Tempted by Curiosity

by Angeleke Kaldis

Marcella was confused, “Why not?”

  Zachary sat back in his chair and said, “Someone poured strong liquor in Lady Stanton’s famous punch last night, and everyone drank it in gulps. They’re all probably foxed, so you won’t see anyone until later in the afternoon.”

  Louisa nodded, “That makes sense.”

  Zachary had an arrogant smile on his face as he picked up another piece of toast, a bite later he said, “Now, you ladies better be on your way because I’ve got business to attend to.”

  There was a loud knock on the door, and then the butler brought in a man named Lord Darling for an artful business meeting with Zachary. Rachel motioned for the girls to follow her out of the study, and then right out of the house.

  Rachel took them a few blocks up the street, and then turned down an alley quickly. She looked up and down the street, and then whispered excitedly, “Pull the cards out.”

  Marcella did as she was told in haste. There were three cards tied together, one written for each young lady.

  Rachel read hers out loud:

  Dear Lady Rachel Pinkerton,

  Your presence has been requested at Dover House in Mayfair by 10 o’clock this morning. We all await your imminent arrival.

  Yours truly,

  Lord Robert Richard Dover

  Marcella grinned as she said, “Yours truly? How nice. Ours both say, Respectfully at the bottom.”

  Louisa added, “How are we getting to Dover House exactly?”

  Rachel was smiling distractedly at the card, “We’re going to walk of course. It’s about half an hour from here if we walk at a steady pace. We also need to stop for some pastries, we can’t show up there empty-handed. That would be rude.”

  Louisa agreed, “Rachel’s right, but on the way back we must stop at a bakery for Zachary. He’ll know if the sweets we bought for him have been out for hours.”

  They came to an agreement, then Rachel showed them a shortcut through Kensington gardens. It was a beautiful place to witness summer coming to its end.

  The leaves were changing their colors, and there was a delightful crispness in the morning wind. Marcella was ever so glad that she had brought her shawl with her.

  Marcella had come to learn that mornings in London were rather cold, and a tad bit gloomy. The sun would eventually come out by the early afternoon, and then London would be favorably warmed by the sun’s lovely presence in the sky.

  Rachel had a pocket watch that she kept checking constantly in her right hand, she then made a few quick turns, which brought them all to a calm street that had shops everywhere.

  From bakeries to teashops, florist shops to jewelry stores. Whatever you needed, someone was bound to be selling it in a fashionable manner somewhere on this cosmopolitan street. Rachel pointed over to a bakery at the end of the street, “That’s the new bakery that Zachary was talking about.”

  They rushed towards the store as Louisa whispered to Marcella, “I’ve never seen her walk so fast before, do you think it’s for the sweets?”

  Marcella whispered back to, “Honestly, I don’t think so.”

  They reached the bakery and Marcella could instantly smell the pleasing aromas of baked-goods, and that was way before they’d even opened the door to enter the shop. The sign above them read, “Simon’s Sweets” etched in a lovely cursive font on a wooden frame.

  As they finally entered the bakery they were amazed by the massive array of freshly baked-goods on display before them. They instantly spotted a handsome man bringing out a tray full of Chelsea buns from behind the counter.

  Louisa smiled and said to Marcella, “Those right there are my favorites.”

  The man noticed them, and placed his tray down right away. He came over to them with a jolly smile, “Welcome to Simon’s Sweets, how can I help you ladies today?”

  Rachel stepped forward and turned on her ever so effective charm, “Everyone’s been talking about this new bakery in Mayfair, and we’d like to scrupulously test out your sweets for ourselves.”

  The man blushed, “Well, it’s good to hear that we’re the talk of the ton. I’m Simon, head baker and owner of this shop, at your service my lady.”

  Rachel smirked at him, “Good, we’d like to purchase that entire tray that you just brought out bursting with Chelsea buns on it. What are they filled with?”

