The Governess- 22

The hands of the large clock on the wall slowly moved to indicate eleven thirty.
Jane Marwood looked across at her pupil. Richard was bent down over his books,
his face still red with embarrassment at the sharp rebuke he had just received
from his mistress. Jane had made sure that he could not keep his mind on his
work. Several times that morning she had leaned over the boy, her soft breasts
brushing against the nape of his neck as she pretended to look at his work. She
had also crossed over to the window, standing against the strong sunlight she
had made sure her body was angled perfectly for him to see the outline of her
breasts through the sheer cotton of her blouse. She had also caught Richard
looking at her several times as she sat at her desk. On the last occasion she
had sharply reminded him that he had only five minutes left to complete the test
she had set him at the start of the day.

“Right Richard, bring your book over here and let me see how well you have got
on.” Her voice sounded light and cheerful. She watched as Richard stood up
clumsily and lifted the foolscap exercise book from the desktop. His cheeks were
suffused in a deep red blush by the time he had reached her desk. Jane was well
aware of the discomfort she caused each time she looked directly into his eyes.
Jane had always been aware of her beauty and she was conscious of her every
movement. A simple parting of the lips, sometimes dropping her eyelashes and
tilting her head upwards, angling her body in a pretty pose or gently touching
someone’s hand. She had developed her physical grace to perfection. She looked
at Richard who was standing in front of her, his awkwardness in marked contrast
to her poise. “Give me your book, there’s a good boy.” Her voice was almost a
purr. She took the writing book from his trembling finger. Looking down she
could hardly be bothered to read the words he had written, her mind was already
on the course of events to follow. She flipped the page back and fourth,
checking what she already knew, that he had only managed to write one and a half
pages. Her distractions and been completely successful, keeping him from any
semblance of concentrated effort. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with
surprise. “It seems that you have wasted the whole morning Richard. I can see no
evidence of any proper effort and you have not even started question three. What
do you have to say for yourself?” Richard dropped his eyes and blushed an even
deeper red. “I… I.. d’don’t know miss. I know them I j’just couldn’t do them
in time.” Richard’s voice trailed off into silence. He bent his head and began
to shuffle his feet. Jane spoke sharply to him. “Stand straight and look at me
when I am talking to you. Do you mean to tell me that you have no excuse for
this work”.