Emma Sayle - Behind the Mask - Enter a World Where Women Make - and Break - the Rules

‘Here you go, Emma.’ She hands over the clipboard with the list of names of guests attending tonight. There are almost 200. ‘The candles have been lit, the rose petals have been scattered down the staircase and over all the beds, the mirrors have been polished and I’ve put out about a thousand condoms all over the place. You’ll also notice I’ve strategically placed the “Please take a shower before Jacuzzi. Seriously ” notice where it can’t be missed.’

‘Thank you.’ I smile at her. I know I can rely on her precision and attention to detail.

‘The canapés and oysters are ready. And the champagne’s been chilling for a few hours, so it should be at the ideal temperature by the time everyone arrives.’ Behind her mask, her eyes sparkle with a touch of mischief. ‘Forty-five degrees Fahrenheit, of course.’

‘Of course.’ I’d expect nothing less from Kitty, who appreciates the finer things in life. By day she’s a rising actress and has already appeared in films with some big Hollywood stars. She loves the arts, opera, theatre, classical music and French cuisine. But by night she’s a dark, beautiful creature who prowls on my behalf alongside my security man, Jupiter. He’s big, strong, suited and booted, and has a remarkable intuition when it comes to sniffing out trouble.

Kitty has other useful skills too: she studied martial arts and was taught how to box by a British ex-heavyweight champion, which is handy for my security staff and me, as she often spies the first hint of trouble. She also employs these skills to fend off men. Despite numerous attempts to set her up with some very eligible bachelors, she has point-blank said no. In fact, Kitty hasn’t had sexual relations of any kind for three years, vowing abstinence after having her heart broken one too many times. Instead, she dedicates herself to helping me facilitate the pleasure of others.

I check the guest list as we take a stroll around the ground floor, looking over the set-up. It’s all brilliant, and I hand back the clipboard with a smile. ‘Thank you, Kitty, everything’s immaculate down here. I’m going to make a quick inspection upstairs before people start arriving. I’ll catch you later.’

‘Of course,’ she replies.

As I walk up the grand staircase, I can’t help but absorb the house’s dark glamour. It’s an ex-embassy, and its eight reception rooms, billiard room, clubroom with Jacuzzi, ballroom and 24 bedrooms make it perfect for entertaining. It also attracts the world of show business: Kate Moss filmed a lingerie advert here, walking sensuously down these very stairs. Amy Winehouse shot her ‘Rehab’ video here as well. And it’s also where Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth filmed his therapy sessions in The King’s Speech . If it weren’t so amusing, I would blush to think of the many Kittens who have enjoyed the kinkiest, acrobatic, down-and-dirty sex on the very furniture where Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush filmed their scenes. I can’t help remembering one woman who screamed and orgasmed three times on that very sofa as she embraced her dark side with the tanned Swedish model she and her partner had selected for the evening. Sorry, Colin!

I find Miss D upstairs in the ballroom. In this splendid room, several huge leather beds covered with red Egyptian-cotton sheets have been pushed together to form one huge one underneath a massive chandelier. Around the sides are sofas, chairs and cushions.

‘It looks lovely,’ sighs Miss D, her eyes glittering with anticipation. ‘I can’t wait to see what happens here later.’

‘Better keep your special toy handy,’ I advise her, and we both giggle. ‘Now – let’s find a glass of champagne. It’ll all start kicking off soon, and then I’ll be hard at work.’

‘Good idea,’ says Miss D. ‘I like your style.’

At 9.30 p.m. the first guests appear and then, suddenly, it’s busy. The atmosphere is one of a slightly louche drinks party as guests start arriving. I’m busy at the door, ticking off names and making sure everyone is wearing masks – I have a few spares just in case. All the guests are attractive – some even beautiful – and distinguished-looking, but not intimidatingly so. They don’t look like sex-mad orgiastic beasts, but like normal people, and any observer would think that this is just a normal party. Once inside, couples talk quietly together, glasses in hands, while groups chat around the bar as the champagne is served. The men are in lounge suits, and most women are immaculately dressed in cocktail dresses. The average age is late twenties to mid thirties. I wonder what they’re all talking about – this is one gathering where guests are reluctant to discuss their jobs or much about their everyday lives at all. And why not? This is where they live out fantasies; they don’t come here to dwell on the mundanity of existence. At this point in the evening, people are scouting for potential playmates. The more uninhibited are open about their desire to play – these are the ones who don’t mind performing, or get a thrill out of being watched as they have sex, and who may be up for several encounters and group episodes. Others are shyer, some even a little awkward. Experience tells me they’ll warm up. I’ve seen retiring, silent little birds turn into golden eagles when the play begins. Some are single girls looking for a couple or vice versa, or girls looking for one-on-one action with a man or a woman. Some are here to watch, perhaps while discreetly caressing their partner before going somewhere private to work off their inflamed passions. I notice two beautiful brunettes are wearing identical La Perla corsets made of pale-pink silk and boned into a hip bustle scattered with feathers. They are clasping hands, smiling, and give a hint of what is to unfold. I know exactly what these two will be doing before too much longer.

I watch as some people wander up the grand staircase towards the ballroom and wonder if the giant bed is seeing any action yet. At this point, I expect it’s more like a sofa than a bed, a place for chatting and flirting – for now. The mood is one of playfulness and gentleness laced through with great expectations of the fun to be had. I’m pleased. This is precisely the good vibe I wanted when I originally planned my parties.

I hand the door duties over to Jupiter for a while and go downstairs, where some guests are sitting waiting for the Jacuzzi to open. I tell them that the Jacuzzi will be ready for playing in 15 minutes and remind them where they can leave their clothes. On the way back upstairs I pass Kitty doing her rounds accompanied by one of the security team. In a venue this size, I always have an extra couple of discreet big guys around in case anything kicks off, though they’re rarely needed.

‘Everything OK?’ I ask.

‘So far, all fine. No drugs. No guys on the prowl.’

Any Kitten caught with drugs is thrown out, no excuses, no exceptions. Even Miss D was once asked to leave when I spotted she had drugs in her handbag. I have a zero-tolerance policy.

‘Great. I’ll head upstairs and see what’s happening.’

It’s after 11 now, and the place is full of people. The noise levels are rising, and the party-goers are loosening up after a couple of glasses of champagne. I know that any second now someone will start something and then, with amazing rapidity, it will begin. I walk around the ballroom and check out the mood in the other rooms. It’s definitely warming up. I can see people kissing, hands caressing, dresses unzipped, shirts unbuttoned. The regulars know the score and want to start enjoying themselves. Newcomers are a little less at ease, waiting to be transported out of their awkwardness by alcohol or lust, but also eager to begin.

By the time I return to the ballroom, that invisible switch has been pulled. It’s started. Masks are coming off and there’s a hedonistic, Bacchanalian vibe. The mood has swiftly changed to one of decadence, and what was a luxuriously relaxed drinks party 10 minutes ago has crossed the line into something else. Couples are on the bed, kissing, undressing one another. I can already see a beautiful naked girl sinking down to caress her partner’s huge erection with her lips. Around the room, some people watch the scenes unfolding before them, others are getting down to their own action.