When they returned to the cottage, Faye said,
“Please bear with me. For almost all my life, I was not allowed to make even the smallest decisions. What I wore was chosen for me. I was never allowed to wear jeans or trainers. I had to wear a white shirt and tie even at weekends.

Even when I was doing my chores, I had to wear the appropriate clothing; otherwise, I would be punished, and I would be required to confess my sins to everyone in Church the next Sunday. Being made to confess more than twice a year would mean being sent away to camp for the whole of the summer vacation. Having to decide what to eat is still hard for me. Everything was decided for me in advance.”

“Oh,” remarked Becca.
“I didn’t know that it was that bad…”

“I never fully told anyone before, not even Paula or Steph. I am trying hard to learn, but everyone my age has made lots of mistakes and learned from them. I was not allowed to make mistakes. I had to be perfect and never do anything that would be regarded as a sin by the church.”

“You poor thing. I will try to make allowances for that. I was going to ask you what you wanted to eat tonight, but… But I think that I will have to find out what you don’t like first.”

Faye managed a smile.
“I’m not keen on Brussels Sprouts. The ones we had were always very bitter, but the ones we had at school were a lot sweeter.”

“And you could not complain?”

“If you complained or did not eat what was put in front of you, you were punished with washing-up duty for a month. It was his way of making everyone compliant. I didn’t know about it until I read about Stockholm Syndrome at the Library. I first saw it in a newspaper at the Public Library. From that and some other books I read about religious cults in the USA, I started to understand that I was being brainwashed. From that day on, I obeyed, but I was always looking for a way out. When he said that I was going to the camp, I had to leave that night.”

“Then I will have to make the rest of your stay here a lot easier by making most of the decisions for you when it comes to important matters. In time, you can challenge me over them, and eventually, we can become equals. When I quit, I came here and didn’t know what to do with myself most of the time. Gradually, the hustle, bustle and panic of a catwalk show and there were sometimes three shows a day, faded, and I became a human being again. Time is a great healer, Faye.”

“Thank you, Becca. When we were at your new place, you talked about making decisions on how the place would be finished. That scared me to my core.”

Becca smiled.
“Why don’t you go and unpack? Your room is on the right at the top of the stairs. I’ll give you a shout when dinner is ready.”

“Thank you, Becca.”

As Faye started to climb the stairs, she heard Becca say,
“You don’t have to change for dinner.”

Faye felt a lot happier with things now that someone was taking charge. All this decision-making was hard work.

“How did you sleep?” asked Becca the next morning.

“Pretty well considering.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Not wrong, just different. This place is so quiet at night. My old home was close to a main road, and Paula’s is up on a hill above a railway line, and there are trains through the night.
Paula said, ‘Give it a while, and it will be ok.’”

“Ah… I had the same problem when I moved here from Paris. Even though I lived in a quiet suburb, there was a level of background noise that I never noticed until I moved here. You will get used to it, even though we often get a Tawny Owl sitting in my apple tree and calling at night. Then there are the foxes.”

“I get you.”

Then Faye said,
“What do you have planned for today? Paula said that she’d be here around five.”

“This morning, I thought that we might go to church.”

Faye immediately stiffened up.
“As I said yesterday, it is Harvest Festival this week, so everything is very informal. The vicar does not bite. She is a bit of a laugh.”

“She?”

“Yes. We have had a woman in charge of this and two other parishes for almost as long as I’ve been here. She used to play Rugby for England back when it was an amateur sport. Ruth is very down to earth when you get to know her.”

Faye was visibly apprehensive.

Becca poured some tea and said,
“Think of it this way… Sooner or later, you are going to have to face up to your demons. At the moment, you probably think that every church is like the one that you were forced to attend. Do it today when there will be a lot of locals there who only attend today, at Christmas and possibly the Easter services, and you can blend into the background.”

Faye shook her head.
“I’ll be the ‘stranger in town’ and subject to a lot of gossip, won’t I?”

Becca laughed.
“Another thing to get out of the way sooner rather than later.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you come and live here, there will be gossip. People have been trying to marry me off for years. Today is the perfect time to mix with the locals. Besides, there is a Hog Roast on the Playing Field after the service. The pub that we walked past yesterday has donated a couple of barrels of beer. Some of the hops that were used to brew it came from this parish. Everyone will be in a good mood.”

“I don’t have anything to wear that is suitable for church.”

“Have some breakfast, and then we can see what is in my clothes store.”

“Clothes store?”

“When I was not at one of the fashion weeks, I modelled for some of the top ‘ready to wear’ labels. Sometimes, I would be given the clothes I’d worn that day. I have most of them in the Barn out back. There will be something that you can wear.”

Faye started to complain but failed.
“Ok. You win.”

Becca took Faye’s hand.
“Faye, it is not a question of winning. I learned very early on that you can’t keep on running from the things that you fear. Believe it or not, I had a fear of flying. It was only after I’d been signed up as a model that I told them about it. The agency wanted to send me to New York, and I didn’t want to fly. So, they signed me up for a course with other people with the same phobia. It worked… but only after I’d done the course twice.”

