The Governess Ch. 04

"Simone! Please stop daydreaming! Have you heard a word I said?" Lady Hawley spoke testily to her daughter, who was gazing dreamily out the window of the carriage.

Simone thanked her lucky stars that mind reading was not one of her mother's gifts.

"Sorry Maman, I drifted off for a moment. You were discussing my French grammar were you not?"

"No dear, that was some time ago! I was saying that in Miss Pauline's opinion, you have advanced as far as you can under her tutelage. If you are to speak fluently to your cousins in Lascaux this summer, you will require intensive sessions with a native French tutor."

"But why?" Simone queried.

"Speaking French for an hour a day with Miss Pauline is not like being in French society, Simone. You must speak French continuously my dear, to achieve fluency. Miss Pauline has recommended a tutor in the city, a native speaker with wonderful credentials. She has an exclusive school in Knightsbridge, where she teaches members of England's most distinguished families. Her name is Mademoiselle LeFevre."

"Is she coming here?"

"No my dear, you and Miss Pauline will travel to London. Our town house is being decorated, so I suppose you must rough it at the Dorchester. You will spend a week with Mademoiselle LeFevre, speaking only French. It will improve your fluency immensely my dear. I know your cousins will be impressed!"

Simone knew that her mother was anxious that she should impress her aunt and her cousins when she visited them in France later that summer, and the idea of spending time in London alone with Miss Pauline was exciting. A few days later, she and Miss Pauline took the train to King's Cross. They were met at the station by James, the chauffeur at the Hawley's London residence, who took care of their baggage and delivered them safely to a sumptuous suite of rooms at the Dorchester Hotel.

Miss Pauline had been selective in the information she had given to her employer about her old friend Mademoiselle LeFevre. She had not mentioned, that before moving to her present address in Knightsbridge, Mademoiselle had begun her teaching career in a tiny upstairs room in Soho. It was on the drab, street-level façade of this premises that Mademoiselle LeFevre first hung out a brass plate advertising "French Lessons". Her name was placed in bold letters over a small inscription that included the key words "Strict Disciplinarian".

After two years of building her clientele in Soho, Miss LeFevre was approached by the valet of a gentleman who wished to try her services. The valet arranged an assignation at an exclusive and discreet London hotel Miss LeFevre proved to be so well-qualified that her new client eventually bought her a house on a quiet, tree-lined, Knightsbridge street, handing her the deed the following year, on her birthday. Here, the Earl of M***** could visit her without concerning himself about being seen on Soho's seedy back streets.

At her new address, Mademoiselle LeFevre attracted a better class of clients. Many of these personages held important positions in English society and would not be seen dead entering her old premises. At first, her new clientele consisted mainly of the Earl's friends, but soon word spread more widely among members of the English gentry. These were mostly men who had acquired a taste for the cane at Eton or Harrow or had received over-the-knee spankings from a nanny or governess and become fixated on repeating these stimulating experiences. There were also a few couples and some wealthy single women who enjoyed receiving or giving discipline, bondage and punishment.

Mademoiselle LeFevre first became acquainted with Miss Pauline when the latter arrived in London as a near-destitute widow in her early thirties, with few prospects. Miss Pauline answered an ad in a tobacconist's shop and was interviewed by Miss LeFevre a few days later. Miss LeFevre needed a young woman to act as her assistant during certain procedures. She explained coolly and frankly that Miss Pauline would also serve clients who wished to discipline a submissive female. Mademoiselle LeFevre noted approvingly that Miss Pauline's voluptuous figure made her perfect for this role. The remuneration and the conditions were far superior to the life Miss Pauline had imagined herself leading in service or, even worse, on the streets of London. She gratefully accepted the position and soon found she had a natural talent for it.

In spite of her devotion to Mademoiselle LeFevre, Miss Pauline's ambition was to be a Governess. From playing this role for naughty "boys" (and a few "girls") it was a natural transition for her to eventually become a real Governess. During her five year tenure with Miss LeFevre, she received a set of recommendations from members of the English nobility. These letters and her excellent contacts, brought her placements that culminated in the position she now held with the Hawleys.

