Temptress Siren and Nympth

This is the second part of my historical series set in 1808. Based on comments from the first installment I'll start with a bit more background.

This series follows the exploits of a British army surgeon called Dr Hollington. Particularly how he navigates the affections of three very different women.

The setting is set against the backdrop of the Peninsular War of 1808. The British are preparing to liberate Portugal from Napoleon's iron grip. It is a time of muskets, red coats and large frilly dresses.

It is highly recommended to read the first instalment, as this one directly follows.

All characters are over 18. Thank you for reading.

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Chapter 1: In the cold light of day.

I woke with a sore stomach and a thumping headache. As I looked around the dusty room, I was surprised to find myself alone. I tried to recall the events of last night. I remembered singing, dancing and then having an intimate experience with Elizabeth.

My travelling clothes lay folded neatly on the chair with a note sitting on top. I got up to read it before getting dressed.

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- Dearest Jack,

Let me first thank you for your kindness. The right words are hard to find, there's so much you deserve to know. I hope you will forgive my cowardness for writing this letter. Some things are just too hard to face.

I also beg your forgiveness for what transpired last night. Those weren't the actions of a young lady. Perhaps my sister's free spirit has finally brushed off on me.

I hope you don't think too ill of me.

Yours faithfully,

Elizabeth, -

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I sat in a state of confusion. I couldn't order my thoughts in my slow, cloudy mind. The letter didn't explain anything bar her disappearance. Looking around the room I noticed all their things had gone. The innkeeper said the young ladies had insisted on leaving on the first coach available. He assured me the occupants of the coach were of good standing. I thanked him for his hospitality. If he thought it was strange that a man's wife should travel without him, he didn't show it.

I still didn't know what possessed Elizabeth to make up a pointless lie like that. The extent of our relationship was several dances and a coach ride. I guess that doesn't include the nocturnal activities in bed last night.

I acquired a horse with the last of my coin and rode south to Portsmouth. That had been our destination, Clarence Barracks on the south coast of England. I couldn't understand Elizabeth's letter. Why hadn't she spoken to me in person? If she had regrets about last night I would've understood. I had been a fool when I flirted with her in the library and made a bigger fool of myself last night.

The joy I felt at riding through the south downs, was soured by my thoughts of Elizabeth. I tried to turn my mind back to the task at hand. Back to the undertaking we were about to embark upon. It was all for the best and I resolved to avoid her company over the coming months.

I arrived at the barracks late in the evening. I had taken my time keen to not bump into Elizabeth on the road. Once the horse was stabled I was rounded on by Charles.

"Jack where the devil have you been?" he said, flustered and dragging me over to the officer's mess.

He offered me a brandy but I refused, still reeling from a hangover. Charles was my dearest friend and the captain of the 4th Company, to which I was assigned as company surgeon.

"What the hell happened to you?" Charles asked as he downed both glasses.

"What do you mean?" I said worrying that he somehow knew of what had transpired with Elizabeth.

"The Colonel's daughters arrived hours ago and unaccompanied. They were both crying from what I hear," he said keeping his voice low to avoid eavesdropping.

I didn't have a response to hand and he just looked at me expectantly.

"Well? What happened? The Colonel's furious. Not to mention the girl's husband," he said. I sat in stunned silence as Charles got increasingly agitated.

"Dam it Jack, speak man. Whatever happened we can sort it out. Did you make any advances on the sister? What's her name? Charlotte" he said.

"Husband?" was all I said in shock.

I felt heat rise under my collar, my face on fire as my mind tried to make order of things.

"Yes, the brunette. Well soon will be. The wedding is soon I think. You didn't proposition her did you?" Charles said with wide eyes.

"What exactly did they say when they arrived?" I asked, struggling to comprehend the news about Elizabeth.

"I don't bloody know, I wasn't there. But the Colonel is in a fury. You're to report to him immediately," Charles said pouring a glass of brandy and sliding it to me.

I downed the offered drink for courage and stood up. Charles offered to accompany me but I declined the offer.

During the long walk to the colonel's office, I mulled over all that had happened. I steeled myself ready to receive whatever reception I encountered. I took a deep breath before knocking on the Colonel's door.

