Second part .


The afternoon of the next day, at the mill?


Gretchen dressed with care for her meeting with Helga. Instead of taking her carriage, Gretchen instead rode out to the mill. The main reason for riding out to the mill was so she could take the back roads and go more easily across country, attracting less notice. The other reason she rode was so the way she dressed would not be out of place. Gretchen wore her hunting outfit consisting of a black riding skirt, white shirt, and red jacket. The outfit also included a lacy little black hat, under which she pinned her hair, black leather gloves, and black riding boots. Also included with the outfit was a black, leather, riding crop. Underneath her hunting outfit, Gretchen went for once without a corset and wore only a single petticoat for ease of movement. Gretchen also carried a heavy leather purse with funds raided from her father?s cash box.

Gretchen rode in quickly and pulled up before the house, dismounting from the sidesaddle before the horse came to a complete stop. Gretchen called toward the house ?Helga Muller!? She thought grimly on the offer she was about to make Helga Muller. Slapping the riding crop into her glove covered hand and feeling the sting, a large part of Gretchen, a very large part, was hoping that Helga would refuse the money.

Victor sipped his cognac in his darkened library and wondered what could he have done to prevent the tragedy from occurring. He knew that he must bear the burden of being its cause. Both Helga and Gretchen had their good points and bad. Helga had warmth, a sense of humor, and an earthy enthusiasm that had always left him wanting more. Unfortunately, Helga was not even close to his status. Gretchen on the other hand was closer to his status, wealthy, and quite good in bed, though not quite noble. Victor however had no illusions about her character, and knew that she wanted to marry him to gain nobility. Both women, quite beautiful in their own way, often had him wishing that he could take the best of both of them and make them into one woman. That woman he would marry without hesitation. Victor suddenly snorted into his goblet. Of course that would mean that he would have had to contend with both of their vile tempers?


Afternoon, two days ago, at the mill?

?Helga Muller!? The shout surprised Helga. Almost causing her to drop her shovel. With a rueful laugh she swallowed down the heart that was suddenly in her throat. No monster would announce itself in such a manner, would it? She stepped from the stall she was mucking out, placed the shovel by the entrance of the stall, and made her way toward the front of the barn. Catching sight of a pitchfork, Helga veered slightly in her course and picked it up, just as a precaution. ?Helga Muller!? came the shout again, imperious, arrogant, female. It got Helga?s blood up. At the barn entrance, who should she spy but none other than Gretchen Schmidt. Disgusted she placed the pitchfork at the wall next to the barn door and stepped out.

Bitter enemies since childhood, the two have constantly squabbled and even fought on a few occasions. They would have fought even more if Helga hadn?t lived out of town and Gretchen?s father had not told his daughter to behave like a lady. Helga smiled as she remembered their last clash, which resulted in Gretchen shrieking for mercy. And felt her blood boil when a couple of days later, 4 friends of Gretchen?s paid a call and beat her bloody.

Looking at what Gretchen was wearing, Helga felt downright dowdy. Helga had her hair in its customary braided pigtails. Her white, short sleeve, off the shoulder peasant top displayed a generous amount of bosom. A heavy green skirt and a white apron covered her strong sexy legs. Helga wore white stockings and sensible leather shoes.

?Helga Muller!? Gretchen thundered for the third time. Helga wondered what could have gotten Gretchen so wound up this time. Then in a flash she knew, Victor. Looking around Helga didn?t see and of Gretchen?s toadies. It seems that Gretchen wanted a private chat. That was fine with Helga, she wanted to get Gretchen alone for quite sometime.

When Gretchen drew breath for a 4th call, Helga called out, ?Over here!? Chuckling a bit as Gretchen whirled and nearly lost her balance in the mud, Helga called ?What do you want Gretchen??

Gretchen stood her ground, obviously waiting for Helga to come to her. Helga shrugged her shoulders and said, ?When you can think up an answer, I?ll be in the barn.? Then turned and walked into the barn.

?Don?t you turn your back on me peasant!? Gretchen snarled as she started across the muddy yard and into the barn. Helga turned and faced Gretchen?s advance, having learned the folly of turning her back on Gretchen once before.

?Then I will ask one last time.? Helga snarled dangerously, ?What do you want??

