Author's Note: This chapter took a long time; firstly due to illness, and then because of the curse of blank-page inertia. My apologies for this, but I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway. Feedback is always welcome. - W.M.
Submissive in Surrey
Chapter 7: Netty and Myf's Excellent Adventure
I couldn't say what the dream was about. Generally, my memory takes a nap along with my consciousness whenever sleep claims me. All I remember is that it was a happy dream. I could feel the smile pulling at my cheeks. It was good. Serene.
And then, someone yanked the covers off me. Instantly, the cold morning air shocked me and dragged my eyes open.
"What...? What's happenin'?"
I wasn't immediately answered. Instead, something cold and hard slapped against the soles of my feet. Yelping, I sat up and my eyes focused on Myf, wearing her familiar maid outfit and holding a steel ruler.
"Get up, slut," she ordered. "I'm up, so everyone's up. And don't take all day about it either," she added.
I looked toward the window. It was dawn or near it. "B-but it's stupid o'clock in the morning - "
then yelped again as the flat surface of the ruler hit my soles again. "Okay, okay! Shit..."
"Is that any way to speak to your Lady Myfanwy? Mistress has to leave early, and if she leaves without seeing you, you remain under punishment."
Oh, yeah,
I remembered.
Last night...
I rubbed my hand over the rope burn imprint on my upper arm, fading but still there. "No, Milady," I answered, improvising like mad, "but you must admit, your outfit doesn't suggest dominatrix. I apologize."
"Good," she responded, her spontaneous giggle belying her temporary position. "Mistress expects you downstairs ready for breakfast in five minutes, so don't dawdle." With that, she turned to leave the bedroom, and I immediately thought of the old saw,
I hate to see her go, but I love watching her leave.
Five minutes didn't give me any time for primping; I dressed in a simple blouse and jeans, quickly checked my appearance, and hurried down the stairs. Jan, Mistress Janet rather, was sitting at the breakfast table, looking mildly annoyed at me as if I were late, even though I'd hurried. I put my hands on the back of a chair, ready to pull it out and sit. Mistress would have none of it. I didn't even get out my "Good morning, Mistress" before she silenced me with a glare and a finger pointed at the floor. She said only one word to me: "Kneel."
I knelt. I kept my mouth shut. I waited.
I kept waiting while Lady Myfanwy returned. I waited through the sounds of two plates being placed on the table and the sounds of two sets of cutlery clinking on fine china. I waited though my mouth was watering and my stomach rumbling.
Finally, Mistress placed her cutlery on her plate and turned her attention to me. "Did you obey me last night, slut? Did you refrain from pleasuring yourself after I left you alone? Look up at me and answer."
I looked up and met her gaze. "I fell asleep almost immediately, Mistress. I was exhausted. I swear, I did not touch myself."
A long moment drew out between us. Mistress Janet's grey-blue eyes seemed to penetrate clear through to my soul. "I believe you," she finally said. "Now, tell me what you've learned from your punishment."
My throat dried up. I was expecting a lecture, a lesson, but it looked like I was going to have to provide my own. It made sense: how better to show what you've learned?
"Mistress, I..." I cleared my throat. "I was, am, self-centred. I was concerned with myself. I said I had failed you, but I'd only hurt my own ego. I'd never even paid attention to you or Myf - Lady Myfanwy, or I'd have understood that by your standards, the night had been a success. You'd wanted to praise and reward me, but I could not see past my desire to punish myself."
I paused. Mistress nodded. "And?"
"And, Mistress... it's not up to me. I asked you to take me on as your sub. In doing that, I placed my trust in you to dispense punishment and reward. It's ignorant and arrogant to then take it on myself. I ask you to please forgive me."
"Do you think you'll do it again?" Mistress asked, her voice neutral.
"Honestly, Mistress? I'll do my best not to, but I probably will. I've been the same way for years now."
"Hmph. I wasn't expecting such candor. Most people would just swear to never do it again."
She sighed, then favoured me with a wry half-smile. "You've been my sub for less than a full day. I shouldn't expect miracles. I understand there's a lot of issues behind your behaviour, and I'll help you with them however I can. As Kipling said, you have to meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same. But for now, let me just warn you: if there's a relapse of this self-punishment tendency of yours, next time you'll be eating your breakfast out of a dog bowl without the use of your hands."
"Yes, Mistress."
Mistress Jan extended her hand to me, and I gently took it and kissed her fingers. She then cupped my face. "Rise. Your punishment is over. Sit and eat your breakfast."
I hadn't noticed, but Myf had left for the kitchen while I was performing my confession. Now she returned and placed my breakfast before me. "Here you are, Netty. Spanish omelette."
"Thank you, Milady," I said before starting to eat.
"Back to regular names, Annette," Jan rejoindered.
"Oh, er, sorry, Jan," I stammered. "You shift gears so smoothly, I fall behind sometimes."
