La Contessa Ch. 11

Chapter 11: The Card Game

I make my way to La Contessa's games salon where I wait patiently beside the card table as I've been directed. The other household servants are not put out by having a naked servant wander around the house wearing no more than a collar and a few leather straps. I get the odd admiring glance at my manhood from the younger, female servants. But they know not to linger too long in admiring my physique or they'll get a reprimand from old Lucio.

The centrepiece of the salon is a billiard table, but there are also several card tables, one laid out for a game. There's a chair arranged on one side of the table and four on the opposite side. In front of each setting is a stack of chips fashioned from ivory, each with a distinctive coloured marking on it. There's a decanter of malvasie and glasses set out around the table at each place setting.

The table is set out for a game of faro, a hugely popular card game in Venice for many years. Il Ridotto, the gaming houses sanctioned by the Venetian state, are full of people playing faro. I once visited the largest of these gambling houses in Calle de Ridotto. It was an eye opener; a vast candlelit hall with over a hundred gaming tables packed with gamblers. It's hugely popular though I've never been tempted to partake. I've seen and heard of too many lives ruined from fortunes lost at the gaming table. I know how popular the game is with the aristocratic elite of Venice so it doesn't surprise me La Contessa should invite guests to play with her.

The green baize has a suit of spades set out in classic formation with a row containing ace to six, another row with eight to the king, and the seven to one side on its own. Faro is simple and fast moving, hence why it's so popular and how people lose so much money playing it. Basically, people play against the dealer by placing bets on the cards.

At the start of the game three cards are turned up from the pack. The first isn't used in the game and is discarded to the left of the pack. The next card is the 'loser' and is placed in front of the dealer whilst the card left face up on the pack is the 'winner'. 'Loser' cards win for the banker who takes the stakes from the card on the board while 'winner' cards win for the players who've bet on that card. After each 'turn' of the two cards the bets are settled and the stakes of the cards not turned over stay on the table.

I admit to being intrigued about the role I'm meant to play in the game. I imagine La Contessa will add a sexual twist to it, or maybe she wants me as a decoration to stand there naked in my leather straps.

I hear a commotion of chatting and giggling from the other side of the door before it's flung open by Lucio dressed in formal attire for the occasion. Lucio sees me standing by the card table and shoots me a disdainful stare across the room. La Contessa enters with her four guests.

They are a bizarre sight dressed with the formal extravagance of Venetian court life. Julia has done a remarkable job in transforming her mistress into the epitome of current Venetian fashion. The wigs are enormous, even by the standards of the day. It's as if they've entered a competition for the tallest wig, which, inevitably, La Contessa has won, as hers is several inches higher than the others. They are embellished with jewels and enormous feathers so that, even in the high ceiling of the salon, they nearly touch the roof. In fact, I believe the size of La Contessa's wig is so preposterous a parody of the fashion of the day, or even a mockery of her guests, is suggested. She has the statuesque figure and poise to pull it off but, though I'd dare not hint it to her, as a group they appear rather ridiculous.

It's not only the enormous wigs. Their faces are powdered white, their lips rouged and their faces adorned with false moles in the shape of hearts or spades. Their gowns are sumptuous; the quality of the material, their cut, and vibrant colours are stunning. They walk stiffly, encumbered as they are by their wigs, bustles, and layers of undergarments.

As they enter one of La Contessa's guests is nattering away to the others in good Italian with a strange accent, which I take to be English, "I'm enjoying Venice exceedingly. I must say, much to my surprise, so is Lord Rudston. I was most worried he'd be bored away from his estate and his hunting, but he seems to have taken such an interest in the architecture here. You know, he has taken to regular constitutional walks where he simply insists on going out on his own to explore Venice. I'm most delighted he's shown an interest in things other than his hunting, it's most refreshing."

I have to restrain myself from laughing. I catch La Contessa's gaze and we exchange discreet smiles. We both know where Lord Rudston's been! He's taken himself off to the brothels of the Cannaregio. He's probably fucked every prostitute in Venice by now without Lady Rudston suspecting a thing. Well, I say every prostitute; that would be some achievement given there are several thousand of them!

