Over Exposure
30
Plympford
“Lady Jane, Countess of Plympford” by Kiselev Andrey Valerevich, ID1104737234, licensed from Shutterstock.com.
“I’VE TAKEN PICTURES all around London, but I’ve never made love by the Serpentine,” Jane laughed when we’d dropped Lettie off to join her friends. She had the cab go on to the Tower of London.
“And where would you like to make love, my lady?”
“In your bed. But not until later when we’re sure everyone else has disappeared for the night. That means you’ll need to take my pictures at the Tower of London and seduce me first. Then we’ll have the train to Oxford and another cab ride there.”
“Is dinner included anywhere along the line?”
“There are restaurants all around St. Katherine Docks, next to the Tower.”
It was too late to actually tour the Tower proper but we could still get into the grounds. Jane led me to a grassy lawn and immediately set up the cameras so Tower Bridge was visible to me. I positioned a reflector so I would capture some of the lighting of the tower and reflect it to where Jane said she would pose. Then we got in position.
“Now just wait quietly. If you must take a picture right away, use the Hasselblad or the Nikon. You’ll want to save the Linhof for just the right moment.”
The right moment was not long coming. Jane had some bits of dried fruit and nuts that she tossed just in front of her. In a minute, ravens had begun to converge on her. One hopped onto her shoulder and she gave it a tidbit from her fingers. Then she began to open her blouse.
I’d be willing to look at Jane’s boobs anytime. To have them in my hands is even better. But by the time she had her blouse fully open so she was exposed, there was another raven on her lap, its head directly between her breasts as she fed it. It was the right moment. I switched to the Linhof and adjusted my settings for a longer exposure time in the low light.
I took the first shot and flipped the carrier for another. The sound of the shutter drew the attention of all the birds and they all looked my way. I took the second shot with Jane and the ravens all fixed on the camera. She looked like a spectral mistress of the birds amidst a conspiracy of ravens.
As soon as the shot was done, she tossed the remainder of her treats a few feet away and they all flocked over to it. All except the one bird which had perched on her shoulder. It stayed there until she was fully buttoned and stood up. As she approached me, the raven observed me with a piercing look and then took off with a caw.
There was a nice grill that overlooked the St. Katherine Docks. It looked like everything berthed there was covered with canvas. I guess January isn’t much of a boating season. The restaurant had mostly typical pub food, but also had steaks, which I availed myself of. Jane laughed at my American tastes and had a roasted salmon salad. The food was pretty fine.
The meal was actually rather romantic. After her posing session, Jane had become far more familiar. We held hands on the walk over to the restaurant and even had a little kiss under the bridge. Then we sat next to each other where we could look out the window, rather than across the table from each other. Our meal was punctuated by little touches and caresses. We both had a glass of wine and I was feeling pretty cozy by the time we finished the meal.
Of course, then we had to catch a cab to Paddington Station and then the hour-long train ride back to Oxford. We didn’t get back to our hotel until nearly midnight. Everything was quiet and Jane simply came straight to my room with me.
It had been a year since I was last with Lady Jane and I didn’t expect to fall together quite so readily and smoothly as we did. Working together all day, though, had given us ample opportunity to rebuild a relationship of sorts. We both used the bathroom and she borrowed my toothbrush. Then we were in bed and before long, my covered cock was in her very excited pussy.
“I really didn’t expect I’d be your lover on this trip,” I whispered as we moved together.
“I’ve not had a lover all year. With Father’s passing, the eyes of the nobility have been on me. And they’re a gossipy bunch. If I’d taken one of them as a lover, it would be assumed we were about to be married. If I’d taken a commoner, word would be out that I’m off the market for any legitimate match. I’ve been looking forward to this tête-à-tête for weeks.”
“I’m happy we’re together,” I said. “Will you be hunting for a husband after I’m gone?”
“Ah, the hunt is out of my hands. I am hopeful that I will at least like the bloke and that he isn’t too possessive. But who knows whether I’ll ever have a cock in my pussy again after they choose a groom?”
“You’ll just accept whoever is chosen for you?” I asked.
“Oh, I’ll have some say. But the candidates will be chosen and reviewed by the queen. By my twenty-third birthday, in July, I will need to make a decision. Of course, I could choose to simply ignore all of them and marry to my heart’s desire, but I’m actually a proper English lady when it comes down to it. I’ll keep my heart’s desire in another country and snatch moments with him when I can.”
