Matthew saw the change of colour in her cheeks. ‘I take it you know something of his skills?’ he said softly.
Annabel nodded, but before she could speak Lord Corbett-Wynne was tapping a spoon on the table for silence. ‘Any questions? No? Excellent, then off you go, ladies!’
To the cheers and encouragement of the men the ladies picked up their cherries and started to work at the stems with their tongues. It was far more difficult than even Annabel had anticipated. She could quite easily fold her tongue around the tip of the stem, bending it down and around, but when it came to drawing it through the loop she’d created her control was nowhere near good enough.
She had no idea how the others were doing because all her concentration was focused on her own efforts. Every time she came near to drawing the tiny stem through the loop and the edges of her tongue curled upwards while the tip contorted into the necessary position, Sir Matthew watched her closely, whispering advice in her ear.
‘You’re nearly there!’ he said suddenly as she manoeuvred the stem towards her goal. ‘Come on, Annabel, I know you can do it.’
She concentrated as hard as she’d ever concentrated on anything, and was just about to draw the end through when Matthew whispered, ‘I can’t wait to feel your tongue on me,’ and she lost it. The stem slipped out of her control and was suddenly upright again, leaving her to start from the beginning once more.
‘Oh no!’ she wailed, but Matthew simply laughed.
‘Don’t worry, I’ve seen enough to know you’re very accomplished,’ he said.
Annabel turned to him. ‘I was just about to tie the knot then!’
‘Tania’s already won,’ he said lightly. ‘You were so lost in what you were doing you didn’t hear the announcement. Clearly you enjoy this kind of thing!’
Flushed and strangely excited, Annabel glanced down the table and saw Tania holding her maraschino cherry triumphantly aloft while Crispian kissed the nape of her neck and all the men round her clapped and shouted approval.
Tania laughed. ‘I shouldn’t take part really, I get so much practice it isn’t fair!’
‘What do you practise on? Or should that be who?’ asked Luke, and there was a burst of laughter from almost everyone except Amanda, who was sitting staring down at her plate on which the cherry sat, apparently untouched.
‘Didn’t Amanda try?’ Annabel asked Matthew.
‘Not that I saw. She sat and watched Crispian watching Tania. Bizarre, don’t you think?’
‘At least she might realise there’s no point in continuing to see him,’ said Annabel.
‘Her parents are very keen and so is James. I’m not sure she’s going to have much say in it.’
‘Crispian will never marry her,’ Annabel said firmly.
‘You may be right. It’s the men’s turn now; I hope you’ll encourage me as much as I encouraged you?’
‘You distracted me!’ exclaimed Annabel. ‘And that’s what I intend to do to you.’
‘You do it just by sitting there,’ he said lightly, and then he was picking up his cherry and Tania started the men off.
Watching them was even more erotic than trying to tie the knot herself, thought Annabel. Crispian’s tongue was certainly skilful, and he was the only man who trapped the stem firmly between the curled sides of his tongue, but Matthew seemed to have the edge when it came to suppleness of movement. As she sat next to him, watching the stem being drawn inexorably through the loop, Annabel imagined what it would be like to have the same tongue playing around her already swollen clitoris.
She pictured it swirling around the circumference, then lazily snaking down between her inner lips, before plunging deep inside her, drumming against the sides of her sex in firm but sensitive movements that would drive her insane with pleasure.
So real were her thoughts that her stomach began to tense and between her thighs she could feel her clitoris pressing against the tight silk of her briefs.
She looked again at Crispian and saw that he was now behind Matthew, failing to draw the end of the slender stalk through the loop while next to her Matthew was very close to completing the task.
Annabel leant nearer to him. ‘I want to feel your tongue inside me,’ she murmured against his ear. ‘I want you to use it like that for my pleasure. You will, won’t you?’
As she’d guessed, her words made him lose his concentration just as he’d made her lose hers and suddenly the stem sprang free from his encircling tongue while at the same time Crispian gave a shout of triumph. ‘I win!’ he cried gleefully.
