Paul could not believe it when she walked in, threw her arms around him and kissed him. He was still in his robe having just showered and shaved, preparing to go out looking for her; when there she stood like a vision, showering him with love that he felt he had no right to accept after the abominable manner in which he had treated her on her wedding night.
Her arms were around his neck and her lush lips flush against his own as she clung to him… and he could only guess, but he would almost bet one of her tiny feet was raised knee-high behind her.
"Darling, I've been to Doctor Leduc," she was saying, her eyes sparkling, her lips two wet treasured jewels in themselves. He sampled them once more. She pulled free and said, "He is also a marriage counselor in Paris. Isn't that wonderful? I feel grand."
She swung away from him, throwing herself onto the bed and kicking her feet into the air, almost baring her delectable thighs all the way to her nylon panties and making him gulp heavily. "W-What happened?" he stammered.
She sprung from the bed throwing her arms around his neck in a little dance and smiling. "Nothing, except I love you, I love you, my darling!" she spewed at him.
He kissed her again, feeling his member throbbing between his legs and began to weigh his chances of hauling her down to the bed for a taste of conjugal bliss. God, how he wanted to fuck her when she was like this! He tried… but she swung free of him and held up her finger as if to say, naughty, naughty.
"Let me change and we'll go up on deck," she exhilarated. "I want for us to enjoy this day so that we remember it forever… don't you, darling?"
"Y-Yes… of course, I do," he managed.
He didn't intend to press his good fortune. He could wait until the night, until she was ready once more and then he would make up for all of this agony and shame he had brought her. By God, he'd be the perfect lover. He would treat her like a baby. Her every whim would be his command. What an ugly brute of a fool he had been… and the way she was taking it, as if it had never happened. This Leduc must be a genius. He would certainly have to have a chat with him. It seemed that he owed the disgingue docteur a great deal more than he could ever pay him.
And the day passed splendidly, as hand in hand they explored the massive liner, mingled with the passengers, enjoyed the brilliant warm sun from their deck chairs, until mid-afternoon when Janet left him to have her hair attended and Paul wandered to the lounge enjoying a particular warmth inside he had not known for some time.
He had no more than climbed onto a stool at the bar, ordered a tall scotch and soda, when the unctuous voice of Doctor Leduc spoke to him.
"Ah oui, M'sieu' Arden, I was going to look you up after dinner and suggest we have a word together," the tall, suave Frenchman said with a smile, climbing onto the adjacent stool and ordering a cognac.
Paul returned his smile. "Strangely enough, I intended to drop around and see you, Doctor. I-I wanted to thank you for attending Mrs. Arden," he said, sensing his face reddening. "I… I fear she was in quite a state… and understandably so…"
Leduc raised his hand slightly, as if to say self-chastisement was unnecessary, then offered a little mundane wink of the eye. "Man's lust is one of the curses the deity saw fit to plague us with, so we must live with it, M'sieu'… and our women take us for better or for worse which, unfortunately, places them in a more sufferable position."
"I'm afraid I… I lost my head entirely, Doctor," Paul said, feeling his guilt and the need to acknowledge it to this qualified listener. He lifted his glass and drank heavily. "I… I don't know what the devil got into me… unless… yes, I suppose that was just what it was… the devil got into me."
Leduc smiled understandingly, almost sympathetically. He said, "I venture he spends a great deal of time playing about in most of us, M'sieu'. However, I wouldn't let this trouble me too much if I were you. I… I don't believe that any approach, regardless of how gentle, would have been receptive to Madame Arden at that point."
His comment jarred Paul. He turned to study the slender, handsome face closer. The physician's discerning dark eyes were focused upon the glass in his hand and he seemed to be avoiding the act of looking at him. He said, "I don't follow you, Doctor. Be a little more explicit."
Leduc shrugged in the characteristic French gesture. He set down his glass and touched his finger-tips together, still not looking at Paul.
"I doubt that I can be very explicit, M'sieu'… that is, I have only made a preliminary examination, you understand. More extensive consultations, mind probing, et cetera, et cetera, would have to be done…"
Paul caught at his arm. "What are you saying, Doctor? Is something physically wrong with Janet?" He tried to draw the French physician's direct gaze so that he could see into his eyes, but they continued to avoid him. "Look at me, man! What's wrong with her?"
Leduc eyed him levelly. "I am not sure, M'sieu', without further examination. I hesitate to diagnose at this stage… however, I assure you there's nothing physical troubling the Madame."
Paul stared at him. "You're saying that… that she has a… a mental problem?" he heard himself question.