Miss Pauline knew Miss LeFevre could immerse Simone in conversational French, but she also hoped her old employer would give the girl an advanced course in the secret education that Miss Pauline had been providing for Simone. The girl had already crossed over into the realm where pain and pleasure intermingled and became a greater sensation. Miss Pauline hoped that Mademoiselle LeFevre could show Simone how to surrender more fully to a true Mistress and thus find the path to her own Mistress-hood.

On their first night in the Dorchester, Miss Pauline discouraged Simone from joining her in her connecting bedroom. Simone was annoyed, but Miss Pauline was firm.

"Tomorrow you have your first lesson with Mademoiselle. It's important that you make a good impression. You don't want to be tired. The Mademoiselle is a wonderful woman, but she is demanding and stern with those who do not take their studies seriously." Simone was downcast, but she obeyed her Governess and early the next morning, after breakfast, they took a cab to Knightsbridge.

Mademoiselle LeFevre met them in an elegantly appointed drawing room. She embraced Miss Pauline warmly, and seemed delighted to see her old friend. She was a tall woman with a narrow waist cinched into a corset and an ample bosom that impressively filled out her high collared dress. When she turned her attention to Simone, the conversation began in French.

"Bonjour Mademoiselle Simone. Ecoute moi. Ici, nous parlons seulement en Francais. Comprend?"

"Oui Mademoiselle!"

"Your accent," Mademoiselle LeFevre continued in French, "is fair. But in pronunciation as in all things, please copy me closely. You sound uncomfortable with the French language, as though you are holding your words at arm's length, or touching something distasteful. This is understandable for a beginner, but it is important to be at home in your new language. A lady must be at ease. Our role in society is to put others at their ease. Is it not so? To do this, we must be at ease ourselves."

She looked at Simone with a ferocious directness. Her gaze was all the more intimidating because it was so effortless and even casual. Simone realized that it was the most natural thing in the world for Mademoiselle LeFevre to dominate the room and everyone in it.

"Je suis la Maitresse, Mademoiselle. La Maitresse de cette maison. In my house, I am what matters. How do my guests feel? How do you feel at this moment? This is of no consequence. What matters is how I feel. When I am comfortable my guests are comfortable. If I am displeased, they will suffer agonies. I will teach you to speak French and to be at home in France. But first I will teach you to be Mistress of yourself in every situation. While you are here you must copy me: my accent, my inflections, my mannerisms, my gestures, and by the end of your stay, Mademoiselle, you will be a Mistress like me."

Simone was rarely at a loss for words, but at this terrifyingly fluent monologue she just nodded her head, her eyelids fluttering nervously.

"Bien sur!" Mademoiselle Lefevre smiled and then burst out laughing. Her laughter shattered the icy mask she had assumed, and she stepped across the room and embraced Simone warmly. Then, taking Simone's hand, with a sisterly air, she drew her out of the room, through the hallway and up the elegant, curved wooden staircase.

"Allow me to show you my house Mademoiselle."

She led Simone to the first floor , which consisted of a series of closed doors, each with a symbol painted above it.

"This is a house of games Simone," Mademoiselle LeFevre said, gesturing to the doors, "Each room is designed for particular pastimes."

She opened the first door, whose superscription was a mortar board and cane. The room was decorated like a classroom with a blackboard, rows of desks and a teacher's desk at the front. On a coat-stand by the blackboard were hung rows of canes and straps.

"You might be surprised Simone at how many grown ups miss their childhood days. Here they can play at being boys and girls again. I am the teacher, and when my pupils misbehave, I sometimes have to remind them of their manners."

She closed the door and led Simone on to the next room, whose emblem was a stethoscope. The interior looked like an operating theater. A stainless steel operating table stood on one side, equipped with stout leather straps, apparently to secure the patient. Various medical implements hung on the wall, including a rubber enema device.

"Did you play doctors and nurses as a child Simone?" Mademoiselle asked, with a twinkle in her eye, "Many grown ups still play those games. Here, I am the nurse. When my patients are non-compliant, I can be stern. But it's all for the good of their health!"

The next room surprised Simone the most. It was filed with bales of hay and looked like a stable, complete with saddles, whips and the scent of horses. Simone gave Miss Pauline a sly look and received a smile in return. None of this was lost on Mademoiselle LeFevre.

