Lord Oakes' Daughter Ch. 01

The violence of the assault astounded her, her beautiful face contorted with the pain yet this was but the first of a century of lashes, "Ahhhhhhh," she wailed high and pure like a soprano at the opera house and then another monstrous blow Gibons delivered, thwack!

Again the flesh yielded and again recovered yet faintly bruised and then again the whip flashed down and "Ahhhhh," Camilla wailed, and all of a sudden the parallel trails of the whip's passage were there upon her, livid and red upon her alabaster skin for all to see, and with each blow another angry weal was added, and another but her poor abused shin was not only bruised now but so flayed that each slashing agony brought forth a rash of tiny bloodied spots which mingled and merged to form a bloodied mass upon her poor, soft innocent pinkness until there was no spot left anywhere upon back or backside that was unsullied.

"For pities sake!" I cried but my cry was not noted among Camilla's own screams and indeed the hubbub of cheers and jeers from the throng who expressed their delight with whoops and jeers and cat calls at one of the aristocracy being brought to their level, and indeed below as stripped bare was she flogged and then the judge called a halt.

I thought he was showing mercy, but no it was expediency, "Free her hands," the Judge ordered, and as Gibbons slashed through the ropes so the remains of her gown fall away to the floor leaving her to try to hide her charms with her hands but to no avail as Gibbons once again took up the whip and began slashing away at her, this time her breast the target, her perfect mounds that no one but her husband and infant children should know, and the perfect teats thereon, now stiffening and darkening as they were sorely abused, with livid bruising and the red of blood where the skin was broken, and when the mounds were likewise a mass of stripes such the each fresh assault landed upon a previous mark so he began slashing at the front of her elegant legs and when she sought to protect the aforementioned legs so to the breast did he return taking a delight in striking her teats time after time, and even on occasion did he strike right on that part usually kept the most private and her writhing thereafter displayed that supposed privateness in all its soft glorious golden haired and pink glory to all that craned and strained to view it. . Even when she fell to the floor so Gibbon's assistants Firkin and Hallows, and a more disreputable pair one could never expect to meet in three lifetimes, took hold each of one of Camilla's arms and dragged her up again..

"For pities sake," I cried, but my entreaty was drowned among a host of chants, "Ninety!" someone chanted, I had counted but seventy six but I joined immediately and the hubbub grew, "Ninety One, Ninety Two, Ninety Three," They chanted and in a crescendo, "Ninety Eight, Ninety Nine, One Hundred." wherepon Firkins dropped Camilla and Gibbons missed her and slashed Hallows across the arm, whereupon Hallows punched Gibbons who kicked Firkins and the whole descended into farce.

I pressed to the stage, climbing under some and over others in my frenzy and I gained the platform and climbed thereon, Camilla was insensible, dead as I thought as I grasped her and slid off my Jacket to lend her, and I gazed at her beautiful countenance all creased with pain and I vowed to avenge her and the very next thing I knew was that I woke an hour and more thence with a splitting headache and agonised jaw lying athwart a table in the back room at the Ramsbottom Arms public house

It seemed Gibbons took exception to my intrusion and removed me from the platform with a left jab to my chin, whereupon I slept soundly as I travelled through space for a few feet before landing, as father explained upon that strongest part of my anatomy, my unusually thick skull.

Father's faithful servant Dawson stood by as I woke, "Ah awake at last," he said, "His Grace says to try not to induce a riot and to get home instantly!" he added as he showed me his injured knuckles.

"Oh, what happened." I asked.

"I hurt my hand rescuing your jacket," he said, "But it hurt Hallows jaw more I'll wager, but please sir., I entreat you please do his Grace's bidding and slip away home."

"But I must see Camilla!" I protested.

"Very well, if you must," he agreed, and we went to the jail as I requested, but we were kept at the gate, "She has left instructions that you may not visit her," the jailor's man insisted.

"But it is I that tried to help her, I John Hunstanton." I explained.

"Indeed sir, that is what I told her sir," he said

"What I?" I asked.

"Yes you sir, you particularly, sir," he explained, "Miss Oakes wishes none but her former governess Miss Daley to attend her." he said pompously.

"But how is she?" I asked.

"Oh middling," he replied insolently, "She's lying in a cell in a pool of her own blood crying" he continued, "But she says she wants nothing to do with you."

