The Virgin of Greenbrier: The Greenbrier Trilogy, Book One

Chapter Three-1

Chapter Three

As they entered the next room, Lucretia inhaled sharply and shook her head. Her footsteps faltered even as she was drawn into the large room with a white tiled floor. The walls were tiled halfway up as well, like wainscoting. Never before had she seen such a room. In the middle of the floor was a large round drain and the air surrounding her was sweetly scented. The windows, set too high up to see through, let in the bright, early morning sunlight. Four copper tubs stood in a row against one of the walls. The second from the left steamed with its newly filled water. Cassandra, devoid of all her clothing, knelt beside it. Another girl, as pale-skinned as Lucretia, stood at the head of the tub, holding towels and a basket that brimmed with cakes of soap and bottles of oils. She too was without clothes and it seemed as natural a state for her as any other.

Dr. Addams guided Lucretia to the attended tub, “Lucy, if you will be good I’ll remove the gag and cuffs and you can enjoy your bath. Will you behave?”

It was like being in a dream. Everything seemed to be done in slow motion. Lucretia nodded, and the doctor did just as he’d said. Her arms freed, Lucy turned her eyes to the doctor. She felt hopeless and lost. In her heart she wanted to fight. She wanted to make another attempt to run, but where would she go? Her father had sold her into the life of a slave. She was a slave to this man and nothing more. For the first time Lucy realized only the surface of what it must feel like to be a real slave. Then a deeper pain hit her, maybe she was a real slave. If she ran there was little doubt she’d be treated no differently than any other runaway. Would she be taken to the post and whipped as she’d known her very own slaves to be? The image of Joe on his horse suddenly came to her and something stirred inside her body. All this she thought while standing there, looking at this man who was now her master. “Thank you, sir.” The words came because there was little else she could say.

His smile gave her a glimmer of hope. He was attractive now that she looked at him. “You are very welcome, Lucy. Undress for me.”

The glimmer was snuffed out. Lucretia lowered her eyes. How could the others in the room endure this? How did they just stand there and not care? She glanced at Cassandra and saw her give her the slightest of nods. With no choice, Lucretia obeyed, “Yes, sir.”

Again came the smile and in some strange way it made her feel better. She had never been able to please her father. She wasn’t the son he’d always wanted. She had yet to provide him with anything he wanted most, a son-in-law or a grandson. Her mother had nearly died giving birth to her and the doctors had warned her against trying to have any more children. Maybe, Lucretia thought, just maybe she could please this man. Resigned for the moment, Lucretia pulled her chemise up and over her head, still feeling she was in a dream, not wanting to believe otherwise. She crumpled the chemise in her hands, not caring.

“Fold it and put it on the side table then you may get into the tub,” he instructed.

The thought of walking across the room to the table and then back again while he watched every step made her recoil inside. Again there was Cassandra, who gave a nod of encouragement. Lucy folded the chemise as best she could, pressing it over and over again in her hands, using it to cover what little she could before setting it on the table. Now back to the tub. The water would help to hide her and the tub itself would block her nakedness from his gaze. Lucy forced herself to walk to the copper bath. She sank into the steaming water, grateful for all it offered. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Dr. Addams take a seat. Clearly he meant to stay and watch.

Her own slave had bathed her many times so doing this might not be so bad. As Cassandra washed her body, the other girl washed her hair. Down between her legs, Cassandra reached with the cloth then gingerly leaned over and kissed Lucretia on the cheek. “Master likes when I kiss those I bathe. Don’t be afraid,” Cassandra whispered so none but Lucretia could hear. Lucretia pressed her eyes tightly shut. She had to wake up soon. She just had to! The young girl’s hands moved through Lucretia’s long hair and despite it all she found herself beginning to relax. She could block out the rest of it if she tried hard enough. Even the soft fluttering of Cassandra’s hands near her private parts would not take away from this warmth and the fragrance of the bath.

“Stand up,” Cassandra said with tenderness. “Master wants you to be rinsed.”

Lucretia stood as warm buckets of fresh water were brought in. With her eyes down, knowing he still watched, Lucretia let them move her arms and body to rinse her off. Block him out, she thought. Block him out. He is not there. You are in your own bathing chamber. These are your own slaves who tend to you. Don’t think about him. Do not even look at him. But when the towels were brought and her hair was pulled up and back, wrapped to keep it off her shoulders, she met his eyes again. Such tender eyes they seemed to be. The two women helped her from the tub, rubbing her all over with the towels until every drop of water was gone from her skin. She stood stone still as they brushed out her hair then pulled it back again into a pony-tail to dry.

