Diva in Disguise Chapter 16

“My dear, you mustn’t distress yourself.” Madeleine’s voice was outwardly calm and betrayed no audible trace of the anger that had possessed her the previous evening. “Given your nervous condition yesterday, the administering of a mild sedative was essential in my judgement. If you remember, it was you that persuaded me not to dismiss my maid after her display of incompetence and then you made your decision to go along with whatever she proposed. I have provided you with clothing when your own had become soiled, and even a bed to sleep in, though” and she gave a sly wink, “it seems that you used it for more than sleep.”

I seemed to be caught in a mesh of twisted words, reminiscent of the times when my mother similarly entangled me. I could think of no ready reply to refute her claims. My dissembling companion continued without waiting for my response.

“I believe that last night’s tryst with Karen lived up to her expectations. She is my protégé and excels in the skills required to give satisfaction to the opposite sex. For myself I can’t understand why she would give her time to anything so inadequate...”

I crossed my legs as with a dismissive sneer she gestured towards where my arousal, which had yet to fully subside, was partly hidden by my lacy panties.

“...but there is no accounting for the human heart. You are exceptionally fortunate that she still has a regard for you.”

“Karen?” Though I was fully aware that my ex-sweetheart had been with me I didn’t want to admit to that knowledge.

“Don’t play the innocent. You know you and she spent the night together. That is no surprise to me. Can you deny that you still have dreams about her? Those eyes of hers, those lips, those mile-long legs! Admit that they haunt your dreams.”

Her gibe came too near the truth for me to refute it, but rebellion rose up within me. After all, when everything is said and done, you can’t be blamed for your dreams.

“Madeleine, you know that what really happened was that you drugged me and kept me here, against my will.”

My counterattack against my enemy failed immediately. “Against your will. No! Surely not. Let us see.” She held something out to me. “No, I must disagree. You certainly seemed to be having a good time in this photograph. That is you, I suppose?”

“What?” I took the picture from her hand and examined it. It had been taken using an instant camera and in the image my features had been clearly captured. I appeared to be laid on the bed and a female figure sat astride me, my hands clutching her thighs. Though her face wasn’t in shot, I knew my bedfellow could only be my childhood heartthrob.

Angrily, I made to rip the photo to pieces, but Madeleine’s next words checked my action. “Do what you like with that one. I have several.”

“I was tricked” I protested. “I wasn’t even properly awake when that was taken.”

“That’s not how it appears from my viewpoint. Nor will anyone who sees this think differently, and rest assured, plenty of people will get to see it, including your own dear Rachel. She has a kind and understanding nature I believe, but I would guess that the breaking point of her regard for you will be well exceeded by such evidence.”

“But what this pretends to show is impossible! How could this happen when I remember nothing of it?

“Tut-tut. You really should pay more attention to your surroundings. There is ample evidence as to ‘how’ on these walls.”

I regarded my tormentor blankly.

“The picture, cretin, the picture!”

I looked across at a painting that was hung above one side of the bed, a portrait of myself. The likeness had been taken two years ago, just before I made my escape from our engagement. I was surprised to see it there considering Madeleine’s present feelings toward me. However it shed no light on what had taken place and my puzzlement I remained until I noticed a print which was hung above the other side of the bed.

That one portrayed a man and a woman who were clearly enjoying each other's company. The woman was positioned astride her paramour. He appeared to be a passive partner, and I could surmise that what was intended to be portrayed was an oriental technique of lovemaking.

I knew from my own experience that this technique was one which my companion favoured. It enabled the woman to be in complete control, unsurprisingly!

Understanding of her meaning dawned on me at which Madeleine’s expression became one of glee. “Impossible? I am very sure that Karen has a full understanding of what may be achieved if needful.” My ex-fiancé examined the photograph in my hand again. “However, this seems to show that she had a willing partner on this occasion.”

She paused to let her words sink in. I tried to remember. What had actually occurred? I couldn’t be sure. What had passed and how consensual had my part been in whatever had? Although the answer mattered to me a great deal, I was filled with doubts.

Having succeeded in undermining my self-belief the woman pressed her advantage. “Now listen to me. It’s payback time. If you want to continue playing your game of happy families, from henceforward you will do exactly as I say, no matter how humiliating you find what is required of you. Indeed, that is the whole point. You will just have to suck it up. When, and if, I’m satisfied that you have plumbed the same depths to which you abandoned me, I may just let you have the rest of these photographs, but don’t expect that to happen any time soon. You will get them one by one, for good behaviour, for pleasing me, for as long as it takes.”

The woman’s gloating words were intolerable, but whichever way I turned I appeared to be ensnared.

“There is no way out of your dilemma. What is more, you have already started along the downward road you will tread. Let me see. Pulled over by the police for inappropriate attire. How uncomfortable! Then, embracing the role of a cheap hostess in my cocktail bar, pawed by all and sundry. Demeaning in the extreme! Yes, I know all about those occurrences. Are you enjoying your journey? You will complete your next task this evening. I’m holding a little party for a few friends. Poor Consuela will be run off her feet so I’m arranging for her to have some help. Guess what? You’re the help!”

Madeleine almost crowed with triumph. “The best part of this for me is that you must undertake your degrading role willingly, or no dice. So smile, Jennifer dear, smile!”

I thought for some minutes more but could see no way out. For now, I would have to go along with my taskmistress. With gritted teeth, I managed to force a grimace. It was the closest I could come to smiling,

“That will do for the present.” Madeleine turned on her heel. “You start immediately. Consuela awaits you in her room.” With a parting “Don’t dawdle now, run along!” she stalked out.