Dawson thereupon grasped me firmly around the throat before I had a chance to assault the insolent oaf and then he, Dawson, set me firmly on the way home.

Father was in surprisingly good humour as I returned, "So Prince Charming how is your Princess?"

"She won't see me," I admitted, "She wants none but her governess."

"Why am I not surprised, now set aside thoughts of Camilla and we shall dine with the Oakes' no less tomorrow evening, we have an invitation the two of us."

"No," I insisted.

"Yes!" he insisted, "Find out about the father, why does he not believe his flesh and blood Camilla, over his lover or wife as he calls her, for you have aroused their interest, so quiz them as they quiz you," he said reasonably,"And if you do not find the girls enchanting then I own I should not decline a gallop." he added outrageously.

So it was we dined with the Oakes, father was his usual suave ebullient self whilst Mr Gerald Handley dazzled with his superior wit and I struggled to insert a single word so poor am I at polite conversation, "So Edward, I knew not John was your son." Lord Oakes declared.

"Yes, a happy accident," he explained, "As you will know my dearest has made a home at Brighton," he explained as he was wont to do, I thought it was to diminish me in peoples estimation but he was far more wily than that!

"So John is your son?" Gerald Handley asked, "And what of Edward your son and heir?" he asked.

Father was playing games, he called me John because we shared the first name of Edward, and it suited me not to be known as Lord Farmingham to which title I was entitled as heir, could you imagine a Lieutenant the Lord Farmingham, no of course that would never do.

"Oh tolerably useless, bound for parliament I'll wager," which wounded Handley who thought to enter Parliament was the holy grail which every man jack strove to attain.

The evening dragged Lilla and Catherine were charming and definitely uninterested in a second or bastard son of an Earl but instead fluttered and tittered and in every way sought to ensnare Mr Handley, while he cared not which one he wooed as it was her dowry from Lord Oakes' fortune that was his interest in the Oakes' girls. Meanwhile my father had absolutely captivated Lady Oakes, I fully expected the pair to sneak away somewhere and return looking flushed but exhilarated as was father's wont, but he restrained himself.

Father though eloquently steered the conversation around to Camilla.

"Awful girl," Lady Oakes averred, "Took an absolute dislike to me from the very first as I tried to comfort my Lord as poor Jemima wasted away."

"It must have been a sore trial," Father sympathised, "John says she absolutely and ruthlessly demanded every beau danced with her at the Marchington's supper dance, did you not John?"

I nodded, "Except you!" Lilla tittered inelegantly.

"Indeed," Father enquired, "No wonder you strive to enter her affections?"

"Yes, indeed," Mr Handley agreed, "Most creditable under happier circumstances, though I own I owe her a great debt of gratitude for enticing me away from Miss Filby and introducing me to her charming sisters."

I peered at him swooning at Lilla and Catherine whom he would have given scant regard had Camilla been present and understood in a trice why they had told such lies about her conduct.

"I suppose that had it been a son with a serving wench no note would have been taken." Father queried.

"Indeed not!" Lady Oakes said, "Such is expected of a healthy gentleman, but a young lady it was such an affront to decency,"

"Still a fine example was set this morning," Lady Oakes said, "So now my girls may take their proper place in society their reputation un-sullied!"

"But let is talk of happier things," Father asked, "Are there sufficient dances and receptions in the county or should I hold one at Gatesby Hall?"

"Oh but you must," Lady Oakes insisted, "We all have the date for the Gatesby Ball, in our diaries, we all shall be devastated if it doesn't occur."

The conversation continued in like vein and then as the mid night approached we accepted the offer of a bed for the night, "But there are three of us and the coachman!" Father protested.

"You shall have the blue room, your Grace, and Mr Handley you shall have Miss Daley's room and your coachmen may bunk in the butler's quarters," Lady Oakes agreed, "And the boy, well I suppose you may use Camilla's room."

"Capital!" my father agreed, "But what of Miss Daley?"

"Oh she was Camilla's governess, and dismissed as of no utility when my sweet Katerina came," Lord Oakes said, "She is seamstress now at Mrs Price-Wright or was it Mr Allen's establishment."

We proceeded to bed and in the morning Father sought me out, "Look at the door," he said in a whisper,"See it is hinged away from the wall, the chest prevents it opening more than a square angle, so," he paused, "The bed cannot be seen from the hall."

