Story: Maid Jenny and Her Mistress. Chapter 8 and Epilogue.

by Jackie J

Marianne had been quite uncomfortable with Jenny’s cavalier attitude to Sister Agnes taking Lucy from Long Lawns to her convent. She should have also taken note of the warning bells rung loud and clear by her pupil. Jenny had been quite assertive. In fact, very assertive in dismissing Marianne’s concerns and reservations, preaching back to Marianne the implicit demarcation protocol regarding Lucinda Lancaster that Marianne herself had reminded Jenny of many times. Lucinda Lancaster, the Mistress of Long Lawns, was away, travelling overseas; it was her maid Lucy who had been taken to St. Catherine’s convent by Sister Agnes. Warning bells yes, not necessarily from what was said but how it was said. Marianne had become passive and lost control of the matter, allowing Jenny to adopt such a dominant role. How could Marianne had missed this subtle yet telling dynamic in Jenny?

Having articulately and assertively quashed and silenced Marianne’s reservations of being protective of her friend, Jenny had been the one who closed the conversation. She continued to take the lead by opening the parlour door suggesting that they should work with the flowers study. Following Marianne towards the library, Jenny smirked at her first manipulation of her tutor. It felt good, empowering. Jenny’s scheming to retain her privileges at Long Lawns well advanced in its gestation.

Marianne was impressed by Jenny’s sketches and how quickly she became familiar with the common native species of plants and shrubs. Jenny had even delved into plants familiar in areas of Africa! 

It has been four days since the Long Lawns maid had left with Sister Agnes for St. Catherine’s convent. Marianne made some sandwiches at the request of Jenny and sat on the veranda. Jenny smiled then laughed.

“These are very good, Marianne. Perhaps you should take Lucy’s place until she returns. I do need a maid. Who knows how long Lucy will be away from Long Lawn’s? We can’t have the Mistress of Long Lawns carrying out domestic chores, can we?”

Marianne looked at Jenny sat elegantly and serene in her wicker chair nibbling delicate bites genteelly from her sandwich. Six months ago she would have been chomping, taking large mouthfuls and munching down her food. Not now. Marianne had been meticulous with her pupil’s etiquette. Jenny had blossomed into a true lady. There was little now left she could teach her.

Marianne laughed

“Thank you for the compliment, I just might do that to see what a good Mistress you have become.”

Jenny giggled and laughed

“Really? You would do that? I am afraid you would be lost. And what would I call my new maid? It’s ridiculous, absurd. I doubt you could handle the demands of Long Lawn’s strict Mistress.” 

Marianne took a sip of her tea and smiled.

“Oh Miss Osborn thinks I could not manage, does she?”

The two of them laughed and finished their lunch before returning to the library.

Marianne marvelled at the intricacy of Jenny’s work watching her put the finishing touches to a wild rose. It was perfect, beautiful.

“Your sketches are perfect Jenny. Mrs Wilberforce will be most impressed, perhaps you could offer your pictures to be auctioned at her festival by way of a thank you for her invite?”

Jenny smiled at the compliment.

“You think so? How kind of you. What a wonderful idea Marianne!”

Having finished Jenny put down her brush gazing at the picture and surprised Marianne with her out of the blue comment.

“Rose, that’s what I will call you when you are my maid. Rose. A pretty name for a pretty maid. Would you like that name when you are my maid?”

Marianne chuckled although feeling a little uncomfortable.

“You are a naughty mischievous girl Jenny. I hate to disappoint you. Attractive as the offer maybe for Rose to enter your service but I am sure Lucy will be returning within the next day or two.” 

Jenny smirked.

“And if she doesn’t?”

Marianne didn’t answer and stood from the table.

“I think we have finished for today, Jenny. I will see you in the morning.”

At St Catherine’s Convent Sister Agnes was rather perplexed. There had been no manifestation of the Long Lawns maid’s possession since arriving at St. Catherine’s. Her initial purification in the chapel and the constant vigil of the sisters watching over her in the isolation of the west tower had failed to expose the evil that was thought to reside within the poor girl’s soul. The evidence had however been overwhelming. 

