A Different Palace -- Wednesday April 13th

[Aria]

Fiona seemed to be sleeping and did not stir when Charles came in and sat down. About ten minutes later, her eyes flew open and she sat up and screamed.

[Charles Whitehurst]

Just as he was starting to get comfortable and regret that he did not bring in something to eat and drink, Fiona screamed.  Even a soldier like himself could be startled by unexpected loud noise in the quiet of night.

Leaping to his feet, he rushed to Fiona's side.  "Shush Fiona!" he urged her.  "It is Charles.  I'm here to protect you."  He tried to grip her shoulders, hug or whatever she seemed to need to calm her down.  He did not want to wake the guard.  "Don't wake the entire palace Fiona.  You are safe here."

[Aria]

Still caught in her nightmare, Fiona struggled against her attacker, striking at him with her fists. It was only when she heard Charles’ voice that she stopped fighting him. The wild, glazed look in her eyes faded back to normal as she shook off the last vestiges of her nightmare. “You came back,” she whispered, hugging him tightly. She was trembling quite vigorously. Clad in just her shift, she could feel his warmth through the thin fabric, as well as the buttons on his uniform digging into her flesh. She was alone in the room, having sent her maidservant to an inn to keep her safe in case the person who was trying to kill her found out where she was.

 

“That nightmare … it seemed so real. I’m so glad you’re here with me, Charles. Will you lie beside me and hold me until I calm down?"

[Charles Whitehurst]

Her fear seemed genuine, though one might question the situation.  They were alone in the small hours, he was surprised Fiona's maid did not come rushing in.

When she had calmed, Charles released her saying "your scream has likely alerted the guard.  I shall need to handle that."  There were patrols in the palace in this wing.

Moving out into the hall, the Colonel of the regiment went in search of his patrol before returning to her room.  Rather than lay beside her, he pulled up his chair so he could sit beside her and hold her hand.  "I am here.  You are safe."

[Aria]

With her body pressed against his, Fiona was beginning to feel something more tantalizing than fear. Hence her suggestion that Charles lie beside her and hold her. When he left to speak to the guard, she was quite certain that he was sending him away so that they would not be interrupted. However, when he returned, he moved his chair close to the bed and took her hand instead.

 

This did nothing for the  fire spreading through her. “Ever since you left, I’ve been contemplating what I might have done to make somebody want to kill me.” Her hand still clasped in his, she scooted closer to him and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her chemise slid a bit upward, revealing her lower legs, but she either didn’t notice or pretended not to.

 

“All I can think of is the terrible things that have happened to me lately. And I can’t get the image of that snake lunging at you out of my mind. It seems like there’s something important that I could remember if it wasn’t for all the bad memories running through my head.”

[Charles Whitehurst]

Was Charles aware of what was afoot?  He had kept himself in a more proper way by not lying beside her.  That seemed to inappropriate to him. Sitting at her bedside was far better to explain if someone walked in.  Yet, Fiona displayed a desire to get closer.  Moving her legs out from under the covers caused some leg to show.  He found himself staring at her naked lower legs, it being quite scandalous.

As she spoke, he broke away his gaze to meet her own.  "Perhaps we could speak of less dangerous subjects then," he suggested in answer.  He had fought with Darlene and needed another opinion.

"Tell me, Fiona, do you think less of a man if he has a mistress? Does the answer change if he is married to another?"  This had been a point of contention.  "What if this mistress becomes pregnant and he refuses to marry her because he has other plans for marrying another lady?"  He was certain this would get Fiona's mind off bad things, and help him through an emotional dilemma at the same time.

[Aria]

Fiona noticed the way Charles looked at her legs. Her longing for him increased. All she had to do now …

 

He wanted to talk. She felt like rolling her eyes but once he started speaking, she found herself interested. Was he referring to himself? Everyone knew that Catherine Sedley was his mistress and she was quite obviously pregnant. Who was this lady he wished to marry? It certainly wasn’t her. Nor did she wish it was. She was still holding out for a Duke, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t have fun with him.

