I nodded and the girls just about tripped over one another scrambling to their bare feet. They were in the shower and gasping beneath the spray before I finished dressing.

I left them to wash each other and wandered out into the hallway towards the master bedroom.

I peeked into the master bedroom where the three girls were kneeling on the floor and quietly talking. They hushed as Elizabeth noticed my presence. She looked up at me expectantly. I just gazed in at them, three young women, glowing from their shower, kneeling for me.

Without a word, I carefully shut the door on their confused faces and walked back down to the dining room. I picked up the clothes laid out so carefully on the table from the previous night. Pursing my lips, I draped the fabric over my arm, the fabric of the evening gown sensual, the jeans and sweater a bit harsher against my skin. I reminded myself that I could always make them strip for me, and made my decision.

I made my way upstairs and silently entered the bathroom. The girls were still splashing in the shower. I carefully laid the clothing down on the counter for them and breathed in the smell of the steam and the soap.

"G.o.d, that was awful," Jane murmured to Christi behind the shower curtain. I smiled.

"You'll never get it all off me. Christ. I'll never eat syrup again as long as I live. I swear it."

"Quit squirming, I can't get your hair clean if you keep moving around like a monkey."

"We have to get clean and quick. I wonder what his problem is today. He was so nice to us last night."

"I don't know. I'm not sure he ever really has a reason. Am I done?"

"h.e.l.l no. I'm going to have to wash you again. Jesus, you're sticky."

"You think we can rinse with warm water? He didn't let the others."

"I guess not. I can go beg him, once I'm clean."

"He'll punish you for leaving the shower."

"I know. But, I want a hot rinse."

"How would he know?"

"He'll know."

I smiled to myself. Truthfully, I had no idea if they followed my instructions when out of sight. For all I knew they could have used the shower individually and rinsed any way they chose. But there was always the chance that I'd sneak in when they didn't know I was there and find out. Then there would be h.e.l.l to pay. I almost just left then, interested what they'd come up with on the cold rinse problem on their own, but as I was leaving the bathroom I decided to give them a break. It would reinforce that I could listen anytime I wanted. Their privacy was nil.

"Girls?"

They both screamed as the unexpected voice registered with them, surprising them.

"G.o.d, you scared us." Christi managed to speak from behind the shower stall.

"Doing something you shouldn't?"

"No, master, just showering like ordered," Jane replied. "Please, Master ..."

"No questions, girls," I cut her off before she could ask the rinse question.

"Yes, sir," Jane replied quietly, knowing that she would have to risk punishment no matter what they decided to do. It would be easy for me to tell what the temperature of their final moments in the shower were. Amy had been ice cold for at least ten minutes after suffering the cold spray.

I turned to leave smiling at their discomfort.

"Warm water is fine for rinsing." I said over my shoulder as I turned away from the bathroom.

"Thank-you, sir. Thank-you," I heard Jane's voice calling softly from behind the stall.

I smiled and returned to the bedroom. The girls were still kneeling and they all turned towards me as I pushed open the door. They all remained silent as I plopped onto the bed.

"Talking about me?"

Elizabeth nodded while the other two shook their heads.

"Elizabeth? You were talking about me and the other's weren't?"

She paled, realizing their mistake. "No, sir. I. I got confused. It's. It's just that I'm still not used to being here."

"After all this time?"

"No. You never quite get used to being nude and subservient all the time."

"So you were talking about me?"

"Yes. I mean no."

"Elizabeth. Calm. I'm not going to punish anyone for talking about me. Doesn't really matter. I'm not even going to ask what you were calling me."

"Yes," she finally replied. Beaten. She knew that I knew.

"Good. Now, how'd you like your morning? Your breakfast?"

"Truthfully?"

I nodded.

"I can't speak for everyone, but the pancakes were wonderful. I could have done without the syrup shower, though."

"So you didn't like the syrup?"

"You have no idea how icky that was."

"Hmmm. I'll have to keep that in mind."

"Please not again. We've been good girls, haven't we? We even let you do that without a single complaint."

