Worlds Apart

by Stein Willard

  “Drinking alone is not fun, milord.”

  Oasis looked up and smiled at woman next to her. “I was hoping you would join me.”

  The woman grinned and Oasis returned it. They were such an unlikely pair, but Oasis found that she truly liked the other woman. She signalled for the barman to bring over a bottle of French champagne. Oasis looked past him her jaw tightening. She reached for her billfold, counted off a few paper notes and place them before her companion.

  “Now you can relax. I’m notoriously difficult to please, so I think that two hours would be enough for you to show me how good you are.”

  Marianne cocked her head to the side. “I didn’t think you would be back, milord.”

  Oasis shrugged. “I like talking to you.”

  She smiled at that. “I like talking to you, too. So, what will we be discussing today? Or shall I ask who?”

  “Who.” She saw the woman’s face fall. “I want to know more about you.” The blue eyes blinked in surprise. “I want to know what I can do, to get you out of here and someplace where you’ll be happy.”

  She noticed that Marianne’s hand shook a little as she reached for her champagne glass. “What makes you think that I don’t like it here, milord?”

  “That’s easy. You’re too clever to be here.”

  They sat in silence after that, finishing their drinks. Marianne was the first to break the silence. “I had an interesting client once.” She smiled at Oasis. “It’s hard to find anyone who sees beyond your tits and sex. He did.” A far-off look came into her eyes. “He was from the colonies and he told me stories about life over there.”

  Oasis signalled the barman for a refill. “What kind of stories?”

  “Exciting ones. Dangerous ones. I especially liked that he said that anyone could start anew over there.” She met Oasis’ gaze and blushed. “I like stories about second chances. I know it sounds stupid, but…”

  “Believe me, it doesn’t.” Oasis thanked the barman when he placed the drink before her. “And you’re in luck. I was raised in the colonies and I happen to have a plantation there.”

  Marianne’s eyes were wide as she studied him. “No wonder you’re so different from all the men here,” she said after a while.

  “Now that you know that, I want you to decide what you want to do. If you want to go to the colonies, I can get you there and help you until you find your feet.”

  The blonde looked away quickly, but not before Oasis had seen the sheen of tears in her eyes. Not wanting to embarrass the woman further, she took the bottle and filled up Marianne’s glass. They spent the rest of their allotted two hours, talking about anything and everything, except Marianne’s dream of moving to the colonies. Oasis understood the woman’s refusal to talk about it much better than Marianne would ever know. Life as a prostitute had left the blonde incapable of trust when a good thing came her way. She was a victim of her choice and it would take a while before she could forgive herself enough to take the leap.

  Oasis had all the time in the world to wait for Marianne to make her decision. For once, she will make a real difference in someone’s life.

  ***

  The weather suited her mood perfectly. The moment she had left the Palace, the heavens had opened up. She had touched Burton’s arm as he stepped closer with an umbrella to help her into the carriage. “Could we drive around for a while? I don’t want to go home just yet.”

  Burton, for once, didn’t push for an explanation. He simply nodded and helped her into the warm, dry confines of the carriage before he consulted with the driver. She sat quietly as the carriage jerked into motion. Burton seemed to understand her need for solitude as he kept to himself. As she watched the wet, muddy scenes passing outside the window with unseeing eyes, she recalled the end part of her conversation with the queen. At age twenty-six, she had thought that she had made her stance clear on many issues. Anyone who knew her would not assume a lot of things about her. She was painfully direct about her wants and needs. But to find herself in a situation like this and feel so helpless was somewhat new to her. She had felt of late, as if she were near invincible. Untouchable. With the queen on the one side and the dangerous Maverick on the other, she had survived incredible feats. But today, she felt so small and lost. The carriage suddenly lunged to the side. Tia was thrown to the floor, her head making hard contact with the edge of the opposite bench. Winded and dazed, she lifted her head and blinked furiously at the wetness that caused her mantle to fall over her face.

  “Tia! Lady Tia, can you hear me?” Burton’s voice sounded far off and Tia reached out to try and pull him closer.

