by River Belle
My bedroom was equally impressive, with floor-to-ceiling windows and another valley view. I saw people walking through the countryside, exploring the area’s natural beauty. There was one area, a few acres directly in front of the house, which was completely devoid of ramblers.
Albert came up behind and saw that I was looking at the deserted stretch of land.
‘Ah, that’s the private garden, madame Clara, owned by your father. If you get tired of being surrounded by all of those other people, we can go there to spend some time alone.’
I turned round and had to stop myself from staring straight into his eyes. I’d never seen anyone quite like him before, and as I stared I was taken over by a fantasy so vivid, I had to work hard to get out of it. I imagined his body underneath those clothes, sculpted and hard, pushing down on me, pinning me to the ground. I imagined his arms, holding me hard as his head kissed my body, my breasts, my thighs. He was an animal, licking and sucking and penetrating me ‘til my body was pure pleasure. All of the thoughts I’d had about sex before had been about boys, young men who I’d known at school, and who’d occasionally inappropriately propositioned me. This was a full-on erotic dream about a man, a man who I was so close to I could touch, who I could smell. It was so wrong! So dreadfully, dreadfully wicked of me to think in this way.
‘The garden looks lovely,’ I said, feeling sure that I was starting to blush. I gulped heavily and put my bag down.
‘I’ll leave you to unpack. When you’ve finished, come to the dining room, if it pleases you. I will have some dinner ready for you.’
With a little bow, he turned and left the room. I breathed heavily. How was I meant to be around him all the time without going berserk with lust. I felt as though I was already aroused, and sure enough, my kitty was wet in my undergarments. I couldn’t believe it - nno man had ever made me feel quite like this before! Maybe this is what my father meant by becoming a woman. I calmly set up about unpacking all of my clothes and other belongings into the wardrobe, before putting my toiletries away in the bathroom. The smell of delicious food wafted into the room as the sun dipped behind the curves of the hill.
I decided to get changed and took my travelling outfit off, a simple garment of cream Italian silk, laying it out neatly on the bed. But I must confess my maidenhood was still wet and now felt as though it was throbbing. I started to think about Albert, in the other room. I imagined him working up a sweat over the stove, taking his shirt off, just standing there in an apron, stirring with those huge arms of his. I imagined him leaning over me, body hard and pushing up against the fabric of his clothes, tantalizingly close to my face. I sat down on the bed, and started to stroke the lips of my slit, as I’d only done a few times before, closing my eyes and letting the pleasure of my fantasy take over.
Suddenly, to my utter horror, the door opened wide and Albert was there.
‘Oh, I forgot…’ he started to say, before seeing what I was doing. I covered myself with my hands and gasped out, in a strangled voice, ‘I’m so sorry!’
He turned a bright shade of red, and hurried out of the room.
My life was over! The butler had caught me giving myself pleasure, and now I was going to have to spend two months with him. This was going to be the most awkward two months of my life. Was there anything that could possibly be worse?
‘Madame,’ I heard Albert calmly say from behind the door, ‘if you’ve quite finished, food is ready. Please, don’t be ashamed. It would be much more simple for both of us if we could pretend this never happened and merely start over again.’
‘I’m so awfully sorry, Albert, I truly thought the door was locked,’ I said, in as apologetic a tone as I could manage.
‘Don’t worry madame. Please, let’s not mention it again. I’ve seen much worse, more shocking things in my time. Now, dinner is ready and waiting.’
Chapter 12
Dinner was utterly scrumptious. A starter of rich, creamy carrot soup, with roasted partridge and parsnips for the main course. But the thing that made it absolutely fantastic, was that Albert had poured me a glass of wine to enjoy with it. Now I didn’t normally drink of course, my father frowned on it in the house, saying that temperance and abstinence were the foundation of a good life. Having said that, I had tried alcohol before, and Betty, my servant, had even let me try a beer once!
My father had always told me that beer was unladylike, and to be honest, I had agreed with him. I hadn’t much cared for the bitter, metallic flavour of the particular brew I’d sampled. Maybe he’d arranged for me to try this wine, it would sort of make sense in a peculiar way, if he was trying to get me to grow up!
I’d never tasted anything like this wine. It was rich and deep, with an almost vanilla like quality, and a spicy after-taste that went perfectly with the food. I sat at the table, looking out to sea, with the windows open wide, listening to the nightingales warble and the owls start to hoot. I lifted the blood-red drink to my lips and drank in huge gulps, savouring the delicious flavor of the wine. This is the life, I thought.
After dinner, Albert brought me a tray of the softest, sweetest little cakes I’d ever eaten. I savoured each bite, and tried to look hungry at Albert, licking the frosting from the top of each one before eating it. I wanted him to see me as the sensual young woman I felt as though I was becoming. Maybe this is why my papa had sent me here. Solitude, and the good life. Albert came in and out of the room with an almost magical regularity. It was as if he knew exactly when I’d need my glass refilling, or when I’d be on to the next course.
