** Chapter 1, the offer.
** Chapter 2, dinner with a slave.
** Chapter 3, freedom.
** Chapter 4, theory lesson, the thermodynamics of power.
** Chapter 5, practical lesson. (The sex starts here).
** Chapter 6, oral exam.
** Chapter 7, skills of a farm slave.
** Chapter 8, a morning swim.
** Chapter 9, teatime discussion.
** Chapter 10, vanilla, its not just a spice.
** Chapter 11, aftermath.
** Epilogue

** Chapter 1, the offer. **

“I want to be your slave.” was Maria’s answer, she further ventured; “my kut burns with desire, it yearns for your eikel to invade. I want to be YOUR slave.” With extra emphasis on the “your”. She looked at me, waiting for an answer, pleading. I think I got the message.

Now what was I supposed to do. She really was my slave already, but my twentieth century conscience wouldn’t let me act on that. I’d better back up a bit here, though I really don’t know how I ended up in this situation. I’m a pretty normal twentieth century guy, the idea of slavery is pretty abhorrent. Then I found myself in 1806, and a slave owner. How, why that happened is another story, that I’m not privy to. What I tried to do about this is also another story, I tried to set the slaves free, that’s not really as simple as it sounds. I wrote that story as a mainstream book, I glossed over a few details like this little scene.

As part of the process of setting the slaves free, I interviewed them all. I wanted to know what they wanted so I could have some idea of how to extricate myself from this mess. Just setting them free into a land where the blacks were slaves, had no prospects for a job, etc, etc, was not a good idea. So I tried a little paternalism, I’d do what was good for them, even if they didn’t know it. But I tried to consult with them, it was their future after-all.

So I talked to them all, one by one, just me and them. After several days, I got to Maria. She was shown in, I motioned her to sit, and I gave her the speech I’d been practicing on the others. “First, I want you to know that nothing you say here can get you into any sort of trouble provided its the truth. I want you to speak freely about your thoughts and feelings. As you’ve heard, I’ve given you all some options. Now I want to know what you want.”

Well, Maria told me, and it wasn’t something I wasn’t prepared for. I’d known blacks before, back in college my girlfriend was black. That left me with a life long appreciation for dark skin. Put simply, black girls turned me on. The same girlfriend coloured my attitude to slavery. When I was young I knew my ancestors kept slaves in the colonies, that’s what you did in those days. My girlfriend seemed to think I was rather to proud of that fact, that caused some ructions, which I will gloss over.

Then there was the concept of a “slave” in the BDSM universe. I’d enjoyed a little light S&M with some of my relationships, but most had been too vanilla to enjoy that sort of thing. So, after it was invented, I turned to the internet to indulge my fetishes. (God, you have no idea how much I miss the internet.) I learnt, in theory, about power exchange, the idea turned me on. I firmly believed that any such arrangement must be consensual. The idea of non-consensual sex was a total turn off. Maybe my dark side wanted to dominate and whip someone, but they must have given me permission first. That can be quite inconvenient.

Now this girl seemed to be say she wanted me to indulge all of my fantasies and fetishes at once, only she couldn’t consent to it. A legal slave, such as Maria had no legal standing to give consent. No one ever though such a thing was necessary. A slave was a possession, like your sofa. It can’t consent to your sitting on it, anymore than a slave can.

I stood there at a loss for words, Maria took my silence as a bad sign. “Master Stephen, have I displeased you?” The plaintive tone and look of anguish almost enough to break my heart.

I gathered myself together, “No Maria, you have not displeased me, far from it.” She looked very relieved, back to the pleading. “I want to make sure I’ve understood you correctly. What do you envision would being my slave entail?” She looked slightly puzzled, education was not something given to slaves, I was speaking to her as a 17th century equal. You used different language to talk to a slave.

“What do YOU mean by ‘be my slave’?”.

She looked at me excitedly, “I want you to use me for your pleasure”. She averted her glance. “Whatever I can do to make you happy, I’ll do it gladly. Whatever you want.” I needed time to think, but I didn’t want her to think I was angry if I sent her away.

“Now Maria, I’m not sure what to say. Would you give me a little time to think on this.”

She looked a little downcast, and replied “Of course Master Stephen, whatever you want”.

I had a long think, and I came up with a plan which seemed plausible. Hoping this would work, I sent for Maria. She came back into the room looking terrified, she was shaking, she feared the worst, that I wouldn’t be interested in her. “Now Maria, what I’m going to tell you is not bad news, so please let me finish before you say anything. First, I like your offer a lot, it is very flattering. However, I can not accept it from you, you are not free to make me such an offer. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Her look told me she didn’t, and if I didn’t explain this to her soon, if was going to get ugly with the waterworks.

“As you know, you are, unfortunately, a slave. As you also know, a slave has no freedom. Without freedom you can not make an offer such as you have, that I could in good conscience accept.” She was still not getting it. “I could only accept such an offer from a free woman.”

I saw some inklings of understanding, “Why would a free woman offer that?” she asked.

“There are free woman who would make such and offer, and I would like to give you the opportunity to find out.” Some more blank incomprehension “I want to free you.”, she looked puzzled, panicky, she was about to overflow. “If I set you free, you are then free to make the same offer, or not as you want. If you want to make the same offer, I would be free to accept it. My conscience would only allow me to accept such an offer from a free woman.”

I’m not sure how much of that sank in, but she responded, “If that’s what makes you happy, I’m happy.”.

“The important thing is what make you happy.” was my response. “I have sent for my lawyer, tomorrow he will draw up the papers to set you free. You can think it over for a day and then you can make a decision. In the meantime, I would be glad if you would be my guest.” She looked a little happier, I could see she was trying to assimilate this development. I summoned the Louisa and Hanna, the ladies maids, and charged them with bathing and dressing Maria. I gave some hearty thanks that bathing was back in fashion in my current day.

** Chapter 2, dinner with a slave. **

In the early evening Maria reemerged, wow! She scrubbed up really well, and the maids had found some fashionable clothes of the former lady of the house. 1800’s fashion wasn’t what I was expecting, at this point I’d usually have a peek at Wikipedia to find out what to expect, did I mention I really miss the internet. In my mind I was thinking 1700s, farthingales and high bodices, 1800s the Victorians covered up in voluminous dowdy dresses. I’m a guy I don’t know much about the history of fashion, I forgot most of what I saw at the fashion museum when I visited (but I do remember the farthingales). What escaped my notice was a brief period around 1800, which seems to be called “Empire” style. It emphasises bosoms and curves, and uses quite diaphanous fabrics.

Maria had some very nice curves, I like that in a woman, and the dress showed them off to perfection. Maria had a quite magnificent bosom the dress seemed quite stressed at its attempts to contain them. I think she may have been a big bigger on both top and bottom than the former lady of the house, this made her dress especially appealing. Did I mention she ticked all my boxes for body type fetish. Dark skin, perfect and lots of it on display. Curves, a chunky body suggesting compliance as you pressed against it. Boobs! my they were perfect, and very artfully displayed.

I was at a loss for words. My silence obviously worried Maria, “Master Stephen, do you not like me?”

“No my dear, quite the opposite, I was not expecting the very vision of Aphrodite, just arisen from the foam that I see.” As I said, any education was not wasted on slaves in this day, let alone a classical eduction. My allusion passed over Maria, she had her puzzled look. I cast around for a word in her argot, “Lekker!, very, very Lekker.” She smiled shyly. She curtsied elegantly and cavorted and twirled to show off the dress.

“Louisa worked wonders with this dress, I love it. Thank you Master Stephen, you are the best owner a girl could hope for.”

I was uncomfortable, calling me her owner gave me a twinge in my conscience, and her movements were giving me a twinge in my trousers. At least I had trousers, they were a new invention it seemed. “We should dine.” My attempt to deflect the developing situation. We sat together for our meal, I’d ordered a relatively simple meal for her last night of slavery, roast mutton. We talked. We didn’t have much in common, but she was bright and she was eager to here about my adventures. I talked of what I knew from the 20th century, not really knowing much about the current version of me. I couched it in terms which I hoped sounded not too anachronistic. She was thrilled to hear of my travels in Europe and the Americas. She articulated well the lot the slave. I could tell she was bright, it seemed such a shame that she never got an education. But then, in that day even a free woman was not going to get much in the way of an education, this world was screwed up in many ways.

After dinner I showed her the library. She was fascinated by the idea of knowledge in books, just out of her reach. I found a tome on classical mythology and found the plate of Aphrodite rising from the waves. I explained what I had said earlier. She was fascinated. I pointed out a few words in the book and she made a good job of puzzling out a few bits. It was getting late I summoned the maids to escort her to bed, as she was leaving she asked if she might borrow the book and she took it with her.

** Chapter 3, freedom. **

Early the next morning my lawyer arrived. We discussed my plans and he said he’d draw up the papers. I asked him for a rush job for Maria’s papers, he said he’d get to it. A little while later Maria emerged, she was dressed more modestly than last night. She was carrying two books, she looked at the tome on classical myths and said “That Zeus was one geil bastaard”. Followed by flourishing the other book, “Look I found the most marvelous book, ‘A Dictionary’, its telling me what the words mean.” Maria was indeed a bright girl, last night she couldn’t read, today she was critisising the king of the gods.

I asked “Might I see that book?”, Maria passed it to me. It was a copy of Samuel Johnson’s classic dictionary, 1768 third edition. OK, I thought, they’ve invented the dictionary already. That’d be another thing I’d just look up on Wikipedia, when was the first dictionary. The only reference I could think of was the episode of “Black Adder the Third” where the dictionary put in an appearance. So it must be Regency if they weren’t playing fast and lose with the truth, which they were known to. I flipped a to a page headed “BLO BLU” no entry for “Bloomers”, I chuckled a little. Maria looked at me quizzically. “I saw a comedic play, it had Samuel Johnson complaining that the Prince Regent had marked rude words in his dictionary, including “Bloomers”. There is no entry for “Bloomers”.

Maria looked puzzled at that. “What are bloomers?”

Don’t tell me bloomers didn’t exist at this time, “They’re, they’re an article of lady’s underwear, …, drawers?” I indicated to my lower half.

“Oh.” said Maria, and giggled a little.

We were interrupted by James, my Butler. “If I might interrupt sir, Johan says he has the documents ready.”

I turned to Maria, “Come Maria, this is a very special day for you.” She eagerly tagged along behind us. “You have the document?” I enquired of Johan.

“Yes, here you are.” Handing me a single page.

I turned to Maria, “What do you think of this?”. She looked over the document, a look of great concentration installed itself on her face.

“Might I have the Dictionary Master Stephen.” She enquired, I was still holding it and handed it over. Maria went back to studying the document and referencing the dictionary.

Johan took me aside and asked quizzically “You’re educating the Kaffirs now?”.

“Hardly, last night she couldn’t read a word, she taught herself over night. She really is an extraordinary girl. Now that you mention it, an education would be an excellent start for my plans.”

He came back with, “You know there are places where that would be illegal, you might not want to boast of this too far and wide.”

Maria piped up, “I think I’ve got it. This paper will make me free?”.

“That’s right, Maria, this document will emancipate you, once I sign it.” I reached for a pen, and signed in the appropriate place. I summoned James and he witnessed the document, Johan got out his sealing wax and impressed a seal. “That’s it?” I asked Johan, he nodded. “In that case, Johan, I’d like to introduce to you Miss Maria, a free woman of the province. Maria, this is Johan Kruger esquire, advocate.”

Maria curtsied “charmed”, she said without irony.

“Maria”, I enquired, “do you have a surname?”

“I don’t know”.