Mrs. Sunderland and the Mistress of Long Lawns had told her of the maid’s perversion and the poor maid herself had confessed to the uncontrollable lustful emotions that led to her wanton masturbation and self gratification. Sister Agnes having prayed and read though the relevant manuscripts concluded that the resident evil within the maid, whilst not released from the soul and flesh, was trapped and subdued whilst the maid was within the confines of the religious sanctuary of St. Catherine’s convent. Sister Agnes saw no alternative for this poor woman and her plans were well advanced to keep the evil possession confined until it could be exorcised from her. 

Lucy had been at St Catherine’s for over a week, then two and now almost three... Marianne was concerned for her friend and anxious for the long Lawns maid’s return. The neglect of a maid’s work at Long Lawns was beginning to show. Miss Osborn had point blank refused to carry out any of the duties that less than twelve months ago were her own. Why should she? Was she not the Mistress of Long Lawns? Jenny had teased her tutor on several occasions calling her Rose when Marianne either prepared food or did small amounts of tidying around the house. 

Marianne’s carriage pulled into the courtyard of St. Catherine’s. After being escorted by one of the sisters, she waited outside Sister Agnes's office. Her visit was brief and fuming Marianne was soon seated back in her carriage heading to Long Lawns.

Unknown to Marianne, the little vixen that she had created had already been to the convent. Marianne found the Long Lawns maid in a trance-like state, not speaking a word, secured within a chastity device and wearing a nun’s habit. All of this agreed between the Mistress of Long Lawns, Miss Osborn, and Sister Agnes! It had been agreed and documented that Miss Osborn’s maid would be staying within the confines of the convent for some time to contain and purge the evil that resided within her.

Lucinda looked quite angelic swathed in the vestiges of the religious order of St Catherine’s convent and was flanked by Sister Mary and Sister Jane when summoned to the Mother Superior’s office on the arrival of Marianne.

Lucinda looked so calm so peaceful. Had she been drugged? What had they done to her? On the agreement of her Mistress, Lucy had been confirmed into a strictly enforced silent order for her novice’s period. Lucinda, having already tasted the sting of the strap many times for her attempts to communicate, had subsequently been fitted with a tongue trap to force her compliance and had already been kept mute for over a week. Sister Agnes explained to Marianne the benefits that her incarceration within the convent would bring, indeed, was already bringing for the poor wretch. Lucy was just a domestic servant, a common maid after all, and her Mistress was quite insistent she would not wish her return to Long Lawns until Sister Agnes was satisfied and seen evidence that the possession had been driven from her.

Marianne stared into the dead lowered eyes of her all but unrecognisable friend. What could she say? What could she do? Lucy was Miss Osborn’s maid, not hers. She was the one who had suggested the intervention of the convent, an intervention that had now gone way beyond her expectations.

Marianne knew there was no possession to speak of but couldn’t expose the subterfuge that she and the now novice nun, the true Mistress of Long Lawns, had colluded to transform Jenny, the maid of Long Lawns, into a lady. She couldn’t risk the ridicule. It had all gone too far.

Behind the facade of silent tranquillity portrayed by St. Catherine’s novice nun, Lucinda was silently screaming for help, hoping her friend would set her free from this madness, confirm her true identity and take her away from the insidious indoctrination and brainwashing she was being subjected to. 

Could Marianne really leave her friend in the clutches of Sister Agnes? Held a virtual prisoner behind the secretive high walls of St. Catherine’s convent until cleansed? Disown and abandon her, what choice did she have? Marianne hid her anger at the situation well and smiled at Sister Agnes and Lucinda’s heart sank when she spoke.

“Well I am sorry to have taken up your time, Sister. This is of course Miss Osborn’s business, not mine. I only called out of concern for her maid but I see now she is in good hands.”

Marianne watched her friend Lucinda being led away into the inner sanctum of the convent by the two sisters. Marianne had to confront Jenny and get her friend returned to Long Lawns.     

Marianne was angry, very angry when she burst into the study to challenge her prodigy.

