Scandal in the Wind

by K T Grant

  “Where did you come up with the name Ware?” Lily asked and kicked her leg up in the air.

  Rose grabbed hold of Lily’s big toe and wiggled it. “From my first protector.”

  “Really? How did he feel about that?”

  “I wouldn’t know. He died before I took the name.”

  “Oh.” Lily shifted to her side and curved her arm around Rose’s hips. Rose hid her face in Lily’s hair, sniffing deeply of the jasmine scented rinse Lily used when bathing.

  “I’ve only had one protector. When I left New Orleans at the ripe old age of eighteen, I thought with my beauty and sparkling personality I’d become the star of the South. My dream was always to be a stage actress. New Orleans was too stifling and I didn’t want to end up running my mother’s bordering house for the rest of my life. When my mother passed away after a bout of pneumonia, I took half the savings my mother left to me in her will and said farewell to Caroline, who took over the boarding house.” Rose’s lips lifted as she remembered that last day they hugged as she caught a carriage out of the city. “I read an advertisement in the paper for girls to be extras in a play house in Macon, Georgia. I tried out and was lucky enough to be given a job.”

  “You must have been excited to act on the stage,” Lily said.

  “The shine wore off soon after. The women I competed with for roles were petty and jealous. They would do whatever they could to become a star, even sleep with the director and owners of the playhouse. At the time I was too innocent and would never do such a thing to get ahead. I was close to losing my job. If not for Dylan Ware, I would have been destitute and returned back to my sister a failure.”

  “He was your first lover?” Lily asked in a careful voice and dipped her chin.

  “Don’t be shy to ask,” Rose said and lifted Lily’s chin up and gave her a kiss. She broke the kiss but kept her face close so she could stare into Lily’s inquisitive eyes. Lily met her stare and nodded for her to go on.

  “He was my first male lover. Some of the actresses at the playhouse preferred women in their beds. Since I was always attracted to women more than men, they introduced me to some wonderful bedroom activities. One night myself and two of the girls had each other for hours after sharing one too many bottles of absinthe. It was heavenly.”

  “Sounds…nice.” Lily’s forehead wrinkled and her lips thinned. Rose took that as a sign to move on.

  “One night after a performance, the cast and I went out to a local pub. I noticed this older, distinguished gentleman playing billiards. He had a skill with a cue stick and after a shot or two of whiskey, I gained the courage to go up to him and introduce myself. He asked me to join him in a game. He let me win and when he asked if I would come back to his hotel for a nightcap, I accepted. I ended up staying the night. Dylan was a gentle and equally passionate lover. He made my first time with a man a wonderful experience. He was in town for two weeks on business and every moment we had free, we were together, mainly in bed.”

  Lily caressed the side of Rose’s face. “He was married?”

  “Yes. He travelled away on business a great deal. After twenty years of marriage, he and his wife never had children and she spent most of her time with her parents. The arrangement suited them both. Then the day before he left to return home, he asked me to go with him. I said yes, left behind my dreams of becoming a famous actress and he set me up in a house. Dylan had many eccentric and interesting friends from artists to playwrights and even courtesans.”

  “He sounds scandalous.” Lily moved on her back and folded her hands on her stomach.

  “Oh he was. I adored Dylan very much and thought he would divorce his wife and we would get married. I was so young and idealistic back then. Dylan would never leave his wife. He loved her in his own way, just as he loved me, but in a different way.” Rose paused and cleared her throat. “I met Beau through Dylan.”

  Lily’s eyes grew wide. “Really? I had no idea. When I asked Beau how he knew you, he would only say from colleagues or friends.”

  “Funny, but I can’t really remember the first time I met Beau or how he and Dylan were acquainted. Beau was so entertaining and he made me laugh. He used to joke with Dylan and say he would steal me away from him.” Rose exhaled and rubbed her chest where it suddenly stung. “And then one day while Dylan and I went out for a stroll, he crumpled to the ground and wouldn’t get back up. The doctor said he had a stroke and died instantaneously. Soon after I found out I was pregnant.”

