Kidnapped by the Gentleman

by Drake LaMarque

  I was passing the time by sorting through the paints and painting supplies I still had in my old desk. Many of the paints had dried up, but there were one or two tubes that were salvageable.

  I had opened my travelling trunk as well, and was pleased to see Oliver had very carefully packed all my clothes and supplies in layers of tissue paper. He’d taken a lot of care, which warmed me even as my heart ached for what it might mean. Was it possible he cared for me?

  There was a knocking at the door downstairs, and I froze, wondering if it were Gabriel and Dante back already, although it was still early for dinner…

  I heard a familiar voice, and the sound of footsteps, flying up the stairs.

  The door to my room, which I’d left slightly ajar, slammed open and there was Oliver. His face flushed as if he’d been running.

  “You’re all right!” He exclaimed.

  My heart swelled at the enthusiasm he seemed to be showing, but I averted my eyes as I carefully set down the tube of burnt Sienna. What I had to say to him wasn’t going to be at all easy, but it must be done.

  I swallowed, summoned up my courage and turned to face him. “Yes, I’m quite well, all in one piece.”

  He closed the distance between us with two strides and wrapped me in a bear hug, which was highly unexpected, but very welcome indeed. I hugged him back gratefully and allowed myself a glimmer of hope, squeezing him against me a little more than was strictly platonic.

  “Oliver, it’s so very good to see you, incredible, really, but we need to talk.”

  He pulled back and gave me the severe look I’d come to associate with him asking me to practice my Latin. “We do?”

  “Yes, would you like to sit?”

  I gestured to one of the chairs in my room, which had customarily been draped with clothes, but was for the moment clear and tidy. He sat down and folded his hands in front of him.

  I sat opposite him, on the bed, which felt a little intimate but, well. He’d come to my bedroom. He’d seen me blind drunk and in danger of pissing myself, he could take it.

  “So, well, you see, the fact of it is,” I started. Then I heard myself dithering and just blurted out the important bits, instead. “I’ve been desperately in love with you for a long time, Oliver. I mean, I know you knew I was partial to lovers of all sexes, but it was you who I actually pined for.” I swallowed and looked at his face. He seemed to have frozen, so I plowed on. “And well, I was kidnapped by pirates and they were not as scary as they should have been, and I … yes, well, I dallied with them. And that’s not because I stopped wanting you, but I did think of you and I had no idea if you felt anything similar to me at all.”

  I paused for breath.

  Oliver cleared his throat. “Cedric…” he trailed off again, looking away. His eyes were obscured a little by the reflection of light off his glasses.

  Now that would be interesting to paint.

  By the stars, Cedric, not the time.

  “The fact is,” I said, to break the silence. “The fact is I still feel that way about you, and I intend to get permission from my father to go back to sea with Sir Gabriel, who … who rescued me from Casablanca, and I would very much like it if you’d consider joining me. I could pay you to be my valet, if you liked, although if you joined the crew you’d have very few costs.”

  “Cedric, I-”

  I cut him off before he could turn me down. “You don’t have to decide anything right now, and of course I don’t expect you to return my sentiments, but I wanted you to know. I’m happy for us to still be friends, and most likely you’d have to be… all right with seeing me with others as well, because it’s complicated, and I can’t go into too many details, but.”

  Oliver stood up, took a breath and swiped his glasses off his face, polishing them briefly on his shirt before putting them back on.

  “Cedric, you really are impossible. You’ve always been impossible, and somehow after your ordeal, you’ve managed to become even more impossible than before.”

  I swallowed, then stood up too, as it seemed the thing to do. “I... yes, I know.”

  Then he placed his hands on my cheeks and kissed me on the lips.

  My brain stopped working entirely, and he was pulling away before I realised I had barely kissed him back.

  Not willing to let him escape on that note, I grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back in, kissing him properly this time. I poured all the yearning I’d felt over the time we’d known each other into it. When the kiss broke this time, both of us were breathless and Oliver’s spectacles had steamed up.

