I’d been in town for a job interview. As I came out, I found myself looking at what I thought was a new piece of graffiti on the wall. It was only when I looked closer than I realised it was a poster; It had been cleverly printed on a transparent material then stuck to the wall, making it look like graffiti. It was for a photography exhibition called ‘The Perfect Eye’; the poster was a really detailed picture of a woman’s eye, with long black lashes.

The man standing by me smiled as he saw me looking at it.

“I was quite pleased by how that turned out”, he said. “Hi, I’m Jake. The photographer.”

“Alex”, I said. “Yes, it’s fascinating. If I’m still in town, I’ll try to go to it.”

At this point, a redheaded woman in a light blue dress turned up and hugged Jake.

“All done!”, she said. “Posters are up, with permission, and I’ve already started setting up the room. However, I’ve got to get back home now, for a bit.”

She called for a taxi. For some reason, she suddenly turned to me…

“I’m heading back along the coast”, she said. “Can I drop you anywhere?”

“I just need to be in town”, I said.

“No problem! I’ll drop you on the way.”

For some reason, this woman was really eager to get me to share a taxi with her. I couldn’t work this out at all. For one thing, I thought she was hooked up with Jake, the photographer.

The taxi turned up, and she got in. Something made me get in with her…

“My brother can be so full of himself, sometimes”, she said, as we pulled away. “I bet he even told you he was the photographer. I don’t mind, but it can be a bit disheartening sometimes. After all, the pictures are all my work…”

She looked at me, and there were tears in her eyes.

“I could tell you understood as soon as you saw me. After all, you’ve been controlled by powerful men for a long time…”

“What did you just say?”, I said, in shock, staring at her.

“Alexandra Kingston, heiress. Pretending to be Alex James, clerk. This male ‘persona’ doesn’t suit you at all…”

All business, now, she swung round.

“Straight to the manor, Henry. Alexandra and I need to have a talk.”

“Yes, Ma’am”, said the driver.

I reached for the taxi door, but it was locked.

“Can’t have passengers falling out”, the driver said.

“Alexandra, please. Settle back and enjoy the ride. We do really need to talk…”

For a person that needed to talk, the woman was very quiet on the journey, only really looking at me occasionally; her glances seemed to be a mixture of pity and distaste.

Once out of town and into the country, we suddenly turned north. After heading up a long winding road, the taxi started crunching down the gravel of a long driveway. I went white as a sheet. I knew where this was…

I turned to the woman next to me.

“Oh my god! You’re Mattie Bell!”

She smiled.

“I knew I chose right”, she said…

We got to the manor and stopped by the front entrance.

Henry got out, now acting as the perfect chauffeur, and undid the doors. I was in a state of shock. I’d known of Mattie for years; she owned half of the county. For her to be taking an interest in me…

“Get Alexandra appropriately attired, will you, Henry?”, Mattie said.

I was balking at the idea of a man helping me dress as a woman and seeing me naked. Then ‘Henry’ took her hat off and shook her head. Long blonde hair spilled down over her shoulders…

‘Henry’ was short for Henrietta. She was a woman, and a gorgeous one, too…

She’d played the male part perfectly, better than me, I had to admit. No-one who had seen her would have thought otherwise…

Right in front of me, Henry took her coat off, then undid a Velcro strap.

“Got to let the twins out to play”, she said. “God, it’s worse than wearing a corset. Still, you should know…!”

Sheepishly, I nodded.

Now looking like a body builder in sport bra and slacks, Henry led me into the manor. We headed down a corridor, up some stairs and into a room.

There was an absolutely beautiful lilac dress hanging up on the door of a wardrobe.

“Wow…”

“Glad you like it,” said Henry. “It’s yours. Come on, let’s get you out of those silly clothes…”

Soon, ‘Alex James’ was a pile of clothes in the corner of the room. I was really melting under Henry’s expert touch…

The kiss came easily. To my surprise, Henry just smiled and returned it.

“That’s more like it…”, she purred.

It took us a little longer than it should have done to get ready. I kept messing up my makeup…

Eventually, the two of us went to meet Mattie in the grand hall. She had changed as well…

“I had to get changed on my own…”, she pouted.

“Apologies, Ma’am”, said Henry, with a quiet giggle that showed she wasn’t sorry at all. “That reminds me. May I have permission to change into my house uniform?”

“Of course, Henry. May I also say you have done a beautiful job with Alexandra.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

Henry left.

“Now”, said Mattie, “What’s all this tosh about you being Alex and looking for work?”

I stared off into the distance, then, haltingly, spoke.

“I couldn’t take it anymore. I was told my whole life was planned out for me. What I was going to do, be, marry…”

I stopped for a second. I suddenly felt Mattie’s hand on mine…

“I understand”, she said.

I knew she did. Her life had been the same, until she took control of it. Not having that opportunity, I had chosen to run, instead.

The tears came freely…

Henry came flying into the room and crouched down by me, hugging me.

“What have you done to her!”, she said, indignantly.

“Henrietta Mason!”, said Mattie, indignantly. “How dare you speak to me like that!”

“For her, I’d do anything!”, said Henry.

“Me too…”, said Mattie, quietly.

“Stop this, you’ll smudge your makeup”, said Henry, with her soft laugh.

Gradually, I calmed down, realising I was among friends. Both of them then hugged me, almost starting me crying again…

Mattie and I became firm friends after that.

Henry and I a bit more…

Mattie was straight; she looked on me more as a sister. Henry, however…

That first kiss had told us everything we needed to know in that respect about each other.

If Henry was late to work, ever, all Mattie had to do was look in my room.

“She was the perfect chauffeur and servant, before you arrived”, she said, mock seriously. “Now, her timekeeping is shot to hell…!”

Mattie didn’t really mind at all. She and Henry had cooked up the entire scheme to rescue me from my domineering parents. They had seen ‘Alex James’ as a cry for help and been determined to help her. They’d also kept her secluded, to ensure that her parents didn’t find her.

The whole thing in town had been a complete set up; they had known that Alexandra was interested in photography; even the ‘brother’ had been an actor hired by Mattie.

The exhibition, however, had been real; there really was a ‘Perfect Eye’ photo exhibition. Alexandra actually went, as Alex, and loved it.

There was one slight scare; her parents, knowing her love for photography, came to the opening. They walked right past Alex, and didn’t even notice…