Part 2

We broke up and Sally led me through to our station. It wasn’t one of the biggest rooms, but it was packed with furnishings and paintings. She gave me a quick run-down on the furniture and ceramics before the public arrived.

Once they got to us, we were kept busy, telling those who asked about the room and its contents, keeping children from running around and climbing on the furniture, and generally keeping watch so that nothing disappeared. We kept a good eye on those with large bags. The morning went, like lightning, and Sally told me that she was going for lunch.

It was a little quieter, seeing that the public would be crowded into the tearoom. It wasn’t difficult to keep control and she came back to let me go to the kitchen to get a lunch. You can’t savour every mouthful when you only have twenty minutes, and I was nearly back on station with the taste of ham and cheese still on my teeth. I was able to swill my mouth out before I got back.

The afternoon was much the same as the morning, and I was ready for the finish as we nudged the public out. A quick search of the house did find a couple making out in the public toilet, and we let them get tidy before escorting them out. We assembled in the main hall and Derek checked off any problems during the day. I only had the problem that no-one asked me about the pictures, but I kept that to myself.

We then went off to change into normal clothes, for the evening. The girls took it in turns in the showers, while I went to my room, hung the jacket, blouse and slacks, and put the knee-highs and panties in the basket. In my gown and slippers, I went to the showers after I heard the others come back. It was good to sluice away the effort of the day. Back in my room I put a shirt and jeans on, leaving my slippers on, I went off to the kitchen, where I joined the crowd.

Sally declared that I needed a Saturday night out and offered to outfit me. I was about to decline, but the others all agreed that it would be a celebration. We had a quick tea, then went to our rooms. Sally led me to hers, where she held various outfits against me until she was happy. I went back to my room to change into the skirt and blouse, and stockings, that she thrust into my arms and told me to be quick, while adding a handbag. I used the shoes I had been wearing all day, they were still comfortable. Redressed as a girl, I went to her room and knocked. She was just putting on a dress and asked me to zip it for her. Then she sat me at her vanity and gave me a quick make-up. Enough to give the right impression, but not so much I looked as if I was a drag queen.

With the lipstick added to my bag, I allowed them to lead me out into the carpark. Sally said that she wanted to ride with me, and the others got into three cars. I followed them around Derby and into Nottingham where we stopped in a big carpark in front of a dance hall. There, we went in, and everyone got caught up in the music. I wasn’t the best dancer, but loosened up to the stage where I was enjoying myself. I was glad I was in the flats, there was no way I could bounce around in heels. I danced with all of the girls, and a few guys, quaking that they would call me out as a freak.

We didn’t drink a lot, but I was happy when it was decided that we needed to be back at the Hall, as we had another day of work ahead of us. We left the dance hall, a few of the girls getting goodbye kisses from their dance partners. I didn’t know what to think. There I was, a guy in a skirt, out on the town with a bunch of lovely girls. I had forgotten how I was dressed, I was just happy and had enjoyed a night out, for, I think, the first time in my life. Sally dozed off as we went back, and I had to wake her up when we parked. I was leaning over her to give her a nudge when her eyes opened, and she pulled my head down so our lips met. It was nice, it was gentle, and it tasted odd with both of us with the same lipstick on. Would you believe it, my first real kiss and I had to be wearing a skirt and stockings to get it!

She grinned as she got out of the car, I locked it, and we went into the accommodation corridor. At her room, she gave me another kiss, much to the amusement of the other girls, and told me to keep the outfit. When I questioned that, she told me that when I wore it as if it was natural for me, I had earned it. That night, I took off the clothes and hung them away, carefully. I put on my gown and went off to the shower room to empty my bladder and wash the make-up off. Claudette was there and she told me to take a finger full of the cream she was using, as it worked better than soap and water, while leaving the face smoother. When I had done that, she told me that Sally was one-up, so that needed to be redressed. She put her arms around my neck, and we kissed. Was it ever a kiss, I was almost starting to turn blue before our lips parted.

“Wow,” she breathed. “You really are a good kisser. I think that the other girls will all have a go before the season is over. Whatever happens, I want more of this, you cute little Jessie, you.”

That night I took a while to get to sleep, wondering why I was doing this. After the evening in a skirt, being accepted as a girl, it wasn’t all about the job any longer. The working day had been an eye-opener, with a more friendly approach from the public than I had expected.

