Chapter 4
"Have they finished?" asked the maid Elisabeth, as the other maid came into the kitchen carrying a tray with dirty dishes.
"Pretty nearly," said the other. "Why? Why are you interested?"
"Can't a person ask?" said Elisabeth bad-temperedly. "It was a civil question, wasn't it?"
"Suppose it was. But it's the second time you've asked."
"What if it was?"
Elisabeth was in a bad mood because she could not make up her mind. She had seen enough to realize that something very interesting was going on between Miss Joan and her boy-friend, and she wanted to know more about it. Handcuffs in Miss Joan's hand and a cane on the sofa. And a tremendous blush on the face of the man. Oh yes, something very, very interesting was going on. But had it happened and finished? It was unlikely. She did not know what time the boyfriend had come but there surely could not have been time for anything between his arrival, whatever time it had been, and her own going into the room. So it followed that something was going to happen in the house. The last two days Miss Joan and the boy-friend had worn riding clothes. Today they were not wearing them. That suggested that they were not going out. At any rate, they were not going out riding. So they just might be intending to stay at home. Now where, she asked herself, would they go to? It was obvious that Miss Joan was going to use those handcuffs and that cane. They would have to go somewhere very private. The stables? No, the groom would be in the way. The garage? Possibly. But the groom was also the chauffeur, and he might be around there too. So it was a hundred quid to a button that they'd stay in the house somewhere. But where? Would she take him to her bedroom? Probably not. Most unwise, most unsafe. But wait a minute! Why was it unwise? Mrs. Belton, whose room was nearby, was off duty. And neither she nor Elsie had any reason to go to the bedrooms till six o'clock, when they turned down the beds. Yes, of course! She was going to take him to her bedroom. It was a thousand quid to a button, not just a hundred. And that meant —
The bell from the dining-room interrupted her thoughts. She got up at once. "I'll take it, if you like," she said quickly.
The other maid looked at her in surprise. "What's come over you?"
"Nothing," said Elisabeth, and went out of the kitchen. She straightened her apron outside the door of the dining-room. She went in.
Joan looked up. "Oh, Elisabeth. Bring coffee to the drawing-room, please. When Mr. Andover goes, I'm going up to sleep for an hour or so. I don't want to be disturbed. Tell Elsie, please. I shan't need either of you till dinner. If you want to go out for a breath of air, you can."
"But there'll be no one in the house, Miss Joan. Mrs. Belton has her afternoon off today."
"I know. It doesn't matter. But please yourself. I shan't need you." That, Joan thought, was as far as she dared to go.
"Thank you, Miss Joan. I'd like a breath of air myself, and I'll tell Elsie."
Joan got up from the table. "Come on," she said to Robert. "Let's have some coffee before you go. It's a pity you're in such a hurry, though."
Elisabeth smiled to herself as she returned to the kitchen. "Coffee in the drawing-room," she said to the other maid. "And we're free to go out if we want to. You do the coffee and I'll start on the washing-up."
"That's nice," said Elsie. "It's a lovely day. I'd like to go out."
"Yes, it's a lovely day."
"Where shall we go?"
"I don't think I will. I'm going to lie down instead."
Elsie stared at her. "Instead of going out? You serious?"
"Yes. And we can't leave the house completely empty. Suppose the phone rings."
"All right, if you say so. I'd like some fresh air myself. Stay if you want."
Elisabeth put on a yellow rubber apron and began the washing-up. She had finished it by the time Elsie had prepared the coffee. She wiped her hands, took off the apron, and said: "Well, if there's nothing more for me to do, I'll go and lie down for a bit. Do you want me to do anything else?"
"No, I don't think so. Thank you for staying, Liz."
"Don't mention it."
Elisabeth went upstairs to Joan's bedroom. She closed the door behind her and considered where she could best hide herself. The room was a very large one, with a great four-post bed. Under the bed? Perhaps. But it would be a bit difficult to get under it. Its sides came down to within about eight inches of the floor. The wardrobe? No, too dangerous. It might be opened. Behind the curtains? They were long and heavy enough but her shoes might just be seen. No, the bed was the best place. If she could somehow squeeze herself under it.
