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Lady Sophia Altamont offers high wages to her servants. But none of the maids seem to stay very long...
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Note: I know very little about the Victorian economy (or Victorian fashion) so have no idea if 'three shillings and sixpence' was a good wage. Probably it was not, but any scholars of the Victorian economy who are into vore (and there must be some, surely?) are welcome to correct me.
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Posted by Apostolos 10 months ago Report
Well that was an interesting story, more please?
Posted by Augustin 10 months ago Report
Glad you liked it! I don't have any further plans for Lady Georgiana, but I'm currently fermenting some ideas for another quasi-Victorian story that hopefully won't take too long to brew. Also, if you liked this, I'll shamelessly self-promote "A Digestive Debut". It's set in a slightly earlier period with a similar archaic voice.
Posted by Apostolos 10 months ago Report
Oh I’ve read that one too. I was wondering if you could perhaps do one that’s more of non fatal start, with an accidental twist making it unintentionally fatal with a hidden prey?
Like say a young heiress enlisting her personal maid to sneak her from the premises to see a suitor or explore the commoner town. Maybe the first few trips go well but the mother gets suspicious and stops the maid from leaving on her errands, instead giving her strenuous tasks all over the property, watching like a hawk hoping to find out what secrets her daughter and her personal maid were hiding. Maybe the maid tried repeatedly to let her back out but constantly was interrupted, only to eventually retire for the night hoping to let her mistress out and instead belch up acid scarred underclothes.
Posted by Apostolos 10 months ago Report
Sorry was that too much?
Posted by Augustin 10 months ago Report
Oh! Sorry, no! I can just be a little slow in responding to comments sometimes. It's a hot idea and I do like accidental digestion. "Why FE5 Added Rescue" (not that it's my best work) has a similar plot actually to what you suggested - retainer swallows noblewoman to protect her and then doesn't manage to let her out. But there's scope to explore the topic again, certainly. Will consider it when I plot out my next story!
Posted by miner249er 10 months ago Report
I'm not an expert but I read a Victorian maid earned anywhere from 10 to 30 shillings a week.
so three shillings and sixpence was a pretty bad wage
Posted by Augustin 10 months ago Report
Yeah, it seems that might be the case. As another commenter suggested, it could just be that these poor maids live in an even worse dystopia than nineteenth-century Britain, but I don't want to break anyone's immersion. Thanks!
Posted by LivesInAStomach 10 months ago Report
First of all: incredible story. I've hardly the words to describe how your writing and prose made me feel. For lack of a better term, the voice of this story was beautifully archaic in the most enrapturing of ways. It was a very unique experience.
Second: Your Victorian vorarephilic scholar is here, and in this time period, three shillings and sixpence would be a truly dreadful wage.
Households of this size and stature hired many different positions. Maids and servants were all in charge of something different, rather than the case of Katie in this story, which seemed to be tasked with a large variety of chores. But in an ideal, fair world, even the lowest paid positions, like general odd-job housemaids, were paid upwards of seven shillings or more.
But maybe this isn't an ideal, fair world, hm?
Posted by Augustin 10 months ago Report
Thanks so much! Comments like this make writing worthwhile. Context for the voice was that I'd been reading Tess of the D'Urbervilles and The French Lieutenant's Woman while coming up with ideas, and Tom Brown's Schooldays while writing the story, so... I'm lucky it came off. This is the cut version with less narratorial rapture :)
On your other point - I see. I'm not entirely surprised. Since the model was 'dystopian Victorianism' I had no shame in making outrageous assertions about their society, sexual mores, gender roles etc. without a shred of evidence; it's only important that it's believable. If the wage is *that* dreadful, though, I might change it. I wouldn't want to break anyone's immersion.
As for the number of servants, that's because the relationship between Katie and Lady Sophia is based off Sarah and Mrs Poulteney in Lieutenant, and Sarah's her companion. It does result in one plothole: LS is "not at home" while digesting her maids, but who's to announce that if she's eaten her only servant? But including more characters would have complicated the dynamic, so I decided to leave it.
Basically: all things bend to almighty Venus. Thank you!!