I nodded, "So let us slip away," he said, "Say nothing,"

We slipped away before breakfast, and Father insisted I say nothing about the bedroom until he made enquiries, "But let us await the Mop fair," he said, "We shall have our sport there."

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The days passed, I attended the Jail but was refused entry, but unbeknown to me father had Dawson seek out Miss Daley and had furnished her with funds for salts and bandages and all such things for Miss Oakes, that her wounds should be healed with the inference that Mr Gerald Handley was her benefactor.

Sadly believing that her looks should be her downfall Miss Daley persuaded Camilla to hack away her now soiled golden locks so that devoid of lip and cheek rouge she might appear at the hiring fair as a serving maid, and not, as some might construe, as a whore.

The day of the hiring fair dawned crisp and cold and my father had me woken well before it was reasonable to be abroad, and indeed there were barely a single soul abroad as we left our home of Gatesby Hall passed through the village of Hibblethwaite and hamlet of Markham in our carriage and entered the market place of Gatesby.

The fences were all set up, pens for humanity, for general workmen and farm hands, indoor staff, milk maids, housemaids and every sort of maid, all penned like cattle and prodded and peered at like animals or chattels but as was tradition no bids could be made before ten of the clock, so we waited and wandered and awaited both Camilla and the tenth stroke of the Town Hall clock.

It was beyond nine when the Gatesby Jail sent Camilla, Miss Oakes to offer herself for menial duties, as ordered by Judge Wibblethwaite as punishment for her perjurious statements when Mr Raiment was tried for debauchery. She came with Manston a jailor, who while charged with her security also carried the canon ball which was chained by a clasp securely clamped around her ankle.

I stared, they had shorn her golden ringlets, crudely shorn and and as she stooped the markings from her lashings could be seen on her bare arms and legs which her crude prison smock left unclothed. She stood among the lower classes shivering in her thin servants robe, unaccustomed as she was to the cold, her bared feet unaccustomed to the cold hard stone of the market place and all the time the humiliation of being stared at like a curiosity by all that had heard of her sentence which was of course every single person in the county.

"Hold your tongue boy!" Father said, when I saw her but I paid no heed and sought the Judge immediately, but he refused to receive me.

I went back to Camilla, "Fear not." I said, but she sneered, her timidity evaporating as her anger rose upon seeing me

"Go away." she pleaded "I should prefer a twenty months imprisonment to an evening with you!" I hoped it was bravado not honesty, but I retained my resolve that she should be vindicated.

It therefore fell to us to wait for the sale, the Judge was it seemed not about to let Camilla be situated with any common personage, and so it came that the Church clock struck two and still Camilla shivered, though the market was almost devoid of hirelings, and then the Judge came to see Camilla and her jailor Manson, while I attended also.

"Ah Hunstanton, the Village idiot, "The Judge laughed, "Are you offering surety again?"

"Yes sir!" I agreed.

"Oh send him hence!" Camilla cried, "The fool has not the means, his brain is addled." she added helpfully.

"Do you know I am tempted to let him stand surety," the Judge admitted to my father.

"Actually there was a gentleman around who had an interest," Father admitted, "There is his man," he said, "I say you, Lord Farmingham's man," Father addressed no other than Dawson his own Butler.

"My Lord," Dawson answered.

"Tis Your Grace, but no mattter," Father insisted, "Did you say Farmingham wished to employ the wench.

"Indeed sir, as upstairs maid sir," Dawson said, "He left the arrangements to me sir, I can go to ah."

"Twenty pounds surety sir, refunded when she returns unharmed." The Judge explained, "Lord Farmingham eh," he said, and when Dawson agreed he said "Yes that should suffice."

"Then I have that amount exactly sir." Dawson agreed.

"And how say you Miss Oakes," the Judge enquired, "Lord Farmingham's upstairs maid or prison cell?"

"Anything but that idiot or prison," Camilla said thinking Dawson was Farmingham, and with twenty pounds safely deposited in his purse Judge Wibblethorpe ordered Camilla released into Dawson's custody.

It took a while, Father who was no fool made me remain silent throughout and even when Camilla was released Dawson made her wait an whole hour before our carriage arrived to take her away, the hour it took for us to be whisked home and the carriage to return.

Camilla travelled to Gatesby Hall in considerable agitation, she could not accept her disinheritance and hoped to enlist the mysterious Lord Farmingham's assistance in establishing her innocence.