  “Oliver, that was wonderful,” I said, softly.

  “I… I’ll have to, I shouldn’t have, oh dear,” he stammered and then fled the room. I listened as his steps clattered down the stairs and the front door opened and closed.

  I took a seat on the bed, rubbed a hand over my warm cheek and exhaled.

  “That could have gone a lot worse, I suppose…”

  Chapter 31

  In which Cedric returns to sea

  I took Father’s carriage down to the docks, loaded with my trunk, and a few extra suitcases. Saying farewell to Mother had been hard, but I think hinting that there was a limited amount of trouble I could get into on a ship under the watchful eye of Sir Gabriel convinced her. Then she convinced Father, who was still well charmed by Gabriel following the dinner party. I’d sent word to Oliver at his flat, letting him know the details of the sailing, but I wasn’t sure if I expected him to do anything about it, he’d not been in touch since our encounter in my room.

  Wanting Oliver to be brave and come down to the ship wouldn’t make it happen though.

  I had found the house a little stifling, in the few days I’d been home. Although it was grand to see my parents again, I couldn’t help but feel the call to do more, the very call that had led to my poor behaviour in the past and the reasons for my being sent away in the first place.

  I missed Gabriel and Dante as well. I had become used to sleeping next to Gabriel, and I worried a little about how Dante was feeding…

  Well, at least I’d soon be back with them. Using Gabriel’s double identity had worked beautifully, although in the off chance that Oliver did show up, it would require another explanation… but I could deal with that once we were clear of Britain.

  My stomach was butterflies at the thought of being alone with Gabriel and Dante again.

  Especially since my dreams had been getting strange again. Nothing like as bad as the dancing stars, but definitely not… normal. Being around Dante again would soothe my soul.

  I’d also felt less and less safe when I was out on the streets of London.

  I’d left the house a few times, to pick up some cakes to surprise Mother. To purchase new parchment and canvas, and some good brushes, and to collect the finished clothes from the tailors… and it had quickly been uncomfortable. There were so many people in London. So very many, and I had no idea of guessing if they were part of the Unknowable Way or not. Every time a stranger looked at me a moment too long, I was convinced they were about to try and abduct me.

  There was simply no way to know who was who… I’d even left an undershirt on when the tailor had measured me because I didn’t want him to see the tattoo.

  No, leaving London was safest for me. We may have got away from them in Casablanca, but I hadn’t recognised any of the people there from Kingston, so there was no way to know how big the cult was, how many continents it spanned, and how well in touch with each other they were.

  My chest had been getting quite tight as I mused on all this, but it eased a little when the docks came into view and my eyes landed on the Devil’s Whore.

  The carriage driver, who’d been with the family since I was a boy, pulled up and unloaded the trunk.

  I signalled to Marco, who was on lookout at the side of the ship. He smiled and waved back and soon two crew members had come down to carry my trunk aboard.

  Gabriel emerged shortly after and I
smiled wide, holding myself back from kissing him right there on the shores of the Thames.

  “Welcome back, Cedric,” Gabriel said. “It’s good to see you.”

  He handed the driver a coin for his trouble, and I took one of my suitcases in hand. I watched as the carriage moved away and there on the other side of the street was Oliver. Unmistakable in a grey traveling coat and spectacles. He held a suitcase not unlike my own, and had his trusty old leather satchel over his shoulder.

  My breath caught.

  He saw me and his face lit up, and I’m sure mine did too. I wanted to race to him, wrap my arms around him and kiss the breath out of him, but instead I raised a hand in greeting.

  “Gabriel, look, it’s Oliver, he’s coming too!”

  Gabriel had been warned this might happen of course, I’d sent several letters to the ship while I was staying up town.

  We’d sort out the details once we were all on board and far from London.

