Story: Florence, Lady Cranwell. Chapter 21.

by Jackie J

Lady Catherine was in a state of confused shock sat at her vanity staring at her reflection. News she had received from one of her luncheon friends that afternoon had almost made her faint. A random collection of hay by one of the guest’s tenant farmers from Downton hall brought news that Lady Dowton had met up with Lady Florence and was now travelling with her and that Lady Downton had been away for a number of weeks already.

Florence had been publically disowned for deserting her husband Lord Cranwell and the conversations around the luncheon table following this disclosure were very awkward for Lady Catherine. Lady Catherine knew exactly where Florence was and the fate she had suffered at Stoneleigh. But Mary joining her, she had to investigate there must be some confusion especially with the news coming from a mere farmer, someone had their wires crossed? Miss Hutchings had intended the news to seep out from Downton hall with the message she had sent to Lucy Fairbright, head maid and house keeper at Downton hall, and now it had and reached its intended target.

Lady Catherine brushed her hair deep in thought Mary Downton was her choice of bride for her son a son who she had heard little from since he resigned his commission and headed out to India, her many letters going unanswered. She had to go to Downton hall and find out how these rumours started, there was no way could Mary Downton be travelling with Florence because Florence was a captive maid at Stoneleigh. But first she would write to Lady Isabelle who would hopefully dispel this nonsense.

Story: Florence, Lady Cranwell. Chapter 20.

by Jackie J

The first week of the new regime at Stoneleigh passed quickly and Jess’s routines became established. The care of Lady Isabelle was her constant responsibility, dosed with Laudanum morning noon and night she would never be returning to her station in life. Jess had no choice but to follow Miss Matrina’s instructions regarding her harnessed pet and by the end of the first week all the signs of Winifred’s emotional and physical capitulation to her torment were becoming manifest.

Thankfully still using the grid but now enthusiastically nuzzling slops from the trough. Jess wanted to remove the cowl speak to Winifred, find out what had gone on, gone wrong, who are these two amazons who had taken control of Stoneleigh, what happened to Mary Downton? So many questions but Jess already knew better than to disobey her new Mistress and having hosed down the pen and pet, filled the food trough with swill prepared to leave the east wing.

When Jess turned to leave stood behind her was a smiling Sharista making her jump.

“You were fond of that were you not Jessica but look at it now rummaging in its own filth.”

Sharista walked to the pen and hooking a lead chain to her pet’s collar pulled it from the pen and having wound up its clitoral stimulator chained it on a short lead to a wall ring.

Two million page views!

Just saying.

Anyway, interesting results of the Lady-to-maid survey. Unfortunately there appears to be no way to publish them  (or I couldn't figure out how) in an easy-to-see form, so let me just spell them out with my brief comments.  Alternatively, you can see them yourself when/if you vote. For the rest of you here are the main takeaways (bold is how I voted myself):
What lady-to-maid scenario do you enjoy most?

I like it when someone forces it on the main character: 37.6%
Doesn't matter as long as the character ends up as a maid: 33.4%
It has to be voluntary, at least in the beginning: 29%

Relatively evenly spread between the three options, but a bit surprising my preferred option did noе win. For me a scenario where someone ends up stuck due to own stupidity/curiosity/bad luck is so much more powerful than when there is an evil protagonist playing with others' lives.

Does the story need to be as realistic as possible for you to enjoy it?

Story: Florence, Lady Cranwell. Chapter 19.

by Jackie J

Sharista chuckled taking Winifred’s hand.

Part of the deal for Sharista to take Lady Downton was that Winifred had agreed to be Sharista’s for one night to do has she wished with, just one night how bad could that be? She was about to find out. 

Both Sharista and Winifred had been pupils together of Madame Sarcosi. Taken from the streets in their early teens who knows what would have become of them had they not been taken under her wing? Before taking the position with Lady Downton, who now shivered, befuddled naked her hair hacked and belted under a meagre woollen blanket in the darkness of a locked room, Winifred had lived and worked here at 27 Grafton Street.

Whilst never a client of Sharista’s Lady Downton had visited the lair of Madame Sarcosi many times to indulge her fantasies having paid well for Winifred to accommodate her needs. When Madame Sarcosi suddenly passed away, the unfortunate result of a stray blade, it was Sharista, the most dominant of the pair who assumed control of 27 Grafton Street taking the name of Black Cat. There could only be one Queen at 27 Grafton Street and when Lady Downton made her offer to Winifred Hutchings to be highly paid to supervise her needs on an ongoing basis, Winifred turned her back on Grafton Street and headed first to Downton Hall then on to Stoneleigh manor a perceived betrayal that Sharista had never truly forgiven her for.

Visitors as Servants and Servants as Guests: Real-life Edwardian Role Swap

A very interesting historic item, a companion to How Would You Like to Be the Maid postcard from the same era I posted in January. Judging by the fashions, it was just around the time that The Admirable Crichton, this ultimate class-swap comedy later made into a film, was a stage hit. 

"For one whole evening the visitors learned what it was to be domestics, while their places were taken by the servants... Naturally the change of positions created many an amusing dilemma." I couldn't help but notice that they identified the disguised men by their full names, but a kitchenmaid remained anonymous. Wondering if that was seen as a bit risqué for a noble lady...

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Story: New Employee. Chapters 38-39.

by BigBird74

38 & 39

The New York Katherine Webb grew up in was a world offered up on a platter. Daddy’s princess was to receive whatever she wanted: first toys, then clothes, cars, apartments and finally cushy jobs. The New York that awaited Marta Fernandez, a recent and – most likely – illegal immigrant, was not nearly so welcoming. Not that Marta complained as she scrubbed clean the floor of the building underneath Katherine’s apartment. In this day and age, it can be somewhat odd to see this kind of ‘old-fashioned’ manual labour out in the open, but Katherine’s assistant had said she wanted to see the Latino girl’s level of commitment and had got her to work almost immediately after hiring her.

Katherine’s assistant – formerly the manageress, before her elevation up the ranks – had taken up residence a week ago, having moved to New York after receiving the plum position from Katherine, who was away in Latin America of all places. At least that was what everyone thought, except for two persons: the assistant and Marta. Of course, they knew better. For Katherine was not in Brasilia, she was in the lobby scrubbing the floor clean, her mind totally fixated on the job. She did not want to think much about the preceding week for events during it had complicated her chances of restoring her life as Katherine, at least so it seemed to her. Whenever she thought about it – how to get back – two things invariably happened: she felt sick and dizzy at the enormity of her folly, and then a deep anxiety would descend upon her.

World's First Lady-to-Maid poll. We need your vote!

One of the readers had a wonderful idea to poll this blog's readers so that we know once and for all what is that most of us like and don't like in this peculiar genre. Please take a minute to fill out the form below. Really interested to see what results we get!

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