Well Made and Enduring Pt. 02

Chapter 9: Post-Graduate Work

Commencement traditionally serves many roles. In Elspeth's case, as in many, it marked the end of formal schooling and the beginning of working life. While Elspeth was comfortably set financially, it would not do to continuously live off of her trust fund. That said, the job search was not the first and highest priority. Other rituals must be served, not least of which were the Family gatherings.

The first and most obvious was the obligatory journey to the family pew at St. Albans. Father Jacob read Elspeth's name with all the other of the church's graduates. Afterward was a very plain reception, where Elspeth stood in line to shake hands of people she had not met since confirmation, more than a decade before.

Afterward, was a family dinner in her honor, the menu for which Elspeth had constructed. She chose fish to go with the succotash, squash casserole, and greens salad, in deference to her non-vegan siblings. Elspeth's enduring memory of the dinner was when her sister asked, "Where's the beef?" to much amusement. It was exactly the sort of comment Dr. Richards might make.

Next came a pilgrimage to see Grandmother Adele. Though not Elspeth's direct ancestor, Adele Cabot was the reigning matriarch of Beacon Hill. Her invitation to tea was tantamount to a summons. At least Elspeth had three cousins sharing the spotlight. Regardless, Grandmother managed to make her feel singularly special and uniquely unprepared. Such was the way of all visits to her home.

The final tribute, and first public one, was a reception at the Peabody House. The House, more properly called the First Harrison Gray-Otis House, was designed by Charles Bullfinch in 1794. Long an historical landmark, the first floor was a museum and the third housed the offices of the Historical Society. As founding benefactors and continuing donors, the Rice, Peabody, and Otis families could reserve the second-floor reception rooms.

Not every year was deemed worthy of The Peabody House. Elspeth was the sole advanced degree among her close cousins, so it was an honor specific to her. As with many accolades, Elspeth could have done as well without it. Still, it was a suitable place to introduce a select portion of Boston Society to Dr. Richards. Also helpful was Dr. Richards' escort, Elspeth's distant cousin Ro Willingham. Formally Warner Richard Otis-Willingham IV, he was a double contrast to all of Elspeth other relatives, being from New York and politically conservative. Ro served as a lightning rod for many of the political sparks that might have been directed to Dr. Richards.

The event went well enough. The next couple of days involved more informal meetings, mostly over drinks or dining out. When it was over, Elspeth noticed she had moved up in the family pecking order, more so than a mere graduate degree would normally earn. Naturally, Elspeth credited Dr. Richards, with no thought for her own maturation.

Chapter 10: Employment

Several days later, Elspeth and Dr. Richards went to Concord, New Hampshire, the state capital. Dr. Richards rented a storefront, which would serve as business offices for both the consulting firm, FD Consulting, and the non-profit, Beacon Light. Initially, Beacon Light Foundation was a single desk in one corner. Though they never discussed it in words, the desk became Elspeth's personal space. Once the paperwork was filed, she was installed as an official employee of the non-profit, at minimum wage with worker's compensation coverage.

Elspeth loved the old desk. It was exactly the sort of metal desk one would expect to find at an office furniture resale store—worn, gray, and very heavy. To increase the weight, Elspeth loaded it with books. With all her strength, Elspeth could barely budge it, which was perfect. Elspeth had fantasies about being tied across the desk, legs spread, skirt up and panties down. Sometimes, the fantasies came true.

The first day, Elspeth installed rope loops on the back feet of the desk, specifically to tie her feet apart. Dr. Richards noticed and improved the loops to heavy figure-eights. If Elspeth wished, she could take off her shoes and slip her foot through the open loop. With both feet so hobbled, Elspeth could still sit in the rolling chair and just slide forward under the desk. She loved to work this way, even though more than an hour would cause her legs to go numb.

Part of the appeal, of course, was that someone might notice. At least three times the first month, Elspeth thought she saw a flicker of recognition, though no one said anything. Dr. Richards was in on things, but there was no telling what she might do. The second day, Elspeth had been sitting with her feet hobbled for about two hours. She was beginning to consider whether she should break for a bathroom run.

