Best to be Loved

by

Kortpeel

There were always tensions on the monthly drive into town. Grandmother wore her pursed disapproving expression that subdued the normal exuberant spirits of the three sisters.

The problem was Harvey. He was responsible for grandmother's sour mood. She disapproved of him and blamed Eugenie, 22 and the eldest of the three, for it. He was her servant and she was responsible for him.

Normally grandmother ignored Harvey. He didn't exist for her. She'd long ago banned Harvey from entering the main house. However as the outdoor servant Harvey was the driver of the horse drawn trap that was taking them into town and on these occasions grandmother was unable to ignore him.

People always stared at Harvey. An ungelded man was a rare sight in this neighbourhood. And the fact that Eugenie kept him on a rigorous exercise programme that maintained his well defined muscles in good shape didn't help at all. She'd also forbidden Harvey to shave so although he was still only 20 Harvey presented a sight well worth staring at as he drove the little trap into town.

They passed Mrs. Wilkinson and her daughter, Valery, going in the opposite direction. Mrs Wilkinson nodded politely to grandmother. Her daughter Valery just stared open mouthed at Harvey.

Even then it wouldn't have mattered but the two younger sisters, Annabel and Nerissa, knew exactly what Valery was thinking and giggled. That got them one of grandmother's looks which silenced them.

It also earned Eugenie a rebuke. "Eugenie, this is all your fault. When will you grow up? I want you to develop a sense of responsibility."

Eugenie was all wide-eyed innocence. "Grandmother?"

"You know Harvey is an embarrassment to the family. He ought to have been gelded years ago."

"But grandmother, he's an outdoor servant. He needs his strength for his work." That was more or less true but it wasn't the real reason that Eugenie had left Harvey intact.

Grandmother knew that too. "Eugenie, you are still so immature. I think you enjoy shocking people."

"Harvey's a very good servant, grandmother. Besides, he never comes in to the house."

"You are perfectly aware of the risks associated with ungelded men, Eugenie. You know very well that they can become violent. Not to mention the perverse lusts and desires to which they are prone."

That was a close as grandmother could come to accusing Eugenie of harbouring perverse desires herself. In a society where sexual thoughts were considered unhealthy and irredeemably disgusting, to be suppressed at all costs, one would never accuse a respectable young lady of having such base emotions. To do so would be unforgivable.

The gelding of males was a routine common-sense procedure that saved males from those unhealthy desires. Young ladies were expected to have enough decency and self-control not to need surgical intervention, although it was not unknown. Harvey was an anomaly.

They'd been climbing a steepish hill. Harvey stopped at the top to rest the horses. Norman got off and disappeared off into the bushes. Norman who was Nerissa's servant had been castrated in infancy. He'd been trained as a lady's companion and was an expert dressmaker. He was well able to make the long dresses with bustles that were currently the fashion. Those dresses worn over a suitable corset always made any young woman look her best. This trip they planned to buy some material to make up into dresses and Norman had come along because his advice on choice of material was needed.

Norman returned and took his seat in the trap. He had learnt to empty his bladder at every opportunity ever since his penectomy some years earlier. He had to pee often or else he would dribble urine.

There'd been no real reason for the penectomy other that Nerissa's naiveté. She had once seen him pee standing up and not knowing that was how it was done had been shocked. She promptly called in the woman who did that sort of thing and had his penis removed. Nerissa actually preferred him without it.

They continued in simmering silence down into the valley to the little town and pulled up outside the draper's store. Grandmother, the girls and Norman went inside to choose the material they needed. Harvey waited by the trap with the horse.

It was quite usual for geldings to go naked. After all, what did they have to be modest about? Harvey wasn't a gelding, he simply followed custom and practice. He'd gone naked for all of his twenty years and for the most part was quite unselfconscious about it. In any case, nudity was more a matter of status than modesty and bonded servants didn't have much in the way of status.

A little group of young ladies gathered in conversation not far from Harvey. It was purely by chance of course, certainly no well-bred young woman would ever admit to sexual desire or even to curiosity in that respect. They just happened to be there and wanted to talk. As far as they were concerned Harvey didn't even exist.

Harvey certainly didn't want any trouble. He turned his back to them. That had the regrettable effect that instead of discrete quick 'accidental' glances at his front they were able to feast their gaze on his backside. The sight of Harvey's broad muscular shoulders and his buttocks packing well-exercised gluteal muscles induced certain thoughts and ideas that were inappropriate for young ladies to entertain.

