“There’s brandy and the usual spirits in the sideboard, help yourself,” Lawrence motioned to the large buffet where his well-stocked bar was located.
“Lola please,” Eric nodded to his girlfriend, “and something expensive, please. I don’t feel much like peasant fare tonight. Rich and warming would serve me well. Lawrence usually keeps the bar filled with the finest, don’t you Uncle?”
Lawrence spent the moment gathering himself. He was obviously disturbed by the unexpected intrusion of four people into his house. Finally, having overcome his surprise, he spoke calmly, “I can’t recall having invited you, Eric. Did it occur to you that you might want to call first, see if it was convenient? I though you were in Mexico?”
“Oh, I’ve been back for months. As for tonight, sorry, guy, I didn’t expect to run into the inclement weather. I planned to show my friends around the old place, maybe take a turn in the dungeons and then leave. But given the horrid conditions out there, this is the spring storm from hell…” he said as an off-handed joke, “…I didn’t think you’d mind putting us up for a night.”
Lawrence smiled faintly as he looked at his new guests. “Well then, perhaps, it would be the polite thing to introduce me to your companions.”
“Oh, how unmannerly of me!” Eric declared. He turned in his chair and waved his two friends forward. “This is Roger and Rose, from New York. They are in the lifestyle scene, real players, though they seemed to have found roots in each other. We hear that a wedding might be forthcoming.” He smiled fatuously at the timid couple, who seemed a little in awe of the effusive Eric and his grand show.
“I’m sorry, sir, if we’ve bothered you,” Roger moved directly forward and shook Lawrence’s hand. He was a straight-laced, stiff upper lip gentleman, nothing remarkable about him except for his impeccable manners. “Perhaps there’s a hotel nearby where we could stay? And yes, this is Rose, my fiancée.” He introduced the slightly plump but pleasing looking redhead on his arm.
She bowed in a submissive manner, making the pecking order in their relationship quite clear.
“Oh, don’t think of it!” Lawrence came right back. “I’m pleased to have you, just a little surprised. You’ll forgive me if my nephew’s zeal occasionally takes me aback.”
“I think I can understand,” replied Roger.
“And you, Miss Rose, how lovely to meet you,” Lawrence managed a gracious smile as he appraised the lovely redhead.
Eric suddenly popped up from his chair and dragged Lola from hers, advancing on the master of the house. “This is Lola, Uncle,” he announced with some panache, “and she’s not my fiancée. But we have great fun together, don’t we?”
“I’m pleased to meet you,” the dark-haired Lola smiled, which seemed to soften the naturally hard expression on her face. To add to the woman’s stern look was short, spiked hair, severe black make-up, and lips painted a vibrant crimson to match her long acrylic nails. She was dressed in black as well, with her svelte body looking as if it had been poured into her tight turtle-neck sweater, slim pants and high-heeled leather boots. A pair of gold hoops dangling from her ears were the only thing to break the monotony of her harsh appearance.
“Have you known my nephew long?” Lawrence asked. He’d finally become the gracious host with a little of his intrinsic charm coming to life.
“Just a few months, but like he said, we’ve been having the time of our lives.”
“And kinky too?”
“Oh, you bet! But there’s no one here going to put either of us in chains, if you know what I mean?”
“I’m sure I do.”
Eric was already distracted from the conversation. He’d broken away from Lola’s grasp and was gazing in Meri’s direction. “So, you going to tell me who this ravishing creature is?” He looked directly at her, his eyes already coveting her beauty with a fond smile. “Another of your submissives, I assume? I hope?”
“She’s not mine at all. This is Meredith.” He hesitated just a second before adding, “Meredith Danvers.”
“Meredith Danvers,” Eric repeated with just a bit of awe. “I believe I’ve heard the Danvers name before.”
“Of course, you’ve heard the Danvers name before, boy, this is Alain Danvers’ wife.”
“Wife? Really? How did the old boy get that lucky?”
