The Roaring Twenties

His temper seems to accept all that had happened, until she told him that Clara was pregnant. It was as if she had lit a fire under him.

NO, you're lying, she would have told me and when did you speak to her, I thought you two didn't get on?

She just shrugged at him and got out of bed. Let that prey on his mind. She spat out her words telling him to get out before heading for her bathroom.

Gladly Cora, out of your house and out of your bed, but be certain of one thing, I'll be back, I haven't finished with you yet.

She heard him quickly dressing before the downstairs front door being slammed shut. Meanwhile, she let the cool bathwater out and refilled the tub, adding gardenia bathing oils. Once she was alone and the tub filled with scent, she lowered her body into the water. She was sore between her legs, and the water stung as it washed over her sex.

Finally the tears fell as she cried her heart out. Her body was sore but her heart hurt even more. Sorrow for the loss of her sister, her twin, someone that she knew as well as she knew herself.

She now hated Jack even more. She would make him pay for everything. Meanwhile, she slowly washed herself, taking care as she cleaned between her legs. Tonight she was meeting David at The Sloe Gin. It was another hot spot, a place where she could have fun and forget about what had happened today.

Jack left Cora's house in fury, he had no idea why Clare had not told him about her pregnancy but had told her twin whom according to Cora she had no time for. Instead of heading back to his home he hung around Cora's house watching for her, he was going to make her pay for those vile words she had spoken and her obvious delight in hurting him by revealing that Clare had been pregnant when she died.

Finally after three hours of walking up and down he saw Cora leave the house and climb into a taxi. He had to admit she looked beautiful in a fashionable black party dress that gave teasing glimpses of her thighs. Hailing a cab he instructed the driver to follow Cora's cab. They arrived at a well known hot spot on the London party scene called 'THE SLOE GIN'. He could hear the revelry going on inside and gave a grim smile, he was going to ruin Cora's night and quite possibly her reputation as well.

He followed her inside at a distance and watched, soon Cora was surrounded by half a dozen young men all eager to make an impression and take home the girl with the reputation of being the easiest lay in town for the price of a few drinks. Closest to her was the ginger haired youth from the night before who was staking his claim with his arm round Cora's slender waist.

Jack watched for an hour, seeing Cora demanding and accepting glass after glass of champagne. Time to make his move, he sauntered over to the group and ignoring the angry glare from Cora he said airily,

"Good evening Cora, I thought you might be too tired to venture out this evening after our afternoon together."

The group fell silent, hoping to hear more details of their afternoon tryst.

"I must say that Ruby birthmark at the top of your right thigh is most enchanting, I wonder why no one has mentioned it before, perhaps you have sworn each one of these young men to secrecy. Unless of course none of them has had the same opportunity as I had."

"Of course I have seen it but it would not do to discuss a lady's blemish in public."
Piped up Ginger,

"Nor I."
Claimed another, one after the other until all of them claimed that having seen Cora's birthmark in such an intimate place they would not discuss it in public.

"So Cora has taken all of you to her bed has she? How strange then you have all seen something that doesn't actually exist. I can assure you gentlemen that Cora's upper thigh is as unblemished as the rest of her gorgeous body. It seems tome that you have been spending your money on half promises that Cora had no intention of keeping."

He smiled at them all and they began drifting away until he was left alone with Cora,

"Seems that your admirers have come to their senses, so as you have no one else to tease and play with may I offer my services?"

David grabbed her as soon as she entered the joint. He nibbled her ear and made suggestive remarks about what they could do back at his house. Laughing, she kissed him soundly before he headed off to the bar to get her a drink.

Soon, their table was packed full, 7 or 8 young men all vying for attention and each guy eager to supply her with a drink. The night seemed to be making up for the crappy start that she had had. But David refused to let go of her, his arm staying wrapped around her waist and occasionally slipping up to cup her breast.

Suddenly a cold wind blew over in the form of Jack. She felt like spitting at him.

Good evening Cora, I thought you might be too tired to venture out this evening after our afternoon together.

Suddenly the guys grew quiet as she tensed up. She knew that he was going to pull something, what? she didn't know, but she knew that the next couple of minutes were not gonna be pretty.

