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   PET

   7.  DINNER PARTY

   I was lying on my bed reading a few minutes later when Vivian came in.
"Good afternoon, Miss Pet," she said tentatively as she headed for the
bathroom.  I had been nastier to her, if anything, than I had been to Lucy.
She was understandably wary of me.  I had actually tried to hit her once
during a tantrum over a bath I didn't want to take.  The punishment Cissy
gave me for that one had lasted all night.  I didn't want to think about
it.

   "Hi, Vivian," I said lazily.  I was still wiped out from my experience
in the bathroom.  I hoped I hadn't left any evidence.  My jumper and other
clothes were in the hamper, and I had washed up and even wiped the sticky
toilet seat.  Now I had on a silk night dress, the first thing I had found
in the nearest drawer, and no panties, although Vivian couldn't see that
and would probably have said something if she knew.

   Our maids, always ridiculously proper, seemed to have kind of a thing
about panties.  I mean, I used to go without them all the time, and it
didn't seem like such a big deal to me.  But if Lucy or Vivian ever found
me without any, even just in my room, they would get this pained look like
I was being just terribly naughty and get out a pair and hand them to me,
and then stand there expectantly.  Sometimes that would trigger one of my
fits and I'd start really acting up, but I'd usually just bitch and whine
and go ahead and put them on.  At least I had some say in the kind of
panties I wore.  I'd never had the thong kind before coming to the House,
but now that I had tried them I liked them.  One reason was that they just
seemed more comfortable, but mainly I had gotten used to them because I was
punished so often and one of the House's most common punishments was
spanking or switching.  When you have a serious set of fresh welts across
your bottom, backless underwear is definitely a plus.

   Some of my outfits, though, weren't designed to be worn with panties,
and in that case my maids seemed to see nothing wrong with it at all, which
I found irritating.  Why was it arbitrarily okay SOMETIMES?  Finally, with
Cissy backing them, they had mostly worn me down, since it seemed so damned
crucial to everyone.  But occasionally I still liked to invent sneaky ways
of going without, just to be perverse.

   Vivian finished whatever she was doing in the bathroom and came out and
started to straighten up.  The first thing she did was close the drawer I
had left open and pick up my uniform pumps from where they had landed.  She
looked at them critically and set them aside to be polished.  Oops.  Oh
well.

   I was starting to get hungry and I sat up, my legs dangling over the
edge of my bed, and put down my book.  "How are you this afternoon,
Vivian?" I offered.

   She looked like she thought it was a trick question.  "Very well, Miss
Pet," she said.  She looked at me curiously, keeping her distance.  "Did
you enjoy the pool?"

   "Yeah, it was kind of fun.  Did you talk to Lucy?"

   "Yes, Miss, she said you were feeling well today.  She seemed very happy
for you."

   "I guess I am feeling well, Vivian.  When's dinner?"

   "Dinner is at six, Miss," she replied.  "You..." A little hesitation. 
"...will be joining Mademoiselle and two guests in Mademoiselle's suite."
She paused, waiting for me to start kicking up a fuss.

   "Really?" This was kind of interesting.  "Not in the Dining Hall?  What
guests?"

   "Mademoiselle Shannon and one of her girls, I believe, Miss. 
Mademoiselle Cissy sent an invitation this afternoon."

   Nicole!

   "That sounds neat, Vivian!  Is it time to get ready yet?" I was actually
getting excited.  Vivian eyed me suspiciously.

   "I think you can start any time, Miss Pet," she said slowly.  "I should
do Miss Janice's room, then I could come back and help you if you would
like to shower now." I almost laughed.  Poor Vivian, she was probably
wondering if I was an impostor.  There had been times when my first
reaction to being told to dress for dinner would be to look for an object
to throw.  Preferably a breakable object, and preferably at Vivian.  She
was a soft, rounded blonde with bangs and ruddy cheeks, and she was very
professional but lacked Lucy's perfect control.  I felt sorry for
mistreating her, but couldn't resist the wickedness of teasing her either.
She was just so...  teasable!

   "Okay, thanks, Vivian," I said sweetly.  "I'll see you in a few
minutes."

   "Very good, Miss Pet." Vivian curtsied in a distracted way and turned
toward the door.

   "Oh, Vivian?" I stopped her at the door and she turned back, spooked. 
She almost ducked.

   "Yes, Miss Pet?"