Dr. Richards came up behind her, lifted her from the chair and pushed her across the desk. With one hand pushing down between Elspeth's shoulder blades, Dr. Richards bared Elspeth's ass and spanked her thoroughly with a wooden ruler. Once Elspeth's ass was nicely pink, Dr. Richards sat her back in the chair, with the skirt still up and the panties still around the thighs. It was an hour before Elspeth received permission to use the restroom. Elspeth had to be very careful not to orgasm from simply wiping herself dry.

Those early days were among the most rewarding for Elspeth. Dr. Richards had few calls on her time, so they talked extensively. Indeed, Dr. Richards proved quite inventive in finding ways to tie Elspeth up, without interfering with her job. For example, Dr. Richards once tied both Elspeth's arms to a broom handle. The right arm was fully extended, but the left arm was bent back enough for Elspeth to touch her ear. She answered the phone by Bluetooth for the rest of the day.

The first few months were mostly about the non-profit side. Prior to opening Beacon light, Dr. Richards arranged a pump-priming commitment from the Richards family endowment. It was very helpful to promise matching funds when talking to ministers, businessmen, and principals. One of Elspeth's duties was to liaise with schools. Several busloads of primary children had toured the office and seen the architect's drawing of the proposed permanent facility and halfway house. Most of the schools presented a collection, which went into the building fund.

Another avenue of funding were the Amish communities in Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio. Evaine Schaeffelker—Beacon Light's Director, though she had not yet assumed the duties—was touring the Amish communities, spreading the word and sending back donations. This was rarely cash since Amish tradition leans toward donation-in-kind, i.e. goods instead of money. A dozen jars of Amish preserves might sell for fifty dollars, or a quilt for two hundred, but someone had to arrange the sale. Elspeth needed help, so Dr. Richards arranged for temp-service office help four days a week and nine-to-one on Friday.

One Friday afternoon, Elspeth was talking to a local minister when Dr. Richards returned to the office. After the minister left, Dr. Richards came out of the office with a pair of rope figure-eights. These she slipped over Elspeth's elbows and wrists, binding them behind the chair back. Then, Dr. Richards carefully pulled Elspeth's skirt from under her. Elspeth was grateful for courtesy. Her panties could get wet, but the skirt was dry-clean only. As Elspeth was about to thank her, Dr. Richards produced a large pink ball gag. She tied it in place and left Elspeth to stew for the rest of the afternoon.

Elspeth was constantly aware that she was in full view of passing pedestrians. At 4:30, Dr. Richards turned the sign and locked the door. Though they were both visible to the outside, Dr. Richards removed her own skirt and black lace panties. Elspeth had just time to recognize the panties—her last Christmas gift to Dr. Richards—when she was lifted from the chair and shoved across the desk. Elspeth was still gasping for breath when the first stroke from a horsehair lash flamed across her ass.

Elspeth was not normally able to orgasm from pain, but this was an exception. She came on the first stroke and again on the twelfth of fifteen. Elspeth lay, again gasping for air because of the gag. She was unaware that Dr. Richards was donning a strap-on until the dildo entered her cunt. It was too much. After a couple of failed attempts, Elspeth snapped her fingers—one of their safety gestures.

Dr. Richards stopped thrusting, which allowed Elspeth to shout, "Gag." into the gag. Dr. Richards understood immediately and released the buckle. Elspeth, spit it out, drew a deep breath and said, "Fuck me. Hard." Dr. Richards laughed, said, "Look up." then resumed the pounding. There was a young girl on a bicycle staring at them. Elspeth came immediately, but Dr. Richards continued pounding for two full minutes. When she stopped, it was to step back and use the lash between Elspeth's legs.

When Elspeth returned to consciousness, Dr. Richards was out on the sidewalk, talking to the young girl. With nothing else to do, Elspeth started to get her feet free. With her hands tied behind, this was a challenge, but Elspeth managed. She was moving slowly toward the door when Dr. Richards opened it and let the girl inside. The girl looked closely at Elspeth, "You look...weird."

Elspeth said, "I should. I have never done that before. Do you like scary movies?" The girl nodded, wide eyed. Elspeth continued, "Have you ever run and run until your legs felt like applesauce?" Another nod. "That's a little what it's like, all sore and wobbly, but really good underneath and like you were just scared and your hair is standing up, all at once, only more." The girl looked doubtful.

Dr. Richards asked, "What's your name?" The girl mumbled, "Karen."

