Ghost of Bledgemoor Hall

Chapter 9. Role reversal

Four days later, Veronica awoke from a disturbed sleep. The digital clock showed 3:32. Feeling wide-awake, quietly she arose, put on a thick dressing gown and went to the kitchen. While the kettle was boiling she chatted quietly with Becky mainly about the price of tea then and now. Having made her own tea, Veronica turned out the lights. The kitchen, now only illuminated by various red neons glowing from the new electrical gadgets Gloria had installed, added to the unreal atmosphere of her talking to a girl who died over two hundred years previously. Thinking themselves alone and no one around to hear they didn't bother with thought transference. It was more natural to gossip in a normal quiet way.

"Why is it that I haven't actually seen you since that first day Becky? I've talked and been with you virtually all the time. I've felt the same things as you but only seen your ghost form while that storm was on."

"You'll have to go to the old coach house and open the box again and do it in the dark. Then you only see me weary and haggard, as my body was when it was put there. Not as it was when I arrived. Better for you to imagine what I looked like."

"I've seen you when we've been together in your time. Remember how you kept looking in Master Peter's big mirror and showing yourself off? So I do know what you looked like then. You were very pretty. Even naked as you mostly were! How I wanted to come out of your mind and cuddle you like I've done with Gloria. I just thought that sometimes it would be nice to sit opposite each other and have a chat, sort of like normal."

"You'll have to wrap up well, Ronnie. Thick as it is, that dressing gown won't keep much of the cold out." Not wanting to go upstairs again, Veronica pulled a thick sweater and her overalls from the laundry basket and wore them. By the back door she found her wellington boots and Henry's old army overcoat and a woolly hat. These she donned as well. Even so she found it very cold when she left the shelter of the porch. The path glistened in the torchlight and the grass crackled underfoot but she made it inside the old coach house without mishap. As soon as she opened the box and extinguished her torch, Becky's translucent form appeared. "Don't you go getting your death of cold sitting talking to me. We can do that just as easily in the warmth of your bed. Remember, I know what it is like to die of cold!"

"It's okay Becky, I'm not all that cold with these layers of clothes on. Tell me though, how are we going to condense three years of your life into my visits? So far in a month or so, we've only been through the first few days of your stay here. How will you or I know what to miss out? I want to see so much and it often seems as if I have to spend several days recovering from each visit."

"I keep thinking about that too, Ronnie. The first two months of my stay here, after I had got used to servicing Master Peter, I enjoyed and often took the lead in our lovemaking. I would like you to find out how enjoyable good fucking can be. So far you have only experienced the painful side."

"There's been some pleasure too, but you're right, I probably enjoyed Sparkie more than the times with you and Master Peter. But I would also like to see the domestic things that happened, how the place was run, who supplied things, not just the sex bits."

Despite the cold, the pair chatted for an hour until Becky virtually ordered Veronica back into the warm. It was now 5:30. "Can you check Gloria is still asleep first, please Becky?"

"You're not going to like this Ronnie. Gloria is in your attic room, looking at your computer. She's swearing at the thing and I gather she cannot read your book." Veronica fumed as she quietly removed her boots and silently let herself back in the house.

*****

"Who is she talking to at this unearthly hour of the morning?" Gloria asked herself as she peered sleepily at the clock. 3:58. "Must be that Becky girl. I do so hate not knowing who she is and in fact, what she is." Slipping on her dressing gown she stealthily opened the bedroom door a crack and listened intently. Very few words came through clearly but she did make out 'coach house'. Still listening she heard the back door close and the crunch of boots on the frozen grass. "Sounds as if the bitch is going to that old shed again. Spends too much of her time there. Must have something to do with this business. She knows I won't go in because of the spiders and mice. Guess she'll be there a couple of hours if it's like normal. Maybe I can find out more from her computer while she's away. It's my computer anyway. I've only loaned it to her so she shouldn't really complain." Gloria conveniently forgot that she had agreed to keep out of Veronica's attic room and that she had given the computer to her.

"Oh good," she murmured when a touch of the mouse brought the screen to life, "She left it on stand-by. Maybe the file is open." It wasn't. Moreover it took her longer than expected to find the sub folder titled 'Becky' which she guessed contained the story. Eager now, she double clicked on it only to be confronted with a menu asking for a password. "Damn the sodden girl! Bitch must have guessed I would try to find out. What password would she be likely to use?" 'Becky' <Invalid password> 'Veronica' <Invalid password> 'Coach house' <Invalid password> The more she tried, the more frustrated and angry she became. "Damn the fucking bitch! Why does she need to hide the story like this? What other word might she have used?"

