Manon and Belle Pt. 18

"Thank you miss," she whispered. "They are a little better miss, it helps that Melissa and sometimes Belle has sat with me or just cuddled me until I can sleep again miss, they have been very kind."

"They are your sisters, and I am sure you'd do the same for them," Manon told her.

"Now, lovely girl, come with me," Manon said and led her into the bedroom. A slightly flustered looking Melissa was standing awkwardly by the bed, an array of collars, cuffs and other things that she wasn't sure she understood set neatly out on the floor.

In a little group of their own there was a flogger, a cane and a paddle, that Melissa's eyes kept swivelling to, there wasn't much doubt about what they were for.

Mostly things were grouped in an obvious fashion, so there were two sets of matching collars and cuffs for ankles and wrists, a selection of gags in another with some hoods. On their own, there were two leather arm binders, with next to them a set of ankle to thigh cuffs and two sets of arm cuffs, the kind that would go on above the elbow and pull the wearer's elbows together behind their backs, both with adjustable chains to control how tightly.

"Kneel Melissa, and you too Janine, next to each other," Manon told them.

"Let's get this off you Janine," Manon said and unbuckled Janine's collar, that she'd been wearing wearing since she'd been enslaved in Bordeaux.

"Now," Manon said, picking up a deep navy blue collar from the matching set, "let's get your own collar on you Janine. This my collar that I am putting on you, the first proper one I've been able to. In time I'll get you and Melissa proper collars of your own, like Belle has. You haven't seen her in it yet, as we couldn't take it with us when we had to leave London."

"It's nothing fancy, just plain gold, but it's hers, that she wears all the time whenever I haven't got anything else on her. You will have the same."

"So, in the meanwhile wear this, for me," Manon said, and as Janine bowed her head Manon looped it around her neck and did the buckle up at the back of her neck.

"Thank you for my collar my lady," Janine said, and Manon stroked her cheek gently, and kissed her forehead.

Manon sat back on the end of the bed then, as Melissa leaned across and quickly kissed Janine on the cheek, "welcome to the family, properly I mean," she said quietly.

"Miss, can I ask something?" Melissa asked. "Of course, what is it?"

"Well, about the twins? I'm a bit confused. You didn't make them your slaves then, did you?" she asked.

"No, not at all. They have just agreed I suppose is the way to describe it, to being obedient for now and making making them strip and wear a collar is part of that." Manon said.

"And the playroom miss? Where Belle has taken them now, and where you told them to go tonight?"

"Melissa, you remember the punishment cross at the hotel?" Manon asked.

"It's quite hard to forget miss," Melissa said with a grin.

"Well that is the general idea," Manon said, getting a giggle from Melissa in response.

"Well imagine a whole big room full of other things like that, some for pleasure, some for pain, and more than a few for both? That's in essence my playroom. You both saw the room at the château, it's similar to that, in principle at least. Both of you will become very familiar with it in time, but perhaps tonight I will show you a little, while Belle is using Linette and Vallon in there."

"Miss, how does it differ then?" Janine asked.

"In some ways not much, but it's more about how it's used. I am fairly sure that Dumain woman was an outright sadist, she got her satisfaction from hurting, possibly even killing people. For me and Belle, that's repugnant."

"I'm perfectly happy inflicting pain and humiliation, but not as an end in itself. For me, it's a means to an end, as you will soon see, which is enjoying sex with my girls. Though you may have to wait longer than me for gratification," Manon added with a sly grin.

"Now Melissa go and look through my dressing room and closets, and familiarise yourself with the contents, it's going to be your job to look after all my things and dress me, so this will get you started. Oh and Melissa, I think you are rather overdressed since we are in private, so no clothes," Manon told her.

"Janine you can sit and rest, or go with her, your choice." Manon laughed softly to herself when Janine followed Melissa out, helping her undress one handed as they went.

Manon had a lot of letters to write, and a lot of lists to make. She wrote notes to London friends and acquaintances, saying how much she was looking forward to seeing them again now that she had returned from abroad. In more than a few instances she didn't in fact care if she saw these people or not, but she had a position to maintain in society, and it had been sadly neglected, so this was the start of dealing with that.

