At Wor

[A sequel to (1) The Summer Of Francesca, and (2) Town And Country]

Francesca walked Anne on her leash through the front door into a room filled with moving boxes. The morning sun shone through windows hung with light curtains. Anne took it all in with wide eyes.

"Your cell is in the back." Anne started forward, but her owner pulled on the leash.

"Not so fast." Anne stopped in shame at her disobedience.

"Down." Anne knelt and touched her forehead to the floor in apology until Francesca shook the leash, a signal to rise.

Her owner led her through the kitchen and out to a small attached structure with a packed earth floor. "I don't think I'll add a light; there's a skylight in the roof and you couldn't use the switch."

With Anne's hands bound behind her she would be unable to adjust anything in the room, so it was as naked as she was.

"When it's very cold you can sleep on the rug in my bedroom. Or..."

They laughed, remembering the evening of Francesca's graduation last week when for the first time she took Anne into her bed.

Anne wondered if she dared to speak. In her previous life as a young professional she was used to offering her opinions freely; but since she gave herself to her first master she had been taught silence and submission.

With difficulty; months of training finally broke her, but she still needed discipline.

She ventured an inoffensive comment that she hoped did not show "independence".

"It'll be nice to have a place of our own, won't it ma'am?"

"Very nice, though it isn't really mine; it comes with the manager's job here at the plant."

They laughed again; it was early summer and they were happy to be starting their life together as Francesca took up her first job after graduate school.

"And if it's very warm, you can sleep outside in the yard; there's a stake for your leash next to the frame."

She led Anne outside to a large wooden shed and opened a door at the end. "The carriage house." Inside was a light two-passenger wheeled chaise with shiny brass fittings and dark enameled wood.

"A benefit of the job; you can take me out in it tomorrow."

The sight of the chaise brought back memories of her time at the academy. It had vehicles of all sizes.

Once she saw a coach pulled by six girls, but she had only been hitched to a small carriage like this. With another girl, Laura; she recalled the scene, and how the two were ordered to wrestle afterwards, how she lost and paid the price beneath Laura in the sawdust.

They walked up the hill behind Francesca's cottage to the exercise frame atop a knoll. At a sign from her owner, Anne stood inside it. Francesca dropped the end of Anne's leash between her breasts and attached her steel wrist and ankle bracelets to the four corners, spreading her into a wide X that exposed her to the world.

Francesca took a few strokes with a light whip to the belly and breasts that soon had Anne wet and moaning. Within a minute the whip drove all thoughts from her head. She lost the memory of her past; she became a mindless object in ecstasy.

"There; I won't give you a full workout this morning. We have too much to do, but I wanted to check it out. And half the town can see you here; the other half will find a way to visit them."

She released Anne and took up her leash before leading her back to the house, viewed by many eyes.

For the next hour they removed books, dishes, and other objects from packing boxes and stored them in cupboards and on shelves. Anne reflected on her luck when Francesca persuaded her last owner to give her away rather than putting her down at the end of the season.

Just then there was a knock at the front door. After fastening Anne's hands behind her, Francesca led her toward the sound. Anne knelt at her side before she opened the door to find a couple like themselves.

One was a sinewy middle-aged woman with straight black hair showing streaks of gray. Behind her, nude on a leash attached to her collar was a muscular young woman.

"Good morning, I'm Maria, the company's medical officer. I saw you earlier from my back window. You must be Francesca and Anne; and this is my Celeste."

At a tug on her leash Celeste stepped forward and curtseyed to Francesca and Anne. Anne looked over at her owner, and at a nod responded in a like manner to the visitors.

"Do come in, please; I'm afraid we don't have anything to offer you, we just arrived an hour ago."

The two visitors entered. Maria looked Anne up and down, cocked her head sideways a moment and gave Francesca an inquiring look.

"Go ahead."

Maria handed Celeste's leash to Francesca and stood before Anne to inspect her. She brushed Anne's nipples to watch them stiffen and squeezed each of her breasts for firmness. Placing one hand on Anne's back, she pressed the other against her flat belly and nodded approvingly.

She walked behind Anne and squeezed her buttocks, then ran a hand between her legs. Anne struggled to open herself as the hand probed her expertly; she began to moan and grow wet as it entered her, retreated, returned.

"Very nice, and quite attractive as well; is she good in bed?"

"Very;" said Francesca in a tone that made clear she would answer no more questions on the subject.

