Back in Service (2 page)

‘Algernon had to use a secret password to be admitted,’ she went on as George, ‘but I was accepted as his guest, so we passed into that secret world unhindered. It was called
The Order of the Divine Flagellants
, a secular society run along quasi-religious lines. We were led into a changing room where we had to strip and put on dark robes and eye masks, then our echoing footsteps were heard along dark passages before we were finally invited to remove our blindfolds.’

Leo asked almost breathlessly, ‘And what did you see?’

‘A vast rocky chamber lit by torches in sconces, a great company of men ranged on seats against the walls, and in the middle of the chamber was a form of stage on which four women in nuns’ habits lay prostrate.’

‘So the scene was set for some kind of drama, was it?’

‘Indeed. The men began to intone in low voices, making an eerie noise that echoed around the rock-cut temple like some demonic choir. I felt the hairs upon my neck prickle, but the women on the dais lay immobile, apparently indifferent to the atmosphere of menace building up around them.’

‘What were the men chanting?’

‘Some Latin words Algernon clarified for me but, not having had the benefit of a classical education, I could not begin to guess at their meaning. The chorus was growing louder in a slow crescendo, and I wondered what would happen when it reached its climax. I confess I was feeling very excited by the strange proceedings, caught up in the strong atmosphere of anticipation.’

‘I can well imagine,’ Leo murmured.

‘Suddenly, there was a fanfare from behind the scenes and a man in black appeared. He was a formidable figure, dressed as a monk but wearing an executioner’s mask, and a leather whip of the cat o’ nine tails variety hung from his belt.’

‘
The Flagellants
,’ Leo breathed excitedly.

‘Indeed. The chorus from the onlookers swelled to an ominous peak, the Latin chant repeated over and over until the sound disturbed my mind, and through it all the four nuns lay prone and passive. Then the grand master stepped forward, distinguished by his red robes, golden flail and popish crown. He began to declaim, and the dramatic circumstances have resulted in his words being almost indelibly written upon my memory. I shall try to recall his speech verbatim.’

‘Please do.’

‘He lifted his golden flail, the seal of his office, and proclaimed, “You see before you four fallen sisters of our order, sisters who have dared to repeat secrets of our ceremonies outside this natural fortress which for centuries has preserved
The Divine Flagellants
from prying eyes and ears. Only you, the initiates of our order, can understand our divine purpose and the sublime nature of our arcane rites. To reveal them to the uninitiated is to risk the wrath of our God, the most sacred Lord of the Flagellants”. At that, a huge noise went up like the roar of a ferocious animal and I shivered in my robe.’

‘Did you fear for your own safety, my dear George?’

‘No, for I had Algernon’s assurance no harm would befall me. In any case, everyone there was staring in utter loathing at those motionless women and cursing them with the most dreadful oaths. Such was the power of the crowd’s wrath that I felt myself being drawn into it and even found myself uttering similar curses, although neither the Order nor the women meant anything to me.’

‘Yes, the magnetic force of a mob can be terrifyingly powerful,’ Leo agreed. ‘But go on, please, describe the punishment, I beg you.’

‘The man in black had the task of preparing the women to be flogged, and I watched it all with an eager excitement of which I am now somewhat ashamed.’

‘You have no need to feel shame, George,’ Leo assured him. ‘It is evident from your account the whole procedure was designed to rouse such feelings in even the most resistant heart. Even I am growing aroused hearing it all second-hand. But pray, continue…’

‘The habits of the four nuns who were lying facedown were raised to display their naked posteriors. All the men present had their eyes fixed on those four pairs of buttocks, and I guessed that, like me, they were comparing their charms. The first nun had an ample arse, fleshy and sagging, but the second had a fundament that was trim and taut as a ripe fruit, and I guessed she was somewhat younger. It was an intriguing game to guess their respective ages from the appearance of their
derrières
alone.’

‘And the other two?’

