CHAPTER 22
After desire has been fulfilled, I prefer to be alone, to huddle up beneath the warm enclosure of enfolding coverings, reliving in my mind that which has been.
Harkness stirred from me and was gone, giving my legs a lingering caress as if in truth he would have stayed and threaded me again.
Lumley remained a moment just to kiss my cheeks, tip of my nose, my sticky mouth. 'Rest for a while, then we shall eat', he said and with a bow as if in homage went. Beyond the closing door, however, I heard a sudden, laughing 'Oh!' from Jane who evidently approached all in a rush. I heard a kiss-I thought I heard a kiss-some whispers, then she drifted in and closed the door and clapped her hands, appearing to my astonishment all gay. 'How naughty they all are!', she laughed and threw herself beside me on the bed. 'Ooooh, sticky-wicky, naughty Emily!' Her arms enfolded me. I tried to stir- felt pettish, but she would not leave me be. -'They did it to me as well', she said, as though that were an accolade. Then came another entrant-Esmeralda.
Seeing us all a-cuddle like lost babes, she smiled and sat upon the bed and smoothed her gown. 'What wretches they are-Lumley and my brother', she declared. 'Your brother? Harkness is your brother?', came from Jane. I tried to cover up myself, but twixt women nudity is quite a common thing. 'Out of the bag the cat is let?
Oh dear, oh dear, my tongue runs loose sometimes, but both of you are such sweet dears-and ladies, too. Come, Emily, dress and let us be downstairs-provided you are not put out with us?' 'I think you are horrid, all of you', said I, but bore no rancour in my tone, and got up flouncing, tripping round the bed to don my clothes while Jane lounged back and Esmeralda stroked her legs. 'She does not really. I'll wager you have a lovely warm bottom now, Emily', Jane laughed, which caused our companion to rise up from the bed and feel that portion of my person while I looped my arms in my chemise.
'Did he do it up between your cheeks?', she asked, making me wriggle as she put her finger in my furrow. 'No!', I said sharply, but my pettishness sounded silly and I blushed and kept my back to her in putting my gown on again. 'I like to be held down', said Esmeralda, adding, 'Darling, let me brush your hair. 'Twas all a silly, foolish game, you know, and done in too much haste, perhaps. But even so, but even so, to be up-ended sometimes, in a rush, and put to it by males who are not cruel or harsh… He kissed you nicely, did he not?' 'A strange way to talk of your husband and your brother', I replied, and was pressed and guided to the dressing table while we spoke. 'You are not really shocked; you would have screamed. A girl should be petted, guided-lured, I say. We do it slowly sometimes-hours on end-until the girl is ready for the cock. We knew you, though, for two sophisticates, despite the modesty of your attire. What fun it was! Oh, say you are not cross!' 'She is not really, no-no more than I', said Jane and sprang up from the bed to ease her way appealingly between my stool and the dressing table. I knew that careful pose of hers as she knelt down. I pulled a face. 'I am', I said. The brush sloped down my hair. 'Story you are' said Jane, 'You always look like this, all flushed and silly afterwards'. I wanted to spring up, but Esmeralda leaned her hands upon my shoulders, held me down. I wanted to be doleful and to brood, but I could not. The little flames of mischief stirred and would not be suppressed. 'Ho, I am not as you, Jane-why, you let Papa…' I bit my tongue. The roof should fall on me, I thought.
'And what of that?', asked Esmeralda and bent my head right back.
Her face was upside down, her mouth a perfumed haunting over mine.
Both her hands were underneath my chin. Jane's head was resting in my lap. I wanted her to cry or laugh. I had committed a dire sin. Her hands lay placid on my thighs. I would run from there, would fly-become a bird, and never speak again. Esmeralda's upstretched thumbs pressed to my cheeks and made my lips to pout. My neck strained, but she held me tight. 'Now, listen to me, Emily', she purred, 'When the cunnylips are puffy with desire, the cock at a full stand, the balls a-churn with waiting sperm…' 'D… don't!', I choked. She would not loose her hands. 'Listen to her, Emily, you must', said Jane. Her voice was far away and soft. Her lips pressed to my garter through my dress. 'Don't want…', I bubbled, then my tongue was still. Full lips splurged down on mine, were soft, were moist. They brushed from side to side. Words burred and buzzed against my lips. 'Thus as I say it is, and often have you known it so, your nipples all a-sparkle, were they not, and bottom heavy on caressing hands? A dreamlike ecstasy is all you know. The cock probes gently. First you start away, yet urgently are drawn to feel it there, tickling your cunnylips to the proud crest, unable to escape the moment of desire, belly to belly or your bum out-thrust to seeking loins, and then when, in the sticky spell, your rose enfolds the conqueror, the tingling plum. 'Oh, stop!', I gasped. I forced her hands away, jogged Jane's chin with my knee and then sprang up.
