Hysteria in the Manor: Doctor

In walking through the courtyard to the entrance to the manor, I'm struck by how plain it is. The grass is well-trimmed, the foliage in simple geometric shapes, the roses and tulips all the same shade of red. A positively stunning display of wealth, even if it isn't visually appealing a priori. To maintain the hedges so even and uniform must require at least daily trimming. Marchioness d'Alembert is perhaps not my wealthiest client to date, but her husband's manor may be the most striking I've yet seen. Even the door is plain, no ornate decoration, simply a large indentation in the middle, and a knocker that I divine to be white gold. When I knock though, the echoing, vibrant ringing tells me that the door must be constructed of rosewood, further demonstrating the monstrous wealth of the marquis.

A young woman, perhaps 25, opens the door, wearing the dress and headpiece of a maidservant. I introduce myself

"Doctor Thomas Maxwell, I've been summoned by the Marchioness."

She nods. "Just a moment, sir," and retreats into the house, closing the door behind her. I wait patiently for an extended moment. It's incredibly quiet, I don't hear even a bird. I suppose there are no trees around to house them, but this understanding makes the silence no less oppressing.

The maid returns presently. "Come in sir, and follow me please." She opens the door and I follow her in. She brings me down a long, open hallway, and I'm again taken by the sparseness of the decoration. All of the material is exquisite, much of exotic origin, but there is almost no artwork to speak of, and even that which I do see is itself pure and simplistic in nature. I note as well an excessive number of candleholders, not a single lightbulb, making the whole manor feel almost outdated. But then we turn a corner, and I see a truly ornate door. Carved into it appears to be a Baroque artwork, fascinatingly detailed, separated into panels as though to tell a story. The doorframe, I note, is ebony, and the handle rose gold. The maid opens the door and introduces me "Doctor Thomas Maxwell, my lady." She then steps aside, gestures for me to enter, and walks away. I enter the room and see a woman whom I can only assume is the Marchioness d'Alembert, seated on an ornate, red velvet chair, with thick, felted arms. If I am to treat her hysteria in the usual way, these arms will get in the way, but will deal with this matter as it becomes relevant.

For however off-putting I found the spartan nature of her manor, I feel it matches the Marchioness's beauty to a T. Her dress is plain, red with black highlights, but the red is a deep scarlet, more saturated with dye than anything I've yet seen. Her lips are dyed a similar color, and her hair jet-black as the trim of her dress. Her face, as her decoration, is plain but exquisite in the fine details. Oval in shape, with a slight olive complexion. Her lips pursed gently, she truly projects nobility.

I bow slightly and introduce myself. "Good afternoon my lady, Doctor Thomas Maxwell at your service."

The Marchioness sits up slightly and then speaks. "Doctor Maxwell, I've summoned you on recommendation of the other noblewomen of this area. I understand you are able to treat hysteria without use of the new electric devices, is that correct?" The word electric carries a venom I've not heard anyone use but when speaking the name of a murderer.

"That is correct, my lady. Is it for this that you've summoned me?" I had assumed this was the case, my other patients often told me that the Marchioness was desperately hysterical and in dire need of this treatment.

"That is correct, yes. What would this treatment entail?" I notice her shift her weight in her chair slightly, though her hands remain stationary, folded on her lap.

"Well, my lady, as you are likely aware, the accepted treatment for hysteria is extended stimulation of the genitals, in order to induce a release of your excess feminine energy. Does this please my lady?"

"If it will indeed treat my hysteria, then yes, I will allow it."

"Very good my lady." I briefly scan the room, looking for an alternate seat without such obstructing arms. My attention is drawn to a sofa, opposite a large bay window. "If I may make such a request, might you move to the sofa over there? The arms of your current seat would impede my access."

"Of course, whatever you need, doctor." She stands up and moves to the chair, and I note that her attention is drawn outside. I walk up and kneel down before her, note that she's breathing a bit more heavily than I would expect.

"My lady, if I may lift your dress?" I ask

"Yes doctor, whatever you need." Her voice is curt, her intonation more dry than previously. I lift her dress by the trim.

I'm surprised to find that the Marchioness is wearing nothing below her dress. That she asked about the nature of my treatment had let me to assume that she was unaware of what I would be doing, but I must have been mistaken. Surely this is not how she is typically dressed. I note that her vulva is relatively hairless. Not clean-shaven, but not nearly as hairy as many of my other patients. Her labia is slightly open and glistening. I push her dress up slightly more, bunching up on her stomach, such that she might see me as I work, should she so choose.

"My lady, are you prepared to begin treatment?" The Marchioness looks down at me, her face flushed.

"Yes, on with it." Her attention returns to the window. I proceed with my work.

She is already quite moist, perhaps from sweat or perhaps from its own lubrication. I run my fingers gently around her thighs to stimulate blood flow to the area. I feel her twitch at each touch, so I work gradually toward the vulva to allow her to get used to the sensation. As the twitching stops, I assume she's adjusted and move perhaps a barleycorn closer. I notice her breathing deepen as I get closer, as with many of my patients. When I finally reach her vulva, I can hear her breathing, almost hyperventilating.

"Everything alright my lady? You seem a bit stressed."

"Get on with it, doctor." Her voice is short, breathy. Her attention is still fixated out the window. I suppose she feels vulnerable in this position, indeed embarrassed, which is typical of my first-time patients.

"As you wish." I trace my hands on her labia and feel her shudder violently.

