by Van © 2024
		Chapter 11

The promised banquet in the Main Dining Room was a night to remember.  The cooks really outdid themselves, every course was delicious, and as for the service...

As the Beef Bourguignon was being served, Lady Jane remarked to Lady Paulina that she had "never before seen a more courteous, proficient, and winsome coterie of soubrettes as the maids of Castle Amberdale."

The "soubrettes" in question who happened to be present discretely giggled.  No doubt as soon as they returned to the kitchen the news of the compliment would spread to the entire staff.  Cat and Pru exchanged a smile.  They agreed it was very cute, even precious, both the reactions of the maids and the general situation.

Lady Paulina graciously thanked Lady Jane and returned the complement, praising the service she'd enjoyed during her visits to Tydwell Castle.  Ladies Jocelyn and Jo wholeheartedly agreed.

Cat remembered Lady Paulina had remarked that all the noble visitors were old friends, so it was unsurprising to hear that they'd visited each others' estates.  Also, it was clear Ladies Jane and Paulina were genuine friends and more than acquaintances, and by their nods and smiles the same went for Jocelyn and Jo, even though Lady Jo, the diminutive and devilishly cute brunette, was a generation younger than Ladies Paulina and Jocelyn and nearly two generations in the case of Lady Jane.

Everyone was dressed to the nines, of course, and for once none of the Rapscallions were naked, bound, and/or gagged in any way.  Go figure.  Cat was pleased to be able to show off her gown to a new audience.  The gown was stunning, she looked stunning wearing it, and she'd procured it at a substantial discount.  (One of the perks of being a successful runway model is having up and coming designers compete for the privilege of the press and public seeing her swan about in their latest creations.)

Lady Paulina was at the head of the table (of course), and with Lady Jane on her immediate right (also of course).  Cat was seated between Lady Jocelyn and her daughter Charlotte—Pru was across the table, between her big sister Hannah and Grace—and Lizzie and Brie were on either side of Cressida Tydwell.  Lady Jo was on Lady Paulina's left.

Cat was no expert in precedence and/or social protocol, but she knew that with the exception of Lady Jane and their hostess, the seating arrangement was a bit of a mishmash.  Something was going on.  Lady Paulina and the other Ladyships had an agenda... which she already knew, thanks to Lady Paulina's remarks down in the Main Torture Chamber that the Rapscallions were "too old for silly games" and should "move on to more serious games."

Soon after, the Rapscallions had discussed the matter as they were exited (fled) the chamber in question, and Cat continued chatting about it with Pru in their guest bedroom while they were getting dressed for dinner.  None of them had revealed any clever insights and/or had any bright ideas.  Clearly, the Rapscallions had insufficient information.  Even The Honorable Brats were confused, and it was their mother who had made cryptic remarks about their gaming habits.  It was frustrating... and not in a good way.

Anyway, the banquet was an unqualified success.  Cat genuinely liked all of the Noble Newcomers and could tell Pru and the others felt the same.

Eventually... Cat and Pru wished the others a good night and retired for the evening.  Once in their guest bedroom they changed into their pajamas (nothing) and climbed between the sheets.

A little snogging and boinking ensued, and for once neither of them was bound and/or gagged!  Go figure!  Also, after only a single satisfying orgasm each... things cooled and they drifted off to sleep.

What with the day's nonsense in the torture chamber, the looming uncertainty on the gaming front, and the arrival of the charming Noble Newcomers... Cat and Pru were tuckered out.  They fell asleep naked and in each others arms in a gentle and loving embrace.

The next two days the Rapscallions and the visiting peers got to know each other even better, and it was clear that everybody was having a blast while doing it.

Exercise happened, making full use of Amberdale Castle's excellent gymnasium, the small indoor swimming pool in the solarium, the running trails winding through the fields and forests of the estate, and the riding stables.  There was a great deal of panting, grunting, sweating, and graceful posing, followed by relaxing in the steam room and even some alfresco tanning atop one of the castle's towers that was situated well away from the prying eyes of tourists (of course).

There was also good old fashioned relaxation not related to exercise.  Good books were read, classic movies were watched (on Blu-ray), and casual but elegant garden parties were enjoyed.  In short, a great deal of lounging happened (not to be confused with languishing).

Cat noted that Grace Hardy and Charlotte Caerwyn continued being something of a couple.  Also, they seemed to be spending a great deal of time in the company of The Diminutive Lady Jo.

In addition, Lizzie and The Evil Brie could often to be found palling around with Cressida Tydwell (when Brie wasn't off somewhere supervising the Tours staff).

