Unannounced,
Miss Albright walked into Jenny’s quarters and smiled at her nervous looking
maid dressed in her uniform.
“A
good fit I see, Mistresses measurements were correct, let me see you curtsy
then.”
Jennifer
looked at Miss Albright with a degree of incredulity and confused disbelief.
“What?
Curtsy why?”
Miss
Albrights eyes tightened, and her lip curled restrained anger in her tone.
“Because
you are a fucking maid and maids curtsy to their betters so show me girl.”
Jennifer
shivered at Miss Albrights short tirade and sank into a shallow curtsy.
Miss
Albrights tone softened.
“Good,
that’s right, now when you are spoken to by me or a member of the Williams
family you will take care to curtsy just like that, an acknowledgment of them
and that you have understood what you have been told to do. Yes Miss, Yes Sir
or Yes Madame will be your mantra from now on, do you understand girl?”
Was
Jennifer mocking Miss Albrights instruction or most likely just fearful of this
amazon of a woman and dropped another curtsy.
“Yes
Miss.”
Miss
Albright smiled at her new maids immediate and unquestioning compliance.
Prison, especially for an extended period, if nothing else teaches inmates to
respect and comply with authority figures and Miss Albright surely was an
authority figure of that there was no doubt.
Taken
on a tour of the house Jennifer marvelled at the extravagant opulence of the
place. Each room expensively and tastefully furnished it was like a palace.
Jennifer, deprived for many years of being in the proximity such affluence,
stared in wonderment whilst the tour progressed never for a moment considering
that most of what she was saw had been purchased with the monies purloined from
her supposed fraud. Jennifer genuinely pleased her friend and her husband had
done so well for themselves.
Back
in Miss Albrights office Jennifer was given her work rota and told to
familiarise herself with the many duties contained within it.
It
was two weeks before the Mistress and master returned to Brooklands, the name
of the house in which Jenny was becoming established and competent as its maid
under the watchful and unforgiving eye of its housekeeper Miss Martha
Albright.
Jenny’s
curtsy when Jane entered the hallway having returned from their holiday in the
Caribbean was natural. Such had been the reinforcement of Jenny’s lowly status
by Miss Albright during the past weeks of her initiation into the life of a
housemaid.
Jane
smirked at her friend curtsying to her in her pretty maid’s uniform, the girl
who had always been so superior to her now her housemaid. From her maid’s
demeanour Miss Albright had obviously followed her instructions to treat the
new arrival harshly to make her aware of her place.
“Jenny,
I do hope Miss Albright has been clear about your duties here? Now go and bring
in the luggage and see that the clothing is laundered and put away.”
Jennifer
dropped another curtsy.
“Yes
Madame.”
Before
Jennifer could question Jane the Mistress of Brooklands was gone, down the
hallway and into the lounge. Jennifer
went to collect the luggage from the steps outside. Troy was stood by the
luggage and looked up at Jennifer. Gone the sparkle he remembered in Jennifer’s
eyes, the short hair framing a still pretty face but without makeup looking
quite plain. The uniform of service having replaced her designer suits and her
servile demeanour projected Jennifer to be what she now was Jenny a domestic
servant no longer the sophisticated successful executive she once was.
It
was awkward for Troy, Jane had told him how he must treat the new maid there
was to be no familiarity, he must not look on her as the Jennifer Robertson her
once knew, she was their maid Jenny now and nothing more. It would be unfair of
them to offer any hope of her returning to a life she once knew; she was a
convicted criminal and should be grateful that she was being given the
opportunity to be their maid and live amongst such wealth.
Jennifer
stared at Troy and he at her until he diverted his gaze and brushed passed her
without a word.
Jennifer
picked up the first two of the heavy cases and took them through into the
laundry room.
With
Mr and Mrs Williams back in residence the workload of the housemaid increased,
and maid Jenny had little time to dwell on her situation being kept busy with
her domestic duties. Jennifer was anxious to speak with Jane and on the
Wednesday morning, following her return to Brooklands, the Mistress of the
house summoned her maid.
Troy
was away travelling, and Miss Albright was in town purchasing provisions.
Jenny, having cleared away the breakfast dishes, changed the bed linen and
leaving the laundry in the wash entered the lounge to find Jane sat on the
sofa. Jennifer curtsied and Jane smiled.
“Jennifer,
well Jenny now isn’t it, do come in take a seat dear, Jenny a much more apt
name for a maid you must agree.”
Jennifer
had many questions to ask and sat on the sofa opposite her long-time friend.
“Mistress,
Jane I hope I can speak frankly. When you came to see me at the hostel and said
that I could come and stay with you and Troy I didn’t expect this, you know
being your maid, well not a real maid and I have so many questions to ask, you
know about what happened at Microck MD.”
