Slaves of the Amethyst (Part Four.) SeXStoRY

(See Part One for preamble.) Chapter Fifty Nine. It wasn’t bread and water for dinner, not that Rachel’s threat had really sounded very serious of course. Sebastian had provided a simple but nourishing meal of soup and a cold collation. The soup was a rich thick Scotch broth of mutton, diced vegetables and barley. If they had have been restricted to bread and water Jennifer wouldn’t have minded much because the freshly baked crusty bread, still warm from the oven, was the best she had ever eaten. There was a creamy, slightly salty home made pat of butter and platters of cold meats, delicious cheeses, pickles, tomatoes, sticks of celery, fruits and a heavenly apple pie accompanied by a jug of thick cream. They washed this feast down with big earthenware tankards of Mathom Hall’s very own cider, tart and perilously strong. “We have our own cider presses here in the cellars.” Rachel explained. “There’s a chute leading down from the orchards in the grounds and every year at the end of summer the gardeners empty barrels of apples and pears down it to the presses and Sebastian brews this cider. He brews it the German way with one pear to every ten apples and it’s quite renowned in these parts. Be careful with it! It’s bl**dy strong! They call it Adam’s bane around here!” Dinner was enormous fun. Before leaving the bath chambers Rachel had re-linked their wrists by their cuffs and thus attached they had taken their evening meal. Because they were handicapped in this fashion they had been obliged to help each other eat and it was hilarious. Jennifer was at the greatest disadvantage because it was her right hand that was restricted which made eating her soup a perilous occupation. She appreciated why Sebastian had provided each of them with two large, spotlessly clean, white linen napkins. One she was able to dr**e across her lap. With the other she had discovered a hitherto unsuspected use for her collar since she was able to tuck a corner of the napkin into it and let it hang down to protect her breasts. They were sat on a wooden bench but Sebastian had thoughtfully provided her with a cushion in deference to her tender nether regions and, sitting alongside Rachel in constant contact, made for the most delightful intimacy imaginable. Sebastian waited upon them and Jennifer was surprised how quickly she had become at ease in her nudity before the gentle and considerate man. He honestly didn’t seem at all concerned by the fact that they were both naked as he served them. They might as well have been adorned in full formal evening dress for all he seemed to notice. Chester picked daintily at a dish of chicken and raw chopped k**neys under the table in great contentment. There was another dish on the table, a fish dish, especially for Rachel that afforded Jennifer considerable amusement. “OH Pixie! Really!” she laughed “Pickled herrings!” “I know, I know!” Rachel laughed ruefully “I can’t help it!” she patted her stomach with a grin “Little madam in here seems to love the bl**dy things and insists that I eat them all the time! It could be worse! At least it’s better than coal or something!” “You’re having a girl?” “So the quacks tell me.” When they were finally replete Rachel led Jennifer to the fireplace. There was a big rug next to it and some large cushions for lounging on. They settled down on it, basking in the warmth of the big fire, Jennifer nestled in Rachel’s arms and with Chester curled up in her lap. Jennifer felt warm, happy and a little sl**py but Rachel wouldn’t allow her to doze off just yet. There were things she needed to explain to Jennifer. She was appointed as Jennifer’s mentor and it was a responsibility that she took very seriously. In any case Jennifer wasn’t quite ready for bed just yet. She had a head full of questions. One thing was bothering her though. “Pixie forgive me. After everything that’s happened today I’ve forgotten to thank you for that lovely green dress and that pendant you sent me.” “My pleasure sweetheart. Have you seen your chambers up in the slave’s wing yet?” “Yes. The girls showed me round on Wednesday.” “Have you been up there since?” “No. Not since, no.” “Well the next time you do check out your wardrobe. I was up there yesterday fitting it out. Your Mistress has picked out a whole new collection for you compliments of Pixie’s boutique. Everything from winter woollies to a ball gown that set her back a cool five grand! You won’t be running around in hand me downs believe me!” “Oh Pixie!” Jennifer squealed “For me? All for me?” “Of course Jenny. Your Mistress isn’t the sort of woman to spoil the ship for want of a ha'porth o’ tar!” Jennifer’s eyes were shining with excitement “Oh thank you Pixie! Thank you!” “Thank your Mistress not me Jenny. She put the brass up! She damn near bought the bl**dy shop! I did throw in a couple of prezzies of my own but your new wardrobe is essentially Her Ladyship’s choice. You’re going to be one fine dressed little slave my dear! Your Mistress has a connoisseur’s eye for elegant clothing.” “Oh I can’t wait! I want to see them now! How long do I have to stay down here?” “All