As for Cat and Pru... they found themselves more or less adopted by Lady Jocelyn, but they didn't mind it the least little bit.  The 50-something blonde was charming, intelligent, witty. and a lot of fun, even if she was an "old lady."  Jocelyn easily kept up with the actress/models, even during physically demanding activities.  In fact, she was a better equestrian than either of the model/actresses.  Lady Caerwyn was impressive.

Finally, Lady Paulina and Lady Jane always seemed to be found together, sipping tea, chatting, and strolling through the gardens; however, there was significant mixing between the various sub-groups or cliques and they all got to know each other.

As for kinky games... for some reason they just didn't happen!  Not as far as Cat could tell, anyway.  To her surprise (and disappointment) neither her fellow Rapscallions nor the Noble Newcomers pounced on her, stripped her naked, tied her up, gagged her, and/or did horrible but entertaining things to her!  She wasn't even kidnapped and left to languish in a hidden cell!  In addition, Cat wasn't invited to join any strike teams planning to pounce on anybody else.  Lady Pauline hadn't decreed a Formal Prohibition on depraved fun, but everyone seemed to be too busy having "normal" fun to take part in "abnormal" fun.

That said, the night after the welcoming banquet Cat did capture Pru, tie her to the bed using the conditioned hemp rope stashed in the bottom drawer of her bedside table, and had her wicked way with her naked, bound, and gagged lover... repeatedly!  The next night Pru returned the favor by waiting until they were nude and ready for bed, then jumping Cat, tying her in a stringent and elaborate hogtie, and forcing her to service her captor's pussy several times!  However, as the saying goes, what happens in the guest bedroom stays in the guest bedroom... as long as nobody screams and/or yodels and thereby wakes everybody up.  In any case, disturbing the other guests would have been highly unlikely.  The castle's doors were all thick and heavy and both Cat and Pru had a fondness for gags.

Anyhoo...

The third morning since the arrival of the Noble Newcomers dawned, everybody enjoyed a nice breakfast (buffet-style in the small dining room), and then things changed... big time!

Lady Paulina called everyone together in one of the drawing rooms, then ordered Cat, Pru, Lizzie, Brie, Grace, and (surprisingly) The Honorable Charlotte Caerwyn to strip naked!

"Yes, you heard me correctly," Lady Paulina confirmed, a coy smile curling her lips.  "Strip.  ...  Now, ladies."

The designated nudists exchanged puzzled looks... then complied.  It was the polite thing to do.

While the soon-to-be naturalists disrobed, Ladies Jane, Jocelyn, and Paulina relaxed in comfy chairs, sipped cups of tea, and supervised.
 
Lady Jo, Cressida, and Hannah, on the other hand, were busy folding clothing items as they were removed and handed to them, then arranging them in neat stacks on a nearby sofa. (One stack per nudist.)  After that, they restrained the now naked (and still confused) Rapscallions (plus Charlotte), all in an identical manner.

The naked damsels' wrists were bound behind their backs with padded leather cuffs.  Then, broad, thick, leather belts wide enough to be considered corset-belts were buckled around their waists and the wrist-cuffs secured to D-rings in the back.  Next, their ankles were hobbled about ten inches apart with leather cuffs similar to the wrist-cuffs.  Finally, they were gagged with leather panel-gags with attached black rubber mouth-plugs.  All the leather had a gleaming pebbled finish and was in an attractive shade of chestnut-brown.  All the metal hardware was bronze in tone, including the multitude of tiny padlocks securing all the various buckles.  In addition to being stylish (and obviously expensive), everything was quite secure and inescapable, not to any of the naked prisoner's great surprise.  There was no such thing as sloppy, loose, or unattractive bondage at Amberdale Castle.

Naked, bound, and gagged, the Rapscallions (plus Charlotte but minus Hannah) stood in a row and exchanged gagged and astonished looks.  None of them had resisted during the restraint procedure.  In fact, they'd fully cooperated with their smiling handlers.  Nor had they whined, protested, complained, and/or demanded "What the heck is going on??"  Such behavior would have been boorish and déclassé, or so Cat kept telling herself.  Glances at Pru and the others seemed to confirm that that was the general consensus.

Lady Paulina carefully placed her cup and saucer on a nearby side table, then cleared her throat to gain the full attention of the naked prisoners.  "Ahem.  Now, ladies," she purred, "as I know all of you will recall—except for Charlotte, who had not yet arrived—I mentioned your need to transition from silly and childish nonsense to more serious and mature diversions, and that's exactly what is happening."