  “My…my head…Burton.” She blinked, but the darkness seeping in at the edges didn’t let up. “Burton…” And then it all went black.

  ***

  “Our time is almost up.”

  “I know. I can see Madam Addis throwing glances our way already,” Oasis said over the rim of her glass. “I could book you for another hour if you like.”

  Marianne smiled and this time her eyes warmed with tenderness. “No. You can’t waste your money like that, milord.”

  Oasis drained her glass. “I will have you know that I take serious offense at you calling spending time with my friend as a ‘waste of money’.” She signalled for the barman to bring over another bottle. “Something for you to remember me by later.”

  The blonde shook her head. “You know why I would want to go to the colonies?”

  “Adventure, danger and of course second chances. I did listen.”

  Marianne leaned forward and gently cupped Oasis’ cheek. “I know you were, milord. You are right, too. But I believe that I would go there in the hopes of capturing the heart of a man like you.” Oasis found herself blushing furiously. “How will I reach you once I’ve made my decision?”

  “My name’s Lord Benedict Pope. If you ask around, you’re sure to find me. And I’ll…” There was a commotion at the door. Oasis shot to her feet when a dripping wet Burton burst into the room. Her eyes zoomed in on the woman in his arms. Oasis didn’t know how she got to Burton so fast, but she was across the room and leaning over Tia almost instantly. “Burton, what happened? What’s wrong with her?”

  “We… the carriage…we had an accident. Tia is hurt. We need to get a doctor.”

  “Bring her to my room,” Marianne said behind Oasis. “Come, follow me. I’ll send someone for the doctor.” They followed Marianne up the stairs to her bedroom. Inside, Burton lay his charge gently on the bed. He turned to Oasis.

  “I’ll go. He’ll be quick once he sees me. Will you…”

  “I won’t move from her side until you return,” Oasis said, her voice cracking slightly. “Now go.” Oasis went to sit on the bed, her hand trembling as she gently pushed the blonde locks from Tia face. She had a cut right above her eye and it was bleeding profusely. A cloth and a small washbasin were placed on the bed. Looking up at Marianne, the other woman shrugged. “Occupational necessity.” She quickly looked away and Oasis grabbed the cloth and dipping it in the water, began to clean the wound. She hated to see Tia stained with blood. Hated it even more when it was Tia’s blood. She noted the wound, like most head wounds, was bleeding more than the damage warranted. She sat back; her hand immediately taking Tia’s. A carriage accident? Tia employed an army of loyal servants and it was almost unthinkable to consider that any of them would place their mistress in such danger by slacking off on their chores.

  “I take it she’s the reason that you can sit in a whorehouse for hours and not once be tempted to sample the wares.” Oasis stiffened in surprise. She had thought that she was alone. “I’m sorry for startling you, milord.”

  “No apologies needed, Marianne. It was so quiet, I thought you had left already.” She reached out a hand to the other woman and when she placed hers inside Oasis’, Oasis gently cradled it. “Thank you for allowing us the use of your room. I hope we don’t cause trouble for you.”

  “I don’t care. You stay as long as
you need.”

  Oasis smiled and brushed her lips over Marianne’s knuckles. The woman looked shocked at first and then blushed fiercely. “There will always be a room in my house for you, should you get into trouble.”

  A soft moan drew their attention to the bed. Tia’s eyelids fluttered before they slid open to reveal pain-filled blue eyes. She looked confused for a moment as her eyes tracked from Marianne back to Oasis and then back to Marianne.

  “Marianne?”

  “Your Grace,” Marianne leaned closer. “How do you feel?”

  “Like I got trampled by a horse.”

  Oasis blinked. “Do you two know each other?”

  Marianne walked over to pour a glass of water and brought it over to the bed. “Lady Tia held my hand once, when I had to be stitched up at the hospice.”

  Tia snorted and moaned when the act made her move her head. “I believe you were the one holding me up. You were so incredibly brave.” Oasis noted that Marianne was blushing again. Not such a tough prostitute after all. Any prostitute worth her miles in the trade didn’t blush anymore. Blushing was for the novices. There was loud knock on the door.

