(It was 1892 and I, David Shaw, then aged 19 joined 'Maynard and Son, Purveyors to Gentlewomen and the Aristocracy' on Upper Richmond Road, Putney. The job involved providing 'underskirt services' to single women. This was my third day with the firm.)
***
Number Six, Paultons Square, Chelsea was an imposing four storey terraced Georgian house with impressive railings and a large blue door. I carried my bicycle down the steep steps to the area and rang the bell to the smaller servants' door.
"Good morning young gentleman you must be from Maynard's," said a stout women in her forties wearing a housemaid's uniform and carrying a duster.
It was 10 o'clock and the sky was bright with sunshine. I followed her in and sat with her while another younger housemaid ran upstairs to fetch the housekeeper, Miss Schlaefli.
Miss Schlaefli was one of those no nonsense women so typical of housekeepers in that exclusive area of London off the Kings Road. She had a surly complexion and held herself bolt upright as if her corsets were tied too tightly.
"The Mistress will see you shortly," she said looking me up and down.
I looked her over too and noted she had an ample bust and even more ample hips. She wore a dark grey dress and I spotted a tiny glimpse of white lacy petticoat hem. Naturally I became very stiff inside my trousers.
A bell rang and I was escorted upstairs. I watched Miss Schlaefli's large shapely arse swivel from side to side as I followed her up. I would have grabbed her there and then and thrust my head up her skirts and petticoats had I not been so well brought and knew how to respect my elders and superiors.
I was led to a small room and told to undress and put on a blue silk dressing gown. I was becoming used to being paraded naked , or near naked, in front of Mr. Maynard's clientele so did not balk at Miss Schlaefli's request.
I entered the drawing room where I was introduced to the Mistress.
"This is Mr. Shaw from Maynard and Son, Lady Huntington," announced Miss Schlaefli.
Before me, sitting on a chaise longue in a sumptuously furnished room, was an elegant slim woman wearing a very full 'day' dress. She must have been in her mid forties and wore her hair pinned back in a 'French pleat' with two elaborate silver hair clips fixed high on her head. She wore pearl earrings.
"That will be all Schlaefli, you may leave us now, thank you," she said to her housekeeper and beckoned me forward.
As usual I felt somewhat out of my depth in the presence of my superiors and hoped that I would swiftly be put to use under her generous silk skirts so that I could leave and return to normality in Putney.
"Well Shaw, off with your gown," she said looking out of the tall windows and at the Plane trees beyond.
I pulled apart the cords of the dressing gown and threw the garment to one side, and stared at the floor feeling vulnerable once again.
She turned her head and stared at my penis which bobbed around uncontrollably. She then fixed me with a steady gaze.
"Do you find me attractive boy?" she asked, and I told her that I did.
"Well I care not what you think as you are here only to provide me with physical relief; do you understand?" she said in an off hand manner and continued looking out of the window.
I confirmed that I understood.
"On the floor with you then, on your back now," she ordered and I did as I was told.
From my low vantage point on the Persian carpet I was able to observe her attire.
She wore a plain silk day dress which was gathered at the waist, or just above, and flared out in a very full and generous manner and ended in a series of overlapping pleats roughly six inches from the hem. Her dress was floor length.
The dress was in two shades of Sienna brown in a slight striped pattern. I observed that her bodice was not tightly tailored and she clearly was not wearing a corset. I also noted that, for some reason, she was not wearing a bustle which fashionable women wore in those days so clearly she found this dress far more serviceable and comfortable in her domestic pursuits.
She wore black slippers with two inch kitten-heels and I noted she also wore black silk stockings.
"You will not look at me," she barked, "Understood?" she emphasized.
I replied that I understood and stared up at the ceiling. My penis responded to her curt remarks and rolled to one side them stiffened considerably and lay along my belly.
" Good, good, I'm glad to see you are 'firm'," she said in a formal, almost courteous, tone, "At least we know that you are interested in your present circumstance," she continued breathlessly, and I felt her eyes wander up and down my somewhat puny, skinny body.
I was beginning to wonder whether I was merely a distraction to her as perhaps she only wished to watch my penis stiffen. I imagined that she took some sort of voyeuristic pleasure in watching me. I was to be proved wrong, very wrong indeed, however.
She arose from her chair and approached me. As she did so I heard the tantalising swishing and froufrou sounds of silk petticoats sliding against each other under her heavy silk dress.
"Makes you stiff eh boy?" she said somewhat crudely as she circled me slowly. I kept my arms firmly by my side and continued staring at the ornately molded ceiling.
She walked around me several times flicking her skirt hem outwards at every turn. The sounds of her petticoats were almost deafening.
"I'd wager that you'd like to see my petticoats eh boy?" she whispered and continued her tour around my naked body.
I tried not to watch her but could not help but stare up at her somewhat haughty regal face, she appeared a lot taller too from my position naked on the carpet.
"Well, answer?" she ordered me.
"Yes m'am," I retorted.