   "You look very nice this afternoon."

   She stared at me for about five seconds while I beamed at her like a
cherub, then closed her mouth and said, "Thank you, Miss Pet," in a totally
confused tone, curtsied again and turned and went on about her business
with her head cocked at an odd angle.  I thought she was going to walk into
the wall.  I was messing with her SO seriously.  Oh, Pet, how can you be so
bad?  I got the giggles, bouncing up and down on my bed, then caught myself
and jumped in the shower.  Dinner with Cissy and Nicole and her Lady. 
Hmmm! I wondered what we were having.  Just days ago, I had hated every
minute of my life at the House.  Weird.  Very weird.

   I got out of the shower, brushed my teeth ( again!  ) and dried myself
and did my own lotion.  Vivian still wasn't back.  I felt between my legs
critically.  Uh-oh.  I got out the baby oil and the slim little razor.  I
was tempted to do it myself, but it was really hard for me and I didn't
want to do a bad job.  I compromised by shaving the rest of me and waiting
for help with the delicate part.  When Vivian showed up, she took over in a
totally professional way.  I could tell she was still amazed by how
cooperative I was, but I had never given her any trouble during this
particular ritual.  There's something about having someone hold a razor
blade against your clitoris that makes you want to cooperate with them.  I
stood in the shower and bent over, facing away from her, legs wide.  When
she was about halfway done, I couldn't resist.  I whispered "Vivian!" and
looked at her upside-down, between my boobs, and winked.  She gasped, then
when she realized she was being teased she went back to her task with a
pained expression.  She was done in a jiffy, and rinsed and toweled me dry.

   "Thanks, Vivian," I said cheerfully, straightening up and stepping out
of the shower.  "I can powder myself.  What do you think I should wear?"

   "You're welcome, Miss.  Actually, Mademoiselle sent something." She
hesitated.  "Ah...  would you like to see it?" She was really careful, even
though I was behaving so well.  I had once grabbed a dinner dress and
ripped it, and she hadn't forgotten.

   "Sure!" I said.  I stopped at the closet, wrapped in a big fluffy towel,
and stepped into a pair of casual cork-soled mules that I sometimes wore. I
slid the closet door open all the way and looked in.  "Where is it?"

   "Here, Miss Pet." It was on a hanger behind my door.  I sat on my bed
and she pulled off the plastic and held it up for me to see.  It was a
long, simple-looking sweep of sheer white silk with spaghetti straps, but
it sparkled somehow.  It was hard to tell more than that on the hanger, but
it looked very expensive.  Vivian showed me that it had matching shoes,
cutaway dress pumps with slim straps and a very severe arch.

   "Beautiful!" I said.  "Wow, look at those heels.  I hope dinner's not a
buffet!"

   Vivian put the dress back behind the door.  "I trust not, Miss," she
said, perfectly serious.  I couldn't help snickering, but then I smiled at
her fondly.

   "Come on, Vivian, this is fun!  How should we do my hair?  Cissy must
want this to be a special occasion.  I wish we could ask Lucy."

   For the first time, Vivian visibly brightened.  "Would you like to, Miss
Pet?  I believe she's still in the maids' lounge.  I'm sure she wouldn't
mind."

   "Cool!" I enthused.  "Go ask her, quick!  Um, Vivian?" as she turned to
go.  "Tell her I said please?"

   Vivian curtsied and left, totally bemused.  That poor girl was going to
need therapy if I kept it up.

   For the next hour and a half, Lucy and Vivian and I experimented and
giggled like schoolgirls.  Vivian was much more relaxed when Lucy was with
us.  It was without a doubt the happiest I had been since I'd come to the
House, and when we were done I stepped in front of my full-length mirror.

   Oh.  My.  God.

   It had looked simple on the hanger.  On me it was right out of a dream.
A wet dream.  The dress clung like a lover, tight in all the right places.
It held my boobs up and together, creating huge cleavage.  It scooped down
almost to the areolae.  It showed slightly outrageous nipple outline.  It
plunged in the back almost too far, but not quite.  It tucked up tight
right under my butt, then swept down to the floor, the hem slightly
scalloped.  A drastic slit showed my right leg to the hip when I moved.  It
was creamy white with little flecks of dark gold all through it, and it
sparkled even if I just stood there and breathed.  Underwear was NOT an
option.

