‘I love you Toby, if you love me, show me.’
I was amazed by the softness and warmth of her flesh. I moved my hands down her naked back, slowly passing her wasp-like waste to her thighs.
‘You do know you could become pregnant don’t you… you predicted Lucy Walter would get pregnant and you were right?’
‘I do want babies with you someday Toby, but not just yet my love.’
‘Well the only sure way of birth control is absolute abstinence… self-denial.’
‘Then you will have to be careful with your seed won’t you, I am prepared to take a risk if you are.’
She pulled me closer and we kissed again. She must have been able to feel the swelling in my breeches… how could she not.
She pushed me away, and lay down on the cushions allowing her hair to fall loose over her face, then slowly unfastened the remaining buttons of her dress, letting one side fall away… the other still partially covering her nakedness.
Her young body no longer that of a girl but a woman, a beautiful woman and a woman who loved me. I was spellbound by her amazing figure and stunned by her natural beauty.
I was nervous and fumbling with my breeches like a child undressing for the first time.
She welcomed me with open arms and I slid carefully between her legs… and for the first time, we became as one, moving slowly together until I could go no further. I stopped briefly to catch my breath, but Anne not wanting to pause, pushed gently encouraging me to continue, and then we made love… unbelievable, sensual, exciting, erotic love.
No words were needed as we lay on our backs just holding hands and relaxing in the afterglow of our first ever sexual experience… the first of many I hoped.
After a while she turned on her side to face me.
‘I can now tell you about my planned marriage to the French donkey face. My father took me back to France to make arrangements for the wedding, and while alone with my fiancé I told him I was not a virgin. I couldn’t believe his reaction, he sobbed like a baby and then ran to tell his mother… she started crying, his father just called me a whore and said he would never allow his precious son to marry anyone with such low moral values.’
‘What about your parents… what did your father say?’
‘I have never seen my father so angry, he said he was going to put me in a convent, and he would have done had it not been for my mother.’
‘Did you not tell him the truth, did you tell him that you were lying?’
‘I couldn’t. If I had told him the truth, he would have told the French, and then the marriage would have been back on. So I let him believe my lie. Please forgive me Toby but he thinks you are the one who defiled me. He shook me hard and demanded I tell the truth, but I would neither deny nor confirm the truth, I just let him believe it was you. So now you see why I couldn’t tell you earlier. I lied to save myself for you Toby.’
‘Did he hurt you?’
‘A little… but it was the first and only time he has ever raised a hand to me, and it was so out of character, he is normally such a loving, caring father.’
‘Of course I forgive you, but he will never let you marry me now.’
‘Well I won’t marry anyone else.’
‘Neither will I… not even for a thousand pounds,’ I said.
We lay there quietly for a while, our breathing becoming softer with each moment, both reflecting on our good fortune at finding each other. I think I would have fallen asleep if she hadn’t squeezed my hand to get my attention.
‘I almost forgot to tell you. Lucy Walter has been a naughty girl, while Charles was away fighting Cromwell, she got herself pregnant again… with a different man.’
I sat up and started to put on my clothes. ‘Where is she now… Charles was so looking forward to seeing her?’
‘I believe she has gone to Cologne, perhaps she is too ashamed to meet Charles.’
‘That makes sense,’ I said, ‘I think Cologne is where Charles is planning to go, he must be going to find her.’
Anne sat up and started buttoning up her dress, it was then she noticed the key hanging round my neck.
‘What’s that for?’ she asked.
‘It’s my lucky charm. I put it around my neck the day I left Noordeinde to go to war. I never take it off.’
‘But what does it open?’
‘It’s the key to my attic room, here at Noordeinde.’
She stood up and tied her hair into a ponytail. ‘Come on Toby… let’s see if it still works.’
‘We have no business to be in the palace anymore… they won’t let us in.’
‘We won’t know if we don’t try.’
We ambled slowly back towards the house arm in arm, Anne carrying her shoes in one hand.
‘How long before you have to leave me again… we must try to make the most of what time we have?’
I stopped and faced her. ‘Have I not told you? I’m not going anywhere my darling girlfriend, I have a job here at Noordeinde. I am the new stable boy. I will be living here.’
‘That’s wonderful,’ she said jumping up and down, ‘why did you not tell me sooner?’
‘It was the first thing I was going to tell you but I got rather distracted. Remember?’
‘I feel like dancing, do you remember any of the dances I taught you.’
‘I may need a refresher course.’
The nearer we were to the house, the more nervous I became. I didn’t want to be in trouble with Mr Anderson before I had even started my new job.
‘Just act normal Toby, they won’t even notice us,’ she said as she slipped on her shoes.
Only one person spoke to us as we walked through the building, it was a young woman who called to Anne from behind a desk. ‘Dat uw vried is?’
‘My new fiancé,’ Anne called back in English.
