Sunday 25 May 2014

Sunday, May 25, 2014 -

Caned at the Manor

by Joy Peters
Published: May 02, 2014
Words: 24,589
Category: general
Orientation: M/F
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OPENING EXTRACT
Caned at the Manor

Saint Saviours was founded as a charity in 1876. It was originally set up to help young women who had 'lost their way' in life. In the early years this generally referred to women who frequented the taverns and plied their trade of prostitution. Financial assistance, training and encouragement were provided to teach these women alternative means of earning a living. Over the years the objectives broadened to provide support to financially disadvantaged women with the talent to succeed in life. Through the generations a number of wealthy benefactors ensured the ongoing viability of the charity, which deals with thousands of applications for assistance each year.

Bernadette Wilson was an attractive young woman of 24 years of age. She had striking auburn hair, stood 5 feet six inches tall and had a well proportioned figure honed by regular exercise and visits to the gym. She had been married for three years to Stephen, a junior administrative civil servant. They had chosen not to start a family until they were financially able. Bernadette worked at a hypermarket in Croydon. She had done so since leaving school at the age of seventeen. She had excelled in her GCSE examinations and had embarked on an 'A' level course with a view to university entrance. She sustained this for about ten months but then found that the distractions of growing up resulted in her losing interest in academia. She abandoned her education and started work, initially stacking shelves at the supermarket, then progressing to the check out tills and then to a supervisor role. It was there that she hit the glass ceiling. Opportunities above her level were restricted to management trainees. She needed a university degree or at least three good 'A' levels to even apply to join the supermarket management scheme.

Her good friend Katrina Smith had a similar background. She was of a similar age and like Bernadette, had abandoned her education half way through her 'A' level course. She had fallen in love with a handsome young Spanish man whom she met on holiday in Benidorm. She decided to stay and found a job working in a bar. Like many holiday romances, this was doomed to fail. Five months later Katrina returned to Croydon, much to her parent's relief, and secured a job in a supermarket. It was here that she met Bernadette and soon they became very good friends. Katrina was two inches taller than Bernadette, slim with long black hair. They both enjoyed physical fitness and were regular attendees at the local gym. The two worked as supervisors at the same store.

The store manager at the Croydon branch was a lovely lady by the name of Stephanie Taylor. She was liked and well regarded by all the staff but it became apparent that she identified both Katrina and Bernadette as having management potential. Separately she called them both into her office for career interviews and convinced each of them that they should apply for the in house management trainee programme.