Her Ladyship focused her smile on The Diminutive Lady Jo before continuing.  "As some of you are also aware, Lady Jo is something of a... ponygirl enthusiast."

The naked prisoners shifted their collective focus on Lady Jo, who smiled in return.

Lady Paulina then addressed Grace and Charlotte who (as usual) were standing side by side.  "You two are going to accompany her back to Gladburn Castle to train as a matched pair.  This will be in preparation for the next All Britain Ponygirl Invitational, of course, which will be in..."  She paused and shifted her smile to Lady Jo.  "Six months?"

"Seven and a half," Lady Jo corrected, grinning at her new ponies.  "It will take hard work and commitment on your part," she addressed the naked, bound, gagged, and blinking blondes, "but you're both already in excellent shape, so mostly it will involve your learning to pull together in harness... and getting used to the boots, of course.  You'll have to get used to the boots."

The flaxen-haired prospective ponies continued blinked and exchanging startled looks above their gags.  They then focused on their respective mothers and begged with their eyes.

"Be brave," Lady Jocelyn told her daughter.  'It will be a... unique experience, and remember, you told me some time ago you were seriously considering taking a sabbatical."  She paused to enjoy a sip of tea.  "I've already made the required arrangements.  Our COO and CFO will handle your responsibilities while you're away."

Charlotte stamped her right foot in response to make her feelings clear.  "Mrrrrrpffh!"  She was not happy.

Grace's reaction was markedly similar.  "Nrrrrrmmmf!"

"Be brave," Lady Paulina told Grace.  "It will be... an interesting experience.  And don't worry, I'll visit Gladburn Castle every month or so to see how you're doing.  I'm sure you'll make me proud."

Lady Jo stepped between Grace and Charlotte, placed her arms around their waists, and pulled them into a double sideways hug.  "I have all the best tackle and harnesses, ready and waiting, all custom made to your exact measurements.  I also have a new state-of-the-art titanium-alloy racing surrey I'm anxious to test.  My staff and I will take very good care of you, and we know how to keep you... well motivated."  She smiled her dimpled smile and tightened her double hug.  "We're going to have so much fun!"

Grace and Charlotte remained skeptical and reluctant, but there wasn't much they could do about it... other than throw naked, bound, and gagged tantrums... but that would have been unseemly.

Next, Lady Paulina focused on Lizzie and Brie, who also happened to be standing side by side.  "Elizabeth, Sabrina," she smiled, "you'll be going home with Lady Jane and Cressida."

Like Grace and Charlotte before them, Lizzie and Brie exchanged wide-eyed, startled stares, then focused on Lady Paulina.  Lizzie was not silent.  "Mrrrrrmf!"

"There, there, Sweetpea," Lady Paulina cooed.  "I know Tydwell Castle has something of a sinister reputation, but Cressida and the staff will take good care of you.  I have Lady Jane's solemn word."

"You do indeed," Lady Jane nodded, then smiled at the waiting (and semi-terrified) naked, bound, and gagged blonde and brunette.  "My Cressida has been requesting an opportunity to hone her training skills, and this will be the perfect opportunity."

Lizzie and Brie's blinking intensified.  Then they both stared at Cressida in gagged horror!  She gazed back with a serene (and truly wicked) smile.

Lizzie turned to her mother and tried again.  "Mrrrrrrrrrm!" she whined.

Lady Paulina rose from her chair, strolled forward, and planted a warm maternal kiss on her youngest daughter's worried forehead.  "You'll learn a great many very fascinating things, darling," she purred, then kissed Lizzie's forehead again, turned, and returned to her chair.

Lizzie was still dubious, but was not what any of the watchers, bound or not bound, would call hysterical.

As for The Evil Brie, she seemed resigned to her horrible fate... if it was a horrible fate.

Cat was unaware of Castle Tydwell's "sinister reputation," so she glanced at her lover.  Pru stared back... but that wasn't exactly informative.  Cat realized her naked, bound, and gagged lover probably didn't know what she was thinking about anyway, and as neither of them were in a position to ask or answer questions, at least for now her curiosity would remain unsatisfied.

Finally, it was Cat and Pru's turn!

Lady Paulina refilled her teacup... took an appreciative sip... then smiled at the two not-yet-sentenced damsels.

"Prudence, Catherine... I'd like you to accompany Lady Jocelyn as she returns to the Isle of Caer, and for two reasons.  Firstly, she'll be missing her darling Charlotte, who, together with my darling Grace, will be busy training to become a magnificent pair of racing ponies at Castle Gladburn."