"M'sieu'… please, understand that I can say nothing more definite at this time," said Doctor Leduc, compassion in his voice. "Further examination… many of them, perhaps, must be made to form a final conclusion. This morning, in the short time she was with me, I detected… definite signs of emotional instability that are… well, to say the least, M'sieu'… alarming."
"Emotional instability…!" Paul repeated, his brain suddenly in a whirl. A twinge of anger welled up inside him. The man was a fool. Janet… emotionally unstable?
"If we were in Paris, M'sieu' Arden, with the facilities of my clinic, I would certainly be more definitive," Leduc was saying, interrupting his thoughts. "However, we must do with what we have at hand. This morning I administered a tranquilizer I often use in these cases, which seemed to have a satisfactory affect. I would suggest that she see me daily throughout the voyage for a booster… else we might see a recurrence of these emotional seizures…"
"Emotional seizures? These cases…?" Paul reiterated, his phrases piqued with an anxiety of his own. "I don't know what you're talking about, Doctor."
Leduc studied him. "I see," he said finally. "Undoubtedly, M'sieu' Arden, you are truly unaware of these seizures… or perhaps it is simply that you do not recognize them for what they are. I feel safe in saying that regardless of what manner of love-making you had employed last night that you would have brought about the same reactions in the Madame. Your wife, M'sieu', is suffering from a form of Dementia praecox."
"Dementia prae… prae… What the hell is that in English?" Paul blurted.
"Schizophrenia… in English, M'sieu'," Leduc replied, never losing his professional composure. "And from what I have seen so far, quite curable with proper treatment."
Paul sighed heavily. "Well… thank God for that anyway," he said, draining his glass in one nervous gulp and motioning the barman for another round. He commenced shaking his head. "I… I had no idea."
"I understand, but let us not get alarmed, M'sieu' Arden… and let us not in any case mention to the Madame what we fear. It could only serve to worsen her condition, and as I've said, with proper treatment I am sure she will come about nicely."
"Yes… yes, of course, Doctor," Paul agreed. "I'll see that she stops by your office daily… in fact, I'll bring her by…"
Leduc raised his hand. "No. I would caution you not to do that, M'sieu'. Let her act through her own initiative. The thought of forced treatment often does more harm than good with the schizophrenic."
"All right," agreed Paul once more. "Whatever you say, Doctor Leduc. I have to place her in your hands now."
Briefly, the doctor's eyes narrowed but Paul Arden did not see this. Both men raised their drinks and sipped. A hollow empty gnawing at his entrails had begun in Paul's abdomen. He still could not comprehend the blow. Finally, Leduc said, "Just one more word, M'sieu'… if I may… should the Madame be willing to copulate, then by all means accommodate her, but should she not, I suggest you be… shall we say… understanding?"
Paul felt his face redden. "Naturally," he snapped, as the French physician slipped from his stool.
Leduc smiled and bowed curtly. "Bonjour, M'sieu'."
Paul gave him a short nod. "Bonjour," he bade, turning back to the barman and ordering another. He sat contemplatively, his brow knitted in worried thought. So, now he realized the source of her elation when she had returned to the stateroom after consulting Leduc. The good doctor had plied her with some sort of tranquilizer. Split personality! Dear God, he'd had no idea, but now that he thought back on different things it all seemed to make sense. And to think of the way he had forced himself upon her last night… Rape! Pure rape! Nothing else… Good Lord, he ought to be horse-whipped!
Except for the soreness between her legs and of her breasts, Janet felt in the finest of spirits. She had in her heart, although she had said nothing to him yet, forgiven Paul entirely for last night. The day had been a beautiful one and her darling had leaped at her slightest caprice. And dinner had been so romantic with his holding her hand at every opportunity, dancing so gallantly when she knew how he despised it, walking in the moonlight and stopping to kiss her in the same manner he had when she used to fly down to Princeton to visit him on the weekends.
She thought of these things as she prepared to go to him and give herself as she had not done last night. She thought of Doctor Leduc and the genteel, professional manner in which he had soothed her jangled nerves. She had damn sure been on the verge of doing something drastic… her whole world had been so shattered. But now, all seemed well once more… yet, she could remember very little of what had taken place in his quarters after he had given her the tranquilizer shot… with the exception of the wild, hallucinatory dreams… and those she had not mentioned even to the Doctor.
