Maude Cameron And Her Guardian

Chapter Four

The next morning, at breakfast, Charles Cameron did not allude in any way to the events of the night before. Nevertheless, he noted with secret amusement that his lovely ward made haste to serve him and to see to his creature comforts at breakfast with a deference that bespoke a considerable amount of apprehension. By contrast, he. was solemn in demeanor and laconic in speech, a state of affairs which left lovely Maude in something of a quandary as to how to set things right in their new relationship. He was well aware that she felt awkward and uneasy, and he said nothing at all which would give her to understand that the episode of last night was a closed issue.

Finally, it was Maude herself who broached the subject. At the very end of the breakfast, after she had served him his second cup of coffee and he was ready to light his morning Havana, by clasping her hands, standing beside him, her beautiful blue eyes moist and dilated with entreaty, stammering out, “ Oh, Mr. Cameron, do be kind to me, sir! You must understand that I have always been a good girl and Father never taught me otherwise. What you wanted me to do last night was entirely impossible. But surely you cannot be so cruel as to hold that against me, in that I was brought up so strictly.”

“ Why, as to that, my dear,” he blandly retorted as he deliberately lighted his cigar and drew on it to make sure that the aromatic fragrance had been properly ignited and would give off even wreaths of redolent blue smoke, “ I expect only obedience from you. We will say no more about it, for you have had your punishment for your naughtiness last night, and there is an end to it. I am not the kind who would force himself upon the attentions of a young lady without her so desiring this, as you will discover in due course. However, I must tell you in all honesty that since you are under my authority and answerable to me for your actions, I shall expect alacrity and total obedience to my wishes in the manner of your conduct while you are under my roof.”

“ Oh, sir,” she at once responded, her voice nervously strained with anxiety,”! have no intention of acting otherwise, you may be certain. I know that I must be a great deal of bother to you, and it may be that you wish to engage a housekeeper-”

With a wave of his cigar, he interrupted this dissertation by curtly interposing, “ But since you have already shown that you can cook very well and have told me that you have the other virtues, such as sewing and the like, there is really no need to engage a housekeeper. And you are a grown girl by now, quite ready to take care of yourself, I am certain. However, it strikes me that perhaps in view of your father’ s straitened circumstances, your wardrobe will probably be in need of replenishing. So early next week we shall go into town and try to rectify this. I shall buy you some pretty things which will make you even more attractive than you are now.”

At this, Maude’ s lovely, wistful face shone with pleasure: “ Oh, sir, you are very kind and flattering, and I shall do my best to please you.”

“ In all ways except refusing to share my bed, eh?” he sarcastically intervened. At once a vivid blush inflamed Maude’ s soft pink cheeks and she turned her head away, striving to maintain control as she replied in a low voice, “ But you know that that is impossible, sir. I cannot give myself to anyone until I am married. That is what Father brought me up to understand. You certainly cannot hold it against me, sir, that I am a good girl”

“ No. Not at all. Now, now, perhaps if the weather is fair this afternoon, we shall take a little ride around the vicinity and show you the sights, which you only saw in part yesterday upon your arrival.”

And so that afternoon he hitched up the little mare and took his charming blonde ward for a leisurely drive. There followed a nap, and then Maude further exemplified her culinary skill by preparing an excellent dinner for him. In all things Charles Cameron was well pleased with his unexpected acquisition. He had now at his disposal a charming, beautiful and desirable young girl who would fill the role of housekeeper admirably, thereby making his lonely stay in the summer house a highly enjoyable prospect in the months ahead. And if, as he surmised, he could lead her to the surrender of her person, he would have acquired a voluptuous young mistress in whom he might inculcate all those exquisitely libidinous traits which in his opinion a complaisant inamorata should possess.

