Chapter 8: Revenge

"How's your bum, Charley?" Gallie asked. The four, Charley, Bob, Sally and Gallie were sitting around the dining table in a small hotel in Exeter and the chairs were wooden and hard.

"One of these days, you'll find out. I'll get my own back." Charley was in good humour. Her bum was tender and she knew she would fidget around on the seat a good deal before the meal was over. "You two lied to Bob about my enjoying the caning. You knew how long it took me to get over that and yet you egged him on to do something similar. I'll get my own back! You just wait!"

Apart from the pain of the Friday evening, the weekend had gone well. Bob had tended her with care but without ever losing his control. She was in his house, she would do what he said. But what he said was never unreasonable and they had a good time as far as they could given Charley found it difficult to move. Twice he fucked her doggie style to save putting extra weight on her arse and both enjoyed the sensation.

Monday morning she drove to her own home to ready herself for the bus trip to Exeter later in the day. The trip took far longer than expected because of hold ups on the M25 and M4 motorways and the sombre mood of the passengers wasn't helped by their feelings on having to recount the horrors of the night on the mountain in the coming few days.

It was expected the inquest would be over in two days at the most. Usually they took less time but with the number of witnesses to be called this one was scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. However, it was late Friday when the Coroner called a halt. Roger's parents employed a lawyer and he wanted to collect as much evidence as he could to support a manslaughter charge against Stan Copely. It was not a court, nor was Stan on trial although it felt like it. Every action by the witnesses was questioned at length. The questioning of Barbara Stavely started it off.

After the usual preliminaries Council asked, "The walk was due to start at 9.00 a.m. and yet you didn't arrive down for breakfast until almost ten. Why was that?"

"We... I overslept."

"We?"

"Everyone knows. It's no secret. I spent the night in Stanley Copely's bed but what that has to do with poor Roger's death, I don't know."

"We think it may have, Miss Stavely. What time did the you and he finally get to sleep?"

"I guess it must have been about three-thirty."

"Three-thirty in the morning? Very late, Miss Stavely. So you both overslept?"

"Well Stan woke me a bit after eight but we thought we had time for a quickie and then we fell asleep again. Next time I saw the clock it said 9:51. I woke Stan and we rushed around. Didn't have time for a shower or do my face even."

"Sally Furlow, why did you decide to return to the hotel and not continue on to the hut?" Council asked.

"My feet were sore and blistered. I'm a town girl and there are no hills where I come from. My shoes weren't suitable so I figured my job wasn't worth carrying on. I told him to stuff his assessments."

"Who is 'he', Miss Furlow?"

"Our Senior Manager, Stan Copely. I decided if he wanted to be rid of me, so be it. I thought I would be able to get another job and I hoped the others would come too but only Gallie did and then Billie followed to help us."

"You didn't just return because you wanted an quiet night with Billie?"

"No, Sir. I didn't know he would come with us. I just didn't think I could walk much further and even coming back down the mountain was very painful. It was mainly my feet Sir. And Robert Eason's warning that worse was to come. He said he knew the area and seemed to know what he was talking about. He said the weather forecast was not good and I remembered one of the other ladies saying that earlier."

So Council went on investigating every detail from each member of the group. Stan still wasn't fit enough to stand to give evidence and was allowed to sit. Even so the Coroner had to adjourn the sitting to give him time to recover. It wasn't only his chest; it was the worry over what they might decide.

Natalie Grant was called and interrogated as to the firm's policy on training staff before allowing them to lead outdoor events, the emergency procedures in place, what she had done to ensure the safety of her workforce before sending them on the course etc. Of course there were no procedures in place, and she had only rubber-stamped the course without checking on its content. It could be she would be indicted too.

On the Friday, the Coroner gave an open verdict on the cause of death and Roger's parent's council gave notice he would be passing all the information on to the police for possible prosecution against Stan or the company or both.

The group that returned home on the Friday evening was somewhat relieved that the ordeal was over for the time being but were still not in a jolly mood. Each seemed wrapped up in their own thoughts. Even Sally and Gallie weren't chattering as lively as normal. Charley lay against Bob with her eyes closed, not sleeping but churning over the events of the past few days and planning how she could get her own back on the two girls. By the time they arrived at Ipswich she had the germ of an idea.

Five weeks later she had an afternoon dental appointment. It was only for a check-up but she took the whole afternoon off and afterward drove to the club. Juliet answered the door when she rang. "Can I see the boss, Juliet, please?" Charley asked.

"You want another caning, Charley?"

"Not likely but I have an idea for a show the boss might go with." Boss and Charley discussed the idea at length and he agreed that if she could get a letter from the girls that they were willing to go along with it, he would put it on. He wanted a disclaimer so as to be absolved from any legal battle if they didn't like what they received.

Getting the letter was not a great stumbling block. Signing forms was almost a way of life at Grant and Grant's so when given a sheaf of papers to sign, neither Sally nor Gallie actually looked at every sheet. The main text of one they signed read:

'We the undersigned unreservedly agree to act as Egyptian slaves in the forthcoming club soiree.

