72. Of steam and hot chocolate

"When I rose the next morning only Elizabeth had risen for breakfast. She greeted me warmly and seeing that I was slightly worse for wear, invited me to steam with her.

"The Dorrington's house has a room devoted entirely to steam," she explained. "It is like a bathhouse with a small pool in it, but there are also braziers in the room, upon the hot coals of which they pour a small amount of water to create a heated, steamy atmosphere."

I nodded, Elizabeth had had something similar at her house in Lisbon, a building at the rear of the house had been converted, cleaned out, painted and a large tub, a grape pressing vat, had been added with a wood fired boiler. I remember thinking that it was a most admirable construction and thought that perhaps we should add one at Rogeringham Hall somehow.

"We lay for a while in our chemises," Helena went on, "Which were soon wringing wet through with perspiration, so much so that Elizabeth stood up and removed hers, encouraging me to do the same, saying that I would enjoy the feel of the heat on my bare skin.

"I did so. And she was right. I could feel the unpleasantness from the night before, leaving my body through the pores of my skin as I perspired. Then she called her maid in.

"The maid servant was a black girl, called Abigail. She had the most stunning features and shapely breasts and wide hips. She had very short black curly hair, which she wore under a cap. When she later removed the cap, her short hair only served to emphasise the shapeliness of her head and her neck.

"Elizabeth told her that I needed a 'massage', before explaining to me that it was the most wonderful thing and that Abigail had magical fingers.

"I was not certain at first, but Elizabeth prevailed upon me, so I lay upon the couch with my face resting upon my arms, while Abigail made ready.

"She took some scented oil upon her hands, and began to stroke and soothe the skin of my legs, working from my feet - to which she gave careful attention - up my legs towards my body. She has very strong fingers, and she pressed her finger tips into the flesh of my legs, as if she was aligning the muscles to their proper order. Oh! William, Elizabeth spoke quite truly, that girl does have magic in her hands.

"After a short time, I could feel my legs relaxing. Elizabeth was talking to her quietly as she worked, which I wasn't really paying attention to, I was enjoying the sensations too much. Then she said to me, 'Helena,' (we had agreed the previous evening that styles were not necessary between the two of us), 'Abigail says that you are very tense, I told her that it was the stress of being a mother in the midst of the Season.'

"I am afraid I could only groan my agreement; Abigail had begun to work her hands on my back. She briefly gave my bottom some of her attention but soon moved on to the area of my back bone. She patiently worked each of the bones, and pressed and prodded them carefully, before moving to my head, taking hold of my shoulders and pulling them gently towards herself. Dear Lord, I thought I was in Heaven. Oh, do not mistake me, my love, you bring about the most wonderful feelings in me, but she caused such delights, such a wonderful floating feeling ... and then she asked me to turn over onto my back.

"As I turned over, I saw that Abigail had stripped her own clothes back so that she worked naked from the waist upwards, to keep her chemise clean of the oil. I also noticed that her breasts were exquisite, firm and shaped like pears, sitting high on her chest and with the largest areola I have ever seen and erect stub-like nipples. Before I began 'our journey', my love, I probably would never have looked twice at her, but now I found myself admiring her form and enjoying the sight. She was so pretty and so exotic.

"I also saw Elizabeth reclining upon a cushion, still naked, next to us and watching, she also seemed to be enjoying what she saw.

"Abigail began again on my feet. This time she lavished attention on each toe, taking her time with each one before continuing her work on my feet themselves. Elizabeth told me that she was working any poisons and bad blood towards my core, where my body would dispose of them. I am not sure about this but as she moved from my feet to my lower legs, the feelings were so pleasant and I was so transported with pleasures that I would have agreed with anything.

"I did not realise how much tension there was in my muscles, but as she finished each limb, they felt limp as if they had no strength in them, though they were merely relaxed. It was very much the way that you make me feel.

"And so, she continued, until she reached my breasts, her hands were very gentle, gliding across the skin, but where I thought the girl would massage them in an erotic way, she was quite workmanlike, in that she caressed them but made no move to touch my nipples, or do anything to stimulate them."

Helena paused, thinking about the experience. A smile played across her lips.

