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Shopping Along the Strand (Early Afternoon 12/29)- Xmas 1677


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A clocksmith. That made sense, he supposed. But if the King shopped there, what chance might he have of finding something worthy the King had yet to see?

 

Things were not looking good when the shopkeeper mentions something precious. It caught both his and Alice's attention. "Yes, please show me this treasure," he encouraged.

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He gave a nod, and moved out into his back room.

 

"Ooo... what do you think it is that he has to keep it locked up?" Alice whispered, arching to try see around the door to preview. But he was quite out of sight. Looking back to Charles she commented, "I mean, he doesn’t even keep that octopus brooch in a safe, and it must be worth hundreds and hundreds of pounds."

 

"It must be very very expensive. Or rare. Or... dangerous."

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"I have no idea," Langdon confessed quietly. "Perhaps he has it in the back solely because he is working on it." That was the Earl's hope at any rate. He could not afford something dreadfully expensive. He wanted something unique rather than something expensive.

 

"We shall just have to wait," he offered in a calming voice. Likely she would be disappointed if she was thinking it something quite valuable. "That octopus brooch, I cannot imagine anyone wearing such a cumbersome thing."

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Charles had even less idea to what it could be then she did - but he did have comment on the brooch. "You saw it then?" Alice half turned back towards it, then leaned against the counter. (Perhaps it was unconsciously done, but her bosom protruded all the more as she did so.)

 

"I think the right lady could pull it off, someone with a personality that is even more audacious." she sighed, "it would get everyone’s attention that is for sure. It would probably look even better under chandelier lights."

 

Alice liked to push boundaries, but the octopus brooch was a leap too far by her books.

 

"It would make good dare though." she gave a grin at that playful thought.

 

It took little while, but finally the shopkeeper came out to the shop proper again. In his hands was a box of modest size. "Err..." he saw the young lady was eager to see also, but he moved the box to sit in front of Charles. "A fine completion for the man who has a varied library." he replied cryptically.

 

Inside were a pare of bookends, carved about with a Dionysian scene of nymphs and satyrs at their favourite sport.

 

"Ooh, what is is?" Alice asked, craning to see.

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Charles thought nothing of the fact that Alice wanted to see inside. It was not until he saw the contents that he regretted his inaction to prevent her from peeking. Once he saw the pornographic bookends he realized that he could not give them to the King. What would the Queen say? They were more appropriate for the Earl of Rochester.

 

As Alice began peeking in, Charles slammed the lid shut. Thinking quickly, he announced to the shopkeeper, "there is a live spider in there!" Perhaps that would deter the lady from further inquiry. "I do not think that would be an appropriate gift for a royal," Charles added as he returned the box to the shopkeeper.

 

"Last time I was here I purchased a jade box from the Orient. Might you have some oddity from somewhere across the world? A creature from the Dark Continent, a rare stone from the New World, or a trinket from the furthest reaches of Asia?" For now he hoped to just find something curious.

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Alice pressed closer to see -- when Charles slammed the lid down with gusto! all while declaring a spider was was resident.

 

"Ooo!" The girl shrieked and leaped back. Unfortunately, in the process she knocked a silver filigree plant stand and sent the collection of venetian masks that was atop it flying across the way onto a chaise covered with a spotted animal skin. One mask in particular, styled after a doctors beak, landed neatly hooked upon a great ivory tusk.

 

"Oh I am so sorry." Alice apologised, biting her lip. "I don’t like spi..."

 

With a longsuffering sigh the Shopkeeper answered Charles, "all the jade items are over here…" and he moved around the counter escorting them to the other side of the room.

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His ploy worked a little too well. Alice crashed into a nearby display as she sought to escape the phantom spider. What woman was not afraid of spiders? he would enjoy a laugh later, when he could afford to do so without betraying his ruse. It would make for a good story later.

 

He reached to catch Alice, or the falling display, if either were in reach. It was a reflex to prevent damage to either. "Are you alright Alice?"

 

Rather than move to the jade items, Charles perused the other items. "How much for the tusk and the animal skin?" he asked as he moved to finger the masks. Charles liked masks. It made him think of meeting Davina, and other ladies, wearing them. "How much for the masks?" The doctor's one held his interest as he wondered whether he might pose as a doctor one day.

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Charles managed to catch Alice from falling - or more precisely, as he impulsively reacted and moved to catch her, the young lady took the opportunity to tumble herself into his outstretched arms. "Oh Lord Langdon." she looked up into his eyes with a catch to her breath. Savouring a moment, and taking her time to 'recover', "I think I turned my ankle."

