House of Temptations

by Yvonne Strickland

  Karen stopped short of the desk as both turned around. Sonia stood up and bade her come closer. 'This is Danielle,' she said, indicating the fair-haired girl.

  Danielle held out her hand with a soft, 'Hello,' and a courteous smile. Her age was little more than Karen's; her eyes were the same hazel brown but her features were rounder.

  'And this/ continued Sonia, 'is Sophie.'

  Sophie, too, was in her mid-twenties, but her features were a little narrower, a little sharper than those of her companion; her expression was bordering on the sullen. She too offered her hand. Both wore plain summer dresses in cotton, low cut but not especially short. Both were, of course, slim and beautiful. But their initial friendliness, reassuring though it might be, was born of practised etiquette rather than of natural amicability.

  There was not a spare chair in the immediate vicinity for Karen, but Sonia remained standing and said, T hope you will excuse me if I leave you to carry on.' She moved around to Karen. 'Danielle and Sophie are fully briefed and have already seen the first floor rooms. Everything is ready. Just be natural my dear, that's all. Be yourself but believe that each situation is real. Our looking-glass world, remember?'

  Karen looked from Sonia to Danielle and Sophie, and back to Sonia, her heart beating hard. 'Yes, I'm sure we'll do fine. I'll be myself, just as you say.'

  Karen had never before entered this room. Nor had she, until now, entered any of the first floor rooms on this side of the passageway. She knew about them, of course, or thought she did.

  The truth for Karen, over the last year, had a habit of asserting itself over the image she still retained of herself. When she considered some of the things she had done since her arrival at the house, she persuaded herself that it was an alter ego to which these had happened. She imagined a Karen who stood aside from it and merely observed as a spectator. The illusion had been breached so many times that she had wondered how it could persist for so long. But it had. And, very soon, it was going to be shattered once more.

  'OK,' said Sophie in a matter-of-fact manner, 'you know the brief, I think?'

  'No, I don't,' answered Karen. 'I understand I go along with you two since I'm the dogsbody.'

  'Excuse me?' asked Danielle, folding her arms. 'What is this about the dog?'

  'Oh, sorry. What I mean is, I have to do as you say.'

  'But of course.1, replied Sophie. 'We are, what you say, in charge, yes?'

  'I think that's the general idea,' replied Karen.

  'OK,' said Danielle, 'so we get changed now. Everything is ready for us but we should not talk except to say those things which need to be said in our play, because it will not look right on the pictures. Also, we make expressions with our hands and faces so that people look at the pictures and know what we think, yes?'

  'Perhaps I should have done my homework,' remarked Karen.

  'Sorry?' queried Danielle.

  'I should have practised.'

  'Oh no,' put in Sophie, 'for you this is easy. You should look with surprise or alarm much of the time. Your part is malchance, er - misfortune, I think. You do not have anything to say if you do not wish.'

  Although different in some details, the type of dress Karen was putting on with the help of Sophie, was not unlike the maids' dresses she had seen worn by some of the girls allocated domestic duties; those girls whose nature predisposed them to a role of subservience. Perhaps the obvious example was Jackie. Occasionally it had been Angela. Until Pauline went, it had also been Rose, although that had been a matter of obligation rather than of predisposition, as far as anyone knew.

  Danielle helped her on with the dress. Karen was quite aware she could never have managed it alone. It stretched about her body like a rubber skin; black, sleek and very short. The collar was high about her neck but was cut away below in a circle which scooped down over her breasts and was positioned so as to just avoid exposing the nipples. The bodice fitted like a glove as did the skirt; they were so tight that Danielle had for some time struggled with the zip fastener at the back. With the sheer black tights and black patent leather high-heeled shoes of exaggerated height, Karen was, if not consumed by the spirit of the occasion, certainly prepared as planned.

  'Now you will think and behave as our servant,' said Danielle without a trace of humour.

