Drink With The Devil

by David Woods

  “No, of course not. I’m just hungry.”

  That night she could not sleep and paced up and down her room, occasionally looking out of the window towards the forest and wondering what Jim was doing.

  The wet day that followed found Angela spending a lot of time alone, thinking and beginning to worry about the future if she carried on seeing Jim.

  Jim spent the days that followed wandering around the forest, and every afternoon looking across the fields towards the white mansion. At first he ate very little, but then realised he was just being silly. By the weekend a cold cloak of depression had descended, in the certainty that Angela would not return. He tried to resume his old routine, but found it far less enjoyable.

  Monday was a beautiful hot day — the best day so far that year — and it was still early May. Angela completed her work in the farm office and went home to lunch, determined to have a ride in the afternoon. She set off just after two, and headed straight down the hill away from the farm buildings. Gemma kept looking towards the forest and whinnied when they were out of sight. Angela stopped and patted her neck. “I think we’ll go across that way, don’t you?” She said affectionately. Half an hour later they trotted up the side of the forest towards the bridle path, Gemma’s ears pricking up as she surged forward into a canter. Some minutes later, when they turned on to the path between the trees, Angela dismounted and looked at Gemma. “You brought us here. Now you can find the lodge.”

  Having managed to keep up with Gemma as she walked off through the trees, Angela found herself out of breath and in need of a rest. She had just got her breath back when Jim arrived with a bag full of leaves and other green food, and was visibly delighted to see her. They hugged for a few moments, only pausing to make a fuss of Gemma. Once inside the lodge, Jim looked into her eyes and whispered “Angela, I’ve missed you so much. I’ve been absolutely devastated without you.”

  “I’ve missed you too, my love.”

  At that moment they were so overcome with pent up emotion they flung their arms around each other again, kissing deeply.

  They wanted each other so desperately, they could think of nothing else but to give each other pleasure. She kissed his eyes and nose and then whispered, “I love you so much.”

  He found her lips again, and then they paused for breath. “I need all of you, my love.”

  “I’m all yours.”

  He wanted to kiss her whole body and make her completely his. His kisses wandered to her neck and shoulders, and she knew she wanted him more than anything in the world and that she wanted to make him happy. As his kisses became more passionate, her flimsy blouse fell apart and he saw she was more beautiful than he thought possible. In his mind she had become the most precious person in his whole life.

  Their clothes fell one by one to the floor as they explored each other’s bodies with their hands, eyes and mouths until eventually Angela whispered “I want you now.” They lay on the hard floor, not noticing the discomfort, and he entered her hot and eager body, both groaning with delight and desire. They kissed deeply again as their intense feelings reached towards a climax of passion which built up to the final ecstatic orgasm. They stayed motionless, not wanting to be separated, and reflected in their minds the superb pleasure each had enjoyed, hoping the other’s experience had been even greater.

  Angela was the first to break the silence. “That was terrific. You were wonderful, Jim.”

  “So were you, my love. You’re so beautiful, and I love you so much.”

  They were still clinging to one another when depressing thoughts entered Angela’s mind, and she eased away to look into his eyes. She spoke softly. “I love you very much, but I fear the time we can spend together will be very limited.”

  “I know what you mean. I’m an ex-farmworker living rough, and you’re a gentleman farmer’s daughter.”

  “My parents would never approve of our relationship.”

  “No, I suppose they wouldn’t. And if they found out I was staying here, they’d kick me out and ban you from seeing me again.”

  “But there’s got to be something we can do. There’s just got to be some future for us.”

  “I can’t see how. You and I live in such different worlds. I’d just never be accepted in yours, and I certainly wouldn’t expect you to come down to this sort of existence.”

  “What are we going to do, then?”

  “I really don’t know.”

  They dressed in silence. Angela left in tears and Jim was certain he would never see her again.

  Chapter Three

  During mid May the weather improved and for three days not a cloud appeared on the horizon. One Friday morning Angela’s mother announced, “I’ll be spending all day shopping in the West End, and then come back with your father.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you this evening.”

  Angela waved goodbye and then ran indoors. She was desperate to see Jim again and began preparing food to take for a picnic lunch. She was delighted that such an opportunity had presented itself — she could spend a longer time with him without having to justify her absence. She could hardly contain her excitement and quickly filled her rucksack, setting off on foot. Gemma whinnied as she passed the stable. “Sorry, I can’t have you distracting us today.”

  She entered the forest half way down the hill and made her way to the lodge, where she found Jim still asleep in bed. He woke up suddenly when she pulled his beard.

  “Hey, what are you doing here so early? I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

  She put her rucksack on the table and knelt down by the bed, looking at him only covered by a thin sheet. She pulled it down to reveal his hairy chest. “What a gorgeous body you have.”

  “It’s all hairy and rough.”

  “But you’re still beautiful.” She stroked his beard and whispered, “I don’t want to talk about the future today, Jim. Let’s forget about it for a while.”

  “I agree. I’m just so pleased to see you.” He reached up and pulled her down so she lay across his chest, overwhelmed with delight that she had, after all, returned. “I just can’t believe you’re here again. I love you so much, Angela.”

