The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Term was out and the girls of St Rhondals were all on their way home or elsewhere, in the case of Geri and Emma it was elsewhere. Their parents had gone to Paris and the high hopes the sisters had had of joining them there were dashed when they had received a letter telling them that they would instead be staying with their mother’s aunt who lived up North. Both girls were shattered by the news, they had been bragging all term about France and now they were consigned, imprisoned even, to a dreary village in the middle of nowhere. They couldn’t believe their parents could do such a thing to them, both denying them the chance to be hip and trendy in Paris and forcing them to stay with a hick cousin and a stuffy old woman who would probably force them to dress sensibly, or worse, in something sadly feminine.

The long train journey, with several transfers didn’t help and both girls could only note with horror that they were descending into remoter and remoter regions of the country with each change. Standing on a train platform at a station too small to even have a shelter, they were loudly bemoaning their fate to each other and shivering as the cold wind cut through their denim jeans and jackets when there was a shout from nearby and a bundle of papers blew past the girls onto the railway tracks.

“Oh Mercy!” a woman’s voice exclaimed in obvious panic, “My documents, I dare not lose those papers!”

Without hesitation, Geri leapt down onto the gravel and dashed after the flitting pieces of paper seeing in it a chance for some activity as well as her natural inclination to help out someone in distress. That left her less exuberant sister to face the woman and form the first impression.

She was tall with a good figure that was not muffled by the long fur trimmed coat she was wearing and a elegantly pretty face framed by her dark hair and short brimmed velvet hat. Emma also noted that even though the woman was wearing completely impractical shoes with four inch heels, she did not seem at all hampered by them as she hurried up to the edge of the platform.

“Oh, you wonderful girl,” the woman enthused as she saw that Geri had already gathered up most of the loose sheets and was chasing down the last few. Clasping her gloved hands together, the woman turned to Emma and with a winning smile inquired, “Your sister, I take it? There is such a resemblance.”

Emma didn’t get a chance to reply as there was a cry of surprise and pain at that moment and both she and the woman looked as one to where Geri had fallen and was now lying quite still. Emma, despite being less energetic and extroverted than her older sibling, had leapt off the platform and rushed to her sister’s side without pause. There she could tell that Geri was still alive at least but unconscious with evidence that she had banged her head as well as twisted her ankle.

“Oh my,” the woman called from the platform, “Is she ...?”

“She isn’t bleeding,” Emma responded almost automatically, not daring to voice her fears, “But she is unconscious.”

“Do not move her,” the woman instructed, somewhat unnecessarily, “I will summon the doctor at once.” And with that she hurried away, apparently to make a phone call.

Emma could do little but drape her jacket over her sister to keep her warm and wait. It was a surprisingly short wait until she heard scrunching on the gravel and turned to see that the woman had returned and had a well dressed middle aged man in tow.

“This is Doctor Vincent,” the woman informed Emma as the man immediately moved to kneel beside her sister and set about examining the stricken girl. Emma just nodded dumbly and waited. It did not take the doctor long to come to a conclusion.

“I believe that she has just suffered a minor bump to the head and twisted her ankle, nothing appears to be broken and she does not appear to be concussed. She should however be taken somewhere comfortable to lie down and have a good rest for at least a day or two.”

“Oh, she must come stay with me, you both must,” the woman said, turning her attention to Emma with a warm smile, “It is, after all, my fault entirely.”

“I .. we really shouldn’t,” Emma found herself responding automatically, “We can’t impose on you and we still have to catch a train to our Great Aunt’s.”

“Nonsense,” the woman brushed aside Emma’s refusal. “You surely cannot expect to travel on by train today. I will contact your Great Aunt for you and let her know you are my guests. I am sure that Dr Vincent agrees this is the best course of action.”

The doctor glanced up with a resigned expression that told Emma that he knew this woman and her moods quite well. “Train travel is out of the question,” he agreed. “Your sister should be taken somewhere warm and comfortable as soon as possible. I will call by this evening to see how she is doing and ascertain any further treatment.”

“There,” said the woman triumphantly, “That’s all settled. Now we must away to my humble home.” With that the woman gently picked up Geri with an ease that belied her slender form and carried the girl around the platform to the carpark, expecting Emma and the doctor to follow.

