Purity Ch. 11

Disclaimer: Please read and take note. This work explores themes of power imbalance, older man/younger woman, corporal discipline, and the corruption of Christian traditions in a historical context. Please do not read this story if you find such themes offensive, distasteful, or upsetting. Also, understand this is a work of fiction directly from the creative mind of a fellow human being and is freely offered up for the enjoyment of those who would like it. British English spellings are used throughout. Troll comments will be deleted with extreme prejudice.

The convent of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin, home to the order of the same name, occupied an austere establishment set atop a hill at the far side of Edmund's parish. While it gained its notoriety as a reformatory for recalcitrant girls, it made its fortune with a rather more prestigious clientele. It was known by its wealthy patrons as the place to send their betrothed and new brides for training, and they paid handsomely for the good Sisters' expertise, whose results were second to none. Rich men knew that however intractable their intended was when they arrived, they would be very contrite, respectful, and well-punished young ladies on their return.

When Edmund contacted the Abbess to discuss the deplorable behaviour of his wayward betrothed, he was assured that he had come to the right place. As a member of the clergy, she acknowledged that it was vital he be accorded the respect he deserved in the community. Thus, he received special dispensation allowing him to enrol Alice forthwith, despite the meagre stipend he was granted by his parish.

The sun barely crested the horizon when Edmund brought the horse and trap to a stop outside the convent's imposing wrought iron gate, and Alice wanted nothing more than to drop to her knees and beg him to take her home. Since waking, he had refused to talk to her, and when Edmund had even denied her this morning's spanking and penance, she felt bereft.

She tried one last time to reason with him.

'Please, Father... Edmund, if you love me as I love you, please have mercy. I promise that I will do better.' She grasped his hand in both of hers as he continued to look forward, refusing to meet her eyes. 'I will do everything you say, bear any punishment you wish to bestow, only please, please don't leave me here.'

Her tears fell unchecked and unseen by Edmund, who coldly removed his hand from her grip and dismounted from the carriage, walking to the back to retrieve her single bag. Before the entry, his sharp pull on a heavy, well-worn handle rang a bell signalling their arrival, and it was only moments later that a tall, slim woman in nun's habit walked down the path to grant them entry.

Alice had yet to move from her perch on the trap and was of a mind to grab the reins and make her escape. But, honestly, where could she go? And while she most certainly wanted to be anywhere but here, she had no desire to leave Edmund. She loved him, and more than anything, she still wanted to be his wife. If this was something she had to endure for him, then so be it. With slow, reluctant steps, she clambered down from the carriage and walked up to the gate to join Edmund.

Entering the cool, dark halls of the convent, Alice could hear that they were not the only ones up at this hour. Indeed, they passed a long, vaulted hall where rows of girls sat on hard benches eating what looked to be porridge at long, oak tables. All the occupants, who aged from around 13-20 years, had their hair in pigtails and were wearing a uniform of a grey smock with a clean white apron; a style more suited to much younger girls.

Before she could see more, the nun hurried her past the hall and into an oak-panelled office with a large desk. Behind the desk, sat a severe-looking woman with steel grey hair, who appeared to be in her early 80s.

'Reverend Mother,' Edmund addressed the venerable woman respectfully as he put down Alice's bag, 'I thank you for agreeing to receive us at this hour.'

The woman inclined her head in acknowledgment and gestured to the simple wooden chair opposite her. As Edmund sat, Alice looked for a second chair, and finding none, stood awkwardly beside him.

'Father Hardwick, it is both the duty and pleasure of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin to serve the needs of the parish. I understand that you are betrothed to be wed?' She turned to Alice for the first time. The crone's piercing gaze travelled her body until it locked coldly on her eyes. Whatever first impression Alice had given, she felt that she had been judged and found wanting.

'Indeed, Reverend Mother. Alice is to be my wife,' Edmund looked to Alice without warmth, 'If she can learn how to deport herself with modesty and obedience.'

'Please, Edmund...' she began.

'Silence, child!' thundered the woman, now rising to her feet, both hands flat on the surface of the desk. 'How DARE you interrupt when the adults are talking? Were you never taught that your place is to be seen and not heard?'