 

She considered his questions before answering. “I think most gentlemen have mistresses, especially the unmarried ones. I would wonder about a man who doesn’t have lovers. If he’s married, it depends on the situation. If his marriage was arranged and he and his wife hate each other, then I wouldn’t think less of him for taking a mistress.” She smiled coyly. “Men have needs after all, and if their wives don’t fulfill them, they will find women who will. However, if his wife loves him, then I would definitely disapprove."

 

Fiona paused for a moment of thought. One bare foot began stroking his leg. “If a gentlemen gets his mistress pregnant, he should marry her if that’s what she wants. If she doesn’t, then he can marry whomever he likes. If I was said gentleman, I would tell my mistress that I wanted to marry someone else and then let her decide what she wants to do. And if I was said pregnant lady, I wouldn’t want to wed a man who would only be marrying me out of duty when he is in love with someone else.  A less libertine lady may think differently. If she wants to marry him and he refuses, then he’s a dreadful cad and should be banished from court forever.”

 

Fiona reached over and took his hand. “Are you talking about yourself, Charles?”

[Charles Whitehurst]

Charles was not immune to the sexual tension in the room.  As much as he might like a fling to get his mind off his own domestic problems, he was worried that he was doing something wrong.  Talking was a good way to relieve anxiety, for both of them.  Did not she say that she might remember things better if she did not feel so scared?

"Yes it is me," he confessed.  "I was discussing marriage with a lady and she was disgusted that I had not married Catherine."  He noticed the rubbing of his leg.  Her desire for him was apparent but he needed certain ground rules and they included her, especially if he was to give in to his baser desires.

"Catherine was York's mistress.  She is not looking to marry anyone.  She is a libertine.  She is happy being solely friends and lovers."  He found his disclosure awkward but it caused him to laugh nervously.  "I sense you are similar.  Our attraction is clear but I have held back because of my respect for your sister and half brother. "  Those were the reasons he had given her in the past, though his resolve was being tested.  "There is a lady I seek to marry, or maybe two or three," he added hastily so he could protect Darlene's identity.  "I think she sees me as a rogue, rather than a gentleman because of my mistress ... and past relationships."    He offered a wry smile.  "What do you think I should do?" he inquired genuinely, before adding "and what am I to do with you, who is testing my resolve?"

[Aria]

Fiona felt privileged that Charles was discussing his dilemma with her. Her foot moved higher as she listened to his explanation, and her heart skipped a beat when he admitted that he was attracted to her. Did he remember that night they spent together more clearly than she did? Her body hummed with barely-suppressed desire.

 

At first, she thought that he just didn’t want to wed Mistress Sedley and didn’t have a particular lady in mind.  Yet when he used the pronoun ‘she’ instead of ‘they,’ her opinion shifted. He must be in love with one of those uptight proper women who expected all gentlemen to be saints. She would only make him miserable in the end, but how could Fiona tell him that?

 

“I think you shouldn’t rush into marriage. Maybe you should keep your distance for awhile so that she has to confront the possibility that you might not be willing to change for her. If she really cares for you, she will be able to accept you as you are. If she wants you to turn your back on your own child, though, you should run in the opposite direction as fast as you can. No real lady would want a child to grow up without his father, no matter whether that father is married to his mother or not.

 

“As for us …” Fiona slid into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “My siblings know what I’m like. They don’t expect me to be chaste.” Douglas was especially aware of this, but she couldn’t very well reveal to Charles that she’d had an affair with her own half-brother. “I think they would be relieved if they knew I was with you rather than a stranger. They know that I will always be safe for you. Nor would they expect you to marry me. They are both libertines themselves.”

 

She pressed herself against him. “I will also never ask anything of you that you are not willing to give. Like Mistress Sedley, I am content to be your friend and your lover, and if you do decide to be faithful to the woman you marry, I will accept that.

 

“Maybe what both of us need now is to forget our problems and simply enjoy the pleasures we have to offer each other.” Fiona nuzzled his neck. “What do you say, Charles?”

 

[Charles Whitehurst]

Charles did not prevent her from moving closer.  His mind was distracted.

