A Very Victorian Education Chapter 13 plus illustration

Below is Chapter 13, it’s not as long as the previous one which I think was a bit too drawn out. The illustration is in the body of the story for various reasons.

Once again I thought I could finish it this time and once again I failed so I’m loathe to repeat that prediction again even though –  since Chapter 4  – I know how it’s going to end.

So heaven knows when this will wind up hopefully it will be with the next chapter as I’m already thinking about the next story. But who knows? These ladies really seem to know how to prolong poor Aubrey’s torment.

 I don’t control them, they control me.

Thanks again to all who indicated their support for the continuation of the story through the ‘more’ box and especially to the Anon commenter and Geraldine for your kind words and encouragement. I really appreciate it. Readers may think I sound like a broken record but it is very important for me to acknowledge this support. I’m very old school like that.

I also thought I could get another illustration done but could not complete it in time.

As usual time is always a problem so could be 6-8 weeks before the next chapter. These intervals between chapters are too long I know but we all have real lives to get on with- unfortunately.

Nothing else to say other than hopefully I got all the typos and I hope you enjoy it.

Carrie

A Very Victorian Education

By

CarrieP

Chapter 13

 Life is cruel.

This truism was only too familiar to Aubrey St. Clair. The months he had spent under the strict and authoritarian Lady Charlotte de Winter had taught him this very lesson in spades. Within hours of his arrival at her house she had forced him- a confident and self assured young man- into a satin gown and of course the appropriately restrictive female undergarments. Her dastardly purpose was to eradicate his masculine traits and educate him in the more refined and decorous behaviour of the weaker sex. Thus began a regimen of feminisation which he found himself helpless to resist or prevent. Naturally he was constantly making gallant attempts to retain some semblance of masculinity but his efforts were continually undermined by Lady Charlotte and her staff of all female domestic servants. It was an overwhelming and pervasive femininity that surrounded and engulfed him. In the several months under her authority anything remotely associated with the male sex was forbidden and he was, in Lady Charlotte’s words, encouraged to comport himself as a young lady at all times. He laughed bitterly at her use of the word encourage she was in fact coercing him to acting and dressing like a young lady. Failure to satisfy her of his enthusiasm for this ghastly enterprise was met with subtle and not so subtle punishments. To ensure he had a feminine figure she had affixed the most remarkable female breast forms to his chest- a mortifying appendage for a young man. Adding a further layer of humiliation he was forced to act as a maid to her friend Mrs Maude Cockshott and her daughter Roberta who- because of his delicate facial features- were unaware of his true sex. It was an intolerable situation for a young man but now the Fates had provided him with the opportunity to escape this nightmare.

Throughout these months confined in the most elaborate gowns of silk, satin, velvet and taffeta and the other delicate unmanly fabrics he dreamed of escaping the web of femininity that she had entrapped him in. However this proved to be exactly just that- a dream.

Until now.

These were the thoughts that ran through his mind as he stood with his back to  the open door of Mrs Cockshott’s house, finally after all these months he was now dressed in male clothes and poised to leave. He took one last glance at Roberta Cockshott dressed in her pink satin robe as she slowly descended the wide staircase. Her expression puzzled him. She had sacrificed much to save him from the clutches of the formidable Mrs Dearhorn and now he had abandoned his role as her maid,stolen the male clothes she wore and as she bathed he quietly made his way downstairs. He thought she would be angry at his betrayal but her face displayed no outrage or fury merely an extremely composed, nonchalant look as she descended the stairs with all the grace of a ballerina.

If she knew my dreadful circumstances she would understand he said to himself as he turned his back on her to finally leave this nightmare behind.

He squinted as the strong afternoon sun hit his eyes and it took him a second or two before he could adjust his focus to the glare. A large shadow fell on him and his eyes had to adapt once more. His first reaction was this silhouette was the sun’s strong beam playing tricks on him.

A moment later he realised this was not the case. He felt his legs weaken and a familiar knot tighten in his stomach. A slow moan finally reached his throat; he had to hold on to the door frame as the sound made its way into the warm afternoon air.

“No…oh no…”

Several seconds passed before a  familiar patrician voice pierced the air.

“And what exactly may I ask are you doing dressed like that?” Lady Charlotte de Winter snapped.

Aubrey was so stunned he thought he was about to faint.

“Thinking of escaping eh?” Lady Charlotte said brusquely. “And after all I have done for you. You ungrateful girl.”

Shocked and devastated at being caught at the last moment he nevertheless could not help noticing her reference to him as a girl despite being dressed in male garb. Her use of the word ‘girl’ was said without malice and in a most perfunctory way as if she genuinely did not recognise any trace of masculinity in the person standing in front of her.

Aubrey knew he was in deep trouble and he briefly thought of pushing her out of the way and bounding down the street but the shock of being confronted by Lady Charlotte’s statuesque figure just as he was about to break free had froze him to the spot. His brain was in turmoil and his limbs were incapable of any sort of movement and even if he could think of some excuse he would have been unable to utter a word.

The blood had drained from his face and he could only stare at her open-mouthed. Somewhere in his brain he knew just how stupid he appeared.

“What a pleasant surprise.” a familiar voice rang out from behind Aubrey “How lovely to see you dear godmother.”

“Roberta, my child. Such a pleasure to see you out of those dreadful male clothing.” Lady Charlotte said sweetly, a broad smile crossing her face at the sight of her goddaughter and turning to Aubrey she hissed “I will speak to you later.”

“Please don’t scold the girl, Lady Charlotte.” Roberta pleaded “It’s my fault, she struck me as having some slightly masculine features and I was curious to see what she would look like in male clothing. Perhaps being unused to such garments she just got overwhelmed and required some fresh air.”

Aubrey looked behind him and saw Roberta slowly and gracefully crossed the hall, the sound of her kitten heeled slippers clicking on the marble floor and her firm breasts gently moving under her pink satin robe. He blushed with shame, a different shame than the one he had become used to over these months.

He had betrayed her yet she was prepared to deceive her godmother on his behalf.  

Lady Charlotte glared at Aubrey but as Roberta joined them at the door her demeanour softened and she was clearly delighted to see her. The older woman’s scowl disappeared and was replaced by a smile as Roberta embraced her warmly giving her a kiss on each cheek. After they parted Lady Charlotte fixed Aubrey with her piercing blue eyes.

“I’m not so sure.” she said addressing her remark to Roberta but keeping her eyes firmly lock on Aubrey “I know him better than you.”

“Him? “You see even you could be fooled by the clothes.” Roberta squealed, clapping her hands in delight “Yes she does almost make a reasonable facsimile for a male. It really is astonishing what the right set of clothes can do for one.”

“It was a mere slip of the tongue.” Lady Charlotte said gruffly as she glared at the figure in male clothing and crossed the threshold with a swish of her elegant satin skirts.

The shock was now wearing off and the full realisation of his situation had seeped through to his brain.

For a brief moment he calculated he still had a chance to flee and just as the thought was transmitted to his legs Lady Charlotte moved into the centre of the doorway, her statuesque figure and bulky skirts cutting off his escape route. Her eyes met his and reading his face like a book she raised her silver handled ebony walking stick and placed in in the jam of the door preventing any thought of escape. A smile crossed her face. A victory smile he thought bitterly. He knew he had now no chance of evading her grasp. His heart sank, his golden opportunity for freedom had been cruelly taken from him. Worse than that he would now have to face the full force of Lady Charlotte’s displeasure.

Trapped once more. Life really was cruel.

“I thought I heard voices.” Mrs Cockshott’s voice echoed loudly across the marbled vestibule as she appeared at the door of the drawing room and with skirts and petticoats rustling she made her way slowly to where the trio stood.

“Charlotte!” she gushed “I wasn’t expecting you to visit so soon.”

 “I apologise for calling unannounced Leonora.” Lady Charlotte said “but the maid you sent back was concerned that the girl…” she gestured with distaste to Aubrey “…you borrowed from me may have been a little overwhelmed by the number of ladies present.”

An expression of extreme displeasure crossed her handsome face, before turning back to her friend and despite her goddaughter’s explanation could not help exclaiming,

“And this is what I find!”

Mrs Cockshott approached the three figures and as she joined her friend at the doorway she raised the pince-nez she wore on a gold chain around her neck to her eyes.

“What in heaven’s name…” she blurted the shock evident in her voice as she recognised Aubrey in unfamiliar attire, “I had thought it was one of Roberta’s mannish friends.”