  “Marianne, we need to talk,” the cold voice of Madam Addis came through the door. Marianne sighed and rolled her eyes as she handed the glass to Oasis.

  “I’ll go deal with her.”

  When the door closed behind Marianne, Oasis held the glass out. “Here’s some water.”

  Tia shook her head. “It hurts too much to move.”

  “I’ll help you up. Come now. I assure you that the water will make you feel better.” She slid her arm under Tia’s shoulders and lifted her easily. She was immediately overwhelmed by Tia’s citrusy scent and the lavender shampoo she used for her hair. She was immediately bombarded by images of Tia in the throes of pleasure, her mouth open in a silent scream. Her eyes smouldering as she watched Oasis from over her shoulder. Her perfect white teeth as she bit down on Oasis’ hand to keep herself from screaming and waking the whole household. It took all the willpower Oasis possessed not to drop Tia on the bed and put as much distance as she could between them. She felt ashamed for thinking about that, while Tia was lying injured. As an alternative, she focused hard on the lantern next to the bed. Tia turned her head away to signal that she had enough and Oasis helped her lie back. Their eyes met and held for a few moments before Tia looked away. This was their first meeting after their night together.

  “Strange how we both know Marianne,” Tia said softly, her eyes resting on the quilt covering the bed.

  “Yes, it’s strange.”

  “How did you two meet?” Tia blushed beet red. “Or maybe I shouldn’t ask.”

  “I visit her now and then.”

  Tia smiled thinly. “Is that what they call it nowadays?”

  “I don’t know, Lady Tia.” Oasis made strong eye contact with Tia. Even if she didn’t believe her, it was the truth. “I honestly don’t know what they call it nowadays.” Oasis rose from the bed. “What happened with your carriage?” Tia raised her hands to cradle her head. Oasis quickly dipped the cloth in water, wrung it and lay it over Tia’s forehead. “This might help until the doctor arrives. Now tell me about your carriage.”

  “I don’t know much. One moment we were driving down the street and the next, it tilted to the side and when I came to, I was here.”

  “Where were you coming from?”

  “The Royal Palace. Why?”

  Oasis sighed. “I’m just…I don’t know.”

  “Tell me.”

  Oasis turned from where she was pacing at the door to look at Tia. She looked mussed. Like a fallen angel with her loose hair and her pale face. “Maybe it wasn’t…” The door opened. Burton, followed by Doctor Grey, entered the room. She caught sight of Marianne outside in the hallway and she closed the door behind her as she stepped out. “Any problems?”

  “The old crone wants to be paid for the use of the room, but I’ve arranged with a friend that I could use her room if I need it.” Marianne looked uncomfortable discussing this with her. Oasis reached inside her jacket and withdrew her billfold. “You know what, I find you to be exciting and exactly what I need. Here’s money for the rest of the evening. If you feel personally obliged to take on clients for the evening, so be it, but just know that you don’t have to, if you don’t want to.” She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Marianne’s forehead. “Don’t go too far. Depending on how this ends, I might want to take you out for a late meal.”

  Marianne still stood staring at the billfold when Oasis let herself into the room.

  ***

  Tia’s eyes flickered open and for a moment she was unsure about her location. Her eyes touched on the gaudy interior of the room, the water stained ceiling, peeling walls and then on the figure in the chair. Pope. What was he doing here? She turned her head and felt a faint echo of a headache brought everything back to crystal clarity. The accident. Marianne’s room. Burton leaving for home and leaving Pope to watch over her. She studied the man in the dim light of the lantern. He was too big for the chair and his head was at an awkward angle. He couldn’t be comfortable at all. But what should she do? She couldn’t invite him into bed with her. She had done that once and now she was tormented by the most carnal thoughts and dreams. Maybe if she didn’t look at him, his discomfort will not bother her. She looked away, trying to focus on the peeling wall paint, but within a minute, her gaze was back on him. Sprawled in the chair, he looked so incredibly beautiful. A sleeping statute of a Greek god. She noted that the same wayward lock that had plagued her hands and mind during his hospice stay, was up to its old tricks again. It fell over his broad forehead, hiding part of the handsome face. Tia knew that had she been able to get out of the bed without collapsing, she would’ve brushed it back. She could actually feel her hands itching at the thought. Traitors. But come to think of it, how could she blame them? Three nights ago, her hands had roamed all over the powerful body at will. Grabbing his raven mane, his powerful shoulders, the short hairs at his nape, his damp lips after he had feasted on her… She swallowed thickly and turned her head away. No, she shouldn’t go there. He provided a service to her, that was all. For heaven’s sake, they were in a brothel right now. And they had found him here. He was a man and there was nothing she could change about that. She closed her eyes and sighed.