Dr. Richards continued, "Karen, you probably think I am going to tell you not to tell anyone, but I'm not. I don't think you will want to tell a lot of people, but here is what you should do if you want to tell someone. Go to your mother and tell her you saw an orgasm. Can you say that?" Dr. Richards waited while Karen repeated the word. "Tell your mother you asked a grown up and Dr. Richards—that's me—said that you should ask your mother about orgasms. What you should not do is go online looking, especially not at school. That will get you in trouble. OK?"

Karen left, looking thoughtful. Dr. Richards locked the door behind her while Elspeth logged out of the computer. It was not easy with her arms bound behind her, but she'd had practice. At the door, Dr. Richards said, "I am taking you home with me. I'll get you a shower and a nap, but your tongue is putting in some overtime tonight. If you do very well, I'll tie you up for real next week. I have something special in mind, but it will take time to set up." Elspeth, already floating on an endocrine glow, thought that it would have to be very special to top what they just did.

It was something to anticipate.

Chapter 11: Aide de Camp

As it happened, nothing ever did top that day, because a landmark intervened. Carlton Weber walked in the door, looking for FD Consulting. This would become the first paying case and Elspeth knew, vaguely, who Carlton was. His mother, Fiona, was a Boston Endicott, with access to the same Beacon Hill gossip machine that Elspeth frequently tapped. She had been fired because her husband was convicted of selling drugs. There were extenuating circumstances—for example, the drugs were medical marijuana doses—but the conviction was legitimate. Fiona's firing was not legitimate since she had nothing to do with the marijuana. She also knew that Elspeth was in town and mentioned it to her son.

Fiona would not ask for a family favor, but Carlton thought there might be grounds for a business transaction. He went to the storefront one day on his lunch hour. Elspeth, as usual, was literally tied to her desk, but she was able to handle the basic paperwork and make some preliminary inquiries while waiting for Dr. Richards to return from the deli. Carlton and Dr. Richards talked for half an hour, while Elspeth sat with her hands firmly on the desk. She had not been that turned on in years. Carlton Weber's case came to a successful conclusion and turned out to be great word-of-mouth advertising. On another front, Beacon Light turned into a real business. Before long, Elspeth had to give up her favorite desk, because Dr. Richards had hired a temp-service girl to handle paperwork for the non-profit company.

It was not without its compensation. Friday before the temp worker arrived, Dr. Richards promised Elspeth a special treat. At the end of the day, she tied Elspeth across the desk as they had done many times before, though with a breathable gag. Dr. Richards left, but it was at least half an hour before Elspeth began to think something had gone wrong. After an hour, she was seriously struggling to escape, to no avail. The figure-eight ropes could be very effective when combined with other ties. It was getting dark when the door opened.

Elspeth could not tell who it was, but the shoes were not Dr. Richards habitual pumps. Worse, the architectural drawing was blocking most of her field of view. It took a minute before Elspeth was able to see a leg, which wore a black leather men's shoe. Elspeth was beginning to panic when the man spoke, "Well, well, what have we here?" It was Ro Willingham.

Elspeth would have mixed emotions about the scene. Dr. Richards had well and truly gotten her. Until Ro opened his mouth, Elspeth had been terrified, humiliated, and so turned on that lubrication was dripping down her leg. On the other hand, Ro did not have Dr. Richards touch with a spanking nor her unerring sense of pace. Fortunately, even gagged Elspeth could make single syllable words understood. "Fuck me. Fuck me, hard." got the point across. It was even a good orgasm.

They spent the weekend together, making love several times. Elspeth was disappointed when her period arrived on schedule. Dr. Richards had a few choice words to say about not warning Ro about the possibility of fatherhood. It turned out Ro also had mixed feeling in the matter. It is sufficient to say, the possibility never came up again. Instead, Elspeth and Dr. Richards jumped on the business merry-go-round. Free time was soon precious.

It took three weeks before the first real client had shown up and six more to conclude his case. By the end of that time, there were two more sentence advocacy cases and nibbles for five more. About a month in, Dr. Richards attended a meet-and-greet with the Governor. Much to Dr. Richard's surprise, the Governor wanted some personal time, face to face. Afterward, Dr. Richards asked Elspeth about a name that came up twice during the evening—Adele. Elspeth almost fainted. Adele Cabott was the Queen of Beacon Hill, but that was hundreds of miles away.