Emma was first amazed at how the woman could walk in high heels on gravel carrying the weight of a person, and then even more astounded by the car the woman was going to. Even with her limited knowledge Emma could tell it was a Rolls Royce by the mascot on the front and it was big too. The driver’s side door opened and a figure clad in the traditional livery of a chauffeur stepped around to open the rear door for the woman. It wasn’t until she was closer that Emma realised the chauffeur was a woman although there was nothing unfeminine about her in the formfitting jacket and jodhpurs.

The woman gently laid Geri out on one of the back seats (Emma couldn’t believe it—two back seats!) and then gestured for Emma to get in before slipping in herself. The seats were soft and fragrant of leather and the luxury of it made Emma temporarily forget her injured sister until the woman instructed her chauffeur to drive back to the house with the utmost of care.

The house proved to be no less impressive than the car when they reached it after a long trip through winding country roads. The three story manor looked positively ancient to Emma with its wings and towers and ornamentations, yet it was clearly well kept and lived in. The car pulled up to outside the double front doors which were in the process of being opened by a tall and stern looking man in a dark suit that was little short of a tuxedo to Emma’s eyes. This man quickly stepped down to the car when the woman gestured for him and he was soon carrying Geri into the house with deliberate care. Emma could do little more than follow the procession and wonder at the sheer size and richness of the house and its interior.

“Jenks,” the woman imperiously commanded the butler, “Take this young petal up to the Lavender Room immediately, the poor child will need such surrounds if she is to recover quickly. Have Muriel see to getting her to bed and then have the Boston Suite set up for our other young guest.”

The man gave a curt “Yes ma’am,” but made no show of emotion as he made his way up the sweeping staircase in the entrance hall with the drowsy Geri in his arms. Emma didn’t have a chance to see where he went upstairs as she was whisked away by the woman.

“Come dear, we can get warm by the fire in the study and, I have been so remiss, introduce ourselves.”

In the study, with bookshelves running from floor to the high ceiling and a strong scent of potpourri and burning pine logs, Emma got her first good look at her regal host as she shed her long coat and tossed it casually over a chair. Tall and slender, the woman’s frame was draped with a thin gown of glittering pink and gold that looked completely impractical for the cold weather and so far from fashion to be almost unrecognisable until Emma remembered seeing something like it in a gangster movie. While attractive and elegant, Emma couldn’t help but feel that the woman was about to break into a silly dance twirling a long pearl necklace.

Instead she turned to face Emma and made a great show of moving aside to allow Emma nearer the fire. “Now, the emergency is over and we’re nice and warm, so I apologise for being so remiss in introductions,” the woman said lightly, “I am .. Miss Harcourt, lady of the manor.”

Emma didn’t fail to notice the slight pause before the name given but basic politeness let her run on automatic in a unreal situation. “I’m Emma Carlton, and my sister is Geri. We were on our way up to our Aunt’s place—which reminds me, I must let her know we won’t be on the train.”

“Oh of course, you will have to forgive me again, I am an absolutely hopeless host. If you would let me have the number I will ring her at once and let her know her nieces are safe while you have a bit of a sit down. You are looking a bit pale from the excitement.”

Now that is was mentioned, Emma was feeling quite spent from the emotion of her injured sister and was more than grateful for the chance to sit down for a while. As such she surrendered her aunt’s telephone number a little easier than she normally would have and slumped down into a comfortable chair by the fire as the woman whipped out of the room with her boundless energy.

Ten minutes passed and Emma felt recovered enough to worry about what Miss Harcourt might be saying to her aunt and so summoned the energy and courage to leave the study. More by chance than thought she found where Miss Harcourt was using the telephone in a small room off a back hallway. The room was closed off with a glass door and Miss Harcourt spotted the girl before she could get near enough to hear what was being said before the woman opened the door and beckoned her in.

“Here she is now,” Miss Harcourt said into the receiver with a pleasant smile directed at Emma, “I expect she will wish to speak with you.” Without further ado, Miss Harcourt gave the handpiece to Emma and then slipped out of the room to give Emma privacy.

“Aunt Beryl,” Emma began, only to be cut off.

“Oh Emma, I am so embarrassed by Geri’s tomboyish behaviour. She could have easily been seriously hurt rushing around on the tracks like that. Miss Harcourt assures me that it is only a minor bump but still ..”

“The doctor said it wasn’t too bad, Aunt Beryl,” Emma put in as soon as she got a chance. “And she was doing it to rescue the documents Miss Harcourt dropped, it wasn’t like she was mucking around.”

