Hidden Acres Ch. 11

All characters engaged in sex are over the age of eighteen.

The Hidden Acres way is a local mantra of sorts. On the surface it embodies the attitude of a small town that takes pride in its backwood, country ways. It is also the code word among those who practice the tenets of the Jocaline Order. This loosely organized group made up of women, almost exclusively mothers, have taken to heart that their responsibility to love their families includes intimate relations with all of their family members.

--

Lydia Wilson was still riding a euphoric high from the events of Saturday night. Her husband's embrace of her illicit flirting with their son had turned into something wilder than she could have ever imagined. The fact that she had taken both of them at the same time, her husband from behind and her son in her mouth, was something she still couldn't think about without getting goosebumps and a bit damp.

She was headed to Elaine Austin's home for lunch, driving through the windy roads that led to her majestic home in the hills. Stewart Austin was a senior partner at Darden and Bullard's, the only major law firm in Logan, and his success was well rewarded.

Lydia felt a bit nervous at the prospect of a social visit with Elaine, the woman had a reputation for being a shark in a small pond. Elaine Austin was known by everyone in town, either for her looks or her reputation. The elites of Logan tiptoed around Elaine and with good cause. One word from her and a family could find themselves out in the cold in both business and social circles.

When Elaine had suggested lunch, Lydia had dismissed it as polite conversation, but then the phone had rang Monday, only a day later. Now it was Tuesday and she was following the directions she'd been given to a one on one meeting. The invitation couldn't have been more of a surprise if it had come from the Governor. She had demurred at first, but Elaine insisted and Lydia relented.

Pulling up to the house, she felt her nervousness get even worse. The majestic home was so much larger than her own modest dwelling in town. So many large windows everywhere on the ground floor, Lydia questioned where the walls were that held them in place. She wondered if she could live in a home that offered such a clear view inside. Did the Austin's not value their privacy? She looked around and laughed at herself, there were no neighbors for miles around, they had no worry of people looking in.

"Lydia!" Elaine cried as she opened the oversized front door. "Oh I'm so glad you came!"

Her host was dressed in grey linen slacks and a white, short sleeved silk blouse. Lydia felt a tad underdressed in her best casual dress. She craned her neck to look about as she was ushered into the home, her eyes drinking in the collection of curios from all over the world and the fine furniture.

"You look stunning," Elaine said with a genuine smile as she led her further into the house.

They passed a majestic staircase and headed down a hall and entered a room on the left with more ceiling to floor windows that looked out over the valley. It was a breathtaking view and she was glad to see this is where they would be taking their lunch. Next to the window, lunch had been laid out on a bistro table,the kind she imagined you might find in a Paris cafe.

"So tell me, have you been friends with Dorothy long?" Elaine asked as they sat down.

"Well, I met her years ago, but recently my son and a boarder she's taken in have become friends."

"Oh?" Elaine's interest had been piqued. "Who is this boarder? Is it a young lady?"

"Oh no," Lydia laughed. "His name is Jordan. Apparently he's the son of one of Dot's friends who used to live in Logan. He's staying with her while he attends college."

"His mother used to live in Logan? Do you know her name?"

Lydia tried to remember if Kyle had made any mention of Jordan's mother, but she was coming up blank. "I could text my son and see if he knows. Let me do that."

Whipping out her phone she texted her son quickly. She looked up to see that Lydia was watching her curiously. When she finished she set the phone on the table.

"I hope he gets back to me quickly. Sometimes it's hit and miss with kids his age."

"Oh don't I know it!" Elaine agreed. "But I'm sure when he sees that it's you he'll be eager to answer. Why don't we eat?"

The two women ate a light lunch that had been waiting for them. They spoke of simple, inconsequential things until they were finished and pushed the plates back.

"I wanted to show you something," Elaine began. She reached to the far side of the table and picked up a small box and set it in front of Lydia. Lydia watched as Elaine opened the box and tilted it so that she could see inside clearly. Lying on a square of fluffy cotton was the rough shape of a heart wrought in brass wire. Looking up, Lydia realized that Elaine wore an exact copy pinned to her blouse. It was an elegant, if small, brooch.

"It's lovely," Lydia oohed.

