A fine gown of lamb's wool and lace

"I have just the thing for a fine young woman." The Verderer's goodwife opened the cedar chest and dug towards the bottom. "Here it is," she pulled a package wrapped in soft doeskin, "come see." Christine stepped out of the sudsy water carefully and walked carefully over to where the busty woman knelt by the chest. She was still completely naked and prayed silently that her rescuer would not choose that moment to check on his wife and young guest. By the time she reached the woman's side, the soft tanned leather had been opened and her hostess pulled a ivory-colored gown from the wrapping.

The dress was beautiful, it was fashioned from the softest wool, and lined with layers of finely embroidered lace. There was something about the way the Verderer's wife stroked the gown that suggested that this dress was special and not just because of its quality.

"This is lovely." She fingered the lamb's wool gently , "It must be your finest gown." The woman's response confirmed her suspicions.

"My wedding dress from almost twenty years ago."

"Oh, I couldn't."

"Why not, Evelyn?" The matron smiled kindly, "It's not like I'm ever going to fit into this dress again. It will be nice to see it worn again, especially by someone as beautiful as you." Christine could see the sincerity in her hostess' expression and with a smile she reached for the dress. "Wait, there's more." This folded item was so small it almost fit in the Verderer's wife's hand - a shift of finely woven cotton, sheer and soft with a low-cut neckline. Christine had a few similar garments imported by traders in her collection, but for a commoner like this woman this was as luxurious as the woolen gown that covered it. The cotton must have come all the way from the distant Mediterranean, and who knows how many different times it had been traded by Arab and Jewish hands before it found its way to this humble house.

She meekly stood as first the shift was pulled over her head. It was wrong to take pleasure in something as simple as clothing at a time like this, but the way the soft cotton clung to her curves appealed to her feminine nature. The undergarment was tailored for a taller, and bustier woman, so on her the garment reached well below her knees and the neckline left most of the upper slopes of her breasts exposed. It was a relief to no longer be naked and the goodwife's grin as she twirled before her was all the encouragement, she needed to allow her to slip the wedding dress over her head. After a few minutes of tightening the lacing the Verderer's wife was content. The hem of the dress dragged on the floor when she moved, and even with the laces drawn as tightly as possible a great deal of her bosom was left uncovered, but Christine couldn't bring herself to complain. A few more minutes of sitting as her long hair was brushed and then gathered in a hairpiece embroidered with silver thread and she was fully dressed.

"You are even more beautiful than I was when I first wore this," her hostess gave her a tight embrace, "those men downstairs are going to have their freshly cleaned cocks turn to lances when they get a good look at you."

"Please!" The Verderer's wife just brushed aside Christine's shocked protest.

"Trust me honey, nothing appeals to a man more than a beautiful young woman dressed in white." She adjusted the low-cut neckline one more time, "especially if there's a little bit of skin showing."

If the woman noticed Christine retrieving the folded silk and ring from the table, she did not comment on it, and soon enough the ring was tucked back into the relative safety of her bosom.

It turned out that the matron of the house knew what she was talking about. It was not just the Verderer and her older son, Jarod, who appreciated this finery; from the moment she descended the stairway to the kitchen below all four pairs of eyes followed her every move, not even Erik was unaffected. Several times she caught Jarod, and his brother Latham openly staring at her, but it was the way Werner's eyes returned again and again to her breasts that made her tingle the most. As the evening went on she started feeling an excitement building that was not unlike the warmth she had when ridding at his side in the old forest. For the first time in her life Christine sensed the power that a woman could wield over men, if she could only find a way to control it.

With dinner ended, and the table cleared suddenly the days events caught up with the two fugitives. Erik was the first to lay his head on the table, but Christine knew that she too was close to collapsing. The Verderer's wife directed her boys to bring young 'Franklin' up to their room, and then only the three of them remained by the dying fire."

"Where will this young lady sleep tonight?" The Verderer asked.

"Our bed is big enough for the three of us." His wife's casual reply made their sleepy young guest jerk in her seat. He too had to take a moment and clear his thoughts, did Marielle know how tempting he found this petite woodland sprite? She must, he realized with a flash of clarity, his wife always knew him better than he knew himself. Why else would she pull out her wedding gown if she didn't intend to remind him of that night almost twenty years ago. She must have planned this all along. Did she know from the minute he led this young woman into the kitchen how badly he wanted to explore the young woman's curves, or did something happen when the pair were alone that set her on this path? He loved his wife more than anything, but as his eyes swept over Evelyn for the hundredth time tonight he knew that he wanted few pleasures in life more than to spread this girl's thighs and plunge his cock into her. In an effort to do the right thing however, he offered Evelyn the only other clear alternative.

"She could sleep in the old servant's room, above the stables." The room had gone unused since Maggie had moved in with her lover several years ago. It was dark and likely full of cobwebs, but the chamber had a bed, and more importantly a heavy bar that could secure the room from unwanted visitors.

That old room hasn't been used in years," his wife countered easily, "the bed is probably a nest of rats by now." She turned her attention to Evelyn, "Honey, come sleep with us. I promise nothing bad will happen as long as I'm there in the bed with you."