The Banks of the Nile
by Publandlady
Copyright© 2026 by Publandlady
Romance Sex Story: 1821: An imperfect recollection of an Old English Folk Song much embellished. Young Nancy is saved from deception and danger by an unexpected man in a red tunic.
Caution: This Romance Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Consensual Romantic Heterosexual Fiction Historical Military War First .
1881.
The crows whirled above the castle ruins, each one endeavouring to impress with its aerobatic prowess. As Nancy lay upon the long deserted grassy slope that would have once kept the crumbling bastions safe, she recalled half misty stories of a time when Corfe Castle was impenetrable.
Her employer’s grandmother was related to the noble family who owned all of the lands for miles hereabouts before Englishmen had taken up arms against Englishmen in the Civil War. Nancy wondered what sort of lunacy could make friends, brothers and neighbours do a thing like that?
The victors had destroyed the castle in a fit of retribution. Parliament had struggled with the King for the right to rule. They had killed him and put one of their own in his place. After eleven years, England realised that having a King wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Nancy couldn’t help thinking of all the lives that were lost, not to mention castles, when compromise would have worked just as well.
Now, compromise reigns. Parliament decides who the Government is, the Government gives the orders and only then does Queen Victoria give command. England sends her Army overseas to fight against people who we don’t know for reasons that we don’t need to know about. They are protecting our interests.
Six days ago Anne, which was Nancy’s Christian name (somehow hardly anyone is actually known by the name they are given), wouldn’t have cared much about these cruel foreign wars but now she was in love with a soldier.
Willy (not the name he was given in church) was a private infantryman in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. They were called the 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot when William rather foolishly took the Queen’s Shilling but they had recently been merged with some Cornish regiment.
Nancy had never been in the Fox Inn, although she had lived in the Village of Corfe Castle for her whole life. The village was named after the castle and the Inn was named after a fox, or as it was called hereabouts a vox. As she passed by the pub one day, Willy had fallen out of the door and into her arms. He had assaulted her senses with a combination of his red jacket, the smell of ale and the way in which he clung to her bodice to stop himself tumbling over. It was love at first grope.
It is mightily strange what attracts a woman to a man or a man to a woman.
He was followed instantly by Tommy Pepper. Nancy used to go to Sunday School with Thomas (as he was known then). He was slightly less inebriated than Willy but still wore the same red uniform with white facings. Tommy had never held any attraction for Nancy, even when he didn’t stink of drink.
“Arh Nance! Help me get Will back to Ganny’s, he’s a bit tired,” slurred Tommy.
“Bloody cheek!” exclaimed Nancy. Nevertheless, she put one of Willy’s arms over her shoulder in an attempt to keep him upright.
Tommy’s grandmother looked at Nancy as if she alone had got the two soldiers drunk.
“You’d best help me get ‘em into bed then,” said Widow Pepper, “they’m no use in my kitchen in that state.”
She manhandled Tommy through to the back bedroom while Nancy half carried, half dragged Willy. Each man was thrown on to one of the two single beds. Mrs Pepper started to unbutton her grandson’s tunic.
“Come on girl, don’t be shy. Em can’t sleep in their scarlet, them’ll be ruined,” she ordered Nancy.
“But I am shy,” replied Nancy, “I only helped Tommy because we were at Sunday School together.”
“Oh, I thought I recognised thee. I know that you’m from a good family and not one of those girls that hangs around anyone who will buy them a drink, like Tommy’s late mother. May God not judge my daughter too harshly. I’m sorry that I misjudged thee.
“In that case you’d better undress Tom and I will see to Will.”
Nancy couldn’t really see how that made the situation any better but she did as she was told. Undoing the wide white belt and shiny buttons wasn’t a problem but pulling the scarlet coat off was. Tommy sort of helped but it still wasn’t easy.
“Boots and trousers next! Them can sleep in thay’s shirts,” instructed Mrs Pepper.
Nancy had often helped her late father remove his boots but never his trousers. Placing the glistening black leather footwear in the corner, she turned to watch how Mrs Pepper went about undoing Willy’s bracers and fly buttons. It was more complicated than she had imagined; not that she would ever admit to imagining it.