week Jenny. You’re confined to the cellars until next weekend. You’ll probably be released a week tomorrow.” “Will you be here all that time?” “Most of it but not all. I’m leaving on Thursday. Don’t worry though honey. You won’t be left on your own. Do you know why you’re down here Jenny?” “No I’m a bit confused Rachel. When Her Ladyship said that she wanted me to stay the week I presumed that I was going to be staying up with the other girls. Then this morning she just tells the girls to send me to the cellars. I was petrified! I didn’t know why! Am I being punished for something?” “No Jenny. We’ll start there shall we? Let me assure you that you are not being punished. That doesn’t mean for one moment that you won’t be punished. You’ve got a testing week ahead of you Jenny and if you get through it without earning yourself extra punishment it will be a bl**dy miracle!” “You … you said I was going to be whipped every day Pixie. Why?” “Why? Because your Mistress says so! That’s why! Listen Jenny the sooner you get this into your head the better. If your Mistress decides that you are going to be whipped then you are going to be whipped. No whys, maybes, ifs, buts or wherefores about it! You may rest assured that your Mistress has her reasons for having you whipped. If she condescends to tell you those reasons then all well and good. If not then it is none of your business, Your only business is to meekly and obediently present yourself at the whipping post at your Mistress’s earliest convenience and, once there, to conduct yourself in a manner appropriate to a high slave of a great house. Nevertheless you are not being punished here. You are being trained. Did Her Ladyship not mention that you had to be trained?” “Well yes but she didn’t go into details. I’m a bit hazy about what it entails.” “Well to begin with Jenny you aren’t going to be trained in just one week. Your training will take years. You may regard this week as a sort of introductory course if you like. It’s more of a case of us seeing what you are made of, identifying your weaknesses and determining a future program of training for you. I am your tutor, your mentor if you like, and you will find me demanding. Now be straight about this Jenny. I love you to bits but nevertheless, if you screw up, I will have you thrashed. If you demonstrate anything but your true capabilities, fail to live up to your potential or even so much as show less than your normal level of intelligence then you may expect a good hiding. I’m not being cruel in this. On the contrary. It would be cruel of me to allow you to grow up into an Alpha Sensual woman without the necessary training for you to realise your full potential. My mother lacked that training Jennifer and it cost her her life. I was lucky. Somebody caught me in time or it would have cost me mine. By the Goddess I swear that what happened to my mother and what nearly happened to me will not happen to you. Our Mistress has put you into my hands Jennifer and I have the responsibility of seeing that you grow into a true slave of this House, a slave this House can be proud of, and if, along the way, I have to wallop your pretty little backside on occasion then so be it! Do you understand?” “I … I think so Rachel. But what sort of training is it?” “All sorts of things Jenny. Let’s start with some of the basics to begin with.” Rachel turned to Sebastian who was clearing the remnants of their meal from the table. “Sebastian. I need some paper and a pen. Would you be so kind?” “Naturally Miss Rachel. I shall bring them immediately.” Once Rachel had writing materials she addressed Jennifer again. “All right sweetheart. Let’s start with your education. Now you might think that you’ve had a pretty good education up until now but you haven’t even begun. Any slave of this House would fall about laughing at the standards of education expected of the pupils in the state schools of this country. Those standards are a joke! It’s not the teachers’ fault and it’s not the students’ fault. The whole bl**dy system is rotten. It’s a disgrace Jennifer. This country once had a fine reputation for the education of its future citizens but it’s lost the plot with a vengeance. The whole system now seems geared to producing a flat average of mediocrity. I don’t know who the hell the education authorities think is going to be putting bread and butter on the nation’s table somewhere down the line because at the moment it’s fomenting a morass of ignorance. There’re k**s coming out of school with meaningless qualifications, even going to university, when they are not far off being illiterate. The House of Mathom does not tolerate such ignorance amongst its high slaves Jennifer. Anybody that wears the brand of this House on their breast is expected to be possessed of a full, rounded, polymathic education. This will extend even into your university studies Jenny. Just because your lecturers are satisfied with your work doesn’t mean the end of it. Your Mistress will be vetting all the work you produce at university assiduously. If that work doesn’t measure up to what you are capable of then you will be kindly required to fetch