it occurred to him once , during a slack time at the office , that he would have liked to have lived in the days of queen victoria , where well-brought-up women were no more than resentful sex dolls in the bedroom : they 'd unlace their stays , loosen their petticoats ( revealing pinkish-white flesh ) then lie back and suffer the indignities of the carnal act-an indignity it would never even occur to them that they were meant to enjoy .