‘Oh, I see. Then I’m sure they’ll be wonderful,’ Kitty said, wondering why the woman had had to change. The clothes she was wearing looked as if they would have been quite suitable for her to be photographed in.

‘I’ll just see Miss Hawkins to the door then. Do take a seat,’ Richard said, as he took the young woman’s elbow and hurriedly drew her out of the room. Once the door had closed behind them, Kitty grinned. Miss Hawkins obviously didn’t like having her photograph taken if the look on her face had been anything to go by. Curious then, she crossed to the screen to see what was behind it but there were no garments in sight. That’s strange, Kitty thought as Richard came back into the room but then she forgot all about it when he took her into his arms.

‘As it happens, I think you’re ready to move on to the next stage of your modelling career now,’ he whispered huskily when he had kissed her until her head was reeling. ‘And I have the clothes here all ready to show you.’ He moved across the room to a large trunk and when he lifted the lid Kitty gasped with shock and dismay.

‘B-but they are all undergarments,’ she said hoarsely.

Richard threw back his head and laughed aloud. ‘Oh, my innocent little darling. They are still items of clothing and someone has to model them, don’t they? There are magazines that advertise lingerie exclusively for ladies.’

Kitty’s cheeks were burning. ‘That’s as maybe. But even so it would mean I would have to wear them in front of you, and that doesn’t seem right.’

He pulled her into his arms again, his expression hurt. ‘But surely you understand that in my job I’ve photographed dozens of women modelling lingerie. Don’t you trust me, darling?’

‘Of course I do,’ she said doubtfully, but then he was kissing her again and it was so hard to think straight. He could awaken feelings in her that she had never known before and she had no idea how to handle them.

‘Now,’ he said, ‘how about you try this on for me. They’re the very latest thing, so I’m told.’

Kitty stared down at the corset in his hand and blushed an even deeper shade of red, if that were possible. Sunday had always told her that it wasn’t seemly to discuss ladies’ undergarments in front of gentlemen – and here was Richard asking her to parade in front of him in them! He was holding up one of the new-style corsets that were becoming popular. Ladies’ fashions were changing rapidly, Kitty knew, and this particular corset was much more comfortable to wear, or so she had been told, than the heavily boned ones that had been favoured previously. It was made of a very fine woollen material with legs that she imagined would reach down to just above the knee, where they were trimmed with lace. The neckline was also trimmed with lace and Kitty chewed on her lip as she imagined posing for the camera while wearing this garment.