After the Dreams (Caroline's Company) (6 page)

Belle straightened her back from the lettuce she was pulling
for lunch. Her long experience and all of her considerable compassion let her see
the tension and the longing in the boy.

‘Andrew,’ she spoke quietly.
’Go on. You only have to ask. Go and ask Caroline.’

Andrew looked back at Belle,
and back at the women on the lawn. He couldn’t decide – but he could, of course
he could. There was no reason at all why he couldn’t do what he felt compelled
to do.

He dropped the basket he had
been carrying for Belle, and found his way through the doorway, through the gap
in the yew hedge, and onto the lawn. All the women smiled at him. The two he
didn’t know moved away.

’Hello Andrew’ said Caroline gently. There was a silence.
‘Please Caroline... please Caroline, I was... I was wrong before. Please can I
be Cassandra.’

Caroline took his hands, looked into his eyes, and kissed
him on both cheeks. ’Of course you can, Cassie dear.’ She hugged him briefly,
and then took his hands and put them into Sylvie’s.

‘Come along,’ said Sylvie, ‘let’s get you into a skirt.’

Chapter Four

Dinners and delights

Some weeks had passed.
Cassandra, having made her decision, at least for the moment, was very happy as
she got herself ready for the dinner party. Caroline had said that Cassandra should
look as good as she could for the guests, although she did not yet know who
they would be. She would have liked to ask, but Caroline, so apparently open
and friendly most of the time, had a manner about her which inhibited too many
questions.

She was back in her room, and Sylvie was helping her.
Cassie’s hair had now been properly washed and conditioned and her colour
highlights were back, this time in copper and bronze. Sylvie had trimmed it to
fall around her face, and then pulled it back with a black clip behind her
head.

‘We do need to get you to the hair salon to get this done
properly.’

‘Ooh – would that mean going out somewhere?’

‘Yes of course, to the town. But don’t worry, your hair
looks quite good like that, and Caroline wouldn’t make you do anything until
you are ready to.’

Cassie looked in the mirror. (She was doing a lot of that
now). Her hair did set off her face, and she looked pretty but quite demure.

‘Don’t worry. We are not going to make you into a bleached
blonde just yet!’

Cassie looked in the mirror again.

Sylvie giggled.  ‘You want to try being blonde? To see if
it’s true that blondes have more fun? I wouldn’t know. I’ve always been
blonde!’

Sylvie looked over Cassie’s
shoulder in the mirror, so that for a minute there were two young women looking
and laughing and revelling in their own good looks.

‘Now, let’s get your makeup
done. You will need to learn to do this yourself, but I’ll help you this
evening. Caroline gave strict instructions. You will have this lovely black
dress, gathered at the neck, but leaving your shoulders and back bare. It’s
quite modest, but stylish. So we’ll plan your makeup to go with that.’

Cassandra wanted to ask Sylvie
whether she always did exactly what Caroline said, but remembered the tattoo on
Sylvie’s lower back, and what Caroline had said about the nature of the
relationship between Caroline and her assistant.

‘I’m glad you remembered to use
your moisturiser, and with your skin you must use sun block whenever you go
out; especially in this weather.’

Sylvie worked away, telling Cassie what she was doing, and
describing the process.

‘We’ll make sure you have good
material to read about makeup. After tomorrow you’ll have to study every day.’

‘I’ll do your nails for now. Toes first.’

Cassie sat down. The blonde
girl knelt and painted each of Cassie’s toe nails with quick precise strokes.
Cassie looked down at the lovely head and shoulders, and at her own feet, now
with metallic bronze toe nails. She could not remember ever having imagined
such an experience, soothing, yet exciting at the same time.

‘You haven’t tied me up this time!’

‘You’re not so lucky tonight,’ Sylvie giggled. ’Another time
perhaps if Caroline says so’

‘Does Caroline...’

‘Caroline will do what Caroline does Cassie, all we have to
do is enjoy it!’

Cassie had learnt quite quickly
that pleasant company though Sylvie was she was always Caroline’s slave girl,
and wouldn’t answer questions about her mistress. That tattoo, “made by”;
Cassie was still a little worried about that.

‘Now, let’s get you dressed. First question; What colour
underwear?’

‘My dress is black so...’

