The Adventures of Clarissa Hardy

by Chloe Gillis

  “Well, I would like to think your assessment of me is correct! I love new experiences.” She felt a sudden pang as she recalled her most recent tryst with Roger Downs. She would certainly miss those adventures! “I am very eager to see England and to see my cousin, whom I have never met. I hope they are nice people!”

  “I am sure you will find them lovely. A wedding in the English countryside. At the family estate, no less! Why, it will be fabulous!”

  Their breakfast passed jovially. Eleanora was very entertaining, telling Clarissa stories of her trips to Egypt and the Orient and the fascinating things she had seen.

  After breakfast, as they were exiting the dining room, Eleanora said, “I must meet my brother and sister-in-law now. It was wonderful having breakfast with you. Enjoy your day, my dear.” She leaned forward and gave Clarissa a soft peck on the cheek. Then she turned to leave. Clarissa decided to explore in the other direction and set out to stroll the decks. Suddenly, she heard Eleanora calling.

  “I say, Clarissa, would you like to meet me in my cabin for this afternoon’s tea? My friends will be otherwise occupied and so I have the afternoon alone. I don’t enjoy being alone. What do you say?”

  “Why not?” Clarissa called back.

  “Wonderful! I will send my steward to fetch you at four o’clock!”

  After an invigorating walk around the massive vessel, Clarissa returned to her room to catch up on her correspondence. Of course, she wrote to her mother and father first, then a rather long one to Bonnie. She followed her letter writing with a lengthy entry into her diary, trying to leave no detail unrecorded. She would want to look back on this voyage throughout the years.

  Clarissa was so engrossed in her activity, she started when there was a knock at her door. A male voice called, “Mr. Simon, miss, here to escort you to Mrs. Harriman’s cabin.”

  Clarissa jumped up. The time had flown by! Quickly, she looked in the mirror, smoothed her hair, and reapplied her lipstick. She checked her little clutch to make sure her cigarettes and holder were there and went to follow the steward to Eleanora’s stateroom.

  When they arrived, the steward opened the door and motioned Clarissa inside. Then he closed the door behind her. She stood, expecting to see Eleanora. She looked around the room. It was a beautiful sitting room with lovely white upholstered furniture and plush carpeting. A low, gilt table had been set for tea, with two cups and a three-tiered stand overflowing with tiny sandwiches and other sweet mouthfuls.

  Clarissa, having skipped lunch, was delighted. She called out, “Eleanora?”

  There were two doors off this main sitting room. Clarissa felt a little envious. Even though her own cabin was first class, it was not this large or elaborate. It must pay to be the captain’s sister, thought Clarissa.

  Suddenly, one of the doors opened and Eleanora came into the room. She was dressed in flowing white silk slacks and a long, silk jacket of Oriental design.

  “Oh, my dear Clarissa! Come in! Come in!” She sat on the sofa and patted the cushions beside her. “Sit here and we will have our tea! I have just come from my bath, so you must excuse my dishabille!”

  Clarissa sat as she was invited. Eleanora poured her a cup of tea and set a tiny plate of goodies on the table in front of her.

  “Well, this is indeed relaxing. I must say, it always takes a period of time to adjust to travel, no matter how eager one is to get somewhere.”

  “Are you stopping in England for a stay or will you sail straight on to Greece?”

  “Oh, I will change my vessel and go straight on to the Mediterranean islands off Greece. I am so very eager to explore that region.”

  “What do you hope to see there?” asked Clarissa, sipping her tea.

  “Oh, there is so, so much to see! The ancient Greeks, as you know, were a particularly civilized culture. I am especially interested in their social and familial lives. They were a very tolerant bunch, really, eating, drinking, playing games—in the nude, no less—and loving whomever they chose! I thought I might visit some of the places these people frequented, like the Island of Lesbos. Are you familiar with the poet Sappho, dear?”

  “No, no, I don’t think so.”

  “Well, I shall tell you about her. At least what I have been told about her. She was a wonderful poet, very admired in her day as well as now. The special thing about Sappho was that she loved both men and women.”

  “Don’t we all?”

