This was Christmas Eve and the girls had all been sent early to bed. Muriel walked up to the dormitory and commanded the young but physically mature p...pils to stand by their beds so that she might inspect them. The room was cold and the beds hard, covered only by a threadbare blanket. No linen sheets touched the soft skin of these poor young people! They might be from rich families but they led lives of poverty and pain. They stood in line, naked as the day they had been born."Henrietta! Your. I don’t want you thinking that’s all I want you for. You’re staying here, permanently, and you can help round the place, but no sex, for a bit at least. We’ll sleep together, if that’s what you want, but just cuddle. Or would you rather have your own room?”“I don’t mind.”“Well let’s say you have the second bedroom, and that’s your space, to have how you like, but you can sleep with me when you feel like it?”“Alright,” she said, “thank you ... sleep together? What about Alice? I don’t mind about. You caught me at a moment of interest in the grocery store. April is one of my best students and, knowing of her loss, she is a joyful young lady. Then I met her father and he was a nice, intelligent man. Although you didn't take to my attitude, Paul, you were still polite. I found you old-fashioned but someone who would be a true friend. May is as hard to resist as her sister. I am glad I came and not just for the company though being with you got me beyond my initial concerns."April, Paul, I. "Don't touch me! Isn't it enough that you broke your word about dressing in my clothes and now you ruined the most important evening of the year for me?"George looked at his crying mate, "Lanie, I'm really sorry, you know I'll do anything for you. How can I make this up to you?"Lanie's sobs slowly subsided, and she moved into her husband's arms. "Do you really mean that?" Of course I do!"George didn't see her smile.****"Lanie, it's SOOO good to see you!" cried Evelyn as she trotted up.