Chapter 2 : The Arrival of Nicola James

Meriel James was as good as his word. I had not really expected it to be any different but you never know. The arrival of his coupé signified the start of my project. It quietly slid to a halt outside the house with the barest hiss from its steam condensing power plant. Meriel stepped out followed by his wife.

"Good day," he said, offering his hand.

I shook it warmly. "You have the agreements?" He passed me an envelope. I had no doubt that it contained the documents signed by both Meriel and his wife, authorising me to take such measures as I thought fit to provide him with the ideal wife for one of today's breed of entrepreneurs; respectful, polite, the perfect housekeeper and the ideal hostess.

Nicola stood quietly as he gave me the envelope. I wondered whether she had really considered the coming few weeks, whether Clare Darrow had really shared everything of the experiences she had undergone during her time with me. As I looked at Nicola James's quiet, modest, smile I doubted that Clare had been so open. For my own part, my memories of Mrs Darrow's time with me were the subject of many pleasant reveries.

"When should I call?" Meriel asked.

"In a week," I said. "By then I will have formed a view." Nicola bit her lip.

"As you wish." He gestured to a suitcase strapped to chrome carrier bars on the back of the car. "She wanted to bring some things."

I shook my head. "It's not necessary," I said.

"As you wish," Meriel said getting back into his car. Nicola looked dismayed as he waved to me but shut the door of the car without a glance at his wife. He would be finding this part the most difficult of all, I knew. Meriel slipped the clutch on the car and it moved off almost soundlessly, with characteristic speed.

I looked across at Mrs James. She seemed disconcerted by the suddenness of her husband's departure. "Please," I said, waving her towards the door "do come in."

"Thank you," she said, walking towards me "Thank you, Mr ... Oh. What should I call you?"

"Don't worry for now. We can deal with that all in good time." I watched her as she walked by me. I could see that I was going to find her something of a challenge. First of all she was wearing trousers. She cannot have imagined that would be acceptable. Her shoes had high heels, which was at least a step in the right direction. The way she strode, however, stepping out confidently, was very definitely not in the approved manner. I followed her into the house and waved her into the lounge, asking her to sit on the couch.

I remained standing. "Tell me about yourself," I began. "And tell me what you hope to achieve while you are here."

Nicola James looked up at me. She seemed uncertain. "About myself, I'm not sure where to begin," she said, "and I'm not sure that it matters much anyway. Does it?" I took her question to be rhetorical and allowed her to continue. "I am twenty eight years old. I have been married for two years now. I have a responsible job of my own." She caught my look of disapproval. It was hard to see how she could hope to combine that and her husband's ambition. "But if that is an obstacle to my husband's opportunities for success then I will willingly forego it. I am here because I wish to be as my husband needs me to be. We both believe that your methods can help me to achieve that. I wish to be the dutiful, respectful and hospitable wife. I wish to be, as you say, 'trained' to support my husband."

"Excellent, Mrs James, excellent. Well, I believe that we should start at once. You realise that you will be expected to obey any instruction that you receive from me?"

"Yes, indeed."

"Splendid. In which case stand up, please, Mrs James." As she did so, I took my seat in one of the comfortable armchairs. "Now please undress."

Nicola was obviously startled by the instruction. "Oh!" she exclaimed holding her hands up to her mouth. "I hadn't thought that ... I mean in here? The windows..."

I knew that I had to be firm from the very start. "Mrs James, please do not question my instructions. If I had wished for you to undress elsewhere I would have said so. If I had wished the curtains to be closed I would have asked you to do it. What I wish is what I asked you to do. Please do it."

I must confess that, of all my many pleasures, watching a student obey, for the first time, my order to undress is one of the greatest. I have what many consider rather old fashioned views in many things and I admire many of the values of our Victorian forebears. However, my approval of the first Victorians does not extend to the rather hypocritical prudery that some practiced. In reality, of course, many of the Victorians were as appreciative of the female form as those of any era before or since. I join them in that celebration and I have found that an acceptance of nakedness before me by the student is an essential initial step in my programme.

Fortunately Mrs James needed no further urging to comply with my wishes. She unbuttoned her dark brown jacket and removed it, laying it neatly across the arm of the chair on which she had been sitting.

I gained, for the first time, an appreciation of my student's form. The fabric of her pale green blouse both hid and revealed the shape of the body beneath. Good sized breasts, I decided, made all the more impressive by well wired underwear. I suspected that vanity on her part had driven that choice; more to impress those in her workplace than to please her husband. But no matter, vanity was a malleable weakness.

Her waist was not as trim as might be expected but as a modern Victorian I had ways to address that. She paused, hoping, I imagined, that I would not press her to go further. A look of bemusement was sufficient to encourage her to continue.

She took off her trousers next. Good legs, I thought, though perhaps carrying a little too much fat upon the thighs. Tights, of course, - I had expected no better - but at least she was quick to remove those as well.

She paused again, perhaps waiting for further instruction from me, perhaps believing that I had not meant what I said.

I remained silent, waiting; knowing that she would, in time, comply with my wishes. I find that allowing my trainees to discover their own submission is an effective approach.

And so it was.

The blouse followed the rest of her clothes. When she saw that no further urging was forthcoming she completed her undressing.

"Thank you, Nicola," I said when I saw that she had finished. I find that approving of my students behaviour when they do as desired is as powerful a stimulus to learning as any corrective measure when they do not; although, of course, correction is applied when it becomes necessary.

I took my opportunity to appraise her physically. She was not a great beauty, it was true, but she did have pleasing proportions, agreeably plump buttocks and well fleshed thighs. I could understand Mr James's desire for her and I could see why he was prepared to invest in equipping her better for the role he wished her to take rather than any of the alternative measures open to him.