She kissed me thoroughly and we built to our climaxes.
Her heart’s desire?
Everyone was appreciative of my portraits of Lettie. Jane and I had spent most of Sunday in the darkroom—after we’d finally come out of my room.
We’d been too late for breakfast at the hotel and stopped at a place that called itself a boulangerie. I guess that’s French for bakery. Regardless, we were able to sit in the shop with coffee and croissants filled with about anything we wanted. Mine had a thin-sliced ham and cheese. I filed the location away in my mind to return to for some of the sweet rolls I saw there.
I didn’t show the class my portraits of Jane. We processed and printed them, but decided to keep those private and to leave them at Plympford when we got there the next weekend.
The group was more cohesive this week and Jane and I did not have a chance to get together. Tuesday morning, we were loaded onto a bus with half a dozen models and were taken nearly an hour northwest into the country to a stone circle. We were all dressed warmly.
On the bus, Jane pushed me into a seat next to one of the models.
“You two get to know each other. Nate, I recruited Audrey specifically to be your model for today. Audrey, this is Nate, the photographer I promised you.”
Jane sat in the next seat next to Helen. The assistants were all sitting together so the photographers could get to know their models on the trip.
“It’s nice to meet you, Audrey,” I said, holding out my hand. She took it in a mittened hand.
“The pleasure is mine,” she said. “Ever since I saw Jane’s photos from Australia, I’ve wanted photos taken by that photographer. And if she thinks a little snow and cold will keep me from getting naked with you, she is mistaken.”
“Well, that’s to the point. Tell me a little about what you want from today.”
“I want a photograph that shows primitive sexuality in a wild woman,” she said. “When I marry, as I no doubt will one day, I want my husband to know the beast he will need to tame.”
“I love it when a model comes with ideas. That brings all kinds of inspiration to me.”
“I hope having me romp naked in the snow among the stones is part of your inspiration.”
“I just hope you are not frozen by the time we finish.”
“I’m sure that when we get back in the bus, you’ll be able to thaw me out.”
“How do you feel about adding a little makeup?”
“What do you mean? I’m wearing makeup. Isn’t it enough?”
“I was thinking of adding some blue highlights in various places to give you a more druidic effect. A little blue paint around your eyes, for example.”
“Where are we going to get that?”
Jane handed me my makeup kit from the bottom of the tripod bag. She’d apparently been listening to my conversation with Audrey. I opened the kit and pulled out my pot of blue eye shadow. It wouldn’t be quite the same as blue paint, but would be adequate. I wasn’t shooting color except in the production shots Jane would take on the Nikon.
“You do come prepared, don’t you?” Audrey said. She slipped out of her coat and I saw she was dressed in a transparent blouse and a miniskirt. Unfortunately, she was wearing a bra.
“Call me a dirty old man, if you want, but we need to get you out of that bra right away. It’s creasing your skin and the marks won’t fade rapidly in this cold weather. You’ll look like you just took off your bra.”
“Oh, shit. I didn’t think of that. I was just using it as a layer of warmth under this thin blouse.”
She unbuttoned her blouse and took it off, then removed the bra. This wild woman’s breasts were certainly not going to be flopping as she danced naked among the stones. They were high and firm and her nipples were already sticking out stiffly. I heard the Nikon shutter click and Audrey stuck her tongue out at Jane. Jane clicked again. I pulled her coat up around Audrey’s shoulders, leaving her chest bare for my appreciation.
“This is lovely,” I said, dragging my hands down from her shoulders and over her breasts. I started to massage the marks, hoping they would be subdued by the time we started taking pictures.
“Your hands are lovely. Is Jane going to apply the makeup?”
“No. Sadly, I’ll have to change my attention from your beautiful breasts to your beautiful eyes.”
“I started out already seduced by your pictures of Jane. You don’t need to work too hard to get me out of the rest of my clothes,” Audrey sighed. “Oh! The same will go for my waistband, won’t it?” She quickly removed her skirt, showing she wasn’t wearing bloomers. “I was hoping to let you discover this on your own,” she added.
This was a full brown bush between her legs. I wholly approved. I suppose she would have looked wilder with hair under her arms and on her legs, but I’d noticed that guys in general are turned off by most body hair, except pubic hair. There was even a joke I’d heard one of the photographers telling at dinner about the way to tell the bride at a French wedding was that she was the one with braided armpits.
I set to work deepening the paint around Audrey’s eyes and extending it in streaks on her forehead and across her cheeks. I removed her stocking cap and fluffed her hair out so it looked wild and full.
