All ten of them - for Michael insisted Faith should not be spared - were to receive individual treatment, in addition to some group activities that my ‘tutor’ thought would be amusing, for us if not for them. Michael also suggested we keep the purpose of his visit secret for the time being, since he wanted to ‘get the feel of the place’, as he put it, before making them aware of what was in store. ‘Just till tomorrow afternoon, if you’re happy to do that,’ he said. ‘We can tell them then - and watch their faces when we do! I’d like to meet them today, however, so I know who’s who. Then we can start to decide exactly what we intend doing to them.’ Without further ado I rang for Alice and told her to ask all the females in the house - my wards and Mrs Hammond included - to attend me in the hall. A faint but insistent murmur some ten minutes later told us the party was assembled and we went out to meet them. They stood in a long line, Irene Hammond on our left, then Victoria, Elizabeth, Cathy, Winifred Smith, Alice, Rose, Molly and Mary at the end - and not one of them was smiling.
What do You think about Their Master's Pleasure (2011)?
