Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Aadreal on 14-01-2013, 01:40:11</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aadreal</strong> on <strong>14-01-2013, 01:40:11</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i408/Aadreal/E%20characters/76227_zps935b8a32.jpg)</div>Lady Katherine Davenport had any number of troubles as she settled into the country home of her betrothed.&nbsp; Not the least of which was her mother's insistence on complaining in private.&nbsp; The home was well-appointed and in a week's time she'd marry Lord Hugh Covington, taking on the responsibilities as lady of the house.&nbsp; If she were fortunate her mother would not be staying long past the wedding.<br><br>“Honestly Katie.&nbsp; He's a mushroom, I do not care if he is, what did you call him?&nbsp; The Pinkest of the Pinks?&nbsp; His father is barely a peer.”&nbsp; The ever dudgeon matriarch looked to her daughter as the girl of twenty settled into her evening dress.&nbsp; It was the third change of dresses since arriving that morning and would hardly be the last such change before bed.&nbsp; <br><br>“Oh Mother!&nbsp; Must we do this again?&nbsp; The arrangements have been made, you would not wish me to cry off would you?&nbsp; Think of the shame!&nbsp; Lord Covington is a fine figure of a man and I refuse to believe the damned hum.&nbsp; While I concede he is beneath my touch, my lord Kent made it quite clear he would be the best of choices.&nbsp; Perhaps if you did not draw the bustle too freely the family affairs would not be so purse-pinched.”&nbsp; She rarely spoke so to her mother so but the woman spent the entire carriage ride from London berating her daughter.&nbsp; She had expected Katherine to marry above her station, not below.&nbsp; <br><br>Katherine tapped her finger to her lips and admired her figure as her ever present Lucy secured the ribbon sash in a bow at the back.&nbsp; The silk dress was evening primrose in color, bright and festive in honor of the first of a week long celebration.&nbsp; Cinched under the bodice with a contrasting cerulean blue ribbon, the light material draped in a beautiful column that only swelled at her hips.&nbsp; She lacked the modesty to cover the low cut of the collar, revealing the gentle swells of her soft breasts.&nbsp; The golden yellow making her skin seem to glow.&nbsp; The gentlemen always seemed most enamored with her breasts, though she thought her blue eyes were a more charming feature.<br><br>Sighing wistfully she remembered the last time she wore this dress.&nbsp; It was at the ball where Mary made a cake of herself.&nbsp; Oh how she would miss London!&nbsp; Spending her days in the Pleasure Gardens, her evenings at at the opera, balls and plays.&nbsp; Watching the thrill of the balloons taking off from Hyde Park with her dearest friends, Janie and Lizzy.&nbsp; Naturally it was to be expected she would settle into a quieter life in the countryside after marriage, but it did not mean she had to be happy about it.&nbsp; Though she would not voice such displeasure to any but the maid Lucy when they were alone.&nbsp; <br><br>Looking at the reflection of Lady Kent in the mirror, Katie smiled.&nbsp; “Think of the dinners that will be hosted once the marriage is settled!&nbsp; Surely you will enjoy the return of your pin money.&nbsp; The Lord Covington was most generous from what my lord Kent has said.&nbsp; Not to mention you will be able to see Weatherly more often.&nbsp; Perhaps finally get him to settle down and make an offer?”&nbsp; Her brother James, The Viscount Weatherly, had gained quite the reputation as a rake but he always looked after his dear sister Katie.&nbsp; She could only imagine what a sensation he'd cause should he manage to escape the lady-birds in London for the week long parties here at the Covington manor house.&nbsp; <br><br>Katie's bright eyes looked to a small bundle of correspondence rested upon the nightstand.&nbsp; Replies penned by Covington over the past few months to her simple letters.&nbsp; He'd caught her eye at one of the balls the year before, though he truly was barely one of the ton.&nbsp; Their social circles rarely intersected though that did not preclude them from sharing a dance.&nbsp; Her cheeks showing their color as they skipped and bounced to the lively music.&nbsp; They had exchanged a few pleasantries each time they danced but as he was not one she ever considered for marriage, it was trivial.&nbsp; Apparently The Lord Kent felt differently, encouraging his only daughter to consider the man.&nbsp; Despite his family's standing, he certainly wasn't the worst of her options.&nbsp; Not a rake or a boor, cutting a fine figure and being quite the dandy.&nbsp; <br><br>Granted Weatherly had been rather cross with Katie over her choice.&nbsp; But he was far too protective, believing gossip and generally making a goose of himself.&nbsp; He certainly had no leg to stand on, if the rumors were true.&nbsp; Lady Kent gaped at her daughter's responses, the cheek of the girl being uncalled for in her mind.<br><br>“Honestly Mother, please go.&nbsp; You have yet to change and dinner will be soon.&nbsp; It would not do for us to be late.&nbsp; Not when Lord Kent has not yet arrived.&nbsp; You would not wish for my marriage to begin with a scandal, would you?&nbsp; For The Lady Covington to take offense?&nbsp; You know how she likes to cut a wheedle, we would not want her speaking falsehoods about you.&nbsp; Now would we?”&nbsp; Taking up the long gloves that matched her dress, Katie began to slip them on, the cuffs would nearly reach the short sleeves of her dress.&nbsp; Fabric matching the ribbon on her dress sat in a heap on the bed, awaiting Lucy to wrap an elaborate turban to complete the look.&nbsp; The color sure to make her eyes shine.<br><br>With a sniff Lady Kent stalked from the room to the one next door, appointed for her and her husband.&nbsp; Her own maid was no doubt waiting to help her change.&nbsp; Once they were finally alone she gave a weary smile to Lucy.&nbsp; “I am a mess.&nbsp; What am I getting myself into, Lucy?&nbsp; What sort of man is my husband to be?&nbsp; I thought perhaps I would wed someone I knew, but he is a near stranger.&nbsp; Is he truly involved in havey-cavey business?&nbsp; Will I make a mull of it?”&nbsp; <br><br>Lucy had been her companion and maid since she was a child.&nbsp; The common girl a closer friend than any other.&nbsp; The only one that truly knew how much Katherine dreaded the upcoming nuptials.&nbsp; How terrified her mother's talk regarding duties had been.&nbsp; And certainly the only one Katie had ever confessed to about her feeling regarding Covington.&nbsp; Thinking the man unworthy and certainly not as dashing as he believed himself to be.&nbsp; How the rumors and whispers had worried Katie, even though it was common to overlook any such indiscretions that were fueled by a man's urges.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>20-01-2013, 04:54:19</strong>
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				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>He still isn’t sure what he’s getting himself into.&nbsp; To say he was caught by surprise by Lady Katherine’s acceptance of his offer would be a very large understatement.&nbsp; They really barely knew one another, though they had danced together occasionally at balls, and here had been that one rather memorable moment when something he said brought a most delightful flush to her face.&nbsp; Hugh had danced with more “eligible” young Ladies than he could count over the past few years, and is sure that she has danced with twice as many young Lords, given her impeccable social pedigree.&nbsp; The moment had nonetheless stood out in his mind, even if the two of them traveled in different circles entirely.<br><br>Hugh, Baron Covington is the first son and heir apparent of Trevor, Viscount Covington.&nbsp; In terms of precedence, both titles are relatively new, having been created five years apart early in the reign of George III for Trevor Covington, a canny businessman and barrister, close advisor and member of His Majesty’s Privy Council.&nbsp; So while quite affluent, and close to the seat of power.&nbsp; The Lord Covington (and thus his heir) is viewed as a rank upstart by the Ton, wholly beneath the gravitas of the established peerage, even the self-impoverished.<br><br>Within that context, and at the age of 27, Hugh had remained somewhat a disappointment to his family, as he had shown virtually no interest in the family’s business endeavors, and also failed to marry, much less marry well.&nbsp; He did cut a dapper figure, at 5’11” with blue gray eyes and a face nearly all would agree was handsome.&nbsp; Imbued with natural charm, he was popular at social gatherings, even though the Ton cast a wary eye in his direction.&nbsp; <br><br>Those like him with newer titles were relegated mainly to each other’s company, while those with more precedence collectively looked down their upturned noses upon them.&nbsp; He can’t say that Lady Katherine had done so, at least overtly.&nbsp; But neither had she shown any particular interest in his company, other than the occasional dance and exchange of pleasantries.&nbsp; He of course had not pursued her, but then neither had he pursued anyone else.&nbsp; Marriage had not been a priority for him, given that it would likely impede the pursuit of his own “special interests”.&nbsp; He could hardly expect a Lady to tolerate such adventures, any more than she would be interested in partaking.&nbsp; So it had simply been better all around for him to stay unmarried.&nbsp; <br><br>There was no scandal attached to his name, of course, as he had always been the very soul of discretion.&nbsp; But His Lordship had been rumored in relationships, at one time or another, with both a widow of high standing, and a divorcee of relatively tainted social status.&nbsp; It was also whispered that he had made discrete inquiries about the Thorned Rose Society, a shadowy club whose existence was rumored by many, though none proclaimed any knowledge of it themselves, or could even point out a single member.&nbsp; But, all in all, the worst that has ever been associated with Baron Covington was that he was reportedly once observed entering a rather specialized house of ill repute.<br><br>The truth was a good deal more elusive than that, of course, since the Baron had taken up residence in the family’s country estate, while the Viscount and Viscountess remainecd in their spacious London townhouse.&nbsp; He did entertain the occasional visitor, though such visits were often made under cloak of night.&nbsp; But there were few who could, and none who would, say anything much about those comings and goings.&nbsp; <br><br>His unmarried situation, of course, did not suit his parents at all, given the need for an heir, so the pressure had been growing to the point where he had to take it seriously.&nbsp; And when Lady Katherine’s name had been specifically mentioned, he had relented, though thinking it hardly likely that anything would come of the offer.&nbsp; She was, after all, pretty and pleasant, and hadn’t patronized him in their brief conversations.&nbsp; And she had the most remarkable blue eyes, not to mention an eye-catching bosom, even if she seemed just a bit frivolous.<br><br>Of course he hadn’t known then that his father was already involved in business negotiations with the her father, the Earl of Kent, whose fortunes had fallen somewhat upon hard times, or he might have been appalled by the subsequently arranged transaction.&nbsp; In any case, Hugh had been told, in no uncertain terms that he was to marry, so he had been relieved when Lady Katherine had accepted, as he really hadn't yet considered approaching anyone else.&nbsp; Still he had to wonder, though it has never even been hinted at in either of their correspondence, if Lady Katherine had been similarly dragooned by her father.<br><br>Their correspondence had actually been totally innocuous, taling about the weather and the doings of their very few mutual acquaintances.&nbsp; Getting any fashionable young lady to talk about anything of substance was quite akin to finding four leaf clovers.&nbsp; It simply didn’t happen, because their mothers drummed it into their heads that ladies are not supposed to voice opinions.&nbsp; He’d learned that early on.&nbsp; But, all in all, Hugh is keeping an open mind.&nbsp; Despite his particular preferences, he believes in the institution of marriage, and also in the possibility of love, thought he has found that quality to be much more talked about than practiced in reality.<br><br>So all in all, as his valet carefully ties his silk cravat, Hugh is hopeful going into this grueling week of social gatherings that the women had insisted upon as appropriate to precede a country wedding.&nbsp; At least they would only include those who were actually interested enough to make the trip.&nbsp; Thankfully he still had sanctuary in his private wing of the hall, though he had planned no further private visitors, at least for the near-term future.<br><br>Thankfully, this first dinner would not be a grueling as the later ones, given that many of the attendees had traveled today.&nbsp; So, while he is actually looking forward to seeing his betrothed again, and speaking with her for the first time in a while, he also has hopes of retiring early to marshal his resources for the later trials of the week.&nbsp; <br><br>In the absence of the Viscount, who will arrive tomorrow, Hugh is host for this evening, though he is certain that the hostess, The Lady Covington, will have little requirement of her son’s services other than greeting the guests and looking handsome and dapper, without being underfoot.&nbsp; So perhaps he can get to know his bride-to-be a bit, if the women will allow it.&nbsp; <br><br>He can but try after all, and he is there in time to greet the first arriving dinner guests, which apparently surprises his mother.<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>21-01-2013, 02:05:29</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/content/images/2006/12/05/sophia_myles_470x352.jpg)</div>Lucy Durst had been raised from infancy at the country estate of Lord and Lady Kent.&nbsp; Her mother had been the head cook there, protecting her kitchens with a fierce expression and the threat of knuckles rapped with the wooden spoon she wielded.&nbsp; &nbsp;Even now, at the tender age of twenty, Lucy's hand still smarted when she thought back with fondness to clumsy attempts to steal a tart or pastry.&nbsp; And her father had been stable master, given free reign to teach his only child to ride when the earl's family was not in residence, instead spending the Season at their home in London.<br><br>All of her memories of childhood were ones that filled her with warmth, but her favorites were the ones that involved the vision of beauty before her.&nbsp; Lady Katherine Elizabeth Davenport.&nbsp; Lucy had cherished the times when the earl's family was in residence, looking forward to time spent with her dearest friend.&nbsp; They'd had so much fun together, Katie sneaking her dollies into Cook's kitchens so the girls could hide in the nook beside the cupboard to play or wearing an old dress of Lucy's so they could tiptoe past the footmen and catch frogs at the creek.<br><br>And then, when Katie entered the schoolroom, she would drag Lucy into her chamber at night.&nbsp; "Mrs. Elderberry says a lady must know enough about all topics to be interesting but not so much to be a nuisance.&nbsp; Come, Lucy, we shall practice being ladies together."&nbsp; And so Lucy had secretly learned how to do more than be a scullery maid, taught by a girl her own age to read and do sums by candlelight.<br><br>As they grew older, their friendship had changed, deepening into what they shared today.&nbsp; But it had also become more clandestine.&nbsp; At fourteen, Lucy had entered into service as a lady's maid for her friend, traveling back and forth from London to the estate in Kent.&nbsp; Publicly, Lucy was no more than any other personal servant would be, but when they were alone, there was so much more between them.&nbsp; There was friendship born of a deep and everlasting love developed in childhood.&nbsp; Katie was her confidante, the one person with whom Lucy could share her fanciful dreams of being free, of becoming more than a broodmare for a stable hand.&nbsp; And Lucy was, for Katie, the one person with whom she needed no façade.<br><br>With a dramatic sigh, she picked up a hairbrush from the dresser and listened to the concerns of her mistress.&nbsp; She was, of course, duty bound to do so, but she would have lent an ear regardless.&nbsp; "I swear, Katie, your father and I seem to be the only ones who do not have misgivings.&nbsp; Really, how bad can he be?&nbsp; He's handsome, at least, so you won't have to worry about becoming ill at the sight of him.&nbsp; And he's only sort of old, not yet decrepit.&nbsp; Really, it could have been worse," she only half-teased.