Anne reddened as she remembered her "courtesan training" at St. Agnes Academy a year earlier, when the syndicate that owned her prepared her for sale. It was only chance that led a wealthy private collector instead of a brothel to buy her at the auction.

"And her behavior?"

Anne was ashamed to recall the grief her rebellious spirit had given her owner. After several efforts to tame her failed, Francesca sent her away to a friend who specialized in difficult cases. He starved and kenneled her for months until she was broken for service before returning her.

She still "acted up" at times, but Francesca kept a sharp watch and had her under control. A brief whipping now and then as necessary reduced her to a state of submission.

"She was too intellectual when I first got her and I had to punish her a number of times -"

"I can see that." Anne's body was covered with marks of the lash.

"Most of those are from her previous owner." Francesca paused for a moment. As Mr. Schuyler's trainer, Francesca had put them on her at his orders.

"I don't think the academy properly domesticated her. She's brainy and hard to teach. I worked with a friend who handles girls like her; she still needs to be kept in line but she's better now."

"A prize, then; congratulations."

Francesca nodded her acceptance of the compliment.

"I see you are busy," continued Maria. "But perhaps this afternoon you'd like to take tea with us when you're settled?"

"Thank you, we'd love to. I want to know more about the town we just moved into - there are two cafes, I like it already."

"Would three o'clock be convenient?"

"Very; and your house is...?"

"The white cottage next to yours, over there. And bring Anne, I'll have feed and water for her."

"At three, then." She glanced at Celeste, who made another curtsey. The couple took their leave.

"They seem all right," said Francesca. "I'm relieved; I heard that Maria applied for this job and resented it going to an outsider. She used to be the head trainer and executioner at an academy like St. Agnes; not sure why she left, no one there will talk about it."

Francesca released Anne's bracelets and coiled the leash around her neck; they resumed unpacking boxes and setting out their contents. After another hour or so, she told Anne to prepare lunch.

Anne made a salad and tea for her owner before setting the table. There was a small flower garden in front; perhaps later she could find a vase and some roses to make it nice for Francesca.

She put two bowls on the floor and filled one with water, hoping her owner would not make her eat alone in her cell.

When all was ready, she called to Francesca. Her owner measured out a quantity of feed pellets into a cup and poured them into the empty bowl.

A small quantity; keeping Anne hungry was part of her training and reminded her who was in charge. She turned around to have her hands bound behind her and knelt by Francesca's chair.

She was sensitive to changes in her feed and noticed her owner was trying out a new formula on her; more fiber to improve her digestion. A daughter of farmers, Francesca kept a close watch on her livestock.

As they dined Anne looked up at her mistress from time to time, her gaze resting on Francesca's strong arms, her tawny hair and her profile. Looking into her eyes was forbidden, but the rest...

Her owner was taller with a sturdy build and younger than Anne. She marveled at Francesca's laughter, sometimes silvery and sometimes a richer, mellow gold like her sun-drenched skin.

Anne's own skin was covered with an extensive network of pale lines from hundreds of exercises with whip and riding crop; some gentle, some quite severe, all remembered with fondness though they seemed unbearable at the time. She lived for such moments on the edge like that.

Francesca wore no jewelry of any kind; her head, hands, and neck were bare. Anne herself wore only her collar and the bracelets on her wrists and ankles by which she could be bound or tied up.

As her owner, Francesca could do anything she wanted with Anne; sell her, give her away, put her down.

Dark thoughts came over her. Strangling a girl was the usual method; the strength in Francesca's hands made a garrote unnecessary, but she would probably use one, it was the custom. Anne had witnessed it at the training academy from time to time and it always put a chill on her, though it was - exciting in a way.

Or her owner might call in a professional to handle the job, someone like Maria. Would Francesca stay to watch, or just come back later? If at all; she might send Anne away as some owners did and put the messy business out of her mind. But that kind of service cost money; she would likely do the job herself. There was plenty of room in the garden behind the cottage to deal with the results.

Anne shook her head to clear it. Francesca would do no such thing, surely. But it was good for Anne to remember that she could.

Looking at her, considering the power she held so confidently in check, Anne's eyes began to fill. She sensed herself becoming warm and moist below; she was glad to be kneeling and not sitting. Just then Francesca returned her gaze; smiling, she kissed Anne on the cheek and gently squeezed one of her nipples.

That was too much happiness to bear; she brimmed over. Francesca kissed the streams of her tears before drying her face with a tissue while Anne held her knees close together.