  Karen regarded herself in the long mirror and ran her hands down the sleek rubber tunic. Behind, she observed the room. It was not as she had expected, not like the secret room which lay between the beauty parlour and Sonia's suite, with its sinister fittings and furniture. This room reminded her of a modern hotel suite. True, the chairs were familiar but would not have otherwise attracted her attention. They were set about a low table on the rich maroon carpet. There was also a large cupboard and a chest of drawers. There was, however, one feature of the room which compromised the appearance of normality. To one side of it stood a circle of heavy black curtain, completely closed and suspended from a circular track just beneath the ceiling. The pink cornice lights were switched on and so were a selected number of spotlights, giving the room a moody, contrasted feel* with some areas brightly lit and others in shadow.

  'Please, we must keep the shine good,' said Danielle, wiping with a hasty, circular motion about Karen's shoulders and arms with a small white cloth.

  'What is it?' asked Karen as Danielle continued down her sides and over her behind.

  it is treated with a special polish for latex. Your uniform must be shining and without marks.'

  She moved around to Karen's front and began to wipe the area around her breasts and stomach, circling ever downward. Karen put out a hand and took her wrist. 'Look, let me finish this, OK?'

  'Very good, if you wish,' replied the unsmiling Danielle.

  Danielle's impersonal manner made her feel vulnerable. Karen was being treated like an object, not a person, in the sink, inside the little kitchen, you will find flowers,' said Danielle. 'These you will bring out to arrange in the vases and place them about the room. Much of the time you must try and face into the room and not to the wall. When we come in, we will require drinks to be served. The tray, glasses and the decanter are over there.' She indicated a glass-fronted cabinet at the far end. fcNow I must go for a short time and you must carry on with your job. Remember you should stand up straight and not allow the dress to crease.'

  Danielle walked away without another word and left the room.

  Karen wondered if the whole thing was being taken too seriously. Then, perhaps, if the photographs were to look convincing the participants must be convinced as well. That is what Sonia wanted.

  She walked to the kitchenette and entered by one of the two doors at the far end of the room. There in the sink were bunches of fresh flowers and three glass vases. She filled the first vase and carried this carefully into the room. She thought of the others who played this role as part of their domestic duties, often in these outrageous little dresses, designed to emphasise their roles as submissives. Karen had wondered before what it must feel like to be seen by others dressed in what amounted to a statement of sexual servility. The dress felt odd as she moved, stretching and moulding warmly to her body, caressing her breasts and thighs in its elastic embrace.

  She had placed down the last vase when she heard their voices and turned to face the door. The two figures entered, smiling into each other's faces. Both were dressed in full horseriding attire with tweed jackets, jodhpurs and riding boots of shiny brown leather. Each carried under her arm a riding crop. They walked over to the low table, ignoring Karen altogether until they were seated. Then Sophie raised her finger and called, 4We will have drinks now, please!'

  Karen's initial misgivings were in no way lessened by their appearance. They were dressed against the elements, and looked both forceful and threatening. She felt more vulnerable still in the scanty and revealing dress which defined every curve of her body and seemed to openly advertise its accessibility.

  Her hands shook a little a^ she placed the decanter of she
rry and the two glasses on to the small brass tray. At least her limbs were free. If they had fettered her in the way Pauline used to do with the other girls as an additional humiliation, she believed she would have found it impossible to manage at all. Danielle and Sophie were sprawled in their chairs as they gestured and talked loudly and quickly in French. They ignored Karen as she placed the tray between them upon the table. She felt herself overly nervous and unsteady as she poured the sherry into the glasses.

  Before she had moved her hand away from the second glass, Sophie, laughing and waving her arm, struck Karen's elbow. Her fingers rapped against the glass and it fell over, dashing its contents across the table top where they spilled over the edge on to Danielle's jodhpurs. The laughing ceased abruptly, and was replaced by a shattering silence. Danielle and Sophie looked aghast at the spreading pool as if they could not believe their own eyes. Time appeared to freeze for a moment until Danielle glared up at Karen and shrilled, 'You stupid fool!' at the top of her voice. Both stood up at once to confront her. Karen felt quite naked.

  'Get a cloth!' shouted Sophie. 'Clean this away now!'