Johan chimed in, “usually, if it is needed a slave would take the surname of their master. That does not seem appropriate in this instance though.”

“Maria, would you excuse me, I need to show Johan out.” I did and shook his hand warmly as he left. “Thank you!”.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” He said in response, “There are those who would not look favorably on your endeavor here.”

When I got back to the study, Maria was intently studying her books. “Now Maria, what are you going to do?”

She looked puzzled “What do you mean?.”

“You’re a free woman now, you can do what you want, and I will support you in whatever it is you decide. As a free woman you could now leave if you wanted, I suggest finding somewhere where there are no slaves.”

“There are such places?” she interrupted.

“You know, I don’t know, but its something we might be able to find out.” Damn, where’s Wikipedia you needed it, what countries have abolished slavery by 1806? If I were to guess, I’d have said that abolitionist movements would have been gathering strength since the mid 1700s, I was somewhat surprised that it was still here. “I do know that soon all slaves around the world will be freed and slavery will be seen as a great evil and a stain on history.”

Maria perked up at this statement, “Do you really think such a thing is possible?”

“I know it is.” I replied.

“But I don’t want to leave, I want to stay with you.”

“In that case Maria, … is it alright if I call you Maria?”

She looked puzzled at my enquiry, “Its my name.”

“I know it is, Maria, but it is polite to enquire if ones might use such an informal address.”

“Of course you may, Master Stephen, it makes me feel all warm inside when you use my name. Please do.”

I looked at Maria with mock severity, “Did you know, you just insulted me?” she looked crestfallen.

“I’m sorry Master Stephen I didn’t mean to, please forgive me. What did I say wrong?”

I explained, “When a free woman addresses a Male as “Master” she is implying that he is not an adult. “Master” is the title given to a child. I haven’t been called “Master” since I won an archery medal when I was 17, at least not by a free woman. If I’m to call you Maria, please call me Stephen.”

“OK Stephen.” she look really pleased with herself, like the act of saying it gave her physical pleasure.

“Anyway, as I was about to say, if you wish to stay here, I would like to invite you to dinner this evening. Just the two of us. I can ask cook to rustle up something really special. Or is there anything special that you would like?”

She thought for a moment. “I don’t know what a free woman would like to eat, so I will trust you. However, I have heard of something called ‘ice cream’ that I would like to try.” Ice Cream? Is that even possible, the romans had something like ice cream, I don’t know if it made it back to this part of the world already. It must have if Maria had heard of it. Do we have have the capability. It would require an ice house. I didn’t even know if the house had one, that’s the sort of thing you delegate to the servants.

‘Servants’ is another of those words a liberated twentieth century guy might have trouble with. I’d got used to the concept a while ago, my college was traditional, the staff were referred to as ‘servants’. That was when I got used to ‘servants’ calling me ‘sir’. It seemed really weird for a 65 year old retainer to call me, an 18 year old, ‘sir’.

“Ice cream would be most agreeable”, I agreed, “I shall have to ask cook if it is possible, I don’t know if it is.” I shall make the arrangements. I suggest six this evening, if you are agreeable.” In the meantime, I have a lot of work I need to catch up on. Could you amuse yourself in the library for the rest of the day until then?”

“With all the books” she enquired and looked ecstatic at the prospect.

“Yes, with all the books. Though my collection is but a tiny fraction of the books in the world. Where I come from you can find whole palaces dedicated to just books.” She looked awed at that prospect.

“I would like to see such wonders someday.”

“I hope I can arrange that someday”, I responded. “In the mean time, Louisa and Hanna can take care of your needs, or James. Whatever you need, just ask one of them.”

** Chapter 4, theory lesson, the thermodynamics of power. **

At 6:15, fashionably late, Maria emerged. I was slightly disappointed, she didn’t look quite as stunning as yesterday. I must have betrayed this feeling. “Do you not like it?”, she said showing off the dress.

“You look lovely my dear, but something is different from yesterday.”

“Perhaps the petticoats? Hanna suggested that a respectable, free, woman would dress a little more modestly.” The petticoats certainly achieved this aim.

“Would a respectable woman dine with a man alone?, especially a man who’s intentions are not honorable”

“But you’re an honourable man, are you not, Mas… Stephen?”

“Well, I was considering making an exception tonight. I wanted to discuss your offer this night, I’m not sure that is suitable for respectable company.”

“Oooh.” responded Maria, with a far away look. “That sounds … interesting.”

“For a start would you care for some madeira?”

“I don’t know what that is.” was her response.

I poured a small glass of the wine, I examined the light mahogany colour and sniffed. “This is madeira.” I explained passing the glass to her, and pouring myself a small glass as well. “I expect you’re not used to alcohol, so just a small glass. Some wag once said, “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker”. Alcohol has interesting effects on some woman, but I want you to keep a clear head tonight.”

She sampled the wine. “Woo, thats … interesting. It makes me feel warm inside. I think I like it.” She drained the glass. “Yes, I like it. Should I have some more, or do you have more treats in store for me?”

“I have plenty planned for you, but you’d better be sparing with the wine. For a start, try some of these hors d’oeuvres.” I said passing a small plate of little pastry bites.

“Mmm! Delicious. I’m enjoying being a free woman. But I think I need to sit down.” I hoped the wine wasn’t going to her head quite that fast.

“Are you alright my dear?”

“Yes, I think I just feel a little bit strange”

“I think the wine might be going to your head. You should eat something more substantial.”

I pulled the bell rope, and soon James entered. “Dinner is served, Sir and Madam.”

“Shall we?” I asked offering Maria my arm. She accepted and we proceeded to the dining room. Cook had excelled,something relatively simple, quail in a fruity sauce and vegetables, simple but delicious. Just as I’d asked, something not too challenging for Maria’s first free meal. “You should try some of this wine.” I selected a very good, but not too challenging wine form the cellar for Maria.

“This is also wine? Its so different from the previous one.”

“Yes, wine comes in many varieties. The madeira was is a fortified wine, its stronger than this ‘table’ wine.”

As we ate, I explained my take on the situation.

“You asked why a free woman would make such an offer. It depends on what the free woman likes and wants. Where I come from this is known as ‘BDSM’. Those letters are a little mixed up, they stand for all of “Bondage and Discipline”, “Domination and Submission” and “Sadism and Masochism”. They are all expressions of sexual desire. Sexual desire is the strongest motivator there is, if that’s what it what it takes to satisfy your sex, that’s what you must do.” I considered adding a little explanation of darwinism and sexual selection, but that might break the mood. I wasn’t even sure if Darwin had done his thing yet. I had a vague memory that the voyage of the beagle was in the middle of the century, but I wasn’t sure if that was 1750 or 1850. 5 seconds with Wikipedia is all I need.

“At the heart of this, as well as of the letters, are domination and submission. One of the parties submits to be dominated by the other. One of them hands power over them to the other, some call this “power exchange”. Power exchange on its own can be what excites you, either giving it or receiving it. What you do with the power is what the rest refers to.”

“Bondage, you may already be familiar with, it just means restraining someone. Tying them up, or some such. Believe it or not there are people who like being tied up. I’m quite partial to it myself.”

Maria looked a bit puzzled. “You?”

“Yes, it comes down to submission. I quite like a bit of submission myself. Its quite a cliché that the powerful like to give up their power, at least temporarily. Discipline is concomitant with the bondage, you might inflict or suffer pain or humiliation along with it.” Maria looked distinctly dubious, but I pushed on. “Similarly, Sadism and Masochism describe the roles. The sadist gains satisfaction from inflicting pain on someone, the masochist enjoys having the pain inflicted upon them.” All different faces of the same coin, at its heart is the power exchange.” I started to wonder in the back of my mind, if the terms ‘Sadist’ and ‘Masochist’ had even been coined yet. They weren’t in the dictionary, I’d checked.

“So my offer was that I give all my power to you?”

“Yes that exactly right. The question now is that actually what you want. You really need to know what you want, before you can give it or receive it. There are many ways to express it, and you really need to come to an agreement about it. Its not unknown that two people entering in to a BDSM relationship will draw up a ‘Slave Contract’ which details what each wants, how much power is given and what is expected.

This can vary enormously, a masochist might enlist a dominant to abuse them. The dom might take direction from the masochist on what to do to them. Even though the masochist looks like the submissive, they’re really the dominant. On the other end of the scale, a submissive could give themselves completely to a dominant who could then do whatever the dom wanted to do with the submissive, without regard for what the submissive wants to happen. That sounded to me like what you were offering. Most BDSM relationships are somewhere between these extremes. On important thing here is ‘consent’. In all of this the submissive consents to the treatment they get. When you were a slave, you were incapable of giving consent”

“I think that was what I was offering.” Said Maria in a contemplative tone. “Then, I couldn’t do so freely, But now …”

“Please don’t decide anything yet.” I interrupted. “There is plenty I want to show you yet. By now we’d finished our main course, so I said “I have a treat in store for you, cook did manage make some ice cream for you.” With that two small dishes of ice cream were brought in, there was also some chocolate on the side. I was pleased to discover that chocolate exist already in solid form, and I wished again for a glance at Wikipedia or that I remembered more of the history of chocolate from when I’d been in Brussels. “Try it.”

She tentatively brought the ice cream to her lips. As the ice cream entered a variety of sounds escaped. “Mmm!”, “Ooh.”I think she liked it. With a big smile on her face, she said, “That is even better than I imagined, it is indeed ambrosia.” She’d been studying her mythology obviously.

“Try some of this.” I said picking up one of the small pieces of chocolate. I also poured a small glass of port. I bit into the chocolate and was somewhat disappointed it was somewhat bitter, and a bit gritty. It needed a good conching, I wondered if that process had been invented yet. The port also didn’t taste like I was expecting.

“What are these.” She said eying the port and chocolate dubiously, “They don’t seem to agree with you a great deal.”

“This is chocolate, and this is port. Chocolate when properly prepared it is the finest, most popular sweet, at least where I come from. This is not quite to the standard I’m used to, but try it and see what you think. The wine is Port, also not quite like I’m used to.”

She took a small bite, and burst in a big smile. “If this is bad chocolate, I can only dream of the wonders of good chocolate.” she gushed, and sensing an opportunity, asked “If you don’t like it, might I have yours?”

“Well, its not that bad, but certainly if you like it that much. I think I’ll ask cook to make hot chocolate next time. You mix it with warm milk, it can be quite delicious as well.”

Maria sampled the port. This also elicited some appreciative “Mmm!”s. “That makes the chocolate even better, if such a thing is possible.

“How are you feeling Maria? I fear that you have already overindulged a bit. I want you compliant, not insensible for your practical lesson.”

“But I feel marvelous!” She said slightly too loudly, “I feel all warm inside like I’m melting. I want you to take me in your arms and have your way with me as a free woman. But what do you mean by ‘practical lesson’.” She said with the puzzled look back in place.

“Well, I intended to have my way with you all along, I said my intentions were not honourable. The afore going was the theory lesson, that of power exchange. I think its time you had a practical lesson, a demonstration of what it really means.”

“Well I hope you will expedite your dishonour.” was her surprisingly lucid, if slightly slurred response. “I think there are some matters which require your urgent attention.”

“And what might they be?” I enquired. Maria just looked down, indicating her crotch. This was definitely getting serious I should hasten my plan. I rose from the table and offered Maria my hand. “Madam, I would be most grateful if you would do me the honour of accompanying me to my bed chamber. There we can attend to your urgent matter.”

She took my hand and used it to steady herself as she rose. “Certainly. Will my honour cancel your dishounour?” She asked and giggled.

