"So," she said, finding Poppy and Jen looking at her slightly wide eyed, "are you two alright? I'm worried that was more drama than was good for you after your own troubles."
Jen surprisingly giggled, and at first Poppy shushed her, but then the giggle seemed to be infectious and Poppy was at it too. This went on for sometime, both of the girls trying to say something but not managing to get anything out.
With mock impatience, Manon sternly said, "If one of you two giggling fools doesn't start to explain soon, I'm going to start dishing out spankings."
"Oh yes please miss," Poppy managed, before she and Jen lost it again.
Eventually, both girls managed to get control of themselves. "Sorry miss, it's that we'd just agreed that was the most awesome thing we've ever seen when you came in."
Poppy came and knelt in front of Manon, and took her hand, followed by Jen who did the same. "Miss, last night you were wonderful, and so kind. We were both really scared, and you and Belle made us feel safe and loved."
"And then this morning," Jen said, "when we worked out what was going on anyway, well, we were jealous miss."
"Jealous? Manon repeated, somewhat dumbfounded.
"Yes miss," Poppy replied and then she started giggling again, so Jen, close to losing it herself said, "we were, we are, envious of Claire miss. That wasn't too much drama, we wanted the drama for ourselves."
"Huh," Manon said. "You two continue to surprise me, even now." A knock on their door, which was breakfast arriving, interrupted further conversation for a bit.
Belle came and took a heaped plate back to where she and Kitty were watching over a now sleeping Claire, while Manon watched Jen and Poppy demolish a small mountain of food each.
Manon found herself smiling at the two young women, pleased to see that they seemed for the moment at least to be back to their old selves. Their good natured bickering over who got the last pancakes was interrupted by another knock, which turned out to be Eric. Manon greeted him warmly, and was rewarded by a kiss on both cheeks.
"My lady, it is so good to see you looking yourself again," he said.
"Well, I am happy to say, I feel that way too," she said.
"Now, not that we want to be rid of you and all your charges," Eric said, grinning at Poppy and Jen who blushed prettily at him, "but I came to tell you that the house has been made ready, and you could leave for it at any time."
"Well once the medics have cleared you." He held his hands out in mock surrender at the scowl on Manon's face. "Don't blame me, I gave my word to Sir James. You can only go to the house when the doctors allow it, and no travel for two weeks, you have to rest."
With not entirely feigned ill grace Manon conceded. "Let's have the Dottore della Peste by all means then, as soon as we can."
"Hardly a plague doctor my lady," Eric said smiling. "It so happens I have them coming at 10 this morning, and the hotel carriage is available any time you require it. My lady, you will have to be escorted, my lord Duke is most insistent that you are properly protected, and the estate is being guarded as well during your stay."
"Well, my thanks to your lord then Eric, that is most gracious of him, and I confess will make it easier to relax," Manon said. "And our lost package?"
"Not found yet my lady, it is most vexing," Eric said with a frown. A sentiment Manon shared, but at least with an escort and guards for the house she'd be using, she really would find it easier to relax even knowing Cecile was loose somewhere.
Just as Eric left, Travers arrived to escort Poppy and Jen back to their lodgings. While they went to say goodbye to Belle, Kitty and Claire, Manon asked how Beth had got on. The broadest smile Manon had yet seen from Travers told her the answer, even before Travers said anything.
"She is proving highly popular already, my lady. You can take me for the army if the captain doesn't keep her on." She looked sidelong at Poppy and Jen hovering in the doorway, and called to them, "two minutes to say your goodbyes, I'll be waiting downstairs for you".
"Don't make me come and get you or you'll regret it," she said sourly, but gave Manon a huge wink as she turned away.
Both the girls came over and hugged Manon. "Thank you miss, we can't tell you how much last night, and everything you have done for us, means to us," Poppy said.
"Not to mention what you have done to us," Jen added with a sly chuckle.
"Well, I'll miss you two as well," Manon said. "As I understand it, your ship won't get here for two weeks, and I am staying at a house outside the city for about the same length of time. So, if you want to, and get permission from your new grumpy bosun, you'd be welcome to visit."
"You are both a lot of fun, especially naked," she added, making them blush.
Manon hugged them close again, and swatted their bums as she saw them out of the door. Belle had been watching from the bedroom doorway, and waved to them.
"So Belle dear, how are Claire and Kitty?"
Belle snorted a laugh, "Kitty miss, seems to be determined to turn herself into a cat. She keeps pestering me, asking if her purr sounds good enough, and if her meowing sounds real. And then she wants me to find a ball or some string and play with her."