“Lift up Tommy,” she said. He shifted slightly as she pulled on the red stripe that ran down his black trouser leg. He rolled to one side just enough for Nancy to drag the trousers off.
“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed, “he’s not wearing any underthings!” Nancy turned her face away only to see Mrs Pepper getting the better of Willy’s trousers too.
Horrified, Nancy said, “Neither of them are!”
“Silly girl, of course not. Only well-off men do, working chaps just tuck they long shirt tails between their legs. You have led a sheltered life,” laughed the older woman.
Nancy coloured a bright red to match their tunics, she had instantly gone from never having seen a man’s penis to seeing two. She had rather thought that they would all be the same; but they weren’t. Nancy wasn’t sure if the difference would bring any advantage but, if it did, William had that advantage.
“Don’t stand there glowing Maidy, the quicker we gets they into bed the quicker thay’s pizzles can be got out of sight, if ‘em bothers thee so.”
It was two days before the couple’s paths crossed again.
“Ah Nancy! I so wanted to thank you before we go back to Bodmin,” Willy nearly frightened her to death as he spoke to her, unseen, from behind.
“Bodmin? Why Bodmin?” she enquired, turning around.
“Victoria Barracks in Bodmin, that’s where The Duke of Cornwall’s Regiment of Foot is based. It’s our regiment,” he said, pointing at the badge on his uniform.
“Thank me for what?”
“Helping me home and putting me to bed.”
“I didn’t put you to bed Widow Pepper did, and don’t you go saying otherwise.”
“Anyway, I just wanted to say that I don’t usually get that drunk. It was just that it was our first day of leave and Tommy kept plying me.”
“And you’ve forgotten the English word for no, have you?”
“Yes, I mean no. I’m sure he was giving me more than he was drinking,” Willy tried to explain.
“Oh, that’s alright then,” said Nancy, sarcastically. She did understand really but the young woman in her wasn’t going to admit it.
Completely missing the sarcasm, Willy said, “Good, I knew you’d understand.
“Would you care to go for a walk with me?”
“What makes you think that I have free time to go off walking? I have to earn my living, you know.”
“Of course, yes. Maybe on your afternoon off. You do get an afternoon off, I hope.”
“I do, a few actually.”
“When is the next one?” asked the soldier, hopefully.
“Now,” laughed Nancy.
As the couple made their slow way up to the castle ruins they talked.
“So how do you earn a living?” he asked.
“I’m a lady’s companion to Miss Drax.”
William racked his brain for a moment before giving up, “I don’t think I’ve heard of one of those. What is it?”
“I live in Miss Drax’s house and I do whatever Miss Drax wants me to do.”
“What, like a servant?”
“No, definitely not like a servant. Miss Drax has a cook and a maid of all works. What I do is keep her company, we play cards or chess, I read to her or write letters for her.”
“Well, I never heard of that. How did you come by such a position?”
“Miss Drax was a friend of my Grandmother, when my parents died she kindly took me in.”
“Sorry to hear that,” said Willy.
“What, that she took me in?” said Nancy.
“Oh no, that your parents died.”
She wanted to release him from his discomfort so she said, “And what do you do to earn your living?”
“I’m in the...”
They both laughed.
She went on, “Yes, I know but what do you actually do?”
“Well, there are two battalions in the regiment. When ours, the 2nd Battalion, is in England we defend the country, well that’s the theory. Mostly, we just keep our kit clean and we march. The 1st Battalion is stationed overseas protecting this country’s interests. Then after a few years they come home and we go overseas to protect our interests, but mostly we just keep our kit clean and we march,” he explained.
“So you don’t actually fight anyone?”
“Not usually but we could have to at any stage; if the Government thinks that their interests are threatened. Some men look forward to fighting and killing but I’m not one of them,” answered Willy, with a little sadness.
Trying to lighten the mood, Nancy asked, “How much more leave do you have?”
“Me and Tommy go back to Bodmin tomorrow.”
“Oh!” she said softly, with a sadness of her own. She’d never been to the town but something made her dislike Bodmin intensely.
She may have been an old lady but Miss Drax could still spot checkmate in two moves.
“Oh, I didn’t see that coming,” said Nancy.
