by Van © 2026
		Chapter 6

By the time the alleged nicad battery of Lady Clifton's "Golden Missile" was 99.9% depleted... it had company.

Poor Melody was naked, panel-gagged, box-tied, frog-tied, collared and chained to Her Ladyship's gigantic four-poster canopy bed, reclined against pillows piled against the foot-board of said gigantic four-poster canopy bed, being snuggled and snogged by Her Ladyship's comely, cute, and wicked live-in maids, and had cum... a lot!  Mel was shagged out.

Skylar had gone first, diddling Mel silly with the aforementioned Golden Missile vibrator.  The helpless, innocent, and undeserving-of-such-cruel-torment blonde had endured for some time... but eventually shuddered, shivered, and quivered in ecstasy.  Then... panting through her gag with her breasts heaving... Mel watched as her torturer with the pageboy coif (and a huge grin curling her lips) used the vibrator to pleasure herself!

Elfrida had also watched (an incredibly cute dimpled smile curling her lips as she blinked her blue eyes behind her glasses).

A surprisingly short time later... it was Skylar's turn to cum like the proverbial bunny.  (Apparently, her proverbial pump was already proverbially primed.)  Then, Skylar handed the Missile across Mel's body to her domestic coworker.  Elfrida (the pixie-maid) solemnly accepted the golden shaft... then used it to diddle Mel again!

Eventually Elfrida's efforts led to Orgasm #2 for Poor Melody... followed by Elfrida using the Missile to pleasure herself (while Skylar smiled, and played with Mel's nearest breast... and nipple).

Lather.  Rinse.  Repeat.  Exhaustion.

That was then.  This was now.  Poor Melody was tuckered out.  Poor Melody had been rode hard and put away wet.  Poor Melody was sweaty, spent, and semi-conscious.

As for the Golden Missile, it had been thoroughly cleaned, then returned to Her Ladyship's night-table and plugged into its recharging unit to recover (poor overworked technological thing).

Mel's frog-tie was untied, her neck released from the collar and chain, she was helped to her decidedly wobbly legs, then dragged (helped) from Lady Clifton's bedchamber by the two maids.  As for which maid had done what during the transfer process... Mel hadn't kept track.  She was too tired to care.

Eventually, Mel and her handlers arrived at Mel's guest bedchamber.  The naked, box-tied, gagged, and exhausted blonde was deposited on the queen-size four-poster canopy bed—(She landed with a bounce.)—then the maids produced more thin hemp rope (from somewhere) and proceeded to lash Mel's legs together.

Mel was having trouble staying awake, but she had it together enough to realize that the maids were using a ladder-tie technique.  Eventually, her legs were bound down their entire length every five or six inches, from her upper thighs to her ankles.  Each successive leg-encircling binding was cinched and knotted to maintain uniform tension.  The leg-bondage was anchored at the top to the waist-bonds anchoring Mel's box-tie-bondage.  The connecting strands bisected her butt-cheeks, but not her overly stimulated hoo-haw.

It took a while... but eventually Mel was tightly bound from her shoulders to her ankles.  Then, apparently concerned that Mel might squirm off the bed and hop her way to freedom, the maids used additional rope to tether her ankle-bonds to the bed's foot-rail... then tether the behind-the-back-nexus of her box-tie-bonds to the headboard.  Mel found she'd been granted a little wiggle room, perhaps three or four inches, but that was it.

Finally, for some inexplicable reason, Skylar used a length of thin cord to tie Mel's big toes together!

Mel wiggled the toes in question (or tried, anyway) and mustered the strength to glare (weakly) at the wicked maid with the brown pageboy (as opposed to the super-cure maid with the light-brown pixie.

Skylar and Elfrida smiled (in a gloating manner), then kissed Mel's cheeks (the ones on her face), and left the bedchamber, closing the door behind them.  Thud.

Mel was now free to escape; however (as was already been well established)... she was exhausted.  Mel squirmed for few seconds... then closed her eyes and ceased struggling.  I'll escape later, she promised herself.

Zzzzzzzz.......

