stood still as she approached him.
‘Please understand,’ Heidi said softly. ‘I have to do this or –’
‘You’ll be beaten,’ Richard finished for her. He looked at her for a moment and then nodded. Heidi looked immensely relieved. She looked at him for a moment longer and then looked down to fit the padlock through the ring on the chain that dangled from his balls. The lock closed with a heavy snap, and she let it fall between his legs. He felt the weight of the lock and the longer chain dragging at him. Not painfully, but definitely there.
‘I’ll just put your case in the bathroom,’ Heidi called a little too loudly as she moved away from him. She dropped the case in her haste and alarm. When she came back into the main room, she had herself just barely in control. She was frightened and trying to look normal.
‘Heidi,’ Richard said softly, ‘wipe your mouth and take a deep breath.’
She did as he directed, and looked at him once again with more composure. She even managed a shaky smile.
‘Who keeps the keys to my handcuffs, and to the lock and your own belt?’
‘I don’t know,’ she replied. ‘I have to go now.’
‘Try to find out,’ he told her as she disappeared. The door closed behind her with a heavy thump, and Richard saw that there was neither handle nor keyhole on the inside. He knew without further exploration that he was locked in. Since there was no immediate escape, he decided to make the best of things. The bed looked comfortable enough.
He woke from his doze at the sound of the door opening. This time it was an older woman, perhaps forty or forty-five years old, Richard estimated. She was still an attractive woman, one who had obviously taken pains to combat the signs of ageing. Her body was still firm, and she carried herself well. She was stylishly dressed, not in the ubiquitous maid’s uniform. He concluded that she was somewhat higher up the pecking order here than Heidi. As she came closer, he thought he detected the signs of cosmetic surgery in the firmness of her chin and the lack of wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.
‘You are Richard,’ she announced. She looked at him for a long moment before nodding her approval. ‘Margaret has asked me to take your measurements. Will you please stand?’
Richard got awkwardly to his feet. ‘Since you know who I am, might I not know who you are?’ he asked.
‘My name is not important,’ the woman replied.
‘It is to me,’ Richard retorted.
The woman shrugged and said, ‘Very well. I am Ingrid.’
‘And are you one of the trainers here?’ Richard asked her.
‘No. I own a small dressmaking and tailoring shop in the village. But I am often asked to make things for those here, at what we in the village call Schloss Margaret .’ Smiling at what she thought of as a small joke, Ingrid produced a tape measure, a small leather-bound notebook and a pencil from her handbag, which she laid on the bed. She looked once more at Richard, then said, ‘May I use your bathroom before we begin?’
She was already turning towards it as Richard said, ‘Of course.’ He continued to stand beside the bed as she left the room. When she returned, Ingrid smiled her thanks. Richard liked her. She was an outsider in what was, to him at least, a bizarre setting, and she was treating both it and him naturally, without embarrassment or awkwardness. He felt more at ease with her.
Ingrid held a key in her hand. ‘I am allowed to remove your handcuffs, Richard. Indeed, I must do so in order to measure you. I hope you will conduct yourself correctly.’ She unlocked the handcuffs and laid them on the bed beside her handbag.
‘And the other lock?’ Richard asked, indicating the one dangling between his legs. ‘Are you allowed to remove that as well?’
‘No. I am sorry. I was not given the key.’ And she did sound regretful. ‘Now, if you will just stand naturally, we will begin.’ Ingrid unrolled her tape and began to measure
‘Please understand,’ Heidi said softly. ‘I have to do this or –’
‘You’ll be beaten,’ Richard finished for her. He looked at her for a moment and then nodded. Heidi looked immensely relieved. She looked at him for a moment longer and then looked down to fit the padlock through the ring on the chain that dangled from his balls. The lock closed with a heavy snap, and she let it fall between his legs. He felt the weight of the lock and the longer chain dragging at him. Not painfully, but definitely there.
‘I’ll just put your case in the bathroom,’ Heidi called a little too loudly as she moved away from him. She dropped the case in her haste and alarm. When she came back into the main room, she had herself just barely in control. She was frightened and trying to look normal.
‘Heidi,’ Richard said softly, ‘wipe your mouth and take a deep breath.’
She did as he directed, and looked at him once again with more composure. She even managed a shaky smile.
‘Who keeps the keys to my handcuffs, and to the lock and your own belt?’
‘I don’t know,’ she replied. ‘I have to go now.’
‘Try to find out,’ he told her as she disappeared. The door closed behind her with a heavy thump, and Richard saw that there was neither handle nor keyhole on the inside. He knew without further exploration that he was locked in. Since there was no immediate escape, he decided to make the best of things. The bed looked comfortable enough.
He woke from his doze at the sound of the door opening. This time it was an older woman, perhaps forty or forty-five years old, Richard estimated. She was still an attractive woman, one who had obviously taken pains to combat the signs of ageing. Her body was still firm, and she carried herself well. She was stylishly dressed, not in the ubiquitous maid’s uniform. He concluded that she was somewhat higher up the pecking order here than Heidi. As she came closer, he thought he detected the signs of cosmetic surgery in the firmness of her chin and the lack of wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.
‘You are Richard,’ she announced. She looked at him for a long moment before nodding her approval. ‘Margaret has asked me to take your measurements. Will you please stand?’
Richard got awkwardly to his feet. ‘Since you know who I am, might I not know who you are?’ he asked.
‘My name is not important,’ the woman replied.
‘It is to me,’ Richard retorted.
The woman shrugged and said, ‘Very well. I am Ingrid.’
‘And are you one of the trainers here?’ Richard asked her.
‘No. I own a small dressmaking and tailoring shop in the village. But I am often asked to make things for those here, at what we in the village call Schloss Margaret .’ Smiling at what she thought of as a small joke, Ingrid produced a tape measure, a small leather-bound notebook and a pencil from her handbag, which she laid on the bed. She looked once more at Richard, then said, ‘May I use your bathroom before we begin?’
She was already turning towards it as Richard said, ‘Of course.’ He continued to stand beside the bed as she left the room. When she returned, Ingrid smiled her thanks. Richard liked her. She was an outsider in what was, to him at least, a bizarre setting, and she was treating both it and him naturally, without embarrassment or awkwardness. He felt more at ease with her.
Ingrid held a key in her hand. ‘I am allowed to remove your handcuffs, Richard. Indeed, I must do so in order to measure you. I hope you will conduct yourself correctly.’ She unlocked the handcuffs and laid them on the bed beside her handbag.
‘And the other lock?’ Richard asked, indicating the one dangling between his legs. ‘Are you allowed to remove that as well?’
‘No. I am sorry. I was not given the key.’ And she did sound regretful. ‘Now, if you will just stand naturally, we will begin.’ Ingrid unrolled her tape and began to measure
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