That evening Shireen poured her heart out to Louisa. It was clear from very early on that Shireen was as they say, 'up shit creek without a paddle '. It was only when Louisa asked about Riaz's health, that a glimmer of a plan started to make sense.

“What about Riaz’s health? Didn’t you know about his heart problems?”

Shireen nodded.
"Of course, I knew all about it. Riaz had a pacemaker fitted at St Marys’ Paddington, three years ago. I didn’t say at the time but he was in the hospital when I first met Louis. You escorted me to a dinner in his place."

“Oh yes. You said that he’d been called back to Pakistan due to a family illness if my memory serves me well?”

"That's what I did say but it was a lie. We didn’t want anyone to know about it. The truth was that he was in the hospital with heart problems. I ran the business for almost three months. We were too scared to tell his family back home about it.”

“And your brother in law does not know anything about running the business?”

“He’s a water tanker driver in very rural Pakistan so why would he? He is almost illiterate but where Riaz comes from, he has just a little more education than most women… But he's a man so his word is the law, and women are little more than chattels and baby producers in their male orientated world. I’m far too highly educated for the women of his village. When I went there with Riaz, they treated me as if I had an infectious disease. In the two weeks I was there, I only spoke to Riaz. Men shouted at me for apparently taking in interest in things that were not ‘womens’ business and I should stay in the home cooking and making babies’.”

“Ouch. I can see why you don’t want him anywhere near you, but tradition demands that he takes over?”

Shireen nodded, so Louisa continued.
“But you have control of the company. All of Riaz’s interests in the company transfer to you in the event of his death?”

“That’s not how Ahmad sees it. As I said, he is very traditional, like most men from the tribal areas near the Afghan border. He made it clear to me that a woman’s place is in the home and giving birth to as many children as they can. They cannot own property or assets and are in effect owned by their husbands.”

Shireen sighed.
“This is the life that Riaz and I escaped from. He came from the tribal areas and my roots were in Karachi.”

“Then we need to get you a lawyer. Some of the girls will have contacts. You have rights here.”

“Not in his eyes, I don’t.”

Louisa decided to change tack a bit.

“Did he have a death certificate with him?”

Shireen nodded.
“That’s what he said that this bit of paper was. It was all written in their local language, Urdu.”

“He’s going to have to prove that not only is it genuine but that his brother’s wishes were for you to marry him and go to Pakistan to live. That needs an official and notarised translation of all documentation otherwise, probate will not be granted. That all takes time and money. Does he know that?”

“I tried to explain the law to him. In his eyes, the only law that applies is Sharia law.”

Those words stunned Louisa.

“That’s why we drew up wills when we got married.”

“Then you should be safe under British Law.”

Shireen shook her head.
“His law is the one laid down in the Holy Books and by the Imam’s at the Mosque in his village.”

“That won’t hold water with the courts here.”

Shireen looked worried.
“I am worried in case they try to force me to go to Pakistan...”

“Do you have your passport with you right now?”

Shireen nodded.
“Then it needs to be put somewhere safe then you can’t leave the country without it. Somewhere like a safe deposit box for example?”

“We have one of those.”

Louisa thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"No, this needs to be yours and yours alone. Then you control access to it, and not him. Failing that, give it to Toyah. She will keep it safe and he won’t dare tangle with her husband. Did you know that he was once a Colonel in the Israeli Army?"

“No… She was always very circumspect on what he does for a living.”

“In reality, he’s a consultant for an anti-landmine charity but for public consumption, he is an Investment Advisor.”

Louisa could see that nothing more was going to be settled that night.

“I think we should try to get some sleep. I hope you don’t mind sharing my bed. I have not gotten around to getting a bed for the spare room yet.”

“I’m sure we will be fine.”

---

Louisa woke up in the early hours. She found that Shireen had wrapped herself around her body. The Full moon enabled her to see how peaceful she was and also how beautiful she was. It was as if Shireen had been hiding her true self all this time.

Louisa cursed herself under her breath. That’s exactly what she had been doing. Louisa and Louis before her had no idea that she was a lesbian. Sure, there had been a few hints but nothing more definite.

To have someone else sharing her bed for the first time was a new occurrence for Louisa. She felt comfortable in a way that Louis had never had when in bed with another woman. She could not help but wonder if this was her destiny all along. What troubled her more than anything, was the vision she had of Shireen sharing a bed and a life with her. That was a very new experience for her either as Louisa or Louis.

---

The very next morning and with nothing else on the calendar, Louis introduced Shireen to the nine residents of the stables. She'd never really been close to a horse before but soon relaxed when feeding them cubes of sugar with Louisa watching on. It briefly helped Shireen take her mind off of the problems that faced her in London.

Louisa watched as Shireen started to relax, even though she was in the company of a half-tonne animal. The animal that Shireen was petting was a gelding named Shamus. He was the sweetest and most amiable horse at the stables. Shireen seemed to be in her very own little world when working with Shamus.