It may have been the pheromones they released that had the effect on Harvey. He was used to being butt naked but, to his dismay, he was getting that uncontrollable stirring of the groin. He walked around to the other side of the horse and that helped. Then he stood close to the horse and began grooming it. It was just something to do that would focus the mind. Unfortunately his prick brushed against the horse and came to attention.

At that moment one of the young ladies, who happened to like horses, dropped her handkerchief. As she bent to pick it up she looked at the horse and saw Harvey's standing prick.

In that hot house world of innocent virgins, few of whom had ever seen anything sexier than a gelding's pee pee, the sight of an ungelded male's prick at full hard and the bag underneath containing two actual balls was too much. She stood up, gasped, pointed in open-mouthed shock at Harvey and then fainted.

It would have been better for Charlotte if she hadn't pointed. The other girls all looked where she was pointing and failed to stop her fall to the ground. Fortunately she happened to land with her head in a splat of fresh horse dung which saved her from a fractured skull.

To blazes with etiquette and refined behaviour. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for those young ladies and not to be missed.

As Eugenie, Annabel and Nerissa assisted grandmother out of the store they were confronted with a scene. Harvey was attempting to get into the driver's seat of the trap; the young ladies were preventing him. To do that they had to have hands on skin contact with Harvey. The consequences were excited screams, squeals and giggles.

"Ladies!" It was rare for grandmother to raise her voice. Three of the young ladies promptly walked away. The one who was silly enough not to do so got a tongue lashing for unladylike conduct from grandmother. The girl who'd fainted onto the horse dung was still on the ground. "Do get up you stupid creature," grandmother told her. You smell like a stable. Go and clean yourself." The poor girl fled.

"Her corset must have been too tight," Annabel murmured to Nerissa

Nobody said another word during the drive home. They were perfectly aware that grandmother was furious at what had happened.

As they dismounted at the front door of their house Grandmother spoke. "Annabel, send Arnold for Alice Jennings. He's to tell her from me that we need her services."

"Yes grandmother."

Alice Jennings was the medical practitioner for the community. Everyone was in good health so why did they need her? Perhaps grandmother had had one of her spasms. From the grimace on her face it was possible. The girls looked at each other and said nothing.

They all went inside leaving Harvey to deal with the horses and trap.

"Eugenie I want to talk to you in the library."

"Yes grandmother."

In the library grandmother and Eugenie sat. Eugenie said nothing. None of her thoughts showed on her face.

"Eugenie, how old are you now?"

"Twenty two, grandmother."

"I think it's time you went for impregnation."

"I don't think I'm ready, grandmother."

"What you think doesn't matter, Eugenie." Grandmother's voice was ice. One didn't contradict her. "You have become increasingly wayward of late. That ridiculous servant of yours is but one example. You are overdue for childbirth. The responsibility that a child brings will be good for you."

Years of training came into play. Eugenie stared at the carpet. It had a floral pattern that she had always liked. "Yes grandmother."

"Very good, Eugenie. I will organise it. Send in some tea, would you please." Grandmother was gracious when one complied with her wishes.

Dismissed, Eugenie went to her room and reflected.

Grandmother had been talking about impregnation, childbirth and raising children for as long as Eugenie could remember. According to grandmother bearing and raising children was the whole point of human existence. Eugenie had always gone along with grandmother on this but her mental reservation was 'not yet.' She wanted to travel and to see something of the world. She had never been out of this community. She knew there were other places, other countries and the little she'd heard of them had fascinated her.

It was an outrageous ambition. Grandmother would have deemed it quite unladylike. Now it was not to be. One didn't travel with a child. It was the tradition of the firstborn being the first to become pregnant that was the problem. Grandmother was a great traditionalist. Annabel and Nerissa would be only too happy to make the fifty mile journey to the city where the impregnation centre would insert the synthetic sperm into the womb. The sperm would be custom-made to complement the recipient's dna so that it produced optimal progeny. Random breeding was no longer permitted. Grandmother would love to hear the sound of children about the house once again. It was Eugenie's own stubborn refusal to oblige that was delaying things.

I am being selfish, she told herself. Perhaps it is time I was impregnated. Eugenie knew there would always be a sense of unfulfilled ambition in her life. It was a depressing thought. She felt a sudden need for company and went to find her sisters.

The house was empty except for Norman who was busy with fabrics and patterns in the sewing room.