The door to the stairs that led to my attic room creaked in disapproval as I eased it open, I think it must not have been used since the last time I closed it, years ago. The steps leading up to the attic were just as bad, each one groaning in protest. I turned the key and pushed open the door and everything was just as I had left it. I hurried to the table by the small window where I remembered leaving my journal. It was still there. I blew off the dust and opened it at the last entry. It was then that I remembered the leather bag holding a few personal treasures I had pushed under the bed. That too was still there where I had put it, covered in dust.
It felt to me as if I had come home… but it was not my home at all, I was trespassing.
Anne turned over the mattress on the bed, creating a great cloud of dust, she then smiled and started to unbutton her dress. ‘What do you think Toby?’
‘I think you are a wicked woman who has cast a spell on me, I am now your sex slave with no chance of escape.’
‘In that case,’ she said with hands on hips, ‘you will report to me at the boathouse the same time next Saturday. But for now!’
We made love again, but this time it was different, this time we were more experienced and less frenetic, this time we took our time, savouring every moment.
‘What time do you think it is?’
‘I should think about three in the afternoon,’ I said. ‘Why?’
‘My mistress is sending a carriage for me at four.’
The carriage was waiting in the courtyard for her. She kissed me as one would kiss a brother or a favourite aunty, I then watched and waved until she was out of sight.
It was now time to face my old friend Louis, but now he was not just my friend, he was also my boss. I found him in his little office at the end of the stables block.
‘Good to have you back and in one piece Toby,’ he said as he put down his scribe. ‘Did my father show you around?’
‘No. He just told me to report to you, but surely you don’t hav
e to show me anything, I already know this place well enough.’
‘You may well be in for a surprise, we have made some major changes since you were last here.’
Standing up from behind his desk, he said, ‘Follow me, you will hardly know the place with the changes we have made while you were away on your adventures. I’ll show you your accommodation first.’
I already knew where the stable boys’ accommodation block was but I had never been inside.
‘You share this room with the others… the domestics from the palace clean the place, and replace dirty clothing, bedding and towels while you are at work. The kitchen is available for your convenience and there is a new lavatories block round the back. Now I will show you the carriages.’
What was once the menagerie had been cleared of animals, and extended to house a multitude of coaches and carriages of all sizes and shapes, some large with harnesses for two or more horses and others as small as traps, pulled along by a single horse.
‘As well as your work in the stables, you may be asked to service and clean the carriages. They’re rather splendid don’t you think?’
‘The coaches are,’ I replied, ‘and I would love to drive one.’
‘Your wish may come true and sooner than you think. Now come and meet Vincent.’
At the end of the extended building, there was a new workshop. I could hear the sound of a hammer on metal as we approached.
‘Vincent,’ Louis shouted above the noise, ‘this is our new stable boy Toby. He’s English.’
‘I’ve heard all about you Toby,’ he said putting down his hammer. ‘Quite a hero I’m told.’
‘Vincent is our blacksmith and wheelwright, he’s also the handyman… if he can’t fix it… nobody can.’
Vincent was tall with broad shoulders, he had thick black curly hair, a small moustache and was about thirty years old.
‘What are you hammering?’ I asked.
‘Come I will show you.’ He took me to the end of his workshop where there was a forge and a couple of anvils.
‘I was hammering a new rim onto this coach wheel. It has to be a tight fit so we start with a rim that’s slightly smaller than the wheel. We then expand it by heating it in the forge.’
‘And when it cools down it contracts tightly onto the wheel,’ I said.
‘Correct.’
‘Look,’ said Louis, ‘I have work to attend to. You start work on Monday, until then you can do as you please… stay here with Vincent if you like, but don’t get in his way.’
‘You can help me to fit the other wheel with a new rim if you like.’
I was eager to help and learn. ‘How can I help?’
‘You can help by pumping the bellows.’
He picked up the metal rim and dropped it onto the hot embers… sending sparks flying.
‘Now pump the bellows and keep going until I tell you to stop.’
I tried to help as best I could and he seemed happy for the company, so I stayed until he was ready to close up his workshop for the day and go home.
‘That’s me done for the weekend,’ said Vincent, ‘come again Toby… anytime.’
‘Before you go Vincent, is it possible to copy a key for me?’
‘What sort of a key, and what would you want the key for… nothing illegal I hope?’
I took the key from around my neck and put it in his hand.
‘It’s the key to a room I used when I lived here at the palace before. I took a look in there today and it’s just as I left it.’
‘It’s a simple enough little door key,’ he said turning it over in his hand, ‘I can easily make you a copy but just check with Louis first, if he says it’s alright, give it back to me and I’ll see what I can do.’
I was never going to use my old room without first seeking proper permission, so I told Louis I had been in there and showed him the key… leaving out the bit about Anne.
