Hinterlands Book II: The Stables Read Free Page B

that Amelia could see.
    Near the end of the hallway were two locked stalls on
both the right and the left.   These
stalls were entire private cells, large enough to accommodate multiple
livestock. There was no way to see inside the stalls save a small barred window
in the heavy wooden doors.
    “You have arrived at your new quarters girls.” Ms.
Farstone said unlocking the door with a silver key that hung about her neck.
This was the first time Amelia had seen this key. It was shocking what that
woman could hide in that ample bosom.
    “I trust you’ll find the accommodations quite fitting.”
She crowed.    The group filed
inside to find a hay-strewn space, large enough to accommodate eight people comfortably.   It was essentially empty of furnishings,
the sole exception being two large bed platforms, raised 8 or 9 inches off the
straw floor, and covered in thin mattresses. A single whale-oil lamp hung high
up on an iron rung. “Until tomorrow my lovelies, I bid you a good night!”   With this Ms. Farstone closed and locked
the stable door.   The girls were
alone at last.
    The room was relatively warm, and at first most of them
wandered about remarking on this or that aspect of the décor.   The red haired Ms. Jenkins, who had done
nothing but whimper incessantly since she had been pulled from her bath,
actually perked up. “It’s not so bad girls…really it’s not.” She twittered,
almost back to her old gossipy self again.   “I expected much worse, but this is quite comfy.” She pushed down on the
straw mattress with both hands testing it.   “Not so bad right?”
    “Speak for your self Molly.” It was the small pretty girl
from the orient. “I didn’t ask to come to this prison, but I’m here now, and I
don’t need to listen to your ugly mug.” The girl was shivering.
    “I’m just sayin’ it does no good griping is all.   Sorry!”
    “None of us wants to be here!” The curly brown haired
girl from the kitchens piped in.   And
there’s no need talkin’ about it. Besides, you haven’t worked a solid day in
your life Molly Jenkins!” This seemed to silence Molly Jenkins to everyone’s
relief, and she sat down on a pile of hay in the corner and began to separate
her hair.
    Amelia herself sat down and felt lost.   She wished to God that Kitt were there
to give her some guidance.   The
temperature in the room continued to drop and pulling her knees tightly against
her, she began to shiver.   The
lantern was dimmed and the large curly brown-haired girl who had scolded Molly
earlier, dozed quietly on her side on one of the expansive mattresses. The
temperature didn’t seem to bother her, possibly the result of her extremely
long hair that curled down and around her back almost like a blanket.
    Deciding that she was freezing, and that she would never
sleep in this state, Amelia rose and quietly crept over to lie down next to the
girl.   She curled her body, tightly
against the girl’s back in a spoon like fashion, and the girl seemed to welcome
the warmth and contact, giving a long sigh of approval. To Amelia’s relief she herself
began to warm considerably lying against the warm body. This idea seemed to
catch on and it wasn’t long before Molly Jenkins curled up behind Amelia,
squeezing her tightly between the two of them. The skinny girl clung nakedly to
her, holding her and shivering. She pressed her tiny breasts into Amelia’s
back, and wrapped her long legs tightly around Amelia’s, intertwining them. The
overall effect was quite sensual and when Amelia used her own slender arms to
embrace the kitchen girl in front of her, she could feel the girl’s sizable
breasts brush lightly against them.   It was a thrilling sensation.
    When she had held her sisters tightly on nights such as
this, they had always been ensconced in layers of nightclothes. Now the contact
of skin upon skin, warm flesh upon warm flesh, and the smell of kitchen
pastries that had permeated the girl before