“I am not in the slightest bit surprised, you seem a little distracted. Something in scarlet, maybe?” the older woman asked, sweetly.
“I didn’t see that coming either. How did you know?
Miss Drax laughed, declining to give anything away, she said, “I will give you some good advice which I am sure you will disregard; goodness knows I did.
“A red coat can only bring you heartache and tears.
“I beg you to please take care.”
There were a few minutes of silence before she continued, with a wry smile, “Perhaps, if you are not playing at your best today, we could forgo chess and revisit the work of Miss Austen. I do like to hear you read from ‘Sense and Sensibility’.”
“Why do you not visit your own family when you are on leave?”
It had been five weeks since they had seen each other. Nancy was glad that he had come back to Corfe but she didn’t want to make it obvious.
“Because I don’t have any. I’m an orphan. I’ve always been an orphan. I was found outside the Orphanage in Totnes.
“I suppose that I had a mother, at least, but I can’t remember her,” said Willy, with no hint of bitterness.
He went on, “When I first enlisted, I would just hang around town. When I got friendly with Tommy he brought me here once. After that Mrs Pepper said I should stay with her when I was on leave, even if Tommy wasn’t.
“If I had had a mother, I hope that she would have been just like Mrs Pepper.”
Both Nancy’s parents had died but she knew that she wasn’t an orphan in that way. She could have shown more sympathy but she thought it better to change the subject.
“What do you care to read?”
“I don’t,” said William, with a nervous laugh.
“What! You don’t care to read.”
“No, I don’t read because I can’t read.”
“Oh! Have you never been taught?” uttered Nancy, a little insensitively.
“God knows, they tried to teach me but the letters and words just swirl about before my eyes. My teachers all agreed that I’m not stupid, I can do sums and remember facts, I can even make up stories from my head, I just can’t write them down or read them.”
Nancy was genuinely sorrowful, “That must be terrible for you, I can’t imagine my life without books.”
“It used to pain me but now I just work around things. I think that is why I joined up. The army doesn’t much care if you can read and write as long as you can march and fight,” laughed Willy, amused by his inadvertent rhyming.
It was obvious that he had had more than his fair share of troubles in his life but Nancy liked the way that he just shrugged them off as if they were of no consequence. As they walked back towards the village she slipped her hand in his. He squeezed it gently and didn’t release her until they sighted someone coming towards them.
Very few of the comings and goings in a small village go unnoticed. Before, Nancy had never paid much heed to the chatter when shopping. Now, she kept one ear cocked for any mention of the return of a grandson or his friend. She kept one eye cocked for any flash of red. She made frequent visits to take Widow Pepper little kindnesses; a bunch of flowers, a pot of jam perhaps.
The old lady never knew when either of the two military men would return but when they did Nancy contrived to be there. Each time she was, they were both glad to see her. She was glad to see Willy.
“I has had a letter from Tom, which is strange because I knows he can’t hardly write. I’m supposing that he has had the forethought to pay someone to write it for he.
“Shame it is that he didn’t remember that I can’t read much, so his forethought is wasted,” said Mrs Pepper.
“Oh!” exclaimed Nancy, although it wasn’t clear which piece of the communication had surprised her.
Gathering herself, she went on, “If you don’t mind, I could read it to you.” She declined to enquire how Mrs Pepper knew it was from her grandson.
“Gawd! You are a surprising maid,” mumbled the old lady as she handed her the torn open envelope with its prominent lilac stamp.
Nancy slipped out the two sheets of paper and unfolded them. Her eye was instantly drawn to the word ‘TOM’ scrawled at the bottom of the first page.
She read aloud, “Dearest Grandmother.”
“Now I know he dun’t write it,” laughed Tommy’s granny.
“I hope that my letter finds you well and in good spirits. Just a note to let you know that things have moved on in the world. Rather than us relieving the 1st Battalion, in Gibraltar, next year we are to be sent to Egypt in five weeks.
“In a fortnight Willy and me will have a couple of week’s leave and then we shall be sent to Portsmouth for embarkation. I’m sure that you will put us up.
“Your loving grandson.
“TOM.”
Mrs Pepper laughed at the somewhat flowery complimentary close before she took in the implications of the missive.
“Oh dear, Egypt,” she said.