She looked first at her daughter then to Aubrey and back to Lady Charlotte.

“My word!” Mrs Cockshott exclaimed “She does look a little masculine; from a distance and wearing those clothes I genuinely thought she was a young male however I can see now it is your maid.”

She recognised the look of displeasure on her friend’s face and recognised the gravity of the situation. She addressed Aubrey in a curt voice.

“What is the meaning of this, girl?”

“I… ah…it…”he stammered, fear gripping him like a vice.

“Mother I have already explained to Lady Charlotte why the girl is dressed in my male clothing.”Roberta answered for him.

“I might have known this was one of your ideas.” her mother snorted and turned to her friend “You will forgive me Charlotte I knew nothing of this outrage.”

“I never thought it for a moment, dear Leonora.” Lady Charlotte said and once more gesturing towards Aubrey “but this …ahem… girl has an unfortunate tendency to drift away from the feminine aspects of his…I mean… her personality unless constantly supervised. It is a most regrettable inclination and one that has caused her mother a great deal of distress. She placed her under in my care and I genuinely thought I had rectified her most unbecoming behaviour but I see she has lapsed into her old ways. She obviously has taken advantage of Roberta’s sweet nature and persuaded her to part with those… – and I make no apology for referring to them in this way- … those dreadful male garments.”

Roberta once again moved closer to Lady Charlotte and took hold of her hands.

 “Naturally if I had known of your concerns for the girl I would not have dressed her so.” Roberta lied “but in her defence she is still wearing a corset, bloomers, chemise and stockings so she is quite feminine underneath. Do not blame the girl Lady Charlotte it really was my fault.”

“Mmm…”Lady Charlotte murmured, eyeing Aubrey suspiciously “You are far too trusting Roberta. I had better take her home but not dressed like that.”

She turned to Aubrey and said in a brusque voice,

“Go up stairs and put on your uniform. You will return with me.”

“Oh please Lady Charlotte.” Roberta pleaded gripping the older woman’s hands tighter “Let her stay, if I’m to dress in the fashion Mother wants I will need a maid and she does seem to have an eye for the most feminine clothes. She has already picked out two gowns for me that I am sure Mother would approve of. You really have trained her well.”

“Really?” Lady Charlotte said and looked at Aubrey, an expression of disbelief registering on her handsome face.

“Oh yes.” Roberta said excitedly.

“Is that so?” Lady Charlotte said quietly and turned once more to Aubrey giving him a quizzical look, her voice dripping with a sarcasm only he recognised. “Do please enlighten us.”

Aubrey saw that this time Roberta could be of no assistance and he knew that unless he said something he would expose both as liars.

“Ah.. emm…”he stammered

“I thought so.” Lady Charlotte snorted derisively and turned to Mrs Cockshott “I will take her back with me, she is obviously….

“The first gown…” Aubrey, his heart beating like a drum interrupted her in a soft voice “was a silk satin deep mocha with silk brocade panels in two pieces, the skirt had a ruched front panel and a two tier pleated hem and a boned bodice.”

Aubrey could scarcely believe what just came out of his mouth, he stole a quick glance at Lady Charlotte and it appeared she was equally surprised. It was as if he had heard a woman’s voice utter the words from his own mouth, it took him a few seconds to realise the voice was indeed his. Before anyone could speak he cleared his throat and continued, 

“The second was a pink satin and silk organza, again with a boned bodice with a tiered skirt of pleated drapery. Both are beautiful and would suit Miss Roberta extremely well.”

The silence in the large vestibule was broken only by the ticking of the large grandfather clock. His heart raced and he struggled to control is breathing, he was as shocked as Lady Charlotte by the knowledge he had displayed of female fashion.

Lady Charlotte’s smile gave him the answer.

In the months under her strict regimen it appeared he had subliminally absorbed a completely new feminine sensibility. He now possessed a familiarity of  feminine fashion to rival that of any young lady of breeding.

 He suddenly became aware of the horror of his situation, somewhere in his psyche the femininity he had resisted all this time had insinuated itself into the very fabric of his being.

His thoughts were interrupted by Roberta’s voice.

“I told you she was extremely helpful. You really must allow her to stay.” she exclaimed and although her words were supportive he detected something in her eyes that unnerved him.

He was now in her debt.

He realised that whether he returned with Lady Charlotte or remained with Roberta he would have to face the consequences of his attempted escape.

“I knew she would be perfect for Roberta.” Mrs Cockshott trilled and addressed her friend “You have obviously instilled in the girl your excellent taste and eye for detail.”

“Emm…I…ah…yes…” Lady Charlotte stumbled over her words, still recovering from the surprise of Aubrey’s new found familiarity with ladies fashion.

“Yes, she has been most helpful Charlotte” Mrs Cockshott continued “As you are aware Roberta has chosen to wear male attire as a result of her involvement in this ridiculous suffrage movement, totally unnecessary of course, but she insists. I have finally persuaded her to discard these ghastly garments but she has insisted that your girl should become her maid- on a temporary basis of course. I truly doubted that Roberta would keep her word but this girl, despite the dreadful clothes she is wearing, seems to have a positive effect on her.”

Lady Charlotte glanced at Aubrey and he could see she was perplexed at this turn of events.

“Surely Roberta you can engage another maid.” Lady Charlotte argued “I’m still training this girl and as you can see she is prone to behaviour most unbecoming of a servant girl.”

“Oh please Lady Charlotte.” Roberta pleaded, gazing imploringly into her godmother’s eyes.

“Oh do stop looking at me like that Roberta.” Lady Charlotte sniffed.

“Please…godmother.” Roberta appealed, her eyes widening as she maintained her relentless supplication.

“This is most irregular.” Lady Charlotte muttered and looked at Aubrey once more “but I do know how much Roberta’s male clothing distresses you Leonora.”

Mrs Cockshott slipped her arm under her friend’s.

“This has been quite a shock for both of us, Charlotte.” she said softly, patting her arm “Why don’t we discuss it over a sherry.”

She then turned to Aubrey.

“Close the door girl.”

All three women had their eyes firmly fixed on him as he placed his hands on the ornate brass door handle and slowly closed the large heavy door. The lock clicked into place with a thud as leaden as his heart and Aubrey knew his golden opportunity for freedom had, like the door, been firmly closed. He saw from the corner of his eye a discreet smile appear on Lady Charlotte’s face as she removed the key from the lock and gave it to Mrs Cockshott.

“Roberta.” Mrs Cockshott turned to her daughter “now that this nonsense has been cleared up would you kindly take yourself and your maid upstairs and get dressed in one of those delightful gowns I’m sure your godmother would like to see you in clothes befitting a young lady.”

“Of course, Mother.” Roberta answered.

“Leonora, I would like a word alone with the girl before she attends to Roberta.” Lady Charlotte said and as Mrs Cockshott moved to join Roberta Lady Charlotte called Aubrey to her.

“It appears I arrived just in time.” Lady Charlotte said quietly “Whether you realise it or not you were about to make a serious mistake. “

Aubrey looked at her blankly, he knew she did not quite believe Roberta’s story. He was expecting an angry tirade, an irate rebuke at the very least but there was no outrage, not even irritation. Her voice was calm and even as she continued.

“Although you are dressed in masculine clothes you may think that is enough to walk the streets as a male. But what you are probably totally unaware of is that you now walk and act in a remarkably feminine way and despite some slight male facial features your countenance is much more feminine than masculine. Even your thought processes have changed, how many young men have such a detailed grasp of female fashion? Not exactly the most macho of young men, are you?”

She smiled as she touched his face, he knew this was not meant as a statement but a question. So far she had not shown any sign of anger and he dare not risk displeasing her at this stage. He knew the answer that was expected.

“No, m’lady.”

This was not the first time he had heard remarks like this, in fact from the first moment he stepped inside Lady Charlotte’s home he was subject to similar comments on a daily basis. The servants would often make a reference to just how feminine he was and when he complained to Lady Charlotte she chided him, telling him that the maids regarded these comments as compliments and he should be grateful and to ensure he thanked them for their kind remarks. With Lady Charlotte present he was forced to show gratitude to these girls for subjecting him to such ridicule. He remembered they could barely contain their sniggers. In taking part in this charade he contributed to eroding the very masculinity he was trying to protect.

Is it any wonder I walk and act like a girl? He berated himself silently.

Lady Charlotte continued.

