Chapter 3: Found out

After that encounter Netty understood why the other girls must have refused him after Missy broke off their relationship. When he got into the mood he became insatiable, demanding, almost abusive at times if he didn’t get what he wanted from her right when he wanted it. He never left an encounter without bringing her off a time or two, but he was never exactly gentle about making it happen. More often than not her cumming was the result of his using her slit for his own climax rather than consideration for what she may want.

When his desires grew bolder he would take her in risky places. She vividly recalled the last time he had her all to himself.

 Mama was busy bathing the youngest sibling in the washroom; the others were already tucked in bed. Netty was putting away the cleaned dinner dishes in the pantry when he set upon her. He bent her over the counter, tore a hole at the back of her underwear and shoved himself in, growling in her ear how ashamed she would be if she made a noise that brought attention to what was happening. She remembered how terrified she’d been that their mother in the washroom on the other side of the kitchen would hear something. She was convinced her heart hammering and the soft shlick shlick sound of their anatomy rubbing together was so loud everyone in the house must have been able to hear it.

Thankfully Mama hadn’t heard anything.

Papa had.

She had turned her face towards the pantry door and there had been their father, his large frame shadowed in the doorway. He hadn’t come towards them, hadn’t said anything at all; he just stood there watching Rand hump her as if they were still alone. Worse yet she was so close to a much needed release after several days without that she was stuck at the very precipice under Papa’s stern gaze. She could neither make the need dwindle nor tumble over the other side of it. Netty could only stand, bent at the waist, hips pinned between her brother’s thrusting, the counter, and her father’s unwavering stare. When Rand finally let go she became so paralyzed with fear of the unspeakable impending punishment that she remained frozen.

“Martha I’m taking Rand and Netty with me to the south side of the property,” Papa announced without looking away from his children’s stunned faces.

“Why Netty? And why so late?” Mamma asked from the washroom door where Netty thanked God she couldn’t see them.

Papa didn’t acknowledge her questions, just strode to the door for his coat with Rand following red-faced and stunned behind him.

Before Netty could leave the pantry her mother rounded the corner and caught her by the arm with a grip hard enough to bruise, her face set like angry stone.

“What have you done to Rand?” her mother demanded in a contemptuous mutter.

Netty shook her head, too ashamed to voice what awful act she’d committed, but the flush on her face was enough for her mother to guess it had more to do with her perverse nature. With a disgusted sneer her mother shoved her away.

“All the better if he doesn’t bring you back,” Mamma hissed at her back as she left.

Rand and Netty followed Papa through the woods for a long long while. No one spoke. No one looked at anyone else. Rand and Netty simply stared at their father’s boots and walked single-file close behind him in the lantern’s glow.

They were deep in the woods. The rumors she’d heard of families disposing of wayward girls, girls who were more trouble than it was worth to make them behave, would not leave her alone. Their fathers took them out in the woods somewhere and that was all anyone knew of what became of them. Of course there was speculation, but it had never happened to anyone she knew. There was always the story about some distant relative of a friend being taken out to the woods for one reason or another. It was more like a legend, or a threat, to keep girls in check. All the same she could think of several awful things that could befall her out there in the dark and snowy forest.

Surely Mamma had told him of the carnal acts she’d performed on herself, and after witnessing what he’d seen in the pantry he must have concluded she’d seduced Rand into some diabolical union. Did he agree with Mama that she was too lascivious for a man to want her? He had to think the whole situation was her idea. From where he’d stood he wouldn’t have been able to tell that Rand wasn’t penetrating her, but she couldn’t imagine a way to convince him that she was still whole, that she could still be married if he found a man willing to take her.

It doesn’t matter now, Netty lamented. I’m too old already. If he was able to find me a husband like he did for Natalia and Selli he would have done it already. No man wants a redheaded wife! They’ll take one look at me and think I’m a witch or worse.

After most of an hour they entered the yard of Papas tiny hunting cabin. Netty had never seen it, only knew about it. Every year for a few weeks Papa would go out to that deep part of the woods where he could hunt, butcher, and smoke the meat they needed for winter. All the way back there the cacophony of children running and screaming and laughing didn’t exist to disturb the animals.

No one would come looking for me here if they even notice me missing, Netty thought as she followed Papa inside.

She and Rand stood shivering while Papa started a fire in the hearth. By the time he finished that busy work and sat in a chair to face them she was shaking harder from fear than cold.

“So,” Papa said in a light conversational tone, “care to tell me why I found my dear son buried to the hilt in my dear daughter?”

“I wasn’t in her,” Rand responded quickly. His face was beet red but he held his father’s gaze.

The response seemed to surprise the older man. “That’s sure what it looked like to me, son. And you were going at it like you were right at home there. I’d say that wasn’t nearly the first time you went calling under her skirts.”

“I was just rubbing; honest truth I’ve never put it in her once,” Rand declared through his humiliation at admitting what they’d been up to. “I wouldn’t take that away from her. Didn’t even take the back hole.”

