Ashamed
to see it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything- Bea would not be impressed
- but great to see Rocket Dave and Rosie have been active with their wonderful
contributions.
This is
quite short and has been posted elsewhere so some have already seen it.
Hopefully readers will enjoy it.
Take
care
Carrie
A
Price Worth Paying
By
CarrieP
|
A |
lthough he
had only met her on a few occasions William dreaded the idea of visiting
Caroline’s mother. It’s not that she was a complete ogre but she was a
little overbearing, single minded and quite demanding. He assumed that these
traits were common to extremely wealthy women as the few times they had met her
friends displayed similar characteristics.
However on the positive side he had to admit she had wonderful taste was
extremely generous and funded Caroline’s and by extension his own idyllic life
style so it would be most unreasonable to be too critical. His feeling of dread was not helped by the
fact that she lived on a small island although it was large enough to
accommodate several other mansions owned by her aforementioned friends, all
middle aged matrons, and also all immensely rich and powerful. The only thing
that would make the visit tolerable was her mother’s extremely well curate and
extensive art collection which he believed included some very valuable pieces.
Caroline had promised if her mother was not too busy she may even allow him to
view it.
Thankfully
this visit was to be brief as Caroline was taking him away for a week to
celebrate their engagement. As they approached their destination he considered
himself most fortunate, the income Caroline derived from her trust fund was eye
watering and multiples of what William earned. Several months prior to the
engagement she had persuaded him or perhaps insisted, would be more accurate, to
abandon his job and concentrate on assisting her run her mother’s various
charitable foundations and art galleries. How could he refuse, there was very
little effort required apart from turning up at fundraisers and entertaining
her mother’s friends. Of course it was a little boring at times but it did
offer many opportunities for access to private art collections and if he was
honest he did enjoy the attention of the wealthy middle- aged women owners of
these collections. It was no doubt an idyllic lifestyle and one which up to
recently he could only dream about.
So meeting
her mother to deliver the good news of their engagement was a price worth
paying.
The twenty
minute ferry ride to the island went smoothly enough and they were met by very
serious looking Miss Hargreaves, his future mother in law’s assistant who drove
them the short distance to the house.
The house,
like Caroline’s mother, had an intimidating effect on him and passing through
the large and well appointed vestibule two housemaids curtsied as the trio
passed. William always felt as uncomfortable with servants as he did with
Caroline’s mother. It was very hard for
him to put his finger on it, it was not
as if they said anything untoward or disrespectable it was just that they
always seemed to have a strange look on their faces as if they had a slight
contempt for him. He thought it was like an exclusive tailor assessing a client
he deemed unworthy of his craft with his eyes before finally taking accurate
measurements. Then there was the friendly but almost smirking smile when they
curtsied.
I’ll certainly be glad to leave here
in a few hours he
thought as they were shown into the main drawing room.
“Madam will
be here shortly Miss Caroline.” Miss Hargreaves said as she gestured to one of
the maids where to position the tea tray before leaving.
“Congratulations
Miss Caroline.” the maids said as she carefully placed the willow patterned tea
cups on the coffee table in front of them “I’m sure both you and Miss William
will be so happy.”
Caroline
laughed and slapped her thighs with both hands.
“Oh I’m
terribly sorry I meant Master William.” the girl said apologetically and
curtsied to William.
“Miss
William indeed!” Caroline shrieked as she continued to find this most amusing before
finally regaining her composure to reassure the maid “That’s quite all right
Alice.”
William
shuffled uncomfortably on the sofa and felt his cheeks redden as Caroline
continued to struggle with her giggles much to his irritation.
“Miss William
is not offended.” she chortled continuing the attempt to suppress her hilarity
and after a few moments she eventually calmed herself sufficiently to ask “Are
you darling?”
He would
have sounded extremely pompous and ill humoured if he had told the truth and
decided the best option was to try to laugh it off.
“No not at
all.” he lied attempting a laugh and as Caroline turned her attention to the
door where her mother had just entered a sly but noticeable smirk came over
Alice’s face.
Of course
this only reaffirmed his suspicions about the servant girls but as his future
mother in law strode across the room he had to dismiss further thoughts on the
matter. After receiving a kiss on either cheek from Caroline she turned her
attention to William
“William it has
been far too long.” she said offer her cheek for his kiss, an undertaking he
never relished and always found it childish and perhaps even a little
effeminate. “Come kiss Mother like a good boy.”
She pulled
him so close to her that he could feel the wire in the bra that contained her
ample breasts.
“Lovely to
see you again.” he lied again.
“Lovely to
see you again…”she said coolly, tilting her head slightly and raising an
eyebrow.