Meri blushed, not knowing whether to be flattered or afraid. She also didn’t know what to say, but since he hadn’t actually addressed her, she said nothing. The newcomer was as amazing to her as was her host. She felt strangely titillated by his dynamic personality, but was at the same time wary. She could not quite figure out what was behind his ebullient, good-natured display, or decide if it was entirely sincere. In that way, he was a little like his uncle, but she wasn’t certain the man was as benign as she knew Lawrence Underhill to be.
“And so can I expect to see my old friend here too?” Eric asked.
“Meredith is my houseguest, while Alain is taking care of police business.”
“Ah! He always was a workaholic. But to leave a creature so stunning as this one with Lawrence Underhill,” he paused, “it does set the mind to wondering, doesn’t it?” He laughed as if he’d made a joke, then looked at Priscilla, almost as an afterthought. “And how are you, my dear? Keeping the old man in line?”
Priss bowed her head and blushed self-consciously, something that seemed easy for women to do when overrun by the man’s aggressive manner.
Later in the kitchen, Meri whispered to Priscilla, “You met him before?”
She hesitated then replied. “We know each other yes, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen him. His visit is a surprise. Eric Ravenly here again…as you might guess, he’s quite the player.”
“And he’s so…so…” Meri couldn’t quite put words to her thoughts. The strange feeling of titillation was uncomfortable.
“Charismatic?” Priscilla suggested.
“Yes, charismatic. A Dom, I suppose?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Priss said almost breathlessly, her mind momentarily far away. Remembering perhaps?
Meri stood back and stared at her a moment. “You’ve been with him, haven’t you?”
Priss giggled. “Yes,” she blushed, too. “In fact, he brought me here. It’s how I met Lawrence.”
“Really? So, why aren’t you with him now?”
“Because, Eric Ravenly is still playing the field. He likes too many women to suit me, and for some weird reason when I came here and met Lawrence, all the deciding was over. I knew where I wanted to be and who I wanted to be with. Eric may be quite a force, but, trust me, he was easy to give up, when I had Lawrence to take his place.”
“Well, I have no interest in him,” Meri retorted, “but he does spark things up a bit, doesn’t he?”
“That he does.”
Later that evening, Meri went off to bed to read, although the howling storm made it difficult to concentrate. Except for the wind, all seemed silent inside the house when she tiptoed down the stairs on her way to the kitchen. But then, just as she reached the front vestibule, she heard voices, rather loud voices coming from the library. Lawrence and Eric were quarreling.
Though she could not make out any distinct words, the sounds and the energy coming from the room were ominous, and sent her flying toward the kitchen fast. She wanted to hear no more. All evening long she suspected that there was something about Eric Ravenly’s appearance at Underhill House that disturbed Lawrence. She understood that there were often disputes among families and she wanted no part of it. She was already disturbed enough that she’d been unable to get through to Alain on his cell phone. The storm was playing havoc with more than just her mind. And now this.
In the morning, Meri woke to find the house in disarray. At first, she thought it was the new guests disturbing the normal order in the house. She soon discovered that the storm had reeked more havoc than she first believed. Mick Dawson reported to the household while they were gathered in the dining room for a
breakfast of cold cereal, that the power had gone out in the night. The generator would only be able to power the essential needs. They’d stoke up the fireplaces for heat and use candles for light. The refrigerator was already hooked to the generator as was Lawrence’s respirator – which apparently he needed. Priscilla announced that he’d fallen ill during the night and needed bed rest. No one was to disturb him.
“Well, I should still go see him,” Eric jumped in right away.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Priscilla determinedly held him off. “He’s sleeping peacefully now.”
“I promise, Priss, I will be the picture of low-key decorum.”
“Well, maybe when he wakes up. Just don’t wear him out, Eric. Please.”
Eric seemed to have adopted a more formal persona than he’d displayed the previous night. His jovial good cheer had lasted well into the evening. But Meri wondered if the argument she heard in the library after the rest of the house was in bed had anything to do with Lawrence’s sudden illness, or the change in Eric’s mood.