Faye drank her tea in silence. At least she had not legged it. Becca remembered almost doing that very thing on the first fear-of-flying course.

After breakfast, the two of them went out to the ancient barn that was at the rear of the cottage. To Faye’s surprise, inside were two 20-foot shipping containers. These held Becca’s clothes store.

“This would look good on you,” said Becca as she held up a blue shirt dress.
“It isn’t too short in the skirt, and with a simple white fake pearl necklace to set it off, you would look good.”

“What sort of shoes should I wear? I only have the ones I came in.”

“I would suggest a small heel, but I don’t have anything in your size, so it will have to be flat sandals.”

Faye shook her head.
“My legs will need shaving to wear a skirt.”

Becca grinned.
“Then we’ll have to cover them up with some leggings, but you will have to put some colour on your nails.”

Becca saw Faye’s reluctance.
“How about I do it for you?”

“Thanks, Becca.”

“Good. Now, we should get going.”

Faye looked at her hair in the mirror. While it was growing, it was still a very ‘boyish’ style.
“Do you have a wig I can wear?”

“I have a few to choose from. One point. If you wear one today, people will associate it with you from now on.”

“That means I’ll have to carry on wearing it until my hair is a decent length, doesn’t it?”

“It does. One year, many of the top models opted for a very short look and regretted it immediately, having to wear wigs for almost a year. After that, they refused all demands from even the top designers to go short. They compromised by wearing short wigs for those shows.”

“Your hair is lovely and long and very shiny.”

Becca smiled.
“It is, but it takes a lot of looking after. That is another thing that you are going to have to learn in time. I’d love for you to brush it at night. Then, when yours is long enough, I could do yours.”

They compromised over the wig. Faye immediately chose one that wasn’t long but suited her face. Becca saw the pleasure on Faye’s face when she put it on. A small but key step forward.

With Faye wearing a black pageboy wig, they walked the few hundred yards to the church. Becca sensed Faye’s increasing nervousness, so she took her hand in hers. Faye managed a smile.

Becca introduced Faye to a lot of people. Faye promptly forgot most of their names. One that she didn’t forget was that of the vicar, Ruth Gardner.

Faye immediately saw why Becca had enthused about the vicar. She made Faye feel very welcome and didn’t question Faye other than to compliment her dress.
“That dress suits you.”

Faye’s reluctance to attend the service gradually dissipated as everyone went inside the church. Services such as ‘Harvest Festival’ were not part of the church that she’d been brought up in for years. That didn’t fit in with the ‘any celebration is nothing more than a direct path to a date with the devil’ despite it praising God for the bountiful harvest of that year.

After the service was over, they and almost all the congregation moved over to the playing field where the Hog Roast was almost ready. The animal being roasted was one of the wild boars that roamed the countryside. This one, a male, had been shot a week before, just a few miles away, by a gamekeeper. It was huge! There would be more than enough to go around. That could not be said for the barrels of local beer. Becca went and had a quiet word with the landlord of the pub.

“What did you do?” asked Faye, who was a little overawed by the whole thing.

“I bought another two barrels of beer. It won’t be the same as the current one needs to settle, but for this lot of boozers, they won’t care. As long as it is free, then they will ask for another pint.”

“This is all very strange to me, but it shows that there is a lot to the community here.”

“Does this mean that you will come back?”

“It does. I have to start somewhere with building my new life and… everything. Talking to some of the locals after the service hammered home to me just how much I have been sheltered from the real world. He… He wanted it that way. To him, the only way was his way, and any dissension was not allowed.”

“Dissension is allowed in my home except for one thing, and that is my long relaxation sessions in the bath. I don’t like being interrupted when I’m in the bath unless it is to refill my glass of wine.”

Faye tried not to laugh but failed. Becca joined in.

Later that afternoon, Faye and Becca were back at the cottage. Faye appeared to be deep in thought.

“Whatever it is, it is not the end of the world,” said Becca, trying to coax Faye into talking.

“Sorry, but I was thinking about what happens if we don’t click?”

“Err… Haven’t we clicked already?”

“Sort of, but I was thinking about clicking more seriously.”

“Faye, I would not have taken you to the Harvest Festival if I didn’t think that we could make it as a couple. Now, you are known as my other half. Since I came here, I have not done anything like that with anyone.”

“But you are so much older than I am?”

“Just under seven years. That is not a lot. Remember, I started working full-time as a model at age sixteen. Like you, I missed a lot of growing-up experiences with my peers. Yes, I was living the high life, but it was not without problems. A lot of the men I worked with were gay, so that was not a problem, but there were sexual predators just waiting for us to get pissed or high, and they’d be in like a flash. I was never able to truly enjoy myself. My vision for this place was to find someone with whom I could share growing up and then grow old with.”