I must say that Ruby birthmark at the top of your right thigh is most enchanting, I wonder why no one has mentioned it before, perhaps you have sworn each one of these young men to secrecy. Unless of course none of them has had the same opportunity as I had.

She closed her eyes as each man proceeded to claim to have seen the non-existent mark.

So Cora has taken all of you to her bed has she? How strange then you have all seen something that doesn't actually exist. I can assure you gentlemen that Cora's upper thigh is as unblemished as the rest of her gorgeous body. It seems tome that you have been spending your money on half promises that Cora had no intention of keeping.

In less time than it takes to order a drink, the guys drifted away leaving her with Jack.

Seems that your admirers have come to their senses, so as you have no one else to tease and play with may I offer my services?

"Go fuck off!" She pushed her way through the crowd to the bar. "Give me another one, Tony!" She spoke to the bartender, turning her back to Jack. She stood there thinking. Just maybe she would bed David, after all. Now that Jack had taken her virginity, there was nothing to wait for. Maybe she would sleep with them all. After all, who would care about it anyway. She started scanning the room for David's red hair.

"Seems that your admirers have come to their senses, so as you have no one else to tease and play with may I offer my services?"

Cora's response was much as he expected,

' Go fuck off!

She turned her back on him and ordered another drink from the bar and didn't hear Jack mutter grimly to himself,

"You haven't seen the last of me tonight, honey."

Cora seemed to be looking in her purse for money to pay for her drink so Jack stood beside her and chuckled,

"As no one else seems keen to buy you a drink, allow me, I wonder where all your beau's have gone, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, oh yes,,,,,,,, they've learnt what a conniving, lying, cheating cock teaser you really are"

Jack sensed that Cora was out of her comfort zone, she wasn't used to being alone in a crowd, she usually had men falling over themselves to impress her. He saw her scanning the crowd no doubt looking for someone she could latch on to, maybe Ginger, he seemed to have been the flavour of the month.

He spotted Ginger and to rub it in he indicated to Cora,

"Look there's your 'friend' Ginger, although he doesn't seem too bothered about you."

Ginger was sat in a dark alcove with a sluttily dressed girl with thigh length stockings and a skirt around six inches higher. Ginger was tonguing her lips and his hand was way under her skirt with her legs open wide.

"Somehow I don't think he'll be chasing you anytime soon, so you're stuck with me to buy you drinks."

He waited for Cora to finish her drink and then he grabbed her arm and propelled her towards the exit,

"Please don't make a scene Cora, it's not good for your image and if my information is correct, you get barred from here then you're finished. Come back to my place and we'll talk, that's all but if you need a shoulder to cry on ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"

The cab took about ten minutes to drive them to Jack's home and as they went in Jack said,

"COME IN,,,,,,,said the spider to the fly."

Cora could cheerfully slap Jack. Tony gave her the drink and she went looking for her money. The asshole gave a hollow laugh and said,

As no one else seems keen to buy you a drink, allow me, I wonder where all your beau's have gone, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, oh yes,,,,,,,, they've learnt what a conniving, lying, cheating cock teaser you really are

Why couldn't the guy leave her alone! She wanted nothing to do with him and yet, he hung about like a fly. She saw David just as he point him out to her.

Look there's your 'friend' Ginger, although he doesn't seem too bothered about you.

There was David in a dark corner with some tart, practically have sex with her right there. She heard Jack whisper in her ear.

Somehow I don't think he'll be chasing you anytime soon, so you're stuck with me to buy you drinks.

It didn't take long for her to down her drink. Just as quickly Jack grabbed her to usher her out of the bar and into a cab.

Please don't make a scene Cora, it's not good for your image and if my information is correct, you get barred from here then you're finished. Come back to my place and we'll talk, that's all but if you need a shoulder to cry on ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

She sat in stony silence the whole ride over. As soon as they reached his place, she tried to leave but he kept him arm tight around her as he showed her into his place.

COME IN,,,,,,,

As soon as the door closed, she let him have it.

"Are you happy? You have now effectively ruined my life. Because I don't want anything to do with you, but you won't leave me alone. I don't see..."

She snapped her mouth shut and crossed to the other side of the room, turning her back to him. She was fuming.

Having got Cora back to his own place Jack felt more comfortable on home ground but how he was going to get the whole truth from Cora he had no idea.