Gretchen took a deep calming breath and stated quietly, ?I want you gone from here. I want you away from this town and my life.? ?This?, Gretchen hefted the heavy purse and tossed it to Helga?s feet, ?is for a new start. Take it and go.?

Helga bent and picked up the purse, not taking her eyes from Gretchen as she did so. She hefted it a couple of times feeling and hearing the heavy coin within the purse jingle. ?No.? Came Helga?s answer. ?You don?t want me out of your life. You want me out of Victor?s life.? Helga allowed herself a small smile as she saw Gretchen stiffen in anger.

Gretchen ground her teeth and decided to lay her cards on the table. ?Yes I want you out of Victor?s life. I am going to marry him and I won?t have you mucking things up by presenting him with a bastard!?

Helga smiled sweetly and said with relish, ?As opposed to presenting him with one of your own??

Helga felt the sudden sting of a slap snap her head to the right. She whipped her head back to Gretchen who said with a dangerous softness, ?Get out of here Helga, the monster may one day come calling, and who knows what might happen to you??

Helga?s answer to the threat came swiftly. The heavy purse in her hand made contact with Gretchen?s face, spinning her around and knocking her face first into the mud of the yard. Gretchen lay groaning in the mud.

Helga dropped the purse beside Gretchen, brushed her hands finished and turned and walked back deeper into the barn. ?That worked out quite nicely. She can show herself out.? Helga thought. Humming to herself, she didn?t notice the sudden rush behind her, but she did feel the burning lash of the riding crop as it made contact with her bare white shoulder.

The horses within the barn startled as Helga shrieked at the sudden unexpected pain of the riding crop. Helga whirled and brought up her hands to defend herself. With a sharp snap, the crop came down again, raising a burning welt across her right forearm. Again the crop came down, raising a burning welt across the top of one perfect breast. And again the crop came down striking the hands and forearms Helga raised defensively. Catching sight of the bitch before her, Helga suddenly bent forward and charged. Accepting a lash across the back, Helga used the pain of it to fuel her charge and tackled Gretchen to the ground. Helga felt Gretchen?s breath go out with a ?whoof?, as she scrambled to on top of Gretchen and gripped Gretchen?s wrist to prevent any further lashings of that riding crop. Here atop Gretchen, Helga used the strength gained from a lifetime of working in a mill to her advantage, her left hand crushing and banging Gretchen?s right wrist to the barn floor in an attempt to disarm Gretchen. Helga?s right hand was buried into that elegant hairdo Gretchen had. Helga had to smile as she gazed down at her struggling foe. She loved seeing the mud on Gretchen?s face and shirt and silently vowed to Gretchen that this would only be the beginning.

Gretchen was not in good position. Not only there was a throbbing on the side of her face, it felt as if her wrist was caught in a vice as well. In spite of her best efforts she couldn?t hold on to her riding crop. Involuntarily, her hand opened and Helga with a backhanded motion brushed the crop away. Gretchen then felt two strong hands seize her hair and start to rip it out by the roots. To make matters worse, Helga also started to bang the back of Gretchen?s head into the hard packed earth floor of the barn. With every impact, Gretchen grew a bit dizzier. She knew if this kept up, she would be at Helga?s mercy. Suddenly, Helga?s breasts popped out of her low cut blouse and Gretchen saw her opportunity. Reaching up, Gretchen dug her glove-covered hands into Helga?s breasts. Helga let out a shriek of anguish as Gretchen?s left hand dug into a breast tender from the lash of the riding crop. Helga abandoned her attack and attempted to twist away from that painful grip, ripping open her blouse in the process. Gretchen, taking swift advantage, removed her right hand from Helga?s breast, cocked her fist, and launched it into Helga?s jaw, knocking Helga off her.

Both women got to their feet as quickly as possible, knowing that the first one to her feet would have the advantage. Gretchen was first on her feet. She reached out a hand, grasped a dangling braid, and pulled Helga into a standing headlock. Once she had Helga into position, she started raining blows onto Helga?s face. Gretchen grinned as she felt each blow strike her foe. Victor had long stated the superiority of fisticuffs over brawling and had even shown her a few moves. Gretchen had worn gloves for that very reason.

