Juicy Secrets Forbidden Tales of Lesbian Love

by JetBoy and BlueJean

A brief summary of what has transpired thus far. (To get a more detailed breakdown of the earlier chapters, please see Chapter Links for descriptions)

Orphaned at the age of eight, sixteen-year-old Doris Sloane has spent half her life in a Catholic orphanage, where she was trained to care for young children. Our story begins when she is taken into service at the home of Victoria Shaw, a widow with three daughters: Melinda (ten), Sophia (eleven) and Becky (fourteen). Doris is thoroughly satisfied with this new life, but her orderly world takes an odd turn one night when she is seduced by Mrs. Shaw. Surprising herself, Doris responds eagerly, fully returning the pleasure she has been given.

Next morning, Doris is taken aback when Mrs. Shaw’s behavior seems the same as any other day, with no acknowledgement of the coupling they’d indulged in just hours earlier. Her confusion soon turns to fear, and Doris begins to wonder if, having given in to Mrs. Shaw’s desires, she is about to be dismissed from her position. Thankfully, one morning after seeing the girls off to school, she is summoned by her mistress, and they make love again.

In the days that follow, Doris and Victoria couple frequently, and Doris becomes skilled in the art of lesbian lovemaking under the tutelage of her mistress. She is deliriously happy, but her joy is tainted by the fact that she is only engaged to serve in the Shaw household until Melinda, the youngest, turns twelve. To complicate things even further, Doris has fallen madly, passionately in love with Victoria, but lacks the courage to tell her so.

One of Doris’ duties as nanny is to give Melinda and Sophia a bath every other day. The girls often invite Doris to join them in the large Japanese-style tub, but she always refuses, believing it isn’t proper. When she mentions this to Mrs. Shaw after a bout of lovemaking, Victoria suggests that Doris do what her youngest daughters want: get naked and bathe with them. Furthermore, she encourages Doris to pay closer attention to the girls’ nudity, to notice how beautiful they are in the altogether.

Doris finds this a bit strange… but that evening, while giving Sophia and Melinda their bath, she takes the time to study them more closely, and is startled to find herself feeling somewhat aroused.  The girls notice her interest, and on subsequent evenings, eleven-year-old Sophia begins to tease Doris by flaunting her nakedness. This only fuels this budding desire Doris feels… and very soon, she is masturbating to lewd fantasies of Victoria’s daughters.

…And that’s where we left off. Do read on, friends.

I

One afternoon, Victoria was waiting for me when I returned from town to pick up some groceries. She was full of good cheer, her cheeks flushed a rosy red, eyes sparkling. I found myself wondering if she’d had a wee drop after breakfast. Taking both my hands, she exulted, ”Isn’t it a gorgeous day! Come, my dear… let’s relax in the garden.”

Whatever the cause, her sunny mood was positively contagious, and I was quick to agree. She added, “Oh, let’s have some of those delicious strawberries Mrs. Broomfield brought yesterday.”

“All right. Shall I fetch a blanket?” I asked.

“Already done,” Victoria replied. “I’ve yet to choose a wine, though. I’ll want something especially good today, I think.” After adorning my nose with a playful kiss, she briskly headed towards the cellar.

I made my way to the kitchen to assemble our afternoon repast, arranging slabs of crusty brown bread and a wedge of Stilton on a serving tray, then managing to find room for a bowlful of ripe red strawberries. I couldn’t resist helping myself to one.

I found Victoria beneath the oak tree, stretched out on the blanket, shoes and stockings set to one side, a bottle and two glasses at her elbow. Barely giving me a chance to set the tray down, she reached for my hand, all but dragging me into an impassioned embrace. Her lips met mine, and we settled in for a long, amorous kiss.

I was giddy with desire when we finally parted, and very eager to make love. I was sure my lady felt the same way. Instead, she handed me a glass, took up her own, then filled both. She clinked her glass against mine. “To happiness,” she said, and drank.

“Happiness,” I echoed, then took a sip of wine, its warmth flowing through me like liquid sunshine.

Victoria gently swirled the contents of her glass, considering the golden vintage with a faraway look. “My husband was a man of many faults, but his knowledge of wine was without peer. Of course, that’s what did for him in the end.” With a wry smile, she added, “‘Bacchus hath drowned more men than Neptune’, as the saying goes.” She glanced down at the loaded tray; gave an approving nod. “I have something important to discuss with you, my dear. But let’s eat first.” She sliced herself a piece of the Stilton, nibbling at it daintily while I nervously picked at a strawberry.

