Part 13 (1/2)

Dodge didn't seem too bad for an owner, but Barry was the only man who treated her like she was a human being. She was grateful for that more than for any specific help or favor that he extended.

”Your lessons helped a lot,” she said, ”but I learned a couple of new tricks from another slave last night. I think you'll like them.”

”Now I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.”

As usual, Barry tidied her cell while she showered and brushed her teeth.

After she dried off, he examined every part of her and p.r.o.nounced her fit for service.

Dodge stopped by at noon and brought some lunch for her.

”You did well last night. My friends were impressed.”

”Thank you. Sapphire turned out to be a real gem.”

”You were right to borrow her.”

”Mrs. Dodge borrowed her.” Flame looked at him carefully. ”May I give you some advice?”

”If it's about proper comportment, then always. That's your primary job.”

She was pretty sure that her primary job was s.e.x toy and that etiquette tutor was secondary, but she wasn't about to start an argument with a man who owned her and a cane and a whipping bench. ”Mrs. Dodge has to phone Lady Hoffman and thank her for lending the slave. She should do it today between three and four o'clock. This is really important. It's easy to do but she has to do it right and she has to do it today. She can't wait to take care of it.”

”Don't tell me. Go up to the house and tell her.”

”Yes, sir.”

”Make sure that she does it right.”

”Yes, sir.” And she would undoubtedly get kicked around the house for her efforts. Mrs. Dodge was fond of putting her boots to her.

After Dodge left, Flame decided that it was best to get the painful task over with right away.

She found Mrs. Dodge in the parlor.

”Mrs. Dodge?”

The woman stared at her in disgust.

”Mrs. Dodge, Mr. Dodge asked me to talk to you for a minute about Lady Hoffman.”

The woman gestured to a chair.

Flame had never been invited to sit in her presence before. She didn't know what that meant.

”Lady Hoffman did you a kindness last night.”

Mrs. Dodge sniffed. ”Some kindness. Lending me a slave to ... entertain my husband and his cronies.”

”I know. I always hated it when I had to do it, too. Always. But there's a protocol to follow. A fiction that must be maintained.”

”Tell me.”

”You have to phone Lady Hoffman this afternoon to thank her. It would be best to call between three and four. That's long enough after lunch that she'll be finished with her early afternoon ch.o.r.es but early enough that she won't be too caught up in preparing for any evening events. The favor that she did for you was considerable.” Flame didn't mention that she had sent the most badly-scarred slave that she'd ever seen. To lend any slave to a woman with no t.i.tle was generous. ”Your grat.i.tude can be effusive. Within reason. You have to be sincere. You can't sound like you might be sarcastic. Then you have to offer her a favor. Don't be specific. Just say that you would be happy to help her in any way that she might desire in the future. She'll know exactly what you mean.” Flame couldn't meet Mrs. Dodge's eyes when she said that. She was instructing Mrs. Dodge to offer her for a night of entertainment at the Hoffman manor. Another night when she would be available for any kind of s.e.x that was desired by any man in the room.

Mrs. Dodge understood, too, and shook her head in disgust. Her foot twitched, but she didn't lash out at Flame. Yet.

Flame pressed on. ”What's important about this call is that it is one of the few opportunities that you'll ever have to contact a t.i.tled lady on your initiative. It's a rare chance but you must not overplay it. Just thank her sincerely and offer to return the favor. Don't try to engage her in any further conversation. If she wants to talk about anything else, then let her speak with you and respond naturally. But that's not likely. After you've said what you have to say, that you'd be honored to do her any favor that she might wish at any future opportunity, the conversation will be over, but you must not hang up the phone. She must be the one to hang up. That's important. She has the rank so it's her prerogative to decide when the call is over. It will probably feel completely natural when she responds to your offer and then disconnects. The whole call is going to be easy and feel natural to both of you, but it must be done today. Waiting for a few days would be rude.”

”I understand.”

”Oh, and one other thing. It's possible that she won't be available to speak and that you'll be talking to her maid or secretary. Just leave a message that you would like to thank Lady Hoffman personally for the favor that she did for you and leave your name and number. She'll probably call back, but don't be offended if she doesn't. That would only mean that she has accepted your grat.i.tude already.”

”I understand. I just thank her for sending the slave to help me.”

”G.o.d, no. Don't say that the slave helped you. Any reference to the work that the slave did would be a serious breach of courtesy because it would remind her of the underlying truth of the situation. Just say that you want to thank her for her favor. That's all. You can say that you want to thank her so much or that you are deeply grateful. You have lots of lat.i.tude in how you describe your grat.i.tude. But don't refer to anything about what the slave did or didn't do. You aren't supposed to know anything about what she did or how she performed or how satisfactory she was.”

Mrs. Dodge smiled wryly. ”This call might not be so easy as you say.”

”Sure it will. You'll do great. Just keep it simple.”

”I do have one question,” Mrs. Dodge said.

”Of course.”

”Did Lady Hoffman's slave perform to everyone's satisfaction?”

Flame's blush burned so brightly on her face that she earned her name.

Mrs. Dodge laughed in delight. ”You really are a lady inside. You foolish, foolish slave.”

Flame was still blus.h.i.+ng but she forced a smile and replied, ”Sapphire's performance was delightful.”

”Get out of here.” There was no kindness in Mrs. Dodge's voice.

When Flame rose from the chair and turned to the door, Mrs. Dodge kicked her a.s.s so hard that she almost flew out the door.

But that evening, when Mrs. Dodge told Flame to go to the bathroom and wait for her dinner, she set a plate of fresh food on the floor instead of dumping sc.r.a.ps directly on the tiles.

And she didn't step in it before she left.

Flame was discovering that Mrs. Dodge had a subtle and sophisticated sense of humor.

And she had been learning Flame's lessons in comportment well.

She was no fishwife. If she were t.i.tled, she would fit well into proper society.

The Dodges hosted a half dozen formal dinners over the next three weeks. These were smaller than Flame's first entertainment only two couples were invited at a time. After each dinner, she was brought to the billiard room to service the three gentlemen by herself.