(no subject)
Title: Bluebells and roses.
Chapter 11.
This is the next part of an AU/AU, a tribute to a great short story and a marvellous film.
Timeline: before the introduction chapter, we’re swimming between end of 19th and beginning of 20th century.
Thanks as usual to all of you who read and posted a review. It is so important for me.
Disclaimer: intellectual property of Ms. Proulx, no commercial use, no copyright infringment.
Special thanks as always time goes to my dear Beta Sam, her help is very precious and deeply treasured.
Sorry for the time between the chapters, but I’m at the worst time of the year for my work.
Ennis and Lord Delmar stayed a whole week in London before leaving for India.
It was the first time Ennis had spent so much time in the most powerful city of the empire and he enjoyed its variety and its many treasures. He also wanted to avoid his father as much as possible, like he had since he had found Jack’s scars the preceding Christmas.
He visited the British Museum, the National Gallery, walked along the river Thames and sometimes entered one of those shops for gentlemen only, full of tweeds, hats and formal suits, but he didn’t buy anything. Mr. Evans had packed in advance everything that was needed for India.
They stayed at Lord Charles’ Club, full of other country estate owners. The last day of his stay Ennis was given a message card from a valet. It was from Robert Miller, the younger brother of his late mother, whom Ennis had met only three times in his whole life, always at the Delmar’s house while Robert was in England for business reasons.
“My dear Ennis,
I’ve heard the news about Kenneth from London acquaintances of mine who knew my sister, your late mother. Then a few days ago I met Lady Alcott, who gave me your club reference. I’ve written to you and Lureen three times during the last months but since you have not replied, I fear that you did not receive my letters.” Thankfully Lady Alcott assured me you are fine. But you and Lureen are my sister’s children and I’d be pleased to hear from you more often.
I’m in London until next Friday, ten days from now. If you would like to contact me, leave a message at the Claridge hotel, Room 275.
My American address is on the small sheet enclosed.
……. Your Uncle, Robert Miller.”
Ennis wanted to go immediately to the Claridge and called a carriage, but Mr. Miller wasn’t in his room nor in the restaurant, they told him, so he left a brief message, saying that he was pleased to hear from his uncle and would try again to meet him at the same place later in the evening, if permitted by his immediate departure for India.
Unfortunately, the same evening Ennis discovered he was expected to have attend a concert with his father and his return trip to the Claridge couldn’t take place.
----------
For Ennis, the travel by ship seemed to last forever. He busied himself at first with the books he took with him, then read all the ones on the shelves of the sitting room. His father made acquaintances with the other passengers but Ennis wasn’t inclined to share his life with strangers.
He hated the way his father always become became the centre of every conversation. Surely nobody else on the ship had a social status comparable to Lord Delmar’s and Ennis thought his father purposely choose a smaller and cheaper vessel to have more attention, though keeping their voyage less known by the aristocracy. .
Ennis imagined being a lord was a winning point but Charles Delmar had also had a physical appearance that was like a magnet for people. They were attracted like a moth to a flame, before dying by from the intense heat.
Ennis had the same figure but without the desire to be noticed, appreciated and respected: most of times he hoped to become a ghost and disappear. When he was a child he had refused to speak with strangers, and even now he was still was unease ill at ease when meeting new people.
Once in India, Lord Charles and Ennis travelled by train and by carriage a lot, from Bombay to Delhi following the winter route of the anglo-indian high society, attending its meetings and its parties. Mr. Evans was the shadow of Lord Delmar and Ennis was happy to be left alone most of the time.
Ennis hated the social gatherings but was fascinated by the savage nature of India.
He saw his first elephant the second day, near a small train station. The animal was ready to carry around a bunch of people, considering the special seat on its back. The train stopped for half an hour and Ennis went down to see the elephant better. The owner was surprised to see a white man approaching and his curiosity increased when Ennis extended a hand to touch the animal.
The man bowed in the traditional deferent way and Ennis stopped, now unsure and avoiding to prevaricate. Mr Evans had told him about the local social system customs and during their stay Ennis wanted to behave properly during their stay.
With a gesture of an arm the owner invited Ennis to move closer. “She’s quiet, sahib, come on.”
“It’s a female?” Ennis didn’t imagine such a big animal could be a “she.”
“She’s Ansur, a fat lady,” the man added; he lifted his stick, added some unintelligible words and Ansur started moving her front legs, slowly kneeling in two steps in front of Ennis.