"I am in a difficult position," he admitted, allowing himself to stroke Fiona's leg as they spoke.  He could sense her arousal, which caused his own; but, his mind was an inhibitor to any sudden passion.  "I was carefree thinking there would be no consequences for some fun.  Catherine had no expectations other than fun.  Same with me.  Now I see what proper courtiers might think of me.  I enjoy the company of women but had not really thought myself a libertine.  Despite that, others may view me as such because Catherine is openly my mistress and carrying my child.  I thought her prior relationship with York might alter the expectations of court ... but maybe not," he explained, knowing that she was not really likely interested in serious talk at the moment.

"You are somewhat different.  People may know you to have libertine tendencies, but if I were to get you pregnant, your sister would expect me to marry you, and perhaps everyone else at court.  You might change your mind too, and want to marry me," he continued.  "We cannot allow you to get pregnant if we are to comfort each other."  Perhaps the talk was a bit too serious, but Charles had been shaken by Darlene's criticism.

He tilted her face to look into his own.  "We must make a covenant, you and I.  No pressure to marry.  If a pregnancy follows and it is mine, we must be rid of it.  A child would ruin both of our chances to marry another.  We will reveal to Cat our covenant so she knows we are just friends and lovers.  We both want to avoid hurting her," he stated. pausing to see if she was nodding agreement.

"It is a strange covenant surely, but we must swear to each other to respect the other's right to be free whenever they wish to end things.  I must not spill my seed in your womb unfortunately.  Anywhere else is fine.  I know this is horribly unromantic.  But we are not interested in romance with each other, are we?  We are interested in comforting each other and having fun together, are we not?  We will be great friends, but not husband and wife."  He tried to add some levity.  "Why ruin a good thing with marriage?" he chuckled.  "Do we have a covenant you and I?  Will you swear it with me by God?"

[Aria]

An alluring fire smouldered beneath Charles’ hand as he stroked her bare leg, spreading rapidly through the rest of Fiona’s nubile young body. Contrary to his beliefs, she was interested in his dilemma and was particularly intrigued by the way he saw himself. She had always considered him a libertine like herself, but it appeared that he had different views. Maybe he did want to settle down with one lady someday. She didn’t think ill of him for that; she just needed to enjoy every moment with him while it lasted. Or perhaps she would give him so much pleasure that he would keep seeing her secretly after he married. Only time would tell.

 

It was true that Cat and Doug would expect Charles to marry her if she got pregnant, but there was little chance of that. Making a covenant sounded rather odd, but Fiona didn’t object to anything he said. She cared about him as a friend, but she was definitely not in love with him. From what he had just told her, she wouldn’t want to marry him even if he was made a Duke. He might actually want her to be faithful to him and fidelity went against her hedonistic nature.

 

She did nod her agreement, looking up into his eyes. “What you want is exactly what I want as well: to be friends and lovers with no strings attached. You can still spill your seed in me if you prefer. I take a mixture of herbs that prevents me from falling pregnant. I’ve used it for ages and it never fails.” To a teenager, only a couple of years seemed like ‘ages.’

 

“There is one more thing we need to add to our pact. We will never expect each other to be exclusive.” Fiona took both his hands in hers. Lifting them to her lips, she kissed them one by one. “If you agree to this too, I swear to God that I will uphold this covenant and never ask for more.”

[Charles Whitehurst]

"Yes, we are both free to seek out other lovers," he agreed.  Had he married Darlene, he would need to give them up, but not now.  He too kissed each of her hands and agreed.

"And if another man impregnates you," he added for levity, "you are free to compel him to marry you.  In fact, you should find what old man you want to marry and get pregnant with him," he chuckled in order to dispell the otherwise serious nature of their conversation.

Lifting her small frame into his arms as he stood, he tossed the young beauty on the bed unceremoniously with a laugh and then began to remove his jacket, belt, cravat, boots, and the rest of his clothing quickly.  "We need to make up for lost time since Brighton."  As he became completely naked, Charles gave her a feral leer.  "I am guessing you might like to be ridden hard?"  He would left her choose the tempo, though left to his own devices, he preferred to ravage the girl that had taunted him so long.   

