Story: A Betrayal Most Wicked. Chapter 5.

by Jackie J

Eighteen months had passed, two years since Jennifer Robertson’s release from Stag moor and a further visit to Brookdale, by members of the Parole board, had been arranged. Jenny, made aware of the impending visit, clung to some forlorn hope of emancipation, a release from her nightmare. Jane her once friend now her Mistress had reinforced on many occasions that she must be her maid to fulfil the conditions of her parole. This arrangement could not go on for ever, it just couldn’t she was losing her mind becoming ever more accepting of her insidious subjugation. This time, this visit she will try her hardest, like she had on previous visits, she must convince them beyond doubt she is nothing but a maid at Brookdale and happy to be in the service of her friend, her mistress.  Surely when they know this, she would be released from the conditions of her parole, like her mistress had told her they would.

A curtsying maid welcomed the members of the parole board into the Williams household. With Jenny in the kitchen preparing refreshments for her Mistress and guests Jane sat with the panel discussing the parolee. The leader of the group, who had been to Brooklands previously, reviewed the end of Jennifer Robertson’s Parole eager to conclude her business. Her previous visits on the six month scheduled checks had raised, no concerns, this to her was merely a form filling exercise and nothing more.  The other two members had not visited The Williams previously and were both curious to know how a once senior executive could have become and still remained such a willing maid especially in the home of her long time friend. Having witnessed the servile persona of the maid when they entered Brookland’s they were even more curious.



“Well, Miss Williams, I must admit I am quite surprised to see Miss Robertson still being your maid. I note from the file that you said at the outset of being a sponsor that Jennifer could move here to Brooklands with you and your husband as your guest. There was no mention of her becoming your maid, only at the first six monthly review did this come to light.  I am curious, you have had your friend working as your maid for all this time, going on two years?”


Jane smiled; she had repeated her lies so many times, regarding how her once friend Jennifer Robertson had become her maid, that she half believed them herself.  She had convinced Mrs Field of Jennifer Robertson’s wish to be her maid on her previous visits, satisfying these other two members of the parole boards curiosity, would be no different.

“That’s right. Like I told your colleague Mrs Field when she made her first visit, there was no one more surprised than Troy and me when Jennifer, well Jenny as she now insists on being called, suggested such a role here at Brooklands. We laughed at first, Jennifer had the run of the house seemed happy, a little bored perhaps, very much “mi casa su casa” sort of speak, but she insisted, even ordered her own uniforms. Said something about wanting to thank us for taking her in, giving her a home after what she had done. It was awkward at first as you can imagine with me being her friend from high school days. She must have done a lot of cleaning and things when she was in prison because she was very good. My housekeeper probably found it more awkward than me and Troy but Jennifer, Jenny, was very persuasive, she always had been, and it wasn’t long before she convinced Miss Albright, my housekeeper, to draw up work routines for her like a real domestic. Troy was worse than me and continued calling her Jennifer, that’s when she shocked us again by sewing the name Jenny on her uniforms. As if that wasn’t bad enough Jenny left the opulent guest room we had provided for her, and she moved into a back room on the lower floor by the kitchens. Said it wasn’t right that a maid had such a lovely room. I know, perhaps we should have tried harder to  put a stop to it, but when we tried Jenny would have none of it and I have to admit, with all the entertaining we do at Brooklands, we got used to her being a maid and a good maid she was and is.

We accepted that’s what she wanted to be, and it just snowballed from there. After about four months she started calling me Mistress and curtsying, which was embarrassing as you can imagine, especially when we had guests, but she wouldn’t stop it and like everything else we just had to accept it. After twelve months Troy told me to speak with a friend of ours, a psychologist. It made sense in a way, a classic case of atonement, she told us it was Jennifer’s way of punishing herself, not for the crime she had committed but for the kindness me and Troy had shown her. A sheading of guilt, seeing herself not worthy of what her long -term friend and husband was doing for her.  The doctor’s advice, which I found incredulous, and I told Mrs Field about on her previous visit’s. We should not interfere, to help Jennifer with her mental healing, we were advised to encourage and support Jenny, help her to be the maid she so obviously wanted to be. It was hard to do, hard to watch my friend becoming ever more servile and subservient. But knowing that is what she truly wanted we have reluctantly accepted Jennifer is now Jenny a maid. Almost two years now like you say, and I would defy anyone to find a better maid than what Jenny has become. In a strange way Troy and I are quite proud of what we have been able to do for her.”

Jane rang the call bell and Jenny entered with refreshments for her Mistress and guests, a bobbed curtsy Jenny laid out the sandwiches, cake and tea before standing back.

“Is that everything, Mistress?”

Jane looked up at her maid from her seat.

“Stay a moment Jenny. You remember Mrs Field, from the Parole board? These two gentlemen are her colleagues, they have come to see you. Check that you are safe and happy here at Brooklands.”

Jenny blushed slightly and dropped another curtsy. She must convince them she is just a maid here at Brooklands and happy to be in her mistresses’ service, she must if she is to break away from the mind-numbing domestic drudgery and constant humiliation that has become her life. This time hopefully this time.

“Madame, Sirs.”