“As I was saying you were just about to make a serious mistake. I recognised several of your college friends in the street outside, Lady Castleknock’s son and Baroness Carlisle’s boy among them.”

She moved to the window and drew back the heavy velvet curtain a few inches to reveal several young men chatting in the street. Aubrey looked at her aghast, these young men were indeed his friends.

“I can imagine what would they say when they encountered you mincing down the street?” Lady Charlotte sneered.

He gasped at the thought. As much as he hated to admit it and despite his best efforts to avoid it he had undoubtedly acquired some feminine traits. He quickly remembered the girlish way he ran across the hall to reach the door. Months of female deportment lessons under Miss Alice’s eagle eye had turned his masculine stride into an elegant and refined feminine gait. It was not something he would lose quickly.

“And if that wasn’t enough your corset is quite visible under your shirt, I’m sure they would have something to say about that!”

By now Aubrey was totally demoralised and almost grateful to Lady Charlotte for saving him from what would have been exposure as a corset wearing effeminate pansy. She saw the horror in his face at the prospect of such an encounter with his friends and seeing her opportunity to further unsettle him quickly decided to press home her advantage.

“Of course you are not a prisoner.” she said and gestured towards the door “You can go if you like. Or perhaps I could invite them in for tea.”

Aubrey knew only too well what would happen when his friends saw him, they would be merciless and soon his effeminate appearance would be the talk of their extensive social circle. He would be the laughing stock of London. He would require at least a day or two to shake off these female mannerisms, he could not risk revealing himself until he was quite sure he had recovered his masculinity in full.

“Well?”she asked, her eyebrows raised.

“A…ah.. no.” he replied still shivering at the prospect.

“So you wish to remain under my care?” she proposed.

“Yes your ladyship.” he answered.

“And agree to wear the appropriate feminine attire?” she said.

“Yes m’lady.” he confirmed meekly.

“A wise decision considering what awaits you outside.” she said. “I should also say dressing yourself in male clothing has complicated matters.  It was a mistake agreeing to allow you to come here in the first place but I had little option. I’m certainly not happy about leaving you here as Roberta’s maid. If you are not careful she will discover your secret.”

Aubrey was only too well aware of this and he knew that whatever humiliations he would have to endure at Lady Charlotte’s home at least his secret was safe as her servants would not reveal his true sex to anyone outside their mistress’s employ. He now realised the frying pan was safer than the fire.

“When can I return?” he asked timidly.

“Life as a maid does not suit you?” Lady Charlotte asked snidely, turning the screw a little tighter and clearly enjoying his unease.

“No, your ladyship.” he replied quickly as he saw Roberta glance in his direction.

“I suppose after the beautiful gowns I dressed you in, wearing a maid’s uniform must be very humiliating.” she said looking him directly in the eye and smiling “And the very idea of being a lady’s maid must also feel extremely degrading for a young man.”

He could not deny it. He was used to having a maid not being one. The mortifying experience with the ladies in the drawing room and Mrs Dearhorn in particular were foremost in his mind. If he was to be dressed as a girl it was far better to be dressed as a young lady than a lady’s maid or even worse a housemaid. A horrible thought struck him that if Mrs Cockshott or Roberta wished to do so they could put him to work as a kitchen or scullery maid. He felt panic rising once more.

“Oh yes Lady Charlotte. Very degrading.” he admitted with an obviously genuine enthusiasm that surprised Lady Charlotte.

“Please can I come home?” he begged.

Home! How delightful! Lady Charlotte purred to herself disguising her pleasure at his request. He now thinks of my house as his home. Maybe sending him to Leonora as a maid was not such a bad idea after all?

She studied him closely. Any idea he had of escaping was now out of the question and he was firmly back under her control. However she remained annoyed that despite all his training he had attempted to escape, she had anticipated this eventuality which is why she had arrived unexpectedly.

Roberta is obviously making him extremely anxious she said to herself, it will most beneficial if he remains in such a state, it will help keep him quite docile and securely under my authority.

“Mrs Cockshott has made it plain that her daughter requires a maid if she is to conform to her mother’s wishes.” Lady Charlotte began

“But Roberta..”he gasped interrupting her.

“Ah yes… Roberta” Lady Charlotte said “She does seem to be quite enamoured with you and it appears you are the only reason she will consider renouncing those dreadful male clothes.”

“She… is trying to…” he stammered his face beginning to blush.

“Yes I can imagine what she is trying to do.” Lady Charlotte smiled knowing full well what he meant. “She is a very determined young lady but I doubt if she will try to deflower you now that she knows I am here.”

Aubrey blush deepened at her candid remark.

“Oh no need to be so prudish.” she laughed quietly “We women know about these things. When dressed in female clothing you are a pretty little thing and as you now know Roberta has a penchant for girls like you. You should feel flattered that such a beautiful young woman finds you attractive.”

“But… what if…”he mumbled, his face reddening by the second.

“As I said nothing will happen.” Lady Charlotte answered “well nothing too serious I expect. You must not panic or try to abscond again or it will just make her more determined and may make her even more suspicious. Play along with her up to a point and if she does get too frisky just mention that I may enter the room at any time. She is well aware that being discovered in flagrante would end any hope of continuing a maid and mistress relationship. Do you understand?”

He nodded, his discomfort was obvious.

 Lady Charlotte could not resist increasing his anxiety. Time for another turn of the screw.

“As you know only too well, pretty servant girls can attract the attentions of their masters or mistresses.” she said knowingly.

His eyes fell to the floor as he recalled several episodes where he tried to kiss and fondle housemaids in his mother’s service. He could tell that Lady Charlotte was also aware of these shameful events.

“Yes I thought that may sound familiar.” she said as she beckoned to an impatient Roberta who joined them immediately.

 “Now run along with your new mistress until I decide what to do with you.” Lady Charlotte said and then addressed Roberta “And no inappropriate behaviour from you young lady.”

“Of course not dear godmother.” Roberta answered, smiling at Lady Charlotte sweetly.

“Time for that sherry Charlotte, I think.” Mrs Cockshott said taking her arm and steering her towards the drawing room.

Roberta watched them enter and once she heard the door close she turned to Aubrey.

“Oh dear.” Roberta sighed in an exasperated tone that immediately made Aubrey very nervous. “It seems you have been a very naughty girl.”

He thought about trying to fob her off by agreeing with the story she gave Lady Charlotte about getting fresh air but knew she would see through it for the lie it was. He remained silent.

“Well?” she snapped.

He was trapped with no hope of escape, under such circumstances the last thing he wished to do was aggravate her even further.

“Yes Miss” he replied in a suitably submissive tone.

“And after all I have done for you.” she said with a hint of sadness.

What she said was true, after all had she not saved him from the fearsome Mrs Dearhorn? And had she not lied to her godmother on his behalf?

“Yes Miss.” he said quietly feeling quite ashamed.

“Yes Miss indeed.” Roberta repeated derisively, her voice taking on a tone of exasperation “Trying to sneak out dressed as a male- in my own clothes! I am most disappointed in you. In fact I think you may be better suited to Mrs Dearhorn than me. I’m not sure any more if you deserve to be my maid. I may ask Mother to send for her, I’m sure Lady Charlotte once she hears the full story would agree to allow Mrs Dearhorn to take you.”

Lady Charlotte had almost reduced him to a blubbering wreck, he was in no position to think clearly.

“Oh.. no …please no Miss.” Aubrey squealed, horrified at the idea.

“You clearly have no loyalty or dependability.” Roberta said as she began to walk towards the drawing room door.

It was quite obvious that Lady Charlotte was thoroughly annoyed with him and in his distressed state he felt she may well be persuaded to agree to Roberta’s suggestion -if only to teach him a lesson. He dreaded the thought of such an outcome and despite Roberta’s extremely assertive and predatory personality it was clear that although she was quite vexed with him. The thought of finding himself at Mrs Dearhorn’s estate for an entire weekend filled him with dread.

“Please… please, Miss.” he begged “  I am so sorry, I promise it will not happen again.”

Roberta stopped, she turned to face him and he thought he saw a look of hurt on her face.

“Perhaps, but how can I be sure, you have taken advantage of me once.” she said and looked at him intensely “Why not again? If you were in my place, what would you do to a girl who broke the rules, even worse betrayed her mistress’s trust?”