"I see you know what this room is for Simone, I'm sure you have played in the stables at your father's estate. Here, of course, we have no horses, but some gentlemen and ladies play those roles and find great enjoyment in horseplay."

Next was a medieval dungeon with a whipping post, manacles, ropes, chains, and various painful-looking instruments of torture.

"The Middle Ages!" Mademoiselle laughed, "I am sure you have read about this crude and cruel era, but some gentlemen still long for those ancient times."

The last door opened to reveal a marble-floored throne room. The gilded throne was elaborately carved into a menagerie of hissing snakes and panthers' heads.

"My favorite room!" said Mademoiselle LeFevre, "Here I am Queen Cleopatra with my slaves."

Concluding the tour, Madame LeFevre escorted Simone back to the drawing room.

"I am sure you have never been enrolled in this type of school before Simone, but my students learn better when they take on roles while speaking French. For the next few days you will play the role of my servant. Miss Pauline will be the housekeeper in charge of you and all the servants. I, of course, am the lady of the house, your Mistress."

Miss Pauline stood up suddenly at a glance from Mademoiselle LeFevre.

"Come Simone," she said in French, "I will show you to the servant's quarters and get your maid's uniform. Come now, girl!"

Simone was not accustomed to this brisk mode of address, but she stood up at once and followed her Governess downstairs to the basement kitchen and the servant's quarters. Here she was shown a tiny room with an uncomfortable looking iron-framed bed, a cheap, cracked glass and a maid's uniform hanging on a hook.

"This is where you stay while serving Mademoiselle," Miss Pauline explained.

"But what of our rooms?" Simone inquired.

"We may return to them in our off duty hours, but Mademoiselle prefers that for the next few days you stay here. Now, change and I will explain your duties."

Simone attempted to close the door, which had no proper handle or lock. She found it would not stay closed and remained always a little ajar. She gave up and leaned against it to preserve some feeling of privacy while she changed into her fitted costume. Looking at her reflection in the mean little mirror, Simone straightened the white lace collar. She was surprised to see herself dressed as a servant. She had never imagined herself in this role, but to her surprise, she liked the feeling. Simone found a certain freedom in playing the role of maid. She began to pose and preen, but when her Governess called her, she turned to the door and found herself, as she did so, slipping into the role of servant.

Miss Pauline instructed Simone carefully on how to serve at table, how to assist the Mistress in her bedchamber, how to address the Mistress (only when spoken to). She was to assume at all times the postures and facial expressions of docility and service.

"Do not look the Mistress directly in the eyes," Miss Pauline said, "Cast your eyes down when spoken to. When you reply, say only "Yes Mistress" or "No Mistress" to let her know you understand. Otherwise, you will nothing to say, unless the Mistress speaks to you. Do you understand?"

Simone's mind was racing as she tried to memorize the details of her new role, while also communicating only in French. She felt a mixture of anxiety and excitement at playing her part in this strange, theatrical household. The idea of serving Mademoiselle as her personal maid while, all the time, keeping up with her rapid French made her extremely nervous. Mademoiselle's vocabulary kept Simone constantly scrambling, guessing at the meaning of unfamiliar terms, half grasping the double-entendres, sidelong jests and flights of irony and sarcasm that constantly circulated among the sparse literal landmarks in Mademoiselle's verbal avalanches.

At the same time, there was something fascinating about Mademoiselle's presence. Her persona reminded Simone of an aristocrat from a bygone era, a Duchesse or Marquise from the ancien regime. Like the old aristocracy, Mademoiselle exuded an air of natural superiority that was both cruel and child-like. At one extreme, she seemed childish in her unselfconscious egotism, her complete lack of pretense, and her fearless naturalness. At the same time, she was haughty and chillingly remote, like a being from another realm. This mixture of the intimate and the alien held Simone spellbound. Much as she felt the nerve-wracking uncertainty of acting an unfamiliar part in an unscripted play in a foreign language, Simone was also eager to experience Mademoiselle's living theater.

That night, Mademoiselle LeFevre had two male and two female guests to dinner. Miss Pauline and Simone laid the table at 5.00. At 7.30, the guests entered and Simone and Miss Pauline served the food that was cooked by a chef in the kitchen below. Miss Pauline told Simone that she should listen carefully to the conversation. It would be held in French, and Mademoiselle LeFevre might ask her questions about it later.