“Yes, yes, I know. Miss Harcourt sang her praises as though she had saved a child from a flooded river. Now she says that you can stay the night, and as there’s no more trains until tomorrow there’s little other option. She did offer to have you driven up here but I wouldn’t hear of her putting herself out like that. So be on your best behaviour, you are very lucky and I want you to be as little nuisance as you can manage. I want you to offer to help out with anything that needs done although Miss Harcourt informed me that she has more than sufficient domestic staff.”

“Yes, Aunt Beryl.”

“Be polite. And try to wear something nice. You’re not lounging around my little cottage, you’re in a lady’s home, so make yourself presentable.”

“Yes aunt Beryl.”

“Now Miss Harcourt is going to ring me again tomorrow after the doctor has seen Geri. Try to be packed and ready so you can catch the first train out. I won’t have you imposing upon her hospitality a moment longer than necessary.”

“Yes aunt Beryl. We’ll be good and I’ll be glad to get out of here too.”

“Don’t be ungrateful, girl! Now be good and we’ll say goodbye here as I don’t want you running up her phone bill.”

“Bye Aunt Beryl.”

“Goodbye Emma, and do be good,” her aunt finished on a softer, kinder tone before hanging up.

“So how are you feeling, Ger?”

“My head aches and my ankle hurts like fuck, gawd but this bed is soft though.” Geri replied with a pale smile. Her discomfort was obvious to her sister, even submerged as it was by the sheer opulence of the room. Geri was ensconced in a four poster bed large enough for an entire family yet still appearing small in comparison to the room. The other furnishings were sparse but expensive looking, probably all antiques by Emma’s limited knowledge of such things. There were four large bay windows along one side, designed to let in the morning sun and the room as a whole was cheery without being glitzy.

“The doc said it wasn’t anything serious, just you needed some rest.” Emma went on in a reassuring manner. “I’ve told Aunt Beryl where we are and she’s okay with us staying the night. Miss Harcourt, that’s the woman, was more than insistent, I reckon she doesn’t get many visitors out here. Real strange bird, she’s young like but her clothes are out of Dick Tracy.”

“Poor people are strange, rich people are eccentric,” Geri quipped, trying to cover for the pain she was feeling. “Be nice to her, she might not have any heirs and you could end up inheriting everything.”

“And get bumped off by the servants for cutting them off. No, I think I’ll settle for being polite and humouring her. Its just one night, and you have to admit the place is pretty grand. We’re not likely to end up staying anywhere this posh again, with huge beds with canopies and all.”

“That reminds me, where are you sleeping Em? I thought with a bed this size we’d be doubling up but they haven’t brought your stuff in like mine.”

“You should see it,” Emma giggled, “You think this room is something, well I’m in the Boston Suite! Yeah, suite, its like an apartment all on its own, four rooms, five if you count the closet. But don’t worry, its just down the hall if you have to yell for help in the middle of the night.”

Geri didn’t get a chance to reply to her sister’s cheeky remark as there was a light knock on the door, followed by the entrance of a maid after a discrete interval. She was a mature and quite buxom woman in a starched powder blue tunic that was tailored to her figure and accessorised with a lace hairband and apron.

“If you please, Miss Emma, Miss Geri. Madam says dinner will be in fifteen minutes in the South dining room. I’ve laid out towels if Miss Emma would like to freshen up before she goes down. And Miss Geri, are you feeling up to a meal? I can bring up a full tray, or if you wish just a light snack.”

“Just a light snack, thanks, Muriel,” Geri replied and then once the maid had left the room and closed the door again, Geri added to her sister. “Well you can’t get more subtle than that, off with you to get presentable. Put on your Sunday best for dinner with our ladyship.”

“Easy for you,” Emma ribbed her back, “You don’t have to get up. Hey, what’s that you’re wearing? It’s not your pj’s.”

Geri blushed, “Its a nightdress or something. Muriel wouldn’t let me wear my jam’s. Its a bit frilly but I have to admit its comfortable.

Emma did her best to smarten herself up, but she drew the line at wearing the flowery sun dress her mother had made her pack and take to school. Instead she went with her best jeans, the blouse from her school uniform and a light sweater. As a final concession she wore her formal shoes instead of her trainers. Giving herself one last look in the mirror she hurried downstairs and with just a few wrong turns made her way to a dining room which she guessed to be the South one as Miss Harcourt was already seated.

