Shortly after breakfast, Katherine Hannard waited, mounted on a chestnut gelding outside Morton Lodge. She smiled as she saw an already familiar figure ride in through the gates and up the drive.
"Mr Blackwood! What a pleasant surprise."
"You are too kind, Miss Hannard" he bowed politely, "though from your countenance I doubt that my visit was entirely surprising to you."
"Would you care to ride with me?" asked Katherine with a slight smile. "I thought a canter around the grounds might be...invigorating."
"I would be delighted, though might it not seem improper for the two of us to go riding unchaperoned?"
"Propriety is not as black and white as some might suggest," said Katherine. She leaned towards Mr Blackwood and lowered her voice, "As you suggest, it might seem improper for us to ride alone, but it would seem even less acceptable to conduct ourselves in the fashion I intend with others in attendance."
This was sufficient encouragement to persuade Mr Blackwood that he had been forgiven for his recent treatment of her and would enjoy a ride with Katherine. "I accept your reasoning," he acknowledged. "Which way should we ride?"
With a quick flick of her riding crop, Katherine set off at speed across the lawns. Mr Blackwood pulling his mount's head around and galloping after her, caught up as she ascended a hill on top of which was a small copse, on entering which, Katherine slid from the saddle and tied the reins to one of the trees. Mr Blackwood watched her with curious amusement.
"Oh, it is warm work, is it not, Mr Blackwood?"
"But we have barely ridden two minutes."
"Well maybe you are content mounted on that beast, but for myself, I feel the need to cool down." Katherine unfastened the three buttons on the front of her dress, revealing the smooth swellings of her pert breasts. She smiled as a sly glance at Mr Blackwood's breeches informed her that her actions were having their desired effect. She pulled her dress open, releasing herself more fully to Mr Blackwood's lustful gaze. Her nipples, pink as rose petals were already hardening into sensitive little knots as she traced her fingers over them.
"Perhaps it is a little warm." Mr Blackwood looked over his shoulder at the house and swung himself off his horse, carelessly throwing the reins around the nearest branch and stepping towards Katherine.
"A little further in," insisted Katherine, stepping backwards, "just to make sure we're not observed."
Mr Blackwood followed Katherine as she stepped backwards a few steps, his eyes fixed on those perfect white mounds with their pink tips which seemed to have him hypnotised. She stepped to one side, behind a low hanging branch, partially obscuring herself from his view and stopped.
"Give me your hands." Mr Blackwood obeyed, slowly reaching his hands through the leaves and twigs as if in a dream. Katherine took hold of his strong hands and placed them, one over each breast, feeling the smooth, warm skin of his hands against the smooth, warm skin of her chest. He began moving his hands, fondling her soft flesh, making her flesh quiver with their exquisite lightness of touch before pinching her nipples, causing her just the right amount of pain, making her draw breath in stinging pleasure. For his part, Mr Blackwood was breathing faster than usual as he felt perfectly that which he could see but imperfectly through the tangle of leaves in front of his eyes.
Suddenly, this tangle parted with a violent jerk, and Mr Blackwood felt his arms pulled from the delicious flesh he had been delighting in and his mind pulled from its delightful reverie. Now he saw Katherine perfectly well standing before him bare chested with a knife in her delicate hands.
"What the hell is going on?" he demanded, his eyes flying between Katherine's smiling face, the knife in her hands and the ropes which held each of his hands securely above him and to either side.
"Don't you like my little surprise?" she smiled. "It took me hours to work out how to do it. Just one string to cut and you are completely incapacitated. Now the next question must be, now that you're in my power, what shall I do with you?" She brushed the back of her hand gently down his cheek, the knife glimmering wickedly an inch from his face. It would seem that the fear showed in his eye, for Katherine laughed merrily and reassured him: "Don't worry, I don't plan on using this to cut you...at least not if you behave yourself, and seeing as you don't really have a choice..."