An hour or so later, Chloe and the girls gathered around the table.
“So,” she said with a smile, “Let us review. The crudités and dips?”
“Prepared and chilling in the fridge,” Joanne said with a smile.
“Baked Brie and Apple?”
“We have the portions prepared and ready to go into the oven at the right time.”
“The soup?”
“Cooling and will be pureed at the appropriate moment.”
“Main course and vegetables?”
Andrea looked to the oven. “Ready to go into the oven, and the pans for the vegetables are ready?”
“And finally, the dessert?”
“Baking now - will come out in thirty minutes.”
Chloe smiled and said “Eh bien, you have worked hard and done a wonderful job in preparation. I think you can be trusted with the rest of the work for lunch for your mothers - very well done.”
“Thank you Chloe,” Joanne and Andrea said as they took their friend by the arm, “Why don’t you come with us - you deserve a rest.” The trio walked through to the front room as Natalie looked at Cindy.
“Well,” Heidi said as she sat down, “I guess we need to decide who is going to do what. Now, I think that wemmssshpngnng?”
“Sorry, Heidi,” Natalie said as she gently pushed the balled up sock into her friend’s mouth, “but after the last time we spent the night together the last thing Cindy and I need is you bossing us around again. Right Cindy?”
“Right,” Cindy confirmed as she pulled Heidi’s arms behind her back, crossing her wrists as a length of cord went around and between them, “so you’re going to be having a rest for a little while as well, while the four of us get the rest of the setting up and cooking done.
“Mntbssee,” Heidi mumbled as Natalie pressed the end of a roll of white tape over her mouth and then wound it round her cousin’s head, sealing the sock in as Cindy bound her arms tightly to her side, making it impossible for her to move her arms out of the way.
“Let’s take a walk,” Natalie said with a smile as they helped Heidi to stand up and walked her between them into the front room. As they came through, Joanne looked up and said “Oh boy - you decided to go through with it then?”
“Whndduplnts?” Heidi asked as she looked at her friends, but they merely made her sit on the floor beside Maria, as she watched Andrea pulling Chloe’s crossed and bound ankles back in order to secure them to the ropes around her arms and chest. She already had a thick cloth pulled over her mouth, and Heidi could see the lengths of tape underneath.
She barely noticed as Cindy crossed her ankles and bound them together with cord, followed by her legs below her knees, while Natalie tied a black sleep mask over her eyes.
“Now you stay here like a good girl,” she said as Cindy rolled Heidi onto her stomach and hogtied her, then lightly tickled her feet. “We’ll let you go in good time to get ready.”
As this was going on, Maria was watching with a detached interest. She was enjoying the rest, and the smell was delicious, but she was wondering how they were going to serve the food without her help...
The clock showed twelve thirty as the older ladies made their way down the staircase. They had finally been released an hour earlier, and instructed to wash, and dress for a formal dinner. Coral came first, in a black cocktail dress that came to just above her knees, dark hose and high heels made from black leather. She was followed by Katherine, who had come with her Naval uniform - a smart short sleeved blue blouse with her medal ribbons, a knee length blue skirt, natural hose and black shoes with short heels.
Suzanne came next, wearing a white jersey dress with a rounded collar and white shoes, and then Veronica in a tan coloured blouse and trousers, with heels. Finally there was Amy and Dorothy, both wearing white blouses and grey skirts with black heels.
They were greeted at the bottom of the stairs by Cindy, who was wearing a white blouse with a black bow tie at her neck, a knee length black skirt, black tights and heels.
“Welcome ladies,” she said as she indicated the front room, “Appetizers are being served in here - if you will follow me?” Inside the room they found Natalie and Andrea, both dressed in the same way as Cindy. Andrea was holding a tray with flute glasses filled with champagne, while Natalie was holding a tray with little bowls filled with sticks of celery, carrot and peppers.
“I never thought I would see the day,” Katherine said as she took a bowl from her daughter’s tray, “that you would dress like that. I always thought you would follow your Aunt Heather’s style for all your days?”
“Who is Aunt Heather,” Cindy said with a quizzical look.
“My younger sister,” Katherine said as she sat next to Suzanne, “A true free spirit - rejected our family history completely. So what’s for lunch?”
“Your menu,” Heidi said as she came in and handed a small card to each of them.
Mother’s Day lunch 2013
Crudites
- O -
Baked Brie and Apple in a caramelised Sauce
- O -
Soupes aux Haricot Vertes
- O -
Coq au Vin, with vegetables
- O -
Tarte Tatin with cream
- O -
Coffee
“Very impressive,” Dorothy said as she perused the card, “Did you get some help?”
“We may have,” Joanne said as the clock struck one. “Ladies, please accompany us to the dining room.”
As they went in, they found the table laid with crisp white linen, and a full Silver Service laid out. They each took a place at a seat where their name was, before they were served with the hot baked cheeses.
“That was delicious,” Veronica said as she pushed the small plate away, with a trace of the cream left on it. “Would it be rude to suggest we retire to the front room for coffee?”
“Not at all,” Heidi said as the others cleared the plates away, “We will bring the coffee and chocolates in, but we ask one favour of all of you if you do that.”
“I knew there would be a catch,” Amy said with a smile, “and what would that be?”
“Please,” Cindy said with a smile, “Remove your shoes and hose when you sit down. You will see why later.”
“Sounds good to me,” Coral said as she laid her napkin on the table and stood up. “Let’s go.” The party made their way through, and as Joanne and Andrea cleared the table the others carried through a pot of hot coffee, a tray of chocolates and the coffee cups.
“So,” Katherine said as she sat down and removed her shoes, before slipping her hose down, “What are you planning?”
“Have some coffee, Mum,” Natalie said with a smile, “and relax. Nothing bad is planned.”
“That’s what they say every time,” Suzanne said as they were each handed a cup of coffee and started to drink. As they talked amongst themselves, they barely noticed as one by one the girls gently placed their ankles together, and then tied them tightly with satin sashes.
It was Veronica who eventually looked down, but by then they all had their legs bound, not only at their ankles but also at their knees.
“What are you planning?”
“You’ll see,” Natalie said as she sat at Veronica’s feet, and Cindy at her mother’s and they both started to massage the limbs. Both women closed their eyes and sighed, as blindfolds were secured over their eyes and Joanne brought in some face packs.
“Foot massage and facials - sounds fantastic,” Coral said with a smile, as one by one the older women had their feet caressed and a cucumber face pack applied to their faces, around the sleep masks.
It was only after half an hour that Heidi said “Nats?”
“Hmmm,” her cousins aid as she looked up from her position at Katherine’s feet.
“Where are your shoes?”
Natalie looked at her stocking covered feet, and simply said “Oops.”
“You know what we said would happen if you took your shoes off this afternoon?”
“Nooooo,” Natalie said with a smile, “What did we say?”