[Aria]

Fiona laughed. “I already told you. I won’t get pregnant unless I choose to and I don’t see any babies in my future for several more years.” She remembered Doug suggesting that she marry an old man who would die soon so that she would have more freedom as a young widow. Knowing her luck, the old codger would outlive her. Nor was she ready to take that path when the ideal husband might show up any day. Shrugging nonchalantly, she added: “I may change my mind if a handsome Duke comes along and sweeps me off my feet.”

 

Now it was a handsome Earl that swept her off her feet. She laughed again when Charles tossed her on the bed. Fiona could hardly believe this was happening. Was it a dream? As she watched Charles undress, she pinched her arm but she didn’t wake up. After a year denying his passion for her, it seemed that he could hold himself back no longer. She had never hidden her feelings for him. Her seduction had finally paid off.

 

When he was completely naked, Fiona lifted her chemise over her head and flung it away. His leer sent tantalizing sensations spinning through her small form. She favored him with a sultry smile, so aroused that she couldn’t wait to feel him inside her. “Wild and untamed this time, but slow and luxurious the next.” Lying back on the soft mattress, she held out her arms to him, inviting him to join her. “We have all night. Let’s make the most of it.”

 

[Charles Whitehurst]

And make the most of it he did.  He was angry and confused by Darlene's strong attack.  He was not yet removed enough to determine whether her criticism was fair or not.  Rather, he felt like he had been attacked for being honest before proposing to her.  In his mind's eye, he had expected to receive credit for it.  She thought him some libertine scoundrel.  Well, he would show her by being ... well a libertine scoundrel.  The irony was lost on him at the moment.  It just felt good to strike back in the worst way he knew how.  The idea of a covenant between lovers, to his way of thinking, made their affair more noble and honorable. 

Charles had the energy for a wild session, then one so soft.  If set to contemporary composers, the first would had enjoyed the tempo of countryman Henry Purcell's The Fairy Queen, and the second was as the German Johann Pachebel's  Canon in D Major.  There was even time for a third round for something in between.  In each case, he withdrew at climax to avid spilling his seed within.  He was determined to avoid pregnancy.

It was an exhausted Lord Langdon that lay beside Fiona, head raised on an elbow while the other hand sought to continue to titillate her skin, that chose to speak.  "Now, did that get your mind off your fear?  You said you needed a distraction to remember the insult you may have given."  He chuckled as he spoke.  It was a good way to break the awkward silence after the long bouts of grunts and groans.

[Aria]

The sex was magnificent, as Fiona knew it would be. Charles had definitely been worth the wait. Her climaxes were stronger and longer-lasting than any she could remember, though perhaps that was because she had longed for him for so long. He pulled out each time, but that didn’t matter. It was not as messy and she didn’t have to worry about getting pregnant, though she would still continue taking the herbs.

 

He kept his promise as to pace. Their first coupling was urgent and wild, sating the attraction between them that they had denied for nearly a year. They took their time during the second round, enjoying each other thoroughly. The third was probably what would become normal for them as a mixture of the two. She was thrilled with them all, and looked forward to discovering what he liked best. Fiona was determined to be the best lover Charles had ever had so that he would still remember her when the affair was over.

 

Now she lay beside him, enjoying his gentle ministrations. Though completely drained of energy, she was becoming aroused again. “What fear?” she asked. Of course she still remembered the horrifying events of the day,  but it no longer seemed important in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Later, she knew, it would take greater precedence in her thoughts.

 

“Ask me again tomorrow.” Springing upward, Fiona pounced on top of him, kissing him playfully. “Now I have more intriguing things on my mind.”

 

 

(OOC: Shall we wrap this one up?  The mystery will continue next season.)

 

[Charles Whitehurst]

And so it was that the angst of two troubled youths melted into passion directed in a more playful and enjoyable exercise.  It would be another day that the two would need to abandon the warmth of the bed they had shared and own up to their obligations and responsibilities.  Meanwhile, a villain could enjoy a temporary reprieve.

 

~finis