"Where is everyone?" she asked him.

"In the barn, Mistress Eugenie."

How odd! "In the barn?"

"Mistress Jennings is here. For Harvey."

A bolt of adrenaline went through Eugenie's system. Without quite knowing how she got there she found herself in the barn. Harvey was strapped to the gelding frame, his testicles hanging outside of his scrotum. Grandmother, the sisters and Annabel's gelding, Arnold, were watching Alice Jennings as she prepared to tie off a testicle cord.

"Stop," Eugenie screamed.

Eugenie came forward and spoke to Alice Jennings. "Put them back and stitch him up."

Alice Jennings looked at grandmother.

The old lady was trembling with rage. "How dare you, Eugenie. Go to your room this instant. I have never, in all my life, seen such unseemly behaviour."

"I said put them back," Eugenie told Alice Jennings. "Do it!" The last two words were snapped out.

"Eugenie, do you hear me?"

The two sisters and Arnold were shocked. Nobody had ever defied grandmother before. Arnold began a discrete withdrawal but Annabel and Nerissa weren't going to miss this for the world.

Alice Jennings stood back from her task, content to wait until the situation was resolved.

Eugenie turned to confront grandmother, looking her full in the face, refusing to look submissively at the ground. It was difficult. She worked to control the trembling in her body. She didn't want anyone to see how scared she was.

Grandmother's glare was unflinching and merciless. For Eugenie it was a physical force. She had to take a step backwards, away from it.

"Your conduct is outrageous. You are a disobedient child. I will not tolerate it and you shall not go unpunished." Despite her anger grandmother's voice was cold and firm. She obviously meant every word. She was still holding the horsewhip she'd taken as a precaution in case Harvey had offered any resistance. She showed it to Eugenie to indicate the form her punishment would take.

"You've exceeded your authority, grandmother. Harvey is mine. Mother left him to me. You have absolutely no right to geld him."

Inside Eugenie was surprised at herself. What on earth had possessed her to take on grandmother like this? Ah well! In for a penny ...

"I will not be punished for looking after my own property." She took the whip from grandmother's hands. Eugenie added in a soft voice that was meant only for grandmother but which everyone else heard with diamond clarity "And I'm not going for impregnation either. I have decided I'm not ready."

Was that a faint smile flickered briefly across grandmother's thin lips? It couldn't possibly be.

"Very well Eugenie. You may do as you deem fit." Grandmother turned and walked out of the barn, her head high and her walk as graceful as ever.

Her sisters were looking at Eugenie with a mixture of shock, awe and respect on their faces.

"Annabel, my darling sister, would you like to go for impregnation? It is entirely up to you, of course."

"Yes please." Annabel gave a hint of a curtsey as she replied.

"And you my sweet little Nerissa. Would you like to go for impregnation when Annabel returns?"

"Oh thank you, Eugenie" Nerissa embraced her older sister.

"Arnold, why are you loafing behind those bales of straw?" Eugenie called out.

Arnold emerged looking sheepish.

"Don't you have any work you ought to be doing?"

Such was Arnold's haste to resume duties that he tripped over his feet and fell headlong. Alice Jennings would later attend to the nasty gash on his forehead.

Meanwhile Alice was waiting for instruction. Harvey was still strapped to the frame, testicles dangling loose and there was a steady trickle of blood from the incisions in his scrotum.

Eugenie's first thought was to tell Alice to put the testicles back. After all, that was why she had come to the barn. But then again... It occurred to Eugenie that she had been immature and rebellious to insist on Harvey remaining intact. She knew her motive had been mainly to shock people. Not that she ever got that delicious forbidden pleasure from looking at his masculine form. Certainly not. But perhaps it was time to grow up, to become respectable. Eugenie ignored the pleading look in Harvey's eyes.

"Please finish what you've started," Eugenie told Alice Jennings. "Harvey, when you've recovered your first task will be to shave off your beard." Eugenie turned and strode off. She seemed not to hear Harvey's cries as his cords were severed.

The late afternoon sun streamed through the library windows creating a warm pleasant atmosphere. "This is such a lovely room. I love it in here," grandmother remarked to Eugenie as they sipped their tea."

"You know," the old lady said, almost to herself. "It is nice to be respected. It's convenient to be obeyed. But best of all by far is to be loved. I shall so enjoy being loveable."

A thought crossed Eugenie's mind. Had the old lady planned this all along? The crafty old...

End