She stepped into my chambers; slim lines, silk tie, short hair, and neat black shoes tapping softly across milky marble tile. I rose form the dresser at the back of my bedroom and nodded at the guard who escorted her. "Thank you sir, but this is my chaperone for the night. We should be safe enough." The eunuch saluted, his dark blue uniform rising and falling with his arm. He left without speaking a word.
We both stared at the door for a long moment until it clicked shut. Then I immediately grabbed either side of my skirts, swiveled my feet to a familiar position, bent my knees, and lowered my chin to my chest. I held the deep curtsy as she stepped around mahogany tables, wicker chairs, and enormous pillows into the bedroom of my assigned suite. I kept my gaze on the floor while she walked a slow circle around me. My thighs and calves warmed and shook from the effort until she reached forward and lifted my chin with her fingertips. I exhaled a breath I did not realize I held, and stood with my back straight. "Merci Maitresse."
She sat a small wooden cigar box on the nightstand near my bed. "You read my letter?" I nodded and watched a smile stretch across her face like a jackal lounging in the sun. "Lie back on the bed and show me."
I suppressed a giggle and the desire to fling myself among the soft sheets and pillows. It was so easy to slip from the confines of society when she was near, whispering her desires in a firm voice. I wanted to be hers. I wanted to jump, laugh, and be free to yell her name with all of my voice. Instead, I reveled in the forbidden game that was all we had with each other. I sat carefully on the edge of the fluffy down mattress, crossed my legs, and lifted the many layers of my skirts.
She leaned forward, her hands clasped behind her back. After a long moment she looked into my eyes. "Very nice, petite. You are lovely as always. And this dress..." She slid her eyes back down my body.
"Indeed!" I danced off the bed and twirled. "It was a gift from that British governor. The one from the American Northwest. He says he had it shipped all the way from Vancouver by airship so he could..." I stopped.
Her smile was gone. She stared at me with an eyebrow raised. "Did I tell you to leave the bed, petite?"
My throat constricted. I swallowed. "No Maitresse."
She cracked the knuckles of one hand. "Did you consider that, perhaps, I had plans once you were up here and on your back?" She patted the soft blanket atop my bed.