The Westhampton County Women's Circle

© 2011 Freddie Clegg

All characters fictitious.



Chapter 1: New In Westhampton

A New Home

Liz was particularly pleased with her new home. She still thought of herself as Liz rather than Elizabeth but maybe it was time to move on. Of course it had been a wrench moving away from the town where she and her husband had lived for so long out here to the 'burbs', but with Ben's new job they couldn't really have stayed where they were. And, of course, now that he was earning more they had been able to afford something bigger and in a nice part of town.

The welcome from the neighbors had been great. Liz had met half a dozen or so of them on the day she and Ben had moved in. She suspected that they had come around as much to see what sort of furniture she had as to welcome her to the estate, but Liz didn't mind. It was nice that they were being friendly.

She wasn't terribly good at names but she was trying to make the effort to remember them. There was Hannah Kleich next door; Julia Croft across the street whose husband worked for some computer company downtown; Laura Teal next door to her; Theresa - Terry - Parnes two doors down. And, who was the other one? Oh yes, Cassandra, Cassie, Cassie Block from the house at the end of the road. They had all seemed pleasant, friendly people; all good humored and unstuffy. "It's more Hysteria Drive than Wisteria Drive, here honey," Cassie had joked.

They were all about the same age as Ben and herself; all bright and all, obviously, pretty well set-up financially. After all the price of property around there meant they had to have a few bucks in the bank. Looking at the way the neighbors dressed, Liz felt conspicuously scruffy in her jeans and tee-shirt as she was unpacking boxes but, she reasoned to herself, you are allowed to look scruffy when you're moving.

All in all, though, she'd been pleased that every one of the women she'd met seemed happy to see her. It looked like Westhampton was going to turn out to be a good move for her and Ben.

A Worrying Sound

Elizabeth Henkle peered in through the kitchen window of Hannah's house, looking for her neighbor. Hannah had said for her to pop around at any time and it seemed to Liz that this was as good a time as any.

Hannah's cat was sitting on the decking staring disconsolately at the house as if everyone was out but Liz could see that the kitchen door was ajar so presumably Hannah was at home. She pushed the door open and went inside clutching the jar of cookies that she had brought along as a friendly gesture.

"Hannah," she called. "It's Liz. I wondered if you had time for a coffee." The warm smell of cinnamon doughnuts wafted across the kitchen but that was the only sign that anyone was around.

There wasn't a reply. She put the cookie jar down on the kitchen counter and was just about to leave when she heard a peculiar noise. It sounded like someone was coughing or grunting quietly. The cat seemed uninterested but Liz was worried in case Hannah had fallen or had some other accident. She went in search of the noise.

There wasn't any sign of Hannah downstairs but as Liz headed back towards the kitchen she heard the sound again coming from somewhere upstairs. More worried now, Liz headed up the stairs towards where the noise was coming from. The closer she got, the more it sounded like groaning.

A Disturbing Discovery

Nothing had prepared Liz for what she saw when she opened to door to the room where the groaning noises were coming from.

Inside were five of her new found friends. All helplessly bound and gagged. All struggling trying to free. Liz stood there, open mouthed and uncertain what the tableau before her meant.

Hannah was tied up on a chair by her dressing table, her wrists bound together behind the back of the chair, her ankles tied to the chair legs. Her mouth was covered with a scarf that was preventing her crying out and was obviously the cause of the groaning noises.

The other women were trussed up every bit as effectively. Laura was on the bed, her legs bent back until her ankles and wrists could be tied together. Cassie was tied up in a similar fashion on the floor. Amanda was trussed up with her wrists tied to one leg of the bed. Terry was standing up in Hannah's walk-in closet, her wrists tied over her head to the closet rail and ropes around her ankles so that she was having to make every effort to keep standing.

Liz was scared, imagining that the women had been attacked as part of some robbery, frightened that whoever had done this might still be in the house. Even so, she didn't hesitate and went to help Hannah.

"What on earth happened?" she asked, fumbling with the scarf tied across Hannah's mouth. She got it free and saw that a cloth had been wedged between Hannah's lips, filling her mouth to muffle her cries. She pulled that clear and then started trying to untie the knots in the ropes that bound her. "Was it a burglar. Has he been gone long? I'll call the police as soon as I've set you free."

