Chapter 8: Party Night

“Mistress Faye has summoned me to clean up her suite, Lady,” says Brooke. “There’s nobody else here at the moment to cover the office while I’m gone.”

“Okay, I’ll keep an eye on things. Is there anything which needs doing while you’re gone?” I reply, noting that this is an example of what Monique and I were talking about less than ten minutes ago. It goes without saying that had Faye not ordered her own slave, Lillian, to be locked in the dungeon, then she wouldn’t be in need of Brooke’s help.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone,” replies Brooke. “There’s a shipment of food and other goods arriving on the barge later this morning which will need checking off against this list. Madame Stephanie has rostered six of the Slaves to help me move the supplies to the store. They will report here in a couple of hours time and one of us will need to supervise their work. But hopefully I’ll be back here by then.”

While I’m happy to cover for Brooke, the whole arrangement where any Mistress can summon the Slave of her choice whenever she likes strikes me as chaotic and a disaster waiting to happen. Fortunately Brooke returns an hour later and my dubious skills at overseeing a work gang isn’t put to the test.

Because last week’s focus on reopening the Tower has delayed several routine tasks, the whole Slave caste has been ordered to work today to clear some of the arrears. By late afternoon a general calm has swept over the whole island after all the frenzied activity of earlier. Members of all castes are drifting towards the entertainment building, or amusing themselves elsewhere. The supplies which Kirsty delivered on the barge have all been moved into the storerooms. The availability of a couple of small tractors and trailers made that task a lot easier than I thought it would be. Finally I get a chance to talk with Kirsty about how we might manage the transport arrangements when we have many more members coming and going.

“What happens if either the bus or the boat are out of service, or if the weather is so bad we can’t make a trip?” I ask Kirsty.

“Weather isn’t usually a problem for the bus, even in winter. And it’s easy enough to hire a small bus if the need arises. We have a motorbike in one of the sheds where the bus is stored if we need to make a trip to fetch a vehicle from town. The boat is a bit more of a problem. If the boat breaks down or the weather is really bad then we are stuck until it’s repaired or the weather clears. Monique has agreed that we need a second boat and she may have found something suitable for sale. But getting it here will be tricky.”

I discuss my ideas about a schedule of trips that could handle the size of movements the expanded operation will require. Kirsty adds her own ideas and by the time we’ve finished we are both happy with our joint plan. All we need to do now is convince Monique to part with some money to make it all work.

Saturday evening starts much like any other evening at La Chatte Heureuse. The three builders living here in our guest accommodation are again enjoying their own private evening meal in their quarters. Which means the staff evening meal is less inhibited since we don’t need to be on our best behaviour. After a hectic morning and afternoon, my own thoughts once again turn towards sex. I’m not the only one by the looks of it. Not that you can count Brooke’s constant invitation for sex as being anything out of the ordinary. But Judith and Grace seem less reserved than yesterday, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the evening turned into an all out orgy.

After our meal Olivia, Brooke and Judith clear everything away. Once that’s done, the three Slaves assigned from building E4 are left to do the washing up and to clean up the kitchen. Olivia, Brooke and Judith rejoin our group, which has moved through to the recreation area near our dormitories.

“Nicole has been considering whether to move into the Mistress caste,” says Monique. “She might like to hear your advice on such a proposal.”

Brooke, Olivia, Judith and Stephanie are all for me changing, and offer nothing but words of encouragement. Ruth and Kirsty are more reserved in their views, but generally seem to support the idea. Only Grace advises caution and suggests that such a move might be premature. Of everyone here on the staff, it is Grace whom I have had the most difficulty getting to know.

Grace’s duties involve attending to the individual needs of those members belonging to the Mistress caste. Consequently she has close involvement with many Mistresses and their diverse needs and demands. It would be easy to dismiss her concerns as representing a minority view, but her role gives her a perspective other staff members may lack.

“Why do you believe I should wait?” I ask Grace.

“The Mistress caste is the smallest of the three castes and, for the most part, consists of a wealthy and elitist group of women. I’m concerned that you’ll get treated like young Melody and be subjected to an uncomfortable initiation test. The other Mistresses won’t accept you as one of their peers unless you pass their stupid test. Fluff that test and they’ll make your life a living hell.”

“Do you believe that I can’t pass their test?” I ask.

“I didn’t say that. You seem capable of doing anything you put your mind to doing. But I can’t guarantee that you’ll like their test. Faye isn’t the only one you need to watch. There are other super-bitches who will spend time here from time to time. Your reputation is your best weapon and your only defence against wagging tongues. You need to be certain you can command their respect from day one.”

“Don’t scare Nicole off,” says Stephanie. “I’ve every confidence in her abilities.”

“As do I,” says Monique. “So have you decided yet, Nicole?”

“Yes, I have. Thank you all for your advice and your words of caution, Grace. However, I’ve decided to stick with my original decision and make the transfer to the Mistress caste.”

“Excellent!” says Monique. “Well there’s no time like the present. Brooke, go and fetch a name necklace for Madame Nicole. Come with me, Nicole and we’ll register you in your new caste.”

Within ten minutes I’m wearing a necklace with my name spelt in black letters, denoting my new caste. I also have full access to all the doors and gates around the place. A new leather top to replace my vinyl top is a task for tomorrow. By the time Monique and I return to the recreation area, everything is set up for a small celebratory party.

“Is it customary to throw a party when someone changes castes?” I ask Grace.

“There’s always an excuse for a party on a Saturday night,” replies Grace. “It’s just that your decision to change castes provides a better reason than usual.”

“There’s no alcohol or illicit drugs allowed on the island,” says Stephanie. “So parties tend to gravitate towards sex. But duty first, the Slaves in E4 need to be locked up for the night. Come with me, Nicole. Let’s see how much you remember from yesterday.”

Fortunately I had expected to be doing a share of the morning unlock and evening lock-up routine for the Slaves in E4, although not quite so soon. I walk with Stephanie to the entertainment building to collect any Slaves playing there.

“What if a Slave wishes to spend the night in one of the games rooms?” I ask, recalling that Olivia had stayed with me last night.

“If there’s a Lady or Mistress with them, then that’s fine. Otherwise, it isn’t allowed.”

“How do you know which of these rooms are occupied by Slaves?”

“Put your hand over the lock panel without actually touching it,” demonstrates Stephanie. “See how the small display indicates who last opened this door. If it’s one of the staff Mistresses, then it will almost certainly have been opened for Slaves to enjoy their recreation time. Don’t worry if you can’t locate everybody. Slaves know that they must be outside their building by nine o’clock or they could end up spending the night outdoors or in the stables.”

“So why round them up like this?” I ask.

“It’s a way to check that Slaves aren’t trying to spend the night here when they aren’t allowed to do so. And it can be helpful when setting the work rosters for the next day to know who gets on with whom.”

“Am I going to be expected to set the work rosters?” I ask.

“Not for the moment,” replies Stephanie. “Grace, Judith and I have that fairly well covered. I think Monique is wanting you to oversee the slave quarters in the Tower once they’re in use.”