Mistress Agnes Read online

  But once there she did it again, she sat him on the bed and started to undress him as if he was a little boy being brought to bed. It was hard for him to undress himself with just one hand, but he wasn't going anywhere, he had plenty of time to manage his own clothes.

  The kisses Maria gave him were tiny, chaste kisses, on his forehead! And she held his cheeks as if he was a cute baby, not a grown man with a job. He was injured, not infirm, or childish! With each piece of clothing Maria removed she showed her affection for Dick by stroking him, and kissing him. But it was all so proper, as if she didn't see him as a man anymore, as if he didn't turn her on but made her feel pity instead. As if she wanted to spoil a sick boy to stop him from crying. Next she'd be giving him sweets!

  When Maria had him undressed, totally ignoring his huge erection, not even

  showing her usual admiration or lust for it, merely patting his behind as if to reward him for his good behaviour, she tucked him into the bed. She looked so good in that dress, but she didn't seem to recognize him as an adult anymore, not even with his cock out there proving his desire for her.

  With a little kiss on his cheek she left him for a moment, saying 'I'll be right back, dear Dick.'

  Dear Dick. He wasn't dear, he was a hero! He was only wounded, not simple minded or childish! His body was strung taut with its urges, he was getting a bit angry over Maria's behaviour, he'd show her he wasn't a child!

  But when she returned and came right up to him he relented, she was so beautiful and she had been so good to him the last few days. He had felt so bad, drained of all his usual energy, in constant nagging pain, someone else doing his job. And Maria had been there for him all the time. But what was she doing now? She didn't lie next to him to finally give him a decent kiss or touch him under the blanket, she sat on the side of the bed, covered him extra firmly and patted his head and cheek.

  'Are you ready for a nice little nap before lunch, dear Dick?'

  That was it, he'd had enough of this cuddling, he'd show her he was a man, he didn't need two hands to handle his wife and his cock, one was plenty!

  He threw the blanket back and jumped out of the bed before Maria even registered his movement. Then he pushed her on her back and kneeled beside the bed, he had just one hand but that wouldn't stop him from getting his due, he was not a child, but a grown man with urges that needed to be satisfied right now!

  Skirts and petticoats couldn't stop him, his lust was taking over now, he was losing it fast. Mind still clouded with spirits, Dick did not notice Maria's lack of protest, or underwear. He merely flipped up her dress, spread her legs and entered her with all the fervour built up inside him. The first thrust was like a burst of joy, so good and so hot, and all further thought was lost in a frenzy of mindless fucking, unaware of his beloved, of Pixie's excited barking, of everything around him. Dick had totally lost it.

  After an almost painful release a hand in his neck brought him back to a semblance of consciousness. It was not a rough hand, though it had a firm hold on him, and it slowly pulled him down towards Maria's face. Maria! He had totally lost it and just taken her, without asking consent, with quite a bit of anger actually.

  'Can you kiss me with just one hand to support you?'

  Maria? She didn't seem angry or hurt, but rather heated. Her hand did not release his neck, and since he could support himself easily he kissed her and was received eagerly.

  He was out of breath, he must really have gone at it like a maniac, he couldn't keep up the kiss very long, his chest was heaving and his lungs burned. And his head was still strange.

  'Are you all right, Dick? That was a little selfish of me, to use your intoxication to make you lose it. But it was so, so good, I'm going to remember that forever.'

  That was it, now the world had officially gone mad, Dick was never going to drink a drop of spirits again, not if things like this happened. He had quite liked that fuzzy feeling, but this wasn't normal. Totally confused, he let himself fall to the bed.

  Maria was snuggled against him in a second, stroking his hair and his jaw, but with heat this time, she rubbed herself against him and wanted him to kiss her again. This was how it should be, but his head was still fuzzy, what had happened? What had she said? Did she do that, make him lose it? She couldn't have, could she?

  'Maria, please? I do not understand. You are nice to me, but I remember losing it and taking you with force. Did you want me to do that?'

