I may have given the impression that all in Mistress Pickles’ household was, as it were, idyllic. It would, I now conjecture, be naïve to assume that a house full of women such as it was would be so. In fact there were tensions. Not all the ladies were as pleasant as Maria or Bella. There were times of great boredom and we were somewhat restricted because of the necessary secrecy surrounding the household’s activities. We were by no means prisoners. All of the ladies were willing and, it must be said, enthusiastic. We were well clothed and fed and we knew the Mistress was making provision for our ‘retirement.’ It was, however, quite regular that spats arose between the ladies over petty matters. It was at such times that Jenkins exerted her authority, sometimes with gusto. Her cane would be exercised for some offences and even I, one of the least mischievous, had on more than one occasion felt its sting.
By and large, however, the household was a peaceful, cheerful place and we rubbed along as friends. Maria and I were often allowed to go out during the day and were on our parole to return always by 5 of the evening in order to prepare for the evenings’ entertaining. Guests were not accepted on Sundays of course, it being the Lord’s day when we would all go to Church, accompanied by the Mistress and shepherded like schoolgirls by Jenkins. We were all dressed in Sunday best for such visits and I grew to realise that the vicar and congregation believed we were members of a small and informal religious order. Maria found this highly amusing and would whisper lewd remarks to me during his sermons or as we paraded past the vicar at the conclusion of the service. After Matins Maria and I would often, where the weather clement, promenade through the local park; two well-dressed ladies taking the air, arm in arm and chatting pleasantly. We even, occasionally, went to the theatre together. At every such opportunity we would discuss our plans for the future. A small cottage somewhere by the sea perhaps, or a grand apartment overlooking one of the Capital’s great parks was our mutual dream. We would describe to each other the household, our servants and our activities. It was a happy time for us both and we would repair to the household and, if it was not a night for entertaining, retire to bed together and make long, passionate or gentle love.
Ladies naturally left the household. One, Matilda, who was a woman of about 45 years, took her leave one day. The Mistress arranged a party and Matilda was presented formally with the details of the fortune she had amassed during her days of entertaining. Whilst we were not privy to the details of her nest egg we could not help but notice her eyes widen with joy when she saw the certificate of her wealth. She abandoned normal protocol and embraced the Mistress with huge affection. This, you may well understand, gave us all hope for our future. Matilda oft visited the household after her retirement and we were impressed with the finery of her clothes and her deportment. She was by no means unique in this.
IN 1784 I celebrated my 25 th birthday. Maria had bought me a ring of great subtlety and beauty. The Mistress gave me a fine dress and Jenkins, touchingly, a veiled hat. I was affected by this particularly, since I knew she had a deep love of veiled ladies. She fussily arranged the hat and small veil and looked at me with what I can only call lust, so much so that Maria whispered, ‘Please, Miss Jenkins, remember that I have a proprietorial claim to our Madeleine.’ Her good-natured remark drew laughter and smiles from all, for our love was no secret.
But, birthday or not, the household’s business was not to be interrupted and we had a guest of some importance to entertain that evening. This lady was not one who hid her identity from us. She was a lady-in-waiting to the Queen herself and we all knew Lady Rampton as a woman of immense wealth and appetite. She was a regular visitor and would sit in our salon with us, conversing with the ladies and occasionally select several of us for her pleasure.
It was eleven of the evening and several guests had already arrived. The ladies were entertaining them with charades and other games when Her Ladyship arrived. The assembled ladies all stood deferentially on her arrival and she bade us all continue our games and amusements. She sat upon a large, padded chaise and Jenkins brought her her customary champagne. She wore a black velvet dress with a high white collar and long sleeves edged with white lace which matched the lace at the hem. Her feet were encased in the finest boots and when her dress rode up it was clear the boots ascended her legs a long way, buttoned delicately with jade. She was a most attractive woman with dramatic red hair that she had allowed to flow freely this evening.
Maria was wearing her gentleman’s attire this evening, for it was known that Lady Rampton favoured the androgyne. The britches were buttoned just below her knees and silk stockings showed beneath as did fine leather shoes. Above the waist she wore a white silk shirt with a stock at her neck and a small, red velvet waistcoat. I was aware that beneath the britches she wore her customary appendage for it was I who with great pleasure had thus equipped her. She had stroked it lasciviously and said, ‘I wonder if the lady-in-waiting is waiting for this, my love.’ We had giggled together for I knew that whether or not Lady Rampton was, I most assuredly was as, of course, did Maria.
Lady Rampton invited Maria to join her on the chaise and occasionally I glanced in their direction but was anxious not to appear rude to any of the other guests. Despite Her Ladyship’s prominence, this was a democratic household and all guests were treated with the same respect and courtesy. I was not disappointed when Maria came to my side and indicated that I should join her in speaking to Lady Rampton. We sat either side of her and enjoyed a most amusing conversation during which the Lady revealed a most irreverent and diverting sense of wit.
She spoke of well-known figures of society such as the Lady Granchester who had farted in the Queen’s presence.
