Zeelandia

31. Sage Advice

I pondered Mistress Duncan's words as she led me from behind the curtain to a shelf along the rear wall, where she picked up one of the mirrors. "We ask tuppence for those with the wooden frame and a groat for this style with the turtleshell handle."

I took the one she handed me, and after a glance at the other, I said, "I would prefer the plain one; it need not be fancy."

As she led me toward the desk in the corner, mistress Moore entered, and I rushed toward the door to greet her, running my hands over my chest and smiling."

"Does it fit well?"

"Oh, it does. And I love the hooks."

"I thought you might. They add thrupence, but with an hour's less work, only a penny to your price."

"Then I shall give you the tuppence for the work you lost." I winked at her. "Consider it payment for your wonderful advice." I trembled at the memory. "So wonderful."

A grin burst upon her face. "So, you had time to test some of it?"

I sighed deeply as I nodded. "Four times released by his tongue."

"Oh, my! And him? Did you?"

"I tried, but I could not find a way to make it fit."

Ruth laughed. "No, I did not mean the entire thing. The head is the important part."

"It is too large." I opened my mouth to its widest. "See, I can open only this much, but he did enjoy my licking."

"Open again."

As I did, Ruth shook her head. "That is as wide as any. He must be huge, then."

"This was my surmise upon comparing him unaroused to my memories of the crew as they bathed."

"You have watched the crew bathe?"

I grinned and nodded. "My first time seeing a man like that, and there were dozens. Such a variety of shapes and sizes."

Ruth pointed to the curtains. "Come. You must tell me about this."

All this while, Mistress Duncan had remained with Mary at the desk, and I am sure she was unable to hear our quiet intercourse, and I was pleased for this. Her words of doubt and discouragement had been disheartening.

Behind the curtain, while Ruth unbuttoned and removed my shirt, I related to her what I had seen as the men laundered and bathed, and then lazed or worked in the buff as their clothes dried in the sun. "It was as if I were watching the gods of the Greek writings while they frolicked and played."

"Did you wet?"

"I did, and this is when I realised its cause."

"How did they not discover your sex? You there in their midst?"

I told her of their questions and my responses, and she chuckled. Then she asked, "How does the captain allow you this liberty? To observe other men's privates?"

"He did not know. Over the weeks, I had become increasingly enamoured of him, and in the beginning, I knew not from whence came my bodily reactions. And through this time, he increasingly cherished me as a son he wished he had."

Ruth nodded. "Attracted to you as a person, not as a carnal object. This is vital to a sound and fulfilling marriage."

She loosened the lacing and reached in beneath the cloth to adjust my breasts. "It would be best to be a bit looser at the top to distribute the pressure; otherwise, you will bulge at the bottom, and compressing this will lead to discomfort and more bruising."

While she relaced, she asked, "When did he learn of your true sex?"

"I told him last evening – after we had moored to the wharf here."

"Oh, my! So recent."

"The attraction had mounted in us both, but he knew not the real reason for his. When he learnt, we both fumbled. Neither of us had before so much as kissed another person in passion, and we knew not how."

"The act is by nature, by instinct, and few if any receive instruction in its methods. We learn and refine through practice." She tilted her head. "Have you questions I might answer?"

I nodded. "I do. Is there a way to prevent him from spending so soon? I do love him moving inside, but he lasts less than a minute."

"That is the nature of men." Ruth paused as she gathered the lace end and tucked it inside. "In the beginning, at least. The impulse seems to be to move in a fast frenzy, but you can guide him to move at a slow, gentle pace. He will last far longer this way, and it will draw out the enjoyment for you both."

She stood back and examined the vest, nodding approval. "We have taken to lying connected and talking, with only occasional movement. Movement just sufficient to maintain his engorgement and to sustain the building of my tension."

"We have lain connected for extended times, but with him spent, gone limp and sleeping."

"Then, to prevent his early release, you must ask him to not move, the only motion being yours, and that only to ensure he remains stiff. And talk. Engage in intercourse through this; it is the finest time to allow him to know your thoughts, and for you to know his."

She raised a finger and wagged it. "And note this well, Camille. The act is for far more than release and relief. That can be quickly done alone. No, this is a time for communion between two people, two spirits moving as one."

Ruth held my shirt for me as I placed my arms in the sleeves, and while she buttoned the front, she continued, "Men seldom share their deeper thoughts, and this is an easy way to encourage them to reveal their inner selves." She chuckled. "And most times, men do not listen to women, but here, you have him as a captive audience, and he cannot help but know your mind."

I pointed to the chairs. "Might we sit and continue this while I await Charles?"

"It would be my great pleasure."