I stammered for a moment, then managed to say. “I didn’t know.” Of course she asked me “Didn’t know what?”. The embarrassment that flood through me was unbelievable, but I forced myself to answer her.

Daisy divined her thoughts "Relax, silly, and enjoy some luxury for the first time in your life! The Captain bought this dress, he didn't steal it. And all he wants from you is a little company at dinner. I provide for all of his other....needs. Time for you to get dressed, Isobel!" Please sir, do not make slaves of us!" Isobel pleaded again "My Master here is the son of the wealthy merchant. I am sure his father would pay you a goodly ransom for the three of us". Is that so?" said Caroline "You WILL wear a dress and be the pretty, submissive little flower that all boys on Feminopia are". Her voice was firm and hinted at her being unaccustomed to contradiction. My hands were quivering as I removed all the tags and such from the lace and satin bra, which I wrapped around me and fastened closed. Once I had done that I slipped the elastic straps up my arms and into place on my shoulders. Isobel made an attempt to reason with the man "Please sir, do not harm us" she pleaded, on behalf of the Master and his tutor as much as for herself.Men" the Captain announced "Please welcome my lady guest". A roar of approval came from the throats of the other men present and they raised their tankards to her in salute. Then the men settled down to eat, munching and slurping greedily. Isobel nibbled at her fare, scared out of her wits at her companions. The only uncomfortable time for Isobel was dinner. She had to dress up in her finery and endure the stares of the men. Henry was made to wait on her, feeling humiliated. Isobel had no chance to talk to him on the voyage. Was that the relationship that Henry’s queens had with their ladies and gentlewomen, or that Mary I and Elizabeth I had with their maids-of-honour and ‘ bedfellows’? A haughty and proud boy, Henry was excited. He was being sent to one of his father's plantations in America to see how it operated. It was the start of his apprenticeship to learn how to conduct business.

A man who did not know how to serve, did not know how to command, was the theory. Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scots, was insistent that her son, later James IV, should wait on her, so that he could experience both sides of the master-servant relationship. Miss Watkins: That is for you to buy new clothes, and come now, we are going out to lunch, as I have made arrangements, with my friends Beryl, Iris and Barbara. collect herself before ringing the doorbell. While this might not be her dream job, she certainly did not want to After turning off the lights she got into bed. I waited several seconds before turning so I was facing her, then I moved so my body was pressing against hers. Then I slipped my leg up over her hip so my knee was lying at the top of her thighs.Julie Louise Bibault de Misery (1732–1804), Première femme de Chambre to the Queen of France Marie Antoinette. Downton Abbey, a drama that recently ended its second season on PBS about the English aristocracy and their servants during the Edwardian era, has become a cult hit in the United States. A great deal of its appeal is nostalgia for an elegant way of life unfamiliar to most of us. And there is likely not a woman alive who has not wished for a lady’s maid (of a nicer sort) than the dour and scheming O’Brien, lady’s maid to Lady Grantham (Cora Crawley). Ladies’ maids were part seamstress, masseuse, hairdresser, beautician and secretary. Unlike the rest of the servants, they reported directly to the lady of the house rather than to the housekeeper or butler, which set them apart from the others. As Downton Abbey makes abundantly clear, a strict hierarchy ruled "below stairs" too. The butler, housekeeper and ladies' maids were at the top. Because of the close nature of the relationship between the lady of the house and her maid, maids were carefully selected. According to The Lady’s Maid: Her Duties and How to Perform Them, a manual published in 1870, As the office itself demands great neatness, skill and taste, as well as discretion and cleverness, they choose servants of a better education than ordinary; so that by mistresses and maids this is considered the highest kind of female service.1 Isobel smirked at Henry, who looked adorable and very feminine in his gown, frilly petticoats and shiny jewellery. Once they got to Feminopia, she would take her place as one of the ruling class and he would take his as her maid.

