Chapter 2 - The Plan

A few moths earlier...

Bill came into the village dirty and exhausted. It only took a few questions in the tavern to find out where Anna, Rebecca and their mother lived. After finishing his tankard of ale and tipping the innkeeper for the information, Bill headed to their thatched, wooden house and knocked on the door. Their mother opened it a small way and peered through the crack, but it only took a quick glance at Bill's face to know why he was there. Their mother fell to the floor sobbing, although having heard nothing for several years, the news was not unexpected.

Bill slowly pushed the door open and helped their mother to her feet, holding her comfortingly, but for just a little too long. When she pushed away, he stepped back and mumbled an embarrassed apology. Only then did he notice the face peering down at him from the sleeping area, but as he turned his eyes upwards to get a better look, the face quickly withdrew and he heard urgent whispering, but could not make out the words. A flicker of annoyance passed across his face.

"Forgive me," Bill said. "I did not realise you had other people in the house. I would have waited to deliver such personal news had I known."

Their mother sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. Audibly holding back the sobs as she spoke, she explained that it was her daughters. She believed that they were old enough to know the truth about their father's death and invited Bill to stay for supper, although only cabbage and potato soup was on the menu.

"I am not really in a position to attend a family meal," replied Bill sadly, pointing to his dirty clothes and face.

"Nonsense," replied their mother. "There is an old stable behind the house. It is draughty, but it is dry and there is a water pump in there. I only have wool blankets, but they will keep you warm. Please, clean yourself up, rest and recover. I will provide meals if you help repair the house. Since my husband left, things have been very difficult." She smiled hopefully watching Bill chew his lip, but then he looked up to see Anna climbing down the ladder from the sleeping area. His eyes widened as he watched the way her hips swayed and almost too quickly, he agreed to stay. Once Rebecca began her descent. Bill's face broke into a wide smile. Everything the innkeeper had told him was true and it was perfect.

Their mother did not notice Bill's excitement. Once he had agreed to stay, she busied herself setting a fourth place at the kitchen table, babbling away to him, but he was not listening. A sudden silence indicated she was expecting an answer and he panicked.

"I am so sorry," Bill said quickly. "I was struck with admiration at the way you had raised two such wonderful daughters, especially under difficult circumstances." He smiled at their mother, but she just looked disappointed.

"I am nothing to be admired," she said with a sigh. "These girls are a constant source of worry to me."

"Oh, shut up," groaned Anna. Bill turned to her angrily.

"That is no way to speak to your mother!" he said quietly. Somehow, it had more menace because it was not shouted. Anna and Rebecca exchanged glances and rolled their eyes, but did not say anything else. Bill seemed ashamed that he had involved himself in a family situation; he mumbled something they did not hear and left to clean up for supper. Their mother followed him out to the stable and pretended not to look at Bill's scarred, muscular body as he began taking off his shirt.

"Ever since this crazy war broke out and their father went away, they have become more and more difficult. At first, it was little things: staying out after sunset or going into the forest - and there are some strange creatures in the forest. Just lately though, they have been causing problems with the neighbours by leading on the local boys and causing them to fight amongst themselves. It's creating all round bad feeling."

Bill did not answer. He pumped some water into a bucket and began to wash the dirt from his face and shoulders, shivering slightly as the cold water splashed his skin. He waited just long enough to make sure that he caught their mother looking as he turned. Immediately, she glowed red with shame and averted her eyes. Bill pretended he had not noticed.

"Is this just girls being girls of that age?" he asked. "How old are they?"

"Sixteen. They will be seventeen in a few months."

"Well, I will be around for a few days. I know it's not going to be a replacement for their father, but maybe having a male influence in the house will help calm them down a little."

"I hope so. I am willing to try anything!" replied their mother, nodding.

"Anything?" Bill grinned maliciously. "Let me see if I can think of something while I am here. Perhaps I can come up with some ideas."

Supper was awkward for everybody involved. It did not help that Anna and Rebecca insisted on hearing every little detail of their father's death. Bill felt uncomfortable describing the way the sword had crunched down on their father's skull and why the basic iron helm was no use at all, especially as he could see how it was upsetting their mother. He was glad of the distraction when Rebecca reached out to take the last piece of bread, and her mother smacked her hand with the ladle.

"We have a guest!" she hissed.

"It's fine," said Bill smiling. "Let her have it."
Rebecca did not need to be told twice! She quickly leaned forward and snatched the bread from the centre of the table and dipped it into the soup before shoving it into her mouth. Beside her, Anna was daintily sipping her soup from the spoon. The girls' appetites seemed as different as their looks. Bill made a mental note of this and changed the subject to the work needed around the house and other properties in the village.

Over the next few months, Bill used this information and began working on the villagers' homes and farms. He would only take a minimal payment from them as he knew how hard the last few years had been, and although he took enough money or food to contribute to the running of the household, he still slept in the stable. However, as time passed, Anna noticed that he was spending more and more time inside the house when not working.

On the evening of the twins' seventeenth birthday, Bill brought home a surprise. He had called in favours from all of the villagers, getting flour from the miller, butter from the dairy and, using the expertise of the baker, produced the best and largest cake anybody there had ever seen. At first, the villagers were resistant to donating anything for the unpopular girls, but Bill assured everybody that it was all part of the plan to make them behave as society expected. The villagers accepted this without question - after all, why would Good Old Bill lie?

When Bill cut the cake, he gave Anna a normal sized slice and Rebecca one almost twice the size. Neither or the sisters mentioned it. As usual, Anna ate her cake with a delicate, lady-like grace, but Rebecca gobbled hers quickly and accepted a second, bigger slice. Anna did not want a second slice and would not thank Bill. Her only comment about the cake was a quietly muttered "S'alright, I suppose."

Bill studied the two sisters as they ate. Although both were attractive, Anna certainly had what would be traditionally considered beauty, and she knew it. She sometimes spent hours just brushing her long blond hair and her clothes were always perfect. Once ready, she would go into the village to purposely ignore whichever young man she had been wildly flirting with the day before. Bill considered for a minute whether Rebecca subconsciously knew she would never be "the pretty one" and that was why she gave into her natural greed so easily. He dismissed the thought; the reason was unimportant.

Once the girls had gone to bed, Bill asked their mother to join him in the stable where they would not be over-heard.

"I am sorry that I have failed you," he said sadly. "I was hoping that setting a good example would help your daughters see that working with the community benefits everybody. Obviously, they are not interested in anything outside of their own little bubble. I do have a solution, but...." He paused.

"I will do anything that helps"

"OK" Bill smiled nervously. "The harvest is coming and it looks like a good one. Also, the kingdom is beginning to prosper again after the war. We need to stock up on as much food as we can, and then," he paused and took a deep breath. His heart pace quickened as he felt nerves of actually saying the words out loud.

"Yes?" Their mother frowned at him. "And then...?"

"And then, we over-feed Rebecca as much as she will eat and fatten her up."

"Fatten her up?" Their mother looked at Bill in disbelief. "You want me to purposely give my own daughter so much food that she...."

"Is too fat to misbehave." Bill completed the sentence for her. "And once Anna sees what is happening to Rebecca, she will start to behave too. There is no way Anna will allow herself to get fat!"