‘Quite right, black knickers for you tonight! You had better
manage those for yourself, ‘cos if I help you there might be unfortunate
effects!’

Cassie blushed, but took the small heavily elasticated
garment from Sylvie, and went into the bathroom. She came out still wearing her
dressing gown.

‘You can show me you know, after all I have seen it all
already. Yes, I know you’ve seen all of me as well, but I’m used to it. Now off
with that gown and come here.’

Cassie shed the gown, but kept her hands over her breasts.
Sylvie led her to the mirror and took her hands down.

‘Now you will look really nice.
Don’t worry about your breasts. You agreed with Caroline that you would like to
have proper breasts, and we will help you grow them.’

In the mirror, Cassie could see that her nipples already
looked a little swollen.

‘But suppose...’

‘Don’t worry my love.’ Sylvie gently kissed her nipples,
left then right. ‘We think that you will grow into a lovely girl, and we’ll
help you every step of the way. And talking of steps, you had better get your
socks, or rather stockings on! Sit down.’

Cassie sat down on the dressing chair, and Sylvie pulled up
black grip top stockings on each smooth leg.

‘Now you will have to learn to do this as well. Especially
how not to put ladders in them while you are doing it!’

‘I thought women had to wear those suspender things.’

‘Some people prefer them, but
you need to have a more rounded shape to make them comfortable.’ Sylvie
squiggled her rounded bottom on the floor. ’They are good for some purposes,
and some men have completely strange fantasies about them. Grip tops work well
as you can see and feel. Now for shoes.’

Sylvie worked her nylon clad feet into court shoes, with a
two inch heel.

‘Are those comfortable? We chose them specially so that you
wouldn’t fall over yourself. You will be getting used to higher heels later.’

Cassie remembered that she had never seen Sylvie in less
than three inch heels, unless she was barefoot.

‘Now, come over to the mirror again.’

Cassie almost tripped, but then
stood with her hands over her breasts and saw...

The young woman with the dark hair had lips outlined in a
dark copper, with a lip gloss that matched the fingernails splayed over her
chest. Her green eyes were heavily lined in black and copper. Her eyelids were
bronze and shining gold. Her cheeks were flushed and her face was mostly pale,
emphasising her eyes and lips to the maximum extent. She moved her head from
side to side.

‘You look lovely Cassie, a
really lovely delicate young girl. Just relax. Stop hunching your shoulders.
You have nothing to be ashamed of, and you have nice shoulders and a lovely
neck. That’s why I’ve pinned up your hair like that.’

Cassandra stood, naked except
for her black knickers and stockings. She was stunned by her appearance.
Perhaps Caroline was right. She was a natural girl.

Sylvie pulled her hands away from her chest, and kissed her
fingers.

‘Now for tonight we’ll need to do this.’

She wiped the other girl’s
breast areas with a cold liquid that chilled her aching nipples. She held up a
stencil pattern against each breast in turn and sprayed on an adhesive. She
took flesh coloured breast forms, and carefully sprayed them with the same
glue. With another aerosol, she spayed each glued surface lightly and put the
breast forms into place.

‘Hold them there for a few minutes.’ Sylvie put the younger
girls hands round her new breasts.

‘They tingle a bit.’

‘Don’t worry, that’s the glue setting. The second spray was
an accelerant to make them stick faster and stronger.’

‘How do they come off?’

‘You need to use a removing fluid. I’ll show you how later.
But don’t worry; they will stay on now for days if you want.’

‘Should I take them off at night?’

‘Probably not tonight, ‘cos you’ll need them tomorrow.’

‘Oh.’

‘You look disappointed young lady.’ Sylvie gave her bottom a
slight slap.  You’ve got to like your nipples being played with haven’t you?
Don’t worry, the glue system has the effect of stimulating you anyway, and it
will protect you as well while your own growth starts.’

Cassie could still feel a not
unpleasant tingling in her nipples.

Now let’s get you dressed. Step into this carefully.’ Sylvie
had laid out the black dress on the floor, and steadied Cassie while she
stepped into it. Then she pulled it up around the younger girl. It fitted
tightly round her hips and waist and up to her chest. The black cloth pulled up
over her breasts (her breasts!) and came to a copper band which Sylvie fastened
around her neck.

‘Look!’

Cassie was stunned. Everything coordinated, and the dress
showed of her slim figure, leaving her with bare shoulders.

