Chapter 276.

Clarissa led Bobby back into stable 13.  He had less than half an hour to recover.  They took off his mask, he rested, used the toilet, and had an energy drink.  Much to his relief, Ellie then put on his standard mask.  Several stable girls, friends of MĂ©lisande, had gathered outside, eager to ask her where she had taken Ponyboy and what they had done.  Clarissa relieved MĂ©lisande of her hat and whip, and left her chatting with her friends.  Ellie and Clarissa led Bobby up the hill, round the offices, and out of the gate to the Old House.  The House had a spacious enclosed courtyard, and was divided into two parts, on the left the living quarters, on the right a spacious stable.  Ellie noted a little wooden upturned crate in the courtyard, and smiled.  The plan was afoot!  She opened the stable door and Clarissa led Bobby in.  The floor was a big plain stone flags, and there was little furniture – only a couple of benches and a big cupboard.  Ellie shut the door and called out “we’re here”.  The adjoining door opened, and who should appear but Miss Poole herself, with the familiar face of Magda’s sidekick Zeta following on behind!
“Hello Ellie.  Hi Clarissa.  I’m not sure if you know Zeta.”  Zeta smiled and inclined her head.  “Zeta is Magda’s best friend.  And she’s an ace photographer.”
“Violet!  Hi, Zeta.  But
  What are you doing here on a Sunday?”
“Well I’m here to witness the pony rides, of course, Clarissa.  To watch your charge at work.”
“Oh, yes.  Of course
”
“And to have a bit of fun.  Perhaps I’d better explain.  We have a few minutes before our other guest arrives, I think?”
“About fifteen minutes,” said Ellie.
“Good.  Right.  Clarissa, I’ve explained everything to Zeta,  Ellie’s in on this too, so now I just need to tell you.  Ellie, got the ear plugs?”
“Right here, Violet.” 
She took Bobby by the bridle, stretched open his hood, and plugged both his ears.
“Thank you.  As I was saying, Clarissa, today I need to make an example of a certain person who will be arriving here shortly.  Bobby is going to help me, though he doesn’t know it yet.  Please just go along with anything we do.  After the filming Ellie’s going to call a few of the girls.  But before that, our guest is going to have a little ride round the courtyard.   So I have to ask
is Bobby fully, er, equipped, today?”
She pointed at his pink pouch.  Clarissa looked startled.
“Does he have his nice red
?”
“Yes, of course
”
“Excellent.  Then at the appropriate time, maybe his zip could slip undone
?”
Clarissa's eyes widened slightly.  “If...you say so
”
“Good!  We’re all set, then. All we have to do is wait for
”
She was interrupted by a faint double knock at the stable door


Chapter 274.


Miss Poole had been looking forward to the day of pony rides, for several reasons.  Principally, of course, because it marked the first stage in the tightening of ownership of the boys.  They were beginning to struggle against their bonds, so today she would bind them both a little tighter.  Tim would get a taste of real discipline at last.  He would begin to learn what it meant to be in total servitude, under the thumb of a demanding an unsympathetic mistress.  And he would experience the anxiety of not knowing what his next boss might be like.  Cassandra had plenty of demanding clients lined up.  Perfect!  If there was anything more pleasurable than watching unruly boys brought to heel, it was only the planning that preceded it!  And then Bobby.  He’d been indulging himself lately, swanning around the boot parlour, dressing up in pretty dresses and making everyone fall in love with him.  Oh yes, he could wear dresses all right – but from now on it would be she who would decide what sort of dresses he wore!  The pony rides would be the perfect reminder that he was basically a little beast of burden, and also that his social life hung on a thread, in the form of a little fine latex mask.  If that were ever to be removed, then
  But no.  That wouldn’t serve her purpose at present.  In any case, if everything worked out as she had planned, she’d have something much more effective


But they were not the only ones in her sights today.  Two weeks ago she had received a rather unpleasant letter from a firm of solicitors acting on instructions from a Lady Middiford, threatening court action if the Centre failed to pay compensation of two thousand pounds for anguish suffered by the complainant’s daughter, Thomasina, as a result of bullying by stable girls.  Miss Poole was aware of the incident, which had occurred weeks ago.  Thomasina was a member, an only child, and though she was actually a few months older than the boys, she seemed younger, and to judge by her naivety and shyness, had been the victim of an over-protective mother.  One of the girls had made a disparaging remark about her outfit, which was both expensive and rather ostentatious – her black jacket had gold thread around the lapels, and her gloves were Chanel.  She ended up being pushed around a bit, to which she reacted, not by fighting back, but by bursting into tears.  The ringleader had already been dismissed, and that really should have been the end of it.  Thomasina herself continued to ride there two or three times a week.  Miss Poole suspected that she did so at the insistence of her mother, since she suspected that the girl’s instinct would have been to find a new riding centre. 

Whatever else she might have been, Miss Poole was no snob, and indeed had a ingrained dislike of pretentiousness and titles, especially those gained by inheritance, marriage, or nepotism, and she had no intention of bowing to Lady Middiford’s threats.  The daughter offered a possible defence.  She felt no malice towards the daughter – but equally she had no qualms about using her, exploiting her timidity.  In fact, she found her timorousness slightly irritating; it was really time she “grew a pair”, thought Violet.