Aubrey knew ladies like his mother and Lady Charlotte had occasion to punish their maidservants for breeches of household discipline such as staying out too late, not showing proper deference and so on. For minor infractions the punishment usually took the form of a fine or cancelling their half-day off. However for major transgressions which may have resulted in dismissal, the girl would agree to a more severe penalty. This was to avoid receiving a bad character reference which would hamper any future employment in domestic service. Many maids agreed to this willingly, for without a reference they would be unemployable and become destitute. It was a small price to pay particularly as invariably they knew in their hearts they had misbehaved.

Roberta looked at him intently.

He knew only too well how these maids were disciplined, a chastisement usually by a cane or another similar implement was the preferred method by most mistresses.

Well, my girl?”she asked tersely  “How would you deal with such a disobedient servant girl?”

“I …ah…please Miss…”he struggled to answer such a loaded question.

But he need not have bothered as Roberta moved closer to him and said in a quiet voice,

“Oh I think you know very well what happens to girls who misbehave.”

She walked towards the wide staircase and turning to face him she clicked her fingers, her voice was cool and authoritative,

“Come along my girl. Upstairs with you.”

AVVE - Hopefully later this week

The next chapter of AVVE is almost finished but I need to create an illustration to go with it. So hopefully I will be able to post it by next weekend.

Thanks for your continuing patience and support.

Carrie

A Very Victorian Education Chapter 12 plus 2 Illustrations

Below is Chapter 12.

It’s been almost 2 months since the last chapter was posted- so thank you for your patience.

This is one of the longest chapters in the story so far and it took much longer than I had anticipated. Writing this an hour or two at a time is not ideal.

I expected this chapter would have been the last but readers’ support surprised and encouraged me to extend it for one more. And so Aubrey’s nightmare as a feminised male, trussed up in silk and satin continues.

Aubrey seems to be very much in demand by the women with whom he comes into contact particularly Mrs Dearhorn who cannot wait to get her hands on our hero. This is the subject of the first illustration. She is so excited at the prospect that in her mind’s eye she is already choosing new uniforms for him and is musing on how she will train him to her standards.

Thanks again to all who took the time to comment and show their support in the ‘more box’ and I hope this chapter will not disappoint.

Take care.

Carrie

Ps  I will be away on vacation for a few weeks so the next (final?) chapter could take another 2 months to be posted.

A Very Victorian Education 

Chapter 12

 None of the ladies in the Honourable Mrs Leonora Cockshott’s elegant drawing room took much notice of the young parlourmaid accompanying the two formidable and fashionably dressed figures as they made their way to the door. Both women chatted quietly and the maid whose head was slightly bowed and looking extremely disconsolate followed them in silence.  On reaching the door both ladies stood aside, the maid seemed detached, almost in another world and wore a forlorn expression.

“Girl!” a forceful voice barked, shaking the maid from her thoughts.

The maid looked at the voice’s owner, the imposing personage of Mrs Camilla Dearhorn  and immediately realised the tone was a rebuke for not performing one of the duties required of a parlourmaid.

“I’m sorry Madam.” the maid apologised and without pausing for thought instantly curtsied.

 A casual observer would think nothing of this tableau, young servant girls were prone to such lapses in their duties and it would be remiss of their mistresses or indeed any lady of social standing if they did not correct them in a restrained yet forceful manner. However this was no ordinary servant girl, the girl dressed in the afternoon uniform of a parlourmaid was in fact a young man called Aubrey St Clair who had been forced into female clothing by his mother’s friend Lady Charlotte de Winter. His role as a maid in Mrs Cockshott’s home had come about through a misunderstanding on Mrs Cockshott’s part while visiting Lady Charlotte. After performing a thoroughly humiliating task, cleaning dirt from the petticoats and boots of several ladies he was ordered to act as a personal maid to Mrs Dearhorn and her friend Mrs Fanshaw while they retired to Mrs Cockshott’s bedroom.

The youth was already severely traumatised from months of forced feminisation at the hands of Lady Charlotte  and this bizarre and dreadful situation was now greatly exacerbated by these ladies insistence that he act as their maid. Both ladies had already shown an uncommon interest in him and were adamant that he accompany them upstairs, he was terrified that they would take advantage of him and learn of his humiliating secret thus exposing him to the ridicule of London society.

Despite his revulsion of the female clothing and particularly the maid’s uniform he was now forced to wear, he had to concede that the months of feminisation at the hands of Lady Charlotte was invaluable in convincing all those present in Mrs Cockshott’s drawing room that he was a female. In fact much to his horror he had become aware that in recent weeks he had began to view things from a feminine perspective. He would notice a new hairstyle on a maid or perhaps if Lady Charlotte wore a smaller bustle or an extra petticoat. These were things as a male he would never have observed. Physically he noticed subtle changes in his own characteristics, his hips swayed as he walked giving him a more feminine gait this was possibly due to the tight corsets he had to wear. The length of the corsets also meant he took shorter steps than the long strides he would take as a male. His training under Alice – one of Lady Charrlotte’s maids, but now promoted to ct as his Governess – also included needlework, flower arranging and other suitably feminine pursuits and as a result he became more graceful and polished than a male. However, as he was told incessantly, he still had many flaws which required constant corrections and still had a lot to learn if he was to successfully subdue those dreadful male characteristics which brought his mother so much misery and heartache.

As he was now discovering his training appeared to disguise much of his masculine traits but despite his best efforts to comport himself in a graceful female manner there were still slight feminine nuances he found difficult to master. These combined with his obviously boyish – if slightly feminine – looks raised a mild suspicion in some of the ladies present but his maid’s uniform, his lack of masculine clumsiness and an adequate but sufficent amount  of feminine poise managed to convince most of them that he was in fact what they perceived him to be –  Mrs Cockshott’s servant girl.

Now all this was in danger as he would soon be alone with Mrs Fanshaw and the more alarming Mrs Dearhorn whom he felt still remained unconvinced of his portrayal as a female. Furthermore he was certain she would not rest until she proved otherwise. His last hope of rescue from the intimate attention of these women was dashed when Mrs Cockshott’s daughter Roberta, a young woman whose preference for male clothing annoyed her mother, declined her mother’s request to wear conventional female attire which would require his attendance as a maid in assisting her to dress. This was the panic which had distracted him from his duties as a servant girl resulting in his failure to open the door for the two ladies.

“Oh don’t be too hard on the girl, Camilla.” Mrs Fanshaw gently admonished her friend “you can see the poor girl is trembling.”

“You are far too lenient with servants Gertrude.” Mrs Dearhorn replied “young maidservants these days are extremely lax in their duties, they require a firm hand.”

“I think that may be why you have trouble retaining your own maids Camilla.” Mrs Fanshaw said with a smile before adding “your hand, or dare I say, your hairbrush is far too firm.”

Aubrey visibly shuddered.

“Gertrude, please!” Mrs Dearhorn rebuked her friend “I’ve told you, not in front of the servants.”

 Both women passed Aubrey who curtsied once more and entered the spacious vestibule, their heavy skirts trailing along the white marbled floor as they made their way to the wide staircase.

“Come along girl.” Mrs Dearhorn said addressing Aubrey. ”stop dawdling I have plans for you.”

“I’m afraid your plans will have to wait Camilla.” Mrs Cockshott’s voice rang out.

Both women and a startled Aubrey turned to find Mrs Cockshott and Roberta moving towards them.

“I don’t understand Leonora.” Mrs Dearhorn said, a slightly bemused look on her face.

“It seems Roberta has come to her senses and has agreed to dress like the lady she is.” Mrs Cockshott proclaimed excitedly, her face unable to conceal her delight at imparting her news. “I’m afraid she will need the girl after all. I do hope you understand.”

“But.. we… I …how are we to…” Mrs Dearhorn stammered her face struggling to conceal her annoyance.

“Fortunately Charlotte sent two maids.” Mrs Cockshott interrupted her friends protest “I will have the other girl attend to you.”

“This is most unsatisfactory Leonora.” Mrs Dearhorn snorted indignantly “I..”

“It’s quite all right Leonora.” Mrs Fanshaw said calmly interrupting her friend “perhaps it is time we left as we still have some arrangements to make for our journey to the estate tomorrow.”

“Unfortunately I will have to decline your kind invitation.” Mrs Cockshott said as she turned her gaze to her daughter and smiled “I have been waiting for a long time to see Roberta back in attire more suited to her sex as well as her position in society. Naturally I would like to help her in her choices and obviously she will need a maid to dress and undress her.”