‘Do a twirl.’

Cassie saw that most of her back was bare below the hoops of
black and bronze hair.

‘Just one thing more!’

Sylvie held out a gold and bronze bracelet, and pushed it
onto Cassie’s left wrist.

‘There you are my lovely. Now
you need to spend a few minutes walking around in your heels. Remember the
exercises we did earlier?’

Cassie had had to practice
walking about the house in her heels, and to go up and down stairs in a
‘practice skirt’, so she could learn to hold it up elegantly and had to learn
to remember her bag. ‘You’ll love having a handbag. You’ll wonder how you ever
did without one,’ Mrs Newcombe had said when Cassie had sashayed into the
dining room where Belle was preparing the table. Everyone she had met,
including Mr Newcombe who acted as butler when required, had complemented her
and given her helpful advice.

‘Yes Sylvie. What will you be wearing?’

‘You will see!  Now here is a little clutch bag. I’ve put in
some lip gloss and some tissues. You shouldn’t need anything else, after all
you are at home!’

‘Yes Sylvie. This feels wonderful. Thank you so much.’

‘And you look wonderful, but thank Caroline. She has all the
good ideas. Come down to the hall in about fifteen minutes. All right?’

‘Yes Sylvie.’

Cassie’s eyes glittered, she
could hardly take her eyes away from the mirror. She practiced sashaying up and
down. She practiced different poses. Remembering her clutch bag, she tried
poses with that as well. Then (she wore no watch) she glanced at the bedside
clock. After a final twirl for the mirror, she opened her door and stepped out
onto the landing.

*****************************

As Cassandra managed the broad stairway using both hands to
manage her skirt and her little bag, she heard the rumble of conversation from
the hall. It fell quiet as she reached the bottom step, and she heard Caroline
say ‘This is my new guest, my cousin Cassandra.’

There was what sounded to her like tumultuous applause from
the smartly dressed people gathered round the sculpture of the Three Graces.
She was startled, and nearly fell on the last step. Caroline steadied her, and kissed
her on both cheeks. ‘You look really lovely Cassie. I’m so pleased for you.’
Caroline put both hands in hers and whispered in her ear, ‘Do you feel lovely?’

‘Well...’ Cassie whispered back but was interrupted by a
brief kiss. ‘Well you should,’ came in another whisper. Then more loudly, ‘Come
and meet my guests.’

Caroline led Cassie by the hand into the hallway. The first
person Cassie was introduced to was a dark-skinned woman in a striking if
rather plain long-sleeved black dress. It mostly covered her in front, but when
she turned round Cassie could see that it left her most of back bare. Her head
had been shaved, and showed just a dark fuzz. Unaccountably Cassie wanted to run
her hands over it. ‘You have already met Dr Josephine Startway.‘

‘But you call me Jo. Happy to meet you again Cassie.’ She
kissed the girl lightly on both cheeks, and whispered lightly in her ear,
‘Don’t worry. We’re all friends here. We’ll talk more later!’

Then out loud ‘And I have a husband somewhere – and here he
is.’

A slightly stout dark-skinned man in immaculate dinner
jacket and black tie first bowed to Cassie then, putting his hands on her
shoulders, kissed her on both cheeks.

‘Welcome Cassandra, I’m David Startway. You look very
lovely.’

Cassie could smell gin on his breath, and his hands took a
little while to pull away from her.

The other Dr Startway, Jo, intervened. ‘Let the poor girl be
introduced to everyone else David, don’t maul her as soon as you meet her!’

’Don’t worry Cassandra. Some men are a bit like that. Are
you OK?’

‘Yes thank you Dr...’

‘Jo.’

‘Caroline has given me a lot to read, to warn me of some
things!’

‘Nothing but thorough is Caroline.’ Jo laughed. ‘You don’t
have anything to worry about. Everybody here is a friend, even if some of them
behave a bit oddly!’

‘But some people don’t behave oddly at all Cassandra.’ A
smaller woman in a graceful black silk dress took her hands. ‘My husband and I,
oh did I say that, are perfectly normal! I’m Janet and this is John.’ Another
dinner-jacketed man bowed to Cassie, and gently shook her hand.

‘Welcome Cassie. But you’re far
too young to remember Janet and John!’