Alice looked at her in confusion. Did she not know that she was 19 years old? While she would not reach her majority for another six years, surely the Abbess must have gleaned that she was no longer a child when Edmund informed her of their intended marriage.

Dismissing Alice, she turned to Edmund. 'I quite understand the severity of your situation, and I am glad that we can be of service. You may leave her with us, and rest assured that when you return, this disrespectful chit will be much improved.'

Alice looked again to Edmund, hoping for a hint of compassion, but found none.

'I thank you, Reverend Mother. I have the utmost faith that you will succeed where I have failed in bringing this poor, misguided girl back into God's grace.' He seemed so ashamed that Alice felt a deep sense of guilt. It was her lack of self-control and poor choices that had led them both here, and she bitterly regretted that it had come to this.

With business-like efficiency that belied her advanced years, the woman stood and rounded her desk, ushering Edmund out of the room. When Alice tried to follow, she was stopped by a surprisingly strong hand on her shoulder.

'Say your goodbyes, Girl, and be quick about it,' the Abbess hissed. 'We have much to do before your lessons may begin.'

Alice pulled away and threw herself into Edmund's arms, clutching at his robes as she looked up at him. She knew that it had humbled him to bring her here, but he did it anyway to help her be the chaste and obedient bride he deserved.

'I promise I will be good and learn my lessons, Edmund, so that I may return the perfect wife for you.'

Finally, Edmund looked at her with softness and warmth.

'That is all I ask, sweet girl. For you to become the virtuous young woman, I know you to be.' And, with a soft kiss on the crown of her head, he pulled away and paced back down the hallway, leaving her alone with the terrifying older woman.

As Edmund strode out of sight, a second nun joined them in the office.

'Sister Mary Elizabeth, see that this girl is properly attired and set her up in the west dormitory. Then she may break her fast before Mass.'

The nun bowed her head, her hands clasped as she softly replied, 'Yes, Mother Superior.' When she turned to leave the room, Alice picked up her bag and followed her. Wherever she was going, it had to be better than staying a moment longer with the unforgiving Abbess.

Sister Mary Elizabeth walked her briskly through the maze of cool, dim corridors until she reached a laundry room. Even though it was still early, sweaty young women, Novices by the look of their white head coverings, were heating water in a large copper boiler set into a brick fireplace. Drying clothes were laid out on lines around the sweltering room and a collection of shallow wooden tubs were being used to scrub and rinse garments. A set of shelves on the far side of the room contained folded garments, and it was there that the Sister came to a halt. Sizing her up, she chose several items, then continued their journey back out into the blessed cool of the hallway until she reached a dormitory.

'What will be my role here, Sister?' Alice enquired nervously. Whatever fate lay in store for her, she would rather know it now so she could prepare herself. 'Will I be helping in the laundry?' she asked hopefully. Manual labour was something she knew well. Even though there were many more exciting things she would rather be doing with her time, a fact that had led her here in the first place, hard work was something that held no fear for her.

'Goodness, no, child,' the Sister responded gently. 'Your intended has sent you here to remind you how to be a good and virtuous woman who will be his helpmate in the life you share together. Your only service will be to the Lord and to the Reverend Mother, of course, who will guide you on your journey to redemption.'

The Sister had such a calm and gentle manner that Alice questioned whether the reputation of the order was perhaps more born of ignorance and fear than reality. However, when her eyes alighted on the heavy leather strap hanging from Sister Mary Elizabeth's belt, she decided to withhold her judgement.

Taking her down the row of neatly made beds, the Sister stopped at one that looked no different from any other. Placing the clothing on the bed, she split it into two piles. One she left neatly folded, the other she placed in the wooden trunk at the bed's foot.

The Sister picked up Alice's bag and appeared to be about to place it in the trunk, before she paused and eyed the girl. Shaking her head regretfully, she upturned the small leather bag, spilling its contents on the bed, inciting an indignant gasp.

'It is Mother Superior's orders that every girl must be searched on her arrival. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear,' she smiled encouragingly.

Sister Mary Elizabeth examined each item as she dropped it back into the bag -- a wide, rectangular wooden hairbrush, a small, well-worn Bible, a lace-edged handkerchief, a tarnished locket that had belonged to Alice's mother, and a small jar of liniment.

