Lucy and the Doctors Page 3

  She moved her hands to her breasts, clutching them defensively in stark memory. Benedict could see the fear in her eyes as she relived the moment.

  “He kept putting his hand between… between my legs. He lifted my gown and shoved me onto the bed. I felt him pushing something against my bottom. It was soft, like a dead frog.”

  Here Benedict looked away, realizing he would have been amused by the description under any other circumstance. But she was so clearly distressed that he could not find humor in it.

  Lucy paused again and he placed a gentle hand over hers, urging her to continue.

  “I-I-don’t know what was supposed to happen, but whatever it was I did not want it. When I struggled with him, Judge Bonham stood and pulled me from the bed. As he stood there, I could see… the thing he’d been poking me with. He looked down at it. It was small and soft and it seemed to enrage him that I was looking. Oh, his face. It was so angry. Spittle flew from his mouth as he shouted at me, asking me the most terrible questions and calling me the vilest names when I answered him honestly.”

  “He threw me to the floor and began to hit me, but then he suddenly stopped, opened the door, and called for the maid to fetch his secretary, whom I knew as Mr. Stiles, the fellow who fetched me to Judge Bonham from my home. Judge Bonham told Mr. Stiles that I’d revealed myself to be a whore, and that I was diseased. He said I’d exhibited ‘unnatural passions,’ and that he could not touch me. Then he told me I’d never see the light of day again due to my ‘sins.’”

  Tears coursed down her cheeks now as Lucy continued recalling that first and final night with her husband. “Stiles left. When he returned it was with two burly men with shaved heads. They were dressed in white and were in the company of that other fellow, the one you spoke to…”

  “Litman,” Thomas said, looking at his colleague.

  “Yes, I believe that to be his name,” Lucy confirmed. “Judge Bonham repeated his claims to this man. I was so gripped with fear I dared not dispute them. Everything was happening so fast. The next thing I knew, something was pressed over my face. For days I could only recall Bonham’s last words to me.”

  “What were they?” Benedict asked.

  “This will teach you. Bitch.” She began to sob then, her small hands covering her face as her slim shoulders shook with her emotion. But then came the reassuring weight of a large hand on her back, gently rubbing, and deep voices telling her how brave she’d been to recount what had happened. Lucy forced herself to regain control of her emotions as she faced the two doctors through her tears.

  “Whatever he has told you is not true. I have endeavored all my life to be good. Yes, I could be willful at times, but what child isn’t? Oh, that I could return to those happy days in the care of the good pastor and his wife. But I am of age now, and before I left I was told that I was an adult now. But I want no part of being grown up! It’s so cruel!”

  Now the sobs returned, and it was obvious that she could not stop them.

  Benedict could take no more. He lifted her into his arms, dropping a reassuring kiss on the top of her head. Together, the men carried her to a comfortable bedchamber bathed in the warm glow of gaslight. In the grate against one wall, coals glowed red, taking the chill from the air. Thomas Allard pulled back the coverlet as his colleague gently laid Lucy down. Comforting words were spoken by both men as they covered her up.

  “Sleep well,” Thomas said. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Mrs. Bonham.”

  “Please,” she sobbed. “Do not call me that. He’s put me away, and I am not sorry for it. If you must address me, let it simply be ‘Lucy.’”

  “Lucy it is, then,” Thomas replied. “Sweet Lucy. Dear Lucy. Try to rest. We will sort this out.”

  He gave her a reassuring smile before the two men turned away.

  “Sirs?” she called after them, her voice hitching. The men looked back.

  “Since I am not what you thought, you’ll have no need for me now. Will you send me back, then?”

  “No.” The men spoke in unison, and looked at one another as if surprised by the other. Then Benedict took a step toward her.

  “You need not worry,” he said. “Nothing bad will ever happen to you again. We promise.”

  Chapter Four: The Doctors’ Decision

  It was late into the night and both Benedict and Thomas were still up. Thomas had even made a pot of strong tea to fortify them as they sat at the kitchen table, talking.