We promise to try to appear unwilling slaves and act as if we are forced to play our parts. We have seen how well some previous actresses have portrayed their roles and will endeavour to emulate them to the best of our ability. All the apparent reluctance to participate will be part of our act and should be totally ignored.

Provided we are not permanently marked or scarred and are paid for our performance, we absolve the Club from any liabilities arising from this contract.

Signed:'

Charley mailed the signed documents to the boss.

A fortnight later, the three and Bob were in the club watching a fairly tame spanking father daughter skit, when the Boss came and greeted them. Ladies and especially you Charley, you have been such good customers that I am offering you three tickets to one of our country get togethers. Normally they cost £500 each but for you, they are free. You have earned me a good deal in the past Charley and I know it was through the efforts of your friends so I wish to reward them too. We will give you the location by email at 4 p.m. on 14^th June, which is the day of the get together. It is within of fifty miles from here and the performance will start at 9.30. Overnight accommodation has been booked for the three of you sharing. As you may have heard, at these country shows, audience participation is much greater than we can allow at the club. I am sure you understand what that means." Boss left the tickets and went and talked with other members and the group noticed some men were passing their credit cards and receiving a ticket.

"I wonder what he meant by 'greater audience participation'. Does that mean we get to swish a whip?" Gallie asked.

"From what John told me, they have actual sex in the show and you might get a cock or two inside you," Charley answered.

"Does that mean you will too?" Bob looked concerned.

"Probably, but you needn't worry dear. I'll come back to you."

"I don't think you should go." Bob looked downcast.

"Bob. As yet we're not married. I'm not tied to you although if things keep going the way they are, I might well be. You already know of my two-sided life and have taken advantage of it. We've had some great sex and some good weekends walking in the Dales, this meeting is something I feel I need to do, even if it is for one last time. Either you let me go without any comebacks later, or you go back to your old way of life."

"They might thrash you again?"

"They might, but I doubt it. Before I have always signed a disclaimer form and knew I was getting paid for what they did to me. Nothing has been said this time. They have probably booked someone else seeing I haven't made myself available for a while." Bob still wasn't satisfied but left the subject alone for the time being. Over the intervening weeks he did raise the subject but always Charley's answer was the same. She would do it this time and if he still wanted her afterwards, she would consider making it the last time.

When it came, the destination was an old large house to the north of Diss. "Please arrive at 7:30 for 8 p.m. dinner with the owner," the email instructed. The owner was an ex cavalry major who still kept his title, Major James Donahue. His wife Pauline shyly greeted them and introduced their two sons, Bruce and Jackson who were both in their late twenties. Sally and Gallie immediately took a shine to the handsome pair. Major James seemed pleasant enough but very forthright in his views, his wife on the other hand, only spoke when asked a question.

The Boss whose name they found out for the first time was Brendon, Juliet, John and a rather sombre man they simply called Igor arrived for dinner but were not staying overnight. During the meal the girls tried to find out about the performance but nothing more than they already knew was given away. "It's an Egyptian evening," Brendon said. Everyone knew that. The only snippet of information that finally slipped out was that Igor was the whip man but that was all that was said of his role.

When the other guests arrived, each was given a simple Egyptian style white tunic dress to wear and shown a room in which they could change. Most had booked into a fairly local hotel and arrived together by the club minibus at 9 p.m. Sally and Gallie were given similar costumes but Juliet came and took Charley and John into a side room and were given much more lavish costumes "I didn't think I was to play a part this time Juliet," a surprised Charley asked.

"You're Cleopatra dear and John is your Mark Anthony. You will have control over how much punishment your friends get. Don't be too lenient on them. Remember the caning they arranged for you. Remember these people have paid an awful lot of money to see this show and there could be some nasty scenes if they think they are being ripped off. 'Igor' is an expert with the whip. His whip is softer than it looks. It makes a lot of noise and will hurt and leave red stripes but they will heal within a short time. Do they realise they will be 'raped'?"

"Not yet. They still think they are spectators."

"I doubt they think that now. Boss has them tied in their room and was showing them their disclaimer forms when I left. From what I heard I don't think you are their best friend at the moment." Juliet arranged a gold and blue card head-dress and a rather gaudy plastic necklace on Charley. She looked very amateur dramatics Egyptian but that wouldn't matter too much in the rather dim light of the main hall, now furnished to resemble an Egyptian throne room. "There I think you're ready now. You ready too Mark Anthony?" Juliet fussed over their costumes a bit and led them downstairs.

'Cleopatra' entered the 'throne room' with 'Mark Anthony' a step behind, and slowly and with her best attempt at looking regal, walked down the centre of the room towards the throne.

"Crack!!" Igor's whip sounded like a gunshot inside the lofty room. "Kneel you unworthy people. Kneel when your queen enters the room. "Crack!! Crack!! Crack!!" The whip sounded repeatedly as the audience got to their knees.