‘One of them afforded a great surprise, for she possessed skin of a dusky hue. The fourth girl’s flesh was pink and dimpled, quite luscious to behold. I could tell every man in that rocky chamber was very excited at this point, and that excitement grew even more intense when the man in black commanded the first nun to get up on all fours and receive her thrashing.’

‘Did they not have to repent first?’

‘We were informed by the Grand Master that the nuns remained obdurate and this was why they had to be chastised. At a signal from him, the raucous crowd fell silent and a small choir of men sitting at the far end began to hum a canon. Their droning voices formed a low, somewhat eerie background to the proceedings. The flagellant unhooked the implement from his belt and stood poised over the first of the nuns, whose bottom was now raised high in the air, her fleshy cheeks tensed in anticipation of the impending correction.’

‘Is that what they called it,
correction?
’

‘Yes. The Grand Master said the aim of all such correction was to set the footsteps of the offender firmly back upon the straight and narrow path. He then instructed his servant to administer the first blow. There was a sharp intake of breath amongst those around me as the leather thongs bit repeatedly into the nun’s quivering buttocks, producing a pattern of red stripes. We watched her whole body flinch as the sharp pain passed through her, yet she remained motionless on all fours like some tethered beast.’

‘How many lashes did she receive?’

‘The sentence had already been passed, six strokes for each women. By the sixth blow, the unfortunate victim half collapsed and a great sigh of relief escaped her lips when she was permitted to lie down again. Yet her buttocks remained exposed, the pale globes crisscrossed with crimson stripes reminiscent of sacred stigmata acting as witnesses to her agony and humiliation. The Grand Master then stated that the dignity with which she received her punishment should be a lesson to the other nuns, and I could have sworn the dusky-coloured woman was trembling in anticipation while the other two remained perfectly still and quiet.’

‘Who was to be chastised next?’

‘The young nun with the tight round buttocks. There was something almost jaunty about the way she raised herself to her knees, waggling her behind a little as if to tease the onlookers. I heard a few smothered laughs and lewd whispers passed through the crowd. She was the youngest, to be sure, and I had the distinct impression the saucy wench actually relished baring her bottom to a roomful of lascivious male eyes.’

‘Are you daring to suggest,’ Leo feigned surprise, ‘she might even have been enjoying the harsh punishment meted out to her?’

‘It is possible. She certainly gave that impression. She spread her legs wide when commanded to lift up her lower regions, displaying her sex in a most immodest manner. I heard gasps and sighs pass amongst the spectators, and when the cat was raised there were cries of “give it to her good and proper” and “spare not the lewd creature”. The man with the whip bowed to the crowd, a cruel smile on his lips, and delivered a stinging lash across both the girl’s bottom cheeks that made her squirm, whether with pain or excitement it was impossible to tell. The next three strokes made her gasp in obvious agony, and when at last she was commanded to resume her former position, she continued to press herself against the wooden platform, writhing and moaning in a fit of extreme passion.’

‘What of the other two nuns?’ Leo asked eagerly. ‘Were they punished with equal severity?’

‘No, they were not. The dark-skinned woman was given lighter strokes, for as her rotund posterior received each taste of the whip she uttered a Latin phrase Algernon told me meant
I give thanks to you
.’

‘
Gratias tibi ago
,’ Leo translated.

‘Yes, that was it. I suppose the woman’s expression of gratitude was enough to earn her a lighter sentence. At any rate, her chastisement was soon over, but then the last nun, like the second, seemed more inclined to relish her punishment.’

‘Tell me more, please.’

‘She had the most delightfully pert buttocks, I must say, and her smooth skin took the flail well. At each stroke, a resounding clap filled the cave and there were some sporadic rounds of applause from the men, who by now were becoming quite rowdy. When four strokes had been administered, the man in black commanded her to lie prone again, but to everyone’s obvious surprise, she did not immediately obey. Instead, she turned around and let her hood fall away, revealing a face of uncommon beauty. She gave a little enigmatic smile, and as her hands reached back to rub her sore bottom, she thrust out her ample breasts beneath her habit, making for a very fetching sight, indeed. The Grand Master rose from his seat looking outraged and she quickly fell to the floor, but not soon enough to escape his wrath.’