Nancy went on, “There is a postscript.
“Would you please give this other letter to Nance, only after you have told her about Egypt?”
Not quite sure what was the proper thing to do in these circumstances, Nancy handed both pages to the Widow who immediately handed her back the second sheet.
As the young woman scanned the letter her face blanched. She handed it back to the older lady to read. She promptly returned it with a look of puzzlement.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Will has asked me to marry him.”
“Well, I’m stumped, I knew he were fond of thee but that is swift.”
“He says that he doesn’t want to go overseas without making me his wife. If I agree, I am to have the banns read at St. Edward’s and he will do the same in Bodmin. By the third week we shall be wed here in Corfe.”
“How do ee feel on it?”
“I don’t know, I just don’t know,” concluded Nancy.
Out of breath, Nancy threw herself onto the tussocky grass below what was left of the castle walls. She lay there panting, the exertion had blotted out all thoughts but now they slowly returned.
“Cawk!” cried a crow high above her, aggrieved at the intrusion into its foraging ground.
Another echoed its mate’s sentiment.
“You wouldn’t say that if I was carrion, would you,” shouted Nancy at them. She had to stop herself from wishing that she was. No no, things weren’t that bad, were they? She loved Willy, she had no doubt. She would be lying if she said that she didn’t.
It would also be untrue if she told the world that she hadn’t wondered if he might suggest marriage some day, one day, some abstract day far off when he’d finished soldiering. But she wasn’t ready for this, was she?
Was she ready to be the wife of a private infantryman who was about to be sent off to Africa. To go through each day wondering if he were alive or if his beautiful body was just food for scavenging lions.
But, what if she never slept beside him and he still got killed in some dry and sandy desert. Would she spend the rest of her life in regret?
Then the obvious crept up and hit her between the eyes, as the obvious is prone to do.
Miss Drax. Miss Drax would know what to do. She was a spinster but she was a wise spinster. She had occasionally alluded to a past love for a soldier. Did she have regrets? Would she have done things differently or did she choose the right course?
Nancy wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before she climbed this damned hill.
Rather than broach the subject head on, Nancy danced around it and asked about Egypt instead.
“Ah yes, I have been reading about that. It would appear that they owe Britain and France a lot of money. To ensure that they don’t default, the two countries have rather foolishly taken over control of Egypt.
“Some Egyptians aren’t happy about it and are threatening to resist by force. I believe that we are sending troops. It will surely end in bloodshed. Quite why empires have never realised that they can’t hold a people against their will for very long,” explained Miss Drax.
She went on, “Why this sudden interest in Egypt?”
“Because Will and Tom Pepper are to be sent there,” Nancy said, tearfully.
“Oh, I understand now, I’m sorry you must be worried about him ... them but there is little that you can do about it, is there?
“That is unless you are thinking of risking your good name before they march away,” suggested the astute old lady.
Nancy said, “Well, Will has asked me to marry him and I am not sure if I should do it if I could lose him so soon afterwards.”
Miss Drax said nothing.
Then she confided, “I will tell you something that I have never divulged to a living soul before, I know that I can trust you.
“When I was young, I fell in love with a dashing young Cavalry Officer a few days before he was to go overseas. There was no time for us to wed so I risked shame and disgrace and spent two days and one night with him.
“Like so many handsome men before him, he was lost to some cruel foreign war and still lies in a far off land.
“For the last fifty years there hasn’t been a single day when I would have traded the memory of those two days and one night for all the wealth of the British Empire. Do you love William?”
Nancy replied, “Yes, I believe I do.”
“Then he has given you the opportunity to have a few weeks of the sort of joy that Jane Austen could never have written about, with no risk to your reputation. I say grasp it, marry him and have him tupp you as if each time were the last time. If that is all you have then so be it but at least you won’t spend your life in regret,” extolled Miss Drax, with passion.
Stunned by her frankness as much as by her language, Nancy said softly, “You are right.”
As soon as the Banns had their first reading, Nancy belonged to the whole village.
There were offers of help with the wedding from all quarters; some of it material, some simply supportive.
The ever practical Miss Drax told Nancy that the couple had a home with her in the short-term. By the time that William returned, one of the many village cottages that she owned would have been renovated. They could have it for a peppercorn rent.
