Saints and Sinners

Chapter Seventeen

Meadvale

Surrey

Miss Doyle was not prepared to accept minimum standards from her charges anymore, and with the agreement of her employers, she was getting Caroline and Diane into a new routine designed to keep the Keeper Licensing Authority away from their door. Required standards had been reduced to below the old level, much to everyone's surprise, which both her charges had achieved an acceptable nine out of ten times on average, with Diane typically doing slightly better than Caroline. So, Doyle asked them to achieve that level, rather than the new lower one, safe in the knowledge that they really ought to be safe from auto-punishments going forwards. She told both Daughters of Eve that she would punish them for any further failures however, severely, and left them in no doubt that she would not tolerate any poor performances from either of them. And they would be continuing to pray for at least two hours every morning, even though the minimum period had been reduced to ninety minutes by President Symonds.

As she had explained to Mr Slade and Dr Blackstone, only ever achieving the minimum standards would keep them on the KLA radar. She was anxious that having been assessed by Miss Scott once, and saved from the care homes by pure dumb luck, Caroline had to do much better than the minimum, and Diane ought to match her, to keep them all out of trouble. She had been honest with the two gentlemen, because they could have insisted on lower standards for their wives, but she told them that she would have to look for a new position if that was the case, to protect her own position. Doyle had not told her charges any of that, because it was really none of their business how they were kept, but she suspected that their husbands had, and she could not complain about either woman's attitude. Indeed, Caroline Blackstone had returned home much more eager to please her keeper anyway, which had clearly been Miss Scott's intention, as she was desperate never to see the inside of a care home again.

"Your new corset seems to be helping you, Diane...I will be upping your target tomorrow to encourage you," Miss Doyle said as she draped Diane's cloak around her shoulders. Both Daughters of Eve were tethered to the rings beside the front door, waiting for their exercise after completing their devotions. Doyle had ordered new corsets for both of them, not quite as severe as a punishment corset, but still long and rigid, designed to prevent movement from shoulders to thighs, worn with neck corsets to keep their heads immobile. "And once you are used to that, we will be aiming for three hours."

"Yes, Miss Doyle...thank you, Miss Doyle." Diane murmured, a little daunted by facing an even higher target for longer, but fully understanding what Miss Doyle was trying to do for them all. Her new corset was not pleasant to wear, but none of them were, and it did make it easier to stay still, so she welcomed it, overall. And their routine was not too bad, as after their exercise, they could have lunch with their dear husbands and then spend their afternoons either on suitable pastimes or socialising, before dinner and bed with the boys. It was a better life than most, she reasoned, and they had no choice about it anyway.

"But you, Caroline...you only just passed...it is not a punishable offence at this stage, but I do expect to see some improvement, dear?" Doyle continued, her tone hardening as she addressed Caroline. Doyle knew that she was trying but the results were not really showing the effects of her improved attitude. "I may have to go back to the punishment corset, if you do not progress?"

"Yes, Miss Doyle...I beg your pardon, Miss Doyle." Caroline replied, chastened and still scared, but desperate to do better.

Diane rather enjoyed their daily walks, if the weather was clement, and that morning spring was really in the air. Miss Doyle liked to get their devotions out of the way by mid-morning so that she could meet her friends for coffee at around eleven, before a brisk walk back along the river in good time for lunch. Even being tethered to the railings was not so bad, when you were used to it, because they did get a chance to talk, quietly and unobtrusively, and they did meet some new people. Neither Diane or Caroline really knew anyone in Meadvale, other than Lady Osborne, and even if the gracious conversations were largely bland and formal, as they were all under discipline, a change really was as good as a rest. Perhaps because of the March sunshine, the popular cathedral coffee house was busier than usual, and Miss Doyle had to tether them much closer to the café, where there was not much of a view, but that was just bad luck, and Diane and Caroline were tied to one of the last tethering points, in a sort of triangle with a lady in a beautiful green damask gown and matching cloak. As always, all three of them looked at the other's collars, to find out who they were about to converse with before Miss Doyle had even left them alone.