“Allera, you should be dressed by now. We need to leave in a moment.” She ran a hand through her mussed hair, conveniently forgetting she also wasn’t dressed.
“Oh? I wasn’t aware that we had plans?” I stood up and discarded my leftovers.
“I’m excited,” aunt said, with a sheepish smile “Sandy Wickerinvited us to her prayer circle.” She bounced on her toes and leaned over to squeeze my shoulder. “I’m sure it’s because you were such a great help on Sunday. Trent told me how accommodating you were to dear Christabel.”
So Trent had been gossiping, had he? And a prayer circle? I’d rather do anything else.
“Get dressed and we’ll scoot over to the church.” She waved at me. That had me moving. Church meant Pastor Young and hopefully he could fit me in for another counseling session. I slipped on another modest dress, long-sleeved and dropping to mid-calf. I put on heeled boots, hoping it looked chic and appropriate. I had a certain idea for Pastor Young, and heels were a must. In the car to the church, I probed Aunt Kathy.
“Why doesn’t Christabel speak?” I asked, and aunt blanched, her fingers tightening on the wheel.
“Oh, there was no defining reason,” she tried, falsely cheery and painfully dishonest. “She was always a quiet girl, and you know the Wicker’s have such a large family.” She chuckled, but I didn’t join in.
“Sure,” I drawled, not buying it for a second. “She doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of her family.”
“She’s a good girl.” Her jaw tightened. “And so pretty. It’s such a shame,” she trailed off. I cocked my head.
“Such a shame?”
Aunt Kathy’s cheeks colored slightly, and she smiled brightly at me.
“Nothing darling, just promise me you will take care. There are always those around who want to take from us our most precious possession and, as a woman, that can be irretrievable.”
Don’t say it. Don’t say it.
“Your virtue.” Aunt Kathy pinned me with a sharp look. “You are so beautiful and pure right now. Don’t let anyone convince you that a moment of sin is worth soiling yourself over.”
I frowned as I turned to stare out the window. This kind of rhetoric was disgusting to me. That anyone could be judged for their sexuality or desires made me want to rage. Was that what happened to Christabel? I didn’t think so. Someone might have taken from her, but it certainly wasn’t given.
In a system that was built to keep women small, quiet and under control, why would she speak up? It would make no difference, not if the careless words spoken were any sign. The responsibility was on my shoulders, with no mention of the person who might take my supposed virtue. I wasn’t done pushing with Christabel. I wanted to find out what turned her mute. Whether it was Paul who caused her silence. He was still a major creep and had no qualms about dragging girls into rooms. I wouldn’t let him get away with it. Even if it depleted my stores of power.
Maybe I could convince Landon to use his powers on him, make it painful for him to even get his filthy cock up. He usually only liked to use his manipulation powers for the good of others, but I think this counted. It was for the good of others if Paul was neutered. Aunt pulled into the church, and I slid out before she could give me any more cringe advice on ‘saving myself’. That was long gone. Tiny pieces of ancient dust scattered to the wind.
Good riddance.
We walked into the prayer room to find it already half full and Aunt Kathy wrung her hands.
“Gosh, I hope we aren’t late,” she whispered to me. “This is the first time I’ve been invited, and I want to make a good impression.”
We shifted around the outskirts of the group. The inner circle was filled with Wickers. Sandy sat in her prominent place. Her daughter Olive was next to her, chattering away with a bright smile. Christabel was nowhere to be seen. Aunt Kathy must have spotted someone she knew because she steered us toward an older lady with gray streaked red hair.
“Alice, how are you?” Aunt Kathy gushed, and Alice’s eyes flared with surprise. She turned to embrace her friend.
“Why, dear, what are you doing here? You know this is by invite only?” she pointed out, and I smothered the urge to laugh. Was I witnessing Christian women posture about prayer circle invitations? My life was really circling the drain right now.
“She certainly does, considering I invited her and her wonderful niece, Allera,” a sugar sweet voice interrupted. We turned to see Sandy Wicker standing there, smiling, but her eyes were narrowed at Alice.
Damn, how did I get the queen bee on my side?
“Oh Sandy, of course.” Alice gave a breathy laugh, her hand flapping at her chest to hide her agitation. “I misspoke, it’s wonderful to see you Kathy, and even more so to be introduced to this beauty. We’ve all heard how miraculous you were.”
Sandy Wicker deigned herself to reach over and cup my cheek, her eyes starry with awe.
“Dear Allera brought our Christabel out of her shell. Something even her elder sister struggles with.”
Olive materialized next to her, a tight set to her jaw despite her megawatt smile.
“That’s kind of you to say,” I said, as Aunt Kathy seemed stunned into silence at being addressed directly by the resident celebrity. “Where is Christabel? I was looking forward to seeing her.”