Its lips were silent, and they could not make them speak. 'A vulgar woman spoke to me. One by the name of Hilda, I believe. The husband lurked and was not seen. Her husband, Emily; I saw not yours.
A girl appeared-the younger one whom you described. She asked if you were well'. 'She asked? Asked that?' I felt surprise, and such small and unnecessary guilt as brushes like a cobweb to the mind.
'She had a soft look in her eyes. I thought it sincere-maybe it was not. The deuce of it, all females act so well when called upon to do so by a circumstance they wish to change. As to the mother, she said they disowned you-having nothing else to say-for I made it plain I knew more than I hinted at'. 'Clever Harry-always tactful, always strong', said Aramintha with affection, though rather challenging me to speak of something else, I felt. 'I am so grateful to you, Harry. Yes, when Jenkins brought my bags up, he looked at me most strangely, in a quite possessive way. I scarce knew how to speak to him, but was polite, of course'. 'Of course you were, my dear. That is the measure of our class', said Aramintha, screwing up her brow a little and yet-as I saw-believing me. 'He is an old retainer, then?', I asked. 'Oh, on and off', she answered oddly, and then Jane came in, blooms flourished, and the subject turned towards the evening. The revels would begin at eight o'clock, we learned. Dinner would be served early and all cleared away before the guests arrived. As to myself, my mind was busy with the message I had sent to Papa and Mama, how they would take to it, and what might come to be. I had no fear of it but rather a cool curiosity that was dissolved just after lunch when Julie was announced.
'Oh, denizen from another world!', I laughed in my relief, and saw that our host and hostess took to her immediately, called us 'Three Graces', as is often said when a trio of young females is assembled, and left us alone to speak. 'Well, tell me!', Jane said. -'No, you tell', I said, then listened to her babbling discourse, hunter on the track and trail of every word, as Jane was, too, hands clenched and leaning forward, lips apart. There had been no explosion, Julie said. Mama had blamed Papa for all, and he had been at a loss to make reply, or so said Julie, though I could not imagine that to be. 'And then, and then, and then?', I asked again, again. 'He said I was to come and see that you were well, both well, and make report as to your comfort and your company-and, well, when you know yourself to be of one mind, to return home, if you wish, or else to let him know what you intend'. 'Julie, you won't tell him everything?' 'Of course, you silly, no-of course I won't. I shall say that you are happy and in company with modesty, and…' 'Even if you have to say your prayers again?', asked Jane, and looked betwixt a frown and smile. 'Ha! What a one to talk you are! Emily has more trust in me than that. I have been naughty since and shall be more again-but what has that to do with it?' 'Darlings, have you finished? Is all well? Julie, you will stay with us tonight, I hope. I could not help but overhear what was just said-forgive me-but there will be fun', said Aramintha, peeping head into the bedroom where we sat. Julie would stay, I said. I had forgiven her her 'prayers', having now said my own with some abandon. Thereat we spent a pleasant day, confessing many things we might not otherwise have done, though I said naught of Jenkins' bout with me which stirred my loins still when I thought of it. A curiosity was upon me to meet his daughters, though I doubted it were possible.
All of us are voyeurs in our minds and find delight in seeking sins with lanterns in the dark rooms of others' lives. There was much giggling, nudging, when we dressed for dinner, but the meal was by all standards brief. 'Do not have a full belly nor an empty one when you make love', said Aramintha. 'Let the wine mingle pleasantly with what you have within and you will be the more prepared to. Now, girls, look at your most sedate, for that is what is required at first. You have no drawers on, none of you, I trust? Well, good'. Her frank words made me wriggle, as they did the other two. We quaffed liqueurs, patted our hair, and waited till the carriages arrived, wheels crunching on the gravel, and the soft hullos of guests arriving while we sat like waxen maidens, wearing artificial smiles. The guests were only six. I had expected more: a full concourse, an overcrowded drawing room. Three gentlemen, three ladies. All were roughly of the age of Aramintha, neither young nor old. Names were exchanged, but only Christian ones. One lady, in particular-Elizabeth-attracted me.