“That is a question for a philosopher who is slightly less intoxicated than you. I’m afraid philosophy was never my strong suit.”

** Chapter 5, practical lesson. (The sex starts here). **

We sat on the edge of the bed, I took her in my arms and kissed her gently on the lips. “Mmm, I think I’m enjoying being a free woman.” I said nothing, but kissed her harder. My hands started exploring the magnificence which was Maria. My hand explored under her modest petticoats, and was met with no barrier to her sex. She was obviously ready. I raised an eyebrow “Did you forget something?”

Among heavy breaths she managed to say “Hanna told me doctors recommend letting air flow freely under there.”

“Remind me to raise a glass to medical science sometime.” I quipped. “This is indeed convenient, for it allows me to do this!” at which I dived under her dress and petticoats. She may have reacted to this but I couldn’t see or hear her from my vantage point. I couldn’t see any thing in the dark down there, but my tongue found her the heart of the matter which were obviously primed and ready for this. I started gently not knowing how she’d like this, but soon I was greeted with gyrating hips and incoherent sounds. I think they were incoherent, things were a bit muffled down there. Soon her thighs clamped, somewhat painfully, about my ears, she bucked a few times and went limp.

I emerged from the concealment of her petticoats and gazed upon her limp form. With some concern I asked “Maria? Maria, are you alright?”

She roused slightly, she lifted her head and tried to focus on me “Why … why did you stop? Get down there and do that again!” That was a very definite order, I was happy to comply.

This time my labours lasted longer, it was a task I seldom tired of, though my tongue was starting to cramp when her hips bucked again accompanied by a very audible sigh. I emerged and enquired “Is it safe.”

In a very languorous manner she answered, “I think you extinguished the forest fire, or did I accomplish that it looks like you’ve been swimming down there.” Referring to her juices which had been flowing freely “I think there are a few embers still alight, be careful you don’t fan them”

“I think I can keep them alive, without burning down the forest, I said, holding her tightly, while my hand played in her garden under her petticoats.

Her demeanor darkened, “Oh Stephen, I was so terribly rude just now, could you ever forgive me. That wine is doing strange things to me, I think I shall forbear for it in future.”

I smiled a broad smile, “It would be a great shame if you did that. I like this version of Maria.”

“How?” She showed great puzzlement.

I approached the question from a different angle. “Do you have a word for what I just did.”

“No. I have never heard of such a thing, though I hope to hear a lot more of it.”

“Well I know lots of words for it, though none I’m comfortable with. When talking of sex I’m not comfortable unless I play a part.” More puzzlement, “I could discuss it like a doctor, where I’d call it “cunnilingus”.”

“Hmm, the latin for tongue is ‘lingua’, I’d venture not coincidentally.”

I looked surprised, “You know latin now?”

“Hardly, but that book you gave me is all about the greeks and romans. I could not hope but pick up a few words from them. I think you have a very clever lingua.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever cease to be amazed by you. However, as I was saying I can also say it in an exaggerated base manner, such as “lick yur cunt”. I said with a crude accent.

“We could make our our name, how about “Lingual Exercise”.” Suggested Maria.

“More of a euphemism, … using a more pleasant sounding name for something.” I added the explanation when she started to look puzzled.

“Swimming!” exclaimed Maria, “We should call it swimming.” and dissolved into a gale of laughter. I did chuckle but was also wondering what Martha (with or without the Mufffins) would think.

“Swimming it is then.” I agreed. “You know back home a magazine did a survey of women’s sexual likes and dislikes. Out of every one hundred women who responded, 98 of them liked having ‘swimming’ performed on them, or in other words 2 did not like it. Frankly I was surprised that many objected.” (That was a Cosmo, pre internet, I’d sometimes tried to track the survey down and failed)

Still laughing, she said “I wonder if I might have the portion for those two woman, I like it. Though you have women sharing their intimate details with a magazine, is there no shame where you come from?”

“Obviously very little.” was my response. After Maria calmed down to some chuckles, I got back to the topic in hand. “Getting back to the question, Swimming is a very submissive thing to. As I said, I’m quite fond of a little submission, I’m particularly fond of swimming. You know, one of the first times I did that, I came.” I indicated spurting motions from my obvious member. “The girl did nothing to provoke that, he just did it on his own.” I said indicating the guilty party.

“Its never quite had the same effect on me since, but I really do like doing it. When your ordered me back to the task it really turned me on.” Puzzlement. “where I come from to be ‘turned on’ means to be excited, usually sexually. You know there were times when a woman ruler would force visiting males to perform swimming on them, to show their relative positions of power. If you were to be my slave I could never go swimming again, and that would be a great shame.”

“Indeed that would be a shame.” Agreed Maria.

“Uh huh.” I nodded in agreement. “Did I mention I really like it when a woman tells me what to do, at least sexually. The ones I’ve known have been a little shy about that sort of thing.”

“I don’t know what came over me.” asserted Maria, “I never imagined I’d behave like that. But it also turned me on. It was like a dark shadow fell over my soul.”

“Why don’t we call that ‘Dark Maria’, if that’s not redundant.”

“Redundant?”

“Redundant means no longer needed, or having been replaced. You are obviously dark already, so its not necessary for you to also be dark.”

“A pun then.”

“In this case, somewhat.” I agreed. “I hope to see Dark Maria in future. In fact I really think I should see more dark, Maria. I’ve satisfied you already, and you’re still fully clothed, as am I.”

“I don’t know if I’m satisfied, I may be just resting, I may have more work for you later. However, why don’t you undress me.”

“My pleasure madam.”

“And when you’re done, why don’t you undress, your trousers will thank you for it.”

I tried to efficiently undress Maria, but I had no experience with petticoats, they were a bit of a puzzle, much to Maria’s amusement. “I’m glad you have Louisa and Hanna to aid me.” Her magnificent dark skin was finally reveled, I bathed in its glory, awestruck.

“Oy!” interjected Maria, “Get those togs off!” She was obviously getting used to being the domme.

“At once madam.” I made as good a show of complying, as I imagine a Chippendale might. (I’m straight, I’ve never seen them perform.) Then I stood in front of her naked and … prominent. I bowed my head and asked “Do I meet with madam’s approval?”

Maria, magnificent and recumbent, smiled her most endearing smile while looking me up “Mmm” and down “oh my! its enormous.” her eyes widened. I joined her on the bed, and I sampled the goods on displays, she was every bit as pleasant to feel as she looked.

I complimented her on her choice of words. “Very good Maria, you should always compliment a man on the size of his manhood, we’re an insecure bunch, we always worry that we won’t measure up. We need all the reassurance we can get.”

“But it is big! I don’t know how it would ever fit.”

I never thought I was that big myself, but my girlfriends had sometimes had problems with it. “I doubt it will be a problem I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.” She looked eager at the prospect. “But first a few more practical lessons. First I’ll say, ‘never trust a man with a hard on'”.

“Hard on? You mean …” looking at the obvious.

“Yes, hard on is one name for it in its tumescence. Actually come to think of it, ‘hard on’ is a phrase I’m comfortable using. And what I mean by never trust a man with a hard on is that when a man gets into this state he stops thinking, at least with his head, his little head …” indicating the obvious, “will take over thinking for him. There’s nothing that will stop the little head from getting what it wants. He’ll lie and cheat, he’ll use all the guile at his disposal to manipulate the object of his desire. He may not even be beyond forcing himself on a woman.”

“But you’d never do that!”

“I hope not, but given the right provocation, you never know what a man might be capable of. Would you think I might ever strike a woman?”

Maria looked horrified, “You’d never do that, you’re the kindest gentlest man there is.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I have indeed struck a woman. An paramour of mine, one day she was a total bitch to me and in the evening was feeling guilty. We were in bed, and she asked me to ‘fuck me so it hurts’. I did have a little trouble fitting and if I weren’t careful I could hurt her. I refused, but she knew me well enough to anger me. Eventually she angered me so much I slapped her, hard, and did as she asked. Its probably the most erotic thing I’ve ever done, I relived the moment many times for years after. Though, you really should not mix sex and anger, its dangerous.”

A wide eyed Maria asked. “But where’s the consent? You never consented to the act, you were forced into it. She must have been one evil teef.”

I was taken aback. I’d never considered that aspect. “Hmm … I’ve never thought of it like that, maybe you’re right, intellectually. I never felt victimised, as I said I enjoyed it. When the little brain takes over, you never know what happens. She wasn’t that bad, she had her ups and downs, incidentally she was a Yoruba.” I didn’t actually know Maria’s ethnicity, but I guessed she was from somewhere nearby.

“Well that explains it then, what would you expect from a Yoruba.”

“Maria!” I was quite shocked. “Don’t you know better than to make judgements like that. Haven’t you had enough of people judging you on the colour of your skin, and now you’re judging someone on their tribe. You don’t know the girl!.” My tone was very stern, Maria cringed.

“I’m sorry Stephen. I should know better, can you forgive me. But, it was Yoruba who sold my mother into slavery.” She spat.

That was a development I wasn’t quite prepared for. “She would be as horrified as you by that, you don’t know her.” I tried to get back to my original plan as an introduction for another practical lesson. I said sternly. “I might forgive, but I think you should be punished.”

“Kay”, she said meekly.

I sat on the edge of the bed and motioned her to lay over my lap. Head down, her magnificent bottom faced me, it was almost a shame to abuse such a magnificent creation. I thought I could persuade myself. I fondled her bum, and then with no warning delivered short sharp slap. Maria let out a little “yip” but remained in place. I fondled her bum some more, and slapped her some more, harder and harder. A few more yelps. I fondled her bum some more and then moved down to her sex, it was still dripping wet as it had been most of the evening. “Ooh” a little moan escaped her. Then I touched her clit. There was an explosion, bucking hips she was obviously coming, I hadn’t expected that. Then she went limp.

“Maria! I said with mock seriousness. I’m supposed to be punishing you, you’re not supposed to enjoy it.”

A very relaxed sounded Maria responded, “I’m sorry Stephen, I’ll endeavor not to enjoy being punished in future.” She had a very big grin, “Is there anything I can do to make this right?”

“Hmm, I’ve been thinking you should return the favor after my swimming. Kneel down!” I ordered. She knelt before me, I crossed my arms and tried to look stern. “Now suck on it!”

She started to protest, “You want me …” but gave in and hesitantly started to nuzzle my prominent member. Then she licked a bit, then into her mouth. I don’t think she’d done this before, but she was learning fast, aided by by some helpful incoherent noises from me. “Mmm!” (yes), “Ooh” (do that some more). I think she was picking up blow job as a third (or was that fourth) language. I looked down, one of her hands was between her legs. “Maria!” I exclaimed severely, how can I punish you if you just enjoy it.”

“Maria looked sheepish and stared at the floor. I think I must be a submissive, or a masochist.”

“You can be both, they go hand in hand quite well.”

“I thought I’d not enjoy the whipping, and I didn’t at first, I thought I was being well punished. Then the fire started and would not be put out until you touched me there. I would never have thought that could bring me pleasure, let alone that much pleasure. And then when you told me to suck it, I was horrified, that is something one who submits to god should never do. It was so bad it turned me on …” She tailed off, her enthusiasm being replaced by a realization.”‘One who submits to god’, submissive. The same word is there.”

I briefly thought about making some crack about submitting to me rather than god, but I thought better of it as it definitely could be taken the wrong way. I didn’t want to bring religious strife into this pleasant little scene. “Yes the same word is there. Why don’t you come back up here and we can discuss the meanings some more.” She got up off the floor and joined me on the bed. I continued my exploration of her body.