She was really big but delicate at the same time. Ansur moved her proboscis trunk and her owner took an apple from a pocket; the elephant ate, looking at Ennis, who smelt the mud on her skin.
“Can I touch her?” he asked.
“Of course, sahib. On the trunk, please.”
The skin had more deep or wrinkles than Ennis expected. Maybe it depended on the age of the animal, he thought.
He gave the man some coins and returned quickly on to the train that was due to leave soon.
The moments with the animals - including one later when he met a domesticated tiger in the British Embassy - remained the best of the travel and he was full of details in describing them in his letters home.
The food was too spicy for his taste, but he managed to eat as much rice as possible. In the end, however, Ennis become addicted to curry and bought some of the powder to take home, with other small gifts for his sister and some servants.
Boredom was his faithful companion for the most part of the day; after two weeks all the places, the faces, the hotel rooms became a big blur and nothing more.
He wrote a letter to Jack and one to Lureen every other day, but needed to be careful to reach the post offices without his father noticing. Sometimes he thought to leave the letters at the reception of the hotel, but he was afraid Mr. Evans could be instructed by his father to control his correspondence. He suffered a lot from the absence of news from home.
One evening, after another long and strenuous dinner in the company of too many drunken officers - two of which had served in the same regiment of his father - Lord Delmar called Ennis, who became anxious at the summons. He was tired and with the beginning of a headache and considering the way Lord Delmar had crossed the hall of the hotel, the father should be in a worse condition than the son.
Mr Evans soon retired for the night, leaving his masters alone with another bottle full of an amber liquid. Ennis swore to remain away from the temptation.
Lord Delmar reclined on a couch, legs propped up, wearing a velvet night jacket, a glass in his hand. He started looking at something outside the window, avoiding Ennis’s face.
“Your mother was a beautiful woman, Ennis, and our marriage went very well. She gave me what I wanted, two boys. A loyal wife. Now you’re the only Delmar left, and I must consider the future of our family. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, father.”
“I’ve planned this trip to India to meet some old friends and various English families who live here, hoping to find a wife for you, Ennis. It’s time for you to marry, and better to choose a girl who knows nothing about you. The London society knows you were never interested in women at home. Too many whispers around our name. Now it’s time to stop them for good.”
“Father, I told you, too many things happened in our family. I didn’t have time to think about girls.” He started feeling a little nervous.
“Yes yes, your mother, your brother...in any case I think I’ve found you a suitable wife. She was born here, her father was a soldier years ago and her mother was a French woman, a little strange, they say, but it doesn’t matter, since she died years ago. Now her step mother was a distant relative of Lady Alcott. The girl is named Alma, she is 19 and you‘ll marry her in two months, when her family arrives at our estate.”
“Father, you can’t mean this!”
“What? You‘ll marry her because I‘ve decided you will. It will be arranged, you’ll meet her tomorrow evening. And I expect a grandson next year.”
“I don’t want to do it!”
“You’ll do it or I’ll erase you name from the family bible, while your so called “friends” at school or at home will see the inside of the darkest dungeon I can find.”
Ennis was so shocked at hearing these words that he couldn’t immediately find a proper reply. All he could think about was Jack, discovered by Lord Delmar, ignominiously sent away from the house and from him.
“So it’s true,” his father was saying, hearing no reply from Ennis. “I don’t know where he is but I was sure there was somebody of that degenerate kind. I’ve always hated them since I was young. He’s at school, isn’t he? One of the boys you played rugby with? Oh, keep your mouth closed if you want, but I’ll discover his name, sooner or later. And now go away, I want to rest.”
Ennis didn’t move, unsure of what to do or what to say. He had never gone against his father before, and Lord Charles knew it well.
“I told you to leave this room, or do you want to be whipped like that Jack?” Lord Charles took his whip from a table. “I could have whipped that servant much more! Like I did with Evans’ nephew some years ago, or before that, when I was young…at school we found one of the servants had stolen some food; he was the lover of another boy, Irish, and we spent the whole evening teaching him a lesson. His back still has the scars, I swear, and his lover couldn’t do anything to help him because we tied him to a chair. Now go away!”
This time Ennis followed the order, shocked by his father’s words. Only later, going over what his father had said, did he realize that his affair with Jack was still secret.
Ennis didn’t sleep that night. At first he thought that if he stayed awake he would appear at his worst for the evening meeting, but around dawn he felt so desperate that he tried to get drunker using his father’s remaining whisky. He slept from 6am to 9am and woke up with the worst headache of his life.