From the introductions made by Lucio I can identify La Contessa's guests. There's Lady Rudston, with a short round body and spherical face looking absurd in her massive wig. Apparently, Lord Rudston owns huge estates in a part of England I've never heard of called 'Yorkshire'. There's Archduchess Hofburg from Salzburg, who is tall, angular and pointed, Anastasia Petrova, allegedly a Russian Princess and finally, and most interestingly, Mademoiselle Marie La Tour, the wealthy heiress to the Gobelins tapestry factory in Paris, who is young and pretty. They make for a strange party.

Now, from the point of view of La Contessa's plans for her soiree, they have each come with a male servant, dressed like me in combinations of leather straps and thongs. I expect La Contessa has loaned this attire as I can't imagine this being normal dress in these aristocratic houses. They are directed to stand next alongside me at one end of the card table.

The ladies take their seats at the table and Lucio pours out a glass of malvasie for each of them. They unfold their enormous fans, decorated with hand-painted Japanese geishas, which must be the latest fashion. I appreciate it must be hot under the thick velvet and damask dresses but the salon is not so warm. I can only think the fans are an affectation or, it occurs to me, they might be used for coded messages if the players had conspired to cheat La Contessa, as I know fans are used in this way. But I consider this highly unlikely. Indeed, it's hard to imagine Lady Rudston having the wits to cheat anybody.

La Contessa explains the rules of her game, "I know you are familiar with the rules of faro. I shall play the role of dealer. You can bet up to five stakes for each turn. There is a delightful little twist to my version of the game though. After each turn your winning stakes are converted into punishments for our respective servants. So, if the dealer, that's me, wins, then I get to punish your servant. If a player wins, then you get the chance to punish my slave. So, there you are ladies, it's really win-win for you, either you administer corporal punishment or you watch it being delivered to another servant."

As La Contessa explains her rules I stand there mentally calculating the likely odds. Surely that means with four against the dealer I have four times more chance of being punished than the other servants? Oh well, I was expecting there to be a twist, and it doesn't surprise me La Contessa would load the odds against me.

"This is good. I am looking forward to game. Salons of St Petersburg do not permit such goings-on. We are not so, how do you say, opening of minds as in Venice," explains the Princess Anastasia in broken Italian.

"Oh my goodness! If only Lord Rudston knew what I'm getting up to whilst he's wandering around Venice looking at churches. He's such a stick-in-the mud," laughs Lady Rudston. "He'd never imagine I'd be doing anything as naughty as this whilst his back's turned!"

"I was once invited by the Comte du Conde to a masked spanking ball at the palace of Vaux le Vicomte," added Mademoiselle La Tour, "it was great fun. Thank you for inviting me Contessa, I'm looking forward to this."

The thin Austrian archduchess looks across at her haughtily, "I'm surprised Le Comte would invite a tradesman and commoner to his palace."

Mademoiselle stares daggers at her, "Money opens doors, as you'll no doubt discover soon Herr Hofburg. Nobody will talk to an impoverished aristocrat as I expect you'll soon find out after your husband has settled his debts at Il Ridotto."

This afternoon could be fun! But La Contessa has no time for this squabbling amongst her guests and rapidly pulls them back to the game at hand.

"Lucio, lay-out the instruments of punishment for me," she orders.

He fetches an armful of implements and arraigns them on the green baize of an adjoining card table. There is a collection of whips, riding crops, tawses, straps, slippers, and canes of varying sizes, materials, and flexibility all capable of delivering severe corporal punishment. The servants of the other aristocratic guests stare nervously at the tools arraigned before them.

"I will add a little more interest to the game by giving a value to the implements. I believe the canes are the harshest so they need two winning stakes before you can use them. For the overall winner, the player with the most winning stakes, I have a special treat. So, shall we begin ladies?"

La Contessa nestles into the dealer's chair. The ladies place their stakes on the cards. She shuffles the deck and places it face up in front of her on the table. The card showing is the first card, known as the soda, and this is discarded and placed to the left of the pack. The next card is the two of diamonds; this is the 'loser' and is placed between the discarded card and the pack. The card showing at the top of the pack is the eight of clubs, and is the 'winner'.