“Do you want to just play with me all day instead of bothering with photos? You can fluff my hair and paint my face, and rub my boobs, and I’m sure something would develop,” she said.
“No doubt,” I said. “It just wouldn’t be the photographs that you so dearly want.”
“Well, at least we have another warm bus ride after this one. You’ll need to rub my whole body to get me warm again.”
“I’m looking forward to that.”
When we got to the stone circle, I made sure Audrey’s coat was pulled all the way around her and left her in the seat until we were fully set up outside. One of the tricks for this shoot would be having film that was at an optimum temperature in the cold weather. Jane and I immediately loaded our pockets with film and I tucked three loaded film carriers into my inside pocket and zipped my coat. I was thankful that I’d brought my parka from Illinois, even though it looked silly when I wore it with my gray suit. Fortunately, this wasn’t a day for looking formal, so I was in wool slacks and a Columbia College sweatshirt beneath my parka.
“Hey, Nate, where’s your model?” Skylar shouted to me as we scouted the location.
“In the bus staying warm until we need her,” I said.
“Oh, schijten! Gabrielle, go back to the bus until we get things set up and are ready for you. Don’t get cold out here. Dee will get you when we’re ready.”
Skylar’s model took off for the bus and four other models followed quickly. No one else had thought to keep their models warm. Well, maybe none of their models were naked. We divvied up the circle in six portions and agreed to work within our bounds. Sir Andrew, after minimal instructions, just stood in the middle of the circle and watched us make our preparations.
“I’m not wild about having Audrey perform where all the others will see her,” I said to Jane.
“What do you propose to do about it?” she asked.
“Let’s look at the other side of the stones.”
We walked outside the circle and looked back. If I set up to shoot toward the circle, I would catch basically all five of the other photographers with their models and assistants. But if I shot at a tangent across the outside of the circle, the stones basically closed off anything else. They were on one side of us with a bunch of trees on the other side.
“This is it,” I said. “I like the light here better, too. With such an overcast and threatening sky, shooting out of the circle would have given us a gray ceiling. This way it’s limited.” A snowflake fell. “We’d better get set and get Audrey out here before it really starts to snow.”
“Remember, your first responsibility is to take care of your model. I’ll take care of the cameras.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
We got set up and I framed the shots using Jane as a stand-in. We threw a cloth over each of the two cameras to make sure they didn’t get snow on them and I ran to the bus to collect my model. All the others were starting on poses, rushing a little to stay ahead of the weather.
“Are you ready, Audrey?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said. “I just need to take my shoes off once we get there and drop my coat.”
“Take your shoes off here,” I said. “I’ll carry you to the location.”
“Oh, how gallant of you,” she giggled as she sat back down to unlace her shoes. It would have taken way too much time once we were outside. “I’m going to freeze my toes, aren’t I? Oh, well. Anything for art.”
I caught her in my arms at the door of the bus and carried her to our site. There were still a few flakes of snow in the air. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if it really started snowing. I could hear others around the circle complaining as I crossed behind them.
Once we were behind our rocks, I moved to where we’d determined the first photo would be. Audrey was cuddled as tightly to me as she could get.
“Jane, if you’d hold her coat, we’ll get started and work as quickly as possible.” Jane moved beside us and took hold of Audrey’s coat. “If it’s too uncomfortable, say so and we’ll quit wherever we are,” I told Audrey.
“Let’s do it,” she answered.
Jane removed her coat and I set Audrey down.
“Jesus H. Churchill!” she exclaimed. “Wow!”
“Okay?” I asked.
“Let’s not just stand around chatting,” she said.
“Okay. I want you looking a bit fierce with that cold bluster. Here. Turn slightly to your left. Bring your right foot up to your knee. Perfect.”
I ran to the Hasselblad and got our first photo. After I’d posed her twice more, she waved me off.
“I understand what you want, now,” she said. “Just tell me when to move to the next pose.”
“Great. A little more to your left so I get a good look at that stellar butt,” I said.
Her poses became more natural and more dance-like as we moved from one to another. Twice I switched to the Linhof to get a pair of pictures. There were more snowflakes in the air. I was about to call it quits when they really started flying.
“It’s snowing!” Audrey yelled delightedly. She began to run in circles with her arms outstretched, catching snowflakes on her tongue.