I was taken aback, you see; first, because Victoria had barely spoken to me of her late husband, especially any details concerning his demise. Of course I was curious, but knew far better than to pry. Secondly, the words ‘something important’ had an ominous and undeniable weight behind them. As ever, my instincts told me to worry, but I thrust those concerns away, refusing to let this lovely afternoon with my lady be spoiled by damnable fears. And our picnic spread did look awfully good.

It was a simple but wholly satisfying repast. We polished off the strawberries last, Victoria and I playfully feeding them to one another, our fingers and lips red with the sweet juice.

Taking the last piece of fruit between her teeth, Victoria brought her mouth to mine in a kiss, one that quickly grew in heat and passion. I blindly began to undo the top button of her dress, but she broke away with a shake of the head and a smile. “Not yet, dearest Doris… let’s have our little chat now.”

Suddenly unable to meet her gaze, I sat demurely with both hands knotted in my lap, struggling to maintain a veneer of calmness that I didn’t feel.

“Doris,” Victoria said, her fingers gently lifting my chin. I forced myself to look into the warmth of her eyes. “Here’s something you might find surprising: I was drawn to you from the moment we met. That day, at the orphanage, when you were brought to me… there was something about you, something that reminded me of…” She hesitated.

Recalling the drab, unkempt orphan I’d been in those days, Victoria’s revelation seemed more ridiculous than surprising. I had no idea how to respond, so simply let her continue.

My lady seemed to be studying Shadowglen with a pensive air, as if the old house were both sanctuary and prison. “I’ve always preferred women as my lovers, you know… even when I was your age. Once my husband was out of the picture, I finally had the means to claim the life I’d always wanted – with a woman for my partner.” She breathed out a sigh, absently trailing her fingers through her long, dark blonde hair. When she turned back to me, her smile was almost apologetic. “Easier said than done, I soon realised. When Miss Haggerty retired, and I found myself in need of a new nanny, I decided to hire a much younger replacement, one I might be able to persuade to… to explore pleasure with me. Does that make me seem devious, do you think? I suppose it must, but there’s more to it than that, if you’ll let me explain.”

My mind spun like a whirligig, and I found myself unable to speak, much less react. Had Victoria really selected me for a bedmate, as one might purchase a mare from an auction block? Should I have felt angry, betrayed? Or flattered that such a woman had seen some measure of worth in the frustrated child I’d once been? The child I’d once been – it felt like years since I’d stepped outside the walls of that dreary orphanage, when in truth barely four months had passed. And yet I had changed so much in that time. Truly, I had.

But why was Victoria telling me this now, and what was it leading to? I could see my future poised on a precipice, determined by whichever way the wind was fated to blow.

I felt her hand close around mine. “Don’t ever think I only took you on as a potential lover, Doris. I sincerely believed you were the best choice to look after my girls, and you’ve never given me cause to regret that decision.” She smiled, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “But still, it was hard not to see you as the desirable young woman you are.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, feeling a twinge of pride amidst the trepidation. Victoria’s praise never failed to warm my soul, and this time, it also eased the tension I felt. Whatever my lady had to impart, at least it didn’t appear to be bad news. But I couldn’t fully relax, not until I knew the meaning behind her words.

“I hoped from the start that you would be receptive to the idea of… sharing pleasure with me,” she continued. “But – oh, Doris, you were magnificent, a flower in its first blossom. I think now that you were born to love women… and it was my good fortune to be the first to kindle that love.”

By then, Victoria’s sweet words had me glowing inside. The urge to kiss her, to have her naked, to bury my mouth in her mons was all but irresistible.

But she had more to say. “When you and I became intimate…” She looked away from me, her cheeks betraying a hint of colour. “At first, I thought of what we had as… oh, I don’t know, a game of sorts. I wondered how far I could take things, you see. It was all so… flippant of me.” When she turned back to me, I was startled to see a measure of sorrow in her eyes. “I owe you an apology for that, Doris. You’re not a toy. It was selfish of me, using you for amusement. I should’ve considered your feelings.”