"You look as though you could do with a drink Cora, no champers i'm afraid but if a large G and T will help,,,,,,,,,,,,, "

He proceeded to pour two large glasses for them both and saw Cora walking to and fro across the living room visibly bristling with anger.

'Are you happy? You have now effectively ruined my life. Because I don't want anything to do with you, but you won't leave me alone. I don't see..'

"You don't see what? Cora. Why I am interested in you and your relationship with my fiance, your twin sister? You need to get your story straight or perhaps even tell me the truth if you even know what that means."

He handed the glass to Cora and watched as she thirstily drank down half of it.

"Look at it from my point of view, my fiance dies and out of the blue her double appears , tells me she's her twin sister who she has nothing to do with yet she tells you that she's pregnant but doesn't tell me. You appeared to hate my guts before I fucked you so it's not only that, although I don't think you found it that unpleasant. That aside, why do you dislike me so much?"

Without realising it he was standing right next to Cora, hissing into her ear, one hand behind her rubbing her rounded ass absentmindedly.

Cora did not want to be here. Not at all. In fact, it was a mistake to come this town at all. She had all the rest of the world to choose from. And yet, here she was.

You don't see what? Cora. Why I am interested in you and your relationship with my fiance, your twin sister? You need to get your story straight or perhaps even tell me the truth if you even know what that means.

He handed her the drink and without thinking she down half of it in practically one swallow. And she knew that he was going to ask more questions - questions that she wouldn't and couldn't answer. Everything was in the past, and that was where it belonged - in the past. And the truth would not change it. All it would do would be to cause heartache and pain. And not just for him.

Look at it from my point of view, my fiance dies and out of the blue her double appears , tells me she's her twin sister who she has nothing to do with yet she tells you that she's pregnant but doesn't tell me. You appeared to hate my guts before I fucked you so it's not only that, although I don't think you found it that unpleasant. That aside, why do you dislike me so much?

She swallowed the rest of the drink, ignoring what his hands were doing. He was like the serpent the devil in the Garden of Eden, whispering in her ear while his hand drew patterns in her ass. She had to get out of here, out of this town and out of his life.

She slammed the empty glass down and headed for the door.

"I can't stay here. Everything is dead and buried, and needs to stay that way. Keep your memories of Clare and move on."

She had to get out of here!

Cora seemed to really pissed off with Jack she swallowed half her drink and glared at him. Strange how reminiscent it was of the way Clare had glared at him when he first suggested they have a weekend away together, that hadn't gone down very well at all but he had kept insisting that as they were to be married it was no big deal if she wasn't a virgin on their wedding night and eventually she gave in and agreed to meet him at the inn in the tiny Yorkshire village.
Looking back, that first time seemed to have changed Clare from a prim and proper young lady who wouldn't let butter melt in her mouth let alone suck his cock into a raving nymphomaniac, insatiable wasn't the word for it she was demanding and imaginative and to top it all he took her virginity with her pleading with him,

"Do it Jack, please,,,,, fuck me hard,,,,,,,, I want you Jack,,,,,, OOOHH YESS,,, FUCK ME."

It was so unlike Clare as she often chided him if he said 'Damn'. After that weekend she reverted to type but every other weekend they spent together each one wilder than the one before. For three whole months all went smoothly then the accident happened and she was rushed to hospital with terrible crush injuries and she died a week later without regaining consciousness.

All this went through his mind and he realised he was stroking Cora's firm and plump but not too plump backside and he heard her say,

'I can't stay here. Everything is dead and buried, and needs to stay that way. Keep your memories of Clare and move on.'

"You stay right where you are Cla,,,,,sorry, Cora, You've got my blood boiling with remembering Clare, I need some relief and you're the ideal person. For one night I can have Clare back. do this for me and I'll maybe stop harassing you, I can't promise but I'll try."

Jack drew Cora into him and lifted her chin and brushed his lips over hers and then using his tongue to wet her glossy red lips, for one brief moment he thought he felt her responding to him but then it was gone. That didn't stop him from leading her to the bedroom and he sat on the bed looking at Cora,

"Clare used to do this wild seductive striptease, humour me Cora, see what you can do.""

You stay right where you are Cla,,,,,sorry, Cora, You've got my blood boiling with remembering Clare, I need some relief and you're the ideal person. For one night I can have Clare back. do this for me and I'll maybe stop harassing you, I can't promise but I'll try."