Practical in a different way, Mrs Pepper sat the young woman down in her parlour and asked, “Yume not worried about your first time, are ‘ee, Maidy?”
“Well, just a little,” replied Nancy.
“Well don’t ‘ee be, there is a lot of stuff and nonsense talked on it.
“You are a fit and active young thing. The way thee has been clambering up and down those castle slopes since ‘ee were a chit, anything that needs to be broke was surely done long ago,” laughed the older woman.
“Don’t be afeared, take pleasure en et. Just remember to raise yer knees while ‘e is about his work,” she added with a chuckle.
The village seamstress, whom Miss Drax used, had a bolt of Cotton sateen chinz in a cream and pink floral pattern that she had been keeping for a special occasion. She would be willing to make a dress that was ideal for the wedding but could still be used for best afterwards. If Miss Drax agreed, she could add it to her account. Miss Drax did agree.
The landlord of the Fox offered one of his back rooms for the wedding breakfast, at a small fee, which Miss Drax gladly paid. She also gave him a half sovereign to cover the cost of ale for any guests. A multitude of village ladies pledged to make food at no cost whatsoever.
A week before the big day, Will and Tom arrived.
They had taken the train to Wareham and then hired a post-chaise from there to Mrs Pepper’s. There was talk of the railway being extended to Corfe and Swanage someday soon. The old lady hugged her grandson and then embraced Will, showering him with kisses.
After a lunch consisting of a hunk of ham, a hunk of cheese, a hunk of crusty bread and huge pickled onion, the two military men stepped out to survey the village. Neither spoke of it but each had his own destination in mind.
It was awfully slow going, every man that they met wanted to slap Willy on the back, shake his hand and tell him what a lucky dog he was. Every woman wrapped her arms around him, kissed his cheek and light-heartedly enquired why he hadn’t asked them to marry him.
Tommy Pepper was somewhat bemused, he had lived his whole life in Corfe and yet not one man had ever slapped him in the back. Not one lady had embraced and kissed him in the street. The most he had ever received was a clip around the ear and a telling off for doing what he was doing or a clip around the ear and a telling off for not doing what he wasn’t doing.
At the door of The Fox Tommy turned sharply left. “You sure you won’t take just one?” he asked.
“No, I am charged with a special assignment and not even you can keep me from it,” replied Willy, with a determined countenance.
“Then march on, Private, march on!”
Standing before the door of Miss Drax’s house, Willy smoothed down his hair and brushed off his epaulettes.
His knock was soon answered by the maid, Tilly. “Step in William, you are expected,” she giggled, as she pecked him on the cheek.
As soon as he entered the withdrawing room, Nancy crashed into his arms and showered him with kisses. “Oh Will, I thought that this day would never come!” she exclaimed.
Only when she finally released him did Miss Drax hug him and plant a kiss on his forehead...
“Now,” explained Nancy’s employer, “I have to visit a friend at the other end of the village. I will be gone for exactly four hours. Yes, exactly four hours.
“Coincidentally, Cook will be going to see her sister and she will be gone for exactly four hours too, as will Tilly. Although she is to see her mother. She will be gone for at least four hours.
“I am sure that you two young people have much to talk about.”
Nancy thought that Tilly didn’t get on with her mother and she didn’t even know that Mrs Billows had a sister but she realised exactly what Miss Drax expected to take place and it thrilled her.
Taking Willy by the hand, she guided him upstairs towards her bedroom.
“I thought that you would wish to wait until our wedding night,” he said.
Nancy laughed, “No, what I wish is to grasp every minute that we have before you march away. But if you have reservations then I won’t force you against your will.”
“I have no reservations and you have no need of force.”
Nancy closed the bedroom door behind them. “Stand to attention like a good soldier while I undress,” she instructed.
Willy stood ramrod straight, his brass buttons gleaming against his scarlet tunic.
Nancy let down her straw blond hair and removed her peach coloured bodice which she placed on the dresser. She did the same to the overskirt, pocket and underskirt.
When Nancy took off the corset cover, Willy started to move towards her.
“No, wait!” she scolded gently.
