smooth things over with your folks by telling them that you are following my instructions. She needs to learn that her flirting can get her into trouble. Emily is only acting up because she knows she’s safe. If she continues to flirt then take her up on it and push her a bit, just make sure to stop before she truly gets hurt.”

“I’ll think about it,” I say as I hear the boys enter the room. They are now dressed in their suits ready to attend the wedding. My father comes in the kitchen a few seconds later having finished milking the cows.

“I have just seen the people in the first cottage leave, so you can start cleaning as soon as you are ready,” he tells me.

“You work as a maid?” Kevin asks.

“Do you have a maid’s outfit?” James cheekily adds.

“Yes he does,” my father replies, “Mike bought him a French maid’s outfit last Christmas as a joke, but he’s too shy to wear it.”

James and Kevin fall about laughing, making comments on how cute I will look. I have worn the outfit on several occasions and used it when cleaning the cottages. However, I only wear it when I know I am not going to be seen. The twins then state that they would love to see me wearing it.

I cross my arms and stare at them, “I’m not going to wear it just so that you can laugh at me. Besides, the stiletto heels aren’t the most practical of footwear, and the stockings are very easily laddered.”

“Excuses, excuses, you’re just chicken!” James goads me. Kevin joins in by flapping his arms and making chicken noises.

I look at them both and raise my eyebrows. The only thing that bothers me about wearing the outfit is that I am too comfortable in it, and I am afraid my parents would cotton onto the fact that I like cross-dressing. My cousins are always very competitive and I have a wicked idea about how to turn the tables on them.

“I’m not chicken. In fact, I think I will wear my French maid’s outfit to clean the cottages this morning. I’m willing to bet neither of you would be brave enough to wear skirts in public.”

By now my mother, aunt, and Emily have all joined us in the kitchen and are watching the exchange between the twins and I.

“Cleaning the cottages isn’t exactly wearing it in public is it?” James counters. “You’re too chicken to wear a dress in public.”

“Right then, I’ll prove who the poultry are in this family,” I state, grinning evilly, “I will spend the rest of today wearing the French maid’s outfit. Tomorrow when we all go into town, I will find and wear a summer dress. I bet you two are too chicken to wear girl’s clothes for a day. I dare you to join me.”

“They’ll never do it,” Emily adds, winking at me, “They are all mouth and no backbone, they wouldn’t dare show their faces in town dressed as girls. It’s not as though they could even be recognised, unlike you, as you’re local. Pity, I think they would look cute as two little girls. Their hair is just long enough for pigtails.”

I laugh at the thought of my two cousins dressed as little girls. They are two years older than me, and definitely journeying through puberty. As I have proved, I can pass en femme, but these two would struggle.

“You are bluffing,” Kevin accuses, “Besides which, where would we get the clothes.”

“Stop making excuses,” I say, “Just admit you’re too scared and that I have more balls than either of you.”

“We are not scared,” Kevin counters.

“Let’s make this a bit more interesting,” my father intervenes, “whoever chickens out first has to clean the cow sheds tomorrow afternoon. Deal?”

“Hold on,” my mother states, “You are not seriously suggesting Simon spend the whole weekend dressed as a girl? What if anybody sees him?”

“Don’t you think he is capable of doing it?” my father asks. “I think it will be a good laugh seeing Simon dressing up. Besides, if my hunch is correct, then nobody is going to recognise him, and even if they do then we claim it’s not him, but one of his visiting cousins. Now do we have a deal?”

“Fine with me,” I state, “after all, I can guarantee it won’t be me.”

James whispers something in his brother’s ear and a smile comes to Kevin’s face. James then states, “If, and only if, Simon spends the rest of the day wearing the maid’s’ costume, then we will join him wearing girls’ clothes tomorrow. If he fails to make it to the end of the day, then he forfeits. Tomorrow, the first of us to change out of the outfits before an appointed end time will be forever classified as a chicken and have to clean the cowsheds.”

“Deal,” I state.

“Deal,” Kevin replies.

“Deal,” James adds, grinning. I get the distinct feeling he is up to something. However, I still have the advantage in this little venture.

“In that case, I’d better get changed, I will be back in a minute,” I say before dashing up the stairs.

I retrieve the costume from the back of my wardrobe. This is the only bit of girl’s clothing I don’t bother to hide, as my parents know I have this. I slip out of the jumpsuit and remove my knickers. The costume comes with its own extremely lacy panties. I don the garter belt and roll the fishnet stockings up my legs as swiftly as I can manage. Fixing them in place, I then pull the panties up and fix the matching bra round my chest. I put some foam inserts into the cups to simulate breasts. Finally, I take the dress and slip it over my head. The skirt section only comes to half way between my hips and knees.

I slip the lacy hat on my head then run into the bathroom after grabbing the red lipstick that was packed with the costume. Using the bathroom mirror, I apply the lipstick. It looks garish, but that is all part of the look. Returning to the bedroom, I grab the stiletto heels and thunder down the stairs. I stop at the bottom and sit on the bottom step to put the shoes on.