"Do you know what it symbolizes?" Elaine had an intense look in her eyes. "It is a symbol of the Jocaline Order," she continued when Lydia shook her head. "Have you ever heard of it?"

"No," Lydia answered, her nervousness growing.

Elaine leaned back as they heard footsteps coming near. A moment later a handsome young man walked into the room. Lydia knew this was her son Mark. Even if she hadn't seen him before, the family resemblance was striking. He had her eyes and her self confidence.

"Oh thank you, dear," Elaine said, accepting the envelope he brought her.

Lydia watched in fascination as the young man turned to leave and his mother caught his hand. Elaine stood up and as her son faced her, she slid a hand behind his neck and she kissed him deeply, on the mouth. It wasn't a long kiss, but long enough that Lydia was fully aware it wasn't by any chance a mistake.

Mark smiled and then left the room when his mother let him go. Elaine waited until he was out of the room before she sat back down again.

"Did that shock you?" Elaine asked coolly.

Lydia shook her head clear and tried to wrap her mind around what she had just seen. Could her son have been right? Were there a lot more families in Hidden Acres who were involved in incest? Her eyes darted to the brooch in the box.

Just then her phone buzzed and grateful for the distraction she picked it up. Kyle had replied that he didn't know Jordan's mother's name.

"Hmm, do you mind asking what Jordan's last name is, please?"

Lydia typed in the message and then set the phone down. A moment later the answer came back but this time Elaine picked the phone up.

"Ahh, Phillips. I wonder if..." Elaine said, her thought trailing off. She typed out a message of her own. She held the phone while she waited for an answer, turning back to Lydia in the meantime.

"So, Lydia," Elaine started their conversation anew. "I ask you again, did my kissing my son shock you?"

"Well, a little," Lydia answered honestly. "It's not something you expect is all."

"Quite true. But I notice that you are not offended. I'm glad to see that, actually. I had a moment there where I was afraid that I'd misjudged you."

"Oh no, live and let live, I always say."

"Well, that's fine for politics," Elaine said with a touch of condescension. The phone in her hand buzzed and she held up a finger as she read the message. She tapped out a quick reply and then she sat the phone down in front of Lydia. "I think what we're dealing with is a bit beyond live and let live though. Don't you?"

"What you do in your home is your business," Lydia said, trying to be diplomatic.

"Lydia, I didn't bring you here to reveal to you that my relationship with my son is non-traditional. I'm here to let you know that I'm aware that your relationship with yours is very similar to mine."

Fear gripped Lydia. How could she have known? Had she done something to give herself away? Had Kyle said something to someone that had gotten spread around town and made its way back to Elaine? Her eyes darted to the phone and she desperately wanted to reach for it, but somehow she knew that was the wrong thing to do. She had to play it cool if she was going to get out of this with her dignity intact.

"Darling," Elaine's tone was soothing with no hint of ulterior motive, "I already know. Don't embarrass yourself with lies. Please."

Lydia had been ready to bolt, but looking at Elaine's face she realized that the other woman was right. Somehow, she'd been found out. Elaine squeezed her hand and strangely Lydia began to calm down. The worst thing that she could imagine happening, someone finding out that she was intimate with her son, had happened. What else was there to fear?

"How did you know?" Lydia asked after taking a ragged breath.

"Well," Elaine said, "I'm quite practiced at noticing these things. You might not realize what it does for a mother, but it's noticeable. And I saw it on you Sunday. I dare say that whatever has been going on between you and Kyle hasn't been happening for long."

"No," Lydia admitted shyly. "Less than a couple of weeks, though things ramped up a lot last Saturday night." She couldn't suppress the grin that spread across her face and she was happy to see that Elaine was elated for her.

"Well, for my own ego, I must say I'm pleased that I noticed it so quickly. Do you care to tell me how it started?"

"Oh god," Lydia exhaled heavily, "I've been dying to tell someone!"

Lydia explained she caught Kyle checking her out. Instead of being upset, it excited her and she had encouraged him. Elaine listened eagerly as she told of how she found her soiled underwear and that she created an exchange system with her son.

"I was constantly wet," Lydia confessed. "The thought of what he was going to do with my panties would make me cream constantly. And then when I got them back after he had abused them, I would nearly faint as I smelled him on them."

"What happened Saturday?" Elaine pressed.

