Act Seven
Scene One
Sub-Scene One
I am a virgin.
“Well,’ he said at last.
‘It’s as your ladyship likes. If you get the baby, Sir Clifford’s welcome to
it. I won’t have lost anything. On the contrary, I’ve had a very nice
experience—very nice indeed!’–and he stretched in a half-suppressed sort of
yawn. ‘If you’ve made use of me,’ he said, ‘it’s not the first time I’ve been
made use of, and I don’t suppose it’s ever been as pleasant as this time,
though of course one can’t feel tremendously dignified about it.’ – He
stretched again, curiously, his muscles quivering and his jaw oddly set.
‘But I didn’t make use of
you,’ she said, pleading.
‘At your ladyship’s
service,’ he replied.
‘No,’ she said. ‘I liked
your body.’
‘Did you?’ he replied, and
he laughed. ‘Well, then, we’re quits, because I liked yours.’
He looked at her with queer,
darkened eyes.
‘Would you like to go
upstairs now?’ he asked her, in a strangled sort of voice.
‘No, not here. Not now!’ She
said heavily, though if he had used any power over her, she would have gone,
for she had no strength against him.
He turned his face away
again, and he seemed to forget her.
‘I want to touch you like
you touch me,’ she said. ‘I’ve never really touched your body.’ (https://www.historyhit.com/culture/lady-chatterleys-lover-chapter-12/)
Lady Cleop placed the book
on her heaving chest. It was a rare book, Lady’s Chatterley Lover by D.H.
Lawrence, banned that year from public sale, but she got her copy from friends.
“Tell, Alexas. Tell me what
it is like to be loved.” The young lady asked the older maid. Alexas was in her
thirties, the elder of the three maids assigned to Lady Cleop. Iras and
Charmain, who were the others, were busy preparing the lady’s bath in the private
chamber.
“I would not...” Alexas
looked away. A few years ago, she was assigned to the young lady as the
personal maid and to supervise the other two maids.
“Come tell, Alexas. I am
sure you were in love before.” Lady Cleop pinned on the maid to tell. She heard
the giggles from the other two maids but ignored them.
“Sit by me and tell.” Cleop
moved some space from the divan for Alexas.
“I was…… I was then. It was
a man in my town.” Alexas had come to serve the Pharoah over ten years ago. Her
family was debt-ridden, and she was bonded to pay the debt.
“Was he handsome?” Lady
Cleop asked. Alexas saw the book on the divan. She was not a reader, but she
heard of such books that were unsuitable for the younger ladies.
“He was about my age, and we
used to go to town together. We were... or rather liked each other. We used
to...”
“Make love?” Cleop was
curious. As the lady in Egypt, she was protected, and when outside, she was
chaperoned by the maids with the guards. She was hardly into any parties, as
they deemed her too naïve or young.
“No, we... touch each other.
Kissing and some touching.” Alexas’s mind slipped to the past. “We were in
love.”
“Was it nice?” Cleop asked.
Alexas nodded. “But you did not make love?”
“No, we did not.” Alexas
smiled. She was a virgin when she was sent to the pharaoh. He was her first,
not her last. It was not love, but a need to survive.
“Oh …… But tell me, how was
it nice?” Cleop asked.
“Well, the body feels...
nice.” Alexas smiled. “Every part of your body feels the tingle.”
“Like when I touch you?”
Cleop grabbed the right breast of the maid and pressed hard on it.
“No….” Alexas pulled away.
“Not like that.”
“You need to be gentle,
and... you are not a man.” Alexas told the lady. “There is a difference.”
“I am unsure. Sometimes when
I grab at Charmain, she will laugh with delight.” Cleop looked at Alexas.
“She is silly. She does not
know... what it is.” Alexas smiled. “You would one day meet a man you love.”
“I will, but how will I know
how to love him?” Cleop asked.
“Maybe... Lady Cleop, all
you need is a teacher.” Alexas looked at the lady. “Not that book, but a
teacher who will show you.”
“Who will that be? You?”
Lady Cleop asked.
“A woman has her needs too.”
Alexas smiled. “I will... you will see how it is done... properly. But you must
keep a secret. It is only to share in this chamber. “
Lady Cleop nodded.
“Mr. Mardian, please step
in. And you too, Iras.” Alex called out. “Charmain, you take my place on the
divan.”
“Now we will do a series of
shows for the lady for her lessons.”
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