"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?" Nancy asked me with a smile, as I stood at their front door."We can't promise you'll get much sleep, ...ut I promise you won't regret it," Gina said right after.I laughed, and gave them both a quick kiss, before walking out, followed by Gina."No more avoiding me?" She asked, and I nodded. She had assuaged my guilt well enough. Maybe I had manipulated her, but I hadn't forced her to do something she didn't want to. I truly hoped she would quit. She thoroughly enjoyed her extra-marital dalliances while she was away in New York one week in every month and had long ago ceased to have any feelings of guilt and shame at her blatant betrayal of the wedding vows they had exchanged on that beautiful summer day all that time ago.She needed those sexual escapes. Her life at home was wonderful, loving and caring. The sex with her husband John was never less than satisfying and more often than not absolutely spectacular, leaving them both totally. All that water in this endless dry environment. The small plane kept heading south. Mary was left alone with her thoughts. Her brother and legal guardian had inherited the title of Earl of Davenport a couple of years ago after their cousin had succumbed to the effects of being gassed during the Great War. So the big house and the title had gone to the orphan Charles. But the death-taxes had been so heavy that he had struggled to maintain the house and in the end had decided to sell and buy a. I want to be with my mother in paradise." I told her. Thatwas my desire, to go be in the comfort of my mothers arms.She said, "That can be arranged. Would you rather live? I can spare yourlife, James. You can live freely in comfort if you want it."I thought it over and said, "Yes. You have conditions don't you? I betthat you will only spare me if I convert to catholism."She said no, "Of course not. I wouldn't spare you even if you converted.Your forgiveness that I mentioned months ago would.