Discipline of the Private House by Esme Ombreux Read Free Book Online Page A

and squeezed them with her fingers. This was, she had told Olena, an important part of the measuring exercise.
    'You won't find this size in all the ranges of lingerie,' the assistant had said, writing down Olena's bust measurement. She hadn't been able to keep her eyes off Olena's body. 'And you're still so young. And so slender round the waist,' she had added wistfully.
    Barat's eyes had widened, too, when Olena had shown him the paper on which her measurements were written. But he had said nothing, except to ask casually whether Olena wanted to start with skirts and blouses or with underwear.
    But when Olena had seen the lingerie department of the store, with scandalously frivolous clothing displayed as far as the eye could see, she had been overwhelmed with shyness and had insisted on being allowed to leave. Barat had chosen clothes for her and had brought them to her room some hours later.
    It had taken Olena a long time to pluck up the courage to open the shiny bags and gift-wrapped boxes. Each garment that she had unwrapped had been a surprise and a delight: the wedge-heeled sandals that Barat had already mentioned as being more feminine than slippers, for wearing indoors; a skirt that was so short that it would reveal her knees, and another that would have been more modest but for the split at the back; T-shirts and blouses; and a dress of light cotton. The bright colours and soft fabrics were themselves so sinful that merely looking at them and touching thepi made Olena's head swim.
    But the underwear that Barat had bought was even more wonderful and strange. Olena had only ever glimpsed such things in magazines, on those pages from which she had always averted her eyes. To have them here, in her little room, ready for her to wear, was wicked - and very, very thrilling. These were the kinds of underclothes that all the young women in the city must, she supposed, wear every day: stockings, in white and in black, with lace tops; knickers that appeared to be made of almost no material, and what little there was almost transparent; and matching bras with supported cups that Olena could tell would make her breasts look very prominent under even the loosest of outer clothes. The lace and satin were a glimmering temptation in the dim light from the bedside lamp.
    After she had taken off all her everyday clothes, Olena had stood looking at the underwear strewn across her bed. The scanty things seemed more of an affront to decency than did her own nakedness. But, she told herself, Barat had assured her that it was not sinful to wear these clothes. He was her guardian, after all, and he had bought the clothes himself. He had even hinted that it might be permissible for her to wear such things not only in private but when actually going out. The very thought made Olena blush, but she was secretly thrilled at the idea of walking into a lecture wearing her new city clothes. The other young women would look, and pretend not to be impressed; the young men would stare.
    Eventually Olena, with trembling fingers, had pulled on a pair of the knickers. Sometimes, in her bed in her parents' house in the community, she had pulled the sheets tight between her thighs, even though she knew it was naughty, because the pressure felt warm and exciting. But she had never worn clothes that were tight between her thighs, tight against the secret places down there. Never any clothing that almost disappeared between the cheeks of her bottom, drawing attention to the prominent twin globes.
    She wanted to touch herself there, even though she knew that she must never do such a thing except when washing herself. And she had no such excuse. Instead she squirmed, gasping as the material seemed to hold her even more tightly.
    How did city women manage to wear such underclothes all through the day? Surely at every moment they would be aware of the soft fabric touching their most secret parts?
    Putting on the bra was even more confusing. The feeling of the