Later that morning, one of the stable hands introduced Shireen to the soothing art of grooming. Shireen made Shamus’s coat glean.

While this was going on, Louisa was busy calling the others in their group looking for a lawyer for Shireen. She tried not to give too much away other than the sad fact that her husband Riaz had died in Pakistan. Offers of help were immediately forthcoming, and soon, the matter of finding a legal representative for Shireen had been taken out of her hands.

It was Toyah of all people who came up with the name of a lawyer who was not only able but very willing to take the case. The person in question, Tim Jeffries, had dealt with the mysteries of both Muslim and Jewish law for many years. He was from neither faith and was generally regarded, as a very reliable independent third party.

Within two days of his first approach to Shireen’s brother-in-law, all pressure to sign over the business accounts to him disappeared. That gave Shireen the breathing space she needed to get the business into a shape so that it could be sold. She appointed a company to sell all the parts of the business. She knew that they’d take a nice fat fee but she didn’t care. To her, just thinking about the company made her think of her late husband.

Just as that the sale process had been started, a startling revelation came from Pakistan. This was in the shape of a new will that was according to the brother-in-law, written by Shireen's late husband literally hours before his death.

This naturally made Shireen very depressed. Louisa was there for her, but it fell to other members of the group to also pitch in and help. The claim on her by her brother-in-law, was always brought up at the meetings between the various legal people, that were representing her and her brother-in-law.

Shireen was terrified at the stalemate. She couldn't sleep at night even though by now, she had her very own room at Louisa's home.

A veritable impasse was reached until it became clear that the signature on the new will was forged. The very next day, Riaz’s brother went back to Pakistan leaving a hefty legal bill unpaid.

As the days went by, there was one solution to Shireen’s family problem that became clear to Louisa. While it had gone back to Pakistan, is wasn’t over and could return at any moment. She raised it at a meeting with the rest of the group apart from Toyah, who was being taught how to groom a horse by Shireen.

---

“The obvious solution is for Shireen to get married. Then the brother-in-law will have no claim on Shireen,” said Louisa.

"Who to? Shireen is a lesbian, as you know," asked Dawn.

Louisa took a deep breath and said,
“Louis.”

It took a moment for the group to understand what Louisa was saying.

“But you are Louisa now?” said Helen.

“Yes. So? I change my name back to Louis, put on a suit, get married, change it back and then continue living with Shireen.”

“Do you love her?” asked Dawn.

"Difficult to say at the moment. I care for her, and…"

Louisa looked around the group nervously before adding,
"We did spend the night together in my bed when she first arrived because it was the only bed available and… I kind of liked it. I thought that she needed not to be alone..."

There was silence from the group.

"That would solve the marriage problems that Shireen is having all right," remarked Janice.

“But what about the business? This new will could complicate matters. I know from bitter experience. It took me over a year and a heck of a lot of money before I could sort probate on No 1’s business. The partners wanted his share for next to nothing.”

“The business will be sold to the highest bidder,” said Louisa.
“Shireen has already engaged a company that specialises in that sort of thing.”

“Did Riaz have life insurance or at the very least critical employee insurance?” asked Helen.

No one knew the answer to that.

"We'll have to ask Tim Jeffries. Shireen turned over all their documents to him," said Louisa.

"He won't tell us. Client confidentiality and all that" remarked Dawn.

“He does not have to tell us the details or amount just if it existed.”

“Shireen could challenge this new will in the courts. Who knows if it is real or just made up by the brother-in-law?” argued Helen.

“Time and money and lots of both. I know from bitter experience with my own father,” said Janice.

Everyone knew what she meant.

“I’ll have a talk with Shireen and send out an update,” said Louisa.

No one disagreed with that.

---

That evening, Shireen cooked up a very delicious lamb tagine for her and Louisa. When they’d eaten, she said,

“Ok, Louisa darling, what did the council of war decide?”

"Nothing much. It is all very complicated."

“That’s why I’m paying Tim a good wedge to sort out.”

Louisa nodded.

“That won’t stop the claim on you as a person by Riaz’s brother.”

The mention of that made Shireen’s face, turn rather pale.

“There is one solution that will solve a lot of problems.”

“What is that genius?”

“Marry Louis.”

Those two words stunned Shireen.

“But… Louis is no more?”

"My DNA says otherwise. Biologically, I am a man. Marry me after I change my name back to Louis and, that saves face with your family and also gets, you know who, off your back," said Louisa.
“Marrying Louis should also keep Riaz’s family off your back. You are married to a man and that would stop them from losing face in their community.”

“My family know about me.”

“Eh? Since when? You told me that no one knew?”

"I did and, I thought that they didn't know. But my father… He says very little. When I went to see them and to tell them about Riaz, all he said to me was, 'you are free to be who you want to be now'."