   I had simply never seen anything like it, and I said "Oh..." to the
mirror in a very faint and dreamy voice.  I thought I might cry.  Lucy and
Vivian stood behind me, arms around each other, and looked ready to cry
with me.

   It was a good thing I didn't start bawling, because I would have wrecked
a classic makeup job.  Both Vivian and Lucy would easily have qualified for
just about any salon in the world.  All our maids were like that.  Lucy,
though, had a special touch.  She had taken the fresh blush of my day in
the sun and accented it perfectly.  Huge, luminous emerald eyes, ripe-peach
lips and nails, and angel skin hypnotized me when I looked in the mirror.
My shiny copper hair was up in a natural but elegant sweep, with a little
relaxed curl artistically bothering one cheek.  I stepped up close to the
mirror, dropped my lashes coquettishly, and practically fell in love with
myself, half drunk on my own musky perfume.

   I turned around and looked at my new friends.  I had no idea what to
say, and they knew it.  I think my face said enough, at least I hope so.  I
would never, ever forget this moment, even if it was just a dinner party.
At last, I knew what to do.  I put one foot behind the other and dropped
them a deep curtsy, my eyes on the floor in honest humility.  Vivian lost
it.  She gasped and buried her face against Lucy's shoulder.  Lucy kept her
proud smile, a sisterly arm around Vivian, but her eyes were sparkling with
tears.

   A knock on the door broke the mood, fortunately.  Vivian answered it,
wiping her eyes, as Lucy bustled around cleaning up and I started putting
things in my little bag.  It was one of the duty Trainers, a darkly tan
Oriental beauty with china doll hair and boots.  She asked Vivian formally
if I was in, and then as I came to attention she presented Mademoiselle
Cissy's compliments and told me I was expected for dinner.  Was it my
imagination, or did she pause a second when she saw me?  If so, she hid it
well, her lovely face imperiously serene.  I thanked Vivian and Lucy again
and stepped out into the hall.  The Lady offered me her arm, and I took it.
I was on my way.

   Cissy's apartment was directly below my room.  The residence wings of
the House were organized that way, each Lady living in a suite on either
the ground floor or the third floor.  The second floor ( mine ) and the
fourth floor were divided into individual rooms for the girls.  Each
Trainer had rooms for three girls, although not all of them had three girls
assigned at a given time.  Cissy had one other girl, my neighbor Janice. 
She was a pretty ( of course ) blonde, slim and willowy, a year or so older
than me.  I saw her sometimes, on the way to class or something, and she
seemed nice although she was as wary of my moods as everyone else was.  We
could never talk about Cissy, it wasn't allowed.  Cissy never mentioned her
name in my presence.  I took it that this was customary, and presumed that
Cissy spent as much time with Janice as with me, but I really had no idea.

   I managed to get down the big curving staircase in one piece, and in the
east foyer we turned down the hall toward Cissy's.  I had been this way
many times.  Now I was trying to be really graceful and poised, but I could
remember nights when I had been literally dragged along this hall by two
Trainers, cruelly restrained and on my way to be punished.  My memories of
those times were dark and confused, and I pushed them away with a promise
to myself that I would do better starting now.  It wasn't that hard, all I
really had to do was WANT to be a part of the House and everything made
sense.  Unfair?  Maybe, but was life fair in the outside world?

   I was still trying to deal with some very confused feelings about Cissy,
though.  I definitely felt different about her since the incident in my
room a few days earlier and especially since my night out.  I was beginning
to realize that I hadn't really understood her or how she felt about me.  I
still wasn't sure I understood.  Just because I was changing didn't mean
she was going to.  Would she still be mean and demanding and unsympathetic
toward me all the time?  I really couldn't imagine her suddenly starting to
act sweet and friendly, she just wasn't that kind of person.  And it was
her job to train me.  But couldn't she at least be fair?  So much of my
life was about Cissy.  If we could just reach some kind of understanding,
maybe the House could actually be bearable.  Maybe it could be even nicer
than bearable?

   We stopped at Cissy's door.  Her name was on a shining brass plate with
a little 9 next to it, representing her years as a Lady of the House.  My
escort knocked, and Cissy's personal maid opened the door.  I was
introduced and released, and stepped inside, remembering to say, "Thank
you, Mademoiselle" to the Lady as she left.  She nodded.

