Manners
Maketh Gentlemen
For a woman in
her late fifties, Lisa Stevens felt she still had a body men looked at and in
that, she was correct. Her hair may have been turning grey, but she kept fit,
and the summer dress she was wearing barely held her chest inside the top half.
The dress was sleeveless, the thin straps over her shoulders and the skirt
flowing out from her waist, made from a light brown silk with a print of
buildings in Venice on the material.
As she sat down
on her bed and fastened the straps of her Greek sandals round her legs, she
glanced at herself in the mirrored doors of the wardrobe. “Looking good,” she
said to herself as she stood up and walked down the staircase to the ground
floor of her house. It was Wednesday, and every Wednesday Lisa had morning
coffee with her two best friends - friends since their schooldays.
Hearing the
doorbell, she smiled as she opened it and said “Anne you’re looking better.”
“I look a mess,
but thanks for saying I do look better,” Anne Hewkin said as she came in. She
had light brown hair cut in a bob, and was wearing a black leather jacket over
a pale blue tunic dress with a skirt that barely covered her bottom, as well as
gold strapped sandals but she was almost skeletally thin, the result of the
course of treatment she had recently completed.
“So what is
thew word,” Lisa said as she closed the door.
“All Clear but
you know how this works, Lisa, I’m always going to be looking over my shoulder
now,” Anne said as she hung her jacket up, and rubbed her thin, bare arms.
“Well, come in
and sit down, I’ll make some tea for all of us.”
“Thanks,” Anne
said as she walked into the front room and sat herself down on a large mustard
coloured seat. Crossing her legs, she let out a sigh and looked around the
room.
“I’m just glad
to be alive,” she said quietly to herself as she heard the doorbell ring again,
and then a third female voice say “can I give you a hug?”
“If you are
gentle about it,” Anne said with a smile as Doreen Clarke smiled and leaned
over to gently hug her friend. She had grey-blonde hair cut in a bob, and was
wearing a short sleeved white denim coat dress that came halfway down her
thighs, her feet in beige open toed sandals.
“Good to see
you as well how are the grandkids?”
“Getting bigger
every time I see them,” Doreen said as she sat herself down, Lisa bringing in a
tray with three cups and saucers, a tea pot and a
small jug of milk.
“I can imagine
and how is little Lisa?”
“Starting to
walk,” Doreen said as she accepted the cup of tea, adding some sugar from a
small bowl and stirring the liquid while Lisa handed Anne a cup. “So you go the
all-clear Anne?”
“As I said to
Lisa, for now,” Anne said for a smile before she took a sip from the cup. “Ah,
that’s better. So what are we going to do to celebrate my news?”
“We could have
a girl’s night out, hit the clubs like the old days,” Doreen said with a smile.
“I’m not quite
that fit,” Anne said as she shook her head. “But going to a show, or the
cinema, that might be an now who could that be?”
Lisa put her
cup down as she heard the doorbell ring again, and then said “probably just a
Jehovah’s Witness let me deal with it,” as she walked out of the room.
“Want to go and
see Wicked?”
“Possibly,”
Anne said with a smile as they heard Lisa talking to someone, and then the door
closing.
“So was it a
Witness?”
“Not in the
sense you may be meaning, my dear lady.”
Anne and Doreen
turned their heads to see their friend standing between two men. They were
identically dressed in black, including the leather jackets, the leather gloves
on their hands, and the balaclavas that covered their heads so that only their
eyes and lips were visible. The most striking thing about them, however, was
the height difference
“What What’s
going on,” Anne finally said as she pushed herself back in her chair.
“Allow me to
make the introductions,” one of the masked men said, “I am known as Mister
Tall, and this is my friend and partner, Mister Small. Now, we know who Lisa
is, but would it be impolite if I was to ask your names?”
Anne and Doreen
looked at each other, before Doreen said “I’m Doreen, and this is Anne. I’ve
heard of you read about you in the papers.”
“Our reputation
proceeds us yet again,” Mister Small said with a smile. “And do those reports
tell you what is going to happen next?”
“You’re the
Gentlemen Robbers I imagine you are going to rob Lisa, and as for us No.”
“With regret,
yes,” Mister Tall said quietly, “we need not only to ensure that the alarm is
not raised as we go about our work, but also that all three of you are left
comfortable, secure and unable to raise the alarm. We
will ensure the appropriate authorities are informed and come to your aid
later.”