&nbsp; So much worse.&nbsp; Lucy had glimpsed Lord Covington through an upstairs window when he'd come to ask for Katie's hand, and her breath had been taken away.<br><br>But her lackadaisical attitude was contrived.&nbsp; She was not without worry.&nbsp; Katie had shared with her the rumors her brother had shared about Lord Covington, and it seemed as if he was shrouded in secrecy, his life covered by a hazy veil that made Lucy afeared for her beloved mistress.&nbsp; It wasn't that she was fearful that any harm would befall Katherine; no, her father and brother loved her dearly and would not wed her to a cruel man.&nbsp; Rather, Lucy worried that Katie would be hurt by a husband incapable of seeing her warmth and beauty, one who hid her away while he did whatever it was that the men of the peerage did when they were out and about.<br><br>"Come, let me arrange your hair.&nbsp; You need be the most beautiful lady in attendance tonight, and I shall do my part to ensure your coup."&nbsp; As she ran smooth bristles through Katie's long tresses, her mind wandered to her own mother.&nbsp; Too old to work in the kitchens now, she and Papa lived in a little shack on the Kent estate, near the edge of the adjoining village.&nbsp; Mama had wanted her to leave Katie's service, to settle down and marry and work for the earl.&nbsp; But Lucy had refused.&nbsp; Abandon Katie just as she was embarking on the most frightening adventure of her life?&nbsp; No, she would not even consider such a thing!<br><br>Besides, marry and settle into a life of having children and working her fingers to the nubs so that she turned old before her time?&nbsp; Was there a fate worse than that for a creature like Lucy, a girl who longed to be free of the constraints of the poor?&nbsp; She'd rather join a nunnery!&nbsp; And that, she knew with certainty, she did not want.&nbsp; Her adventures in the barn with Thomas Bonner had taught her that.&nbsp; No, Lucy had plans that she'd shared with no one.&nbsp; She would see Katie settled and happy, and then she'd leave to find her own fate, one of her own creation.&nbsp; For four years, she had been hoarding her hard-earned money for it; already, she had saved twelve pounds!<br><br>Stepping back, she looked at her creation with a critical eye.&nbsp; "The color of this fabric is perfect with your eyes."&nbsp; Her own, also blue but nowhere near as lovely and vibrant a hue, lit up as she whispered conspiratorially, "Katie, I have an idea.&nbsp; We will figure out your Lord Hugh once and for all.&nbsp; When you're making all of the men fall in love with you and all of the ladies green with envy, I will have a little time on my hands.&nbsp; What do you say to a little investigative work?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aadreal</strong> on <strong>22-01-2013, 00:28:52</strong>
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				Katie's eyes closed, letting out a sigh as Lucy brushed through her long curls.&nbsp; Lucy was the only one that would be able to calm her nerves.&nbsp; “Well then you or father can marry Lord Covington.”&nbsp; The words burst from her lips, quickly followed by a giggle.&nbsp; But it made her feel better, simply being able to laugh with her dear friend easing her heart.&nbsp; <br><br>At the whisper, Katie's vibrant eyes opened wide.&nbsp; “Oh Lucy! That is a wonderful idea!&nbsp; You will be careful, won't you?&nbsp; Have civil whiskers with his servants, sort out the faradiddles?”&nbsp; Lucy could do anything, of the two she was always the most clever and strong willed.&nbsp; Taking her maid's hands, Katie gave a gentle squeeze.&nbsp; “I would be so very lost without you, my dear sweet Lucy.”&nbsp; <br><br>Her eyes searched those of her friend, looking for the promise of caution.&nbsp; Knowing without a doubt Lucy would find what she sought.&nbsp; “I must hurry, I do not wish to be late and draw suspicion.”&nbsp; Her cheeks flushed at the excitement of a grand adventure.&nbsp; One which she was forced to take a passive role.&nbsp; “I shall keep them all entertained, I will not fail you Lucy.”&nbsp; Rising from the dressing table she carefully embraced the other woman, not wanting to wrinkle the fabric of her gown.&nbsp; <br><br>Touching the few artfully escaping curls and then the jeweled broach in the turban, Katie smiled.&nbsp; “I shall see you this eve.&nbsp; Be wary.”&nbsp; There was one last squeeze of Lucy's hands before the future Lady Covington hurried from the room.&nbsp; Nerves over the evening and her maid's planned activities making her steps light and quick.&nbsp; Her color high and eyes bright.&nbsp; The Lady Kent was already in the hall, fussing over her own gown, a rich burgundy brocade.&nbsp; <br><br>“There you are Katie. Lovely, lovely!&nbsp; Is that your Grandmother's pin?”&nbsp; The elder woman touched at the broach, golden filigree accented with a range of jewels to form a peacocks plume.&nbsp; “I do wish you would wear a necklace.&nbsp; Your throat is positively bare!”&nbsp; <br><br>Katie smiled warmly at her mother, accepting with long practiced grace the criticisms over her choice of adornment.&nbsp; “I prefer it this way mother.&nbsp; I find to do otherwise would break up the curve of my neck.”&nbsp; Not waiting for her mother to respond, Katie headed for the stairs, descending with her head held high.&nbsp; The Lady Kent followed after, her displeasure at her daughter's behavior increasing.&nbsp; Since accepting the marriage offer, Katie had found her patience for her mother growing thin.&nbsp; <br><br>A soft and confident smile was Katherine's main adornment, one which hid her nerves.&nbsp; <em>Breathe Katie, remember to breathe.</em>&nbsp; Taking in a deep breath at her own reminder, she ceased to feel as lightheaded.&nbsp; While it was not entirely unacceptable to swoon, she did not wish that to be the first thing Covington would see after so long.&nbsp; Waiting at the foot of the stairs for her mother's slow descent, she managed to peek through the doorway.&nbsp; Her heart fluttering at the sight.&nbsp; Covington was far more handsome than she recalled.&nbsp; While he'd always been attractive, there was something different, something more appealing.&nbsp; The country air certainly suited him.&nbsp; <br><br>Threading her arm through her mother's the two ladies of Kent entered the main chamber.&nbsp; Ready to greet The Lady Covington and her son.&nbsp; It was the first time The Lady Kent spent any amount of time with the young man or his mother.&nbsp; The social circles of the two families never intertwining.&nbsp; Were it not for business interests, they would never meet at all.&nbsp; Not that either woman knew of such activities.&nbsp; <br><br>“Lady Covington.&nbsp; Your home is precious.&nbsp; Such a charming country estate.&nbsp; I have found that with The Lord Kent's business affairs it is far too rare that we visit our own.”&nbsp; That the Kent holdings outside of London proper were in shameful disrepair and barely habitable was never mentioned.&nbsp; It was a well known secret that polite company never discussed.&nbsp; The matriarch shared Katie's brilliant eyes and even at the ripe age of forty two was still quite a beauty.&nbsp; <br><br>Katie remained silent, allowing her elders to speak.&nbsp; Her gaze was modest, kept downcast, lest the color rise to her cheeks once more upon looking at her betrothed.&nbsp; It was not simply the mission which Lucy was going to undertake.&nbsp; She found the man charming enough to recall their occasional dances.&nbsp; And as Lucy stated, he was a fine figure of a man. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>25-01-2013, 14:50:23</strong>
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				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Given that he doesn’t have need for much talking, other than the initial greeting and pleasantries, Hugh has quite enough time for his eyes to flick toward the entrance, fairly often.&nbsp; Now that he’s committed to this course, he finds himself not resigned to marriage, as he might have expected, but somewhat intrigued by it.<br><br>He knows of no particular reason why there had been that flicker of interest between himself and Lady Katherine, though it had been mutual.&nbsp; They hardly had a chance to talk at all, and their correspondence since then has been hardly revelatory.&nbsp; There are always expectations of even the most casual meetings, and perhaps it had been that neither of them was quite what the other expected.&nbsp; In a social setting where so much is formalized and prescribed, the unexpected is often the most memorable, either in the positive or the negative sense.&nbsp; And an openness to the unexpected can be downright intriguing.<br><br>Nothing might have come of it, of course, if he hadn’t been pressed to marry, but mutual interest is certainly a nice place to start.&nbsp; So a flicker of a smile crosses his face as he looks up momentarily to catch a glimpse through the doors of his betrothed reaching the bottom of the stairs a good bit before her mother does, and to see her look up almost expectantly in his direction.&nbsp; At that his smile broadens considerably.&nbsp; Just after that the guests with whom his mother was speaking move on, leaving the two of them alone for the moment, and giving her an opportunity to look peevishly toward the door.<br><br><em>“Well there they are finally;&nbsp; quite a peahen the mother is, looking to shine everyone else down, and quite high in the instep as well for one punting on river Tick.&nbsp; The Earl, of course, has done nothing to better their situation, hanging on the sleeve of a twelve generation old title that hasn’t been earned in eleven.”</em><br><br>That last part, Hugh knows is as much aimed at himself as at the Earl.&nbsp; She is very ecumenical in her criticism, sparing none her bile.&nbsp; But there are limits, as far as he is concerned …<br><br><em>“And the daughter …”</em><br><br>At that point, Hugh interrupts.<br><br>“Do cease and desist, mother; save it for your lady friends who appreciate slander.&nbsp; And if you say a word negative about&nbsp; Lady Katherine, I swear that I will embarrass you in public.”<br><br>Lady Covington sniffs and harrumphs, but also stops, knowing that her son is dead serious in his words.&nbsp; And she has a bright smile on her face, which is not entirely insincere, to greet the two ladies.&nbsp; She knows after all that The Lady Kent has to be polite to her as well.&nbsp; Hugh, of course, is closely watching his betrothed, as the two women talk.<br><br><em>“Lady Covington. Your home is precious. Such a charming country estate. I have found that with The Lord Kent's business affairs it is far too rare that we visit our own.”</em><br><br>The Lady Covington answers without the slightest hesitation.<br><br>“Oh thank you Lady Kent; we do quite adore it ourselves, but we have the same problem with not being able to visit often, so we’re pleased to have our son managing it so well for us.&nbsp; I do hope that Lady Katherine will like it here as well. <br><br>“And don’t both of you look lovely tonight …”<br><br>Hugh is barely listening to the conversation, given that his attention is entirely captured by the suddenly shy Lady Katherine, of the beautiful blue eyes.&nbsp; Of course he doesn’t see those until she looks up, so he has to content himself with following the elegant line of most appealing flesh down her elegant and graceful neck to where it finally disappears deep within the spectacular décolletage offered by her bright yellow dress.<br><br>When the situation allows, he takes her hand in his in greeting, and gently holds it and her eyes for several moments longer than strictly necessary.<br><br>“You grow lovelier by the day, Lady Katherine.&nbsp; Your eyes are the most amazing shade of blue, and yellow quite becomes you.&nbsp; I quite look forward to conversing with you tonight, and over the course of this week.”&nbsp; <br><br>He is not sure, of course, what to make of her turban, but she makes it look good upon her head.<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aadreal</strong> on <strong>30-01-2013, 04:26:46</strong>
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				Katie's eyes rose to meet Hugh's, the brilliant blue orbs sparkling with the candlelight.&nbsp; Just as she feared, she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.&nbsp; The conversation between the two matriarchs faded from Katie's world as Hugh took her hand.&nbsp; It was so warm, even through the glove.&nbsp; Which only made the color rise further, her smile shy.&nbsp; <em>Stop this Katie! He is simply a man!&nbsp; Speak.&nbsp; Stop staring at his lips.</em><br><br>“Thank you, Lord Covington.&nbsp; I must say the fine country air does wonders.&nbsp; By week end I shall be positively a glow.”&nbsp; Her thoughts finally caught up with her mouth, causing her eyes to drop in embarrassment.&nbsp; Though her lips pressed thin to prevent a laugh.&nbsp; “Even if I was not here to wed.”&nbsp; <em>Stop speaking! Stop speaking! He's going to think you a ninny!</em>&nbsp; The blush did not cease, creeping down her neck.&nbsp; <br><br>It was only then that she noticed he still held her hand.&nbsp; Very slowly she pulled it away, letting the tips of her fingers linger for a moment before they parted.&nbsp; “I look forward to conversing as well.&nbsp; Our letters have been such a delight.”&nbsp; By that time she was truly flushed, her pale skin rosy from bodice to forehead. <br><br>There was a not so subtle nudge to her elbow and reality came crashing back in.&nbsp; Looking up, startled by the touch she was sure she was going to die at that moment.&nbsp; Her mother barely hiding a look of disgust mixed with disappointment.&nbsp; <br><br>“Lady Covington.&nbsp; Please forgive me!&nbsp; I fear the journey has addled my wits.”&nbsp; Her eyes met those of her betrothed’s mother, wondering if she'd be as overbearing as her own. “It is a lovely home.&nbsp; I am confident I shall find myself falling in love with it before the week is out.”&nbsp; She offered a smile, far less shy than those directed at Hugh.&nbsp; Though she found her gaze drifting towards the man.&nbsp; Truly he did not appear that well formed as they courted.&nbsp; 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>01-02-2013, 06:35:26</strong>
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				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Just that quickly, the majority of Hugh’s concerns are laid to rest.&nbsp; Her eyes are bright and sparkling, and her cheeks are pink with a blush that quite compliments her shy smile.&nbsp; Most assuredly, Lady Katherine had never looked at him before like that, nor spoken such words as she now speaks..<br><br><em>“Thank you, Lord Covington. I must say the fine country air does wonders. By week end I shall be positively a glow.”</em><br><br>In truth, nobody has ever looked at or talked to him like that, or been so utterly charming.<br><br><em>“Even if I was not here to wed.”</em><br><br>There is mirth in her eyes for him alone to see, and the withdrawal of her fingers leaves lovely sensations in it’s wake.&nbsp; It’s silly, of course, he feels like a schoolboy, practically mooning at her like a calf.&nbsp; But the truth of it is that he is going to marry this suddenly enchanting young woman, and he finds himself quite content with that outcome.&nbsp; So he doesn’t care a bit about the looks that both of their mothers are giving then.&nbsp; Her fingertips linger just a bit longer on his.&nbsp; <br><br><em>“I look forward to conversing as well. Our letters have been such a delight.”</em><br><br>That last part, about his letters is pure fustian, of course, given that the letters said virtually nothing informative.&nbsp; But it only serves as socially acceptable camouflage of the first part which, given her eyes and posture, conveys several levels of nuance to him alone.&nbsp; He rather fancies, actually, flirting with his intended before their mothers, and indeed forming a silent conspiracy of sorts.&nbsp; <em>‘It will give them something to cluck about and agree upon.’</em><br><br>Of course he isn’t the one who gets unceremoniously elbowed.<br><br><em>“Lady Covington. Please forgive me! I fear the journey has addled my wits … It is a lovely home. I am confident I shall find myself falling in love with it before the week is out.”</em> <br><br>This time it is Hugh who discretely nudges his mother, as a reminder of his threat, and it seems to work.<br><br><em>“Oh my dear Lady Katherine, you are quite welcome here.&nbsp; And I am very pleased that you so enjoy it.&nbsp; It’s been needing a full time lady’s touch for a while.”</em>&nbsp; <br><br>Clearly the Viscountess is adept at turning a disadvantage to her own use, and just as clearly her meaning is nuanced as well, and not all directed at Lady Katherine, as her glance informs her son.&nbsp; <br><br>As interesting as this might all be as a study of human dynamics, it is hardly Hugh’s idea of enjoyable repartee, so as soon as their mothers are distracted by new arrivals, Hugh discretely draws Lady Katherine aside. <br><br>“If you will allow me to show you around, Lady Katherine, while we wait?”