  I settled for shaking Oliver’s hand, although I was aware my mouth was stretched in a wide smile. “Good to see you, Oliver. This is Captain Gabriel Durant. Captain, my old friend Oliver Stanhope.”

  They shook hands and Oliver smiled politely. “I hope you don’t mind my joining the expedition. Cedric made it sound as if there would be room, and that I wouldn’t be imposing.”

  “Of course not,” Gabriel said, shooting me a look at the word ‘expedition’. I smiled back at him innocently. “Cedric has spoken very highly of you.”

  Oliver blushed and nodded, and together we went up the gangplank and onto the ship.

  Gabriel gave the order to cast off, and soon we left London behind us.

  “I’m so glad you decided to come,” I said, turning to Oliver.

  He gave me a sweet, shy smile and my heart turned over. “I didn’t want to miss you, again.” He said. “When you disappeared from Kingston, I was beside myself. Word came from town you’d been abducted and I just felt awful, I’d failed you, I’d failed your father, I’d failed…” he trailed off and looked around the deck. “Is there somewhere more private we could be having this conversation by any chance?”

  “Of course,” I said. I led the way to the captain’s cabin, since it was closest to the deck and Marco had left my trunk in there. It was clearly where Gabriel wanted me, which was perfectly to my liking as well.

  Oliver looked doubtful. “Isn’t this the captain’s cabin?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Please continue.”

  Oliver looked directly at my trunk and then at me. “You said something about seeing you with others, is this what you meant?”

  Oh all right, we’re having this conversation immediately. Probably for the best…

  “Yes, well, you see, me and the Captain have a sort of arrangement. And Dante, the quartermaster as well. I’m not... I don’t want to give them up, but I want you too, I’m sorry, I know that sounds utterly greedy.”

  Oliver smiled, which was the last expression I expected. He took a seat on the desk chair.

  “Cedric, I’ve … I used to work for your father, so I squashed down and ignored what I felt for you. I’ve never felt anything but envy, knowing you were going out and spending time with God knows who. I’ve seen the lash marks on your back, the bruises on your neck from people’s lips. I’ve wanted to be the one giving you mementoes like that, but I didn’t begrudge you getting them.”

  I sat down on the bed, the wind taken out of me. There was a lot to process in what he’d just said.

  “I, oh. All right. That’s good?” I ventured. My heart fluttered again, and this time I felt a certain amount of heat in my cock as well. The thought of Oliver, who’d I’d imagined sweet and innocent, recognising what the marks on me were… The thought of him with a leather strap, delivering discipline. I got slightly light-headed.

  “I know you well enough to know you’d never be satisfied with just one lover for the rest of your days,” Oliver said. “I’ve made my peace with it. The captain and Dante, well, they’re handsome, I see the appeal. Perhaps I’d be willing to join in sometimes, but you’ll have to let me take things slowly.”

  “Slowly, yes of course,” I nodded. My mouth was dry now.

  “Is there a cabin for me?” he asked hopefully.

  “I expect so.”

  “Right, well, I might go and settle in, but first, Cedric...” Then he pounced on me. There really is no other word for it. One moment he was on the chair, and I was sitting up on the bed, and the next he’d flattened me on the bed and was kissing me with a ferocity I didn’t know he had in him. I returned it gladly, because this I knew what to do with. I put my hands on his ass and pulled him closer and he ground down on me, making me moan with need.

  This continued for a glorious minute or so and then he sat up, wiped his mouth on his sleeve and got off the bed. “Let’s reconvene at a later hour, shall we?”

  He readjusted his glasses, wiped his hands off in a businesslike manner and was gone.

  What the fuck have I got myself into?

  Chapter 32

  In which Cedric settles into life on the Devil’s Whore

  Once I’d pulled myself together, as much as I could manage, I went back out on deck and found Dante. He turned and smiled at me.

  “Welcome back,” he said. Then he slipped his arm around me and we shared a kiss.

  “Thank you, it’s good to be back.” I pressed against his side and just enjoyed the feel of him against me. “I hope you haven’t been starving yourself…” I ventured.

