After the initial shock the women sat in Verity's lounge were instantly energised.
"Here? In Millstone?" Verity exclaimed "...That's ridiculous!"
Belinda waved her phone to the room "There only seems to be one Millstone...Looks like we are porn Ground Zero" she giggled.
For Lisa this was earth shattering, she was obsessed with Her Flame Darkened. Far more than anyone knew. It represented all her suppressed desires and the book's main protagonist Samantha Brantley was probably her favourite literary character. She spend huge amounts of time on various forums and fansites and had began to indulge in the various types of fan-fiction (although most of it was pretty lame and low quality). To find out D.C. Williams was a man had been extremely confusing, to find out that he was potentially living within a few miles of her was absolutely bizarre.
"This is just, like, too much..." sighed Jenny and Lisa noticed Belinda rolling her eyes. Jenny didn't seem to notice, she muttered to herself "...It's like finding out Virginia Woolf was a man and then finding out he lived next door". Lisa was becoming more and more certain that pretty little Jenny and her vapid exterior was definitely a cover for something much deeper and interesting.
Lisa tried to picture who it might be while the women chattered about the revelation, Verity was wondering where in the village was expensive and posh enough to have a reclusive, super-rich author living there whilst another of the women had quickly began wondering what it would do house prices. It was like the universe was pranking her. Giving her this secret obsession and then placing the source in her own neighbourhood. She ran through the people of the village, Millstone was a decent sized village but it was fair to say that almost everyone knew almost everyone. That it could be her own husband never even entered her head.
Over at the Swan Martin was stood on the fringes of his usual group as they laughed raucously. As usual the pervading mood was "Stag do" and this for Martin was torture. Individually he liked almost all of the circle but it seemed to be that once together it inevitably descended into laddishness and edginess. "What was wrong with a quiet drink and a chat about sport?" he mused to himself. John The unofficial group leader returned to the circle carrying an impressive amount of drinks. Something a lifetime of being a rugby player had prepared him for perfectly.
Currently James McArdle was holding sway informing the group in his soft Edinburgh accent, that there wasn't a man amongst them who wouldn't, given the chance, have frantic, sweaty, passionate sex with The Swan's new barmaid Katie. That Katie was an attractive university student and the assembled males were all at least 10 years her senior didn't seem to dampen James' assurances that sex between her and the gristled Scottish prop forward would be both inevitable and spectacular.
James was stood next to Martin and both had their backs to the door as it opened. In an instant James' demeanour changed as he detected someone approaching, instantly the bawdy laughter ceased and he was charm personified, Martin hated him for it. He had made the right decision however, glancing over his shoulder he noted Reverend Susan, the local vicar, moving past them towards the bar with a younger guy in tow. The local vicar was a plump, woman, not un-pretty but definitely leaning into middle aged fashion. She was always exquisitely turned out however and the silver hair was cut short and stylish. James, on one of more lurid monologues had noted she had a quite formidable bust hidden below her sweaters and cardigans. Lisa had mused that given a personal stylist and a personal shopper then Susan could be a very attractive woman but she seemed more interested in practical haircuts and even more practical clothing. He didn't recognise the young man which in Millstone was unusual, he was was tall, so much so that he had to tilt his head to avoid the old wooden beams of the pub roof...something even John, a tall, intimidating Number Eight, didn't have to do.
James smiled "Ah Reverend Susan...Temptation & Redemption in one lovely package" flirting with the vicar seemed to be James' hobby and the two always sparred whenever they encountered each other. The Scottish brogue a stark contract to Susan's clipped home counties RP.
Susan turned to fix him in her glare "Ah, yes McArdle" she turned to her companion "...You see, Casey, not everyone in this seemingly idyllic parish is sweet and innocent. We have our reprobates" she had a glint in her eye hinting that she did, in fact, enjoy the attention. Turning back to James "Be careful otherwise I might have to have you excommunicated"
James smiled broadly "Ah, I'm Catholic your grace" he retorted
Susan shrugged expansively "Well, your not my problem then" and instantly the laughter returned. She gestured over to her companion.
"This is Casey, visiting from our sister Parish in Ohio..."
James chimed in "A sort of reverse missionary position" but although John and Martin both sniggered Susan showed no sign of noticing the double entendre "...So before he goes back to college he is getting experience of rural life here."
The tall American leaned down towards the group and shook hands with those nearest "Hi guys, this place is so beautiful...Lot different to Cleveland" he announced in crystal clear American tones
Susan continued her introductions "Some of these blokes are part of our rugby team, Casey here is something of an American Football player"
Casey smiled at this "Quarterback...helps when you are tall" he said straightening up and banging his head on the ancient wooden beam in the process
John smiled "You should come along and train, see what it's like without the body armour"
James joined the attack "...and without the constant breaks in play"
Casey was clearly being mocked but was trying to be on his best behaviour. It was Reverend Susan who stepped in to save him "No, no, no...if he goes back to the US as ugly as you lot there'll be an international incident. He is hear to see how boring and pious life can be and that's the way it's staying" and began shepherding Casey towards the bar. Just as she turned to leave Susan said "Anyway gentlemen, it seems I already preside over a den of iniquity anyway....It's just be revealed that the author of those Her Flame Darkened books lives in the village"
"WHAT?" exclaimed Martin far too loudly
"I know" replied Susan "...we are trending on Twitter and everything. The Bishop will probably have my guts for garters"
John frowned "Those dirty books you mean?"