Lady Rudston has placed a stake on the two of spades on the board, this means she has lost to the dealer and, under the rules of this version of the game, La Contessa can punish Lady Rudston's servant.

She's in fits of giggles over it, "Oh, I'm so sorry, James. I was never any good at cards! Lord Rudston has always said I've no luck in card games and he's right. This is such fun."

I glance at the deck. Two guests, Mademoiselle La Tour and the Archduchess Hofburg have put stakes on the eight which means I receive one stroke from each of them. I think I might enjoy being whipped by the pretty French heiress and the Archduchess looks so feeble, I'd be surprised if she can even lift a riding crop!

Lady Rudston's servant, James, bends over dutifully to receive his punishment. La Contessa leaves him there as she adds another detail to the rules.

"I should have mentioned that a lady can opt to use her hand to deliver a spanking instead of the implements, if she prefers. I choose to use my bare hand."

She stands up, ceremoniously stretches out her arm and slowly pulls off her lace glove. She raises her arm and brings her hand sharply down on the servant's backside with a loud slap. The servant shouts out.

"Ouch! That hurts."

La Contessa looks at him with disgust, "It is a mere tickle. You'll find out what real punishment is later in the game. There is another rule. Servants must take their punishment in silence. If they make any noise, or if any one of the players think they have not accepted their punishment gracefully, then they can ask for another stroke."

La Contessa raises her arm again and brings her hand down even harder. James, having learnt his lesson, takes his punishment in silence.

Now it's my turn and I bend over and thrust my arse up invitingly into the air. Out of the corner of my eye I see Mademoiselle choose the riding crop, and the Archduchess a leather strap. The riding crop crashes on my backside. It's a hard stroke, and I can tell Mademoiselle means business. The cord at the end of the crop delivers a nasty little sting. The Archduchess strikes me with the leather strap. I'm surprised at the strength of the stroke. The impact and quality of the pain is wholly different as the flat leather strap whacks against one bum cheek.

"Contessa," Mademoiselle calls mischievously, "I heard him grunt when the crop whipped him, so I claim another stroke."

"Yes, I'm disappointed in him. He has been trained to receive punishment. Of course, Mademoiselle, these are the rules of the game, please go ahead."

I'm sure I didn't grunt, but I'm not going to argue. I steel myself for another stroke and this one is even harder. She's obviously determined to enter into the spirit of the game.

"That's not fair. I struck him harder than her, and I heard him grunt too. I demand another stroke," this from the indignant Archduchess who doesn't want the French woman to get one over on her.

"But yes, you are entitled to another stroke," replies La Contessa.

The heavy leather strap crashes on my arse again with a loud slap. This could be a long afternoon if the ladies compete for more hits like this.

La Contessa's card game continues in a similar vein. Faro is a fast moving game; turns last only as long as it takes to deal the two cards, hence why it's so easy to lose money in the state gaming houses. The guests quickly get used to La Contessa's rules and, as the game gathers pace, the turn-over of spankings, whippings, and beatings becomes faster and more furious.

La Contessa finds it highly entertaining. I can tell she's exercising restraint and refrains from delivering the beatings I know she's capable of to the other participants who are not as experienced in receiving punishment. Consequently, the shock of being struck by La Contessa's whip with its long leather thongs leads them to emit squeals, groans, and gasps leading to further strokes. But the other servants get off lightly. Somehow, I find it's me who gets the lion's share of the punishment.

La Contessa laughs with the other ladies, "I really don't know what's happening, I don't appear to be having much luck as dealer. The 'winner' cards are coming up for you so frequently."

We servants face the game as La Contessa considers it amusing for us to see the stakes placed and the cards as they are turned over so we can work out the punishments we can expect.

"I believe it adds to the anticipation and the fun for us." she explains, and they agree as they regard our shocked faces with amusement.

In fact, La Contessa's luck is so poor in this game I suspect she's manipulating it to make sure I receive the most punishments. I've been party to her games long enough to know it's likely. The other interesting point about faro is that stakes can build up on an individual card until it is turned up. It so happens twelve stakes have accumulated on the knave and, surprise, surprise, La Contessa turns the knave of hearts over as a 'winner' card, which means I have to take twelve strokes.