 

The shopkeeper's brow furrowed of the theatrics of Lords playing Lords and Ladies playing Ladies.

 

"The tusk is a fraction of the price it's ivory alone would fetch. The weight of it must be seven stone at least, and can be yours for just 30 pounds. The Masks vary between 15 shillings to three pounds each. If you were interested in taking them all..." he ran a quick calculation, "seven pounds." he paused of the chaise with it's unique upholstery. "The Chaise was commissioned by a lady with exotic tastes, it is authentic leopard skin my lord, an utterly unique item. The poor upholster came to me desperate when his customer changed her mind, wanting zebra skin instead. Now as you and I both would know, you cant buy zebra skins for the love of money these days. Unable to meet his clients demands, he found himself out of pocket and short of prospects! I was quick to snap it of course, and yours, yours is plainly a discerning eye like my own. Her loss may be our gain, 25 pounds for the chaise, and I'll throw in free delivery."

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Less wise as to the wiles of ladies than the shopkeeper, Charles congratulated himself on the speed he had displayed in catching Alice, convinced he had averted some sort of catastrophe. He looked for a chair so that she might sit. "Your ankle is not too bad I hope. Shall you like to sit? I shall be done shortly."

 

Charles supposed he could give the tusk to the King and the leopard skin to Ablemarle. Chris might like to advertise that he had captured the creature. Perhaps a mask was suitable to the queen, or maybe the tusk was suitable for both.

 

"The skin is not made of gold. It should be to want 30 pounds. I expect a discount if I were to buy multiple pieces. I'll give you 45 pounds for the tusk, skin and all the masks. If not, so be it. Either way I had best escort the lady home with dispatch."

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There was always one end of the chaise Alice could be settled upon - she looked toward it with that very thought, then turned back to Charles. "If you shan't be long, then just hold me." She could not help herself but to smile a little then, though she was careful to make sure she was not putting any weight on her left ankle.

 

"Daylight robbery." The shopkeeper lamented - not shy of a little dramatics himself. "Just look at the craftmanship in that chaise, the clawfoot feet, mahogany burnished with the hopes and dreams of that poor upholsterer....

 

"Make it 47 and we have a deal."

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In truth, the chaise was likely garish, but men had a blindness when it came to unique furniture at times. The leopard skin had an appeal because of its wildness. Would others appreciate that?

 

"Very well, but I expect free delivery." Paying ten pounds down, Charles provided a card with his home address.

 

Turning to Alice, he inquired "is there one of these masks you would like for yourself? My gift for your charming company and as some recompense for your injury." Being a bit bold, he added "you should put it on now so that I can judge it on you," curious to see which she would pick. Perhaps it would be revealing of her personality.

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"You drive a hard bargain sir." The shopkeeper complained touching his heart. It was meant as a compliment to the young officer, tending to his ego. This was Charles second visit to the store, and no doubt he'd be back again next year, so the shopkeeper knew it was worth his while to throw in delivery at no extra charge.

 

Ten pounds up front was a pleasant surprise though. "I say, would you be interested in an African spear to go with the chaise, said to be the very spear that the leopard was killed with. It makes a rather exotic tableau to have them arranged together thus. Just ten shillings." he tried an add on sale, every penny counted.

 

Alice pretended not to hear all the money talk, having been trained that it was not a ladies arena, and his being his private business. Never the less she thought he was very clever to have got so knocked off the price, and wondered that she should have asked him to deal with the shopkeeper over the ribbon for her...

 

"Truly?" she turned with pleasant surprise, "Perhaps the one with the feather, it shall be my memory of you and a unexpected afternoon." she felt pleased with her choice, the grand feathers were like the remarkable feather on his hat*, while the rest of the mask was porcelain pale but for stunningly painted red lips.

 

Standing still, foot tilted off the floor still, she tipped her face for the placement of the mask.

 

"Now, if there is ever another masquerade, I shall wear this, and you shall know who I am." She felt pleased to say, "But which mask shall you wear?"

 

 

* some time long ago you'd written of buying a wondrous feather for Charles hat.

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"I'll take the spear too," the Earl replied. Why not? For ten shillings it would make a fine gift for Ablemarle. The divan was too large to deliver as a gift to his commanding officer; but a spear was just the thing for a man that merely imagined himself a warrior.