Emma was surprised to find that the woman had also changed her clothes for dinner, and to a completely different style. Gone was the flapper dress and in its place was what looked at first glance to be a feminine business suit. Then Miss Harcourt stood up to greet her guest and Emma saw that this outfit was as archaic as the last with a tight fitting knee length skirt, and a double breasted jacket with short sleeves and padded shoulders, all in a deep crimson. More startling was that there was a little round hat and a pair of gloves on a chair beside her, as though she had just taken them off for the meal.

“Emma darling, please sit up here with me,” Miss Harcourt enthused and as if emerging from the wall, Jenks appeared to pull back a chair for the girl to seat herself. Emma sat down nervously, she felt tiny in comparison to the table, and the presence of her host. She also felt a bit dowdy and was regretting not wearing the dress.

Geri hurriedly sat up in bed when she heard the gentle rap on her door. She had been snoozing but she didn’t want anyone else to think that she was anything other than alert and eager to get on her feet at the earliest opportunity. She had just composed herself, leaning back against the luxuriously large pillows with their frilly trim when her sister came into view around the immense door.

“Hi, Ger, just me. How’re you feeling?”

“Lot’s better,” Geri lied, then did a double take as she got a better look at her little sister. “Where’d that outfit come from?”

Emma swished nervously in the pale green frock she was wearing, sleeveless with capped shoulders it was wonderfully cut for her figure. “Um, Miss Harcourt lent it to me. I felt a bit .. grungy .. wearing the stuff I had in my day bag. It’s quite pretty isn’t it.”

Geri could detect a note of embarrassment in her sister’s voice around the word ‘pretty’ but there was no better word for it. The dress, and Emma were both pretty and Geri had to admit to a touch of envy.

“Oh I think it looks great on you,” Geri replied, toning it down enough to avoid adding to Emma’s discomfort. “You should see if she wants to sell it, you could wear it to the next formal.”

“She said I could keep it, but mum would freak and Auntie Beryl is already on at us not to overdo our host’s hospitality.”

“Catch 22, we’ll probably offend one if we don’t and the other if we do. Still, with the fussy Dr Vincent we’ll probably never get back to school, let alone Auntie Beryl’s.”

“How do you mean?”

“Didn’t you see him? Muriel brought the good doctor up to check me out, probably while you were still having tea with her ladyship. He gave me the once over and said I had to spend at least another couple of days just to be safe. Complete old woman. Still I mean to make the most of it, and our host’s guilt. Super comfy bed, servants to wait on me hand and foot, beats a stuffy old farm in the middle of nowhere.”

“Sounds good,” Emma smiled to humour her sister. “Well since you’re resigned to spending tomorrow in bed as well you won’t mind if I go shopping with Miss Harcourt. She invited me and I made all sorts of excuses about we would be leaving on the train but since that’s not happening—anything I can get you?”

“More batteries for my disc player, the one thing I can’t get is decent music.” Geri said. “You’d better take the money out of my purse as well—Auntie Beryl would die if you let Miss Harcourt pay for everything.”

“Will do,” Emma replied as she went over to the bedside table with Geri’s purse. “I’ll see about getting her a thank you present if I manage to get away from her. I can just see her as the type that drags you everywhere and doesn’t give you a chance to do anything on your own.”

“Still, lucky you. I’ll be stuck in bed all day tomorrow.”

“With servants waiting on you hand and foot,” Emma taunted her as she took some money out of Geri’s purse and then made her way to the door. “I’m off to bed myself, a bit tired so I’ll see you tomorrow. G’night.”

“Night, Em,” Geri answered, barely suppressing a yawn as her sister left.

Geri awoke the next morning to the sound of the heavy drapes being pulled back and the flood of warm sunlight that came in the small paned windows. She glanced over in that direction and Muriel, sensing her movement, smiled at her.

“Good morning Miss Geri. I hope you are feeling better. I am sorry to wake you, but it is eleven o’clock and the doctor suggested that you should get some fresh air and exercise during the warmer part of the day.”

“Mmm, nearly midday? So nice to be able to sleep in,” Geri murmured as she gave a half hearted stretch and then snuggled back under the covers. “School’s a real bit ... beast, they make you get up at seven, even on the weekends.”

“Yes, Miss Geri. But you have to get up now so that I can change the bedding and you can get your exercise. If you would have your wash I will help you get dressed.”

Geri was about to point out that she wasn’t a baby or an invalid and could take care of herself but made the mistake of getting out of bed rather more energetically than she should and as a consequence squealed in a less than dignified manner when her weight came down on her bad ankle. After that she was in no position to argue as Muriel helped her to the bathroom and stood by to support her as she peeled off the ankle length night gown.