Aubrey felt a weight lift from his shoulders and glanced in Roberta direction. She gave him a wry smile before winking at him.

“But.. the girl …we…” Mrs Dearhorn spluttered.

“Of course we understand, Leonora.” Mrs Fanshaw said and taking her friend by the arm began to steer her away.

As Mrs Deerhorn left the company in a fit of pique Mrs Fanshaw said her goodbyes to Roberta       and Mrs Cockshott before she left she moved towards Aubrey who was several feet away.

“Such a pity I did not get to know you a little better my dear.” she said softly as her large pale blue eyes met his “but I call on your mistress Lady Charlotte quite often so I’m sure we will meet again.”

Mrs Cockshott accompanied both women to the door and left Roberta alone with Aubrey at the foot of the stairs.

“I hope you appreciate what I have done for you.” Roberta said a hint of quiet resignation in her voice.

Aubrey could see from her sombre expression that she was quite dejected and crestfallen and immediately realised that she had sacrificed a great deal to ensure he did not leave with the two women. He really did feel incredibly grateful, no one had ever done anything like his for him before. The events of the past few hours had traumatised him to the extent he felt he had only the most tenuous grasp on his masculinity and even now he was doubting if in fact  he was a male. A quick glimpse of his reflection in the full length hall mirror did nothing to reassure him, he only saw a pretty maid in full afternoon uniform standing opposite a male figure. Even though his brain was trying to tell him differently a glance down at the clothes he was wearing confirmed he was indeed the maid. Instinctively he curtsied.

“Oh yes sir, thank you so much sir.” he blurted and although he was aware of how submissive he sounded he was powerless to act otherwise.

“I hope you mean that.” Roberta said, her eyes searching his face for any trace of deceit.

“Oh yes, sir.” Aubrey replied and curtsied again.

“Once she is back in petticoats and skirts there will be no confusion as to her sex.”Mrs Cockshott’s voice announced abruptly as she appeared suddenly from behind Aubrey. “There will be no more referring to my beautiful daughter as ‘Sir’. You will address her as Miss Roberta from now on.”

As she caressed her daughter’s face Aubrey could see Roberta wince at her mother’s remark. Mrs Cockshott  then turned to Aubrey and said brusquely,

“Is that clear girl?”

“Yes Madam.” Aubrey answered meekly and immediately curtsied.

“Good, now I have to attend to the remaining guests.” Mrs Cockshott said “I always knew this day would come so I have purchased several gowns for you and they are in my closet with your name on them as well as lingerie, corsets and petticoats. Now run along and I will be there as soon as I can.”

“Mother, do I have to….” Roberta began but was immediately stopped by her mother.

“You agreed to obey me in all matters if I allowed the girl to stay.” Mrs Cockshott said sharply “of course I can always have the ladies return, they live reasonably close.”

Roberta opened her mouth and momentarily considered arguing but thought the better of it and remained silent.

Aubrey recognised the look on Roberta’s face, a look of submission and compliance. It was a look he had seen every time he observed his reflection in a mirror since his nightmare began in Lady Charlotte’s home. He knew now that no one, not even family, seemed to be exempt from the authority of these powerful, dominant women.  It became obvious to him that after the freedom of male attire Roberta dreaded returning to feminine clothing. It was a feeling he could empathise with.

Seeing she had won and her daughter would not pursue her protest, her mother continued in a triumphant voice,

“Yes I thought that would make you think twice and believe me I would do it.” Mrs Cockshott said and continued in a most patronising tone “Why don’t you run along upstairs and try on some of those sumptuous gowns…like a good girl. I wish to speak to your maid. I will send her up shortly.” 

Aubrey could see Roberta had winced at the phrase ’like a good girl’ and could understand her emotions, after all how often had he been humiliated by the very same words?

As Roberta began to climb the stairs Mrs Cockshott turned to Aubrey.

“This is an unexpected turn of events,” she began clearly delighted “but very welcome nonetheless. As you will have gathered Miss Roberta does not care for society’s norms which includes wearing the conventional  form of attire for a female which as you will appreciate is most disturbing for a mother.”

She paused and looked at Aubrey who was only too well aware of what his reaction should be.

“Yes Madam.” he dutifully replied.

Mrs Cockshott continued,

“Your mistress seems to have faith in you which is why I brought you here in the first place. Now, it appears my daughter has taken quite a liking to you and with your help I am hoping to convince her to discard this ghastly penchant for male clothing. I’m sure your mistress will be most appreciative if you can successfully influence Miss Roberta in her choice of attire after all we have similar views regarding proper dress codes for young ladies. Do you understand?”

“Yes Madam.” Aubrey replied.

“Excellent.” Mrs Cocksott said “What a good girl, no wonder Lady Charlotte did not want to let you come with me you are an excellent maidservant.”

Aubrey was so grateful and relived at having been rescued from the clutches of the dreadful Mrs Dearhorn he did not resent Mrs Cockshott’s compliment and in a strange way even welcomed it.

“Thank you Madam.” he said and as any maid would have done he spontaneously curtsied.

“You will find silk lingerie in the one of the tallboys and use the long dark blue corset.” Mrs Cockshott said “I want that dreadful manly gait of hers restricted to a more feminine step.”

She paused briefly and looked at Aubrey to ensure he comprehended.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes Madam.” he answered in a suitably servile voice and as he was wearing such a corset he knew exactly what she meant.

“And make sure it is laced good and tight.” she continued “it has been almost two years since she stopped wearing corsets and it is high time she was reacquainted with what it means to be a female. It does wonders for the figure and instils a sense of decorum and decency. If men were forced into corsets the world would be a better place, we could easily keep them under control. Don’t you think?”

“Yes Madam.” he said and he could feel the shame rise within himself.

“I really don’t understand why she does not want to wear one.” she mused “I saw the one you are wearing, such a beautiful creation. A gift from your mistress?”

“Yes Madam.” he lied, bitterly recalling how he was laced tightly into it every day. He sensed Mrs Cockshott wanted him to expand his answer, he cringed inside as he said “My mistress is very generous and has also given me other items of her lingerie.”

“And I’ll wager wearing such a exquisite garments makes you feel extremely feminine?” Mrs Cockshott enquired.

“Yes Madam.” Aubrey answered shamefully repeating her words “extremely feminine.”

“And given your boyish looks I suspect it is most important that you feel feminine at all times.” she said looking at Aubrey to confirm her views.

“Yes Madam, most important.” he replied, anxious to maintain his image as a well trained servant girl

 “This is why you are the ideal person to influence my daughter.” Mrs Cockshott gushed, her voice becoming excited “You must convince her that it is a joy to wear such feminine clothes and like you, even though you are a mere servant girl, it will make her more attractive and confident in her femininity. Now run along upstairs and get her out of those ghastly male clothes and into one of those gorgeous gowns and make sure she wears at least three petticoats. Your mistress is Miss Roberta’s godmother and she will be delighted if you can persuade her to return to the feminine realm. I’m sure she will reward you handsomely, as will I. Now off you go, have her join me in the drawing room in two hours.”

Mrs Cockshott dismissed her maid with a wave of her hand and after bobbing the obligatory curtsy Aubrey turned and  in a typically feminine gesture before mounting stairs he instinctively lifted his skirts before placing his foot on the first step.

As he made his way upstairs with both hands clutching his skirts the idea of being alone with this intimidating young woman not to mention having to help her dress filled him with deep anxiety. Her interest in him alarmed him but perversely he also felt flattered at her attentions, it was something he had never experienced from a girl before. The silence of the long corridor which led to her bedroom was broken only by the sound of his petticoats rustling under his uniform and as he approached her bedroom he felt an unusual but not unpleasant sensation in his stomach which he found difficult to rationalise. It was so unusual to be on the receiving end of such compliments from an attractive girl even if she was a few years older than himself but in retrospect he had to admit he did enjoy it. These were the thoughts that were running through his mind as he stopped outside her bedroom door and just before he knocked on the door he looked at himself in the long mirror. He fixed his hair under his cap and straightened his apron and fluffed out his petticoats to ensure his uniform fell properly. He then ran his tongue over his lips to moisten them and thinking his cheeks were a little pale he pinched them until a little colour appeared in them. He was just about to knock on the door when he returned to the mirror to check the bow on his apron was tied in a dainty fashion he pinched his cheeks once more and returned to the door, took a deep breath and knocked lightly.

“Enter.” a strong voice called out Aubrey opened the door and quietly closed it behind him.

