The Gift 1923 Pt. 03

(Author's Note: Hello everyone and thank you for your continuing support of my stories! This is a lengthy chapter, spending time with Lulu and Florence. I loved writing these characters and look forward to continuing their adventures soon! Please feel free to leave comments - Chloe)

Lulu was full of excitement and trepidation as she stepped off the train at Paddington Station. She was very aware that a new chapter of her life was about to begin. She'd spent the last month thinking about it, trying not to build up too much expectation -- which was difficult as her best friend, Agatha, was as full of excited imagination as her.

The nineteen-year-old girl couldn't help but gape at her surroundings. The building she was in housed all the train platforms and had a huge, curved roof made up of square, glass panels which drew in the afternoon sunshine. If there was to be any sign that she was in uncharted territory, this was it. Her experience of train travel to date had been to her local station and Lincoln, which were miniscule in comparison. Plus, the people! The amount of people spewing from the train -- Lulu had hardly seen so many people in one place, even the assemblies at school seemed small in comparison.

Lulu was wearing her school uniform of a grey skirt, white blouse and maroon cardigan. Her new guardian, Florence, had suggested she wear it, so she was easier to spot at the station. Lulu found herself glad of the recommendation now, as she was surrounded by so many other passengers, disembarking and hurrying to their destinations. She carried a single bag, containing a few items of clothing. This was to be a completely new start and she'd been promised a new wardrobe of clothes.

"Lulu!" The girl stopped gawking at her surroundings and turned her head to seek out the person calling her name. She spotted her; a young woman wearing a blue, short-brimmed hat. Lulu smiled with relief and waved, altering her course towards her.

"I knew I'd recognise the St Cath's uniform!" She opened her arms and warmly hugged Lulu.

"I'm Florence, in case there was any doubt. Welcome to London, Lulu!"

"Florence! I'm so glad to finally meet you! Thank you so much for doing this. And for meeting me here! To be frank I'm already overwhelmed and feel completely out of my depth."

"Yes, it is a grand old place, isn't it?" Florence smiled, taking in the enormity of the building for herself, "I'm sure that's the effect its architects wanted to exude from country bumpkins such as yourself!" She laughed.

She held Lulu's chin and looked at her, saying softly, "Don't worry Lulu. I'm here to look after you and guide you through the hustle and bustle here. Come on, let's catch a cab and I'll show you to our rooms."

Florence didn't take Lulu directly to Mayfair, but instead paid the driver to take a more scenic route, past Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace, to sate some of Lulu's curiosity. Lulu, for her part, was almost glued to the window, taking in all the sights. The enormity of the place was a bit overwhelming. Lincoln, where her finishing school was located, felt like a tiny village in comparison, and as for her own town...

Lulu found herself feeling quite small and insignificant at that moment. She was worried if she'd made a terrible mistake coming here, and that her dreams and fantasies about the big city were just the whimsy of a silly little girl. That's when she felt Florence take hold of her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. Lulu turned and looked at her warm smile.

"Don't worry, Lulu. I was once just like you, remember? Camberton Hall was my home too, St Cath's was my school! I know how you must feel and want you to calm yourself. It's a shock to the system, but it will pass, I assure you."

"Florence, I am so indebted to you. Not just for everything, but your assurance just now. It was just what I needed to hear. I am sure that you have a lot to teach me, and I shall be the most avid student, I promise you!"

The cab eventually pulled over outside the serviced apartments in Mayfair. A doorman watched them climb out of the car and held the main door open for them as they approached.

"Good afternoon, Miss Florence. And I daresay that this must be Lulu, you mentioned. Welcome to the Arcadia."

"Indeed, she is, Dennis. Lulu, this is Dennis, our wonderful doorman. Dennis, Lulu."

"Nice to meet you, Dennis. I'm sure we'll talk more another time," said Lulu, shaking his hand.

Florence ushered her into the foyer of the building, which had two elevators. Another first, for Lulu, as she had never ridden in one before. She loved the feel of the motion as they headed up to the fourth, and uppermost, floor. There were only two apartments on this level on either side of the corridor. Florence unlocked hers and ushered Lulu inside. There was a corridor which opened into the main living room. It was spacious, with two large, stuffed leather sofas at right angles to each other, forming half of an imaginary square. They overlooked a large thick pile rug, set in front of the fireplace. Behind them was a dining table and high-backed chairs. The walls were adorned in paintings of seascapes and the countryside.