&nbsp; <br><br>Certainly, with twenty people in the room already, they could not be considered as unchaperoned.&nbsp; So his voice goes lower for her ears.<br><br>“I would enjoy it greatly, Lady Katherine, if you were to join me tomorrow morning for a tour of the gardens after breakfast, suitably chaperoned of course.&nbsp; There are so many places I should like you to see.”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aadreal</strong> on <strong>02-02-2013, 21:39:57</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Katherine's smile faltered for a moment as Lady Covington mentioned needing a full time lady's touch.&nbsp; With the worries and the rumors, she found her thoughts filling with Lucy's mission.&nbsp; Hoping beyond all hope that her maid and dearest of friends would find nothing untoward.&nbsp; She quickly recovered, not wanting to show any of her fears.&nbsp; “I look forward to adding my own touches, though there is little I could do to improve upon your own selections.&nbsp; I already feel as though I am home.”&nbsp; <br><br>Lady Kent's expression lightened at her daughter's response.&nbsp; Taking pride in the fact that she did not raise a child of ill gratitude and manners.&nbsp; Other guests arrived and there was socializing to be done.&nbsp; Allowing the youngsters a moment of reprieve from judging eyes.&nbsp; Katie's heart fluttered as she found herself being drawn away by her betrothed.&nbsp; The small crowd of guests ensured respectability, even though her cheeks warmed at the slight touch as she was led. <br><br>“That is most kind, Lord Covington.&nbsp; It would hardly do for the future lady of the house to find herself lost among the rooms.”&nbsp; Once more there was a shy smile and a hint of mirth.&nbsp; Her childhood adventures at the Kent estate rising to the forefront of her mind.&nbsp; Exploring the various rooms and making up stories with Lucy as to what was done in them.&nbsp; Though in truth it was always the servants area that drew the most interest, having felt more lived in.&nbsp; <br><br>His whispered offer for a tour of the gardens truly set her to glowing.&nbsp; Oh how she loved the gardens of London.&nbsp; One of the things she felt she would miss most of all.&nbsp; “It would be a pleasure, sir.&nbsp; I simply adore gardens.&nbsp; I can think of none other that I would prefer as a guide, Lord Covington.”&nbsp; Lucy would accompany then, of course.&nbsp; The Lady Kent would undoubtedly frown if she knew, but unlike her daughter, she preferred spending her days indoors or among the shops.&nbsp; <br><br>They were soon tucked away from the other guests, yet close enough to ensure her reputation.&nbsp; “Do you find you enjoy the solitude of living in the country?&nbsp; It will be quite the change from London.&nbsp; Though I must confess, the constant dances were starting to grow wearying.&nbsp; Watching the balloons take off in Hyde Park was rather thrilling.&nbsp; I've dreamed of being so daring as to attempt a turn in the basket.”&nbsp; The confession brought another blush, her blue eyes meeting Covington's and then skittering away.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>07-02-2013, 07:56:34</strong>
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				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>For just a moment, his intended seems to quail at his mother's too clever words, and Hugh has&nbsp; the urge to stomp on the instep of the woman who bore him.&nbsp; &nbsp;But the unease seems to disappear as quickly as it arrived, and she answers quite gamely.<br><br><em>“I look forward to adding my own touches, though there is little I could do to improve upon your own selections. I already feel as though I am home.”</em><br><br>Indeed, Lady Katherine's reply seems to please all of them in one way or another, and the idea occurs to him that she may just be cut from a different cloth than either of their mothers.&nbsp; In that she becomes even more intriguing than before, and he is dying to learn more about this woman who is to share his home and life, as well as bear his children.&nbsp; So he takes her by the hand (the only intimacy allowed them at this point, by current social custom), and draws her away from the crowd.&nbsp; She seems pleased that he does so.<br><br><em>“That is most kind, Lord Covington. It would hardly do for the future lady of the house to find herself lost among the rooms.”</em><br><br>He likes that way her smile forms on the corners of her lips and slowly creeps it's way inward, as if a bit hesitant about revealing itself at first.&nbsp; Her cheeks are pinkened a bit at the intimacy of it, though that blush seems to war with the mirth in her eyes.&nbsp; Lady Katherine seems quite prepared to be led upon an adventure, and he quite intent upon doing so.<br><br>"Well we could always have you learn them in the customary fashion ... by hide and seek ..."<br><br>There is a bit of a roguish glint in his eye.<br><br>"Of course, that might better await a quieter house."<br><br>For the immediate future, a garden tour is likely to be the greatest adventure that they dare.&nbsp; His experience is that city women of the gentry tend to rise late, and pay little attention to the morning, so that seems to be the best opportunity to avoid parental supervision at least ... other than waiting until after the wedding of course.&nbsp; So he is pleased no end that lady Katherine seems excited by the pospect. <br><br><em>“It would be a pleasure, sir. I simply adore gardens. I can think of none other that I would prefer as a guide, Lord Covington.”</em><br><br>He smiles.<br><br>"And I can't think of a more charming lady to escort.&nbsp; I think you will like our gardens here, as they are most expansive, something that is possible only in public spaces in the city.&nbsp; Here it is all our own."<br><br>That draws a question from her lips, one that he had been expecting from a woman who has led a whirlwind social life these past few years.<br><br><em>“Do you find you enjoy the solitude of living in the country? It will be quite the change from London ..."</em>&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br>Again he smiles, as he leads her momentarily behind a column that offers a moment of privacy even in the midst of a crowd.<br><br>"I enjoy the country immensely, personally; there is certainly solitude to be found, and privacy when one wants it.&nbsp; There is something to be said for not having the Ton look over one's shoulder night and day.&nbsp; <br><br>"But we are hardly isolated.&nbsp; The Estate employs nearly a hundred in productive endeavors of various sorts.&nbsp; In that, it serves as a traditional Baronial manor, with a community and economy of it's own.&nbsp; It actually makes a tidy annual profit.<br><br>"In London, you are Lady Katherine, soon to be Lady Covington, one among many, if a lovely one.&nbsp; Here you will be The Lady, on the estate, and in the nearby village.&nbsp; People will look to you for wisdom and guidance, as well as offer their loyalty and respect.&nbsp; And you will feel a sense of responsibility for them.&nbsp; It is the kind of nobility that the Ton has forgotten.&nbsp; And to me it's as heady as the clean air and the dark starry sky at night ..."<br><br>He pauses, realizing that he is going on about something that might not be of interest to her at all.&nbsp; There is no guarantee, of course, that she will want what he wants, or even find it attractive, though there is perhaps a bit of promise in her next words.<br><br><em>“... Though I must confess, the constant dances were starting to grow wearying. Watching the balloons take off in Hyde Park was rather thrilling. I've dreamed of being so daring as to attempt a turn in the basket.”</em><br><br>They move onward to a more visible position, as he continues to slowly lead her.&nbsp; <br><br>"That does sound exciting; I shall have to take you to the city for the spectacle again some time.&nbsp; We did have a single balloon land here last year, when he got blown off of course.&nbsp; The large open space was apparently an attractive target, and I told the operator that he was welcome to land here any time.&nbsp; So perhaps he will come again, and tempt your daring more directly."<br><br>She does seem to have a sense of adventure about her, even though she is blushing.&nbsp; And as they move into another bit of sanctuary, he stops and turns back to her ... his face very close to hers as his voice lowers. <br><br>"And is my lady betrothed daring so daring that she might have wondered what it would feel like to be kissed by her husband to be?&nbsp; Surely the thought has occurred to him that her ruby lips look most inviting."<br><br>There is no menace in his words or stance, however scandalous they might be.&nbsp; But there is quite a bit of sudden intimacy in the gesture, with his lips all but brushing hers.&nbsp; And he is most definitely curious.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aadreal</strong> on <strong>08-02-2013, 02:01:59</strong>
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				<em>"Well we could always have you learn them in the customary fashion ... by hide and seek …<br>"Of course, that might better await a quieter house."</em><br><br>Katie’s free hand pressed to her lips in an attempt to stifle the laughter at Covington’s response. “My Lord!”&nbsp; She leaned slightly closer, eyes twinkling with the laughter she managed to keep silent, her voice low.&nbsp; “Whatever will the servants think?&nbsp; Truly I have not played such a game since I was a child.&nbsp; I highly doubt my dresses could suffer the dust and cobwebs, nor my body fit within the best of hiding places.”&nbsp; Oh how her mother would die if she heard their conversation.&nbsp; But Katie simply could not keep the response silent.&nbsp; And Covington certainly did not seem to mind.&nbsp; She felt rather bold and risque, making her glow with their shared secret conversation.<br><br>She was saved from making a fool of herself by the turn of conversation.&nbsp; Discussion of gardens far more acceptable than two adults playing hide and seek among a country estate.&nbsp; The very idea left the corners of her lips twitching with a giggle that sought to escape.&nbsp; <br><br><em>"And I can't think of a more charming lady to escort.&nbsp; I think you will like our gardens here, as they are most expansive, something that is possible only in public spaces in the city.&nbsp; Here it is all our own."</em><br><br>The prospect of such a large garden of her very own to enjoy drew a faint gasp of surprised delight.&nbsp; Her hand slipped along his, allowing their palms to press together more intimately, separated only by her glove.&nbsp; She could not think of a response to such a delight, her imagination already running rampant with the planned walk in the morning.&nbsp; Of spending the fall and winter among hedges and flower beds full of promise.&nbsp; <br><br><em>"I enjoy the country immensely, personally; there is certainly solitude to be found, and privacy when one wants it.&nbsp; There is something to be said for not having the Ton look over one's shoulder night and day.”<br><br>"But we are hardly isolated.&nbsp; The Estate employs nearly a hundred in productive endeavors of various sorts.&nbsp; In that, it serves as a traditional Baronial manor, with a community and economy of it's own.&nbsp; It actually makes a tidy annual profit.”<br>"In London, you are Lady Katherine, soon to be Lady Covington, one among many, if a lovely one.&nbsp; Here you will be The Lady, on the estate, and in the nearby village.&nbsp; People will look to you for wisdom and guidance, as well as offer their loyalty and respect.&nbsp; And you will feel a sense of responsibility for them.&nbsp; It is the kind of nobility that the Ton has forgotten.&nbsp; And to me it's as heady as the clean air and the dark starry sky at night ..."</em><br><br>Her imagination was brought to heel as her betrothed continued.&nbsp; The shadow of the column went unnoticed, her eyes upon his expression as he expounded upon what her life would be like.&nbsp; It was...fascinating.&nbsp; She’d not expected any responsibility beyond managing the simple finances and the home.&nbsp; Perhaps arranging dinners for her husband’s friends and business acquaintances.&nbsp; Even more intriguing was the passion she heard in his voice.&nbsp; A care for those of the lower status.&nbsp; It sounded oddly romantic and far more fulfilling than spending her days worrying over the latest fashions.&nbsp; She found herself drawn to her husband to be, thinking perhaps his lower status in the Ton offered an insight she never considered.&nbsp; While Lucy was truly her dearest friend, she’d always considered the woman different than all others, better and bolder than others of her caste could dream of.&nbsp; <br><br><em>"That does sound exciting; I shall have to take you to the city for the spectacle again some time.&nbsp; We did have a single balloon land here last year, when he got blown off of course.&nbsp; The large open space was apparently an attractive target, and I told the operator that he was welcome to land here any time.&nbsp; So perhaps he will come again, and tempt your daring more directly."</em><br><br>Emerging from their brief respite from prying eyes, Katie blinked and lowered her gaze.&nbsp; How she wished fans were in fashion, feeling the need to cool her flushed skin.&nbsp; It was rare for her to speak of her love of watching the balloons.&nbsp; Or her dream of one day finding herself among the birds.&nbsp; That Covington did not chide or scoff and instead offered her hope of such fulfillment endeared him to her.&nbsp; As did the promise of taking her to see them lift off once more.&nbsp; With a garden of her very own, that would truly be the only thing she missed about London.&nbsp; She felt the urge to thank her father for recommending this young man.&nbsp; Not only was he pleasant to look upon but she was finding him pleasant company, something she could only hope he reciprocated.<br><br>“Do not jest, sir!&nbsp; A proper, married lady climbing into one of those contraptions?&nbsp; While surely I dream of touching the clouds, I would not dare to think it something that would come true.&nbsp; It is kind of you to offer such a hope.”&nbsp; Her tone was playfully chiding free hand pressing to his fingers for just a moment before falling to her side once more. Though the smile remained, having grown as they walked.&nbsp; For a moment she realized she had not paid attention to the other guests or her surroundings, feeling every bit a fool for allowing herself to become so distracted.<br><br>Though it was a feeling that was quickly forgotten as they were once more isolated.&nbsp; Only this time her husband to be had paused and was facing her.&nbsp; The gesture leaving her feel so very vulnerable.<br><br><em>"And is my lady betrothed daring so daring that she might have wondered what it would feel like to be kissed by her husband to be?&nbsp; Surely the thought has occurred to him that her ruby lips look most inviting."</em><br>Her breath stilled though her heart beat so rapidly she could feel the throbbing on her delicate and exposed throat.&nbsp; Her treasonous blue eyes moved from his to his lips.&nbsp; Finding herself staring at them once more, sure he knew she'd been drawn to them earlier.<br><br>"Yes..." The whisper escaped with a sigh,&nbsp; not realizing it was spoken aloud.&nbsp; Her breath tickled at his lips they were so close.&nbsp; &nbsp; She should move. Should joke and laugh, verbally pushing Covington away.&nbsp; Never had she felt the kiss of a man except the chaste kisses pressed to her forehead by family.&nbsp; In truth the only kiss that was scandalous was with Lucy so many years ago. Both girls giggling nervously as they wondered what it would feel like. Both blushing furiously after the quick peck.<br><br>"I have.&nbsp; I have..." It was silly and made her blush brightly.&nbsp; "I have often kissed your letters, imagining you doing the same.&nbsp; Often pressed my lips to paper before posting my letters to you "&nbsp; Why did she tell him? He would laugh, think her a silly girl.&nbsp; Not even Lucy knew.&nbsp; She prayed he would not kiss her. Afraid she'd be unable to keep her cheeks from growing war every time she looked to him.&nbsp; And yet.&nbsp; She wondered.&nbsp; She wanted.&nbsp; 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>09-02-2013, 05:47:07</strong>
