Why was uncle so mysterious and why did he desire that she retire to some distant part of the house? She remembered that he had asked for Marie. Was it possible that uncle, now that she had warmed his dingle, was going to treat Marie as he had Caroline? But no, thought Freda; he called for Caroline and requested that she remain within calling distance. What is all this mysterious business?
She heard Marie come along the hall and enter the library, where she could distinguish the voices of her uncle and the maid in a low, earnest conversation.
Turning and departing from her room, she at once proceeded downstairs and sauntered to the veranda to take a breath of fresh air. While standing on the broad veranda, she had complete access to all the broad domain and could see to advantage all the points of local interest.
Suddenly her attention was attracted by Marie leaving the house and cautiously approaching the barn. She seemed to be searching for someone, and Freda's interest was deepened by seeing her motion to someone apparently in the barn. She noticed that Marie glanced cautiously about and then slyly entered the barn.
Freda continued to gaze in the direction of the barn, but there seemed to be no life now apparent about the place.
Marie seemed to have vanished like a snowdrift before a blazing sun.
Freda idly thought of Caroline and what it could be that caused Lord Roxboro to be so very vexed with her. Surely Caroline was anxious to please his lordship, for she evidently did. Then what could be the mysterious origin of their difference and why were both reluctant to discuss the matter with her?
Marie seemed to be almost an unwarranted time in the barn. Freda couldn't imagine what could be keeping her there. Evidently she must have been sent for something and it aroused her interest to an excessive degree.
Suddenly she was rewarded by seeing Marie appear in the doorway of the barn; she was talking with someone as she paused at the entrance, and seemed to be very earnest in her conversation. Marie then waved to the person within the barn and later Freda was astonished to see Carl issue forth and accompany Marie toward the house. What could Marie want with the stableboy and why was she bringing him toward the house? Her curiosity was aroused to fever pitch.
She realized the inexpediency of permitting Marie to get a glimpse of her standing on the spacious veranda, and she moved swiftly away in the direction of the arbor.
She often turned to glance back at the stableboy and Marie approaching the entrance hall of Roxboro Manor.
In the spacious and well-filled library sat his lordship, buried in meditation since his afternoon siesta. He had made up his mind to settle the matter with Caroline and the stableboy.
After Marie introduced the blushing and nervous boy into his august presence, she retired. He turned and surveyed the servant. Undoubtedly he was an attractive-looking youth and Lord Roxboro could but ill suppress a look of envy when he glanced in the direction of the youth's vigorous organ, the outlines of which showed quite plainly through his tight pants.
After a careful scrutiny of the waiting youth, he seated himself in his favorite chair and bowed his head in thoughtful meditation. Suddenly he arose and went to the door of his library and called to Caroline.
“Caroline, come into the library. I wish to see you at once.”
Carl was standing nervously, first on one foot, then switching to the other. He looked about with apparent curiosity, but actually appeared startled when he saw Lord Roxboro make the quick move to the door to call Caroline.
Caroline opened the door quietly and stepped into the library, thinking that her uncle had undoubtedly recovered from his petulance and that with a little love play between them, all would be forgotten.
She stepped into the dim room and gazed expectantly at her uncle.
Lord Roxboro surveyed her calmly for a moment and then made a motion with his hand to her side. She turned, and seeing the blushing Carl standing gawkishly, his face covered with blushes, she looked startled and paled visibly, glancing quickly at her uncle as if to divine his intentions, then she hung her head.
Lord Roxboro watched them both keenly and when she hung her head, he appeared satisfied and, assuming a judicial appearance, he remarked:
“How, now, Caroline! Why this air of demure shyness, this bashful schoolgirl attitude. Surely you do not feel constrained in the presence of this poor stableboy? You were not so a few hours ago, when I last saw you locked in a fervent embrace, your legs wrapped about his muscular back. Tut, tut, tut, Caroline. Don't put on the act for your uncle.”
Poor Caroline blushed crimson under the lash of his sarcasm, for well she knew that it was not the presence of this fumbling gawky lout that embarrassed her, but the idea that a few hours back she had warmly welcomed his ardent caresses, and had most avidly handled and caressed his vigorous bolus. The fact that her uncle had apprehended her in the midst of this delectable pastime caused her confusion, especially as she had previously submitted herself to only the lascivious caresses of her uncle.
As before mentioned, Caroline blushed a deep crimson, under the wicked shaft of her uncle's fierce sarcasm and faltered in the center of the library. Poor Carl looked wildly about, like a trapped bird seeking vainly for egress. He felt almost as humiliated as poor Caroline and most ardently regretted that he had submitted to the proposition of the feverish girl. He felt that for all time henceforth he was through with women; never again could he relish having intercourse with another girl.
Lord Roxboro stood in the center of the luxurious room and surveyed the embarrassed couple.
Poor little child, so very embarrassed; and yet so recently she had the satisfaction of having this same stable lout insert his vigorous prick into her cunt. And mingled with the stable odors, she proceeded to very thoroughly enjoy herself without any visible signs of embarrassment. What a strange world.
They gave evidence of most acute embarrassment. He looked from one to the other, thoroughly enjoying their discomfiture.
“Well, my friends, what do you want me to do?” he said, looking from one to the other, and they, like a pair of guilty children, hung their heads and remained silent.
He continued to calmly survey them, with the assurance that they were both at his complete mercy.
Strutting about the room like a peacock during the performance, he suddenly wheeled about on his heel and pointed his finger fiercely at Carl.
“You, sir, do you wish me to cast you off, out into exterior darkness? How will you obtain another position? Cast out from Roxboro, a discredited servant, without a vestige of reference, a rag of character, with nowhere to go.”
“Oh no, master, please do not do that!” cried poor Carl, blushing to the roots of his wavy hair and trembling at the dreadful prospect of being cast adrift.
Lord Roxboro turned majestically and surveyed his wretched niece:
“And you, miss, do you want me to cast you and your little sister from the hospitable doors of Roxboro? Do you desire to add to your guilt the crime of being the cause of your sister, an innocent victim of your licentiousness, forced to endure the misery and horror of a homeless existence-two girls adrift in the world, legitimate prey for every randy male that desires intercourse. Or perhaps this gallant stableboy will procure a horse stall somewhere and shelter you.”
“Ah, no, no! A thousand times no!” pleaded poor Caroline, terrified at the picture painted by her uncle. “The thought of such an existence would cause me to seek yon shimmering river, and ere yet the door had swung on the manor, I would be engulfed beneath the caressing waters of the merciful lake.”
“Tut, tut, Caroline. Don't dramatize this problem. You may both sit down.”
His lordship seated himself at the escritoire and took up a quill and scribbled furiously.
For several seconds nothing was heard in the room but the tick of the clock on the marble mantel. The scratch of the pen was heard as it swirled over the heavy bond paper.
Arriving at the end of his labor, he picked up the paper and dusted it with drying powder and carefully surveyed his composition.
Turning to both the culprits, he motioned for their attention and remarked:
“Both of you. I have prepared on this sheet of paper a brief account of what transpired in the barn today between you. This document you will both sign as a promise of good faith. I will place it here in the safe, and upon the very first evidence of misconduct between you two, I will cast both of you off and publish the contents of this