  “Of course not,” he said. “London has a fine vampire community and I ate very well indeed.”

  For a moment I felt a swell of jealousy, but it ebbed just as quickly as it had swelled. I just needed to hear one thing to feel good again. “But nothing tasted as good as me, did it?”

  He laughed, soft and low. “No, Cedric. There’s no one like you.” He leaned in and kissed the top of my head, which made my heart warm and happy.

  I’d said I love you to the both of them, I’d thought, on that night when they’d rescued me. But I’d been almost all the way asleep when it had happened, and I hadn’t felt brave enough to say it again since. The stars knew neither of them had said it to me, either.

  I almost felt like I could say it then, but the moment passed.

  “I think Oliver and I need some alone time tonight,” I said.

  “Very good. I believe Gabriel is showing him to his cabin at the moment,” Dante said. “It’s right next to mine, for reference.”

  “How convenient. I’m looking forward to you all getting to know each other.” I went up on my toes and kissed him softly. “I hope it all works out.”

  “I expect if anyone can make it work, you can.”

  Gabriel re-emerged then, and I squeezed against Dante and then let go of him to say a proper hello to Gabriel.

  We had left London behind by this point, so there was no fear of being seen by curious townsfolk. Not that it necessarily would have stopped me at that point, I was exalting in the freedom of the ship.

  Gabriel lifted me in his arms and kissed me soundly. He set me back down before speaking.

  “Interesting boy, that Oliver of yours,” he said. There was a twinkle in his eye. “He wanted some details of what I had done with you, and when I mentioned the shackles, and that memorable night we spent playing with rope before we landed in London, he became positively animated. I believe in the next few weeks the three, or perhaps four of us will have a very amusing time. If Dante is interested I mean.”

  My trousers were entirely too tight and I swallowed hard, shifting my legs apart a little so I could give myself a little more space.

  “Oh, well, is that so?” I asked. Then I let myself smile with all the joy in my heart. “I can’t wait. I think it’ll just be me and Oliver tonight though, we have some catching up to do.”

  “Yes, he was very clear on that point as well.” Gabriel ruffled his hand through his hair. “You be good now, puppy.”

 
; “I don’t know how,” I said, and winked at him. “But I do think I ought to rest up before tonight. Wake me for dinner?”

  “I’m the captain of this ship,” Gabriel said. “I have better things to do than run around after your pert little ass.” I pulled back from him, my hand flying to my chest in mock dismay.

  “Well, you did rescue my pert little ass,” I said, giving it a little wiggle as I turned away. “And I expect you to do all sorts of things to it tomorrow, Captain.”

  I let myself into the captain’s cabin, kicked off my boots and collapsed onto the bed, sighing with happiness at the familiar smell.

  I was out like a light.

  Suddenly I was back on the deck, and the full moon was setting on the horizon, and the stars were above me. Close enough to touch, bright white that almost hurt to look upon.

  And behind the stars, something moving, a dark shadow in the velvet blackness.

  I tore my eyes from the stars to look around me. Hooded figures ringed me, holding candles in front of them. I couldn’t see the details of any of their faces.

  There was a noise and it took me a moment to distinguish it from the dull roar of the ocean waves. It was chanting, they were ringed around me and chanting, just as they had in Casablanca.

  The skin of my back tautened and stung. It was so sudden and so intense I cried out, and when there was another yanking sensation, I crumpled to my knees. I threw my head back to see the stars, two of them pulling inexorably apart and making way for whatever horror there was behind it.

  “No!” I shouted, as loudly as I could. One of the cultists approached me, candle held out to the side. They had something else in their other hand.

  “Here, Chosen One, this will ease your pain, take it.”

  If I’d been awake I never would have taken it, but in the dream it made sense to take it from them. I closed my hand around whatever it was and the tattoo on my back moved, which was the worst sensation of all.

  I woke up, panting into the pillow.