She lay down on the floor beside it, sucked in her breath, and pressed herself towards its wooden side. By turning her head sideways she managed to get it under without any difficulty. Her breasts were a considerable problem, however. She flattened one as much as she could with her hand, thrust with her heel, and squeezed it past the wood. She did the same with her other breast. Puffing heavily, she found herself in a dark cave that smelt dusty. She turned over on her stomach and made herself as comfortable as she could. She put her head on her hands and began to wait. The idea that she might perhaps be waiting in vain did not occur to her. She was positive that something interesting was going to happen in this bedroom soon.
She did not have to wait long. She heard the door open. Then she heard Joan's voice: "Come in quickly. Let me lock the door." There was a click as the key turned.
Robert said: "Are you sure it's safe? I mean, it would be rather terrible for you if anybody stood outside and listened. That suspicious maid, for instance."
"Oh, Elisabeth. I don't think we have to worry about her. She may have been a bit suspicious before lunch, but she can't really have dreamt what we are going to do. She hasn't all that much intelligence."
Beneath the bed, Elisabeth had a moment's difficulty in preventing herself from giving an indignant snort. She then smiled broadly to herself. She would see about that.
"I hope you're right," said Robert.
"I'm sure I am. Now, darling, get undressed. I want you completely naked again." There was a clink of metal upon metal. "These are lovely things. I only wish I had some for your feet. Your father hasn't got any other relics of his Military Police days, I suppose? Leg-irons, I think they're called."
"No, I'm afraid not."
"Never mind. Rope will do very well for your ankles." She moved across the floor. "Let me take your trousers down, darling." A pause. "My goodness, how many clips and buttons men have! There. Oh, what a lovely thing he is! He's stiffer than ever. You don't seem at all afraid of me."
"I am, you know. Terribly afraid. Are you really going to use that thing on my back?"
"Oh yes. On your back and bottom and legs and everywhere. That's what I did before, isn't it?"
Oh, you did, did you? thought Elisabeth. I wonder when, and where? And I wonder what you're doing now? Stroking his thing, I suppose. This is all very, very interesting.
"All right," said Joan. "I'd better stop this. Get yourself stripped now."
"I think you'd better," said Robert, "Otherwise you'll find yourself thrown on that bed, and you won't get your beating."
"You won't get your beating, you mean."
"Yes." Another pause. "After all this time of longing for it, I'm really scared now."
"That's just how I want you to be. Good, you're ready. Hold out your hands." There was a click, and then another. "Now go over to the wall and lie down. I'll tie your ankles up."
Oh God! thought Elisabeth. He's going to lie on the floor. He'll see me. But no, after all, I don't think he will. It's too dark under here. And the sides come down so far. I'll be able to see him but he won't see me.
She turned her head and saw Robert, stark naked, lying down on the floor against the wall. A moment later she saw Joan's legs behind him.
"Put your feet up on my knees again," she heard her say. "Do you remember?"
"I've never forgotten," said Robert. He lifted his feet out of sight. After a moment he said: "Ouch!"
"Too tight?" said Joan.
"A bit."
"I want them tight. You didn't complain last time."
"You didn't tie them so tightly last time."
Joan laughed happily. "Last time was pretence. Now it's reality. They must be very tightly tied. There. Yes, you'll do."
"How many lashes?"
"That depends on you. I'm going to cane you across the floor and back. You must simply get to the door and back as soon as you can."
"You'll kill me."
She laughed again. "Ah! You are worried about that, I see. No, darling, I won't kill you, but I'm going to give you a good deal of pain. Turnover on your tummy now." Her feet came to the side of the bed and then returned to him. Elisabeth could now see the long cane stretching down diagonally to the floor. Her heart began to beat excitedly. So this was what was going to happen!
Joan said: "I'll give you one across your shoulder and then two across your bottom and then one across the back of your legs, and then one across your shoulders again and so on. Are you ready?" The cane disappeared as she lifted it.
"Yes." His voice was low. He was clearly very frightened.
"Then, get ready. Get set. Go!" The cane came down with a thwack across his back. He gave an agonized cry.
"Wait," said Joan suddenly. "That won't do at all. If the maids haven't gone out yet they'll be bound to hear you. I'd better gag you. Now, what on earth with?" Her feet disappeared from Elisabeth's vision again. There was a sound of a drawer opening, and then shutting. The feet returned. "This may do. It's got to do anyway."