  “I hope we didn’t make Lucy a promise that we can’t keep,” Thomas said quietly.

  “What other promise could we make?” Benedict topped off his cup from the pot sitting between them. “We can’t send her back. Nor are we obligated to. She’s our legal ward now. Dr. Litman was granted custody and transferred that custody to us.”

  “Yes,” Thomas said wearily. “But for the purposes of scientific study, Benedict. Now we both know that she’s unsuitable. She’s no more a nymphomaniac than I am a Lord.” He stood, running his hands through his thick blond hair as he began to pace the kitchen.

  “Dr. Litman doesn’t know that,” Benedict argued. “We gave no timeline for the study. So far as he or anyone else knows, Lucy is ensconced here as the subject of our scientific observations. And he gave no orders for us to return her, either. In truth, we could pronounce her cured after some months, and release her.”

  Thomas arched an eyebrow. “We could pronounce her cured now and release her, for that matter.” His eyes met his friend’s, and both men knew the other was having the same thought; neither wanted to let Lucy leave. Not yet.

  “She’s hardly stable enough to travel after what she’s been through,” Benedict said. “She’s safer here. Poor lass. Nearly raped by that bastard Bonham. I’d like to work him over.” He punched one palm with his fist. “Perhaps it’s time I put the boxing skills I acquired at the university back to use.”

  “Don’t talk nonsense, Ben,” his friend said. “Judge Bonham is a powerful man. Besides, the less said about all this the better. You’re right; Judge Bonham is a bastard. But the best revenge is to take the woman he punished for spurning him and give her what he could not.”

  His colleague raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?”

  “Happiness, of course!” He flushed slightly. “Of course that’s all I meant. We could never entertain carnal thoughts about a woman we brought into our home as a ward and a subject. Even if she is…”

  “Exquisite?” Benedict finished his sentence. “You have to admit, she is extremely lovely. And then there’s something in her manner, so sweet, so innocent. What she said up there touched me, about how she didn’t want to be an adult. Is it odd that I was seized by the desire to protect her to the most extreme degree, to give her the depth of her heart’s desire by returning her to the nursery?”

  The room fell completely silent save for the ticking of a far-off clock. “It is incredibly odd that you should voice that sentiment, my friend,” Thomas said. “For I shared the self-same thought.” He paused. “And why shouldn’t she? She may be of age, but she’s still so much a child in form and spirit. I’ve not seen one so innocent. She’s had such a trauma. Returning her to a world of structure and limits and love will be like returning her to a healing cocoon.”

  Now Benedict was on his feet. “I could not agree more, Thom. And who’s to say there’s not some academic value in the effect this sort of environment can have on a traumatized woman? Perhaps it can even be the key to her healthy sexual awakening.”

  Now Thomas fell quiet, eyeing his friend cautiously. “What are you saying, Benedict?”

  “I’m saying that she got the rudest introduction a gentlewoman can get to sexuality. Would we not be doing her a service by wiping that from her mind, and replacing it with experiences that would better prepare her for a healthy union? We are, after all, scientists.”

  “Are you suggesting we deflower her?”

  “Oh, God, no, man! Merely school her in a manner that allows her to see coupling as a potentially pleasurable thing, while showing her that a touch can be benevolent.”

  Thomas fell into a moment of quiet consideration. “I believe you may be on to something, Ben. Technically, this would keep her as our subject, should an inquiry be made. We can defer the course of study on nymphomania and focus on this instead. It is just as relevant, I’m sure.”

  “Splendid,” Benedict said. “I do believe I may actually sleep the night now. So worried was I for the sweet miss that I feared I’d not be able to close my eyes. If you don’t mind, I’m for my bed now.”

  “Yes, good night,” his friend said.

