cries of “brava, bravo.” It was, I thought, exactly the
same display of genteel approval that they’d grant the performers in an opera or a
play on the London stage—not that a performance like this one would ever grace the
boards at Covent Garden.
The couple slowly untangled themselves and rose to their feet, their hair and costumes
plastered to their sweaty bodies as they took their bows hand in hand. As the woman
curtseyed before Lady Carleigh, the opening in her trousers again slipped open, showing
her partner’s seed as it trickled wetly down her thighs.
Yet, for me, the spell of the performance was still not broken. My entire body felt
on edge and unfulfilled, the tension almost unbearable as those around me laughed
and chatted. I forced myself to take a deep breath, to swallow, to relax, to try to
calm both my racing heart and the ache of desire within me.
Slowly I opened my clasped hands. My fingers were numb for having been so tightly
clenched, and my palms were marked with white half-moons from my nails.
Finally I dared to look again to Lord Savage.
He was smiling. Smiling at me .
He didn’t say anything, nor did I. His smile spoke more loudly of desire than words
ever could, and anticipation raced through me.
“I hope you enjoyed my little entr’acte, Mrs. Hart,” Lady Carleigh said cheerfully
beside me. “Those two are wonderfully accomplished, aren’t they?”
“Yes—yes, they are, my lady,” I stammered, turning toward the viscountess. “It was
most enjoyable.”
“I am so glad,” Lady Carleigh said. “Especially because that is only the beginning
of our evening’s entertainments.”
Gracefully the viscountess rose, clapping her gloved hands twice for silence, and
all her guests turned toward her.
“Very well, my dear friends,” she began. “Half of you are already well aware of our
next divertissement, and half of you are not, being newcomers to Wrenton. For your
benefit, I shall explain.”
She smiled, letting the anticipation build.
“With so many delightful possibilities for companionship in our company,” she continued,
“we have over time devised an amusing way to make the selection a bit easier. It’s
also a way for you who have visited here before to welcome those who’ve not yet had
the, ah, pleasure. ”
Several of the guests laughed knowingly at that.
The viscountess merely smiled again.
“To begin,” she said, “I ask that all of you lovely first-time guests—as well as those
of you who have chosen to play that role again—return to your rooms. There you’ll
find entertaining costumes that I’ve had designed especially for you, my newest guests.
I ask that you change your attire, and return to us here as soon as possible. Go now,
my dears; the sooner you’ve changed, the sooner our charming festivities, our little
game, will truly begin.”
I rose, at last beginning to recover from the performance.
“Are we to have a masquerade, my lady?” I asked. “If I’d known, I would have brought
my own costume. I’ve a most splendid one, a Russian fantasy by Monsieur Poiret.”
“I’m sure you do, Mrs. Hart,” the viscountess said easily. “Poiret does make beautiful
things. I’m afraid the costumes I’ve provided won’t be nearly as magnificent, but
it is the only way to ensure that everyone is properly provided for. Otherwise there’s
always one or two guests who forget to bring a suitable costume of their own, and
thus are left out of the Game.”
I nodded. I understood the wisdom of the viscountess’s thoughtful plan, but still
I wished that I could have worn my own costume, enticingly covered as it was in crystal
jewels and swirling gold embroidery. Nothing the viscountess provided could rival
it, and there would have been no doubt I’d have captured Lord Savage’s attention.
“Now, my dears, if you please,” the viscountess continued. “Return to your rooms.
Your
same display of genteel approval that they’d grant the performers in an opera or a
play on the London stage—not that a performance like this one would ever grace the
boards at Covent Garden.
The couple slowly untangled themselves and rose to their feet, their hair and costumes
plastered to their sweaty bodies as they took their bows hand in hand. As the woman
curtseyed before Lady Carleigh, the opening in her trousers again slipped open, showing
her partner’s seed as it trickled wetly down her thighs.
Yet, for me, the spell of the performance was still not broken. My entire body felt
on edge and unfulfilled, the tension almost unbearable as those around me laughed
and chatted. I forced myself to take a deep breath, to swallow, to relax, to try to
calm both my racing heart and the ache of desire within me.
Slowly I opened my clasped hands. My fingers were numb for having been so tightly
clenched, and my palms were marked with white half-moons from my nails.
Finally I dared to look again to Lord Savage.
He was smiling. Smiling at me .
He didn’t say anything, nor did I. His smile spoke more loudly of desire than words
ever could, and anticipation raced through me.
“I hope you enjoyed my little entr’acte, Mrs. Hart,” Lady Carleigh said cheerfully
beside me. “Those two are wonderfully accomplished, aren’t they?”
“Yes—yes, they are, my lady,” I stammered, turning toward the viscountess. “It was
most enjoyable.”
“I am so glad,” Lady Carleigh said. “Especially because that is only the beginning
of our evening’s entertainments.”
Gracefully the viscountess rose, clapping her gloved hands twice for silence, and
all her guests turned toward her.
“Very well, my dear friends,” she began. “Half of you are already well aware of our
next divertissement, and half of you are not, being newcomers to Wrenton. For your
benefit, I shall explain.”
She smiled, letting the anticipation build.
“With so many delightful possibilities for companionship in our company,” she continued,
“we have over time devised an amusing way to make the selection a bit easier. It’s
also a way for you who have visited here before to welcome those who’ve not yet had
the, ah, pleasure. ”
Several of the guests laughed knowingly at that.
The viscountess merely smiled again.
“To begin,” she said, “I ask that all of you lovely first-time guests—as well as those
of you who have chosen to play that role again—return to your rooms. There you’ll
find entertaining costumes that I’ve had designed especially for you, my newest guests.
I ask that you change your attire, and return to us here as soon as possible. Go now,
my dears; the sooner you’ve changed, the sooner our charming festivities, our little
game, will truly begin.”
I rose, at last beginning to recover from the performance.
“Are we to have a masquerade, my lady?” I asked. “If I’d known, I would have brought
my own costume. I’ve a most splendid one, a Russian fantasy by Monsieur Poiret.”
“I’m sure you do, Mrs. Hart,” the viscountess said easily. “Poiret does make beautiful
things. I’m afraid the costumes I’ve provided won’t be nearly as magnificent, but
it is the only way to ensure that everyone is properly provided for. Otherwise there’s
always one or two guests who forget to bring a suitable costume of their own, and
thus are left out of the Game.”
I nodded. I understood the wisdom of the viscountess’s thoughtful plan, but still
I wished that I could have worn my own costume, enticingly covered as it was in crystal
jewels and swirling gold embroidery. Nothing the viscountess provided could rival
it, and there would have been no doubt I’d have captured Lord Savage’s attention.
“Now, my dears, if you please,” the viscountess continued. “Return to your rooms.
Your
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