your Mistress a long stout length of rattan cane, the chastisement of your bottom for the purpose of! Am I making myself clear?” “Y… yes Pixie.” “Good! It’s as well that you know that there are high standards expected of you. Right let’s see now. What were your best subjects at school?” “Well art of course. Then there was English and history. Those were the subjects that I did at A level.” “Sciences?” “Well I passed science at GCSE but I wasn’t very good at it.” “Hmmph! There was once a time when physics, chemistry and biology were all taught as separate subjects. Now they just get lumped together apparently. Well darling you weren’t very good at it but you’re going to be! There’s a huge library here at the Hall and fully equipped laboratories out in the wings. We’ll pencil you in for an intensive course of science. You’ll be expected to be at least competently conversant with up to date scientific thinking. This House has a proud record of producing eminent scientists and we can’t have one of our slaves wandering about thinking that thermodynamics is something to do with the central heating. What was your worst scientific discipline?” “Well biology I suppose. I didn’t like cutting things up and all that.” “Oh great Jenny! Your Lord Robin is a Doctor in biological sciences! What the devil are you going to talk to him about?” “I…I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it.” “Well you can start thinking now! You can’t get away from biology in this House Jenny. The grounds of Mathom Hall are a carefully managed ecosystem founded on sound ecological and biological thinking. I shall, at the very least, expect you to be fully conversant with the ecology of the grounds here and be able to discuss intelligently the biology and biochemistry of the life forms within it. If necessary I’ll have you dissecting rats!” Jennifer shuddered. “What about mathematics?” “Erm well I did pass it.” “But only just huh? Mathematics is the language of science Jenny! If you don’t get it then the entire scientific revolution of our society is a closed book to you. The apple might just as well have missed old Isaac’s bonce completely! Right we’ll draw up some maths lessons for you. I’ll not expect university standard maths honey but I will expect a good degree of competence in basic maths. Now then what about IT?” Jennifer blushed “Well….” “I thought so! You can just about turn a computer on and figure how to switch it off again but other than that you’re a bit hazy aren’t you?” “I… I’m hopeless on computers Pixie. Everybody at school used to laugh at me because of it.” “It’s no laughing matter Jenny. We’re living in a computer age. Computer illiteracy is unforgivable. How the hell do you expect to produce your written work at uni if you can’t even manage a basic word processor? How the hell are you going to access your research material?” “I …don’t know.” “Well when you see your chambers upstairs next time you will find that there’s a brand new, top of the line, computer installed in them Jennifer. There’ll be one in your university accommodation too. Woe betide you if you’re not up to scratch on them by Christmas! Warborough University runs extra computer courses. You may regard yourself as enrolled!” “All right Pixie.” Jennifer was feeling mightily subdued. “That doesn’t mean that you’re allowed to let your handwriting go to hob Jenny. Your Mistress expects a fully detailed letter from you at least once a week to accompany any work that you are doing and submitting for her approval. She’s a bit old fashioned. She’ll expect a hand written letter. What’s your hand writing like?” “Quite good.” “It had better be! Lady Mathom expects all her slaves to be able to write intelligibly and coherently. She’ll be scrutinising your letters for spelling, punctuation and grammar as well. Bad English and undecipherable scrawls are caning offences Jenny! Be warned!” “I’ll remember.” “Good! Now how about foreign languages?” “Well I did some French at school but I can’t say that I’m very good at it.” “The Line crosses all cultural and national boundaries Jennifer. A lady of this House is expected to be conversationally fluent in at least one foreign language if not more. I’ll note down some lessons for you with Monsieur Deville. He’s our head chef here. You can learn some cooking from him as well. We don’t want you living off pot noodles and tinned rubbish whilst you’re at university. I’ll assign him the authority to discipline you if your pronunciation is lousy or you burn the cake. You won’t be the first person in this House to learn the nuances of the French language and the subtleties of haut cuisine on the end of Monsieur Deville’s wooden spoon believe me! Who are your favourite artists Jenny?” Jennifer was caught by surprise. “Oh! Well I suppose the renaissance period is my favourite.” “Right then we’ll pencil you in for some Italian lessons as well! You should be conversant with the language of the great Italian artists of the renaissance. A cultured lady can’t have enough foreign languages Jenny. You’ll meet people from all over the world in this house. You may be obliged to accompany your Mistress to foreign