His voice got soft, almost hypnotic and he pulled her into him, gently kissing her lips. She wanted to be with him, just for a moment, before she came to her senses and tried to pull away.

Instead, he took her hand to lead her to his bedroom. She glanced around as he led her to his bed. Such a masculine room that screamed of him. He sat on the bed and seemed to not want to let go of her hand but instead drew her between his legs. She could feel herself stiffen up as his hands stroked her.

Clare used to do this wild seductive striptease, humour me Cora, see what you can do.

"You have got to be kidding. I have no idea what my sister did for you. In your bedroom. Jack, let me leave. I'm not my sister. I...I...I'll leave. I'll move away." She didn't know what else to do. Anger didn't work, nor did cursing him or ignoring him. "That way you won't be reminded of the love you had for her." She was afraid that she would cry if she stayed much longer.

Jack's voice was soft, pleading, hypnotic almost, he kissed Cora's lips and he felt that it was Clare in his arms , soft , yielding like before ,,,, before she was taken from him then she tried to pull away but he couldn't let her go , he wanted, no, he needed to remember her. Jack took her hand and led her into his bedroom , he sat on the bed with Cora standing between his legs. For some inexplicable reason he asked her to do a striptease for him as Clare had done on their wild weekends away.

'You have got to be kidding. I have no idea what my sister did for you. In your bedroom. Jack, let me leave. I'm not my sister. I...I...I'll leave. I'll move away.'

"You can't leave Cora , please don't leave me all alone, I need you."

Again Cora tried to move away but Jack grabbed at her catching the backs of her thighs and she stumbled forwards on top of him, her lips inches from his, one hand went behind her head and pulled her into a deep longing kiss while his other hand slid up the back of her thighs pushing the hem of her dress above her tight round backside and in a trice her French knickers were at her knees. His hips thrust up to her vee as his knees gently but firmly pushed her legs apart.

"Don't go Cora,stay, you know you want to."

He pleaded and freed his cock from his trousers. Somehow Cora was sitting astride him and her dress was sliding from her to leave her naked straddling his throbbing manhood.

"My God Cora, you feel so good."

His hips ground his cock deep into Cora's hot pink hole as they clung to each other in a fierce embrace. Jack knew that this would be his only chance to purge himself of the memory of Clare and he deposited his hot cream into Cora while calling out,

"Clare my darling I love you, always.

You can't leave Cora , please don't leave me all alone, I need you.

"No, Jack, please..."

When she tried again to leave, he stopped her by pulling against the back of her thighs and she lost her balance and fell on top of him. She was close enough to smell the desire he had for her. His fingers tangled in her hair and pulled her lips against his. While he claimed her mouth, his fingers slid the back of her dress up and her knickers down. She tried to protest. Honestly, she did. But he had his legs between hers and the heat from his cock warmed against her slit.

Don't go Cora,stay, you know you want to.

She shook her head no, but it didn't do any good as soon his cock was buried deep in her warm, moist slit while he slipped the dress off over her head. His cock filled her once again as he thrust up into her and his hands grabbed her hips, thrusting her down onto him.

My God Cora, you feel so good.

She fell forward, weak and unable to fight him any longer. His arms were around her, his lips claiming her as she felt the warmth rush into her.

Clare my darling I love you, always.

The words were whispered in her ear and she answered without thinking.

"Until the end of time."

It was a mistake as soon as the words left her lips. An automatic answer. One given so many times. She closed her eyes, his cock still buried deep in her. She refused to open them but instead tried to get up. Before she could, he rolled over, still joined to her and now she was trapped beneath him. Hesitantly, she opened them, afraid of what she would see. What she found was Jack trying to see into her soul.

Jack was in a world of his own now, it was no longer Cora straddling him and taking his plunging cock but Clare the one true love of his life. It didn't seem right that she was supposed to be dead, she was right here, loving him as only she knew how. Slowly though the realisation came to him, this wasn't Clare, it was Cora her twin sister but he had told her that he loved her he had even used their secret phrase.

"Clare my darling I love you, always."

The one that ALWAYS elicited the same response,
'"Until the end of time."'