   I stood at attention, my purse in both hands behind my bottom, inside
the door of Cissy's parlor as her maid went to get her.  I stole a quick
look in the wall mirror to my left, desperate to look as good as possible.
Fortunately nothing had come undone.  Cissy's suite was decorated in a
Continental style with understated taste, beiges and pastels with black and
gold accents.  I could smell dinner.  Yummy, I was starving by now.

   Cissy came in, a vision of a Russian Tsarina as always, aristocratic and
cool.  She wore burgundy and black, her tall, elegant body enhanced rather
than revealed by her tight knee-length skirt, dark stockings and Bolero
jacket.  A single ruby shone in a bunch of lace at her throat.  Her deep
brown eyes were serene, faintly amused.  She showed absolutely none of the
effects from my appearance that the others had.  She crossed the room to me
and looked me up and down calmly.

   "You look very nice, Pet.  Please come into the dining room," she said
in her musical contralto.  Every time she talked, you always thought she
had a European accent until she finished and you realized she didn't.

   "Thank you, Cissy," I answered and followed her.  I was trying to be
graceful and sexy and grateful and charming and dutiful and God knew what
else, and I had no idea if I was succeeding.  Cissy did this to me every
time.  How could she be SO in control of everything when she hardly ever
DID anything?  To me, she seemed magical even at the times I hated her
most.

   Mademoiselle Shannon had already arrived, and I had been right about her
bringing Nicole.  They both looked great.  Shannon was a rather small but
well-proportioned redhead with piercing gray eyes and a look of authority,
dressed in white silk slacks and a black leather single-breasted jacket. 
Her movements were quick, energetic and efficient.  Everything about her
said "No nonsense!" and she had an unusual bracelet, a plain ring of
stainless steel polished so bright it almost hurt the eyes.  It was far too
tight to slip over her hand, and I realized that it must have been welded
on.  Ouch!  Nicole was dressed in an openly erotic style, a painted-on pair
of calf-length sheer white tights that laced at the sides and allowed no
underwear and no pubic hair, white pumps, and a very sheer gauzy sleeveless
white top that tied and left her darkly tanned midriff bare.  She looked
like anyone could strip her nude in about one second with one hand.  Her
big nipple rings were obvious under her top.  There was a pearl in her
navel.

   Cissy introduced me, and Shannon's reaction was gratifying.  Her eyes
said "Wow!" at the same time that her lips said, "It's a pleasure to meet
you, Pet." And this was a Lady!  I tried hard to remain demure.  Nicole and
I exchanged smiles but did not speak, since neither of us had been asked a
question.  Cissy's maid handed me a slim glass with a little champagne in
it and I sipped.  As dinner was being set by the personal maid and the
night maid, Cissy and Shannon chatted on the other side of the room.  The
sun was low over the garden outside the French windows.  Nicole and I stood
at the elbows of our respective Ladies and looked attentive.  The
conversation was no big deal, at least the part of it I understood.  It had
to do with acquisitions and programs or something.  When dinner was served,
I was totally ready.

   Cissy seated me and Shannon seated Nicole, across from each other at the
round dining table.  We said our Thank You's and sat with our hands in our
laps.  Cissy waited until her guest was settled, then pivoted elegantly
into her chair and asked her maid to serve appetizers and pour wine.  I got
about half an inch of white wine, but it was good.

   There were a lot of forks and glasses and stuff to manage, and one did
NOT want to make a mistake at Cissy's table, but Nicole and I kept it
together okay.  All those hours with Mademoiselle Celine in Etiquette Class
were paying off.  During dinner, Cissy and Shannon continued to chat,
except they occasionally asked one of us a question.  None of the questions
made any difference, they were just to allow us to be part of the
conversation, and to make sure we were paying attention.  The topics ranged
from the groundskeeping at the House to the upcoming Olympics, and I got
the impression that Cissy and Shannon were actually friends, not just
acquaintances.  They were very at ease with one another.  It made the
atmosphere more comfortable and I enjoyed dinner a lot.  For one thing, it
was delicious, although the portions I got, as always, were disappointingly
small.  Cissy had chosen them in advance with my weight in mind.  I wound
up getting enough, but Nicole looked wistfully after the maids when the
last course was cleared.  I had learned a trick that I promised myself I
would share with her when we had a real chance to talk.  I drank a lot of
water with dinner, since I could have all I wanted without asking.  As soon
as the level in my goblet went down, the maid filled it up.  I made sure I
drank often and got full faster, and it also gave me something to do.