Roberta was stretched out on a rose coloured velvet love seat, her highly polished boots dangling over the end. It was glaringly obvious that she was downhearted, seeing Aubrey at the door she managed a weak smile and beckoned him to come over to her. He stood before her nervously clenching his apron to stop his hands from shaking.

Somewhere deep inside his brain he was vaguely aware of a masculine voice trying to establish itself but the months of forced feminisation under the strict regime of Lady Charlotte had robbed him of more than his clothes. His natural confidence, some would say arrogance, not to mention most of his masculine traits had been eroded and replaced by suitably feminine mannerisms. Checking his appearance in the mirror was a prime example. He could barely remember what it felt like to wear trousers and had become so used to wearing female garments he barely noticed them any more. Being compelled to act as a maid for Mrs Cockshott was yet another deeply humiliating experience and further undermined his diminishing masculinity.

“Madam said I was to help you change sir.” he said and curtsied.

“Sir?” Roberta laughed bitterly, a tone of resigned acceptance in her voice she continued “My mother would not thank you for addressing me in that fashion. She has other plans for me which does not include wearing these clothes. No doubt, dear Mama has probably told you she wants me trussed up in silks and satins like a proper young lady. So I suppose you had better address me as ‘Miss’.”

“Yes Miss.” Aubrey replied his voice suitably deferential.

“You do know why I am agreeing to this. Don’t you?” she said as she stood up and approached him.

Aubrey remained silent and his eyes could not meet hers. She continued, her frustration quite evident,

“Why I am willing to give up the freedom these clothes bestow? Why I am subjecting myself to the ghastly restriction of corsets? Why I will have to wear those dreadful, cumbersome petticoats and idiotic bustles? Not to mention those hideous gowns of silk, satin, taffeta and heaven knows what else she has bought for me.”

The irritation in her voice did not seem to be directed at him, she now stood inches away from him.

“Oh surely you must have some idea.” she said, the back of her hand caressing his cheek.

“N..no… Miss” he mumbled.

“Well let me explain it to you.” she whispered as she leaned into him and kissed him gently on the lips.

He was so shocked he made no attempt to pull away from her.

“Does that simplify it for you?” she breathed.

“I….ah….I…”he spluttered.

She kissed him again, this time her tongue slipped inside his mouth and snaking her arm around his waist pulled him closer she pressed her groin against his but his bulky petticoats prevented her from detecting his male sex. His heart was racing and he was breathing heavily causing his realistic female bosom under his dress to heave quite noticeably.

“You liked that, didn’t you?” she asked still holding him tightly against her.

After gasping for a few breaths of air and unable to lie he answered.

“Y..yes… Miss” he murmured.

“You are the reason I have agreed to wear these ghastly feminine clothes.” she said “You are a pretty little thing, quite unusual features for a girl but I find myself strangely attracted to you. Not your first time kissing a girl I suppose? I’ve heard what you  girls get up to in the servants quarters.”

He blushed and his eyes fell to the floor.

“I thought so.” she smiled as she placed her fingers under his chin, raised his head and looking into his eyes continued “You do realise I have made a big sacrifice to save you from Mrs Dearhorn.”

She paused and held his gaze, he knew what was expected of him.

“Yes Miss.” he replied “Thank you Miss.”

“The reason I made such a sacrifice is that I find you very attractive.”Roberta said still holding his chin “and from that kiss I think you feel the same. Am I right?”

Aubrey was in no position to disagree. He nodded his agreement.

“Excellent!” she trilled “being my maid will be a wonderful camouflage for our relationship.”

“Relationship? …Miss” Aubrey asked nervously.

“Oh don’t be so coy girl.” Roberta said smiling “You are now my lover as well as my maid.”

 Aubrey could feel the blood drain from his face but if Roberta noticed she did not mention it, she continued,

“Oh we will have so much fun, I have a year off from my studies, we can go travelling, Paris, Berlin Rome. It will be wonderful.”

“I… but… Lady Charlotte will…”he stammered

“Lady Charlotte?” Roberta said airily and dismissed his question “Don’t you worry about her ladyship.Lady Charlotte de Winter is my godmother and a very accommodating one at that. She has never refused me anything. Besides both she and Mother would grant me anything that would keep me out of trousers.”

Aubrey was becoming more anxious. Being used to help Roberta to become more ladylike was one thing but becoming her maid and lover was simply outrageous. She was bound to discover him sooner than later.

Lady Charlotte would never agree to this. he thought to himself. Would she?  He quickly questioned himself. No surely not! I am not a slave to be gifted to anyone she chooses.

“Roberta!”

Mrs Cockshott had quietly slipped into the room.

 “You are here fifteen minutes and have not even removed your coat.”

“Oh we were just discussing what colour suited me best Mother.” Roberta lied.

“Very well , but do not even think of reneging on our bargain.” her mother said “Otherwise the girl will go to Mrs Dearhorn.”

“Don’t worry Mother.”Roberta assured her and held the door open for her to leave “You will have your wish but you must be patient. Now I really must have a bath before I get into those awful clothes.”

“Spoken like a true lady.” Mrs Cockshott smiled, as she left the room.

Roberta turned to Aubrey, her face taking on a more pensive expression.

“There is not much point to putting this off any longer.” Roberta sighed as she removed her jacket, tossed it casually on the bed and sat on one of the large armchairs before issuing an order to Aubrey “remove my boots.”

Aubrey knelt in front of her and removed the boot on her right foot then did the same with the left one. Roberta stood up and Aubrey began unbuttoning her white shirt desperately trying to keep his hands from trembling as they inevitably touched her breasts. He slipped the shirt down her arms to reveal a white silk undershirt, he unbuttoned the hidden buttons and removed it to reveal her breasts flattened, bound by layers of white silk several inches wide.

“You seem very adept at removing men’s clothing.” she said meeting his eyes “I do hope I haven’t made the wrong choice. You have either undressed a man and we both know what that leads to or you have worn male clothes yourself. Which is it?”

Horrified at the idea of undressing a male Aubrey had no difficulty in admitting the truth.

“I have worn male clothes Miss.”

“I knew it!” she exclaimed “From the minute I saw you I knew there was something different, something peculiar, feminine but in a most curious way.”

Aubrey looked troubled

“Oh don’t get upset.” she said stroking his face “I like girls with those features, much more interesting than society’s idea of beauty.  But you will remember I wear the trousers in this relationship.Now get me out of this breast binding it’s the only thing I don’t like about wearing masculine clothing, it’s so uncomfortable. Men really do not know how easy they have it, don’t you think?”

“Yes  Miss.” he lied just glad that the conversation was moving away from his appearance and silently wondering what she would say if she knew the truth.

He began to unfurl the satin material binding her breasts and as he reached the end of the material her breasts broke free and he was unable to contain a gasp of fascination.

“You are looking at them as if you have never seen a pair of breasts before.” she laughed before making a faux sad face added, “Don’t you like them?

Aubrey immediately remembered where he was and who he was supposed to be.

“Oh yes Miss, I’m sorry Miss.” he blurted, his face red with embarrassment “it’s just that.. I …emm…”

“Oh don’t be so bashful. I thought I had made it clear about your role.” Roberta said a sly grin on her face “As my maid you will be seeing much more of them and I’m sure I will be seeing yours.”

Aubrey froze, his embarrassment was replaced by panic.

“Not now of course, Mother could come in at any time.” Roberta said unaware of the alarm she had caused “but soon, now continue undressing me.”

 His hands continued to tremble as he unbuttoned her trousers and sliding them over her ample hips he saw she was wearing loose fitting white silk male underwear which came to just above the knee. She sat and he dropped to his knees slipping the trousers down her long legs and removed her knee length fine cotton stockings. She stood up and he knew what was expected of him.

As he gently pulled the garment over her hips the smell of her sex filled his nostrils and he felt a movement in his male organ, transfixed by the sight of her sex he could not take his eyes from it and did not see the smile on Roberta’s face as she slowly moved  closer to his face.

“Kiss it.” she said

He looked up at her and she smiled at him.

 “As a mark of your respect and devotion to me.” she said softly as her hand stroked his face gently, “You are devoted to me? After all I did save you from that dreadful woman, did I not?”

Of course she was right and he was extremely grateful, he did want to express his indebtedness but he did not think it would be like this. He hesitated. He had always found the idea of kissing a woman’s sex distasteful, it was not something a male should do. Women performed that… that act on men, no male should be asked to do such a thing.