I was shaking my head before she’d even finished speaking. “No,” I protested. “You mustn’t think that. I wanted what you gave me, Victoria. Whatever happens now, I don’t regret a thing.” Not knowing what else to say, I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it.

“Bless you, my sweet,” she murmured, lightly stroking my cheek. “But my feelings for you changed as we grew closer. In time I saw beyond your face, your body. I saw how good and kind you are, dearest Doris. I saw your intelligence and your hunger for knowledge. Most importantly, I saw you through the eyes of my daughters. They would be devastated if you ever chose to leave us.” Her voice fell to a near-whisper. “And so would I.”

In a flash, my heart was racing. What was she saying?

“When you first came to us, we agreed you would live here and look after the girls until Melinda turned twelve,” Victoria continued. “But now, I’m afraid that simply won’t do.”

I felt like screaming; tearing my hair; throwing both arms around my mistress and clinging to her for dear life. I teetered on the cliff’s edge while Victoria stood poised behind me. She could pull me back, or she might push me into the yawning void. Either way, my fate was in her hands. I searched her face for some clue of what that fate might be.

“Doris,” she said, “I should very much like for you to stay here at Shadowglen with us, to make it your home from this day forward. If you want to, that is.”

It was my heart’s desire, the answer to my unvoiced prayers… and I found myself paralysed, unable to move or speak.

Now there was an unexpected tinge of shyness in Victoria’s manner, a side of her I’d not seen before. “We’re friends, you and I. Aren’t we?” she said, and I managed a nod. “Not just that; we are also… companions in pleasure, let’s call it. That was a fine arrangement, one that made me happy. Now, I want more.”

Again, I was at a loss for words. Her deep blue eyes held me fast, and I could no more look away than I could sprout wings and fly.

Victoria parted her lips, hesitated, then said, “I love you, Doris.”

My first reaction was disbelief. She didn’t say that. I misheard her. She meant something else.

“It took me far too long to understand what my heart was telling me,” Victoria continued. “Feelings can creep up on you like that sometimes, I think. So-called ‘love at first sight’ isn’t always what it seems, you know. It’s a mess of emotions. But friendship… friendship is a better foundation. And friendship can grow into something more. It has for me.”

She gave a nervous laugh, perhaps unsettled by my silence or her own candour. I wanted to speak, but my head was spinning like a crazy carousel. I stared beseechingly at my lady, willing her to see what I couldn’t say. Why wouldn’t the words come?

I was on the verge of stammering something, anything, when Victoria soldiered on, her gaze tinted with what could have been a hint of worry. “I hope you’ll choose to stay with us, Doris. And if you do, it will no longer be as a servant.” She punctuated this with a quick, emphatic shake of the head. “You’ll be part of this family. I see you as an older sister to the girls, helping them grow into strong, confident women. As for you and I… were it possible, and you were willing, I would take you for a wife without a moment’s hesitation. But society won’t permit it, so we must settle for being partners – and lovers.”

I wish I was able to tell you that I reached out to embrace Victoria, answered her vows of love with my own, pledged myself to her until the end of time. Instead, I burst into tears.

I was horribly embarrassed – and bloody furious with myself! At long last, I’d been given the opportunity to bare my soul to the one I adored above all others – indeed, more than my own life. And what was my response? To weep like an overwhelmed toddler. Fool! Wretched, sodding fool! How could she possibly love the likes of you? But berating myself only made me cry all the harder.

Thankfully, Victoria seemed to understand. She drew me into a gentle embrace, my head coming to rest upon her shoulder. I sobbed freely, wrapping both arms round my lady’s waist.

“It’s all right, my sweet,” she cooed, pressing a kiss into my hair.

I nestled into Victoria’s arms, allowing her strength to sustain me. When was the last time I’d been comforted like this? Not since Mamma was alive, I realised. Had I really come to believe I no longer needed such affection? That a shoulder to cry on was the exclusive province of children? Perhaps I wasn’t quite as grown up as I’d thought myself to be.

Finally, I was able to raise my face – though I wasn’t quite ready to meet Victoria’s gaze, certain that I looked a perfect fright. I mumbled, “I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean to do that.”

“There’s no need to apologise,” she softly assured me, a finger shepherding a stray lock of hair back behind my ear.

I drew a deep breath, let it out, then took another. It steadied me, gave me courage enough to look up into Victoria’s eyes.

