Babs’ New Year’s Resolution 61

©Beverly Taff 23rd April 2020

List of Characters.

Lola Smith Bab’s adopted trans daughter.
Callista Denton (Callie). Transgendered Duchess of Denton.
Margaret Denton (Maggie). Callie’s wife.
Molly Denton Callie’s grandmother
Ellie Denton Callie’s mother.
Bab’s Barbara Smith. Lola’s adoptive ‘Nana’
Olivia Smith Bab’s adopted daughter.
Angela Smith Bab’s newly adopted daughter
Erica Bab’s foster daughter.
Sergeant Bridie Davies Lady Police detective protecting the girls.
Sergeant Brian Davies. Bridie’s twin brother.
Inspector John, Heading up the anti-rape-gang operation.
Gareth Jenkins, Police office trained in firearms and protection.
Belinda Harrington Bab’s university girlfriend.
Aaron Talbot Surgical registrar – married to –
Shirley Talbot Lecturer at Local university.
Mickey Talbot Aaron and Shirley’s oldest son.
Jessica Talbot Aaron & Shirley’s middle daughter.
Bianca Talbot Aaron & Shirley’s youngest daughter.
Henry Denton Callie’s only son.
Charlotte Denton Callie’s only daughter.
Beverly Callie’s maternal great aunt (Ellie’s paternal aunt)
Wendy Smith Beverly’s Operations Manager for Hull
Louisa Wendy’s Daughter
Griselda & Mia Wendy’s younger twin daughters.

Chapter 61

Wendy, Bab’s, Lola, Louisa and the young twins Griselda and Mia, arrived on schedule outside Peter’s restaurant and made their way to the reserved table. There was no sign of Callie, Mag’s Henry, Charlotte, Olivia, Angela, Erica or Belinda so Lola called them to hurry them up. They eventually arrived and introductions were completed as Peter arrived to take their orders.

As the first course arrived, personal stories and histories were being revealed and thus the conversation went for the whole meal.

Towards the end of the meal, Maggie asked Wendy if Louisa would be allowed to visit Denton Hall and Louisa’s eyes widened hopefully.

“What!, Tonight?” Wendy asked with surprise.

“If she wants,” Maggie replied.

Wendy turned to Louisa who enjoyed little opportunity to expand her horizons during her stay at Wendy’s house in the village, save that of au-pairing at the house and entertaining the twins.

“Well, Louisa; you’re welcome to come if you want.”

“Are you sure there will be enough room?”

Louisa asked as she scanned the crowd of ten who would be returning to Denton in the minibus.

Maggie smiled softly and reassured her.

“There’ll be room enough love. I’ll find a room.”

Thus assured, Louisa agreed and while Beverly sorted out the restaurant bill with Peter, the group clambered into the minibus amidst a squabble over the seating arrangements. Wendy watched and smiled as she pictured the surprise Louisa would enjoy when she realised what Maggie meant by the words ‘there’ll be room enough’. Finally as the Minibus faded from view, Wendy took the twins home.

ooo000ooo

On the way to Denton, the minibus pulled into a superstore to buy Louisa a cheap nightie, a seven-pack of undies and a toothbrush.

“If you need any more we can buy them tomorrow, Bab’s explained as Callie chose the alternative back driveway to the house. As they emerged from the woods Louisa looked towards the house and wondered.

“Who lives there?”

“We do,” Callie replied as Maggie grinned.

“But will they be expecting us? Don’t you need a formal invitation to stay at a place like that?”

“It’s my house,” Callie giggled softly. “Maggie and I are ‘they’ as you call them. You received your invitation when Maggie asked if you wanted to stay. Maggie is 'The Mistress of the house'.”

“What! You mean that’s yours’?”

Callie nodded as Louisa’s jaw sagged.

“Mein-gott! I thought it would be a duke or a prince living there.”

“Callie is a duke Louisa.” Lola grinned. “She’s the Duke of Denton.”