Lisa looked at
her friends, and said “I’m sorry they came in as soon as I answered the door,
and they are armed.”
“They are?”
“We are,”
Mister Tall replied, “We could always demonstrate the fact if you “
“No no, I believe you,” Anne said quietly as Mister Tall and
Mister Small looked at her.
“You can’t tie
her up please,” Lisa said as Doreen nodded.
“Oh no you do
not treat me differently just because I have recovered from “
“I understand
if you do not wish to answer,” Mister Small said quietly as he walked over and
knelt by the seat, putting a gloved hand on Anne’s, “but “
“Bone cancer I
got the all-clear yesterday,” Anne whispered as she started to cry. Mister
Small gently put his arms round her and held her as Mister Tall said “I am glad
to hear you are in recovery, but we do have a professional standard to
maintain. We will, however, make sure to take special care of you. Lisa, I
require you to close the curtains over the windows, and then all three of you
need to give your handbags to Mister Small.”
As Lia walked
to the windows, and looked out, Anne whispered “thank you I needed to do that.”
“I understand,”
Mister Small said as he stood up, and then she handed him her handbag, Mister
Small collecting Annes as Lia came back and handed her handbag over.
“My thanks,” the
smaller of the two men said as he removed the mobile phones from the bags and
switched them off, then deposited them on a bookshelf. Placing the handbags on
the floor, he went back into the hallway and returned with a holdall, opening it and handing a length of rope to Mister Tall before taking
one himself.
“May I ask you
and Anne to swap places, Doreen,” Mister Tall said as Mister Small took Lisa’s
hands behind her back and she felt the rope rubbing on her wrists as they were
bound tightly together. Her two friends slowly stood up and walked across the
room, Anne seating herself down on the couch as Mister Tall walked behind
Doreen and put her hands behind her back.
“What are you
going to do to them,” Lisa asked as she glanced to the side, watching Mister
Small as he drew a longer length of rope from the holdall and doubled it over,
then passed it round her and pulled it tight under her chest. She let out an
involuntary gasp as the rope went round her arms above her chest as well, and
she felt the ropes rubbing on the bare chest under her dress.
“Make them
comfortable and quiet,” Mister Small said as he continued to pass the rope
round Lisa, pulling it tighter with each pass.
“May I sit and
have some more tea,” Anne asked as she looked at Mister Tall, who had taken a
longer length of rope as well and was using it to secure Doreen’s arms to her
sides, stretching her dress over her chest as he did so.
“Of course,” he
said with a smile as Mister Small tied the ends off behind Lisa’s back, and
said “if you would come with me Lis, we can ensure as little mess is made as
possible.”
“Please don’t
hurt them especially Anne,” Lisa said as she looked at her friends.
“I assure you,
we will take especially good care of them,” Mister Tall said with a smile. “Please
have a seat in the armchair, Doreen.”
Lisa nodded as
she was walked out of the room, Anne seeing the ropes round her friend’s wrists
as Mister Tall took two more lengths of rope from the bag, and knelt down, crossing Doreen’s ankles and securing them
tightly together with the rope.
He then secured
her legs together below her knees, making sure he cinched the band by taking
the rope between her legs, before he secured the ends behind her knees. “There
now,” he said as he stood up, “I trust that is not too uncomfortable?”
“No no, I can cope,” Doreen said quietly as she looked at Anne.
“So are you
going to use rope on me as well,” she said quietly.
“No no, I believe you have suffered quite enough over the last
few months,” Mister Tall said quietly as he walked to the holdall, and drew out
instead a large roll of white tape. “I think we can do something more
comfortable for you. Please stand up for a moment, Anne, and then cross your
wrists in front of yourself.”
Anne looked at
Doreen as she twisted in the chair, and then slowly stood up, crossing her
wrists as Mister Tall peeled the end of the tape free from the roll, and then
wrapped it round and between her wrists to ensure they were held firmly
together.
“Well, that’s
not so bad,” Anne said quietly as Mister Tall peeled the tape free from the
roll again, and then wrapped it round her waist to keep her wrists held in
front of herself. He then used the band to form two more bands, above and below
her chest as her tunic dress was stretched and held in place.