They had never used it during their wild uninhibited lovemaking, only when canoodling in his flat. No one else knew of it and its meaning to them both, yet Cora had used it seemingly without thinking and she had been so distant with him it didn't seem right.

He rolled over pinning her underneath him ,with his throbbing shaft pulsing inside her ready to erupt at any moment.

He stared down at her closed eyes and waited for them to open. When she finally opened them he was brutal in his questioning,

"What did you just say? Where have you heard it before? Who ARE you?"

What did you just say? Where have you heard it before? Who ARE you?

She swallowed hard and tried to give a light laugh, which was hard with his cock still throbbing as it was buried deep inside her.

"Oh, not that again. You are like a dog with a bone. Finish your fuck and let me...leave."

She turned her face away from him, afraid that he would keep probing, keep asking. She had to get away. As soon as she could get out of here, she would just leave. Leave everything and just disappear.

"If you're through reminiscing about your dead love, perhaps we can finish up. Would be nice to get home sometime today."

Cora's reaction to his questions aroused his curiosity even further, she hadn't answered them at all, just a jumbled load of excuses that he'd heard before.
"That doesn't wash Cora, you're hiding something and I want to know what it is, I fully intend to keep you here until you tell me. You try to give the impression that you dislike me, even hate me but you fuck me with such vigour. Why is that? Do you find me so irresistible in bed but hateful outside? One of them is false and it's my guess that it's your supposed hatred. Perhaps you hate yourself for feeling the way you do when we are fucking.Be honest with yourself and with me."

All the while he was thrusting into her and feeling her pushing herself to him. It was strange that she seemed to want him so badly but verbally denying it. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery he knew he had to keep her here, by force if necessary. He slipped the pillow cases from the pillows and used them to bind her wrists to the iron bedposts.

He looked down at her naked body writhing to get free without success.

"It's your choice, tell me what is going on or stay like that."

That doesn't wash Cora, you're hiding something and I want to know what it is, I fully intend to keep you here until you tell me. You try to give the impression that you dislike me, even hate me but you fuck me with such vigour. Why is that? Do you find me so irresistible in bed but hateful outside? One of them is false and it's my guess that it's your supposed hatred. Perhaps you hate yourself for feeling the way you do when we are fucking.Be honest with yourself and with me.

The entire time he spoke, he continued to thrust up into her and, quite against her will, she reciprocated, loathing for it to end. She didn't dare tell him, for he would truly hate her.

To her surprise, he bound her arms to the bed frame and announced,

It's your choice, tell me what is going on or stay like that.

Try as she might, she could not get loose from her bindings and his cock that remained thrusting up into her. She moaned and fought, not wanting to give him what he demanded.

Finally, with him above her slowly thrusting and waiting for her answer, she could feel tears gathering in her eyes and she fought to keep them back.

"Please, Jack, don't do this. Just let me leave. Forget about me and keep your memories of Clare and move on. Please."

She turned her head and looked away, wanting to hide the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She should have moved away. But she had become complacent. Now, if she could just get him to release her, she would leave and never come back.

Tears spilled from her eyes, wetting the bedsheets. She couldn't look at him.

"Jack, if you ever loved Clare, please let me loose so I can leave."

Jack knew in his heart that it was wrong of him to keep Cora trussed up like a chicken but he was determined to find out what lay at the heart of this confusing mystery. He was reluctant to withdraw from the wet warmth of her sex, she thrust back at him as though she too wanted it to go on for ever, but,,,,,,,,,,,, he had to find the truth of the matter. She pleaded with him to release her and let her go,

' Please, Jack, don't do this. Just let me leave. Forget about me and keep your memories of Clare and move on. Please."'

He was tempted to give up and release her when he saw tears forming in her eyes, if he let her go he would never know the truth and Cora would be miserable. He redoubled his efforts to give her the most pleasure he could and as he increased the tempo she responded, lifting her hips to him and wrapping her legs around his waist and drumming her heels on his backside.

"What is it Cora? Why do you cry? Is your secret so awful?"

She turned her face away from him and he caressed her face feeling tears rolling down her cheeks and wetting the bed sheets, Her voice barely audible she pleaded again,

' Jack, if you ever loved Clare, please let me loose so I can leave." '

"What has this to do with Clare? Tell me Cora, you know as well as anyone that Clare was a pure and innocent creature and nothing, NOTHING will change my love for her so if she had done something wrong you must tell me, NOW,,,,,,,,,,, I beg you."