Her plan had been cooked up between herself and Ellie.  They made a great pair of conspirators, both with devious minds, Violet motivated partly by money, but both with salacious imaginations.
Ellie also found Thomasina’s meekness rather amusing.  She related an incident she had witnessed at reception, where the girl was blinking and blushing like a crossing beacon.
“What was that all about?” asked Violet.
“Oh, she’d come to pick up a programme for the county shows.  Then Evelina says to her, joking like, “oh, while you’re here Thomasina, the boot boys have had a cancellation this afternoon.  Fancy a free session?”  She turned bright red!  She’s so shy, the poor thing.  Even the mention of boys is enough to fluster her.”
“Oh
  Interesting.  She doesn’t have a boyfriend, then?”
“What?  Thomasina?  No way!  You should see how she dresses.  Except when she’s in her riding gear, of course – then she looks like a million dollars.  Her face has never seen a speck of makeup!  No, anything to do with sex – even the idea of a sexy little dress, say – and she turns as red as a beetroot, and runs a mile.”
“Really?  Sounds to me as though she needs to chill out a bit
”
“I don’t think that’s likely to happen anytime soon.”
“Well, maybe sooner than you think, Ellie.  I have an idea how I can kill two birds with one stone
”

Perfect.

Becoming Delta Darlings
 and a Warning

       The boys then learned more about the Alexionian Society they had just joined. They were told it was also occasionally referred to as “The Society of the Alexiones.” They soon realized they were far from the first college boys to become reluctant Little Sisters. Almost all the “Alexiones” before them had been “drafted” in one way or another. In addition to being knowledge experts on Gamma Delta, their new role was to be “helpers” for the Sisterhood in a variety of ways. It seemed their central role was to provide cheerful, diligent service supporting the ideals of Gamma Delta.

       Madison explained that their service could encompass a wide range of activities—academic work, errands, charity work, occasional chores and even
 entertainment. When she mentioned that last one, her lips curled in an almost devious way. The boys squirmed, worried about what was to come and acutely aware of their feminine skirts and blouses.

       Madison continued, “You’ll be expected to embody service with grace, and of course, you won’t be joining any of the fraternities.” The boys were somewhat dismayed to learn that. Madison added succinctly, “You’re on a different path now, and anyway you won’t have the time.” Although Julian had no plans to join a fraternity, the other three had harbored various levels of interest. They felt a small pang of loss to have those aspirations squashed so dismissively and decisively.

       As Madison outlined their new roles, the boys shifted uncomfortably in their seats, feeling the soft fabrics slide against their skin as constant reminders of how their world had changed. They discovered that the oath they took was formally called the “The Alexion’s Pledge.” Apparently each of them was now officially an “Alexion,” together they were “Alexiones,” and they had joined the “Alexionian Society” It was a lot to keep straight. They also learned about other informal nicknames used to describe boys in their current situation.

       â€œâ€˜Alexiones,’ and ‘the Alexionian Society’ are such mouthfuls though, and the ‘Society of the Alexiones’ is almost a meal by itself,” Tara said with a wry smile. She explained, “We don’t use those terms much in everyday conversation
 mostly just for ceremonies.” She told them the Sisters also needed a simple way to differentiate them from the “real” Little Sisters who were pledging Gamma Delta and would eventually become full Sisters. With a playful twinkle in her eye, Tara continued, “So you four are our newest ‘Delta Darlings!’”

       â€œâ€˜Delta Darlings’
?” Nate asked hesitantly as the cutesy term seemed to almost stick in his throat. It even felt embarrassing to say it as he tentatively tried out the overly sissyish term.

       Tara smiled and said with a wink, “That’s right. You’re a ‘Delta Darling’ now
 Darling!” Several stifled giggles were audible at Tara’s teasing wordplay. The boys shifted uncomfortably, their faces growing even redder. It was clear that Tara and the other Sisters were genuinely delighted to see the boys put in their new, distinctly subordinate roles.

       Tara went on, “There’s some interesting history to it. Back in the early days, they initially used the term ‘Little Darlings’ for boys like you. Over time, that kind of morphed into ‘Delta Darlings,’ and ‘Little Darlings’ was used less. I think the idea was to put more of a ‘Delta’ stamp on you,” she added brightly. A few more nicknames came and went over the years like ‘Delta Dolls’ and ‘Little Gammas.’ There was a time in the 70s they used ‘Petal Boys’ occasionally, but that was just a short fad. We mostly use ‘Delta Darlings’ today, but you’ll still hear ‘Darlings’ for short.”

       Wearing a nervous frown, Owen began to speak with a trace of whiny protest in his voice, “But, do we really have to—?”

       â€œYes,” Brianna interrupted and cut him off, “Yes, you do.” Then she added, “It’s OK to ask questions, sweetheart, but you lose a point for that tone.” It was an obvious warning shot
 for all of them.