“There!” I called. She froze with her tongue stuck out while I slid the last carrier into the Linhof. I got it. “Move!” I called and she spun in a circle. “There!” I called again. She froze and I took the last shot on the camera. “Coat!” I called to Jane.
She tossed me Audrey’s coat and began expertly packing the cameras and tripods as I rushed to our model and wrapped her in her coat. I picked her up and rushed as well as I could in the snowstorm to the bus. The driver fortunately, had kept the bus running and warm while we were shooting. Nearly everyone else was aboard. Dee tossed me a blanket she’d had wrapped around herself outside. The Miami girl was no more comfortable in the cold than her South African photographer. I wrapped Audrey up and gave her a quick kiss.
“I need to help Jane get the equipment back,” I said. “Stay bundled up and I’ll be right back.”
“Yes,” she said through chattering teeth.
I rushed back to the circle, where Jane was getting the cases on our trolley.
“We’ll never get the trolley through the snow,” I said. “Grab the handle. I’ll carry this end.”
We carried the kit back to the bus and got it stowed as the bus began to move. The driver didn’t want to be caught out here in the storm any more than we did. I handed the exposed film carriers from my shirt to Jane and she took care of stowing them. Then I slid into the seat next to a shivering Audrey.
“We need to get you dressed,” I said. She shook her head.
“Body heat. I need your body.” She straddled my legs and opened her coat. I got the message quickly and slipped out of my parka and pulled my sweatshirt and T-shirt off. She smashed her body against mine. Jane sat in the seat next to us and wrapped the blanket around us, hugging us as our body temperatures began to rise.
“You set this all up so you could get naked with Nate,” Jane giggled.
“No. That’s a side benefit. I’d try to maneuver his prick into my cunt if I didn’t have icicles in my pubes,” Audrey said. “This does feel good, though.”
“Maybe you’ll have better luck later,” Jane laughed.
It was hard to have a naked model pressed up against me without letting my hands explore her body more thoroughly as our lips connected. It was only half an hour or so when the bus rolled to a stop and people began to get off.
“We can’t be back already, can we?” I said with a mouthful of nipple. It was warm now, but still very erect and stiff.
“We’ve stopped in Woodstock for tea,” Jane said. “You were too busy to hear what the driver announced.”
“That means we need to get our dear model into her clothes.”
“Mmm. Can we undress again later? I’m really not ready yet.”
“We’ll see,” I said noncommittally.
Before too long, we managed to get Audrey back into her clothes and joined our compatriots in the little restaurant.
When we got back to Oxford, I went straight to the darkroom, followed by Jane.
“Give your key to Audrey,” Jane instructed. “She’ll meet us back at the hotel.”
“You mean she isn’t going home?”
“She lives in Plympford. She’ll go back with us Friday.”
“So, you’ve known her for some time?” I suggested when we’d closed the door to the darkroom and Audrey had taken my key to go wait in my room for us.
“We’re childhood playmates and classmates. She was a godsend after Father’s accident. I have a lot of photos of her. I thought you should have a few, too,” Jane giggled.
“I’ve no objections,” I said. “Um… is she staying with you this week? Why did I give her my room key instead of yours?”
“Oh, your room, as small as it is, is more comfortable than mine. Don’t worry, we’ll let you get some sleep tonight. I’ve asked the hotel to switch us to a larger room, but they’re full up at the moment. Then, of course, we’ll be headed to Plympford Friday for our weekend of cultural awareness.”
Jane took care of agitating the 120 film while I carefully dipped and sloshed the 4x5 sheets. Occasionally, we paused what we were doing to have a few kisses. Once all the film was processed and rinsed, I printed contact sheets so we could examine what we’d managed. The photo of Audrey dancing in the snowstorm with the great stones beside her was just what I hoped for.
I did a test strip. Jane and I discussed the settings and what we might use to get the best results with the huge snowflakes dancing around our model. I eventually pulled a 12x16 print and we were happy. I pulled two more for our model and my own collection.
We picked up Audrey at my room and headed for an Italian restaurant about a mile from our hotel. Oxford had gotten a little snow during the day, but nothing like what we’d encountered fifty miles northwest. When Audrey saw her portrait, she smashed her lips into mine and reamed my mouth with her tongue.
“I’m all warm now and things like this really make me hot,” she said.
“You must get hot with Jane all the time,” I joked.
“Not all the time,” Audrey replied with her eyebrows raised high.
We enjoyed the meal and headed back to the hotel. I was surprised when Jane left my room after giving both Audrey and me a kiss.