Jane rose. 'She was never whipped', she said, and had a proud look on her face. 'Don't say such things! How could you, Jane!', I gasped, yet the hypocrite in me grew insubstantial as I spoke and all but vanished in a puff of smoke. 'Oh, as to that, we may all say what we will. Such things are said, such things are done. The world is not the worse for it', said Esmeralda, putting down the brush as one who underlines her sentence with another sound. 'Well, I don't care to talk of it', I said. The moment would be solemn ever on or would break with laughter. I knew that. Such moments come upon us all at times. One waits for others to smile first. A cowardice? Yes, perhaps it is. Jane laughed, Jane would. I loved her for it, though. 'If Papa whips you, you will know better how to be', she said. She did not smile at that. I wanted her to smile. 'I shan't', I said and tossed my hair. 'Sisters indeed! And how well matched! Come, children, no more bickering. What is to be will be. I may today eat beef and declare my everlasting love for a good roast.
Tomorrow it may be eggs and I shall say that I hate meat. Qui sait?
Who knows? We all say this or that, and change our minds. The world turns still. In mist the sun looks duller yet behind the mist it shines as brightly as it ever does. I never make my word my bond, nor should you two. Come, or the cook will be dismayed and throw a far worse tizzy than you will attain to in your silly quarrelling. Be as you will, and happy be the day!', said Esmeralda throwing open the door and standing there until we passed without. The carpets all were purple-rather grand, I thought, and stretched from wall to wall wherever we walked. In the drawing room, which had a cheerful air and was not too cluttered, Lumley rose to greet me first, affording me a brotherly kiss on both my cheeks. 'You are not too put out with us?', he asked. I did not answer, and I dared Jane with my eyes to hold her silence, too-the which she did. Harkness, as I thought of him, came forward next and bowed and kissed my hand. 'May I, too, be included in your sweet mercy?', he implored. He had changed his garb and wore a fine, black suit. 'There are no tears, my dears', said Esmeralda, beaming on us all, whereat there came a knock and a female servant of some girth appeared, a white cap crooked on her head, an apron stained. 'Meal 'as bin ready this past hour', she said, and took us all in balefully. 'Cook, dear, you do exaggerate. You mean that it is really ready? Well, we shall come in.
I have no arm to hold, but will follow on our guests'.
'H'exaggerates, do I?' Well, I shan't stay a moment longer in this 'ouse. All ups and downs, it is-all ups and downs!', the cook declared and slammed the door, bringing a heartfelt sigh from Esmeralda. 'The dear thing has been saying that each day for five years now', she yawned. 'Come, let us to the feast, if such it be. I suspect that it is rabbit once again, and fish before. The silly woman always will have fish before. You may toy with it only if you do not care for it'. The meal, in fact, was utterly delicious. Lumley sat beside me and caressed my thigh. 'Are we forgiven yet?', he asked and clearly brought some real anxiety into his words. 'Of course you are. And anyway, you did it to me first', said Jane.
'Sometimes it is nicer not to be forgiven, but to wait and see', she added, which caused me to put my tongue out at her, whereat there was laughter and a general easing of the atmosphere. 'I had best tell you, my pet, quite plainly, that I married Lumley for two things-his money and his virility, and in that order', Esmeralda said.
'There are no better reasons', her brother said. His name was really Mark. I liked the name. 'In your case, dear, only the latter would apply', she answered, bringing a laugh and flecks of fish upon her lips from Jane. 'Did he apply to you for references in the latter instance, Esmeralda, then?', she asked, and threw a glance at me which caused me to tip out my tongue again. 'My dear, the ink never ran dry-if ink it may be called. Being fostered, we enjoyed ourselves just as we might. Parents as such are such a bore-sometimes', she added carefully, and then as if to throw a crumb to Jane, went on, 'Indolence and summer days-even the wintry nights when the fires burn in the bedrooms-all beget a stirring of desires.
Mark being found one day at play with me, his cock a-working in my nest (such innocence, so sweet, you
