In the Forest of the Night & The Barmaid and the Blacksmith

by Lizbeth Dusseau

  “Am I complaining?” I asked.

  “But you deserve much better. I was going to clean up the place, and have it ready for you. A little hideaway of sorts, pleasure palace perhaps?”

  “You naughty man, the things you’re thinking.”

  “I am. I confess. You make me this way. But we’ll be married soon, and make it all right.”

  I giggled. “You know my love, I wonder if it will be this good when we put on our wedding clothes, and act like proper people?”

  “You don’t want to get married?” he said.

  “Of course I do! But only if the sex is as good as this.”

  He rose up on his elbow and looked down at me. “Aw, remember, we won’t have to sneak about, and keep up appearances for your Uncle and my family.”

  I shuddered, remembering all that stuffy propriety.

  “What is it? You look scared?” Adrian said, noting my odd expression.

  “Your family. I haven’t met them yet.”

  “Oh, my word, they’ll love you. I can promise that.”

  “But if they knew about this?”

  “They’d indict me too, believe me. But that’s not important, they’re a world away and will never know.”

  “But you are right, it’ll be better when we’re married, and we won’t have to worry about sneaking into your flat, and being quiet, and people finding out.”

  “You’re a treasure, Isabella. I love you so.”

  I watched the smile on his face, how it began as just a small one, and then seemed to open wider the more he looked at me. There was an essence of pure love behind it. When he’d only been fixed on my body and his unleashed passions, I’d seen nothing but a lusty hue in the blue color of his eyes.

  How things do change, and how grateful I was to have a lover, a friend, and soon to be a husband who had such great regard for me on so many levels of my nature. There was so much that he could give me, and I wanted nothing less. I couldn’t stand the idea that I would become a shrew with my husband, or distant, or unfeeling, or worse yet cold, the way I saw so many once attentive marriages. Such a disgrace to the whole idea of marriage, and such a disgrace to the soul, to live with someone in emptiness, without the full measure of satisfaction and joy and love that I do believe is our right to claim. As I believe in God in heaven, I believe that we were meant for this full-bodied life.

  I could imagine nothing less with Adrian.

  “I am quite sore, my bottom’s aching. Do you mind if we move to the bed?” he asked.

  I laughed, and jumped to my feet. Pulling him up by the hand, we tumbled happily into his bed, which was looking so messy one would think that we’d just made love there, and not on the floor. We christened the bed too, … and the living room, and the bath, and the kitchen. I blushed to myself thinking of our indiscretions, how free we were at last to pursue our desires without so much looking over our shoulders.

  When I arrived home that evening, after Adrian and I had dined in the most wonderful French restaurant, I could think only of how glorious my life was. There must have been a sassy satisfied expression on my lips when I joined Melanie and Richard for a moment in their parlor.

  “You’ve had quite a day,” Melanie said, seeing my weary face.

  “I have indeed.”

  “Did you get out and see all of London that you wanted?” she inquired.

  I wasn’t sure what to say, since I’d seen almost nothing of London, though I’d traversed every square inch of Adrian’s flat, getting to know his private places far more intimately that I had a right to.

  “Oh my, it’s such a big city. I can’t imagine how I’d ever get to know it all. And so different from the country. I feel so … how shall I say it? Sheltered?”

  “I’m so glad you could be with us. Adrian has talked so much about you. You’re welcome here as long as you like.”

  “I appreciate that. I am sorry to run out on you today, but Adrian was so anxious.”

  “I think I know what you mean. Being lovers is difficult, especially from a distance. I remember when Richard was traveling regularly. It was horrid being away. And of course I know Adrian?” There was a faint flicker in her eyes I couldn’t quite understand, almost as if she had some knowledge of my Adrian that I didn’t have.

  “You will excuse me, I am quite tired,” I said.

  “Certainly,” Melanie replied.

  I went happily to my room, laying down on the sheets exhausted.

  In the morning, I woke to see a dreary sky outside my window, although my own joy was so enormous, it made up for the suddenly gloomy weather.

  I popped up in bed, filled with the same excited thoughts I’d had since I began planning for this trip. I wouldn’t be seeing Adrian until after dinner, because of his business engagements; but I had a lot things in mind, not the least of which was rest. Taking a deep breath, I was about to rise, when I heard a soft tapping at my door.

  “Yes, come in,” I said.

  I was delighted to see Melanie’s face appear in the doorway, and then she scurried into the room. “Have you slept well?” she asked.

  “Oh yes,” I replied.

  “I imagine this will be a more relaxed day for you. Though if you don’t mind, I was planning to have a few friends for tea this is afternoon, women like you and me. I know you’ll love them.”

  “Sounds perfect,” I replied. “Adrian would be happy to know I’m meeting people, since London is going to be my home.”

  “I’m so glad for him. It’s taken him some time to find the right woman. You know, he’s such a sensitive man.”

  “You sound as if you know him well,” I said.

  She blushed.

  “We did have a few times together, a few years back, before Richard of course, but then Adrian was much more stuffy.”

  “Oh?”

  “Before he went to Paris.” Her eyes widened with a scandalous expression before they retreated to a more demure look.