Papa crossed his ankles, making a show of getting himself comfortable. “How did this start? And how long’s it been going on?”

Rand looked sideways at Netty who’s attention was resolutely focused on the floor.

“Been a couple months. Right before Christmas she was just downright beastly and grouchy about everything, and when I asked she said it was because she was so pent up and Mamma wouldn’t let her assuage it.”

Papa nodded his head. “I do recall Netty being a big ball of nerves and then all the sudden turned into a ray of sunshine around Christmas. Your Mama and I thought you’d gotten some relief through prayer and repentance. Was it actually these little meetings that turned your mood around, Sugar-Snap?”

“Yes Papa,” she said to her shoes.

“Look at me,” he commanded gently, and she did. “I know what Rand got out of it, but how could all his humping have helped you any?”

Netty was clearly fighting off tears, but she didn’t dare to not respond.

“Well… he- he would rub it against my… my… um-”

“Out with it Netty,” he said in a subdued yet authoritative tone.

“He’d rub himself on my… um… button, and it would make me have a…a… release, and that calmed me down,” Netty stammered, trying to find language that didn’t feel so nasty in her mouth. Tears openly slid down her cheeks by the time she got the words out.

Papa mulled this over for such a long time that Netty was able to silently cry herself out before he spoke again.

“You both deserve a decent whipping at the very least,” Papa began, “but between us and the floor boards I haven’t the heart to do it. I know what it’s like to be as wound up as the both of you seem to be without a way to unburden from it.” He seemed to think for a moment, then chuckled, shaking his head. “Just rubbing up against each other ain’t so bad I suppose; at least I can’t recall anything saying you can’t. Does it really work so well?”

Netty and Rand looked sheepishly at each other and nodded.

“Do you really mean it, that you know what we’ve been feeling?” Netty ventured to ask. Now that she wasn’t worried about being left in an unmarked grave she was starting to feel better.

Papa nodded. “Yup. It’s no secret you’re Mamma had a rough time birthing little Gigi, and she didn’t heal up none too well afterwards. Even her undergarments are about as much as she can bare to touch her, so there’s not been any coupling on our part for a long long time. It gets to be a lot, but I agree with your Mamma; self-servicing is the easiest way to let in some of the worst devils. I seen a few fellas when I was growing up get so carried away with it I’m shocked they didn’t whittle the thing down to a sliver.”

“What do you do instead, Papa? If you and Mamma can’t couple and you can’t do it for yourself then maybe however you’ve managed could help us manage too,” Rand said.

“Truth of it is I don’t do anything for it unfortunately. Only thing I’ve ever know a man in my position to do is find himself a saloon with some company-women when he goes into town, but that’s as bad or worse than just using your hand. You’ve found the only loophole I ever heard that doesn’t seem to go against the good book’s explicit rules,” Papa answered, a good-natured chuckle in his chest.

Rand seemed at such a loss for words that for a long moment he just gaped.

Netty piped up in the silence, ready to change the tide of the conversation. “So, you’re truly not going to punish us?”

Papa shook his head. “Nah, I don’t think there’s any reason to if you’re not doing anything more damaging than rooting around. If you were coupling up like I thought at first, now that  would be an issue. That said, do NOT let your mother catch you two like I did. If you’ve really got to do it then go on a walk or let me know and I’ll send you  off on some made up chore to give you an excuse. No more of these risky meet ups in the house where you mother can find out. She’d have died of shock to see what I thought I was seeing in the pantry!”

His good nature about the situation eased both of them. Netty was so relieved she could hardly believe she was really going to be going home. At the thought of home she glanced out the window at the pitch black night. It was so late already, and it was more than an hour’s walk back to the big house.

“Papa, shouldn’t we be getting home? It’s so late already,” Netty said fretfully.

He waved a hand at the big bedstead fitted into the corner near the fireplace. “I figure we can sleep here for the night and head back in the morning. I saw the look on you’re mother’s face when we walked out of the pantry, so I think a little time to cool off before we get back will do her some good.”

“All three of us can’t fit into that bed can we?” Rand asked, looking over the bed. “It’s big, but can it fit all of us at once? I don’t mind taking up a pallet on the floor.”

“It’ll be a little cramped, but it’s big enough to be comfortable,” Papa replied. “It’s too cold to be on the floor without catching some chill or another. This cabin wasn’t built to be inhabited in this below zero temperature. Best everyone cozies up on the bed where we can keep each other warm.”

Now that the fear had worn off Netty was exhausted. She looked longingly at the big bed with it’s quilts and bear pelt that looked so inviting. “Papa we don’t have any night clothes.”

“Rand and I can sleep in our underclothes just fine, and you can grab one of my extra shirts from the cupboard. I imagine it should be as long as any of your nightgowns,” Papa offered.

While Netty got into the nightshirt Rand and Papa politely kept their backs to her until she was shivering under the cold quilts. Since she was first into the bed she scooted closest to the wall to make room, then Rand got in the middle, and finally Papa on the outside. Soon enough the men’s body heat made the blankets warm enough and Netty easily dozed off.