Back in Service Read Online Free Page B

glass on the opposite wall so she could view the full effect, and Hetty gasped to see herself dressed in such provocative garb. Her breasts were pushed high by the constricting corset, and her hips were thrust forward by the unnatural pose the high heels obliged her to adopt. When Therese added some rouge to her cheeks and lips, it was as if she was looking at an entirely different young woman.
    ‘You look quite delicious, my dear.’ Therese curled one of Hetty’s fair locks around her finger. ‘I am sure all the gentlemen will fall for you instantly, and I shall be insanely jealous.’
    ‘Tell me, Therese, what will happen tonight? I have never been to one of Milord’s parties before.’
    ‘Well, that is quite obvious, but do not worry, ma petite , just be sweet and obliging to all. They may wish to play a little rough with you later, but it is all in fun and you will come to no harm, I promise you.’
    ‘A little rough? ’ Hetty repeated, frowning.
    ‘Oh, just a few strokes on the derrière , that sort of thing, all quite playful, and if you let yourself go a little you might even enjoy it.’ Laughing softly, she led Hetty back into the crowded ballroom, where a few couples were waltzing in a cheek-to-cheek fashion that seemed quite improper. But she had known all along this was hardly going to be a conventional soirée , and she allowed herself to be taken into the centre of the throng and introduced to Lord Faulkner, a handsome young man with a rakish appearance.
    ‘I have not seen you here before, have I?’ he asked with obvious interest. ‘Where on earth did Milord find a pretty thing like you?’
    ‘In Montmartre , my lord,’ she responded demurely.
    ‘Oh I say, very bohemian! Tell me, are you some kind of artist’s model?’
    ‘You could say that…’
    He bent close enough for her to smell the musty, exotic scent of his cologne. ‘You do not pose in the altogether, by any chance?’
    ‘I have been known to do so,’ she replied just as softly, her eyes twinkling. She found she was rather enjoying being the focus of such a handsome man’s attention. For a moment she felt a pang of guilt as she thought of Leo lying innocently in bed at home, but then reminded herself she was doing this for their sake, to help get them out of their current financial difficulties. And the more she ingratiated herself with these rich dandies, the more likely she was to achieve her goal by the end of the evening.
    The nobleman’s gaze swept across her up-thrust bosom like a caress, and Hetty felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She felt very exposed, both physically and emotionally; the buzz of excitement in the room was infectious. The atmosphere was one of heady anticipation, and as the music swelled to a crescendo the guests on the dance floor followed it in a frenzy of exhilaration. Then Milord held up his hand and the small band of musicians brought their music to an elegant finale before promptly taking themselves and their instruments out of the room. The dancers whirled around one last time and formed an expectant semi-circle around their host.
    ‘Now, my friends, we have reached the moment you have all been waiting for,’ he announced in a clear voice that thrilled through Hetty’s shamefully tingling body. ‘I promised you a very special auction and you shall have one. But first, I would like all the ladies to assemble over here beside me, while you gentlemen must back off a ways. Come, come…’ He clapped his hands briskly and Hetty followed the rest of the women as they herded around him like a flock of obedient sheep. His eyes feasted on their very obvious charms for a few moments, drawing out the suspense, before he went on.
    ‘You, my pretty creatures, are the precious goods offered for sale this evening, while you ,’ he turned towards the men with a smile, ‘are to be the bidders. Dig deep into your pockets, gentlemen, for it is all in a good cause. These charming ladies will have given you