  Eleanora tipped back her head and laughed. “Oh, no, dear. I mean, Sappho loved both men and women physically.” Clarissa stared at her, quite blankly. Eleanora’s face became serious. “I must ask you a question, dear. A personal question.”

  “Of course.”

  “Fine. Have you ever had relations with a man? Physical relations?”

  Clarissa colored deeply. “Well, um, yes. Yes, I have.” Suddenly, it felt very liberating to tell somebody. “Yes, I have,” she repeated. “On more than one occasion. Although, to be perfectly frank, you are the first person to know!” She found herself giggling softly. As it turned out, Eleanora was very interesting. Perhaps she would tell Clarissa of her own adventures. She, after all, had been married.

  “Did you enjoy it?”

  “Oh, yes! It was jolly fun!”

  “Thank goodness! I am glad to hear it. I knew you were one for a good time! Now, as I was telling you, the Greeks often had relations with people of their own sex. Men with men, women with women. Whomever took their fancy. They enjoyed each other without reservation, loving whomever they would.”

  Clarissa turned this over in her mind. It had never occurred to her. “How curious! I cannot quite picture it! I mean, if I may speak openly, where does one man…how do two men…how do they join?”

  Eleanora laughed again. “That is something I can tell you, if you would like to know. Right now, I want to tell you about a technique that was practiced by the Greeks, as it has been in all great cultures. The art of massage!”

  “Oh, I know massage.”

  “Have you had an Oriental massage?”

  “Oh, no. Our athletic trainer at school would simply rub our backs and shoulders after a vigorous game of tennis or softball.”

  “Well, then I have a proposition for you. I have recently learned Oriental massage from a wonderful woman I met on my trip to the Orient. I wonder if I might practice on you. It imparts the most amazing relaxation on the body, making it stronger and fitter than ever, removing every stress! Will you agree to it?”

  Clarissa had always enjoyed the back rubs from the athletic trainer at school. “Why not! I’m always game for something new.”

  “Wonderful girl!” Eleanora exclaimed as she rose from the couch. “Now, I shall fetch you a silk robe. Go into the bathroom, undress, and put on the robe. I shall unroll my massage mat on the floor. It is a silken mat stuffed with cotton. Most comfortable and expressly designed to impart relaxation. It is infused with the essential oils of lavender to help in the process.”

  Clarissa took the beautiful robe that Eleanora held out to her and went into the bath. She was not a particularly modest girl and had never been uncomfortable dressing and undressing in front of the rest of the team, as some of the other girls had been. They were all girls, after all.

  When she re-entered the sitting room, the drapes had been drawn, dimming the light. Eleanora knelt on the white silk mat and bade Clarissa to lie down. “On your front,” she said. “I shall work on your back first, then come round to the front.”

  At the first touch of Eleanora’s hands, Clarissa could feel the tension leaving her body. The older woman’s fingers were strong and sure, and the soft kneading and pulling on her shoulders and back felt amazingly good. Clarissa had always loved to be touched.

  “Ah. I feel you giving in,” said Eleanora softly. “Very good. Just go with it.”

  Slowly, she worked her way down Clarissa’s back to just above her buttocks. Here she concentrated her efforts. Something about the pressure there made Clarissa’s
legs relax and they parted slightly. Now, Eleanora’s hands were skimming lightly over her buttocks in a circular motion. She began to squeeze them softly. Clarissa had never felt quite so peaceful. The feeling was unexpected and very pleasurable. Eleanora’s hands proceeded down each leg, right to the foot.

  “Such lovely little feet,” she said, rubbing each one gently. “Now, my dear, I don’t want to alarm you, but I will roll up your robe. I need skin to skin contact on your buttocks to rub you with warm oils.”

  Clarissa did not object. Eleanora effortlessly raised the robe, and Clarissa’s bare behind was exposed. The next thing she felt was the warm oil, then the gentle massaging continued.

  “There is much tension residing in the buttocks,” explained Eleanora patiently. She spread Clarissa’s bottom, her fingertips tracing the valley between them, stopping short of the tight little sphincter. Clarissa let out a deep sigh and opened her legs ever so slightly.

  “Ah, that’s a good girl,” whispered Eleanora. “Are you surprised by the feeling?”