"I sat between my husband and son on the couch while we 'watched' a movie. I had Kyle grab a blanket and I put it over our laps. Then I reached over and I grabbed both of them at the same time."

Elaine's brow furrowed and she pursed her lips, the image obviously enticing to her. "And then?"

Lydia noticed Elaine's envious chest rising and falling dramatically. 'Heck,' she thought, 'just telling her is getting me hot too!'

"Well, Frank pulled my top up and told Kyle to touch me. After that it's kind of a blur as I was lost in the feel of their hands. Next thing I know Frank has turned me and I saw Kyle's penis in front of me. It looked so good, I couldn't help but suck on it. Then Frank was fucking me from behind.

"I couldn't believe it was happening. Hell, I can't believe it now!"

"Oh my," Elaine gasped. "That's fucking hot, Lydia. No wonder you were glowing on Sunday!"

"Was I?"

"Oh fuck yes," Elaine assured her. "How else do you think I noticed you from across the foyer? There were at least thirty people between us, but you were practically a lighthouse in the dark the way you looked."

"I never knew."

"Have you ever had a friend come home from a honeymoon? And you notice that she looks like she's about the happiest she's ever looked in her life?" Lydia nodded. "Well, you looked like you had three honeymoons all at once. Your eyes were so bright and your smile so big and warm, it was pretty clear something impossible had happened to you. You've been married way too long for it to be just Frank, so I made a guess. When I saw you look at Kyle, I was almost certain. When I saw Kyle looking at you, I knew for sure."

Lydia, still feeling a little embarrassed, took her phone from the table and unlocked it reflexively. The screen lit up and showed the last messages sent to her son:

From Lydia: Can you ask Jordan what his mother's name is please?

From Kyle: Tracy Phillips. Why do you want to know?

From Lydia: Just wondering. Can't wait to feel you again, baby.

From Kyle: Oh god mom, me too! I'll be home early tonight.

Lydia looked up in disbelief. A part of her was mortified that Elaine had said something so risque posing as her. If she hadn't been involved with her son, what kind of havoc would she have created? But that was Elaine's point, wasn't it? She had trapped Lydia into admitting the truth. If she had tried to lie, she truly would have embarrassed herself. Kyle had already confessed for her.

"What now?" Lydia asked, suddenly wary. "Why bring me here?"

"Relax, sister," Elaine said congenially. Once again her host lifted the box and took off the lid. "I've asked you here to join us." She pulled out the brooch and passed it to her.

Lydia held the delicate piece of jewelry in her hand. It appeared crudely made at first, but then at a closer look, she saw that it was a masterful illusion created by the craftsman. There were no sharp edges, and it was sturdier than she would have guessed. The metal did not bend when she gave it a test squeeze.

"If I accept this, what does this mean?"

"It means that if you decide to wear it, you will identify yourself to other sisters in the Jocaline Order. It also means that you will keep their secret if you see someone wearing the brooch, as they will do for you."

"And if I don't accept this?"

"Well," Elaine took a deep breath, "I'm afraid I've kind of put you in a difficult position. In my excitement I've gotten ahead of myself and revealed too much before I got your agreement. As it stands now, you can identify members of the order. I hope that I can count on your discretion, whichever choice you make."

Lydia nodded, suddenly realizing that she was in the same boat, as far as Elaine was concerned. Both women were involved in incest and if Lydia decided to expose her, there would be no reason for Elaine not to reveal her secret to the other women in the order. She would be outnumbered and even if she wasn't, Elaine Austin carried much more clout than she did.

"I don't think you made a mistake at all," Lydia said, an edge to her voice. "I think you knew when I walked in I'd be taking this and joining your group. Didn't you?" She played with the brooch in her hand for a minute before she pinned it to the neckline of her dress.

"I think I might have misjudged you more than once," Elaine said with a devious smile.

--

Tracy Phillips hung up the phone and stared at it. Dot did not seem herself. She had been vague and noncommittal when answering Tracy's questions. She was assured that Jordan was fine, if a bit distant lately, but got no satisfactory explanation of why.

Had she made a mistake sending Jordan to live with Dot? Had she been so consumed by her own issues that she failed to see what she was putting her friend through?

