by Tamsin Taite
The Governess' Examination:
An Erotic Victorian Medical Tale
Tamsin Taite
Tab A Slot B Press
All rights reserved. Except in cases of fair use, no part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or distributed without permission of the author or publisher.
Copyright ©2015 Tamsin Taite
Published by Tab A Slot B Press
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All characters are consenting adults eighteen years of age or over. This book is not intended for readers under the age of eighteen or for those offended by strong language and sexual content.
Table of Contents
The Governess' Examination
An Excerpt from The Governess' Inspection
More Works by Tamsin Taite
In this book
“This next part of the examination I will be carrying out manually, rather than have you lower your drawers,” Dr. Talbot announced. “I would do anything,” he added with a gentle smile, “to avoid offending or harming your modesty.”
For lack of any better response, Virginia nodded at this ridiculous assertion. Her thoughts were elsewhere, worrying about the growing sensations from beneath her drawers. She had become increasingly aware of a prickling sensation down there that she instinctively knew ought to be hidden. But would a doctor be able to tell?
He knelt in front of her and began feeling his way up her legs, massaging and kneading her calves, then knees, then thighs. His touch flared up the strange excitement that had been rising inside her, coalescing somewhere in her belly. As his hands came nearer and nearer to her cunny the tingling increased and she found herself trembling slightly.
Virginia felt almost as though she wanted him to touch her there, but when she felt his hand brush against her curls there she drew back automatically. “Keep still,” the doctor commanded. “Perhaps you should part your legs a bit more, to help you balance?”
His hands pressed against her inner thighs and Virginia widened her stance. Her stomach fluttered with a mixture of anxiety and longing, until finally his hands reached her sex again and Virginia let out a strangled moan, half desire and half distress, but she made no move to stop him, or even to close her legs. A solitary finger slid along her slit, driving every thought from her mind.
“Hmmm,” Dr. Talbot said, looking up at her, “you’re very, very wet.”
She looked down into his steely eyes, the momentary blankness of her mind giving way to awareness that this moisture, which she had hardly noticed before, was somehow giving away her most shameful secrets. The finger stroked her again, delving deeper this time.
Virginia had touched herself there before but had never allowed it to pass a softly pleasing languor. The few times she’d taken it any further the intensity of the feelings it stirred had frightened her and she’d always stopped. But now, with Dr. Talbot caressing her there, she surrendered to the waves of pleasure as they grew in strength.
Dr. Talbot watched her face relax and her mouth fall slack, panting in response to his strokes. She had closed her pale blue eyes and now moved her hips back and forth gingerly. He speared a finger into her tight sheath and her eyes shot open, meeting his. He pumped into her twice more and then pulled his hand away.
Standing, he said, “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to remove your drawers, so I can get a better look at this moisture.”
Virginia crimsoned as Julia approached and Dr. Talbot stepped aside. They were each on one side of her, trapping her should she try to fight, but she only stood submissively and watched as Julia loosened the drawstring at her waist. When her final garment fell to the ground she quickly moved her hands to cover herself, staring down at the linen pooled at her feet.
But even totally naked, looking down in defeat, she found that she had further to descend as Julia’s face came into view below her. The maid watched Virginia’s face avidly as she gathered up the fabric, indicating with her hands that Virginia should bring up each foot in turn. With the maid’s eyes on her, Virginia felt a wave of heat wash through her belly and her sex clenched around nothing.
“Uncover yourself, girl, don’t be silly,” Dr. Talbot ordered sharply.
Her hands parted hesitantly. By now her humiliation had less to do with the fact that she was stark naked in front of others and more to do with how much it thrilled her. She desperately needed him to touch her again and nothing could chase that thought from her mind.
Once again Dr. Talbot knelt down before her and reached up. Virginia bit her lip and waited but instead of rubbing her as he had before he grasped her outer lips and spread them apart. He moved his face up closer, so she could feel his breath on her, and it was all she could do not to cry out with need.
The Governess' Examination
“Just a moment Miss Virginia.”
Virginia stood still as Julia, her great aunt Matilda’s maid, brushed at the back of her collar and then gave her shoulder a small squeeze. Virginia turned her head and smiled gratefully at the older woman, who seemed to guess at how skittish she felt.
She had been banished to her chamber, instead of keeping her aunt company downstairs as she did most afternoons, and two carriages had drawn up in the past hour. Nothing had been said to her, as was usual in her aunt’s house, but she fervently hoped her aunt had finally found a governess’ position for her. It had been a full month since she came away from school and Virginia had begun to worry that no placement would ever be found respectable enough by her aunt.
The two women began their way downstairs just in time to see a man, a stranger to Virginia, leaving the drawing room. Julia hurried down to show him out.
Hearing Julia’s step on the stairs he looked up and Virginia was able to clearly make out his face. In dress and grooming he was unquestionably a gentleman, and a handsome one at that. His mouth and chin were square and commanding, with a firm and decisive set to them, and even looking down on him from a flight above he had an aura of being tall and powerful. When his eyes met hers she saw that they gleamed with intelligence, strikingly dynamic pools of dark brown.