She said in a contemplative tone, “I’m a submissive. But I was a dominant earlier, … I’m confused.”

“You’re a switch.”

“A switch?” she said very puzzled, “Neither of us have used an actual whip, just your palm.”

Oh great, the word hasn’t been invented yet. (The two state switch probably derives from electricity, which hasn’t been invented yet, but they have railways, don’t they have switches. Maybe they’re using the British word ‘points’ for that.) “Switch can also mean something which changes from one thing to another. Switches are a common object where I come from. In this case you change from being a dominant to being a submissive as the mood takes you. You ‘switch’.”

“That sounds like very strange language, you must come from a very strange place.”

“I hope to show it to you sometime. By the way, I call what you were doing a ‘blow job’, again I seem to be comfortable with those words. Also in that survey of what women like, 97 out of a hundred like to do it, 3 of the hundred did not like it. And frankly, I was surprised that many woman liked it. I’ve had less luck with my past loves. I’ll say if you ever want to put a man in a good mode, give him a blow job. If you want to get something out of a man, wait until his dick is in your mouth, then ask him.”

“Though its rude to speak with your mouth full.”/”Isn’t it rude to speak with your mouthful.” We said in unison, and dissolved once more into gales of laughter.

** Chapter 6, oral exam. **

After we calmed down, Maria enquired, “Would it be awfully greedy to ask if I could have that those three the woman don’t want?”

“It might, but I’m sure the men would not complain. Would you want all three at once, or just one at a time.” This seemed to be a new concept to Maria she got a quite far away look.

“Three at once? Would that be possible?”

“Well you might not be able to fit them all in your mouth at once, but you could have three, or more, men with hard ons all looking to you for their satisfaction. Their satisfaction may not just be blow jobs, but more may be demanded of you. Would you like to do that Maria? If you were my slave I could lend you to a guest for their satisfaction. Or I might join in and we both use you at once.” She looked further away with this thought, I swear it got damper down below. “You like the idea, don’t you Maria.”

“Ooh yes!” Threesomes on the menu, score! “That is so submissive.” she managed gasp out.

“It doesn’t need to stop at two, how about three? A whole platoon?” She looked a little dubious about that.

“Maybe we should try just two, then add another once I’ve enjoyed it, them maybe another and so on.” Gangbang by induction, this could get interesting. “But would you not be jealous of the attention I would be getting.”

“I’m not sure I know jealousy. When I’ve considered one of my paramours with another man, or men, the thought turns me on. But I’d like to see it, no sneaking off behind my back. I should be present, I’d be disappointed if you did not have appetite left to satisfy me, but I’m sure I’d survive.”

She considered this, I changed the subject. “How about women?”

“What about Women?”

“Would you have sex with a woman?

“??” confused sounds arose from Maria.

“Some women like other women, some like both men and women, two women might go swimming together. What’s more men like the idea this is often depicted in erotic shows for normal men. It also brings up the possibility of one man, and two women. You can imagine men like that idea, I like that idea, but I’ve never done it.”

“Uh? I need to think on that.”

“If you were my slave, I could lend you to a lady visitor, you’d have no choice in the matter.” She looked very dubious at the idea. I continued my inspection of Maria’s amazing skin. I suggested, “Would you like another practical lesson? This time as a bit of a dominant.”

“Sounds fun!”

“Its a variation on swimming.” I said, being comfortable with the term we invented. “This time I’ll lie on my back, and you sit on my face, with your …” I said indicating her crotch.

“My kut?”

“Yes, your kut, I might call it a ‘cunt’, both seem quite crude. We should come up with a name for that.”

“But I’ll hurt you if I sit on you. I’ll think on names”

“If you hurt me, then you’ll be a sadist, you haven’t tried that yet. But it doesn’t hurt, and I really greatly enjoy it.” I lay down on my back and beckoned. She dubiously approached trying to work out the best approach, then splat! She landed very wet cunt on my face. I, or rather my very clever tongue, started to explore the options. Her slit was quite juicy, just how I like it. Then I paid a little attention to her clit, and she rammed her self into me and collapsed. Again, I’d hardly started and she’d come, it doesn’t give me much time to enjoy it. I was also having a little difficulty breathing, so I tapped her on the thigh, then a little more urgently. She shifted, “I need to breath occasionally.”

“Breathing’s over rated,” she said contentedly. “I want to do that again, I want to climb on top of you and force you to swim, but you just stole my knees, I’m not sure I can.”

“I have a different idea, why don’t you turn around, and lay on top of me. You don’t need functioning knees to do that. Who knows once you get there you might find something to do. By the way, there are people who find being suffocated, not necessarily like that, to be their turn on. I’m not one of them. Usually I can get in a few breaths in that position.”

She considered the merits of the idea and languorously turned around and lay on top of be as I suggested. This left her cunt in the perfect position to be licked with the help of a couple of pillows, and I could breath. As I suspected she did find something to do, my rigid member fell to hand, or mouth and she started a blow job. I concentrated on my job, but the situation got the better of me and I came in her mouth. Then I flopped.

She get off of me and poked me in the shoulder. “Weren’t you in the middle of something?” She said in a rather stern tone indicating her crotch.

“Uh, … yeah … sorry. That um, … it rather flattened me. Might I have a few minutes to recover?”

“No!” Her cunt plopped down on my face again. I started to probe with my tongue, but she had other ideas, she started to ride my face. She mashed her clit into me somewhere near the nose and swiveled her hips so her gash travelled over my mouth and outstretched tongue. Then off and back, a little breath, and it was down again. I don’t know how long this went on for, probably not long then she mashed down on my face and went rigid, then fell off to the side sobbing and gasping.

I propped myself up on my side an looked at Maria with a big smile on my face.

She was distraught. “Oh Stephen, I’m sorry, I forced myself on you, you did not consent.”

“Do I look like I mind?” I ginned and indicated downwards, where something had sprung back into life.

“But, I’m just as bad as the evil teef. I forced you to pleasure me.”

“I have great difficulty believing you can force a man into sex, that’s what they want to do, its the strongest natural urge. Now just after I come, I do loose interest temporarily. You could wait for me to gather my wits, or you could do exactly what you just did. Lets say, in general, I consent to you sitting on my face, if it suits you. I’m sure I could wrestle you off if I really wanted to.”

“But… I’m not sure I like Dark Maria.”

I took her into my arms and said “I do. In time you should be able to come to terms with her. If it makes you feel better, I could punish you again.” She brightened up at that.

“What would you consider a suitable punishment?” she asked, eyes down cast.

“Well … Lets think about this. So far, what have your practical lessons covered, what is yet left?”

“Uhm. There’s bondage and discipline, we haven’t done bondage, you whipped me for discipline. …” She tailed off, as she relived the spanking. “Uhm, Domination and Submission. I think we’ve done both of those. Sadism and Masochism, you were a sadist, and I was a masochist when you whipped me, you didn’t think I was a sadist when I sat on you. We haven’t covered bondage and my sadism.”

“Hmm.” I mused, “I have some ideas, but they don’t involve punishing you. I could punish you by not punishing you. “Puzzlement. “You’re already feeling guilty about your behavior, if I punish you, you’ll feel better about it. If I don’t punish you, you’ll continue to feel bad about. You’ll punish yourself. Its cunning mental torture, its not really what I’m into. I want you to feel good about yourself” I really wasn’t feeling in the mood for another punishment scene.

“Oh”

“I could forgive you. Its within my power to absolve you of all your sins.” I hope she would buy that, and not cause a religious argument. “Though I would like to have a spare punishment available when I feel like administering it. How’s that?”

“You forgive my sin, and I consent to you punishing me whenever it suits you?” I nodded. “And, err … well, if you feel like punishing me the same way you did earlier …” Now she’s topping me from the bottom, she catches on fast.

“I forgive you!” and I tapped her forehead. Her spirits lifted instantly.

“Now what!” she said jumping up on to her hands an knees, so her boobs hung down temptingly.

“Are you never satisfied? You’ve come what 4, 5? times already and you want more. I’m afraid a mere man like myself needs a little time to charge his piece.” I said looking down, “By the way I really don’t know how to refer to him. I might say ‘dick’, you say ‘eikle’, but those are bit crude.”

“Its more than 3, but I’m afraid I don’t know the numbers to name it.” Oh god, she can’t even count to 4, poor thing. This society has a lot to answer for. “We could attempt to see what it takes to satisfy me, it may be soon, I’m not even sure its me. The wine and Dark Maria have taken me. As for your little, err enormous, friend how about ‘George’, he is after all the king of his breed.”

“When you say George, I’m not sure that would be proper, to be named after the reigning Monarch. It might be considered treason. More importantly a past paramour of mine called him George, it seems inappropriate for you to do the same. How about ‘William’ after the previous king? ‘Will’ to be brief. It lends itself to jokes about ‘sapping my will’.” she giggled, she nodded. “Will it is.”

“While we’re at it, we need a name for your garden of delights.” I indicated to her crotch, I lazily snaked a hand down there. “We could name her after something from the garden, like ‘Lily’, I just hope we never have a servant by that name.”

** Chapter 7, skills of a farm slave. **

“Ok, Lily. Lily is getting impatient. If you continue to just lie there, I may just jump on top again.” She was quivering, something was going to happen.

“Well, as tempting as that prospect is, I have other ideas.”

“Tell me.”

“Well, we could try vanilla sex.” This was met with a very baffled look.

“What would you do with that spice and sex? Isn’t it terribly expensive.”

“Ah!” Don’t tell me, Vanilla isn’t yet widely cultivated, its something exotic, but isn’t it native to Madagascar? Where’s Wikipedia when I need it. “Um, where I come from vanilla is the single most popular flavour, its so common that it comes to mean ‘without any particular flavour’. So when something is described as vanilla, its the most basic form of what its describing. In BDSM terms, ‘vanilla’ means something not BDSM, or just sex as normal people do it.”

“That idea has great merit. Though you do indeed come from a very strange place with your immodest magazines and unimaginable flavors. I really must get there some day.”

“Another idea is to try bondage. I could tie you up and have my way with you, I think Will would be very pleased to make Lily’s acquaintance.”

“Mmm!” That idea also has great merit.”

“Or you could tie me up and have your way we me. Now you see the power exchange, on the face of it, you will be dominant, but I’m hoping you’d do what I want you to. That would also involve Will and Lily getting acquainted.”

“Don’t I get to do what I want to do?” questioned Maria. “Could I try sadism while you are bound.”

“Well if I’m tied up, you certainly are in charge, I’d have great difficulty stopping you from doing anything you wanted to do to me. I have to trust you in a very basic way to make this offer.”

“That sounds like a great responsibility. Not nearly as much fun.” said Maria with a pout.

“First, we have to agree a safeword. If one of us utters the safeword, it indicates a withdrawal of consent, and the other should stop. The word should be something you would not normally use.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea.”

“Those into BDSM recommend it. The value of the safeword may have different currency. It may mean the submissive wants respite, or if may mean the dominant has broken the trust of the submissive and the relationship will end. They can also be used for the submissive to direct the dominant to do what the submissive wants.”

“What word should we use?”

“How about ‘Mango’.” was my suggestion.

“Mango?”

“Mango, don’t you have those fruits around here?”

“Yes, but why ‘Mango’?”

“Do you often say ‘Mango’ when you don’t mean ‘stop that’? That and a friend used it, I found the idea amusing.”

“Well then, Mango it is.” agreed Maria.

“Which way should we do this? I must say as as I lie here I like the idea that you tie me up, its less effort on my part, you do all the work.” I suggested with my best boyish grin.

