The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.
This story involves the characters introduced in "The Bridesmaids' Revenge" although it can be read on its own. It follows a couple of years after the stories "Lisa's Adjustable Hoop Petticoat" and "Lisa Trains Thomas"
The story, originally written before July 2002, has had a major revision in October 2022 to remove apprentices who could be taken as underage and replace them with post-graduate management trainees who would be 21 or older.
* * * * *
Introduction
Lisa is the goal-keeper of Silverbridge's Ladies football team "The Silver Vixens". She lives above her own dressmaking business shop and workshop. She is young, fit, tall, but heavily built with large breasts. Thomas lives with her. But... Thomas has been showing signs recently that he is unhappy with the arrangement and his status as Lisa's slave. Tonight, he is out at a training session with his fellow players of the men's first team "The Glossies". He should be returning about 9pm. Will he, or will he go on elsewhere...?
* * *
Lisa was on the internet looking through a catalogue of hooped bridal petticoats for sale on a US site. She has considerable experience in their use for dresses she makes and has an income from licence fees on one of her own design. However, she wants a particular effect for a dress for a "Victorian" ball and she was gradually realising that normal hooped petticoats wouldn't give the result she wanted.
She was getting increasingly annoyed as she moved from site to site searching for just the right one. It looked as if a hooped petticoat won't do. She would have to use a cage crinoline. Although they exist, most are produced in the United States for sale for Civil War re-enactment societies. They are expensive and difficult to ship to the United Kingdom. No-one appears to make them in England or if they do, Lisa can't find the supplier.
Lisa logged off and sat back thinking to herself "Surely they are not that difficult to make? In the nineteenth century there were hundreds of manufacturers until mass production forced the smaller firms out. Who in Silverbridge could make one for her?"
She reached for the local trades directory and flipped through it slowly until she reached "Light Metal Fabricators" - Jones Ltd. That name rang a bell in her mind. Hadn't one of her friends been to Jones Ltd on Work Experience from college? But who? Lisa searched her memory. Was it Sandra? No - she'd gone to Boots. Frances had gone to a Hairdressers in the next town. Jane? Lisa couldn't remember where Jane had gone. It must be Alison who went to Jones Ltd. There was no harm in asking. She picked up the phone and pressed the pre-set for Alison.
"Hi, it's Lisa. A simple question. Can you remember back to your work experience at college? Did you go to Jones Ltd?"
"Yes, I did when I was doing a degree course in Engineering. You should remember. You complained that it wasn't fair because I went to a company with so many men. But most of the workers were women so I was outnumbered." replied Alison. "The women were teasing the male students from my course, so I got the best of the training."
"I'm thinking of having a cage-crinoline made. From what you remember of the firm, do you think they could do it?"
"I don't know. There was a lot of strip steel and wire around and I know they did do one-off patterns from time to time. Could be pricey though. Why don't you ask the son, Andy Jones? He's at the football clubhouse most Friday nights." suggested Alison.
"So he is. I'd forgotten he was part of Jones Ltd. He's not our generation so I really think of him as a former Glossies' player. He was a useful part of their back row in the 70s. Do you know what he does at the firm?"
"He's probably the Managing Director now. His father has virtually retired, and his elder brother joined the Army. Even if he isn't, he'd be able to give you an idea whether they could make a cage for you. Why do you want one anyway? I thought hoop petticoats were good enough for your dresses?" said Alison.
Lisa explained, "It's for the Victorian Ball this autumn. I've been commissioned to make a copy of a dress in an old family portrait. I've tried but I can't get the right effect without a cage crinoline which is what the lady would have been wearing then. And one of the customer's American friends told her that dancing with a cage crinoline is MUCH better than hoops. So, I've got to find one. It's the cost of the US cages that is putting me off and I'm afraid if I ordered a cage, it wouldn't get here undamaged."
"It wouldn't do any harm to ask Andy. He's a good sort. I'd take a few pictures of cages to give him the idea. If you buy him a pint, he'd spare you half an hour - but don't leave it too late in the evening. He never drinks more than two pints as he keeps fit to play for the Veterans." said Alison "He'd be more interested if there was a chance of going into production. If cages are that expensive and not made here there might be a small demand he could meet and make a profit. There are Dickensian events and even some people doing US Civil War re-enactments over here."
"Thanks Alison. There are a lot of ifs but it's worth asking Andy. I'll be at the clubhouse Friday anyway. I'll see him then. See ya!"
Lisa hunted around for pictures of cage-crinolines in her small library of fashion history, scanned some of the pictures, then printed them. She put them in a soft backed folder to take to the clubhouse on Friday. Then she looked at the time. 9.30. If Thomas was coming straight back, he should be here any minute. She went to the kitchenette and put the kettle on. She wanted some coffee. Thomas should have showered at the training ground so he'd be ready for some coffee on his return.
She went back to the computer and played around with some of the crinoline pictures to see if she could get a better idea of the way the cages were put together. When the kettle boiled, she made some instant coffee and returned to the screen.
Sometime later she realised that Thomas wasn't back. It was getting late. Where was he?
Eventually she stopped waiting and went to bed. She was just conscious of Thomas crawling into bed beside her during the night, but she was too sleepy to check the time.
* * *
Next morning Lisa got up, showered, had her breakfast and prepared to go downstairs to work. She looked in at Thomas before she went downstairs. He was still asleep and since he didn't have to be at work until midday, she left him but felt annoyed. Where had he been last night?
* * *
On Friday evening Lisa went with Thomas to the football clubhouse. She looked out for Andy Jones and saw him in his usual corner, but his friends hadn't arrived yet. She bought a drink for Thomas, left him with their friends, and took two pints of beer across towards Andy. He recognised her with some surprise. Although they both knew each other as acquaintances they hadn't much in common.
"Hello Lisa." said Andy "You must want something from me since you're advancing so purposefully. Sit down and tell me about it."
"Thanks, Andy." responded Lisa "This pint's for you. I need a few minutes of your time for some advice about metalworking, please."
"Then you've come to the right man. If I don't know I can probably give you the name of someone who does know. But why does Silverbridge's exclusive dressmaker need advice on metalworking? It's not your line. "