Sunday was a repeat of Saturday, with more families than before. I did have one guy who was carrying the brochure about the Hall. He wanted information about the artworks, wanting to know which ones were worth most. That’s something I wouldn’t talk about and side-tracked him by explaining that they weren’t objects of value, more historical evidence, a snapshot of their time. I took him to a nice scenic picture and explained that he would never recognise the view if he saw it today, but here, on the wall, was how it looked two hundred years ago. I made sure that I remembered his features and described him to Derek during my lunch break. We did have hidden cameras with disc recording. If need be, we could find him on that. Derek thanked me for my diligence.

Sunday evening, I went home, wearing my normal clothes, and had some time with my folks. When Dawn saw me, she gave a squeal and raced off to her room. When she came back, she showed us a post from Saturday, put up by one of her friends, me with a wall of paintings behind me. I have to say that I looked quite elegant in my uniform. She then asked me why I was wearing a blouse and slacks. Mother laughed and we explained that it was a story and a half, with lack of male uniforms in my size. I didn’t tell them about Saturday night. The odd thing was that it had been sent to my sister with the note ‘A cute guide at the Hall, that looks a lot like Jesse.’ Another damn cute picture of me in the cloud!

On Monday I was out in the garden. I changed into my gardening outfit in the shower room, putting a big hat on, with my hair pulled up into it, and my work boots on my feet. I met the other gardeners, all nice guys. I had the morning on a ride-on mower, working on the lawns close to the hall. In the afternoon, I was given a buggy, with a trailer, and told to do whatever was needed at the Long Walk. The trailer was full of trimmings and weeds when I finished. That was all put into a big compost bin.

Tuesday was much the same. I made sure that I wore good gloves whenever I was gardening, I didn’t want to mess up my nails. I could see a time when I will have to make sure my nails were looking good.

Wednesday, I was on my day off. Sally was also free, so we went into Nottingham, and I bought four packs of panties, two for her and two for me. On her insistence, I also ended up with three bras and a set of cheap fillets. She assured me that they would improve my girl experience. So would the packs of tights that were in the bag. We had lunch and talked about each other. She told me that she had always been unhappy about being short but meeting me had made her realise that she wasn’t that short, for a girl, seeing that we were the same height, and I should have been a good six inches taller.

That afternoon, we went to a salon where we had appointments. I walked out again with my hair trimmed and shaped, my brows shaped, and my ears pierced. I was carrying a bag with my own cosmetics. I was going to have to make sure I worked by myself in the garden. I didn’t look forward to the jibes and jokes about my new look. I needn’t have worried. Back at the Hall I went to see Derek and he gave me a map of the grounds and marked out the lawns and the parts of the garden I would be in charge of. I would be able to do everything without needing to consult the others. So, Thursday and Friday I was able to take a buggy and look over my area of responsibility. I knew that I could plan out a work schedule for the future.

The weekend saw me looking more like a girl, even in the slacks. The other girls were taking bets on which weekend I would end up guiding in a charcoal skirt. As I got more used to the job, I began to notice the public more, talking to the children, helping mothers with babies, and learning to be a good guide. This went on for a few more weeks. I was now comfortable in my role, and in myself. I was boy Jesse during the week, unless Sally and I went out as a couple of girls, and I was girl Jesse all weekend. I had bought some everyday clothes and slept every night in a nightie. The girls didn’t enforce my exclusion from the showers anymore and Derek often said that we were a good group of girls.

One weekend, in September, we had a tour group that changed it all. It was a bus full of art enthusiasts from London. Derek told us that they would be doing Chatsworth in the morning, having lunch in Derby, and visiting us in the afternoon. What he wanted was for me to do a proper tour, with Claudette and Sally working as sheepdogs with the group, to keep them together. The other nine girls would be looking after the normal visitors. I had the inkling that this tour, somehow, was a big thing for Derek.

Annabel got the prize for guessing the weekend I would do the guiding in a skirt. In fact, I was measured and outfitted by my fashion mentor, Sally. We rehemmed a skirt each, using the sewing machines. We both looked good in the proper length skirts, and the target Sunday became something to plan properly. I suggested that a tour may work well if the family and hall history was explained, by using the paintings as a link. Derek said that it was a good idea but for another time. The three of us planned the walk to make sure we picked up all the best pictures without having to go back on ourselves. The tour ended, like all good tours, at the souvenir shop.