"Enter!" Shouted the Colonel in annoyance.

I opened the door and stood to attention in front of the Colonel's huge wooden desk. The room was dark, lit only by a few sputtering candles. The Colonel's desk was piled high with papers, all relating to the invasion of Portugal.

The old man looked tired, he had heavy bags under his bloodshot eyes. He hadn't looked up from his desk as I entered and continued writing a correspondence. I stood rigid to attention and waited.

Once he had finished writing he put his quill down and pushed the papers to one side. It was only then that he addressed me, and I prepared for his onslaught.

"Stand at ease boy," the colonel said surprising me.

"I wanted to thank you for accompanying my daughters. They told me about that business on the road. Dam lucky escape by the sound of things. But you looked after them and I'm grateful. You alright boy?" he asked studying my face.

I was sweating profusely and all the blood had drained from my face. My body was trying to release the anxiety that Charles had built up in me.

"Sir?" I said.

"You look, peaky boy. Elizabeth said you had taken ill, hence why you stayed behind. Probably something you ate, some of those coach Inns are rancid," he said eyeing me intently.

"See you seek treatment before retiring. And don't let that blaggard Charles encourage you to drink tonight. We got a lot of work to do to whip this rabble into shape," he said standing and offering me his hand.

"Yes Sir, thank you, Sir," I said.

A wave of relief washed over me as I shook his hand with my clammy palms. Walking back to the mess, I thought about all the ways I could kill Charles. He roared with laughter when I entered. Unfortunately, I didn't heed the Colonel's advice. Instead, I spent the evening getting blind drunk. If only to forget the news that Elizabeth was to be married.

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It had been a late night with Charles and I woke up worse for wear for the third morning in a row. Yet, today was about soldiering, not dances or escort duty but real soildering. The men had to be kept busy, lest their discipline was to lapse. Charles, or Captian Hartmen to give him his correct title was sober for once, now that work was required. He led the 4th company in a series of fire drills. As an infantry company, their role was to advance on the enemy in perfect order. Aim their muskets, and blast the hell out of them.

My role as surgeon was to repair the damage that the enemy managed as they returned fire. It would be bloody work and we had to be prepared. I gathered my assistant surgeons and we went through different operations. Amputating limbs, retrieving musket balls from flesh, all the basics. We practised on pigs of course, and their stitching was coming along nicely.

I managed to distract myself from thoughts about Elizabeth. I reasoned that I couldn't afford attachments anyway. After cleaning up for lunch I headed back to my room. I needed to retrieve anatomy diagrams for the afternoon's instruction.

"Is that you Dr?" came the unmistakable voice of Miss Charlotte Lister.

I closed my eyes for a second to compose myself then turned towards Elizabeth's younger sister. She was looking gorgeous as always. Her blonde hair shone in the sunlight coming through the windows. She wore a green emerald dress the same shade as her eyes. Her voluptuous figure fitted perfectly inside it. She was on the arm of an officer of the 95th rifles. The same man I saw her and her sister dancing with at the ball. He was blonde too, with blue eyes and a rugged look about him. Riflemen were elite skirmishers and sharpshooters. I tended to find most of them to be a bit arrogant and roguish.

"Miss Lister a pleasure as always," I said kissing her gloved hand.

"Oh, have you two been introduced?" she said with a warm smile and indicated the officer on her arm.

"I don't believe so," said the riflemen.

I instantly got the sense that he didn't think much of me. Perhaps he thought I was a challenger for Charlotte's affections. If only I had been, that would made things less complicated.

"Dr Jack Hollington. This is Lieutenant Ralph Banbury," Charlotte said with her characteristic joviality.

"Dr Hollington is the dashing officer who escorted us yesterday. He took very good care of Beth and me," Charlotte said with a sly smile.

"I'm grateful to you Sir. That incident on the road sounded a nasty business," Ralph said with a genuine smile.

I responded with a nod and observed that he and Charlotte made a handsome couple.

"Ralph is to be Beth's husband. Isn't that wonderful?" said Charlotte, oblivious to my possible reaction.

"Husband? Of course congratulations," I said recovering quickly.

"Yes still seems funny to say. We were only engaged a couple of weeks ago," said Ralph genially.

