Soaked to the Skin - Part 8
Hannah thought Lady Lyanthe's vague invitation to dinner was the sort of suggestion someone might make with no real intention to carry it out, or perhaps a real intention but it never actually happening because time moves on or people forget, or the opportunity does not arise. Hannah was therefore surprised to receive a formal invitation.
"What is that, Hannah?" Her mother had asked. Certainly, the envelope, cream and heavy in weight of paper looked rather special. The card within was as fine, and all written in the third person with an RSVP. Miss Hannah Hutchings is cordially invited and all that. An invitation to dinner -- and a formal one at that. At the bottom of the card the two words, 'black tie.'
"At the hall? You'll need an evening dress, Hannah."
Indeed, she would. For the men dinner jackets in Barathea and all the black accoutrements apart from the whiteness of the shirt and handkerchief, the object a seamless transition from garment to garment. For the women, possibly black as well but colour all the better, the men almost fading into the background in their monochrome before the women's splendour -- the code very much on 'long.' The dresses long not short, the necklines not plunging. It was exciting going to the shops to choose -- shoes as well, of course.
'Carriages at midnight." Hannah's father very kindly offered to drive her to the hall promising to collect her at midnight, 'if she hadn't turned into a pumpkin,' as he said. It was not, as everyone knows, Cinderella who turned into anything of the sort. But, of course, Hannah needed to be partnered for the evening. The invitation did not mention that she should bring one, and there was some relief on her part when Lady Lyanthe assured Hannah that an old friend would collect her. The man was not young, and Hannah's parents had no worries in handing her over to his care. His conversation in the car excellent. They sat together in the back as a chauffeur drove. Sir Hugh might have put his hand upon her knee. Mr Rodney Ballantyne did nothing of the sort.
The hall was lit and there was champagne and canapés. Not an enormous gathering but, including Sir Hugh and Lady Lyanthe, eight couples. The change from the usual peace and quiet at the hall striking. Sixteen people certainly made a party. Lady Lyanthe was most attentive to Hannah.
Hannah found she was by far the youngest lady present, indeed by far the youngest person. Canapés led to dinner, served for the party. The conversation animated and sparkling. Sir Hugh telling the odd anecdote but not the sort he tended to tell Hannah. Mr Rodney Ballantyne seated next to her ensured she was not left out of conversation. He was a most perfect gentleman.
Finally, cheese was served, and the waiting staff withdrew closing the door softly behind them. The happy evening continued, serene and elegant, as cheese was chosen and nibbled. Biscuits lifted from silver boxes that had been carefully placed. Wonderful shell creations that opened to reveal the biscuits. Sir Hugh then said a few things about how lovely it was to see everyone. There were nods and affirmations and replies about how good the dinner had been. The usual sort of stuff. Sir Hugh looked at Hannah and asked if she was finding the party to her liking given how ancient everyone else was. Not perhaps the sort of gathering young people enjoyed. Hannah blushed and assured the fifteen others how delightful it all was. And, indeed, it was a super evening. So good to see the old-fashioned formality of alternating man, woman, man; the smartness of the men in their black and white (though Rodney had sported both a red cummerbund and red bow tie. It was, to Hannah, slightly incongruous), the women in their so pretty dresses and jewellery (a delightful contrast to the men). Sir Hugh nodded at Hannah's compliment and then went on in his speech, looking particularly at her, "We were discussing, the other day, the variation in the human penis."
It was so unexpected. The talk had been of politics, the arts, country pursuits and suddenly Sir Hugh had come out with this and there was no question who the 'we' was, no possibility Sir Hugh meant one of the gentlemen or one of the ladies; he was most certainly looking at Hannah; it was quite clear to everyone in the room that Sir Hugh and Hannah had been discussing variation in penes. The dinner suited gentlemen looked at Hannah. The ladies looked as well.
She mumbled an affirmative.
"Would you like to make a comparison this evening, my dear?"
Hannah did not know what to say; she looked down the table at all the assembled gentlemen; all looking at her in their uniform black dinner suits; respectable gentlemen in black bow ties. Was Sir Hugh suggesting, suggesting she inspect their equipment - all of them?
"Really Hugh! If you are going to do that over port, we ladies, apart from young Hannah, will retire." Lady Lyanthe rose and the other ladies with her. "Hannah, my dear, you are in for a bit of a surprise."
There was quiet as the ladies retired. A rustle of skirts as Lady Lyanthe led them out. The door closed behind them. The ladies, and most certainly the serving staff, now gone leaving eight besuited gentlemen -- and Hannah.
Hannah was sure she heard one of the other ladies say quietly, just as she went out of the door with Lady Lyanthe, "... and such a lot of semen." Hannah swallowed and looked a little shyly down the table at all the men still sitting there, all the men in their black and white clothes and only she in colour; they so fully dressed yet she in such a light, insubstantial, outfit. Just a thin long dress. Just her, the only woman now present and by far the youngest of them all -- the men there and the women now in the other room. They were looking at her. What was going to surprise her? She had already seen Sir Hugh's fine penis, indeed had enjoyed it in several ways. Hannah swallowed as she looked back at the men. Was she about to see no less than seven other penes? It might well be she was about to swallow more than her dinner and the wine - more than a glass of port.
Next to her Mr Rodney Ballantyne whispered, "You don't have to, Hannah. Not if you don't want to. We'll understand. Sir Hugh said..."
Almost without moving her lips Hannah replied, so softly no one else could hear," No, I'm fine, Rodney. Fine with... I can do it. I'd like to...see." She reached and squeezed his hand. It was large and felt strong. The strength of men. Her eyes went around the table looking at the dinner suited gentlemen. She would soon be able to gauge one of their strengths -- penile firmness and tumescence. With his hand Mr Rodney Ballantyne moved hers, placing it upon his trousers, exactly where they buttoned up. Beneath her fingers the soft, heavy weight, worsted barathea cloth, but beneath that he had something substantial within his trousers.
Her fingers brushed, touching both barathea and the silk of his cummerbund, and then squeezed. Hannah could feel the firmness of his organ. It was not insubstantial. Soon she would be seeing it, would very possibly be sucking upon it. Maybe her dinner companion, her so charming escort, would be copulating with her. Such a pleasant end to a delightful evening. Just what so many couples, no doubt, wished to do to finish an evening out or, indeed, what so many gentlemen would like to do at the end of a formal dinner. Perhaps one where the host has so kindly provided his entirely male guests with charming and young companions for the evening. How very pleasing for them with brandy and port consumed to escort the ladies in their beautiful long dresses up the stairs to their bedrooms and see those so colourful dresses shimmer down young bodies to the floor.
"Could you help us, Hannah, give us a little necessary encouragement? A little push, perhaps, towards ensuring we display jsut as well as we can for your delectation and delight -- to say nothing of your education."
Sir Hugh had such a way with words. Not, as she could very much feel beneath her hand, that Sir Rodney Ballantyne had any such need. Hannah wondered if the others really needed the encouragement Sir Hugh suggested.
Hannah pushed back her chair. She stood, in her powder blue dress, long and falling below her knees, plentiful with material, the skirt splaying outwards from her hips; half sleeved and with a vee neck but not one that emphasised or revealed the swell of her breasts. Pretty cream-coloured shoes with rather high heels to her feet. A matching choker to her neck. Her mother had said it nicely emphasised what a pretty and long neck she had. She had inherited that from her mother -- the neck not the choker.