She blushed a bright crimson as the vague, lewd visions again brushed through her mind and little butterfly-like sensations flitted about in her tummy. The amazing, shameful part of them was that her partner in these sexual fantasies had been the noble doctor himself. Dear God, how debased can one get… even in thought? Still, as guilty and disgusted as she felt with herself, she realized the libidinous affect those dreams were having upon her and how her darling Paul was about to profit from them.
She smiled at her naked self in the dressing-room mirror as she thought of Paul lying in the bed out there, waiting anxiously for her to make her appearance. Sweet, sweet darling, he was so sorry for last night, and now she was about to make him the happiest husband alive. She would not only forgive him, but she would make love to him as he had never dreamed it possible for her to do. She trembled at the very thought and hurriedly slipped on the sheer black, hip-length nightie, then with one last look at herself, opened the door and stepped out.
Paul raised slowly to an elbow and gaped in utter fascination at the breathtaking sight. It was a replica of the vision he had beheld the previous night, an erotic spectacle that was about to have the same effect upon him, and he dug his nails into the palms of his hands in an effort toward controlling himself. Leduc's words rushed through his mind. He swallowed tightly and said, "C-Come here."
She smiled, turning slowly to extinguish the light in the dressing-room, luxuriating in the knowledge of how beautiful she was to him this night, almost feeling the heat of his eyes on the curved length of her legs. She stretched to reach the small wall switch, knowing that it made her diaphanous nightie creep even further up her thighs, then, tantalizingly, she had moved toward him to ease down onto the bed beside him.
Paul reached for her wordlessly, his hand slipping gently beneath her golden tresses behind her head drawing her to him, their lips momentarily apart… reaching out but not quite touching. He drew her closer, grasping her lower lip between his teeth tenderly, pulling the moist, soft flesh into him… his teeth slipping off, and his lips enfolding her as he sucked her lips into his mouth.
Janet felt a tingling shock run icily into her mouth. Her darting tongue wedged beyond his lips, back inside over the roof and across the front of his teeth, caressing the soft underside of his upper lip.
Paul leaned forward, his momentum carrying them both back onto the pillow, and he crushed his mouth hard against hers, thrusting his tongue deep into the yearning heat beyond her lips. Her arms reached to encircle his neck but he held them apart, spreading them wide as he pressed her back into the softness of the pillow. He raised himself to one knee and rolled, half sitting, to her side. She lay back against the pillow obediently, her arms wide and her legs slightly spread… lashes shadowing her cheeks as she closed her eyes.
"Oh, my darling," she whispered softly. "I'm sorry… so sorry about last night… Please, be gentle with me…"
"Yes… yes," he managed huskily, running his hand over the awakening mounds of her breasts and down over her belly to the soft, fleshy folds of her cunt below.
Janet moaned, her body coming immediately alive to the caresses of his magic hands now stroking her flesh into a lamina of hot desire. Tiny goose-bumps sprang out over the creamy whiteness of her satin-like skin. God, how she wanted him! Her body cried out to be loved tenderly and with understanding… as he was now doing. She pressed the horrible memory of his assault on her last night out of her mind, wanting nothing more than to make up for all the times she had denied him and her own self the pleasure of merging their bodies as one. She wanted him to crawl up inside her, to possess her completely and quell the raging torrents that were building up in the very depths of her from his maddening fingertips playing over her defenseless nakedness.
Maybe… maybe, he would understand her now, realize that she had been as tormented as he… that she had wanted him too. But now it was different, she thought; they were together and they were man and wife, and she could give herself to him without fear of guilt or God's punishment. Dear Lord, he was making her so happy. She sensed the dew-drops of moisture rising there between her open thighs as the exposed hair-lined lips began a slow spasmodic contracting, throbbing wetly against each other.
"Oh, my darling Paul, take me now… touch me gently… rub me. Oohhh, yessss, yessss, that way… oooohhh yesss, darlinggggg," she moaned, helplessly caught up in the tingling pricks of lust that were dancing through her.
Then she felt his lips finally traverse the full length of her body and felt the burning heat of his breath on her neck. He ran his tongue around the rim of her ear, plunging it deep inside. Her whole body seemed aflame with a febrility of throbbing senses… her nerves were beginning to scream out! She couldn't wait much longer, or she would go mad!
And then she felt his tongue dart across the tips of her distended nipples, generating vibrating shocks to course through her… and the tongue was gone… but there it was again! She moaned as it moved wetly across her belly… into the soft curled mound of pubic hair between her thighs.