  Simon the baker smiled brightly, “Unlike the original bun-houses in Chelsea, we here at Simon’s Sweets use currants, raisins, and figs in our buns. Our go-to ingredient here at Simon’s Sweets is the mouthwateringly honeyed Mediterranean fig.”

  Rachel grinned at the baker, “I want them all. If it’s possible, could you make a small batch of your buns filled with apricots? If you have them in the back of course, they happen to be our brother’s favorites, and he would like some fresh-ones when we meet him later on for supper.”

  The baker nodded, “Of course my lady. Your wish is my command. I’ll save a box of them for you when you return later on today.”

  “Perfect.” Rachel animatedly said.

  The Chelsea buns were instantly put into two large boxes for them to carry up the street to Dover house. However, that’s not all they bought from the baker Simon that day. They left with a box of Bakewell tarts, and a rather large coffee cake, on the house for being new customers.

  It was only a few more blocks up the street, and to the left, when they finally arrived at the Dover’s front door. Rachel pushed open the gate, and ushered the ladies past her so that she could lock the gate behind them. Rachel then rushed past them to knock on the front door enthusiastically.

  A tall, handsome butler opened the door immediately, “Good morning Lady Rachel, Lord Dover is expecting you, Lady Louisa, and Lady Marcella in the private library on the second floor. Would you like a maid to take these boxes up for you?”

  Rachel walked into the house as if she owned, “That’s a lovely notion Paulson, but I think that it would be best if we keep the sweets in the boxes so that there’s not too much of a mess in the library. Has tea been ordered?”

  The man nodded obediently, “Yes my lady, if you ladies would please follow me.”

  They followed Paulson, the Dover butler, up the stairs. Marcella looked around and thoroughly admired her surroundings.

  Dark wooden floors everywhere, marble pillars for elegance in each corner, navy and gold carpets lined the entire stairwell, and the high ceilings had paintings covering the walls all the way to the top. It looked like a museum. Both orderly and ornamental.

  As they made it to the second floor, Paulson walked them to the end of a long hallway. The butler finally came to a halt as he turned towards a large door and knocked on it in a specific way.

  Lord Dover opened it and automatically linked eyes with Rachel. He motioned for them to come into the corridor that led to the private library in the back.

  Robert quickly spoke to Paulson, “If anyone comes calling, tell them that no one’s home. We’re out for the day, understood? Thank you Paulson.”

  The tall butler bowed to his master, and then went on his way. Robert closed the door and locked it several times over. He then took the box with the coffee cake in it, and motioned towards a set of doors at the end of a small corridor, which led to the actual private library.

  Rachel walked up to the double set doors and pushed them wide open, both Louisa and Marcella were shocked by what they saw. The library was just as extravagant as Marcella had hoped it would be.

  The ceilings had many frolicking angels painted upon powdery clouds. The room was designed with bookcases spanning from wall-to-wall. There was a large white marble fireplace right in the center of the room, and it had a large golden mirror settled above it.

  Marcella looked to her right and saw that there was a staircase that led to a second floor, which indubitably led to even more books. She then looked to see that sitting on a long blue velvet couch right in front of her was Charlotte with her other brother Lord Andrew on one side, and Lord Thomas on the other side of h
er.

  She observed Rachel as she went to a table with two chairs by the fireplace and took her seat there. She didn’t even think of helping Marcella or Louisa with the sweets.

  That annoyed Marcella to bits. She then looked to the other side of the room and saw The Marquess of Lyon and Lord Bradley occupying the couch on the left.

  Marcella’s annoyance against Rachel was overpowered by the thrill of excitement that ran-through her as she finally spotted Alexander sitting alone on the right couch.

  His eyes were smiling as he got up from the couch with grace, and walked on over to relieve her of the boxes in her hands. He settled them on a table in the center of the room. Now that was a proper gentleman.

  Marcella then took a seat on the right couch that Alexander had been previously sitting on.

  Rachel leisurely spoke to the room as she settled herself into her chair, “On our way over here we stopped at this new bakery called, Simon’s Sweets. They had fresh Chelsea Buns, Bakewell tarts, and even a coffee cake on the house. Enjoy!”