  Her life was such a bloody mess right now and besides Burton, Pope was the only other person she could confide in. Strange to think how much she had leaned on the man in the past three months. He was not Burton, but many of his duties since coming into her life had run parallel with Burton’s role. Protector. Confidant. Partner. The only difference was that where Burton was her brother, Pope had been a lover. It was almost as if he was fulfilling the role of a…Her eyes popped open in shock.

  Husband.

  She gasped softly before she could stop herself. The large body stiffened and Tia knew that she had woken him. As she looked on, the dark eyes opened, sharp and alert. He unfolded his body from the small chair and Tia saw him grimace as he took the few steps to the bed. He rolled his neck and with a crack, realigned his vertebra. He came to lean over the bed, blocking out the light as he looked intently into her eyes. The doctor had diagnosed her as having a concussion, thus she couldn’t be moved immediately.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Obviously better than you, milord.”

  Pope threw a glance at the chair. “It looks even smaller than earlier.” He gently lifted the bedding and tucked it in around her. “Are you thirsty? Would you like some water?”

  Tia wanted to smile at his fussing, finding that she actually liked it. “I didn’t get a chance to go through my nightly rituals.” She was surprised to find that Pope didn’t even bat an eyelid at the comment.

  “Marianne said to call her if you need help.” He stood and walked to the door. As he opened it, the sound of soft cries and moans filtered into the room. Tia wanted to cover her ears, to block out the sounds, but
knew that in doing so, she might find herself steering their conversation into a path she wasn’t ready to explore yet. They had not discussed, mentioned or alluded to that night and she wanted to keep it that way. Thankfully, the sounds were cut off when he stepped out. How was she going to survive a whole night in a brothel with a virile man such as Benedict Pope?

  XV

  ‘The King’s Strategy II’

  Oasis stayed outside in the hallways while Marianne assisted Tia. The time on her watch read ten o’clock. She sighed as she returned the watch to her pocket. She still had to spend a full night in here, but it wasn’t the ‘here’ as much as the ‘with whom’ that bothered her. What were the odds of them managing to avoid each other for three days, only to meet up in a brothel? A scantily clad woman exited a room a few doors down the hallway, giving Oasis a smouldering once-over as she passed him. He winked at her and grinned when she bowed deeply, offering him a full view of her ample breasts. When he didn’t react to the invitation, she shrugged and left. Oasis followed the woman with her eyes and slowly shook her head. Before Tia, a woman like that would have been right up Oasis’ alley. But now she knew what Tia tasted like, and felt like, inside and out, no other woman would ever be enough. The door opened and Marianne stepped out.

  “She’s settled for the night.”

  “Thank you.”

  Marianne tapped her pocket. “You’ve paid for my services, milord. You call me anytime you need me.”

  “I will do so.” She turned to enter the room, when Marianne’s spoke again.

  “She’s a wonderful person and she deserves a special man in her life. You two would make a wonderful couple.”

  Oasis still stood with her hand on the doorknob, long after Marianne had left to join the boisterous Friday night crowd downstairs. A couple? The gorgeous duchess and the bastard? She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to be married to Tia. Or maybe she could. If it were a remote possibility, Oasis would not condone separate bedrooms. They would go to bed together and wake up together. She would be greeted by sleepy sapphire eyes every morning and then she would roll Tia over and cover her sleep-warm body with her own. The soft clearing of a throat pulled her from her musings and she turned to find a bare-chested man looking at her.