She's used to this distraction. She triumphs!

Alice grips Mary's head through the front of her dress to steady herself as the bond girl licks away at her cunt. "Your servant is talented, Private," she says mockingly. "But don't think that her forwardness will be enough to distract me!" Taking one of the darts in hand, she squints carefully at the target and throws. The dart sails through the air and lands midway toward the center of the board, in the 15 wedge. There are whoops and cheers from the men. 30 points!

"Thirty points. Not bad," Barnes says with a smirk. He stretches, forcing Deirdre to rise with him slightly to maintain her mouth on his cock, then settles into a dart-throwing stance. "I intend to beat you, though...here and with my paddle." Taking aim, he sinks a dart into the board in the 12 wedge - but close enough to the center to get him 36 points.

Alice swallows. "Well done, Private. I'm glad you're more than just talk. I'll have to - ahhh," she cuts herself off and closes her eyes for a moment as Mary's tongue performs a delightful circle on her clit. As the wave of pleasure passes, Alice clears her throat. "I'll have to play at my best." Taking up her second dart, she observes the board carefully and lets it fly. It lands in the triple ring this time, and in the 13 wedge! Alice grins as one of the men calls out, "Thirty-nine points! Good show."

Barnes scowls. "Well, well. You've frequented more pubs than would seem likely for a young lady of your breeding. Whatever were you doing there, I wonder...?"

Alice scoffs. "You can hardly imagine that people only play at darts in the pub, Private Barnes. I've friends and family, and we need amusement, after all. Toss."

Barnes licks his lips and takes careful aim. The dart sails through the air and *thunk*s into the triple circle in the 11 wedge.

"Sixty-nine points apiece!" cries the drunk soldier who's apparently obsessed with keeping score. "What are the odds? Last throws, you competitive little blighters."

Alice grips Mary's head hard as she tries to plant her feet and steady herself through the bond girl's attentions. She can't see what Mary's doing, but the little slut has clearly pleasured a woman before: she's doing a wonderful job working her tongue into Alice's folds, spreading her lower lips and sucking and licking gently. Alice breathes deeply and tries to let the pleasure give her focus. Just think - find the right man and you can have this kind of service from bond girls daily! But you have to prove that you're better than these lower sorts... Taking her dart in hand, she breathes deeply and throws.

The dart lands smack in the triple ring's 20 wedge, and Alice breaks into a grin as the soldiers watching cheer. Sixty more points! The most possible for a single toss. She glances over at Barnes, who looks rather stricken. His breath is also coming fast now, and his hand is tangled in Deirdre's red hair. "Well, Private?" Alice asks primly. His only hope would be a bullseye, now.

Barnes groans. "I - ah, I - will see what I can deliver..." Gritting his teeth, he squints at the target and throws - but as he does so, something Deirdre has done makes him groan, and his dart goes wide of the mark! It lands in the double ring's 10 wedge. Nothing close to what he needs. "Ahhh, fuck-!" Barnes howls. It's a cry of mingled anger and pleasure, as he gasps and yanks back from the Irish bond girl's attentions, his girthy cock twitching as he erupts and spews his seed over her face. Deirdre opens her mouth wide and sticks her tongue out, gazing up at him unmoving until he's finished.

For her part, Alice has been reveling in both her victory and Mary's attention, and now she knows what she wants. She taps on Mary's head to get the girl's attention. "The game's over. Down, girl." As the naked girl crawls out from under Alice's skirt, she gives her rump a firm smack. "You're good at giving pleasure, Mary! But I have other things I must do now. Go clean Deirdre off with your tongue."

"Yes, miss." The dark-haired girl nods submissively and crawls across the floor, where she begins to lick the redhead's face and chest to clean off Barnes's seed.

Barnes smiles weakly at Alice. "Well played, Miss Foxhaven. I, er, was clearly wrong about you. I apologize, and hope you enjoy the rest of these festivities."

Alice scowls, though her eyes are dancing and she feels an almost vicious glee. "Why, Private Barnes. Are you trying to fob me off with pleasantries in the hopes that I'll forget our wager? What do you think, gentlemen - should Barnes here keep his word?"

"AYE!" comes the resounding shout from the assembled drunks. Barnes pales and scowls.

"I'd not want to expose an innocent young woman like you to such...depravity," he says.

"Private, wasn't your bond girl just servicing me?" Alice grins, biting her lip. "Never fear - I shan't over-involve myself. But a bet is a bet, and surely a soldier's word is his bond. Now keep to your word."

Barnes scowls but slowly moves over to the table and bends over it, dropping his pants to expose his hairy behind. One of the soldiers cheers and brings forward the paddle: it's a small but impressively stout implement, and Alice is impressed by its heft in her hand. She sashays over to Barnes. "Well, gentlemen? Shall I deliver his punishment?"

There is a cheer from the rowdy soldiers, but Alice holds up a hand. "Now, now. It wouldn't be proper for a lady like me to be involved in so crude an affair. So I have a better idea. Mary, Deirdre - come here."

The bond girls crawl over to her and bow down submissively. Alice, feeling drunk with power, gives each of their rears a light caress with the paddle, making Mary shudder and getting a low moan from Deirdre. "Has Private Barnes used this paddle on you, sluts?"

"Yes, miss," Mary whispers. Deirdre nods mutely. Alice chuckles.