  'I'm sorry, Dick, will you forgive me? I did push you around a little to make you lose it. I've wanted you to do that since our first time at the outcrop, when you had to pause to regain your control. I couldn't ask for it, and with the spirits I could feel your control wavering. So I irritated you a little, without the spirits it would never have worked. Are you very angry? It was very good, but now I feel guilty. I did check your hand, if you hadn't spared it I would have snapped you out of it.'

  Still confused, and uncertain whether to be angry or understanding, Dick observed, 'Do you think you could have? I'm incredibly strong, Maria, I could have hurt you badly.'

  'You would never do that, Dick, really. You'd never hurt me, you even minded your hand very carefully. And I'm sure I could have stopped you, yes, you were aware of me all the time. But I'm afraid you didn't get to enjoy it, and that is not as it should be.'

  'What was it like, Maria? It did feel good for me, you know, or I wouldn't have lost it.'

  'Well, I didn't know if my teasing would work, so I was kind of excited all the

  time. And relieved, for I had worried about your hand, and about you. And in a way it was kind of hot to baby you, you are rather cute, you know. But then I could feel the tension in you rising, and you're so strong, I got so hot it was getting hard to treat you like a baby, cuddle you, tuck you in, ignore your beautiful, hot cock. And your tension mounted and mounted. I went away for a moment to remove my underwear, then saw you back to mildness and I almost gave up. But I thought I'd give it a shot and when you pushed me over and just plunged in I checked your hand and then gave myself up to you. I can still feel it, Dick, you were so strong, so much in charge, I loved it.'

  'Well I'm glad you loved it. I guess it didn't do me any harm, I feel kind of relaxed and almost free of pain. It kept nagging me, Maria, day and night.

  Did we get some painkillers, in case it comes back tonight?'

  'We did, my love. I love you so much, Dick, you know that, don't you?'

  He did, but it was so good to hear it again. The weird feeling he knew was caused by the spirits somehow took some of his control away, for he felt his eyes burn and his throat got thick. Pretty soon, he was weeping with joy again. Maria did not comment and held him tightly. She had seen his reply in his reaction, words were not needed.

  After few minutes he started to become very aware of her delicious breasts and thighs and stroked them, his heat rising once more. Still Dick didn't talk, he merely sat back between Maria's legs and indulged himself in a nice long taste of her pussy. It was as if she was waiting for that, she shuddered and moaned and relished his licking and sucking. One high was not enough, Dick wanted more, he had missed this. It still wasn't as he wished it, he needed both hands to go all out, but this was so much better than not being able to make love at all.

  'Give me your cock, Dick, I want to suck it,' Maria groaned with heat in her voice.

  That would be so good, but he couldn't do it with one hand.

  'I can't lie on the bed, Maria, I need two hands to do that.'

  His right hand had taken over her pussy for a moment while he talked, and he could feel Maria move a little under it to get it to an even better place.

  'Of course, I'm sorry I forgot. Later?'

  Dick didn't reply, he was busy once more, but when she came a second time she sat up and helped him back on the bed. Then she offered him her pussy to play with, while she sucked his cock until it was his turn to shudder and moan.

  They had just finished cleaning up when the lunch bell rang,
and they had to hurry to make it to the kitchen in time, trying to look not too heated or rumpled.

  Dick felt so alive, like he had been sleepwalking for days and had finally woken up. No throbbing hand, no fear over losing his job and being thrown out of the manor. His hand was still broken, the doctor would hurt him again tomorrow to clean that wound, and he couldn't work for six weeks, but somehow he couldn't worry about it now. He felt great.

  'I see you have your appetite back, Dick,' Cook observed with satisfaction.

  'Good, I was starting to worry. I'm glad the doctor could help you.'

  John didn't say anything, but threw him an approving look across the table.

  Strange, how John had done so much for him and Dick still saw Dennis as his best friend, not the grumpy stable boy. John had gotten Dick pay and a chance at Maria, and Dick considered him a good friend. But Dick did not love him as he loved Dennis. Was it because John wasn't as likeable as Dennis? Or was it because Dennis was handsome, and had shared the mistress with Dick?

