The Count and Ms. Rossi Pt. 08

Maggie sat in the front seat with Bert as they began the drive back. She stared out of the window at the dark London landscape. She loved the city at night and enjoyed the drive. They were making good time until they ran into some roadworks with traffic lights. The lights changed three times before they got through.

Maggie glanced nervously at her watch. Nearly quarter to eight. They would make it easily if there were no more delays. As the double gates opened Maggie exhaled loudly. Only then did she realize she had been holding her breath for the last couple of miles. As the car stopped, she thanked Bert with a peck on the cheek, then strolled through the hall and into the dining room. As she sat down, she heard the clock start to chime the hour.

Maggie hadn`t really been paying attention as she entered the room. She had hastily sat down next to Franky, with Charlotte and Gabrielle sitting opposite to her. She uttered her usual "Good evening, Master," and tried to get her heart to stop beating so rapidly.

Once that was achieved, she started to take notice of things. The Count was asking how Charlotte and Gabrielle had enjoyed the party. Both were enthusiastic in their praise of the events, although Maggie thought Charlotte appeared to be quite nervous. Then Maggie saw why. The long cane that she had run her hands down in the downstairs room was lying along the middle of the table.

"Why was it there?" Maggie thought. "Maybe it was for me if I was late. Thank God Bert got me back on time."

Maggie wasn`t really listening to the conversation. Maggie was startled when she heard her own name, "So Ms. Rossi, did you like the party?" The Count asked

"Yes Master, very much so. It was a tremendous success, Master. Did you have fun?"

"Yes. Thank you, Ms. Rossi. You and Franky did an excellent job"

"Thank you, Master. Oh, and thank you for your generosity."

"You are welcome. My staff are always well rewarded if they do an above average job, but they are punished if they fail or break the rules."

Maggie went pale. All the blood drained from her face at his menacing words, and she looked up at him and saw his eyes, the colour of flint, just staring at her.

Her eyes flicked to the cane and then back into the dark pools of his eyes. The Count said nothing more, just rang the bell and Jeremy brought the food in. No starter tonight, just roast chicken with peas, mashed potato, and carrots.

Maggie was struggling to eat. Her throat closed with fear. What had she done so wrong that the Count would flog her with the vicious looking cane that lay on the table.

The Count placed his knife and fork next to his half empty plate and turned to Maggie, "Ms Rossi. Franky tells me that you think it would be a clever idea if I hired Ms. Cassoni. Can you tell me why that would be advantageous for me, apart from her obvious beauty?"

Maggie`s throat was practically sealed with terror, she nearly choked on the small mouthful of chicken she was trying to swallow. Eventually Maggie managed to finish the morsel, she took a deep breath and said, "Master, as you say, Ms Cassoni is an incredibly beautiful woman that would fit in perfectly with your present staff. She is a skilled linguist in some of languages that I cannot speak. She is also University edu-cated in the travel industry, and would be a complete asset in planning events such as the last party, plus arranging all of your personal travel needs in the future."

The Count was nodding as Maggie spoke. He thought for a second before turning to Gabrielle, "Would you like to work for me Ms. Cassoni? Do you know, I mean really know, what that means?"

Gabrielle couldn`t drag her eyes from the white starched tablecloth as she almost whispered, "Yes Master. I would like nothing more than to serve you Master, and yes, Maggie explained in some detail what agreeing to work for you would entail. I am ready to do anything and everything you demand of me."

The Count was nodding as the gorgeous Italian girl was speaking. When she had finished, he looked her in the eyes. Gabrielle had raised her head to look at him once she stopped talking. He took a deep breath and said, "Ms Cassoni. I think we have a place for you here. First, there is a question that I ask all of my prospective staff. Please do not answer now. Think about it overnight. I will ask the same question tomorrow. Depending on your answer, we will see what happens. If you answer no to the question tomorrow, Bert will take you to the airport immediately. We will never see each other again. Do you understand Ms Cassoni?"

Gabrielle was now the one nodding, "Yes Master," she said in a strong voice that amazed Maggie. "Ask your question Master,"

The Count ate another piece of chicken, chewing slowly. When he swallowed, he said in a monotone voice, "Do you want to be owned by me? To follow my every command and wish for eternity? To give up your body whenever I desire to take you, in whichever manner I decide? Will you agree to wear my mark?" He paused and then reminded Gabrielle, "Please do not answer now. Tomorrow, I will ask you the same question. Please think very carefully about the ramifications if you answer in the affirmative."

"Yes Master," Gabrielle answered, her eyes once more glued to the plate in front of her.

"Excellent!" Exclaimed the Count loudly. Then he turned to Charlotte and said, "Ms. Collins. You know I will be asking you the same questions tomorrow, so I advise you to think very carefully tonight about what that will mean for you in the future."

Charlotte smiled at him with her whole face. Her lips splitting and showing brilliant white teeth, her eyes sparkling as she replied, "Yes Master. I have already given it much thought since you proposed it, and I am certain that I will accept your offer."