Soon, the wine had taken quite a strong effect on me, and I felt a freewheeling, relaxed mood take hold of me. I suddenly felt full of courage and excitement for what life had in store for me.
‘Albert,’ I slurred, ‘come in here a minute, please.’
Dutifully, my handsome butler re-entered the room.
‘Sit down with me a minute,’ I said, feeling seductive and womanly.
He sat at the table, and looked at me with a stern expression.
‘Albert, I’m so sorry about before, I was just excited, and you’re so sexy Albert.’
He looked extremely unimpressed.
‘Hmm. Seems your father was right when he said that you act in quite a childish way, madame Clara,’ he said, taking my wine glass away from me, ‘seems like baby can’t handle her wine at all, can she?’
Wait, had Albert just called me a baby? How dare he? He was help! I was a wealthy heiress! I was incensed. I opened my mouth, ready to drunkenly tell him off, but the only sound that came out of me was a sort of gurgling laugh.
‘Oh, so you think that’s funny, do you baby?’ he said. He got up and came round to me, before hooking his arms underneath my shoulders. ‘Well, seems like baby’s going to be going to bed early tonight, without any desert at all. No tart for baby.’
With huge strength, Albert hoisted me up and started to pull me into the room. I shrugged him off, saying, ‘I can do it myself.’
I couldn’t though. With a bump, I fell down onto the floor and started to crawl along behind him, laughing. He grabbed me, and pulled me through the house, before hoisting me up to my bed.
‘Now, you’re to go to sleep now, no dirty masturbating before you sleep. We’re going to have a talk about this in the morning young lady.’
With that, he turned around and left the room.
Confused and irritated, I drunkenly dozed off. My sleep was full of dreams.
Chapter 13
When I woke, I was aware of a few things. Firstly, my head was absolutely pounding. As I slowly dragged myself back into consciousness, heaving myself up so that I was sitting in the bed, I felt the blood pounding around my skull, causing a dull agony with every beat. How much had I drunk last night? I suppose that this was what adults called a hangover! My mouth was dry and tasty awful, like dust and dirt. Yuck! I tried to remember exactly what had happened.
Waking up in a strange room is a distractin
g, unnerving experience. I think that the fact that I didn’t recognise the ceiling and the view from my large windows was the reason that I hadn’t yet noticed the creeping, freezing wet sensation that surrounded my entire body. I feared for the worst, and as I pulled myself off the bed, goose-pimples playing over my body, I tugged at the blankets. Sure enough, the bed was sodden. I’d relieved myself in the night.
Now I began to remember the nightmare I’d had last night, the chase through the hedge maze, the woman’s voice. Just like every other time. What had happened last night? Why had I gotten so drunk?
Just then, at the worst possible time, I heard a fastidious rap at the door of the bedroom.
Oh lord, it must be Albert!
‘Just a moment!’ I stammered out, my anxious tone was totally transparent.
‘Is everything alright in there? It’s very late, madame Clara. Breakfast has already been ready for half an hour!’
‘It’s fine, everything’s absolutely perfect in here!’ I replied, trying to think what I was going to do. There was no way that I could take all of the bed sheets off without Albert knowing, was there? I didn’t even know where fresh sheets were kept, and the quilt would have to be washed anyway! It wasn’t just the sheets that were soaked, rats and double rats!
‘I’m going to come in, madame, I need to make sure that everything is alright in there. It’s my professional duty, and I must fulfil it. Please make sure that you are decent this time madame.’
He was going to find out. This was the worst morning of my life, after one of the most embarrassing evenings I’d ever had. With a feeling of grim acceptance, I gathered my clothes and hastily slipped into them. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. Any chance I’d had (and it’d been minuscule already) of seducing the butler was fast disappearing.
Rather than wait for him to open the door, I decided to take fate into my hands, and let him in. Maybe if I explained the situation to him, he’d understand.
I pulled the handle and said, ‘Albert, I’ve had a bit of an accident.’
He was standing there in the same outfit as yesterday, with his hands on his hips. Today, though, he didn’t have his tie on, and his shirt was undone a few buttons, letting me get a good look at the curve of his sculpted chest. What a man!
‘What do you mean by an accident, young lady?’
He pushed past me and looked straight at the tell-tale light yellow stain on the otherwise immaculately white bed sheets. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.
‘Ah, I see,’ he said, ‘well, baby obviously can’t handle her wine. No more for you from now on. How naughty to make such a mess for your butler to clean up. Hmm. Well, I can see that I will need to make some special arrangements for you. You better go and eat your breakfast.’
He looked at me with burning intensity.
‘Albert has some work to do.’
Chapter 14
All things considered, it had gone pretty well with Albert this morning. Although I was a little confused by what he’d said about special arrangements, it was good that he’d not really gotten that angry. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that he’d been expecting something like this to happen. Like he’d just taken it in his stride.