Mr. Evans’ breakfast tray went untouched. Ennis’ eyes were surrounded by dark circles; the butler prepared a bath and Ennis soaked in the tub until noon.
The party at Nathaniel Beers’ estate started at 6 pm and the Delmars arrived one hour later. Mr. Beers was pacing the hall like a lion, he was afraid Delmar might renege on their agreement. He needed the prestige of a title and wanted to get rid of his oldest child. She was a mistake, the reason he had to marry her mother. They had later produced two other offspring; two sons to carry on the family name, while with his second wife he had another girl, Catherine, the youngest, who was her father’s joy.
He knew well that for Catherine he would accept only the best husband, one that she loved deeply, but Alma was something different.
She was a teaser for boys, often dressed in ways that were not so proper for a real lady; he was afraid she might run away with some young gambler and stain their reputation.
When he saw the Delmars approaching he greeted them immediately. “Charles, we were worried about you.”
“We had a carriage problem, it was very annoying. The hotel forgot our order.” Lord Delmar laughed. “You were afraid I changed my mind? Here is my son Ennis.”
Ennis played his part of the perfect guest well and was swiftly introduced to Mrs Beers and her sons. The woman was beautiful, there was no doubt, and Ennis sadly remembered she wasn’t the real mother of Alma. Because a pretty girl would have lot of suitors, not an arranged marriage, so his hopes lasted for a minute only.
Mrs Beers took his arm and lead him in the drawing room, where a girl was playing a piano; Ennis tensed but she was visibly too young.
“She is Catherine,” Mrs Beers murmured with pride in her voice, “she has studied piano since she was five.”
“She’s very good.” Ennis admitted. The small hands of the pianist ran quickly over the keys and Mozart’s music captured the guests seated around the instrument. He was for a moment disappointed that Catherine couldn’t take Alma’s place, he was already fascinated by her music.
Mrs. Beers introduced him to a lot of relatives and Ennis tried to be polite, continuing his search for the mysterious fiancée. When they reached the terrace overlooking the garden with a small lake, Mrs. Beers pointed to a group of five young women sitting around a circle of roses. “Alma is the one in the yellow dress, she’s with her cousins and friends.”
“Would you accompany me ?”
Mrs. Beers squirmed a little. She looked at Ennis with a deep sympathy in her hazel eyes and her voice trembled a little. “My presence could help you a little, but everything has been fixed and we cannot change anything.”
-------------------
Ennis slept and cried in Jack’s arms for hours the night he returned from India. They retired to his apartment as soon as Lord Charles dismissed the servants for the evening and wasted no time tearing away each other’s clothes, hungry, excited, as if every wasted second without touching bare skin was like a year. Ennis went down on Jack and put him in his mouth like a starved man, wanting to taste his man after so many nights alone, touching himself and dreaming of blue pearls.
Jack felt his desperation. “Ennis please, we all know it would have happened, in any case. You will be Earl, it’s your duty.”
“You’re not helping me...”
“What do you want me to do? Ask you to run away with me? Where could we go, without money at all.. and should we leave Lureen behind? Your father will kill her, you know it.”
“But to have a wife! I cannot bear to be without you.”
They embraced fiercely and Ennis laid his head over Jack’s chest.
“Ennis.... do you really believe I’ll let a woman take you away from me? Look at me! I swear, Ennis Delmar, that I’ll stay with you forever.”
“It’s so embarrassing, Jack, I’ve never been with a woman.”
“I know, Ennis, we were the first for each other, but a woman should be easier.”
“How do you know?” Ennis said raising his head. “There is something you’re trying to tell me?”
Jack looked at him and saw his uneasiness.
“I’m sorry, Ennis, I’m only reporting what boys say in the kitchen ….do you trust me?”
Ennis nodded, a little ashamed for his lapse of faith.
and she’ll be a virgin, so she can never compare you with others. And once you have a kid or two, you can leave her bed and sleep alone. Like Lord Stonegrove did with the countess.”
“How do you know?”
“In the servant’s wing there are lots of spicy secrets!”
“Is there anything else useful I should know?”
Jack paused before speaking again.
“Well.. you can avoid disrobing yourself in front of your wife... never let her see your body. There are special clothes with holes in them to put on for the wedding night.”
“My body is for you only,” Ennis said with a dangerous smile on his lips.