Eric was not the only one to have a personality shift overnight. The submissive Priscilla’s behavior was far more authoritative than Meri had seen it since she’d been at Underhill House. And with that shift, she’d imparted to Meri a subtle message about when to be submissive, and when it might be necessary for a lifestyle sub to be more assertive in their behavior. Thinking that it might be useful, Meri tucked this information away as a wise reminder. She intended to keep to herself and let the household adjust as it would to the circumstances resulting from the storm. It was a mature idea for a young woman who normally looked to others for guidance. A sound plan, she thought. Unfortunately, it was doomed to fail when she was unable to raise her husband on her cell phone.
She sought out Priscilla first, learning that she was staying with Lawrence in his room and she had no desire to disturb her. She finally located Lola in the library reading a book, while Rose and Roger were playing Scrabble. They all looked up when Meri entered the room.
“You look awful!” Lola declared. “C’mon, there’s no reason to get upset. We can’t do a damn thing but wait out this miserable storm.”
“I was hoping to call my husband.”
“I’d give that up. That caretaker fellow returned to the house a few minutes ago announcing that the cell phone tower is down and that bridge connecting us to the mainland has washed out. We’re like ten little Indians stranded in this spooky house.”
Meri unwittingly stepped back as if some powerful force had just pushed her in the chest. She thought a moment, then said, “Except that there are only nine of us – if you count Mr. Dawson.”
“Hum. Right you are,” Lola said with a hard smile. Her gaze seemed to envelope the younger woman for a moment, and in that moment, her eyes appeared to soften, which was another of many things that had made Meri uneasy. “Well, regardless,” Lola went on, “you might as well park your behind in here where it’s warm and hang out with us. I promise, we won’t bite.” She patted the seat beside her.
“Yes, thank you,” Meri said. “I’ve been reading a book. I think it’s over here—” She moved to the bookcase and found the novel she’d been reading. She was nearly halfway through. Earlier, she’d tried to paint, but was too restless and the weather too erratic for her muse to engage. “So, where’s Eric?” she asked, as she took a seat in a chair by the fire, deliberately putting as much distance between herself and the rest of the houseguests.
“He just went in to see Lawrence. That Priscilla is like an armed guard. You’d think the old man was deathly ill.”
“So, you don’t know how he’s doing?” Meri asked.
“No report yet,” she replied.
“I certainly hope he’s alright, since it seems we’re stranded here.”
“Things could be worse,” Lola pointed out. “We could be without firewood, or food, or a good stiff drink. But it looks like the larder in this old heap is full, so we can make do for as long as it takes for a rescue. Besides, think of how much ambience these oil lamps will add to the dungeons.” The malevolent spark in her dark eyes made Meri shudder.
Meri couldn’t for the life of her think of the dungeons or sex at a time like this. However, a half hour later, when Eric Ravenly appeared at the library door with a guarded smile on his ruggedly handsome face, her body quickened strangely. This was not something she wished to feel, so she set that wicked sensation aside, hoping that nothing in her behavior communicated an inappropriate attraction for the man.
Nelle had followed closely at Eric’s heels, which meant that the entire household, except for Lawrence and Priscilla were gathered in the library. It was an occasion that Eric did not let go to waste; in fact, he seemed to have a speech all prepared soon as he viewed the familiar faces.
“Well, friends, it looks like we’ll be hanging out here until the storm wears itself out and that cell phone tower is repaired. At the moment we have no way to get through to the mainland. But, we’ll make the best of it. I have been able to speak with my uncle, if only briefly. He’s made it quite clear that we’re to carry on without him.
“Since he’s now unavailable and since I am as much a master in this house as he is, I’ll be taking charge. During tense times, I think it’s important to keep a strict decorum. We’re all familiar with the protocols of the BDSM lifestyle, we’ll just continue with what we are familiar with. There is certainly no reason that we cannot implement a similar protocol to the one that my uncle most recently employed. We have a trainee here. I think Nelle’s training should continue uninterrupted, and we have a submissive houseguest in Meredith Danvers, who has been under Lawrence’s guidance and protection in the absence of her husband. That too does not need to change.” He looked directly at Meri. “Mrs. Danvers, you’ll simply defer to me rather than to Lawrence.”