   While dessert was being prepared, some tiny, delightful thing that was
served flaming, the conversation turned to classes, and Shannon brought up
the incident in Cosmetics that afternoon.  She didn't know I had been
there, and asked Cissy if she had heard any more about it.  It seemed that
Mademoiselle Kelly was more upset than she had let on, and there were going
to be repercussions of some sort.

   Cissy turned to me.  "Pet was there, weren't you, Pet?"

   I dropped my eyes.  "Yes, Cissy."

   "Did Mademoiselle Kelly say anything about further punishment for the
girl?"

   "No, Cissy.  She was still there when we were dismissed."

   Shannon said, "That was so strange.  Do you know if they found her
book?"

   "Yes, Celeste found it," Cissy answered.  She hesitated, and I couldn't
resist.

   "Cissy, may I please ask a question?"

   Cissy and Shannon both looked at me.  "Go ahead, Pet," Cissy said after
a second.

   I took a deep breath.  "It was hidden in the hall outside her room,
wasn't it?"

   Cissy sat back from the table just a bit and looked at me with an
unreadable expression.

   "Why, Pet!" she said softly.  "That is correct.  It was behind a display
cabinet."

   I dropped my eyes again.  "Thank you, Cissy," I said.

   "You have surprised me several times lately, Pet.  We will talk about
this a little more later," she finished, and turned to her dessert.  The
conversation turned also, to other things, and in a few minutes we were all
done.  I didn't think the evening would end there, and I was right.  Cissy
and Shannon decided to have drinks and watch a movie.  Cissy got up first
and pulled my chair back for me, Shannon collected Nicole and we all went
into Cissy's huge bedroom.  There was a semicircular sofa in there, as I
well knew, and Cissy showed me where to sit and waited until I was settled
before she took Shannon over to a wall panel and pushed on it.  It rotated
just like in the movies and turned into a secret video rack with tons of
tapes.  Cissy and Shannon talked about what to watch for several minutes,
trading suggestions about their favorites, while the maid set out brandy
and snifters.  Nicole was on the other side of the couch from me and we
gave each other a grin.  A movie!  I hadn't seen a movie since I'd been at
the House.  This was so cool.  It was almost like a date or something.  I
ate dinner with Cissy all the time, but in the Dining Hall, and it was
pretty businesslike even when we had other people join us at our table.  I
remembered those dinners mostly as opportunities to pick up the wrong spoon
and get punished.  We had had some private dinners here, just us, and
mainly they were when Cissy wanted to talk to me seriously about something,
typically something I'd done wrong.  They usually ended with me staying the
night, too.

   Cissy and Shannon picked a movie and Cissy loaded it into the machine
herself.  She did something at a little control panel on the wall and the
lights dimmed way down, and the movie started.  Her TV was so big it almost
wasn't like a TV.  It took up half the wall.  Cissy and Shannon came to sit
between us on the sofa.  They sat in the middle so they could talk if they
wanted, and I sat next to Cissy, close but in a kind of modest way.  She
didn't pay much attention to me at first.  Shannon was quite different.  As
soon as the lights were down, she peeled Nicole out of her top and pulled
her right up close.  She evidently wanted those luscious charms
conveniently available.  Nicole sighed and cuddled.  In a few moments her
head was on Shannon's shoulder.  Shannon toyed with a nipple ring, but
watched the movie.  We all did.  There was a low coffee table in front of
us, with the brandy and four snifters that Cissy's personal maid was
getting ready.  She served and then Cissy had her leave and close the door.
Nicole and I each got a tiny dab of brandy, and I treasured mine like gold.
It smelled really good and burned my tongue in a heady way.  Cissy was very
moderate in her drinking, Shannon even more so.