“What are you playing at? Who do you think you are? I have just been to the convent to see Sister Agnes. They have Lucinda enrolled into some weird silent order, dressed in a novice nuns regalia. I swear they have her drugged or something. You will have to go back to the convent, tell them you have changed your mind and bring her back to Long Lawns. This is ridiculous! Do you hear me? Ridiculous! No doubt the chastity device was your idea? Now get your cloak, get into the carriage and bring Lucinda back here this minute!"

Jenny stared at Marianne unmoved, letting her tutor rant at her and then slowly stood from her chair, a smirk on her face.

“Playing at? Since when was this a game? Who do I think I am? I am the Mistress of Long Lawns. They have Lucinda? I don’t think so. I obviously need to remind you again. My cousin is overseas travelling. Sister Agnes, whom you approached in the first place, is seeking redemption for my poor troubled maid, my maid Lucy, and on my authority, the authority of her Mistress. There she will remain at the pleasure of St Catherine’s convent and its Mother Superior. So there will be no requirement for my cloak or my carriage.”

Marianne was furious and red faced with anger at Jenny’s perceived impudence.

“No, you can’t do this. You can’t. I am going back to the convent myself. This madness must stop and stop now. You can get back into your maid’s uniform and start cleaning up the place for your Mistresses return. I am calling halt to this nonsense right now.”

Jenny laughed out loud and grinned at her furious mentor.

“Sit down, Marianne. I think we need a little chat.”

Marianne was in no mood for a "little chat."

“I told you to go and get changed. It’s over. Do you hear me? Over!”

“Don’t get so excited, Marianne. Now take a seat please.”

Marianne relented and sat down.

“Look I don’t care what you say this is over, you have gone too far.” 

Marianne’s expression went from anger through concern to utter despair whilst Jenny slyly and calmly told her exactly how things would be. It was a distraught Marianne who sat slumped in her chair at the table rereading the copies of the letters Jenny had prepared and was threatening to post. Jenny left the room leaving Marianne cursing her friend Lucinda Lancaster under her breath. This was a nightmare. Why did she ever agree to do this? 

Marianne had unwittingly created a monster. A sophisticated, elegant and well spoken lady, Miss Jenny Osborn. Marianne would now have no choice but to accept Miss Osborn’s terms and that Lucinda Lancaster’s cousin would be taking up the position of Mistress at Long Lawns on a permanent basis or... The consequences of not conceding to Miss Osborn’s demands were too distressing to even contemplate and would surely lead to her and Lucinda Lancaster’s social and financial ruination. She would have to get out of this mess but how...

Jenny returned and smiled at Marianne.

Marianne looked up in horror at what she was carrying.

"No, no, no. Jenny, please no!"

Jenny smirked.

“Now, now. "Miss Osborne," if you don’t mind, Rose.”

“You will continue to visit Long Lawns each day like you have been doing, but not to teach but to learn, to learn to be my maid. Now get out of those clothes and into your uniform, GIRL. You have much to learn and much to do.”

Epilogue

Miss Osborne only had maid Rose visit to serve at Long Lawns for two weeks. It was enough to establish and reinforce Marianne’s acceptance of the new found status of Jenny and the fate of her friend Lucinda Lancaster. Whatever financial covenants that had been established between Lucinda Lancaster and Marianne when Lucinda concocted her foolish scheme to raise her maid to the status of Lady were transferred into the hands of Lucinda’s cousin Miss Jenny Osborne.  To cover domestic duties for Miss Osborne, Marianne arranged for the transfer of one of her own maids to take up the position of Long Lawns maid. 

Jenny along with Marianne visited the garden festival at Mrs. Catherine Wilberforce's impressive manor and was the star of the show with her illustrations and beguiling tales of Africa. A strange irony being that Lady Southward was in attendance and was pleased to meet the young artist never suspecting that only seven months ago the pretty well spoken articulate young lady presented to her was a common housemaid.

A number of Lucinda’s friends were at the garden festival and they were quite surprised to learn that Lucinda was now herself out in Africa at the very same place that her cousin Jenny had carried out her missionary work. They were told that Lucinda had become so enthralled by the place and the work she was doing she had no plans to return. All were pleased to know however that whilst Lucinda remained away her cousin Jenny would be staying on at Long Lawns. Marianne had no option but to be complicit in Jenny’s deception at the garden festival and on any other occasion when Mrs Lucinda Lancaster’s whereabouts were questioned.