TBC
Please add your opinion.
Chapter 11.
This is the next part of an AU/AU, a tribute to a great short story and a marvellous film.
Timeline: before the introduction chapter, we’re swimming between end of 19th and beginning of 20th century.
Thanks as usual to all of you who read and posted a review. It is so important for me.
Disclaimer: intellectual property of Ms. Proulx, no commercial use, no copyright infringment.
Special thanks as always time goes to my dear Beta Sam, her help is very precious and deeply treasured.
Sorry for the time between the chapters, but I’m at the worst time of the year for my work.
Ennis and Lord Delmar stayed a whole week in London before leaving for India.
It was the first time Ennis had spent so much time in the most powerful city of the empire and he enjoyed its variety and its many treasures. He also wanted to avoid his father as much as possible, like he had since he had found Jack’s scars the preceding Christmas.
He visited the British Museum, the National Gallery, walked along the river Thames and sometimes entered one of those shops for gentlemen only, full of tweeds, hats and formal suits, but he didn’t buy anything. Mr. Evans had packed in advance everything that was needed for India.
They stayed at Lord Charles’ Club, full of other country estate owners. The last day of his stay Ennis was given a message card from a valet. It was from Robert Miller, the younger brother of his late mother, whom Ennis had met only three times in his whole life, always at the Delmar’s house while Robert was in England for business reasons.
“My dear Ennis,
I’ve heard the news about Kenneth from London acquaintances of mine who knew my sister, your late mother. Then a few days ago I met Lady Alcott, who gave me your club reference. I’ve written to you and Lureen three times during the last months but since you have not replied, I fear that you did not receive my letters.” Thankfully Lady Alcott assured me you are fine. But you and Lureen are my sister’s children and I’d be pleased to hear from you more often.
I’m in London until next Friday, ten days from now. If you would like to contact me, leave a message at the Claridge hotel, Room 275.
My American address is on the small sheet enclosed.
……. Your Uncle, Robert Miller.”
Ennis wanted to go immediately to the Claridge and called a carriage, but Mr. Miller wasn’t in his room nor in the restaurant, they told him, so he left a brief message, saying that he was pleased to hear from his uncle and would try again to meet him at the same place later in the evening, if permitted by his immediate departure for India.
Unfortunately, the same evening Ennis discovered he was expected to have attend a concert with his father and his return trip to the Claridge couldn’t take place.
----------
For Ennis, the travel by ship seemed to last forever. He busied himself at first with the books he took with him, then read all the ones on the shelves of the sitting room. His father made acquaintances with the other passengers but Ennis wasn’t inclined to share his life with strangers.
He hated the way his father always become became the centre of every conversation. Surely nobody else on the ship had a social status comparable to Lord Delmar’s and Ennis thought his father purposely choose a smaller and cheaper vessel to have more attention, though keeping their voyage less known by the aristocracy. .
Ennis imagined being a lord was a winning point but Charles Delmar had also had a physical appearance that was like a magnet for people. They were attracted like a moth to a flame, before dying by from the intense heat.
Ennis had the same figure but without the desire to be noticed, appreciated and respected: most of times he hoped to become a ghost and disappear. When he was a child he had refused to speak with strangers, and even now he was still was unease ill at ease when meeting new people.
Once in India, Lord Charles and Ennis travelled by train and by carriage a lot, from Bombay to Delhi following the winter route of the anglo-indian high society, attending its meetings and its parties. Mr. Evans was the shadow of Lord Delmar and Ennis was happy to be left alone most of the time.
Ennis hated the social gatherings but was fascinated by the savage nature of India.
He saw his first elephant the second day, near a small train station. The animal was ready to carry around a bunch of people, considering the special seat on its back. The train stopped for half an hour and Ennis went down to see the elephant better. The owner was surprised to see a white man approaching and his curiosity increased when Ennis extended a hand to touch the animal.
The man bowed in the traditional deferent way and Ennis stopped, now unsure and avoiding to prevaricate. Mr Evans had told him about the local social system customs and during their stay Ennis wanted to behave properly during their stay.
With a gesture of an arm the owner invited Ennis to move closer. “She’s quiet, sahib, come on.”
“It’s a female?” Ennis didn’t imagine such a big animal could be a “she.”
“She’s Ansur, a fat lady,” the man added; he lifted his stick, added some unintelligible words and Ansur started moving her front legs, slowly kneeling in two steps in front of Ennis.