  “Oh, Rose, I’m so sorry.” Lily pulled her over and Rose hugged her close, brushing aside her tears pooling in her eyes.

  “I wasn’t invited to the funeral, but Dylan left me the house and a nice sum of money. Surprisingly his wife didn’t fight the will. Beau was a great support then. He helped me through it all, Dylan’s death, my pregnancy and was there when I gave birth to Georgie.” Rose licked her lips, knowing what she would tell Lily was going to be hard. “After I gave birth, I went back to my sister. Beau followed me and one thing led to another and we became lovers. I assumed we would marry, but he only wanted me as his mistress.”

  Lily brushed the back of her hand over Rose’s cheeks. “You fell in love with Beau?”

  “I did have feelings for him, but love? No. Marriage to Beau would have given me and Georgie stability. I ended things with him because I wanted more than he was willing to give and I was afraid of getting pregnant again. I didn’t want to bring another child into the world without the bonds of matrimony. Beau left to make his own way in the world and soon after I grew antsy.” Rose shook her head and laughed. “I shared an ongoing correspondence with one of the courtesans I’d been friendly with when Dylan was alive. She invited me to stay with her in Charleston where she and a few other women set up a house to entertain their gentlemen friends. I thought I’d be gone for a few weeks at the most and left Georgie in the care of my sister.” Rose closed her eyes then, shame filling her chest. “I-I left my baby girl behind because I was selfish and wanted to find joy again like I had with Dylan.”

  “I’m surprised your sister allowed you to do such a thing. If my sister left her child with me and went off like you did, I’d have killed her,” Lily said in a forthright manner, although she still caressed Rose’s face in a caring way.

  “My sister is a saint, much like our mother was,” Rose said and rested her head on Lily’s shoulder. “I needed time away and in the company of friends. After staying with them, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to live my life on my own terms and not have to rely on anyone else. And that’s when I decided to go into business for myself and with my savings and some business advice from my very knowledgeable and business savvy friends, I found an excellent piece of property here in Charleston and Rose’s Delights was born. In less than five years my brothel exploded and my girls became the most sought out women in the entire state of South Carolina,” Rose said proudly.

  “You did it all yourself? Didn’t Beau…” Lily ventured off and stared up at the ceiling.

  Rose grabbed hold of her chin and looked right in Lily’s face. “You thought Beau helped me start up my business? Perhaps invested in it?”

  Lily nodded. “You can’t fault me for thinking so.”

  “I don’t.” Rose’s mouth met Lily’s and they shared a kiss. Rose nestled comfortably against her pillow, pulling Lily on top of her and running her fingers up and down her back. “During that time Beau had his investments elsewhere and wanted to stay as clean as possible so he could become more of a respected business man.”

  Lily snorted loudly and her shoulders shook with silent laughter. “Beau will try by any means necessary to become a valued part of society, but it’s imbedded in his soul to be the complete opposite.” Lily lifted her head and flung her hair aside in annoyance. “Enough about Beau Odell. I want to hear stories about your days as a new madam. Did you entertain many men and women?”

  “Why, Lily you continue to surprise me.” Rose rolled over until Lily was lying under her. Lil
y batted her eyelashes and her hands roamed over Rose’s ass.

  “I want to hear all the dirty details.” Lily’s voice hitched as Rose circled her nipples with her thumbs and slowly rubbed her knee against Lily’s mound.

  “You want to hear how many men I sucked off and how many women I went down on? Or perhaps how I used to tie up one of my biggest female clients and only use my mouth on her to make her come eight times in one night?”

  Lily’s eyes went wide. “Eight?” she squeaked. “You’re joshing me.”

  Rose gave the sheet a tug and it came loose. She then tied it around Lily’s wrists. “You don’t believe I can make a woman climax that many times? I think you need to be punished for questioning my skill.”

  “Will you make me c-come eight times?” Lily’s cheek grew red as she tripped over her words.

  Rose lifted Lily’s wrists high and tethered them around the iron headboard. Lily arched her back, her nipples pointing up, as if they begged for Rose to suck them. She flicked Lily’s nipples with the tip of her tongue, causing moans to leave Lily’s mouth.