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				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Hugh is quite sure that Lady Katherine&nbsp; will either be quite scandalized by his words, or think him mad.&nbsp; So he's delighted when she seems merely amused.<br><br><em>“My Lord! ... Whatever will the servants think? Truly I have not played such a game since I was a child. I highly doubt my dresses could suffer the dust and cobwebs, nor my body fit within the best of hiding places.”</em><br><br>Just that quickly, they seem like co-conspirators, and her words have him thinking about her body and fitting places, and it is all he can do to fend of the most wanton thoughts.&nbsp; But then, again, she is to be his wife, so why should he not entertain such thoughts.&nbsp; In truth, Lady Katherine is virtually glowing now form their illicit chatter, and he dares to wonder if he might indeed have found a kindred spirit in her, right down to the twitching lips and the ill-suppressed giggle.&nbsp; He is totally charmed by her, as his words so candidly state.&nbsp; <br><br>More than&nbsp; that, though, he finds himself opening up to her, telling her things that he has never shared with anyone, much less his parents.&nbsp; He rather doubts that they know the estate is making a profit, and isn't about to enlighten them.&nbsp; And his thoughts about the nature and obligation of nobility, he has never really shared with anyone before.&nbsp; All in all, he is quite surprised by his own expansiveness. <br><br>All along, people have made assumptions about him, that he has never bothered to challenge, rather preferring to be the proverbial black sheep of the family.&nbsp; Of course there are some things about his personal preferences that might make the most dour of countenances blanch.&nbsp; But he imposes them upon nobody, not even the knowledge of them.&nbsp; In time he will have to think about the effects of those on Lady Katherine, though most ladies would greatly prefer not to know.<br><br>Bit for the moment, he fins himself so infatuated with his betrothed, that he simply goes on for the light that sparkles in her eyes as she listens to him.&nbsp; She is taking him quite seriously, which few people have ever done.&nbsp; In fact, at points she seem quite inspired by his words.&nbsp; he can feel them drawing closer in more than just proximity, now that they have the brief opportunity to speak candidly with each other.&nbsp; Surely both of their mothers would be scandalized by the conversation, but that only makes it all the more satisfying.<br><br>Just as she seems attracted to his whimsies, so he finds himself attracted to hers.&nbsp; Just the way she speaks of ballooning makes his spirit soar.&nbsp; So, of course he is eager to share it with her, even if the proper lady in her is rather scandalized by is all.<br><br><em>“Do not jest, sir! A proper, married lady climbing into one of those contraptions? While surely I dream of touching the clouds, I would not dare to think it something that would come true. It is kind of you to offer such a hope.”</em>&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br>He smiles, feeling the press of her other hand to his fingers holding hers..<br><br>"I would not jest, my lady, over a desire held so closely to the heart.&nbsp; And indeed there are advantages to the country, where a lady might dare wear a riding habit and be gently lifted into a basket by her husband's arms."<br><br>It is in such a mood that Hugh turns back to his betrothed in isolation, and looks at her&nbsp; differently than before.&nbsp; There he asks her the one question that has been most prominent upon his mind since he set eyes upon her this evening.&nbsp; For a moment he fears that his impudence has struck her quite immobile, as she does not even breathe.&nbsp; But then he sees the pulse at her throat, and the fleeting movement of her eyes to his lips.&nbsp; Her answer is but a single syllable, whispered in a sigh, though it is not clear whether is an answer to his question or invitation to a liberty being taken.<br><br><em>"Yes..."</em> <br><br>When she does qualify it, her words are so charming, that he can only smile.&nbsp; <br><br><em>"I have. I have ... I have often kissed your letters, imagining you doing the same. Often pressed my lips to paper before posting my letters to you "</em><br><br>His wife to be is a romantic, beyond any doubt.&nbsp; And he is thrilled by the fact.&nbsp; There is fear in her eyes, yet she does not bolt, nor chide him for his impertinence, and he has taken her words quite seriously.<br><br>"In that case, dear lady, I should think that you would wish to know how mine felt first hand, for comparison."<br><br>It is licentious, of course, and would surely scandalize at least half of the room, were it known.&nbsp; But he cares not for the crowd who will not see ... only for the woman who will feel.&nbsp; It is but half an inch that he moves, to gently press his lips against hers, not to peck and run, nor to linger and provoke, rather simply to demonstrate that the lady has touched his heart, and he would touch hers as well.&nbsp; He finds it personally quite pleasant.&nbsp; <br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aadreal</strong> on <strong>09-02-2013, 21:49:36</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				What was it about this man that set Katherine a fluster?&nbsp; That left her unsure of what to do or more appropriately, unwilling to do what she knew she should.&nbsp; Her eyes grew wide as Covington leaned in closer.&nbsp; Daring to not breath lest she find herself waking from a dream.&nbsp; The simple and soft press of lips to hers left her light headed.&nbsp; A tiny sound of longing escaped her throat as he pulled away.&nbsp; It was entirely unladylike, yet Katherine found her hands moving to Covington.&nbsp; Clinging to him as she felt herself succumbing to a swoon.&nbsp; &nbsp; She could feel the heat of her blush overtake her entire body, her lips tingling, missing the warmth of his.&nbsp; How could such a light touch leave her so flummoxed?&nbsp; <br><br>“My Lord...”&nbsp; How entirely scandalous that she was ready to beg for another kiss with that whisper.&nbsp; Her eyes closing as she took in a deep breath, the masculine scent of her husband to be nearly overwhelming her.&nbsp; The sharp bark of a man's laughter broke the spell, returning her to the present and the fact that she was practically surrounded by people.&nbsp; <br><br>Her lower lip caught between her teeth in worry, wondering what the man before her thought of her.&nbsp; If he was disappointed with her.&nbsp; “We...we should not tarry any longer.”&nbsp; <em>I do not trust myself alone with you.</em>&nbsp; Her eyes dipped with the thought, reconsidering asking Lucy to join them for the walk in the morning.&nbsp; Thinking perhaps they would need someone that would keep her from asking for a second kiss.&nbsp; Wondering if every kiss would surpass her dreams of what they would feel like.&nbsp; She wanted to touch her lips.&nbsp; To savor this private moment, not pulling away despite her words.&nbsp; Unable to gather the wits to say more.<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>11-02-2013, 02:26:12</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Lucy slipped out of the conservatory, wiping her hands on her dress.&nbsp; As she closed the door behind her, she heard a throat clear behind her.&nbsp; <br><br>"Might I help you, Miss Durst?"<br><br><em>Drat!&nbsp; </em>Lucy looked at the matronly dragon who peered at her through thick spectacles.&nbsp; The head housekeeper.&nbsp; She had been introduced earlier.&nbsp; "Nay, Mrs. Potter," she mumbled, her eyes downcast.&nbsp; "I seem to have gotten a bit lost.&nbsp; I was certain that this was the library, and I do know that Lady Katherine enjoys a bit of reading before retiring."&nbsp; The lie rolled off her tongue, but then they always had with her.&nbsp; She was an accomplished actress.<br><br>"The library is two doors down.&nbsp; Now, get your book and off with you, girl, before you get in the way of the kitchen staff.&nbsp; They are quite busy preparing for tonight, and the rest of the week will be just as hectic."<br><br>As the stately woman turned on her heels and walked away, Lucy's smile turned mocking.&nbsp; She knew exactly where the library was.&nbsp; She had, after all, already searched it.&nbsp; And the music room, and just now the conservatory.&nbsp; Where to next?&nbsp; Lord Covington's personal suite?&nbsp; She did not think even she was so daring as to sneak about the family's housing.&nbsp; How would she explain her presence in that wing?&nbsp; No matter, though, for her Katie, she would do it.<br><br>But first, his study.&nbsp; She turned the handle on a door, hoping this would be it.&nbsp; Her candle flickered, but she did not hesitate, instead shutting herself into the room.&nbsp; Delighted, she looked around; a large fireplace was lit with burning wood, casting the space in a warm glow.&nbsp; She could imagine him here, Katie's Lord Hugh, his legs crossed atop his desk as he peered over bookkeeping or whatever he did to occupy his time.&nbsp; He had seemed so very debonair when she'd spied him from the window that one time, but even from that brief glimpse, she could easily imagine him among all of this leather and rich wood.<br><br>Tarrying to admire her lush surroundings was not an option for Lucy, though, and so she hurried about, searching through his Lordship's desk first.&nbsp; Nothing again.&nbsp; Frustratedly, she blew at a wisp of hair that had escaped the bun atop her head.&nbsp; Not knowing what one was looking for did make the looking rather difficult.&nbsp; Perhaps it was time to give up.&nbsp; Perhaps the rumors were for naught, and there was nothing to find.<br><br>She would not give up, though, not until she was certain.&nbsp; She was doing this for Katie, after all.&nbsp; Finishing with the desk, she wandered to an armoire next, opening the door.&nbsp; <em>Nay, nothing here either, </em>she thought after giving the contents a cursory glance.&nbsp; She shut the door, frowning when it caught on something.&nbsp; What was this?&nbsp; She felt around, intent on shoving the door closed by force if she needed to, and then she gasped.&nbsp; A hidden panel!<br><br>Lucy was on to something, she knew it!&nbsp; Blood coursed through her in excitement as she pried open the door again.&nbsp; The panel unlatched easily, and she audibly gasped when she saw what was inside.<br><br>Her fingers ran along a contraption she did not understand.&nbsp; There were several bits of leather and a length of rope.&nbsp; And a crop, the kind used with horses.&nbsp; Full lips curved into a frown.&nbsp; This was, she knew intuitively, Lord Covington's secret.&nbsp; She did not know what it meant, but she'd discovered what she'd come looking for.&nbsp; Now, to put it all back and wait for Katie.&nbsp; She would be sure to tell her mistress all.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>11-02-2013, 07:09:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Hugh knows enough about women to realize that one is likely to swoon at the first sign of unexpected emotion.&nbsp; He's seen it happen even to women with constitutions sturdier than the average quarter horse.&nbsp; Still, that hadn't prepared him for the feel of her soft lips against his own, and her arms clinging to him as she started to go limp in his arms.&nbsp; It brought forward an unexpected rush of protective emotions from him, as well as a kind of perverse sense of pride at having affected her so.&nbsp; Certainly he holds her most tenderly as she recovers.<br><br><em>“My Lord...”</em><br><br>It's one of those "My Lords" that could be interpreted in a number of ways, most of which would have been perceived to be highly inappropriate to the circumstances.&nbsp; But luckily, despite a pronounced flush to her skin, she does not quite pass out, and the tension of the moment is broken by the sound of masculine laughter much too nearby for Hugh's liking.&nbsp; He quickly looks around to assure that they remain unobserved, and Lady Katherine seems to recover quickly.<br><br><em>“We...we should not tarry any longer.”</em><br><br>if there is a bit of longing in his eyes as he hastily nods his head in agreement, well he had really not been prepared to react so strongly to his intended, considering the differences in their circumstances.&nbsp; She pulls away as reluctantly as he lets her, which at least gives them a chance to regain a bit of composure. be for reappearing beyond the column.&nbsp; He finds himself temporizing again for their audience, with laughter.<br><br>"Why yes, Lady Katherine,&nbsp; I remember the very one with the extravagantly ruffled multicolor feathers.&nbsp; It looked most indignant to be caught out in the rain."<br><br>Dinner thankfully seemed to proceed quickly.&nbsp; They both display their most impeccable manners, and cast occasional shy glances at one another.&nbsp; At one point he holds her hand under the table in between courses, while they dutifully listened to the conversation about them.&nbsp; Luckily nobody really cared if they partook of the discussion, other than odd answers here and there.&nbsp; Actually learning more about one another had become something intimate enough to be reserved for the garden tomorrow morning, or so it seemed to Hugh , at least.&nbsp; And dessert was actually sweet and tasty enough for them to smile broadly at one another over their dishes, without drawing undue attention.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aadreal</strong> on <strong>12-02-2013, 01:29:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Katie did not want him to let her go.&nbsp; Despite the warmth of the evening she could not resist the heat of being held in his arms as she recovered.&nbsp; Were she one of those silly women she would have feigned taking longer to regain her composure, but such a thing never occurred to her..&nbsp; Settling for her hand in his once more she emerged from behind the column with a glow and small smile that she simply could not hide.<br><br>Grateful for Covington’s introduction into a false conversation, Katherine laughed along with him, the giddiness in her stomach allowing it to ring true.&nbsp; She was sure everyone knew what occurred yet they barely drew a glance.&nbsp; Not even from her ever dour mother.&nbsp; <br><br>While she did not know how her betrothed felt, dinner seemed an endless torment.&nbsp; Each morsel and sip stealing away the taste of his kiss.&nbsp; If she could have done so without insulting the hostess she would have gladly forsaken the meal all together.&nbsp; Conversation was kept light and in most cases a laugh or “do go on” was all that was required of Katie.&nbsp; <br><br>The touch of his hand to hers under the table nearly caused a scene, or so she believed.&nbsp; The feel of his hand encapsulating hers drawing a blushing smile that everyone must have noticed, though none seemed to linger over the sight.&nbsp; It felt wondrous and scandalous.&nbsp; Another secret shared between just the two of them.&nbsp; Though not for long, there was no possible way she could keep such news from her dearest friend.<br><br>At long last dessert was served, the sweet and light treat making everyone grin in appreciation.&nbsp; With the last of the dishes cleared the meal drew to a close, though it certainly did not mean the end of her agony.&nbsp; As custom, the menfolk retired to the library for drinks and conversation far too serious for the delicate ears of the ladies.&nbsp; <br><br>The gentler sex descended upon parlor, talk of latest fashions out of London and gossip about the Ton dominating the conversation.&nbsp; Katie was a hopeless case, her smile faint as she replayed their conversation and that breathtaking kiss.&nbsp; Thankfully most found it charming and put it to nerves over the upcoming nuptials.&nbsp; Begging exhaustion from the carriage ride she managed to slip away, retiring early.&nbsp; Hoping Lucy would be waiting in her bedroom.&nbsp; Needing desperately to talk and giggle and dream.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>12-02-2013, 05:44:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>It was indeed quite fortunate that nobody seemed to think that this first dinner had much of anything to do with the main participants of the forthcoming nuptials.&nbsp; Rather, it seemed a chance for renewing of acquaintances, updating on the latest gossip, and sharing&nbsp; news from abroad. So nobody seemed to mind that he and Lady Katherine were mostly nodding their heads agreeably throughout the dinner in lieu of substantive conversation.&nbsp; <br><br>He hadn't expected Lady Katherine's reaction to the touch of his hand upon hers.&nbsp; But a blush from a bride to be was apparently not an unexpected occurrence.&nbsp; And they were supposed to be getting to know each other, after all.&nbsp; While he could admit in his mind that there might be a certain exhilaration to carrying an innocent stranger to bed to be thoroughly put in a family way, he rather fancied the idea that it might be more enjoyable on both sides is the maiden to be sacrificed was actually looking forward to the ritual.<br><br>By this point in time, looking forward would be a great understatement on Hugh's part.&nbsp; He had gone from stubborn avoidance of feminine entanglement, to stoic resignation, and the. pragmatic acceptance.&nbsp; But that had changed when lady Katherine accepted his offer, as there was an undeniable attraction between them.