“Now girl!” she said sharply, losing patience and asserting her newfound authority.

Her command sharply reminded him he was no longer a male but a mere servant girl and servant girls, especially lady’s maids were expected display loyalty and devotion to their mistress, no matter what was asked of them. It was quite clear Roberta now considered herself, not her mother or Lady Charlotte, his mistress.

Her rebuke brought him to his senses, he closed his eyes and  placed his lips gently on her labia and kissed it. Her womanly taste and scent almost overpowered him, he heard her moan gently and she pressed her groin harder into his face almost smothering him.

“Yes..yes. Now use your tongue, girl,” she said, her voice quavering slightly “but only the tip… and slowly.”

He obeyed and felt her hands grip his head tightly as her vulva was pressed harder into his face and as he carried out her instructions he could hear her whimpering softly. Without warning she suddenly pulled away and walked uneasily to the bed and slipped into a pink silk robe. Aubrey still shocked by what had happened remained kneeling on the floor. Tying her robe around her waist she sashayed over to where he knelt and caressed his cheek.

“Now I know why Mrs Dearhorn and Mrs Fanshaw wanted you.” she said, a slight tremor still in her voice, “You will make an excellent lady’s maid.”

She walked towards the large walk in closet which contained the gowns her mother had bought for her, at the door she turned.

“Now run my bath like a good girl, while I inspect what appalling clothes Mother has bought.”

In the bathroom as he began his duties he suddenly realised he was alone, he was rarely allowed that privilege and now free from the constant sound of female voices he had time to consider his situation.

If he had been in the presence of a naked girl only a few months ago he would have been unable to contain himself and would probably have lunged at the unfortunate female to satisfy his manly desires. Of course that was when he was a fully functioning male, something that had been fiendishly taken away from him. The mirrors in the bathroom cruelly reminded him of Lady Charlotte’s handiwork and how she had transformed him from an extremely self- assured young man into a meek and submissive girl. He had to look very closely at his reflection to discern the faintest resemblance to the youth that strode confidently into Lady Charlotte’s home a mere few months ago. Much as he hated to admit it he was forced to concede that she had achieved some degree of success and the image in the mirror cruelly confirmed this. He knew the primly uniformed parlourmaid he saw would not have been out of place in any fashionable London house.

 As he waited for the bath to fill his thoughts turned to the weeks of his conditioning under Lady Charlotte’s feminising regimen and how it had subjugated his masculinity. Her dominance over him ensured his complete obedience to female authority including her servants. Once he was securely imprisoned in his new feminine attire she began her program of eliminating – as she phrased it – the disgusting traits associated with the male sex.  He winced as he recalled the first day of this regimen and even now, months later, he could hear Lady Charlotte’s patrician voice echo in his brain.

“To help you adjust to your new life you will need to rid yourself of those dreadful male urges. I find that males who are milked at frequent intervals over a period of time tend to lose these disgusting impulses and become less arrogant and more considerate in their outlook. Your Governess will continue with this program until I am satisfied that you have purged yourself of these hideous male inclinations.”

And so yet another layer of humiliation was imposed on him.

The next morning while still in his satin nightgown a housemaid sat him on the edge of the bed, another maid placed a full length mirror in front of him. He was instructed to look at his reflection. Alice, his Governess, sat next to him as she theatrically put on a pair of satin quilted gloves and lifting his nightgown took his member in her hands, squeezing and stroking it gently. Despite his best mental efforts not to cooperate the combination of her touch and her intoxicating perfume proved irresistible and he was erect in seconds, his organ proudly responding to her exquisite touch. He thought his head would explode as she stroked him almost to the point of orgasm before relaxing her grip and allowing him a brief respite before resuming her torture.

“Now my sweet boy, look in the mirror and see what an adorable girl you have become. You really are so pretty. Now, why don’t you tell me how pretty you are.” she would say, bringing him to the brink of orgasm before relaxing her grip once more.

“Please…Miss “he gasped.

“Tell me.” she cooed squeezing him once more, “you know you want to.”

He tried to resist but another squeeze and slow stroke immediately melted his pathetic attempt to defy her, it was more than he could bear.

“I’m pretty.” he repeated almost sobbing with shame.

“Oh I’m sure you can do better than that.” she said softly delicately stroking the tip of his organ. “Once more but a  little more honestythis time.”

He thought his brain would explode.

“Aaah…. I….I’m so pretty.” he gasped

“Of course you are, you darling boy.” she said, gently caressing his cheek while simultaneously delivering the coup de grace.

He shuddered uncontrollably into orgasm gurgling unintelligible sounds.

The whole process took less than two minutes.

 She held him so he would not collapse onto the bed, placed a cloth over his penis and captured the gushing semen and once satisfied she had every drop she placed the cloth in a wicker basket. Removing her satin gloves she placed a towel over her lap and turned to him.

“You have been a very naughty girl, making such a mess. Isn’t that so.” she admonished him.

He saw the smirks on the faces of the maids as they tried to contain their laughter.

“I… but …it was …”he stammered his mind still reeling from the orgasm but even in this state he clearly understood she wanted only one answer.

“Yes Miss.” he mumbled shamefully “I’m sorry Miss.”

“And you know naughty girls must be punished.” she said.

“Please ….Miss…I just ….it was….”he desperately implored, trying to explain his involuntary emission.

But to no avail.

“Now fetch your hairbrush, the large ivory one with your initials.” she ordered, ignoring his pathetic pleading.

Her tone made it clear she would not entertain any excuses and he knew from experience he would suffer a harsher punishment if he persisted with his supplication.

Such to the delight of the maids he made his way to the dressing table, his satin nightgown fluttering around his legs and returned with the hairbrush. Lady Charlotte had given him a set of hairbrushes especially engraved with his initials as a gift, informing him every that every young lady should have such a set for their dressing table.  Over the months he had amassed a large selection of feminine beauty products and grooming implements. It was yet another thread in the web of femininity  in which he was now trapped.

As he returned to the bed with the hairbrush he saw that the maids could barely contain their amusement. He recalled wanting to run from the room but where would he run to? He was trapped and he was acutely aware any form of rebellion would be dealt with most severely. He had no option but to comply and hope Miss Alice would not be too severe in her punishment.

He handed her the hairbrush and without saying a word she patted her lap, without any hint of protest he lowered himself over her knees and from his position he could see the hems of the maids dresses standing close to get a good look of his impending punishment.

“Such disgusting male behaviour is not what is expected in a young lady” Miss Alice began slowly as she caressed his satin cover behind with the hairbrush. “is it?”

“No Miss Alice.” he answered from his humiliating position.

“No indeed.” she said, gently patting the hairbrush on his soft buttocks. “And do you think you should be punished for such ghastly conduct?”

There could only be one answer.

“Yes Miss.” he answered.

“I am so glad you agree.” she said continuing to tap his posterior gently with the hairbrush. “However I am not a hard hearted woman and the fact you are accepting your punishment with good grace I will limit the number of strokes to six.”

“Oh thank you Miss.” he replied meekly and thought he heard a snort of contempt from one of the maids.

She varied the timing between each stroke, so he could not tell when the next one would land. Some were five seconds some were ten which only increased his discomfort and although the blows were not too severe he felt a deep sense of shame at allowing himself to be punished at the hands of a woman, particularly in such an undignified position.

When she had given him the sixth stroke she caressed his warm cheeks through the satin material before patting them gently.

“Now get up and face me.” she said.

He struggled to his feet and automatically arranged the satin nightgown so it fell correctly.

His Governess made a slight adjustment to his nightgown, her eyes locked onto his but she remained silent. The stillness of the room was oppressive, she seemed to be waiting for something and he could see she was becoming impatient. The answer finally came to him.

“Thank you Miss Alice.” he said and curtsied, his eyes falling to the floor with the shame.

He heard the barely suppressed giggles from the maids behind him.

She acknowledged his gesture with a slight nod of her head.

“My, you are learning.” she complimented him smiling sweetly as she rearranged her skirts but her smile quickly faded and her face took on a more serious look. She continued in a business-like tone “However in order to rid you of those repellent male traits Lady Charlotte believes two or three, perhaps even four milkings each day will help you purge yourself of such vile behaviour and greatly assist you in acquiring a more controlled and mature feminine attitude.”

