The Delfe Treasure

43. Of Baring All

"And John? What came of him?"

"A coal digs collapse. Nearly ten years now."

"Oh!" Elizabeth winced. "How old were you then?"

"Sixteen, almost seventeen."

"You have pulled yourself up very well in that time."

"I was fortunate to be taken in as a laundry maid, and when the family returned to London, they brought me with them." Judith put a hand to her mouth. "I should not be talking about myself in this —"

"Tut-tut. I would love to know more about you. How you rose from what you call squalor. How you gained an education and a refinement." 

"Lady Dormer took an interest in me after I was caught smuggling books from the library, and she favoured me with more books when she saw my eagerness to learn. She guided me as I rose to chambermaid and then to parlourmaid, and she gave me increasing access to the children's tutor. Then she made me chaperon to her eldest daughter when she came of age." 

Elizabeth nodded. "And thus your formal manner and rigid adherence to propriety. I do wish you would call me Elizabeth."

Judith laughed, looking down at their bodies covered only by sunshine and glistening water droplets. "There remains little hidden between us. I have tried, but Lady Dormer was very strict, and it seems my behaviour is well set. I will try harder, Elizabeth."

"There now, that was easy. You will soon become accustomed to using my name. Shall we try some other strokes? The next one is an easy progression." Elizabeth rolled to demonstrate the side stroke, and Judith copied.

"So, how did you come to be engaged by my father?"

"I was told he and Baron Dormer know each other in Parliament."

"Yes, of course, they would. And what of their daughter? Did you just up and abandon her?" 

"Her marriage was the following week, and m'Lady agreed to take it upon herself to protect her daughter's maidenhead the remaining few days." She laughed. "It needed no protection. The Earl, the husband selected for her, is a squat, obese man, far more than twice her age. The poor young maiden cringed each time he touched her." Judith paused and grimaced. "Oh, dear! Here I am, prattling on like I am downstairs with the rest." 

"I love it. Please, do continue." 

Judith rolled onto her back and kicked slowly along in the calm water. "So, I went directly from consoling a terrified young girl to accompanying a woman so eager I could smell it." She blushed, then shrugged. "It is true, Elizabeth. The aroma in the carriage reminded me of the most passionate times I had shared with John." 

Elizabeth nodded and rolled onto her back beside Judith. "Thus your recommendations of scented oils."

"I thought it best to disguise it so none but us would know." She laughed. "Your aroma rekindled in me a desire I thought I had lost."

"So you had not since John?"

"Oh, I had for a while as I tried to find another husband. But I soon saw men regard widows as another's used goods. They are eager to play, but they want a maiden for marriage."

Elizabeth nodded. "The common duplicity of men." 

"When I was taken on as a maid, I thought my position would be more secure if I played a grieving widow, and I quickly gained m'Lady's trust." Judith paused and sighed. "I took on a life of celibacy." 

"And what changed that?"

"The energy between you and Sir Aldrick. Sensing it, feeling it in my nethers. And seeing George." Judith breathed a deep sigh. "I had all but forgotten those feelings."

"Have you thought of marriage?" 

"We both realised our agreeing to go to sea together was a betrothal, and we have handfasted in public with signed witnesses. But neither George nor I have a church, so we found none that would perform a confirming ceremony without their indoctrination and salvation." She shrugged. "We tried, but could not bear the nonsense. We consider ourselves wed." 

"Then so shall Aldrick and I."

The two women continued lolling in the water, their broad-ranging discussion interspersed with Elizabeth's demonstrations of additional swim strokes and having Judith practice them. As they rolled onto their backs from doing the front paddle, Elizabeth nodded toward the strand. "It appears they have finished their digging."

Judith watched Aldrick and George wade toward them, then after a long silence, she said, "Sir Aldrick's pizzle is bigger than I had imagined. The cloth must restrain it."

"So, you have previously noticed?" 

"It is difficult not to." Judith blushed. "Breeches do not regularly fold and wrinkle in that manner." She shrugged. "Once I had noticed, I took many occasions to confirm."

Elizabeth nodded. "As have I. He seems not to realise the display he makes, and I have thought of stitching together a piece that he can wear about his hips to enfold his parts so I am not so often distracted." She smiled as she examined the two men while they approached. "George is also larger than normal."

Judith's eyes grew round as she looked at Elizabeth. "How would you have knowledge of the normal size?"

"This morning, before we breakfasted, most of the crew were naked on deck as they dived into the sea and climbed back aboard to repeat. I had gone up the ladder to see the sunrise, and I watched in awe for a long while from the coaming." She giggled. "Aldrick confirmed my observations from his own over the years — most are thumb-sized, a few a bit more, a few a bit less."

"Are they?" Judith lifted a thumb and looked from it to George and back, then she laughed. "I am delighted he is not normal."

"Elizabeth grinned. "The ordinary seems to fit neither your spirit nor mine."