On Tuesday of the following week, Charles Cameron took his lovely ward into town and to the shop managed by a Mrs. Evelyn Standish. It was an elegant dressmaking shop, which sold in addition many intimate articles of ladies’ apparel, including expensive French lingerie. Evelyn Standish herself was a widow of about thirty- seven, with chestnut hair piled in an imposing pompadour, of medium height and with a superbly buxom figure and a lovely if somewhat petulant face. She had already remarked on his having become a resident of this placid little English town and when he entered the shop in company with the blushing Maude, she herself hastened to wait on him rather than have her sales clerk, a Miss Dorothy Trenchard, do so. She found Charles Cameron dashingly virile and would not have found it amiss if he were to entertain clandestine desires in her direction. As a matter of fact, Charles Cameron had noticed her quite tempting and mature charms long before this, and might well have paid court to the lady had it not been for the unexpected arrival of Douglas Rivers’ only child.

Charles Cameron bowed politely, explained briefly that he wished his ward Maude to acquire such articles for the replenishing of her wardrobe as she felt desirable, but that he himself had a few particular notions as to styles. Maude moved away, her blushes deepening at the thought of having a man discuss openly with a stranger those articles of wearing which should be seen only by a husband or by oneself in the privacy of one’ s boudoir or toilette was highly embarrassing to her virginal modesty. As for Evelyn Standish herself, what Charles Cameron had to say as to what he thought Maude’ s undergarments should be like heightened her own color and titillated her interest in the suave, handsome, mature bachelor even more.

“ Besides frocks, which should be of lawn or muslin and decorously cut,” he carefully explained, “ I should like for you to select for her a kind of school tunic and bloomers to match, the kind such as young ladies would wear in a private school.”

“ I perfectly understand, Mr. Cameron.”

“ Very good. Then a supply of camisoles, new stays, several of the most attractive and flimsiest petticoats you have in stock, and then of course stockings. Elegant black silk from France would be my preference.”

Evelyn Standish inclined her head. Regardless of the rather wide degree of impropriety which such a selection of intimate apparel for Charles Cameron’ s ward entailed, the order represented a very handsome profit and she was eager to serve him well. When he looked stern, as he did now, he became even more attractive, and the lonely, attractive widow saw herself- such is a woman’ s folly!- in Maude’ s place in that household and enviously wished that it were she and not the golden haired girl for whom Charles Cameron were procuring this new wardrobe.

“ Then, as to knickers and drawers,” he continued, eyeing her levelly, as he touched upon a topic which most men of that day and age would have hemmed and hawed about, “ I wish you to take my ward’ s measurements exactly, for I desire these garments, those which touch the actual skin itself, to be as tight and snug a fit as possible. Also, I wish to have lace flounces at the hems and about the waistband, too, if you please.”

“ Certainly, sir. I have just received from Paris a large shipment of very attractive merchandise of that nature. I will see to it myself personally that Miss Maude is a total credit to you.”

“ And to herself as well, Mrs. Standish,” he chuckled. “ Now, then, let me see. Oh, yes- several pairs of pumps. I consider these button shoes ugly and they do not enhance the molding of the foot or ankle in the least. Do you not agree?”

Evelyn Standish, who herself had been a model of propriety until her husband’ s death- loneliness does much to make the fortress of a woman’ s virtue crumble- found herself agreeing enthusiastically with her astoundingly forthright bachelor visitor and customer.

“ Oh, to be sure. I have just the thing. However, if Miss Maude is unaccustomed to wearing pumps with narrow heels, she may require some practice at it.”

“ She will have it,” he promised, and there was a ring of authority in his voice which made Maude turn and eye him in surprise, even though she had not heard everything that he had said.

“ Then I leave her to your care. I shall return in about an hour, by which time I shall hope you will have taken her measurements and have decided on those articles which I have already mentioned. You will put them on my bill, and remittance will be prompt.”

“ Oh, sir,” Evelyn Standish beamed, “ There is no question as to your credit. I am not a mercenary tradesperson. I wish only to serve you and your charming ward to the best of my humble ability.”

“ Then you will please me very greatly by paying particular attention to what I have said about the snugness of fit and the embellishment of laces and ruffles,” he warned. Then, with a courtly inclination of his head, he left the shop.