lands. If so you will be travelling as a slave of Mathom Hall and a representative of our House. What kind of image are you going to give our House if you are woefully ignorant of the language and the culture of the people you meet?” “Heavens I… I hadn’t even considered that.” “Then consider it you will! The linguistic skills of people in this country are a national disgrace! Just because we speak the international language we seem to think that we can go anywhere in the world and expect people to speak English to us. No wonder we’re so often perceived as arrogant. Well not slaves of this House my fine young madam! We raise young ladies of sophistication and culture who are able to hold their heads up anywhere in the world. Your s****rs Helen and Heather are fine linguists Jenny. They can help you with your language studies. Abigail can direct your English studies. She’s a Doctor in English literature. What are you reading at the moment?” “A book that Lady Mathom gave me Rachel.” “That was a good answer Jennifer! You have an A level in English literature. If you’d told me that you weren’t reading anything right now you’d be bending over that table there this instance for a sound thrashing! You’ll be expected to have your nose in a book whenever you have time to do so. I’ll write this down as a disciplinary requirement for you Jennifer. Anytime that you are found without current reading material you’ll be whipped! A lady of this House will never forego the chance to better her mind through the written word. And don’t just read around your subject at uni either. Read as widely and as comprehensively as you can. You should love books Jennifer. You should be prepared to do without food rather than be without a book!” Jennifer felt a little happier. She enjoyed reading. “What is this book anyway?” Rachel asked. “It’s by Sun Tzu “The Art of War” “Where is it?” “In my handbag.” “Ok then! By the time you leave these cellars you’ll be able to quote chapter and verse of it. I’ll expect a competent oral analysis of it and a two thousand word written critical analysis of it by Wednesday. If your Mistress gave you it it’s because she expects you to know it inside out and back to front. If your written essay isn’t good enough I’ll whip you. Then I’ll show it to your Mistress and she’ll whip you as well! These will be in addition to the thrashings you’ve already got scheduled for yourself. Do you understand?” “Yes Pixie.” Jennifer whispered. Sebastian’s cider didn’t seem to be living up to its reputation for intoxication for it was a very sober Jennifer listening to Rachel now. “Excellent. Just be thankful she didn’t give you the book in the original Chinese! Oh yes we’ll pencil in some basic Latin and Greek for you too. You should have some classical grounding. At some point we’ll go over your other humanities as well. I shall be particularly interested in your historical knowledge. A person without a good grounding in history has thrown their heritage away so I hope you took on board whatever you learned at A level! I shall be expecting better than that though! Sebastian has some good history books here so we’ll have a dig through them and find you some choice material for starters. Maybe he’s got some stuff on the history of the renaissance, Burkhardt or somebody. Well we’ll see. History is just about the most polymathic of all subjects Jennifer. Everything but everything has a history. You can’t even know your sciences without a grounding in the history of them. At the very least you’ll be expected to be expert on the history of this House and everything and everyone concerned with it. I notice you haven’t mentioned geography yet.” “I wasn’t very good at geography Pixie. I can’t read a map to save my life.” “Goddess help us! The girl doesn’t even know what planet she’s on! Gerard Mercator would turn in his grave. Right! A crash course in cartography for you young lady, plus some juicy reading in geomorphology, geology, human geography, economics, political geography and Goddess knows what else. You can look this stuff up in the library or on the web. I want a three thousand-word essay, produced on a word processor, on the principles of plate tectonics by the end of summer. I shall want to see a good understanding of the principles of continental drift accompanied where appropriate with diagrams and maps. Do a good job or you can expect to find a few lines of latitude across the globes you are sitting on! All right?” “Why do I need to know all this Pixie?” “Because you are a human being Jennifer! More! You are an enhanced human being! You should be well read and able to discuss any subject appropriate to a full education. You should be able to talk about basic nuclear physics, Wordsworth poetry, Greek mythology, South American politics, the reasons for the English civil war, the theology of the Hindu tradition, the classical analogies in Botticelli’s Venus and the ecology and dynamics of littoral marine environments. You should be able to play chess to a good standard and run a hundred metres in under f******n seconds. You should be able to cook a well-balanced three-course meal or order it in a