Story: Florence, Lady Cranwell. Chapter 4.

by Jackie J

Taken on a tour of Stoneleigh by Miss Hutchings Florence was soon becoming weary. The journey to Stoneleigh, the shock and horror of how she had been treated: like a common maid, the sluice, the shearing of her hair, the weight and alien restriction of the chastity belt that she had been locked into, her restrictive uniform and the newness of her boots, which constantly nipped at her feet, all taking their toll.

Miss Hutchings leading her new trainee along the hallways room after room conveying duty after duty to an increasingly sagging Florence turned with a scowl.

“Jessica, Jessica are you listening to me girl?”

Florence still not in tune with her new standing sought to reason with Miss Hutchings which under normal circumstance would have been reasonable enough, but for a trainee maid, on her first day, to question the head of household, not the wisest decision.

“Miss it’s my feet and I am tired could we just rest for a while please?”

Miss Hutchings turned and the narrowing of her eyes should have been a clue for poor Florence but the sign was missed.

“O you poor thing, should we take tea in the observation room?”

It was a naive and foolish Florence that took this to be a genuine and welcome offer.

“That would be wonderful Miss Hutchings”

Miss interpreted sarcasm could quite rightly be taken to be impertinence and of course it was.

The swiftness of Miss Hutchings took Florence by surprise she had never been spanked with the ferocity that Miss Hutchings laid on her. Forced over a chair in the hallway, her knickers ripped down and her skirts scrunched each thumping slap on her tender rump made Florence squeal until tears poured down her cheeks and her bottom numbed into a burning crimson ache. If Florence needed any further reminder or was left in any doubt, beside what she had already endured, that any vestige of privilege, that she had previously known, had been sacrificed when she crossed the threshold of Stoneleigh, then it was dispelled in that brutal degrading, humiliating experience.

Dishevelled and slumped over the chair with her eyes reddened with tears a sobbing Florence could find no words when lifted to her feet by Miss Hutchings strong grip of her ear.

“Let that be a lesson to you girl I do not know what sort of maid you were at Cranwell but here you will learn respect for your betters I will not stand for impudence. You have been sent here by your Mistress to learn to be a proper maid and I can see why. Now pull up your knickers.”

Her ear released a sniffling Florence slowly drew up her bloomers and looked at the stern face and domineering posture of Miss Hutchings.

“So, girl are you still tired?”

“No Miss”

“And your feet are they comfortable?”

“Yes Miss.”

“Then we will continue and I warn you any more of that behaviour and there will be more of the same do you understand?”

The words of compliance were not forced they flowed from Florence’s trembling lips without hesitation.

“Yes Miss”

“Good now put your cap straight and smooth down your skirts and apron.”

Florence adjusted her cap, shook out her skirts, pressed down her apron and meekly followed Miss Hutchings to complete the tour of Stoneleigh manor. During the remainder of the tour Florence’s mind was preoccupied with thoughts of how she could extricate herself from this nightmare that she had sleepwalked into. Why had she done this to herself, put herself in this position, this was not what she had planned at all, was her only hope to speak with Lady Isabelle explain who she really was, why she was here? She could contact Lady Catherine she would confirm everything.

What Florence had noticed and was impressed with was how neat, tidy, clean and highly polished everything in the manor was, everything gleamed and sparkled. Of course, Florence was still considering all about her from the prospective of a Mistress, a Lady of the manor, not the poor maid who toiled from dawn to dusk to keep it this way, but, unknown to Florence at that time, that privileged prospective would not be one shared for long and definitely not by maid Jessica.

During Florence’s introduction to the layout of Stoneleigh she had been introduced to the members of staff employed at the manor. Peggy the upper floor’s maid responsible for the bedrooms of which there were fifteen, stairs and hallways, Jenny, Lady Isabelle’s personal maid at the beck and call of Lady Isabelle at all times, Cathy, downstairs maid, who looked after all the ground floor rooms and hallways and served table, Maud scullery maid, responsible for laundry and cooks assistant, Lizzy the cook, She would meet Alex the gardener and handyman and Mr Rodgers who ran the stables during the course of her first week at Stoneleigh. The gamekeeper, the rude man she had seen with the dogs when she passed through the gates of Stoneleigh was not mentioned.

Beyond the tour Florence was taken to Miss Hutchings office situated on the ground floor just off the hallway by the main wide staircase. The office was sparsely furnished, a desk and chair two cabinets and a large board to one of the side walls, the board displaying the layout of the manor room by room. Florence was amused to see small and quite ornate wooden figurines of maids attached to the board.

Miss Hutching sat at the desk and glared at Florence who stood casually gazing up at the board.

“Jessica look at me girl.”

Florence was in a daze that morning she had awoken in the softness of her bed and having dressed was served breakfast by her maid in the opulent surroundings of Cranwell and had giggled at the prospect of training to be a maid. The reality of her situation in stark contrast to her pervious imaginings, if she had thought some light dusting and serving tea and fancies was a maid’s lot her rude awakening had already begun.

“Stand properly girl when you are in my presence, stand up straight facing me, hands across your apron and your head lowered I will not tolerate slovenly behaviour.”

Seeing the narrowing of Miss Hutchings eyes, she obeyed quickly adjusting her stance to a posture that would become second nature for maid Jessica.    

“Sorry Miss.”