‘It was a fart of some magnitude, my dears,’ she said, ‘such as might have taken Lord Nelson himself all the way to France!’ And of Lady Constance Tolmore who, ‘should more appropriately be called Lady Incontinence since she pissed as she alighted from her carriage on arrival at the Palace one evening.’ We were, as you may imagine, hysterical in our laughter.
She told us of an occasion when she had walked in to a privy chamber to find Her Majesty on her knees before the King himself. His Majesty had said, ‘Do take a seat, My Lady, my wife is in no position to converse at this moment but soon she shall be. I have urgent business of State to attend to.’
Jenkins led us with some ceremony to a guest room and Lady Rampton, when Jenkins had left, immediately divested herself of all her raiment. It was clear that she too had urgent matters to deal with.
She knelt, quite naked, before my beloved Maria and opened her britches with anxious hands. She eased the shaft from within and took it deeply into her mouth, her flame red hair bobbing as she did so. Her pale skin glowed like porcelain in the shaded candlelight. She paused only to instruct me to undress and take a position behind her to, as she put it, lubricate her for Maria’s imminent invasion of her. I knelt at her rear and lapped at her cunny which was copiously wet already. Her juices mingled with mine and she was slippery and swollen betimes. Then, Maria, still fully attired took her from behind while Her Ladyship bent to my cunny and hungrily feasted upon me. I looked up at Maria as she plundered Lady Rampton and she smiled at me wickedly. All this transpired within a few minutes and she reached a glorious climax, gasping into my core as she did so. She stood and embraced Maria, kissing her passionately. We then scrambled onto the bed as she once more took Maria’s shaft into her mouth I lay between her knees and pleasured her with some delicacy.
‘You are a bad girl.’ Maria’s voice was stern and I looked up, shocked that she should thus speak to a Lady-in-Waiting to none less than our monarch. Imagine then my surprise when her Ladyship replied.
‘I am indeed. I know it well, Miss.’ “Miss”? How could she so demean herself?
‘How shall I deal with such a perverse and ill-behaved lady?’
‘Verily, I know not, Miss.’
Maria, with her feline grace, rose from the bed. ‘Madeleine, sit in the chair.’ She was so stern that I obeyed immediately.
‘This wretch wants of correction, but she shall have it here.’ I was aghast but Maria smiled at me. Still fully clad she walked slowly to the chest of drawers and opened the top one. ‘You know the position you are to adopt?’
‘Yes, Mistress.’
‘Then do so and poste haste if you please.’
To my utter astonishment the Lady bent herself over a chair, her legs spread and her breasts dangling. She settled there and I watched as Maria selected a leather strop from the drawer and slapped it menacingly in the palm of her hand. She smiled at me and walked close to me, bending to whisper, ‘I told you that you would learn.’
She stood to one side of Lady Rampton and slowly, lovingly caressed her arse. ‘This arse will be your whipping boy. Here will your perversity be punished.’
‘Yes, Mistress and I thank you.’
‘As indeed you should.’
Maria raised her right hand and the strop whistled through the air to land with a snap upon the exposed buttocks. The Lady lifted her head and howled.
‘Silence, wretched woman. This is but the beginning.’
Maria stroked her shaft and her right hand was raised again to land another stinging blow on the Lady’s arse, then another, then another. The blows rained down upon that poor arse and Her Ladyship cried out, tears running down her face. I felt sure we should be punished ourselves for this assault on one of such high rank but Maria was merciless. At last she placed the strop on the bed and I hoped she had come to her senses. She turned to me.
‘In the drawer there lies a cane, bring it to me.’ I began to protest but she stilled me with a commanding look and I fetched it for her, afraid for my own safety. ‘Now, my love, stand before this dissolute and let her taste of you again. Enjoy her pleasure which will pass from me, through her, to you.’
I stood in front of Lady Rampton who lifted her face to my cunny and began again to feast upon me. I looked down at her and was surprised by the swish of the cane and the way that her face shuddered against me as she cried deep into me. Five more strokes ensued and with each she pushed into me, screaming but evidently not resisting. I confess the arousal was intense.
Maria instructed me to sit in the chair again and, taking the Lady by the hair, dragged her violently to kneel between my legs. ‘Finish her, then get you may go.’ Lady Rampton worshipped my cunny and as she did so, Maria entered her from behind and it was almost as one that we climaxed, she bellowing into my cunny, I moaning pleasurably.
It took the Lady a few moments to recover herself. Then, as if we had just taken tea together, she stood and smiled at me as she dressed. Maria sat on the end of the bed, stroking her ladyprick. Her Ladyship finished dressing and took Maria’s hand.
‘Thank you, my Dear. You, as always, understand my needs.’ She turned to me. ‘You are a most lucky woman, Madeleine.’ She left, smiling and seemingly satisfied.
Later that night in our room, I curled myself about Maria and she stroked me.
‘Some women need such pleasures and oft it is those of the finest houses who do so. You, my love, will never suffer at my hands.’ I kissed her mouth softly. ‘Unless, of course, you are disobedient.’ I could not tell from her smile whether she teased me.
