Suzy takes on the world - Part Four - Princess Tiffany

Suzy sat alone in bed, with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Her brother, Damian, was involved with some bad people.  And there was nothing Suzy could do about it.  She couldn't even confide in mum.  Not unless she wanted to see her kitten plummet to his death.

She was very angry with her brother.  He had been horrible.  A monster, in fact.  She didn't speak to him.  She didn't want to speak to him ever again.

Suzy was getting fed up of being abused by males and made to beg and she was going to do something about it.

But first she had to have that hundred pound deposit for her trip to France.  The money and booking form were due tomorrow.  She got up.  She needed to speak to mum.  It was only just past ten o clock and Mum was still up.  Suzy snapped her light on.

To Suzy's astonishment, she noticed a envelope had been pushed under the door.  Suzy opened it to find one hundred pounds exactly.  There was a note in mum's handwriting "For your French trip.  Love Mum".

Suzy felt like crying with relief.  It would get Mademoiselle Penchat off her back for a while.  But then Suzy wondered where on earth Mum had found a spare hundred pounds lying around.

As far as Suzy knew, Mum cleaned houses for a number of clients, mainly elderly gentlemen.  The most horrible suspicions swirled around inside Suzy's mind.  She put the money back in the envelope and went back to sleep.

When she got up for school, Damian had already left, but Mum was still around.  Suzy handed Mum the envelope "Thanks for the money, mum, but I can't accept it".

Mum was astounded "But you need it for your trip to France!  That teacher of yours, Madam Penchot, or whatever she calls herself, wrote me a letter.  She needs one hundred pounds.  Today.  Or no trip".

"Mum, I don't need to go to France that badly!  I can go next year".

"You're going this year" Mum said firmly, pressing envelope firmly into Suzy's hand.

"But....where did you suddenly get a hundred pounds from?"

"I earned it.  Another job came in just at the right time".

Suzy shook her head "It just doesn't seem right......"

"I see" said Mum "You need to know where the money came from, right?"

Suzy nodded.

Mum took a notepad and pen out of her handbag and wrote something on a piece of paper, which she then tore out and handed to Suzy "Be at this address after you leave school.  I'll still be working there and you can see for yourself exactly how I earn the money.  OK?"

Suzy nodded in relief.  If Mum was willing to show her what she was doing, it couldn't be as bad as she feared.  She made to leave.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"Mum prompted her.

Flushing, Suzy smiled and said "Thanks Mum!"

"No, not that.  The permission slip.  Your French Madam won't be happy if you don't have that!"

"Thanks Mum" said Suzy, giving her a kiss.

Mademoiselle Penchat was happy when Suzy was able to give her the permission slip and deposit later that morning.  Home Economics, Physics, English Literature and Games seemed to pass in a blur.  Belinda Fox and her cronies gave Suzy little trouble beyond a few jibes at her patched skirt.  Suzy spotted Kevin playing football with his mates.  If he noticed her at all, he didn't show it.

Before Suzy knew it, the bell had gone for the final lesson of the day and Suzy was riding the bus to 47 Kenton Road.  Suzy had never been in this part of town before.  It was the posh end where the well-heeled lived and where people like mum were only the hired help.

Suzy didn't know the area at all and had to ask for directions but eventually found the house.  It was one of those old victorian houses.  Big and well-built.  Suzy rang a brass doorbell and heard a refined chime.

The door was opened by Mum, wearing a plastic apron, and Suzy was admitted.  Suzy found herself in a large, long hallway.  Expensive looking paintings hung on the walls and there was a big grandfather clock that was much taller than Suzy herself.

Mum directed Suzy where to put her coat and bag and ordered her to take her shoes off, handing her a pair of boy's slippers.  Suzy slipped them on.  They were comfy.  The whole house suggested comfort and well being.  It was much nicer than the flat at Royale Mansions.

The silence of the house was disturbed by a cry of "Nanny!" from somewhere above.

"I'm coming, Princess!"  Mum shouted up "Suzy, make yourself a cuppa and we'll chat when I get back".  Mum disappeared up the carpeted stairs.

Suzy wandered into the kitchen and made herself a drink.  She was puzzled because she was pretty sure the voice that cried out had been a man's voice!  And Mum had called him Princess!  Something weird was going on.

Mum came back about ten minutes later and made herself a drink.

"Mum, what's going on?"