He was still pumping his rod inside he , automatically now and without warning his dam burst and his hot cum spurted inside Cora's tight freshly used pussy and filled her quickly and leaked out onto her milky thighs.

"Cora I know I have done wrong by you and for that I am sorry but if Clare were here now I know she would forgive me as I would forgive her anything."

He withdrew from Cora's dripping sex with a soft seductive slurp and pop, He released her hands and said sadly,

"you can leave now I won't be bothering you again , I will live with my memories of Clare incomplete as they might be."

He continued to fuck her as he demanded to know her secret. Quite against her will, she found herself moving with him, meeting him thrust for thrust. And as she did, her heart was breaking. Crying out for all that was lost. All that would never be.

He asked for her secret, asked for the truth, and she couldn't give it to him. All she could do was cry.

What has this to do with Clare? Tell me Cora, you know as well as anyone that Clare was a pure and innocent creature and nothing, NOTHING will change my love for her so if she had done something wrong you must tell me, NOW,,,,,,,,,,, I beg you.

And with that he came, filling her with a warmth that she knew she would miss if he should let her leave. As he pulled out of her, their mixed spending followed to leak out and stain her thighs and his sheets. The only sounds that filled the room were her sobs and his heavy breathing. Finally he spoke.

Cora I know I have done wrong by you and for that I am sorry but if Clare were here now I know she would forgive me as I would forgive her anything.

As he untied her, he said,

you can leave now I won't be bothering you again , I will live with my memories of Clare incomplete as they might be.

She curled into a fetal position, the tears flowing. Finally, she pulled herself together and sat on the edge of the bed. Her head was bowed and the words were soft, almost unheard, as if spoken to herself.

"Clare is not the Saint you make her out to be. Not by any stretch of the imagination. We are all frail, stretched by time to make mistakes. Mistakes that can never be undone. Remember your Clare as some sweet being, full of goodness, pure. Not as she..."

She stopped and looked at him, her face stained with the remnants of her tears. She let out a deep breath and reached for the dress.

Jack was prepared to let Cora go, to walk out of his life so long as he had the untarnished memory of his one love Clare.

She sat naked on the edge of his bed her tears almost gone and she sniffled quietly almost to herself,

'Clare is not the Saint you make her out to be. Not by any stretch of the imagination. We are all frail, stretched by time to make mistakes. Mistakes that can never be undone. Remember your Clare as some sweet being, full of goodness, pure. Not as she... '

The way she spoke caught his attention almost as if it was self recrimination and two phrases seemed odd in context.

' Clare IS not the Saint you make her out to be. Not as she... '

'IS' as in still existing? 'Not as she.... what? 'IS' again or 'was' as in the past?

"What do you mean Cora ? you convince me to let you go because there is no more to tell and then you confuse me even more, I am more convinced than ever now there is a tale of deceit and lies here somewhere and I intend to wring it from you."

Cora had not yet dressed so Jack took it from her so she couldn't leave unless she went naked.

"You may as well go back to bed and sleep I have far too much to think about rather than bother you in that way."

There was a link between himself, Clare and Cora, a link that Cora didn't want him to know about, but why? He thought back to before Clare had given in to his suggestions that they should have a weekend away together, she had been adamant that he would not have her in that way until their wedding night.

'Of course I understand your manly needs and desires Jack but you must put them aside until we are married'

That had been the end of the matter until just two weeks later Clare had surprised him with the news that she had booked a room at an Inn in the Yorkshire Dales for that weekend and she would meet him there. That first time had been wonderful, exciting and passionate, he took her virginity and after that she was insatiable and in some small way he was glad when the weekend was over. Oddly when they weren't away after that Clare was her usual affectionate self but never letting him even touch her until the next time they went away. It became routine for them to go away every two weeks to various Inns and hotels, with Clare meeting him at each rendezvous, never arriving together. It became a game where they would pretend not to know each other until they met in the bar and Jack would take Clare back to his room much to the envy of other male guests.
All had gone well until that fateful day when he was summoned to the hospital where Clare lay unconscious due to a wall falling unexpectedly from a partially demolished house and crushing her under the rubble. Clare fought bravely for the next seven days until she succumbed and passed away in his arms. After that Jack had hidden himself away locked in grief until the night he met Cora, his love's twin sister who he didn't even know existed.
It was from that night his life began to unravel, Cora's hostility towards him, he forcibly taking her virginity. Jack's head hurt and then it became clear to him but first he had to make sure. He gently shook the naked shoulder of the sleeping woman in his bed, as she began to stir he whispered,

"I know, I know, you don't have to pretend any more, welcome back Clare my love."