Breakfast was delicious; fresh coffee, French croissants and delicious jams and preserves. I’d looked out of the windows to the bright countryside view, and felt slowly more human. The hangover was dissipating fast! Albert bustled in and out of the room, moving cutlery and crockery around, and didn’t mention my little accident again. Maybe I’d got away with it! I couldn’t believe my luck. After I’d finished eating, Albert brought me a little envelope with my name on it, in my father’s handwriting. Interesting.
I opened the letter and started to read:
Dear Clara,
I hope that you are settling in well to the summer house. I’m writing to tell you a little of what I expect you to do during the summer. You are not just here for a holiday, that’s for sure.
Growing up, you’ve had an easy life. I always made sure that you never wanted for everything, and in truth, I’ve probably spoilt you a little bit. Well, it’s time for you to become a woman. You need to sort out your bed-wetting problem, once and for all. I’ve known about it for quite some time.
Albert is the best in the business. He’ll look after you, and make sure that by the time your summer is over, you’ll never wet the bed again.
With love,
Your father.
I couldn’t believe it! This whole thing had been a ruse. Not only had my father warned Albert about my problem, the only reason that he was here was so that he could cure me of it! This was outrageous. Why couldn’t papa have just been honest with me from the start. I know that I needed to solve this problem, but was this really the best way to deal with it: lies and deceit?
I was furious, and felt suddenly trapped and tricked. Albert came into the dining room and saw that I had been reading the letter.
‘Is everything alright, Madame Clara?’
I couldn’t believe how calm and normal he was being.
‘No! Everything is not alright! I can’t believe that you’ve been plotting with my father against me, you beast! Why couldn’t you be honest about what was going on here?’
Albert didn’t look particularly bothered by my outburst, in fact, once more, he looked as though he’d been expecting something almost exactly like this.
‘Madame Clara, there is no need to be upset at all. Your father and I, we want to help you, not to trick you!’
‘Surely you must understand how embarrassing this is for me?’ I pleaded. I felt the hot, humiliating prick of tears starting to form at the corners of my eyes. ‘Don’t you understand how ashamed of myself I am?’
‘Of course I do!’ said Albert, ‘but you have nothing to be ashamed of.’ As I held back the tears, I noticed for the first time that Albert had been holding something behind his back ever since he came into the dining area this last time. ‘I know exactly how we can solve your problem, Madame Clara.’
‘How?’ I said.
‘With these,’ Albert said. He brought his hands round to his front. He was holding what appeared to be a large, white, folded piece of fabric. It was thick and looked extremely soft and pliable. What on earth…
Then, he slowly unfolded the fabric and I knew exactly what he was holding. It was a huge nappy, large enough for an adult to wear. Large enough for me to wear.
A cold, desperate horror crept over me, and I did the only thing which I could bring myself to do. I grabbed my purse, and got out of the house. I started walking to town. Somewhere, behind me, I heard Albert calling after me. I ignored him.
Chapter 15
I hadn’t had anything in mind, when I’d first left the house that morning, other than to get away from Albert, and to get away from my father’s letter. I was a woman, a fully-grown adult, and I was not going to be forced to wear damned adult-sized nappys. Not a chance in hell. I had some dignity, even if I had wet the bed a few more times than was normal for someone of my age. I’d be moving away from home this year, I’d need to be earning my own money. I was an adult, and that was that.
I decided that I was going to do exactly what someone my age should be doing on a holiday in Bath in the summer. I was going to take the waters, and then I was going to go to a tavern, and get drunk with young men.
The town was truly a magical place. Pultney street itself was a marvel, wide and open, and full of young men and women, finely dressed, promenading up and down the place. At th end of Pultney street was Laura place, which had a huge, burbling fountain in its centre. Well-to-do groups of young people alighted their carriages and walked into the heart of the town, fans in hand, and smoking pipes. I made my way through the town, and found the ancient Roman Baths and the pump rooms, in the shadow of the huge Abbey. I’d read so much about the pump rooms in particular. This was where, in the evenings, hostesses and debutants wou
ld mingle with eligible young bachelors. Women would be bought and sold, fortunes made and lost. I felt as though I was at the centre of all of God’s creation.
Taking the water was not as pleasant as I’d hoped! I entered the Roman Baths, and queued with the other holiday-makers to get a taste of that ancient spa water. It tasted revolting! Like mud and sulphur. Yuck! But, if doctors are to be believed, it is extremely healthy to drink this water, which has been filtered through the rocks of this old place for goodness-knows how many years.
After I’d spent a few blissful hours looking around the town, I decided that it was about time to move into a tavern. I found a little place not to far from the centre, named the Couer De Lion, and sat out in the fast-shading terrace with a large goblet of wine in my hand. The feeling of the cold liquid pouring down my throat was heavenly after the tiring, wholesome sensation of the sun and exercise on my body. I felt the wine start to take effect, and I looked around the bar.