Dorothy and Tracy had grown up knowing what the Jocaline Order was, though the explicit details of what it meant wasn't revealed to them until they came of age. They had shared the giddy excitement of initiation with each other and then each other's beds. The two young women had made vows that seemed unbreakable at the time, but such is the way of youngsters.

Dot's heartbreak over Stewart breaking up with her had driven her from Logan. Tracy had met Dan and then she moved away as well. The dreams they had shared and the hopes for the course of their lives had been abandoned in the face of reality. As time passed they had grown apart, each dealing with the mundane struggles of life.

Tracy's heart had broken to hear of the tragedies that had befallen her dear friend, only to be compounded by her inability to truly help Dot. It was only by a fluke that she had rekindled any kind of relationship with Dorothy and then Jordan wanted to attend the college in Hidden Acres. It had seemed a way to bridge the chasm that had grown between them.

But Dot had never married and never had any children of her own. Was putting Jordan in her home too great a temptation? Was it rubbing it in her nose to move her son in and then ask Dot to wait for Tracy to gather the courage she needed?

"It's now or never," Tracy said aloud and began making arrangements.

Several hours later Tracy was on the road. Dan had grunted when she said she was heading over to Logan to see their son. She hinted that he might want to join her on the weekend. He said he'd see what he could do.

Tracy arrived at Dorothy's late in the afternoon. She hadn't called and worried for the hundredth time if she hadn't made a huge mistake by showing up out of the blue.

Without knocking, Tracy walked into the house. Dorothy turned around and the color drained from her face. Tears welled up in Dot's eyes and her hands began to tremble.

"I didn't do it," she pleaded, breaking into full blown crying.

Tracy rushed to her friend and hugged her. "I'm sorry," she whispered over and over. "I was selfish and I should have known better."

"I didn't mean for it to happen," Dot said.

"What happened?" Tracy asked, still holding onto her friend.

"We were role playing, Jordan and I. I had asked him about his fantasies of you before and he'd told me a bunch. I thought I'd help him along, prepare him for you, and everything was going so well. And then he said he loved me."

Tracy pushed back and brushed a tear from Dot's cheek tenderly. "Well, he was roleplaying, right?"

Dot shook her head. "No, he wasn't playing or pretending. He said 'I love you, Dot.' I felt so bad I had to rush out and I couldn't bear to look at him. He's been moping for days and will barely talk. I felt so guilty that I'd stolen him from you."

"You didn't do the initiation, did you?"

"No! I swear! I mean we played some, but you knew about that."

"Then you haven't stolen anything from me. You're my sister, have been since before we went through the initiations. Remember how we used to talk? The things we had planned to do? Even if you had gone through with it, I could never be mad at you. You were the one helping me because I was too scared to honor my vows. Well, I'm here now and we're going to do it together."

"Oh, I couldn't take that from you," Dot objected. "It's sacred."

"Nonsense," Tracy dismissed. "You're my sister and I want you there. I'm sure Jordan won't mind at all. Come on, we've got some planning to do."

--

Jordan had been avoiding the house during the day. Each morning he woke up, grabbed something to eat and was out the door before Dorothy showed her face. Things had been tense since that night over a week ago when he'd confessed his love for her.

He still wasn't sure why Dot had reacted the way she did. And what had she meant when she said, "I can't do this to your mother"? He had tried to wrestle with it but he hadn't been able to come up with any satisfactory answers. Talking to Dot about it hadn't been an option as she'd been cold, only giving him one word responses, if any at all.

Now the sun was setting and it was nearly 9 pm. He would stay out later if he'd had any money to buy food, but as it was he was out of cash and he hadn't found a job yet. Dreading the silence, he braced himself as he pushed the door open.

The house was quiet, which was the norm lately. He found a note on the fridge from Dot that said dinner was inside for him. He pulled out a plate of cold fried chicken and wolfed it down hungrily. He was thankful that Dot left food for him. It was nice that he was still in her thoughts despite the strain on their relationship.

Heading towards his room, he paused at Dot's door and announced that he was home. There was a muffled response, but it had a positive tone, so he let her be and moved on.

In his room he grabbed a change of clothes and headed back to the bathroom for a shower. He heard some thumps coming from Dot's room but he shrugged it off. Jordan guessed she might be moving some things around. If she needed his help, she'd ask. His feelings were still a bit raw and he wasn't up to bridging the gap just yet.