Venetian restaurant in the native language. You should be able to knock up a table and chair from a few bits of wood and a box of nails or calculate the area of a triangle. Let me stress once more. You are an enhanced human being! That means that you have a powerful lump of grey matter between those ears of yours. You will now start to use it! We expect fully educated, polymathic young ladies in this House with a wide diversity of talents and abilities. We leave specialisation to insects!” “It just seems so much.” “Goddess you haven’t even started yet! Ignorance and stupidity are the unforgivable sins for a Lady of the Line Jennifer. Can you dance?” “Yes. Well I’m not bad anyway.” “Thank heavens for small mercies! An essential skill for any lady! We throw tremendous balls here at the Hall and I don’t want you letting the side down. Well we’ll put you through your paces and see how you shape up. I’ll expect you to be able waltz, foxtrot, tango and do the Paso Doble. You’ll be required to be competent in Ballroom and Latin American dances and we’ll throw in some ballet as well. I don’t expect a Nureyev but its good physical training and good for your posture too. We have a dance master at the Hall so we’ll let him loose on you. He’s apt to point out failings in your rhythm and coordination with a long switch so I’d pay attention to your lessons if I were you! What about sports?” Jennifer’s head was starting to spin. “I wasn’t very good at sports Pixie. I’m not really the sporting type. “Nonsense! Don’t ever let me hear you say that you can’t do something because you’re not the “type” again! You can do anything you turn your mind to. Your Mistress has examined you and thinks that you are not as physically fit as you should be. I concur with that analysis. Starting from tomorrow morning you are on a stiff program of exercise. We have a gym here in the cellars and I’m going to put you through it! Also there is a big gymnasium in the annex to the slave’s wing with all the up to date equipment and a full sized gymnastics mat. There’s also an Olympic sized swimming pool next to it as well. You can swim can’t you?” “Yes I can do breaststroke and freestyle.” “Well make sure you master backstroke and butterfly as well if you don’t want to be learning some alternative strokes by the poolside! You’ll find in your chambers a full compliment of sporting apparel, running shoes, vests, shorts, leotards and so on. I’ve also put in a few tennis dresses. We have excellent tennis courts at the Hall so make sure you take advantage of them otherwise I shall be practising my forehand on your backside! Anyway you’ll look cute in short white pleated skirts and frilly white knickers. You’ll be undergoing training in martial arts as well.” “Goodness! Whatever for?” “You’re an attractive young lady being set loose in a big nasty city. You also happen to be bl**dy valuable! Your Mistress would consider it downright criminal if her investment didn’t know how to protect herself! So set your mind on a course of judo and karate. They’re excellent for developing your inner harmony and self discipline too. By the time you go to university Jenny you’ll be fitter than you’ve ever been in your life. You’ll have to keep it up at university too. Goddess help you if you come home at Christmas out of condition or with an ounce of excess fat on you anywhere! There are athletics and sports fields out in the grounds as well. You’ll have to be fit Jenny. I know our Mistress better than you do. It’s nearly two miles around the Great Lake. Your Mistress is quite capable of suddenly ordering you to run around it three times in the nude in the middle of a wet November night and be waiting for you with a stick if you don’t complete the course within a satisfactory time. ” “How would she know I’d actually done it?” “Oh right Jenny! Ask yourself this. Can you actually imagine lying to her Ladyship?” “Well no.” “She’d know you were telling fibs before you’d so much as opened your mouth! Then she’d thrash you to within an inch of your life! Your Mistress puts great store in the virtues of honesty and integrity Jennifer. Don’t even think about being deceitful to her! Or to me for that matter.” “I… I won’t.” “Good! See you stick to that promise. Now then did you do much music at school?” “Oh yes! I liked music.” “Can you sing or play an instrument?” “My music teacher said I had a nice voice. I used to sing in the choir at church sometimes too.” “Good. I consider it an essential skill for a lady to be possessed of a sweet singing voice. Are you soprano?” “Yes.” “And instruments?” “I did play the guitar for a while.” “Let me see your left hand. Hmm haven’t played for a long time have you?” “No. Maybe three years.” “Well we’ll have to think about that one. You’ve got nice fingernails and it would be a shame to sacrifice them. Maybe we’ll start you on piano lessons instead. A lady can perform many a derring deed on the drawing room piano Jenny. Do you have a driving licence?” “No. No I don’t.” “So if your Mistress asked you to drive her down to the village you’d be stuffed wouldn’t you?” “I thought she had chauffeurs and all that.” “Well so she does