"When she was finished, Elizabeth suggested that Abigail make us a drink of hot chocolate. It was a most marvellous feeling to lie there as if I had just woken from a night of the very best sleep - fresh and relaxed, and not as I had that morning - feeling the effects of the previous night.

"Another maid brought us a clean chemise and dressing gown each, whilst removing our previous wet clothing, so after our steam, and my massage, we dressed and sat together in the sunlit room, whilst Abigail prepared our drink for us.

"I watched her milling the chocolate, and frothing the milk, taking the utmost care to make the most perfect cup of hot chocolate.

"'Abigail is delightful, is she not?' Elizabeth asked me.

"'She is,' I replied, 'Where did you find her?'

"'She was working in the household of Lord Portishead in Bristol. He is old and partly-blind and she was just a chamber-maid. He was completely wasting her ability.' She told me, 'I was staying there one time and Abigail was assigned to me.'

"'Then Abigail is not a slave?' I asked, looking at the lovely girl, who shook her head.

"'Good heavens, no!' Elizabeth exclaimed. 'She was born in Bristol of a free sailor and his woman, weren't you, my dear.'

"'That I was, ma'am!' Abigail's confirmed, appearing not to be concerned in anyway about my comment.

"'After a few days I discovered how talented she actually is and induced her to come and work for me.'

"'You discovered ...?' I asked her.

"'I seduced her.' She said with a triumphant grin, 'After all, is my beloved Abigail not the most beautiful of creatures? It would have been a crime not to...' Elizabeth stroked the girl's shoulders and neck as she said this.

"'I believe that you are as incorrigible as any man,' I observed to Elizabeth.

"She laughed and thanked me. 'Why should men be the only ones allowed to have pleasure?'

"'But seriously, Helena,' Elizabeth then laid her hand on mine, and I shall not lie, relaxed as I was, and the air in the steam-room was so charged with sensuality, a thrill ran through me when she did.

"'You are so very fortunate,' she went on, 'William is an experienced and considerate lover, and to be treasured for that, and he loves you very much. For the rest of us, we have to take our chances when we can.'

"Elizabeth's hand on my wrist was cool, and she caressed the skin ever so slightly. 'Women have always sought out other women for comfort and relief when they are neglected, so I do not consider my choices to be anything other than natural. And does it matter if it is my lovely Abigail or someone as elegant and as sensual as yourself, Helena? Pleasure is pleasure, wherever you find it. Thank you, Abigail.'

"The maid had presented us with the hot chocolate, which I discovered she had infused with both the merest hint of ginger and a drop of oil of peppermint to make a most delicious drink, which we continued to enjoy in quiet contemplation.

"I still felt as if I had just woken from a deep, deep sleep, but I was also quite alert, not drowsy. Because of this I was quite aware that this was all part of Elizabeth's seduction. Unlike yourself, she does not stride up and declare 'we will be lovers!'" She pronounced that last in a gruff, deep voice, which I assumed was supposed to be me.

"Elizabeth creates an air of ease and sensuality, which envelopes one, so when finally, she does make her attempt, it almost seems like a logical conclusion."

"So did you sleep with her?" I asked.

"After a morning of languorous ease and grace, we took a carriage ride around Henley," Helena deftly deflected my question; she had a story and was going to tell the tale of it in her own way.

"We talked of many things, as we drove around the town, which is most charming and Elizabeth told me about how she had met you in Portugal. She was quite complimentary - she said that you were considered very honourable, and were well-liked as an officer, even though some felt you were unnecessarily reckless at times." Helena looked at me as she spoke, that look that a mother gives a naughty but well-loved child. "And that was the deciding factor in her asking you to deflower Arabella. Any man could have done it, but Elizabeth felt that your manly qualities of strength and bravery, combined with more gentlemanly aspects of your nature - your discretion in particular - made you the ideal person to do that particular deed, that and your obvious skill in bed. She knew - and she did not expound on how she knew - but Elizabeth says that she knew that you would not require commitment from Arabella, because you were obviously devoted to someone else, and she complimented me once again for being the object of that devotion."

"After a simple supper, with the girls singing around the piano afterwards again, we left them to their own devices and retired. Elizabeth suggested that we change into our robes de chambre and retire to her rooms."