“I get to tie you up, because you’re lazy.” Maria sounded unimpressed.

“Sounds like an excellent idea to me, but have you never noticed that its easier to do something when your lover asked. If you asked me to tie you up, I’m sure I could find some more enthusiasm.”

“You would tie me up and abuse me, if I asked you to?” asked Maria.

“Certainly,” I said stirring, “is that what you want?”

“Uhm. I think I want to tie you up, Dark Maria is coming back.”

“Does she know the safewords?” I asked with some concern.

“I think so. Can I, or Dark Maria, try some sadism?”

“Uhm, I’m not sure about that. I have fantasies about that, but I’ve never actually done it. The fantasies usually involve several woman, and swimming while receiving a blow job.”

“I’m not sure I want to share you with others, but we could call on Louisa and Hanna to aid.”

Oh god, she’s offering me a BDSM foursome, she’s definitely a keeper. “I am very tempted by your offer, but I don’t think it would be right to involve Louisa and Hanna, I am their employer, they may feel duress to give their consent. It would be improper, where I come from it would be called ‘sexual harassment’.”

“They’ll be sad to hear that, they fancy you something rotten.”

“They do.?” I said in a very surprised voice.

“You didn’t know?”

“Men are not the most perceptive creatures on this earth.” was my defense.

“Surely you speak the truth. They talk about little else. They were really quite jealous that I was your choice, but they still did their best job to deliver me to you.”

“So no Louisa and Hanna, what do I tie you up with?” Inquired Maria.

“I’m afraid, I didn’t plan this far in advance. I think you may find some scarves in the wardrobe. I hope we don’t have to call in James to ask him where to find such things.”

Maria started casting around for something to tie me up with. “We could always call in James to help in other ways, what was that about two men at the same time?”

She really is going to be a keeper, I tried to keep to my principles. “You’d better tie me up before before I assent to your plan. That would really not be appropriate, again I’m his employer.”

“You said it yourself, men won’t mind this sort of thing. Ah I think I’ve found what I need.” She walked over to carrying several scarves.

I got myself comfortable and suggested. “Tie my ankles together and then to the bed post, then tie each wrist to the bedpost.”

She got busy doing as I suggested and soon I was helpless, and Will was very prominent. Maria hopped on the bed, and kissed me on the lips. “You should test the bonds.” I tugged and they didn’t move. “You’re not trying are enough, I think you need some encouragement.” I wasn’t sure where this was going. “If you can get free, I’ll be your slave just like you want me to be. If you can’t get free, I’ll go fetch that switch I found in the wardrobe and see what I can do with it.” I’m not sure which of those was a bigger motivator, but I struggled more and still couldn’t get free.

“Where did you learn to tie like that.”

“I’m, … I was a farm slave, I tie up livestock regularly.” She hopped off the bed and walked to the wardrobe and walked back to the bed. “Look what I found, Dark Maria is going to have so much fun.” She brandished a riding crop at me. I didn’t know that was there. She hopped on the bed again and kissed me. She hurriedly whispered in my ear, “Dark Maria just stepped out, quickly, if its too much, say ‘buffalo’.” Then kissed me on the lips again. I think she just gave me a yellow safeword, I hoped that’s what she meant.”

She kissed me down the sternum and belly, and found Will who was doing his best flagpole impression. She kissed him, then slipped him her mouth.

“Mmm.” I sighed and relaxed. I close my eyes, and Whack! Maria had cropped me on the upper arm. “Ow!” I said more in surprise than pain.

“If you were looking it wouldn’t be a surprise.” She said between mouthfuls. I kept my eyes open and watched her, she glanced up at me occasionally and seemed to get annoyed. “I’m going to have to do something so you can’t see.” She climbed up the bed and sat down on my face, she was facing my feet this time. I did the obvious and explored with my tongue. She started rocking her hips. I was working away then ow. She’d hit Will, I stopped in surprise.

She lifted herself off my face, I said “Ow!” now I had the chance.

“Don’t beasts usually work faster when you put the whip to them?” She asked.

“He may not function for you if you do that again.”

She pouted at me, “If you don’t do a good job, I’ll take the whip to you again.” At that she plopped down and I went to work. A tap on the thigh, I sped up. This happened a few times more, and it started to feel, good. I squirmed. She hit again, I slowed down, she hit more. I stopped and bucked my hips more. She lifted off my face and scowled at me. “You stopped! What good is a slave who won’t work.” and waved the crop at me.

“I’m sorry.” I replied, “I was dreaming of herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plains of Torquay.” I carefully didn’t say ‘buffalo’, and I’m sure the reference meant nothing to her.

She looked concerned and asked, “Did you mean buffalo?”

“No, wildebeest, if you carry on like that, Will will make his presence known.”

“Where there’s a will there’s a way.” she said demounting and eying Will. She turned around and climbed back on me below Will. She grasped him and introduced him to Lily, she rubbed him up and down her, then slipped him inside. With a look of great concentration she started to sink on the shaft. She bit her lip, and finally came to the end. She looked down, “Will, I’d like you to meet Lily.” She turned to me, “I don’t think he can hear me. Its a bit muffled in there. He’d better not speak until I tell him to!” brandishing crop at me. “He is indeed a magnificent beast.”

With that she started rocking, then riding up and down impaled on Will. “Giddy up!” she exclaimed and sped up, she used the crop on me again. Faster and faster, she cropped me more and more. “That’s it my beauty, faster, faster!”. Despite her earlier admonition or maybe because of it, it was too much for me and I came. Oh god did I come, all ending up inside Lily. Will subsided, spent.

“No!” a very angry sounding Maria screamed. “I was nearly there!” She hesitated shaking, then looked me in the eye. “I told you not to do that!” She scrambled up my torso and plopped down on my face, she was wet and gaping and creamy and tangy, just as I like it best. I was not quite recovered yet to totally enjoy it, but I set to work. She started riding my face again, and she started cropping me. “Ow!” in my post orgasmic it hurt, I considered saying ‘buffalo’, but I don’t think I’d be heard or listened to. Luckily it didn’t take long before Maria stiffened, gasped and again fell to the side sobbing.

She looked totally relaxed and concerned at the same time. She reached out to me, “Stephen, are you alright, did I hurt you?”

“I’m fine Maria, you were magnificent, are you sure you’ve never done this before?”

“Never. Oh Steven, I’m frightened, Dark Maria scared me, she’s cruel, she enjoyed that. It turned her on. It turned Me on …” she tailed off.

“Why don’t you untie me and we can talk.”

“Oh, … yes, … sorry, I should do that.” She scurried to untie me.

Once free I held her tightly, and tried to reassure her. “Maria, you were magnificent, I couldn’t, I have never dreamed of a better scene. I think I love you.”

“She looked shocked. “How can you say that? How could you love such an evil person. I enjoyed hurting you. I never want to hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt me, much. That’s the best sex I’ve ever had. It was my idea, I wanted it. And look, I don’t have a hard-on, so you can trust me.”

Startled, she looked down and burst out laughing. “Oh Stephen, I love you, I never want to hurt you, but I want to hurt you. I’m confused.”

“Well, I’ll say it again, you were magnificent. I couldn’t have hoped for someone to play the part better, you played me perfectly, in fear for my safety, but totally safe. Thank you for the buffalo, it made it much easier to enjoy.”

“I didn’t think I was playing a part, I don’t want to absolve myself of the guilt, but that Dark Maria really is an evil teef. She was trying to mentally torture you.”

“But that’s part of what I liked, sex is more a mental activity than a physical one. It worked perfectly. It turned me on, oh boy did it turn me on. If you don’t do it again, I’ll have to beg you.”

“It turned me on too, but it frightened me.” responded Maria.

“I’m sorry to frighten you, but if you could see your way to letting Dark Maria back sometime, I’d be eternally grateful. I think you’d like that too. I hope I don’t have to get a hard on to be able to persuade you, that could be dangerous.”

“I’ll think on the matter.” Declared Maria, and enquired. “Next time, might we have vanilla sex.”

“Uh, OK, but I don’t think I’m capable right now.

“Well, that’s perfect, I don’t think I am either. I think I’m finally satisfied, I shall sleep well tonight, I suspect I’ll suffer for it in the morning.”

“As shall I.” I responded. And added, “Just one thing, once Will has said his piece, could you spare the whip. Once I’m spent, it hurts.”

“Oh Stephen!” she exclaimed with great concern. “I’m sorry, You should have said buffalo.”

“I didn’t want to interrupt you, I didn’t think I could interrupt you, I wouldn’t have been heard.”

“I’m sorry.” Then she brightened when she said. “You should punish me for it.”

“Would you mind if I didn’t right now, I’m totally spent. I could add it to your tally.”

“Ooh sounds perfect.” Sighed Maria.

We settled down to get some well deserved sleep. When Maria asked “Where’s Torquay?”

I laughed. “Its a town on the South Coast of England.”

“They have wildebeest there?”

“No they don’t, its a line from a comedic play. Its something you can’t see from a Torquay hotel bedroom.”

“You are a very strange man Stephen, I like you.”

“Good night Maria.”

“Good night.”

** Chapter 8, a morning swim. **

Sometime the next morning I awoke. When I regained my senses Maria was lying there staring at me. “You look so peaceful lying there.”

I blinked, but otherwise did not respond. “I am so lucky to have you Stephen, but you are cruel. I ache in many places. That bludgeon of yours made me ache in an unusual place, its a dangerous weapon,” She said gesturing to Will, “Lily is protesting about her treatment.”

“As I remember you did that yourself, its self inflicted. Remember you’re a masochist.”

“And a sadists, and a submissive, and a dominant, and a confused woman.” she continued. “Lily is feeling very upset with your treatment of her. Would you like to make it up to her with an early morning swim?”

“Just give me a few moments to gather my wits.” I pulled back the sheets to reveal Maria’s magnificent body. “Just Lie there.” I lay down next to her, and approached from the side. Lily was obviously ready for this. “Were you not satisfied last night?” I asked giving a first tentative lick.

“I, … Oof.” was her first response. She again tried to respond “I, …” and she flopped back as she was interrupted by more tongue. She gave up trying to respond and sighed.

“I hope you, … give me … more work, … today.” I said between licks. “I hardly had time to enjoy my labours yesterday.” I worked away at Lily, my efforts seemed to be appreciated. The way I was lying, Will close to hand for Maria, and at some point her hand found him, she idly played with him for a while, and gradually became more urgent. Her incoherent vocalisations came more frequently, her hips started to squirm. I stepped up my efforts, I brought my fingers into play, she stopped playing with Will and her hips bucked. I made an assault on two fronts a tongue hard on the clit and two fingers in and out of Lily. This had the desired effect, she bucked, went rigid then limp as a rag doll.

I climbed up next to Maria and hugged her. Slowly her wits returned. “Did the herd of wildebeest just trample me? Are we in Torquay?” I instantly cracked up at this non sequitur. Gasping for breath I buried my face in her boobs to stifle the laughter. She joined in. “I like it when you laugh.”

We subsided to merely gasping for breath. “To answer your earlier question, I thought I was satisfied last night, but as I awoke there was still a small ember glowing. As I watched you sleep, flames were fanned. I was considering rousing you, but you looked so peaceful.”

“For such an urgent emergency, you should have awakened me.” I said with my mock stern voice. “I would have to severely punish someone if they did not.”

She looked contemplative. “So I could rouse you and suffer such treatment as I just have, or I could let you sleep and be punished? You present me with such a dilemma.”

She changed the subject. “Would you like assistance with that?” She asked indicating Will, who was very prominent.