Matthew turned to Annabel and his eyes were bright with anticipation. ‘Don’t worry, Annabel. I shall certainly use all my expertise on you tonight,’ he promised, and she shuddered with desire.
‘What about the prize?’ called Luke, and all around the table people fell silent as Tania and Crispian looked at each other across the damask tablecloth.
Their eyes locked and the sexual tension between them was so great that Annabel wondered how anyone could possibly miss it. Lord Corbett-Wynne started to flush a deep purple, but seemed incapable of breaking the silence. At last Crispian smiled his most winning smile, at the same time putting one hand on the downcast Amanda’s bare arm.
‘I want Amanda and Tania to get to know each other better,’ he announced. ‘If Tania’s agreeable, Amanda can join us younger ones at our own party later on tonight. What do you say, Tania?’
Annabel glanced at Matthew. ‘Is he serious?’ she whispered.
He shrugged. ‘It looks like it. I wonder what Tania will have to say?’
Tania seemed thrown for a moment, but then she rallied, and there was a look in her eye which made Annabel feel a brief pang of pity for Amanda. ‘I think that’s a wonderful idea! I’m sure Amanda’s as anxious as I am to get to know all of our family better, not just Crispian. You can stay overnight, can’t you, Amanda?’
The rather plump and unflatteringly dressed Amanda was obviously uncertain, but when Crispian put an arm round her shoulders and murmured something in her ear her face lightened and she nodded. ‘Of course. I’d love to get to know Tania better. Crispian’s told me so much about you,’ she added brightly.
Matthew smothered a laugh. ‘Not everything, I imagine!’ he said softly to Annabel. ‘Well, this should be interesting, don’t you think?’
Annabel wasn’t certain. ‘It could spoil the whole evening, quite apart from damaging Amanda for life,’ she protested.
‘Nonsense, she’s a red-blooded country girl; she might surprise us all! Anyway, it’s cheered James up. I thought he was going to have a fit when those two wouldn’t stop devouring each other with their eyes.’
Lord Corbett-Wynne was indeed looking more cheerful and his colour had returned to a safer ruddy hue. ‘Sounds an excellent idea,’ he said gruffly. ‘What about the sheet game to round the evening off before we join the others?’
Tania jumped up and left the room again, returning this time with two footmen who were carrying a large piece of thick sheeting with circular rings all along the top edge.
‘What on earth’s that for?’ asked Annabel.
‘No idea,’ confessed Matthew. ‘We’ll have to wait and see.’
‘The ladies all have to leave the room,’ said Tania as the footmen started to hook the rings over a long wooden pole. ‘You wait outside, in the study. I have to stay here and I’ll call you when everything’s ready.’
‘Don’t you take part?’ asked Sheba, gracefully unfolding her long legs as she left the table.
‘No, I’m not allowed to any more because I always win. Anyway, a spare woman’s needed to set the scene properly.’
As they all waited in the study Amanda came up to Annabel, her face paler than at dinner. ‘I’m not very good at games,’ she confessed. ‘I didn’t even try that one with the cherry. I felt too uncomfortable. I mean, everyone looked so …’
‘So what?’ asked Annabel gently.
‘Sexual!’ blurted out Amanda. ‘I don�
��t suppose you realised if you were taking part but it was terribly disconcerting to watch.’
‘I think that was the idea!’ laughed Annabel. ‘These are adult party games. There isn’t going to be any “pass the parcel”, you know!’
Amanda stared at her. ‘I’m not stupid, but I do think there are some things that should be kept private, don’t you?’
Annabel thought for a moment. ‘I used to think that,’ she said at last. ‘Now I’m not so sure. I certainly don’t think there’s any harm in things like the cherry game.’
‘Perhaps you don’t have as many inhibitions as I do,’ said Amanda, her voice low.
‘I’m sure I don’t. You know, Amanda, Crispian’s a very –’
‘He’s gorgeous, isn’t he?’ interrupted Amanda, her voice suddenly full of feeling. ‘I’m just so lucky that he’s interested in me. Are you going to the second party tonight?’