"This is lovely, Miss Florence!" Lulu was a little surprised to hear herself call Florence "Miss", as was Florence herself. She decided to leave it for now but come back to it later. She took Lulu to another corridor, on the far side of the room.

"This is where the bedrooms and bathroom are situated," said Florence. She led Lulu to the last door, and opened it, proffering her inside.

"This is your room. I've had it painted white, but you can choose your own decor in time. You may personalise it as much as you like, in fact. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an ensuite, but the bathroom is just across the hallway."

Lulu took in the room. The large bed took up the centre of it, while a dressing table with a large mirror stood against the wall. She opened a set of doors to find a walk-in closet and was surprised to see several outfits already hanging there. She turned to Florence, who said, "We shall be visiting a few outfitters tomorrow, dear, but in the meantime, I've chosen a few things of my own you might like to try on."

Lulu noticed for the first time that they were of a similar height and build. She took a moment to truly look at her guardian. Florence's hair was cut in a stylish bob and was wearing a navy-blue dress which had short sleeves and covered just below her knees. Neither Lulu or herself had much in the chest department, but both had a similar small waist and curved hips.

"That is most kind of you, Miss Florence. I do only have a few items with me. I may have underestimated what I'd need!"

Florence smiled. "I'll let you unpack, dear, and make some tea. Come and join me when you're ready."

Lulu unpacked her belongings -- it didn't take long -- and then went back to the closet and flicked through the various garments. She came across a dress in a similar design to Florence's but in a fawn colour. She decided to put it on. She took off her school uniform, realising it was the last time she'd need to wear it. She was no longer a schoolgirl, but she was still a student, she mused to herself.

She walked back to the living room, to find Florence laying the table with a tray containing a teapot and cups. Another tray containing some triangular sandwiches was already laid out. Florence smiled broadly when she saw Lulu had removed her uniform and was now wearing one of her dresses.

"Well, look at you!" she said. Lulu blushed a little under her admiring gaze.

"I feel like I've just shed my skin, Miss Florence. That uniform had been...like, my identity for the past four years."

"I know exactly what you mean Lulu dear. I felt the same way, back then. It was like a barrier, stopping people from seeing who I was." She pulled out a chair for Lulu, who slit into it.

"Yes, exactly that, Miss!" Lulu was relieved that her new mentor understood.

Florence poured their tea and decided to deal with the matter of how Lulu was addressing her.

"Lulu dear, you keep calling me Miss, or Miss Florence. I'm curious to know your reasoning for doing so."

Lulu thought for a moment before answering.

"I just find it appropriate, Miss. I hope I'm not offending you, if so, I'll stop immediately!"

"I'm not offended, at all, dear. Please continue" Florence said.

"Well, I suppose I'm too used to having an authoritative figure in my life, Miss, and as you have agreed to be my mentor... I know you are related to my stepmother; however, we do not share a bloodline. Given our relationship, and the role my mother has asked of you, I use the term out of the deepest respect, gratitude and admiration, Miss."

"You are a very thoughtful young woman, Lulu, and I'm warming to you more and more," smiled Florence.

After they'd finished their tea and sandwiches, Florence led Lulu over to her sofas, sitting at one end each, facing each other.

"Now, Lulu dear, I did promise in my letter to you to answer any questions you may have, so please, fire away. I shall answer them honestly, and I expect you to do the same."

Lulu sat, trying to gather her thoughts, then said, "Mother told me you were involved in the war? What did you do?"

Florence smiled. "There was only so much a woman could do, darling. I trained as a nurse."

"Oh! Was it dangerous?"

"For me? Not particularly. I was about five miles away from the actual fighting. Even so, we could always hear it. Constant gunfire, shelling, explosions. It was never-ending, always in the background. After a while you hardly noticed it. No, I only had to deal with its consequences."

Florence curled one leg underneath herself and leaned sideways on the sofa, propping her head in her hand.

"When the war was over, I stayed in Paris for a while. I was aware of your stepmother, Marjory, taking over the running of Camberton Hall. It was a bit of a relief, actually. I was in no shape to go back there. Your stepmother was most welcoming, I should add, when she invited me to stay. She is a wonderful person."

"I love her dearly, Miss. It was a terrible circumstance that led us to each other, but we have certainly made the most of it. We're as close as a mother and daughter can be." said Lulu.