The Wicked Maids returned at sunset, untied Mel's big-toes and legs, dragged (led) her to the bedroom's attached bath, and encouraged (allowed) her to empty her bladder.  They then removed her gag (Finally!), Elfrida held a glass of cold water to her lips so she could quench her thirst, Skylar used a wet washcloth to clean the prisoner's face (which was nice, but did not rehabilitate Skylar in Mel's opinion), then she was led back to the main bedroom.

The maids snuggled with Mel on the bed and took turns feeding her a simple supper of a yummy sandwich, a handful of crisps (potato chips), and a stemmed glass of red wine.  The food was delicious, probably because Poor Mel hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast.  There was no conversation.  Mel was too busy chewing, swallowing and slurping wine to do more than glower.  Also, the maids were having too much fun playing feed-the-baby-bird to chinwag.

Then, just when Mel was recovering enough to give voice to her displeasure, she was served an Elastoplast tape-gag for dessert!  "Mrrrpfh!"  Still box-tied and now tape-gagged, Poor Mel glowered at her handlers and watched as the maids placed the now empty dinner tray on the floor next to the door and started removing their uniforms.  Mel blinked in surprise.  She was still exhausted, but now her tummy was comfortably full and she was finding it difficult to concentrate.

Their domestic costumes and underwear neatly folded and arranged side-by-side in identical stacks on a convenient chair, Skylar and Elfrida smiled... padded to the bed... then climbed onto the mattress and snuggled against Mel's naked, box-tied, tape-gagged, and very tired body.

"Mrrrrrf," Mel complained (weakly).  Once again she was the filling in a maid sandwich, and this time it was a naked maid sandwich!

There was a compact remote control on the nightstand that turned out the bedroom lights, Skylar used it, and the chamber was plunged into near-total darkness.  Only the faint starlight streaming through the windows' sheer drapes and a pair of dim nightlights near the floor on either side of the bed relieved the gloom.

Mel heaved a gagged sigh.  Apparently, the maids intended to spend the night.  It was a sleepover, with all three of them naked and Mel box-tied, tape-gagged, exhausted, and... unenthusiastic.

"Goodnight, Sister Melvin," Skylar purred, then kissed Mel squarely on her tape-gag.

Elfrida giggled (of course), also wished Mel "Goodnight," then also kissed her tape-silenced lips.

Yep, Mel mused.  It's a sleepover... dammit.

Suddenly (as if on cue), the bedchamber door opened, somebody flipped on the overhead lights, and Cousin Bailey and Dr. Lucy padded towards the bed.

Bailey was smiling her trademark smile and was totally naked.

Dr. Lucy was also naked, if you overlooked her box-tie of thin hemp rope (identical in every detail to Mel's and apparently unchanged since this morning).  Also, the ginger historian's head was covered by a black leather hood that tightly covered her lips, mouth, and lower face but left her nose, blue eyes, and forehead exposed.  Her long, copper-red curls emerged from the rear of the hood and trailed down her back.  Mel recognized the restrictive leather cowl as a "Gwen Hood," an artistic creation of Maestro John Willie.

"Turning in early, I see," Bailey chuckled.

"Poor Melvin is tired," Skylar explained.

"Very tired," Elfrida agreed.

Mel didn't say anything.

Dr. Lucy didn't say anything either.

"In that case," Bailey grinned, "I'll be brief."  She turned her smile to Dr. Lucy and ran her right hand over the upper strands of the ginger's box-tie bonds (her palm brushing against Lucy's ample breasts and pointing nipples in the process), then refocused on her young cousin.  "As I told you, Melody, a significant virtue of the box-tie is its suitability for long-term use, and to illustrate that point you won't be released 'til morning, and that will complete the lesson."

Mel heaved another sigh, but didn't have the energy to force another pointless complaint past her tape-gag.

Bailey shifted her smile to Skylar.  "If you need me I'll be in my bed... and so will Dr. Russell."

"Yes, Mistress," Skylar responded.  (She didn't curtsy as, being sprawled on her side on the bed and embracing Mel, it was impractical.)

"Goodnight, all," Bailey wished her young cousin and the maids, then spun on her bare feet and, together with Dr. Lucy, padded from the bedchamber, turning out the lights as they made their exit.

