Major Walker was a close friend of the Lord Protector; they'd attended Chapeltown School together; and had both distinguished themselves as officers in the New Model Army. While Walker had returned to his manor following his military service, William Saxe Coburg Gotha had moved in diplomatic circles before becoming Protector upon the death of his father. Now, years later, their long friendship would be the major's downfall.

Stephen drained his pint and set the empty glass upon the stained wooden table. Climbing unsteadily to his feet he staggered to the door and out into the chill autumn night. The cold air sobered the young man up somewhat, but his head was still spinning when he let himself into Cragside Manor. Moving as quietly as possible Stephen entered the drawing room, he helped himself to a glass of brandy and slumped into an overstuffed leather armchair. Sipping on the warming liquor he brooded over the predicament that he was in. Slowly the alcohol took a hold once more, his eyes fluttered and then closed. The empty glass slipped from slack fingers and fell to the floor as Stephen began to snore.

Eliza Walker lay in her bed, her ears straining to hear. She had been awakened by Stephen's stumbling entry into the manor house, but for a long time now all had been quiet. Although she knew that she would be in trouble if she were caught wandering around the house in the dead of the night, Eliza slipped from her bed and tiptoed shivering to the door. She listened once more and then, her heart beating loudly in her ears, she unlatched her bedroom door and set off in search of Stephen. The dim glow of a waxing moon provided enough light for the 9 year old to make her way down the stairs, carefully missing the warped board that would have broadcast her movements to anyone awake in the house. As she stole through the silent building the cold floor hurt her feet and a chill draught cut through her plain cotton nightgown. Silently Eliza crept down the hall and listened at the solid oak door of the drawing room. She could hear snoring and opened the door to look inside.

The fire in the hearth had died down to almost nothing, but the embers were enough to see the sprawled figure of Stephen in the corner of the room. Eliza tiptoed through the shadows and stood in front of the man that she had been idolising from afar. Stephen was slumped with his legs wide open, his cream pantaloons stretched tight across his crotch, the outline of his member clearly defined. Eliza stood and gazed with rapt attention at the shape of her love's manhood. Then, without thinking what she was doing, she reached out with a tentative hand and ran the tip of one finger along the length of the bulge within Stephen's tight trousers. She gasped as she saw and felt the bulge stir beneath her finger. Drawn irresistibly, she moved closer between Stephen's spread legs and gripped the stiffening prick in her delicate little hand. Stephen groaned and Eliza froze; her hand still pressed to his crotch; but the alcohol was lying too heavy upon him and he did not wake. Emboldened by the fact that Stephen seemed to be totally insensible, Eliza began to stroke the burgeoning erection harder. Stephen began to move his hips in his sleep, pressing his hard dick against the 9 year olds soft hand. Eliza gripped harder; fascinated by the way the soft lump had transformed itself into a hard throbbing shaft. Totally lost to the moment she fumbled with the tiny buttons running down Stephen's left hip; with the buttons undone she pulled the flap of material to one side......(cont)