“What about your mother?”

"When it was explained, to her, she refused to speak to anyone about it for over a week. Dad says that she went to the Mosque every day, which was very unusual for her. After a week, she pronounced that it was not true and that I was just, being silly."

“But it isn’t so, is it?”

"My father is a good man. He told me that Riaz had told him about us a year or so back. He knows that there are a good number of members of the LGBT community who are also Muslim. Most of them live undercover and in fear for their lives. He told us that it is no way for us to live and he gave us his blessing. I received a text at the weekend from him saying that my mother has accepted who I am but does not want to meet me. That is about as good as I could expect.”

“At least she isn’t calling for you to be stoned to death.”

Shireen shuddered at the thought.
“That is the reason why II will never go back to Pakistan. It is just too risky. All it needs is one word, one phone call, one post on social media and it would be the end for me.”

Louisa let things settle for a few minutes.

“What about marrying Louis?”

Shireen shook her head.

"No. But I will marry Louisa. These past few weeks, I have grown to understand why I and everyone in the group love you so much. You never made any demands on us. You still don't even after everything that has happened to you this past year and a bit.”

“I don’t know what you mean?”

“That’s the whole point. You don’t even see it when it is staring you in the face.”

Louisa sat there with a blank expression on her face.

“You would do anything for any of us and never expect anything in return. Remember when Helen spilt that drink over your suit?”

“Yes. So?”

“Think back to how much you resisted letting her buy you a new one. It took weeks.”

“I didn’t know that you knew about that.”

“Helen was the one who told me about you being an escort in the first place.”

“Oh! I didn’t know.”

“That does not matter. What matters is that it is you being you. Giving yourself to us and never expecting anything more than our company in return. I’d be willing to bet that not all of the women in your life were like us? Some were complete bitches, or worse yet, you put up with them and their sometimes, menstrual crazies. You just took it all on the chin. You never passed judgement on them or, their behaviour. You never told their partners what confidences they told you. We trusted you to be the perfect partner for the evening and, you never let us down."

"Then after…, you know what, you resisted our attempts to help, but, thanks to the likes of Helen and Janice, we took over and helped you out. You were reluctant to accept our help but, we steamrollered you into submission. Then I came along with all my problems, and you came to my rescue. Then you offered yourself to me unconditionally, and still, you never asked for anything in return, including for me to love you. Am I right?"

“I suppose so.”

“Why did you never have a serious girlfriend? Never get engaged? Never get married?”

“Because I was… I am a boring old fart?”

"That as well. My guess is that most women wanted more… excitement, more fun, more risks from you. They wanted you to make demands from them. We love to tease, say no, and then after a suitable interval, we would say yes. That would let you think that you won the battle when it was them who let you win that skirmish."

“Do you understand what I mean by demanding nothing from us?”

Louisa looked down at the table. She felt ashamed, inadequate and very much lost for words. Shireen had torn apart the very essence of Louis and Louisa.

“Now you are offering to marry me. No conditions. Nothing.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

Shireen came around the table and surprised Louisa by removing her Hijab and sitting on Louisa's knee.

"Yes, I will marry you, and I'll be proud to be your wife."

“But your religion?”

“I am done wearing a Hijab unless I go into a Mosque which I rarely do. You aren’t religious, are you?”

“No, not really.”

“Then we are good.”

Louisa started to cry.

“There is no need to cry. This is a day to be happy, isn’t it?”

"It is, and I am."

“Then we are good.”

---

Shireen's expose of Louis and now Louisa's inner workings his Louisa hard. She'd never thought of herself like that. To be told that part of what he, and now she had thought of as his charm was also a major reason why he'd never really had much of a relationship with a woman. Then…, his escort work was no strings, no nothing and especially no commitment and nothing in return other than mostly good company for an evening.

That was his and nor her heart ripped right open and exposed for everyone to see. That hurt Louisa to the core.

That night she cried in bed. Sleep was pitiful until Shireen came in and comforted her.

---

“Thank you for last night,” said Louisa when she came down to breakfast.

"It is me who should apologise to you. I said some things…, well, an awful lot of things I shouldn't have done. I was like the proverbial bull in a china shop. I just couldn't stop myself. I’m sorry.”

Louisa shook her head as she poured herself some tea.

“No… You were right in what you said. It needed to be said. I was a total schmuck! I could not see what I was doing to myself. I was fooling myself that I was popular with women.”

“You were with us.”

"That was different. What, I meant to say is that, because of going out with all of you, I thought that I was successful with women in general. That was completely wrong. I owe you a big thank you for putting me straight."

Shireen looked a bit unhappy.
“Does that mean…? Does that mean you don’t want to help me?”

“I do want to help and… I am beginning to like having you around here.”

“Is that all? Like having me around?”