Suddenly he rose and the dream vision stopped. “Bring in the table and tools, Cassy.” His eyes never swayed from the spectacle of Lucretia’s body now freshly washed and still pink from the warm water. He smiled, but it was not the warm, pleased smile of before. This was another smile, one that sent Lucretia’s blood cold. “Sarah, you may go.” The other girl curtsied and, with a nod, left. They were alone now and Lucretia found that where before she could not take her eyes from him, now she could not bear to look at him at all. “Was that so terrible?” he asked, running a single finger down her left arm.

“No, sir.”

“I’m glad you liked it. All the girls are bathed once a week. We take turns bathing and being bathed. You will learn how to do what Cassy and Sarah just did for you. And you will learn the proper way to bathe a gentleman as well.” A breath caught in her throat and her jaw clenched. His fingertips cupped her chin, lifting it, directing her gaze into his. “You will learn how to bathe me.”

Lucretia tugged her head away, hating the sight of him again. The side door opened and Cassandra entered pushing a large wooden table before her. The top looked to be upholstered in leather with various belts and buckles dangling from the sides and ends. A tray, covered by a white towel, and a basin of more steaming water had been placed on a shelf under the top platform of this table. Cassandra moved it all to the side of the room with the most amount of light. The morning was bright and sunshine streamed down from overhead, fully illuminating the chosen spot. Cassandra took the tray and water and placed them on a nearby table. She stepped back, put her hands behind her back and waited.

Lucy’s heart raced like a bird’s. This could not be a good thing. She should have known the peace of the bath would be shattered in some horrible way and this was it. Dr. Addams’ hand was at her elbow, guiding her towards the table. “Another thing we do here once a week is shave.”

“Shave?!” Lucretia’s feet dug into the tiles.

“Quite painless if you don’t flinch. Help her up on the table, Cassy.” The doctor released Lucretia’s arm and stepped back, expecting full cooperation.

“Shave what?” Lucretia resisted Cassandra’s gentle direction toward the table.

“Everything, of course,” the doctor stated. “Everything but that lovely hair on your head.”

“Please don’t fight,” Cassy whispered in earnest. “It’s better if you obey.”

“Listen to her, Lucy,” Dr. Addams said. “Do as you should and get onto the table unless you’d like two of my fine, black boys to do it for you. Would you like that, my black slaves touching you while you are so vulnerable and exposed? Have you ever seen a naked black man, Lucy?” He took a few steps towards the door as if to carry out this very threat.

“You’re all crazy! All of you!” Lucretia protested, not yielding to Cassandra’s direction in the least. “This place is insane!”

Cassandra’s gentle hold became a firm grip. Lucretia yanked on the grip but it seemed that no matter what she did they were there, keeping her immobile and the bit gag was crammed back into her mouth forcing her teeth apart. Kicking at the doctor only resulted in him grabbing her legs. Cassandra took hold under Lucretia’s arms and together she and the doctor forced the struggling new slave onto the table. She was no match for them. Years of being pampered had left her without the physical strength to fight them.

Lucretia’s wrists were strapped down first, and then a belt went around her waist, keeping her from bucking up in her struggle to escape. Another kick at the doctor resulted in her ankle not being pulled down, but pushed up, bending her leg at the knee and spreading her wide open to him. Cassandra quickly did the same with Lucretia’s other leg. In unison they each bound Lucretia’s knees to the side of the table in this fully exposed position. Only when her knees were secure did they move to her ankles, pushing them to the outer edges of the table and buckling on more restraints. She could yank and strain as much as she wished but nothing was going to change the way she was displayed before them. All the while, Lucretia screamed and cursed through the bit gag, exhausting herself even more.

Cassy moved the side table over closer and removed the towel that covered the tray. There were two small straight razors. Horror shot through Lucretia sending her into an even more violent struggle.

There was suddenly a hard slap across her face. “Stop it this instant!” Shocked, Lucretia did stop, staring up at him, petrified. “I do not enjoy slapping a woman across the face, young lady. This will not hurt you, in fact, you may even enjoy it. Now lay still and do as you are told!” There was no kindness in his eyes now. There was no gentle tone to his voice. He meant business and he meant to be obeyed. Cassandra stepped back out of the way. Lucy recognized the edge of fear in Cassy’s eyes. It was the same look Lucy’s mother often gave her father. He seldom raised his voice to anyone. When he did, whomever that voice was directed at had best correct themselves or punishment would soon follow.

Lucy did not dare even flinch after that. She was frozen in terror and obedience to do as he’d said. She stared at the ceiling while tears ran down her face. The sound of the razors on the strap being sharpened, the sound of the brush being lathered all barely reached her. Then came the soft bristles, spreading the lather over the downy hair between her legs. Save for these noises and Lucretia’s occasional whimper or sniffle, the room was very quiet. The doctor and Cassandra worked as a silent, practiced unit. Within fifteen minutes Lucretia was shaved clean and smooth. A hand spread a thin layer of oil over the now bare area.