The guests find this highly amusing. They each make their choice of implement: the Russian Princess the riding crop; the Austrian Archduchess, a slipper; Lady Rudston, the leather strap, whilst Mademoiselle La Tour selects to use her bare hand. They have me bend over and stick my arse up in the air for them as they line up to take their turns. Three strokes of crop, two of the slipper, three of the strap in quick succession with barely time to take breath and finally, four slaps from Mademoiselle. After the beating my arse is red and throbbing. Strangely, I don't mind. I know how thin the boundary is between pain and pleasure, and I'm only too willing to join in the game. I'm convinced I take this punishment in steely silence but Mademoiselle, who I think is playing games with me, insists I let out an audible gasp and should, therefore, be punished further by both her and the other guests too. La Contessa acquiesces with her demand. This means a further twelve strokes.

They each have their different styles of delivery and, after downing several glasses of malvasie, they are soon tipsy and lose their inhibitions. The Russian's strokes are icy and determined, and the heaviest of the four. The Austrian doesn't hit as hard yet finds a delivery which gives a nasty sting. It takes a while for the English lady to get going as to start with she's in such a fit of giggles she fails to deliver a proper stroke. As she warms up her hits become firmer. She looks a sight after delivering her three strokes, her round face flushed and bright red from the exertion. Mademoiselle is having the most fun. She's playing along with the spirit of the game and finds any excuse to administer me more punishment. It's Mademoiselle who's the first to exercise the rule of holding back on stakes to use the cane. She's the most successful player, much to the annoyance of the Archduchess Hofburg.

"Contessa," she says after winning with four bets on number nine, "I've four stakes with this win and I've saved another six from other wins, so I believe I have the right to use five strokes of the cane."

"Certainly, Mademoiselle," agrees La Contessa, "by all means make use of your stakes. We shall enjoy seeing my slave get punished with the cane."

"Sacre bleu, I'm looking forward to this. I had a lover once who enjoyed corporal punishment. When it was quiet, I used to tie him to a loom in the tapestry works and give him a good caning. It's such a shame, he's no longer my lover now, but they were happy days!"

"How wonderful," replies La Contessa. "Yes, there is nothing like caning a lover... or a slave. But Mademoiselle, I've had a wonderful idea for a commission. As you know, I've invited you here because I need tapestries to decorate my gaming salon. I propose you design a tapestry of me punishing my slave. It can be a permanent memento of our afternoon."

"Why, that would be wonderful, Contessa. The men in the works will have such fun designing it. And I will make sure you look magnificent in the tapestry. I will have them weave your dress in gold thread."

"Excellent, Mademoiselle. We will discuss details later."

The Austrian Archduchess has a face like thunder. I fear she has misjudged La Contessa. She only has to look at the outstanding paintings, sculptures, and tapestries in the palazzo to recognise La Contessa has an appreciation for fine arts.

"Now to the business at hand," smiles Mademoiselle with relish. "Stick your arse out for me. I want a decent target to aim at."

I do as I'm told and present myself for her. She circles around me flexing the cane. She drags it across my arse, raw from many beatings over the course of the card game.

She raises the cane high above her head and brings it down with a swishing sound to crack onto my backside. It stings. She's young and strong, and she knows how to deliver a severe punishment. I can hear the other women gasp at the ferocity of the stroke. I breathe heavily but hold my position.

She leans over so her face, topped by the huge wig balanced on top of her head, is pressed close to mine. I get a whiff her scent, sweet and flowery, the most expensive from her Parisian parfumier no doubt.

"Now, I don't want to hear the slightest whimper from you. And I'm listening... very carefully!"

The next stroke comes cracking onto my backside. There's a slight pause and then the next three in quick succession so I can barely draw breath. Do I let out a gasp? I can't help it. It may only have been faint, but if challenged I couldn't deny it.

"He makes breathe, I think," says the Russian Princess triumphantly.

"Yes, he definitely did," confirms La Contessa as she turns to me. "I'm disappointed in you, slave. I've been praising your ability to take punishment to my guests, and now you've let me down. I think Mademoiselle is entitled to another five strokes. And I will give you another five for failing to serve my guests adequately."