This is a much longer story than I usually submit.
The story is fiction and involves incestual relationships. All characters involved in sex acts are eighteen or older.
I make no claims to the story being historically correct, although I did try to keep it so when possible. I did not, however, try to make the dialog correct for that period.
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Jim marched off to war and never returned. He went to fight the rebels with one of his state regiments. Many of the young men from his area went. Few of them returned whole; most of them not at all.
The regiment was chewed up in a terrible battle. Jim's company was in the center of it. The unit was composed of men from his city and the surrounding farms.
Jim left a young widow, Margaret, and a young son, Jason. Margaret was within a month of her twenty-first birthday. Jason was two. He too would have a birthday soon. Margaret's father had died the year before. It was a terrible blow to her that she had lost her husband too.
There were many widows in that city after the battle. A generation of men from the area had been wiped out. Margaret, like many other women, persevered. With help from her mother and in-laws, plus a widow's pension from the government, she was able to maintain a reasonably comfortable lifestyle. Both she and her husband had come from well-to-do, but not wealthy, families.
Her in-laws owned the house she and Jim had lived in. It was right next to theirs and not far from the home of her parents. It was a little small, but sufficient for her and her son. Margaret's mother-in-law was a great help with Jason and the young boy developed a close bond with his 'Gramma'. Margaret too became close to her in-laws. Especially to her mother-in-law, Lydia.
Margaret's mother Beatrice was also supportive. She was very friendly with Lydia and Jason loved her as much as his other Gramma.
Margaret attended church regularly. Often with her mother, or her husband's parents. It was through the church that she met other war widows. Many of them with children. They soon started to meet at each other's homes and formed a tightknit, but informal group.
There were few men available for the widows to marry; if they were inclined to remarry. Most of the few men, of their age range, left in the town were those who had shirked their duty. Thus they were abhorrent to Margaret and almost all of the other ladies in the group.
Any woman who did marry one of these shirkers would be ostracized by almost all of the women in the town.
There were other men who had been unable to enlist because of physical defects. Often not more than a limp that precluded marching. There were more such defects in those days. These men were more acceptable to the widows and many of them found themselves with wives. Indeed the loss of so many of their fellow citizens opened up opportunities for them. They found themselves needed and many rose to the occasion. Veterans, too, were available for marriage. Although many of them had been wounded and often were missing limbs. Many of those not already married found spouses.
Margaret was not one of those who seriously contemplated remarriage. She had loved her husband and wanted to devote her life to raising their son.
A point we should make. Although Margaret should not be considered rich she was well-to-do. Many of the widows were from the poorer families of the area. These women often had to work to supplement their pension. Margaret was fortunate that she had sufficient income to provide for herself and Jason. She did not have enough money to hire a maid, except for an occasional cleaning woman for a day or two.
In the Victorian era women were not expected to feel lust. Even worse masturbation, by either gender, was considered degenerate. Male homosexual behavior was roundly condemned. At least in public. Lesbianism wasn't even considered. It was not even thought of as ever likely to happen. Again, at least in public. Some things were just not discussed.
Horniness in women was termed 'hysteria'. Doctors treated women experiencing such attacks by massaging their clitoris until they experienced a paroxysm, their term for an orgasm. The sexually inhibited women could not even think of taking care of this problem themselves.
Margaret had been brought up to be a proper lady. She had been reasonably content in her married life. She loved her husband and the birth of Jason had been a great joy for both of them.
Margaret believed that she had a duty to provide her husband with sex. She enjoyed it somewhat. At least she didn't hate it. Margaret liked to feel her husband's body next to hers. She would never have said so to anyone, but she enjoyed the feeling of fullness she experienced when he slid his cock into her pussy.
But Margaret had never experienced an orgasm.
Just after the war ended Jim's father died suddenly. It was a blow to Lydia and Margaret did her best to comfort her. Margaret's mother, Beatrice, also supported her. Beatrice and Lydia had always been friends, but they became closer after the death of Lydia's husband.
The informal association of widows continued. They met weekly at different women's homes. Attendance varied, sometimes as many as twenty women might be present; or as few as seven or eight. The women did develop bonds as people with similar problems tend to do. Once Jason started school Margaret was able to attend more often.
Their children, of course, were one of the main topics of conversation. After a couple of years their personal needs were sometimes alluded to, always in an indirect manner. Veiled hints were made of one's desire. Margaret never took part in such conversations, but she listened. She often felt empty after hearing such talk and would feel a wetness 'down there'. She never mentioned these reactions to anyone. Indeed she felt shame that she was so affected.
Margaret was starting to hear the occasional reference to hysteria treatments. She was well aware of what they were about. In fact Lydia suffered frequent spells of female hysteria, especially since the death of her husband. She often had to visit her doctor for relief. Beatrice, less often, suffered from hysteria too. Strangely it was accepted by society as a typical weakness of the fair sex.