"Claire is asleep again. She's woken up once and used the toilet and had some water, but is dead to the world again now."
"Best thing for her, she needs some time to recover," Manon said.
"Now Belle dear, it seems we will be going to the house today, if those pesky doctors agree anyway. So would you see to the packing, including getting the girls dressed and decent to travel please. I'd hope to leave around lunchtime, so there's no great rush."
"I've got some things to do. Those dress makers must have given up on me by now, but I still need them, and I want to get a proper restock from the apothecary. It will help pass the time at the house if I have ingredients to make us a proper tool kit."
Manon wrote a polite letter to the dressmakers, there was no point in upsetting them further, and it was stupid to annoy the people who made your underwear. Asking them to call at their convenience at the Chateau Helene, and saying she would have more work for them. Kitty and Claire would need some clothes. Her last request was to ask them to recommend a cobbler and bootmaker, and if it was convenient to ask them to visit as well, perhaps at the same time.
The next letter was to the apothecary. It was a long shopping list, requesting numerous chemicals, ingredients and drugs be delivered to the Chateau, together with suitable glassware for making preparations and storing them. Looking at the size of the list, she also requested that they source and supply her a travelling trunk, properly fitted out internally to carry such things.
As she finished the Doctor visited, this time it was a genial younger woman, much more personable Manon thought than those she'd been treated by so far. Having established that the Doctor was in private practice, albeit many of her patients it seemed came from the Duke's household, Manon asked if she'd be willing to attend her at the Chateau.
Told that this was possible, Manon explained that she had two girls who were to be branded and become her slaves, and that she wanted some minor medical procedures performed on them once it was done.
So that having been agreed, and Manon given a clean bill of health together with stern warnings about not over exerting herself for the next ten to fourteen days, the Doctor left.
Manon wrote yet another letter, this time to the Slaver's guild, asking them to send someone at their convenience to the Chateau, where she would from tomorrow have two girls in residence who wished to become her slaves.
She also said that she wouldn't be ready to brand them for a few days after that, but would want to do it herself. If the necessary paperwork and equipment could be brought with the assessor to be left at the Chateau, it would be most convenient, presuming the Guild of course was happy for her to proceed.
Vaguely aware that Belle was moving about organising things, Manon's attention was caught when Belle answered the door, to be handed a letter addressed to Manon.
"How odd Belle dear, who else could possibly know we were here? We don't seem to have been very successful fugitives," Manon said.
"I'm sorry miss," Belle said glumly, "it must have been my fault, I'd best be punished again to make me try harder?"
"Now Belle dear, delightful though that idea is, I think in this case it isn't true," Manon said smiling. Belle head was back, and no mistake.
Looking at the letter, it had in fact been readdressed to Manon, and resealed, having originally been addressed to Sir James at the Wardrobe in St James's Palace. Which explained a lot, as it would have been forwarded to him here, and then he or one of his staff had sent it on.
It was from Linette and Vallon, once Manon and Belle's house mates at school, and more lately two intelligence analysts working for the Wardrobe. Sir James had installed them as housekeepers in Manon's house in London, after the rather disastrous failure of her butler's conditioning after she and Belle had fled London.
"Oh miss, how are they? I have happy memories of playing with them," Belle said grinning.
"As do I dear, and from their letter it seems they do too. Lin says they jumped at the chance to come and work for me, which rather begs the question of what Sir James told them the job was. The old fox isn't telling us everything I think," Manon said thoughtfully.
"Still they seem well enough, and aren't reporting any issues with the house, although they do need funds, so I shall have to get the Bank to give them authority on the household account."
"We do know we can trust them miss," Belle said. "Oh!" she added as something fell to the floor from the letter's wrapping that Belle was still holding.
"What is that dear?" Manon asked. "Oh, they've added a post script," Manon said.
'We've sent you something to demonstrate we remain yours, and sincerely hope you won't be long returning home and putting them to good use', Manon read out.
"Er miss? It's half a dozen keys," Belle said, holding them out to Manon.
"How curious," Manon said, and then started laughing. "Oh dear, they are still committed little things aren't they?"
"Miss?"
"These Belle dear, are the keys to the restraints we kept in the blue bedroom? These two little ones are I think the key to those pretty little wrist and ankle bracelets, and these two larger ones are for the matching collars, I'd recognise that unusual column design anywhere."
"Oh miss, so those last two big keys? I mean, are they?" Belle asked wide eyed.
"Yes Belle darling, those are the keys to the chastity devices, it appears as if our favourite little twins have locked themselves into everything, and sent us the keys," Manon said laughing harder.