  “And so ends our heart to heart for the moment.” Rose swiped a finger against the seam of Lily’s pussy. She then lifted her fingers smeared with Lily’s juices and wiped her fingers over her lips. Lily gasped and Rose quickly smothered the sound with a wet kiss, sharing Lily’s feminine cream with her. When Lily licked the inside of her mouth thoroughly, she broke away breathless.

  “Make me come only with your mouth until I pass out from the pleasure,” Lily growled in a low voice and wrapped her legs around Rose’s hips.

  “You won’t be able to walk tomorrow morning.” Rose took Lily’s face in her hands. “I lied. I didn’t just use my mouth but some sexual instruments to aid me.”

  “And what are those?” Lily asked, her chest heaving as she breathed deeply.

  “I’ll introduce you to my toys later, but first I think we need substance.” Rose climbed off of Lily and went over to pull on the rope that would ring in the kitchen. She sauntered back over to the bed and sat on the edge. Lily rubbed her legs across the mattress, soft whimpers leaving her mouth.

  “I didn’t tie the sheet too tight. You can get out of it if you want to,” Rose explained.

  Lily gave Rose a wanton smile and spread her legs apart where her plump, pink clit was on display. “I don’t want to. It’s all part of the game isn’t it?”

  What I want from you isn’t a game. Rose blinked away that thought and crawled over Lily. She placed her cheek on Lily’s stomach and swirled her finger over Lily’s slit, where more of her juices developed. Rose inhaled and her stomach rumbled. “Now lie back and enjoy yourself while I sate my hunger.”

  Rose dipped her head in between Lily’s legs and lapped her up, not stopping even as Lily screamed for mercy. Only when she was satisfied with the number of times Lily came from her maundering tongue and mouth, did she stop.

  When their dinner arrived, she fed Lily and allowed her to have even more orgasms as she licked away the chocolate pudding she dabbed across Lily’s breasts and across her thighs and in her cunt.

  For the first time since she’d been pleasuring women, Lily passed out from exhaustion. Rose gave herself a silent pat on the back and regardless of being sticky from their shared dinner and other body fluids, she untied Lily and pulled her into an embrace. Rose fell fast asleep with Lily’s taste imbedded in her mouth and her heart swelling with love.

  Chapter Eleven

  A yawn left Rose’s mouth as she exited the real estate office where she just signed the lease on her new building. She shook her head and hugged her leather satchel to her chest, excited for her and Lily. They were one step closer now to accomplishing their goal. She couldn’t wait to celebrate with Lily later.

  She took a moment to catch her breath after another yawn. Perhaps a cup of coffee is in order to help me stay awake?

  For two weeks now she and Lily had spent far too much time closed up in either one of their bedrooms as they not only made passionate love for hours on end but talked late into the night when she wasn’t taking care of matters with the brothel. Those fourteen days were some of the happiest of her life. Not only were her employees working overtime to meet the needs of their clients, and bringing in more money, but now with things running so smoothly, she could take more time away to be with Lily.

  Not even when she was with Dylan, had she felt this sense of peace and happiness. Lily had become important to her as Georgie, who she’d soon see after the gaming club was up and running.

  With a small bounce in her step, she began walking instead of hailing a carriage. It was a lovely afternoon with little humidity. Perhaps the walk would revive her. By then Rose would have returned home from the cemetery and she’d cajole her into taking a nap—

  “Mrs. Ware, you’re looking particularly lovely this morning. May I interest you in a ride?”

  Rose stopped and closed her eyes before she turned. Beau hung his head out the open window of his brougham as it came to a halt next to her.

  “Why, Mr. Odell, it’s been forever and a day since we last saw one another.” She batted her eyelashes and pressed her palm near her heart. “To what do I owe the honor?”

  Beau opened the door and jumped out of the carriage as he took off his hat. “Let me take you to wherever you need to go and we can talk. I do miss our conversations we’ve had.”