"Even if you found the password you wouldn't have read the file because I encrypted it. In other words, it is all in code. Now perhaps you will explain why you are in my room in the first place and secondly why you have the audacity to try and look at my private things?" Veronica stood menacingly in the doorway, quirt in hand and desperately trying to control her anger.

"It's my house and my computer," Gloria burst out as she made to push her way out. "Aaaaagh!!" The quirt caught her across the top of her thighs.

"We had an agreement Gloria and you have broken it. If it had been the other way round, I would receive a sound spanking, wouldn't I?"

"But you are only a servant. Now let me pass." Gloria still hoped to bluff her way back to her room.

"No Gloria, we agreed to be equals."

"Aaaaagh!!"

"That was a foolish move Gloria." Veronica's voice was calm and cold, knowing she had thwarted the attempt to grab the whip. "Punishment time for you now dear. Remove your gown and bend over and lay across the bed, like you've made me do on several occasions."

"No! I'm your boss."

"A badly behaved boss. One that will be whipped if she doesn't do as she is told. What's it to be Gloria? Shall I whip the gown off you or are you going to do as you are told and just take a hairbrushing?" The strength and determination in the girl's voice surprised Gloria and for a few seconds she thought how much things had changed in the last couple of weeks.

"The hairbrush is in my room, if I pretend to submit then she'll have to get it and maybe I can get away," Gloria reasoned. She removed the gown. As usual underneath she only wore a light 'baby doll' nightdress.

"Lay over the bed with your hands out and above your head." When Gloria complied, Veronica quickly pulled one each side of the iron bed frame and fastened the wrists together with a plastic plant tie from Henry's coat pocket.

"Don't run away Mistress dear. I won't be gone long," giggled Veronica giving her boss a none too friendly swat on her bare arse.

"You bitch! Release me at once! I'll cancel our agreement! I'll throw you out on the street. I'll..."

"Be quiet Gloria." Veronica spoke quietly but with authority, "You know you cannot do any such thing and what I am going to do to you is far less than you did to me. More like that first hairbrushing I received. It's only what you deserve."

Although she tried, Gloria's attempts to free her wrists until the hairbrush arrived, failed. All she succeeded in doing was causing the plastic strips to bite deeply into her flesh. "Release me, you bitch!" she screamed when Veronica entered the room again, "I didn't tie you and this plastic is cutting me."

"You didn't need to tie me. You knew I would just do as I was told. You, Gloria, would fight me all the way. Lie still and take your punishment. The straps won't cut you then." She put the brush down where Gloria could see it while she removed Henry's coat. It would only get in the way now.

"Bitch!"

"WHAAAP!!" "Aaagh!!" Fascinated by the ripple effect created by the brush striking the bulbous flesh Veronica delivered another, "WHAAAP!!" She began to feel the power that Gloria must feel when spanking her. The power to inflict pain. She raised her arm again.

"No! No more please." Gloria pleaded. "You're hitting too hard."

Knowing this wasn't the case, Veronica replied scathingly, "Begging already Gloria? Those two were just for the verbal abuse. Now you will receive the dozen for breaking your promise by entering my room and trying to spy on what I've been doing." Although Gloria begged, pleaded and made promises she would not keep, Veronica laid on the full dozen and laid them on as hard as she dared. By then Gloria was sobbing hysterically. She was totally unused to not being the one delivering the punishment. Now she knew just how badly the one on the receiving end suffered. As she gazed at the reddened arse in front of her, Veronica tried to understand her emotions. Emotions that had caused her friend so much pain. At last she remembered she had to release Gloria.

"Sorry Gloria, I've only my nail scissors up here. Lie still while I get a pair from the kitchen." She spoke quietly, somewhat ashamed at what she had done. Gloria was still sobbing quietly when she returned and cut the plant ties. Her arse was sore but a warm feeling was spreading inwardly, Its effect spreading rapidly as she massaged her sore cheeks. Yet she didn't want to ask Veronica to have sex with her.

"Will you help me to the shower Veronica, please," she asked. Both knew why. Both knew the relationship between them had changed completely. Irrevocably changed. No longer could there be a mistress and servant relationship. It had started soon after Veronica had met Becky. Firstly, after the whipping and humiliation of the other week and now receiving the hiding, Gloria realised she was no longer able to command a servant. Her erstwhile servant was now really her equal. "Maybe we can still be lovers," she thought as they made their way stiffly down the stairs, "Even if there is such a difference in our ages.

They could. Half an hour later they were in Gloria's bed fondling each other although inwardly, Gloria was angry at no longer being the dominant one and having received what she saw as an unjustified spanking. They remained in bed until it was time to get up prepare for the workmen who still had to finish. By then some of Gloria's anger had dissipated although with each step she took, her buttock muscles reminded her.