"Are you married?" he asked.

"No, Jack's far too focused on his career. He hasn't time to find a lady. Isn't that so?" Charlotte said unaware of the awkwardness of the situation.

"I see you're on first-name terms. You must have made quite an impression on this little one," Ralph said. His tone was a little patronising as he tapped Charlotte's arm.

"Within the current climate, it seems prudent to focus on the job at hand. Marriage is not something I am currently searching for," I said stiffly.

Charlotte seemed a bit deflated at Ralph's condescending tone to her.

"But if the right young lady was to come along. I'm sure that could change," I said giving her a warm smile.

"Well, I highly recommend it. Gives a man someone to provide for, and a woman someone to care for," Ralph said.

"I'll take your word for it. But I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me, I have duties to attend to," I said itching for this conversation to be over.

"Well, do call on us at Wymering Manor. That's where we're staying until it's safe for us to follow Father. I know Beth and I would love to see you," Charlotte said with a hopeful smile.

I nodded to Ralph and kissed Charlotte's hand. Her emerald eyes had a tinge of sadness about them, as she bobbed into a small curtsey. The meeting with Ralph only hardened my resolve to forget about her. A task that sounded far easier than it would prove to be.

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Chapter 2: The Naughty Nymph

Two weeks later I was finally starting to get over Elizabeth. It irritated me that a girl I'd only known for a few days affected me so completely. I spent the time training my assistants and developing new surgical techniques. I hadn't seen either of the Lister daughters and had no intention to do so again.

One evening I was sharing a drink with Charles when I received a letter.

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- Dr. Hollington,

It is of the utmost importance that you call upon me tonight. The happiness of all those we hold dear may be at stake.

Miss Charlotte Lister,-

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"Well, that sounds like a terrible idea... I'll fetch you a horse," said Charles with a smile.

After a week of sulking and moping, Charles had dragged the truth out of me. Not the whole truth, but he knew that Beth and I had grown close over the journey.

"How can I? The girl's getting married tomorrow," I said. I was trying to decipher more meaning before Charles grabbed the note out of my hand.

"But this isn't from the bride-to-be but the bride's sister. Perhaps she laments it's not her special day. Perhaps she needs some companionship," Charles said raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"And you know what they say. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else," Charles said with a self-satisfied smile

"Even more reason to stay far away," I said pouring another drink before Charles took it off me.

"You've been kind enough to help me with my weaknesses," he said, nodding to the glass of brandy, before downing it.

"Do yourself a favour and take the advice of a drunken gambler. What've you got to lose? We could all be dead in a month," Charles said referencing the pending invasion.

It was late by the time I arrived at Wymering Manor. Far too late for normal callers. I had wrestled with the decision to come but if there was a chance of happiness then I had to try.

All the curtains were drawn and there was no sign of life. I stabled my horse and was about to knock on the front door when I heard a voice in the dark.

"Dr Hollington, this way Sir," it was the Irish maid Molly.

She had appeared from a servant's entrance and was beckoning me to her. I remembered how short I had been with her on my last visit and regretted it. I followed her as we silently navigated the narrow servant stairwells. As we reached a landing the girl stopped and turned to me.

"Close your eyes, Sir," she said in her Irish lilting voice. Her pale blue eyes confidently focused on mine.

I did as I was told and waited. I felt a pair of hands on my chest and some very soft lips connecting with mine. I opened my eyes in surprise.

"It's my birthday tomorrow and that's all I wanted," she smiled contently and knocked on the door next to her.

"You may go in when you're ready Sir," Molly said bobbing into a little curtsey and turning to go.

Before she left I took her hand and kissed it.

"Happy birthday Molly," I said making her blush.

When I entered the room Charlotte squealed and jumped at me. She nearly barrelled me over as her arms flew around my neck. My arms instinctively held her in a tight embrace for a moment. I felt her warm soft body underneath thin material. Her blonde curls covered my face and I breathed in her floral perfume. Then I remembered who she was and let go.

"I can't believe you came," she said with genuine delight as she held both my hands.

"Well your letter was insistent," I said as I gently released my hands from her grip.

