"As if to demonstrate what I was missing he pushed me up against the wall, opened his trousers and took out his cock. It was fat, even when limp, and he wanked it with one hand while making an obscene gesture towards my quim with the other. His cock grew and was bigger than my dearest Justine's but, where my love's cock had been a constant joy for me to see, this was knarled, fat, with great ugly veins upon it. And he grinned wickedly as he told me what he would do with it. This caused him to become so excited that he came, spurting semen onto the wall, and splashing some on my skirts. I told him to go away."
"He said he would be back in a few days to see if I'd changed my mind," she cried. "And he suggested that I could make a good living 'on my back'. That I should come to the garrison and spread my legs for all his friends, every one of them at the same time. They would each pay a silver to watch and join in. He suggested I was not yet so old and ugly that my only option was begging for copper coins. Then he walked away."
"That night I was found by the local brothel madam. I don't know if the woman was sent in my direction by Kirian, or if she had heard of my plight from another source, but there she was. She was clearly not starving, like me. She was wearing good clothes, expensive jewellery, and had a tempting offer. Work for her and I would get pretty dresses, good food, and the possibility of becoming the mistress of a rich man."
I knew that Helena had a good appetite for sex but, and this was significant, she always chose who she went with, and what she did. Even then I realised that she would find the life of a whore intolerable.
"To my shame I was so cold and hungry that took up her offer and became the plaything, for money, of men. I lasted just three days. Some of the men were nice to me, but others were mean and nasty. The things they wanted me to do were awful, and they had no care for my pleasure, I was just a lump of meat for them to abuse. One man put his hand around my neck and choked me as he thrust so that I lost consciousness and woke hours later splattered with cum and marked by bruises. Another bent me over a chair and struck me with a leather strap, then fucked me so hard in my arse hole that I cried out in pain. Another copulated with me in every position imaginable but never said a word, never called me by name, and when I tried to talk to him he covered my face with a scarf, and pushed some in my mouth so that I was silenced. On my final evening several men came to me and brutally used my mouth, slapping me if I gagged, then ended by wanked over me until I was coated head to foot in their seed. I left my employ there and then, and the madam was happy to let me go, for she had much more cooperative girls in the brothel, girls who wouldn't complain like me. I went back to the streets, gave Kirian the few coins I had earned to pay him off, and took up begging to get enough food to keep me alive."
It was at this time that I first met Helena.
It was in the square where the coaches stopped at the end of their journeys to allow the passengers to alight. The coach stop was, I learned later, her favourite place in the afternoons, with lots of rich travellers prepared to throw a couple of coins at a comely lass. It must have been about a month since she'd left the brothel when I stepped off the coach from Carlsbruck. I looked around for a porter to help me carry my bags but none were available. Helena looked very nice, though very grubby, and I thought she could probably do with some coins, so I approached her.
I asked her if she could help me get my luggage to my accommodation. She looked at me in a very suspicious way, clearly she had become reluctant to trust anyone. Later she told me that over the weeks on the streets she had discovered that some men asked you to do a task, then tried to have their wicked way with you down a deserted side street. But she was desperate and the coins I was offering would buy a good meal.
She went to lift the heavy case but I stopped her, I just needed my hands free to carry it. I asked her to carry the two lighter bags. Later she told me that this was the first thing that made her think I might be kind, and she might be able to trust me. The trip to my accommodation was pleasant, we talked about how I was to be a student of medicine and natural sciences at the university. When we got to the house I asked her to help me get my bags up to my apartment, which was at the top of the building. Trust only went so far, she refused.
I realised then she had lost faith in all people at that time. We came up with a compromise. I asked her to sit with my luggage while I took the case up then came down for the lighter bags. I thought that trusting her to guard them while I was gone was a good strategy for I had the beginnings of a plan. When I came back down I paid her the coin she was due, and opened a bottle of ale which we shared on the step. It was a hot day and we needed refreshment.
Just looking at her I could tell she was destitute, but I pretended not to see. I asked if she was employed at the moment, and when she said she was not, but would like some, I mentioned that my family had suggested I get someone to clean and cook for me, twice a week, so that I could maintain a suitable apartment for other students, or tutors, to visit.
My Mother had insisted, before I left, that I choose an elderly woman, someone suggested by the university office, but Helena seemed a much better idea. I had no objections to having someone the age of my Mother around, but I feared that my Mother was trying to keep me enamoured of women her age, for some reason, and I wanted a change. I offered Helena the job, and suggested what I thought was a reasonable wage. The look in her eyes told me I'd offered too much.
I think at first Helena thought I was making a cruel joke and taunting her, but I counted out a months wages into her hand, and asked her which days she could attend. We decided on two suitable days, she rented a small room nearby, bought a new dress, and that was that. She became my housekeeper, my occasional cook, and a year later, my occasional lover.
The rest you know, but perhaps now you understand her outburst. Why she believes that 'the man she loves' is fated to be taken from her by cruel violence, precipitating her back into abject poverty and loneliness.
We return from events in 1781, to the 15th of June in the year 1784.
The doorbell rang and Yani let Freida in. She was also dressed for travelling and had a satchel over her shoulder which contained, presumably, all the things a modern sleuth required.
"You two ready to go?" she said with a brightness in her voice that suggested we were off on a picnic in the countryside, rather than attempting to track a pack of deadly wolfwere's.
I reached over and picked up the crossbow and quiver. Helena hefted a shoulder bag off the table and we followed Freida out. Our adventure was starting. I was pleased when we left the house and descended the stone steps to the road to see that the weather was perfect for our expedition. It was bright and clear, but not overly hot, which should mean that we can hunt for clues without becoming exhausted.
Philip was waiting with his coach. I had not seen a vehicle quite like it and wondered if all the English coaches were quite as flamboyant. In design it was a fast 'four horse' coach with a seat for the driver and one other, both well positioned high at the front. There was no rear external seat, that place being occupied by a luggage space. There were also rails on the roof so that more luggage could be strapped there. Two footmen could be carried at the back of the coach but there were no seats for them. They would travel hanging onto the hand grips with one hand, and with one foot on the small metal step on each corner. It was clearly designed to take extra servants for short distances only for they would need to be quite athletic to hang on in this way. Inside it was more comfortable. There was space for only four passengers, because it was narrower than the typical long distance coach, like the one Helena and I travelled from Engolstadt, but the seats and headrests were much better padded.
The colour of most coaches these days are varying shades of varnished wood but it seemed that Philip preferred something more colourful. The body of the coach was blue, with a green stripe along the lower half. The upper edge of this stripe was wavy, a little like water. Over the top of these colours were a number of orange flower shapes. Finally the spokes of the wheels were coloured red, and their rims were yellow. It made for a very distinctive sight. Doubtless, when Philip was in England, and part of the social scene, his coach could be seen arriving from a considerable distance. Possibly sparking comments on the line of 'Ah, Lord Scunthorpe has arrived. Now we shall have some fun!'
What the vehicle wasn't, however, was discreet. Any monster, intent on evil doing, would quickly know that the Mystery Club members were in the area. And, like participants at a masked ball, quickly disguise themselves to prevent recognition. Still it was transport, and freely offered. You can't complain really.
Philip opened the door and we clambered in. Inside the coach we settled back after greeting Poppy. I hadn't expected Poppy to be coming along after her admission last night that she was 'no good with clues', but here she was and she quickly got chatting with Helena. Freida was the last in and sat next to me. The floor of the coach was nearly all dog. Poppy had brought her hound along, even though it was universally agreed that he was useless at all tasks except that of occasionally raiding the pantry at their home. I realised I did not know the beast's name.
