“Ja,” Beth said again.
“Come on.” She took her hand and towed her along. “I’ll sort you before my next client, then you go downstairs and meet your first one.”
She found herself in a room. Clutter was everywhere. Dresses, scarves, shoes, and any number of things were scattered around the small space.
“My name’s Bess.” The woman came at Beth with scissors, and she made herself stay very still. “Take off that cloak.”
She did, lowering it to the floor. The bodice of her dress was then snipped down the front, and her chemise unlaced. The hood was pushed off her head and her hair released.
“You’re pretty.”
“Ja.”
“It’s all right that you don’t speak well. They don’t want your mouth for talking.” This caused Bess to laugh hysterically. “Now, you just do what they says and make the right noises. Madam won’t give you to anyone for the rough stuff on your first night.”
Beth made a sound that Bess took as a question.
“The cuffs, and smacking.”
She couldn’t swallow, as all the spit had dried in her throat.
Something was painted on her lips, then a mask pulled over her eyes.
“We always wear masks. It’s what this place is known for, and it excites the men.”
Beth nodded.
“Now remember, if they don’t appear ready to get things moving, just run your hands down his chest and then stroke him through his breeches. It always gets a rise, if you know what I mean.”
Beth managed to nod, oblivious to what she meant. She knew what happened in the bedroom, but her mother had said the wife simply lay there until the man was finished. She’d never mentioned running a hand down his… ah, breeches.
“It’s good to undress them. Open the trousers and get your hand inside. It makes them crazy with wanting. Running your nails down their chest too. And men love breasts. Make sure you let them play with those.” She waved a hand at Beth’s chest. “It’s nice, the licking.”
Beth looked down at her breasts. Men liked to lick them?
“You’ve got a nice set, so you’ll do well. Be forceful, some men like that too. Run your tongue around your lips, that’s enticing.”
She did that when they were dry. Have I been enticing men all this time?
“Now get on with you, my man will arrive soon.” The door was opened, and Beth scooped up her cloak and hurried out before the door was slammed shut behind her.
Looking about her, she wondered what had just happened. Her breasts were spilling out of her dress, she wore a mask, and something had been painted on her lips, all in a matter of a few minutes. Plus, she now knew that cuffs and smacking were used in brothels, and that grabbing a man’s, ah… she didn’t even know what to call it in her thoughts. She was pathetic. But she knew that grabbing it through his trousers excited him.
She was innocent of all knowledge as to what happened between a man and a woman. Would Nathan have wanted her to touch him? Would he have licked her breasts?
This was, of course, information she would never put into practice, but she was at least a little wiser about the goings-on in the bedroom.
Breasts, it seemed, were especially important to a man. She’d noticed that some men looked at hers.
Of course, her thoughts went to Nathan again. He’d been a true gentleman and not ogled her.
Don’t think about him.She couldn’t explain what had happened, so there was no point in trying. Beth was just pleased she had not given herself away.
Putting her cloak back on, she raised the hood, tucking her hair away. At least if someone noticed her again, she’d have the mask in place.
Walking along the hall to the second door on the left, she ignored a loud squeal followed by a grunt coming from the first door she passed. She was soon standing outside her target.
Just do it Beth.