  Robert walked to sit across from Rachel in a chair matching hers. Marcella looked about the library and realized that a couple of people were missing.

  She didn’t see Lady Emilia or the Earl of Sweeting anywhere in the library. What she did see was where Louisa had chosen to sit. Right in between Christopher and Gabriel on the left couch.

  Louisa then leaned forward to place the boxes with the Bakewell tarts, and the rest of the Chelsea Buns, on the center table along with the other sweets.

  From Marcella’s side of the room, she could then see that Christopher was now playing with her friend’s fingers, and then a few seconds later, he had her hand in his.

  Marcella sat forward and asked to the room, “It seems that we’re all here. Except for Emilia and Vincent. Are they here or should we wait for them before we start?”

  The Marquess pointed up to the second floor above them, “They went looking for a book on the second tier of the library. They should’ve been back down by now.”

  Chapter 14

  Emilia opened the sliding doors from one of upstairs rooms with a newfound excitement. She wore a large grin on her face as she looked down at all of her friends on the main floor. She raised a book above her head and proclaimed, “I found it!”

  Marcella smiled up at Emilia with delight, but she was also confused by what was happening, “What’d she find?”

  The Earl emerged from another room with an even larger grin on his face as he said, “If you found it, then what’s this in my hand love?”

  Emilia walked up to him with fire in her golden brown eyes as she looked at the book that he was holding and shook her head with frustration, “Unfair! How on earth is it even possible that we both found the same book?”

  Andrew filled Marcella in with what was going on, “Emilia and Vincent went in search of a copy of Pride & Prejudice.”

  “Well, Emilia wins then since she emerged with a copy of it first.” Louisa said with a cheeky grin on her face.

  Vincent huffed, “Lady Louisa, we both found a copy of the book, which means that we both win.”

  Emilia shook her head as she stormed down the spiraling staircase, “No my dear Vincent, I won because I emerged first!”

  Robert commanded the room, “Any who, thank you all for coming here today. We have much to discuss.”

  Rachel nodded along with Robert but then spoke up hastily, “Before we do just that, please do take something to eat first.”

  All the men attacked the sweets on the table within milliseconds.

  Alexander went for a single Bakewell tart with a dark red cherry on top of it. It was fascinating to Marcella how the largest man in the entire room went for the smallest sweet available on the table.

  The way his fingers broke apart the tart and brought it to his lips piece by piece was stimulating. Alexander then licked the tips of his fingers after each bite, and that act almost wrecked her, but then his throat began to moan in satisfaction, and that was when Marcella almost lost it.

  He was just so incredibly erotic.

  Marcella tried her best to control her breathing, but just the sight of him being satisfied by a single tart made her feel immense pleasure. She didn’t want to seem like a wanton woman, but how could she not be when the perfect man was eating a sweet cherry tart right in front of her.

  Alexander then turned to her and said, “Would you like the cherry?”

  He twirled it between his fingers, beckoning her to say yes to him. Yet, she couldn’t form the word on her lips, so she simply nodded like a besotted fool.

  Before she could reach out for the cherry he said, “Open your mouth.”

  Marcella looked around the room, and saw that nobody was paying any attention to her, or Alexander. They were preoccupied with eating the Chelsea Buns and trying to figure out how to cut the coffee cake.

  She looked back to Alexander and opened her mouth for him. He placed the cherry in her mouth, brushing her bottom lip with his fingers as Marcella bit into the sour fruit. He pulled the stem between her lips and she chewed carefully. To Marcella’s surprise the seed had already been removed.

  She looked up at Alexander, and saw that he was licking the same fingers that had just brushed her lips. Her cheeks started to ruddy quick, but not just her cheeks, her entire body was on fire.

  Marcella’s lips had turned a rosy color from the cherry’s juice, and she couldn’t help but lick her lips to beguile him.

  He leaned in, closing the space between them, and confidently whispered to her, “Next time, I promise you Marcella that I’m going to taste the cherry juice from those succulent lips of yours.”