She stood in front of me, dressed in a thin silken nightgown. It clung to her body like a second skin, clearly defining her ample curves. A pair of white silk stockings came halfway up her creamy thighs. They were held in place with the same black ribbon, I had seen her sister use. I admit I felt twinges of arousal at the sight of her perfect body. Charlotte smiled with glee as she noticed my wandering eyes.

"Do you like it? I was asleep when you last saw me like this. I thought would be nice to see your reaction this time," Charlotte said as she twirled around.

Her huge plump rump was barely contained by the material, and I felt my cock harden. She walked over to a wardrobe and retrieved a dressing gown. I already missed the sight of her gorgeous body. The room was very lavish, with an ornate four-poster bed and a pink loveseat in the corner.

"Is that why you asked me here?" I asked unable to keep my eyes off her.

"No that was just a bit of fun, I needed to give you this," she said, taking a letter out of her dressing gown pocket. It was a blank invitation to the wedding.

"What the hell is this?" I asked throwing it onto the bed.

"Jack. language please, you're in the presence of a lady," Charlotte said in mock embarrassment.

I tried to leave, already having enough of this farce, but the servant door was sealed. Molly must have locked it after me. I walked

over to the main door and found it locked too.

"Where's the key?" I said turning back to her.

She looked at me smiling and full of confidence.

"Molly has it, with strict instructions not to unlock it until daybreak," she said. She folded her arms over her considerable bosom.

"Charlotte...," I said exasperated.

"No, now sit down and let me speak," she said as she pointed at the bed.

She wore a stern look reminiscent of her sister. It was a look that every man knows well. The look from a woman that lets you know, you have lost the argument. I complied but chose to sit on the loveseat instead.

"I want you to escort me to the wedding," she said as if it was a reasonable request.

"You can't be serious," I said looking up at her with a quizzical expression.

She unfolded her arms and held her hands behind her back. Pushing her impressive breasts out.

"Why not? Don't you enjoy my company?" she said with a pout.

"This is crazy. I came here tonight because you said it involved everyone's happiness," I said trying to peel my eyes from her chest.

My cock hardened as they swayed slowly when she shifted her weight. She opened her gown slowly to reveal her white silken nightgown. Candlelight flickered over her smooth bare thighs and danced on the white material. Her huge breasts looked heavenly with her hard nipples visible.

"They look good like this too," she said noting my gaze and jiggling up and down.

"Charlotte stop," I said with a dry mouth as she jiggled her huge assets.

She giggled but stopped jiggling and let her arms fall to her side. She came over and stood right in front of me. My heart fluttered in my chest and my cock grew harder.

"I know I jest a lot, but now I'm serious. I want you to accompany me, and I'm sure Beth does too," she said brazenly running her fingers through my hair.

"Elizabeth knows about this?" I asked, enjoying the feel of her touch. Powerless to stop her.

"Well no, but I know it will help her move on. Perhaps It will do the same for you," she said moving her hands down to massage my neck.

She was standing between my legs now, her legs brushing against my thighs. I gazed at her breasts, mesmerised as they hung at eye level. Only a few inches away and barely hidden by thin silk. Any man would be powerless against her voluptuous curves, and oozing sexuality.

"Say you will Jack, and I'll let you go back to the barracks. That is, If you still want to," Charlotte said in a sultry voice.

Her beautiful green eyes possessed the same hunger they had on our first meeting. She gently held the back of my neck and leaned forward to kiss me. I felt her suck my bottom lip into her hot wet mouth. My cock strained in my cotton breeches, as I looked into her hungry eyes.

"Ok," I whispered, unable to say anything else, as my hands ran over her curvy hips.

My hands slid over the silk material to grasp her perfectly pert rump. I cupped her warm cheeks in my palms and squeezed them. Her tongue probed my lips and I opened them to receive it. Our tongues entwine in a hot fiery dance, swirling and stroking each other. She moaned into my mouth as my hands massaged her rear. Her fingers stroked the back of my neck as we devoured each other, revelling in the moment.

My hands roamed underneath her thin dressing gown and enjoyed the soft warm body beneath. They brushed the sensitive creases between her thighs and rear. Causing her to groan gently. Her soft hands continued to run through my hair as I stroked her legs.