Though she had not attended, Elspeth quickly felt the effects of the meeting. The names Beacon Light Foundation and FD Consulting no longer required explanation. State Representatives, Senators, and other professionals increasingly took calls directly. Soon, a law firm approached Dr. Richards with a lobbying project. It was a lunch meeting and Elspeth would never forget Dr. Richards' outfit. The silk top and wool suit were classic, but Tiffany jewelry rocked the look. Dr. Richards won the job, soon followed by two more. FD Consulting was soon turning away lobbying inquiries.

On the non-profit side, money and work progressed from a trickle to a full stream. Central to any non-profit is fundraising. Most of this work fell to Elspeth. She liaised with local churches and directed the volunteer workers. One big time-block went to donations-in-kind from Amish communities. An Amish handmade quilt might sell for two or three hundred dollars, but someone needed to find a buyer. Setting up a table at local fundraisers was a weekly event. Elspeth—raised Atheist with sides of Episcopal and Dutch Reformed—spent more time in churches than her previous life total.

At nine months, Evaine Schaeffelker arrived to take active control of the Beacon Light side. She was one of the nine graduate students and the Amish expert from the merry-go-round wedding. Although Dr. Schaeffelker held the title of Director all along, she had spent the previous months in Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio building Amish support. Her first official act was groundbreaking construction on a permanent facility, including a halfway house designed to ease young country people into the urban job market.

On the FD Consulting side, Dr. Richards landed a big lobbying project in Manchester. She was soon spending much of her official time away from the office. A stream of court advocacy cases kept interest alive and money coming in. With Dr. Richards away, Elspeth spent much of her time at the capital and governor's offices, moving paper from one office to another. When the Manchester project became official, Elspeth was promoted to office manager, with a staff of three. Before long, she would need to find her own replacement.

Things had almost settled into a new normal when the call from Boston came. The opposition in Manchester had used a Boston law firm, Morgan--Brown--Campo & Lynch. The firm wanted a closer look at their opposition. The upshot was that Elspeth posted a job opening for Office Manager, then she and Dr. Richards drove to Boston. The meeting was at a pretentious restaurant called le Bastille and they left with yet another new job, this time in Roxbury.

Dr. Richards was unwilling to expose her prized BMW to the South Side and Elspeth was unwilling to abandon Dr. Richards. They compromised. First, Dr. Richards needed clothes more suited to the south side, which did not take much. An off the rack suit coupled with resale shop shoes and briefcase made a significant difference. Finding another car took longer. When Dr. Richards settled on a twelve-year-old Infinity, Elspeth reluctantly accepted the keys to the BMW. Dr. Richards wished to meet the dame of Beacon Hill, a.k.a. Adele Cabot, so Elspeth went to make the formal request.

It was a long night for Elspeth. First, Grandmother accepted the meeting but firmly told Elspeth to call in the morning. This was shocking on two levels. First, Dr. Richards would spend the night, which was unheard of. Second, Elspeth would not even be allowed to make introductions. After a long wait to hear from Dr. Richards and deliver the GPS, Elspeth went to her parent's home and attempted sleep in the guest room. Promptly at 8:00 AM, she knocked on Grandmother's door.

Horace let Elspeth in and led her to Grandmother, who was sipping tea in the solarium. After the greeting rituals were complete, Mrs. Cabot said, "Your well-educated employer is most interesting. She is in the guest room. I am sure you remember the way." It was a simple errand and dismissal. No news. No criticism, correction, or review. As she went, Elspeth noticed that Grandmother was smiling into her teacup. It was all strange enough to be unnerving.

Dr. Richards was still asleep so Elspeth had to wake her. As soon as Dr. Richards' eyes opened, Elspeth asked, "What did you do to Grandmother? She is never like this."

"Don't worry about it. I showed Sheila doing Japanese tea ceremony. She was impressed." That took a moment to sink in. Nothing and no one impressed Grandmother, at least in Elspeth's memory

Dr. Richards kissed her on the forehead, "Elspeth, you are at the grownup table now. Mrs. Cabot may have once been an unreachable star, but she's human. She is also a very good teacher. Look at this room. Anything you touch can be the point of a lesson. Students like you are why she does it."

From the door, Grandmother said, "I might say that was presumptuous, but it also happens to be true. Siobhan, my dear, you must call me Adele. All my friends do." Elspeth felt faint