‘It would make an ideal place for me to study,’ I said in the hope that it might help my case. ‘And there is another favour I would ask of you. If it is at all possible do you think I could have Saturday afternoons off? Anne has free time on Saturdays so we would like to meet and catch up on each other’s news.’
‘News… is that what they’re calling it these days. Have you kissed her yet?’
‘She kissed me and I sort of kissed her back.’
‘Sort of? Well good luck to you both but do be careful. Now about Saturday afternoons, they are not a problem, but if we are busy, you may be asked to make up the hours. I will have to ask my father about your old room in the house, though strictly speaking Noordeinde is nothing to do with the government, it belongs to the royal family.’
I already knew that Noordeinde belonged to the royal family… Sven Hendrickson had told us on the way over here from England.
It had been a long and really hot exhausting day… even before I had started working at the forge, and the heat and effort in pumping the bellows made me sweat even more. By the time I had finished I was dripping wet, in need of a rest and a wash in cold water. I thought of going down to the lake but it was too far so I just flopped down on my straw mattress and fell asleep.
***
There were eight including me and Vincent working in the stables and I must confess I was slightly nervous about just how I would fit in with the others, would they accept me, a foreign outsider? As it turned out my worries were quite unfounded, apparently I had become a bit of a hero as rumours of my adventures in England were rife… not to mention my attachment to Anne Huxley. In fact I had become the main topic of conversation.
Everyone could speak English better than I could speak French… and I knew only a few words of Dutch. But this time I was determined to learn, and as Thomas had given me a book translating English to Dutch, I had no excuse.
‘I’m Max,’ said the one who looked the oldest. ‘When do you start?’
‘Monday, but I think I may put in an hour or two tomorrow.’
‘We start early on Sundays, it is always busy so any help would be welcome. We have two coaches and two open carriages to prepare for church… the coaches have to be delivered to Binnenhof. Have you been measured for your uniform yet?’
‘Not yet… but Mr Anderson did say I would be getting one.’
The others joined in our conversation, and we talked for hours, mostly about me. Eventually one by one they drifted off to their beds, and I was relieved when I was able to do the same.
I woke early and crept away trying not to disturb those still sleeping, but when I arrived at the stables, Max and Louis were already there.
‘Have you come to work Toby?’ asked Louis.
‘Yes, where do I start?’
‘We will be wanting tack for twelve horses, Max will help you to sort it out. Before you bring it through, make sure all the brasses are polished and all the leather treated.’
‘Come I will show you,’ called Max.
The tack was stored in what I thought must have been two of the old stalls knocked into one.
‘We won’t be needing saddles or stirrups… but what we do need is halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales and breastplates.’
Max showed me where everything was stored and helped me pick the correct items.
‘When you are satisfied everything has been properly cleaned and checked… bring them through on one of these trolleys. I’ll send one of the others in to help, when the lazy buggers get out of bed.’
‘Consider it done,’ I said. I then set to work making sure everything was doubly checked, cleaned and polished to perfection. When I was satisfied it could not be improved, I carted it all through and found that there was now a full complement of staff on duty, some busy with the horses and others attending to the coaches and carriages which were now parked outside on the courtyard.
Louis was directing his workforce like an army commander… it was a side to him I had not seen before and I must say that I was filled with admiration.
By ten o’clock, the two coaches were on their way to Binnenhof Palace and the two carriages ready and waiting to be collected, most of the stable boys had gone, either to prepare for church themselves or to take a break… their work for the moment done, only the two youngest stable boys were left to clear up.
‘Well Toby, what do you think?’ asked Louis as he rested his arm on my shoulder.
‘I’m impressed but truthfully Louis… how did I do?’
‘I don’t have to check your work Toby, you are my personal protégé, and I know everything you do will be up to standard. Listen… we won’t be needed for a while so do you fancy taking a ride before they return from church?’
‘That’s a rather silly question to ask me boss, are we going now, and can I pick my own horse?’
‘Yes to the first question and no to the second. I would like you to exercise the dapple grey Percheron.’
Halfway through our ride we stopped by the lake to let the horses graze, while we talked.
‘I don’t suppose you have heard about the recent conflict between our two countries have you?’
Surprised by his statement, I sat up and looked straight at him. ‘What conflict?’
‘Well up to now it has been fought entirely at sea. It started by a disagreement over trade, but escalated when the English started attacking Dutch merchant ships. Your navy now controls most of the seas around England.’
‘My navy? It’s not my navy.’
‘It’s not going to affect your people who already live here,’ said Louis.
‘It’s not going to help either,’ I said.
The subject was not mentioned to me again, and I certainly didn’t notice any animosity towards me from any of the others at the stables. It seemed that all the blame was placed on Cromwell.
On my third working day at the stables, Louis told me I could use my attic room for studying but not for sleeping, as my contemporaries in the stables might think I was receiving preferential treatment. I thought that was fair and quite understandable.
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