Lydia's Just Desserts

An elegant house

The carriage stopped outside a rich, if somewhat neglected, house in a strange part of London. Lydia eagerly looked out, and Wickam smiled indulgently and handed her out into the drive.

"This is the place I've been telling you about, dear Lydia. Let us go inside at once," he said, his eyes lighting.
Lydia, dancing with anticipation, said, "Let us go at once, dear Mr. Wickam. It cannot be soon enough for me that we are wed."

Taking her hand, Wickam led her up to the elegantly carved, but dusty entryway and knocked thrice. An older woman wearing dark red and a scowl opened the door. Upon seeing the pair, here countenance transformed into something between a smile and a leer, but Lydia was too caught up in anticipation to be put off.

"We're here to see Mr. Lidum, Mrs. Younge," Wickam said in his charming manner. Lydia gripped her fiance's arm and smiled up at the woman, who gazed at her appraisingly from beneath heavy lids before opening the door wide and beckoning them in.

"Is Mr. Lidum the clergyman who will marry us?" Lydia asked as they walked into the front hall.
"Yes, he will be conducting the arrangements," Wickam said vaguely, looking around and putting his arm around Lydia's waist. One of the doors opened and a hollow-cheeked man with dark eyes stepped out.

"Mr. Wickam, would you please bring her in here?" he asked and walked back into the room from which he'd come. Wickam pushed her ahead of him. "Here we go, love. Go ahead."

Lydia entered the room, expecting to see a chapel, but did not see much before an unseen man brought a dark bag over her head. Her arms were seized as she felt her clothes roughly removed. She started to scream in protest and cloth was tied around her mouth, over the bag, pushing the sackcloth into her mouth, silencing her.
As the last of her clothes fell free, she felt her hands bound and tied over her head. She heard men's voices, including Wickam's. She would have howled in outrage if she could. How could he be calmly talking when this was happening to her? She felt her hands hooked over something and hands begin to probe her, grabbing her breasts, then pulling her legs open to examine between them. She kicked and tried to pull her legs back together.

"She's a feisty one," she heard the hollow-cheeked man say.
"She's spirited, but should tame well," Wickam responded. Hands slapped at her buttocks and held her legs apart while other hands harshly probed the openings between them.
"Aye, she's a virgin, and looks like her ass has never been 'ad before neither," said another man, and her legs were let down again. She began to sob with anguish and humiliation.
"A completely untouched virgin, of good family, and quite healthy and spirited," Wickam said. "I think 5,000 pounds and forgetting my debt to your establishment is quite fair."

She felt another hand on her breast that turned her around and probed at her buttocks before slapping them again. She shuddered and cried harder.
"That's a total of 7,500 pounds," the hollow-cheeked man said. "Let us see her face again."
She was turned around again, gag was untied and the bag removed. The hollow-cheeked man stood before her, Wickam nearby and several other men about the room.
"Wickam, how can you-" she started to reprimand when the hollow-cheeked man slapped her face hard.
"You don't speak here unless someone asks you to," the man said. "And they won't. So keep your silence, woman."

Lydia held her silence in shock and the hollow-cheeked man ran his thumb down her cheek, throat and between her breasts before seizing a nipple. She smothered a gasp at the rough treatment.

"You can tell she's never been touched. That is worth some. But she's not pretty enough for 7,500. But I'll forgive the 2,500 pounds. She's worth that."
Wickam snorted in contempt. "There are men in this city who will pay that just to take her maidenhead, Lidum, and I know you have a waiting list. 7,000."
"3,000."
"6,500."
"3,500."
"6,000."
Lidum looked pained, then smiled, the expression somehow making his face look even less friendly.

"All right, 6,000. I do have a highly motivated client lined up, interested in an untouched lady." Lidum gestured and one of the men brought a thick wallet over and counted out 3,500 pounds.

Wickam grinned at the money, then bowed to Lydia, who watched him with frustrated outrage as he tucked it away. He ran a finger up her breast and poked it into her mouth.

"Adieu, sweetheart. Thanks so much for your help. I know I leave you in good hands." He bowed again and Lidum let him out before walking back to her. He ordered the men standing by to take her to the white room. They tied her hands behind her back and put the bag back over her head before forcing her from the room.