Indecent: 15 Erotic Victorian Romance Story Box Set (17 page)

Examine
Me

I was writing a letter when mother
walked into the drawing room and changed my life forever. “I have excellent
news Juliet,” she beamed, waving a telegram in her hand. “You’re to be
married.”

I almost dropped my pen in shock. “What?”

She frowned as she walked towards me and tossed the telegram
into my lap. “Twelve years of private education and still you say ‘What?’
instead of ‘Pardon?’ Was all that money wasted on you?”

“I’m sorry mother. Forgive me. Pardon?”

“Read for yourself. It’s all in the telegram.”

-RE ADVERTISEMENT STOP MARRIAGE PROPOSED BETWEEN MY EMPLOYER
AND J.W STOP WILL CALL SUNDAY 2PM TO INSPECT-

“What on earth does that mean mother? What advertisement?”

“I am sure I explained this to you last week. Now you are
eighteen, it is time to find you a suitable partner. I sent an advertisement
into The City and Rural Life suggesting such and we already have a response.
Isn’t that wonderful?”

“But mother, we know nothing about this gentleman. He may
not be suitable for me.”

“Nonsense. No subscriber to City and Rural would be
unsuitable for a daughter of mine, I am sure of it.”

I looked at her as she began deciding the most suitable
clothing choice for me to wear on Sunday. An inspection, the telegram
suggested, as if I were cattle and nothing more. Perhaps they would want to see
my teeth or observe me cantering across the lawn.

I knew there was no point arguing with mother. She always
won, such is life if I want to be sure my allowance continues to be granted. It
wasn’t as if I was averse to marriage per se, it was merely that I had never so
much as kissed a boy, I had no knowledge of what was expected in the marital
chamber and I knew once my suitor became aware of such things, he would have no
interest in pursuing matrimony with me, which just goes to demonstrate how
wrong one can be.

At times I wished for a confidante to discuss such matters
with, a private ear to listen to my concerns about so many matters in life. But
there was only me and mother, father being away fighting the Boers and all
manner of other unfortunates this last ten years. The servants were trained in
silence by mother, none would even deign to listen to me without her in
earshot. Hetty was the closest thing I even had to a friend.

Mother must have had some knowledge of what happened between
men and women, after all, she was married and I was her child. I had only
broached the subject once though, having seen her kiss father goodbye. I asked
if kisses were what made women pregnant. She merely sighed and told me it would
be explained to me by my husband when I was married and that was the end of
that.

The day telegram arrived was Friday and after I’d read the
contents, the rest of the day was spent shopping for a suitable outfit for me.
Saturday was spent in elocution and deportment lessons with a French tutor who
was overly strict with her ruler, slapping the back of my hand as if I were a
child starting early lessons, not an eighteen year old about to be wed.

Sunday morning was spent being dressed by my maid. I was
glad of Hetty, the only person I had been naked in front of in my life.
Throughout my childhood she had dressed me, accompanying me to my schooling and
home again when all was done, silent but steadfast, I felt nothing around her,
no shame around my exposed skin, I smiled as I wished perhaps I could marry her
instead, a ridiculous notion but at least I wouldn’t feel as nervous as I did
at this moment.

She slid a pair of stockings up my legs. They were pure
white to reflect my innocence, cotton drawers followed, Hetty setting them best
in place to cover my unmentionables, a chemise went over the top and then a
whalebone corset that was pulled so tight my breathing was restricted to tight
short gasps that left me feeling quite dizzy. I was so busy fighting for breath
I hardly noticed as the Crinoline was set in place followed by my petticoats
and then finally a long red dress which I was not in favour of wearing. The
fabric was expensive and it hung nicely across the Crinoline but the neckline
plunged in a way that exposed an obscene amount of my chest especially when
combined with the pushing upwards of my breasts by the corset. My mother had
insisted despite my protests. “You must demonstrate your feminine attractions
to appeal to suitors,” she said. “It was how I ensnared your father after all.”

