Twice the Novice

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An Excerpt From: TWICE THE NOVICE

Copyright ? DEBRA GLASS, 2010

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.

Greta
moved to the front and began rubbing the oil into Anne?s chest, and then lower, to her breasts. She?d never been touched this way
before and she resisted the heady temptation to arch into Greta?s capable
hands.

?Won?t
this mixture soil my clothes?? Anne asked.

?Until
your training is complete, you will wear an instruction garment,? Greta
replied, making short work of rubbing the oil on Anne?s abdomen and the
front of her legs.

?You
will also be required to wear special jewelry but most bride-elects find those
easier to tolerate when the trainer applies them.?

Anne
did not even venture to guess what type of jewelry she might be asked to
wear?but when Greta produced a set of five leather cuffs, Anne shrank.

?What
are those?? she asked, her voice high-pitched and
hysterical.

?Part
of your training wear,? Greta said. ?Hold out your wrists.?

Anne
shook her head. ?You?re not putting those on me.?

Greta
shrugged. Disappointment darkened her eyes. ?Very well. I will tell the
count you have refused and that you wish to be sent home.?

Yes. That is the most prudent
thing to do.
Anne?s breaths came quick and shallow and there was nothing she could do to
prevent it. Her heart sank. ?No. Wait,? she said. The least she could do
would be to try them on. ?If?if at any time I cannot tolerate the training,
am I free to leave??

Greta?s
face brightened. ?Yes. You have only to ask.?

Trembling,
Anne offered her hands. She watched as Greta fastened a leather cuff
bearing a single metal ring around both of her wrists. After that, Greta
slipped identical cuffs around Anne?s ankles and then one around her neck.

Anne
fingered the metal ring dangling from the center of the band around her
neck. Her blood ran cold imagining what the purpose of the rings could be.
And yet, the hint of a shiver traveled up her spine.

After
submitting to the cuffs, agreeing to wear the gown seemed easy. Made of
fine white linen, the fabric was thin?practically transparent. Greta held
it up and Anne stared, shocked. Open down the back with nothing but a narrow
ribbon tie at the neck, it appeared to be a long-sleeved robe of some sort.
Greta slid it onto Anne?s outstretched arms and then tied the enclosure in
the back.

The
fabric clung to her oiled skin, outlining every curve, every swell and
every crevice. How could she bear to face the count?s nephew clad in this?

?There,?
Greta said, admiring her handiwork. She hesitated when her gaze found
Anne?s. ?My lady, I sincerely hope you can endure this. The count is in
desperate need of a woman fit to be countess.?

Anne
shook. ?I will try my best.?

?Come
then,? Greta said. ?Your trainer will be ready for you to begin.?

?But I
have not eaten,? Anne protested in an attempt to stall her fate. Besides,
it wasn?t as if she could have eaten a bite of food?even if she?d been
ravenous.

?Your
trainer will see to your every
need until your instruction is complete.?

Anne
burned at the idea of being dependent on that hateful Axel. As Greta led
her through the bed chamber, Anne felt as if the
whole world suddenly whirled at breakneck speed and there was little she
could do to slow it down.

Greta
opened a secret door in the wall. Anne?s pulse pounded faster and faster as
she followed the servant down a long, narrow hall illuminated sporadically
by rush torches. By the time the hallway opened into a dimly lit chamber,
Anne knew she would have surely vomited if she?d already eaten. Her
heartbeat thundered in her ears. She searched the room for Axel?her
trainer?but he was nowhere to be seen. At least, as far as she could see
into the murky shadows. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the
darkness.

?Remove
the novice?s gown,? a stern voice boomed from a darkened corner.

Anne
gasped.

?You
will not be harmed,? Greta whispered as she untied the ribbon at the back
of Anne?s neck.

The
garment slid down her arms and away until Anne found herself standing stark
naked in the center of the room. Her hands flew to cover her breasts and
her denuded pubis. And as her eyes grew accustomed to the shadows, she
realized the room was filled with odd-looking devices. One shelf stood
replete with various wooden and leather?Anne gaped?phalli? The muscles in her thighs tightened. A smooth, leather-covered
block sat on the floor in the midst of several metal rings from which
chains were linked.

Other
chains dangled from the shadowed ceiling. Did he intend to restrain her? If
so, for what dread purpose?

Anne
intended to find out.

?Raise
your arms,? the voice commanded.

Anne
jumped, startled. No. She
couldn?t bear to be seen like this.

?Raise
them!? The command came again.

As she
began to lift her arms, Greta caught one of her wrists and fastened a hook
to the loop on the cuff so that her arm stretched high above her head.

?What?!?
Anne rebelled but Greta quickly snagged the other wrist and bound it to the
same hook.

?Remember,
you will not be harmed,? she said under her breath before she skittered out
of the chamber.

?Wait!?
Anne cried but to no avail. The door closed, leaving her bound and naked
and at the mercy of a hateful stranger.