Chapter 11 : Maid Service

George Franks was having a busy morning. The deadline was approaching for completing the annual tax returns and everyone seemed to have left things to the last minute. Even so, George managed to get everything finished by lunch time. He even succeeded in completing Allison Callow's tax return and she'd only let him have the last of her records the previous evening. She had suggested that the two of them met at a nearby wine bar so she could explain a few things but George had told her that he was certain everything would be clear and had insisted that she just fax them over. They had been no trouble at all, just as he had thought.

George had also finished the documents that Erica needed to file for her tax returns too but he needed to check that she was happy with them before he sent them off. At least that was what he told himself. It was only professional after all and not in any way related to the fact that he was looking for an excuse to see her again.

Erica smiled as she put down the phone on their telephone conversation. She knew what he was doing; she had plenty of experience of "pushy subs" as she called them but was happy to indulge him. After all, he had saved the business a great deal of money and he'd let her see that Deanna needed her ideas shaking up before she had done any damage to one of her real clients. She greeted him cheerily at the front door when he arrived, amusing herself by keeping everything on a very business-like footing. "Do come in, Mr Franks," she said waving him in. "So good of you to come over."

George, puzzled by her friendly manner, coughed and followed her into the living room. Erica sat down in one of the arms chairs and gestured for George to take the other. As she sat there in a modest, grey, woollen dress with its high neck, long sleeves and calf length skirt, George found it almost impossible to imagine that this was the woman that only a few days ago was standing in the hall of this same house, clad in rubber, her face hidden behind a mask, beating his naked backside with a wooden paddle.

"You have some forms for me to look at, I believe," she said with an expression that implied that butter would not melt in her mouth. She smoothed her skirt modestly across her lap.

George, who had almost forgotten the supposed purpose of his visit, so busy had he been enjoying the unfamiliar pleasure of being able to look directly at his mistress, fumbled with the catch of his briefcase. "Ah, yes, Mistr ... err, Ms. Wilkie." He pulled out the papers and offered them to Erica.

Erica looked at them for a moment. "Ah, I can see that this will take a few minutes. Would you like some tea?"

George nodded absent-mindedly. "Err, yes, thank you. That would be very nice," he said. Erica reached across to a small hand bell that sat on the table. She gave shook out two short rings.

George was shocked when the door to the room opened and Deanna, dressed as a housemaid but in stilt high heels and with a red ball gag strapped into her mouth, appeared.

"Tea," Erica said peremptorily. Deanna gave a gagged growl, glared at George and teetered out of the room.

George watched open mouth as she left. "But, but, she's a ... Well, isn't she?"

Erica put down the forms for a moment. "I am afraid that Deanna was rather out of order in the way that she treated you. If a mistress is to discipline others, she must understand the value of discipline herself. Mistress Deanna is going through a short programme to help her to re-focus some of her attitudes."

"I can see that," George responded with a worried expression, "but I hope you won't mind if I say I find it a little uncomfortable. Having her wait on me like this. It doesn't seem right, somehow."

"I see," said Erica, raising an eyebrow. "Would you be happier if your relative positions were restored?"

"Mistress," George said, slowly, looking directly at Erica, "you have taught me to serve yourself and Mistress Deanna and Mistress Darla. I know that Mistress Deanna took advantage of my naivety and it hardly seems for me to say but all I know is that it seems wrong for me to be sitting here like this. I should be the one waiting upon the two of you."

Erica looked carefully at George. Deanna appeared with a tray of tea things and George fell silent. Erica took her cup from Deanna as it was offered. Deanna turned with the tray towards George but he shook his head.

"It seems," said Erica to her ball-gagged maid, "that Mr Franks here is uncomfortable with having you wait upon him. It seems, that in spite of your behaviour towards him he is still prepared — no, ready — to serve you as he does me." Deanna looked suspiciously at George. "So, I shall be happy to consider that your penance has been served if you take Mr Franks here and remind him of his rightful place for an hour. You can keep your gag and your uniform on for now but I'm sure you will be able to let Mr Franks understand what's required of him. After that, well, there should be no reason why you can't take up your usual role again. Fetch a collar for Mr Franks and take him down to Therapy Three."