The sensations he had felt and the inevitable orgasm that had erupted from his body were the most intense he had ever experienced but being masturbated by his Governess in from of the servants combined with themortifying punishment she subsequently meted out in front of the front of the maids was yet another layer of the unimaginable and intolerable shame he had to endure.

The ecstasy of the orgasm had worn off, now replaced by the ignominy and abasement of being punished in such a degrading fashion. He would have to submit to this torture three or four time a day, how could he undergo such torment and still retain any trance of his masculinity?

“Four!”he repeated, his mind in turmoil.

“Oh, at least.” she said a smile forming at the corner of her mouth and he could see the maids clasping their hands with glee. “Of course that will depend on how quickly those appalling male impulses are eradicated.”

“But … I … how… it’s….”he blurted now almost on the verge of tears.

“You will soon discover that your pleasure must be paid for.” she said stroking his face gently “Women have known this since time immemorial.”

He could only stare at her in disbelief.

She brushed a piece of fluff from her sleeve and walked away casually addressing the maids.

“Dress him, I will at eleven for his next milking.”

“Is my bath ready?”

Aubrey snapped out of his shameful reminiscences at the sound of Roberta’s voice and before answering sprinkled a quantity of fragrant bath salts into the warm water. Months spent exclusively in the company of women had taught him to recognise the subtle nuances of the female voice and he detected a hint of impatience in Roberta’s voice. Without thinking he lifted his skirts and rushed to the bathroom door.

“Yes Miss.” he replied.

She entered the bathroom and tested the water before untying her robe, he had also learned that a lady’s maid should anticipate her mistress’s wishes. He moved to her side and without her telling him he slipped it from her shoulders. She stood naked in front of him, her breasts firm and perfectly proportioned, a little weight around her middle set above the triangle of light brown pubic hair that had been thrust into his face earlier. Now having recovered from his earlier experience he could not conceal his fascination. Apart from her dark hair she was like Botticilli’s Venus.

“You like what you see?” she said in a coy voice.

He could only nod.

“Yes I thought you might.” she smiled “After my bath I’m going to lock the bedroom door and you can remove your uniform but leave your cap on. This will probably be your first time servicing a lady and I don’t want you to forget you are my maid first and foremost. ”

Aubrey could feel a panic set in. If this happened she would discover his secret.

“But…I….”he stammered before remembering her mother downstairs “Madam will surely want to enter.”

“Yes I know. So lock the door.” she answered as she stepped into the bath “if she try to enter  I will tell her she must wait for her surprise. Your little hors d’oeuvre earlier has given me an appetite for the main course. Now run along and get undressed, and put some perfume on from the dressing table. I like my girls to smell nice even if they are servants. I will ring for you in twenty minutes.”

He closed the bathroom door behind him and could feel the sweat form on his forehead. In a matter of minutes he would be found out. His panic began to take hold, his brain convulsed at the thought and as he paced across the bedroom he saw the male clothes she had worn. The shock of being discovered s a male at the hands of this young woman seemed awaken a survival instinct. 

Of course, why did I not think of this before? he screamed to himself. I have at least twenty minutes, I could discard these awful clothes and once I’m dressed in her clothes I could be out of here in seconds. My own house is only a few streets away.

His heart began to beat faster, it had been weeks months perhaps since he even considered the possibility of escaping the prison of silks and satins that Lady Charlotte had him confined in. At last, a stroke of sheer luck.

Freedom, he screamed to himself, but I have to hurry.

He quickly removed the apron and cap and began unbuttoning the uniform at the nape of the neck. It was awkward and it took him longer than he had thought and looking at the carriage clock on the mantelpiece he saw he did not have much time. He then almost tripped over removing his three petticoats and once more glanced at the clock, time seemed to be moving much faster. He decided that if he was to remove his corset, silk bloomers and satin chemise it would take far too long.

I can’t take the chance, Madam may be soon finished with her guests and arrive unexpectedly he thought,   I will just have to put the male clothes on over my corset and bloomers.

 It was now almost natural for him to refer to his female clothing as ‘my’, this was as a result of Lady Charlotte’s strict regimen. Failure to acknowledge the feminine attire she had forced him to wear as his own was considered a serious transgression incurring her displeasure and would invariably result in a severe punishment. Over the months several merciless spankings with various implements had the necessary effect and he now automatically thought of all the garments he now wore as his. In a similar way Mrs Cockshott’s forceful personality had intimidated him so much that she had quickly moulded him into an obedient and compliant servant and after only a few hours under her authority he unhesitatingly referred to her  as ‘Madam’ or ‘the Mistress’.

Of course these feminine attributes had been absorbed subliminally and he was almost unaware of their existence. He never gave them a second thought as he quickly put on her shirt and with a feeling of great satisfaction pulled on her trousers and he felt something strange stir inside him but he could not dwell on it and he picked up her boots. They were a comfortable fit but he soon noticed the trousers were too wide at the hip and  he tightened the belt two more notches. The jacket was at least a size too big which was just as well as he needed to hide his female bosom. He glimpsed at the clock once more, he still had a few minutes to spare before Roberta would summon him. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw he had forgotten about the powder on his face as well as the lip colouring. A few wipes with her handkerchief got rid of most of it. His hair had grown and it would take far too long to arrange it into a more masculine style but luckily Roberta had a number of men’s fashionable hats on a stand in the corner of the room.

He took the nearest one and studied himself in the mirror. He thought the clothes fitted reasonably well despite the hint of his female bosom underneath but although the clothes bestowed a certain masculinity on him he was somewhat disappointed that he did not look more manly. He concluded that the months he was imprisoned in the clothes Lady Charlotte had forced him to wear had taken their toll and he retained a residue of femininity. He shivered at the thought and adopted a more macho pose. It improved his image but only marginally.

A little crestfallen, he made a mental note to take some herbal remedies to promote vigorous facial hair growth, something at the moment was beyond him and no doubt contributed to his feminine features.

As he walked across the room he noticed something peculiar that at first he could not quite put his finger on. Then it struck him. He was taking short feminine steps, another consequence of Lady Charlotte’s cruel authority which compelled him to wear a long corset. He would have to ensure he took a longer, more masculine stride once he was outside. He also noticed something else. This was the first time in months his legs were free from the feminine swish of skirts and petticoats and he took a few moments to savour this wonderful emancipation from his humiliating and cumbersome feminine garments. Despite his joy at his return to male attire he was conscious of the time, another glance at the clock told him he had to leave. It would be several minutes before Roberta would ring for her maid and by that time he would be two streets away.

Quickly but quietly he moved along the wide corridor, his heart racing at the thought of his imminent freedom. Peeking around one of the columns at the top of the grand staircase he surveyed the scene below. The spacious vestibule was quiet and he swiftly and quietly  descended the steps, it was only forty feet from the bottom step to the doorway.

Forty feet. Freedom beckoned.

To the young man that stepped onto the polished marble floor it looked like four hundred. He traversed the distance on tip toes, almost afraid to breathe in case Mrs Cockshott heard him though the heavy oak door of the drawing room. He had barely gone ten feet when he heard a muffled voice calling.

“Aubrey, Aubrey. Where in heaven’s name are you girl?”

The sound was faint but getting slight louder each time his name was mentioned. He didn’t stop. He recognised Roberta’s voice she seemed to be going from room to room upstairs and he knew she would soon appear at the top of the stairs. For the first time in months he ignored a female voice.

Twenty feet.

He knew her voice would soon alert her mother if it had not done so already. His heart raced even faster and his breathing became laboured. He increased his stride and still on his toes he broke into a girlish run.

Five feet.

“Aubrey” Roberta’s voice called from the top of the staircase but he didn’t turn around. “Come back here this moment.”

She was too far away to stop him. Some part of him was regretful after all she was attractive and she had sacrificed her male clothing but more importantly she had saved him from that awful Mrs Dearhorn. He hesitated for a moment before realising he now finally had the opportunity he was waiting for.  To break free from his life as a nascent female he had to take it otherwise he feared he his masculinity would disappear under Lady Charlotte’s authority.

He took a deep breath as he put his hand on the door handle and felt the warm breeze hit his face as he opened it. Now, freedom within his grasp he could relax, he turned around and took a few moments to observe Roberta at the top of the stairs in her pink satin dressing gown. He thought she would be angry but she appeared quite calm as she walked slowly down the stairs.

Maybe she understands he thought to himself, and as he turned to step out into the bright sunlight. He stopped dead in his tracks.

“No…oh no… ” he blurted.

tbc