Chapter 48: Lori

"Take off your clothes, you stupid bitch," commanded the sneering officer. I was beaten and chained to a rafter so there was little I could do but watch. The major glanced at me and then returned his attention to the girl who had removed her bodice and dropped it to the floor.

"Hurry up, strumpet," the officer snarled. "Haven't got all day."

She stepped from her skirt gracefully, let it fall and pulled her shift over her head and tossed back her long hair. She had not worn stays.

"Boots, too," the man ordered, his fingers laced before him. She pried them off, one by one and then stood up to face him, hands clasped together at her hairy groin. He smiled.

She was a fine, handsome young woman, heavy hipped and deep chested, a pleasure in bed and a good companion. In fact, they had caught me in her bed this soft morning, enjoying myself and oblivious of their arrival at the inn. Someone, obviously, had sold me out and the girl was scooped up out of meanness.

"Call Sergeant Howard," the major said to the leering lieutenant standing beside his chair, his codpiece a huge lump. The young man stalked to the door and bellowed, adjusting his bulging foreflap as he did so. In a minute or less a bulky sergeant appeared, clashed his feet together and saluted.

"Sar'n Howard," said the major, "see this filthy woman, this rebel whore."

The sergeant glanced at naked Lori and said, "Sir."

"Take 'er back to your quarters. You and your mates can have her for an hour or two, long as you want, then put what's left of 'er in the guard house, and we shall see what's what."

"Aye, sir," said the man, taking the girl by the elbow. She turned and swung a fist at him, but he blocked the blow and laughed, dragging her to the door and twisting a nipple out of meanness.

"No corporals, mind," the major said, "just you sergeants this time."

The big man bent Lori's arm up behind her and pushed her outside, kicking the door closed behind him.

"Now," the major said, looking at me with disgust, "wouldn't you like to be a hero and spare her that? They'll tear her apart, that foul bunch, bugger her till she bleeds."

"Wish I could," I said. "But I told you twice; I'm a deserter, and don't know anything worth knowing."

The major shook his head and then nodded at the young officer. "Again, if you please, Quincy."

Lieutenant Quincy picked up the broom handle he had used before and whacked me in the ribs and kidneys a few more times. I hung from my wrists and clamped my mouth closed, trying to slow my breathing and ignore the pain. He finished with a blow across my cock and ballocks that nearly blanked my mind and brought up my supper.

"Now let's start again," the major said, "we know you're a spy. I've told you that."

An hour or so later, with a broken tooth, bent ribs, sore member and crooked nose as rewards for my stubbornness, they tossed me in a cell with my hands still chained together. I sat on the stone floor and felt sorry for myself until they brought Lori in a bit later. She had the start of a black eye and there was blood on her chin and bare thighs. Her clothes were thrown in behind her, but she huddled in a corner and ignored them, sniveling. One of her high breasts showed teeth marks and there were long scratches on her buttocks.

"Lori," I called to her after the guard-house door slammed closed.

She looked at me and spat out a gob of bloody saliva. "Not y'fault," she sniffed, getting to her knees.

"You hurt bad?" I asked.

She shook her head, found her skirt and tied it about her hips. Then she came to my cell window and put her hand on mine. "You poked me harder, but they's a mean bunch," she said. "Made me suck 'em, filthy buggers, poked me in the arse."

"I'm sorry," I said, kissing her fingers.

"Think they'll feed us?" she asked.

The door swung open and the sergeant who had taken the girl away came in, grinned at me and beckoned to her. "Major wants to see ye," he said. "Put on y'shirt."

The girl put her arms in her sleeves but did not bother to button her bodice and left in the sergeant's grasp. I examined my prison and found it well made and solid. If there was a weak place, I concluded, it was the lock on the cell door. I pushed against the door and felt some give in that.

The girl was back in a few minutes and came right to my cell bars. "He said to tell you," she said, and then she wept, hands covering her face. "I'm sorry," she choked out, wiping her nose on her fist, "he said to tell you that they are going to let the corporals an' privates have me tomorrow morning if you don't cooperate, a score a'them."