There were others in London that she would have to reconnect with as well, but the criminal underworld weren't the sort you left calling cards with or invited to tea.

In between notes, as her memory was jogged by thinking about things, she started to write down things she needed to do, producing several lists with a daunting number of items quite easily.

Melissa and Janine returned after a while, and Manon smiled her approval at them, because Janine had stripped naked too, and they both came and knelt by Manon at her little desk. The contrast between the sturdy Janine, increasingly more like her old self, despite the arm, and the cheerfully grinning gamine girl was strangely pleasing to Manon.

Shortly after Belle rejoined them, looking a little flushed and grinning. "I take it the twins were a little needy Belle?" Manon said, laughing at Belle's smirk.

"They were miss, properly desperate in fact. They haven't been able to get at each other for ages, but I'm afraid I didn't allow them to now either. Thought I'd keep them keen for tonight miss," Belle said a large smirk of a grin plastered over her face. "So I've warmed their bottoms thoroughly and left them to stew," she added with an outright smirk.

"I'd like you three to have a look at these lists," Manon said. "There's an enormous amount to do, and I don't want to miss anything obvious, and that's even before we know what Sir James has in mind."

Belle and Janine had a lot of helpful suggestions, and Melissa got a little upset because she felt she wasn't contributing, but settled when Manon pointed out that she wasn't in a competition, and that she didn't expect Melissa to help with things she had no experience of.

Belle greatly extended the list of domestic issues, pointing out that the House needed to brought back to life since Manon was going to start entertaining again. This would take staff, above and below stairs, and probably also some work to be done on the main part of the house, the south side that overlooked the terrace garden and the river Thames beyond.

Janine raised a question about how Manon saw her role. If she was going to Captain a household guard, then Manon was going to have to recruit them and be able to accommodate them, provide equipment and clothing or uniforms, and training facilities somewhere.

This led Manon to the thought that she was going to have to open the other wing of the house on the East side of the courtyard, which had long been shuttered.

The other issue that arose from all this was money. Manon had inherited extensive properties in England, especially in and around London, as well as having substantial investments in a number of commercial and industrial businesses, all of which paid her handsome dividends and interest.

Even so she wrote a note to her Bankers on Fleet street asking them to let her know when it would be convenient to call on them, as she would like to review her finances. The same request went to her lawyers, who provided much of the administration of her assets.

"Miss?" Belle said, "This seems like an awful lot to do, we might need more help?"

"I was rather thinking the same Belle. Just running the existing household is a full time job, and now without our formidable butler we have to load this on the twins. That seems a stop gap measure, the twins I mean. I suspect that Sir James doesn't see two his of his best intelligence analysts acting as our housekeepers for long."

"There's something else Belle, that I am quite determined on. After what happened with Mason and Dixon and them running off like that, I am not again going to have anyone in a key position that I am not sure I can rely on." When Manon saw Janine and Melissa looking curious, she added, "get Belle to tell you about them."

"I understand miss, but how are we going to do that?" Belle answered.

"Well, here's what I've decided. Think about all of us here now Belle. Everyone here is either bound to me or is my slave and bound to me, and I am totally certain of each and every one, even the Doctor and her sister in their own way."

"So, for the inner household, those like you that I rely on closely, I'm only going to take women slaves that I can then bind, or women who knowingly agree to be bound. For general household staff, we'll recruit the best we can, but with a bias towards women, and to those who we can train ourselves."

"For the guards miss?" Janine asked.

"Men or women, I care not Janine, but they must all be picked by you. I'll have final approval of course, but I don't intend to do your job for you, I trust you. On the whole I'd rather younger recruits that you can train how you want, but we need some experienced hands, not least as you in turn will need people you can rely on as deputies," Manon said.

"Miss, I hesitate to ask, but will the sort of people we want as guards follow orders from me? I am a slave," Janine asked.

"They will, or they aren't suitable no matter their other skills. Your authority comes from me, regardless of your own legal status. Your leadership qualities, which we all saw an eloquent demonstration of from your Sergeant Chef on the road to La Rochelle, will be more than enough for them to follow you anyway."