 

Alice picked the mask with the long feather. It was not unlike the long plume that he wore in his own hat, a symbol of the Life Guard. When she placed the mask upon her face, Langdon noticed for the first time that Alice was quite attractive. Of course, much of that embellishment was due to the mask. The Earl of Langdon had a thing for masks on ladies. It made them seem seductive, sinister, and elusive. He had all but begged Davina to wear one to visit him. The elusiveness beckoned his own desire to capture sinister persons. Capturing men had its own martial reward but capturing ladies caused a different reaction in him, a desire to torture them with pleasure, in stark contrast to what male prisoners might expect from him. "The mask suits you," he replied with a warm smile. It might be the first indication of interest that he showed her that day. Otherwise, she seemed to be just another chatterbox in need of protection.

 

As for his own mask, he studied the choices. "And ruin the mystery? You shall know me when I move up next to you at a masquerade ball and compliment the feather on your mask."

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"An excellent choice sir." that was another 4 shilling profit in the sale, the shopkeeper was very pleased - but for now business himself writing up the bill of sale for Charles signature.

 

Alice could feel that something was different, as Charles looked at her now there was something exciting in his eyes. Something about his manner had changed, and it set her pulse to accelerate! "Must we truly wait till the next masquerade?" she liked how his sudden intensity made her feel. It felt dangerous, in an exciting way.

 

"Perhaps some other, improvised setting might suffice..." Alice knew herself stepping too far, she was getting too close to suggesting a secret liason, which was far too daring even for her (Alice usually thought it grand sport to proke her brothers emotions.) She'd not tell Edward she'd said this.

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Charles was in somewhat of a hurry to sign the bill of sale and then he bade the merchant farewell. He would be back in May to find ideas for the King on Restoration Day. "Hold that thought," he urged Alice as he finalized the paperwork.

 

Offering his arm to the mask-clad lady on his arm, Charles asked her quietly as they moved away "what did you have in mind?" Was she suggesting something innocent or something naughty? Perhaps she was secretly a libertine. The best of them managed to portray themselves as proper maidens, like his own sweet Davina.

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And he was impatient to get his business done, sorted away; it was so that he could return his attention to her. At least that was how it felt to Alice, it felt like she was the most important in the room.

 

She liked this feeling very much, and wearing the mask too, draped a sense of womanly mysteriousness around her. Lowering her voice she suggested, "Perhaps like on a misty morning, masked figures appear riding through the park." That was still quite innocent still, wasn’t it?

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Charles had been expecting something more risque from the girl that seemed willing to walk into a bordello. It took him a moment to readjust his thinking to something more tame, silently chiding himself for getting himself excited needlessly.

 

"That could be invigorating," he replied so as to make the idea seem positive. He was not sure why one would wear masks in the morning to ride horses unless there was something to hide. Perhaps she meant something later that might require a mask. "I need to take Fireshot for a morning run soon anyway, so why not?" he offered with a friendly smile, one that held no prurient interest.

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She'd never planned to actually enter the whore house, and even if she had, she'd not have signed up or anything like that. That had seems just fun, the sort of thing that would have made her brother turn white and then red. There were boundaries that she's not cross, and flirting around a secret liaison with a gentleman was one that evoked a caution – caution that had her suggest dawn rather than sunset for the obvious reasons.

 

And Charles reply was not like his words before, there was not that look in his eyes. Rather than eager, he was indifferent with a 'why not'.

 

Feeling suddenly silly Alice took off the mask. "It's really too cold to be out riding at dawn. My brother probably wouldn’t allow it, and we might catch our death." Unveiled she was just a young lady without any particular allure or mystique - one with a blush of embarrassment on her cheeks.

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"A bit of cold never hurt anyone," Charles offered in an upbeat manner. "I find that an early ride helps get the blood flowing and the thinking clearer." It was his duty to defend her idea; moreso due to the fact that he needed to exercise his mounts anyway.

 

Without her mask, Alice seemed ordinary again. Yet a ride with an ordinary lady was a perfectly fine outing for an early morning ride, unless it gave others the wrong idea. "I shall be riding on many early mornings for the rest of the season, though I doubt I would wear a mask ... lest my men think me a bandit," he attempted to chuckle. "You are welcome to join me some morning, that is if your brother approves. In the meantime, let me escort you home. Where is your house?"

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Alice was confused now, as the idea of a morning ride seemed to grow on him. Still, there was no longer that look in his eyes, his tone was like her brothers friends, cheerful and jocose, like any moment he might crack a joke and laugh at his own humour.

 

She gave a smile to his rounding off of the invitation, and tucking the mask into her bag wondered at the mystery of it's temporary magic. Perhaps in some other setting it might excite the Major again?

 

"Avon place, Saint James Square..."

 

It was an uneventful trip home, Alice oddly quiet as her mind worked upon what she'd learned, and wondering towards the dangerous territory it broached. Charles might notice her looking at him, then quickly looking away.

 

 

~ Fin!

Great thread

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