Suddenly he changed his mind, taking away her dress and telling her,

What do you mean Cora ? you convince me to let you go because there is no more to tell and then you confuse me even more, I am more convinced than ever now there is a tale of deceit and lies here somewhere and I intend to wring it from you. You may as well go back to bed and sleep I have far too much to think about rather than bother you in that way.

She was too tired to fight him any more. She curled up under the covers, bone weary. And yet, her her mind refused to give her peace. As usual, Jack inhabited her dreams, as did her sister. Now she dreamed of deceit, of twisted tales and dashed hopes.

Out of her dreams, he shook her shoulder and whispered in her ear,

I know, I know, you don't have to pretend any more, welcome back Clare my love.

Her heart was of lead. "Deceit. Thy name is woman." She rose and, pulling back the covers, sat on the edge of the bed, her shoulders slumped in defeat. For once, her nudity did not enter her head. Instead, she thought of how to tell the story to him.

"Yes. I am Clare. Cora was the one that died. Cora was your lover. Cora was the one pregnant with your child."

She took a deep breath and began the story.

"I thought that my life with you was perfection. I loved you and you loved me. Our only disagreement was your wish to sleep with me before our wedding. One day, while we were out, my twin saw us together. Now, Cora and I had not really spoken to each other for several years. However, suddenly she decided to contact me on the pretext of renewing auld lang syne . As we were talking she happen to mention that she had seen me with you and wanted to know more about you. I may have mentioned that you were wanting me to go away with you for a weekend. Cora took advantage of that information and set up a rendezvous between you and her on a weekend when I was out of town."

Clare was quiet for a moment.

"When I returned, she bragged what a wonderful lover you were, and revealed that she had passed herself off as me and had given you what you wanted - a weekend of mad, passionate love. When I told her that I would tell you the truth, she said that she would tell you that it was my idea. It broke my heart each time you went away with her thinking it me. And I thought I would die when she told me that she carrying your child. She said that once you found that out, you would marry her even when you found out who she really was."

She gave a sad sigh.

"Then, before she had the chance, there was the accident. I was afraid to just turn up at hospital, in case I ran into you. I did come once, in disguise. And waited until I saw you leave to go home to shower and change. I promised her that I would stay away and not cause her any grief. She never woke, but I knew that she was aware that I was there. I managed to leave just before you came back."

Slowly, the tears once again slid down her cheeks.

"I deceived you. I was at the funeral. I stood at the top of the hill some distance away and said my prayer from there. I knew that I should have left, moved away. I never thought that you would turn up at the club. And so I became Cora. Forgive me. Please."

She hid her face in her hands and cried.

Jack listened to her story, incredulity on his face, he believed every word it was too fantastic to be made up on the spur of the moment and everything fitted. His arm went around her naked shoulders and he held her close as she cried.

"Clare, it really is you? It's beyond my wildest dreams the only thing that I regret is that you did not tell me from the beginning. You should have trusted my love for you. We have wasted all this time and yet you kept your virginity, was that in hope that we might be reunited one day or was it a way of punishing yourself? Did Cora tell you that I took her virginity too? Regretfully I did but in the belief that it was you, if she had not been a virgin I would have known instantly that all was not as it seemed, perhaps Cora was jealous of you or even thought she was in love with me, I don't know, if only I had known I would have put a stop to it. I am so sorry for the manner in which I robbed you of your innocence, I have your forgiveness to ask not the other way round. You are the wronged one in all of this, now hopefully we can put our lives back together, that is if you still love me as I love you. "

Jack kissed her shoulder and turned her face to his looking into her tear stained eyes.

"It must have been so hard for you my love living with all the lies and deception and especially believing that you were the cause."

Jack tilted her chin up and kissed her soft lips that tasted of her tears. The kiss was soft and tender, full of love.