"Thank you for that miss, I won't let you down," Janine said.

"Miss? Melissa said. "I think I can add something to your lists. You are going to have a lot of people it seems soon, guards, servants, slaves and so on, aren't they all going to expect clothes or uniforms suitable for their jobs? I mean in Bordeaux they would?"

"Thank you Melissa," Manon said, starting another list heading 'clothing' and adding several items. "You are of course correct, but I'd add that you and Janine need clothing too, and so will the Doctor and Fliss."

A soft knock announced the return of Linette and Vallon, to say that they had prepared a simple supper, and that it was ready. Like Belle, they had both been pupils at the senior school before the ladies college, and had learned to cook there, so they'd provided a perfectly acceptable meal.

It was though another reminder that a proper cook and kitchen staff were needed. Not only was this not a good use of the twins' time, but if Manon was to start entertaining guests, even if it were only afternoon teas, she'd need staff capable of delivering it.

Dinner was a pleasant affair, the most relaxed meal that Manon had in a long while, and Christy and her sister both proved to be good company, even if Christy got embarrassed at the sheer number of questions Fliss asked. She was curious about anything and everything, from things to do with London, to the history of the house and how come Manon owned it and much more.

The twins cleared away after a while, and excused themselves, casting significant and hopeful glances at Belle, who grinning all the while just ignored them until they left, and shortly after Melissa and Janine excused themselves as well.

"Now tomorrow Christy my visitor is the man I report to, and I will raise the subject of them possibly employing you. Even if that isn't possible, they have the best connections imaginable, and I am sure that will prove useful. However, in the morning, Belle will take you both shopping, you both need outfitting properly."

"Manon, London is very expensive I've heard," Christy said warily, "Until I have some fees coming in, I must be careful." Fliss however was bouncing around excitedly, the idea of a shopping trip clearly appealed to the girl. Belle it had to be said didn't exactly look upset either.

"That is true, but what is also true is that it is not your problem. You agreed to come and work for me, and live here, and it is my responsibility to make sure that you can do that. The two of you own two dresses and one pair of shoes between you, and that will not do."

Manon smiled when she saw Christy about to argue and then change her mind, as she worked out that Manon wasn't going to concede on that point. Instead she changed the subject turning to her sister. "You, bath. If we are going shopping tomorrow, I want you nice and clean."

"God you have the nicest bathrooms ever," Fliss said to Manon and came and gave her a good night kiss, and hurried off. Manon was quite touched, and found herself smiling back at Christy.

"She's a bit more like her old self already, god help me. The amount of mischief that girl can get into," she said, shaking her head. Belle excused herself then, and left with a big grin, no doubt thinking of the twins and the playroom.

"Manon, I can't thank you enough," Christy said, as they sat at the table on their own now. "You are most welcome," Manon said. "Can I ask you something, what do you want to do about Felicity's schooling? I gather you have been her only teacher so far?"

"I have been yes. But she needs a much broader education than I can provide. She's terribly focused on medicine, but knows nothing much about anything else. Finding some way of getting her more, but still keeping her medical education up? I don't quite see how we can manage it."

"Well, two options have occurred to me. In the City, the original part of London, there's a highly thought of girl's school, which she could attend. Between your own skills and perhaps finding other medical specialists willing to tutor her, that would perhaps meet your needs."

"I have another thought though, and please hear me out, because I have no right to say this, she is not my family. Have you thought of sending her to boarding school? I only went once I was 18, to the college where I met Belle and the twins, but they all went to the college's sister school. It takes girls from the age of 13 up to 18, and I know it is excellent, and they would fall over themselves to have a girl as clever as Fliss."

"They'd find specialists to tutor her too. The thing is Christy, Fliss is very dependent on you, and I wonder if it wouldn't be good for her, possibly both of you, if she left the nest somewhat?"

Manon recoiled when Christy got up from the table angrily, and said coldly, "I'm sorry to seem ungrateful, but you were correct, you have no right to say that," and left, clearly upset. Manon sat for a while wondering if she could have handled that better, but didn't come up with any useful answer. She'd just have to tread carefully there in future.

