A True Love’s Invader

Chapter One ‘Is that somebody knocking at our front door?’ Asked Clare Jenson, looking down at her muddy boots and blood stained jeans. ‘You know it is,’ answered her twin, Alison smoothing her new dress. ‘But I’ll get it, Clare. And quickly, wipe those mud stains off your face.’ ‘Yeah, okay, But I don’t think you realise what time I was up this morning? One of our cows woke me. She was alone and in distress having her calf, and I’ve just finished helping her with the delivery.’ ‘I should have known that you’d be attending to one animal or another,’ Alison replied before opening the front door. It was a neighbouring, farmer and a long time friend of the family. ‘Hello Charles’s, is everything all right.’ ‘Would have been, Alison, if I didn’t have to ask for a loan of a tractor.’ ‘Hold on, I’ll get dad for you.’ ‘I heard you from inside the house, Charles’s and of coarse you borrow whichever one you need. I’m not using them this week,’ Tom relied. ‘Many thanks, and by the way,’ Tom, I must mention, what beautiful women your twin daughters are growing up to be.’ ‘Thanks Charles’s, and that’s what worries us. Men have already begun eyeing them. Both his daughters wished they were in their twenties sooner rather than later. They sat at an old table not far from the back of the old farmhouse. The wooden surface was dry. It crumbled away with every touch of a fingernail. Alison pointed out how well the fruit was doing in their orchard. The smaller fruit trees were only a stone’s throw away from where they sat. ‘Now tell me, any secret admirers that I don’t know about?’ Part of Chapter Ten ‘Must be a friend of mine, she’s returning a dress that I asked her to alter. I’m coming, Jane,’ Clare said while approaching the front door. ‘Oh, it’s you, Alison. What are you doing here?’ ‘I’ll tell you in a moment. And since when, have you been smoking, Clare?’ ‘Ah, I don’t, I’m with somebody that does. Can I call you first thing in the morning?’ ‘Why can’t I come in?’ ‘You just can’t. As I said, I’ll call you.’ While Clare was talking, Alison couldn’t help seeing Daniel’s reflection through a glass panel in the furniture. Without a second thought and with a look of horror in her eyes, she slapped Clare across the face. Daniel ran over to investigate. Clare stood wide-eyed. She struggled to breathe while looking at Alison’s piercing eyes. After hurrying the twins into Clare’s small apartment on campus, Daniel slumped back into a chair. Leaning his head forward, he placed both palms of his hands over his face. ‘What have I done to deserve all these problems?’ He said in anger. It was an unusual situation. All three were in shock at the one time. Nobody spoke or moved. It was silence like the still before the storm. After some time, Daniel quietly stood himself up and slowly proceeded towards the toilet. Once inside, he sat on the pan, shaking his head. He hadn’t been as desperate for answers as he was at that moment. He had no reason to be in the bathroom other than to escape the tension. After staring at the roll of toilet paper for some time he dared to go back into the lounge room. He heard a loud voice. It was Clare. She was talking at a high pitch while trying to explain some facts to Alison. It was like talking to a brick wall. Eventually Clare had to find a way to get her sister to listen and be made aware of the facts. ‘Look at me, Alison,’ Clare said aloud, ‘and please don’t start winding up again. Just listen to me for once in your life. I’m going to say this once and once only. Daniel is here because of you.’ ‘No, he’s not! I know what you’re both up to!’ ‘Listen, Alison, if we’re going to survive this day, you’re going to have to shut up and listen. Now, let me speak. In desperation, Daniel came to me. He asked if I knew a way that would help in keeping you two together. He also asked me what he should do to ease your pain while you’re both sorting out your problems. He had no one else to turn to, and you being here has stuffed up everything, Alison.’ ‘He’s mine Clare, not yours, so please come with me, Daniel.’ ‘No, Alison, I’m here because of you. I need to flush my head out of all our problems.’ ‘Please go home, Alison,’ Clare said, ‘and let Daniel and I do whatever we can to ease the problem. He’s trying to understand why you think the way you do. By the way, that was the first and last time you’ll slap me across the face. If you ever touch me in that way again, I will react harshly. Now, are you going to give us a little space with this one?’ She added. Other parts of Chapter Ten The light in the room was lessening by the hour as the burning logs turned to ash. It was like their better days. Daniel and Alison talked so much that neither had noticed the time. ‘Put your arms around me please, Daniel. I’m beginning to feel cold again,’ she said. He rubbed her shoulders. Alison couldn’t speak nor move. His long awaited touch was too overwhelming. As tired as Daniel felt, he stood up and placed more logs on the fire. He felt the need to please her as he once did. ‘Hurry, Daniel,’ she said. ‘Come and rug up close to me before you get too cold.’ He had other ideas. He went over to a small drinks bar that he had built. This Bailey’s Irish Cream should really warm us up, he thought. They finished their drinks by the fireplace and huddled again but on the floor. The added logs were burning well. Alison began to gently remove Daniel’s top clothing. ‘Will you do the same to me?’ She asked, with a look that expressed her thoughts. Their bodies couldn’t have been any closer than they were. Caressing one another, Alison ran her fingers through Daniel’s hair. With his head comfortably resting across her bosom, he drifted into pleasant thoughts from their past. ‘I love you so much, Daniel. If only you knew how I waited for this moment.’ The kissing and caressing continued. The wanting for one another grew stronger with every touch. ‘Take me and please me,’ Alison said. Her body tingled, even with the thought of being touched by him. ‘Please be gentle with me, I haven’t experienced intercourse before, Daniel.’ ‘I will, and neither have I, Alison.’ He couldn’t have been gentler for her first sexual bliss. ‘Don’t say another word, Daniel, just continue holding me closely.’ After a short sleep, Daniel was first to wake up. He gently touched her, assuring himself that he wasn’t dreaming. ‘It’s me, Alison, wake up, I’ve made your breakfast.’ Part of Chapter Twenty Three ‘Look at me, Clare,’ Daniel asked. ‘I’m really worried about the way you’re acting. It may not be my place to ask, but is there anything at all you need to share with us?’ ‘If only you knew how much I’d like to, Daniel, but I can’t.’ Clare was so stressed out that the candle she held tightly between her hands, snapped in two. She screamed out in pain as hot molten wax ran between her fingers. All three moved to a different table while a waiter extinguished the burning tablecloth. ‘For God’s sake, Clare, tell us what it is that’s worrying you so much,’ Daniel asked. It was at that moment that she could no longer hide her secret. With a bewildered look on her face and shivering with fear, Clare looked directly at Alison. There was uneasiness between the two. Looking away from Alison, she then looked directly back at Daniel. Her face went red while furiously biting into her fingernails.