Story: Professor Janice Sinclair Gets a New Maid. Chapter 3.

By Jackie J

That evening, after signing the contract, Janice spent a restless night mulling over the terms of her commitment to train under the supervision of Miss Drummond. The following morning was spent gathering items from various drawers and cabinets until all valuables, money, jewellery, keys and documents were stored away in the safe in line with what had been agreed.

Professor Sinclair locked the safe and then handed the key to Miss Drummond.

It was suggested by Miss Drummond that Janice tidy away her books and reports from the college into one of the spare rooms given that there should be no distractions whilst she undergoes her maid’s training.

With everything associated with her teaching at the college packed away in one of the back rooms, Miss Drummond locked the door, informing Janice that she was forbidden from entering the room until her training was completed, citing clause sixteen of the contract relating to distracting activity.

During the afternoon, Janice was allowed to return to the college to deposit students' term reports and attend the traditional Governor’s end of the year luncheon. Miss Drummond explained that her formal maid training would commence at the moment she returned.

 Lady Cockcroft, the head of governors, smiled when Janice entered the gathering and approached with a flute of champagne in hand speaking through gritted teeth.

“Congratulations, Professor! Another successful year for your department.”

Lady Cockcroft despised Professor Sinclair but was happy knowing that her long-laid plans for the young upstart were well-advanced.

The feelings toward Lady Cockcroft were mutual and Janice smiled politely.

“Thank you, Lady Cockcroft.”

Lady Cockcroft casually asked about Janice’s plans for her vacation knowing exactly what was planned for the pretty young professor.

Janice was bursting to tell her that she had managed to convince her maid, an expert in the field of domestic excellence and education, to teach her all there was to know about household management and required skills with no charges. Janice however managed to keep her enthusiasm for her training under wraps with her reply. 

“Nothing much, perhaps some study and travel. Nothing exciting.”

Lady Cockcroft smirked and sipped on her drink.

“Indeed, Professor. Well I must say I cannot wait for you to return in the fall. Perhaps your studies could be put to good use here at the college?”

After various speeches and presentations, the end of the year gathering was developing into a soiree and, declining an invitation to stay, Janice headed back to her home.

Arriving back at her house around seven in the evening Janice was tired, completely forgetting that her formal maid training was to commence at the moment of her return. It had been a long day and thinking that her domestic schooling would be starting the next day thought an early night the best option. She chuckled to herself at the threshold to her home. She no longer had a key to her own front door and rang the bell.

Miss Drummond appeared, opened the door and smiled.

“There you are! I thought you had got lost.”

Inside Janice draped her coat on the stand and sighed.

With one foot on the main stairway Janice looked at Miss Drummond.

“Look, I am bushed, Patricia. I will skip dinner, I am going to head up to bed.”

Miss Drummond smiled.

“But of course, you need to sleep, lots of work ahead but where are you going, up those stairs?

Janice looked puzzled.

“That’s the stairway to the master bedrooms, not the maid’s quarters, Janice.”

Having been called by her first name, Janice stepped down from the stairs, looking questioningly at her maid Patricia.

“You recall clause seven of the agreement, living arrangements whilst under training? I told you that your training would begin on your return this evening. Come with me, I have prepared everything for you whilst you were away at your college.”

Janice had visited the maid’s area of the house on perhaps only five occasions previously.

With Janice ushered into the cramped maid’s quarters, Miss Drummond smiled.

“So, Janice, this is to be your home now, you wanted to learn from me, you practically begged me to teach you domestic skills. You agreed and signed up to the same conditions that are applied in my training school for any common girl to be trained to be a maid. I do hope I did not give you the impression that you would receive any favours? You will have no special privileges from me, your Mistress.”

“You will have read through the contract you signed and be aware of the basic protocols but just to remind you. You will of course now only speak when spoken to. However, if you have a need to speak you will curtsy and say "please, Miss" and await a response before you utter a single word more. When you are given instruction, you will curtsy and say "yes, Miss", "thank you, Miss", and carry out the task you have been given.”

Miss Drummond folded her arms and smiled at her somewhat bewildered trainee.