He returned somewhat after the hour, to find his ward blushing vividly, while the admiring sales clerk and her employer busily engaged themselves in wrapping and packing the purchases which were to be charged to Charles Cameron’ s account. He took them out to the surrey, and as a final gift for Maude herself, bought her a pink parasol. The lovely girl did not know what to make of so much luxury and stammered on the way to the surrey, “ Oh, Mr. Cameron, I shall never be able to repay you for all this. I have never had so many beautiful things.. And they are all so expensive, too. I should not dare to wear them.”

“ But you will wear them, my dear, and they shall become you. Particularly the tight- fitting knickers and drawers which I expressly bade Mrs. Standish fetch for you. Did you try them on?”

Maude gave a little gasp and nodded, her cheeks scarlet with girlish confusion. A mocking little smile curved the lips of the voluptuary as he helped her into the surrey.

“ I take it from your charming blush that you. find the articles to your liking, my dear,” was his bland comment as he took up the reins and headed back for home. “ I have also made some other purchases, such as a bicycle which you are to ride. It will be good exercise for you.”

“ But I’ ve never ridden one, Mr. Cameron.”

Charles Cameron frowned as he eyed her. “ What would really please me, my dear, is that you would henceforth call me ‘ Uncle Charles’ instead of ‘ Mr. Cameron.’ I should feel much closer to you and responsible for you in that way.”

“ Of course, Uncle Charles. That is little enough to ask,” Maude happily responded, as out of her impulsively sweet nature she suddenly hugged him by way of thanking him for his extravagant present of the wardrobe.

“ Now you are my dear little niece,” he said softly, as he tilted up her chin and planted a quick little kiss on her rosy lips, “ and when you are like this, you are utterly adorable.”

“ You are so nice to say such sweet things about me, Uncle Charles. And I do hope we shall be very good friends.”

“ Much better than that in due time,” he said with a significant smile which Maude pretended not to understand. At supper that evening his ward appeared in a new green muslin frock which set off her golden hair and pink skin bewitchingly and showed off the curves of her delectable young figure to advantage. He bade her try on a pair of the new pumps, but Maude found it difficult to maneuver, unused as she was to high- heeled shoes.

“ Never mind. You shall get the knack of it in time. I shall aid you in that direction,” he said with a mocking little smile.

The following afternoon, after an errand boy had Drought around the other purchases Mr. Cameron had made in town, Maude’ s guardian ordered her out into the driveway. It was beside the house and led to the shed in which the mare and the surrey cart were quartered. Just to the right side of this driveway was a wide stretch of firm ground which Mr. Cameron had originally thought might be converted into a lawn tennis court, but about which he had done nothing yet.

“ If you will go into the shed, you will find a bicycle for you, my dear,” he instructed.

Wonderingly, Maude hurried into the shed and came out pushing a gleaming blue bicycle. On her charming face there was a look of astonishment. “ But, Uncle Charles,” she protested, “ I could never ride this. This is a boy’ s bicycle. There are ones made especially for girls, and they are ridden sidesaddle, you know.”

“ I am well aware of that, but I wish you to learn to ride this one. And I think I have the means at hand to persuade you to acquire the knowledge quickly,” was his sardonic retort. Maude uttered a cry of terror and surprise: in his right hand he held the stock of a slim carriage whip, which had a tapering lash of about six feet in length, ending in a tiny forked tip.

“ Oh, sir,” she pleaded, tears springing at once to her beautiful blue eyes. “ You surely aren’ t going to punish me with that dreadful whip. I’ ve done nothing today to displease you. I’ m sure I haven’ t.”

“ You are right, my dear. To this moment, at any rate. But you would distress me greatly if you should refuse to ride the present I have bought for you.”

“ Oh, but I want to obey you. But don’ t you see, it’ s impossible for me to do so on a boy’ s bicycle.” Maude was very nearly in tears. Charles Cameron shrugged.