Mel heaved another sigh... then found the strength to complain when Skylar gently squeezed her right breast.  "Nrrrm,"

"A little snogging will help you relax," Skylar explained in a near whisper.

Meanwhile, Elfrida was squeezing Mel's left breast.  Both of the naked, bound, tape-gagged, and exhausted blonde's nipples tingled and popped rigid in protest and outrage (or possibly horniness).

"Mrrr," Mel whined, shivered, and feebly squirmed as the naked maids continued caressing her helpless body.  She didn't need any help relaxing.  She was relaxed.  She could barely stay awake!

In addition to continuing to grope her helpless body with their grabby (but gentle) hands, the maids were now kissing her as well... repeatedly... squarely on her tape-gagged lips, shoulders, breasts, nipples, and other available anatomy, making real Elfrida's threat to snog her to sleep.

"Nrrrrm."

"Hush, darling," Elfrida whispered in Mel's left ear, then kissed it as well.

That was the last thing Mel remembered before she did, indeed, fall asleep.

Zzzzzzzz.......

Mel was released from her box-tie sometime during the night; however, she had no idea whether or not it happened after midnight, which meant she didn't know whether or not the maids had complied with the letter of "Mistress Bailey's" order to release her "in the morning."  In any case, she'd slept through her liberation but was now free (which was a good thing).  Also, the sun was rising.

Actually, Poor Mel wasn't totally liberated.  She blinked her eyes and realized that while she was rope free, she was still tape-gagged.  That made taking a nice, satisfying, good-morning yawn problematic; however, a satisfying good-morning stretch was entirely possible, and she did so. 

Also, the maids (and their clothes) were gone, as were Mel's former hemp bonds.  And speaking of clothes, Mel was still naked... but that wasn't particularly surprising.

Mel heaved a tape-gagged sigh... then padded to the bathroom, slowly and carefully peeled the tape from her lips, then completed her morning toilette (including a very welcome hot shower).  Finally, she dressed and started her day.  Her Freakin' Ladyship and Dr. Jill should be returning from beautiful downtown Leeds tomorrow, and Mel had things to do!  There was no way she was going to let her mentor think she'd slacked off in her absence.

The determined blonde went to the "Family Dining Room" for breakfast and quickly ran into the Wicked Maids, Cousin Bailey, and Dr. Lucy; however, she was amazed to find everyone acting as if nothing special had happened.  Her fellow Bastillon Cottage Gang-members greeted her like it was just another Glorious Lancashire Morning.  Surprising?  Yes.  Maybe.

In any case (also surprisingly), Mel was finding it easy to go along with all the nonchalance.  In the first place, she was grossly outnumbered.  In the second place (as already mentioned), she had things to do.  Therefore...  No anger.  No scowls.  No slapped faces.  No bloody noses.  Go figure.  There weren't even snarky remarks, scathing comments, or sarcastic winks and nods.  Also go figure.

Luckily (maybe) after breakfast everybody else also seemed to have things to do.  Therefore, Mel could concentrate on making sure Dr. Jill would be pleased with her organizational/administrative due diligence.  She made sure all the arriving archeological supplies and their associated paperwork were in order and eventually checked off each and every item on Dr. Jill's things-to-do-while-I'm-away list.  Mel's daily exercise was a relaxing and invigorating swim in Her Ladyship's greenhouse pool.  That night, after changing into her birthday suit, Mel climbed into bed and started reading one of Her Ladyship's mystery novels, a historical and romantic murder mystery set during the Regency.

Three chapters in... Mel yawned, inserted a bookmark and set the book on the bedside table, used the remote to turn out the bedroom lights, then settled in for a good night's sleep.  Tomorrow Dr. Jill would be back and Mel needed to be well rested.  She didn't even waste energy thinking about all the kinky stuff that had happened yesterday... meaning all the bondage and snogging and diddling.  No siree.  No dwelling on shenanigans past!  Mel snuggled against her pillow, heaved a deep sigh, and closed her eyes.

Suddenly (just when Mel was drifting off to sleep), there was a knock at the bedchamber door, it immediately opened, and Elfrida and Skylar padded across the threshold.  Mel sat up in bed and stared, her blue eyes wide with surprise.

