No woman needs to be told when she has attracted the eyes of a man and Margaret was by no means displeased at the stray glances Eric bestowed upon their new aquaintance.
Whatever might divert him could but be to her profit, she thought, though Vanessa had the curious advantage of knowing as much as she. The fact that Reggie was a local schoolmaster added to the outward interest in the conversation, particularly as Vanessa wished to learn what her hostess's particular bents were.
'There are some very pretty young girls at the school, so I understand', she ventured, bringing from Margaret a vague wave of the hand and the slightly dismissive remark of, 'Oh, girls-yes'. A sudden thought then striking Margaret (all to the same end she had in mind), she asked, 'Does your brother, my dear, also do private tutoring?'
'No, but I do', responded Vanessa quickly, and not without some truth by then. 'Whom do you have in mind?' she put carefully.
Margaret did her best to appear uncertain about the matter, for she had as yet not consulted Eric upon it and indeed had only just thought of a way of keeping the girls occupied.
'Well, perhaps Mabel and-yes-Alice, of course. There are also Huge and Gertie', she added to the hidden amusement of Vanessa who avoided asking her about her nephews, for she discerned the plot quickly enough.-'I shall have to ask my brother-in-law, of course'.
'Of course. Or-perhaps-would it come better from me, if I may make so bold?'
'What a splendid idea! Indeed, yes, for you could then both discuss it directly. After all, he will have to be consulted. Mary, will you ask the Master to come down?' Margaret asked, having rung for a maid. Then saying to Vanessa, 'I will leave you to your private discussions, my dear, for such things are not settled in a minute', Margaret bid her adieu and took herself upstairs.
Five minutes passed before Eric descended, not displeased to find their visitor alone, and thereupon with her sweetest smile Vanessa offered a slightly different gist of the preceding conversations he had had by averring-with some well contrived modesty-that she was seeking a position as a tutor and governess to suitable young ladies. 'Such as I might visit when it was needful', she added.
'Alice and Mabel? Well, my dear Miss Markham I think that a capital idea! Alice certainly needs tuition in English grammar and goodness knows what else'.
'And Mabel needs tuition', replied Vanessa, wondering if he were of a cast of mind that might pick up her little message.
Mr. Partridge's expression did not alter, however, even though Vanessa's eyes passed thoughtfully across his own.
'I suppose she might, if you wish', said he.
'I shall teach them both the same things, but in Mabel's case at a slightly more advanced stage', came the words that Vanessa could not resist uttering, for a great mischief was in her now. 'Do you have a stable, may I ask?' she put in as if to change the conversation.
'Of course. You are in need of a new mount?'
'A woman always is', Vanessa answered artlessly, 'But no, not that, I was merely wondering whether or not you- what is the word? — have horses, stallions, at stud'.
This being a seemingly somewhat forward remark for a lady to utter, Mr. Partridge found himself surprised, though withal Vanessa retained a demure, downcast look.
'Do I offend you? Oh, perhaps I should go', Vanessa fluttered, 'but it was only because…'
'Yes?' Mr. Partridge leaned forward eagerly, disavowing immediately that which he had actually felt. 'No, my dear Miss Markham, of course you did not offend. You were about to say?'
'Oh!' With a coy cry Vanessa rose and covered her face, going to the window and turning her back upon him, whereat-telling himself that he felt concerned about her seeming confusion, Eric Partridge got up in turn and went to stand tentatively near to her.
'Yes? I am sure that you have some matter of interest to unfold', he murmured.
'Sir, I fear you will think me bold'.
'I will not, I promise you'.
With infinite daring, so it seemed to him, Eric placed a comforting hand on Vanessa's arm, this causing her to give him a thankful, shy smile.
"Well", she uttered doubtfully, 'I had an uncle who believed much in what he called Nature Studies. He had a fine stallion. I suppose one would call it a most vigourous steed. One day, being in my uncle's study for the purposes of education, I perceived in a field beyond a-dare I say? — a stallion with a mare. This caused me to blush, of course. My uncle, perceiving my confusion and seeing the direction of my gaze, emboldened me to continue observing that which he said was a call of Nature. The sight disturbed me much; a sense of moral confusion seized me. Even so his hand comforted me. It really comforted me', Vanessa said with a sigh of apparent reminiscence.
'Ah, yes', Eric responded with a distinct swallowing noise. Glancing down, he could not help but observe the exquisite rondeurs of the young woman's bottom which mirrored in part the thrusting of her bosom.-'Do you, er, believe that- er-Mabel…? Well, perhaps. I mean, I am not sure. Nature Studies, you say?'
His voice sounded strange even to himself.
'Such were they called, yes', Vanessa replied, feeling a fingertip touch her bulbing cheeks and making no motion to impede its uncertain progress as it passed from one half of her bottom to the other.
'I have a stallion', Eric uttered hoarsely, 'And if you feel, Miss Markham, that it would be advantageous… Well, that is to say…'
'I do', Vanessa replied softly, pushing her derriere out to the finger which had now been joined by a companion. Together they swept under the deeper curve of her lustrous arse which was veiled only by her dress and a chemise. 'But I have myself already received the appropriate tuition, and of course I could scarcely arrange such an educational spectacle without due assistance. No, perhaps it would have been better had I not spoken of it'.
'Were I to provide such…'
'That would be different, I suppose. We would be in private, after all. Would we?' Vanessa enquired, turning her face rather close to his. The pink tip of her tongue appeared between even white teeth.
'Ess… sss… sential', stammered he, 'but there are p… p… preparations, Miss Markham, of a kind…"
'That I will undertake. Shall we say four o'clock tomorrow? You will be able to observe, Mr. Partridge, how fruitful such lessons can be. I say observe, for it would be a trifle indiscreet to make your presence known to my pupil. Have we an understanding?'
'I believe we have, Miss Markham'.
'So do I-and how pleasant for us both. The entire feeling of it, I mean', Vanessa smiled, reaching behind her giving his fingers an encouraging little squeeze before removing them.
And thus, with a few further exchanges was a most unusual arrangement entered into, and one which Eric Partridge did not wholly believe in until it occurred, though the thought was enervating, to say the least and caused the maid who attended on Vanessa's departure to observe that the Master had a remarkable cockstand under his trousers.
Chapter Eleven
'Up her bottom first. That's where she ought to have it first', Mary opined when Vanessa told her what had passed.
'Do you think so?' Vanessa asked doubtfully, and still wondered at the fact that she could defer to this unlettered younger girl.
'Well, I had it like that. It's mastering, you see. There's two kinds of Riding Master, ma'am: one as teaches you to ride an 'orse and the other wot first rides you and gets his prick up your bum. Well-it's rude to say it, I know, but that's true. A girl should be first taken from the back. They say that if you are started off that way, it's best. It teaches you sub… sub something, I was told'.