“Thank you,”
Doreen said quietly as Mister Tall then helped Anne to lie on the couch,
cushions under her head, before he used the tape again to secure her ankles and
legs together. She slowly twisted her legs round, as Mister Tall tore a long
strip of the tape away from the roll.
“Just relax,
stay calm,” he said quietly as he looked at Anne.
“Thank you.”
“For what,
Anne?”
“For
acknowledging what happened to me.”
“All
appearances aside, we do care for those we visit,” the masked man said with a
smile, “now, purse your lips.”
“It’s very
quiet downstairs,” Lisa said as she sat on her bed, watching as Mister Small
empty one of her trays of jewellery into a black sack.
“A good sign,”
Mister Small said with a smile, “it means Mister Tall is keeping them calm and
being good company.”
“This really
works for you doesn’t it being so polite.”
“Manners maketh
man,” the masked robber said as he looked at Lisa, “and we are gentlemen, after
all. However, we find those we visit do respond more calmly to being treated
with respect.”
“Even though
you tie them up nd leave them helpless?”
“Which is as
far as we go no further,” Mister Small said as Lisa wriggled round, feeling the
bands of rope rubbing on her bare arms and chest.
“I guess you
are right in that,” Lisa said quietly as Mister Small opened the safe, and
placed certain items into the bag. “We were planning a night out when you
arrived. Something to celebrate Anne’s good news.”
“That sounds
like an excellent idea,” Mister Small said as he closed the doors of the
walk-in wardrobe.
“Well do you
have any suggestions?”
“You are asking
me?”
“Something
tells me you may have some original suggestions.”
“Well, may I
suggest The Mousetrap? If none of you have seen the play, it is a remarkable
robust and entertaining production. Now Mister Tall, he might suggest something
at Covent Garden “
“He’s into
opera?”
Mister Small
smiled and nodded. “Indeed do you think we are philistines outside of our work?”
“My mistake,”
Lisa said as she looked down at her chest. “So what happens now?”
“Now, you join
your friends,” Mister Small said as he closed the bag, and helped her to stand
up. “Allow me to escort you back to the front room.”
Lisa nodded as
she carefully walked out of the room, and down the stairs, walking into the
front room as Anne said “whrrfhnnhh” through the tape
covering her mouth.
Doreen nodded
as she wriggled in the armchair, feeling the bands of rope on her own chest as
the tape covered her mouth as well.
“We keep our
word, Lisa,” Mister Tall said as he looked over from where he had disconnected
the telephone. “If you will take a seat the other armchair, Mister Small will
ensure you are just as comfortable.
“Anne are you
sure you are all right,” Lisa said as she sat down, Anne nodding as she
wriggled on the couch, the tape wrinkling a little as she did so. She then
looked down as Mister Small knelt in front of her and crossed her ankles,
before taking the thin white rope around and between her ankles to hold them
together.
“Forgive me for
the impudence,” he then said as he folded the skirt of Lisa’s dress back and
exposed her knees, before he used another length of
rope to tightly secure her legs together below her knees.
“I guess I can
forgive for that, given the circumstances,” Lisa said with a smile as he tied
the ends of the rope off, and then folded the skirt back.
“I thank you
for that,” Mister Small said as he stood up, and took the roll of tape from
Mister Tall. “Now, with regret, you need to be kept quiet for a while. Remain
calm and relax, then put your lips together.”
Lisa could see
the shape of their lips under the strips covering the mouths of her friends,
and nodded before she felt the tape covering her own mouth, Mister Small gently
but firmly pressing it down over her lips.
“I think our
business here is concluded,” Mister Tall said as he turned the radio on, Mister
Small agreeing as he picked up the holdall. “Anne, please accept the wishes of
both of us for your continued recovery.”
“
Fhnkuhhh,”
Anne mumbled as the two masked men stood in the doorway.
“We will inform
the appropriate authorities in due course The Gentlemen Robbers bid you adieu,”
Mister Tall said with a smile, “may we never meet again.”
All three of
them watched as the two intruders left, hearing the front door close as they
looked at each other.
“Swwhtdhwhdhnhh,” Doreen said as she wriggled round.
“Hrllhxx,” Lisa said, “thsshwkhndd,
fhnsshthmhsthrhp?”
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