Cat gazed at Lady Jocelyn, who was smiling and sipping her tea and by all appearances not terribly upset that her darling daughter (together with Grace) would soon be strapped into a ponygirl harness and dragging around a racing surrey, probably for hours a day under Lady Jo's tutelage.

"Secondly," Lady Paulina continued, "you'll find Castle Caer has a truly magnificent Romantic Dungeon.  You both will have a great deal of fun in the embrace of its various furnishings."

"Oh, please," Lady Jocelyn chuckled.  "My dungeons aren't nearly as splendid as yours."

"Your dungeons and towers are just inescapable as mine," Lady Paulina countered, "and equipped with more than enough interesting accoutrements and devices to keep our young friends thoroughly entertained."  She turned her smile back to Cat and Pru.  "And just think, Prudence, you grew up in Amberdale Castle, but Castle Caer will be new and unknown, for both of you!  And you'll be genuine prisoners and completely at the mercy of Lady Jocelyn and her staff!  Can you possibly think of a more delightful game?"

Cat and Pru exchanged a highly dubious gagged look.  Cat turned back to Lady Paulina.  Can we talk about this? she silently begged.  Lady Paulina smiled and sipped her tea.  I guess not.

"And don't worry about your careers," Her Ladyship continued.  "My London office has been in touch with your agent and explained that you've accepted an open-ended booking for a series of private modeling engagements for a small but up-and-coming fashion house.  He'll be receiving his usual commission, of course, even though he didn't do anything to earn it, so he was quite happy.  Anyway, there will be no questions asked while you're away."

Cat swallowed nervously (despite the rubber plug filling her mouth to near capacity), then turned to Pru and blinked several times.  She seriously considering an unseemly display of naked, bound, and gagged hysteria...  but Pru seemed to be taking things in stride (more or less) and she didn't want to embarrass her.

"Just to be clear," Lady Paulina purred.  "Neither of you have any say in the matter."  She encompassed the entire row of naked, bound, and gagged Rapscallions (plus Charlotte) with a graceful gesture.  "And that goes for the rest of you as well."  She paused to sip her tea, once again... then placed the cup and saucer back on the side table.  "I told you it was time for more serious games, and this will be a good start.  Everyone should be kidnapped and held against their will for days, weeks, or months at least once in their gaming career."

"Or at least three times in your case, Paulie," Lady Jane purred, favoring their hostess with a smile and a wink.  The others laughed appreciatively... those who weren't naked, bound, gagged, and trying their best to get used to the experience of being genuinely kidnapped, that is.

Lady Paulina actually blushed.  Cat was surprised... and so was Pru as far as she could tell.

What happened next was equal parts heartwarming and alarming.  Those not naked, bound, gagged and sentenced to be spirited away to various known and unknown fates (just so they could gain the experience) were embraced and kissed by those not naked, bound, and gagged.  Also, the fully clothed and unrestrained peers (plus Hannah) kissed and embraced each other!

It was a leave-taking!  A departure!  A farewell!  A catastrophe for the naked, bound, and gagged kidnap victims!

Lady Paulina assured Cat and Pru that they were not to worry about their luggage as they wouldn't be needing anything where they were going and their bags would be packed and waiting for them when it came time to leave the Isle of Caer.  The others were told not to worry as well.  Apparently, they also wouldn't be needing anything (and ponygirl harnesses and other inescapable restraints would all be provided by their kidnappers/hostesses/trainers/handlers).

Five minutes later... Lady Paulina, with Hannah at her side, brushed tears from her shining blue eyes as...

Grace and Charlotte joined Lady Jo in the back of a Range Rover Discovery.  (They only struggled and complained a little, just to keep up appearances.)  Then, with a final wave from Lady Jo, and her untrained ponies were driven away by her chauffeur.

Lizzie and The Evil Brie joined Lady Jane and The Honorable Cressida in the back of a Rolls-Royce Phantom stretch limousine, then were driven away by their chauffeur.

Finally, Cat and Pru joined Lady Jocelyn in the back of a BMW 7 Series Sedan.  Lady Jocelyn was now separated (temporarily) from her beloved Charlotte, so she was fighting back tears.  The motor started and they followed the others down the driveway.

The naked, bound, and gagged passengers and their kidnappers were all safely hidden behind heavily tinted glass, of course.

The luxurious vehicles faded into the distance... and soon were gone.

Hannah took Lady Paulina's hand and kissed her now damp cheek... then they turned and reentered Amberdale Castle by a postern gate.

This had all happened on the side of the castle away from the gatehouse, car park, souvenier shop, and tour office, so none of the current crop of tourists had noticed anything.