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things I would like you to do for me before you go up to your room.”
    At that moment Kate would have attempted to swim the Channel naked for Alice, had she asked her to.
    “Certainly, Alice, what would you have me do?”
    “Here is a contract of employment. It is really a document of no consequence, however it helps me to keep my affairs in order.”
    Kate signed the document in her neat hand.
    “And this…” Alice gave a small deprecatory laugh, handing her another sheet, “…oh this is just one of Bradley’s pet schemes… a sort of society that looks after fallen women, well… girls really. It’s called the ‘The Lord’s Handmaidens’; it’s run by a kindly local pastor, the Reverend Pike, who devotes his time to ameliorating the lot of these miserable girls, training them to take their place in society and even finding new positions for them when they leave. Its supporters, mainly local ladies from the parish’s gentry, are called the ‘Followers’. I would very much appreciate it if you became a ‘Follower’.”
    Kate signed the second piece of paper and handed both documents back to Alice. She felt sure that this would help to give her a fresh start with the Fordhams.
    And with this, Alice bent forward and gave Kate a chaste little kiss on her forehead.
    * * * * *
    That evening at dinner, her employers acted as if nothing had ever happened, but Kate felt that she was still on probation as far as Sir Bradley was concerned. He was charming as ever, but perhaps a little cooler towards her than the evening before. He told her a little about the home for destitute girls he ran on the estate with the help of a kindly pastor, the Reverend Pike.
    The food was spicy and, being thirsty, Kate drank more wine than she was used to. Especially a very sweet sauterne that Sir Bradley insisted that she try with her desert. By the time they got up to go into the drawing room, she realised that she was somewhat unsteady on her feet. Sir Bradley offered her his arm, which she gratefully took.
    Once more the fire had been lit, and Kate thought this strange, as tonight it was not particularly chilly. Once more, Lady Fordham sat and dispensed drinks from the tray that Jenks had set down before her. This time, her husband remained.
    “That will be all, Jenks, you and the others may retire now.”
    When the butler had left the room, Alice bade Kate come and sit beside her on the floor.
    “We shall be cosier thus, shan’t we? And now the pasha can survey his harem of two.”
    They all laughed and any tenseness that Kate might have felt before evaporated completely. Alice pulled her gently down so that her head lay in the older woman’s lap. She stroked Kate’s hair and forehead, soothing her. It was all done in such a natural, almost sisterly, way that Kate thought little of it. Her mistress took a sip of cognac from the glass she was holding and bent down to kiss Kate’s lips. She dribbled a little of the spirit inside her mouth. By now Kate was in such a warm, comfortable state that she felt this to be quite proper. Her limbs felt heavy, and she giggled foolishly as she took another mouthful of cognac from Alice’s voluptuous lips.
    She looked up and her eyes met Sir Bradley’s. He was smiling indulgently, as if watching children play. He really was a fine figure of a man, thought Kate to herself and her eyess wandered to the area of his groin, where to her surprise and amusement she could see the outline of his John Thomas. It was enormous. What had Alice said to her? “Sometimes I bring my women friends home and we have some truly interesting variations…” In the soft glow of the candelabra and lamps she thought her employers had never looked so attractive.
    So close to the fire, Kate felt hot. And when Alice started to remove her clothes, she found it was not only a relief, but a reassuring sign that she had been accepted back into the bosom of the Fordham family.
    The voices of the others became distant,