"Well, you are all nice and clean now. I'm not about to spoil it."

All the girls looked relieved. I lay back into the pillows and closed my eyes.

"Sir?" Sheila hesitantly raised her voice.

I opened my eyes and stared at her. I'd never seen her like this. Her face had on light make-up and her hair was brushed out around her shoulders. Except for the bruise on her left side, she was radiant. I could see that her side was still causing her discomfort, but she was bearing it well.

"I just wanted to know what you wanted us to do," she asked meekly.

"Just kneel there and look pretty."

She looked down and swallowed, a bit embarra.s.sed still that she had to follow orders like that. The girls remained silent for the next five minutes. Finally I rose up onto one elbow and gazed back at them. All of them lowered their eyes, knowing that something was finally up. On one hand the waiting was over, on the other, whatever was planned for them they weren't likely to enjoy.

"Amy?"

"Yes, sir."

"To your feet."

The girl struggled to rise to her bare feet. She stood uncertainly looking at me on the bed. Not sure what was expected of her, knowing that she would do it. Whatever it was.

"Drag that chair out into the middle of the floor."

Sheila and Elizabeth shifted on their knees to allow Amy to place the chair approximately where they were kneeling. It was the straight-backed desk chair that Gertrude used as a cosmetic seat, the same chair that I had sat on so often comforting the women when they were stuck in the bed. Amy placed it and then went to sit. Realizing that I hadn't told her to sit, she caught herself before lowering and simply stood at the side with her hands at her hips.

"You can sit."

"I don't mind standing."

"Sit."

She paled a bit and lowered herself into the chair, crossing her legs modestly, facing me, hands demurely in her lap. The bondage pack was lying on the ground by the side of the bed. Normally, I'd wait for Jane, her being a better knot tyer than I, but I wanted to feel Amy's silky skin as I bound her into the chair.

I reached for the bag, pulling some soft cord from it.

"You don't need to tie me up, you know," Amy implored quietly.

"I know I don't, sweety. But I want to, this time. I'll try not to make it too uncomfortable."

"Being restrained is uncomfortable. I'll do whatever you want without it. I've learned my lesson."

"Hush, sweety. I don't want to gag you as well, but I will. What I want is your pretty body tied into that chair. It isn't a punishment. I'm not going to hurt you beyond putting rope on you. Okay?"

She mutely nodded, tears rising unbidden to her eyes. Her helplessness was still coming home to her. She knew that I would do with her as I pleased. It didn't matter what she wanted. She was fighting every urge in her body not to simply rise out of that chair and run. There was so little stopping her. And yet she knew that she had to sit there, nude and vulnerable, and let me tie her up. Like it or not. Reason or not.

I lifted myself off the bed and crouched beside her chair. The other two girls just waited quietly on their knees, happy that it wasn't them being bound.

I touched her wrist gently, guiding it to the back of the chair. Her skin was silken from the long shower she has just taken. She smelled of spring flowers. That scent that is so uniquely female mixed with the flowers, intoxicating. I almost regretted what I was about to do to this creature.

I fought back my urge to let her be, and carefully bound her small wrist to the back support, lashing it in place. I was careful not to obstruct her circulation, she could be sitting here for a while. I repeated the procedure on her right wrist. I stepped back and watched as she unconsciously pulled at her trapped wrists, tears still falling slowly down her face. She didn't have a clue what was going to happen to her while she was unable to stop anything.

I knelt at her feet. Her legs were still crossed. I touched her delicate ankle and she closed her eyes, letting her legs fall apart towards the chair legs, knowing I was going to tie her legs apart as well. I carefully moved her bare feet to the outside of the chair legs and lashed them in place. Again, she pulled at the bonds, but knew that she was stuck there until I freed her. She squirmed, but didn't offer up any complaints as I bound her knees to the chair arms and placed cord above and below her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s, accentuating them and securing her back into the chair.

I pulled at her ropes gently, and satisfied, I returned to the soft bed. She continued to weep quietly in her chair as I watched her. Finally she lifted her eyes to look at me with pleading there. She spoke softly.