"Early days, Annette. You'll catch on quickly, I know. Now then, the reason I have to leave early is I have procedures to perform today. I don't have to go too far away today, just to the Moorfields eye hospital in Thornton Heath, so I'll be back this evening, hopefully in time for supper. I mustn't be late though. My first procedure is for a detached retina, and the quicker you get to those, the better the prognosis."
"I had no idea you could even fix a detached retina, Jan." I was watching her hands, and marvelled that they were equally capable of restoring sight as they were capable of chastising me.
"Oh, the odds are very good of a successful reattachment these days," Jan responded. "I'll be using a technique called pneumatic retinopexy. It consists of injecting a gas bubble into the eye to pressure the retina back where it belongs. I'll then seal any holes or tears in the eye with a laser."
I stole a quick glance at Myf, just in time to see her face lose its colour. " 'Scuse me," she said before hurrying back to the kitchen.
"Are you all right, Myf?" Jan called. "It's all right, I'll stop talking about it." After Myf returned, Jan addressed me. "Annette, I'd like you to do something for me while I'm gone. I'll leave you some cash. You said the Mini is all right to drive for short distances. I'd like you to drive into Ravensthorp high street and buy the items you said the car needs. Would you do that for me?"
A team of contract cleaners could not have wiped the smile from my face. "I'd love to, Jan, it'll be great to have something to do. And, um, thank you for trusting me with 'Coop'."
"Well, you convinced me that continuing to let her rot in the garage was a bad idea. Myf, you may go with Annette, if you'd like."
"Can I, Mistress? Yes, please!"
"Well, that's settled then. When I return I'll look at removing your stitches, Annette. But now I'd better get going."
.....
Half an hour later, with Myf changed into casual clothes, we occupied the front seats of the Mini Cooper S, and I was adjusting the little car's rear view mirrors and looking over the primitive-by-modern-standards dash. It featured an instrument cluster mounted centrally, rather than directly in front of the driver, with a speedometer flanked on either side by a temperature gauge and an oil-pressure gauge. I appreciated this last item; most cars only had an idiot light for the oil and quite often, when that came on, the damage was already done. I tested the hand brake and ensured the gearbox was in neutral, then started the car. After a few nervous moments, the engine started and I let it idle while listening carefully.
After a few minutes of idling, Myf turned to me and asked why we weren't moving yet.
"It's an old car, Myf," I answered. "You have to let it warm up at low revs, to avoid engine damage. Modern cars, with fuel injection and synthetic oil? Not so much. But this grand old girl demands a little more respect. Plus, the oil in her is pretty much used up, so I'm going to be careful."
"You're talking like you love this car," Myf said.
"I really am falling for her, I think. I want to make her as good as new, if Jan will let me."
"Well, she's letting you drive it, so that's a good start."
"True. So Myf, do you know where this auto parts shop is?"
"Um, not really, but Ravensthorp isn't that big. I'm sure it'll be on the high street somewhere."
I nodded and tested the clutch, then moved the stick into first and eased off. To my slight embarrassment, the car hopped forward a bit and stalled. "It's okay, it's okay," I assured Myf. "I just have to get used to the clutch." I tried again and this time moved off smoothly.
The shop I was looking for wasn't that hard to find. I found a parking space and was soon in conversation with the proprietor, a fiftyish man with a passion for cars that eclipsed my own. He knew when Jan had bought Coop and was a little annoyed that she'd taken as long as she had to do something about fixing the car up. I knew then and there I'd found a valuable ally in getting Coop up to speed.
"So, Mister - uhm..."
"James. Call me Harry, young lady," he smiled.
"Harry, I'm Annette, and this is Myf. I've got a list of the things I need here, and I've brought the service manual with the specs." I handed him the manual and as he studied it, I studied his hands. Grease under his nails spoke of someone who didn't just talk cars but loved working on them as well.
"Righto. I'll just have a rummage around in the back for some of these things. Shan't be long."
A few minutes later, Harry returned with pretty much everything on my list. "Of course, none of these are genuine parts," he said, "but as you'd appreciate, they just aren't made any more. But the oil filter is the right size, the spark plugs will do the job, and the fan belt should fit."
I paid him and asked where I could go to give Coop a thorough professional service. He recommended a place in Woking and jotted down the address and phone number for me.
As I packed the parts into the Mini's small trunk, I asked Myf "What d'you want to do now?"
"I thought you'd want to go right home and fix up the car, Netty. Why? What do you want to do?"
"Well, I was just thinking we could drop in on my flat and move some more of my clothes and things out of there. It'd give me a chance to talk to you in private as well, about... well, about things. That is, unless there's something you'd like to do? An errand you need to run, or someone you'd like to see?"
"Your place, huh?" I swear, Myf batted her eyelashes at me. "Gonna drag me over there and overpower me and have your way with me? I know your sort."