  They were so close to each other that Marcella thought that he was going to close that last bit of space between them and kiss her, but the moment for such a scene ended as Marcella heard Emilia calling out her name.

  Marcella looked higgledy-piggledy as she turned to look at her friend.

  Emilia shook her head, “I said, would you like some coffee cake? Vincent, Gabriel, and I are going to cut it into pieces. We’re offering you a slice, since you’ve not taken anything from the table but a cherry from one of those tarts, I thought I’d ask.”

  If Marcella wasn’t blushing before, she definitely was now. Emilia winked at her and asked, “Well? Do you want a piece of cake or not?”

  Marcella could not find her voice so she simply nodded. Emilia had found a letter opener on a side table and decided to cut the cake with that. Emilia first cut a piece of cake for her brother, and then a second piece for Vincent.

  She then turned around from her crouched position on the floor to ask Marcella, “What size would you like? This one or this one?”

  Emilia motioned two different sizes, with her hands, which instigated Vincent to say, “If I were you Emilia I think the second choice would be my selection.”

  She took the letter opener and pointed it at him as she said, “Can we ever have a moment where you’re not saying something inappropriate to me?”

  The Earl put his hands up in surrender, and Marcella cleared her throat, “The first choice will do just fine. I think we should eat now so that we can get to the reason why we’re all here in the first place.”

  The whole room bobbed their heads in muted agreement, as their mouths were filled up with sweets. Emilia cut up two pieces of the coffee cake and came over to sit with Marcella. She gave Marcella her piece of cake on a blank sheet of paper.

  There were no plates available in the library, so Emilia thought that scrap paper would keep the crumbs off of the gorgeous carpet below their feet.

  Emilia sat on the end of the couch next to Marcella, putting Marcella directly in between Emilia and Alexander. Vincent then sat in a chair next to Alexander.

  Robert was picking at a Chelsea Bun, but then pushed it aside. He turned his chair to face everyone in his private library.

  “Once again, thank you all for coming. I need to bring everyone up to speed with what happened la
st night. The plan went well, but what happened after the Stanton’s ball worries me the most.”

  Rachel leaned forward uneasily, “What happened Robbie?”

  He looked at her and replied with frustration, “Nothing. That’s the problem, nothing happened. No one came after us, there was no commotion about a body being found in the garden. There’s no evidence of a murder in the garden at all.”

  Marcella asked, “There was no sign of a at all? Not even the body?”

  Robert shook his head, “Nothing. I’m just as baffled as you are Lady Marcella.”

  Vincent then added, “There are a few possibilities here Robert. Lady Stanton may still be abed. Emilia and I may have gotten her far more pissed drunk last night than we had originally planned.”

  Emilia snorted a laugh.

  Gabriel sat forward and asked, “What did you two do?”

  Emilia glanced over to Vincent and then back to her brother as she said lightly, “We needed her to calm down after the punch incident, so we actually made her drink the punch.”

  Laughter ensued as they all pictured Lady Stanton in her cups. The room then became somber as they discussed their next move. They had to be carefully alert, at all times. There was nothing that could be done, they couldn’t just take someone based-off of instinct into the Metropolitan police station.

  They’d become a laughingstock, and they’d eventually become suspects in Lord Graves’s murder case. There was nothing to further to discuss, so they spent the rest of the day in the Dover’s private library getting to know each other better, and becoming real life friends.

  Emilia let her guard down and leaned into Vincent’s side on the couch as he read the book they’d found earlier together.

  The Pinkerton sisters were playing cards against the Dover brothers, Christopher was playing Gabriel in a complicated game of chess as Thomas watched on.

  Alexander and Marcella had decided to putting a puzzle of the world together. She was trying to figure out where to put her next piece when the clock on the mantle sounded.

  Everyone stopped what he or she was doing at once, and looked over at the timepiece with shock. They’d been enjoying each other’s company so much that they’d forgotten about the time altogether.