"This evening has been a shock to us both, let's sleep on it and talk when we are refreshed."

He laid Clare back down on the bed and covered her with the sheets and took a blanket for himself and made himself comfortable in an armchair in the corner of the room.

Clare, it really is you?

She nodded while she avoided looking at him. His words floated past her. She had tried to live a lie, and if Jack had not seen her, she would maybe have gotten away with it. And now what? She couldn't be Clare! Clare was dead, so she would have to remain Cora.

His lips touched her shoulder as his fingers touched her chin, lifting her face to look at him.

It must have been so hard for you my love living with all the lies and deception and especially believing that you were the cause.

His kiss was sweet, reminding her of all their times before Cora had butt in.

This evening has been a shock to us both, let's sleep on it and talk when we are refreshed.

And with that he tucked her back in his bed before he went to sleep in a chair in the corner of the bedroom. She lay there in the dark, trying to cry silently. Her life was so screwed up. And she was screwing up his life.

She was tired. Bone tired. Living a lie was hard. No one to trust. And, at the end of the day, you are alone. Being alone had been the hardest. Finally the day caught back up with her and she fell asleep.

Jack shivered as he woke, the grey fingers of dawn crept across the floor even though it was mid April it was still cold. For a brief moment he was unsure why he had slept in the chair and then he remembered, the earth shattering discovery that Clare the one love of his life was not only alive and well but here with him. He had slept in the chair because it was the gentlemanly thing to do, ok she was naked and he had fucked her once that evening but that was in order to get to the truth, he hadn't known, although he suspected, but the truth was far more far reaching,. it was going to change his life for ever. Him and Clare together just as they had planned. All this rushed through his head with no thought as to what Clare might want.

He stood up and discarded the blanket and stark naked he went over to the bed and the huddled form of Clare. He was tempted to slide in beside her but thought that might be too presumptuous and he probably wouldn't be able to keep his hands to himself. Instead he kissed the top of her head and said with wide smile,

"'Morning sleepyhead, what would you like for breakfast?"

Not really knowing what else to say.

'Morning sleepyhead, what would you like for breakfast?

Someone kissed the top of her head and woke her up. For a moment, she was confused and a bit scared. She should be alone... Opening her eyes, Jack stood there. He was naked. The old her would have blushed and chastised him. Now, it didn't matter. A lot didn't matter. Life had changed. For her and him.

She sat up, very aware that she too was naked. "I'm really not hungry, Jack." She took a deep breath. "I should leave."

When Clare sat up in bed seemingly uncaring of her nakedness Jack drank in her beauty, he had seen her naked before in the last two days but then his mind had been occupied with other things and he had not appreciated the perfect symmetry of her figure, now though he could study her at his leisure and he would soon be caressing her firm round breasts.

' I'm really not hungry, Jack. I should leave.'

Her words took him by surprise and set him aback,

"WH,,,WHA,,, WHAT? But you can't we have so much to talk about, to discuss, our future together, when you will come to live with me, a hundred different things "

Jack was flattened, deflated, beaten. He had been so certain that he and Clare would pick up where they had left off and they would marry and have children. What a fool he had been taking things for granted, but it was only his love for Clare and the certainty of her love for him that had led him down that path.
Jack however was not a quitter and he took the only course of action open to him, he gathered her clothes together and methodically he tore them into strips.

"No Clare I can't let you leave, not like this, you might disappear and I'll never see you again. No you stay here until we have talked unless you intend to leave as you are."

He put his hands on her bare shoulders and pushed her back into the pillows.

"Let me at least make you a cup of coffee."

He left her and went into the kitchen to make coffee and think.

He seemed shocked by her words. Truly shocked. He spluttered and hesitated, demanding to know the cause, the reason for her words. How could she explain that he was in love with a ghost - someone that was gone forever. She could never go back to being that person. Clare was dead in more ways that one. And life was to complicated to stop and explain the story to everyone.

His next action surprised her even more. He tore her dress up, as if doing so would change things. It changed nothing, merely delayed the inevitable

So now she found herself laying back against the pillows waiting for a tea she didn't want. But the same problems still existed.

She realized something that he had said. ...when you will come to live with me... He was living in a fool's paradise. But she loved him too much to hurt him. And it could be dangerous for him should she take up with him. Perhaps even deadly.