Alice blushed when the Sister unscrewed the lid as even the rasping sound sent a throb of remembered arousal arrowing straight to the apex of her thighs.

The young nun grimaced as she breathed in the chilli fumes and turned to Alice with watering eyes. 'Why do you have this unguent, child? What ails you?'

Stammering in embarrassment, Alice could think of no convincing argument. 'Oh, uh, it is nothing, Sister. Just a... a liniment I brewed for Father Hardwick. I know not how it came to be amongst my things.'

Pocketing the jar, the Sister smiled kindly and replied, 'Not to worry, Alice. I will store it in our apothecary, along with our other remedies. I know a number of Sisters who will be grateful to have such a powerful treatment for their aches and pains.'

Alice's heart dropped, but she nodded and forced a smile. 'Of course, Sister, you are most welcome.'

The matter sorted, Sister Mary Elizabeth appeared content that Alice did not possess any contraband objects about her person, so she continued, 'This will be your bed, Alice. It will be your responsibility to ensure that it is neat and tidy at all times. Slovenliness will not be tolerated. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, as I am sure you are aware.'

When Alice would have rolled her eyes, the Sister continued, 'The scriptures tell us that physical cleanliness is an outer manifestation of spiritual purity, and that is what we are all working towards, is it not?' Yes, Alice mused. Her spiritual purification was what she was here for, and her greatest barrier to this was certainly the filthiness of her physical desires.

'Now, let us get you dressed as a proper Daughter, and then you can join the other girls.'

Alice blushed as the young woman stripped her out of her dress, turning even deeper crimson when the split crotch drawers Edmund had insisted she wear came into view. It was almost a relief when these, too, were removed, and she stood naked as the day she was born.

For the first time in over two weeks, she was without her chastity belt, although its phantom presence was still felt. The marks it had left were nevertheless evident in the form of a band of chafed and pinkened skin around her waist and down her plump mons, disappearing between her feminine lips. Sister Mary Elizabeth frowned upon seeing this, seeming at first confused as to the cause, then her expression turned to shock when it appeared she realised the nature of the crimes that had brought her here.

While it should have come as a relief, even the removal of that hated device felt more like a punishment than a blessing. Edmund had unlocked it when he woke her, taking it to his room as she dressed in silence. She assumed that the absence of men in the convent was the cause of this freedom, but it just compounded her fears that he was finally done with her. She would happily trade a lifetime under its cruel restrictions to win back Edmund's love and trust.

Wasting no time, the Sister helped her dress in her new uniform. It was certainly the most luxurious clothing she had ever worn and by far the most scandalous! While her thigh-length stockings were of fine scarlet wool, the chemise and drawers were made of white silk, which slithered sensuously against her naked flesh, bringing her out in goose pimples and turning her nipples to pebbles. The drawers, with a split crotch like the ones Edmund had insisted she wear, reached just below her knees, and had a pink lace frill around the cuffs.

What was worse, the smock, whilst made of the finest quality lawn, only reached her knees so that her pantelettes were clearly visible! When the Sister tugged the dress into place, Alice felt that surely she had selected the wrong size. As it was more styled to the flat body of a young child, it pulled obscenely across her hips, bottom, and breasts. The white apron tied with a big bow around her narrow waist and only further accentuated her womanly curves.

Alice's protestations went unheard as the Sister brushed out her long, blonde hair, which she'd hurriedly twisted up into a messy bun that morning. When it was smooth and gleaming, Sister Mary Elizabeth rapidly plaited it into two high pigtails fastened with lengths of pink ribbon. Her humiliation was complete when she received a pair of fine soft, black leather slippers which were fastened with silver buckles. She really did look the image of a young girl's pampered porcelain doll! She was sure that Edmund would be horrified if he could see her now.

Holding her at arm's length, the Sister regarded her objectively and then nodded her head. 'Much improved,' she declared with contentment, then picked up Alice's discarded clothing and, taking her by the hand, led her out of the room.