“ All you have to do is remove your frock and mount it as would a boy. I think you are wearing a sturdy camisole and several petticoats, as well as your drawers and stays, are you not?”

Consternated, Maude nodded, her face absolutely scarlet from temples to throat.

“ Well, then, don’ t stand on ceremony, but get ready.”

Stretching out the long whip, he drew back his arm and then flicked it vigorously in the air. It made a horrid little “ Crack!” at which Maude uttered a frantic little cry of terror.

“ Oh, gracious!”

“ But I see you are not beginning to obey me. Are you going to be obstinate again, as you were yesterday?”

Once again the whip flicked through the air with a sinister snap. Maude uttered another little cry and hastily drew her frock over her head and shoulders. In her tightly clinging, white lace camisole she was the most provocative creature in the world, and his eyes drank in her loveliness.

“ Well, what are you waiting for?” he demanded, flicking the whip again over her head with an angry little “ Crack!”

“ But I never shall be able to stay on, Uncle Charles,” she wailed.

“ What I have in my hand will ascertain that you will do so after a little practice,”“ was his mocking retort. “ If you find yourself encumbered by all those petticoats, by all means get rid of them. You are wearing three, I take it?”

Scarlet with confusion and miserable with apprehension, Maude dolefully nodded.

“ Then remove two. One will suffice to protect your modesty, believe me.”

As he stared at her so meaningfully and that long- lashed whip was ready in his right hand, there was nothing for Maude to do but obey. When her outer two petticoats had been removed, her voluptuous jut of her round bottom and delicious haunches made his eyes glitter with covetous anticipation. “ That’ s much better. Now get astride of the bicycle and ride it around in front of me,” he commanded.

Maude uttered a little groan of despair and awkwardly lifted up one leg to put it over the leather saddle. The immodesty of what she was doing appalled her, but there was no help for it.

“ That’ s right,” he called. “ Now set one foot on the pedal while using the other foot to steady yourself by till you are well balanced. That’ s it- now shove off!”

Urged on by fear of that long whip which overcame her outraged modesty at appearing in this scanty costume before a man, Maude nervously did as she was told. The bicycle wavered, she brought back her other foot to the pedal and strove frantically to maintain herself upright, but to no avail. She and the bicycle tumbled down in a heap on the soft ground.

Charles Cameron drew back his right hand and, taking careful aim, directed the long lash outward so that it flicked against her right hip. With a squeal of agony, Maude leaped to her feet, rubbing the injured spot. “ Oh, Uncle Charles, please don’ t hit me again with that horrible whip. It stings so horribly!”

“ Then get back on that bicycle and be quick about it!” he coldly ordered.

Once again Maude called upon her skill, and once again fear of the whip in his hand which he wielded so adroitly caused her to forget the assault on her modesty and decorum. She managed this time to make about a quarter turn before she lost her balance and, with a cry, fell off the bicycle. The long lash again shot out with unerring aim, this time catching her on the left calf. With a wail of pain, grabbing for the wounded spot and rubbing it frantically, Maude stumbled to her feet. Her long golden hair was disheveled, her face was streaked with tears, and the appeal in her anguished blue eyes added to his mounting passion.

“ Don’ t stand there looking at me, Maude. Get on that bicycle. You are to make three complete circles around before me before we end this lesson.”

For the next half hour, poor Maude, bathed in perspiration and tears, squealing and wriggling and twisting, tried her best to avoid the diabolically accurate tip of that long carriage whip. She scrambled onto the bicycle after her falls, hardly stopping to rub the injured places of her tender anatomy, for the burning tip of the whip was even more painful than the bruise. She managed in desperation to pedal a few feet farther before disaster again overtook her, but by the end of that half hour, she had at last managed to make three complete circles in front of him without losing her balance.

“ That’ s very good. You see what practice can do? We shall try this for half an hour every day, if the weather continues good. Now, put away the bicycle and go take yourself a bath and then a nap. I have some letters to write and I may go into town again.”