Helga was still wondering what the hell happened. What she thought would be a short but satisfying brawl on her part was turning into the fight of her life. She tasted blood on her lip and her left eye was closing. She knew she had to get out of this hold or she will lose, badly. Try as she might, she couldn?t pull out of the headlock. Not with Gretchen still holding her braid. Reaching down and gathering Gretchen?s legs and hips in her arms, Helga lifted Gretchen off her feet and suddenly dropped her. That was a bad idea. When Gretchen felt her feet leave the ground, she tightened her grip around her enemy?s head. So when Helga dropped Gretchen, Helga found herself pulled into a flip which placed her flat on her back, still in Gretchen?s head lock. Gretchen, with an almost manic grin plastered on her face, started to pound Helga?s face and head again. Helga, in dire straights, reached up with a hand and grasped Gretchen?s long and now unbound hair. The savage yank Helga gave not only caused Gretchen to scream out in pain, it also brought Gretchen?s head to where Helga wrapped her strong sexy legs around it.

Helga cruelly smiled as she applied pressure to Gretchen?s head with her white stocking clad legs. The cruel smile widened, as Helga heard her foe?s muffled cries and witnessed Gretchen?s frantic attempts to escape. The smile stopped when Gretchen managed to get to her knees, which brought Helga to a sitting position, pulled open Helga?s legs and escape the hold. Helga didn?t even think about it, she drew back one sexy stocking clad leg and kicked Gretchen away from her.

Both Gretchen and Helga tried to get on their feet again. This time however, Helga was the first one up. Helga knowing that she couldn?t take anymore battering from Gretchen?s leather covered fists, stepped up to Gretchen and taking Gretchen?s pretty red jacket by the shoulders, yanked it down, trapping Gretchen?s arms. Helga then grabbed Gretchen by the front of her blood and mud stained blouse and spun her around by it. The once fine material gave way with a loud rip, baring Gretchen?s breasts, and sending Gretchen into an uncontrolled stumble that ended with a sudden stop against the barn wall near the exit.

Gretchen, who was desperately trying to clear her head and free her arms, could only watch helplessly as Helga charged. Helga hit like a bull. She gathering up Gretchen into to her arms and pushed her into the barn wall brutally. Gretchen was barely able to resist as Helga grasped Gretchen?s hair and slowly and methodically started to pound the back of Gretchen?s head through the barn wall. Gretchen, who was conscious by sheer willpower alone, gathered her remaining reserves and counter attacked in the only way left to her. Helga halted her attack and suddenly screamed at the pain of a riding boot scraping its way down her shin. Helga was so surprised that she loosened her grip in Gretchen?s hair. Gretchen, quick to seize any opportunity, reached out and clamped her teeth into Helga?s perfect shoulder. Helga?s scream suddenly went higher in amplitude and pitch as Gretchen bit harder. Helga pulled Gretchen off of her by her hair and flung her back against the barn wall once more. This time Gretchen braced herself, took the impact, and came back with a savage kick to Helga?s shin. If it were not for the protection afforded by Helga?s heavy skirt and apron, the kick might have broke Helga?s shin. As it was Helga staggered back a step or two before her leg gave way. Helga toppled onto the hard packed earth and grasped her tortured shin.

Gretchen in the meantime struggled to free herself from her confining jacket. Keeping an eye on her enemy, she first peeled off her gloves because they interfered with the removal of the jacket. She then so quickly got out of her jacket, her ruined blouse went with it. Blood lust warred briefly with modesty as Gretchen found herself topless. Bloodlust won when Gretchen saw Helga start to rise. Gretchen took a quick step forward and drew back her boot for a kick when suddenly her face caught fire. Gretchen raised her hand to a suddenly bloody cheek and shrieked her agony to any and all who could hear it. Staggering back against the barn wall, Gretchen caught sight of the author of her misery. Helga stood before her, favoring her leg, breasts still out of her ripped open top, bruised and battered. Helga smiled victoriously as she brandished the once forgotten riding crop in her hand.

At the sight of the riding crop, Gretchen slipped from rage to madness. She no longer wanted Helga out of Victor?s life; she wanted Helga dead. Spying a pitchfork against the wall beside her. She reached out, snagged it and leveled it at Helga.