“Go get a room ready for her.”

“Yes, sir.” There was something different in her voice, surprise perhaps.

The door shut with a soft thud. Lucretia closed her eyes. How much more horrible could this become? “Did any of that hurt you?” His voice was low, trying to sound comforting. “I don’t think it did. It hurt your pride, most certainly. It was embarrassing, I’m sure. But did it really do you any harm?” His palm stretched over one of her bare breasts then closed slowly around it. “Like this. This does not hurt you, does it?” He kneaded the breast until Lucretia could not hold back the tiny moan in her throat. “You see. Nothing will hurt you here unless you want it to. We live a different way under my roof. I can give you pleasure or I can give you pain.” His fingers gripped her n****e hard, sending a jolt through her. But a jolt of what? Her brain told her it should be pain, but the response she felt in her body told her something very different.

The hand was taken from her breast and slid down her belly to her smooth, freshly shaven skin. “This belongs to me. Do you know what that means?” He played with the bud of her c******s. “It means I can do anything I want to it and to you. Pain or pleasure, I will decide, based on your obedience, which you shall have.” Lucretia tried to move herself away from his touch. It did not hurt. It did anything but hurt, but it was a feeling Lucretia had kept under control. You just did not feel these things. It was wrong. It was sinful. It was sinful not because it was her fault, but because she felt herself actually enjoying the attention. “You are wet, my dear Lucretia. How very, very nice.” He played with the tiny bud between her legs until Lucy could not control her own breathing. If he continued too long, that terrible trembling, madness would consume her. She’d brought the writhing convulsions on herself many times even though she knew it was a sin. Lucretia heard herself moan, deep and pitiful. In response, the doctor’s hand pulled away. “We’ll work on that particular area another time.”

Dr. Addams removed all the restraints, even the gag, and helped her off the table. Her legs shook beneath her and if she were not so revolted by him and what he’d done to her, she would have wanted to lean against him for support. She’d always been so strong before, so in control of everything. Here she was nothing. She had no power over anyone. She barely had power over herself. Over and over the question of why ran through her head. Why was she here at all?

Through the side door they went and up a flight of stairs. This hallway was carpeted and wider than the first. There was even wallpaper and a beautifully draped window at the end that sunlight filtered through. It all looked very normal. The third door on the right seemed to be where he wanted her to go. It was open and at first this room too looked very normal and even welcoming to her. A big four-poster bed stood off to one side, draped with soft-looking quilts. There was a dressing table and mirror. There was a high boy dresser. A pretty wooden chair with an embroidered seat stood by a table. Even a lush fern gathered sunlight by the lace-covered window. She was led in further and the small details began to take focus. Leather straps hung not just from the sides of the bed but from the middle and the ends. Instead of a brush and toiletries, a riding crop and paddle lay on the dressing table. A length of rope was coiled on the back of the chair.

“This will be your room, Lucy,” Dr. Addams told her, “but not tonight. Tonight you will stay in a private room next to mine. No one will speak to you and, more importantly, no one will hear you with the exception of myself, of course.” He took her by the arm again, gentle yet firm. They left this room and went down a flight of stairs to the left. This led into the main hall of the house. It was busy with activity. Dr. Addams’ wealth was all too apparent, which made Lucretia only vaguely aware of her nakedness as she stared about in awe. Everything glowed. Statues, urns, paintings and crystal lamps decorated it all. Rugs covered the floors. The walls were all papered. The wood of the door and banisters shined with brilliance. This was the heart of the house. Every door on the floor led through this wide hallway. Gently he turned her around to the right. “You will stay here today, watching and listening to the others as they go about their duties. You will learn by being quiet and listening. You will not speak to anyone. No one will speak to you. Do you understand?”

She nodded, “Yes, sir.”

“Good.” Dr. Addams turned. It seemed the slaves here could read his mind for he only had to make a gesture and what he wanted or needed was there, at his fingertips.

“If you behave well throughout the day, you will earn your first reward. If you do not behave, you will earn your first punishment.” As he turned, a slave handed him another set of the manacles Lucretia knew all too well and a key. “Offer me your wrists.” Lucretia hesitated. “Reward or punishment?” He looked at her. “I will say it once more and only once more. Offer me your wrists.”

She held out her wrists and watched as he locked the manacles on. At the base of the stairs they had just come down, he pulled out a short length of iron chain that could not have been more than three feet long. He locked her wrists to the chain with a padlock, also provided by one of the other slaves without him having to ask. “I am to stay here? All day? Like…like this?” Her nakedness blazed. “Not like this…” She felt herself crumbling inside even though she wanted to be strong.

“Sit down on the straw mat and stay there. Listen, watch, and learn.”

“But...”

“Reward or punishment, Lucretia?”

Lucretia did not answer him, just lowered her eyes and obeyed. She hated him.