Joanna left the room, throwing down the scissors and the tattered remains of the dress. She wanted to look back, wanted to smile at tess but she knew it had more impact to just leave without words. She stooped and picked up the margarita as she passed the side table, it would be a treat for a Saturday lunch. Joanna mulled over her choices, did she leave tess there all afternoon and night? Or did she show mercy? She was hesitating.
The door knocked to break her thoughts. Joanna felt self conscious dressed as she was, it wasn't for public viewing. She crept to the side window and peeked out.
"Heh! Now that's a surprise!" Joanna muttered to herself as she reached for the door.
Joanna opened the door to see Sherri standing in front of her. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, he didn't look like the maid who had served her for the last couple of days.
"You need to come with me. Now." Sherri requested. Face pale and white, urgency written plain for all to see. Joanna took a step to the side and invited Sherri in to talk further.
"No. Joanna. It's Ralph - you need to come with me." Joanna stepped out and shut the door behind her, leaving tess alone in silence.
Joanna wobbled cautiously on her heels as she headed to ralph's car at the end of the drive. The engine still running, Sherri wasn't hanging around. Joanna got to the car trying to hide her attire from any neighbours who happened to look out. Her skirt had ridden up, her stockings plainly on view, her top hugged her breasts leaving nothing to the imagination. She swung into the car and shut the door behind her, Sherri already in and belted waiting for Joanna.
"What is this all about Sherri?" Joanna questioned as Sherri moved off and headed out to the main road.
"Let's drop the Sherri thing for a moment can we?" Michael asked. He was scaring Joanna.
"Is ralph ok? You are scaring me!" Joanna was concerned and Michael was acting oddly.
"I don't know Joanna. That's what we are going to find out. Anne isn't a nice person, she is capable of things you can't even imagine." Joanna widened her eyes, her instincts had been right. She listened intently as Michael explained everything to her. Joanna turned pale.
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Joanna and Michael hurtled through the country lanes the other side of the town. Heading out to the farm lands beyond where Joanna now knew Anne had a old farm house.
"Do you think Anne would really harm ralph?" Joanna asked after minutes of silence.
"I don't know for sure. But she hurt me and I was her husband" Michael honestly answered. He pulled down his collar to show the marks on his neck, and pulled up the side of his shirt to show the lines across his back.
"I think she held back with me. She had feelings for me. The way she spoke about Ralph at work... well I wouldn't be so sure it is the same for him." Joanna shook her head. How could she have been so naive. Joanna pulled down her skirt once more, very conscious of her appearance- it felt wrong for her to be dressed as she was as she went to save her husband.
Michael finally turned off the lane on to a long gravel drive. Ahead a stone farm house stood, a wooden barn opposite with a stone courtyard between. Michael pulled up outside the barn and turned to Joanna.
"I think there will be no way back for me once I knock on that door. Anne and I are finished, and ralph and I will be out of our jobs. Can I stay with you both until I find my feet?" Joanna nodded.
"You are more than welcome to come live with us. ralph could do with the help." Joanna smiled at Michael and held his knee.
"Thank you Michael. I'm sure ralph is fine but you did the right thing. Now, let's go get him back." Joanna opened the door and placed her stiletto on the gravel.
As they left the car, Michael pointed Joanna to the side of the house and the kitchen door.
"You can get in through there. There are steps on your left as you enter. That's the cellar where Anne probably is keeping him. Take you time in those heels, the steps are steep. I'll keep Anne occupied in the front rooms whilst you get Ralph out" Joanna nodded and walked across to the far side in the late afternoon sun, Michael strode across to the main door and knocked loudly.
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Joanna clicked the latch and the door swung open, the small hallway leading on to the kitchen. Polished stone floor spread out in front of her, the kitchen obscured by the doorway and larder to her side. She looked left and found the stairs descending into darkness below, the house silent as she crept forward with her heels making clicking sound in the hard floor. She could smell Anne's perfume, she knew Anne was home and that made it even more exhilarating. Joanna heard the loud knock at the door and froze at the top of the stairs, Anne walked across the kitchen and towards the main hallway - it had been close, Anne was literally yards away from her.
Joanna took the opportunity to slip down the stairs into the cellar whilst the noise in the hallway masked her heels. Click, click, click they went as she dropped under the kitchen and into the dark cellar. She fumbled for a light but couldn't find any switch, just making out the room as her eyes grew accustomed to the dim light. She felt her way to the table in the middle of the room, straps hanging from both ends, a crop laid across the centre of the bench. Joanna shuddered at the thought of that crop, it was so thin and no doubt would slice flesh if given half a chance. Walking further she kicked a leather collar which laid on the floor, attached to a throne at the end of the room. This had to have been ralph and Anne. Joanna felt further and found the small cage and the heavy steel door, she'd struggle to fit in there - let alone ralph. Still no sign. As Joanna traced her steps back to the stairs she felt along the wall, rows and rows of floggers, canes and whips, masks, gags and strap ons. This room was a playpen for Anne, no doubt fun in the right mood but sinister in the wrong hands. She would love to spend an afternoon in here with tess or ralph. Where was ralph?
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Anne opened the heavy door and was greeted by a kneeling Sherri in a male t-shirt and jeans.
"I hope you have a fucking good explanation why you are back before I ordered and dressed like a man Sherri?" Sherri crawled in and purposefully headed to the living room, getting Anne as far away from the cellar as possible.
"Where do you think you are heading slave?" Anne asked. Quick Sherri, think!
"I want to make you comfortable and make you a cocktail ma'am as I explain what Joanna made me do over the last couple of days." Sherri welled up with tears, his eyes glazed over as he spoke. Anne smiled slyly, excited to hear what Joanna had done to cause Sherri to cry.
"Ok. Gin Fizz. Quick as you can, I've got a busy afternoon ahead." Anne led the way and sat on the plush sofa as Sherri made his way to the drinks cabinet. Sherri looked round as he walked, looking for any signs of Ralph or what had happened in the house over the last couple of days.
"Expecting company ma'am?" Sherri asked, smelling the coffee and the pastries from the kitchen. He knew what it meant. Breakfast in the afternoon meant Deano was coming over, he was the only one to sleep all day and wake all night. Sherri shuddered as he thought of his own tattoo on his ass. A pair of cherries with Miss Anne beneath and Sherri in italic font on his other cheek. Now it was Ralph's turn to be branded with her mark and whatever name she has come up with for him.
