Did you enjoy Lady Catherine's attentions?

"I was wondering, Miss Lucy," Chop-chop said. "Begging your pardon, are you partial to lady friends like her ladyship? Or gen'l'men? Since you're the mistress of Old Netherwood, that would be something for you to arrange."

Lucy looked up at the ceiling of the narrow train corridor with her hand on the door handle to their compartment, where Mr. Ruddigore Fitch was no doubt drowsing over his Times and awaiting the return of his electric torch. As a Netherwood, recognized now, even senior, she would in principle have her choice of lovers. In practice, as Lord Jeremy's by-blow and herself the mother of Edmund's bastard daughter -- her dearest Annie -- and out in the country in Old Netherwood, well, she might have her choice of lovers from the household staff, crofters or gypsies. Or a gamekeeper, like in that book by Mr. Lawrence.

Lucy couldn't suppress a giggle.

"I suppose you're right, Miss Cook," Lucy said. "I can't say that anyone's truly asked me what I would be partial to, that way. Did you enjoy Lady Catherine's attentions?" Despite her forthright question, Lucy coloured slightly at the intimacy of the topic.

"I must admit it did swell my pride to know her ladyship found my woman parts as sweet to her taste as my tea cake," Chop-Chop said. "She also taught me how to play my button, which is more than any man ever did for me. I've learned a scullery maid her own button more than once. Gives a girl some strength against the cow-eyed young lads if she can nip off and settle her own hash."

Lady Catherine had involved Lucy in her Sapphic intimacies with her lady friends, as well as enlisting Lucy to masturbate her after Lady Catherine's evening bath. But her ladyship's arthritic hands had not been inclined to play Lucy's own pleasure button, nor had her lips sought Lucy's womanly folds. Lucy felt a twinge of something whose name she might call jealousy. Well, perhaps Lady Catherine's connection with Cook had been of longer standing, but the necessary distance -- Cook would have simply been too busy for true intimacy -- might have freed Lady Catherine to take greater liberties, the kind of liberties Edmund had taken with Lucy. Perhaps Lucy was Lady Catherine's favoured one.

Lucy laughed again. Cook's gay irreverence was hand in glove with her steely practicality. And it was infectious. Lucy bubbled out with, "Perhaps you'll have to learn Annie her button play before she and Sabrina go to finishing school."

Chop-chop tilted her head and put a hand on her hips. "Mark my words, those two are learning their parts from each other. But I don't know as to if that will keep them off the fellows," she said darkly. She shook her head. "But they're not bad girls. Good to the help. Your pardon, Mistress Lucy."

Lucy took Chop-chop's thick hand in hers. "Nothing to pardon, Cook," she said. "I'm glad you're with me." She squeezed Cook's hand.

Cook squeezed back. "I'm glad to be with you, Miss Lucy."

"Carlotta..."

Cook raised her eyebrows, hearing Lucy use her given name. "Yes'm?"

"We'll talk more about Lady Catherine and the subject of partialities for ladies or gentlemen later, if you would be agreeable?" Lucy said.

"With my full heart, Miss Lucy," Chop-chop said.

Lucy released Carlotta's hand.

"Let's be settled before Hawkins comes," Lucy said.

She led them back into the compartment to wait for Hawkins, who would be recomposing himself after he withdrew his masculine engine from the train conductor's tunnel. Lucy allowed herself a tiny smile as she recalled the men's pricks discharging, Hawkins' climactic injection replying immediately to the conductor's helpless eruption.

Fitch accepted the return of his torch, Chop-chop checked her kitchen knives and Lucy settled down to wait for Old Netherwood's underbutler to report.