Rebecca obliged, humbling herself to crawl around the table naked, on hands and knees, finding Jessica’s tiny feet. Holding each foot in a hand she kissed her small slippers adoringly then returned to the master of the house. A paradox of feelings swept her: the urge to spit, repulsed by such slavishness, and the desire to be consumed by this bizarre activity.
“There. That wasn’t difficult at all,” Louis remarked as she returned to him, bowing meekly. “Continue behaving yourself, you’ll do just fine.” He reached once more into his pocket and withdrew a ribbon. “Until you earn your collar, you’ll wear this—the mark of an initiate.” He reached with his hand to pull her up by the hair and tied the wide white ribbon of satin around her neck. Then he looked again at Lady Jessica. “She bears wa
