Victoria hustled a shell-shocked Captain Wyndham out the room.
Lady Sally did nothing to hide the fact she was a strict dominatrix, indeed positively flaunted it, but seeing her in action was an eye-opener for the captain. She was oblivious to their presence, unaware of how long the pair of them stood watching the spectacle. And what an awesome sight it was. There was Lady Sally, her breasts bulging out of the corset, her black hair fanned around her as she swirled the bamboo sword like a vamped-up version of a Samurai warrior. It was the savagery of the beating that shocked the captain though.
"Victoria, I hope you don't mind me asking, but is that normal behaviour?" he enquired.
"Oh yes, that's fairly typical. And that was only a beating to be fair, I've known her be more sadistically wicked."
Captain Wyndham stroked his goatee beard, "More sadistic? Oh really."
The captain was concerned about his commission. Strangely drawn to Lady Sally's powerful, exotic presence, as he gathered most men appeared to be, he didn't consider himself submissive, let alone a masochist.
Victoria, picking up on his hesitance, clarified, "She has plenty of submissive gentlemen who come to her. I'm sure what she wants from you is your skills as an aviator, to be captain of her airship."
"Oh," Wyndham laughed nervously, "that's a relief."
"Though once you get captivated by her, there's no telling where she might take you," she added ominously. "I mean look at me... I used to be an engineer. I installed the steam-powered hydraulic water pumping station at Rudston Hall. I wore overalls all the time and wouldn't have been seen dead in women's clothes. But look at me now." She shrugged, with a bemused but kindly look in her eyes.
"Indeed." The captain was somewhat disturbed by this, but decided not to question Victoria further on the matter.
It had to be said that Lady Sally's maid was immaculately turned out. The threat of punishment was ever-present if her appearance did not meet her mistress's exacting standards, as a poorly presented maid reflected poorly on Lady Sally, which, quite simply, would not do. The captain noted how neatly her blonde wig was brushed and tied back with her maid's cap perched on top of it. Her closely shaven skin was applied with blusher, her eyes with eye-liner and shadow. The transvestite transformation was impressive, but left enough doubt in the viewer's mind to raise the suspicion she was not quite what she seemed.
Victoria led Captain Wyndham through the grand entrance hall with its marbled columns, cast-iron balustrade and teak fittings, past Lady Sally's collection of jade figurines, and onto a paved terrace. This looked across a wide lawn through an avenue of lime trees towards the ornamental lake. It was a spectacular vista.
Victoria invited the captain to take a seat at a cast-iron table with a view overlooking the park.
"I'll arrange for tea to be brought out for you. It's three-thirty. Lady Sally will join you soon. She won't miss afternoon tea... she never misses afternoon tea."
"Thank you, that's most kind of you," Captain Wyndham replied.
Wyndham sat back and waited patiently in the afternoon sun. He was relieved he'd changed out of his working clothes for his visit, anticipating, correctly, that his oil-stained, canvas coat would not be appropriate for the grandeur of Rudston Hall. He wore the light beige, woollen suit with a light blue check pattern and burgundy velvet waistcoat he reserved for special occasions.
He sat there reflecting on the magnificence of the stately home, the broad sweep of formal gardens before him and the park in the distance. His thoughts turned to his unusual employer, the remarkable Lady Sally Rudston-Chichester.
He was pulled from his reflections by Lady Sally's distinctive, crisp tone of voice.
"It's magnificent, isn't it? The fifth Earl of Rudston commissioned Capability Brown to landscape the park."
Captain Wyndham stood up to greet her and gave a little bow. Lady Sally offered her hand to him, and the captain leaned forward to place a delicate kiss on her silk gloves, which she had put back on. She had not changed, appearing still dressed in her scarlet corsetry.
She ceremoniously laid a riding crop on the table and took up a seat opposite him.
At that moment, Victoria arrived, teetering on high-heeled ankle-boots, carrying a silver tray laden with a huge tea pot, scones and patisseries.
Lady Sally waved her hand, "Victoria, would you do the honours please?"
Her maid laid out crockery and poured the tea out into the delicate china cups.
"Lapsang Souchong, from my very own plantation on the foothills of the Wiyi mountains in China," she explained.
"Tea or lemon?" enquired Victoria.
"Lemon, please."
"Sugar?" asked Victoria holding silver sugar tongs with a lump clasped between their claws.
"No thank you," said the captain.
The tea was deliciously refreshing on a warm spring day.
"Victoria. Don't be such a dilatory dolly. Captain Wyndham is my guest. You should offer him a scone. Really!" She explained in an aside to the captain, "she can be so inattentive. She needs a good reprimand to keep her on her toes."
A plain scone with a spoonful of homemade strawberry jam and another of clotted cream was placed on a plate for the captain.