Miss Hutchings stood and frowned.

“Did I ask you to speak girl?”

“I do not know what life you had at Cranwell, the letter from your Mistress extolled your virtues but from what I have seen you are no more a maid than that chair I have been sat on, but I tell you this girl, when I have finished with you, you will be. What I can see is that you have had a cosseted existence at Cranwell. Your hair and how you were dressed when you arrived, you carried yourself like a lady not a maid, I warn you now I will have none of your airs and graces here girl. Lady Florence may have misguidedly treated you like an equal and she no doubt now realises the error of her ways and that is why she sent you here to learn your place, to become proper maid something it seems she was incapable of doing herself.”

A knock on the door interrupted Miss Hutchings.

“Come in.”

Cathy the downstairs maid entered, curtsied, said nothing and adopted the same posture that a wilting Florence had been instructed to take.

Miss Hutchings continued.

You will forget about your life at Cranwell, for you girl that life is over you are to become a Stoneleigh maid now and your every waking minute will be dedicated to that goal. It is my duty to ensure that when your training is over the girl that stands before me knows nothing other than to willingly obey and serve her betters.  

Florence felt a shiver of trepidation when Miss Hutchings walked close took hold of her trembling chin, lifted her head and looked deep into her eyes with more than a hint of menace.

“And trust me girl I have not failed in my duty yet.”

Miss Hutchings turned to Cathy.

“Cathy you met Jessica earlier she will be working with you for her training if I am not satisfied with how that training progresses you will both be punished. You have a month to prepare her, now take her away and familiarise her with what is expected from a maid here at Stoneleigh.”

The words of Miss Hutchings resonated within Florence’s distressed and increasingly panic-stricken mind. Her life at Cranwell was over, she was to become a Stoneleigh maid, a month, a month she had thought only two weeks, she never intended to become an actual maid, that was never on Lady Florence’s agenda.

 She had to speak with Lady Isabelle, she must before this went too far before. Like an epiphany every reel of Florence’s tumbling mind spun and dropped into line to display a devastating realisation. O’ no I am to become a maid, a Stoneleigh maid, they can’t do this to me, they can’t, I am Lady Florence Mistress of Cranwell, I must tell Lady Isabelle.

Florence was taken to a store room by Cathy which was filled with an array of cleaning implements and materials. Florence felt faint and weak, what had she done, her self-imposed predicament closing in around her like a fog she was trapped her body and mind numbed she breathed in the unfamiliar odours of the store room and stared at the packed shelves.

“Are you listening, Jessica, Jessica.”

A sharp slap across Florence’s face and grabbed by the throat brought her back to the stark reality of her situation not having heard a word of what Cathy had been saying.

“Look, your stupid cow, you better start listening and listen good I am not going to have Miss Hutchings strap across my arse for you. I don’t give a fuck where you have come from or what you did but here you will do as I tell you or I will have your fucking eyes out understand.

Florence began to shake and cry and Cathy laughed releasing her grip.

“Crying won’t help you here girl so don’t waste your tears on me now listen, Miss Hutchings is a bitch she will strap you as soon as look at you and tears are like a red rag to a bull for her and she will give you something to cry about”.

Cathy pointed to an extensive list of daily tasks pinned to the back of the store.

“That’s what we do along with serving meals to her Ladyship and her guests when they are here.”

Florence had stopped shaking and Cathy pulled a cloth from her apron pocket and dabbed her trainees drying tears.

“When you are at your chores if Miss Hutchings or her Ladyship approach you will stand and curtsy. Don’t say a word unless they speak to you first, not a word. You will hear Lady Isabelle’s heels and Miss Hutchings will always make her presence known so be ready to spring to your feet no matter what you are doing. When we are in the store room we can talk but nowhere else that is apart from at table when we having our meals.”

Cathy could see that Jessica was now listening intently and she was feeling bad about slapping her before and spoke in a less abrupt manner.

“Look Jessica I found it hard when I came here at first this is a very strict household but keep your head down, do like I tell you, pay due deference to her Ladyship and Miss Hutchings and you will get through your training. We are looked after and eat well here at Stoneleigh better than most households, do your work well and you will be fine, fail to meet the high standards here and you will find retribution swift and harsh. We must be in our rooms each evening by eight and we take breakfast to five thirty and never be late, never.  One last thing, your uniform, always be presentable especially if there are guests we have different aprons for our work so don’t be caught wearing the wrong one.”

Cathy walked to the listing running her finger down the board to the relevant day and duty, turned and smiled.

“So, Jessica shall we begin, are you feeling better now?”

Florence forced a weak smile.

It wasn’t Cathy’s fault that she was about to start the work of a common maid in the household of Lady Isabelle feeling like her world had collapsed around her, this was all of her own making.

“Yes, Cathy I am sorry about before its just things are so different here, at Cranwell.”

Cathy cut her short.

“You heard what Miss Hutchings said, forget about your life at Cranwell that’s over for you Jessica, you are to be a Stoneleigh maid now and the sooner you accept that the better it will be for you.”

Florence sighed picking up the brushes, mop and bucket, that Cathy instructed, and followed Cathy to begin her first task of scrubbing and mopping the steps and entrance to Stoneleigh manor.

Jessica’s training, and with it Lady Florence’s transformation to become just another one of Miss Hutchings obedient Stoneleigh maids, had begun.

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