On the day of this tour, we did the normal morning procedure, but finished early to have lunch and get ready, with extra care on our make-up. That was another first, for me. We were waiting, by the coach park, when the tour arrived. That’s when I realised that our customers were all top art auctioneers and valuers. There were several I had seen on the TV. A lot of these guys had sent me rejection letters earlier in the year. I was definitely going to show them what they missed out on.

If I had been missing out on getting questioned by the public, today I was kept on my toes. Claudette greeted them, introducing Sally and I, then gave an outline of the buildings’ history and the description of the exterior façade. Once inside I took over to move around the route we had planned. I did notice that Derek was on the edge of the group, along with another man. I worked hard, giving out information, answering questions and trying to keep the tour moving. I noticed that several of them had their phones out, so I tried to keep out of the picture, as much as I could. Claudette and Sally would chip in with details about the architecture and other fittings.

We were nearly within sight of the shop, when we stopped at a picture of Catherine Howard, the Lady D’Aubigny. This was a van Dyck and a very fine portrait. One of the visitors asked me to stand next to the picture and smile. Oh, well, I suppose they wanted their own memory. There was a sudden flurry of flashes and the I got them moving again to the shop, where we thanked them for coming and wished them a good trip home.

The three of us stood together, wondering if it had gone as good as we hoped. Derek came up to us and gave each of us a hug and a “Well done” before telling us to go back to our rooms and relax for a while.

“Then put on something nice. Instead of eating with the others, the three of you have been invited to have dinner in the East Wing.”

Claudette and Sally hugged each other and then drew me into a group hug. I didn’t see the significance of this, straight away, but, on the way back to our rooms, Sally told me that getting an invite to eat with the family was a true compliment. I was instructed to strip completely and meet them in the shower room to start my transformation from a girl guide to a lady.

I padded to the showers, in my dressing gown, wondering what they had planned. I didn’t think, in my wildest dreams, that I would end up in a shower, with two naked girls, having my body shaved with safety razors. I had been doing my lower legs for when we went out, but had never needed to work on anywhere else, as I had never shown much skin. Tonight, Sally told me, she had picked out a dress for me to wear, from her collection, and I had to present as a lady.

With us all shaved, our hairs washed and conditioned twice, and smelling of the most girlish body wash we could find, Claudette worked on Sally and me with the hair dryer and a brush, the Sally did the same for her. I was sent back to my room and instructed to put on a black bra and panty set I had bought on one of our shopping trips but never worn, then go to Sally’s room to be dressed. In my room, I followed orders. The black bra, with the inserts fitted suddenly making me feel more feminine, rather than just presenting an outward appearance. The smoky tights I had never tried before feeling strange on my hair-free legs.
I double checked that I wasn’t sprouting any facial hair and used a new trimmer to clear any nose or ear hairs and left my studs on the vanity before I put the gown on and went to see what Sally had in store for me. I knocked on her door and she opened it, wearing a similar set of underwear to me. I had the sudden thought that this sight was more seductive than being naked in the shower.

She inspected me and declared that I would do. Then we worked, together, to transform us into ladies. It took a long while, and I gained an appreciation of what those stars on TV went through to look so good. The hair was first, teased and sprayed. Our nails were next, with me having my first set of acrylics and a red polish. When I looked at my hands, they didn’t seem to be mine.

Then she sat at her vanity to do her make-up, followed by her working on me. Both of us were looking more dramatic than we had been before. My lips matched my nails and my eyes had been transformed into those of a femme fatale. I went with the flow and didn’t question anything. After all, I had never been invited to dine with a Lord before. I expect that girls get trained in such an occasion, just in case.

The dress was next. She had two that she had chosen. Hers showed a bit more cleavage than mine, but were, in effect, very similar. They were soft, they were shiny, and they were short. I had never shown this much leg before, and she had me sitting and standing until I could do so without showing my crotch. Keeping my legs together was the trick, but the problem was that sliding one stockinged leg against the other was a distraction. I suppose that I would get used to it. The other thing was showing all my arms, however, after the shave, they didn’t look too bad.