This was enough to convince Geri that she couldn’t risk a shower, and noted with some concern that there didn’t seem to be one in the bathroom with its old fashioned bath and exposed plumbing. She was then informed that it was too early in the day for a bath to be run and Muriel had her stand in a large porcelain bowl as the maid rinsed her down liberally with a sponge soaked in warm, perfumed water.

Geri tolerated this out of politeness, she knew she was getting a bit rank and figured this was the only option in an antiquated house where the hot water was probably a bit dodgy. Still when she had bragged about being waited on hand and foot this level of pampering hadn’t entered her mind, and as formal as the maid was, Geri couldn’t deny that it felt very nice and that when Muriel had finished and dried her, that she felt cleaner than she ever had from a shower.

Then there was the getting dressed. Muriel hadn’t been kidding when she said she would help Geri get dressed, in fact the buxom woman dominated the proceedings to the point that Geri felt a bit like a shop mannequin. This unaccustomed state was why Geri didn’t initially notice that the clothes being put on her weren’t her own, not until she was stepping into a skirt did she finally click.

“Hang on,” Geri protested, resisting the maid for the first time, “That’s not mine. The knickers and cami aren’t either.”

“You seem to have only brought trousers with you,” Muriel replied with a hint of annoyance at being delayed. “And those are very tight fitting at that. Madam thought it unwise to risk moving your ankle too much so a skirt seemed to be in order.”

Geri would normally have resented being told what to wear, but right now she felt a bit guilty about putting Muriel out and instinctive politeness silenced her objections. “Well, okay. I suppose no-ones going to see me.”

The woman down at her feet flashed her a momentary look of disbelief, part annoyance at being considered ‘nobody’ and part confusion as to why Geri should be ashamed to be seen in such nice clothes. But it wasn’t her place to comment on her betters and she put her energy in to pulling the heavy suede skirt up to Geri’s waist and got Geri to hold it while she did up the side zip and buttoned in the tight waistband. She didn’t fail to notice the shiver of pleasure that ran through the girl as the satin lining slid up her bare legs.

In place the skirt came to just above Geri’s knees and the heavy material plus the satin lining were new experiences to her. The white crew necked sleeveless knit top was more familiar to Geri, she had owned something similar a few years ago when it was fashionable and it made her wonder if what she was now wearing counted as old or retro.

The calf length white boots that Muriel produced swung Geri towards retro, and she barely listened to Muriel’s explanation that they would help support her ankle. In fact they zipped so firmly to her legs that she found she could put quite a bit of weight on her bad ankle without it hurting too much and that she could even walk as long as she kept her steps small and the pace slow. Geri was about to thank Muriel and head out when the maid produced one last surprise, a triple tiered pearl necklace.

“I can’t wear that,” Geri protested, once again out of habit because the pearls did look deliciously expensive and she would have loved to own something like that.

Muriel didn’t bother to contradict her, instead holding out the necklace so that she could clip it around the girl’s neck. Geri acquiesced and once it was in place she couldn’t help but check herself out in the big mirror. She was startled by how elegant she looked, like a movie star from some time in the distant past like the sixties. She was quite lost in her reflection until Muriel discretely caught her attention.

“If you wish I can help you to the garden where you can stroll until lunch.”

“Wha? Oh yeah, right.” Geri tore her gaze away from her image. “Yeah, some fresh air and exercise like the doc ordered. It just feels great to be moving around again.”

The walk outside did Geri a world of good. Her headache was completely gone as was the stiffness from spending a day in bed and even her ankle intruded only on occasions when she stepped too hard or too fast. And loathe as she would be to admit it, Geri had quite a bit of fun in the garden, pretending to be a model posing for pictures, or a duchess strolling in her stately gardens. She had no hesitation in envying Miss Harcourt, it had to be fabulous to be rich enough to live in a place like this.

The distant ring of a gong reminded Geri that lunch was due and that she was feeling quite hungry. It also reminded Geri of another reason to envy her host, imagine having servants to cook and clean and ring little gongs to tell you lunch was ready. Well, actually if just taken at its barest, it wasn’t much different from the boarding school she went to with her sister. They had staff to do the laundry and cleaning and meals, but this was so different. For a start she didn’t have to share with three hundred other girls, and everything here was so elegant and stylish, not utilitarian and cheap like St Rhondals.