“Too many people about for me to be seen staying over tonight,” she explained. “Don’t worry. We’ll all have the weekend together.”
“Audrey, you don’t need to feel pressured into doing anything sexual with me tonight. Really, I enjoy your company and we can just sit and talk a while if you want.”
“Really, Nate?” she asked, stripping off her shirt to display the breasts I’d suckled in the bus this afternoon. “I know you enjoyed this today. I did, too. And I haven’t had a boyfriend in quite some time—certainly no one I wanted to sleep with.” She continued undressing, dropping her skirt and panties. “Wouldn’t you like to play with my jubblies some more? I liked you sucking on them like a little babe. You could put more than your fingers in my muff. Aren’t you going to undress with me? I don’t mind posing for you, but I’d love to see what you’ve got, too.”
“Audrey, you know that I’ve got three girlfriends?” I asked. “And a mistress.”
“And Lady Jane and that bit down under. Jane says that’s what makes you safe for girls like us. We don’t want a boy to get attached right now,” Audrey said. I started getting undressed.
“Are you of nobility, as well?”
“Oh, no. I’m as common as dirt. But very well-educated dirt. Basically, I had all the same things Jane did because she wanted me around. You know, women of rank don’t end up with many friends. Jane latched onto me in nursery school and we’ve been inseparable since. Only I didn’t want to pursue a career in photography, so my degree is in social studies and anthropology.”
“You want me just because Jane has had me?” I asked, pausing in getting my trousers off.
“Oh, no! I want you because you took care of me today. You carried me to the photo site and gave me makeup to enhance my vision. You bundled me back to the warmth of the bus while you and Jane struggled to get the equipment packed and aboard. Then you warmed my body with your own and if I could have got your bell-end out of your drawers on the bus, I’d have been stuffed ten hours ago,” she said.
“Well, let’s see how things go in bed then,” I said, welcoming her into my arms.
Things went very well, indeed. Audrey was passionate, but not raving. She was a gentle lover for having talked such a big game. We slowed things down once we were in bed together and really explored each other before we finally coupled and I filled a condom in her pussy as she gasped out her climax. Then we cuddled for the rest of the night.
We had good sessions the next two days, including showing and critiquing our work. We got to exchange models on each of the next two days and it was fun to work with some of the others. It was also fun to have Audrey continue to warm my bed at night. Thursday night, Jane slipped in with us. I wouldn’t say Jane and Audrey were as comfortable with each other as my girlfriends were, but they weren’t shy, either.
Friday, we were told to go absorb some culture in a new setting, to take pictures, and to be back for our final sessions on Tuesday. Each of the photographers were to be accompanied by their assistants. Some were checking out of the hotel and some were simply exploring from it. Several were going together and to visit some of the places I’d been on my first field trip with Jane. I was a little disappointed that my trip to London hadn’t included the Victoria and Albert Museum, which I heard was second only to the British Museum.
We, however, were headed the opposite direction. When I found out Stratford-upon-Avon was on our route north, I begged Jane for a chance to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace. She and Audrey quickly agreed and we got off the train with all our baggage. This time, I had to cart my own trolley as Jane and Audrey had bags of their own.
We saw the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, but were way too early in the day to see a show. Audrey suggested we visit the grave at Holy Trinity Church and that was pretty cool. I bought a rubbing from Shakespeare’s grave and took a few pictures. The inscription on his tomb read,
“Good frend for Jesus sake forbeare,
To digg the dust encloased heare.
Blesse be ye man yt spares thes stones,
And curst be he yt moves my bones.”
Cool.
We stopped for lunch at The Old Thatch Tavern near Shakespeare’s birthplace, stacked our bags in a corner, and found a chair. I looked around the tavern, rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a man murdered there in 1795, and was amused at the various plaques and mementoes around. Then I stood up suddenly, startling Audrey and Jane.
“You’ve got to be kidding!” I said, loudly enough that others in the tavern turned to look at me. There was a squeal from a table across the room and a blonde bombshell rushed to my arms and exploded with a kiss.
“Are you opening a studio in this Stratford as well?” Damien asked as he dislodged Kathleen from my arms enough to shake my hand.