  No, it wasn't. Dick realized he loved Dennis so much because he felt a connection to him, because he had been as helpless and badly used as Dick had felt most of his life. Seeing him chained had moved Dick so much, had awakened something in him, a feeling for others. And Dennis had accepted Dick's compassion, had not scorned it because it came from a lowly servant.

  'You're miles away, aren't you Dick?' Guy asked with humour.

  'Maybe he's still a bit intoxicated, Dennis fed him liquor before the doctor cut his hand open.'

  That was dear Maria, she loved him, had teased him until he took over.

  'I am not drunk anymore, I was just thinking.'

  'The doctor had to cut your hand open? Why do you look so much better, then?'

  Cook was horrified by the very idea.

  'There was an infection, it gave me pain and a little fever. He cut it open and cleaned it. You cannot believe how much that hurt, but it made me feel better right away.'

  'You sound different, Dick,' Patrick observed, and he was right, Dick felt different. But he didn't know why, so he shrugged and ate some more, he was hungry.

  Chapter 30

  That week, Maria had three more visitors from villages across the river to beg Dick and herself to buy a cottage there, and through John and Cook they had two more offers. Suddenly everyone wanted them to live in their village, and there were some tempting offers, but Maria knew Dick would certainly not feel comfortable leaving the manor before he was able to work again. His hand was doing fine, the wound was closing up nicely and the infection had not returned, mostly thanks to the doctor, who had come every day after lunch and had painstakingly cleaned the abscess with a clean bit of cloth. It was hard to sit by and see Dick suppress his pain, Dennis still holding his arm firmly to avoid the break getting displaced during the treatment.

  But Dick never held it against any of them, on the contrary, he was very grateful and expressed his feelings clearly to all parties involved. And when the treatment was done the pain went away quickly, and Dick would place his arm in a sling that Dennis had devised for him and help Dennis weed the large garden. He could do that with one hand and it made him feel very useful, keeping his temper mild and happy.

  'You're so good with Pixie, Dick, will you help me with the hounds as well?'

  John had asked, one day at the dinner table, and now Dick trained not only his own little terrier Pixie, who was turning into an excellent ratter, he also spent hours on Mrs Beauchamp's new hounds.

  Maybe John taking Dick along on a few barn hunts had also helped change the general opinion on Dick, getting to know Dick in person how could anyone not like him? And the bond between him and the tiny dog was so endearing. Despite her youth and small size Pixie was eager for a challenge, and barn hunts were the perfect place for her to exercise her skills grabbing and killing as many rats as she could in a very short time. Dick would come back elated but not intoxicated, while Maria knew quite a lot of drinking was going on during those hunts.

  'Have they stopped drinking so much spirits on those barn hunts, Dick? You never return drunk,' Maria observed the second time he had been away.

  Dick showed a certain indignation at this question.

  'Oh no, they haven't, even the girls are often totally wasted by the time the hunt is done. I was offered a share, but I refused. I still remember how I lost it and took you, those girls often tease the men, and being a local hero makes them very affectionate to me. They know I'm married but that doesn't seem to count for very much, John and Beatrice drink their share and I've seen both of them with others. I don't want to take some girl who comes on to me and lose my new reputation. So I don't drink. I liked the fuzzy feeling, though.'

  So the villagers shared partners, too. That was interesting, for the most important reason Maria didn't want to move to a village anymore was that she had liked sharing their bed with Dennis so much, and if they moved she thought she'd have to stop that to avoid causing gossip. She loved Dick and was still convinced he was the best lover ever, but the very thought of making love to him with someone else present made her feel heated.

  And in a village she would have to do without the library, too. And she'd have to cook and clean and keep up a vegetable garden, which someone else did at the manor. It saved so much time she could spend on her work. And the conversation was always interesting in the evenings, Guy and Patrick knew so much about fashion and people in town, Maria just knew she'd miss them incredibly.