Geri giggled. Cheap? Her parents didn’t see it that way, they were always bitching about how much it cost but they were too snobbish to let their girls go to a state school.

Feeling quite buoyant from her time in the garden, Geri went in to lunch and had some trouble settling down in the posh dining room where she sat all alone at the huge table. The food was quite fabulous as well and there was a maid hovering around in case she wanted more of anything. Feeling quite the pig with the amount she had eaten, Geri decided another walk around the garden would be needed and happily spent the afternoon strolling around the grounds.

And that’s where her sister found her when she returned late that afternoon.

“Hi Ger,” Emma practically skipped over to where her older sister was regarding her reflection in an ornate pool, “Muriel told me you were out here.”

Geri look up rather hurriedly, embarrassed that Emma might realise that she had been critiquing her appearance and was uncharacteristically disappointed in it. Normally she was proud of her athletically trim figure but in this garden, Miss Harcourt’s garden, and in the dress, she felt a bit butch. She didn’t get a chance to reply to her sister’s greeting as her sibling made an observation.

“Looks like you’ve been lent some clothes too,” Emma enthused with only a trace of teasing, “I know you didn’t bring anything like that outfit with you.”

“Yeah, well,” Geri flushed non-the-less, “Muriel insisted. Made up some shi... stuff about it being easier to put on with my ankle. I don’t think she considers us good enough to be in her ladyship’s house.”

“Mmm,” Emma agreed. “But she’s awfully nice about it, all things considered.”

“So how did the shopping go?”

“Great! Its really amazing shopping with someone as rich as Miss Harcourt appears to be. The staff can’t be helpful enough and you get to try on all sorts of things. I had on this necklace that was worth eighteen grand! It was just amazing. And shoes, and dresses, and even lingerie.”

Geri looked at her quizzically. Although her sister was usually right up to the moment with teen fashion, she was never one for shopping. She liked to dash in, make sure it fit and get out again to do something more interesting. Their mother was always complaining about how much they rushed her when she took them shopping.

Oblivious to her sister’s concern, Emma carried on happily. “Wait till you see the stuff I bought, I’ll need another case to carry it in even after I weed out some of my old stuff. Oh and we can’t tell Auntie Beryl but Miss Harcourt subbed me quite heavily. I even got a few bits and pieces for you.”

“And my batteries?” Geri enquired, already fairly certain of the answer.

“Oh bother, I knew I’d forget something. I’m dreadfully sorry. Look I’ll make it up to you by asking Muriel for some, a place this size must have some floating around.”

Geri suppressed the sigh, normally her younger sister was ultra reliable but this didn’t seem to be a normal day.

“Anyway,” Emma went on as though the batteries were unimportant, “It’s getting on and Muriel’s drawn us baths so we can scrub up before changing for dinner. I made a joke about her sketching the bathtub but I think she’d heard it before. So you want a hand hobbling inside?”

“No, my ankle’s pretty okay, the boots give good support.”

“I’ll see you at dinner then,” Emma said, leaving her sister to muse over her gay behaviour.

Emma hadn’t been kidding about dressing for dinner, much to Geri’s consternation. The bath had been wonderful, hot water, bubbles and a tub that she could have done laps in. But on getting out she discovered the clothes she had been wearing were gone and taking the silk bathrobe that had been left in their place she returned to her room to find Muriel waiting for her. Geri had intended to just wear the same dress again and when that wasn’t an option she was happy enough to wear her own clothes, albeit her best out of respect to their host.

Muriel was having none of it, and stared the girl down as she asked for her luggage. It became a battle of wills, Geri insisting that her own stuff was good enough for dinner with her ladyship and Muriel insisting that the girls had nothing even passably decent between them. In the end Geri gave in but only because she really couldn’t be too churlish when she was being treated to such luxury by a complete stranger.

So it was a slightly grumpy Geri who came down to dinner with Emma and Miss Harcourt already seated. The fact that her sister was also wearing one of their host’s lovely dresses and looked absolutely gorgeous in it didn’t help Geri’s disposition. It was bad enough not wanting to wear the clothes foisted on her, but to be so clearly outshone by her younger sibling made it worse.

The outfit Geri was wearing was elegant and adult, a long tweed skirt and jacket, both of which buttoned up the back, over a silk blouse, panties and stockings, all incongruous to Geri’s current demeanour. Emma on the other hand was dressed like a princess and her bubbly happiness fitted her outward appearance to a T. Even in expressing her concern for her sister’s long face there was an underlying current of ebullience.