  Clarissa was surprised, but enjoying herself too much to give it serious thought. “Well, it certainly is relaxing,” she answered.

  “I think you are ready to turn over. Here, I will assist you.”

  Eleanor rolled her over and opened the silk robe, exposing Clarissa completely. “A lovely body, a lovely body,” said Eleanora, pouring more oil upon Clarissa. Her hands began again the deep rubbing and kneading motion across Clarissa’s breasts, circling her nipples, down her belly. “I will do your thighs next,” said Eleanora. “Please bring up your knees and spread your legs slightly, feet on the mat.”

  Clarissa hesitated for an instant, but Eleanora reached out and drew up her knees, prying them gently apart. She rubbed and massaged them until Clarissa thought her legs had turned to rubber. Then, before she knew it, Eleanora’s fingers were massaging the insides of her thighs on both sides of her most private places.

  “What do you call it?” asked Eleanora.

  “Call what?”

  “This.” Eleanora touched her cunt with a lightest touch of a fingertip.

  “I call it my cunt.”

  “Fair enough,” said Eleanora. “I call it a similar thing. A cunny. Or a twat.”

  While she was talking, she continued to stroke Clarissa on both sides, squeezing harder and harder. Clarissa found herself aching to be touched on her cunt. In her cunt. She could feel the wetness growing within her. As if in answer to her desires, Eleanora gently parted the outer lips of her cunt and dripped some of the fantastic warm oil between them. Clarissa felt it ooze down within her.

  “I am going to rub your cunt. Do you like it?” She rubbed Clarissa with a gentle pressure.

  Clarissa indeed liked it and said so.

  “I will insert my finger into you.” Slowly, she entered Clarissa, who moaned in ecstasy. “You like that feeling. You see, a woman knows what another woman wants. There is no hurry, no roughness, as with a man. It is a different, most enjoyable experience.” She began to move her finger in and out of Clarissa, then squeezed her now rigid clit between her thumb and forefinger. Clarissa groaned again. Eleanora’s hand moved farther down, caressing Clarissa’s anus.

  “Oh, you have a tight little bung hole, too,” laughed the older woman. “All the parts of your body are connected. Relaxation in every part is paramount to total rest.” She placed her fingertip directly on Clarissa’s nether hole and pushed gently. It felt divine.

  Suddenly, Clarissa felt Eleanora draw back. She raised her head and looked up. “Are-are we done?” Clarissa did not feel that they were done.

  Eleanor laughed. “Oh, no! Not in the least, my girl. Here, I have something to show you.” The older woman rose and disappeared into the bedroom. When she returned, she held something in her hand.

  “What is it?” asked Clarissa, her curiosity getting the better of her.

  Eleanor settled on her knees beside Clarissa and held the object out in her hands. It was a long, smooth cylinder with a handle attached.

  “Oh, oh,” cried Clarissa, sitting up. “I have seen one before! Yes, when I was a student. When I was cleaning the headmistress’s office! What is it?”

  “Well, we find that the headmistress was more of a woman than we assumed!” chuckled Eleanora. “This, my dear, is a cock, of sorts. Yes. It is rather like having the pleasure of a man without the bother of the attached man! Now lie back and let me demonstrate.”

  Clarissa lay back on the massage mat. “Open your lovely thighs for me,” whispered Eleanora.

  Clarissa spread her legs. Eleanora opened the outer lips of Clarissa’s cunt and dripped the warm oil between them. She massaged Clarissa’s clit until Clarissa began to gyrate with heightened desire.

  “Now, here I introduce you to a new folly!” said Eleanora. With that, she deftly slipped the cylinder into Clarissa and began to pump it slowly in and out, all the while fondling Clarissa’s taut clit between her thumb and forefinger. Clarissa groaned. Her gyrations grew more frantic as she lusted after her desire to climax. Eleanor did not stop fucking her with the cylinder. Instead, she let go Clarissa’s clit and bent her lips to it, sucking and pulling at it. At the same time, she slipped her well-oiled finger into Clarissa’s “bung hole,” as she had referred to it. Clarissa’s body jerked with the new found sensation. There was nothing she could do. Giving herself over to her physical passion, Clarissa was swept away by her climax, as it washed over her in relentless waves and left her panting in warm fulfillment.