Mum shook her head "You'll have to see it to believe it" she whispered.  "This house is owned by a gentleman called Mr Lancaster.  He's in his fifties, retired and very wealthy.  Well, he originally employed me as a cleaner and for a few months that's all I did for him.  Then, one day, I realised that I had left my purse at his house on my last job and so I went round to collect it.  Mr Lancaster wasn't expecting me, or anyone else, and so I unwittingly found out his secret.  He was so embarrassed and begged me not to tell anyone.  Then, it occurred to both of us that my role here could be expanded, for more money of course".

Suzy was fascinated by this revelation and dying to know more "So....what's his big secret mum?"

"If I show you, you must promise never to tell anyone.  Mr Lancaster would die if it ever became public!"

"OK Mum, I promise".

"Alright then, come with me and I'll show you".

Mother and daughter crept upstairs.  The hallways and room doors looked ordinary enough.  Disappointingly so.  Mum went to a cream coloured door, turned the brass handle and let it swing open.

Suzy's jaw almost hit the floor at what she beheld.

The room beyond was a perfect bedroom.  For a little girl, that is.  Pink and white wallpaper with fluffy pink bunnies on it covered the walls.  The floor was carpeted in a white carpet with a pale pink rose pattern.  The large, double-glazed window had net curtains to conceal the interior from prying eyes and silk curtains trimmed with lace.

The room was dominated by a large four poster bed, all festooned with lace and other feminine trimmings, with white silk sheets and heart shaped pink pillows.  There was a white vanity table and a dresser and what looked to be walk in wardrobes.  Then there were two display cases filled with dolls of all shapes and sizes. There must have been over a hundred!

The "girl", whose room this was, was the oddest thing Suzy had ever seen.

"She" was at least six feet tall, and stockily built, with large hands and feet.  "Her" legs and arms were bare and hairless and "she" wore a pink frock that was much beribboned and trimmed with frills and lace, with lace petticoats, frilled ankle socks and a shiny pair of mary-janes.  The "girl" wore bangles and bracelets on her arms and a twinkly necklace.  The hairpiece that resembled the blonde ringlets of little girlhood was clearly a wig.  The fingernails were painted a glossy pink colour.

Suzy had to resist the urge to burst out laughing at the sight of this huge man dressed as a little girl.  He looked nothing like a little girl!

The "girl" had her head bowed down in embarressment at Suzy's presence.

Mum held out a hand and "girl" rushed over and took it gratefully "Princess, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Suzy.  You do remember how to greet guests, don't you Princess?"

"Oh, yes, Nanny!" said the strange creature in a lisping voice.  Grasping "her" skirts, Princess bobbed Suzy a curtsey.

"Very good, Princess!  That was a very lovely curtsey!  What a good little girl you are!" said Mum sweetly.  "Now, be a good girl and play with one of your dollies".

Beaming happily, Princess romped off and sat down with one of "her" dolls.

Suzy stared at "her" in disbelief.  

Whilst Princess played quietly, Mum opened up the wardrobe to reveal a vast array of frocks and dresses.

They went back to the kitchen.  Once there, Suzy burst out laughing "It's so funny!  Fancy, a big man like that wanting to be treated like a little girl of six!"

Mum gave a reproachful look "Don't ridicule him.  He can't help how he feels.  For over fifty years, he's had to completely suppress his feminine side. Now that he no longer has to work and has no family to consider, he can allow himself to be what he wants.  It makes him very happy to be Princess.  And he pays me very well to be his "nanny" and to keep his secret".

"Which I know now as well" said Suzy thoughtfully.

"Yes.  You can't breathe a word about this to anyone.  I promised Mr...I mean Princess that you were a good girl and can keep a secret.  If I hadn't, she wouldn't have let you see her".

"I won't say a word.  It's just priceless though".

On the way home, Suzy thought about Princess.  OK, he looked like a dude in a frock.  But once you looked beyond that, Suzy recognised that Princess was capable of being a girl and exhibited classic feminine behaviour such as shyness, innocence and submissiveness, all of which was very endearing.

And that room had been an oasis of femininity.  Princess, Mum had mentioned, had designed the room herself.  A mind that could conceive such a room had to be feminine.

Suzy found all this very interesting.  Just as women were often capable of being masculine, men were  capable of being feminine, given the right clothes and environment.

Just think what might be possible Suzy thought.