Luke was speechless. No woman had ever dared to treat him that way. But before he had time to think it over, he had already crossed the salon. As he opened the door, he found an exceptionally handsome, tall manservant in livery standing right on the other side, blushing deeply because he had been caught in the act of eavesdropping.
"Oh, and Luke," Jane added, making him turn back to her before he followed the servant to his room. "I want you to be on your best behavior tonight because I would like to introduce you to one of my guests, an old friend of mine whom I am particular fond of. It's astounding, he looks very much like you, I've just realized. If I didn't know better, I would think you were twin brothers. But you will see for yourself when you meet him. His name is Ryan."
*****
Chapter Four
Luke followed the young manservant - Sean was his name, Jane had said - upstairs and down a long corridor. A thick, luxurious carpet swallowed the sound of their steps, and the walls were hung with a gallery of portraits. When Luke looked at them, he only saw women depicted in them, astoundingly beautiful women of different ages. He asked himself if they were Jane's ancestors, but this wouldn't explain why there were no men displayed. The women in the portraits didn't look alike, they had every hair and eye color imaginable, but one thing united them all: they had a unmistakably naughty glint in their eyes, almost seeming to wink at him from their places along the walls. And they all looked extremely happy - each with a smug smile on her face, radiating complete satisfaction.
Along the way Sean gestured to an elegant double door, ornamented with birds and flowers. "This is the master bedroom, where my Mistress resides." Just a few doors down, to the end of the corridor, he opened another door, bowing before Luke shortly to make him enter. "The mahogany room," he said. "The Mistress ordered me to prepare it for you. Your bath is ready, Sir, and the small room to your right is your dressing room. Your new clothes are already there, including a costume for tonight's ball."
Luke thanked the servant, and closed the door behind him, grateful for some privacy at last. The room was exquisitely decorated. It had a definite masculine note because of its dark mahogany wooden paneling and furniture. A heavy four-poster bed stood to the left, near to the fireplace where a brass bathtub with lion's feet was set up, already filled with steaming hot water. Luke was amazed. This place was historically correct in its detail, but he detected a fully functioning bathroom behind a small door in the side wall.
When he crossed the room, he saw a neatly folded piece of paper lying on the coverlet of the bed. Picking it up, he read:
Dear Luke,
In case you haven't already realized - this place doesn't belong to the world you know. It is more something like a dream, a fantasy world. My personal fantasy, you could say. It's a family heirloom. Whatever I wish to happen here, happens. But I am a very real person, I can assure you, as real as you are.
This house is a very special place. It unites old power and magic to fulfill the most secret wishes of the woman who lives here. It has always been that way, with every female owner of the house. So the usual rules of society, morals and relationships are not valid here; you are able to do whatever you want - no regrets, no risks to your health, no worries about the consequences. But be careful. If you get yourself into serious trouble or even get killed here, it will be the same in the real world.
I am still not sure how I managed to get you here. It might have been the fact that I saw you in this movie with your elven prince costume and had ... well, some naughty thoughts about you so the house arranged that you and I should meet. But it is the first time that this has happened, so I believe there must be another reason. But until we find out, why shouldn't we have some fun along the way? If you find any of my female servants or house guests to your liking, you are welcome to take your pleasure. Although they are not aware of it, they are just characters sprung from my own imagination. It is my fantasy, but you can find fulfillment here, too, if you wish to - more than you could imagine in your wildest dreams.
Now make yourself comfortable and be my guest for as long as you like. I shall meet you at my costume ball tonight.
Jane
Luke shook his head, not understanding anything. Of course she couldn't mean what she wrote, this just was not possible. He decided to think about it later and soothe his muscles in the welcoming bath as long as it was hot. Quickly he undressed, dropped his clothes on the floor and let himself sink naked into the steaming water.
He sighed with pleasure, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. His short encounter had satisfied him