She felt pinned in place by his look, unsure if she should say or do something. Then just as swiftly his gaze was withdrawn and Virginia left to wonder if she had only imagined the smile that had played over his lips.
Hearing Julia open the front door brought Virginia out of her reverie and she continued downstairs. Entering the drawing room she found her aunt Matilda with Dr. Talbot, an old family friend, who rose to greet her.
“Miss Ashby, I scarcely recognized you.” Turning to her aunt he said, “She is grown quite fine, very much a young lady in your mold.”
Virginia smiled at the compliment, though she was sure it hadn’t been that long ago that she’d last seen him. He certainly looked much the same, his hair more grey than dark but still full, and his eyes full of goodwill and humor. The doctor inquired about her journey from school and how she enjoyed being back home, and then the tea was brought in.
“I believe Dr. Talbot has found you a place, Ginnie.”
Virginia’s eyes lit up and her heart fluttered a touch faster when she thought that the stranger in the hallway truly would be her employer.
“It is with a family by the name of Hayes,” she continued, “who spend a great deal of their time here in town. There are three children, two girls and the youngest a boy.”
Matilda went on with her recitation of the particulars while Virginia only partially attended to what she wa
s saying. Virginia wanted to cheer out loud but checked her enthusiasm. She knew this must be difficult for her aunt, to see their family, and its fortune, dwindle down to a spinster on a tiny pension and a young girl sent out to earn her keep.
“…and you will meet them then, assuming the examination goes well, which we are certain it will.”
Virginia awoke from her private thoughts. “Examination?” Was there to be a test?
“The medical examination,” Dr. Talbot answered.
“Oh, I see,” Virginia said, relieved. She’d feared they meant a written test, something she’d happily believed to have left behind now that she was done with school.
Virginia’s aunt was nodding as she passed a plate of muffins to Dr. Talbot. “It’s a shame Mrs. Hayes is so often poorly,” she remarked.
“Poorly?” Virginia asked.
“To be honest, some of her complaints are due to a nervous disposition,” Dr. Talbot said. He smiled slightly on hearing Matilda sniff disdainfully. His old friend had never had much time for nervous complaints, a refreshing change for the doctor in his line of work. “But she is quite susceptible to respiratory illness, which is Mr. Hayes’ chief concern.”
“He’s quite right to be extra careful,” Matilda said, “especially living in town as they do. Shall she go to your offices this week, Dr. Talbot?”
“I can easily perform the examination here, if you can spare your study for…oh, less than an hour. It’s quite routine and I have my bag with me.”
Matilda looked to her niece, who nodded eagerly.
“Well then,” Matilda said, “it’s settled.”
After her aunt had retired upstairs Virginia followed Dr. Talbot into the study. Julia had preceded them with Dr. Talbot’s bag, which was waiting on the large oak desk near the center of the room. He stopped at the desk and Virginia moved further into the room towards the fireplace, idly looking over the mantel.
Facing away from her he opened his bag and said, “If you’ll get undressed dear, we can move on to the rest.” Virginia turned and stared, and then realized she must have misheard him. However Julia appeared beside her and reached for the buttons of her dress.
“What!?” She whipped around to face Julia, too shocked to form a real question, her motion shaking off Julia’s hands. Did they really expect her to undress in front of a man? The idea made her feel a little faint.
Dr. Talbot abandoned his bag and turned back towards her, his face amused. “Is this your first adult medical examination?”
“I… yes, I suppose,” she answered, unsure what that meant.
“Ah,” he moved towards her and captured one of her trembling hands in his, drawing her closer to the center of the room. “I hadn’t realized, Virginia. Allow me to explain; this is going to be a very thorough inspection. We need to make sure you’re in good health, most especially free of respiratory disorders that might be passed on to the children or to Mrs. Hayes, and that there are no signs of any…deviancy.”
Dr. Talbot’s expression was understanding and kind, but the very idea was still so ridiculous to Virginia. Unsure of what to do, she struggled for the words to voice her objections without insulting her aunt’s longtime friend. Something in the way he looked at her, an anticipatory heat she felt in his stare, made her uneasy. She glanced towards Julia but the woman was only watching impassively.
“Perhaps my aunt—I mean, perhaps we should ask her…”
He drew back abruptly, his features instantly more remote.
“Of course. We can summon your aunt directly.”
Slowly, he folded his stethoscope and laid it neatly on the desktop. “I imagine Mr. Hayes will be surprised,” he added, almost to himself.
“Mr. Hayes?” Virginia’s mind immediately went back to the man in the hallway, and the appraising way he had looked at her.
“Well,” Dr. Talbot answered, “he might be surprised when he learns that the young woman meant to take charge of his children is unable to weather a simple medical examination without the presence of her own guardian.”
Virginia hadn’t thought of that; actually the idea of of Mr. Hayes thinking about her hadn’t occurred at all, but she found it thrilling. She wanted him to hear good things about her, and like her. Most of all she wanted the chance to meet him again and feel his eyes on her longer. She looked up at Dr. Talbot but he was already signaling towards Julia.
“No!” she exclaimed quickly.