  Thomas stayed long enough to rinse the teapot and cups, not wanting to make extra work for the cook when she arrived in the morning, which was now only hours away. He suddenly realized how tired he was, and made his way upstairs. His room was at the end of the hall. He walked quietly past the door to Benedict’s room. The room housing Lucy was between that one and his, and he paused a moment before her door before pushing it open. Thomas could see the curve of her body under the blanket. She had both hands resting under one cheek, and her hair fanned out on the pillow like a wave.

  She’s not yours. Not in that way. You mustn’t think of her so.

  Lucy stirred in her sleep, and he could make out the curve of her hip as she shifted beneath the blanket. An image flashed through his mind of her naked on the exam table. Her skin had been so incredibly soft, her pussy so tight. He’d not expected to find her intact. His was the first pleasurable touch she’d ever known from a man. Just that knowledge had his cock stiffening. He’d held her while Benedict had bathed her. He’d felt a tinge of jealousy as his friend’s hand had slipped below the water to wash between Lucy’s legs. Even now he felt a stab of guilt over that moment of secret emotion. He had no right to covet this young woman. He was a professional, and could not let his attractions get the best of him.

  He turned to walk away.

  “Dr. Allard?”

  Her sweet, sleepy voice startled him. He turned back to see she’d lifted herself up on her elbows. The blanket had fallen away and the neckline of the shift had slipped to reveal the swell of her breasts. He swallowed hard before answering.

  “Lucy,” he said, walking over and putting the candle he held down on the table. “I was on my way to bed and wanted to check on you. Have you slept well?”

  “Yes. I still feel overtired. I think it is the medicine they gave me. Do you think I will be better in the morning?”

  He smiled. “Yes,” he said gently. “Especially after we get some food into your tummy. I’m sure they did not feed you well at the asylum.”

  “No,” she said. “I hardly had a thing.”

  “I could fetch you something now,” he said.

  She caught her lower lip with her teeth and looked at him through her long lashes. “It would not be too much trouble?”

  “Not at all,” he said. “Dr. Crane and I intend to care for you completely. You are our ward now, and under our protection. You will want for nothing.” He smiled. “Now, what would you like?”

  “Would a biscuit be too much trouble? And some milk?”

  “Biscuits and milk it is.”

  The fatigue Thomas felt fled as he made his way back to the kitchen for the needed provisions. Fifteen minutes later he returned with a cup of warm milk, two chocolate biscuits, and even a leftover scone with clotted cream.

  Despite her hunger, Lucy ate delicately, and Thomas took in every detail of how she enjoyed her small repast. He knew she could have easily wolfed the food down from hunger, but she took small bites, and he was mesmerized at how she wiped away a crumb from her full lip with the linen napkin he provided.

  “You’re kind to care for me so,” she said quietly when she was done. “I believe I would have died if I’d stayed in that awful place. Thank you for saving me, Dr. Allard. You and Dr. Crane are so kind. I shall find a way to repay you.”

  “There is no need,” he said, standing to take the dishes. “As I said, you are our ward here. As such, you will be cared for, but it will not be without expectations. There will be rules.”

  “I understand,” she said. “I am a very good girl.”

  His cock all but leapt at the innocence of her statement, and the dishes in his hand rattled. There was something so utterly submissive and vulnerable in her manner. Never had a woman affected him so. He suddenly felt flustered.

  “Yes. I’m sure.” He cleared his throat. “I must away to bed now, Lucy. Good night.”

  He turned quickly then, glad for the low light that hid the arousal he knew would need personal attention before he could possibly sleep this night.

  Chapter Five: Examining Lucy

  Dr. Allard was right. Lucy felt much better the next morning. She slept later than she intended, a full belly from the late-night meal aiding her slumber. It was past ten when she woke to find that Dr. Crane had gone to purchase a dress that was laid out for her to wear.

  As she gratefully lifted the dress from where it lay across a chair, she realized the style was reminiscent of what she wore when she was in the care of the pastor. When she’d arrived at Judge Bonham’s, she’d been surprised to be commanded to change into a dress the people who raised her would have considered immodest.