The more the man spoke the more nervous Meri had become, until the moment he made this last announcement when she suddenly blurted out.
“Wait! I don’t see why we need to follow any protocol at all. We’re all adults, even the submissive ones here. I say we just suspend the usual routine. Certainly we can get along as equals until Lawrence is well again…or we’re rescued.”
All eyes in the room were instantly on her, Eric’s in particular narrowed on Meri with enough intensity to make her shrink back in fright.
“Mrs. Danvers, my uncle has already placed me in charge with the hope that his house will run as smoothly as it normally does. The decision has been made, so you’ll just need to put your personal feelings aside, as a good submissive would, and give up control to me.”
Something gnawed angrily in her belly on hearing the man’s bold speech. But compelling as it was, she could not stop herself from arguing once again.
“I understand how you feel,” she stated calmly, “but I have no reason to believe that my husband would authorize this move.”
“No?”
“No, sir. I’d rather opt out of your game and simply keep to myself. I won’t make trouble if you’re worried about that.”
“Is that so?” He cocked his head and smiled, rather wickedly Meri thought. Damn! That cocky smile, that rude self-assurance. She hated the way they made her body stir. She was a sucker for ‘Dom-talking’ men with haughty attitudes and this man was no different. In fact he was worse than most in eliciting an erotic response from her.
“Well, I think differently, Mrs. Danvers,” he came back, prepared not to budge. “I’d like for you to tell me the rules for your tenure in this house.”
“I-I’m not sure I wish to do that—”
As if on cue, the library door suddenly creaked open and Priscilla slipped in behind Eric. She moved around him to join in the scene.
“Priss, dear, exactly who I wanted to see,” Eric turned to her.
“I can only stay a minute,” she said. “I hate leaving the master alone.”
“Of course, you have your duties. But while you’re here I could use a few detail
s clarified.”
“And what would that be about?” She seemed as suspicious of the man as Meri was, probably with good reason.
“First, with your uncle’s authorization, I’m taking charge here, and like troupers, we’ll continue with Lawrence’s plans, which include his plans for these two young women.” He referred to Meri and Nelle. “The only one I’ll exempt is you, since you need to take care of your master.”
The lights suddenly went on in Priscilla’s mind, and she looked at Meri briefly. “So what is it you want to know?”
“I basically know the routine with Nelle, I’ve seen my uncle train females enough to know what he’d do.” He smiled at the shivering young woman, but then turned his attention on Meri. “What I don’t know is the arrangement he had with Alain Danvers for his wife. And Mrs. Danvers seems reluctant to say.”
Priscilla hesitated, but only briefly. She made her mind up fast. “I can’t tell you how Mr. Danvers would feel about your taking charge of Meri since I don’t know him all that well, but he did want Meri to be subordinate to Lawrence, just as I am to him. She was to wear the chastity belt all night and during part of the day, whatever Lawrence decided was right. The point was that she was not to come without permission, especially by her own hand. Lawrence had the right to bring her off, to punish her if he thought it fit and to have her take part in the normal business of the day, chores, serving, that sort of thing, as well as any scenes in the dungeon. She was with us twice when Lawrence wanted to play. She was not a slave, however. Except for her few chores, she’s free to do as she pleases with the rest of her time.”
“I see. And sex?” Eric asked.
“I’m not sure what rules were in place about sex, but I do know that Lawrence would not have had intercourse with her. He would have considered that inappropriate. I do know that Meri was to speak with her husband every day and she did so until we lost phone contact. I think Mr. Danvers was still very much in charge of her. I know nothing other than that, except that Meri has been a very pleasant and cooperative houseguest. I can’t imagine her balking at your suggestions without a good reason.”
Honeymoon In Bondage Page 18