"What is it?" asked Robert, trying unsuccessfully to look upwards.
"A pair of panties, rolled up. And I'll put some adhesive plaster over your mouth to hold them in place." She knelt beside him. "Come on. Open your mouth. Wider. Yes, that's it." She stuffed the ball of silk into his mouth. There was a tearing sound. "Now the plaster." Elisabeth, narrow though her line of vision was, was able to watch the whole operation. Joan had a piece of wide adhesive plaster in her hands. It was about six inches long. She put it flat over Robert's open mouth and cheeks. She pressed it tightly against his flesh. She stood up. "That'll be a bit of safer. Now, ready again? Get set. Go!"
There was a swish and a thwack. Elisabeth saw the cane land across the quivering buttocks. Another swish. Another thwack. Another quiver of the buttocks. With the next thwack the cane landed on the fleshy part of his legs, six inches or so below the buttocks. He gave a strangled groan. He was thrusting himself mightily across the floor. He put his handcuffed wrists out to their full extremity in front of him, and with the muscles of both his arms and his legs he thrust his trunk forward over his arms. Then he thrust his wrists forward again.
Elisabeth watched the thrashing from her cave under the bed and felt her brain begin to swim. She wished that she could be taking part in giving the thrashing. She wished that she could cover his body with terrible lashes and then comfort it with kisses. The force of this desire startled her. She wanted to do it more than anything else in the world.
Robert had received more than a dozen lashes before he reached the door. Like a swimmer in a race in a swimming-pool, he turned and kicked himself back the way he had come. He cursed the thick carpet on the floor. Had it not been there he would have been able to slide much more easily over the floor.
The swishes and the thwacks continued for a few more moments. Then: "Good for you," said Joan breathlessly. "I didn't think you'd do it so quickly. And you're nicely covered with quite a lot of blood. Don't get up. I'll come down there beside you. I daren't put you on the bed. Just lie where you are."
Elisabeth saw Joan kneel beside him and remove the gag. Then she put her hand to his penis. "Everlastingly stiff," she said wonderingly. "After all that pain, too! You're quite a man, aren't you?" She caressed his testicles. "Turn over on your back now."
Robert was swallowing to get some saliva back into his mouth. "And you're quite a sadist, aren't you?" He turned over on to his back and sighed.
"Yes, darling, I am. Do you still love me?"
Elisabeth saw him raise his eyebrows, as though in surprise. "As a matter of fact, I do. It's astonishing, after what you've just done to me, but I love you more than ever. I must be absolutely mad."
Joan laughed. "I'm glad you are. Did you enjoy your thrashing?"
"No."
"Not even a little bit?"
"No."
"But you wanted me to do it."
"Yes, but in my mind. I didn't know how bad it would be."
Joan laughed again. "I'll ask you tomorrow — not now — whether you want me to do it again. And you know what?"
"What?"
"I think you'll say yes."
"I doubt it, but we'll see. Will you untie me now?"
"Oh no. I want you to make love to me like that. All helpless and tied up."
"How can I?"
"I'm going to sit on you."
Elisabeth's brain went dizzy again as she saw Joan lift her skirt, pull off her panties, and sit down on the top of his erection.
He gave a moan of pleasure. He stretched his handcuffed wrists far above his head and stretched against the growing rapture. His body was taut.
Joan put a hand to his cock and guided it into herself. It went far in. She squirmed a little from side to side to make it go further. She put her hands to his nipples. She squeezed them hard, sinking her finger-nails into his flesh. She moved slowly up and down as though she were on a horse and trotting very lazily.
Elisabeth could contain herself no longer. Very quietly she put a hand down and pulled up her skirt. She pushed the hand inside her panties and found the front of her legs very wet. She put a finger to the mouth of her cunt and agitated it as she watched. She felt the sweet rapture of her impending orgasm begin to steal through her every nerve.
Joan suddenly gave a cry. She threw back her head as her orgasm took her in its grip. Robert moaned at the same moment.
Elisabeth thrust her free hand into her mouth and bit into its knuckles to help her to remain quite silent. But her body trembled violently as her own orgasm reached its peak.