  “It’s the latest fashion,” the judge had boasted. “From Paris.” He’d leered at her as he continued. “You will behave in a proper fashion, but I want you dressed in a manner that has every man seething with jealousy over what is mine.” She could still remember looking down then, uncomfortable at how her breasts swelled over the bodice that barely seemed to contain them.

  This dress was different. It was white, with a modest neckline trimmed with pale pink ribbon, and a matching sash that tied in a wide bow at the back. It was more the dress for a young girl in school, and Lucy was glad for her small size that allowed it to fit. She sighed as she slid it on. It felt both proper and safe, as did the modest pantalets and stockings that had been provided. There was even a pink ribbon for her hair. Taming the thick tresses, she bound them with it.

  She’d been instructed to wait for someone to fetch her. She fully expected it would be one of the doctors, and was surprised and slightly disappointed when a tall woman in a nurse’s outfit came through the door.

  “You must be Lucy?” The woman was older, with a face that was remarkably pretty for one of her age.

  “Yes,” Lucy said.

  “I’m Nurse Lassiter. I work for Dr. Allard and Dr. Crane. They tell me that you will be living here, as their ward.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Well, welcome. The doctors want to speak to you over breakfast and have asked me to bring you down. No doubt they’ll be pleased to see you so prettily dressed. Come along now.”

  Lucy did as she was bid, following the nurse down the narrow hallway and stairs to another hallway that led past the sitting room where she’d been the night before. Her escort ended in the dining room, where both doctors were already at the table. She felt her stomach growl at the hearty breakfast that awaited: fluffy eggs, ham, porridge with jam and clotted cream, soft bread, steaming tea.

  “Finally, our sleeping beauty has emerged.” Dr. Crane stood along with his colleague and for the first time, Lucy realized how handsome her new guardians were. Benedict Crane was the taller of the two. He was also darker, with brown eyes and thick chestnut hair that brushed his collar. His face was almost pretty for a man’s, with high cheekbones and a full mouth. Thomas Allard had sharper features; Lucy could see the patrician influence in his breeding, given his strong jaw and slightly Roman nose. Even though he was serious, the shape of his mouth implied it could break into a smile at any moment. Unlike his colleague, he wore his sandy blond hair closely cropped.

  Both men were tall, and while they were clearly older than Lucy, she did not put either of them over forty. They also both had pleasant, cultured voices carrying an air of gentleness and quiet authority.

  “Did you sleep well?” Dr. Allard asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “And I awoke to this dress. It’s lovely. Thank you.”

  “From what you told us about your desire to return to a simpler time in your life, we thought it was appropriate,” Benedict said. As he spoke, Thomas piled a plate with breakfast for their ward.

  “You mean…” She looked from one man to the other. “I can stay here as your ward? Under your protection? Oh, I thought I’d dreamt it. It’s too much to hope for…”

  She saw the men exchange quick smiles before Dr. Crane turned his attention solely to her.

  “Yes, Lucy. You absolutely can stay. We have full custody of you now. Even though you are an adult, we believe it is in your best interest to remain here living as a child. You’re ill-prepared for the outside world, sheltered as you are. And having learned the nature of Judge Bonham, we are both concerned that he may pose a threat should you become independent too soon.”

  She nodded, her eyes filled with fear, as he continued.

  “But please understand that our protection comes with conditions. You must obey us as you would obey your papa. Or, in our case, papas.”

  Lucy nodded earnestly. “Of course,” she said. “I told Dr. Allard that I would be a good girl.”

  “And I’m sure you will,” Benedict said. “But it requires more. We expect your obedience, Lucy, in all matters, even when we ask you to do things you may not want to do.”

  She felt suddenly nervous.

  “Wh-what would you ask me to do that would warrant an objection?”

  “It hardly matters,” Dr. Allard chimed in. “The point is that we will only require things we consider essential to your wellbeing, and disobedience to our directives will carry consequences.”

  “Consequences? What kind?”

  “Whenever you misbehave or fail to obey us, you will be spanked.”

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