"Sir? Please? If you don't want me to speak just tell me, I really don't want to be gagged." She paused, waiting for a moment to give me time to chastise her. I didn't. I could see the vulnerability in her wet eyes. She knew what she was wide open and helpless, and it frightened her. None of the girls knew what they were in for this morning. I'd been very unpredictable. She continued her plea, "I. I don't want to be tied. I'll do whatever you want. I'll f.u.c.k ... I mean you can rape me. I. I don't mind. I'll kneel all day for you. Please don't hurt me. I haven't done anything."

"Let's see now. What have you done this morning? You spilt syrup. You spoke without permission. You tried to get out of a cold shower. You screamed under the cold water. You lied about whether you were talking about me earlier. And you are pleading now, even though I warned you that I wanted you to hush. I think I've been rather tolerant of you, so far."

She paled, not having any idea that she had made so many mistakes in one morning. But I wasn't punishing her. I was just pointing out that she wasn't as innocent as she was making out. Truthfully, I was being rather unfair, and I knew it. Most of the things I'd mentioned didn't bother me at all, and in some cases were hardly her fault. But she also knew better than to question such unfairness. She wasn't in any position to question it.

"Oh G.o.d. Please don't hurt me. I. I don't want to be hurt. I'll do anything to make it up to you. I can be good. I will be good. I'll try harder. Please. Oh G.o.d. Please."

Even the other women had paled here, realizing that they were just as guilty of the perceived disobedience that Amy was.

"Shush," I said to her kindly. "Amy, darling, I'm not punishing you. You are not tied to that chair as a punishment. It might be a little uncomfortable, but I have no intention of hurting you yet."

Amy struggled to keep her tongue, wanting to beg, wanting out. Frightened. I watched fascinated as the emotions and the tears fell across her face.

I took a breath and looked over at the other two girls, evaluating. I made my decision.

"Elizabeth?"

She was still pale but answered automatically.

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm interested in seeing a girl-girl scene."

"Oh G.o.d. Please no."

"Are you refusing?"

She swallowed and took a deep breath. "I don't know. Please. I'm clean. I. Please don't make me. I can't. She's upset. I'll do anything else. Wouldn't you rather have me?"

I looked at her quizzically. She hadn't been one to refuse anything. I mentally stepped back and approached from a different angle. Perhaps she was just begging, but her voice had that edge to it. She might dig in her heels on this one. Why, I couldn't fathom. It wasn't like I was going to whip her while she licked Amy or anything. This should have been easy.

"Elizabeth, I'm ordering you to lick Amy between her legs. I don't care if she o.r.g.a.s.ms or not, I just want to see you do it."

"Oh G.o.d. Please. No. I can't."

Amy whispered from her chair. "Elizabeth, come on. You have to. I don't mind."

I turned to Amy. "Haven't you said enough?" I asked her quietly but with some menace. Amy's mouth snapped shut, and she struggled with her ropes a bit then quieted. Afraid of being gagged.

"Elizabeth?"

"Oh G.o.d. Please. I've let you pour s.h.i.t on me. I've placed myself under a freezing cold shower for you. I've crawled for you. I've done everything you f.u.c.king asked. Please, don't make me do this. Not to her. I'll do you. I'll let you tie me up all day again. I'll crawl on my hands and knees all day for you. I'll switch places with her. I'll let you have all of them lick me. You can rape me. But please. Not Amy. Don't make me do this."

Her face was getting redder and she was beginning to panic. For some reason she didn't want to make love to this girl. I guess I couldn't blame her. For some reason it had stuck in her mind as something worth fighting about. It wasn't and she was going to discover that the hard way.

I considered. "Alright. I won't make you lick Amy right now. But you realize that you've earned yourself a punishment."

Elizabeth paled and swallowed heavily. "Yes, sir. I realize that. Thank-you." She looked relieved. She wouldn't be relieved for long, but for now she thought that she'd had some control over her fate.