“And I’m an Earl!” Young Henry declared slightly pretentiously, for he had yet to learn the mores of modesty becoming of English nobility.

The mood lightened considerably as Callie drove right up to the front of the house before turning to slip alongside and enter the stable yard. Maggie explained to Louisa.

“It’s much easier getting from the car to the family living area going in this way.”

“Yeah!” The effervescent Olivia chirped. You’d have to walk bloody miles from the front door to the bedrooms.”

As the rest tumbled out of the minibus Louisa could not help but pause and take a long slow breath as she scanned the back of the house. She remained impressed as Maggie led her into the rear of the main arrival hall then took her up the stairs to the wing that the family used as their regular living quarters. After trudging for what seemed minutes, Maggie opened a set of double doors to reveal a modernised corridor resembling a hotel.

“I’ll put you in this one, Lola and Belinda are next door while Olivia and Angela are opposite you.”

“Ya. It’s like a hotel!”

“It’s the easiest way for guests,” Maggie explained. The name of your room is the Persian room but there’s nothing Persian about it these days save for the wall paper and the peacock bed. There see, - the bed head is a peacock’s tail.”

Louisa squeaked with delight.

“Wha! Das’t is magnifique. Und my own bathroom as well.”

Maggie nodded and smiled then led Louisa to the airing cupboard down the corridor. She produced some warm dry bed-linen and the pair made up the bed. Finally she led Louisa to the living room where the rest were drinking coffee.

“Does anybody want to give Louisa the full guided tour?”

Lola agreed as Belinda also wanted to see the full house. She warned both girls, however.

“I’ve only got time for the main big public state rooms. It would need Callie or little Henry to show you all the little nooks and crannies. This place is huge, there are well over one hundred rooms.”

Louisa’s jaw sagged slightly but she said no more. As they did their own personal ‘cooks-tour’ Louisa whispered to Belinda.

“So, Lola and you, you are lesbian yes?”

“Uuhm sort of.” Belinda corrected. “Lola is still a boy; she hopes to transition this next summer.”

“So no children then.”

“She’s frozen her sperm. We hope to have children.”

“Aah! I see. Are you related to Callie? – the duke.?

“Yes, distantly, three generations back Callie’s grandmother Molly and my grandmother were sisters but my grandmother married a soldier during the war and the family disowned her; or she disowned the family, I’m not sure.”

Louisa wagged her head and sighed.

“Families! You can love them and hate them at the same time.”

“Well, my family have been good to me. At first they were disappointed to learn of my sexual preferences but when they learned there were genuine prospects for legitimate grandchildren, they quickly came around.”

After that snippet, they fell into the house tour with Lola and eventually they returned in time for dinner where over twenty people ate together. That night, Louisa stretched out in a vast canopied bed that made her genuinely feel like a princess.

Sadly, in the morning she had to return to Wendy’s but she had the pleasure of accompanying Beverly in her Aston Martin to the office in Hull before returning to Wendy’s house in the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Back at Denton Hall, Lola, Olivia, Angela and Erica, met with Sergeant Bridie, Inspector John and several Lawyers to prepare for the hearings in Germany. Several weeks later, the four girls and their legal team met the American and Mexican investigators plus other European police and some trafficked victims from various countries worldwide. When they finally attended the first hearings, the four British girls could not believe the size of the investigation.

Lola found Erica constantly squeezing her hand as she sought reassurance while Angie and Ollie did the same. As they entered, a hush settled on the lecture hall. Lola turned to Bab’s and croaked nervously.

“It’s like the Nuremberg trials Nana!”

“And just about as infamous,” Bab’s replied as she struggled to suppress her anger. “Look at those other girls! There must be forty of them!”

Then the usher approached them and led them to the same area as the other trafficked girls. Across the gallery a veritable bank of defendants glared balefully at the girls but the girls by then knew that they were at least safe from the criminals. To win their confidence and trust, the girls had all been offered German citizenship to avoid reprisals in their home countries.

“All Rise!”

ooo000ooo