&nbsp; And with them already deeply involved in conspiracy to commit happiness, well his whole world view had changed.&nbsp; <br><br>There was, of course, the niggling problem of his own peculiar preferences.&nbsp; He had no right to inflict them upon the innocent Lady Katherine, who would likely faint straight away at the sight of a whip.&nbsp; But he was also having misgivings about bringing others into their home for the purposes of his vice.&nbsp; Yes, of course it was done by others, but it seemed like such a shabby thing to do.<br><br>So he was not at all sure what course to follow, as he has never involved his staff, either, even if they did turn their heads away so as not to notice.&nbsp; In a way, it might have been better to have found a wife who was disagreeable.&nbsp; Still, he had his duty, and she hers, and they had the prospect of genuine happiness with each other, so he could only hope that the other matter will get sorted out before he developed an urge to thrash someone.<br><br>***<br><br>After dessert, Baron Covington took a courteous parting from his wife to be, as she was led off to be gossiped to, and he join the men for conversation.&nbsp; In this, at least, he had a bit of luck, as his uncle, Viscount Throckmorton (his mother's brother) had shown up a day earlier that expected.&nbsp; And seeing that he was the present family member of highest position on Hugh's side, he automatically became the host, which must have relieved Hugh's mother no end.&nbsp; <br><br>Hugh did of course stay for a glass of port, and the apparently mandatory marital advice and and off color jokes.&nbsp; But once cigars got lit up for the serious political discussion, he absented himself from the room.&nbsp; It was reasonably well known that cigar smoke made him somewhat ill.&nbsp; In truth, he had little in common with these lords, and would rather discuss crops and hogs with the village farmers.&nbsp; <br><br>***<br><br>It is thus natural that Huge seek his own apartments, so nobody paid attention when he did, given that the staff was mostly occupied elsewhere.&nbsp; In fact his wing was deathly quiet as he approached his study, the thick carpeting muffling his own footsteps as well … which is why he hears the sound on the other side of the door.&nbsp; Indeed the sound is enough to mask the opening of the well oiled study door to admit Hugh.&nbsp; Either that or the woman struggling with his armoire door.<br><br>This definitely is an interesting development and Hugh simply leans up against the shadowed wall of the room and watches.&nbsp; She is relatively young, and dressed as a maid, though not exactly as maid of this household would have been clad.&nbsp; And she gasps when she finds the hidden panel and opens it.&nbsp; Presumably she has found what she is looking for, which Hugh finds actually quite convenient.&nbsp; She still has the flogger in her hand, when he speaks.&nbsp; <br><br>"Well, well, what have we here, a burglar perhaps, a saboteur, a private investigator perhaps, or maybe a potential participant in secret vices come seeking an intiation?"<br><br>He waits until her face is visible, to confirm his suspicions, before he continues.<br><br>"Lucy, isn't it?&nbsp; Lady Katherine's maid and companion?&nbsp; How very interesting; welcome to my parlor, as the spider said.&nbsp; <br><br>"You couldn't have come on Lady Katherine's behalf; could you?&nbsp; That would reflect very badly on her, I would think.&nbsp; I care deeply for her already you know, and am very desirous of her happiness in all things.&nbsp; I would not want to hurt her for anything.<br><br>"And I'm guessing that it would not go badly for you, would it not, should I tell her that I found you rifling through the contents of my study?&nbsp; You've been through the drawers already, I expect?<br><br>"So given the alternatives, I am guessing that you have come willingly, seeking to learn and share in the mysteries I pursue.&nbsp; <br><br>"Is that not right, Lucy?"<br><br>It's always better, in his mind, to be civil about things, and it seems to him that she might just be curious.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>18-03-2013, 05:53:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lucy gasped when she heard a masculine voice, whirling around with some contraption made of strips of leather still in her hand.&nbsp; Her mouth opened and then closed again as she realized it was <em>him,</em> Katie's Hugh.&nbsp; Dear lord in heaven, what was he doing here?&nbsp; He should be at the fête!&nbsp; She should have still had plenty of time.<br><br>Quickly, she took a step away from the armoire, hiding the leather apparatus behind her back and tucking loosened hair behind her ear as she listened to his accusations.&nbsp; She was unsure how to handle this.&nbsp; She knew she had found something, although she did not know exactly what.&nbsp; And if she did not understand it, Katie too was unlikely to.&nbsp; Deciding on a course of action, she tilted her chin up, opening her mouth to lie once again... and then he said her name.<br><br>Lucy paled visibly, drawing air into her lungs with a sharp gasp.&nbsp; How could he know who she was?&nbsp; Katie...?&nbsp; No, as soon as the thought entered her mind, it was gone.&nbsp; Not in a thousand years would her lady betray her.&nbsp; Suddenly, Lord Covington felt like a foe, and a formidable one at that, one who was sharp enough to know who was in his household even without introductions.&nbsp; <br><br>She listened to his threats to go to Katie, and she knew that she must not allow that to happen.&nbsp; Of course, his betrothed knew of her maid's presence in his study; it was sanctioned by her, after all.&nbsp; But she would never be able to admit it.&nbsp; To spy on one's affianced, such a thing was unheard of.&nbsp; Lucy could not imagine the embarrassment if the nuptials were called off at such a late date.&nbsp; Who would offer for Kate then?&nbsp; Frantically, her mind raced as she tried to come up with a plausible story.<br><br>And then he gave her one.&nbsp; "Yes," she said eagerly.&nbsp; She was relieved that she had found a way out of heartache for her mistress and excited that Hugh had admitted that he was, indeed, shrouded in mystery.&nbsp; And was offering to share with her what those mysteries were!&nbsp; The situation could not have been more perfect.&nbsp; She would save Kate's honor <em>and</em> find out information.&nbsp; Wide-eyed, she brought her hand back around, holding out the strips of leather.&nbsp; "I have heard whispers, my lord, and... well, here I am."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>27-03-2013, 04:01:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>The sight of her whirling around with the flogger in her hands brings a smile to the Baron's face.&nbsp; It's not a smile of amusement exactly, but rather of recognition of that moment when one is caught with her hand in the cookie jar.&nbsp; He rather suspects what it is she hides behind her back, though he wonders if she knows what she has found.&nbsp; For a moment, she looks as if she is going to brazen it out, at least until he mentions what he thinks is her name.&nbsp; Certainly she is the maid who arrived with Lady Katherine, which would make her Lucy from the list he was provided.&nbsp; Hugh makes it a point of knowing the names of everyone residing within his estate.<br><br>Her gasp and paling of her face confirm his suspicions, and is she does not look panicked, she certainly seems to be thinking hard.&nbsp; Hugh has no intention of embarrassing his betrothed, of course, even if she did send Lucy to snoop, but he does see an opportunity in the situation, should she so choose.&nbsp; Lucy seems to be a bright young woman, and one of some curiosity and daring.&nbsp; She's also quite attractive, though his needs do not require that.&nbsp; And she seems quite relieved, even eager, when he offers her an option.<br><br><em>"Yes … I have heard whispers, my lord, and... well, here I am"</em><br><br>Hugh has no doubt that she has heard whispers, but he also suspects that she has no idea what she holds in her hand.&nbsp; In a way, he is surprised that she accepts his solution so eagerly.&nbsp; But it certainly offers a possible solution for him as well, even though there is a risk.&nbsp; It really all depends on Lucy's willingness, and her wish to protect Lady Katherine.&nbsp; In that, she and the Baron are not at cross purposes at all.&nbsp; But he does want things made clear.<br><br>"In that case, Lucy, I find myself willing to undertake your tutelage, so long as a few conditions are clear between us.&nbsp; &nbsp;The first is that you have come to me of your own volition, that you willingly seek this of me.&nbsp; The second is that you surrender yourself entirely to my control while you are here.&nbsp; The third is that you are free to go or not come back at any time; this ties back to the first of course.&nbsp; And the fourth is that what happens here stays between us."<br><br>He pauses for a moment to consider, though he really doesn't expect an answer now.<br><br>"I know that Lady Katherine will be looking for you soon, if she isn't already, so I shall not detain you long tonight.&nbsp; Should you return, though, I'll take it as a token that you accept my conditions.&nbsp; In the meantime, however, there is one other matter to be settled tonight ..."<br><br>He takes the flogger from her hand then, tapping his other hand with it.<br><br>"That you came here in stealth, without my permission, is not acceptable behavior, nor certainly is rummaging through my belongings not open to public view.&nbsp; Indeed it is a crime … for which there must be punishment ..."<br><br>He pulls over a a nearby armless chair, and seats himself.&nbsp; <br><br>"So if you will kindly array yourself across my knees, I shall offer you timely and appropriate justice, to which you will submit willingly as a token of your sincere penance."<br><br>The look in his eyes suggests he is quite serious, and also somewhat impatient.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>16-09-2013, 17:30:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>In that case, Lucy, I find myself willing to undertake your tutelage, so long as a few conditions are clear between us.</em><br><br>Her tutelage?&nbsp; Whatever did it mean?&nbsp; Lucy hadn't a clue, of course, but clearly he thought he was teacher to her student.&nbsp; And in a way, she supposed he was.&nbsp; She was here to learn his darkest secrets, and he himself would show her.&nbsp; She could not have planned this better!<br><br>His voice was smooth as he rattled off conditions, and she listened impatiently.&nbsp; Yes, yes.&nbsp; Of course she was here on her own volition.&nbsp; She'd come here freely; it wasn't as if he'd hogtied her and dragged her here.&nbsp; And surrender control?&nbsp; He was a man, and she was his fiancee's maid.&nbsp; Of course he was the one in control here.&nbsp; At least, that's what he would think.&nbsp; Free to go? Not until she had answers for Katie.<br><br>It was the fourth condition, the final one, that gave her pause.&nbsp; <em>And the fourth is that what happens here stays between us.&nbsp; </em>It was obvious to her that she would not comply with it.&nbsp; After all, she was a woman on a mission, and it consisted of gathering information for her friend.&nbsp; But... why the emphasis on secrecy?&nbsp; What exactly was it Lord Covington was involved in?&nbsp; His voice sounded rather vehement about the whole matter, at least when he got to that stipulation, and it gave her a moment of pause.&nbsp; <br><br>But even that was nothing compared to what he said next.&nbsp; Lucy's eyes widened when he took the leather contraption from her.&nbsp; "That you came here in stealth, without my permission, is not acceptable behavior, nor certainly is rummaging through my belongings not open to public view.&nbsp; Indeed it is a crime … for which there must be punishment ..."<br><br>Her heart sank.&nbsp; After all of that, he was going to turn her over to the authorities?&nbsp; "But," she whispered as he sat down, her mind scrambling for a way to get out of this one.&nbsp; <em>Think, Lucy!</em>&nbsp; He wanted her to come back, so he could not mean for her to be hanged for thievery.&nbsp; And he had said she could return to Katie.&nbsp; Had he changed his mind?<br><br>"So if you will kindly array yourself across my knees, I shall offer you timely and appropriate justice, to which you will submit willingly as a token of your sincere penance."<br><br>She sucked in a breath.&nbsp; He wished to take her across his knee?&nbsp; She knew where that led; after all, she'd been involved with her fair share of mischief-making as a girl and had certainly not gone without punishment.&nbsp; But the last time she had received a spanking, she had been eight!&nbsp; "I shall <em>not,</em>" she retorted, her voice much more haughty than it had any right to be as a maid, and especially as a maid caught snooping in private chambers.&nbsp; But his expression was impatient, and she bit down on her lip as she considered her options.&nbsp; <br><br>He'd not accept "no" as an answer, she could tell.&nbsp; And if she left, he'd likely call in the magistrate to take her in.&nbsp; Lucy's punishment would be far worse than Covington's hand on her arse, and poor Katie would be humiliated.&nbsp; She did not have a choice.&nbsp; She would have to allow this punishment, and then he would let her go.&nbsp; She would be able to report back to her friend, and she would be able to return to find out his secrets.<br><br>"Okay, fine," she said before he could say anything further, and she stepped up to him, awkwardly laying her body across his lap, her cheeks aflame.&nbsp; She could not <em>believe</em> the pickle she'd gotten herself into this time.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>21-09-2013, 22:16:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>The Baron is not entirely sure that Lucy knows just what she has agreed to, nor even how seriously she is taking her situation.&nbsp; In fact she seems somewhat impatient, which makes him somewhat less inclined to mercy than he would normally be with an attractive young woman, especially when his last condition seems to give her pause.&nbsp; So he provides her some needed perspective for her personal situation … which definitely gets her attention.<br><br><em>"But,"</em><br><br>The single word is accompanied by a sharp intake of breath followed by defiance. <br><br><em>"I shall not,"</em><br><br>Certainly he appreciates the young woman's courage, if not her attitude.&nbsp; But he will allow her to make her own bed, so to speak.&nbsp; So his only answer to her words is a somewhat raised eyebrow, which hopefully encourages her to consider her options.&nbsp; &nbsp; <br><br><em>"Okay, fine,"</em><br><br>He had rather thought that she would be sensible about it, but one can never tell.&nbsp; So he is pleased when she compliantly lays herself over his knees, acceding to her punishment.&nbsp; Without giving her the opportunity, the Baron quickly lifts her skirt and petticoat over her back, then pushes down her knickers to reveal her bare, and quite shapely arse.&nbsp; He immediately proceeds to deliver several sharp stinging blows with the flat of his hand, evenly spaced across her arse cheeks.&nbsp; <br><br>Given that his own palm is stinging and her arse is starting to redden, he then rests his hand on her arse, idly rubbing the sting out of it on her buttocks, before administering another sharp set of similar blows.&nbsp; <br><br>This time, as he rests his palm and idly rubs, he inquires of her.&nbsp; <br><br>"Are you yet inclined to contrition for your acts, my haughty young maid, or do you require further suasion for that?"&nbsp; <br><br>She does have a very nice arse, and it is prettily reddened now.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>22-09-2013, 19:59:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She had expected the spankings of her youth, ones where a defiant girl got two swats on her behind and didn't much care.&nbsp; They'd done nothing to deter Lucy's wild streak, and at times she'd even challenged her mama to hit her harder.&nbsp; But that was a time past, and this was nothing like it.&nbsp; Baron Covington, for one, did not seem to care a whit about modestly and what was proper, and he actually lifted her skirts up and pulled her knickers down, leaving her arse bare to his gaze.&nbsp; <br><br>"Wait," she protested, her cheeks aflame.&nbsp; Whatever was he doing!&nbsp; This was outrageous!&nbsp; She lifted her hands to cover her behind, but before she could protect herself, his bare hand landed on her soft flesh.&nbsp; The crack was loud, the sound seeming to bounce off the walls, and she yelped at the shock of it.&nbsp; But he didn't stop, instead raining down swats that heated her derriere and her face more than the fire in the fireplace ever could.<br><br>She felt humiliated... or at least, that's what she told herself.