‘His Lordship will go crazy.’ Sukie sounded satisfied.
‘No, no, you’re wrong.’ But my heart wasn’t in the denial. So what if the stupid rules stated I was supposed to do this, that or the other. I was here by choice. If I chose to shag the chauffeur, so chuffing what?
Perhaps rigid discipline and unquestioning obedience weren’t for me after all.
‘Wrong, my arse,’ said Liv. ‘Kat, come and look at this.’
The terminally unfriendly chief maid had arrived through the doorway, appearing dissatisfied with our rate of progress, grabbing nipple pasties and body glitter from a cupboard.
‘Look at what? All I can see is a naked girl who needs to be prepared. What have you been doing?’
‘She’s got a love bite on her thigh,’ said Sukie.
‘Really? Show me.’
A third woman busied herself with the close inspection of my crotch area. Just as well I’m not shy.
‘Look – totally a love bite. Quite a hard one too. And she reeks of sex. Naughty girl.’
Kat straightened and stared me in the face.
‘Who have you been with?’
‘Nobody.’
‘Liar. I’m taking you to His Lordship. Explain to him.’
I recalled Damian’s words – that the staff wouldn’t split on him if we’d been discovered together. Perhaps if I told them the truth, they’d soften.
‘Listen, OK, it was Damian.’
Sukie and Liv looked at each other. Kat slapped me so hard across the face that I staggered backwards.
‘Liar!’ she said again. ‘He wouldn’t. Not without telling me.’
‘I’m not … lying,’ I panted, clutching my jaw, aghast. ‘Ask him.’
‘You little slut, he’s my husband.’
Oh shit.
‘Take her to His Lordship,’ urged Liv.
‘I will,’ said Kat. ‘They’ll all be in the drawing room by now. Let’s get this sorted out there.’
‘I’m not standing before any kangaroo court,’ I told them, backing away, but Kat and Liv caught me and yanked me, one on each arm, out of the room, Sukie following behind.
In the drawing room, at least twenty people sat and stood, chattering and drinking in the glamorous golden glow of the chandeliers. When I was dragged through the door, all conversation stopped.
Damian, acting in the capacity of butler and master of ceremonies, turned paler than ever and looked away.
Her Ladyship, resplendent in an ostrich feather head dress, was first to speak.
‘What’s the meaning of this?’
‘I have to report a rule break.’ Kat was trying hard to keep calm, it seemed, her voice low and contained.
‘Put Bottom on her knees before us,’ ordered His Lordship, ‘and explain.’