Alice found herself back in the dining hall, where now only a few of the girls remained to finish their morning meal. Sister Mary Elizabeth took her to the serving table to fill a bowl with cooling porridge, then brought her to the table, introducing her to the girl beside her.

'Alice, this is Grace. You will see much of each other as Grace is to be your bedfellow.' Alice's eyebrows rose at this declaration, but she assumed this must mean that Grace was in one of the beds next to hers. Good, that meant there was some small hope of finding the right one tonight.

Grace, a petite redhead with a pleasing array of freckles, turned a friendly smile on her and reached out the clasp her hand. 'I'm very pleased to meet you, Alice. I'm sure we will be dear friends.'

Alice returned the smile, delighted and relieved to have made a friend so soon. 'Thank you, Grace,' she replied shyly. 'I'm sure we shall.'

Breakfast passed quickly, and Grace explained that their life at the convent followed a similar routine to the Sisters' own.

'We are summoned by a bell to rise at 5.45 am. We must wash, get dressed and make our beds before the bell goes for Prime, our first morning service, at 6 am. Following that, we have quiet contemplation and Bible reading until the bell calls us to breakfast at 7 am. After breakfast, we say our prayers and then it is the bell for Mass.'

Alice's heart dropped at the tedium of life at the convent. She almost wished it were as scary as she had imagined if the alternative was the drudgery of continuous prayer.

Grace continued, 'We are called to services nine times across the day, with Mattins and Lauds at 1 am, so you will spend most of your waking hours on your knees here,' she smiled. Oh, how Alice wished she were home with Edmund on her knees now.

The ringing of a bell signalled it was time for Mass.

Nearly an hour later, her knees ached, and her head throbbed, and she realised that perhaps her biggest fear here was being bored to death.

At one point in the afternoon, during Recreation, where 'idle chitchat and idle hands' were discouraged, leaving silent needlecraft and Bible study the main options, Alice risked a whispered question to Grace.

'Why do the Sisters carry a strap on their belts? Do they punish you?'

Grace's normally smiling face fell. 'Well, they do have strict rules and they are quick to make an example of any girl who breaks them.' She smiled reassuringly at Alice again, 'I'm sure you'll be fine, though.'

Alice was far less confident.

Despite her long hours spent in supervised prayer, she was allowed to visit the privy alone with the door mercifully locked, and this allowed her to explore her newfound freedom from her chastity. She had intended to stay strong, but the wickedly sensuous nature of her scandalous under things had made that increasingly difficult.

In honour of her promise to Edmund, she did impose some restrictions on her pleasure, though. She only allowed her fingertips to graze her needy pearl and inner folds for a few moments each time and never enough to afford her any kind of lasting relief. In fact, it probably just made things worse, but there was no way she could keep from indulging in this one small concession after being denied access to herself for so long.

Still, the strict Sisters couldn't possibly know what she was up to, and she wasn't about to tell Grace about her lapses in control, so all should be well.

As the insufferable day continued, the monotony was only broken once, at dinner. The Sisters lined up in conventional order, with Mother Superior followed by the fully-fledged Sisters and then the Novices. Behind them, came Alice and the rest of the Daughters in age order. Alice noticed that the young women around her wore red stockings with their uniform while the younger girls behind them wore white.

When she turned to Grace in question, she was immediately hushed with a look so fierce that it shocked her into silence. Alice vowed to ask her about this later.

While the Abbess led the room in saying a blessing, movement caught Alice's eye. An older girl a few seats down from her had sneaked a piece of bread from her plate and, when she thought she was unobserved, had popped it into her mouth.

The murmured, 'Amen' was silenced by the thwack of a leather strap smacking the wooden table. A large, well-built Sister stood, face flushed with rage, as she pointed to the hapless girl, now shocked and choking on her last morsels of stolen food.

'Gluttony!' she cried, incensed with an excited gleam in her eyes. 'How DARE you, Lily Grainger, think to stuff your mouth without giving proper thanks to our Lord for his generosity?'

The girl was frozen with terror as every eye in the hall turned on her.

'Please, Sister Mary Gertrude, I didn't mean any disrespect. I'm sorrrry...!'

Her last words were distorted as the enraged Sister strode down the hall and dragged her out of her chair.