Jane
sat forward a serious expression on her face and put her finger to her lips to
silence her maid ready to draw her once superior and rival into a fictitious
but credible conspiracy that would see the once successful financier Jennifer
Robertson willingly continue her descent into a life of domestic drudgery and
servitude from which Jane, with the
collusion of her housekeeper, intended there would be no return.
Jane
knew that Jennifer was innocent of her crimes, of course she did, and why
wouldn’t Jennifer try and find out who had framed her to prove her innocence
and regain the life she once knew. That could never happen, and Jane was going
to make sure of that.
Jennifer
had already unknowingly and unwittingly been bullied by Miss Albright into
signing herself into the service of the Williams household for the remaining
four years of her parole licence, that to keep her hidden away in the seclusion
of Brooklands. Jane was now ready to
dispel any lingering hope that Jennifer may have of Jane or indeed anyone else
helping her prove her innocence whilst on Parole.
“Jenny
if you only knew the trouble, I had getting the Parole board to agree to you
being here. Do you think for one minute that it was ever my intention for you
to be my maid, really? Troy and I run a successful financial company and when I
approached the Parole board to have you live with us, take you away from the
hideous existence at the hostel and working on a packing line, well red flags
were raised. Would you have any involvement in the business, what employment
would you have? I had to think quickly,
and I said that you would be working as a maid, my maid. That was initially
accepted but they are not fools. Two long-time friends, one being a housemaid
for the other? Eyebrows were raised and they needed convincing that it was not
just a ruse. I spoke with Troy and he said we should forget the whole idea, but
I couldn’t bear the thought of you being stuck at that hostel, a place that was
you family home and the demeaning work they had found you.”
“Being
my maid had to be credible and with the help of Martha, my housekeeper we drew
up a maid’s contract that we submitted to the Parole Board. I noticed that you
have already signed it you will have seen that the contract was official
endorsed by the board and a notary with details of duties, conditions of
service and the like that helped convince them, they particularly liked the
changing of your name, being called Jenny, it added to the credibility. Then
the uniforms no one would go to all that trouble if it was just a pretence,
would they? The Parole board visited, inspected your maid’s quarters, saw your
uniforms, interviewed Miss Albright concerning the need for a maid at
Brooklands, discussed the maid’s contract, they were convinced that you being
my maid was genuine. Now Martha, Miss Albright, knows you are an ex con but
nothing else about us once being friends and we must keep it that way. She is
strict I know, frightens me sometimes, but you be a good maid, do your work
well and you will be fine. “
“I
knew the Parole board would be monitoring you that’s why Troy and I went on a short
vacation to leave you in the hands of our housekeeper, let her get you into the
routines and work, treat you like a common maid should be treated. I would have
struggled with that, but she has done a great job. Look at you in your uniform,
jumping to her instructions, curtsying to your betters, you already know your
place, you are going to be a perfect maid, trust me, Miss Albright will make
sure of that. When the parole board come to check on you, they won’t find you
having a cosy time living well, sharing the luxury of your friend’s lifestyle
like they may suspect. No, they will find a hard-working uniformed maid
fulfilling the conditions of her contract.”
Jennifer
could resist no longer she had to know had to ask and spoke with a questioning
confidence that even surprised her.
“So,
let me get this right Jane, I really am going to be your maid and nothing else,
no pretence, you are going to keep me here to be your maid, a working maid?”
Jane
put on a perfect display of the aggrieved benefactor and replied quite matter
of fact.
“Yes
of course, surely you see if the Parole board even suspect your employment here
is not genuine, they will have you back at the hostel or worse if they suspect
collusion you could be back in prison for goodness sake. Never mind what
retribution they would seek from me your Sponsor, yes that’s right your
Sponsor. Or would you be happy to see me in trouble with the authorities after
all I have done for you?”
Jennifer
thought, Jane was right, of course the best way to convince the Parole board
that being a maid here at Brooklands was genuine was for it to be genuine for
Jennifer to actually be a maid, maid Jenny. How bad could it be, she would be
living in a luxurious residence, albeit keeping it pristine, she wore nice
clothes, although it was her uniform, she ate well, her room, well her
quarters, were comfortable, Miss Albright shouted at her and threatened worse
but only when her work was poor or she slacked.
Jennifer
returned to her contrite demeaner.
“Yes
you are right of course you are, I am sorry Jane and I would never want you to
get into trouble over me, you have been so kind getting me away from the
hostel, bringing me here of course I am happy to be your maid, thank you again
for helping me.”
Jane
hid her contempt for her naive friend the same naivety that had enabled Jane to
frame her so easily and defraud Microck MD of millions, the perfect patsy and
now the silly cow was thanking her for allowing her to be her maid. With
Jennifer accepting that she was to be Janes maid, Jane had just one more to
nail to hammer home to deflate any ambition her old friend may have of seeking
redemption for her miscarriage of justice.