She was really big but delicate at the same time. Ansur moved her proboscis trunk and her owner took an apple from a pocket; the elephant ate, looking at Ennis, who smelt the mud on her skin.
“Can I touch her?” he asked.
“Of course, sahib. On the trunk, please.”
The skin had more deep or wrinkles than Ennis expected. Maybe it depended on the age of the animal, he thought.
He gave the man some coins and returned quickly on to the train that was due to leave soon.
The moments with the animals - including one later when he met a domesticated tiger in the British Embassy - remained the best of the travel and he was full of details in describing them in his letters home.
The food was too spicy for his taste, but he managed to eat as much rice as possible. In the end, however, Ennis become addicted to curry and bought some of the powder to take home, with other small gifts for his sister and some servants.
Boredom was his faithful companion for the most part of the day; after two weeks all the places, the faces, the hotel rooms became a big blur and nothing more.
He wrote a letter to Jack and one to Lureen every other day, but needed to be careful to reach the post offices without his father noticing. Sometimes he thought to leave the letters at the reception of the hotel, but he was afraid Mr. Evans could be instructed by his father to control his correspondence. He suffered a lot from the absence of news from home.
One evening, after another long and strenuous dinner in the company of too many drunken officers - two of which had served in the same regiment of his father - Lord Delmar called Ennis, who became anxious at the summons. He was tired and with the beginning of a headache and considering the way Lord Delmar had crossed the hall of the hotel, the father should be in a worse condition than the son.
Mr Evans soon retired for the night, leaving his masters alone with another bottle full of an amber liquid. Ennis swore to remain away from the temptation.
Lord Delmar reclined on a couch, legs propped up, wearing a velvet night jacket, a glass in his hand. He started looking at something outside the window, avoiding Ennis’s face.
“Your mother was a beautiful woman, Ennis, and our marriage went very well. She gave me what I wanted, two boys. A loyal wife. Now you’re the only Delmar left, and I must consider the future of our family. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, father.”
“I’ve planned this trip to India to meet some old friends and various English families who live here, hoping to find a wife for you, Ennis. It’s time for you to marry, and better to choose a girl who knows nothing about you. The London society knows you were never interested in women at home. Too many whispers around our name. Now it’s time to stop them for good.”
“Father, I told you, too many things happened in our family. I didn’t have time to think about girls.” He started feeling a little nervous.
“Yes yes, your mother, your brother...in any case I think I’ve found you a suitable wife. She was born here, her father was a soldier years ago and her mother was a French woman, a little strange, they say, but it doesn’t matter, since she died years ago. Now her step mother was a distant relative of Lady Alcott. The girl is named Alma, she is 19 and you‘ll marry her in two months, when her family arrives at our estate.”
“Father, you can’t mean this!”
“What? You‘ll marry her because I‘ve decided you will. It will be arranged, you’ll meet her tomorrow evening. And I expect a grandson next year.”
“I don’t want to do it!”
“You’ll do it or I’ll erase you name from the family bible, while your so called “friends” at school or at home will see the inside of the darkest dungeon I can find.”
Ennis was so shocked at hearing these words that he couldn’t immediately find a proper reply. All he could think about was Jack, discovered by Lord Delmar, ignominiously sent away from the house and from him.
“So it’s true,” his father was saying, hearing no reply from Ennis. “I don’t know where he is but I was sure there was somebody of that degenerate kind. I’ve always hated them since I was young. He’s at school, isn’t he? One of the boys you played rugby with? Oh, keep your mouth closed if you want, but I’ll discover his name, sooner or later. And now go away, I want to rest.”
Ennis didn’t move, unsure of what to do or what to say. He had never gone against his father before, and Lord Charles knew it well.
“I told you to leave this room, or do you want to be whipped like that Jack?” Lord Charles took his whip from a table. “I could have whipped that servant much more! Like I did with Evans’ nephew some years ago, or before that, when I was young…at school we found one of the servants had stolen some food; he was the lover of another boy, Irish, and we spent the whole evening teaching him a lesson. His back still has the scars, I swear, and his lover couldn’t do anything to help him because we tied him to a chair. Now go away!”
This time Ennis followed the order, shocked by his father’s words. Only later, going over what his father had said, did he realize that his affair with Jack was still secret.
Ennis didn’t sleep that night. At first he thought that if he stayed awake he would appear at his worst for the evening meeting, but around dawn he felt so desperate that he tried to get drunker using his father’s remaining whisky. He slept from 6am to 9am and woke up with the worst headache of his life.