Simone did surprisingly well in serving the meal. She had been served at dinners like this all her life and found to her surprise that she had absorbed a great deal of the details of table service and was able to mimic them quite precisely. She also listened attentively to the conversation that buzzed around the table and did her best to memorize the main topics of interest and some of the more sparkling bon mots. When the dessert had been finished and the dishes collected, Mademoiselle LeFevre invited her guest upstairs. Then she told Simone and Miss Pauline to join them in the Cleopatra room.

Miss Pauline led Simone to a dressing room off the main hall and pulled back a curtain that concealed rows of costumes. She selected two costumes and handed one to Pauline.

"Go to your room and change into this," she said. "But first come with me to the bathroom."

Simone followed Miss Pauline to a downstairs bathroom. Miss Pauline closed the door and slipped off her dress. She was wearing nothing underneath but a garter belt and stockings. Pauline notice immediately that there was something different about her Governess's pale, voluptuous body. She stared for a moment before she realized what it was. Then she saw -- Miss Pauline's body was shaved completely smooth and hairless!

"Do you see how I have depilated myself Simone?" Miss Pauline asked.

"Yes Miss!" said Simone.

"You will do the same. In the Egyptian room, everyone is shaven as was the fashion in Ancient Egypt. You will see that the initiates even shave their heads to more completely enter their roles."

Miss Pauline presented Simone with a shaving brush, soap and a straight razor. Then she seemed to have second thoughts.

"Since this is your first time, Simone, I will help you," she said. She draped a large bath towel on the floor.

"Undress and lie down here," she said. Simone obeyed.

Miss Pauline ran water in the sink and soaped her hands. Then she gently soaped Simone. She slid her fingers between her thighs and soaped Simone's delicate lips. The girl gasped with pleasure, feeling her Governess's warm soapy fingers sliding over and between her lips and along her stiffening clitoris.

"Now watch what I do so you can shave without cutting yourself."

Miss Pauline first expertly stropped the blade. When she was satisfied with the edge, she shaved the light hair from Simone's mound with two deft strokes. Then she shaved her lips completely smooth in a few seconds.

"Don't be afraid of the razor and your hand won't shake." Miss Pauline advised. "Then you won't cut yourself. Now you try shaving your underarms."

Simone soaped under her arms and watched herself in the mirror as she carefully removed the light dusting of underarm hair.

"Good," Miss Pauline said and gave her a towel. Simone dried herself.

Then Miss Pauline handed Simone the diaphanous robe she was to wear. Miss Pauline removed her stockings and draped her own robe over her head, letting the light material slide over her torso and down her thighs. The sides of the gown were open and when she turned, Miss Pauline's magnificent breasts were exposed. The robe alternately concealed and revealed her shaved, naked body as she walked. Simone's robe also gave only the barest concealment. Her firm young breasts with their stiff, pink nipples were revealed with every step she took.

"Follow me," Miss Pauline said.

She led Simone out of the bathroom and up the staircase to the upper floor. As they approached the door of the Egyptian room, Miss Pauline whispered, "Follow my lead in everything and obey the Mademoiselle's commands without question."

Miss Pauline knocked lightly and then opened the door of the Egyptian room. Simone followed her inside and slowly took in the scene.

On a platform that rose above the tiled floor on the opposite side of the room, Mademoiselle Lefevre sat, completely naked, on a gold throne. Her body was bronzed and her face, the tips of her breasts and her shaved sex were gilded. On the tiled floor the male and female "slaves" were also naked. The men had removed what must have been wigs. Their heads, like the rest of their bodies were shaved and oiled. One of the women was also shaven headed and her hairless body was slick with oil. Simone was amazed to see that all three had intricate colored tattoos decorating their sexual organs.

The other woman was naked. Her long dark hair streamed down her back and she had a thick bush of black pubic hair.

Miss Pauline mounted the stage and took up a broad feather fan with a wooden handle. She nodded to Simone to do the same, and Simone picked up a fan that lay on her side of the throne. The servants stood on either side of Cleopatra, fanning her, while the ritual proceeded. Simone realized that the woman who was still unshaven was being initiated.