“Now
one other thing we need to discuss, you mentioned when you sat down what
happened at Microck MD.”
Jennifer
sat forward eager to learn something, anything Jane perhaps knew something, a
clue, a lead that she could follow to what really happened help to clear her
name?
“Yes
Jane, sorry madame, what can you tell me?”
Jane
paused looking into the pathetic pleading eyes of her old friend.
“Being
your sponsor Jenny, I have had to sign a contract with the Parole Board and
have a duty to report any breaches of your parole license under the threat of
heavy fines or worse! I have to admit, having read the conditions of your
parole and the penalties for the sponsor, I shared Troy’s reservations about
this but like I have said I wanted to get you away from that place.”
“But
with the fraud thing, you have a non-disclosure agreement a gaging order any
discussion about that case and you will be in contempt of court, in conflict
with the terms of your parole license which potentially could see you back behind bars. Like I say I am your sponsor and have a duty
to report any breaches of your licence, so you can see the problem. I am afraid
it is a subject that cannot be raised again by you. If you are returned to prison, there will be
no more Parole you will have to complete your sentence five more years. I have
gone out on a limb for you and given you the opportunity to start afresh. I ask
you as a dear friend think long and hard
you can stay here in the comfort of my home to be my maid and never mention
anything about your felony or, raise the matter again and I will have no choice
but to report this and chances are you will go back to prison I hope that you
would not put me in that position.”
Jennifer
sat speechless she had hoped Jane would help her, find out what really
happened, get to the truth and clear her name. Jennifer was aware of the
non-disclosure agreement and having pleaded guilty there had been no appeal her
only chance was to secretly investigate matters herself. With the help of Jane,
who must know something, matters could progress more quickly than on her own.
How could she possibly check up on things, ask questions, speak to anyone with
the gagging order part of her Parole license? Jane could do all that for her,
but could she really ask her friend to take that risk after all she had done
for her already? If the Parole board found out Jane would risk a heavy fine or
worse, she said so, no, no she couldn’t ask her, Jane had done enough already.
Perhaps something will turn up, but it’s been over five years now, perhaps I
will never discover who did it?
Jennifer
looked at her friend with sorrowful eyes.
“I
think I understand I am sorry to have put you in such a position it must be
awful for you. I promise I won’t mention anything, say anything about, well you
know. I should be grateful, and I am Jane, sorry madame, very grateful for what
you have done for me. I will be a good maid for you, I owe you that. I will be
no trouble I promise.”
Jane
stood from the Sofa and smiled but inside was gloating. The girl who’s wake and
shadow she had spent most of her formative years within, the pretty girl and
women who everyone admired who had been superior in every way now grateful to
be her maid.
“Well
Jenny I am glad we have had that chat, so everything is clear. Of course, you
will understand we cannot have my housekeeper, Miss Albright, knowing there was
ever anything between us, can we? It will be very hard for me knowing we were
once friends and now you are just my maid, but I will do it, do it for you
dear. That of course means we will not be speaking like this again, The
Mistress of the household and her maid chatting away discussing old times, no
that would never do would it Jenny? So, you will treat me and my husband with
the reverence and respect we deserve, the respect a common maid must give her
mistress and master. Hard on us both I know, but I am sure over time we will
both come to find it a most natural arrangement. Now I know you have your
duties to be getting on with, but you can serve me tea before you return to
them.”
Jenny
stood; Jane, her Mistress, was right they could no longer be friends that was all
in the past. She was just a maid at
Brookland’s, and she must not see Jane for anything other than who she was Mrs
Williams the Mistress of the household in which she served.
A
bobbed curtsy Jenny smiled.
“Thank
you for everything Mistress, like I said I will be the perfect maid for you, I
will go and prepare you tea.”
Wow. Thanks Jackie this story has quite the plot. And I like how Jenny has become so submissive it shows her timid side from prison
ReplyDeleteYes, I love this story!
ReplyDeleteI like to think of these first three chapters as the reproduction, in a modern key, of a masterpiece of literature French..."Justine ou les Malheurs de la vertu".
ReplyDeleteI really like it.
Thank you Jackie.
Maria
Maria,
DeleteI must get a copy, and I will, thank you.
Hugs
Jackie J
XXX
Looooooooooooooove this story!
ReplyDeleteWill we have a surprise for Easter? A nice egg with chapter 4 inside, for example...
ReplyDeleteHopefully
Wonderful psychological manipulation.
ReplyDeleteJenny going from feeling aggrieved with Jane, to now being most grateful for all that Jane has done, that is powerfully erotic in a dark way piece of writing, thank you for it