"Now little one, you need to eat to keep up your strength; we have furniture to move and books to put away, and you've hardly touched a thing, silly."

Yes, ma'am; do we have much work ahead?"

"I don't think so, the movers did most of it yesterday; we just rearrange things till we like the result, before I change my mind and we start all over again. We should be almost done before we go over to Maria's. And before that we need to think about dinner."

"What would you like, ma'am?"

"From what we have in the kitchen, I'd say ice cubes and salt unless we go shopping. Let's put in an hour more and head over to the store down the street. After you finish your lunch, or aren't you hungry?"

"Yes ma'am I am; I was just thinking about - other things."

"I noticed; you're very sweet. Yes, I think I'll keep you."

Seeing Anne's stricken look, she added, "Now eat."

Anne dutifully finished her pellets; after she cleared the table Francesca bound her and led her into town. Anne walked before her mistress, pleased to be seen as her property and in her company, smiling at everyone who glanced or stared at them. An elderly couple paused and wished the pair a good morning while Anne curtseyed to them.

In the larger city where they lived (Francesca in an apartment and Anne chained in the cellar) some women called Anne a whore and spit on her, but here everyone was friendly. Several people had met Francesca when she interviewed for her job at the plant.

One passerby congratulated Francesca and shook her hand. He looked Anne over, said "May I?" and at a nod from her owner hefted her breasts. Anne opened her legs for him but he contented himself with that brief inspection.

Another man, walking his own girl on a leash, paused to say hello. He gave Anne a closer look, examining her belly and backside while she stood with her feet apart in invitation. Francesca seemed to know him; she explained where Anne came from and her earlier career (which embarrassed her a little) as he explored her.

He pronounced Anne "a fine specimen" and offered his Pam for Francesca's examination. After a cursory review she complimented him on the quality of Pam's skin, and the two discussed feed formulas for a moment.

They passed an elegant store and Francesca paused. "I think I'll get you something to celebrate my new job." As a clerk approached, Francesca pulled on the leash and Anne stopped at the unspoken command.

Her owner had learned firmness in the last few months, she noted. That was good; they both recognized her need for it. The hand on her shoulder told her to kneel and she hastened to obey.

The clerk showed Francesca a variety of metal bowls; she chose one and set it on the floor. Taking her cue, Anne leaned forward and pretended to eat from it while the staff and customers looked on. It rocked back and forth unsteadily.

"Perhaps a souffle dish would do," suggested the clerk. "Solid porcelain and straight sides; we have them plain or decorated." He set one on the floor for Anne; she tested it and Francesca bought two with silver rims.

"I'll need to have them delivered," she said.

"Certainly, madame." Francesca gave him her address.

He coughed. "And should you be interested in a harness for your girl or other sundries, skin care, and the like, Casey's leather goods for ladies is next door. She has a wide variety in the back room, sure to please. I am told." Francesca promised to consider it.

Anne saw the clerk eyeing her and stood up straight to emphasize the curve of her breasts and buttocks. She read desire on his face and imagined him in her. She wondered how he would like to take her; on her back, on her knees, bent over a chair or down on all fours. She had learned many ways of pleasing her partners.

At the grocery store Francesca secured the leash to a shopping cart and proceeded down the aisles while Anne pulled it. Anne had grown accustomed to the task, though the first time she was used as a mule in public she had been embarrassed beyond measure. She felt her training had begun to pay off.

And she realized her owner had other goals in taking her on this little tour. Francesca was introducing herself and presenting Anne to the town.

It was good to be shown off this way, a part of her breaking-in; she must become accustomed to behaving well in public and opening herself to strangers without hesitation.

The checkout clerk was chatty. "You must be Francesca, the new manager, and this is your Anne." Francesca nodded and Anne curtseyed. "Hope you'll like it here."

"Thank you, I'm sure we will."

"You want to bulk up that girl of yours, though; she looks pretty thin."

"Anne has a slender build, I think."

"Stand up on that stool, miss" - Anne did so after a glance at her mistress, while the clerk and several shoppers looked her over - "Well, you know best I'm sure but I think she needs building up. You might take her out for a run on the trails now and then, would do her good." She felt Anne's breasts and buttocks.

"What there is of her is all right, just needs more of it. Look at those legs." Everyone in the store, who had by this time gathered around to watch, did so. Anne shifted awkwardly from foot to foot and wished she knew how to appear poised.

"Belly's firm though." She pressed it to demonstrate, nearly knocking Anne off her perch to the amusement of the crowd.