Chapter 6A: Bondage, Whipping and Punishment

"He's right about one thing, Gwendoline. You have got wonderful arms and shoulders - you and Jessie"

"You're no weakling yourself Harriet - why he picked me out from the rest of you is a real mystery!"

"Cause gentlemen always prefer blondes - that's why" said Jessica as the three followed the odd gentleman to his home. This was a former farmhouse whose wintry greyness fitted in perfectly with the dreary weather. "They always prefer Gwen to me - even those drunken louts who tried to rape us were keener on her"

"Old Andy's the exception, though" laughed Gwen with a terrible sadness in her heart at the thought of her loss. "He obviously prefers the dark mysterious type," And she inwardly thought how passionately she shared Andy's taste!

Once inside the old farmhouse the gentleman showed them all into the stone - floored kitchen and invited them to prepare themselves something to eat.

"I'm an atrocious cook and my housekeeper won't be back for a few hours - there's plenty of stuff in the fridge. Make yourselves at home my dears. I can wait until Mrs Travers comes to get my breakfast."

"If he is a nutcase, he's a very generous one" said Gwendoline. "Let's get on with it you two"

They were just finishing their third cup of tea when the owner of the house reappeared, wearing a dressing gown and slippers. He had obviously got out of his soaking wet clothes and had a hot bath.

"Would you ladies like to use the bathroom - I have two, so two of you can share one and this golden-skinned, strong, proud young lady can use the other - allow me to show the way"

Jessica and Harriet were uneasy at being parted from their friend and self-appointed leader, but Gwendoline displayed no sign of uneasiness and the three separated.

"In here my dear - would you like me to run you a nice hot bath?"

"No thanks I'll take my usual cold shower - like to watch?"

"If I may - if you don't think me too terribly naughty! I can be awfully bad sometimes and then I need to be punished severely! You look so wonderfully strong my dear. How beautiful you look with the water running down all over you! I'll be downstairs when you and your friends are ready"

And with these words the strange fellow left Gwendoline to continue her ablutions undisturbed.

When all were gathered together again in the farmhouse sitting-room the three explained to Mr O'Toole the reason for their being naked out in the rain.

"What a fascinating story my dear young people! I think I can help you along the way; I have a friend who lives twenty miles away from here and it would be on your route. I'll phone him and drive you over there this evening. That way you will have two nice warm nights and days away from the elements. Now - isn't that a splendid idea!"

Jessica and Harriet were becoming increasingly worried about the situation, but Gwendoline accepted his offer with thanks and asked him what was the special service he wanted her to perform.

"I wonder if you would care to come upstairs with me young lady. I have a very special personal and private room I would like you to see. Your two friends will be very comfortable down here"

This was true enough, for both Harriet and Jessica were dozing off on the sofa and not even their unease at seeing Gwendoline go upstairs with Mr O'Toole could rouse them from a much needed slumber. "She can take care of herself", was Jessica's final comment before falling fast asleep. Harriet was unable to reply - being already in the arms of Morpheus.

Mr O'Toole escorted Gwendoline up to an attic room and opened it using a key which he took out of his dressing-gown pocket.

Once inside the room, Gwendoline looked around her. Mr O'Toole's earlier remarks about naughtiness and punishment began to make sense as she surveyed the array of ropes, canes, whips and various kinds of restraints which filled the place.

Gwendoline raised her arms and flexed her muscles.

"I THINK I am strong enough to punish you - you NAUGHTY boy!"

"Please tie me to those rings" He pointed to two iron rings hanging from the ceiling.

The man then took off his dressing-gown, revealing himself to be naked under it, to Gwendolines no great surprise. She was not much impressed with what she saw - Mark had been far more generously endowed!

"Take those slippers OFF" She snapped; she was already warming to her role as a naked dominatrix.

"And kneel on the floor and kiss both my feet - every toe - PROPERLY!"

When he had done as he was told she raised her right foot and presented the sole to him.

"Lick the sole of my foot all over and then the other one." She could not repress a slight queasiness in her stomach as he eagerly complied.

"Now get up, you BAD boy and raise your arms so I can tie you up. Oh you ARE in for it - I bet you're scared already aren't you - you WICKED boy!"

"What now?" she asked as the tying up was completed. When she had been in the Girl Guides she had not in her wildest dreams thought that her knowledge of knots would ever be put to this kind of use!