Hannah was coughing and choking from the cloth that had been stuffed in her mouth. She shook her head. "No – cuch – uhhh – no, don't do that."

Liz managed to get the knots on the ropes around Hannah's wrists free and then started on the ones that held her to the chair. "Don't be silly," she said as she finally managed to get Hannah free, "we've got to."

Liz had started to free Laura, the woman that was laying on the bed. Hannah was sitting on the chair rubbing her wrists and disentangling herself from the lengths of rope.

As she began trying to unpick the woman's gag, she suddenly became aware that there was somebody standing in the doorway of the bedroom. Fearing that it might be the robber returning she span around quickly. It was Julia, standing with her hands on her hips watching Liz's efforts.

"Oh," said Liz. "You startled me. Quick come and help there's been some sort of dreadful attack."

Julia didn't respond but went on watching Liz.

"Look, come and help. We've got to call the police to find out who did this and catch them."

"We don't need to," Julia responded, not moving.

"We don't need to?"

"I did it."

"You did it?"

"This is going to take an awfully long time if you keep on repeating everything that I say and putting a question mark at the end of it. Here, let me help you and then we'll explain."



Chapter 2 : Explanations

Julia Explains



"It's a sort of game," Julia said.

She, Liz and Hannah were sitting in Hannah's kitchen with cups of coffee and the jar of cookies that Liz had brought over earlier. The rest of the girls had gone, slipping out quietly after Liz and Julia had untied them.

"A game?" Liz was uncomprehending.

"You're doing it again," Julia said with a friendly smile, trying to put Liz at her ease. "Sure. Didn't you ever play tie-up games when you were a kid or with your husband?"

"No," Liz shook her head. "No, I never did. And Ben's never suggested anything like that. Nothing kinky at all."

Liz looked at Hannah with an expression that suggested she thought Liz wasn't being entirely honest.

"Look, I haven't. Never."

"Well, we all have. And we do. It's, like, a club and we play this sort of game."

"Tying each other up?"

"Uhhuh."

"It's not so odd, Liz," Hannah said. "Even if you've never thought about it, I bet you've enjoyed tales of damsels in distress or TV shows where the heroine is in danger from the fiendish villain. Heck didn't you ever want to be Penelope Pitstop to Ben's Dick Dastardly."

The thought of Ben twirling an improbably large handlebar moustache wearing Dastardly's hat, long coat and driving goggles made Liz laugh. "Well that's a fun idea, I guess but I've never thought about it. Not at all."

"Well, we're sorry if we frightened you," Julia cut in. "It must have been an awful shock. But don't worry about it we're not some bunch of wierdo's. It's just a way for us to have a little fun. Sometimes it gets a bit boring around here, when the men aren't here."

"Oh, yes, of course. I suppose you're all lesbians, then?"

Julia laughed. Hannah grabbed hold of Liz's hands. "Oh, for heaven's sake," she said. "No we're not. It's not a sex thing," the look on Julia's face suggested to Liz that she didn't agree, "although it is quite sexy. And lesbians aren't just women whose men have gone out to work, you know."

"I think Cassie might be," Julia interrupted.

"Oh, be serious!" Hannah chided. "The point is Liz, this is just a sort of grown up game we play. We're sorry if we've upset you and, please, just forget about it. We want you to be happy here in your new home and we certainly don't want you to feel frightened or embarrassed by this."

"Well, OK, I mean I'm sorry I spoiled your game. I guess I'll knock next time and if there isn't an answer I won't come exploring."

"That's OK, Liz," Julia smiled. "It was probably just as well you came in when you did. Hannah would never have got out of those ropes and she gets so cross if she can't escape."

"Oh, that's unfair!" Hannah complained. "We would all have got free, given a bit of time."

Liz was anxious to bring the bizarre conversation to an end. "Well, I've got to go now," she said. "Ben will be home soon and I have to fix dinner."

"OK," the other two said.

"And call me if you want to talk about any of this," Hannah added. "It must have been very upsetting for you. The last thing we want to do is to cause any distress."

Liz nodded and took her leave. It had been the most peculiar afternoon.

Liz and Ben



Liz couldn't explain to herself why she didn't tell Ben about the afternoon's events. Maybe it was the way that he leapt in to tell her all about his day without asking about hers. Maybe she was just a bit embarrassed about it all. And maybe, just maybe, she felt it was her secret and it really wasn't anything to do with Ben.

