Chapter 2

Steven showed Rosie where all the cleaning things were and she set to work while he, having made some telephone calls from his study, left to go and buy her some clothes.

Rosie started in the kitchen, clearing the breakfast table and doing the washing up. After that she cleaned all the work tops before sweeping the floor and then washing it. She noted that the cupboards and the larder could do with a clean out but that would have to be a special after she had got into a routine. Despite her earlier derogatory attitude to the children's home teaching her to do housework she did actually quite enjoy and take a pride in it.

After that she went upstairs to his bedroom. It took her a while to get started because she was compelled to look round. Beside his bed was a portrait photograph of a very pretty brunette smiling happily.

"His wife," she thought. "I wonder how tall she was and what sort of a figure she had." There were some pictures on the wall, flowery ones, which added colour and brightness to the room. There were some pretty porcelain pieces on the window sill, chest of drawers and dressing table. He had obviously changed nothing since his wife had died.

She made the bed and then dusted before vacuuming the carpet. After that she looked in the wardrobe. He had three suits and a couple of sports jackets. All were of quality material. There were shelves with a good dozen shirts on them. The tie rack on the back of one of the doors was full. He had several pairs of shoes, all with trees in them. He was clearly a neat and tidy person and she had been right last night. He was pretty well off. She smiled greedily.

After that she did her bedroom and the bathroom, emptied the laundry basket and went back downstairs. She put the clothes in the sink to soak. She was just contemplating what to tackle next when he came in through the back door with a bundle of parcels and big paper bags. She ran to help him.

"Thank you, Rosie," he said. "I think we both deserve a nice cup of coffee while you tell me what you've been up to while I've been out."

"Yes, sir. I'll make it straight away."

She did not know whether he took sugar so she put that on the table. She looked round and noticed some mugs hanging beneath a cupboard.

"Do we use the mugs, sir?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, "and don't bother to heat the milk. Oh, there's a tin of biscuits in the larder."

In a few minutes they were both sitting at the kitchen table.

"So," he said smiling at her. "What have you been up to?"

She told him adding, "Your wife was a very pretty lady, sir."

"Thank you, Rosie," he said softly. "She was indeed: inside and out."

"I was going to do the downstairs next, sir," she said. "What do I do about your study?"

"Let me know when you're ready and I'll let you in." He smiled again. "I've locked the door so that you wouldn't be tempted to disobey me."

She had the grace to smile back. It was more of a guilty grin than a smile and he did not miss the fact.

"Now then," he went on. "I never asked you how old you are."

"Nearly sixteen. Three weeks time."

"Date?"

"Twentieth of May."

"I'll remember that. We must have a party, just the two of us," he replied with a smile.

"Thank you, sir."

"Now then! Take these clothes upstairs and see what there is."

"Yes, sir." Her eyes were shining with excitement.

"She really is a beauty when she lets her guard down," he thought.

Rosie took everything upstairs and laid the clothes out on the bed. She marvelled at the quantity. She had thought he might have bought her a couple of pairs of bras and panties, a couple of blouses and skirts, a dress, one or two jerseys and a couple of pairs of slacks. Even that would have been generous by her standards. There was a lot more: utility lingerie but two very sexy pairs of bra and panties, half a dozen blouses and skirts (none of them short), several jerseys, two pairs of slacks, three dresses (one of which was clearly for evening wear), a mackintosh and a warm, fawn coat. He had also included a pair of stout outdoor shoes, two pairs of a house shoes, a pair of bedroom slippers and a pair of very smart high-heeled shoes for evening wear. There were also some warm nighties, two flimsy ones for the summer and a fluffy dressing-gown. Then she marvelled at the quality. She had never dreamed of such stuff. She was overcome by his generosity. Tears welled in her eyes and all her selfish greed vanished for a moment. She ran back downstairs and slid to a halt beside him.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much."

Without waiting for permission she bent down and kissed him warmly. He put his arms round her but did not pull her to him. He patted her bottom and pushed her away.

"I'm glad you like them but now I want to see you in some of them."

She nodded excitedly and kissed him again then ran back upstairs. She looked at the clothes. Some of her cold calculation returned.

"Let's see if I can turn him on," she thought.

Over utility lingerie she put on a blouse, jersey and slacks. She noted with satisfaction that the jersey showed her breasts off. She slipped the mackintosh on over the top and went downstairs. She stood silently before him and then having turned completely round she took the mackintosh off. She noticed his eyes flick to her breasts. Again she turned and faced him.

"Very nice," he said. "The green of your jersey goes very well with your eyes."

She smiled and then taking the hem of the jersey she whipped it over her head.

He nodded approvingly. "Good," he smiled. "I thought that blouse would suit you. What's next?"

She smiled but said nothing. She gathered up the clothes and ran back upstairs.

"I won't bother with the rest of the day clothes," she thought. "Evening dress next."

She dressed again putting the coat on over the dress. Unused to them she tottered slightly in the high heels. She brushed her hair and then returned downstairs.

Again he was impressed and said so. "That coat really suits you," he said. "It really shows off your lovely hair."

"Thank you," she whispered as she took the coat off and stood there in her black evening dress.

She turned slowly round.

"Beautiful!" he breathed. "You look like a film star. Turn round again slowly. Lovely! You need to see yourself in a full length mirror. Follow me."

He led her upstairs to his bedroom and made her stand in front of the mirror. He handed her the face mirror from the dressing table.

"Turn round and use that to see the back view," he ordered.

She did as she was told and then handed the mirror back to him. She waited to see what was coming next.

"Have you ever considered becoming a fashion model?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No, sir."

"Well, you're too young at the moment but when you're eighteen you need to think about it. You are a very beautiful girl and you show clothes off superbly."

She blushed with pleasure and that same unaccustomed feeling of warmth coursed through her.

"I think," he said, "you had better not show me your nighties. I might have a heart attack, so go back and change into something comfortable and we'll carry on with the day."

"Yes, sir, and thank you again very, very much. There's such a lot and it's all so beautiful." She leant forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, sir," she whispered.

He took her shoulders in his hands and held her away from him. "I'm glad you like them," he said quietly. "Now, off you go!"

She dressed again in the clothes she had first worn for him. She went back downstairs. He was nowhere to be seen so she assumed he was in his study. She washed the clothes she had put in to soak and then hung them out on the line in the garden. Next she turned her attention to the dining-room and the sitting-room. She was very taken with the latter. It was a big, light room with French windows opening onto a paved patio with a low wall running its length. In the centre were three steps leading up to a raised lawn which had high hedges down either side and dense laurel bushes at the end. It was a very private garden. The sitting-room had a fireplace in one wall with a sofa on either side with two armchairs facing it. There were a number of tables with ornaments and photographs on them. One was of him and his wife on their wedding day. His wife came up to his shoulder and had a very pretty figure. That answered those questions for Rosie.

She took the greatest care of the ornaments while dusting them and around them. She also made sure that they went back in exactly the same position that they had come from.

She knocked on the study door.

"Come in."

"I'm ready to do in here now, sir," she said, "if that's all right."