“Well I was thinking of saving it for our plan for vanilla sex. However, he’ll always appreciate a blow job, just mind you don’t make him speak. I would not be pleased, and I would be forced to not punish you.”

“Oh, kay.” she assented. I lay on my back and she went to work. She was good, she was very, very good.

I was suitably appreciative, but eventually I said. “I think this may get serious soon.”

She rose and pouted at me, I held out my arms and we hugged. “What plans have you?” She asked.

“I think we should rest today. I suggest we have tea this afternoon and discuss the future. I think I may have another treat for you.”

“Ooh,” She perked up. “what? Is it dominant or submissive or vanilla?”

I looked at her sideways with a patronizing smile. “My, you are obsessed, its food.”

“Oh.” She blushed and looked away.

“I’m not complaining. But I’m only mortal, I have only so much energy, you’ll wear me out. I have a lot of work to do, and I need some energy to do that.”

“Can I help you?” She asked.

“You just were.” I said motioning to Will.

“No, silly, could I help you with your work.”

“Oh. An interesting idea, let me think on that. But for now we should summon the maids to aid you. There should be a gown to cover your modesty in the wardrobe, then I can ring for James to summon them.” She hopped up, bouncing very nicely. “You should cover up before I change my mind, I’m starting to consider the possibilities afforded by the scarves and the riding crop.”

She looked at me and paused as she reached for the robe. Then she very deliberately reached for the robe and covered up. I must have looked mightily disappointed. “You promised me tea, and treats, and vanilla sex. But if you say I shall disrobe, hand you the switch and gladly submit to your worst desires.”

She was not going to make this easy on me. “Uhm, uhm, uhm.” I struggled. “Will is doing his best to overrule me, but I think we should keep to the original plan. You’d best hurry before I am overruled.” I looked around, we’d best put away these things.” motioning to the scarves and crop. “Lest James appreciates our activities. You’d best not blab too much to Hanna and Maria, they might not understand.”

“I’m sure they know everything already. The servants always know what’s going on. They wouldn’t be worth much if they did not.”

I blushed at the prospect. “I’d prefer you did not go into details, leave them guessing.”

“If that’s what you want, I want to shout from the rooftops, tell everyone of my good fortune.”

“And you think there is no shame where I come from.” I countered.

We tidied up and the maids were summoned. “Shall we say tea at three this afternoon?”

“I shall suffer every moment until then.”

“You have the library to amuse you and every other facility at your disposal. You’ll survive.” She perked up at the mention of the library.

** Chapter 9, teatime discussion. **

The clock had not yet struck three when James interrupted me in my study. “Pardon me sir, Miss Maria says she awaits your pleasure in the drawing room. Shall I bring the tea?”

“Yes, please do James.” I said rising, and made my way to the drawing room. As I entered Maria jumped up and ran to me. She was wearing another diaphanous empire style number, with no obvious petticoats this time.

She hugged me. “I missed you, I suffered greatly.”

“You’re a masochist, you enjoy suffering.” I countered.

“I, I, I.” She struggled for a response to that. “I mentally tortured myself, I did not have the solace of suffering at your hand. Parting was such sorrow, not sweet at all.”

“I’m sorry, I’m here now.” Then what she said sunk in. “Shakespeare now?”

“Yes, he’s good isn’t he.”

“He’s generally reckoned to be. I’m not very familiar with his works. Though having said that, I’ve probably seen a dozen of his plays, I’ve even acted in one, and crewed backstage for another. I do find him a little difficult to understand.”

“The language is quite old, not like that which is spoken now.” Considered Maria, then she showed off her dress, and asked “Do you like this one? Louisa and Hanna did me like you like me.”

“Both of us like it.” I said indicating Will. She smiled and looked away demurely. “I’ll enjoy taking it off later.”

“You should be able to manage that with no petticoats.” She chided. I glared.

“Talking of Louisa and Hanna, they like the idea of the four of us.”

“You discussed that with them?” I was somewhat horrified.

“Sorry.” She said and examined the floor. “It just sort of slipped out.” I was trying to find something to say, when she added “I think Louisa and Hanna already go swimming together.” That threw off my train of thought.

“You mean they’re lovers? I thought you said they fancied me?”

“You said a woman could like both men and woman, I think they do.” Oh my, this was getting intriguing.

“But I told you, I couldn’t do that, I’m their employer.”

“They were most disappointed when I told them about your reservations.”

“Would you have me compromise my principles? I’m sure you could persuade me if you tried.”

“Hmm. I’ll bring it up the next time Will is in my mouth.”

“I’m tempted to take him out now, but I hate to remind you that would be evil.”

“Bah! you’re no fun.”

I though I’d better change the subject, “We should have tea.” I rang the bell and soon James entered. “Your tea Sir and Madam.”

“Thank you James, you may leave us to it.”

“Very good sir.” Said James leaving the room.

“Have you ever had tea?” I enquired of Maria.

“No, I never have.”

“I’m quite partial to it myself. I’m not sure of the current fashion, but I like it with milk.” I poured a little milk in the cups and some of the liquor from the silver pot. I passed a cup to Maria. “You might find this a little challenging, some find it more palatable with sugar.” I raised my cup my lips and sipped. “Ahhh.” I thought I’d better warn Maria, “Careful it is quite hot.”

She took a tentative sip, she didn’t look particularly impressed. “Perhaps some sugar.” I spooned a small amount of sugar into her tea and stirred. She took another sip.

“Yes that helped. This is quite a strange brew. I may get used to it.”

“It might help to have drunk it from birth.” I suggested. “It also goes well with these.” I said finding the scones.” This is the treat I promised you.” Maria perked up.

“What are they.”

“These are scones. They’re only part of the treat, they go particularly well with this cream and this jam.” I’d verified with cook that clotted cream was known and she could produce some. She also found some jam, I’m not sure what fruit though. I cut the scone in two, spooned on some cream and some jam and rejoined the two halves. I passed it to Maria and assembled my own. “Try it, this is the greatest expression of English cuisine, and bit into the scone.” Cook had excelled.

Maria was studying me as I ate the scone. “By the look of you, it must exceed ambrosia itself.” and she took a bite. “Mmm. Ooh. That is good. I’m not sure its better than chocolate, but good.”

The scones didn’t last long, washed down with the tea. Then we started on the sandwiches, and ended with the candies, including more chocolate. As we ate and drank we discussed the situation.

“What of your future then Maria?”

“I don’t know. I’m confused. You’ve showed me so much. I trust you, I’m looking to you for guidance.”

“Well, you could extend the offer you made originally. I could draw up papers to make you a slave again. I find the prospect tempting to have you for myself, to use as I wanted. I’m sure I could find lots of ways for you to amuse me. This option does have certain drawbacks. I would never again be visited by Dark Maria, this would be great shame. I could never again go swimming, this also would be a great shame. Of course, you wouldn’t have a safeword to use. There are no limits to a slave’s servitude.”

I was trying to make this option sound unappealing, but Maria was getting her far away look again. “Maria, am I turning you on?”

She blushed and looked away. “Yes Stephen, the option sounds most appealing when you describe it so.”

“But Maria, I could do anything, you’d have no safeword.”

“You could indulge all of your most base desires, those that your conscience won’t let you normally indulge. I’d be satisfying you totally, you deserve that.”

She wanted to throw out all the rules. “I couldn’t trust myself with that much power over you.”

“I know you wouldn’t, so I am willing to give that to you.” I was shaken by this turn of events. She added, “It will help you exercise your demons.”

“Do you mean exorcise?” I said amused by the slip.

“No exercise. If you just exorcise them, you’ll still be afraid of them, if you exercise with them and get to know them, they won’t frighten you anymore.”

“Oh. Makes sense.” I was somewhat bemused buy this logic.

Maria saved me by changing the subject. “You said there were other options?”

“Err, well … uhm. At the other end of the scale I could be your slave. I’m not sure really how that option would work. I’m not sure I could submit as totally as you’re willing to do. I have never previously considered such submission. The slave contract would have to be negotiated.” Maria nodded, she didn’t seem to be biting at that offer.

“In the middle we become partners. We can have sex as we fancy, dominant, submissive, or vanilla. We can negotiate on the role we want from day to day. I like this idea a great deal, I could go swimming whenever you want, I like that. We could invite Dark Maria into bed when it suits us, I must say it suits me. You asked me if you could help me with my work. If we were partners I’d think you should be educated, in time you should become a very able helper.” Maria agin nodded, she didn’t seem to have the enthusiasm she’d shown for the first option. This was worrying me, she might opt for that.

“You’re being very quiet Maria, do you have any thoughts on this?”

“I did have my heart set on the original offer. But I see you are troubled by it.”

“This is about you Maria, you need to decide what you want. Whatever you decide, I’m sure you can persuade me to accept it.”

“Mmm, persuasion.” Mused Maria with her far away look. Then asked. “When you said ‘partners’, do you mean we would be married?”

“Marriage is one possibility, if that’s what you want. In this day marriage has some drawbacks, you’d have a status little better than that of a slave, its really quite barbaric. We could find some other form of partnership which preserves your freedom, we could explore the possibilities with Johan.”

“You don’t want to be married?”

“I have nothing against marriage, I’ve proposed it to several women, I should tell you about that sometime. However, where I come from marriage is entered into by equals, each parter remains distinct, but something greater emerges from the union. Here, the woman basically ceases to be when she marries, at least as far as the law sees. It may be possible to be married and you to still be free, my father tried that with a prenuptial contract which stated my mother would retain her identity. I’m not really sure it worked, again we could discuss this with Johan.”

“This place of yours becomes more marvelous all the time, was your father not from the same place?”

“He fled from his country before I was born, he disagreed with the government, and not just about marriage laws.”

“That sounds like yet another story you should tell me sometime.”

“What little I know of it.” I agreed. “But before you decide, I have one more treat for you, and I promised you vanilla sex. If you are to decide properly, you should appreciate the partnership of equals.”

“Ohh, treats, what do you have for me now? She asked eagerly.

I rang the bell again. “It might be a few minutes before the treat is ready.”

Maria spoke up. “I’ve been thinking, maybe we could solve your dilemma with Louisa and Hanna the same way you solved your dilemma with me.”

I didn’t get what she was getting at. “I’m afraid I don’t follow you.”

“I offered to be your slave, you conscience would not let you accept the offer because I was your slave. You freed me. Louisa and Hanna would like to indulge you, but your conscience would not let you accept because you are their employer. Could you become not their employer anymore?”

“I don’t think they’d thank me if I terminated their employment.”

“Could you be not their employer, but they still be employed.”

“You logic suggests they should be employed by by someone other than me, but still do the job of maids here. Whoever employs them, they might feel duress to please me.” We fell silent.

I mused, then asked rhetorically, “What is important about being employed?” and answered myself, “The money and the status. If they would be paid whether they pleased me or not, they would be free to please me if they wanted. I wonder if such could be arranged with a trust.”

“A trust?”

“A legal entity to accomplish something. I’d have to ask Johan if this would work, but I envision I put some money in this trust. The purpose of the trust is to pay Louisa and Hanna. Once I set up the trust, I have no control over it. I could not make it stop paying Louisa and Hanna if I wanted to. I no longer have any control over them, and they are free to indulge me, or not as they choose.”

“That sounds very clever.” Said Maria

“Well it was you had the idea, I just followed your logic. But why are you trying to get me to shtup Louisa and Hanna?”

“Shtup? I can guess what you mean by that. I can see that you obviously want to have sex with many woman at once. If you want it, I want it.”

“OK,” I agreed, I see the logic, but why Louisa and Hanna?”