Florence smiled, "So now I write articles for magazines and newspapers and spend my time flitting about society listening to gossip and rumour."

"How wonderful, Miss. You must be quite well-known."

"Ha, yes. Although people know me by different names, depending on which journal I'm writing for. You may have read my work and not even realised it, dear!"

"Oh my! Why the subterfuge?"

"Let's just say not everyone agrees with what I write and have often let it be known, publicly. It is best to have a certain amount of anonymity in this field."

Florence stood up, and moved to the same sofa as Lulu, sitting at the opposite end, leaving a space between them.

Florence looked at Lulu and said, "Now, dear, it is time for me to ask about you."

"Um, what would you like to know, Miss?"

"Well, we can discard a lot -- we both went to the same finishing school, after all. I know all about the inner workings of that place...or do I?"

"What do you mean?"

Florence didn't answer straight away. She picked up her cigarette case and opened it, offering its contents to Lulu.

"Do you smoke?" she asked.

"I've tried, a couple of times, Miss," she said, tentatively taking one of the cigarettes, and placed it between her lips. Florence lit it for her, and she took a small drag, coughing as she exhaled.

Florence smiled, sat alongside Lulu and lit her own, tilting her head to exhale.

"I want you to mirror my movements with your cigarette, Lulu dear." Lulu nodded.

"Have you ever thought of the sexual undertones of smoking?" she asked.

"Sexual? No, not at all Miss!"

"It can be very subtle. Imagine a most chaste looking dame, butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. But then, put a cigarette between her fingers, and there's suddenly a sign of decadence about her, wouldn't you agree?"

Lulu thought about it. "It would seem to suggest there is something more, Miss, something behind the image she's projecting... but what about men, then, Miss?"

"What about them? They're all decadent fools, in my book," she laughed. She took another drag on her cigarette and smiled as Lulu did her best to copy her movements.

"So, Lulu... I trust you had a roommate at St Cath's? Were you close?"

"Yes, Miss. Her name was Agatha. Aggie. We were very close. She's going to Oxford in September."

"Were you intimate with her, Lulu?" She asked softly, kindly. There was nothing but warmth in the question and Lulu felt compelled to open to her mentor.

"Um... yes Miss. We'd discovered how to pleasure ourselves, in private..."

"And then, together?"

"Yes Miss. I get the feeling...now, and from your letter...this was a usual occurrence at St Cath's?" Lulu felt a bit warm, discussing such an intimate area of her life.

"It was very much the same for me, dear. And your mother, and mine..." Florence smiled.

"May I ask another question, Miss?" Lulu asked.

"Of course, dear."

"Um...have you...been with a man. Miss?" Lulu was blushing from asking the question, but Florence answered immediately.

"At least a dozen, I should say, dear."

"Oh!" Lulu was shocked to hear her mentor be so brazen and carefree about her sexuality.

"At least a dozen Miss?"

Florence nodded, taking a final drag of her cigarette, motioning to Lulu to do the same. She was impressed that she had hardly coughed throughout.

"A lot of them were during the war. When I first went to France, I was under the wing of a lovely woman called Eve, who was the matron. I continued my enjoyment of sapphic desire with her, and other nurses, and she taught me how to take care of a man."

"Oh!" was all Lulu could think of to say.

"There were lots of handsome, injured soldiers in need of some comfort and relief. We used our hands, or mouths on them during the night. And then there were the doctors, looking for some relief of their own. Any chance they'd get, they'd find an empty room and get one of us to join them. I admit I got a lot of pleasure out of it myself, although it was less about the sex itself and more the situation which aroused me. Being fucked while still in my nurse's uniform, getting dishevelled, the fear of getting caught. It was all very erotic in its own way."

Lulu tried to picture her mentor, as a younger woman, being taken roughly and quickly, or giving pleasure with her hand and mouth. Her head was spinning at the thought of it all and was very aware how her body was reacting to it. She pulled both legs up beneath her and lay her hands on her lap.

"Thank you for being so candid, Miss Florence. I must admit your background is.... intimidating and overwhelming."

"Your mother hopes that my hedonist lifestyle will influence you also, Lulu. It is one of the main reasons she has asked for my help."

Lulu blushed and averted her eyes for a moment. "Yes," she said, "She told me, last night. She wanted to make sure of my resolve, I suppose, in case knowing so would change my mind."

"I am so, so glad you didn't, my lovely young ward!" This made Lulu giggle, and look up. "So am I, Miss."