but you should be able to drive anyway. I’ll make a note to put you through some driving lessons with one of the chauffeurs. They’re all very expert believe me! Her Ladyship wouldn’t trust anybody behind a wheel that wasn’t completely reliable.” “How the devil am I going to find time for all of this?” “By judicious time management, hard work and a very large dollop of self discipline Jennifer.” Rachel pointed at the big furry grey mound rumbling contentedly in Jennifer’s lap “Chester there is allowed to be useless and idle. You’re not! Once your brain is trained up to speed you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done. The brain of an Alpha Sensual is a creative high-speed precision instrument Jennifer. It’s not happy unless it’s given plenty of work to do. Let it go idle and it starts to invent heebie-geebies, like rats for example. You don’t want to let it go idle believe me. A happy Alpha Sensual is one whose brain and body are constantly engaged in activity. Do you know that I was once chained up alone in a cell just as you were today and given two hours to compose a poem of at least six stanzas in basic iambic metre about my predicament or face a whipping if I failed. I was concentrating so furiously that the two hours seemed to fly by. I then had to recite my poem whilst hanging there and got out of my whipping. It was a lesson I never forgot. Now I could spend a whole week chained to a wall and spend it in enjoyable creative thinking. Think about that the next time you are chained up or the next time you are left standing outside your Mistress’s study for two hours awaiting the cane and feeling sorry for yourself. Living at peace inside your own brain is one of the hardest lessons you will have to learn. You had a little taste of what it’s like to get it wrong today and you didn’t enjoy it one bit.” “No! No I didn’t.” “I’m glad to hear it! These are not just random or arbitrary ordeals you are being put through Jennifer. There are serious points to them and the quicker you see those points the less arduous they will become. Now then have you had any religious education?” “I was brought up in a vicarage Pixie!” “So maybe you know some Christian theology. What about Buddhism, Hindu tradition, Judaism, Islam? How are you on philosophy? Are you up to scratch on your Descartes and Rousseau? Can you tell me about Immanuel Kant? Could you tell me the basic tenets of Confucianism, Shintoism? No? I thought not. With all due respect to your father Jennifer I think you might have had a little bit of a narrow upbringing. You’ll meet people of widely varying cultures and religious backgrounds Jenny and you’ll need to understand their viewpoints. Nobody’s got a monopoly on the truth. If you start to believe that then you get awful blind fundamentalism. A church, a temple or a mosque represents the accumulation of thousands of years of deep reflection and wisdom Jennifer but ignorance can turn them into terrible traps. Some of the finest principles of our civilisation grow out of the tenets of religion but, like all great ideas, the antithesis can be terrible. We’ll add some basic stuff on diverse theology and philosophy to your reading list. After all you’re going to have a hard time understanding great art if you don’t understand the motivating philosophy behind it. Michelangelo wasn’t just a glorified interior decorator you know!” “And the Goddess?” “You’ll learn about Her all too soon! Anyway I think that’s enough to be going on with for the moment. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow and we’d better be turning in soon. We’ll go through some of your personal female skills tomorrow.” “Such as?” “Oh Goddess the whole gamut; poise, grace, elocution, seduction, haut couture, hairdressing, cosmetic appliance, manicure, etiquette, sensuality and the rest. Mostly however we’ll be working on your fundamentals, the whole range of personal characteristics to help you become a happy and devoted slave of this House.” “Those are?” “Well things like integrity, application, respect, discipline, harmony, obedience, consideration, courage, morality, self control, responsibility, civility and all the other dirty words that this society has stopped using. If we don’t get them right all the rest is just chaff. So you’ve got a tough day ahead of you.” “I… I feel so stupid Rachel. You’ve made me see how ignorant I am.” “You’re not stupid Jenny. You have enormous potential. But for the moment you’re a blank canvas if you like. Yes you are ignorant but you’ve already made the first step. You know that you are ignorant! If this evening has shown you just how woefully inadequate your background knowledge is then we have made fine progress. A person that thinks they know everything will never learn anything new. Tell me does all this frighten you?” “A little yes.” “Well honey, as we have already seen, fear has to be faced. Ignorance is truly something to fear. Most people are so mesmerised by their fear of their own ignorance that it paralyses them. They grow old in ignorance because they never dared to take the steps to correct that ignorance. Learning is one of the most exhilarating