But suddenly she realised, that the carriage had turned from the highway at the gatehouse to Gatesby Hall, "This is Gatesby Hall," she commented, "What is this, have you tricked me!" and then she saw my father, and me.

"Ahhhhhggghh," she screamed, "You monster!" and she leapt from the carriage and assaulted me vigorously with her dainty fists..

"Girl!" Father shouted, "Stop, Miss Oakes you must realise you are a servant now, you must learn to take orders."

"Just keep that idiot away from me," she insisted.

"John, leave Miss Oakes alone, please." Father insisted and using all his charm he coerced her into the house.

Six of the clock brought high tea, at eight we took dinner and at ten over supper I broached the subject of Camilla.

"Oh she will make an admirable upstairs maid," father averred,

"But Father," I protested.

"No, let her go about her duties and settle in before you broach the subject of her innocence." he insisted, "And get to bed early there is much to be done on the morrow."

He was acting strangely, my father, he came upstairs with me as I went to bed, he stood with me as I entered my bedroom and he came inside with me and, "Nooooo!" I heard a scream. It was Camilla, in my bed, she was lying in my bed,

"There you are my son, one upstairs maid, someone to practice the art of love upon ready for marriage," he suggested.

"Father!" I protested.

"Now I have gone to a deal of trouble for you John, so ravish her, that is an order, do you understand!"

"No please not that!" Camilla protested.

"And if you don't I shall," he averred.

"Camilla," I explained, "I had no idea!"

"Oh no of course not!" she said in complete dis-belief, "You knew nothing of your father tearing away my shift, leaving me with nothing to cover my nakedness," she said and then the door shut behind me and the key clattered in the lock.

"Father," I protested, but he was gone.

"I really am sorry," I protested.

"You lie sir!" she averred, "Oh what is the use," she cried and she held her head in her hands.

"He tore your shift?" I asked, "Then you may borrow my shirt."

"Such generosity," she said with a level of sarcasm that reassured me.

"Oh be quiet," I scolded, "Twas not my idea!" I protested again and I found a freshly laundered shirt which I handed her.

It was late, I needed to sleep, so I undressed, put on my night shirt and climbed abed with her, and she slapped me with the palm of her dainty hand.

I held her by the arms to still her, no more, but her warmth enticed me, her anger and her passion inflamed me and it was such a short step from holding her arms to holding her down with my body and then my knee slipped between her knees and then a second knee and then I spread her legs and even as I held her I sensed the warmth of her beneath me, and with that sense my appendage grew .

"Camilla," I said softly, "Forgive me," and I aimed my appendage at the soft wetness that led to her womb.

"No!" she protested, "If you have any consideration," she protested, and then she moaned as the tip of my manhood entered within her, "Please you are tearing me asunder, what have I done to deserve this!".

"My father has assured me that the pain will pass," I sought to reassure her as an inch more slipped within, "But I love you!"

"Ahhh, please Mr Village idiot you are rending me asunder, it is surely too monstrous to fit there." she said but my appendage was easing forward within her, stretching her sweet soft innermost parts by increments as I advanced, stretching her, moulding her to my own shape, and as she protested so I eased right inside her until my hairs crushed her hairs, and then I started to pleasure myself rocking gently fore and aft as walls of gossamer softness engulfed my most precious part.

"Were you not already ruined?" I asked, "The physician?"

"By his fingers only," she said, "So are you satisfied?" she asked, "Now you have truly defiled me?" she asked but I heard her only as an echo as I drifted my way to paradise among clouds of green marshmallow upon the wings of a pink swan.

"No!" she protested, "Stop you must not," she entreated me, "It is unreasonable," but now I was lost in her, my mouth sought her neck and I kissed and sucked at her, and then her arms were around me, "Just finish that my agony may end." she said, "John please withdraw I say!" she implored, but I was galloping now,

"John for pities sake, I am on fire," she said, "John I cannot stand the," she said, "Oh John!" she wailed and at once I was casting my seed within her, pumping and gushing, and grinding myself into her.

"You monster!" she railed, "You complete idiotic monster, you have defiled me utterly."

"Thank you," I said to her, "For that was paradise." I kissed her forehead and then I slid from her.

"Paradise!" she exclaimed, "For you maybe, for me it is sheer agony, agony I say and I am ruined utterly, utterly I say and that slime why I never wish to experience the same ever again."