  Danielle brought up the riding crop as if to strike Karen across the face. Karen instinctively raised a hand to protect herself.

  As she crossed the room, the words passed through Karen's mind repeatedly, it's just a game! It's just a game!' But she could not prevent the fear and humiliation from welling up inside. The only alternative, that she should call a halt now, appeared to be even worse, for they would have beaten her psychologically and she in turn would have let Sonia down. The charade had to go on.

  Danielle and Sophie stood with hands on hips, and watched her in concentrated silence as she mopped up the spilled sherry with a damp cloth. The hem of the dress had ridden up higher on her thighs but she dared not reach down to tug at it. She was about to turn away when Sophie rapped hard on the table wit{i the riding crop. 'What about this?' she said with threatening coolness.

  There remained a small spot which Karen had overlooked. She wiped it clean, staring only at her own hands. The two still stood at the table, watching her take away the cloth. Waiting. Frowning. They had not moved when she approached them once more with pounding heart.

  Danielle stepped forward and seized her arm. 'You will bend over this chair!'

  Karen pulled back but Sophie took hold of her on the other side and they propelled her forward, towards one of the black leather chairs.

  'No! No! I won't!' Karen yelled. 'This has gone far enough!'

  But she was forced over the back of the chair and as the first stinging blow fell across her behind, Sophie shouted, 'Not in any way far enough!'

  Danielle hurried around the chair and pulled Karen's arms forward. Sophie, with one hand in the middle of her back, held her down and wielded the riding crop with the other. Struggle as she might, Karen was unable to pull free. Her squirming only served to make the dress ride up her thighs until the lower part of her behind was revealed. The sheer black tights gave no protection and she had been given nothing else to put on beneath. Kicking her legs only made matters worse as a second and a third swish cut the air and the riding crop found its mark.

  Several more blows fell with a loud crack across the thin nylon. Then they stopped and allowed her up to face them in burning shame, barely able to hold back the tears. Karen bit her lip, feeling the angry pulsing in her flesh, as she tugged down on the hem. She straightened up and looked each of them in the eye. They remained thus for a few moments. Danielle looked at Sophie. Sophie looked back at Danielle. At once, their mouths creased into smiles, then laughter. They laughed into each other's faces, Sophie putting a hand on to Danielle's shoulder.

  'You see,' said Danielle turning to Karen, 'it is only a game.'

  'And now this one is finished,' added Sophie. 'Very soon, we can play the next!'

  'I think it's far from bloody funny,' breathed Karen as they turned away from her.

  As she showered away the perspiration and the aroma of the rubber, Karen wondered about what had happened. She had found the dress sensual, especially wearing it in front of two complete strangers. They had hurt her as part of the ritual but had done no harm. And the burning glow in her behind had passed into her loins and was proving no longer unpleasant. At one time she would have fled in terror at the prospect of such an experience. Now the dark stirring in her belly was not so much one of fear but of anticipation for what was yet to come. And that was the disturbing thing; she had no idea what had been contrived. She had declined the opportunity of being informed and found herself on the rollercoaster, unable to get off, unaware of how high she was to be taken and how deep might be the next breathtaking plunge. She looked at herself in the mirror and laughed softly.

  The second venue was the room nearest to the front of the house. Danielle and Sophie were already there when Karen appeared in the first floor corridor. Like her, they each wore a bathrobe. Karen folded her arms and said nothing, but looked at them and waited.

  'We are inside our time,' remarked Sophie, pushing open the door. There is no need to hurry.'

  They stood aside until Karen had entered, as if to imply that she could not be trusted to follow them. Passing through the small ante-room, they entered an area surrounded by blue and green curtains which formed a passageway and concealed the rest of the room beyond. The closed-in feeling and the still, warm air had a quieting effect. If Karen had needed to speak, she would have done so in a low voice. It was not well lit, although there was evidence of potential light in abundance, for clusters of spotlights were visible on tracks above the curtains. Danielle and Sophie moved ahead and Karen followed until they reached a door at the far end. They opened this and again waited for Karen to pass inside.