Whatever the reason she hadn't said anything and when Ben finally did get around to saying, "So how's your day been?" while they were having a late night cup of decaff. She answered with a non-committal. "Oh fine, I had coffee with Hannah next door and one of the other girls." It wasn't actually a lie, but it was hardly the whole truth either.

"That's nice," Ben said. "It'll be good if you get yourself tied in to the whole social scene."

Liz almost dropped her coffee. Ben didn't notice. "Are we going to bed?" he said. "I've had quite a day."

Liz thought to herself, "You and me both," but said nothing and followed her husband up.

She was laying in bed, the light out, Ben's warm body inches from hers. She started thinking about what Hannah had said about fantasies. She really couldn't remember anything of the kind. Then she was thinking what if it had been a burglary? What if there had been some tall, muscular, man in dark clothes? And a ski mask. Yes, and gloves, tight leather gloves. What if he'd grabbed her and tied her up and...

"Mmm, that's nice." It was Ben. Liz realized that she'd been pressing up alongside him. He turned and put his hands on her shoulders, ran one hand up to stroke her ear and then leant forward and kissed her. Aroused by her few moments of fantasy, she kissed him back and the two fell together. As Ben stroked her breasts she almost begged him to pinch and squeeze at them. As he nuzzled her neck, she wanted him to bite. As his hand ran down between her thighs and probed at her sex she was imagining her hands tied, herself helpless in his grasp. And as he penetrated her his face was hidden from her behind a fantasized mask.

It wasn't long before she came, beating him to the moment.

The two of them lay together.

"Westhampton must agree with you," Ben said.

"Mmm," was all his wife could reply as they both drifted off to sleep.

Liz & Hannah



Liz woke up feeling confused about the events of the previous day and what she saw as her untypical reaction in bed that night. Ben was friendly and more affectionate than usual as he grabbed his case after breakfast and headed off to his work. But then, Liz thought with a smile, he always was after a shag.

She cleared away the breakfast things, nibbling absent-mindedly on a piece of left over toast, piling the plates and cups in the sink. As she stacked the cereals back in the pantry one of the boxes tipped over, scattering a shower of cornflakes across the pantry floor. Liz looked down at the mess in irritation. It had all been a bit of a rush; she hadn't even got dressed yet. There she was in her dressing gown, with nothing on underneath it and she hadn't showered. Just imagine what it would be like if someone broke into her house right now! Perhaps she'd hear a noise and, wondering what it was, go to look. There would be a masked man crouched over her jewelry box in the bedroom. And he'd turn around to confront her when he realized he'd been discovered. And she'd throw up her hands in fright as he pulled out a knife and threatened her with it, forcing her down on the floor and tying her wrists with the belt of her dressing gown. And he'd be looking down at her as she struggled on the floor, her dressing gown falling open as she did so. And...

"Oh, shit!" Liz realized that the water in the sink was starting to flow over the side and down onto the kitchen floor. She dashed across the kitchen to turn the tap off. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"Is this not a good time?" It was Hannah's voice. She was standing at the kitchen door.

"What? Oh. No, it's all right. I just forgot about the sink. Come on in. This won't take a minute to clean up." She stepped into her utility room and returned with a floor mop and bucket. Luckily she had stopped the tap before too much water had been spilled and it didn't take her long to mop up the mess.

"Do you want a coffee?" she said to Hannah. "Assuming you don't mind me sitting here in this and I can make some without spilling something or dropping something. I feel really ham-fisted this morning."

"Just as long as that wasn't anything to do with yesterday," Hannah said. "I really did feel bad about what happened."

The two of them sat down at Liz's kitchen table. "That's OK," said Liz, pulling her dressing gown around her. "It was a shock, of course but if that's what turns you on then it's fine by me."

"Well, thanks for being so understanding."

Liz smiled. There was a silence.

Hannah broke it. "Did you say there was coffee?"

"Oh, yes, sure, sorry. Umm, here.." Liz grabbed some cups from a cupboard and picked up the jug of coffee from the warmer and poured.

"Mmm," said Hannah appreciatively. "That smells good. What is it?"

