a slightly unfortunate tendency to
cut corners and take the easy way out which is...
an annoying character trait, but not one I assure you which would hurt your nieces in any way. Please madame, give the young man a chance. He will prove himself, I assure you."
With a final doubtful glance at Lauzan, she turned to Valmont and answered, saying....
"Well-he will have to use the servant's quarters".
Valmont nodded approvingly and smiled a wistful smile at the thought that...
Lauzan, at least on some level, was going to be accepted by this noble woman and trusted to be with her precious nieces. "The times, they are a changin',", he thought, and then thought, "those words ring a bell-have I heard them some place before?" Well, it is of no matter now - it will come to me... "Lauzan", he bellowed. "Saddle up the horses, we are off to
......
Lauzan cut him short with a patronising expression.
"We have no horses.Don't you remember we just jumped through the back window into the river and were washed up here.Where would I get horses from you....."
"crazy-assed loon? And I aint sleepin' in no servant's quarters either. I've had it up to here," he said, gesturing toward his somewhat ridged forehead, "with the uppity likes of you and that 'noble-woman' over there. Noble my ass - always puttin' on airs and orderin' people around. You can take your 'aristocratic bloodlines and stuff 'em up your...."
truffle pancake."
"Now,now Lozzie,I was only testing to see if you are alert." Valmont said with a wan smile.
Turning to the countess,for indeed she was a countess having barnacled on to a right count,he said,
"Take no notice Madame.He's just angling for another bonus.Shall we proceed to your place for a..."
small repast and perhaps the means by which my man and I can bathe and refresh ourselves. We have been on the road for many a day - and our way has not been made easy-indeed it has been utterly perilous. It is with some relief that we look foward to your warm and gentle hospitality."
"As you wish my lord", she answered softly before turning to Lauzan and saying...
"And you my man,you will kindly keep a civil tongue in your head."
Valmont snickered and Lauzan put on his famous feigned hangdog expression and walked in the direction the countess had signalled,with a graceful wave of her gloved hand,leading the horse.
The countess rested her arm on the one the Comte proffered and as they followed she leaned intimately close and whispered throatily......
"Your man," she began hesitantly, but stopped suddenly and quickly turned her face away. The Comte turned to look at her, and saw a warm slow flush creeping across her skin behind the dark curtain of her hair. Placing her slender hand on the soft skin of her neck, and shaking her head slightly as if to clear it, she said, "No, no, it is of no consequence...
"Madame", Valmont spoke quietly, "please, it is important to me that you feel you have the freedom to express even your innermost thoughts. I would not have misunderstanding or miscommunication mar the pleasure of our mutual society for even the slightest second."
Looking deeply into his eyes, she continued, "Well then, I must tell you that I find him so strong, so forceful, so curiously attractive in such a raw, purely masculine way - he just makes me want to....
throw up in a
[Ah, this has become the Chain Story thread.. there was one of those before, under Original Writing I think.]
......."
Her words were drowned by the sudden and unexpected raucous cawing of a startled crow.When it stopped she continued,
"....what I mean is that I feel a little Connie Chatterley about him if you know what I mean."
"The Duchess and the Wrestler I take it as signifying",said Valmont,"but what of your neices?Are they......
really both pregnant by the same man?"
"Good Lord no," replied Sir Harry, The elder one delivered her's last week, she's not pregnant at all
But oh - what's this-who are all of these newcomers approaching and asking such intimate questions? And Mathos - what to make of him - he looks familiar - a little worse for the wear and tear since last he was seen in these parts -but as he has grown unfamiliar to her, the countess is wary of his intentions. With all of the excitement of unexpected pregnancies and births, what need has she of any further upheaval? She moves stealthily to make her escape, but is confounded in her attempt when she is confronted by this strange and unsettling man who approaches her saying....
"Why don't you lie down and let me talk to you, after all problems are best solved in the bed room?
He quickly lifted her from the floor, she gazed into his brown eyes as he carried her towards the stairs, she smiled and said....
"What... what happened? Why I must have fainted. Who are you - where's the Comte" - (and of more interest she thought craftily, but refrained from voicing aloud, where is his fine young man?).
*Spendius/Mathos/Comte/Lauzan - whomever it is I am speaking to - do you not think it would be prudent to remove this thread to the aforementioned "Original Writing Thread"? It has been mentioned that this thread is not really appropriate for this space and as I am not interested in irritating or even sickening (as has been mentioned) others - I do think it would be a good idea. That way, we could also be assured that noone would mistake obvious fiction for fact in any way, shape, or form. I would feel much more comfortable, and since I am a Lady, and a Countess, I would only hope that you would do the chivalrous thing and assent to my wishes. Any input?
The English mistress stalked off in a