   The movie was called "Somewhere in Time" and it was so romantic it
almost hurt.  I had never heard of it before, but it had Jane Seymour in it
and I liked her, she was so sort of classy.  The music was beautiful.  I
got so into it I didn't realize time was passing.  When I looked around
after a while, there was no sunset left outside Cissy's French windows. 
Without being obvious I could see that Shannon's hand was between Nicole's
legs now, and Nicole wasn't really watching the movie very much.  Cissy
looked at me and asked, "Are you all right?" in a whisper, putting her hand
on the back of my neck.  I nodded and asked her a question with just my
eyes.  Cissy and I knew each other's moods very well, and she nodded and
put her arm behind me.  I settled my boobs against her, pulled one knee up
and cuddled.  She smelled like heaven; she always did.  After a moment, I
put my lips right next to her ear and breathed, "Thank you, Cissy," and
felt it with all my heart.  She knew I meant the dress and the dinner, and
I think she knew I meant the compliment on the terrace too.  She slipped
her hand down to my hip and squeezed lightly, and I shut up and watched the
rest of the movie, very content.

   When the movie was finished, Cissy and Shannon decided not to watch
another.  There was some discussion about whether Shannon ( and of course
Nicole ) would stay over, and they decided not.  During the most romantic
parts of the movie Shannon had kissed Nicole several times, and I think she
wanted her alone.  Thank You's were said all around and Shannon dressed
Nicole, who had a dreamy, messy-haired look and very stiff nipples.  I
stayed in the bedroom while Cissy saw them out.  Nicole was on Shannon's
arm, melted up against her so close she had trouble walking.

   Cissy came back in after a minute and messed with the video thing,
putting it away.  I stood up and faced her, attentive.  It wasn't polite
for me to stay seated while Cissy stood, and besides I wanted to look good,
I wanted her to see the effects of the dress and shoes as much as possible.
She knew it and smiled in her faintly amused, distant way.  As she did a
little more straightening up, she addressed me casually.

   "Did you like the movie?"

   "Yes, Cissy.  Thank you again."

   "It was my pleasure, Pet.  I enjoyed it also." Then she took off her
jacket and sat on a chair facing me, legs crossed and posture perfect
although she must have been tired after her long day.  She swirled the last
of her brandy in her snifter.  She did not invite me to sit.

   "Pet, I believe I know how you knew where the book was, but I would like
for you to tell me.  Mademoiselle Shannon was very impressed by you
tonight, and I told her that I thought you really had deduced it on your
own.  Is that true?" Her intense eyes fixed me.  It was a very good thing I
hadn't lied.

   "Yes, Cissy," I said.  "I figured it out myself, or felt it.  I saw
Cynthia's face when she was waiting to be punished in class, and then I saw
her...  her panties after she was spanked.  I think she wanted to be
punished.  She did it all herself, on purpose."

   "She could have done many easier, more private things to be punished
for, couldn't she have?  Why something so serious?" She was watching me
carefully.

   "Well, if I wanted to be punished, punished really hard, and embarrassed
at the same time, I couldn't have thought of anything better than Cynthia
did.  She really left her Lady and Mademoiselle Kelly no choice, since she
had been punished for the same thing before.  And she knew she would be
caught in class, where everyone would see."

   Cissy's face was intent, curious almost.  "And the location of the
book?"

   "Well, I thought that if I wanted to get to class without one of my
books, the best way would be to hide it between leaving my room and being
formed up by the duty Trainer.  Lucy would never, ever let me go without my
books, and Cynthia's maid must be even more careful, since she must have
gotten in trouble too when Cynthia forgot her book last time.  The Trainer
walks behind us all the way to class after we're mustered, and she would
see if Cynthia had tried to get rid of it then.  It had to be in between,
and it had to be pretty well hidden or one of the other girls might have
picked it up and brought it or something.  Is that about right, Cissy?"

   "Please try not to start your sentences with 'well,' Pet.  It is a poor
usage." Her expression didn't change.

   My face fell.  "I'm sorry, Cissy.  I know better."

   "I think your logic is very good, Pet, but that doesn't explain why
Cynthia wanted to be punished really hard and embarrassed, as you put it.
How may we account for that?"

   I hesitated.

   "I think she just did, Cissy.  I don't exactly know why, but I believe
she just feels that way.  Like I...  I mean...  as I said, I saw her
panties after she was punished.  She acted like she was really, really
being hurt, but I think she enjoyed it."

   Cissy's voice went softer.  "It was very perceptive of you to empathize
with Cynthia's feelings in that way, with few clues.  It is fairly common
knowledge that she is not a well-behaved girl.  Tell me, Pet, can you
imagine feeling the way you believe she feels?  Wanting to be punished and
embarrassed, enjoying it?"

   I hesitated again, and when I answered I was very, very careful.