"Now," Florence said, sliding closer to Lulu, taking her hand in her own. "Now, Lulu, one more question before we go and find something to eat."

"Yes Miss?" Lulu swallowed and looked into Florence's eyes.

"Did you ask your mother's maid, Juliet, to run you a bath, as I suggested?"

Lulu blushed deeply in response.

Florence smiled and stroked Lulu's hand, and wrist, gently.

"A lot different from your intimate fumbling's at St Cath's?"

Still red, Lulu nodded. "I love Agatha to bits, Miss Florence, but Juliet...well, she..."

"No need to go into detail, Lulu dear. I, too, have experienced pleasure under her expert hands."

"Oh, God..." murmured Lulu.

"I don't know about you, but I find it very exciting that we have both enjoyed the same woman. I feel even closer to you."

When Lulu looked up, she was startled by how close Florence had moved to her side...she gasped and alternately stared at Florence's eyes, and her lips, smiling...now parting, glossy, full lips made for kissing. She felt herself slowly closing the gap between them, then Florence touched her cheek. As their lips contacted Lulu felt a surge of energy pass through them. She felt like the first time she had kissed Agatha, her roommate at St Caths, only this...this was amplified way beyond her understanding of what a kiss could be, especially when she felt the tip of Florence's tongue touch her lips. Lulu felt as if she was melting from her centre.

She was a little dismayed when Florence broke contact, looked at Lulu and smiled.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves dear Lulu. It's time to go for dinner. We're not going far, and what you...what we, are wearing, will be fine!"

The two women left the building and headed along the wide footpath, arm in arm.

"I should point out to you, Lulu, that this part of London is one of the more genteel areas. There are some parts of town you do not want to wander off to by yourself." She smiled as she felt Lulu tighten her grip slightly.

"Don't worry, my young ward, you'll learn it all in good time."

Florence took them to a small restaurant a couple of streets from the apartment. Inside, fifteen tables, half were currently occupied by diners. The aroma of good food wafted through Lulu's nostrils straight to her stomach, making her realise just how famished she was.

"Florence! Mon Sauveur! Comment ca va?" A large man with a baritone voice made a beeline for the two ladies. His face was beaming and his arms open. He hugged Florence tightly, much to Lulu's bemusement.

"Ça va bien, merci, Eric! It's good to see you," said Florence. She motioned to Lulu and said, "Eric, this is Lulu, a cousin of mine from back home. She's staying with me for the foreseeable future. Lulu, meet Eric, a dear friend and owner of this restaurant!"

Eric turned his beaming smile towards Lulu and offered his hand. As Lulu took hold, Eric brought it lightly to his lips, kissing the back of it, making Lulu gasp ever so slightly.

"Enchante, Mademoiselle! It is so lovely to meet someone from Florence's family! Please, come this way!" Eric escorted the pair to a table set by the large picture window and pulled out their chairs in turn.

Eric provided them with menus and waited as Lulu scanned the page, before settling on the roast duck.

"And I'll have my usual, please, Eric. A bottle of rose tonight, please."

"Oui, Mademoiselle!" Eric beamed as he left for the kitchen.

Lulu sat back in her chair and slowly exhaled. Florence looked over at her.

"Anything the matter, Lulu?"

Lulu stared out of the large window at the people passing by.

"Well, yes, Miss. The matter is...me! I am slowly realising just how detached from the world I have been. Everything is new! Everything is uncharted, for me. That exchange with your friend, Eric. I've never needed to visit a restaurant before! I've never spoken to a man, other than teachers and Jennings at home. It's... it's like I've been rudely awakened from a beautiful slumber, back to the real world...but one which is completely alien to me!"

Florence listened patiently as Lulu expressed her feelings and waited until Eric had poured their glasses and left again, before responding.

"A rude awakening, eh?" she said, arching her eyebrow. "That is certainly one way to look upon it, dear ward. However, I would like to think that I can help you change that perspective and hope you do not envisage me as a person prone to awakening you so rudely!" She chuckled and held Lulu's hand.

"Look at me, dear. I'm teasing you. I do understand how you feel -- there is a huge world outside of St Cath's and Camberton Hall and suddenly you've been thrust among it. It can be daunting, I understand that. I recall my perspective being different though. Instead of being undone by it, I demanded it! I said to myself, "This is my time!" and the world had better watch out, because I had arrived."