Susan shrugged "Apparently...it was on TV earlier"
James chuckled "There's a thing, no-one admitted to it in confession then Sue?"
Susan rolled her eyes "Not Catholic sorry James..." then she leaned and continued in a conspiratorial whisper "I'll tell you one thing though gentleman...no rich authors have been sharing their illicit gains via my bloody collection plate I can confirm that much. If we do have a global superstar in our midst he's a fucking stingey one". This got that loudest laugh of the night. Everyone except Martin who was on the verge of panic. How could this have happened? He need to speak to Jo but he had to act normal.
With Susan and Casey gone and the atmosphere of laddish excess punctured conversation returned to more normal topics. That being the rugby team and it's fortunes. Martin was not part of this inner circle and so was able to zone out and try to process what he had just learnt. How could Jo have let this happen. She had always been so supportive and worked tirelessly to hide his identity. The revelation that DC Williams was male had been carefully agreed to create media interest around the final book and hopefully widen the audience. Now this. He tried to work out exactly what the repercussions would be. How would Lisa take the news of his double life? How would their family and friends react? He didn't need any of this, he just wanted to be dull and boring Martin...secretly sitting on a fortune he couldn't tell anyone about. Actually that part of it would be a relief. He was still thinking about this when he became aware of John staring at him "Martin??? Hello...earth to Martin....The marathon, how is the training going?"
Martin snap out of his musing "Oh....sorry.....err....yeah, up to 18 miles....pretty good"
James shook his head "No way I could do that, too boring....three hours of plod plod plod"
Martin smiled "It is good, gives you time to think.....actually, I am just going to the toilet....do we need more drinks?". The assembled drinkers decided that Yes, they did need more drinks and so Martin made a beeline for the Gents. As soon as the door was closed behind him he was messaging Jo demanding. He wanted to phone her but didn't want to be overheard.
"Jo, WTF!!! What has happened....they know where I live!!! Text me back ASAP". He stared at the phone for a minute desperate to see notification that she had seen the message but nothing changed "Come on!" he thought
Down in London Jo was middle a busy cocktail bar with her posse of friends and checking her works phone was the furthest thing from her mind. She already had multiple messages from colleagues as well as Martin but for now the booze was flowing, the dance floor was beckoning and no-one was going to get an answer thing side of midnight.
Martin admitted defeat and left the toilets to make his way to the bar, he saw immediately that Lisa and her friends had arrived and so instantly the drinks order nearly doubled because many of Lisa's book group were wives and girlfriends of Martin's circle of friends. Time to act normal. He could check the internet when he got home. Things mightn't be as bad as he suspected. No-one had pointed him out just yet, his phone was eerily quite, if he had been named then surely someone who knew him would have contacted him by now.
The evening proceeded normally although it was noted that both Martin and Lisa were pre-occupied.
Later on back at home the two went about their evening routines, and like most couples these days, sat in bed reading on their various devices...only they weren't reading. Lisa was working her way through the news feeds and the HFD.net forum for information on the evening's revelation, Lisa was a regular on the forum but no-one actually new her location. She decided to keep that information a secret. Uniquely that evening Martin was on the same site as he frantically tried to ascertain what people actually knew about DC Williams. The bedroom light was on much later than usual.
Across town another light was on top floor of the vicarage, Reverend Susan was in the master bedroom on the 2nd floor of the old stone building. She was illuminated only be a bedside lamp as she read from her kindle.
Across the building on the ground floor in the new wing of the building another light was on in another bedroom and the twinklng ever-changing light pattern of a TV set could be seen reflecting on the curtains. This was the guest room on the side of the vicarage where Casey was staying. It would, Susan knew, stay on for another hour or so. The space bathroom light would come on for a brief time then extinguish and then shortly after that the entire guest-wing would go dark.
Reverend Susan had downloaded the Her Flame Darkened books after the revelations that the author was one of her parishioners. She had been aware of them, of course, but didn't think it was the sort of thing that should be on a vicar's Amazon history. Now she had the perfect excuse and so was indulging...so far, she had to admit, it was a very impressive and very arousing read. Her enjoyment was helped immensely by the eager attentions of Casey currently clamped between her thighs and licking and kissing her pussy. He was getting extremely talented at his "Evening Worship" and the timer plugs she'd insisted Casey set up in the guestroom helped maintain some semblance and propriety and keep the tongues from wagging. She smiled to herself as savoured the pun.
She presumed Casey had been sent to her in a clerical error due to his androgynous name but she wasn't complaining. She had been taken with the tall, muscular, clean-cut youth and so had set about seducing him almost immediately. That he was young enough to be her son had no bearing, as she reached middle age she had always preferred younger me and had a surprisingly high success rate in discreetly reeling in men that the majority of people would consider out of her league. A check on the Vicarage wi-fi history had shown her guest had keen interest in voluptuous older women and his attraction to her had been confirmed by furtive glances at her chest and thighs on the occasions when she had wore shorter skirts and low cut tops that her parishioners seldom saw. In the end she had simply confronted him about his illicit web-surfing and as he begged Susan not to tell anyone she had hugged him and then pressed his head down to her chest.
The rest was history and innocence lost was most certainly her gain. She groaned and writhed grinding her groin into Casey's face as she gripped his hair tightly. He would still be down there long after the timer plugs in his actual bedroom and turned off.