&nbsp; What she didn't let herself think about was the fact that the sensation, the burst of pain, wasn't really at all unpleasant.&nbsp; She ignored that there was another part of her body that was starting to feel rather heated, too.<br><br>His query about her contrition made her grit her teeth.&nbsp; She paused for a long moment, unable to respond as he rubbed the part of her that was sore.&nbsp; Somehow, the soothing sensation seemed to stroke her core, and she had to force herself to be still and not squirm in his lap or moan aloud.&nbsp; Not understanding her own reaction, she ached to leave, to reevaluate this situation in a place where she was capable of thought and where her nether regions were on splayed for the view of all and sundry.&nbsp; To flee from this place and never see Lord Covington again.&nbsp; She'd not return, not in a thousand years, not even to learn his secrets for Katie!<br><br>"I'm certain that you will not find me snooping in your chambers again, my lord," she finally said, wondering if he'd let her up.&nbsp; Her voice came out like she'd never heard it before, a little breathy, like she was unsure of herself, and that annoyed Lucy to no end.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>22-09-2013, 21:36:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>"Wait,"<br><br>The Baron did nothing of the sort, of course.&nbsp; &nbsp;She had assented to her punishment, and most certainly deserved it.&nbsp; Her hands are too late to prevent him from commencing.&nbsp; His first blow elicits a yelp, but after that, her protestations subside, and indeed, when he queries her she thinks about her answer for a bit.<br><br>His hand can feel the heat of her arse, quite a pleasant counterpart to the sting of his palm.&nbsp; And the redness of her arse is very satisfying as well.&nbsp; She does not, indeed protest the liberties his hand takes.&nbsp; To his perceptions, they seem to calm her.&nbsp; In fact he even wonders if …<br><br><em>"I'm certain that you will not find me snooping in your chambers again, my lord,"</em><br><br>That is certainly an improvement of attitude, and he rather likes the breathy way she declares it.&nbsp; But it does fall a bit short of contrition, none the less.<br><br>"I hear regret for getting caught, Lucy, but that is not the sound of contrition to my ear."<br><br>In fact it is, at least in part, the sound of something more breathy … that intrigues him.<br><br>He delivers another smart volley of smacks to her arse, before stopping to rest his hand there again.&nbsp; It is warmer still, as perhaps is his touch, as he again rubs her heated reddened flesh.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp;<br>"Now what was it you were intending to say?"<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>22-09-2013, 23:42:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"Ouch!"</em><br><br>This last volley of swats had been unexpected, and it hurt even more than any before, although Lucy couldn't say whether that was because it was delivered with a heavier hand or because her cheeks were already sore.&nbsp; Tears sprang to her eyes, and she blinked them back, refusing to let him see her weakness.&nbsp; She hadn't exactly been contrite, had in fact not understood what she was feeling, and even now, she did not know if the watery eyes were because of the pain or because her pride was stung.&nbsp; Here she was, arse in the air, a strange man staring at her and touching her in intimate ways, and she was not fighting it.<br><br>It was for Katie, she told herself.&nbsp; A ruckus would draw the attention of others, and that would not do at all.&nbsp; Lucy had put herself in this position by getting caught, and this punishment was far better than any alternative.&nbsp; She would tolerate it because she had no choice.<br><br>"I'm sorry," she moaned.&nbsp; "Pray, be done with this punishment upon my body, my lord," she pleaded.&nbsp; "I shouldn't have snooped in your chambers, and I won't again."&nbsp; She could only hope that it was enough to convince him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>23-09-2013, 03:35:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div><em>"Ouch!"</em><br><br>It is possible, the Baron knows, that he pushes her too far, only time will tell.&nbsp; She seems not quite so pliant to his hand as when he paused earlier, and more tense.&nbsp; But she's still not pushing away the hand slowly kneading her arse cheek, and he's given her something to think about.&nbsp; At least that is what he chooses to believe.<br><br>Still, she seems less belligerent in now, as she moans her answering plea.&nbsp; <br><br><em>"I'm sorry … Pray, be done with this punishment upon my body, my lord … I shouldn't have snooped in your chambers, and I won't again."</em> <br><br>He has no experience with the woman, to know whether or not she is acting, but he chooses to take her words at face value.&nbsp; Hugh is not a bad man, nor vindictive, nor particularly violent.&nbsp; He just chooses his recreations differently that others, and exercises his excess energies in different ways&nbsp; &nbsp;And there is a least a small glimmer of hope in him that this young woman might be amenable to such interests.&nbsp; &nbsp;It would make his life, and indirectly that of his wife to be, a lot less complicated. <br><br>"There now, that wasn't so bad was it, for a courageous lass like yourself?&nbsp; I accept your apology."&nbsp; <br><br>He gives her arse one last gentle pat, and relinquishes his hold upon her.<br><br>"You are free to return to your mistress, and my offer remains open should your curiosity continue."<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>23-09-2013, 05:04:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He released her, and she scrambled off of his lap, cheeks burning with embarrassment as she pulled up her knickers and let her skirts fall back down around her ankles.&nbsp; She couldn't quite meet his eyes, couldn't say anything, as she fled the room, pausing only to glance into the hallway to make certain that it was devoid of house guests or staff.<br><br>Her bottom smarted, and as she practically ran down the hallway and to the servants' wing where she'd been given a room, her clothing rubbing against her reminded her of exactly what she'd suffered.&nbsp; She entered the tiny chamber and grateful that as the guest of honor's personal maid, she'd ranked a room of her own, did not stop until the door was shut behind her.&nbsp; She leaned against it, chest heaving, her hands on her flushed cheeks. <br><br>What had happened in there?&nbsp; Her arse was heated still, and she had a feeling it would be sore even the next day.&nbsp; And yet, she'd done nothing to stop him.&nbsp; She'd not called him a monster or protested his actions in any way.&nbsp; The tell-tale moisture between her legs might explain why, and she shook her head.&nbsp; Nay, it had not aroused her.&nbsp; It had <em>not!</em>&nbsp; It was a brutal act and she'd not liked it.&nbsp; She'd only been shocked by the savagery, and needed a moment to compose herself.&nbsp; Yes, that was it.&nbsp; A moment to catch her breath, and then she could report to Katie.&nbsp; After all, her friend would be awaiting a report.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aadreal</strong> on <strong>06-10-2013, 00:23:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Katie was a bundle of nerves by the time she returned to her room.&nbsp; Leaning against the door she pressed her hand to her breast, willing her heart to slow before it flutter out of her chest.&nbsp; How could she have allowed herself to get so caught up in him?&nbsp; She barely remembered dinner or the conversations.&nbsp; Just the way he smiled and the way it felt to have his hand brush against hers.&nbsp; If only Lucy were here!&nbsp; She had to tell someone!<br><br>Needing something, anything to keep her mind from straying, she decided to undress.&nbsp; Removing the turban on her own was quite the chore, that Lucy managed to not only wrap it but unwrap it with ease made Katie rather jealous of her dear friend.&nbsp; Katie managed to finally slip free of the lovely blue fabric, leaving it piled on the floor for a moment as she reveled in the feeling of lightheadedness.&nbsp; She'd not noticed the weight of the piece until it was gone.&nbsp; <br><br>Gathering up the material she placed it upon the bed, later once Lucy returned they'd fold it properly to put it away.&nbsp; The gloves came off, Katie admiring herself in the mirror.&nbsp; Wondering why she couldn't keep the smile from her lips and the blush from her cheeks.&nbsp; He was simply a man.&nbsp; Not the most clever of ones she'd ever spoken with.&nbsp; And yet she thoroughly enjoyed his company.&nbsp; Far more than she ever thought possible.&nbsp; Perhaps he was merely putting on a good show before the marriage, though she hoped not.&nbsp; After seeing the way her parents behaved, she found the idea of being married to someone she could barely tolerate to be rather distressing.<br><br>Her mother's shrill voice cut through the evening, the open windows allowing the sound to carry.&nbsp; Katie truly pitied her mother's maid, how the much harried woman managed all these years was a great mystery.&nbsp; Lucy's suggestion that there was quite a bit of drink involved was rather scandalous but entirely possible.&nbsp; It seemed as though hours had passed yet she new they hadn't, she was simply being foolish.<br><br>Turning away from the mirror she focused on completing the ritual of undressing.&nbsp; Though it was more difficult without her trusted companion to aid her.&nbsp; A linen dressing gown replaced the heavier evening dress.&nbsp; The warm night called for as few articles of clothing as modesty would allow.&nbsp; Taking up a book she settled by the window, the dancing light of the oil lamp making the words shift.&nbsp; Though it mattered little as her mind continued to wander.&nbsp; <br><br>When Lucy did not return within an hour of Katie returning to the room, she began to worry.&nbsp; What if Lucy had been caught?&nbsp; Would the servants call for the law?&nbsp; Or was it true that the law in these country estates was entirely different?&nbsp; Meaning her dear, sweet Lucy would be tossed out alone and penniless.&nbsp; Or worse?&nbsp; Unable to sit still any longer she began to pace the room.&nbsp; Her imagination drawing scenarios more and more terrifying for her Lucy.&nbsp; Though nothing even remotely close to the truth.&nbsp; She was in the process of donning her dressing robe when the door opened, Katie rushing to it in the hope of seeing her near sister.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>11-10-2013, 02:15:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lucy spent far too long in her own tiny maid's chamber, trying to make sense of what she was feeling.&nbsp; For the first time that she could remember, she was uncertain of herself.&nbsp; She hadn't a clue how to even begin to process the things that had happened that evening with Lord Covington.&nbsp; She needed time, and she did not have enough of it, not with the possibility of her beloved Katie waiting for her.<br><br>She knew she was flushed, and it was with arousal and desire.&nbsp; Here, in the privacy of her own room, she could not deny the fact to herself.&nbsp; Hugh... Lord Covington had taken her over his knee to discipline her, and it had left her moist and needy.&nbsp; It made no sense!&nbsp; She should have felt angry and hostile and humiliated, and she had felt all of those things.&nbsp; But the problem was that it was not only those things she had felt.<br><br>Shaking her head, she slipped out of her own room and made her way to Katie.&nbsp; She would tell her mistress that she had almost gotten caught and could no longer spy on her afianced, and Katie would have to find out Hugh's secrets on her own.&nbsp; There was only so much that Lucy could and would do.<br><br>She turned the handle and went in to find a look of worry on Katherine's face, and Lucy's heart sank.&nbsp; She could not do it.&nbsp; Her own feelings did not matter, not when her Katie's future and happiness were at stake.&nbsp; She wanted to run and hide from whatever Lord Covington had awakened in her, but she couldn't.&nbsp; She had to return, and she had to find out everything she could about the man her mistress would wed.&nbsp; <br><br>Plastering a serene look on her face, she closed the door behind her.&nbsp; "I'm so sorry, you've changed into your nightclothes without my assistance!" she exclaimed.&nbsp; She had taken too long in her room and was contrite about it.&nbsp; Bending over to pick beautiful blue fabric off of the floor, she busied herself folding the items.&nbsp; "I found nothing," she lied, not telling her mistress about being caught.&nbsp; It all was rather uneventful, if I'm honest."&nbsp; Except she wasn't.&nbsp; It had been ever-so-eventful!&nbsp; But she would not tell Katie the truth; she was determined to protect her from worry and the knowledge of how barbaricly Hugh treated the help.&nbsp; As long as Katie was cherished, it would not matter, after all.&nbsp; That was her only goal here, to determine if the match would keep her friend happy or if there was such a dark secret in Hugh's life as to make him unsuitable.&nbsp; A broken engagement would cause a scandal that would last a decade, and so it would only occur under the direst of circumstances.<br><br><em>Dire like being taken over a man's knee and brutalized?</em>&nbsp; Lucy brushed the thought way.&nbsp; If Lord Covington's secret was along those lines, well, she'd figure something out.&nbsp; As long as Katie wasn't beaten and was ignorant of such happenings, all would be well.&nbsp; And Lucy would know more after tomorrow night.<br><br>She sat Katie down in the chair at the vanity and started brushing her hair.&nbsp; &nbsp;"Okay, I want to hear about every moment of your evening.&nbsp; Did your mother harp on you?&nbsp; Were you the loveliest woman in the room?"&nbsp; She was, Lucy already knew.&nbsp; There was nobody whose beauty rivaled Katherine Davenport's.&nbsp; "And your Lord?&nbsp; How was he?&nbsp; Did he stay at your side and dote on you the entire time?&nbsp; Or will he be a good husband and give you your own space?"&nbsp; <br><br><div align="center">~ ~ ~</div><br>The next morning found Lucy tired.&nbsp; She had barely slept the night before, between Katie's nervous need to chatter and then her own restlessness as she laid in bed and thought over and over again about the happenings in the study.&nbsp; Included in the festivities that morning was a horse ride on Lord Covington's finest steeds, and Lucy watched from the window in her small room as the wedding party and their guests took off.&nbsp; She was careful to look in any direction other than at the baron himself.&nbsp; Part of her felt like she always did when others rode, envious of their freedom, but a larger part today was grateful that she would get a chance to rest.&nbsp; <br><br>Later, a tired Katie, who had taken a tumble while horse riding,&nbsp; begged off from late festivities as did many of the younger guests.&nbsp; Lucy attended to her and tried her best to not let her mind wander to the study.&nbsp; Would Lord Covington be there?&nbsp; Would he notice that she had not shown up?&nbsp; Did he even remember that she was supposed to?<br><br>She wouldn't go.&nbsp; There, it was decided.&nbsp; She'd already told Katie that she'd found nothing in the study, after all.&nbsp; "You're sure you don't need anything else?"<br><br>"I am.&nbsp; You're off to bed early then?" responded Katherine.&nbsp; "You've seemed out of sorts all day, Lucy.&nbsp; Quieter than normal."<br><br><em>Damnation!</em>&nbsp; Katie always had noticed when Lucy was in a mood.&nbsp; "I'm fine.&nbsp; Just a bit tired.&nbsp; You sleep well, and by tomorrow both of us shall be good as new."&nbsp; And off to her own chamber she went.<br><br>And lasted all of twelve minutes.<br><br>She stood in front of the study door, wiping her hands on her dress, heart thudding as if it would burst from her chest.&nbsp; She'd planned to not come tonight, really she had.&nbsp; And yet, here she stood, more nervous than she had ever before been.&nbsp; What secrets would she discover about Covington tonight?&nbsp; What would he show her of himself?<br><br>She tried to convince herself that the only reason she did this was for Katie.&nbsp; The lie made her feel better as she lightly rapped her knuckles against the thick wooden door.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>01-11-2013, 10:52:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br><br><strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Lucy had fled without a word, nor even an acknowledgment of his reminder that his offer remained open.&nbsp; But the fact remained that she had become visibly aroused by his spanking her.&nbsp; Indeed the scent of that arousal lingered in his study in a most delicious way.