Chapter 4

The Vagnors were seated in the study, the Baron and Baroness sharing some after dinner cognac.

"Well, my boy," smiled the Baron, "I am looking forward to seeing more of our new housekeeper."

"You do have a way with words, Father," the boy retorted, "but remember you said this one is mine. You promised you would do nothing to compromise my experiment."

"Did I say that?" teased the Baron.

"You know very well you did, Father. Besides, you had the last one and now that I'm on the verge of success after these many months, surely you wouldn't delay me further."

"Oh, wouldn't I?"

Again there was the hint of levity in the Baron's voice.

"Perhaps, with the girl off limits, I shall have to reassert my husband's prerogative. Care to start sharing your bed with me, Darling," he said with a playful tone as he smiled at his wife.

She returned the smile as she walked over to Steffan.

"Our current arrangement is fine," she said. "We agreed long ago you could take to your bed whom you wished."

She and Steffan embraced, their kiss long and deep.

"And I should have the same privilege."

"An exceptional woman, your mother," stated the Baron to his son, "I do hope you are providing for all her needs."

The boy was about to answer when the Baroness interrupted, placing her son's hand on her breast and pursing her lips.

"He provides very well thank you. Our son is very experimental and innovative. He never ceases to amaze... and satisfy!"

"Perhaps a threesome?" offered the Baron smiling.

"Perhaps," she answered, "when we have exhausted the possibilities. However, I shouldn't hold my breath if I were you as our son shows an infinite capacity to please."

She and Steffan exchanged smiles.

"I feel that perhaps your arrangement with Steffan may have even predated our arrangement," teased the Baron.

"Steffan has, of course, slept with me since birth. You and that nonsense about separate bedrooms. However, if you must know, he came to me on his ninth birthday."

" Mother had asked what I wanted for my birthday," recalled Steffan. "I told her I wanted only one thing... her!"

"And I do so love to please our son," chided the Baroness.

"It was the most wonderful birthday ever!" smiled Steffan.

"Of that I have no doubt," laughed the Baron, "but what of those twins I gave you for your birthday last year? Let's see what were their names?"

"Trika and Nicole," smiled the boy. "Oh, quite enjoyable, Father, especially their ability to inflict pain upon each other prior to and during sex..."

Steffan squeezed his mother's breast and leaned over and kissed her neck and cleavage.

"But compared to Mother, they were mere girls and why share one's bed with girls when you can have a woman instead. A woman who can entertain so well and in so many ways."

"Our son is even more precocious than I imagined," smiled the Baron.

" After all," mused the Baroness, "with five estates and at least one or two pretty housekeepers at each one, I shouldn't think you would want for attention."

"Right you are dear," he laughed. "Of course your own hunger for feminine pleasure is as unquenchable as my own."

He looked to Steffan for a reaction.

"We all have our interests, Father. I have my experiments, Mother has her... pets."

The Baron mused for a moment.

" A Shame about Katrina however, she had the most delectable..."

"I think we are all aware of Katrina's charms," interrupted the Baroness.

"Yes, yes of course. Now as to this delightful new girl..." said the Baron.

"But, Father..."

"Now Steffan," broke in the Baroness, "your father is just teasing you. You shall have your subject."

"Of course my boy. Who am I to impede science? I want you to know what a sacrifice I am making on your behalf however. She is quite beautiful, her body delightful... Say, perhaps just a bit of after dinner entertainment?"

"Yes," commented the Baroness, "she is an exquisite thing."

"Promise me you won't ruin my experiment?" the boy bargained.

"Oh, I assure you the integrity of your experiment shall be quite safe," said the Baron with a smirk.

Lars entered quietly.

"The girl to ssssee you."

"Ah yes, show her in."

Adrienne entered, her head bowed.

"Come in, come in!" welcomed the Baron, motioning her to a chair beside him. The Baroness and Steffan sat to one side near the crackling blaze in the fireplace.

"I do hope you found your room to your liking," the Baroness said.

"Oh Ma'am, it is the most wonderful room I have ever seen! Never did we have anything like that at the orphanage!"

"And the clothes?"

"So many and so elegant," Adrienne replied, "but I'm afraid I have a confession to make."

A look of disappointment crossed the face of the Baroness.

"They don't fit?"

"Oh no Ma'am. They fit as if tailored for me. It's just that... they were so beautiful, I'm afraid I spent the afternoon trying on dress after dress instead of learning my duties as I should have."

The Baroness smiled broadly.