“Well they’re convenient, they fancy you, they’d agree to what you want, and they’re good people. I like Louisa and Hanna.”

“I’m embarrassed to say I’ve hardly noticed them. You kind of just don’t notice servants. That sounds awful when I say it.”

We were interrupted by James. He brought in the treat. “As you ordered sir.”

“Thank you James, you may leave it with me.

“As you wish sir.” and James left the room.

I felt self conscious about my lack of attention to a human being, but I had the treat to dispense. “I thought we’d try hot chocolate.” I poured two cups from the silver pot, and pushed one to Maria. “Again, careful it should be hot.” I sipped mine, it was much more agreeable as hot chocolate than in its crude solid form. “Mmm!”

“Mmm, indeed.” agreed Maria. “More ambrosia.”

After we finished our cups, I asked. “What now Maria? Would you like more hot chocolate? more tea? something else? or what I promised earlier, vanilla sex? Remember you’re a free woman, you should decide what you want.”

“I think we should definitely have the vanilla sex. Lily is getting quite insistent about it.”

“In that case.” I said as I arose, and offered Maria my arm. “Would you do me the honour of accompanying me to my bedchamber.”

“Why Stephen, I’d be delighted, I thought you’d never ask.”

** Chapter 10, vanilla, its not just a spice. **

In the bedchamber, I drew her to me and kissed her. I sat down on the bed, still kissing, I felt her boobs through the dress and drew up her hem to feel up her thigh. I dropped the dress off her shoulders revealing her boobs. Magnificent as always, I started appreciating them, with my hands and with my mouth and tongue.

I spent some time appreciating Maria’s boobs, when a slightly puzzled sound emerged from her, “Urm?”

“What’s the matter?”

“I thought you were going to fuck me.”

“I am, all in good time.”

“Oh, I expected you to have had me, come and be nodding off by now.”

“Is that what you’re used to?” She nodded. “Well, I could if you want to, but I’m used to spending a little more effort on the process.”

“I thought we were supposed to be having vanilla sex, why do you want to torture me?”

I was a little taken aback, “I’m not trying to torture you, I thought you’d enjoy it.”

“I’d enjoy a fuck, Lily is burning.”

“Does it have to be a fuck? I could lick you, go for a little swim.”

“Yes, do that.” She started pushing my head down towards her crotch.

I lifted her skirt and dove into her crotch, her legs were obscenely wide open, inviting. My face splashed down in her cunt, she was wet (very), and open and obvious. I licked the slit, I got a very gratifying reaction, she squirmed and gasped. I lick her slit some more and she thrashed about, I thought I’d better get at it and attacked her clit. She stiffened her moans became more strangled “Nnng!”, then she flopped back on the bed, “Oof!”.

I tentatively looked up, remembering last night, “Is it safe? Or should I do that again?”

She made an incoherent sound, I decided it was safe and made my way up her to hug her. Her eyes slowly focused on me, “Can you chase away the wildebeest.” We both cracked up. When we calmed down, she said, “I’m sorry to spoil your plans, now I’ve got you submitting instead of the vanilla.”

“But that is vanilla, at least it can be vanilla. Its just foreplay.”

“Foreplay?”

“What comes before sex, it helps arouse the participants.”

“But I’m already aroused, I don’t need more. You don’t look like you need it either.” Will was indeed straining my trousers.

“I’ve never know anyone as horny as you, …”

“Horny?” She looked really puzzled at that one.

“Where I come from it means ‘aroused’ more or less. Or in this case, your permanent state. I always guessed it referred to things like my little friend here.” I indicated to Will. “But came to be applied to women as well. I’ve never known anyone as horny as you, where I come from foreplay is expected, it would be quite impolite to do without, unless its a quickie. And, well, I quite like doing it I enjoy it for its own sake.”

“Quickie?”

“Having sex with none of the preliminaries, foreplay etc, as quickly as possibly, just to get the man off. Sometimes you don’t have time for everything, sometimes you just feel like doing it that way.”

“Oh, it sounds like normal sex to me. Kay, lets try some foreplay. Just don’t torture me. What else is vanilla and foreplay?”

“Just about everything except sex itself. Touching, kissing, licking, oral sex, both blow jobs and swimming. Taking off your clothes can be part of foreplay.”

“Lets try the clothes, I’m already halfway there.”

I worked on the disarrayed dress to remove it completely, while I was doing that, I said, “As I said, I’ve never known someone as horny as you, so I didn’t realize I was torturing you. You’ll have to tell me if you need extra help in future. I’m used to that being the end of it, they come once and they’re satisfied for the day, or the week, maybe the month.” She looked a bit puzzled at this point, but didn’t press the point.

She was now naked, I thought I’d never grow tired of looking at her voluptuous body. She got a bit self conscious and wiggled bits to distract me. “Are you just going to stand there?”

“If the purpose is to turn us on, its working for me.”

“I liked the idea of you also being naked. You could do it like last night, I enjoyed that.” I put on another show, much like I did last night. Maybe a little more hurried, I was anxious to get to other things. When I’d finished I stood there, very prominent and Maria clapped. “Yes, I enjoyed that, I may need more help soon. Did you say blow jobs were foreplay?”

“Yes they can be foreplay, or they can be the main event. If you ask a man, with a hard-on, whether he wants a blowjob or a fuck, I’m not sure you’d get much sense out of him.”

“Well, I want to be wicked and give you a blowjob.” She crawled across the bed to where I was standing. “I’ll give you a blow job, and when I can’t stand the torture anymore, will you fuck me please.”

“OK”, I couldn’t argue with that. She was on all fours at the edge of the bed, I was standing up next to the bed and her mouth was at the perfect height, Will disappeared into her mouth. “Oh.” My knees went week, “Could I lie down before I fall down?”

“Kay.” I turned around and lay across the end of the bed, my feet still on the floor.

Maria went back to work, “Ooooh!” She was kneeling to get down to reach Will with her mouth, her bum was sticking up in the air not too far from my head, and arm. I felt her bum, while moaning and writhing, she was having quite an effect on me, it was making any coherent thought very difficult. One semi-coherent thought was if she kept this up, I was going to come. One other thought was should I mention this or not.

In the end I was spared having to make that decision, she suddenly stopped sucking me and said “Fuck me.” Then turned around, her bum still high in the air, she waggled it at me. I made as much haste as I could to kneel behind her and stick Will up her. I was a little hesitant about it, after yesterday I didn’t want to hurt her penetrating her. I was slowly inching in her when she cried, “Stop torturing me!” and rammed her nether regions towards me, impaling on Will to the hilt.

I thrust as hard and as fast as I could, she was moaning loudly. The moaning became a wail, and I was thinking this wasn’t going to last long when she came. The wailing became gasps, she stiffened and then fell onto her side, quivering and jerking. I was close, so I rolled her over onto her back and jumped on her, ramming Will up her. This set her off again, she was coming again, she was thrashing around and that keening wail was back. It was too much for me, I came spasmodic spurts up her. Spurt, thrust, spurt, thrust, spurt, thrust. I collapsed onto top of her, hardly conscious of anything except an exploding Will.

Consciousness reasserted itself, I levered myself up on my elbows and focussed on Maria. I’m not sure anyone was home down there either. So I kissed her. She blinked and smiled. “You missed some of the wildebeest.” Again, we cracked up, I rolled off her and hugged her.

“Is that it?” She asked.

“It doesn’t have to be, do you want something more?”

“Lily would like some attention.”

“Just give me a moment to gather my wits, or you could jump on top again, I like that. Its easy for me.”

“It doesn’t seem appropriately vanilla.”

“OK, just a sec.” I shuffled around to approach Maria’s cunt from the side, like this morning. She was still gaping from Will’s attentions, and juicy and slimy and creamy, perfect in fact. I got to work licking the gaping slit, tasty.

This got some appreciative reaction, “Mmm.” I worked around her slit and around her clit, avoiding the clit for now. I carried on working, and the “Mmm”s became moans, she started squirming. It seemed like a good time to step things up, I brought fingers into play, wiggling them in her slit. I also started more direct pressure on the clit. Again, a most gratifying reaction, the moans ramped up, as did the squirming. They became wails and bucking hips, I held on, she was coming.

I let her come, and carried on working. This would be interesting, to see what her reaction was. She calmed down a bit, but without much interruption she was coming again. I carried on, another orgasm blended into the last. Then it wasn’t obvious where one ended and another started, she was just coming. Then with a last jerk, the sound and motion stopped. Maria was still.

I rearranged myself to lie next to Maria, she was breathing, this was a good sign. I propped myself up on one elbow and watched her. She looked really peaceful, expressionless, just lying there. Her eyes opened, but didn’t seem to see. Slowly some expression returned to her face, she looked happy. “Do you want some more?” I asked.

A puzzled look flitted across her face, before she said, “Actually, no. I am fully satisfied. How strange.”

“Strange?” I was a little puzzled by that.

“I could not endure any more. This is such a novelty.”

“You’ve never been sated before?”

“Never.”

“Well, I am honoured to help you in such an important endeavor.” I hugged her. Will was standing proud, I hadn’t been paying attention to him.

Maria noticed his insistence against her bum and grasped him. “Would you like me to help you with that?” She asked.

“I thought you were sated.”

“I am, but you vanquished my desire, such gallantry deserves a reward.”

“Who am I to disagree with such logic, please reward me.” I lay back. “You could climb on top of me, I like that.”

“Sorry Stephen, after your grievous assault, Lily could not oblige you.” Oh well, but I wasn’t going to complain at a blowjob. And what a blowjob it was, for such and inexperienced practitioner, Maria was mind blowingly good. My mind was suitably blown. I’m sure there was lots of moaning and toes curling. Eventually Maria took pity on me and allowed me to blow my load into her mouth. I’m pretty sure I looked as expressionless as Maria after that.

** Chapter 11, aftermath. **

Maria hugged me as we lay together in the afterglow. When I’d regained enough of my senses I asked, “So what do you think of vanilla sex?”

“It is most agreeable. It does not have the intensity of our congress last night, but I’ll say I could not survive if all sex were such. Certainly its not something I could endure daily. Vanilla sex I could gladly endure many times a day.”

Oy! She’s going to wear me out. “I will valiantly try to satisfy your needs, or I’ll expire in the attempt.”

“I will forbear sex to aid your recovery.”

“There’s no need for such drastic inaction, I’m sure it would aid my recovery if you demonstrated an alternative. As we discussed there are other men, or woman.” A lezzy show, that’d perk me up.

Maria perked up. “For you I could endure such indignity.” She said with that far away look in her eye.

“You are so thoughtful. You could try satisfying yourself.” Puzzlement. “As I used my hand, so can you.”

“But you objected to my attempts yesterday.”

“Oh, sorry. I was playing a part. I think it is a good thing, though as always you should save some of your appetite for me. It would be polite to offer me the opportunity to help. If you were to do that while I were present, it might spur me to action. You may also be able to find a mechanical contrivance to help you. Such things become popular soon, so many husbands not knowing how to satisfy a wife that doctors have to do that for them. A doctor might know where to find such a contrivance.”

She look dubious at this. “You should give it a try, I really think you in particular would like it.” I posited.

“Is this more that you know from where you come from? You should tell me about it. If we were partners you should tell me everything.”

“You’ve decided we’re to be partners?”

“Yes, you seemed to be greatly troubled by my offer, and as you say it does have advantages.”

I hugged her. “I hope you’ll come to appreciate the advantages, I’ll get Johan to work on the specifics.”

“I’m sure I will, but anyway, tell me about where you come from.”