“I never imagined I would run into anyone else I know on this little trip. It’s great to see you,” I said. “Please let me introduce you to my traveling companions.” I led Damien and Kathleen to my table and tried to recollect the proper order of introductions Jane had been drilling me on as we traveled. “Lady Jane Monroe of Plympford,” I began, “may I present my friends Damien Rogers, theatre director from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, and his companion and my friend, Kathleen Thomas, actress at the Festival. Damien and Kathleen, this is fellow-photographer Lady Jane and our model Audrey Wright.”
“A pleasure,” Jane said, offering her hand to Damien and then to Kathleen. Audrey was right with her offering her hand and greeting them.
“Won’t you join us?” Audrey said. “We got all the formalities out of the way very nicely, but there’s no reason to be formal among friends.”
Kathleen looked over at Jane.
“Yes, yes!” she said. “It’s such a surprise to be escorting an American and have him run into old friends. He’s told me about the studio in Stratford and his work there. It must be a wonderful place.”
We settled at a larger table and a server moved Kathleen and Damien’s drinks over for us as we started to chatter about the course I was taking, how I’d met Jane a year ago in Australia, and how Audrey had been the model for a stunning snow portrait at the stone circle.
Damien and Kathleen were scouting for talent at the performances and thought they’d found a possible recruit for the Festival.
“We’re having a bit of a party at Plympford Castle tomorrow evening,” Jane said. “I’d be delighted if you could also attend.”
“Really? Forgive my ignorance, but where is Plympford?” Kathleen asked.
“It’s just beyond Coventry, near Stockingford,” Jane said. “Lovely place, though a bit remote. If you can come early tomorrow, I’ll have a driver meet you in Coventry and I invite you to spend the weekend.”
“Damien? Are we available? It sounds like such fun.”
“If you are seriously inviting us to visit,” Damien said, “Kathleen and I would be delighted. Would the first afternoon train be convenient?”
“It sounds perfect. It’s the one we were supposed to be on today, but I made a call and the Dowager Countess has sent our ride on to meet us here,” Jane said.
“And there’s room?” I asked.
“Oh, you have no idea how much room,” Jane laughed. “It’s a country estate and there will be nearly a hundred people at the party. I’ve no idea how many will be spending the night.”
We passed another two hours just having a good time with a couple of glasses of beer and our pies for lunch. When Jane’s driver walked into the tavern, she was unmistakable. She wore a typical chauffeur’s black suit and hat with a visor. The jacket had a gap at the throat, but was otherwise buttoned up solid with a row of brass buttons on either side. She wore slacks with boots over the calf, and black gloves.
Jane spotted her at once and simply pointed at our pile of luggage in the corner. It took the driver three trips to get everything, but when I started to go help, Jane put a hand on me and stopped me.
“It’s her job,” she said firmly. “Unless you would be fine with her coming over to press the shutter release on your camera, let her do her job without interfering. Believe me she is treated well and paid well.”
I just wasn’t used to people carting and hauling for me. Now I understood Jane’s insistence that I let her handle my trolley when we were out on location. It was her job. When the last bags had been moved and we’d settled our bill, we all walked outside the tavern to find a Bentley limousine waiting for us. The driver held the door open.
“Dana, this is Miss Kathleen and Mr. Damien. They will be on the first afternoon train to Coventry tomorrow and will be your passengers to meet there. They’ll be my guests for the weekend.”
“Yes, my lady. I will be waiting to greet you,” she said to my friends.
She closed the door behind us and went to the wrong side of the car to get in. I mean the right side. I was still shocked every time I saw the driver get behind the wheel on the right side of the vehicle. Thank heavens I wasn’t driving here.
We dropped Audrey off at a nice house and I asked if she wasn’t staying with us.
“Not tonight, dear,” she laughed. “Tonight, you have Jane all to yourself. I need to make an appearance at my parents’ home. My father is the head groundskeeper here at Plympford. He does like to see his daughter occasionally.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I’ll be there to help Jane get ready for the party and will be in attendance. Perhaps we’ll work together to get you ready for the party, if you aren’t busy getting Damien and Kathleen ready. There is a definite spark between those two, but a flame in her eyes when she looks at you.”
We bid her goodnight and went on to the castle. I couldn’t call it anything else. Jane had told me a bit of the history and it had been originally built as a monastery. Remodeled a few times, it now belonged to her. She said she didn’t often stay there because she’d been raised in the manor house, just behind the castle. That was now the sole residence of the Dowager Countess. Tonight, we would have the castle to ourselves, after dinner with the countess at eight.
“What now?” I asked.