I spread her labia and run my finger up and down between the lips. I hear the marchioness release a faint "aaaah," had I not been so used to this response I might not have noticed it. It is already quite slick, moreso than with previous patients. I spread her labia gently, exposing the clitoris. I can feel the marchioness trembling, so I keep a berth from it for the time being, and move my fingers slowly down to her vagina proper.

I begin to insert my index finger, testing to see how open she is. Remarkably, it slides right in. The marchioness is certainly not relaxed, and I can already tell it will take some time for her to adjust to anything more, but her vagina is incredibly well lubricated and I'm able to slide a finger in almost entirely unimpeded.

"Oh my" I hear the marchioness exclaim. I start to remove my finger and she thrusts her hips forward and squirms.

"My lady, is everything alright?" I ask. She is at this time pressing her hips firmly against my hand and gyrating softly.

The marchioness speaks, her tone betraying a great deal of effort and focus to maintain a clear diction. "Yes, quite alright. It's-- it must be the hysteria. Carry on, doctor." Her hip gyrations calm down to nothing, though she continues to press her vulva firmly against my hand.

"Very well, my lady." I place my hand on her mons pubis to hold her back, should she try to press forward again, and withdraw my finger. I rub it against my thumb to judge the lubrication. As I noted before, the marchioness is as wet as anyone I've ever serviced, so I decide to move on. Keeping my left hand on her mons, I insert my middle finger briefly into her vagina and immediately remove it. The marchioness takes a deep breath and spreads her legs further. I feel her press against my hand, though she cannot move her hips forward as I am now holding her back. "My lady--"

"On with it doctor keep working." the marchioness snaps back. Startled I look up at her face. Her eyes are closed, her head tilted slightly back. Her hand is at her forehead, fingers slightly curled. Her small finger presses into the bridge of her nose, the rest run up to her hairline, separated by perhaps an inch apiece.

"I'm about to begin the main part of the treatment. You may find it a bit intense, and I wanted to warn you."

"Do it."

"Very well my lady." My index and middle finger now lubricated, I slowly insert them into the marchioness's vagina. I notice her legs shake quite vigorously, and begin to withdraw. She suddenly brings her hands to mine and pushes my fingers inside, holds them there.

"No, it's fine. Just need to adjust to the feeling." Her voice is once again very measured, but I can sense the effort, the strain she's trying to hide.

"Very good my lady. I must say, you've done an impeccable job at maintaining your composure, but you should know that's entirely unnecessary. The treatment works best if you relax." She doesn't respond immediately, but I do sense a great deal of tension leave her muscles. "Especially now, you should feel free to listen to your body's responses and let them out."

The marchioness releases my hands and places them at her sides, then spreads her legs a bit further. "Proceed, doctor." Her voice now has much less of the measured, strained quality of before. Remarkably, she seems to have taken my advice to heart.

"Very good my lady." At this, I begin to slowly move my fingers in and out of her vagina, only slightly, no more than a quarter inch in and out. I can sense the marchioness twitching and trembling. Her breathing deep, but shaky. Clearly she holds a great deal of tension within her, and is letting it out only now. I speed up my motion to roughly 90 beats per minute, where I plan to hold steady. The marchioness begins moaning vocally. Quietly to be sure, but distinctly and certainly audibly. I take this as a good sign and continue steadily. I feel the walls of her vagina tighten and moisten, indicating that her climax is nearing. The marchioness's moans grow louder, her hands move to her breasts, and her squirming becomes more and more thorough. I find she is surprisingly strong and I'm only just able to hold her back and keep a consistent rhythm.

Suddenly, the walls of the marchioness's vagina begin to contract and her limbs move erratically. This is unexpected, my other clients' orgasms tend to come much more gradually, but that's no matter. For about forty seconds or so I maintain my earlier rhythm until she calms down, before slowing down to a stop and I remove my hands from her vagina.

I take a moment to rest, feeling suddenly a soreness in my wrists. I look up at the marchioness, her head thrown back, chest moving in and out as she pants deeply. I give her a moment to collect herself, as I pack up my supplies. As she begins to sit up, I ask "Does my lady require anything else?" The marchioness angles her head to look down at me and blinks slowly. After a spell, she responds

"No Doctor, that will be all. Please do remind me of your rate?" Her voice is breathy, she is clearly tired.

"Four guineas, my lady."

"Very well, Alice will have that for you on your way out." I offer a curt nod, pick up my supplies, and head out of the room, back into the oppressively sparse hallway. I'm taken aback once more, and wonder internally if the marchioness decorated her study to her taste, how on earth she bears to live in this utter vacuum of aesthetics. "Doctor!" I suddenly hear her call out from the study.

In an emergent panic, I rush back inside. "Yes my lady is something wrong?" The marchioness is still in her chair, her eyes wide and panicked, but otherwise seems physically sound.

"I-- well I, if I-- my hysteria were to resurface..." she trails off and looks away, seemingly embarrassed. I've seen this before in other patients so I try to reassure her.

"Yes my lady, it has been known to happen. If it does indeed recur, feel free to contact my office once more. Whenever required, I am at your service."

The marchioness's entire body seems to relax, she smiles gently and closes her eyes. "Thank you Doctor. You may go." I nod and exit the study once more, into the bare, plain, minimalist rest of the manor. I wonder whether it will be a matter of days or weeks until the marchioness summons me once more. I certainly hope the former.