“What’s the matter, Ger? Is your ankle hurting?”

Geri briefly considered lying, saying that her ankle was sore and making her excuses to go back to bed. However her stubbornness kicked in, refusing to let her show weakness of either the body or spirit. She was going to sit through dinner in the ridiculous get-up, she was going to be polite and afterwards she was never going to allow herself to be bullied by Muriel again.

“No, it’s fine Emma. I’m just a bit tired.”

“Well buck up, you look quite grown up in that ensemble.”

“And you look like something out of a fairy tale,” Geri shot back and immediately regretted the spitefulness of her comment. Her sister, however, took it as a compliment and beamed happily. Geri further added to her own discomfort by struggling to sit down in the tight dress and Miss Harcourt’s politely pretending not to notice didn’t make her feel any better. Geri was firmly on the backfoot now and she had all of dinner to make it through.

It was a long dinner, at least to Geri it was. She did her best to be polite but she was totally outshone by her younger sister who happily chatted with Miss Harcourt as though they had known each other for years and the conversation never seemed to stray far from clothes, shopping and shopping for clothes. Geri’s few contributions to the conversation were brief and not always the most gracious. She was so glad when it was over and was to first to get up from the table. As such she only just heard Miss Harcourt quietly ask Emma what was upsetting her sister and Emma’s reply hit her like a brick—“I don’t think she feels pretty enough, she’s always been a bit, well, athletic.”

Geri went to sleep that night with tears in her eyes. She had held up remarkably well through the rest of the evening, declining an invitation to play cards with Emma and Miss Harcourt in preference to getting an early night. But the minute the light went out Emma’s comment began repeating in her mind. She couldn’t believe she was letting it upset her so much, and it wasn’t because she felt her little sister was being disloyal, it was because it was true.

Everybody was so pretty. Miss Harcourt, so tall and elegant. Emma so lovely and gay, she really suited the dresses she had got to wear. Geri even began to feels twangs of guilt that she was responsible for her little sister being a bit tomboyish. Like herself. Scrawny Geri. Gawd, she had even been embarrassed when her breasts had started to develop, yet now she wished they were bigger.

Sunlight, and the familiar form of Muriel moving around the room preparing things, awoke Geri the next morning. Or rather, the not so familiar form as Geri’s cleared her eyes of sleep and dried tears to get a better look. While Muriel’s outfits had always been austere, today she was clothed in a long, heavy black dress of considerable bulk, the darkness only broken by a small white apron and cap.

“Good morning, miss,” Muriel addressed the girl, “The doctor has said that you will be well enough to travel tomorrow and her ladyship has purchased tickets for yourself and your sister on the morning train. As it will be your last day as guests at the manor, her ladyship had hoped that you would be amenable to formal dress for a luncheon she is holding. However she says that she will quite understand if you would find this uncomfortable.”

Geri could clearly tell by Muriel’s stance that even if Miss Harcourt was okay with her piking out, Muriel was not, in fact Muriel considered it an insult to her mistress. Geri’s guilt came close to overwhelming her and she forced it back down, she could do this, she could dress up this once to respect Miss Harcourt. She could still hear Emma’s comment too.

“No, I don’t mind,” Geri gulped and composed herself before she sounded churlish rather than grateful. “I mean I .. I’ll be glad too,” she finished weakly.

Muriel didn’t smile but Geri could feel that she was pleased with that answer and she left the girl to wash up.

Returning to the room Geri found that Muriel had laid out the underclothes she was to wear on the bed. It seemed excessive in volume and laciness but she had expected that, everything around the manor seemed to be a bit old fashioned. First on was a chemise of heavy white cotton that came down to her knees once it was settled in place, then there were the thigh length white stockings. With how expensive and exotic all the other clothes provided by their host had been, Geri had expected these to be silk or nylon but they were actually quite thick. They also weren’t elasticised so she had to tie them in place with the little ribbons threaded through the band at their tops.

She was searching around for panties when Muriel re-entered the room.

“Muriel, I can’t seem to find any panties.”

“Hush, child and stand up straight.”

Desperately eager not to appear disagreeable at this late stage, Geri did as she was told and was bewildered when the maid wrapped something akin to a canvas rug around her waist.