       The boys’ cheeks all flushed, clearly unsettled by the swift response to this very mild hint of resistance. The lesson was clear. They also collectively cringed at the girlish nickname now attached to them. It was troubling to realize there seemed to be a whole structure and plan reserved for boys in their predicament. It became obvious this was more than some random sorority lark. The recognition made them worry even more.

       Tara then continued as if nothing had happened and directed their attention back to their booklets. She pointed out a timeline of key events. “We cherish our rich history,” she started, “Gamma Delta was founded in 1928 by six independent women who wanted to create a supportive space for female students at this university. You’ll need to know each founder’s full name and explain her contributions to our legacy. You can find all their portraits in the hallway, and I highly encourage you to study their biographies thoroughly.”

       Turning the page in his handout, Milo noticed a chart listing all the chapter presidents since the founding.

       Tara continued, “You’ll also need to memorize all the chapter presidents in order and the years they served, and of course you’ll be responsible for knowing all our current officers.”  She gestured at a photo collage on the lounge wall showing the current board members, encouraging each boy to match faces to names. Their hearts began to sink as they realized just how many names and dates they’d be expected to rattle off on demand.

       â€œThe alumna section is also very important,” Elise added, flipping to a list of notable graduates and their accomplishments, “Details matter! During our Thursday study halls we’ll be doing ‘Alumna Spotlights,’ so each week, you will one choose one distinguished graduate you admire and make a short presentation describing her contributions, achievements and why you chose her.” She grinned, “You have so many to choose from!”

       Madison added, “And don’t overlook the appendix. That’s where you’ll find important things like our code of conduct, tips on dressing for success and a list of our recent philanthropic projects. There’s also a helpful section on etiquette tips at chapter events such as how to greet visiting alumnae, the correct way to introduce yourself and how to write thank-you notes.” 

       Then, it got worse. With an almost nonchalant air, she said, “The study guides are obviously just to get you started.” She gestured to a large bookcase in the corner filled with thick, leather-bound volumes, “Over there are our annual histories
 one volume for every year. Of course, you’ll need to become familiar with how it’s all organized so you can quickly find anything you need, but you should start with the basics in the handouts.”

       As the Big Sisters made their expectations crystal clear, the boys’ discomfort grew. The sheer volume of information—names, dates, songs, symbols—loomed like an avalanche. Sitting there meekly in their adorable matching skirts and blouses, they realized how hopelessly screwed they were.

A Gamma Delta Primer

       When the hour reached eight, Madison cheerfully announced that it was time for the boys to get their first lesson in the history and lore of Gamma Delta. Most of the other Sisters in the room turned their chairs to watch. Madison then produced a neat stack of study packets. The booklet covers were stamped with the sorority crest, and she distributed them with the flourish of someone unveiling treasure. Her voice took on an air of ceremony. “Tonight, you’ll begin to appreciate what it means to be part of the Gamma Delta fold. This isn’t just a sorority—it’s a tradition, a legacy, and a family. And as our Little Sisters, the newest members of the Alexionian Society, you are going to learn all about our history, values, and what makes Gamma Delta special.”

       The boys exchanged pained looks as their Big Sisters gathered around, ready to guide where needed. Madison’s tone grew even more serious as she continued: “I want you to understand that starting now, you must apply yourselves with the utmost diligence. Mastering all the material in these packets is not optional. You will be expected to know by heart every aspect of Gamma Delta history, tradition, and lore.”

       Madison let that sink in, and then she began the lesson, her tone serious. “Let’s start with our motto: ‘Sisterhood in Service and Strength.’ It’s more than words. It’s a promise that every member supports one another and works toward bettering themselves and the community.” She pointed to a banner overhead, where the Greek letters "Gamma" and "Delta" were displayed in elegant gold script. “Gamma Delta—those letters stand for ‘growth and change,’ the twin pillars upon which all our rituals and goals rest.”

       Madison then instructed the boys to open their packets to the first section on Gamma Delta’s core values. She read aloud, “The five core values of Gamma Delta are Service, Integrity, Growth, Unity, and Leadership. Each value guides the actions, traditions and expectations for every Gamma Delta.”
 
       The boys saw that each value was accompanied by a section on its importance and application. Every value also had a corresponding set of reflection questions, which, Madison explained seriously, they would answer in writing and turn in by next Monday. The feminized college boys seemed to deflate as their workload grew, and they looked adorably restless. Before moving on, Madison said firmly, “Take your responses seriously.” She warned. “You’ll need to put real thought into your answers, because points will be at stake.” The boys exchanged more uneasy glances.

       Cassidy then spoke, “Our traditions are so very important.” She continued gaily, “In your study guides, you’ll learn all about the symbolism behind our colors—rose pink and silver. You’ll understand why our official flower, the cream-colored rose, embodies the Gamma Delta spirit. You’ll also find in your handouts the lyrics for our official hymn, ‘The Shining Eyes of Gamma Delta.’”

       Fumbling in his booklet, Nate found the page detailing the sorority’s song, complete with annotated sheet music and suggested choreography.

       â€œI highly suggest you begin memorizing the words right away,” Cassidy advised them. Then she added with a wink, “But don’t worry, you’ll be singing it by next Thursday.”

       Nate practically winced as he scanned the extensive performance notes.