   "Yes, Cissy.  I can imagine it.  I don't think I could ever do it, but I
can imagine it if I try."

   Cissy looked at me, swirling her snifter, with one of her unreadable
expressions, for about thirty seconds that seemed like thirty minutes to
me.

   "How was your day, today, generally, Pet?" This was not a casual
question, and I didn't answer casually.  I thought about it and told the
truth.

   "It was a strange day, Cissy.  I've been kind of confused all day, it
must be something left over from last night.  I feel different, different
about the House...  I'm not sure why.  I haven't sorted it out yet.  Most
of all, I think, I feel different about myself." She waited and I
continued.

   "I think when I look back on it, it was the nicest day I remember
having, maybe ever, Cissy." I hesitated, took a deep breath and said,
"Thank you for making it so nice."

   She looked at me for another few seconds.  Then she rose gracefully and
drank the last swallow of her brandy and set down the snifter.  She went
over to a side table and picked up a little velvet box.  She held it in
front of her as she stepped over to me and my breath caught.  It was a
jewelry box.

   "Listen to me, Pet," she said in an even tone.  "I said that you have
surprised me, and I was being truthful.  One of the most important things
taught at the House is an understanding of other persons' sexuality.  Your
thoughts about Cynthia show that you have learned or intuited more than I
have realized, which pleases me a great deal.

   "Your performance during your training experience was very good. 
Surprisingly good.  I was gratified to see you at the pool today.  You
looked excellent and behaved well.  You went to class on time and prepared,
and your appearance was good there also.  These things have made me happy
with you, but they are small compared to your improved attitude with Lucy
and Vivian.  That is the demeanor of a young lady, and you were not forced
to it.  I have been waiting a long time for this day.  You have far to go
and you will have setbacks, but you have a chance to become a very special
girl, perhaps unique in the history of the House.  Never forget that.  This
is for you." She opened the box and held it up for me to see.

   It was a necklace, brilliantly polished gold in the form of a
medium-heavy chain.  There was no clasp.  Instead, the chain ended in two
rings, and they were joined by a beautifully-made little heart-shaped
padlock, also shining gold.  Mounted in the padlock was a huge emerald, cut
in the shape of a heart.  I was dazzled by its deep glitter.  I couldn't
see it clearly.  I looked again and realized I couldn't see because my eyes
were blurred with tears.  I looked up into Cissy's face, my mouth making a
perfectly round O.  I tried to say, "Oh, Cissy." My lips formed the words
but no sound came out.  While I was still frozen with shock, she took it
out of the case and put it around my neck.  She closed the padlock and it
made a tiny bell-like sound.  It was kind of tight, almost like a choker,
and the padlock hung perfectly in the hollow of my throat.

   I proceeded to destroy my beautiful makeup.  I had never had a real
piece of jewelry.  House girls, rarely, had gifts of jewelry from their
Ladies, and wore them like badges of honor, fiercely proud.  I had never
imagined that I would have something like that, and now this...  it was the
most beautiful thing I had ever seen.  Weeks and months of pent-up emotion
spilled out of me and I cried and cried and cried, holding my necklace like
I thought it might disappear, and my knees gave out and I sank down to the
carpet in front of Cissy and cried some more.  Finally she said, "Pet," and
I looked up at her.  Her smile wasn't distant or snide.  She reached down
and put a handkerchief in my hands.  "Please don't get mascara on your
dress," she said.  I dabbed my eyes and wiped at my cheeks.

   At last I could talk, and I said, "Cissy, may I ask something?"

   "Yes," she said in her calm way, watching me.

   "May I please stay with you tonight?  If you don't want to sleep with
me, I'll sleep on the floor.  I don't want to leave you." The last was
almost a sob.

   She smiled again.  "I was planning to have you sleep with me, Pet."

   "Thank you, Cissy," I said, and I got up dizzily from the floor.  I
wiggled out of my dress right there in front of her, and laid it lovingly
across the back of the sofa.  I unbuckled and stepped out of my shoes,
setting them carefully by the dress.  Wearing only my necklace and with the
most perfect posture I could manage, I walked on my toes over to Cissy's
bed, turned it down and dug out the shackle from underneath the dust
ruffle. I snapped it on my ankle, slid underneath the covers and waited for
my Lady.

   *****

   In episode 8, Pet's old bad behavior rears its head.  How will she be
punished?  Will she revert to her former hateful personality?