“Now strip off those clothes and give them to me, all the clothing you now require is in the closet and drawers of this room.”

Janice, in a slight state of shock as things began moving so quickly, slowly striped and handed her clothing to Miss Drummond then sliped a plain cotton nightdress she was given over her head.

Miss Drummond smirked at the professor dressed in her rough calico garment, Mistress of the house until she foolishly signed the contract, a contract that by her own admission would enslave her.

“Now, dear, before you retire. Much is an attitude of mind with learning, I am sure you knew that when you were a teacher before you begged to be my maid. So, I ask how does it feel that you are to be the maid of your maid in your own home?”

Janice looked at Miss Drummond and spoke honestly.

“Err, it feels... awkward, strange, odd, Patricia. I am not too sure about all this now.”

Miss Drummond smiled, softly running her fingers over Janice’s shoulders.

“Now that’s the wrong answer altogether, dear. Whenever I ask you again you will tell me how happy you are to be a maid, to be the maid in your own household and to serve a mistress within it. So, let’s try again, shall we?”

Janice looked at the smartly dressed Miss Drummond; she wanted to get through all the tests to pass and followed Miss Drummond’s instruction.

“I am happy to be a maid serving my Mistress in my own household, Miss.”

Miss Drummond stepped back.

“Good girl, that’s better, and who is your Mistress?”

A weary Janice looked at Miss Drummond.

“You are my Mistress, Miss Drummond.”

Miss Drummond inwardly gloated with satisfaction.

“Good, very good, yes I am your mistress; accept that without question and your training will go well.”

“Remember, do not question anything I say, I am sure you had similar rules when you were a teacher before you became my maid.”

Closing the door Miss Drummond chuckled, leaving Janice to contemplate her decision to become a maid in her own home with her second past tense reference to Janice’s teaching career hanging in the air.

Janice pulled the thin sheets over her and stared up at the plain ceiling, convincing herself that Miss Drummond’s methods may seem a little odd but it would be worth it. Janice will have the whole summer to learn from Miss Drummond and smiled to herself thinking that she had to practically beg Miss Drummond to do this for her.

A dancing shadow, created by light streaming through the tiny undraped, barred window at the back of the small room, flickered across the awakening eyes of a drowsy Janice Sinclair.

Janice focused on the stark surrounding’s in which she had awoken, yawned and stretched. The coarseness of her nightdress's hem had chaffed the soft delicate skin of her thighs, the hard pillow leaving an unfamiliar stiffness to her neck.

The door to her new world opened and Miss Drummond’s voice bellowed into the room.

“Dress quickly, girl. It's your first day. Come through to my study in my apartments.”

Janice opened up the closet and drawers. What Miss Drummond had prepared for her in the way of clothing seemed a little odd: it was a traditional rather than the more modern domestic livery.

Janice had allowed Wendy and subsequently Patricia, her replacement, more comfortable, modern, practical clothing and underwear to go about their duties but Miss Drummond would not be so liberal in her dress code, very much pre-war, even the 1890s.

Dressing, Janice reflected on the terms of the contract concerning clothing. Maids will wear uniforms and adornments selected by their mistress at all times.

Janice had only ever seen “traditional maids” at Lady Cockcroft’s manor, one of the school governors, who actually hated Janice Sinclair never recognising her qualifications. Janice never thought that she would one day be wearing such restrictive regalia.

Boots laced, cap pinned in place, apron smoothed, Janice stood, the bodice of the tunic tight, the skirts full and flowing, covering her bulky plain cotton underwear. The maid’s uniform gave Janice an unfamiliar sensation of submissiveness; she made her way out of the maid’s quarters up into the main house and through to her study, wondering how she would be able to work in such restrictive clothing.

When Janice entered what was her study until the day before, she forgot all the protocols mentioned by her now Mistress Miss Drummond the previous evening.

“Patricia these clothes, is this really necessary, so bulky... I feel so strange dressed like this, what if someone calls and sees me dressed like the maid? And the bed is so uncomfortable! Perhaps I should return to my rooms and wear my own underwear at least. And this is very early to be rising. And no breakfast?”

The screaming silence that followed, which seemed to last an age, left Janice standing passive and unsure.

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