&nbsp; As to whether or not she would return, he had no clear indication, other than that bouquet still caressing his nostrils.&nbsp; After all, he knew the woman not at all.&nbsp; But he'd rarely had that emphatic a reaction to a simple spanking.<br><br>He was well within his rights in doing so; indeed he could have caned her, a punishment not unusual for servants.&nbsp; But the Baron's interest had already departed the domain of discipline for it's own sake, given that there were so many other delicious ways it could be used.&nbsp; In truth, it was not an unusual pleasure to be pursued by a gentleman, and there were a number of clubs catering to such tastes.&nbsp; But it was a taste that most wives would never acquire, and not something he would impose unwilling upon his own wife, though any number of Lords did so within their rights.<br><br>No, Lady Katherine he would spare his baser tastes; a gentler hand he would offer her.&nbsp; She stirred different instincts in him entirely and he was already quite besotted with her.&nbsp; For her there would be flowers and whispers, gentle caresses and sly intimacies in dark corners and behind trees.&nbsp; His wife, he would woo, and he would make her a good husband as well.&nbsp; But her maid, decidedly roused the baser beast in him.<br><br><br>*****<br><br><br>The Baron had slept well, and dreamt vividly, and was in high spirits for the day.&nbsp; His plans for a quite walk in the garden with his intended had not reached fruition, but a lovely ride in the countryside had.&nbsp; &nbsp;In fact he an Lady Katherine had even managed a walk together, just the two of them leading their horses, while others raced off after a an incautious fox.&nbsp; They had had a lovely conversation.&nbsp; And between the horses they had shared a delicious first kiss … and another …<br><br>Perhaps the distraction had been too much though for Lady Katherine, or she was simply too tired, for she had tumbled off her horse upon their arrival back at the Manor House.&nbsp; She wasn't injured luckily, and it did give His Lordship a good excuse to carry her into the house to be attended.&nbsp; All in all it had been a very pleasant day, and Hugh and Lady Katherine had grown closer together.&nbsp; They spent much of dinner looking at each other and covertly holding hands under the table when they could.&nbsp; And the fact that they were getting along so well had added a certain amount of gaiety to the proceedings, even if both of them begged off early.<br><br><br>***<br><br><br>As Hugh sits reading in a comfortable chair in his study, he has no particular reason to believe that Lucy will pay him a visit.&nbsp; He'd given her a lot to consider, and she was very dedicated to Lady Katherine as well.&nbsp; But he is of a habit to read in the evenings, and he does have a feeling that he might be seeing her sooner rather than later, just remembering her state when she left this room last night.&nbsp; Perhaps she will want to investigate his habits further, or just maybe she will want more of what he had to offer her personally.&nbsp; And if not tonight, then perhaps tomorrow.&nbsp; So the light knock on the door makes him smile.<br><br>The Baron goes personally to answer the door, locking it behind them after showing her in.<br><br>"Welcome Lucy, I'm very pleased that you've returned; it's not often that I get to welcome a promising student of the art I practice.&nbsp; I hope you will fine your time in this room fulfilling.<br><br>In returning, of course, you are thus committing yourself to abiding by my rules, as described last night.&nbsp; Would you like me to pour you a glass of Port for your nerves?"&nbsp; <br><br>He leads her further into the room as he talks, stopping at a sideboard, to pour two glasses of Port, in case she wants one.&nbsp; He speaks to her half over his shoulder, though he does make eye contact.&nbsp; <br><br>"Take off your dress please, Lucy; that will make things much easier ..."<br><br>He turns fully back to her, sipping from his own glass.&nbsp; <br><br>"Unless you would rather that I do for you, of course …"<br><br>Unlike the situation last night, his tone is friendly and not at all threatening.&nbsp; There's no reason to necessarily make this an adversarial situation, unless of course it would add to their enjoyment.&nbsp; But it's as good a time as any to see if Lucy actually intends to comply with his rules.&nbsp; <br><br><br><br><br><br>[OOC Note:&nbsp; The story is proceeding without Aadreal for now, with her knowledge and blessing.]<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>04-11-2013, 15:06:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The study was bathed in a soft glow from the light in the fireplace.&nbsp; It was, in all, a welcoming place, if not a bit overly masculine, as studies tended to be.&nbsp; And yet, Lucy was filled with apprehension as she stepped into the room, the baron's large form too close to her smaller one as he turns the key in the door.&nbsp; He let her further into the chamber, and the proximity to him did nothing to calm her nerves and still her rapidly-beating heart.&nbsp; <br><br>His proffered port would, however.&nbsp; Lucy couldn't help the tiny smile that curved her lips upward as she thought of the time when, as young girls, she had stolen a bottle of it and gifted it to Katie.&nbsp; So proud, she had been.&nbsp; Well, until it had made them both ill in the rosebushes outside the window of Katherine's room.&nbsp; Katie had never quite developed a taste for it after, although she did imbibe when a social situation required it of her.&nbsp; Lucy, on the other hand, had no compunctions about drinking spirits, enjoying the way they made her feel and relishing the taste.<br><br>He turned his head to look back at her and requested that she remove her dress, and she sucked in a breath.&nbsp; The evening before, he had lifted her dress up and pulled her drawers down, baring her arse, and that had been shocking enough.&nbsp; Now, he wanted her to remove her dress altogether?&nbsp; Perhaps she should leave.<br><br>But she knew she wouldn't.&nbsp; This was, after all, for Katie.&nbsp; Or maybe it was to keep Lord Covington from calling in the guard to report her snooping from the night before.&nbsp; <em>Or perhaps it's because you liked how he made you feel last night.</em>&nbsp; That thought was unwelcome, and she tamped down.&nbsp; No, this was for Katie.&nbsp; It was Lucy's responsibility to ensure her mistress' safety.<br><br>Keeping her eyes on his, she stepped forward and clenched a shaking hand around the goblet of port, taking a deep sip of the dark liquid.&nbsp; It warmed her insides, and she felt flushed before she even reached for the first button of her dress.&nbsp; It was yellow, made of fine cotton left over from a night dress she'd stitched Katie two years ago.&nbsp; Such was the benefit of being chosen the maid of a highborn lady; Lucy's clothing was not fancy, but it was always made of quality fabrics and of good enough taste that she could befitted serving Katherine.&nbsp; And her lady did not require that she wear the black and white uniform of all of the other household servants.<br><br>Lucy was silent as she unfastened the tiny row of buttons that ran down her bosom to her abdomen.&nbsp; As she undid the last one, she shrugged out of the dress, letting it pool at her feet, and stood before Hugh in only her plain muslin shift and her drawers underneath.&nbsp; Would he want those things off too?&nbsp; A shiver ran up her spine at the thought of baring herself completely to his view, and she wrapped her arms around herself even though the room was not cool.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>05-11-2013, 05:31:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Lucy seems nervous and apprehensive as he leads her into the room, but she follows him nonetheless, and perhaps there is a hint of smile on the corners of her lips as he offers her a glass of port.&nbsp; There is an audible intake of breath behind him when he requests that she remove her dress.&nbsp; But, instead of fleeing she extends a shaky hand to take the glass of port that he offers her, and sips deeply of it before starting to unbutton her dress..&nbsp; <br><br>Pleased by her compliance, the Baron smiles at her encouragingly.&nbsp; She is indeed a very brave young woman, especially given that she likely has no idea what to expect from him.&nbsp; What brought her back, Hugh isn't sure, but the flush of her face, reminds him of the one she had last night.&nbsp; And he has to believe that he has at least invoked her curiosity, if not her desire.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br>He watches her intently as, one by one, the buttons yield to her fingers, some more readily than others.&nbsp; She is a lovely young woman, plainly but attractively dressed, and more intriguing now that she has both willingly returned but also complied with his request.&nbsp; Her dress is shrugged off of her shoulders and simply allowed to fall, as she stands there in a muslin shift that covers well even if offering tantalizing glimpses of flesh through the loose weave of the material.&nbsp; But he can see the shiver that causes her to instinctively wrap her arms around herself anyway, and him to frown in response.<br><br>He takes a long look at her, going so far as to move around her as he speaks.<br><br>"You're a beautiful and very brave young woman Lucy.&nbsp; And I con only believe that you have returned because something last night stirred your interest in doing so."<br><br>He runs his fingers softly and caressingly over the flesh of her bare neck, as he moves.<br><br>"I think that you must be very responsive to touch, stirred perhaps by caresses as most would be, but also moved by less gentle touches, or at least motivated by them.&nbsp; There are so many deliciously different kinds of touch, all of them with potential to stir, even as they bite."&nbsp; <br><br>His caressing fingers move softly over her ear to grasp its lobe and pinch hard.<br><br>"Sometimes pain leavens the caress, making it all the more stirring, and sometimes the pain in itself stirs.&nbsp; Were I betting man, I would say that it did last night.&nbsp; But there are also other types of touches, each with their potential for pleasure or pain, or both at once.&nbsp; We are going to learn something about your response to touch tonight Lucy.&nbsp; So it is pointless for you to shield yourself from me, especially if you take pleasure from touch.&nbsp; I have no intent to harm you, and your shift still conceals you from my eyes for now."<br><br>He smacks her smartly on the arse then, thought probably not with nearly the same effect through two layers of cloth as his hand had had on bare flesh.&nbsp; <br><br>"It also protects you from my hand in some ways, or at least dulls the sensation.&nbsp; But it can also heighten sensations as well.&nbsp; As long as you have your hands on your breasts, try rubbing her fingers over one of your nipples, and see how the coarseness of the material can stir.&nbsp; Or perhaps you have noticed that already, without my aid."<br><br>He continues moving around her, now trailing fingers down the neckline of her shift, above her protective arms, caressing again.&nbsp; <br><br>"There are all sorts of sensory uses for clothing, others of which you may have found already.&nbsp; But tonight, I am more interested in teaching you about the direct responsiveness of flesh …&nbsp; <br><br>"So I want you to take off your shift, and whatever you are wearing under it, as well.&nbsp; And this time I don’t want you to shield yourself from me, when you are finished.&nbsp; <br><br>"Perhaps some more Port may help."<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>11-11-2013, 19:46:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The baron moved around her, but Lucy stayed still, not even daring to let her eyes follow him.&nbsp; He was somewhere behind her, and her breath caught as she felt his feather-light caress along her nape.&nbsp; His words were insightful, delivered in a seductive, low tone that matched the sensual, flickering light from the fireplace perfectly.&nbsp; They were a flame licking heat along her body.<br><br>She wanted to deny the truth of what he said.&nbsp; She wasn't responsive to his touch!&nbsp; She was here on a mission to ascertain certain facts and for no other reason than that.&nbsp; This was for someone else.&nbsp; <br><br>Except her mind went back to the night before.&nbsp; Her body had left no doubt, as least to herself, that she was indeed moved by Baron Covington's less gentle touches as he asserted.&nbsp; He pinched her ear then, the touch unexpected, and she gasped in surprise.&nbsp; Her chest was heaving in anticipation, and it was a smack to her behind that made her entire body flare with arousal.&nbsp; Her nipples hardened in the response of which he spoke, and the muscles in the core of her tightened.&nbsp; This, this was what she'd felt the night before when he'd taken her over his knee.&nbsp; <br><br>She had her shift on, and he talked to her about rubbing herself and letting herself feel the fabric against her flesh, but she didn't move.&nbsp; Her arms remained crossed over her chest, and she concentrated on breathing in and out.&nbsp; He kept touching her, speaking to her in that wicked way, and then he instructed her to remove all of her clothing.<br><br>She turned so that she faced his now, uncertainty clear in her eyes as she looked at him.&nbsp; "Yes," she whispered hoarsely, "some port might help."&nbsp; She needed the fortification.&nbsp; As he turned away to pour a drink, she finally unwrapped her arms from around herself, wondering what she looked like.&nbsp; Were her cheeks as flushed as she imagined them to be?&nbsp; Could he see the way the tips of her breasts jutted against the thin muslin of her shift?<br><br>Was Lucy prepared to do this?&nbsp; This was Katie's fiance, the man she would wed in just a few days.&nbsp; And here was Lucy in a room alone with him, contemplating baring herself to his gaze.&nbsp; She was not an innocent like her mistress was.&nbsp; She'd even lain with a man before, but that time, she'd kept her clothing on.&nbsp; It wasn't done, even with women of her class, but Lucy had long ago decided that she longed for adventure and refused to be tied to a man.&nbsp; She would not marry anyway, so there was no groom to disappoint on a wedding night.&nbsp; And she'd wished to have a taste of pleasures of the flesh, and so she had.<br><br>This, what the baron did to her, was nothing like what she'd experienced before.&nbsp; That had been pleasure, and the baron promised pain.&nbsp; But was he right?&nbsp; Was the pain tied into pleasure as he claimed?<br><br>She knew there was truth in that.&nbsp; Her arousal the night before was proof of that.&nbsp; And yet she was uncertain about taking this step.&nbsp; It was becoming evident that this was the darkness that was whispered about Lord Covington, and she worried about Katherine being subjected to this pain and pleasure.&nbsp; It was nothing that a fine, gentle lady should suffer.&nbsp; When the baron held a goblet out to her, she took it gratefully, sipping deeply.&nbsp; She wanted to do this, and had he been anybody else, she would have followed his lead without compunction.&nbsp; But Katie...<br><br>Lucy had to ask.&nbsp; She was, after all, not here to discover her own pleasures but instead to learn his secrets in order to protect her mistress.&nbsp; Resolved to speak her mind, she asked, "My lord, Lady Katherine... will you seek this pleasure for her?"&nbsp; Perhaps, if she offered herself in Katie's stead, she could spare her beloved friend this fate.&nbsp; "If I succumb, will you leave her be?&nbsp; She is a gentle woman, and I do not believe she would feel the same pleasure from pain that you describe."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>12-11-2013, 03:07:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Lucy is a delicious mystery to be probed, though he doubts that there is any mystery why she is here tonight.&nbsp; She holds herself almost rigidly still, though he hears the hitch of her breath as his finger caresses her neck.&nbsp; It's not that he can read her like a book, but that her presence and her responses tonight speak for themselves.&nbsp; And the fact that she stands in her shift before him, of her own free will, responding to his touch is a strongly suggestive of what he truly needed to know about her before progressing.&nbsp; But he talks her through it, needing Lucy to know as well.<br><br>She gasps at the pinch to her ear, and her chest heaves, but it is clearly the smack to her arse that stirs her.&nbsp; Her whole body goes rigid.&nbsp; It's something that he is tempted to explore here and now, but he can defer gratification to intensify anticipation, especially if it has her doing the same.&nbsp; No, for now, he wants to provoke the desire he sees in her, put it plain before her eyes to accept or reject.&nbsp; So he coaxes her with his voice and provokes her with his touch, staying close enough that she can't ignore him, and telling her exactly what he wants.