Maggie watched the Count`s face turn dark. She had seen this look before when he had thrashed her after she was late a second time for dinner, "I am glad you feel that way Ms. Collins. I hope that you will also answer in the same way tomorrow. As I said to Ms Cassoni earlier. If you reply in the negative Bert will take you home and we will never see each other again. Do you understand Ms Collins?" This time as he spoke his eyes strayed to the cane lying on the table.

There was a noticeable tremor in Charlotte`s voice as she answered, "Yes Master!"

"Good," the Count said, a malicious smirk on his face, "Oh another thing Ms Collins." Charlotte looked at him, fear etched across her face as he paused, "Did you enjoy your unsanctioned tour of my private room downstairs with Ms Rossi?

Charlotte was gaspting with the horror of his discovery. She knew she couldn`t lie. Maggie could see that fact on her friends face as Charlotte`s mind whirled looking for the correct answer. In the end she swallowed hard and said, "Yes Master. Sorry Master. It was very ......... Interesting!"

"You seemed very interested in this particular item Ms Collins," The Count said as his fingers ran slowly over the leather wrist band that lay close to his plate.

"Yes Master. I mean no Master. It was just one of the many things that caught my eye," Maggie could see the blonde girl was nearly crying now. Her breasts were rising and falling rapidly as she tried to maintain control of herself.

The Count seemed unfazed by the panic he was instilling in Charlotte, and by extension, in Maggie.

Shall I tell you the story of how I came by this object Ms. Collins?"

By now Charlotte was terrified, but managed to nod as the Count slipped his hand through the leather wrist strap. He began to talk in an even baritone. "This belonged to a particularly good friend of mine. His name was Sayeed Shiraz, he was the head of one of the most notorious prisons in Tehran. They used to send the worst cases to him. Murderers, rapists, thieves. In Iran, some of these crimes receive a sentence of flogging with such a cane. Of course, Sayeed had people to do this for him. Are you enjoying my story Ms. Collins?"

Charlotte was trembling so badly by now that everybody at the table could see this. She made a short nod and through a croaky throat managed a short, "Yes Master:"

"Good. Well, as I said, the normal prisoners would be dealt with by his staff. The prisoners secured onto a frame, similar to the cross I have in the room that you occupied this afternoon. However, if the crimes were particularly heinous in Sayeed`s opinion he would conduct the punishment himself with this, his personal cane. In Arabic it is called "thabane ladha." It was a gift from a friend in Qatar. In English that means "Stinging Snake."

The Count lifted the long stick from the table."Sayeed had a distinct way to deal with paedophiles, rapists and low life people who raped defenceless women or children. He would wait until there were three convicts requiring his own delicate touch. He would have them brought to his office, where he had this foot stool." With that he motioned towards a brown leather stool that Maggie hadn`t seen before. It was just behind where she was sitting with Franky.

The stool was old. The leather cracked with thin grey lines, the padded top was attached to the wooden frame with brass studs. Maggie was near to tears as she envisaged every conceivable way that this was going to end, and all of them meant agony for at least one person sitting at this table.

The Count was talking again, "So, Ms Collins, what Sayeed would do was, make the prisoners strip. One of the prisoners would be placed on the stool with his buttocks upwards and his genitals resting on the leather top. Sayeed would then instruct the other condemned men to grab his arms and legs, and pull as hard as they could, so the man on the stool was stretched and immobile, his exposed buttocks were pulled taut. This increased the pain apparently. Then he used to thrash the man for the length of the sentence. Six, ten, twenty strokes. Whatever the judge had decided. The two men had to witness the pain he inflicted with the knowledge that they were next."

The table was quiet as a graveyard, all that was heard was the ragged breathing of the three women and the Count`s even voice as he went on with his tale. "I won the cane and the stool in a game of backgammon after he had allowed me to witness one of his afternoons with three particularly horrible child abusers who had been sentenced to fifty lashes. Sayeed was a big man. An Olympic weightlifter for his home country. Enough to say that two of these nasty people did not survive." Charlotte gasped loudly.

The Count looked at her with steely eyes, "So Ms Collins, we come to the point of my story. There are rules in this house and if you break them, you will be punished. You, as a guest could still leave. Bert will take you home, and it was genuinely nice to have met you. However, if you want to remain, please remove your dress."

Charlotte was openly crying as she stood on legs that were struggling to support her weight. Maggie watched horrified. Her horror turned to abject dread when the Count turned to her and said, "Unfortunately Ms Rossi, you do not have the option to leave. Please remove that beautiful suit you are wearing. I think two strokes each would suffice for invading my privacy."

Maggie was crying openly as she used trembling fingers to unzip her skirt. She let gravity pull it to the floor. Maggie and Charlotte moved dizzily towards the stool, then stood waiting for the Count. He rose, removed his jacket, shirt and tie. Maggie couldn`t help her heart leaping as she looked at his muscled torso. Once he was topless, he turned to Gabrielle, "Ms. Cassoni. Please, could you assist as I seem to be minus one person requiring correction? Do not be afraid. You have done nothing wrong."