I knew I was going to have to discuss this sometime, it might as well be now. I wasn’t sure how to approach this. Let try this. “Where I come from has been called ‘the undiscovered country’ …”

“You came back from the dead? I thought you were from the future.” Interrupted Maria. Uhm, I was not expecting a development like this, she’d already worked it out. She is more than extraordinary.

“I don’t think I’m dead, what makes you say that?”

“Shakespeare, Hamlet says ‘But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered Country, from whose bourn No Traveler returns.”

“It says that?, I thought he was referring to the future.” That’s what I get for quoting a Klingon quoting shakespeare, at least I didn’t try to quote it in the original Klingon.

“So you are from the future! I could go get the book if you want to look.”

“We can look at it later. I think I’m from the future, around the year 2006, do you know its 1806 now?”

“Well, no on ever taught me the numbers, I don’t know what those are.” Damn this system again.

I thought, how to express this in terms she’s understand. “You know how old I am?”

“Yes, I can see that.”

“Well, imagine me living three times this long, then live another such lifetimes after that.”

Maria chewed on this for a while. “Lots of people would be born and die, only to have their children die before you would live that long.”

“I think if I looked, I might find the grandfather of my grandfather or maybe his grandfather alive now.”

“Oh.” Some comprehension I think. “How did you come to be here?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure if this is my body, or if I’m just borrowing it, possibly from that grandfather of my grandfather.”

“How do you not know?”

“Things are a bit hazy between here and there. I think I remember everything about my time, up to a point, and then its like a dream. Then its like I’m dreaming here, and slowly I wake up and I’m me.”

“That is strange, but don’t you know if you’re you?”

“I look about the same, the fuzzy bit in the middle makes it difficult to be exact. Maybe my hair is darker, maybe my beard is darker. I have the same name, but many of my ancestors used the same names, all the way back to this time now.”

“You know a great deal about your ancestors.”

“Its a family hobby, researching your forebears. Its called genealogy.”

“I’d guess that is from ‘gens’ my tribe in latin and ‘logos’ knowledge in greek.”

“I thought you didn’t know latin or greek.” I challenged.

“I don’t, I’m just guessing.”

“You make damn good guesses. But anyway, back home I have a document which traces my line as far back from us as I am from home.”

“That would be an interesting thing to know. As a slave I only know what my mother could remember.”

“The slave trade is responsible for such evil in the world. It seems trivial that this is indeed one of its consequences.” I ventured “Anyway, the nature of the universe is such that it would be easier for my consciousness to move here, rather than my physical body. Though both are quite preposterous.”

“You know a great deal about the nature of the universe.” I wasn’t sure if Maria was stating or asking.

“I do, I probably know more about its nature than all of the scientists in the world right now. I studied natural philosophy in college, I call it physics.”

“College? that is where you get an education?” asked Maria, obviously intrigued.

“Yes, its where you go to study the higher levels of learning. Thousands of the brightest most eager students converge there every year to immerse themselves in study.”

“And you studied to be a doctor?”

That threw me for a second. “Oh, er, I think the language has changed a bit. I didn’t study ‘physic’ as they say these days, I studied ‘physics’, the nature of the physical world. The idea of physics as a separate science may not have been thought of yet.”

“Yes, the nature of the physical world as you said. You college sounds like heaven.”

“My college was one of the preeminent such institutions in the world, but there are hundreds of others, perhaps not quite so eminent, but all crammed with students. Not all of them terribly eager or bright. I’m afraid I did not make the best of it, when you put that many young people together, they make all sorts of distractions. I had so much fun in college the study may not have got the attention it deserves. Though I’m not sure working harder would help. If I am presented with something, I either understand it or I don’t. If I don’t, no amount of study would enlighten me.”

“I think I may be similar.” Posited Maria. “The knowledge is just leaping off the pages. I’m not trying to learn.”

“We definitely need to get you a tutor, it would be such a shame to waste that marvelous mind of yours. A tutor can guide you in the basics of knowledge, so you can decide what you want to study. I must remind you that if you were to be a slave again, you would not get an education. That would be a monstrous crime.”

Maria considered the matter. Then regained her curiosity, “Tell me some about your home.”

“You would have difficulty understanding the world I come from. It moves so much faster. We have machines to do much of the work in fact machines will make slaves redundant eventually even if the laws were not passed to ban it.”

“You mentioned the end of slavery before, when does it end?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know. I didn’t study this period of history. Don’t forget to me this is history, I had to read about it in books. But I think its soon, I think it was ended in Europe before it was ended in the US. The US will fight a war among themselves before its ended there, I think thats mostly the end of it. That may be in your lifetime.”

I had a thought. “Now Maria, you must never tell anyone about anything I am telling you of the future. You must not tell and you must not act on it. To do so would be very dangerous, it might even cause me to go away.”

She looked distraught at the prospect. “Why would you go away because I talked.”

“No that I would go away, I would not be. I’m from the future, the future is built on the past. If knowledge such that I had were to get out, the past would be different. There would be no future for me to come from.”

She struggled with this some. “I think I see what you’re saying. If I make a splash here, the ripples spread out and touch the future.”

“Its even worse than that, any tiny change could cause an entirely different outcome. The ripples don’t diminish, they grow to become a tidal wave. They could drown the future.”

“Ok, so I’ll not say a word. Not even to Louisa and Hanna.” I think she was heeding my warning. “So these machines?”

“We have machines for just about everything, this in itself might impress you, but the really impressive stuff are the machines which might appear to think.”

“Machines that think?”

“They don’t actually think, but sometimes it might look like it. They work with information.”

“Information?”

I talked about computers and basic information theory, and Google and Wikipedia. Then other things like Jumbo jets, and men no longer going to the moon, TV and cars.

“You were talking of TV when you mentioned the plays earlier, and Mr Johnson’s bloomers.” Maria was a perceptive girl.

“I was.” I admitted. “And the Wildebeest.”

** Epilogue

Maria skipped into the study, she was looking particularly pleased with herself today. I wondered if I should be worried, she was obviously plotting something, I was distracted by the effect the skipping was having on her bosom though. “Three years today.” She declared and kissed me on the lips. Definitely distracted, I failed to grasp the significance of this. “Oh, sorry did I distract you?” She asked giving Will a squeeze. “Three years ago on this date, you freed me.”

“The best decision I ever made.” Not just an attempt at recovery, but the truth. I’d been singularly happy with my life with Maria, while we’d agreed to be equal partners, it might really be we’d settled on the other option. I was nearer her slave than anything. She decided on the sex, what, with whom, who (if any) was dominant etc. I was perfectly content with the arrangement, very rarely did I ever have to express a desire, any desire I had had usually been satisfied some days before.

Dark Maria visited frequently, but seldom enough I could recover from her ministration between visits. Sometimes Maria found it amusing to make me beg for the treatment, those times were particularly painful, and satisfying. She seemed to come to terms with that side of herself, my evident pleasure and the begging seemed to reassure her and she played the part with relish and very damp cunt. Likewise, she had me dom her and beat her, my heart may not have been totally in it, but I like the pleasure she got from it as much as I liked playing the part. Then there was sex, regular early morning swims, fucks, blowjobs, threesomes, foursomes, gangbangs. God it was good.

“Aw.” Maria cooed interrupting my reverie and kissed me again, with more ardour. “You’re going to distract me now.” Breaking the kiss, she retreated to a safe distance. “To commemorate this auspicious day, I prepared a special treat for you.” Her smile was threatening to completely encompass her face, she definitely had been plotting something, I was thinking I was going to enjoy this greatly. She produced a sheet of paper with a flourish, and gave it to me while bouncing up and down. I absently took the paper from her, still much distracted by the effect the bouncing was having on her bosom. When I didn’t react, she followed my gaze and said. “Oops, sorry” and clutched at her bosom to calm them. She nodded at the paper, expectantly.

I read. At the top it started “Maria Freeman, of Seaview farm.”

“In exchange for the sum of one guinea and other valuable considerations, agrees to lease one slave, Maria a black woman to Stephen Somers, of Seaview farm.” It further went on to specify several terms and a lease period which would start today and last through the end of the week.

“You want to sell yourself to me?”

“Well lease, for this week, but yes, I would be your slave, completely, totally and legally. No safeword.”

This was going to be big trouble. “Didn’t we decide differently three years ago.”

“Yes we did, so you’ve never got to be an absolute slave owner. You never got to exercise you demons.”

I was going to lose this battle, I tried to outflank her. “But you’re worth so much more than 1 guinea. Particularly after the slave trade was outlawed two years ago, and the Royal Navy is patrolling the African coast. Slaves are a constrained commodity they’re very valuable. I couldn’t buy a replacement for you for less than 200. Well, I could never replace you.”

“Aw, you’re sweet.” she said kissing me again, but met my flanking attack. “The lease is only for the week. If you amortize a dollar a week over the life of a slave, its a fair price.”

I tried a desperate rear guard action. “You can see into my soul, you know what this would unleash, it would not be good.”

She made a tactical error. “Do you want me to persuade you?” She said, reaching for Will.

“I’m sure I could be persuaded.” I said, and pushed back form the desk to give her better access. But damn, I had to point out the flaw in the plan. “You do know if you persuade me, that would be a duress, the contract would be invalid.”

She paused, stood up, stuck her tongue out at me and pouted. “You’re no fun.” Damn my compulsions. She kissed me again, and then hugged me so her bosom pressed in my face. “I love you so much.” I was distracted again.

She stood back again. “Are you going to accept my offer?”

“Is this what you really want?”

“Yes it is.” I had no defense against this. She should have started this way.

“You’re totally sure? You know the consequences? I can’t persuade you otherwise?”

“I’m totally sure. This is my decision. This is what I want.”

I gave up the fight. “I need to find a guinea. Excuse me.” I got up and rang the bell. Shortly after James entered.

“You rang sir.”

“Yes James, could you find me a guinea coin.”

“Certainly sir, I shall see if I can find one.”

“Quickly James, its somewhat urgent.”

“Very good sir.” As he left the room.

“Oh Stephen, thank you.” She hugged me and kissed me. She reached down again and squeezed Will, “I’d help you with that, but I think you might better use of him this afternoon.”

A cough interrupted us, I tuned to James who had entered. “Your coin sir.”

“Thank you James, that will be all.” James withdrew.

I sat down at the desk again, I took out a pen. I handed it to Maria, she dipped it in the ink well and signed her name in the appropriate place. She handed me the pen. I took a deep breath. I stalled, thinking the pen was due some innovation soon, this inkwell business was silly. I couldn’t think of anyway of avoiding it, so I signed.

I took out a block of red wax, I melted some over the candle, and impressed my ring in the wax pool. I melted some more wax and Maria impressed her ring along side.

She looked at me expectantly. I couldn’t think what she was expecting. The impasse lasted a while before she broke the silence. “Are you trying to cheat me you geil bastaard?”

Uh? I wasn’t expecting this. “What?”

“Where’s my guinea? If I’m going to offload this worthless slave on you, I at least want the geld.”

“Worthless? You said she was the finest slave you had.”

“You’re signed now, hand it over.”

I made a great show of handing over the coin, wondering where this scene was headed.

“I’ll go fetch the teef.” spat Maria with obvious distaste and flounced out of the room. I was left somewhat bemused.

Some short while later, the was a hesitant knock on the door. “Come!” I said reflexively.

The door opened and in shuffled Maria. Her gaze firmly on the floor. “You are Maria?” I enquired.

“Yes Master.” replied Maria meekly. She had on a different dress than the other Maria had earlier, this one more befitting a slave.

“Approach!” I ordered.

The following events are a different story, and one I’m not sure I’m ready to tell.

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