The sight overwhelmed me. I saw the love she felt; let that love fill me, warm my soul.

At the same time, I spied a hint of fear, and that cut me to the quick. I’d unnerved her with my tears, my silence. If I could offer Victoria nothing in return, if all I could do was sit there like a dumb child, what use was I to her? She was so much better at articulating her feelings than I was, but perhaps I could muster up sufficient courage to match her honesty.

Almost before I knew I was speaking, the words were tumbling from my lips. “I love you, Victoria. I do, I love you, I adore you. M-more than anything! I’ve wanted to tell you, honestly, but I… I was afraid.”

My declaration pleased her, that much I could tell. Yet my words had aroused her curiosity, perhaps also her concern. Once again, she gathered me into her embrace. “Oh, my dear girl… why on earth were you frightened? Surely I never gave you cause for fear.”

Then it came spilling out of me, all the things I’d fretted about for so long. The dread I’d felt at the approaching day when Melinda turned twelve, and my services would no longer be needed at Shadowglen. My certainty that true love could never exist between a woman of means and a mere servant. The longing I felt to express my feelings, with no earthly idea how they would be received. What if I’d declared my love to Victoria, only to have her respond with anger? Even worse, what if she laughed at me?

On and on I went, describing the secret terrors I’d lived with for months in the midst of paradise. I came perilously close to tears again, more than once, but somehow managed to choke them back. Victoria spoke not a word throughout, allowing me to have my say.

Finally I fell silent, exhausted and emptied of words, my cheek resting against Victoria’s breast.

She cradled me as if comforting a child. “Doris… oh, Doris. If you had only come to me, told me of this… I could have set your mind at ease.” A moment’s silence, then I heard her sigh. “Too often, fear is the demon that snatches happiness from our very grasp, then laughs at the tears we shed. I know this all too well.

“The fault is more mine than yours. I ought to have noticed what you were going through. Too busy wallowing in pleasures of the flesh, I’m afraid.” Victoria touched her lips to my brow. “Forgive me for my selfishness.”

I drew away enough to meet her eyes. “No,” I insisted, shaking my head. “There’s nothing to forgive. If you didn’t notice my foolishness, it’s only because I worked so hard to keep it hidden. I should have trusted you to understand. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

“Enough of this,” Victoria declared with a radiant smile, once more her familiar, confident self. “Let’s not waste a moment more on these… these agonisings over what we might or might not have done. It’s all in the past, and there it shall stay!” Seizing my hand, she continued, “Only one thing matters now, Doris. I have declared myself for you, and you for me. Now, I ask once more: will you stay with us at Shadowglen? Will you be my lover?”

I felt that storm of emotion rise up inside me again, threatening to spill over. But this time, I would shed no tears. Gazing into her piercing blue eyes, I channelled all my sentiment into words I could only hope were worthy. “Yes, my lady… yes. I’m yours, forever and always.” I drew nearer. “Please. Kiss me, Victoria.” Closing my eyes, I awaited the caress of her mouth.

When her lips touched mine, a hard jolt of lust shook me without warning. I was on fire, ravenous for love and hungry to fuck.

Victoria was gentle; my response anything but. I thrust my tongue into her mouth, fondling her breasts with one hand while reaching round to grope her arse with the other.

Humming approvingly into our kiss, Victoria was quick to match my passion. We tumbled back onto the blanket, grinding our bodies together.

As I sucked on my lover’s tongue, I felt her hand work its way beneath the dress I wore. She paused at my knickers, teasing the sodden crotch before burrowing inside. She abruptly broke away, withdrawing her hand to show me glistening fingers. “Such a wanton girl,” she breathed, pausing to breathe in my scent. “Mmm, yes. You’re hungry for it, aren’t you?”

“Yes!” I cried. “Do what you want to me, my love. Anything! I’m yours to use as you like.”

When Victoria and I coupled, we usually enjoyed a real sense of give and take, of pleasure shared between partners. When we’re together like this, we are equals, she’d told me, but I didn’t always want that. There were times when I needed my mistress to ride roughshod over me, to take me hard and fast, even if it hurt. Perhaps even because it hurt. At that tender age, though unfamiliar with the twinned concepts of dominance and submission, I still intuitively knew what I needed from Victoria when the craving found me.