This was the
part he dreaded most and knew any attempt at avoidance would only lead to
further humiliation. He swallowed hard and desperately tried to evade the
maid’s prying eyes.
“Lovely to
see you again…em…”he struggled before finally steeling himself to add “Mother”
“You really
should not need reminding William.” she said in a friendlier tone “You are part
of my family now and we should be as close as I am with Caroline. And I believe
we soon will be.”
Concluding
that any argument he would make would only make matters worse and would only
result in Caroline taking her mother’s side. He chose the path of least
resistance.
“Yes
Mother.” he answered and was rewarded with smiles of satisfaction from Caroline
and her mother and another grin from Alice the maid.
As Alice
closed the door behind her Caroline’s mother turned to her daughter.
“I do wish
you would not laugh in such a loud way in front of the servants Caroline.” she chided
her daughter “It is most unbecoming and sets a bad example. Whatever was the
cause of so much jollity? I could hear you from several feet outside the door.”
Caroline
started giggling again and her mother turned to her soon to be son in law.
“William?”
“It… emm..ah…it
was nothing of any consequence.” he stumbled and seeing the irritated look on
her face quickly added “… Mother.”
“It
certainly doesn’t sound like it was nothing of any consequence, young man.” she
said her voice becoming a little vexed “Do I have to call Alice in and question
her.”
She fixed
him with a steely stare and within a second or two he blurted,
“Alice
addressed me as Miss William.”
“Is that
all?” she replied “Shame on you Caroline for laughing at the poor boy’s
discomfort.”
William felt
vindicated but quickly became alarmed as her mother slipped her arm over his
shoulder and gently drew his head onto her breast. He had to admit that it was
comforting to know that at least someone understood his ego had been bruised.
“Alice
mistook him for a girl.” Caroline needlessly explained the joke and began
giggling again.
“Yes
Caroline I do understand. And if you had not told the poor boy to grow his
hair long he would not look so feminine.” her mother upbraided her “But William
is a most sensitive soul and even if he does look a little feminine it is no
cause for such raucous laughter.”
“We all know
William is not the most rugged of men.”Caroline snorted a little peeved by her
mother’s criticism and glanced at him before continuing “Even you must admit
that, William. It was just the shock of someone, a housemaid, saying it out
loud. It was taken by surprise, it was not meant as an insult darling.”
He tried to
lift his head to protest but her mother’s strong hand easily prevented him
doing so and his face continued to remain snuggled against her soft satin
blouse.
“That’s
not……”he tried to object but was interrupted immediately.
“Yes dear
but it’s nothing to be ashamed about.” Mother consoled him gently stroking his
mane “It is a very rare and most attractive quality in a man. There are far too
many macho types masquerading as men these days it is so refreshing to find a
man who has such delicate features and is in touch with his feminine side.”
“Feminine…”
he repeated and once more attempted an objection but to no avail.
“Don’t
interrupt darling while Mother is speaking.” Caroline’s mother said softly and
pressed his face even tighter to her bosom. “Yes, you are indeed blessed with
such soft almost girlish looks and those wonderful dainty hands not to mention
your long eyelashes. And of course your thick, lustrous curls. Any girl would
envy those features my dear. All my friends think Caroline is a very lucky girl
indeed.”
She finally
allowed him to raise his head and then looked him in the eyes.
“It was the
reason I allowed permission to ask you for your hand in marriage.” she said “And
I just have this feeling, call it a mother’s intuition, the dreadful masculine
ego that most men have is absent in you.”
“But…”he
made another attempt to speak but once again was overruled.
“I just hope
I haven’t made a mistake.” she said squeezing his hand gently, her eyes gazing
longingly into his as she waited for the correct answer.
He felt the
same now as he had done when Caroline asked him to marry her – unable to stand
up for himself and say what he really wished to say. Of course the luxurious
lifestyle and her mother’s generous allowance were large incentives not to rock
the boat.
They probably didn’t mean feminine, maybe
they just could not think of another word. he rationalised. It
would be a pity to cause any unpleasantness over a minor misunderstanding.
“Oh no
Mother I’m not that sort of person” he answered.
“Good I’m so
glad to hear that.” she said “I knew I had not misjudged you and now you have
accepted Caroline’s proposal as a special reward I will treble your personal
allowance.”
“Oh Mother
thank you so much.” he squealed and although he suddenly became aware of just
how feminine he had sounded he almost instantaneously dismissed any thought of
self criticism.
Treble my allowance! he shouted in the privacy of his
brain.
However the
delight was evident on his face, Caroline looked at her mother and smiled in
the way women do at excited children.
“Well it’s
almost time for your afternoon nap.” her mother said.
“But
Mother…” Caroline protested.
“Now young
lady,” her mother cut her short “You know how I feel about proper rest. I have
already told the servants to prepare your room.”