"The long whip on the dresser, my mistress - yes, that's the one. I say 'Mercy, Mistress' when you are to stop. You look so stern and strong! When you are ready mistress!"

And so Gwendoline proceeded to apply the whip to poor mad Mr O'Tooles back - a back which bore evidence of having received such treatment many many times before. She was gentle at first and gradually stepped up the force of her blows, inflicting a crescendo of pain on her host until he cried out for her to stop.

Gwen lowered the whip with some reluctance (she had been really getting into it!) and inspected her work. The back was red all over, but there were no cuts - just a few weals.

"Do I untie you now, Mr O'Toole?"

"Later my dear. I daresay Mrs Travers will see to it when she returns later. She knows about my special needs and frequently ministers to them - although never as deliciously as you! Thank you so much. I shall always be grateful to you!"

He explained how he had for many years had a fantasy about being whipped by a naked and strong young blonde who walked into his house one night and how the previous night the yearning had become so strong that he had gone out walking in the rain to calm himself down.

"Imagine my amazement when I saw the woman of my dreams sleeping in the fields near my home in the rain - looking so strong and untamed as if she were some elemental force of Nature. I knew at that instant that my fantasies had become reality."

"I'm only too happy to oblige! Don't take this as a destructive criticism, Mr O'Toole, but rather as a constructive suggestion, but wouldn't it have been even better if you had had a large mirror on that wall facing you so that you could have seen me whipping you? I mean that would have been so much nicer for you wouldn't it?"

"Upon my soul, my dear - but what a splendid idea! What a fool I must be not to have thought of it before. I'll have one installed tomorrow and you must come back after you complete your journey and we can have another lovely time together! I'm sure to have been very naughty by then."

"Be my pleasure. Now I had better see how my friends are - both of them fast asleep I should think. I may take a little nap myself! It's been a delightful time - but tiring!"

Gwendoline pulled the attic door to and began to go downstairs. She had to pause at one point and sit on the staircase, too helpless with laughter to continue. She sat for several minutes with tears running down her cheeks at the memory of that ludicrous scene in which she had played such an active role!

Finally she recovered sufficiently to complete her return to the ground floor and was about to rejoin her friends, still sound asleep, when the front door opened and in walked a woman who must be the famous Mrs Travers - housekeeper cum dominatrix. This good lady took in the sight of a flushed, perspiring and naked blonde goddess standing in the hallway with remarkable equanimity as though such appearances were a daily occurrence in the O'Toole menage.

"Are you a natural blonde, young lady?" asked this woman calmly "Unusual for a real blonde to have a dark bush - not unknown, but unusual."

Gwendoline assured Mrs Travers of her bona fides and the lady smiled.

"I take it you have been 'servicing' my employer! I'm sure you did an excellent job - my word, but you are a strong one!"

"Yes, I left him tied up. He said you would come to see to him"

"Oh. I'll 'see to' him alright, young lady - and how! I'm not good enough for him any more - EH!! I'll see to him all right!"

With these words the good lady ascended the stairs with remarkable agility for one of her bulk and the sounds of renewed chastisement of the naughty Mr O'Toole could soon be heard. It did not continue long - to Gwen's relief, the poor chap had already had more than enough!

She rejoined Jessica and Harriet, who were still fast asleep and looking the picture of innocence and sweetness, despite their nudity and wild unkempt looks. She took an armchair and soon sank into a deep sleep herself.

She was dreaming that Mrs Travers had tied her to the iron rings and was about to commence whipping her. There was a mirror on the wall facing her so that she could see the anticipatory fear mixed with excitement on her face as a leather clad housekeeper raised a fearsome whip in the air, when she was awakened by a discreet cough.

Gwendoline awoke to see a smartly dressed Mr O'Toole and a smiling Mrs Travers standing in the doorway.

"Lunch will be served in the dining room in exactly one hour. I hope you young people have had a good sleep."

"Thanks, Mrs Travers - lovely. I was having such a nice dream - you woke me just as it was getting really interesting!"

"You seem to double up as a 'bottom' young lady" said the housekeeper as she caught sight of Gwendoline's still scarred back. Unusual - very. I'd have taken you for a confirmed 'top'!"

"Sorry, but I'm not with you!" said a puzzled Gwen.