Faye didn’t respond right away, so Becca said,

“Ready to take a walk on the wild side?”

Faye smiled.
“Yeah. I am ready.”

Becca stepped forward and kissed Faye. For several seconds, Faye froze solid, so Becca backed off.
“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve never been kissed before.”

Becca smiled.
“Then let’s try it again, and this time, just let your body respond.”

This time, Faye didn’t freeze.

“What time did Paula say that she’d be here?” asked Faye just before five in the afternoon.

“She said just before six.”

“Then I’d better go and get packed.”

“She texted me earlier and said that she had a surprise for you. Do you have any idea what it might be?”

“Not a clue.”

“Then we’d better be ready for them then.”

At five to six, Paula’s car backed into the drive. To Faye’s surprise, there were two people in it. For a moment, she thought that it might be Stephanie. That idea was quashed in an instant when the mysterious person got out of the car.

“Faith! What are you doing here?” said Faye.

“Becca, this is Faith. If we had not run away from our so-called parents, then we’d be married by now. We had no say in that plan.”

“I remember you telling me about that,” said Becca.

“I’m giving Faith a lift to Gatwick Airport. She’s going to meet her real parents for the first time since she was just one,” said Paula.

“They moved to Spain a couple of years after I was taken. They run a hotel not far from Gibraltar. I’m flying down there later this evening,” said Faith.

“What Paula didn’t say was that you are now a girl!”

“Didn’t you say that I was too feminine for you?” replied Faye.

Faith burst out laughing. They were good.

“Faith, this is Becca,” said Faye when they’d stopped laughing.

“Hello, Faith. Welcome to my home, even if this visit is a bit brief.”

“Hi, Becca. This is just a quick visit. I have a plane to catch.”

“Are you ready to go?” asked Paula.

“I am. If you load up the car, I’ll join you when I’ve said goodbye.”

Paula raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

Becca and Faye returned to the kitchen, where they kissed.

“Come back soon,” said Becca.

“I will. I have a few things to do first, but it won’t be long. I’m sure that Paula will be glad to see the back of me.”

Paula drove away from Becca’s home with a wry smile on her face.
“Is there something that you want to tell me?”

Faye went a bit red in the face.
“Not really. We had a good time at the Hog Roast earlier.”

Paula shook her head and concentrated on driving.

“How come you are going to Spain?”

Faith smiled.
“The short version is that Mr Gold came to see me and signed me up as a client. He took a DNA sample, and much like yours, it came back with a hit. I was taken from the family car at a Supermarket when my mother went to return the shopping trolley. It was the week before Christmas, and despite the place being packed, no one saw the kidnappers.”

“Like my case, it seems well organised and planned to perfection.”

“That’s what the cops think. Anyway, unlike you, my parents are alive. I spoke to them last Monday. It was very emotional. Mr Gold managed to get me a passport in my real name.”

“So, Faith is no more?”

She grinned.
“I changed my name to include Faith as a given name. I sort of like it. My real name, Jacqui, will take some getting used to.”

“You kept Faith even though it has a horrible history?”

“It reminds me of where I was at my lowest point. The threat of that camp was a wake-up call for both of us.”

“Yeah, it was. Did you see the old folks on YouTube?”

“I did. They are acting as if we never existed. Someone will eventually do something about them.”

Then Paula said,
“Mr Gold has been talking to the FBI’s London Office. He will probably want us to make a statement about what we went through. Mr Gold suggested that their visas may be cancelled and they could be deported back here, but it is early days yet.”

At the airport, Faye gave Faith a goodbye hug.
“It seems that we have both come out of this with a future,” said Faye.

“You have come up smelling of roses, all right. Do you know who Becca was?”

“I do now, and was is the operative word. She’s settled down to a life in the country, and I’m going to give it a go with her. If we click, then fine, but it will need time. What about you? What are you going to do when you come back?”

“The job at the shop was temporary, but it gave me enough for a small room in a house share. I liked working in the shop, so I’ll go back and see about another one. According to the manager of the shop I worked at, there are always a couple of shops wanting good, reliable staff. If you keep your nose clean, then it is easier to get hired as a permie.”

“I meant romantically? You said to me that you wanted a butch lover.”

Faith laughed.
“That was to keep you off. I’m not into butch women. As most of the staff at the village are women, I’m sure that I’ll find someone, but I’m in no hurry. I want to at least get some money in the bank. Mr Gold has been great about making me legal. I even have a National Insurance number.”

“Good luck in Spain. Stephanie will know how to contact me. I’m sure Becca won’t mind you coming to visit for a weekend.”

Faith came to Faye and gave her a big hug.
“Sister, you are too good a friend to marry.”

Then she dashed off.

“You took your time,” said Stephanie when Faye returned to the car.

“We had a lot to say to each other. Her parting words were, ‘You are too good to marry. ’ I think I now have four friends.”

Stephanie laughed.
“I think that you will do fine out in the big, bad world.”

[to be continued]