It has only taken me a couple of minutes, and I now make my entrance into the kitchen. I smile at the waiting faces and curtsey saying, “Salut, je suis Jasmine, votre femme de chambre Français. Comment puis-je áªtre de service ?” (Hi, I’m Jasmine, your French maid, how may I be of service?)

“I hope you boys like shovelling shit as much as you like spouting it,” Emily laughs, “I have a feeling you may lose this bet. Come on let’s get going or we’ll be late.”

“Okay,” James states, “See you at the pub this evening, Jasmine.”

“Pub? What pub? Why would we be meeting at a pub?” I ask.

“The Wherry over in Oulton Broad has a quiz in aid of Help for Heroes. We saw it advertised as we drove past on the way here and thought it might be fun to take part if we are back in time,” Kevin states, “it’s teams of four, and as there are eight of us all together we thought it would be a fun family activity.”

“Did you know about this?” I ask my parents.

“We agreed in principle last night after you and Emily went to bed,” my mother replies sheepishly.

“Don’t look at me,” my father adds, “you got yourself into this mess, and you can always take the forfeit. Besides, it’s far enough away that we are unlikely to meet anybody we know there.”

With that, the boys laugh and head for the car, followed by Emily and their parents. Emily mouths “Sorry,” on her way past. I guess she is feeling partly responsible for egging me on. She didn’t know about this plan either.

“I am not going to forfeit. If that means attending the pub quiz like this, then fine, I’ll go,” I state.

I suggested this as a way for me to be dressed as a girl for the weekend without having to worry about my parents objecting. I hadn’t planned to make a fool of myself in a silly costume, assuming that nobody else would be seeing me today. Tomorrow I can wear what I like, which means I am free to go into full girl mode, although possibly using a silk scarf instead of the wig. I would have difficulty explaining that. A thought strikes me and a broad grin spreads across my face.

“I have just thought of a brilliant idea. I am going to win this bet, and I know just how to do it,” I tell my parents, “after I finish cleaning the cottages I am going to ring some of my friends and call in a few favours. Nobody said I couldn’t wear anything over the top of this dress.”

With that, I head outside and hook the trailer up to the single-seat buggy I normally use. I drive it out of the barn and park near the kitchen door. I then proceed to load up the clean sheets and towels sat waiting in plastic boxes in the utility room. The boxes are about two feet wide by eighteen inches deep and one foot tall. They have lids that snap shut forming an airtight seal. We bought a hundred of them at a stock clearance auction. We use them for all sorts of purposes over the farm and I use these same plastic boxes in the bunker.

After loading up the cleaning materials I drive down the tracks to the rear of the cottages, again I can get there without needing to use public highways.

The first cottage has already been vacated by the holidaymakers. I set to and start cleaning the cottage for the next visitors, who are due to arrive this afternoon. I change the linen on the beds, replace the towels, Hoover and dust round, and then make sure the kitchen is clean. Occasionally I have to clean the oven, but this time it looks clean enough so I don’t have to do any hard scrubbing.

It takes me an hour and a half to do the first cottage. By the time I have finished the other two cottages have been vacated. I proceed on and clean the second. It’s midday by the time I finish, so I head home for a sandwich. After lunch, I return for the final cottage. My mother has been shopping, and joins me as I am finishing the last property. She stocks the fridges with milk, eggs, and a complimentary bottle of wine. These are small niceties but all help to encourage return business and keep our customer satisfaction ratings up.

After mother has inspected the cottages, and is satisfied, I tell her I have some things to sort out, and will meet her at home later. She queries where I am going. I tell her I’m heading back over to my friend in Somerleyton, the one I can reach by track without using roads. I explain that in order to be able to wear this outfit to the pub this evening without looking stupid I am going to see if I can borrow some items to wear over the top.

I head off down the tracks and then double back through the fields to reach the bunker. Unlike this morning, I am taking it slowly so that I’m not covered in muck thrown up by the tyres. Once inside I start searching through my clothes to find something I can adapt this silly costume with to make it look more presentable.

The maid’s costume consists of a black dress trimmed with white lace. The short skirt is puffed out with built-in petticoats. I find a black skirt that is about four inches longer than the hem of the dress and place it over the top. This covers the white lacy trim and makes the outfit look a bit more normal. I then find up a pair of skin-tight black leggings, which I wear over the fishnet stockings to hide them. I find a black pair of thin nylon socks that cover the gap between the leggings and shoes.

I find a black roll neck sweater, which I place on over the top of the dress, so that it is now completely hidden. The extra layers might mean I get a bit hot, but the temperature has dropped slightly in the last few days, so I should be okay. The final piece of the disguise comes from a dark-maroon headscarf, which I wrap around my head to hide my short hair and the silly little headband hat that comes with the outfit.