"My dear Adrienne, I would have been disappointed if you had done anything else. Those clothes are yours. Some were left by the previous housekeeper who left rather hurriedly. The others I had made after Mary gave us your sizes. As for your work, there is time enough to start that tomorrow. I think you will find the work manageable. A great deal of Castle Vagnor is simply not used."

"I will work very hard," Adrienne said emphatically. " You have already been extremely kind and I wish to begin repaying your kindness by being the best housekeeper Castle Vagnor has ever had!"

"I am sure you will my dear. But, tell us something about yourself so we may get to know you better."

Steffan moved to the fireplace and stirred the logs with a poker which, instead of being pointed, bore the Vagnor crest at its tip. As the girl began to reply, he left the poker in the fire and turned to listen.

Adrienne's head bowed again, her voice weak and alone.

"There's... not much to tell," she stammered. "I am told my parents were killed in a fire when I was two. I spent the next five years with an elderly aunt, but when she died and I had no place to go, I was placed in the orphanage."

"Have you no other relatives?" asked the Baron.

"None as far as I know."

"How was it for you in the orphanage?" Steffan asked.

"We worked long and hard and we certainly never had the fine things to be found here, but they were kind to us. Little did I realize what would be happening when Mary came to see me. I was so frightened, I almost decided not to come."

"Well, we are certainly glad you did, Adrienne. We are all looking forward to knowing you better," said the Baroness, glancing for an instant at her husband.

The Baron responded by turning to face the young girl who was still averting his powerful gaze.

"You will work hard here at Castle Vagnor, Adrienne, but I promise you there will be ample pay. In all modesty, this is a wealthy estate and if your work is satisfactory, you will be allowed to share, to a significant degree, the life style we enjoy."

"I shall do my best to please you all," she responded meekly, her eyes dropping to the Baron's bejeweled hand as it rested on the arm of his chair.

"We can be generous, Adrienne," he said removing a ruby ring from his finger. "You admire the ring?"

"Oh, I didn't mean to..."

"It's all right, Adrienne," he said, placing the large, blood red stoned ring in her hand, "it's yours."

"I... I couldn't, sir!"

"Nonsense. I want you to have it."

His voice was deep and resonant, commanding.

"Look... look into the stone, Adrienne!"

Her eyes found the blazing scarlet fire which seemed to pull at her, drawing her as a moth to a flame.

"See how the facets of light are so fascinating, compelling."

"Yes... I..."

Her voice dropped off as firelight reflected from the stone across her face and eyes.

"See how it reaches for you, Adrienne."

The voice was calm, yet filled with power.

"Look deeply, Adrienne and you will find you cannot look away."

Her eyes were riveted to the stone. Uneasiness creeping over her, she tried to look away... could not. Terror gripped her as she fought with all her might to avert her stare, but to no avail.

"You are experiencing fear now, Adrienne, as you feel the power of the stone sapping your will. You fight! You fight the ring and its power! You fight to look elsewhere, anywhere other than the ring!"

Beads of perspiration appeared on her forehead as the girl struggled to be free, but it seemed the harder she fought, the more entrapped she became, almost as a struggling insect dooms itself in a spider's web.

"Try... try to look away, Adrienne! You cannot! The ring holds you and you cannot escape!"

Frantically now, her mind racing, Adrienne realized that each second, the infinite depths of the ring were drawing her nearer while her will was eroding. Soon she would have no will of her own at all.

"Yes, Adrienne, you want, you try to look away, yet cannot. But I shall save you, Adrienne. I shall give you the strength to look away. Look!... Look here!"

In the split second of release from the terror of being swallowed into that burning abyss, her eyes broke free from the hypnotic stone. And in that split second also came the realization of why she had been released -- but too late.

Her eyes were now staring directly into those of the Baron and in those eyes, was an evil hunger she had never dreamt existed. In those eyes was a power, she realized all too late, she could not fight.

And in that moment she knew he had what he wanted.

She was his.

"Look deeply, Adrienne!"

His eyes bore into hers, a feeling of helplessness growing within her with each passing second.

"Each moment your will to resist weakens and my control over you grows more powerful! Fight as you will, you are powerless to escape! Try! Try Adrienne! Try to flee! You cannot!"

With all her will she strained to break free, to run, flee this evil terror gripping her. Yet despite her efforts, Adrienne could not even divert her eyes, let alone turn and run.

"Every moment you are becoming weaker and weaker as your will is replaced with mine. You cannot resist! Look!... Look deeper!"