"Obviously you are not a professional or you'd know what I meant. Who did that to your back?"

Gwendoline explained. Mrs Travers disappeared and returned with a box from which she produced various ointments and other fluids. She bid Gwen lean over the arms of the chair and began to apply various things to her back. She told her to get up after a few minutes and instructed her only to lie on her front for the next twenty four hours.

"It's not healing as well as it should be my dear. You've been having too rough a time out in the open all day and every day - you don't want to keep those marks for the rest of your life. Not a lovely girl like you - that would be a crime against humanity!"

Gwendoline thanked the housekeeper. Such kindness and from such an unexpected quarter.

"Mr O'Toole was tickled pink meeting you, my dear! He's looking twenty years younger today! You've really done him a power of good!"

Gwen had to fight very hard to suppress her amusement at the notion that whipping could ever be therapeutic! She was able to say with a straight face that she was pleased to have been able to repay his kindness to them in this way.

Mrs Travers and her employer left the girls to their own devices before lunch and Gwendoline woke them up. To their question about what Mr O'Toole had wanted of her she replied by suggesting a pre lunch walk, even though the weather was getting worse by this time and the rain was falling in sheets.

Despite their reluctance to exchange the cosiness of the house for the merciless rain which the wind drove into their unprotected bodies turning them red in seconds, they submitted to Gwendoline's bidding as ever nowadays and she explained what had happened in the attic. It was a while before the other two were able to stop laughing. Finally Harriet spoke.

"I was saying to Jessie yesterday that you had a sadistic streak - now I'm sure! And now can we get back indoors - please Mistress Gwendoline?"

"Yes, I suppose we'd better get back or we'll never be dry in time for lunch" said Gwen. "Pity, though. I'm getting totally pissed off with all this comfort even after a few hours. I just can't wait to get back to normal!"

Mrs Travers tut-tutted over Gwendoline's back and reapplied the preparations which the rain had partly washed off her.

"I know you're an extremely brave young woman, but you MUST give that back a chance for the next day or two - you really must!"

Mr O'Toole nodded his agreement and observed that it was a monstrous thing to have marred such loveliness - to say nothing of the agony she must have suffered.

"I'd like to take a whip to that scoundrel myself", he concluded.

"No need for that, Mr O'Toole - Gwendoline pretty well flayed him alive once we turned the tables on him - thanks to our arsonist friend here!"

Over lunch Gwen mentioned her dream about Mrs Travers being about to whip her and that good lady vigorously protested her total refusal to lay so much as a finger on her even if paid by Gwendoline to do so.

"I only do it for John here as a favour now and again - except this morning when I confess to having been just a little jealous and put out!"

The girls went outside again after lunch and walked over the neighbouring and deserted hills for a few hours before returning for dinner. Mrs Travers again reproached Gwen and applied more stuff to her back.

The evening was passed playing a variety of parlour games and they all retired to bed at midnight. Gwendoline was given the best guest room and the other girls shared the other. With some qualms in this eccentric household Gwen submitted to having her hands tied to the bed posts so that she would not inadvertently turn over on to her back in her sleep.

"You should be well on the mend by morning, but give it another day and night to make sure, my dear" were Mrs Travers's parting words as she turned off the light and gently closed the door, leaving Gwendoline to enjoy her first comfortable night in quite a while.

Gwen woke early the next morning and panicked as she realised that both her hands were tied to the bedposts. As she became more wide awake she remembered how Mrs Travers had urged this on her as a way of preventing her lying on her still sore back and her fear subsided. All she had to do was wait until someone came to free her. She drifted back to sleep.

When she awoke next the sun was shining through the window and Mrs Travers was untying the bonds.

"For your own good I should really leave you here all day Lady Gwendoline - that would stop all your nonsense of tramping around in the rain, but it is a lovely day and I think you can go out, and force those poor friends of yours to suffer with you!"

"How do you know who I am?"

"I have a good memory as well as you my dear."

Mrs Travers did not enlarge on this somewhat cryptic reply and Gwendoline made her way to the en-suite bathroom. As she sat on the toilet she reflected on the many places whose fertility they had all enriched over the last weeks and revelled in the luxury of civilised amenities once again - she still hoped to be back in the open before long, but recognised the good sense of Mrs Travers in urging her to give herself time to heal properly.