Her hair was long and dark, her face betwixt the round and oval, with lustrous lips and huge, dark eyes. There being no ceremony whatever, she perched upon the side of my armchair and ran her fingers all around my neck- 'finger-whispering', as she called it afterwards.
'Is it not pleasant to be in a house where one can make free?', she asked. Jane was already being kissed, and Julie, too-they also by other ladies while the men waited, watched, and smoked cigars. 'I like it, yes', I answered, conscious that I was like a violin that was being gently tuned.' 'I was your age when I began to do the same', she murmured, and her velvet mouth touched mine, moved sideways slowly, and then drew away, leaning on sideways to me, and my chin upraised. 'You have a lovely mouth. The first thing is to learn to kiss. Were you taught that? Come, slide down on the floor and let us kiss. Show no timidity. A girl here once-your junior…' 'Yes, I heard', said I. My dress rucked as I slid, bumped on the floor, uncovering my knees. With a soft laugh she fell upon me, edged her own gown up and put a knee between my legs, was over me like a slim bird of prey. 'My husband will have you first. You do not mind?'
Before I could reply, she was gobbling up my lips with her warm own, one hand beneath my head, the other stealing up my thighs.
'You do not need to look at him. He likes to see my mouth upon a girl's while he is fucking her. I have the feel of what he likes, you see, and thus we stay in love. Extend your tongue-he likes to see them touch. Open your legs more. Let me get your gown up underneath your bottom, dear'. I wanted, wanted to say no. Her mouth was sweet, though, and her tongue agile. My bush was bared. I gurgled as she touched my quim, parted the dark, thick curls, the lips. Around, above us, kisses sounded, whispers, moans. Her finger circled suavely round my spot and made me jerk. Under the liquid velvet of her mouth I breathed. 'I have to hold you while he puts it in. It is the way of men-or some. But let us rub first; he adores to see my bottom up', came her soft voice, and then between my legs she slid, pressed back my knees, and squirmed the soft lips of her quim to mine. I managed to gasp 'HAAR!', but then her mouth was mashed again to mine, tongue twirling, rubbing slowly up and down between my legs, brush of her pubic bush to mine, soft face between my wondering palms, and a cacophony of passion all around. I heard my sister squeal, 'Nah! OH!
Not in my b… b… bottom! OOOH!', but then her cry merged in with others just as lewd. Our stocking tops were rubbing: silk of thighs to silk, our bellies smooth as oil together as she churned, then of a sudden bit my neck and shimmered out her spendings, as I did in turn.
Our fingers bit into each other's arms. I knew the scent of her, the perfume musky from between her thighs. 'Make me come more', I whimpered-knew it not to be my voice. 'She is ready, then, Elizabeth. Roll off of her and hold her shoulders down-and do it quickly, woman, dammit, for my prick is stiff', I heard. Then light invaded once again my eyes and I saw the man who stood above, naked of all save for his shirt, his penis rampant-heavy, hairy balls. 'Oh no, oh no, Elizabeth!', I begged. It was too soon, too sudden and too sharp. A haze of lust was on me, yet I wanted more of her own comforting-wanted a woman's tongue, lips, thighs-wanted the squishy rubbing of our quims. 'Hold her, I said!' 'Yes, darling, yes!'. She sprang up kneeling at my side and pressed my shoulders firmly with her hands while I, glaze-eyed, stared back at her. Her face was all faces-Julie's, Jane's and Constance's. 'Make me come again', I repeated. The utterance was mindless, but I did not care. I did not wish to see him more, and so meshed my lips beneath her own, feeling him kneel between my calves, feeling him come down upon me with a grunt and nub his prick between my oily lips. I remember the stamen-thrusts of him, full sheathing up at first without a pause, then moving strongly back and forth. And I remember her tongue and the baring of my breasts, which both their fingers managed. I was ridden lustily, my bottom bumped and bumping, and the dusty carpet and the cries and moans around, and then he came, too soon, too soon, the powerful, splashing shoot, his balls tight under to my bulbing derriere, and held there, letting it spurt in. At the last, at the last-although I did not want- he brushed his wife aside and mouthed his mouth on mine; and although I say I did not want, I knew a strange and uninvited thrill in his lying full weight on me, prick a-pulsing still and tongue within my mouth, I pressed flat down.