‘I do love you so, Richard,’ she told him adoringly as she gazed up at him and he laughed and chucked her under the chin as he sat up and lit a cigarette in all his naked glory.

‘That is good to hear, but now, my sweet, perhaps you should go and get ready for our visitor. He will be here soon.’

Kitty suddenly felt crestfallen. She had hoped that Richard would tell her he loved her too, but he was acting now almost as if nothing had happened between them. Still, she told herself, he will when the time is right, and so she nodded obediently and scuttled behind the screen to wash herself and put on the undergarment he had laid out ready for her. She had only just finished tidying her hair when someone rapped on the door.

‘Mr Johnston to see you, sir,’ the little maid shouted and Richard finished adjusting his clothing and hurried to let him in, locking the door after him.

‘The young lady I told you about is getting ready for you behind the screen,’ Kitty heard him say. ‘Now would you like a drink while we’re waiting?’

‘Thank you, sir, and I suggest you pour one for the young lady too. We should celebrate the start of a long and lucrative arrangement.’

Kitty stepped out, nervously clutching the robe about her and was shocked at what she saw although she didn’t know why, for she hadn’t really known what to expect. Mr Johnston was a small man, almost as far round as he was high, with a balding pate and a large moustache that quivered beneath a huge red nose. His eyes seemed to bore into her soul and she felt uncomfortable in his presence.

‘Here you are, my dear.’ He thrust a large glass of wine at her and Kitty reluctantly took it. ‘You’re every bit as lovely as Ricky here told me you were. Now why don’t you have a nice little drink an’ relax a bit, eh?’

Kitty did as she was told and surprisingly after a few sips she started to feel much more confident.

‘Ready?’ Richard asked after she had finished half the glass.

She nodded. Taking her clothes off in front of this stranger didn’t seem quite so daunting now. She slid the robe from her shoulders and made for the chaise longue feeling slightly wobbly. Perhaps I shouldn’t have had a drink on an empty stomach, she thought as she settled into one of the poses that she knew Richard favoured. Today she was dressed in a very pretty white silk corset trimmed with thin red ribbons, but she had no sooner laid back than the stranger came striding towards her while Richard positioned himself behind the camera.

‘Just a little more shoulder showing if you don’t mind, m’dear.’ His fat sausage fingers snaked out and smoothed the straps of the corset from her shoulders, but Kitty was feeling far too mellow to complain. In fact, she would have liked nothing more than to just curl up and go to sleep. His hand dropped to caress her breast but even then she didn’t protest. She was battling to keep her eyes open for some reason and that was the last thing she remembered …