I attempted to protest, but to no avail, as I were in her home, in her bathroom, in her tub and naked. Training a lady’s maid also required that they know that they had to be constantly improving themselves and acquiring knowledge to effectively maintain their fitness for the position. When chores for the day were finished, candidates were instructed to practice reading and writing and “spare no pains to [constantly] improve.”[12] Reading aloud was also suggested, as was constant writing because legible and well-written notes of instruction needed to be provided to tradespeople. It was also important such notes be provided in a “neat, legible hand … [with] lines running straight across the paper.”[13] Sewing was another skill that served candidates well because “a girl who is clever and thoughtful about other things will easily learn to do this perfectly well.”[14] But most importantly, candidates needed to remember that “the chief purpose of many comforts and conveniences that rich people have about them is to set their time and their thoughts free for their serious occupations,”[15] and with a properly trained lady’s maid, mistresses were able to do just that! For the butterfly with this name, see Vanessula milca. Illustration depicting a Parisian lady's maid in the 1630s. The illustration is made in the turn of the 18th-19th century, by Georges-Jacques Gatine [ fr] (1773–1848) Mistress and Maid by Johannes Vermeer. By the en of the course you will have had an enormous amount of practise, which gives confidence in applying all the newly learnt techniques to your job. The training courses offer a safe space to learn, ask questions, practise and make mistakes – something you don’t want to do too much in your actual job! The large amount of practise will give you the knowledge, confidence and skillset to execute your job as a Maid to a very high standard. That idiot boy has become my Cabin Boy, for the duration of this voyage only of course. He has to wait on me and my woman. It's all he's good for, for he's a real sissy. Still, I've no doubt the ladies will love him, for he is at least pretty, and he will fetch a good price".

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Discretion is everything. The Lady’s Maid has a position of trust, historically similar to the male role of a valet, in that she was privy to the personal lives of her employers, and as such was in a powerful position, one that must not be abused. Advantages and perks of the role might now include gifts of clothing, jewellery and private memberships to clubs and gyms. The LM would originally see to all the styling and dressing needs of her employer as well as cleaning and tidying her rooms and instructing housekeeping with any further tasks. It was, Isobel decided, to be a battle of wills. Henry was determined to retain his masculinity whilst Caroline was equally determined to turn him into a petticoated servant. Isobel had a good idea who would win. Miss Watkins: I shall not, and if you are a good girl now and let me dress you, you and I will possibly become good friends. I'm pleased to meet you....Daisy". Isobel said, feeling a little foolish but not knowing what else to say. The Lady’s Maid is still one of the most important roles in the household and one that traditionally tended to that of personal requirements, styling and fashion lifestyle. The daily priority of the Lady’s Maid must ensure the lady of the house is comfortable and her wardrobe and personal needs are met, whatever the occasion. In keeping with tradition, the Lady’s Maid must be on-duty from the moment her employer wakes, until the time she goes to bed, she is entrusted to see to all her Lady’s personal grooming and beauty-care or cosmetic habits.

I have been in a bad financial situation without steady work (I’m applying like crazy for jobs that would fix it all), whereas she is doing well financially, earning way more than I am. She owns the house we live in, and I can’t really afford to pay any cost of living right now. But to her dismay, the pirate shook his head "I'm sure he would, miss. But ransoms take time. More than I have. I was told that this ship was carrying gold and so I took the time and trouble to capture it and have lost several of my men. Only, I find that there is no gold and a poor cargo. This has been a costly venture, for little reward. Until I came across you two. If I sell you, I more than recoup my losses!" Am I right sissy?” She asked. “Would you like to be used in that way?” She kept asking me, prompting me until she forced me to tell her that I would probably enjoy being taken like a real girl. In such a society, there was not the vast difference of rank that characterises the gulf between Lady Mary and Anna. It is simply not possible that Anna could ever marry and become Lady Mary’s equal, whilst in the sixteenth century, it was perfectly possible that the attendant might later become the equal or superior in rank. I didn’t know that I would enjoy wearing girls clothes!” I said. She prompted me until I added. “And that I was really a little sissy!” She seemed pleased hearing me say that and she told me I was a good girl for being honest and answering her like she wanted me to.

was always Jennifer that the boys congregated around. As hard as she tried, she was always just one Isobel sank into a nearby chair in despair. Master Henry began blubbing again, his confidence and bluster gone. He was, Isobel decided, more useless than an infant.