When she had gone, I threw myself down on the bed and buried my face in a pillow, beating my arms against it in rage and frustration. How could I have let myself be duped so easily? Everything that I cared about was now under threat from this scheming woman. I was a fool not to have expected something like this. Also, my childhood would-be girlfriend was mixed up in the plot, threatening other unguessable consequences.

Although the weight of the world seemed to rest upon my shoulders, I seized on two small items of relief. For the moment I was free of Madeleine’s oppressive presence. I could think clearly again. Also, the nature of the immediate task she had set me was not as unpalatable as she had intended. To work as a maid would not be a new experience for me and to be classed as a servant didn’t bother me at all.

I was still dressed in the bridal lingerie I had slept in, so my first needs were to take a shower and put on something more practical. I tiptoed furtively down the corridor to the Consuela’s room hoping that no-one would see me. I encountered no-one until I saw the slim figure of the girl herself. She was busily engaged in laying out what looked like a uniform on her bed. I guessed that it was intended for me.

“Consuela” I whispered.

She gave a start. “Oh, it’s you! You mustn’t creep up on me, like that. I could have had heart failure.”

“Please help me” I began.

However, the maid shook her head in my face. “You do not deserve help” she scolded. “That was a wicked thing you did, when you left Madame. She told me all about how you jilted her, poor thing, and she cried her eyes out. Now it’s your turn to be sorry.”

She turned to look at me directly. Her manner changed “You are okay? Good. I wasn’t worried, of course, but that drink was stronger than I expected… I knew you would be all right.”

Was this a softening in the maid’s attitude? I clutched at that slender hope like a drowning person grasps at a straw and resolved to put a brave face on things. “There’s nothing wrong with me that a shower won’t fix.”

“That’s better. I’ll get you towels.” Consuela led the way to the main bathroom and found me the necessary. Even if nothing had actually changed in my situation, once I’d showered, I felt more human. I wrapped myself in the largest towel and returned to the girl’s room to hear the instruction “Now you must get changed into your uniform. Quickly, please!”

Wearing a maid’s costume was not something to which I was looking forward, but I didn’t have much choice. The reality proved to be worse than I could have conceived.

Unlike the demure style of Consuela’s garment, the outfit allocated for me to wear could have come from a gothic horror movie. The dress was in a shiny satin fabric, its skirt was tiny and the several layers of petticoats beneath promised to give drama to its flare. The bodice was skimpy and featured an off the shoulder style with a neckline so low that only a thin edging of lace around the neckline prevented actual indecency. To my mind, the overall effect could best be described as slatternly.

However, what really gave me pause was that the panties provided had not been designed to address my particular needs. Tucking would be a real problem, especially as my inquiry about where my purse had gotten to had been ignored and I was without my roll of surgical tape. I would be wearing the scantiest underwear beneath a skirt so short that the risk of exposure was ever-present.

Complaining to my co-worker elicited no sympathy. She merely knelt to rearrange my layers of petticoats and leaned back to admire.

“Oh pooh! Of course you can wear this. I think you look very cute! There, that’s perfect!”

Perfect! Perfect? The elevated hemline barely concealed the inadequate panties I was so anxious about, and my garters were clearly on display above the top of my stockings!

As if to reconcile me to my outfit, she added “Mistress and I chose that style for you with your role at the party in mind. You are not the only one, naturally. See, I’m dressed up too.”

Vaguely I noticed that her dress was of a superior fabric to that of her normal one. She was also wearing a similar headpiece to mine. However, I was unimpressed and must have looked it.

“You should be glad that you will be the centre of attention this evening” she encouraged. “I ought to be envious. No-one will have eyes for me alongside you!”

How true that statement was likely to be! However, there seemed no likelihood of her offering to swap. In any case, it appeared I had no choice but to go along with Madeleine’s wishes.

I took a last despairing look at myself in the mirror. As I did so, Consuela playfully flipped up the hem of my dress, an action she was to repeat every time she passed me that evening, to my intense annoyance. “Come on, gorgeous! There is too much to do to stand there admiring yourself. Mistress told me you will help me prepare for the party this evening. We’d better get started.”

For the rest of the day I was fully occupied. As I’d expected the work was not too irksome. Preparing delicacies for the forthcoming party was something I’d had plenty of experience of, and being busy had the benefit of making me forget my cares. However, being around food soon made me aware I was ravenously hungry. In the end I could resist no longer. I was about to take one of the canapes from a plateful I’d just prepared when I was sternly admonished by my co-worker. “No! They’re for the guests.”

“Sorry, I didn’t have any breakfast” I pleaded. I could have added that it was after 12 noon, and I’d had no lunch either.

“You and I will have sandwiches to eat. When we get the chance.”

To my chagrin, that opportunity was not immediately forthcoming. Consuela kept me working hard and by the time we stopped to take a break I was starting to feel lightheaded. The sandwiches were washed down with a glass of water. Mine disappeared like lightning and then we resumed our labours. When all the food was prepared, there were trays of drinks to set out. When that had been completed my efforts received an unexpected accolade.

“You are a good worker, Miss Jennifer.” The maid was regarding me thoughtfully.

“Thanks. You don’t have to call me Miss. 'Jennifer' is fine.”

“Okay, Jennifer. Now there will be just time for a little picking-up and tidying before the people start to arrive.”

I tried to look content with my next task, but I had been longing to sit down. The high-heeled slippers I had on were not designed for all day wear.

“Go and dust the shelves in the library. The guests will start arriving shortly.”

Once more I became engrossed in my work, sprucing up the book laden shelves. I’d nearly done when someone entered the room and came up behind me.

Then a well-known voice made me start. “Well, just look at you!