  “It’s better if I walk. There’s too much road traffic.” Rose pointed out as she motioned up ahead to the street filled with congestion from the other carriages, carts, and horses.

  “Are you in a rush?” Beau asked, his eyes becoming shielded.

  “Someone is waiting for me and I don’t think she’d be happy if she found out I took a drive with you.”

  Beau slapped his hat against his hip and his cheek twitched. “You mean Lily.”

  Rose took a step closer to Beau and lowered her voice. “Who else would I mean?”

  Beau scratched his chin and braced his arm against the door. “I’ve heard some interesting rumors about you and my wife.”

  “You mean your ex-wife,” Rose replied and crossed her arms.

  “I’m still trying to get used to being divorced. It’s a first for me,” Beau said and squeezed the back of his neck.

  Upon close inspection, Rose noticed the dark circles under Beau’s eyes and his face appeared thinner. His jacket was also a size too big as if he lost weight. She tapped her mouth. “You look like shit,” she said without censor.

  “Then take pity on me.” Beau gave her the same fixed look she gave him. “And speaking of shit, you should take a look in the mirror. Too many late nights, Madam Ware?”

  Yes, with your wife you so callously threw away. Rose bit down on the inside of her cheek and lifted her chin. “You know me, always the night owl. I’ve been busy tutoring a young woman in the art of passion. She’s a fast learner. Such a shame her ex-husband couldn’t please her like I can.” She wiped away a piece of lint on her bodice, noting how Beau went rigid. “She’s quite the tiger in bed and tastes sweet as ambrosia.” Rose winked and twirled a piece of her hair.

  “Touche,” Beau murmured, his eyes dropping to slits.

  Rose relented from any more verbal attacks and gently rubbed Beau’s arm. “We’ve always been honest with one another and I’d hope we can continue the same way. I’ll take you up on your offer for a ride. That is, if you don’t end up throttling me as soon as I sit down.”

  Beau pressed his hand over Rose’s and nodded. “I’m in all things a gentleman. You have my word no harm will come to you while you’re in my company.”

  “Very well, Sir.” Rose allowed Beau to help her into the carriage. She sat next to the window and he followed her in, sitting across from her.

  With his walking stick, he hit the ceiling and the carriage moved.

  Rose placed her satchel next to her and settled back in her seat. The rocking motion of the carriage brought on another yawn.

  “Forgive me.
I haven’t been sleeping very much.”

  “You’re enjoying taunting me,” Beau said as he slouched in the corner, watching her covertly.

  Rose shrugged. “Not at all. I’m just stating facts.”

  “And if I asked about Lily, you would tell me the truth?”

  “What point would there be in me lying to you? I make Lily happy.” Rose lifted her eyebrows, daring Beau to argue with her.

  “It’s true then? She prefers women in the bedroom?”

  “It appears so,” Rose said softly.

  “Damn it. How could I not have known? A husband should know these things about his wife.” Beau hit his knee and frowned.

  “Not always. Women are very skilled at hiding things.”

  “You mean being deceitful,” Beau whispered harshly.

  “Don’t act like you’re the wounded victim in all of this. Lily was faithful from the moment she said, ‘I do’ to you. You made a big mistake and now you’re paying for it.”

  “I’m paying a great deal for my mistake, as you call it. Lily’s retribution has many zeros after it.” Beau gave her a condescending stare that made her sit up straighter.

  “Oh yes, all will be well knowing Lily can fix her broken heart with the money you’ve thrown her way to ease your guilty conscious.”

  “Lily lied to me from the moment I met her.”

  Rose lifted her hands in the air. “Because she didn’t tell you how she’s attracted to women and the one woman she loved rejected her for a man of all things? Spare me your histrionics. Lily fell in love with you and wanted to have a future with only you. So what if she still yearned for what she couldn’t have with Mary Ashford? You can’t tell me you don’t still long for those things you lost or never had in the first place.”

  Beau rested his forearms on his knees and rubbed his thumbs back and forth over his mouth. “Perhaps I do.”

  Rose rolled her eyes and smacked Beau’s hand away when he traced a finger over her knee. “Don’t make me slap you.”