Now we were full-fledged lovers, and in celebration, I wanted to make Victoria a gift, to bestow upon her the only thing of any value I possessed: myself.

Victoria understood my need without being told. She knew when the fruit was ripe for plucking. Sometimes when we fucked in this heated, animal fashion, my lady would give me a sharp crack on the bum with the flat of her hand, or twist my nipple between finger and thumb. Once she bit my neck – but that was foolhardy, leaving a mark I had to conceal for a week. At the time, though, it was enough to make me come on the spot.

She would also command me to service her, and I was always quick to comply. She might demand that I lick her arsehole, or suck her toes, or simply lie before her, holding my cunt open while she frigged herself to the lewd spectacle of a young girl, exposed and vulnerable. Whatever her need, I fulfilled it, happy to be of use to the lady I loved. And afterwards, when the fever had passed, all was tenderness between us once more.

Now, lying in the shade of the old oak, Victoria delved back into my knickers, plunging two fingers into me with a single urgent thrust. I cried out in rapture, clutching handfuls of the blanket while I watched the fat, fleecy clouds drifting overhead – a stark contrast to the dark thunderheads that crashed and roared inside me.

Before I realised it, Victoria withdrew as abruptly as she’d entered, leaving me shivering and panting for breath, the need for release so acute that I ached inside. Gazing down from where she knelt above me, she said, “My beautiful lover… I want you naked. Take your clothes off for me, Doris.”

Dazed, I struggled to my feet, taking a steadying breath before reaching for the top button of my dress. I unfastened the top three, then shrugged the garment from my shoulders, letting it fall to the blanket, leaving me naked but for a pair of very damp knickers.

Turning away from Victoria, I grasped the waistband and slowly worked them down, baring my bum for her an inch at a time. I bent low, sliding the wet undies to my ankles, a breeze caressing the exposed flesh of my cunt and anus. Acting on a wicked impulse, I spread my arse cheeks open for her, presenting myself like a bitch in heat.

“So lovely,” Victoria whispered.

I felt her finger trace my hot, juicy slit, fanning the flame of my lust into a roaring blaze. Quickly straightening, I turned to face my lady, roughly drawing her into a torrid kiss that said everything I couldn’t express with mere words.

Breaking away, I reached for the top button of her own dress, but she shook her head. “No, Doris. I want to bare myself for you.” Pointing at the blanket, she commanded, “Sit. Watch.”

Still lightheaded with longing, I meekly obeyed, oddly at ease with my nudity in this most exposed of places.

My mistress stood before me as if presenting herself – lovely, regal; utterly magnificent. Reaching for the same button I’d attempted to undo, she slipped it deftly through its eye, then moved on to the next, and the next.

I loved to watch Victoria remove her clothes. Even when hurriedly stripping off in the heat of passion, her body displayed a choreography of elegance and fluidity that mesmerised me. Now she took her time. That familiar fire was in her eyes, hips swaying from side to side as she worked the dress down inch by inch to reveal her breasts. It never failed to excite me, knowing Victoria had gone without underthings to heighten my pleasure. The dress continued its downward journey, exposing the soft tangle of her bush. I longed to feel it tickling my lips while I drank from the moist, fleshy chalice of her cunt.

She finally stepped out, completely nude, and stood with legs slightly apart, reaching up to cup her breasts as if suddenly feeling a pang of modesty. It was an act, of course, intended to spur my lust… but how could I fail to respond to such a magnificent performance?

I felt an urge to prostrate myself on the blanket before my lady, to worship her like the goddess she was. Instead, I knelt before her, wrapped both arms round my lover’s waist and nuzzled the softness of her belly.

“Yes… love me, Doris,” she breathed, resting her hands upon my head. Parting my lips, I adorned Victoria’s sweet skin with languid, open-mouthed kisses. But the rich scent of her womanhood reminded me of what she needed most of all right then… and what I was eager to give.

Down I went, finding my way into her dark curls, pausing to let the aroma fill my nose while I sought out the rosy flesh that Victoria’s pubes partially concealed, then extended my tongue to taste.

As a whimper escaped Victoria’s lips, I felt a tiny shiver flicker through her body. She tightened her fingers, tangling them in my hair as I licked deeper, burrowing into her until the lower half of my face was pressed into her sex. Her juices flowed, and I drank them down like the noblest of vintages.