Mr. Evans’ breakfast tray went untouched. Ennis’ eyes were surrounded by dark circles; the butler prepared a bath and Ennis soaked in the tub until noon.
The party at Nathaniel Beers’ estate started at 6 pm and the Delmars arrived one hour later. Mr. Beers was pacing the hall like a lion, he was afraid Delmar might renege on their agreement. He needed the prestige of a title and wanted to get rid of his oldest child. She was a mistake, the reason he had to marry her mother. They had later produced two other offspring; two sons to carry on the family name, while with his second wife he had another girl, Catherine, the youngest, who was her father’s joy.
He knew well that for Catherine he would accept only the best husband, one that she loved deeply, but Alma was something different.
She was a teaser for boys, often dressed in ways that were not so proper for a real lady; he was afraid she might run away with some young gambler and stain their reputation.
When he saw the Delmars approaching he greeted them immediately. “Charles, we were worried about you.”
“We had a carriage problem, it was very annoying. The hotel forgot our order.” Lord Delmar laughed. “You were afraid I changed my mind? Here is my son Ennis.”
Ennis played his part of the perfect guest well and was swiftly introduced to Mrs Beers and her sons. The woman was beautiful, there was no doubt, and Ennis sadly remembered she wasn’t the real mother of Alma. Because a pretty girl would have lot of suitors, not an arranged marriage, so his hopes lasted for a minute only.
Mrs Beers took his arm and lead him in the drawing room, where a girl was playing a piano; Ennis tensed but she was visibly too young.
“She is Catherine,” Mrs Beers murmured with pride in her voice, “she has studied piano since she was five.”
“She’s very good.” Ennis admitted. The small hands of the pianist ran quickly over the keys and Mozart’s music captured the guests seated around the instrument. He was for a moment disappointed that Catherine couldn’t take Alma’s place, he was already fascinated by her music.
Mrs. Beers introduced him to a lot of relatives and Ennis tried to be polite, continuing his search for the mysterious fiancée. When they reached the terrace overlooking the garden with a small lake, Mrs. Beers pointed to a group of five young women sitting around a circle of roses. “Alma is the one in the yellow dress, she’s with her cousins and friends.”
“Would you accompany me ?”
Mrs. Beers squirmed a little. She looked at Ennis with a deep sympathy in her hazel eyes and her voice trembled a little. “My presence could help you a little, but everything has been fixed and we cannot change anything.”
-------------------
Ennis slept and cried in Jack’s arms for hours the night he returned from India. They retired to his apartment as soon as Lord Charles dismissed the servants for the evening and wasted no time tearing away each other’s clothes, hungry, excited, as if every wasted second without touching bare skin was like a year. Ennis went down on Jack and put him in his mouth like a starved man, wanting to taste his man after so many nights alone, touching himself and dreaming of blue pearls.
Jack felt his desperation. “Ennis please, we all know it would have happened, in any case. You will be Earl, it’s your duty.”
“You’re not helping me...”
“What do you want me to do? Ask you to run away with me? Where could we go, without money at all.. and should we leave Lureen behind? Your father will kill her, you know it.”
“But to have a wife! I cannot bear to be without you.”
They embraced fiercely and Ennis laid his head over Jack’s chest.
“Ennis.... do you really believe I’ll let a woman take you away from me? Look at me! I swear, Ennis Delmar, that I’ll stay with you forever.”
“It’s so embarrassing, Jack, I’ve never been with a woman.”
“I know, Ennis, we were the first for each other, but a woman should be easier.”
“How do you know?” Ennis said raising his head. “There is something you’re trying to tell me?”
Jack looked at him and saw his uneasiness.
“I’m sorry, Ennis, I’m only reporting what boys say in the kitchen ….do you trust me?”
Ennis nodded, a little ashamed for his lapse of faith.
and she’ll be a virgin, so she can never compare you with others. And once you have a kid or two, you can leave her bed and sleep alone. Like Lord Stonegrove did with the countess.”
“How do you know?”
“In the servant’s wing there are lots of spicy secrets!”
“Is there anything else useful I should know?”
Jack paused before speaking again.
“Well.. you can avoid disrobing yourself in front of your wife... never let her see your body. There are special clothes with holes in them to put on for the wedding night.”
“My body is for you only,” Ennis said with a dangerous smile on his lips.
TBC
Please add your opinion.