I looked at myself in the mirror whilst Hetty arranged my
hair, tugging on my long gloves as I did so. If I leaned forwards it was only
the rim of the corset that kept my nipples hidden. My cheeks flushed redder
than my dress at the thought of a strange man seeing so much of me. I vowed to
stay rigidly upright throughout our meeting.

At half past one I was finally ready, makeup and hair
completed, my mother giving the slightest nod of approval and dismissing Hetty
who left without a word as we made our way downstairs to the parlour. I sat by
the fire as the grandfather clock ticked in the corner, the only sound other
than the rustle of my dress whenever I moved to try and snatch a slightly
deeper breath.

At exactly two o’clock the doorbell rang and a moment later
I heard echoing footsteps in the hall before the butler opened the door and
announced, “Dr Albert Compton for Juliet and Mrs Wilson.”

I got to my feet as a tall man entered. I frowned at the
sight of him. He carried a doctor’s bag and wore a greatcoat buttoned up to the
neck. Was this to be a medical inspection of some kind?

“Lady Wilson,” he smiled, walking across to her and kissing
the back of mother’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“And you sir.”

“Please, Albert will suffice. And this must be Juliet?” He
turned to me and his smile faded, a more formal look taking hold as he looked
me up and down. “I am afraid work must intrude before pleasure. If you would
excuse us Mrs Wilson, I will call for you once my inspection has been
completed.”

“Of course,” mother replied. “Although may I ask…?”

He held up a hand to silence her. “I’m afraid a medical man
must have his secrets. Be assured she will not be harmed.”

My heart began to race as mother left and closed the door
behind her. Dr Compton turned the key, locking the two of us in together.
“Wouldn’t want to be disturbed,” he said, pocketing the key before unbuttoning
his great coat and draping it over the armchair nearest the fire. “Now let’s
begin with your pulse shall we?”

He motioned for me to sit and I perched on the edge of the
sofa, certain he would think I was a human humming bird, my heart was beating
so fast. He pulled my gloves off and set them aside before setting two fingers
on the inside of my left wrist, the first male fingers I had felt upon me in my
life, apart from a single embrace my father had given me before heading away to
his endless wars.

I looked up at his eyes as he frowned, counting the seconds.
A fluttery feeling washed over me that I barely understood. It was as if I felt
a strange bond to this man, similar to that I felt for my maid Hetty and yet I
hardly knew this stranger.

His breath hit the side of my face as he counted, making my skin
tingle and my stomach turn over. Even my fingers began to tremble, all of this
in the few seconds it took for him to record my pulse. “A little fast,” he
said, making a note on a scrap of paper from his pocket. “But nothing to worry
about. Now I must ensure I have measured accurately.” He reached into his bag
and pulled out a device I had never seen before.

“What is that good doctor?” I asked as he pressed two metal
cylinders over his ears, a third one dangling down on a rubber tube of some
kind.

“This?” he asked, motioning the device. “Have you not seen a
stethoscope before?”

“I have not.”

“It is to increase the auditory level of your heartbeat. You
can try it yourself in a moment if you wish, but first if you’ll excuse me?” He
pressed the cold metal end to the centre of my cleavage as I let out a gasp of
surprise.

“Excuse me good sir?” I asked, batting the device away.
“That is most improper.”

“Come come my girl. This must be done. Or if you prefer I
could turn to the old fashioned method instead?”

“I believe that would be infinitely preferable.”

“Very well.” He put the stethoscope back in his bag, knelt
down before me and before I could stop him, his ear was pressed to my chest,
pressing into my skin.

“Sir!” I exclaimed.

“Please be silent for a moment, it will not take long I
assure you.”

As I felt the warmth of his skin squashing into my breasts
my desire for him to move away lessened and I found myself instead wanting him
to remain there. Of their own accord my nipples stiffened within my corset, chafing
and tingling as they rubbed on the suffocating thing whilst my breathing grew
ever more laboured.

“Oh look at that,” Dr Compton said. “You have saved me time.
Your nipples react in the most proper manner.”

I looked down and realised that my heaving breaths had drawn
my breasts up and out of the top of the corset, my hardened nipples resting on
the rim as if observing their surroundings.