  Lately, Mrs Beauchamp often sought Maria out to talk on all kinds of subjects, having babies of course, but also writing, researching, history, art, Maria could almost feel her mind expanding under the influence of intelligent, educated people, and was afraid she might be starved of sensible conversation if they moved out.

  So she thanked all their visitors for their kindness and their visit and told them they would think about it, warning them Dick was not ready to move at all. But in her heart Maria knew he preferred to stay at the manor, and she was starting to feel the same way. Mrs Beauchamp meant it when she told Maria she'd like them to stay, and Dennis said he wanted it too. Why not stay? And explore what love there was to be had in the large and comfortable house? She'd love to be intimate with Dennis again, and she wouldn't mind sharing a bed with Mrs Beauchamp either. How would it be with a woman?

  Maria often wondered. And would Guy like to sample a tall, fleshy woman the next time he ached for a woman's touch on his perfect body? Why not show him her interest and see what happened?

  When nothing special had happened for days after Captain Avery's and his

  comrades' departure, Dennis started to relax a little. It seemed he had gotten away with his past, and though he had suffered quite a lot of anxiety meeting Harley again, it had also brought some unexpected pleasure, knowing his comrades had been true friends who had missed him instead of blaming him.

  Dick was on the mend and even found some fulfilment in gardening and helping to train the dogs, and Agnes seemed less delicate, she had started to eat stews again, and some other flavoured foods. No cream yet, but to be frank, people did not need cream to be healthy, and Cook seemed to be slowly adapting his cooking to his mistress' new preferences. Truffles and liver disappeared from the menu and fresh herbs and a bounty of fruit appeared. Of course that was easy at the end of summer, beyond the moors were bountiful orchards, and Agnes had sent for some of the products she had seen still on the trees while driving towards the army camp.

  Life resumed its course at the manor, and Dennis took Agnes to the attic each day, until it had become just another room to her. The builders and painters were ordered a week before the wedding, no use risking a curious guest paying it an accidental visit, it would be back to being a normal attic before the guests arrived. Preparations for that feast were well underway, and all the guest rooms and servants' rooms were aired and cleaned, to house Agnes'

  relatives and friends and their personal attendants. Temporary staff was hired to clean
the entire house and free up space in the stables, where the empty stalls had been filled up with fodder, tools and other clutter.

  After some consideration they had decided to take the chain and collar out onto the moors and bury them, instead of taking them to a blacksmith to sell the iron. Dennis felt a certain satisfaction to see it disappear under shovels of dirt, but all in all he had come to terms with the past, his time in the attic didn't seem that important anymore, and of his time in the army he often remembered the comradeship, not the carnage. Being busy and having a future was the main difference, and love, of course.

  With the house full of strange servants they were all a bit limited in their opportunities to be intimate, but having a lot of extra staff about seemed to appease Dick, he couldn't have done all this work by himself anyway. The garden flourished with the large man's attention, he had such patience to bring the most boring and repetetive task to a perfect finish, pruning the hedges and bushes with just one hand, raking and cutting the edges of the lawn until they were perfectly straight, all with his left hand in a sling so he couldn't use it.

  And in the evenings, when the extra help had left for the day, they sat together and talked. Agnes no longer kept to herself, she loved talking to Maria, who had gotten over her shyness as she discovered the joy of conversing at her own level. She was at the manor all day, her father's new help having taken over her hemming and stitching, working in the room Agnes had offered her to use as a workshop until Charles had found a position in London and she could take possession of his large workshop.

  Mysterious packages kept arriving with her name on them, and sometimes she would show them her creations, lovely frocks and little coats and sturdy long trousers. She would take visiting relatives out to the garden with their children, where Charles would draw likenesses of the little boys and girls, not forgetting to pay extra attention to the clothes they were wearing. Having delivered the clothes several weeks earlier the outfits had already been washed several times and the children were used to wearing them, which made them look more natural than if the garments had been new. Sketches and coloured versions of the drawings were sent off to town, Maria's savings used to advertise them where parents would see them, and soon the first orders were coming in.