‘Yes, but …’
The dining-room door opened and Tania emerged, looking as incredible as ever in her tailored suit. ‘Right, the scene is set and, as they say in all those old detective stories, I’d like everyone to come into the dining room!’
‘I think it’s usually the drawing room,’ said Annabel with a smile.
‘Well, even if the room’s different, this is still a kind of detective puzzle,’ retorted Tania. ‘Come in quietly, ladies; the men don’t want to be distracted.’
When she entered the room Annabel could hardly believe her eyes. The sheet had been suspended from the pole which was now fastened to one of the beams at the far end of the room. It hung down to the ground but whereas before it had looked like an ordinary sheet it was now clear that it had been specially adapted for this particular purpose.
A series of circular holes had been cut out of the sheet and through these holes there now emerged a long row of penises. They were all fully erect, testimony to Tania’s skill, Annabel assumed, and were fully exposed in their respective glories. Some were circumcised, some not; the tips of some were purple, others merely a dark red and a few had drops of transparent moisture in the slit at the tip.
‘Here’s a piece of paper and a pencil each,’ announced Tania. ‘All you have to do is match what you see with the names on the paper. The first penis on the left is penis A, the second B and so on. The winner is the lady who matches the most penises to the correct owners!’
Behind Annabel a woman laughed. ‘I know one of them very well,’ she whispered to a friend. ‘I only hope I get my husband’s right too!’
Annabel, who knew she didn’t have a chance of winning since most of the men at the dinner were strangers to her, was astonished by the air of excitement among the women. Even those who had baulked at the cherry game seemed to want to take part this time.
‘You’ve got ten minutes starting from now,’ said Tania.
‘Are we allowed to touch?’ asked one woman.
‘Only if you need to re-arouse,’ explained Tania. ‘The actual judging has to be done using your eyes only.’
Annabel turned to Amanda, ready to commiserate with her, but to her astonishment the other girl had already walked over to the sheeting and begun writing on her paper.
Annabel walked up and down the line, studying the phalluses with increasing interest. It was easy to pick out Lord Corbett-Wynne; his massive erection, thick and dark with the throbbing veins, brought back vivid memories of the scene she’d witnessed in his bedroom and she quickly noted his letter against his name on the paper.
The man next to him had a far less impressive erection; it was short and slim and already starting to droop. Remembering Tania’s words, Annabel reached out and ran the tip of her fingernails along the underside. Immediately it sprang upright again and she heard a quick intake of breath from behind the sheeting. A feeling of power swept over her, and she couldn’t resist one final touch before moving on. As her encircling fingers gripped the unknown man just beneath the rim of his glans a drop of fluid appeared in the opening and she knew that if she was allowed to continue he would quickly reach orgasm.
‘Move on, Annabel,’ said Tania, trying to suppress her amusement. ‘Either you recognise him by now or you don’t!’
Annabel smiled and reluctantly released the man, who gave another sigh, but this time of relief. She had no idea who he was, and didn’t really care, but his helplessness and her position of power had aroused her even more and she longed for the moment when she joined the others upstairs.
Next in line was Crispian. There was no mistaking his long, circumcised penis which, although not thick, was impressive due to its length.
The next two were unknown to her, but she hesitated by the third because, despite never having seen it before, she was convinced that this was Sir Matthew Stevens. The erection was rock hard, standing proudly upright, with the swollen glans a dark purple. It wasn’t as long as Crispian’s, but it was far thicker and Annabel could imagine it inside her, filling her as it moved rhythmically in and out. There was no reason for her to touch it, no hint that re-arousal was needed, but she found it impossible to resist and quickly caressed the swollen sensitive tip between her thumb and first finger. The veins throbbed and the outline of the heavy testicles was clear behind the sheet. Annabel longed to drop to her knees and take it in her mouth, to lick and suck at it until Matthew was driven to the edge of ecstasy, but behind her another woman was trying to push her away and she realised that she was holding everyone up. Quickly she scribbled the letter against Matthew’s name, then wandered down to the end of the line and back again. She made a haphazard guess as to which one might be Luke before finally handing her paper over to Tania, who glanced at it and smiled.