Turning my attention to the exposed sliver of her clit, I lavished it freely, teasing the inflamed nubbin with swipes of the tongue, then taking it between my lips to nurse like a tiny nipple.

“Yes!” Victoria hissed.

My breasts touched her trembling thighs as I reached round to cup her buttocks with both hands. Acting on a wicked impulse, I allowed my index finger to steal between those alabaster globes, wriggling into the toast-warm cleft of Victoria’s anus. She clenched for an instant, then relaxed, allowing me to probe the hot, moist hole.

“Oh, yes, Doris,” she moaned. “Yes!”

She came in my face, her juices trickling down my mouth and chin, a lewd baptism that ushered in my new life. Now we were both goddesses, revelling in ecstasy given and received. And who could say which was best?

I continued to feast on Victoria’s cunt, making her spend at least once more before she clumsily nudged me away, staggering back a step before going down on her knees.

Panting for breath, Victoria laughed heartily, fixing me with a penetrating gaze. “Dearest Doris…” she began, “I do believe you’ve ravished me to within an inch of my life.” Still on all fours, she crawled across the blanket, stalking me like a ravenous beast. “Now, it’s your turn.”

Before I knew it, she had me on my back, the weight of her body pressing into mine. Her eyes shone so brightly with animal desire that it seemed I might lose myself in them. Then, dear reader, my lady took me.

After all these years, my memories of making love with Victoria remain surprisingly crisp and lucid. All I need do is close my eyes, and once more I become that timid servant girl, undressed and fondled to ecstasy by her mistress. But on that particular day, when she offered me her heart, her soul, her love… the memory remains with me, but seems almost unreal, as if snatched from a dream. At the same time, it was unimaginably intense.

Imagine being caught up in a violent storm, one that shakes you to the fundament and pulls your body hither and yon in every direction, leaving you drained and battered. Yet at the same time, I was utterly blissful, at peace like never before.

I was spread out on the blanket, which by then was extremely damp. Every inch of me was bathed in sweat, my vagina and anus tender, nipples throbbing, jaw aching from kisses.

I felt empty inside, but it was a satisfying, blissful emptiness – the kind, I am convinced, that would-be mystics travel the world over to seek out. After the war, while travelling across India, I read much about Buddhism and the concept of Nirvana. It struck me then, as it has since, that I had already known that state of being, had reached those zen-like heights of tranquillity in the arms of my lover and mentor.

Victoria’s lips brushed my cheek, and I returned to the world, my eyes fluttering open. She was kneeling at my side, still gloriously nude, smiling down at me like a benevolent deity. “You mustn’t fall asleep, my love,” she said. “The girls will be home soon.”

I somehow managed to rouse myself, startled to find it so late in the day. Sure enough, a glance at the sun told me our mid-morning picnic had lasted nearly four hours.

But before I could rise and gather my clothes, my lady took me into her arms once more. With a tiny cry, I hugged her tightly, stammering vows of devotion. “I… I adore you, Victoria. Thank you – oh, thank you for loving me. I swear b-by everything holy that I will make you happy. I’ll make you happy.”

I felt her kiss my neck… then her lips were grazing my ear. “Dear Doris,” she whispered, “You already have.”

 

II

A short while later, the girls returned from school, Mrs. Broomfield making her appearance soon after that. Upon the old cook’s arrival, Sophia decided she was going to help prepare dinner, allowing me a temporary reprieve. I was grateful – Victoria’s gift of a permanent home and her unconditional love had left me giddy with happiness and relief, and I don’t think the kitchen could have contained me for long.

While Becky went up to her room, and Victoria soaked in the bath, Melinda seized my arm and all but dragged me into the sitting room. “Come and see the dance I learnt today, Doris!” she trilled. “It’s called the foxtrot.”

She put one of Victoria’s records on the turntable, then took my hands in hers as the music crackled out of the speakers.

“Oh, no, Melinda. I’ve got two left feet,” I protested.

“I can’t dance on my own!” Melinda insisted, leading me around the room, her weaves and feather steps leaving me breathless and rather flummoxed.

I soon began to loosen up, though, and found the impromptu dance an excellent way to revel in my buoyant mood. Melinda and I laughed breathlessly as we waltzed around the room, my ten-year-old partner shouting instructions as we went.