  “I would just die if I couldn’t see you again.”

  Their lips merged in a long intense kiss, both relieved to be together and wishing the situation would last forever. Their tongues touched and their bodies fused together with intense desire. They felt the need to be even closer together, so he gently undressed her and they lay naked together with the innocence of Adam and Eve on his camp bed, their legs and arms entwined. They held each other so close they seemed to breathe as one, the bond between them so intense they just wanted to cling to one another. Jim thought his body would burst with desire, and her desire to please him was overwhelming. She reached down and guided his throbbing manhood into her hot eager body. They both quickly reached a climax so intense they cried out, before relaxing in the satisfying glow of fulfilment, and lay in each other’s arms in silence. Jim just murmured, “Oh, Angela, I love you so much.”

  “I feel the same way about you. I’ve just had such a beautiful experience.”

  “Yes. Quite unbelievably beautiful.”

  Slowly they got up and looked at each other, neither feeling at all embarrassed at their nakedness. Jim told her how beautiful she was and then whispered, “Aren’t you getting dressed?”

  “What for? No one can see us.” She giggled as they put their shoes on.

  They walked hand in hand through the trees and bushes. The day was still and hot, sunlight penetrating the trees and landing on the ground in shafts of brilliance. The young couple lingered in the sun, appreciating the warmth of the rays on their bodies. They splashed each other in the pool, laughing and playing, oblivious to the outside world, with eyes and thoughts only for each other. After a while the chill of the water drove them out and they stood in a ray of sunlight drying one another. They walked, stopping to kiss and caress in every beam of sunlight, until they
reached the lodge where Angela said, “Let’s make love again. I want you.”

  “Good. I could make love to you for ever”. He laid out all his blankets on the floor to make it as soft as possible This time they made love more slowly than before, savouring each precious moment. He was intoxicated by her beauty, and wanted to kiss her all over as she lay back with her eyes closed, feeling his hands and lips exploring her body. Her nipples rose to his touch and she was filled with a burning desire to respond and give him pleasure in return. He kissed the inside of her legs and up to her mound of dark curly hair. She groaned with pleasure as he found her moist parts, where he lingered until she was overcome with the need to kiss him again. She lifted his head and he lay down. She kissed him, and then slowly and gently explored his body until he could contain himself no longer. He pulled her on top of him and entered her wet furnace, and their mutual feelings of ecstasy culminated in an orgasm even more explosive than before. They lay in silence, filled with thoughts of love until inevitably these thoughts turned to the subject of their future together. This negative thinking was quickly replaced when Jim said, “Let’s have some lunch.”

  “Yes. I’m ravenous.”

  The sandwiches and coffee were the first conventional food Jim had tasted for months, and he decided they were good. “It’s good to eat normal food again.”

  “I bet it is.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my vegetable soup, but I miss bread and cheese.”

  “I don’t know how you’ve lasted so long.”

  They ate in silence for a while, studying each other’s bodies. Jim broke the silence after staring at and fondling her beautiful breasts. “I’ve thought myself lucky to live in this beautiful place. Even in winter it’s lovely, but with you it would be paradise.”

  “I don’t think I could stand the hardship. Or the food.”

  “No. And I wouldn’t ask you to. It wouldn’t be fair.”

  “I can understand you liking it here, because it’s very beautiful.”

  Jim looked into her eyes. “I’ve seen many beautiful things in the last year, but they’re nothing compared to you.”

  They found themselves cuddling again, but Angela broke away and looked serious. “I don’t want to talk about our future today. It’s been so perfect and I don’t want to spoil it.”

  “Okay. It really has been a fantastic day.”

  Angela walked home, feeling elated after the events of the day. She had made love in a way she never thought possible, and it had been beautiful. She slipped into the kitchen and washed up her cups and flask whilst the cook prepared the evening meal. Her mother greeted her as she walked into the drawing room, and showed her all the clothes she had purchased that day. Including a new creation she decided would suit her daughter.

  “Oh, thanks, Mum. I’ll wear that for dinner tonight.”

  “Good idea, darling. Your father does like you to dress up.”

  Sir William was in jovial mood over dinner and chatted about his plans for the weekend. He complimented the ladies on their attire as he seated himself at the head of the table, still wearing his business suit.

  Just as the family were finishing their meal, a clap of thunder made them all jump as rain lashed against the window. Angela thought about Jim and hoped he was all right in the lodge. The day’s activities had made her extremely hungry and she ate with relish, eventually feeling satisfied and happy. The temperature in the house dropped considerably as the storm gathered strength, and they took their coffee into the drawing room in front of a log fire, these days only lit at weekends. Whilst her parents chatted, Angela sat sipping her coffee, still thinking about what had happened earlier. There were just the three of them, as their cook had gone home.

  Angela began raking the fire with a long thin poker, and watching the sparks fly up the chimney, when suddenly the tranquillity was shattered by three men bursting through the door. The first man was carrying a shotgun, the two others pickaxe handles. All of them had masks over their faces, and wore identical army-type clothing. Sir William spluttered as he looked down the barrel of the shotgun. “What the devil d’you think you’re doing?”

