Story: How to Find a Maid

By T. H. Enerdly 

Author’s Note

This story is a prequel to “Interview With Madame Nguyen,” a story that appears elsewhere in this blog. It is helpful but not essential to have read that story before reading this one. A portion of this story is in the form of an interview, inspired by a file, written in French, found in a now moribund Yahoo Group, and probably authored by someone who styles herself as “Hanna, femme de chambre.” My translation is quite free and has been altered somewhat to fit the needs of the story.

Prologue

Deep within every woman’s unconscious, a battle rages, a battle between her inner mistress and her inner slave, a battle that decides who she will become: the mistress who commands or the slave who obeys.

My inner Mistress won my battle. Unfortunately, I don’t have any slaves to command—after all, slavery is frowned upon these days—but I have the next best thing: a maid. And make no mistake about it, a maid is a latter-day slave. Consider what Célestine—the maid in Octave Mirbeau’s novel, “The Diary of a Chambermaid”—proclaims:

“They pretend that there is no more slavery. Oh! what nonsense? And what are domestics, then, if not slaves? Slaves in fact, with all that slavery involves of moral vileness, inevitable corruption, and hate-engendering rebellion.”

Story: Lady Harcourt's Rightful Place

by Jackie J

Lady Jenny Harcourt seemed to have everything. She was well educated and pretty, had a bubbly outgoing personality and was rich following the death of her parents. But, like many who outwardly have everything, she was lonely and meeting Simon gave her the happiness she was missing.

Simon was wonderful, handsome, funny and attentive. Soon engaged they were married at Lady Harcourt’s local church and she could not have been happier. Simon had no family to speak of and Jenny, the only child, also had only a small circle of friends so the wedding was a simple affair.

After their short honeymoon Jenny had no problem agreeing to sell her properties in the city and move out to the country to live in Simons, a secluded, rambling manor house at Downway. Jenny had visited the old manor a couple of times; situated just outside the picturesque village of Downway, it was a perfect place to start married life together.

Large trunks containing Jenny’s belongings had already arrived when Jenny and Simon’s, now, Lord Harcourt, having taken the title through the marriage, carriage was driven up the gravel drive to be met by a smiling Francesca, the house keeper.