  The room she entered appeared similar to that which served the beauty parlour. It had a shower cubicle, a sink and a low-level bowl with padded back rest. In addition there was a large mirror over a work surface and before this, a chair. The lamps above the mirror sprang into life as Sophie pushed the switch. They illuminated the bottles, jars, tubes and other accoutrements of a hairdressing salon. Under the present circumstances, Karen found it all a little reassuring. Or she did, until she saw what lay folded and waiting upon the black leather chair.

  'First we will do the dressing up,' said Danielle, tugging at the belt on Karen's bathrobe.

  Karen pushed her hands away and undid the belt herself, letting the bathrobe fall open. Beneath it she had on dark purple nylon bikini briefs.

  'Perhaps you do not like these games,' remarked Danielle. 'I think then, why do you take part?'

  'Maybe you have not done this before,' added Sophie.

  'No, I haven't,' replied Karen.

  'You have the stiff upper lip of the English,' said Danielle, lifting up a garment from the chair and presenting it to her. 'Now, we must help you to put this on. You cannot do it on your own.'

  Karen saw that it was a basque; black and heavily boned. The odour of latex was once again unmistakable. Without waiting for either of them to move, she let the bathrobe slip from her body and draped it over the back of the chair. Danielle and Sophie did not look at her face, nor at her naked breasts, but moved behind her without speaking. They pushed her arms out and passed the garment around her. It was cool and soft against her body at first but quickly began to tighten. It was not intended to conceal her breasts. On the contrary, the brief, wired cups fitted snugly underneath; they lifted and defined them, holding them slightly wider apart, presenting them as an offering to the onlooker. The basque was trimmed at the waist with red lace and hung with six thin, elasticated silk suspenders which danced up and down against her thighs as the two occupied themselves behind her.

  The basque tightened further as laces swished through brass eyelets. Danielle steadied Karen by the shoulders as Sophie tugged and tightened until the two edges met and she could fasten the laces into a bow at the bottom.

  'We will help with these also,' said Danielle, indicating the other items on
the chair.

  'Perhaps she would rather put them on herself,' suggested Sophie. 'If so we will wait outside.'

  'Yes, I'll manage on my own,' responded Karen.

  'Very good,' answered Danielle, 'then that will only leave one thing more for you to have on.'

  They turned and left in silence. Karen reached down to the items on the chair.

  The shoes were obvious and she had expected the black, seamed stockings. At the sight of the smallest item, she opened her mouth in surprise. It was, for want of a better term, a G-string, but not quite in any style she had seen before. She looked over her shoulder and waited for a moment before easing down her briefs.

  A short time later, she looked at herself in the mirror. The basque was constricting but comfortable and she decided she liked it, even though she had no intention of hinting at that to Danielle and Sophie. The sheer black stockings were held up tightly by the six glossy suspenders and the black patent leather sandals with red bows at the front and long stiletto heels made her legs appear long and elegant. Her only misgiving was for the garment which fitted under the suspenders and about her loins. The rubber waistband of some three centimetres width was comfortable enough, but the strap which passed down over her shaven sex, between her legs and under her behind was of the same material and width. It emphasised with its brevity what it barely concealed and as it softened, warmed and moulded over her sex, felt disturbingly pleasant. She called out, nervously, 'OK!'

  The two reappeared in the doorway and regarded her without expression as they approached. Danielle muttered, 'Very good.' Sophie held in her hands a small black bundle from which hung a couple of swaying lengths of lace. They stood either side of her and Sophie let the heavy latex garment in her hands unroll. Karen looked at it, puzzled as to its purpose. It appeared to be a rubber sleeve, perhaps eighty centimetres long, fitted along most of its length, except for the middle section, with two rows of brass eyelets. Its outer sections would have opened out flat had not the eyelets been loosely threaded by the black laces. Sophie lifted one end of the sleeve, took Karen's arm and began to pull it over her hand and upward. Danielle reached down, caught up the other end of the sleeve and reached for Karen's free arm.