Elfrida was in the lead, wearing a flamingo-pink, very sheer, very frilly, very skimpy, very sexy babydoll nightie—(knickers, spaghetti-strap camisole, and no bra)—as well as her glasses and a dimpled smile.  Her feet were bare.

Skylar, on the other hand, was wearing nothing... not counting a few accessories.  In point of fact, she was bound and gagged! 

Specifically, Skylar's arms were raised over her head, folded behind her head, and her wrists crossed and bound!  Also, cinched bands of rope encircled her upper arms and linked them to her wrist-bonds.  In addition, everything was neatly and tightly anchored by a simple rope harness that passed above, below, and between her breasts.  Clearly, lowering her raised arms, squirming out of the arrangement, or untying any of the tie's key knots would be totally impossible.  Skylar's pale armpits were on full and continuous display and appeared to be recently and closely shaved.

Also, the pageboy-maid's lips were sealed by a simple Elastoplast tape-gag that covered her lower face from ear-to-ear and nose-to-chin.  Mel thought the way the tape revealed the bas relief shape of Skylar's lips was very attractive.  Also, being pressed against her arms, her short/perky coif was slightly tousled, and that was also very attractive.  Like her armpits, Skylar's rope-framed ever-so-slightly-squeezed breasts were on full and continuous display, and both nipples were prominent and indignant.

Also, it was clear that more than the helpless brunette's nipples were unhappy.  Skylar's hazel eyes told the tale.  She glowered at Mel.  (It was very cute.  Elfrida couldn't have done any better.)

Additionally, one end of a four or five foot length of rope was tied to the harness-ropes crisscrossing between Skylar's breasts with its far end clutched in Elfrida's left hand.  The nightie-clad pixie-maid was taking the naked, bound, and gagged pageboy-maid for walkies; and Skylar had no choice in the matter, no matter what her attitude.

As has already been established, Mel was as nude as Skylar (albeit not bound and gagged).  No panties and t-shirt.  No pajamas.  Mel had stopped wearing anything to bed ever since arriving at Bastillon Cottage.  It wasn't a conscious decision.  It had simply... happened.  Anyway, everybody in the bedroom was naked.

Clearly, it was time to take command of the situation.  "What?" Mel demanded, blinking her blue eyes.

"Skylar is feeling guilty about the way she mistreated you during your first trial," Elfrida stated, "and would like to apologize."

"W-what?" Mel reiterated.

Smiling sweetly, Elfrida dragged (led) the allegedly apologetic Skylar to the bed and encouraged her (forcefully) to sit.  Then, entirely on her own, Skylar lifted her legs and snuggled against the amazed Mel's right side!

"Hey!" Mel objected.  "Get away!  Elfie!  Make her stop!"

Still holding Skylar's breast-bondage-leash, Elfrida also climbed onto the bed, clamored over Mel's body and embraced her left side, and once again Poor Mel was the filling in a maid sandwich—only this time Skylar was the one who was bound and gagged and Mel was not!

"Mistress Bailey has authorized you to canoodle and diddle Skylar in any manner you see fit," Elfrida purred in Mel's left ear, "as recompense."

"No!" Mel objected.  "No canoodling!"  She was wiggling and squirming and trying to push one or both of the maids away, but her efforts were complicated by the tangled bedclothes, the maids continuing efforts to snuggle, and the taut rope tether still tied between Skylar's boobs and clutched in Elfrida's hand.  Disengagement was proving difficult if not impossible.  Finally, the disgruntled blonde stopped struggling, heaved a truly tragic sigh, blinked up at the underside of the canopy overhead—and frowned.

"Wait," Mel huffed.  "What did you say?  My 'first trial?'  There'll be more?"

"Mrrrfh!" Skylar said, lifting her head, emphatically shaking her head, and glowering at Elfrida across Mel.  Apparently she was trying to discourage conversation.

Elfrida was suddenly contrite (in an incredibly cute manner).  "Oh.  I suppose I should have kept information about there being additional trials to myself.  My bad."

"So there are additional trials?!" Mel demanded.

"Mrrrfh!" Skylar reiterated.  She was emphatic.  (Her fluttering pageboy was very cute.)

"Rope, leather, and steel," Elfrida continued (ignoring Skylar's disapproval), "for a total of three, but not necessarily in that order.  Forget I said anything.  That would probably be for the best."