‘What happened?’ Leo breathed. ‘Did he order her to receive more lashes?’

‘No, he said she must be stripped and bound, and we all watched, spellbound, as the black nun’s habit was torn off her, exposing her nubile form to dozens of male eyes. The place was so silent at this point you could hear your own heart beating. The young woman was truly afraid now, and the combination of fear and the sudden cold made her nipples stand out on her magnificent breasts, making her a sight to behold.’

Leo groaned and Hetty knew the stimulating tale was exciting him. She felt aroused as well, her sex throbbing urgently beneath the rough serge trousers. Although she longed to take him to bed and demand her conjugal rights, she knew it was too soon; their little charade must be pursued to the very end.

‘The Grand Master ordered she should be blindfolded,’ George went on, ‘and then she was led around the room for each man to fondle and probe. The humiliation of this punishment should have been immense, but all the while there was that small, mysterious smile on her lips, as if she was enjoying every minute of it. When it came to Algernon’s turn, he thrust his fingers into her quim and her arse at the same time while his lips fondled one of her nipples, and I distinctly heard her issue a low moan of pleasure at the rough treatment.’

‘And you, dear George, did you get a taste of this delicious fruit yourself?’

‘I did. She came to sit upon my lap, and by then I was feeling so excited and nervous all I managed to do was lick and caress her bosom. Then another man grabbed hold of her and my turn was over. At the end of what was supposed to be a humiliating ordeal, she was led back onto the platform to join her fellow nuns. The Grand Master then announced all four women were pardoned for their transgression and the ceremony appeared to be at an end.’

‘How extraordinary,’ Leo murmured. ‘They certainly go to extremes in foreign parts.’ He rose from his chair in a state of obvious tension. ‘Tell me, George, did you ever wish to be that man in black yourself during the course of the proceedings?’

‘Oh Leo, if only you knew how I longed to wield the lash. It would not have been the first time, as you know, but to have such a theatre in which to act out my secret desires… I am quite agitated now just imagining it.’

‘Then perhaps we should do something about that. What if I were to dress in robes, George, and lie prone like those nuns. Would that satisfy you?’

‘Perhaps, but I suspect it would satisfy
you
even more. Do you have the wherewithal to re-enact such a scene, Leo?’

‘Where there is a will, there is a way,’ he replied with a smile. ‘Sit over there with your back to me, George, while I find all the accoutrements, and do not turn around until I give you the word.’

Hetty did as she was told, staring at the picture of the boys in the gym still displayed on the easel while she waited. She knew her husband’s desire to be flogged stemmed from his public school days, and she was happy enough to oblige him. Yet she was also not averse to being physically chastised herself on occasion, as posing with Milord today had shamefully reminded her. Usually, once she did the honours she began to long for the same punishment herself. So much the better, she thought, since tonight she would first play the active part with her husband and later submit to similar treatment herself at Milord’s party.

When she was finally given permission to turn around, she saw her husband was wearing an old nightgown of hers and looking coy. She covered the floor between them in a few manly strides. ‘What is this?’ she demanded gruffly. ‘You have dressed yourself up in your mistress’s finest ball gown while my back was turned? Is this any way for a lady’s maid to behave?’

‘Err… no,’ Leo simpered, hanging his head and playing his part to perfection. ‘I am so sorry, sir…’

‘You must be punished,’ she said sternly. ‘Kneel there by the bed and say your prayers. Beg the good Lord for forgiveness, then I shall administer your penance.’

Leo got down on his knees and pretended to pray. While he did so, she looked around for a means of chastising him, and noticed the hazel switch near the door. They used it to scare pigeons and stray cats off the roof, but now it would come in handy for another purpose. She removed her jacket, rolled up her shirtsleeves and picked up the supple wand. ‘Hitch up your skirts!’ she commanded in George’s deep voice.