Chapter 1, The Dungeon
Selina felt the chill. It was November and the days were short. The gaol where she was held was little more than a wooden hut. The only heat was from the oil lamp and that hung in the rafters. The warder lit it at night and doused it at daybreak. She felt little benefit from it and had grown used to sleeping in its wan light.
The warder arrived one morning and killed the light. As usual he brought her breakfast, porage, bread and water. This day, after she finished the meagre rations, he put a pitcher of water beside her and told her to clean herself ready for her trial. She would get a fresh smock to replace the wretched, ragged thing she wore over her petticoat. In modern terms, she was all but naked, for then even higher ranks, Ladies, never wore 'knickers' or 'panties', just more petticoats.
Having no mirror, Selina had to guess her visage was clean. Her breasts and belly she could see; her arms and legs too. Her arse too was speculated clean as she was fastidious about her daily maintenance . She wriggled back into her petticoat and it helped dry her. Then she unfolded her new smock. It was spare and thin, it barely covered her thighs, her petticoat stretched below her knees and she was glad of it.
The warder returned with clogs and a rope belt. He unlocked the remaining shackle at her neck and summoned two Court servants to cuff themselves to her wrists. They marched her in silence to the dungeon below the Courthouse. Selina grew used to the dim place and saw many iron hasps in the floor and walls, some high up. She shuddered at the chains lying around and hanging on the walls. She was wondering why the cuffs had been left on her wrists when another door opened and a dark wretched looking person entered and disturbed her train of thought. He grabbed a wrist and tugged the cuff. Then the other one.
'Cummon, witch,' he said. 'Over 'ere, I thinks.' And without another word, he had her fastened facing the wall. He grabbed a small table and pushed it in front of her, forcing her to be bent over it. 'Spread yo legs, I thinks,' and he judged how far apart with his boot. Satisfied so far, he felt about his person and found cuffs to keep the girl's legs and the table's together. 'Now yo be ready to have yo garments arranged ...'
Selina had held her tongue so far, but this was too much. 'It's new this day, please don't spoil it.'
'Shut it,' yelled the other. And he undid the rope belt and lifted the back of the skirt up to her neck. She was glad of her petticoat but not for long. Her skirt fell loose around her and he grabbed the hem of her underwear and raised it to trap her skirt and lifted both as before. The air was cold on her naked pudenda and her intake of breath was sharp. Using her belt rope he tied the back of her garments to her at armpit level. With a deft sweep over her belly the front of her skirts was raised past her breasts and tucked into the rope.
Her wrists and ankles were firmly shackled but Selina could shiver her body announcing her humiliation. The man stood to her left and placed a hand on the rope so his fingers felt through double thicknesses of her garments on to her left breast. He massaged it briefly while his other hand went between her legs and he drew it back opening her vulva and chafing her clitoris.
Selina shuddered in horrified excitement. 'Right, that's the last bit of pleasure yo gets. He will be 'ere for Lunch today, the Judge may arrive by teatime or he may not.'