“Well, I’ve directed that you are to have the room next to mine. When you’ve had a chance to refresh yourself, I expect to invade it. Oh, not to have sex so early in the day. I’ll be yours all night tonight. But I want you to take my picture as the new Mistress of Plympford. I’ll help you with your equipment and we’ll need lights as well. The cabinet is a bit dark.”
“Very well,” I said. “I’ll be ready to work in half an hour.”
“Oh, yes, you will.”
At five thirty, I had my gear ready and was waiting when Jane knocked.
I hadn’t seen much of anyone around since I got to the castle. Apparently, there would be around twenty people scurrying about to get things ready tomorrow, but for today, everyone had gone home. I was still surprised to find Jane at my door wearing a robe and slippers. I immediately looked around for anyone who might see her.
“Let’s go to where I want my official portrait taken,” she said. “And don’t worry. There are no ghosts lurking in the halls of the castle. There is a night staff present when I’m staying here. They stay out of sight unless I call for them. So, if we decide we want to make love in every room of the castle tonight, we could do that.”
“How many rooms are there?” I asked. She paused.
“I’m not absolutely sure. Fifty-something, I think. That’s one of the things I intend to find out when I take up full residency here. I used to come here as a child to play hide and seek with Audrey and a couple of other friends. We found amazing places to hide, but I never counted the rooms. We were never allowed to play in this room, though,” she said, opening a massive door.
She called it a cabinet, and there were shelves with many, many books on them. But it also looked like a sort of office. The one modern touch in the room was a massive desk with a leather office chair and two straight chairs facing it. Around the room there were various models of ships, going back to ships with four or five masts and sails and forward to a naval air carrier. The portrait I’d taken of her in Australia was hung on one wall in an ornate frame.
“My father was a naval man,” Jane said as she pointed out different ship models. “I’ll keep all these things, but will have them moved to another room in his honor. I wouldn’t dare modernize the room much more than has been done with electric lights and the desk, but I’ll add my own touches here and there—books of my own liking, for example, and not so many of military history. In a few years, it will feel like mine. And I’ll start that with my portrait in the Earl’s reading chair in front of the fireplace. Let’s set up the lights and you can unveil the model.”
We quickly got things put together. I didn’t even bother setting up the Hasselblad. This was going to be a formal portrait and I’d use the Linhof. I assumed Jane had some noble costume on under her robe that she didn’t want me to see beforehand. We turned the chair so it faced the room rather than the unlit fire. I had more room to set up lights and the camera that way. Everything looked good through the ground glass.
“I’m ready,” I said.
“Then come and unveil the future Countess of Plympford.”
I stepped behind her and took her robe, revealing that it had been all she was wearing. She stepped out of her slippers and stood beside the massive red leather chair.
“Where would you like me?” she husked.
I nearly said, “Just bend over.” I realized, however, that she was serious about wanting a photo of her noble self in and around her chair. The room was a little chilly, and I figured we’d better work quickly. I put her in a position beside and slightly behind the chair so she wasn’t quite fully exposed, but nearly so. I took the ribbon tying her hair back and let the strawberry blonde curls fall over her left shoulder. Jane had obviously never joined the ranks of young women who wanted short hair. Her hair was luxuriant.
I got that picture, shifted things a little and took another. Then I guided Jane into the chair and had her kneel in the massive thing facing to the side. As I set that shot and petted her bottom, I reminded myself to pay some serious attention to her backside later tonight. It was exquisite, and she seemed to enjoy having me touch it.
Finally, I had her sit in the chair and give me her boldest and most noble look. I loved it.
I started toward Jane with her robe and she met me with a deep and passionate kiss, dropping the robe on the floor. I held her in my arms, exploring her breasts and her butt as we kissed.
“I lied about waiting until after dinner for sex,” she whispered. “Take me here. Here in my seat of power.”
She turned and knelt in the chair with her back toward me and bent forward. I bent down and let my tongue worship her pussy as she quivered. I licked from her clitoris to her rosebud and back, thrusting my fingers into her wetness.
Then I tore open a condom and rolled it onto my cock before leaning over that beautiful bum and sliding into her welcoming pussy.
“Mother, may I present to you my American friend, photographer, and lover, Nate Hart. Nate, my mother, Lady Madeline Monroe, Countess of Plympford.”
“My Lady, it is such an honor to meet you. May I express my sincere sympathy for the loss of your husband,” I said as I’d rehearsed. It was eight o’clock and we’d walked the hundred yards or so from the castle to the manor house. The countess greeted us as soon as we arrived.