  “And of course since … “ she didn’t complete her sentence.

  “He has a reputation?” I asked.

  “Oh no!” she shook her head, “except to those of us that know him. His family is quite well off as you know, his father very pushy and his mother, well, she’s as overbearing as most mothers are.”

  “I don’t remember mine,” I said rather wistfully.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “My parents died when I was young. It’s hardly a tragedy that’s affected me, I just don’t know anything but life with my uncle since he raised me.”

  “Well, sometimes mothers can stick their noses places they don’t belong. Watch out for Mrs. Mannerly.”

  “Adrian has warned me. His parents are supposed to be back from their trip in about ten days.”

  It would have been inappropriate for me not to have met my finance’s parents by this time, but they had travelled to Africa on some important diplomatic mission, gone the entire time that Adrian and I had courted. I was scared to death to meet them, though my dear lover assured me that the good breeding of my family was all that I needed to secure a place in his parent’s hearts.

  “You’ll do splendidly,” Melanie said. “Though I have to warn you, they were absolutely livid over some of the rumors about their son after his trip to Paris. Poor Adrian, he was so embarrassed.”

  “I wonder if they approve of his living in London?

  “Heaven’s no, but thank goodness he has the good sense to stick to his guns on that. If anything, Adrian is a very determined man.”

  “I’ve noticed.” I thought for a moment. “Were you two lovers?” I asked. The question seemed to come out of nowhere, first appearing in my mind as a simple unspoken wonder, but then it was suddenly on my lips, and in the air between us.

  “What a question to ask,” she replied. I was surprised Melanie wasn’t taken aback. Not in the slightest, she gave me an odd smirk instead. Perhaps my instant intuition was right.

  “I’m sorry, I should never have asked th
at,” I said.

  “Probably not, but I can see why you might,” she was agreeing with me. “Almost, is the best answer I can give you. I would have liked to have been his lover,” she said in a whisper. “And Adrian too, I think. But then we were too young and tied to propriety. Actually we weren’t together very long anyway, though … .”

  She stared off, as I might have, thinking of William or some other lover that was no longer mine to have. It made me grin to myself that I had Adrian Mannerly, and she did not. Richard Abbot was a fine man, handsome, but a little stiff perhaps.

  “But please, Isabella, don’t worry over anything here, and don’t worry about keeping proper hours.” She raised her eyebrows knowingly. “I remember Richard and I before we were married. I’m not a prude, if anything my husband is, but he’s such fast friends with Adrian than he’ll keep things mum.”

  I was confessing nothing. And such a mouthful of information Melanie had given me. I needed some time to let the thoughts run through my head. As charming as Melanie Abbot was, I wasn’t sure I could trust her as easily as Adrian seemed to. I found it curious that he had me living under the roof with one of his former girlfriends. And the discussion of his parents, while it agreed with Adrian’s mention of them, I was daunted once again by the prospects of meeting them.

  ***

  “You didn’t tell me that you and Melanie were once … better than friends?” I said. I was sitting up naked on Adrian’s bed in his flat, massaging his back. His broad shoulders were so tight with tension from a very grueling week.

  “I didn’t mention it?” he said, a little sleepily.

  “No,” I confirmed.

  “Are you mad?”

  “Not really, not as long as you tell what you felt for her.”

  He turned over briskly. “She was special to me, Isabella. But only when I was innocent.”

  “Innocent?”

  “You know, we certainly weren’t lovers the way you and I are.” He reached up and toyed with my naked breast.

  “Did you love her?” I asked.

  “I suppose so, though love has changed for me since then. And especially since you.”

  “Did you tell her you loved her?” I asked.

  “I did,” he confessed. “Did you not tell your lover that you loved him?”

  I could see what he was getting at by his question.

  “You have to put the past aside, Isabella. I love you, not Melanie. She’s a good friend, and only a friend, and she’s married to Richard.”

  “I like you better than Richard,” I said.

  “Of course you do. Isn’t that the way it should be, since they are married and we are going to be?”

  This all made perfectly good sense to Adrian, and for some reason I was complicating things with this little piece of jealously. I was envious of Melanie knowing my fiancée before me, but that was hardly either of their faults.

  “So we should put the past aside,” I said.

  “No more talk of past lovers, Isabella. I firmly believe it’s a mistake to delve into things that can’t be changed.” He was looking at me sternly, even as he continued to toy with my body. He took one nipple in his hand and shook my breast playfully. I watched it swing against my chest.

  I felt a little foolish now, for letting my fears and suspicions overtake me. Maybe I was just too happy, and I couldn’t trust the good fortune of my life.

  Adrian turned back over on the bed, and I continued massaging his shoulders. Eventually I straddled his bottom, sitting with my womanhood pressed firmly against his behind. I massaged him still, with my hands on his lower back, and my sopping cunt caressing his behind. We had made love already, but we were well on our way to another. It seemed that we couldn’t get enough of this bodily bliss. Only once a day, and we thought we were denying ourselves.

  ***

  After getting beyond my bout of jealously with my hostess, Melanie and I did become great friends. I was still afraid that Melanie continued to pine for Adrian, the way she spoke so highly of him. But with his affection for me so expansive, I had little to worry about.