It was true. The voice, the eyes -- those evil, powerful eyes were draining her will. Her strength was also rapidly ebbing and Adrienne knew that in a few seconds her resistance would be totally broken. However, try as she might, the Baron's seductive voice and compelling eyes were carrying her further from the world she had known and into a world in which only the Baron knew what awaited.

Only a miracle could save her now.

No miracle occurred.

"Sleep, Adrienne! I command it!"

Her eyelids fluttered but once, then closed and with them died any vestige of hope, of resistance, of escape.

"You are now mine, Adrienne! My power over you is complete! Your own will no longer exists! You will obey me! Your mind, body and your very soul are mine to command! I am your Master! You, are nothing -- a mere possession which I can do with as I please! Do you understand, Adrienne?"

"... Yes."

"Yes what, Adrienne?"

"... Yes... Master."

Her voice was weak, subservient. Her will completely broken, the Baron's victory was complete.

"Open your eyes, Adrienne, and come over by the fireplace."

The eyes now dulled, her motions fluid but slow and dreamlike, the girl obeyed.

"First things first," said the Baron to the other Vagnors.

"Adrienne, I will ask you a question and you will respond truthfully, for I command it. Do you understand?"

"... Yes, Master."

"Adrienne, are you a virgin?"

Steffan sat forward in his chair, obviously anxious regarding her answer.

"... Yes, Master."

"Ahhh," mused the Baroness, "a real find."

The boy sat back in his chair, his face displaying great satisfaction.

"Well," said the Baron, "it looks as if Mary will get her second bag of gold at that."

"Why don't we have a look at her?" queried the Baroness.

"Yes," replied the older Vagnor, "I suspect our budding scientist will want to inspect his specimen."

The boy nodded eagerly and sat forward.

"Adrienne," the Baron's voice was not loud, yet held absolute power over his frightened, obedient servant, "take off your shoes."

Slowly the girl responded, stepping out of the simple slippers she wore.

"Her hair," reminded the Baroness, "have her take down her hair."

"Very well. Adrienne, take down your hair."

The hands rose slowly but steadily and removed the combs holding her hair. The combs fell to the rug as her fine golden hair cascaded almost to her waist.

The Baroness's eyes gleamed.

The Baron smiled.

"Adrienne, you will unbutton your dress."

There was but a slight hesitation as her hands, betraying her, reached slowly for the top button of the simple blue dress she wore.

In one last act of desperation, the girl summoned the last reserves of mind and body to fight what she now knew was evil incarnate.

The hands trembled and stopped.

"She resists!" cried the Baroness."

"A last feeble act of defiance," commented the Baron, "but she will succumb... they always do."

He gazed directly into her frightened eyes. The voice now angry, omnipotent.

"Adrienne, your Master commands you to obey!"

The young girl despaired as the mind and body which were no longer hers, obeyed despite her wildest, desperate attempts to divert them.

She had failed.

Her hand reached the button.

"Now, Adrienne, do as you are commanded!"

The Baron was totally confident, smiling sardonically.

Slowly the first button was undone, then the second, her mind reeling from the realization of what would happen, yet utterly helpless to stop it.

The last button was undone.

Steffan walked over to his mother and stood behind her, his hands coming around to cup her breasts. He kissed her neck as they stood watching the hapless girl.

Adrienne stood motionless, despairing of what she knew she would be forced to do.

"And now the "Piece de resistance"," the Baron announced.

"Adrienne, you will disrobe!"

His eyes burned into hers, destroying any last shred of will.

The dress, by her own betraying hands, slid from her shoulders to the floor. As was the peasant custom, she wore nothing underneath.

Adrienne Lavier stood naked and alone in the firelight.

Slow, mellow strobes of firelight flickered across the creamy texture of her youthful body. Her breasts, firm and surprisingly full for a girl her age, rose and fell slightly with her almost imperceptible breathing. A trim waist gave way to round, full hips and shapely legs. The folds of the dress still surrounded her trim ankles.

"Oooooh, she's exquisite," breathed the Baroness as Steffan's hands obligingly fell away and she moved closer to Adrienne, her eyes tracing every curve, seeking and finding the most intimate recesses of the young girl's body.

Shame burned throughout her as Adrienne stood totally and helplessly exposed while the three leered.

The Baroness reached out and swept aside a fall of Adrienne's hair which had fallen across her left breast. As she did so, the back of her hand crossed the unusually dark aureole and touched slightly the nipple which immediately stiffened.

"And sensitive," added the Baroness with a knowing smile.

"Yes," affirmed the Baron, "why don't we find out just how sensitive?"

"Now Father..."