  Clarissa’s liaison with Eleanora certainly gave a new spin to her transatlantic crossing. Instead of wasting her time looking for attractive young men to squire her to and from dinners and dances, or sitting in a deck chair reading an abysmally boring book, or worse yet, the newspapers, she had stumbled upon a lively and intelligent friend, from whom she was learning much about many things. She found herself every night at Captain Windham’s table, which was always exciting, because there were new guests each night. Sometimes there were handsome men, and Clarissa did take a couple of walks around the deck with one or two, but she found her relationship with Eleanora fascinating and quite enlightening.

  In Eleanora, Clarissa had a friend who willingly taught her about all manner of things, from the location of all her erogenous zones, to how to make a man or a woman, wild with desire for her, to the very practical matter of how to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. Eleanor fearlessly answered any question Clarissa had, told her amazing stories, and listened to Clarissa with interest when she herself had something to say.

  Three days into their voyage, with only two to go until they reached England, Eleanora and Clarissa were walking on the deck after dinner, having elected not to go to the dance. The night was quite balmy and they stood for a while, leaning on the rail, to watch the sun set.

  “I say,” began Eleanora, “we don’t have too much longer together. Of course, a friend made is a friend forever, and we will always write.”

  “Indeed,” murmured Clarissa, “I shall miss you, Eleanora, but we will keep a correspondence. You must go on where your fancies lead you. Explore Greece. Revisit your Oriental friend. You never know, she may have more playthings!”

  Eleanora laughed at this. “You are so jolly, Clarissa! And you are right. Our paths must go their separate ways, but there is one more facet of our physicality in which I would like to tutor you.”

  Clarissa chuckled. “What could that possibly be? I reckon you have tutored me in nearly every aspect of man and woman!”

  “Let us retire to my cabin and I will show you.”

  When they had reached the cabin, Eleanora poured them each a snifter of fine sherry. They lit their cigarettes and sat on the white couch.

  “Let me begin with a little explanation,” said Eleanora. “I do not limit myself to men or women. I do not prefer one over another. I truly believe we love whom we love. At least that is the way it is for me. I was married to a man I adored, but since his passing, I have experienced other avenues of
physical pleasure, with both men and women, sometimes both at the same time.”

  Clarissa’s hand flew to her mouth. There was always a surprise to Eleanora! “No! Really! You are making fun!”

  “I am telling you the truth,” went on Eleanora. “When the opportunity for pleasure arises, I feel one should take every advantage of it, as far as one is comfortable. Which is why we find ourselves together here. I am pleased with your obvious passion for such activities, but thus far, I have been the one who has been, well, the dominant actor, the initiator, if you will. Oh, you have pleased me very well, at my direction, but I would like to see you take charge. Men, as well as women, find titillation in this.” She leaned in toward Clarissa. “Besides, there is a small surprise, or it might be taken as an example, that I have prepared for you.”

  “I am intrigued,” said Clarissa, catching on to the game. “You always intrigue me, Eleanora. I hope I may find a man who is such a good friend to me as you are! I should love to fall in love.”

  “It is a wonderful experience. You shall find a man and marry, I am sure. Just be sure he is a good man and your friend. Love is so personal, my young friend. Women love men. Men love women. Women love women. Men love men. The important thing is being true to that love and not bringing other people any pain. Love in its physical and psychological manifestations is the most wonderful thing we have in this world. Seek it, pursue it, enjoy it. Value it, my dear.”

  Clarissa put her cigarette out in the crystal ashtray on the low table. She leaned forward and embraced her friend. “You are so wise!” She felt the woman’s breast heave against her own, their nipples brushing against one another through their dresses. Clarissa whispered in Eleanora’s ear. “Now go stand in the middle of the room and strip. Stark naked. And stand there.”

  Clarissa saw Eleanora suppress a smile as she went to do her bidding.

  Slowly, the dark-haired beauty shed her clothes. When she had stripped only to her lacy slip, she turned away from Clarissa. The slip dropped to the floor. Eleanora turned back to face Clarissa, entirely naked. Clarissa saw immediately that she had shaved most of the curly dark hair from her mons. Clarissa laughed appreciatively.