He turned his eyes back to her, eyebrows raised, and she blushed at her unintentional vehemence.
“There’s no need Dr. Talbot,” she said more calmly.
He smiled slightly and nodded his head at her and she felt relieved by the flash of admiration she saw in his look.
“Perhaps you are more of an adult than I had realized.”
Proud of his assessment she stood taller when Julia approached again to unfasten her dress. Her heart still pounded but she steeled her resolve with visions of her future life. Since returning from school, life at her aunt’s house had begun to chafe more than ever. Here she socialized exclusively with Aunt Matilda’s spinster friends. She knew herself lucky to have at least one relation who truly cared for her, unlike some of her schoolmates, but she was ready to strike out for something bigger.
Still, it cost her something to step out of her dress as it pooled at her feet. It felt unreal. Julia swept it up onto a chair and then began to loosen her stays. When Dr. Talbot turned towards her again with his stethoscope in hand, Virginia’s trembling returned worse than ever.
He reached for the top of her chemise and her hands sprang forward to clutch it closed. He smiled patiently at her reaction. She had no idea how much her unwillingness to disrobe increased his enjoyment.
“Ginnie, my dear, I can’t listen properly to your heart or lungs with your underclothes in the way.”
His reassuring voice assuaged her alarm and she allowed him to move each hand to her side in turn. But when he reached to move her shift away for a second time she couldn’t stop herself from cringing backwards.
“Virginia.” His voice was less patient this time.
“I can’t help it,” she pleaded.
“I know this is the first time you have had a grown woman’s examination,” he said, looking into her eyes, “but your childish reactions are making this unnecessarily difficult, for both of us.”
Virginia felt foolish for not having better control over herself. She reasoned to herself that Julia would speak up if she saw anything wrong happening, and so far the trusted servant had remained silent.
“Shall we end this? If this is too difficult for you…”
Virginia thought about the new life that was only weeks away from starting if she got through this. She would have her own salary, to spend or save as she chose. Every week she’d have an afternoon, or even a whole day, to do as she pleased. She would still be in someone else’s household, but without her aunt’s watchful eye and high expectations.
“No,” she was determined. “Please, let’s continue.”
Pulling her chemise over her head, Virginia thought her heart would burst out of her chest. Surely everyone in the room could hear it thudding. As she uncovered her face she saw Dr. Talbot staring at her with undisguised relish. When his eyes swept any part of her skin she felt as though she had been physically touched there and she became flushed and warm.
Virginia closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping her breathing calm as Dr. Talbot drank in her slim, naked torso. Her breasts were well formed and pleasingly heavy. He smirked in pleasure and looked up at Julia, who gave a lascivious smile in response.
Julia’s friendship with Dr. Talbot extended almost as far back as Matilda’s, brought together by their mutual discovery at a seedy establishment over a decade ago. Both anxious to keep their peculiar interests a secret, they each found an unexpected ally in the other. Dr. Talbot had an easy access to many young women, but he found a female companion invaluable for luring them into the compromising situati
ons that ensured their silence.
Dr. Talbot began by listening to her with his stethoscope, front and back. After his first all-encompassing inspection he barely seemed to look at her. His activities were so businesslike, and Virginia found herself lulled by the pattern, “Breathe in deeply. Hold it. Breathe out again,” and the stethoscope was moved over a few inches.
Her panic subsided and she relaxed into his rhythm until something scratchy poked at her back and she froze, realizing it was Dr. Talbot’s beard. Rather than the stethoscope, he was laying his ear on her skin and listening directly. She squirmed and he grabbed her arms tightly, admonishing her to hold still. The hairs of his beard tickled at her, first on one side of her back, then the other, then up, then down, as she clenched her hands into fists with the effort of holding still.
It was an immense relief when he released her arms and moved to stand in front of her, but that was short-lived as he grasped her arms once again and brought his head to her chest. Virginia tried to pull back but the doctor was much stronger and easily held her in place. His ear mashed into her chest, right between her breasts. Virginia could feel his breath on her nipple, his mouth not even an inch away.
She looked towards Julia, who was standing out of the way by the door, but Julia’s face registered no shock or surprise. Instead she calmly took in the scene, giving Virginia a pleasant smile as the young girl flushed deeper.
When he was done listening to her breathing Dr. Talbot pulled his head back and then looked down at her breasts. Virginia followed his eyes and saw that her nipples had hardened, the nubs brighter than the dusky pink skin surrounding them.
“Are they often like this?” he asked pleasantly, as if they were talking about the weather.
“I…well, I don’t…,” her voice trailed off, confused. She had no idea how to answer him. She knew they didn’t often feel like this, warm and tingling, but she hardly ever thought about her breasts in an ordinary day.
He reached up and cupped a breast with his hand, drawing his hand lightly up towards the nipple. She drew a breath in sharply and stared down at his hand in wonder. The sensation of it dragging across her skin stayed with her for some seconds after he had lifted his hand away. He repeated the action, this time squeezing her breast slightly. She felt a tingling between her legs and shifted her weight uncomfortably. Then he brought both hands up and squeezed both breasts.