"Oh, I'm not sure, Columbian I think. Yes. It's quite a mellow blend – good for breakfast and ... " Liz broke off suddenly. "I'm sorry," she said. "I've got to ask. I mean how did all that club stuff start? "

"I thought you weren't interested."

"I'm not. Well, not in all that, no. But it is kind of fascinating, I guess. I think anyone would be a bit curious."

"I suppose so. Well, I'm not sure. We've always got together for coffee since I moved in about two years ago. Then I think it was Mandy and Cassie. They'd been to some sex toy party and they'd come back with all sorts of stuff that they brought in to show us. And Mandy and Laura were fooling around with a pair of handcuffs and then... Well, I'm not sure. Someone said they'd played some bondage games with their husband and someone else said their husband liked the idea of it but they hadn't really been able to get their own nerve up to try. And, after a lot of toing and froing someone else said they'd show Terry – ah, that's who it was! - they'd show Terry what she could get her husband to do. Who was that? Oh, Mandy I think. So. Yes. Well, Mandy tied Terry up and we were all sitting around laughing and everyone was really into it and then someone said Terry had better come back and tell us how she'd got on."

"And she did?"

"Uh-huh. And it was a great success. So some of the others wanted to try And one of them said that her husband wanted to be the one tied up and then Cassie said she could get someone to come from the sex toys company and demonstrate some of their stuff and it just snowballed from there."

"And now?" Liz took a sip of her coffee. It was cold.

"Well we meet once a month. We go around to each other's houses. Yesterday was my turn. And sometimes we tie each other up or sometimes someone gives a talk on some technique or other that they've tried. I guess we're just like any other women's group. You know a book club or a sewing circle or a quilting club."

"Except you do bondage."

"Except we do bondage."

"It is a bit different then. From most other sorts of women's clubs, I mean."

"Well, yes. We don't put adverts in the local paper inviting people along to join. Or really talk about it on the welcome wagon."

Liz looked across at Hannah over her cold cup of coffee. She really didn't know why she said what she said next, except that it seemed the best thing to say after how she had felt with ben the night before and her quick, sink filling fantasy that morning. "But could I, if I wanted to?"

Hannah looked non-plussed. "But didn't you say..."

"I know what I said. But ... well, I'll confess I've found this all a bit arousing and a lot fascinating. I'd just like to learn more. Not join in necessarily, just find out a bit more about it. Could I come along to one of your meetings? Just to see what it's like. Not to join in or anything."

"Well, it's not really up to me. But, actually, I don't know who it would be up to. I guess we could ask the group. We've not had anyone want to join before, it just sprung up from the group of us and we all knew each other already. Let me make a few calls. I'll let you know."

Chapter 3 : Inauguration

Morning Coffee

Hannah called Liz back the following day.

"I've had a chat with the others," she said.

"And?" Liz responded.

"I take it you're still interested?"

Liz thought back to yesterday afternoon. She had spent the entire afternoon trawling the internet to see what she could find. Some of it had been fascinating; some of it horrific. Some of it she'd found a real turn on.

"Yes," she said determinedly, "I'm still interested."

"OK. Well here's what folk think. They are a bit nervous of someone just coming along to watch one of our tie-up sessions. It's not that they're embarrassed but we all do it for what we get out of it, not really from any exhibitionist thing."

"Oh," Liz was set back a bit. "Yes, I can see that, I hadn't really thought it through I suppose. I guess it's different when you are all joining in. It's just – well, I don't know if I'm ready to join in myself yet."

"I can see that. But look here's an alternative. Our next meeting is more a sort of 'show and tell', each of us is going to talk about a movie or a book with a bondage scene in it that we really like. Nobody's going to be doing anything, we'll just be chatting. The other girls would all be fine with it if you wanted to come along to that."

"That might be fun," Liz said. "I don't know that I can contribute though."

"That's all right. You can bring some cake. We're all doing that too!"

"OK, it's a deal," Liz smiled. "Where and when?"

"Thursday next, three o'clock over at Laura's."

"I'll be there. Definitely."

First Group Meeting

Liz spent quite a while puzzling over the forthcoming meeting. Even Ben accused her of being distracted by something. It was difficult though. What do you wear to a woman's group meeting where you're going to discuss bondage movies?

In the end Liz decided she would treat it like any other social event. It was a hot summery day and she chose a pale green, cotton, shirtwaister dress that she knew would feel cool and look smartly casual.