Maggie watched Gabrielle move apprehensively to stand next to Charlotte, who was now in the middle of the three. The Count spoke softly, "Ms Collins, please lay on the stool. Ms Cassoni, please take her ankles and Ms Rossi please grasp her wrists."

The three women did as he had requested. The Count then instructed, "Ms Rossi and Ms Cassoni, please pull as hard as you can until Ms Collins is held tightly across the stool. Maggie and Gabrielle did as he requested. Maggie could feel Charlotte shaking in her sweaty hands, and she was having trouble holding on as Charlotte`s wrists were slick with sweat.

The Count moved so that he was between Maggie and Gabriele. He took two steps backwards and then raised the cane, it hung below his back, then he swung it forward and the crack resonated around the room until it was drowned out by the screaming from Charlotte, that was so full of angst. She was still screaming as the Count swung again, using all his power. Maggie looked on in misery and fear as two long, thin welts appeared on Charlotte`s naked buttocks. The marks had left two deep grooves across both cheeks and were already turning yellow and purple.

Charlotte was wailing like a lost child as Maggie and Gabrielle released her. Maggie placed her shaved mons on the leather stool and extended her wrists and ankles for Gabrielle and Charlotte. Gabrielle took a firm hold, but Charlotte was battling to hold her wrists. Maggie`s shivering, clammy skin and her own distress were making it difficult for her to hold onto Maggie. Maggie looked her right in the eyes and mouthed, "Just do it!"

Maggie felt her body being stretched, and her thighs rose from the stool. There was a half inch between her shaved pussy and the stool as she heard the woosh, and felt the pain of a thousand hornet stings spread across her bum. A bum that had already been caned so nicely by Tony that afternoon. That was fun, but this was an unbearable agony that was repeated a few seconds later. Maggie thought she would faint, but unfortunately she didn`t, and the agony just spread. She managed to rise, and through her tears she stammered, "Thank you Master.!"

The Count was all smiles now as he said, "Congratulations ladies. You accepted your punishment well. I am proud of you both," then looking at Gabrielle he said, "Ms Cassoni. Please remove your dress and bend over the table, I have the need to fuck my possibly new employee."

Gabrielle didn`t hesitate. Maggie and Charlotte held onto each other for support as their legs felt like pulp. Gabrielle was naked under her dress. She lay on the table and pulled the cheeks of her bum apart as the count unzipped his trousers. He was hard as a rock. Without any foreplay he powered into Gabrielle. Charlotte and Maggie watched as he ploughed into her for over ten minutes before letting out a loud roar as he emptied his seed into the young beauty.

The Count picked up his clothes and left the room, not saying a word to any of them. As the door closed behind him Maggie and Charlotte fell to the floor sobbing as Franky helped a stunned Gabrielle up from the table. "Let`s get you two upstairs and take care of those stripes of yours." Franky said.

Charlotte and Maggie helped each other up and supported by Gabrielle and Franky they made their way painfully upstairs to Maggie`s room. Franky fetched the ointment from the bathroom as the two girls lay on their tummy`s on the bed. Franky smeared the acrid smelling salve onto Charlotte, whilst Gabrielle did the same for Maggie.

Maggie felt the effects almost immediately as the stinging, burning agony reduced to just a dull throbbing. She lay on the bed whimpering, her eyes full of tears as Gabrielle carefully rubbed the ointment into the playful marks left by Tony and the angry welts left by the Count.

The room was silent. Franky disappeared for a few minutes, returning with Jeremy. Together they brought four glasses, a large two litre bottle of Coke, a bottle of vodka and some ice in a bucket. Franky thanked Jeremy and he left. Franky mixed four stiff drinks, the women all clinked glasses, before downing their vodkas in one shot.

They repeated the procedure another twice. Maggie was starting to feel very lightheaded as Franky mixed their fourth drink. They sat together sipping their drinks and letting the alcohol mellow their mood.

Gabrielle laughed. It started out as a cute giggle, became a throaty chuckle before descending in to loud, almost hysterical laughter. Tears were running down her face as the other three just stared at her. When she began to calm down, she managed to say, "Look at us stupid women. We are like the brides of the Count, his fucking harem. We are owned, abused, beaten and all of us are happy, and would not change that for anything. Are we stupid, or is this what we always wanted in life?"

Maggie was tipsy now as she answered, "You are right Gabrielle. Look at us. You are also right that I am honestly happy for the first time in my life, and no small part is down to the friendship we all now share. Cheers!" They all touched their glasses to each other's and giggled along with the beautiful Italian.

They managed another three drinks each, and Maggie could hardly feel anything by now. The pain in her bum had subsided to a dull smarting, which only hurt when she moved, the deep grooves in her buttocks rubbing on the bed covers. Franky kissed them all on the cheek and staggered out of the room. Charlotte, Gabrielle and Maggie crawled under the covers and in seconds they were all asleep.