  I’d been in London for three weeks, enjoying Adrian’s attentions, and those of my new friends, when Melanie decided that I needed an official welcoming gala. It was to be our London engagement party.

  I told Adrian that we should wait for his parents to return, but he insisted on having this first. Just as I had arrived in London, his mother had written that their return to England had been delayed for six weeks, and Adrian was firm that we not wait to announce our impending nuptials to the world. Even though it couldn’t be the absolutely official engagement party, with his parents and my uncle, it was the event that Adrian cared about with all his business associates and his friends attending.

  Two weeks before the event, Melanie took me to a dressmaker’s where I was fitted for the most elegant fashionable gown I’d ever owned. It had a wild contemporary flair to it, a shimmying straight sheath, beaded, with a low cut bodice and a daring slit at the side. She insisted on my wearing French stockings and just the right sort of everything, down to my underwear. I knew it was scandalous, but this was London, and a new life, and besides, Adrian would love it. After all, it was just going to be a small gathering in the Abbot’s home. That was the original plan.

  Much to my surprise however, a week before the party, Melanie rushed into my room one morning and announced otherwise.

  “I told mother that we simply couldn’t do right by you and Adrian to have your engagement party in this drab old house.” I’d never known it to be old and drab before, but suddenly with Melanie’s whim, it had changed.

  “No? You’ve canceled it?” I asked.

  “No, silly. We’re going to have it at Willowglen.”

  “Oh, my no!” I gasped.

  “Oh, yes, mother is delighted. She hasn’t had anything really fun in months, and she’s just dying to make a big splash. Of course, she’ll be adding to the guest list, a few dozen more, maybe a hundred, but it won’t affect our fun, I promise. I’ll keep the old people in the parlor, and we’ll have a jazz band and dancing in the ballroom.”

  I was aghast. I realized that my engagement party had turned itself into quite another kind of affair altogether from the casual soiree that Melanie originally planned. Perhaps that was best. I could readily see that it wasn’t actually my party anymore. This way, I could simply enjoy London society, and not worry about having to be the perfect belle of the ball.

  ***

  “You are going to enjoy this, aren’t you?” Adrian said, the afternoon just before the event. We had slipped off to his flat for a quick moment together, not having had any time at all in each other’s company for days. My body was positively screaming mad with sexual heat abounding. All the preparations for the grand affair were over stimulating. I needed sex more, even if I wasn’t getting it. It had been days since Adrian and I had made love.

  “I think so,” I said, “though the closer we get to Saturday night, the bigger this affair gets. I don’t know if I’m really being honored anymore, or if I’m just an excuse for Mel and her mother to have their first spring event.”

  “You have to excuse her, she’s an excitable woman,” Adrian said. He was holding me to him, the two of us naked. I think we were thinking the same things, how much we both wanted another good screwing before he took me back to the Abbot’s. Adrian leaned in and sucked one nipple for a few seconds, while I was deciding whether to continue the conversation or the sex.

  “Ouch!” His teeth were suddenly making an impression on my soft skin.

  He came up looking at me with the sweetest smile, a devilish smirk actually. “Besides, you might find some rather interesting guests at the party.”

  “Oh, whose that?”

  “Some of your old pals from the country house parties.” I had no idea who Adrian meant, and I didn’t find out, because he tackled me down to the bed again, and we were skimming over the surface of the sheets, soon bound tightly together.
I knew we wouldn’t be pulling apart until we’d enjoying an inspired climax.

  Chapter Nine

  There was an excitement in the air that night far beyond anything that I’d ever felt before. I don’t exactly know the difference, it could have just been me and my romantic attachment to everything that had to do with London society, but I swear that there air was literally floating with glitter: smiles were more charming, the lights in people’s eyes were more brilliant, and the food, the wine, and the charm that abounded was of such a high degree, I knew that even the grandest country affair paled in comparison to this.

  For several hours, Adrian and I danced with the other young people. There seemed to be a jovial, even causal manner to the festivities, particularly among the young people like Adrian and me. Just as Melanie said, the older people were busy being stuffy and out of sorts the way old people usually are. They were also safely out of the way in the parlor.

  I wished Meg could have been there to be part of it. This was exactly the kind of affair that she loved. For me, it was great fun to begin with, but as the evening became night, I was getting a little weary from all the chatter and glitz.

  Vowing to return shortly, I excused myself and made my way to the patio outside for a breath of fresh air. It turned out to be the perfect choice to soothe the weariness. The warm evening, the clear air and the silence away from the gaiety inside made me think of the country. I never thought I’d think so fondly of my Uncle’s estate. But at the moment, the sight of the sparkling green lawn made me think just that.

  “Well, my dear lover, I see congratulations are indeed in order.” The cloying voice jumped out at me from nowhere.

  I turned around and to my shock, Phillipe Gordot was standing at my back, all too close. I couldn’t even back away from him, since I was standing against a low stone wall.

  “I had no idea!” I gasped.

  “That I’d be here?” he asked. “Why I know everyone important in this town, Isabella. And I certainly wouldn’t miss the event of the season, seeing your engagement.”