Finally, with a gleeful whoop, she leapt onto me, wrapping her legs around my waist. My hands inadvertently slipped beneath her school skirt and grasped the cheeks of the girl’s bottom to support her weight. The only thing separating my fingers from Melinda’s bare bum was the soft cotton of her knickers.

Suddenly I was acutely aware of the child’s sweet scent; the warmth between her legs. God, what was I doing? Mere hours ago, Victoria had expressed her unwavering love for me; now I was having improper thoughts about her youngest daughter.

I needed to let this go, this unhealthy obsession with my lover’s children that had been the subject of so many masturbatory fantasies of late. It was getting out of hand.

Melinda wrapped both arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. I found myself returning the gesture, peppering several playful kisses upon her brow. I had to fight a powerful urge to squeeze her warm, firm little buttocks. They were a perfect fit for my hands.

“We’re not exactly Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, are we?” I said.

Melinda smiled sweetly at me. “No, but I still like dancing with you, Doris.”

 

III

That night, I crept to Victoria’s bed after the girls had turned in. Letting my nightgown slip to the floor, I stood naked before my lover in the light of a lamp, then slipped beneath the sheets to join her.

True, the lovemaking we’d enjoyed beneath the old oak tree had satisfied the needs of our bodies, but my soul hungered for Victoria’s kisses, her whispered words of adoration, the warmth of her bare skin against my own. Of course, I also wished to share these things with her.

We lay entwined for a long while, exchanging languid caresses, at peace with the world. Out of the blue, a question occurred to me. Perhaps, I told myself, it would be best to ask her tomorrow. But I decided it couldn’t wait.

“Victoria… what about the girls? Are we to tell them of – of how things have changed between us?”

Her expression was unreadable, but her tone was soothing. “Not just yet, my love. But we will, I promise.”

I have to admit this response left me slightly disappointed, even if I wasn’t exactly certain as to why. “All right,” I murmured.

Victoria must have sensed my uncertainty. “Trust me, Doris. Something important like this is best handled carefully,” she told me, then in a more subdued tone: “I’m afraid I had to learn that lesson the hard way.” She fell silent for a moment, as if lost in a memory, then shook herself from this brief reverie. Turning back to me with a warm smile, she said, “In good time, my children will know that you and I are lovers. We’ll be able to hold hands, to kiss and embrace in their presence.”

Feeling somewhat reassured, I gave a blissful sigh, already picturing what that would be like. Much as I had thrilled to the excitement of our hidden love affair, the sheer effort involved in keeping it hidden was considerable, particularly in a home with three intensely curious girls.

“And of course, you’ll have no need of a salary anymore,” Victoria said matter-of-factly.

I gawped at her. “N-no salary? What do you mean?”

“You’ll have my money, silly.”

I nibbled anxiously at my lower lip. The last thing I wanted was to seem ungrateful for my lady’s generosity, but it struck me that relying on Victoria’s charity was as tenuous as relying on the help of the state… or the church. I loved Victoria. I trusted her. But I also needed something that was mine, something that I alone had laboured for and earnt fairly. After all, what is love without a little labour?

“That’s very kind of you,” I told Victoria as tactfully as I was able. “But I… I’d prefer to carry on earning my own money, if it’s all the same to you. I’d like to have at least some independence.” I gave her a sheepish look. “I hope that doesn’t make me sound stubborn… or ungrateful.”

Victoria leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. “Ungrateful? No. Stubborn? Absolutely! But I want my lover to have a little sass. Just a little, mind! We don’t want you getting ideas above your station, do we?”

I swatted playfully at her arm, relieved I hadn’t given offence.

“You’re right, of course. We’ll continue paying you a wage, but at some point I’d like to reduce your workload. I never intended for you to be burdened with all the upkeep of the house, as well as seeing to the girls. We must find a more long term solution. How does that sound?”

“Perfect,” I replied.

I surprised myself by breaking into a long, luxurious yawn. My mind was still whirling with the events of the day… but at that late hour, the immensity of it all had my eyes feeling heavy. Anyway, I was in no mood to return to my own bed.

“I love you, Doris,” I heard my lady whisper.

“And I love you, Victoria,” I mumbled, kissing her bare shoulder.

She switched off the lamp, and I allowed the night to take me.

On to Chapter Six!