The auction of Miss Jenny Osborne’s illustrations, the now unquestionable cousin of Mrs Lucinda Lancaster, at the festival was a huge success and Jenny received numerous commissions for her work, even from Lady Southward herself.

Over the coming months Miss Osborne became the established Mistress of Long Lawns and endeared herself within what had been her original Mistress’s circle of friends, no one ever suspecting the humble origins of the charming pretty young lady or indeed the true fate that had befallen their friend, Lucinda Lancaster.

Whilst Jenny blossomed, Marianne was consumed with self loathing for what she had allowed, what she had encouraged to become of her friend but despite this remained silent, becoming increasingly reclusive and withdrawn. 

Twelve months had passed and on a visit to Long Lawns an agitated Marianne found Jenny in her established studio completing a beautiful composition of wild flowers for Cynthia Blackstone, now a mutual friend. 

“Jenny, can I disturb you for a moment please?”

Jenny put down her brush, swivelled in her chair and smiled.

“Marianne, how nice to see you! What is wrong?.”

Standing Jenny tugged the call bell for her maid and the pair were soon sat sipping tea.

“Jenny it’s about Lucin.. Sorry, I mean Lucy, your maid Lucy, what, what..."

Marianne’s voice trailed off and she collapsed in a flood of tears and started to sob.

“O, Jenny you cannot leave her there at the convent. You can’t! Let me go and see her please Jenny, please.”

Jenny put down her cup, stood and offered some comfort to Marianne putting her arm around her, speaking in a somewhat condescending tone.

“Marianne, we have discussed this before. Look, it was my cousin's wish that I became a lady and it was you who orchestrated all this, me becoming the Mistress of Long Lawns. Lucy, my maid, had become depraved, we both know that. She is settled now at the convent. I spoke with Sister Agnes only two weeks ago when I made another sizable donation and it is months now since Lucy stopped all that unbelievable nonsense about being a mistress. Seeing you again could give her false hope and we wouldn’t want Lucy regressing, would we? The poor thing! Sister Agnes told me it could be years before that wicked possession is driven from her but she is adamant it will and that when she is through her novice period there is no reason she cannot join the other sisters and become a nun at the convent.”

Marianne looked up at Jenny with teary eyes.

“It’s not fair. I have been so wicked, I should be punished for what I have done to her.”

Jenny smirked. 

“Indeed, Marianne. Punished. How strange you should feel that way. Would you like me to help you with that?” 

A sniffling Marianne was truly at her lowest ebb and ravaged by guilt, haunted by what she had done to her friend.

“What do you mean help me?” 

Marianne listened and acquiesced to Jenny’s scheme. She wanted to be punished and what more fitting repentance than what Jenny had proposed?

Meadow Hall was soon sold at a low price. The buyer was informed the owner was in financial difficulties and it was a fair price for a quick sale. The auction of all the furniture and belongings of the owner passed no less swiftly.

It was awkward for the circle of friends that Jenny had become part of but they praised Jenny for her kindness in what she had done for her cousin’s destitute friend when the financial difficulties that led to her bankruptcy became known.  With Marianne having become reclusive and withdrawn over the months prior to the disclosure of her apparent financial ruin the demise of Mrs Marianne Sunderland was not questioned, merely accepted. 

Marianne sat calmly and contrite at Jenny’s desk and slid over the bank drafts from the sales to Miss Osborne. 

Jenny smiled. 

“Thank you, now your jewellery please.”

Marianne hesitated then slowly removed her earrings, necklace, bracelet and rings handing them across the desk to Miss Osborne. 

A document pushed across the desk to Marianne. the pen scrolled its signature and it was done.

Jenny stood and smirked.

“Well that concludes matters for Mrs Sunderland. Shall we begin your wish for atonement and penance, ROSE? Rest assured your mistress at Long Lawns will make the punishment you seek for your wickedness as meaningful as she can.” 

Rose stood and smoothing down her apron curtsied.

“Thank you, Mistress.”

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