"Good. Well, turnabout is fair play, as they say. I shall deliver a ceremonial first blow to Private Barnes, and then I shall rely on you two sluts to finish the job. I think five blows apiece ought to do it. No stinting, now - he's apologizing for mistaking me for someone like you!" That gets a laugh from the soldiers. "Understood?" The bond girls glance briefly at each other, then nod.

"Excellent! Now Private Barnes - you apologize for your effrontery the other day?" Alice asks sweetly, hefting the paddle.

"I...I do, Miss Foxhaven."

"Very well. And let this drive the lesson home!" Swinging with abandon, she brings the flat of the paddle down on Barnes's bare ass, getting a yelp of pain from him. "Girls, he is yours. Count them off, gentlemen!"

Mary stands and takes the paddle uncertainly then, bracing one hand on the table, smacks Barnes with it. "ONE!" the other soldiers cheer. Mary smiles slightly, clearly pleased, and does it again, harder. "TWO!" The paddling begins in earnest.

Alice takes the opportunity to make her way out of the barn. She has the feeling that the Private is going to be rather sore - physically and figuratively, with her. And she has a feeling the bond girls are going to be kept very busy as soon as they're done with him...

Her exit is arrested by a man entering the barn. He's dark-whiskered, with unkempt hair, a chiseled face, and alert, lively eyes. He looks surprised and a bit perturbed to see the scene taking place in the barn, but when he spots Alice his eyes widen in shock. "Miss! Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm perfectly well," Alice says, trying to maintain an air of arch confidence. "Thank you for your concern, Captain...?"

"Simmons, miss." His eyes slide over to the paddling scene, and he scowls slightly. "William Simmons. I regret to inform you that I'm in charge of these louts. I'm sorry you had to witness this impropriety!"

"Oh, Captain Simmons, it was all in good fun," Alice says with a coy smile. "Your Private Barnes thought that he would be able to defeat me in a game, and I showed him the error of his ways. This is his forfeit, nothing more."

The Captain raises an eyebrow. "Is that so?" Glancing over to make sure his men are still distracted by the scene, he steps closer to her and says quietly, "Well done, Miss. Barnes is an arrogant troublemaker - I appreciate you no doubt taking him down a peg. To whom do I owe this favor?"

"My name is Alice Foxhaven, Captain," Alice says, a little breathless with the sudden proximity to the man. "I'm...pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Charmed, I'm sure," Simmons says with a brief bow. He steps back. "I'd best take this lot in hand now, Miss Foxhaven. But perhaps I'll see you at another one of these balls, or around town...?"

"Of course! I do hope we meet again soon, Captain. Enjoy your evening."

Alice giggles slightly as she finally escapes the barn and hurries back toward the main house. What a lark! Hopefully no one has noticed her absence...and hopefully there won't be any stories spread about this crazy (but delightful) game she won. No doubt her winning will help keep a lid on it - soldiers won't like to talk about one of their own being beaten by a girl, after all. Her cheeks flushed with victory, Alice makes her way back to the ballroom, excited both by her triumph and by the good-looking Captain she's finally met...

Back in the main house, Esther has been searching in vain for Annalise for several minutes now. She desperately wants to talk to her friend after their last conversation, but in the whirl of the ball she just hasn't found the chance. Finally she spots the redheaded girl across the room - and she's alone! The perfect opportunity for Esther to catch a brief, private conversation. As Esther begins to move toward her friend, though, the other girl slips out of one of the side doors, not noticing her.

Determined to finally get a chance to continue their chat, Esther scurries out the door herself, finding herself in one of the Bellingtons' hallways. A door a few feet down the hall is open, and from childhood experience Esther knows it leads into the study; probably that's where Annalise has retreated. She pushes the door open and hurries in, saying as she does so, "Annalise, are you - oh!"

Annalise is in the room, but to Esther's surprise she's not alone. Standing quite close to her - Annalise is just pulling back from him, in fact - is a slightly disheveled looking young man with a poof of untidy brown curls and a smirk on his goateed lips. Esther blushes, caught off-guard at having found her friend alone with a man. "I - I'm so sorry, Annalise, I didn't - "

"Don't worry, Esther!" Annalise says brightly, with a breathless laugh. "This is actually wonderful! I've been wanting to introduce the two of you. Esther, this is Percival Winthrop, that distant cousin I mentioned to you. Percy, this...is Esther Foxhaven. I must have told you about her a thousand times."

"Of course. Enchante, Miss Foxhaven," Percy says with a smile. When she reaches forward uncertainly, he takes her hand and kisses it firmly, sweeping his leg out in a courtly bow as he does so. {if Percy-Peggy > 0}"I believe I met one of your sisters earlier this evening. You're each as lovely as the last."{endif}

Esther smiles politely. "Why thank you, Mr. Winthrop. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." She's a bit perplexed by the way that he's still holding her hand, until he plants another kiss on it.

"You have such radiant skin, Miss Foxhaven. Have you ever been beyond England?"

"I..." Esther glances at Annalise, but the other girl is just watching with an enigmatic smile on her lips. "No, sir, I have not."

"What!" He glances in mock incredulity to Annalise, who gives him a I-told-you-so shrug. "A young woman of your obvious refinement should see the Continent! Become educated in the ways of the world! May I show you how people of taste greet one another in France? The French are so much more liberated than we are..."

Esther swallows uneasily. She doesn't want to offend this cousin of Annalise - or, worse, look inhospitable or provincial before her friend. But then again, she gets a strange feeling from him, and she doesn't want to be put in an awkward position, either...