  The first man spoke in a high pitched voice, slightly slurred: “We’re about to relieve you of some money, you rich bastard.” All three men moved closer. Lavinia sat still and whimpered softly, and Sir William moved in front of her. “I don’t keep any money here.”

  “You’ll do as I say or die.”

  Angela sat still, stunned by the turn of events. She stared at the men. Two of them were of medium height and the third, pointing a gun at her father’s face, was taller with a pot belly. Sir William looked nervously around at the two petrified women. “I’ll do whatever you ask if you agree not to harm my wife and daughter.”

  “Right. Open yer safe, then.”

  “Yes. It’s in the study.”

  “Go on, then. Hurry up.”

  The man with the gun followed Sir William into the next room. The two others approached Lavinia and Angela with pickaxe handles ready to strike. The one closest to the older woman said in a gruff tone:“Right missus. Get on yer feet and take me to yer jewellery box.”

  Lavinia held a handkerchief to her mouth and stared at the floor.

  “Come on you stupid bloody woman. Get up.”

  She rose slowly and walked towards the door without looking at the masked face. The third man stood still, staring at Angela, who just watched as her mother disappeared and then studied the fire trying to be brave. Nothing happened for a while and then she heard the sound of her father opening his safe, followed by a shuffling sound of papers being strewn about. There was a short silence followed by a high pitched scream from upstairs. Angela recognised her mother’s voice and shouted at the man staring at her: “What’s going on?”

  He moved closer and growled. “He’s just havin’ a bit o’ fun with yer mum.”

  Angela cringed. She heard her father protesting to the man with the shotgun.

  “What are you doing to my wife?”

  His voice was stopped abruptly with a thud, and he fell with a crash to the floor. Angela became so frightened she could not speak. She heard another louder thud and a groan. The man with the weapon came from the study with her father’s briefcase. He walked through the room quickly and announced to his companion. “He won’t be any trouble. Just keep yer eye on ‘er while I look round.”

  The other man just grunted. Angela heard the gunman walking upstairs, and then after another short silence, she heard her mother scream again for the last time. By this time she was beside herself with anger, and shouted, half screamed at the man leering at her, “You evil scum.” Her head sank lower as she saw him move closer while one hand fiddled with the front of his trousers. She got up quickly and tried to escape, but was too late as he struck her a stunning blow across the face with his clenched fist. She reeled backwards towards the fire, just preventing herself from falling on it.

  The man dropped his cudgel, easily wrestling her to the floor. She could feel the heat of the fire on her face as he sat on top of her. She could not move; one arm was pinned under her, the other held down by a knee. She felt the top of her dress being torn down the centre, and then a rough hand gripping her breast. He moved lower, forcing her legs apart. She was too scared to move as her dress was pulled up to her waist, but her right hand was free and she moved it towards the fire. The man tore her panties off, and as he lunged forward on her, she could smell his foul beer-laden breath. It sickened her and she struggled, which forced his head up a little. Whilst he regained a grip on her she lay still, realising he was too strong for her. As he reached down and undid his trousers with one hand, holding her down with the other, her right hand found the poker and she brought it down on his head as hard as she could. The instrument lay against his masked head for a second. He screamed with pain and jumped up, wrenching off his mask.

  Angela sat up, smelling burning flesh, and she looked at the poker which was still red hot from be
ing left in the fire. Now it had hair and human flesh sticking to it. She stood up and looked at the ginger-haired individual of about twenty, as he clutched his head and bellowed. She threw down the weapon and fled from the room into the front hall, but glanced up the stairs to see another ginger-haired man about to descend. She ran out of the front door. The man behind shouted something and half fell down the stairs in hot pursuit. Angela ran as fast as she could in high-heeled shoes around the house, towards the stables, knowing her parents were almost certainly dead but could hear someone following and knew he would soon catch her.

  Chapter Four

  Jim spent the early evening listening to the storm raging above the forest, causing the trees to creak and groan and the rhododendron bushes to rustle and scrape against the lodge walls.

  It was only a short time since he had seen Angela, but he was desperate to see her again. In his mind he pictured her lovely body, and imagined making love again in the lodge. A short while passed and he ladled himself a bowl of vegetable soup, drinking it whilst trying to think seriously about the future. It was obvious his days in the forest were nearly over. He would have to get a job, probably on a farm again, but would Angela be content to be a farm worker’s wife? She might, if she loved him enough. He churned matters over in his mind for some time, and became more and more desperate to see her.

  The storm continued to rage, with lightning illuminating the forest almost without a break. Thunder shook the ground as he wandered through the trees, being drawn like a magnet towards the edge of the forest and the mansion. The rain lashed at his face, water trickled down his back off his long matted hair. A steady stream was running off the tip of his beard down his jacket and his trousers were soaked in no time. But he was so preoccupied with thinking about Angela that he felt no discomfort. He passed the pool, which was filling with muddy water washed down from the hill above. Without a glance in its direction he jumped over the swollen stream and on to the field beyond the forest. He felt his shoes fill with water and thought how stupid he was not to have worn his boots.