Going to the mirror, I remove the garish lipstick and apply a subtler shade. I also apply some eye shadow and blush suitable for an evening out. I smile at my appearance. I now look more like a normal girl than a boy in a silly costume. I will teach those smug wankers a lesson.

After picking out an outfit for tomorrow, I drive back to the farm and nervously walk into the kitchen where my parents are sitting having a tea break. My father is reading the paper while my mother reads the glossy magazine that comes with it.

“How do I look?” I ask, “I’m still wearing the maid’s outfit underneath, but I hope I now look normal enough that nobody will laugh at me in the pub. If you are happy to keep calling me Jasmine for the evening, then I think I can get away with claiming I’m another cousin if anybody we know spots me.”

My parents look at me with surprise. A grin spreads across my father’s face and he says, “You look gorgeous, I think you can pull this off. I can’t wait to see the twin’s’ faces when they catch a glimpse of you. I’m going to get my video camera out for this.”

“Are you sure you want to go through with this, honey,” my mother asks, concernedly. “If the boys at school find out, you will end up being branded a sissy, or worse.”

“I think I can talk my way out of any trouble at school, if they find out. After all, I am doing it for a dare. Besides which they already think I’m a sissy, and they assume that because Mike is gay I must be as well. Are you okay with this?” I swallow hard, scared at what I am asking, “I know you are adverse to alternative lifestyles, what is your opinion on me being dressed as a girl?”

“You know my stance on homos,” my father replies sternly, getting my meaning, “I think it’s against nature and won’t allow it to go on in this house. That is why Mike was asked to leave. I regret that I lost my temper with him. I am not entirely comfortable with this. I certainly wouldn’t want you doing it on a regular basis. However, occasionally for a joke is fine. Besides, I am looking forward to you taking those nephews of mine down a peg or two.”

It’s not the answer for which I’d hoped, but it’s better than I expected. I never thought I would be able to sit in the kitchen dressed as a girl in front of my parents without being in serious trouble. They are so going to freak out when they learn the truth about me.

As I am stuck wearing the maid’s costume for the rest of the day I can’t help outside for fear of getting in a mess, therefore I instead volunteer to clean the house and do the laundry while my mother helps with the farm chores.

I finally finish all the chores around half past three, and I decide to sit down for a rest. I have taken off the additional layer of clothes while I work and they are neatly folded and laid on the back of a chair in the lounge. I sit and look at what is on the telly. Seeing nothing I fancy, I have an idea of how to make my bet safer to win.

There is a chance that somebody from school may be at the pub quiz. If they call me Jasmine without first being introduced then that could cause a problem. If I can wear something with my name on, then that might help alleviate the issue.

I head up to the attic and find the old embroidery ring that I know is up there. I put the headscarf on and mark a rectangle on the material covering my forehead. Taking the scarf off I stretch it into the ring. With white cotton, I start to embroider ‘Jasmine’ onto the scarf, surrounded by some flowers.

My mother comes in and asks me what I am doing. I reply in my basic GCSE French, “Je suis Jasmine, la femme de chambre Française. Il s’agit d’un aide-mémoire pour vous de ne pas m’appeler Simon. Je pense que le plus sá»r moyen de victoire ce pari, c’est que si personne ne moi reconnaá®t. Cela veut dire en utilisant le nom d’une fille pour la soirée.”

My mother looks at me blankly, so I repeat in English, “I’m Jasmine, the French maid. This is a reminder for you not to call me Simon. I figure the safest way to win this bet is if nobody recognises me. That means using a girls’ name for the evening.”

“Okay, I’ll call you Jasmine, but don’t expect the boys to let you get away with it, they are going to do everything they can to embarrass you,” my mother replies.

I giggle and carry on with my sewing.

Our guests arrive back at half past five after being at the wedding, the reception, and then a party for most of the afternoon.

I smile at the boys as they come in and see me still sat lounging around in my uniform. As expected, my father is discretely videoing the event.

“Hi boys,” I say smiling, “are you ready for the pub quiz? I have spent the last hour revising likely questions.”

“You are seriously going to wear that outfit in public?” Kevin asks.

“Oh yes, but it will be underneath other clothes. You specified that I had to wear these clothes for the rest of the day, you didn’t say I couldn’t wear other things over the top,” I reply grabbing the leggings, jumper and skirt from the back of the chair I am sitting on. So that they can see that I am not cheating, I proceed to put the extra layer of clothes on in front of them. The rest of my family is also in the room and stifling laughter as they slowly realise I have outsmarted my cousins.

Emily turns to her brothers and says, “I hope you two have a good shower before we ride home tomorrow. I don’t fancy spending two hours in the back of the car with you two smelling of cow dung.”

I notice James and Kevin exchanging glances. I think they are now realising that I am not likely to back down on our bet. If I am willing to go to the pub dressed as I am then spending tomorrow in similar attire is not going to be a problem. I just hope they behave while we are out.