Louisa sat down at the kitchen table with her tea.

"Shireen… After my problem, I never dreamed that I'd have a relationship with a woman. Then you come along with your problem, and the old me took over to help you without thinking about myself, only you.”

Louisa looked down at her cup as if she was ashamed of herself.

"There is no need to be sad, Louisa. It isn't wrong to think of others, but sometimes you have to think about yourself and do what is right for you rather than everyone."

Louisa didn’t move other than to cup her tea with both hands.

"If you would like to marry me, then I would like to marry you. I don't know if we will fall in love but only time will be the judge, on that. I might even learn to ride a Horse.”

Louisa laughed.
“That’s something we might do together. I’ve had three lessons and regretted every minute of it for about a week afterwards.”

---

The ‘team’ started to organise a wedding but both Shireen and Louis had to keep reminding them that they wanted something small and quiet. After a week, the preparations were interrupted by the arrival of the Inspector.

“Greetings Inspector Thomas. This is a bit off your normal track so I guess that it is not a social call,” said Louisa.

“It is official I’m afraid. It concerns your brother.”

“I was sort of expecting you. Come on inside and I’ll put the kettle on.”

The two of them went inside the office where Louisa ran the stables.

“Right inspector, how can I help you,” said Louisa after she’d put the kettle on to boil.

“It is not how you can help me but I need to give you an update on your brother.”

“Do you know where he is?”

The Inspector nodded his head.

“We do. He and Mrs Peterson travelled by Eurostar to Brussels the day before we put out the alert on him. We lost them there but she used her ATM card at a machine in Nimes two days later.”

“Sounds like they are heading south?” said Louisa.

“That’s what we thought so we, with the aid of Interpol, alerted all the airports and ferries in Spain but there was nothing. Then we got a report of them on a Ferry from Bari to Albania.”

Louisa laughed.
“What’s so funny?”

“My brother was not only a bully but he was a master of misdirection. It seems that he has led you lot a merry dance.”

Louisa made the tea before sitting down opposite the Inspector.

“So that’s it then? They are gone?”

He shook his head.

“Not quite. Two days after they took the ferry, Mrs Peterson walked into the British Embassy in Tirana, the capital of Albania. She was alone. Your dear brother had taken all her money and disappeared into the sunset. She had about twenty euros to her name. Two of her own bank accounts totalling some eighty-six thousand pounds were emptied. She trusted him and… Well, she paid the price.”

“Did she say where he was going? Or rather talked about going?”

“I think he did a lot of misdirection with her. We do know that he obtained a visa for Saudi Arabia. She was with him when they got the visas. The Saudi’s have confirmed that they issued a tourist visa to her but a special Haj visa to him. That is how you get into Mecca and Medina. She could not go because she’s not a Muslim. She said that they had planned to fly to Jeddah. She’d wait there for him to complete his pilgrimage. But it never came to pass.”

“Where is she now?”

“The Embassy has arranged for her to be repatriated but she’ll have to pay the costs. We won’t be pressing charges. I or one of my officers will meet her plane when she gets back. She has a lot of questions to answer. At the moment, we are not sure if she has actually broken any laws but we want to be sure.”

Louisa thought for a moment. Then she nodded her head.

“My brother conned her so yes, she’s probably suffered enough.”

The Inspector smiled.
“I hoped that you’d say that. We will keep the file on your brother open but… the chances are that he’s not coming back here any time soon. We will make it clear that she is persona non grata with all her old friends in London. She comes from West Yorkshire and we may well suggest that she goes back there. The last thing any of us want is for her to find you and to tell your brother. We do not want him coming back here.”

Louisa shook her head.
“I would not be so sure of him staying away forever. A bad penny and all that! That money will run out and then?”
The Inspector did not disagree. Louisa hoped that she was wrong but only time would tell on that one.

---

Shireen returned later from a trip to the supermarket just as the Inspector was leaving.

“Who was that? I didn’t recognise the car?”

“That was Inspector Thomas. He came to give me an update on my brother.”

“By the look on your face, it wasn’t good news.”

“He’s gone for the time being but…”

“Ok. I get you.”

Shireen smiled.
“I think that it is time for me to escort you to dinner.”

Louisa had been about to say something but was stopped in her tracks.

“But…?”

“Don’t say it… You simply don’t have anything to wear!”

The couple burst into laughter.
Louisa now had an escort of her own.

[the end]
[Postscript]
Louisa’s will prevailed and it was Louis who married Shireen. She sent a copy of the marriage certificate to Pakistan but never received a reply.

Almost six months after their marriage Louisa was showing a prospective client around the stables when she had a feeling that the ‘reaper’ was walking all over her. That was then she knew that her brother was dead.
That fact was confirmed more than a week later when the news came through about a UK citizen dying in a suicide bomb attempt on a US Army post near Kabul Airport.