and satisfying adventures a human being can embark upon. Pity those people that lived lives of mental poverty because they dared not step outside the hovel of their own ignorance and onto the trail that leads to that shining city on the hill. Come along young lady. Lecture’s over. It’s your bedtime. Stuff Chester in his basket there. If I find any cat hairs where he’s been sl**ping I’ll kick his fat backside in the morning!” Jennifer allowed herself to be led across the living chamber to the little cell she would share with Rachel. She was feeling a little subdued and not a little awed by this new and powerful Rachel she was seeing. This Rachel, her mentor, was a woman with a massive incisive intellect, quite uncompromising in her intolerance of stupidity. Jennifer knew without doubt that when this Rachel told her she would be beaten for her failings then it was no idle threat. The easygoing attractive woman that had so beguiled her in Brawton had faded into the background to be replaced by this strong and dominating woman. Jennifer felt like a little wayward girl in the hands of a loving but stern teacher. Curiously she found the feeling agreeable and comforting. Sebastian accompanied the two women to their cell and gravely held the door open for them. Rachel thanked him and kissed him on the cheek. She looked expectantly at Jennifer and, somewhat self consciously, Jennifer followed her lead, standing on tip toes to peck the weathered cheek of their jailor. “A goodnight to you my ladies.” he said and left. Rachel’s cell was somewhat more comfortable than Jennifer had expected from Rachel’s earlier description of it. It was small but half of it was taken up by a large low platform, perhaps a foot high covered by a mattress, pillows and an enormous duvet. There was little other furniture in the cell bar a simple wooden table, a chair, a washbasin and a low table by the bed platform. There was no ornamentation whatsoever; no pictures on the bare walls or any other decorative features, bar the obligatory small statue of the Goddess in a little niche, at all. There were candleholders set in the walls and Rachel took a box of matches and lit some candles in them. “Welcome to our cell!” she said. “Don’t you have electricity in here?” Jennifer asked. “No honey. Oh Sebastian would put electricity in here if I asked for it but I prefer to keep it as basic as possible. It’s supposed to be a cell after all, not a flipping boudoir!” “Do you always use this cell?” “Yes it’s mine. Others use it as well on occasion but when I’m here it is reserved exclusively for my guests and I. It’s my original cell.” “Will Sebastian lock us in?” “Yes darling. Don’t worry though it’s only symbolic. A custom if you like. Look we have a key there hanging on the wall so we can let ourselves in and out when we like. If you need to go to the loo in the middle of the night just let yourself out. The outer chambers are left lit all night.” “Does he always see you to your cell.” “Yes and kisses me goodnight. Except that is when I’m having a secret visitor in which case he keeps discreetly out of the way.” “What sort of secret visitor?” “Mind your own business young lady!” Rachel laughed “I’ll tell you something though. If the walls of these cellars could talk they’d be able to write their price on an open check for any tabloid paper in the land!” Rachel removed her cuffs and collar and stretched out luxuriously on the low bed. “Hmm! That’s better! It’s hard work instructing young slaves!” “I’m sorry if I’m hard going Pixie.” Rachel chuckled “Come along dear and take your manacles off and come to bed.” Jennifer unfastened her cuffs and collar feeling absurdly shy about the action as if she were undressing herself. She laid them down next to Rachel’s on the table and knelt hesitantly on the edge of the bed. Rachel smiled at her and reached out to run a hand up the back of her thigh, cupping her left buttock. “Well dear when last we met you were a little inexperienced in this sort of thing. I do hope you’ve been putting in a little practise since then.” Jennifer blushed “Well yes. Somewhat.” “With Julie?” “Yes.” “And Rebecca?” “How do you know about Rebecca?” Rachel laughed “Darling I have been thoroughly briefed on your escapades this summer, even your little interlude in the back of the car with Julie, the twins and Abigail last Saturday. Don’t try keeping any secrets from me sweetheart. You’re not quite the little sweetness and light vicar’s daughter you used to be are you?” “No I suppose not.” “In fact you’ve been a thoroughly naughty girl haven’t you? No wonder you’ve ended up in prison!” Jennifer shivered. Rachel’s hand was teasing the back of her thigh and bottom with languid caresses. “Is this part of my training Rachel?” Jennifer asked shyly. Rachel laughed uproariously. “You might regard it as such darling. You’ll learn in time that all good teachers carry a stick in one hand and a piece of candy in the other.” Rachel reached up and drew Jennifer down onto the bed. “Come along dear. You’ve had enough of the stick for one day. It’s candy time!” ________________________________________________________________________