Back upstairs, Manon found Melissa and Janine waiting for her in her rooms. Melissa had removed her clothes and was helping Janine out of hers, holding her knickers as she stepped out of them and helping her balance. "Good girls. Melissa come and take my boots off," Manon told her.

That done, Manon told Janine to go and sit on the bed, with her legs straight out in front of her and her back straight against the headboard. Once she'd done that, Manon clipped the back of her collar to a catch that was half concealed in the headboard, holding her in position.

"Now just sit there," Manon told her, and went and got a ball gag from the floor. Janine obediently opened her mouth as Manon approached with it, and pushed the slightly soft red ball behind Janine's teeth, before pulling the straps tight and buckling them behind her head.

"You've no idea how much I've been looking forward to doing that to you," Manon told Janine. "And how much more I want to do. This will have to do for now though." Janine didn't answer, not that she could speak now of course, but she did start to breathe quite heavily, and her nipples hardened as she became aroused.

"Melissa, stand at the end of the bed, facing Janine, and push your feet wide apart, so that they are by each leg of the bed," and once Melissa had done that, Manon took some ankle cuffs from the things on the floor, and cuffed each of her ankles, before clipping the cuffs to the legs of the bed.

That held her stretched uncomfortably wide, she wasn't that tall, but Manon ignored the girl's obvious discomfort, and told her to clasp her hands behind her back. One she'd got her to interlace her fingers properly, Manon got one of the arm binders, a simple one with a few straps rather than all the laces of the other one, and slid and pulled it up over Melissa's hands and up her arms.

Melissa grunted as Manon pulled the straps tight, forcing her elbows together and upper arms close, but didn't say anything, just chewed at her lip nervously. Once Manon had done that up, she pushed on Melissa's back, making her bend at the waist so that her chest was flat on the bed.

Melissa, up until then quiet, let out a little squeak, as Manon stroked her bottom and patted it, her blush showing that she knew exactly what her position implied. Legs stretched straight and straining slightly, her bottom was poking up a little, just inviting attention, which Manon was about to give her.

Manon picked up the paddle and the flogger from the floor and put them on the bed next to Melissa's head, the girl's pink flushed face was turned to one side, so she was practically touching them with her nose.

Getting a little flustered herself now, Manon pulled her jacket and blouse off, and dropped her skirt, leaving her in just her stockings, tiny back knickers and small black bra. She climbed up beside Melissa's body on the bed, smiling as she saw Melissa's eyes following her closely.

Manon reached down and pulled the long leather strap that dangled from the hand end of the armbinder up, and threaded it through the ring on the buckle of Melissa's collar at the back of her head, and pulled it tight, and then pulled some more, forcing Melissa's head right back as far as it would go before she tied the strap off, holding her like that.

Melissa was panting now, maybe a little scared and certainly aroused. Her back was flushing pink, but she left her for a moment and turned to Janine who was watching closely, clearly herself aroused.

Manon kissed her cheekily on the nose, and tweaked a nipple making Janine squirm and moan into her ball gag, but then she reached behind her, unclipping her collar from the head board.

Manon pulled on Janine's ankles then, pulling her down more towards laying flat, and Janine getting the idea of what was wanted wriggled and pulled her self down as well. Manon pushed Janine's legs up, bending her legs at the knee, and kept pulling on Janine until her pussy was right in front of Melissa's face, who straight away reached a tongue out to try and lick Janine.

"Not yet, baby girl, you just wait a bit until I tell you," Manon said. She got the ankle to thigh cuffs then, and buckled each in turn onto Janine, holding her legs in position.

"My you two do look splendid," Manon said, walking behind Melissa, who grunted and shook a bit when she saw Manon pick the flogger up and disappear behind her.

"Now Melissa, you were promised a punishment, back in Bordeaux when you were rude, and this is where it begins. I'm going to flog this gorgeous bottom of yours, but if you do a good job on pleasing Janine, I might not use the paddle as well afterwards."