Carl, who had only read the notes about Jennifer Robertson stared at the maid before him. There were no signs of duress, had this woman really been a divisional director at Microck MD? And she was at college with Mrs Williams this Mistress and maid the same age? Why would anyone, especially one who was no doubt bright and gifted to hold down such an executive position and pull off such a complicated and sophisticated fraud, chose to be a simple maid and for her friend! The psychologist was obviously correct with her diagnosis, an expert after all, a form of atonement, it had to be.

“Jennifer… Sorry, you prefer Jenny, don’t you? Jenny are you happy here at Brooklands working for Mrs Williams, being her housemaid?”

With a face displaying little emotion, apart from a weak forced smile, Jenny curtsied.

“Yes Sir, Mrs Williams is a good Mistress, I have my duties and I am very happy to attend them.”

Jane stood and put her arm around her maid in a display of tender affection, or so it appeared to her visitors.

“Sweet Jenny has become a girl of few words, haven’t you dear?”

“Now you run along, I will ring for you when it is time to clear away.”

Jenny lowered a curtsy and was gone.

Having enjoyed the repast presented by Jane’s maid, and the confirmation during conversation that Jane and her husband would always have Jennifer Robertson’s best interests at heart, Carl noticed Mrs Field, the section head, looking at her watch obviously eager to leave, and why not, the parole of Jennifer Robertson had obviously been a success, as the notes suggested, and having seen the maid at work for himself, she was obviously of no further a threat to society, what threat could a housemaid possibly be? What a generous act of Mrs Williams and her husband to have done what they had for her. What a good friend Mrs Williams had truly been to her friend Jennifer Robertson helping her cope with her mental turmoil, not everyone would have been so understanding.

Jane left the three officials to their deliberations, which were short. Their brief discussion over Jane re-joined them.

“I presume you will want to talk with Jenny now?”

Mrs Field looked at her watch again, there were more pressing appointments, this was a case closed. Jennifer Robertson was obviously happy in the service of her friend being a maid. She had interviewed Jennifer before and there had been no change from what she could see.

 The two gentlemen stood as did Mrs Field after signing off the “No Further Risk” form and handed it to Jane.

“I think we have seen enough, Mrs Williams. Please keep this safe for Jennifer, unlikely I realise, in view of her mental state, but perhaps over time you will be able to convince her to leave the safety of your service at Brooklands and start a new life for herself. I doubt we will need to visit again; we are all more than satisfied with what you have done for Jennifer, you are a credit to the parole system and rehabilitation program.”

Jane was most convincing in her reply.

“Well thank you it has been the least I could do for my friend. Jennifer will be most pleased to see this and yes you can rest assured I will do all I can to convince her to make a new start away from Brooklands, I will obviously let you know if she does.

Mrs field smiled sympathetically.

“No need, I will close the file, as far as the parole board are concerned Jennifer Robertson, thanks to your help and devotion is considered rehabilitated you have no need to contact us again.”

With the party having left Jenny was called into the parlour to clear away the remnants of the refreshments. Like her mistress had told her, she had done her best to show the parole board she was nothing more than a maid at Brooklands and happy to serve in the household of her friend and, was now eager to know if the end to her torment, a release from her parole conditions had been agreed.

“Did your meeting go well, Mistress?”

Jane smirked

“Well the Parole board are satisfied with your rehabilitation this far. I pleaded with them to end the conditions they have placed on you, but, seeing what a good maid you have become and that you told them how happy you are here being my maid, they thought it best not to risk the progress you have made. In fact, they insisted that you remain in my service here at Brooklands to complete your Parole.”

Jane watched her maid’s shoulders slump and continued her wicked deception seeking to crush any remaining hope her friend may still harbour of breaking the invisible shackles that held her in service, of leaving Brooklands.

“Being told you are to remain here being my maid, I went out on a limb again for you, and, did manage to get one major concession for you.”

Jenny’s shoulders straightened her eyes flooding with hope.

“Yes Mistress?”

Jane looked into her maid’s eyes wanting to see and relish the despair her words were sure to bring

“You will be pleased to know that given their satisfaction with your progress to become a maid, my maid, the parole board see no need to be visiting in six months, they will not return again until your parole is complete, that will be in  two years- time.”

Jenny stared in stunned silence at her mistress feeling weak and faint, two years, two more years?

Jane approached her maid and raised her drooped chin

“There dear you look upset. I thought you would be pleased. We don’t want those people interfering do we Jenny? No, of course we don’t. Now tidy these things away. I am sure Mrs Albright has much for you to do.”

Jenny collected her tray and having curtsied to her Mistress skulked from the parlour, walking slowly across the kitchen she dumped the tray and its contents into the sink, went to her quarters, through herself onto her bunk and sobbed. Two more years she couldn’t, she just couldn’t.


Of course, Jenny had no say in what she could or couldn’t do and she remained the housemaid of her once friend, her mistress, for two years and beyond. Jenny never leaving the service of Mr and Mrs Williams or the confines of Brookdale.  Jennifer Robertson, through the wicked betrayal of her jealous friend, had willingly agreed to become her maid, was her maid, and remained her maid, Miss Albright and Jenny’s Mistress made sure of that.

The end

Subscribe to Lady2Maid Blog Newsletter