His lips probed and explored that soft, sensitive skin between her open legs until he found the erect, pulsing bud of her clitoris. Paul heard her cry out in agonized pleasure as he took the tiny palpitating jewel between his teeth and holding it tightly, ran his tongue-tip around and around in ever decreasing circles, until at last, he opened his mouth wider and moved his tongue downward, down the smooth moistened slit to the heated, throbbing opening of her vagina.
With his head buried in the hot muskiness of her loins, Paul could not see her, but he could feel her head rolling from side to side as he tongued her, and he could hear her whimpering, mewling sighs each time he swirled his tongue around the velvet-like inside of the soft hair-lined lips of her cunt. He drew her legs up, sliding his arms beneath them so that his shoulders and arms were wedged between her thighs. Then he pressed his hands under her thighs and pushed them further up until her legs draped over his shoulders, and lifting his hands beneath her quivering buttocks he pulled them up hungrily toward his open mouth.
Janet's cry of pleasure filled their stateroom as she felt him plunge his tongue deep into the liquid depths of her seething pussy. She reached jerkily for him, entangling her fingers in his hair, endeavoring to haul him further… further into her.
"Aaaaggghhh! Oh God, please… darling… please! I want you inside me! Now! Now! Fuck me! Fuck me! NOW."
She twisted his hair, pulling him violently upward. She saw the thin film of creamy wetness around his mouth as she pulled him to her, and her hands shook tremulously as she moved her lips to his, licking the viscous moisture from them.
"Please, darling…!" she gasped. "I want to feel you in me! Please hurry!"
The strange obscenity of her passion filled words excited Paul to a frenzied, blinding furor, and as he reached frantically for the buttons of his pajama tops, he felt her hands tearing the bottoms from him. He sensed the cool rush of air against his cock and balls as she freed them… and as suddenly he noted the stiffening of her body as he kneeled up between her legs.
Abruptly, she had frozen into an immobile, erotic statue, an expression of repugnance contorting that beautiful face that only seconds before had been caught up in the throes of ecstatic desire. As he stared at her in shocked amazement, Paul watched the abhorrent loathing creep into her eyes, until, of a sudden, she bared her teeth, reaching out at him with claw-like hands to rake the skin of his chest, her legs beginning to flail madly, a shrill scream emitting from deep in her throat.
"Get away from me! What're you trying to do to me?" she shrieked as she writhed and kicked and clawed at him wildly. "Get away from me! You're vile! You filthy bastard, I hate you!"
Paul Arden paced the floor of their small adjoining sitting room in his pajamas and robe, occasionally pausing before the closed door where Doctor Leduc endeavored to treat his paroxysmal Janet. A cigarette flicked nervously between his fingers and he drank heavily from the glass of straight bourbon he had poured himself.
What in God's name had suddenly come over her, he had no idea. One moment she had been the soft, gentle flower of passion, begging him to take her… the next, an insane, vicious little hellion, screaming and clawing at him like a maddened witch, completely beside herself in her wild frenzy. He couldn't believe it! Dear God, if it hadn't been for his talk with Leduc earlier he would probably have beaten her senseless, then fucked her until she couldn't walk. He had been that delirious with rage and desire.
He tried to piece it together, recalling the events as they had taken place, searching his mind for any one thing he had said or done that had set her off this way. Nothing. He could think of nothing. It didn't make sense… none of it. She had been perfectly beautiful up to the point where she had pulled down his pajama bottoms and saw his rigid member… Good God, had that done it? Was it possible? The sight of his penis had sent her off into a wild tantrum…!
The door opened and Doctor Leduc came out, closing it quietly behind him.
"She is sleeping, M'sieu'," he said softly. "I've given her a sedative and I doubt that she'll awaken before morning. However, I would advise you to… to sleep out here the remainder of the night."
Paul nodded, not knowing what to say. At first, he had intended to tell the whole thing, but suddenly he saw no damned reason for it. Still, he said, "I don't know what brought it on, Doctor. It was spontaneous… seeming to arise out of nowhere… nothing."
Leduc shrugged characteristically. "It is as I said earlier, M'sieu' Arden, these seizures will come upon her without understandable rhyme or reason… until we get to the source of the problem, eh?" He moved toward the door leading out to the passageway. There, he turned, "She will remember none of this in the morning when she awakens. You must treat her as if nothing unusual has happened."
"Yes… of course," agreed Paul despondently.
"You might casually remind her to stop by and see me, M'sieu'," he said, stepping out into the passageway. "We cannot afford to take any more chances."
"I will, Doctor."
Leduc made his curt bow. "Bonne nuit, M'sieu'."
"Good night, Doctor."