‘Was Sir Matthew a good guess or have you had a private viewing already?’ she enquired.
‘A good guess,’ responded Annabel.
‘Well, you won’t win the prize but I’m sure you’re more interested in what comes later anyway.’
‘I can’t wait,’ Annabel assured her.
‘You’re not nervous?’ queried Tania.
‘Only that it might be cancelled!’
‘You know, I’m beginning to understand why Crispian’s so taken with you,’ Tania murmured, turning away to take a paper from another woman. ‘I think you might be rather a dangerous opponent.’
‘We’re not after the same prize,’ retorted Annabel.
‘Just the same, I’d hate to think Crispian would have chosen you if you’d been interested.’
‘I think Amanda’s the only competition you have to face,’ said Annabel, losing interest in the conversation.
‘Amanda doesn’t worry me,’ said Tania beneath her breath, her eyes cold as she watched Annabel walking away. ‘But you do. I shall have to make quite sure that before tonight’s over Crispian understands that I’m the only woman who’ll ever keep him totally satisfied.
Finally all the papers were in and the women left the room again while the men got dressed and Tania checked the papers. When she called them back to announce the winner she had a strange expression in her eyes, an expression that Annabel couldn’t quite analyse. The men were all sitting round the table again, chatting and joking as they drank the port. They only fell quiet when Tania tapped on the table for silence.
‘I’m sure you’re all anxious to know who the winning lady is,’ she said slowly. There were shouted suggestions, names that meant nothing to Annabel, and Crispian and Luke continued whispering together despite Tania’s glare.
‘The winner,’ she said loudly, ‘and the only lady to correctly identify every single gentleman in the room, is Amanda.’
Annabel couldn’t believe that she’d heard Tania correctly, but when she looked at the men she saw that they were all averting their eyes from each other and there was a lot of throat clearing and low muttering from the older guests.
‘She couldn’t have known everyone!’ exclaimed Crispian, who looked totally shell-shocked.
Annabel turned to look at Amanda, who was slightly pink in the
face but otherwise looked exactly the same innocent, out-of-place girl she’d looked earlier. ‘I was lucky,’ she said in an apologetic manner. ‘I made inspired guesses a lot of the time.’
‘You might think things should be done in private but clearly you don’t mind variety,’ murmured Annabel, remembering Amanda’s earlier comment.
Amanda’s eyes were guileless. ‘That’s right! All I meant was, what goes on between two people should be done in privacy.’
Tania looked almost as stunned as her stepbrother, and suddenly the light-hearted tone of the game seemed to have died away and there was an air of awkwardness in the room, an awkwardness shared by everyone except Amanda, who smiled happily at Tania.
‘Is there a prize?’ she asked brightly.
‘I can’t think of anything you haven’t had,’ Tania responded.
Before Amanda could think of a reply the men had risen from their seats and were once again mingling with the women so that the moment passed without further embarrassment.
Matthew joined Annabel. ‘Couldn’t you wait?’ he teased softly, one arm going round her waist.
‘I don’t know what you mean!’ she protested in mock-innocence.
‘You broke the rules; you touched when there was no reason.’
‘How do you know it was me?’ challenged Annabel.
‘Let’s just say that I sensed it. After all, how did you know it was me?’
‘Intuition,’ she admitted.
‘It seems we’re well in tune with each other,’ he murmured. ‘How much longer is this damned dinner going to go on?’ he added irritably.
‘I think some of them are leaving,’ said Annabel, noting with relief that the women who’d left with Lady Corbett-Wynne had now returned to reclaim their husbands and were putting on evening wraps over their dresses as they prepared to leave.
She’d expected Marina to look annoyed or disapproving, but surprisingly she seemed quite tranquil, even managing a smile for her husband as she stood with her arm through his bidding their guests goodnight. However, as soon as the last guest had gone she removed her arm and the smile faded. ‘I take it the games were a success,’ she said coolly.
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