“But…we have
a long drive ahead of us and as William cannot drive I’d like to get going in a
few hours.” Caroline retorted.
“More is the
reason why you should rest.” her mother quickly answered. “Don’t you think so
William?”
“Oh yes
Mother.” he gushed and still overcome by excitement at his good fortune smiled
at her adoringly. “I can take a walk while you rest.”
“Oh no
darling you need a nap also.” she said and gently patted his lap “I insist.”
“But I…”he
began but was not allowed to proceed.
“William!”
Caroline’s mother smiled as she spoke softly yet quite firmly “If you are to
marry into my family you really must understand that Mother knows best.”
Her smile although
sweet conveyed a very clear message – arguing or any form of dissent was
strictly verboten and before he could
answer she added,
“And perhaps
afterwards you would like to see my collection.
I have two of Monet’s mid period inherited from my mother and several
German expressionists and I’m sure you would like to see the sketches Picasso
gave me when I modelled for him. It only took him five minutes but interesting nonetheless.
Of course I’m been hounded to show lend them to New York and London so you will
be the first to see them outside this island.”
“Oh for
heaven’s sake.” Caroline muttered rolling her eyes in exasperation “What Mother
wants Mother gets.”
As if
trebling his allowance was not astounding enough the revelation of such an awe-inspiring
collection had William’s head reeling and he was barely aware of his
surroundings as he climbed the wide ornate staircase between the two women. He
was envisaging exactly which of the German Expressionists she had when he
realised there was a slight tugging at his arms and he finally managed to lift
him out of his stupor. He was quite surprised to find Miss Hargreaves
unbuttoning the last button on his shirt and about to remove it.
“Ah…what…”he
exclaimed as looking down his trousers and underwear had already been removed
and folded neatly on a chair together with his jacket.
“Quite all
right Master William.” she said in a matter of fact way “Nothing I’ve not seen
before. And I should add, nothing to get over excited about.”
“But..I
…where…”he spluttered his hands dropping to cover his exposed genitals finally
taking in the luxurious surroundings he found himself in.
“The
mistress’s bedroom, Master William.” Miss Hargreaves answered the unasked
question as she moved to the large bed and returned with a long sleek garment.
“Hands over your head please, I promise I will not look. Not that there’s much
to see.”
“But…I…” he
continued to struggle for words.
“Madam and
Miss Caroline are in Madam’s dressing room and will be with you momentarily.”
she said sharply gesturing to a room off the bedroom before adding “And I doubt
very much if you wish to be presented au
natural. Now please comply and place your hands over your head like a good
boy.”
He closed
his eyes as she placed the multi layered silk night gown over his head and fussed
with it until she was satisfied it was hanging properly.
“The
mistress was correct as always.” she smiled as she arranged a large and ornate
satin bow at the neck placing the two
long ribbons neatly as they fell to knees She then gazed at him intently
with what he thought strangely as a look of pride “It fits you perfectly.”
“But this is
…”he began before she interjected.
“Yes a most
beautiful nightgown. The finest silk, of course.” Miss Hargreaves said
adjusting the frills at the shoulder to her satisfaction “One of the mistress’s
favourites. You are a very lucky girl… oh I do apologise… a very lucky young
man indeed.”
“Is my
darling son in law ready for our nap, Miss Hargreaves?” Caroline’s mother said
as she swept into the room dressed in a full length pink robe of heavy satin
ornamented with ostrich feathers at the cuffs. Caroline accompanied her in
ivory satin robe with a long train.
His cheeks
turned red and he desperately wanted to leave, he held out the nightgown’s silk
material as if to register a protest. He suddenly remembered the promise to
treble his allowance and not wishing to jeopardise it felt the best course
would be to withdraw without an argument and take his clothes with him.
“Caroline
shouldn’t we go to your room.” he pleaded.
“Oh no dear
my bed is quite big enough for all three of us. It will be so cosy.” her mother
said and moved closer to scrutinise him.
He became
quite flustered and fingered the nightgown’s soft material.
“Oh my
darling boy, no need to be embarrassed you look exquisite.” Caroline mother
beamed and embraced him. “Alice was right of course you do make a much better
looking girl.”
He tried to
protest but no words would come as she took his hand and led him to the bed
that Miss Hargreaves was busy turning down.
“I’ve been
looking forward to having an intimate…ah…”she paused “talk with you since I
heard of your engagement. Miss Hargreaves you can take away Miss William’s
clothes, he won’t be needing them now.”
“Very good,
Madam.” Miss Hargreaves replied with a curtsy.
“Really
Mother.” Caroline said as she followed them to the bed “You could have at least
waited until after the ceremony.