The last part of our preparation was the accessories. She gave me bangles for my wrists, a necklace to put on, and a pair of drop earrings. She had a pair of two-inch heels I had worn before on a couple of Saturday evenings, and a spritz of perfume completed the make-over. She took pictures of me, and I used her phone to take pictures of her. With clutch bags that matched the dress, red for her and dark blue for me, we left her room to go and find Claudette.

When we knocked on her door, she was just putting on her necklace and looked fabulous in silver. I wondered if it was all right to be dressed for clubbing when dining with a lord. None of us, though, had tea dresses or long gowns. We may be ladies, but we were still young ladies. The other girls were milling around as we left, and the praise was wonderful to hear. Not praise about our performance, no, but about our looks. That pleases a girl more.

As we walked through the house, our heels clicked on the hard floor, and I could see us pass by in the mirrors. It did look like three young women, dolled up to kill, and there wasn’t a sign of a boy anywhere. If we had looked this good when we went dancing, I expect that the boys would have lined up to be our partners.

At the door to the family apartment, Claudette knocked, and, after a short break, the door was opened by a lady I hadn’t met before, in a short cocktail dress.

“Hello, you wonderful girls,” she said, brightly. “You three have certainly lit a fire under his lordship with your tour, today. He has been at arm’s length since we let the Trust take over. I’m Lady Curzon, by the way, but there’s no titles, tonight. You can, if you want to be formal, call my husband ‘sir’. Now, come on in and have a pre-dinner sherry.”

We followed her to a sitting room, where glasses of sherry had already been poured. We took one each and sipped. It wasn’t bad, just a little too sweet. She rattled on, to put us all at ease. She was telling us how much easier it was after the Trust took over the maintenance of the Hall, as the cost had become prohibitive, when another door opened, and three men joined us. One was Derek, one was the other chap who had watched us, and the third was the guy from weeks ago, who wanted to know about the value of the paintings.

His Lordship came forward and welcomed us to the family apartments. He smiled a lot and I warmed to him, immediately.

“Now, Derek you all know. This chap is our family lawyer and friend, Brian. He was impressed with your take on him, Jesse, when he quizzed you. He told me that you side-tracked him with ease, and he would hate to come up against you in court. Now, this afternoon must have been tiring, so come on into the dining room and take the weight off your feet.”

When we walked through to the dining room, I stopped when I saw a portrait on one wall. His Lordship was looking at me as I gazed in wonder.

“That’s one of my favourites, out of the two hundred or so in the place. You look awed, Jesse.”

“Yes sir. I have seen a photo of it, but the colours of the original are magnificent. I’ve never been this close to a Rubens, before, and Mary Victoria, the Lady Curzon of her time, was a striking woman. Of course, not all women had such long necks in those days, and most portrait painters used it as a way to make the face stand out from the dress. It’s stunning, and I would keep it aside if it were mine.”

“You seem to have a lot of knowledge, for a gardener?”

“I graduated with a degree in Art History, sir, and my thesis was on ‘The Effect of the Grand Tour on English Country Houses’ with special emphasis on those close to Derby.”

“That does explain a lot. Today, even I learned a few things about the house, the art, and the family from listening to the three of you. You were a little hard on the auctioneers, at times.”

“Ah! That was a bit of grudge showing through. Before Derek gave me a job, I had written to a lot of places who handled, or held, art. A lot of those gentlemen had sent me rejection letters, the general reason being that I needed more experience. I ask you, sir, how can you get experience if you don’t get a job on the first rung of the ladder?”

“Exactly right, young lady. My own job has been easy to pick up; I was being trained before I could walk, and going off to school was almost a distraction. My dear wife had to learn it from scratch, when we married, and has done very well.”

We sat down to eat a beautiful meal, with a little wine, and much of the table talk was about today’s tour and the effect it may have for future visitations. With coffee in front of us, Lord Curzon cleared his throat.

“Ladies, Derek told me about your proposal to tell the family and building history by way of a tour. I didn’t think it would work until I saw your presentation today. We have discussed this, before meeting you, and I believe that you girls can pull it off. Derek has agreed to put you in charge of a special tour, done once or twice a day on the weekends we are open, along with days where we have coach groups who have booked. There will be a premium charge to be on the tour, but I think that everyone who takes it will consider it money well spent. I have agreed that we will make some alterations when we close the season. I’ll fund some specialists who will move the pictures around to create the timeline you give us. I expect that we will be ready to have a trial run at our Christmas event. What do you think?”

Marianne Gregory © 2023