The infantryman resumed his sentry-like pose as Nancy’s petticoat was discarded. She kicked off her dainty shoes and untied the garters from each stocking in turn and removed the silk hose. How Willy controlled his passion he didn’t know. He had desired her so much for so long.
Next, Nancy untied the corset string and unfastened each of the dozen hooks on the front of the garment. She allowed it to drop. Reaching under the chemise her split drawers were dropped too.
Finally, the beautiful young woman pulled the chemise over her head to stand without a stitch before her lover.
Nancy said, softly, “Stay as you are.”
She came towards him, stretched up and placed her arms around his neck. “For so long I have dreamed of pressing my naked body against this scarlet jacket.”
Willy allowed her to indulge herself for several minutes before he responded, “And for so long I have dreamed of getting closer than that.”
“You’d best get out of that uniform then,” Nancy laughed, as she took three steps backwards.”
She stood almost brazenly watching as Willy removed his white belt and started on the brass collar button.
As he worked his way downwards, Nancy laughed, “As I recall, the last time that I saw scarlet tunic being removed, Mrs Pepper had to drag it off you.”
“And as I recall, you were undressing another man at the time,” chortled Will, keeping eye contact with her; well trying anyway.
He laid his jacket on the floor and sat on a chair to remove his black shiny boots.
Standing again, the soldier slipped off his bracers and unbuttoned the black trousers. Try as he may, removing them was ungainly. Nancy nearly offered to help but she didn’t want to give the impression that she was now adept at the art, having done it once before.
Will stood in just his white cotton shirt. The shirt-tails dropped well below his knees.
The young man stretched out his right hand towards her. As a concession, Nancy took two paces forward and undid the cuff button. Now this was something that she had done hundreds of times before. Willy had no difficulty in unfastening the left one himself.
Before he could grasp her, Nancy retreated.
Starting at the collar band, Will worked his way down the placket, slipping each button through its hole.
The shirt fell open.
She had seen it before, but not quite like this. In its dormant state it had looked quite friendly. Alert and ready for action, Williams penis appeared more menacing. The thought must have been apparent on Nancy’s face because he said, “No need to be afraid, my love. It won’t hurt you, I will never let it. I promise.”
“No, I’m not afraid of the ‘stuff and nonsense’. Mrs Pepper had prepared me and I know that you will be gentle.”
Leaving his shirt in place he stepped forward as she stepped forward. They embraced, skin to skin for the first time, breasts to chest, penis to stomach. They kissed deeply. She lifted her hands under the shirt to his firm back, he dropped his to her hips and then onto her soft buttocks. The couple pulled each other closer.
Finally, William dropped to his knees, kissed her breasts, first left and then right. Something primeval led him to place his lips over Nancy’s right nipple. At first he did no more than enclose it, then he began to suck gently. Very very gently.
Nancy closed her eyes and tilted her pretty blond head downwards, savouring this strange new sensation. It only multiplied the strange new sensation in her most intimate place.
He stood again and they kissed again.
This time Nancy fell to her knees. “I want to look at it,” she sighed.
“It is splendid. How did it go from what I saw in Mrs Pepper’s back room to something so rigid and firm?” Nancy asked as she placed her fingers around the phallus. Obviously, she knew how animals mated but she hadn’t given much thought to the mechanics before.
Willy smiled, “Well, the thought of you forces blood into it and it grows hard.”
The naive young lady instantly released her grip. “Oh! I’m sorry, does it hurt?”
Suppressing a laugh, he answered, “Not in the slightest. Quite the opposite; especially under your touch.”
Nancy brushed the tip of one finger from the head of Willy’s penis to the parting of his testicles. “So you don’t mind me doing this to it then?”
“No, it’s quite the nicest thing.”
“It rather makes me wish that I had one,” surmised Nancy.
“You can have mine whenever you like.
“Besides that, you have something just as wonderful of your own. Have you never given yourself pleasure by touching yourself down there? enquired William.
“If I have, and I’m not saying that I have, I wouldn’t tell you about it. I was rather banking on you showing me just how to do that”.
Willy eased Nancy to her feet, scooped her up in his arms and laid her softly on the double bed. He removed his shirt and stretched out beside her. Placing his right hand between her knees he gently encouraged the object of his affection to part her legs
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