“Why on earth would you need to know that?” I asked, my
cheeks turning scarlet as the doctor stood up, allowing me to push my breasts
back into my corset so I regained my modesty at last. I felt such shame knowing
he had observed them but I hoped his profession would ensure confidentiality
within this room at least.

“My employer needs to know how you will react if you are to
be his wife. That does not simply apply to the running of his household but
also to your ability to please him within the bedroom. Now if you would like to
stand up for me, do you have a personal maid within the household?”

“I do but I fail to see…”

“Her name?”

“Hetty but…”

“A moment please.” He walked over to the door, unlocked it
and called out, “Could Hetty be called for immediately please?”

My mother’s face appeared in the doorway. “Is everything all
right?” she asked.

“Fine,” replied Dr Compton. “I just need assistance for a
short time.”

“Could I not help you?”

“Good madam, this is not the work for a respectable lady
such as yourself, this calls for the servant class I am afraid but I thank you
kindly for your offer. Ah, here she comes I believe. Hetty is it? Come on in.”

Hetty curtseyed past the doctor and stood with her hands
behind her back by the door as the doctor locked us in, ignoring the continued
talk of my mother. He pocketed the key once more before turning to Hetty. “You
are a loyal servant to your mistress, are you not?”

“I am sir.”

“And you have the ability to maintain a confidence of
anything asked of you, do you not?”

“I do sir.”

“That will suffice. What occurs within this room during my
examination is not to reach any but us three here, is that understood?”

“Yes sir.”

“Excellent. Now if you’d be so kind as to undress your
mistress behind the screen, I shall prepare over here. Tell me the instant you
are done.”

“Yes sir.”

Hetty curtseyed again, her face as neutral as ever as she walked
over to me. “Excuse me?” I asked as the doctor opened his bag on the far table.
“Do you expect me to undress without a qualm or a question?”

“No Juliet,” he replied without looking my way. “I expect
your maid to undress you.”

“I do not find that amusing.”

He turned to me at last, anger flashing across his face. “I
do not have all day to placate a whining little girl like yourself. I have many
others to see. Now if you wish me to inform your mother you have refused my
examination and ended the chance of marriage to my employer then so be it.”

“No good sir, I did not mean that.”

“Then you will step behind that screen and not reappear
until you are as naked as the day you were born. Is that clear?”

“Yes sir,” I replied, accepting defeat. I could not risk
angering my mother, knowing she could hurl me out to the workhouse at any time
and I would be without recompense. I walked behind the tall screen in the
corner of the room and Hetty set to work without a word, pulling my dress over
my head, doing her best to avoid spoiling my hair. She turned me round and
began unlacing my corset, each knot undone meant at least that I could breathe
a little easier. When it was finally unfastened I took the deepest gulps of air
as my skin tingled, the chemise pulled off to reveal deep red marks in my skin
signifying the effect the corset had engendered upon my body.

I noticed my nipples were still hard and Hetty raised the
slightest eyebrow at the sight before continuing her toil, petticoats and
crinoline soon removed. “May I keep on my undergarments at least?” I called out
from behind the screen.

“No you may not!” the doctor snapped back at me.

I nodded to Hetty who knelt down and slid my stockings down
my legs. I felt her fingers on my skin as she lowered the garments and for the
first time I felt something inside me, something similar to the sensation I’d
experienced when the doctor had felt my pulse. Hetty looked as indifferent as
ever as she reached up and slid my knickers to the floor. Her face was the
merest inch from my unmentionable area and I noticed she stared closely at it
as I stepped out of my underwear, her breath on my skin making me shiver, my
nipples stiffening further and beginning to ache slightly.

“Are you done?” the doctor called. “Time is short.”

“I am naked,” I called back. “But I am unsure…”

“Out with you,” he snapped. “Come on, now is not the time
for shyness.”

I felt something in my hand and looked down to see Hetty had
slipped her fingers between mine. She nodded slightly and that reassured me
more than I thought possible. At least I had a friend of some kind here with
me.