Skylar rolled her eyes while Mel looked from face to face.

Elfrida's smile widened.  It was still focused on Mel.  "Do you want me to fetch the bedroom's guest vibrator?" she inquired.  "It should be in the bottom drawer of your right night-table, along with the guest rope collection."

"W-what?"  Mel remembered opening the drawer in question when she'd first arrived at Bastillon Cottage.  It had been empty.  She was sure of it.  And now (allegedly) it was full of... recreational bondage and/or diddling equipment?

Elfrida started squirming away from Mel, apparently making good on her offer (threat) to fetch the alleged vibrator.

"No!" Mel objected.  "No vibrator!  No diddling!  I need to sleep.  Lady Clifton and Dr. Jill are returning tomorrow!"

Elfrida smiled at Skylar, who continued scowling back at her fellow maid across Mel's body,  "She does have a point," Elfrida giggled.  The pixie-maid then stretched across Mel and the captive Skylar, and used the night-table's remote to turn off the lights.  "Slumber it is, then."  She snuggled close to Mel, once again, sighed, and (apparently) closed her eyes.  "Goodnight, Miss Melvin," she murmured, then kissed Mel's lips.

"Uh, yeah," Mel muttered back.  "Goodnight."  She found the two maids bodies to be warm and comforting... just like last night... only this time she wasn't bound, gagged, and totally exhausted from being excessively vibro-diddled... Skylar was the one who was bound and gagged... and Elfrida wasn't bound and gagged (like Mel herself). 

'Rope, leather, and steel,' Mel thought.  'Not necessarily in that order.'  This is nuts!  It was a lot to think about, but Dr. Jill was still returning in the morning, she was busy ignoring the close proximity of the naked and comely maids, and she needed her sleep.  Eventually, despite the distraction of the presence of her bed-mates, Mel managed to drift off.

Zzzzzzzz.......

Her Ladyship and Dr. Jill returned from Leeds right on schedule and with good news.  Lady Clifton had purchased a top-of-the-line programmable, fully automated, and self-driving Ground Penetrating Radar system, including state-of-the-art data management and analysis software!  Factory reps would accompany the delivery to set everything up and familiarize Dr. Jill and Mel-the-minion with its operation.  This wouldn't be Jill's first GPR-rodeo, far from it, but with a new model it was always good to have expert help on hand.

Much to Mel's relief, Dr. Jill was entirely pleased with all the administrative labor Mel had accomplished while she was away in Leeds.  (Of course, Mel knew she'd have been even further along if she hadn't lost an entire day being inducted into the Bastillon Cottage Gang, but her mentor didn't need to know anything about any of that.)

In consultation with Lady Clifton and Dr. Russell, Jill had already selected the initial site, the first location to be scanned, and (thanks to Mel's due diligence) everything was ready.  They had a week until the GPR robot/drone arrived; however the analysis software was already loaded on one of the Project Office workstations and the Archeological Staff were keeping busy running simulated data sets through the analysis software.

While they waited for what Bailey called "the new toy" to arrive, the Bastillon Cottage routine continued.  There was daily exercise in the form of runs on the estate trails, swims in the greenhouse pool, and Her Ladyship's yoga and tai-chi classes.

And then, on the morning of the third day after their return from Leeds, the forecast was clear and Lady Clifton invited Jill to join her for a tanning session in her "Basking Garden."

Lady Clifton, Bailey, and her guests had shared the Cottage dry-sauna on numerous occasions, so it was well established that all of the blondes had allover tans, or nearly an allover tan in the case of Mel.  Her Ladyship, Bailey, and Dr. Jill all displayed uniform sun exposure with no discernible bikini-lines.

Dr. Lucy did not, of course, meaning have an allover tan.  The ginger's gorgeous face, décolletage-region, arms, and hands got a little sun and therefore had a little color (a faint, subtle, orange-tinted stippling/blush), but the remaining eighty-percent of her smooth, firm, flawless skin was decidedly pale and peach-pink.  Dr. Lucy was a "clear" redhead, her skin not prone to clearly defined freckles.

