Damsels in Distress Read Online Free PDF Page A

on her coming nuptials with the repulsive Pewsey.
    ‘But we have no knights with us for him to seize,’ she said, after considering his words. It was something of a sore point that the escort her wealthy betrothed had sent to fetch her had not included any dashing young men. Eleanor’s beauty, her long golden hair and fair form, had always attracted no little attention from her father’s own soldiers. So much so that her marriage seemed to have been arranged somewhat hastily, as if to forestall amorous adventures with impecunious but dashing knights errant.
    Eleanor had even daydreamt about falling in love with a lusty young knight on this very journey, who would carry her off and away from her vile fate. But instead Brother Sebastian had come to lead the escort party; perhaps Sir Percival of Pewsey had considered the same possibility.
    Brother Sebastian shrugged. ‘No, my lady, but he may seize us and ransom you.’
    At that moment this did not seem so bad a fate to Lady Eleanor. To be held captive by the bold Sir Turquin, forced to watch as he whipped his naked prisoners, well, the idea made her mouth turn quite dry as she rode on; down into the deepening murk of the forest.
    Despite Brother Sebastian’s obvious anxiety, nothing occurred as they passed through the darkly brooding defile. At last they came out into less hilly country, where the dark yews gave way to less oppressive birch trees.
    Just then there was a shout from several of the men-at-arms as they came into the clearing, and a knot of mounted men charged across, blocking her view so that at first she could not see what had caused their consternation. Brother Sebastian, perhaps loath to leave her unguarded, seized her reins and spurred his horse after the men, and by the time they arrived most of the guards had already dismounted and a most amazing sight greeted Eleanor’s astonished gaze.
    There was an unusually tall, stout birch tree, standing alone in the middle of the clearing, with two large boughs spreading from the trunk a dozen feet from the ground in opposite directions. Chained to each of these branches by heavy iron wristbands, their arms straining above their heads as they stretched up on tiptoe, were two naked damsels.
    They were both young and comely. One had long glossy chestnut hair and a full figure; the other was darker and more slender. The chains that linked their wrists had been passed over the sturdy branches and were too tight to allow the girls much movement at all. Thus they stood in an almost symmetrical display, one on either side of the tree.
    All this Eleanor absorbed in one astonished glance. Then she saw the items around the girls’ waists and blinked in amazement.
    She had heard tell of chastity belts, always thinking such things a jest, but the two chained damsels wore real girdles of silver gilt, a band around their waists meeting tongues that curved between their legs. Sturdy padlocks secured them, much to the men-at-arms’ consternation.
    ‘Damn me, who has a hammer to strike this lock off?’ Bellowed one of the ogling men.
    ‘Oh please, unhand me, sir,’ the chestnut-locked girl pleaded.
    ‘Who can pick a lock?’ the captain demanded, quite ignoring her.
    The two girls were naked except for their gleaming girdles, and the sight of them seemed to have driven the guardsmen quite out of their senses. The captive maidens squealed and shrieked as the rough men-at-arms pawed them and wrestled futilely with their silver girdles. Even the captain seemed to have disregarded everything but the girl who struggled in his mauling embrace.
    ‘Captain, please consider…’ Brother Sebastian frantically looked around the clearing as blathered. ‘This must be some devilment, some trap.’
    ‘These damned things are the devilment, friar!’ the captain declared as he pushed away one of the men and began clawing at the chestnut-haired girl’s chastity belt in vain.
    To her horror and astonishment Eleanor noticed, as she