“Put your hands here, and here,” Muriel directed, getting Geri to hold the heavy material against her body as the woman started doing something behind her back. This took several minutes, with Muriel continuously admonishing her to stand still as the woman pulled and jerked at something unseen to Geri, moving slowly up the girls back. When she reached the top Geri figured it was finished and relaxed, only to be brought up sharply by Muriel telling her to stand up straight again as she continued to work at her mysterious task.

Then as it began to tighten around her waist, Geri suddenly realised what was going on. She started to struggle, there was no way she was going to be laced into a corset like a trollop from a bad romance novel. But it was already too late, Muriel had a firm grip and was stronger than the teenager. Inexorably she began to tighten the laces, and Geri felt herself being held, being controlled.

And she found herself liking it. The tighter the corset became, the more support she drew from it. It was like being held in a loved one’s arms, it was like being hugged by a best friend. It felt warm and comforting, taking away her fears, taking away the need to make choices. Being controlled and in control as it pulled in her waist, pushed up her breasts, made her so much more feminine. Small breaths, feminine breaths, no more running around like a wild animal, she was going to be a lady and a woman.

The dressing took over an hour but it didn’t really involve Geri as more than the object at the centre of the activity. She could stand there serenely and let Muriel do all the work. All Geri could think of was how elegant she would be at the end of it, with the corset holding her upright she wouldn’t be able to slouch. She would be an elegant and graceful creature. She would do Miss Harcourt proud. She would make Emma proud. She would be proud of herself.

It ended almost too soon, Muriel stepped back and coughed politely to break Geri out of her reverie. Geri slowly turned to espy herself in the long mirror, not yet sure what she would see after the corset and acres of material that had been piled on her slender frame.

She gasped, for there facing her was a beautiful woman in an elegant Victorian dress of light blue silk, the sleeves of the jacket puffed almost as much as the waist came in, and a great bell of floor length skirts. With her hair up and her makeup done by Muriel she felt she was looking at a glamorous portrait rather than herself. Oh why had she fought it for so long? She wasn’t plain or gangly or boyish. She was every bit as pretty as Emma, all it took was for her to wear the right clothes.

Mrs Gray waited nervously on the station platform, unconsciously twisting her pearl necklace around her finger as she watched the few passengers disembark the train. While she loved her grandnieces dearly they were a worry as well, so headstrong and modern. She knew they didn’t want to have to stay with her, that they considered her old fashioned and dull, that they would far rather be in the city with the latest clothes and fads. Adding to her worries was her granddaughter Cecilia. The girl hero-worshipped her cousins, they seemed so chic compared to her own dreary existence on the farm and she tried so hard to emulate them on her limited means.

Cecilia had wanted to wear her old jeans and sweater to meet her cousins, not the Sunday dress her guardian had insisted upon. There had been quite a scene that morning, Cecilia had thrown a tantrum when she had been told what to wear, saying it was silly, that she would rather look like she hadn’t tried to dress up at all rather than be seen in something that she knew her cousins would find quaint or worse. Mrs Gray had won out in the end, but it made her dread the influence of Emma and Geraldine on Cecilia all the more.

Her granddaughter, who had been standing sulkily at her side suddenly forgot her resentment in the excitement of seeing her cousins at last. “Look, Gram, that’s them getting off the train now!”

It took Mrs Gray several moments to spot her grandnieces, looking past the two attractive young women down the train without seeing who she expected to see. Then she did a doubletake as the young women walked gracefully towards her.

The taller of the two was decked out in a calf length full skirt and tailored white jacket nipped in at the waist that was reminiscent of the fashions of Mrs Gray’s youth. The other was equally elegant in a long tapering silk dress with a matching short fur jacket and hat. Even more out of the ordinary was that both were wearing gloves. It was only when they approached her directly that Mrs Gray suddenly realised who they were.

“Hello, Aunt Beryl. Thanks ever so awfully for coming to meet us off the train,” Geri said, “Oh I do love the pearls, they go so well with your outfit.”

Mrs Gray was stunned speechless, she couldn’t believe the two refined young women in front of her were her tearaway grandnieces. Cecilia was less restrained, and burst forward eagerly to hug both of them, something both Emma and Geri put up with rather as though she was a child rather than someone near their own age.

“Oh, such fab outfits!” Cecilia enthused, “And fancy getting to stay with Lady Barthomere. You have to tell me all about it!”

“We will,” Emma assured her, “In fact Miss Harcourt wishes that we visit her again and that we bring you with us, in fact she insists. And if you’re good, she might even let you try on some of her dresses.”