“Mr. Hart, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for your regards. I am happy to welcome you to Plympford. I’ve seen some of the photos you’ve taken of my daughter and admire your touch with a lens. I hope you will take many more this weekend while you are visiting. Perhaps I could even have a new portrait made as dowager rather than as Lady of the estate. That’s for when my daughter takes over.”
“It would be a pleasure to photograph you, madam. My time is yours,” I said.
“Actually, your time is my daughter’s,” she laughed. “But I’ll try to convince her to put me on your schedule. Now come and sit. Let’s get to know each other better.”
I’d have felt more comfortable sitting beside Jane, one seat removed from her mother, but the table was set so that Jane was on one side of her and I was on the other. The table could easily have seated a dozen or more, but we occupied three seats at one end. As soon as we were seated, food was served to us.
The meal started with a split pea soup which was very tasty. It was seasoned with ham and leeks and served with a glass of dry red wine. Then came a personal-sized beef Wellington with roasted asparagus spears. I immediately wanted to take her chef home with me. It was melt-in-your-mouth tender and as tasty as the soup had been.
“I hope you don’t mind that we got American asparagus. I’m sure you have it all the time,” Lady Madeline said. “You have southern climes for growing such things. Of course, if it were spring, we could have had white spargel from Germany.”
“I did wonder where you had found asparagus at this time of year. I haven’t seen fresh asparagus in the grocery store in a month,” I answered.
“You seem to have no difficulty navigating the intricacies of dinnerware. I still get mixed up when they put a bunch of seafood utensils on the table.”
“I trust you will correct me if I err,” I said as a red cabbage and blood orange salad was set before us. I looked across at Jane who was smiling at me and nodded. “I’m fortunate that my mistress spent a great deal of time with me, making sure I knew how not to embarrass myself too much at dinner.”
The dowager turned to look at her daughter and raise her eyebrow.
“Are you accepting a role as mistress now, Janey?” she asked.
“Oh, Mother, no. Nate is not referring to me. He has a lovely French mistress in Los Angeles. I’ve only seen pictures of her, but I would love to meet her one day. I’ve kept no secrets from you, Mother. You know Nate is my lover, but that can only be assured through the duration of this trip. In a week he will return to the States and presently, neither of us knows when or if we will have another such opportunity.”
“I see,” Lady Madeline replied.
I was getting rather full and wondered how many more things would be served. Fortunately, the next item was simply two deviled eggs. I wasn’t sure what utensil I was supposed to use for these and was relieved when both Jane and her mother took one in her fingers and popped it in her mouth. Just the way I’d eat them at home.
“Are you not a suitor for my daughter’s hand, Nate?”
“Oh, no, Madam. I would scarcely be a worthy mate for her,” I said. “I’m American, live quite a distance away, and have three girlfriends already.”
“None of whom are Janey,” Madeline chuckled. “I find you very pleasant and refreshing company, Nate. Ah, my cook came up with this pudding on her own. It is her specialty and she calls it Angels in the Clouds. The berries are all from our property, picked and then fresh frozen for use in the winter. She stirs them rapidly into heavy cream while still frozen, which freezes the cream.”
“It looks wonderful.”
“Would you like tea or coffee?”
“Yes, coffee please.”
The dessert was wonderful and I resolved to try making that for my girls at home.
As we sat sipping our coffee, Madeline was off on a new topic.
“Now, let’s talk about Janey’s little party tomorrow evening. You will escort her, Nate.” It wasn’t a question. I just nodded as I expected that was the cue. “There is some protocol to be followed. Just having a meal with you, I am certain you will do fine with it. Mostly, it involves being attentive to Jane and making sure she is not left alone or—just as importantly—that she is not maneuvered away from the party by a single individual. I don’t expect that to occur, but we always try to make sure we’re protected, just so that odd occurrence won’t become a reality. Plympford has become a kind of prize in the eyes of second and third sons of poor nobles and that is really the reason for the party tomorrow. Audrey will be your backup and I understand you have two other friends who will join you tomorrow, so you will certainly have something to do if Jane is asked to dance with someone else.”
“I was not expecting quite such a responsibility, Countess,” I said. “But I will do my best to execute my duty and not call attention to myself at the same time.”
“Oh, Nate, please have fun. Don’t let the worries of an old woman burden you. Just take care of Jane as I know you would in any regard.”
Please feel free to send comments to the author at devon@devonlayne.com.
