Chapter 3

Amelia woke up the following morning feeling strangely calm. The panic she had felt from the previous evening had just about gone and she was able to look at things more logically. That surprised her in a way because nothing had really changed. Her first thoughts were about her clothes though. She knew that she was going to have to find something else to wear. It was practically impossible to walk the valley wearing that type of attire.

'First things first though. I need to wash myself and have a drink.' She stepped out of the shaft and walked down to the lake that she had discovered the previous night.

Amelia sat on the bank and undid her shoes. They certainly weren't practical but at least they protected her from the harsh covering of the valley floor. She then removed her stockings and suspender belt. Lying down on the bank, she reached into the cool water and splashed it all over her face.

The water exhilarated her and she quickly decided that it would be good to bathe in. Jumping up, she quickly removed her dress and then discarded her corset. She knew that was one thing that she wouldn't be wearing again. She swiftly removed her pants and waded in.

She immersed her body in the water and relaxed as it lapped against her skin. She let her hands wander and start to caress her own body. She touched her breasts and fondled her tender nipples which hardened almost instantly. She was surprised by the reaction and continued to make light strokes over and around them. 'This is the way I should be touched, ' she thought to herself. 'Softly and slowly.' She felt her body tremble with excitement and desire as she decided to explore herself and her emotions even further.

She spread her legs further apart in the water and slowly stroked her lips. She felt tingles of desire run along her spine. This was all new to her; she'd never touched her body in this way before. All of her previous sexual experiences had been with men. She moaned gently before continuing on her voyage of self-discovery.

Her fingers stretched into her vagina and she felt her muscles start to pulsate; the sensations becoming stronger and faster with each touch. She felt the wetness of her sexual moisture flowing and lubricating her while a finger searched for that special spot which always gave her so much pleasure when her husband penetrated her.

The fingers of her other hand gently touched and stroked her sensitive clit. She moaned with pleasure as her sensations grew in strength. Her breathing became faster, more erratic. She moaned as her passion and desire shot through her body. Her body froze for an instant before her climax jolted it back to life. She felt complete.

As she slowly recovered, she finally felt clean. The gentleman's juices were no longer in her body; all traces of him had been removed. She was never going to be at a man's mercy again. She relaxed and let the water flow over her skin.

She wasn't sure how long she had been in the lake. It must have been for some time because the sun was now high in the sky. She groaned as she realised that she still hadn't sorted out her clothes and it was getting later in the day. The lake had been too inviting for her and she had spent longer in it than she should. She paddled back to the bank to retrieve her clothes.

As Amelia put on her dress she suddenly felt someone was watching her. 'Strange, no-one ever comes here. It must be my imagination playing tricks on me.' Her feelings persisted though and she looked around at her surroundings. She gasped with surprise and rubbed her eyes. 'That man. The one that comforted me before.' She was sure that she was seeing things. She felt sure that no-one would want to help her now.

Hywel was enjoying his solitude again now he had left the noisy village. He wandered through the valley and down to the lake. He cursed to himself when he heard a sound from the water. He couldn't yet see the lake but he knew that someone else was there. He approached it cautiously.

He shielded himself behind a gorse bush and looked across at the water. His eyes focused on the person who was upsetting his tranquillity. He was confused. 'Isn't that the young lady that I met the other day? What would she be doing here?' He wasn't sure if she was the same young lady but she certainly looked familiar.

Hywel watched her as she got out of the water and started to put on her clothes. He knew that he should divert his eyes but he was unable to do so. He was now sure that it was the same young lady but why did she still seem a bit distressed, uncertain of herself? 'What on earth is she doing wearing that dress? That's not valley wear, ' he thought to himself. 'I'll have to ask her myself.' He wandered down to the side of the lake and acknowledged her.