Jill accepted the invitation.  Mainly, she was curious to see exactly what constituted a "Basking Garden."  She'd thought she was already fully familiar with the Cottage grounds and none of the garden venues stood out as being private enough for one to feel comfortable getting naked.

So, wearing cotton robes from the gym bath (and only cotton robes from the gym bath), Her Ladyship and Jill left the Cottage and padded across the lawn to what Jill had always taken to be a stretch of dense hedge abutted against a small stone outbuilding she'd assumed was probably a garden shed.

The building/shed in question was architecturally simple, looked to be very old, and its sturdy wooden door led to an open interior.  On the right was a set of shelves laden with neat stacks of towels, rows of wardrobe-style cabinets, and a compact refrigerator Jill assumed was stocked with refreshing beverages.  On their left was a stone wall interrupted by a single heavy timber door bound with iron bands and studded with iron bolts.  It was very medieval and much more substantial that the entry door through which they'd just entered.  To their front was an open archway that led directly back to the outside.

Beyond the opening was a square lawn about fifty feet on a side and completely surrounded by tall and very dense hedges.  The tops of several nearby trees were visible, as well as the top half of the distant ruins of Cumberdale Castle.  Bastillon Cottage was completely hidden.  Also, out on the lawn were two sets of lawn furniture:

(1.) Four adjustable lounge chairs, all set to fully horizontal, and...

(2.) A café table with four straight chairs.  Neither venue had umbrellas, awnings, or any other form of solar protection.

Clearly, this was the totally private tanning venue that comprised Her Ladyship's Basking Garden.

Following Lady Clifton's lead, Jill selected a large white towel, a small white towel Her Ladyship explained would be used as a pillow, selected a bottle of tanning lotion, removed and hung up her robe, then followed her hostess from the Medieval Dressing Room and out into the sun.

The blondes each selected a lounge chair, spread their large towels across its cushions, placed the folded smaller towels at the head position, then thoroughly slathered themselves with lotion.

"I'll set a timer," Lady Clifton announced, waving her iPhone.

Jill hadn't thought of that.  She was glad Her Ladyship had.  If she fell asleep she might turn into an archeological lobster.  She reclined on her chosen lounge, face up, then closed her eyes and commenced basking.

Her Ladyship did the same.

They soaked up the rays in companionable silence for several minutes.  The sun was warm... make that hot...  and the hedge prevented any cooling breezes from entering the "garden."  Both blondes began to glow (meaning they began glistening with patinas of sweat).

Finally... the silence was broken.

"Melody tells me you tied her up with duct tape," Her Ladyship purred.

Jill's blue peepers popped open, then she began blinking.  Sweat had stung her eyes.  "W-what?  Yes, I did...  I mean... she told you that?"  Jill sat up and used her pillow-towel to wipe her face.

Lady Clifton was still reclined on her back with her eyes closed, and was smiling.  "The little scamp said you were... curious," Her Ladyship stated.

Jill lay back and closed her eyes again.  "I knew about all the sorority raids she used to take part in, and... yes... I was curious."

"You were curious about bondage," Her Ladyship said.  It was not a question.  "However, you didn't want to be tied up, or in this case taped up, so you let Melody talk you into taping her up."

"Uh, yeah," Jill confirmed.  When I get hold of Melvin, Jill thought. I'm going to... do nothing... and Her Ladyship is right, Melody Lockhart is a scamp... and a trickster.

"Are you still curious?" Her Ladyship inquired.

"C-curious?"  Jill's blue eyes were blinking again.  "No!  I mean... not much.  I mean... a little.  I'm a scientist.  I'm curious about all sorts of stuff.  Anyway... uh... no."

Jill watched as Lady Clifton rose to her feet (gracefully and glistening with lotion and/or sweat), then smiled at her fellow blonde, turned, and padded towards the stone building.

"Hold that thought," Her Ladyship suggested (ordered) as she crossed into the shade of the building.

Jill was... semi-flabbergasted, somewhat discomposed, and fractionally dumbstruck.  Her heart was pounding.

A handful of seconds passed... then Lady Clifton returned to the sunlight, and clutched in her right hand were—two, no three neatly coiled lengths of thin hemp rope!!

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Chapter 5

Chapter 7

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