The months I spent as Ruthmight never have existed.My only consolation - and it doesn't seem like one, believe me! - is thatprovided I don't fight it,... the worst should be over within a couple ofweeks. True, from a neutral observer's point of view I have no incentive torebel. No one is holding out false hopes for me to cling to. I'm going tobe a woman for the rest of my life, so I may as well get used to it.First I have to find out how serious the consequences of my actions inNorthcroft are. I smile a little as I hear him groan, but then he quickly charges me again. I wasn’t ready this time and he hits me squarely. I feel myself falling. The pain shoots down my left arm to my elbow as my shoulder slams into the cement. I’m on my side and the man is straddling me. He starts punching me in the stomach. In a burst of speed I swing around with my right elbow, and it connects with something near his head. He falls off me, and I know I did some damage to my elbow. The man is on his. She laughed, her bright eyes twinkling in the dimly lit room. “Well I really don’t know, dear. I told her you were going to be spending the summer, and now I’m telling you that she’ll likely be staying here as well. The thing is, you’ll be returning to school in September; most likely Gladys will go back to Clive, but perhaps she won’t. I really like having someone here with me in winter, I won’t send her away. You’ll have to make do sleeping in the guest room.”Code for Gladys was her lover and. Weknow each other quite well now I think. It's just a chat, nothing else."His tone was so disarming, so conversational, that almost immediately Ifelt myself start to relax. Hell, I thought, this isnt so bad. He's hugelyexperienced, he's met dozens of girls, of course I'm going to be morenervous than him. I offered him a drink and he said he'd just have a teaand he came into the kitchen as I made it. Within minutes the trembling hadgone (well, almost) and I was chatting away quite freely. I.