Chapter 6

Jake led the way to the new workshop building. It was a two storey building with storage and dispatch facilities arranged on the ground floor, with a wide staircase giving access to the first floor, which was to be the workshop itself, where there was a row of sewing machines to one side, but with only two of them in use at the moment.

The two seamstresses using the sewing machines, Amy and Emily, had answered Jake’s advertisement and the sewing machine manufacturer had provided someone to show them how to operate the machines. What they were doing at present was practising, and they seemed to be improving by the day.

There were also several large tables for cutting and other operations on the other side of the room. The workshop area was well lit with a glazed ‘north light’ styled roof. They all gathered around one of the large tables.

“Shall we have a look at the sketches you did in Paris, Brigitte?” suggested Jake.

“Of course.”

The group discussed the sketches for a half hour or so.

“You haven’t said a lot,” Jake said to Mrs Humble. “Please feel free to comment, you won’t upset anyone.”

“Well, I assume you want me to make patterns for these dresses?” she asked in a soft Irish accent.

“That was what we had hoped,” said Jake.

“The first comment I have is that whoever designed these had an interest in the cloth mills. The same effect can be obtained with much less fabric, which will save a lot of money. I don’t see the point in wasting it.”

“Indeed not,” said Jake to a murmur of approval. “and after that?”

“We’d better get on with it. Can we use whatever material we want?”

“Yes.”

“And the girls with those ... machines? I take it that they stitch much faster than could be done by hand.”

“Of course.”

Mrs Humble picked up a piece of fabric that had been sewn together by machine and examined it.

“It’s a very neat stitch, and seems very strong. Can you vary the length of stitch?” She asked one of the seamstresses.

“Yes, ma’am,” was the reply.

She turned to Jake and his ladies.

“I suggest you leave us to it and return after lunch, we should have something to show by then. Come along girls, work to do,” she addressed her daughters.

“Yes, Mama,” they said in unison.

And then all three started to move purposefully, selecting cloth and rolling it out ready to be cut. Jake looked at the others. They nodded and then left, Lady Bridget and Brigitte to attend to other things and Jake and the other ladies to get on with their normal business.

They all returned to the workshop after lunch, this time individually from wherever their morning’s work had taken them. As he left his office Jake was startled by a couple of loud bangs but thought it was probably boys making mischief and gave it no further consideration. He arrived in the workshop to find the ladies had got there before him. Lying on one of the tables was a complete new dress.

“Good heavens,” exclaimed Jake. “That was quick work.”

Mrs Humble grinned

“Well those machines make very quick work, they are going to make a big difference to the trade.”

“I had hoped so,” replied Jake. “Now, who is going to model it?”

“I sized it for Lady Bridget,” said Mrs Humble.

“What? Me, modelling dresses? Certainly not!” Lady Bridget was adamant.

Brigitte was standing behind her smiling and nodding her head.

“But it’s your colouring,” said Caroline.

“And I’m sure you will look wonderful in it,” Victoria joined in.

“Oh well, just this once, though what my friends would say ... Come Brigitte.” and picking up the dress she went to the cubical at the back of the workshop that had been set up for this purpose.

The others looked at each other grinning.

“Must have it displayed to its best advantage,” said Jake.

“Mrs Humble, could you make a similar dress to mine for Angelica?” Caroline asked. “She could do with some ordinary dresses too.”

“I don’t see why not, though there’s not much of her,” said Mrs Humble.

“We could do that Mama.” said Roisin.

“Yes, it would be a good exercise for us,” said Siobhan picking up a tape measure and approaching a smiling Angelica.

At this moment Lady Bridget came out of the cubical together with Brigitte. She had changed into the new dress and for a moment there was total silence until she began to show signs of discomfort. And then they all clapped as they moved to surround her.

“That is simply amazing,” said Victoria.

“Perfection,” said Caroline.

“I am sure,” said Jake, “that you wouldn’t look any better if the top Parisian dress maker had made it. Mrs Humble you have excelled yourself.”

Lady Bridget walked over to where there was a cheval mirror and examined herself, turning one way and then the other.

“If they are this good,”she said, “then I may change my mind about wearing machine made dresses. Indeed I may. I think we are in business, Jake.”

“I agree Lady Bridget. Would you mind standing for a few minutes while one of the girls does a quick sketch of the dress?”

Lady Bridget posed for ten minutes whilst Siobhan sketched her in the dress, with a little water colour it would make an excellent advertisement, Jake thought, the face was too small for Her Ladyship to be recognised.

Jake never knew when either Caroline or Victoria would visit him at night so it came as no surprise when a warm body slid into bed with him, and began enthusiastically kissing him. After a moment he drew back.

“Hello Millie.”

Millie made no reply but grasped hold of Jake’s member and pulled him towards her, indicating that she was ready and willing. Jake rolled between her legs and got to work.

“Oooh, I’m going to miss this!” She exclaimed.

“Why...”

“I’m pregnant.”

“What? Is it...”

“Mmm, yours? Probably. Well, I hope it is.”

“But...”

“Oh don’t worry, I’m not expecting you to do anything. I’ve got a young man who wants to marry me. But I’d rather have your baby.”

Jake was rather at a loss after that revelation so he thought it was best to say nothing.

When they had finished they were cuddled together when the bedroom door opened again and Caroline came in.

“Oh! Millie, you got here first! Well shove over ‘cause it’s jolly cold out here.”

Caroline cuddled in to Jake’s other side and reached for his member which stiffened to her touch. Jake had often wondered about the relationship between the two maids and the sisters which had always struck him as being closer than a mistress/servant relationship would normally be, but he supposed the four had almost grown up together.

“You’ve been making sure have you Millie?”

“Making sure of what?”

“That you’re pregnant.”

“How did you know?”

“Evie.”

“The fat cow was sworn to silence.”

“Yes, but it’s Evie, if you want everyone to know just tell her, and tell her not to tell anyone.” Caroline giggled. “But you’ve got a young man to marry you.”

“Yes ... but he isn’t as good as Jake,” Millie sniffled.

“Well I’ve nothing to compare, but I’m quite satisfied. And speaking of weddings, Jake, when are we getting married?”

Jake, who had been enjoying what Caroline’s hand had been doing whilst ignoring the conversation, suddenly became aware that he had been asked a question.

“I, umm, thought Aunt Lydia was seeing to that,” he said.

“Don’t be silly Jake, besides, you haven’t asked me yet.”

“So I could still get in first,” laughed Millie.

“You’ve got more chance of being bedded by the devil Millie, what’s mine is mine. But I might let you borrow! Now Jake.”

“Umm ... Caroline Underwood, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

“Oh yes!” exclaimed Caroline.

She reached between Millie’s thighs, scooped up some of Jake’s juice and smeared it on her rosebud, then she lowered herself onto Jake and he began to gently rub her clitoris.

“Ooooh, yes,” she said as she moved up and down.

“I’ve never tried that, Tilda has though,” said Millie. “It looks good.”

“Hmm, yesss!”

The latter exclamation was due to Millie having moved behind Caroline, had reached around her and was now playing with her nipples. A sudden tweak from Millie’s fingernails brought Caroline to her peak.

“Ohhh...” and she fell forward on Jake. She took a few minutes to recover and then she insisted that Millie try.

Since he had not finished Jake was still stiff, and Caroline positioned Millie over him, used the remainder of his earlier juices to ease the way and shoved Millie down. Everything then proceeded much as it had with Caroline, with Millie reaching her peak quickly. Jake however, because of the speed with which the girls had reacted had still not finished, and rolled Millie over so that he could thrust into her more easily. A minute or two later he was finished.