&nbsp; And when he pauses for her response, she turns to face him, her cheeks flushed her bosom heaving erratically with her breath, despite her arms wrapped around it.&nbsp; Perhaps she has rubbed her nipples as suggested, perhaps not.&nbsp; All that matters at the moment is her response.&nbsp; Her voice is strained, perhaps hoarse, as she answers.<br><br><em>"Yes …"</em> <br><br>He smiles encouragingly.<br><br><em>"Some port might help." </em> <br><br>His smile doesn't change.&nbsp; She doesn't need port to run away, but it will buy her time to summon her wits and her courage to proceed, and perhaps also calm her.&nbsp; Without hesitation he turns to the sideboard to fill her glass.&nbsp; And when he turns back, her arms are lowered, as he had requested.&nbsp; She is a beautiful young woman, possibly struggling with her conscience at the moment.&nbsp; He sees a delicious mix of fear and concern in her eyes, and anticipation in her body.&nbsp; Her nipples are prominent and apparently taut beneath her shift, and her flush seems to extend lower than her face and neck.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br>He makes no attempt to hide the fact that he finds pleasure in viewing her, perhaps even pleasure in her state of distress.&nbsp; It's clear that more than his fingers have touched her already and that she had listened to what he said.&nbsp; So he hides neither his interest nor the hint of things not so gentle in his demeanor.&nbsp; But he does give her time: time to sip, time to consider, time to comply.&nbsp; The choice is hers, not his, and she sips deeply of the cup he offers her.&nbsp; And then she speaks what is on her mind.<br><br><em>"My lord, Lady Katherine... will you seek this pleasure for her? … If I succumb, will you leave her be?&nbsp; She is a gentle woman, and I do not believe she would feel the same pleasure from pain that you describe."</em><br><br>His smile changes a bit now, to something still encouraging, though perhaps less forgiving.&nbsp; But he answers her with honesty.&nbsp; <br><br>"I shall not seek this of her …<br><br>"As you say, Lady Katherine is a gentle soul, and I have come to care for her greatly already.&nbsp; I shall give her gentle passion and caring and cherish her as who and what she is.&nbsp; I shall be the husband she wants and deserves, and will expose her to no needs less gentle that she desires …"<br><br>"That I promise you …<br><br>"… regardless of your own decision tonight."<br><br>He pauses a moment for that to sink in.<br><br>"So if you are here only to protect Lady Katherine from the ungentle urges of her husband, I have great respect for the nobility of your gesture, and shall make no further demands of you ... you are a very brave young woman and Lady Katherine is lucky to have you as a friend."<br><br>The look in his eyes confirms the honesty of his words; he does admire her courage and devotion.&nbsp; <br><br>"But I suspect, Lucy, that you are not so gentle a soul as Lady Katherine ... and have different needs."<br><br>He reaches out now to caress one of her nipples through her shift, rubbing back and forth across it with increasing pressure to produce the sensation he described before from the rasp of the material across her delicate flesh.<br><br>"I think that you find passion also in the ungentle, as I do."<br><br>He pinches her nipple then, hard, as demonstration of his words.<br><br>"In which case your needs and mine correspond nicely."&nbsp; <br><br>His fingers move to her other nipple again rubbing gently at first.&nbsp; <br><br>"If that is so, you should demonstrate your assent by disrobing as I suggested, and we can proceed.&nbsp; You will retain the option to change your mind, and depart without prejudice nor consequence to yourself.<br><br>"If you stay, though, I do require one further thing of you before we begin:&nbsp; a safe word.&nbsp; It is a word you would not normally say but that you can share with me and readily recall under stress.&nbsp; You give your will over when you come to me, so I may choose to disregard any no you utter as we proceed."&nbsp; <br><br>He pinches her other nipple harder than the first.<br><br>"But if you speak your safe word but once, I shall immediately cease what I am doing,&nbsp; and desist from further attempts unless specifically requested by you to do so. <br><br>"As I said, I would do you no harm."<br><br>Then his smile becomes more of a normal one.<br><br>"The choice is entirely yours, Lucy.<br><br>"More port?"<br><br><br>Edited typos<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>13-11-2013, 19:53:09</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				"I shall not seek this of her."<br><br>Lucy hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until he said that.&nbsp; She listened to his words, confusion warring with desire within her.&nbsp; He would not do these things to Katie.&nbsp; Her mistress would be safe from these base predilections.&nbsp; And so, her job here was done.&nbsp; She can confirmed what she'd come for, and she had no further business here.<br><br>Right? <br><br>The warmth in Lord Covington's eyes seemed to have waned, and she wondered if she'd offended him.&nbsp; But his words continued to provide comfort as he reassured her that Katherine would be not be subjected to these less gentle stirrings.&nbsp; She would report back to her friend and be done with this business.&nbsp; She could attend her lady as she and the baron wed, and as nothing but a mere maid, she needn't even see Convington very often.&nbsp; He was giving her leave to flee as she had the night before, to run from her own stirrings, and she ought to take it.&nbsp; There was nothing tying her further to this study, not Katie and not even Hugh.<br><br>The only tie was Lucy, and her own desire.<br><br>She wanted to groan in frustration.&nbsp; Wanted to rail against him for not giving her time to weigh her options.&nbsp; And for giving her options at all.&nbsp; For if she stayed, she'd stay for no other reason than to explore her own passions.&nbsp; It would have nothing to do with Katie or for a more noble cause.&nbsp; It would be because Lucy's core swelled with arousal when the lord struck her arse.&nbsp; Because her desires were coarse and base.<br><br>His hand came up to her breast, and she was captivated, unable to do anything but watch as he rubbed his fingers against her nipple.&nbsp; The friction was exactly as he'd described, delicious against her sensitive skin.&nbsp; Her breathing became more rapid once again, and when he pinched the rigid nub between his fingers, she moaned, unable to stop the throaty sound from escaping her.&nbsp; <br><br>He continued the ministrations to such a private part of her body and then moved his hand, once again inviting her to disrobe.&nbsp; His reminder that this was a decision free of duress was enough to drive her from the chamber... almost.&nbsp; Lucy could not deny the truth, not to herself.&nbsp; Covington's promises enticed her, tempted her as Eve must have been tempted in her garden so long before.&nbsp; It was wicked to indulge in such a thing at all, and even more wicked to seek such pleasures with her mistress's fiance.<br><br>She should flee far from this place and never set foot here again.&nbsp; But she couldn't.&nbsp; She was a woman who craved adventure and the unknown, born into a time when females did not have such freedoms.&nbsp; And Hugh Covington offered her a way to fulfill her dreams.&nbsp; But what would be the cost?&nbsp; Katherine's happiness would not be affected.&nbsp; The baron would be an attentive husband, loving and gentle.&nbsp; And he would practice his darker predilections with <em>someone.</em>&nbsp; Why shouldn't that someone be Lucy?<br><br>Her eyes were down, her lashes against her cheeks.&nbsp; His voice was hypnotic, and she could feel how his attentions to her breasts made her core tighten.&nbsp; Yes, she was going to do this.&nbsp; Men were not expected to be faithful, ever doting on their brides, and Lucy wanted the freedom to be the same.&nbsp; She'd make sure that what she did never hurt her Katie.<br><br>She took a breath and looked at the Baron once again.&nbsp; "Port," she whispered, holding out her drained glass.&nbsp; "Will that do for a safe word, my lord?"&nbsp; And with that, she reached for her bodice, sliding the shift off of her body so that it pooled with her dress on the floor.&nbsp; Her drawers followed, and then she stood, nude for the first time before any man.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>14-11-2013, 04:52:38</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>It's a risk, and Hugh knows it.&nbsp; He has a solution to his knottiest of dilemmas all but in his grasp: a relatively safe and discrete way to slake his darkest desires while bringing no harm nor touch of his depravity to his soon to be bride.&nbsp; Lady Katherine is the fairest, gentlest maiden he can imagine who stirs his heart and soul as well as his loins.&nbsp; Hopefully she will also bear him the heir his family requires of him, as well as the companionship of her sweet presence.&nbsp; But he cannot imagine even spanking her, much less taking a riding crop to her flesh.<br><br>Standing before him in her shift, is the answer to his dilemma, a brave and beautiful young woman with a tinge of darkness in her eyes and a taste for pain with her pleasure.&nbsp; She is a woman living already within his own household, who would never dream of causing anguish to his wife, nor adding to the rumors which follow him already.&nbsp; All he has to do is to confirm a polite fiction, a deception to salve Lucy's conscience.&nbsp; Yet he cannot bring himself to allow it.&nbsp; He will not in effect coerce from her what needs to be freely entered, even if it is simply to make it easier for Lucy to do what both of them now know that she wants.&nbsp; So he tells her the truth … all of it.&nbsp; <br><br>He watches the dawning of the realization on her face, first that her Mistress will be safe, and then that she need not offer herself as a sacrifice.&nbsp; He can almost envision her tensing her body to flee into the night but then immobilizing her self with second thoughts.&nbsp; It would not surprise him if she fled yet returned another night as she had tonight.&nbsp; That would give her a chance to think about it, at least..&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br>He is not above giving inducements to stay, of course, which are made easier by the fact that she is already in her shift before him.&nbsp; And she is so very responsive to both pleasure and pain that he really hopes, for both of their sakes, that she stays.&nbsp; &nbsp;He would much rather it be Lucy than an outsider.&nbsp; She is really quite exquisite in her responsiveness, and also more than&nbsp; intelligent enough to make a reasoned decision.&nbsp; He finds himself liking Lucy already … as much for her loyalty, conscience and careful consideration, as for her exquisite responsiveness. <br><br><em>"Port,"</em><br><br>She whispers the word, holding out her glass to him.<br><br><em>"Will that do for a safe word, my lord?"</em> <br><br>He smiles at her brightly.&nbsp; <br><br>"I think not Lucy, given that it is such a useful word otherwise.&nbsp; Think of a word you would not otherwise use in my presence."&nbsp; <br><br>He reaches for the decanter, this time keeping his eyes upon Lucy, as she slides off her shift and then drops her drawers as well.&nbsp; He makes no attempt to hide the pleasure he takes in what he sees.&nbsp; The Baron hands her the refilled glass while he inspects her, much as he did when she took her dress off.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp;<br>Her breasts are full and firm enough to stand out prominently without support.&nbsp; The nipples topping them are rosy and pale, still erect.&nbsp; His fingers run across them with evident admiration and provocation.&nbsp; Desire glows like banked coals in Lucy still, awaiting only raking back to life.<br><br>"Sensation is such a lovely thing Lucy, especially when touch is coupled with sight.&nbsp; You can watch what I do, and feel its effect at the same tine."<br><br>His fingers drift lower, over a small mole beneath her left breast, and down her belly to brush across the soft tangle of blond strands (somewhat darker than her hair) that tops the juncture of her thighs.&nbsp; <br><br>"But sometimes sensations are more intense when they're not seen."&nbsp; <br><br>He slips a finger lower and between her moist lips, to rub once in just the right place to prove his point.<br><br>"I think we'll do some exploring of that phenomenon tonight."<br><br>He continues around her body, admiring her shapely but firm buttocks and running a finger down the bumps of her spine, smacking her abruptly and sharply on each cheek of her arse when his hand gets there.&nbsp; <br><br>"You like that, don't you Lucy?&nbsp; Perhaps I shall save it for your reward."<br><br>He continues back around to face her.<br><br>"You please me Lucy; I'm glad it's you.<br><br>"You're a beautiful, exquisitely responsive young woman, and I think we understand each other well;&nbsp; don't we?"<br><br>He moves away from her now toward another wall of the room.&nbsp; <br><br>"Take some time to look around Lucy, to refamiliarize yourself with the room, both what it looks like, and where things are."&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br>He returns with a dark green silk scarf in his hands, folding and refolding it as he walks.<br><br>"Because I am going to deprive you of one of your senses now, to heighten the others."<br><br>He wraps the silk around her head, totally covering her eyes, and tying it behind her head, and rechecking it, continuing to speak as he finishes.<br><br>"Now take in the room with your other senses.&nbsp; Your ears, your sense of smell, and your fingers, even your taste if you like.&nbsp; <br><br>"And when you feel ready, make your way to the couch, and lay down, either on your back, or your belly."<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>17-11-2013, 23:08:55</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Lucy could easily see how the word "port" might be used with some frequency in this study, and she nodded in acquiescence when he declined its use as a safe word.&nbsp; Her lips curved up in a secret smile as she thought of another, more suitable word.&nbsp; "Chrysanthemum, then," she responded.&nbsp; She'd not forget this one; Katie's mother was enamored with the flower, and it had provided hours of laughter between the two girls, who both found it unfathomably ugly.&nbsp; And here she was, contemplating the lack of beauty in a flower, here, in this study under these circumstances – that was rather unfathomable in itself.<br><br>She stood nude before a man, drinking from an expensive goblet of rich port wine, and it felt decadent and sinful.&nbsp; His words and touches were just as decadent and sinful, and Lucy knew that this was a night she'd never forget.&nbsp; &nbsp;She gasped when he touched her intimately, sliding his hand to the curls at the juncture of her legs and then a finger to rub at her most secret spot.&nbsp; It was a place she touched too, some nights when she was alone and her body felt like it was on fire.&nbsp; <br><br>He moved his hand away and continued his perusal of her nakedness, smacking her bottom.&nbsp; She gripped her glass tighter, taking a deep sip of her third port instead of answering his question.&nbsp; Her nipples stood proud, jutting from her breasts and announcing her arousal so that there could be no doubt.&nbsp; She could feel wicked wetness between her legs, and she shifted, hissing as sensitive flesh was pressed upon.&nbsp; She yearned for more already, and they had barely started.<br><br>She felt a chill when he moved away, going to stand by a wall.&nbsp; The fire burning in the hearth did not do as much as he did to heat her body.&nbsp; "Take some time to look around Lucy, to refamiliarize yourself with the room, both what it looks like, and where things are," he ordered, and she did as he asked, puzzled as to why.&nbsp; She was already familiar with the layout of the room, having explored it in some darkness when she was snooping the night before.<br><br>He came back, and he carried with him a scrap of smooth green material.&nbsp; Lucy had never before worn such finery on any part of her body, although she'd handled the expensive imported fabric many times when she'd dressed Katie.&nbsp; She looked at him in askance, and nodded as he explained.&nbsp; "Because I am going to deprive you of one of your senses now, to heighten the others."&nbsp; She had never heard of such a thing, but she would go wherever this man led her.<br><br>He wrapped the silk around her head until it covered her eyes, instructing her to use her other senses to explore her surroundings.&nbsp; She could hear his words, and when she listened closely, she could tell where he was because of his breathing.&nbsp; The fire crackled.&nbsp; A wild owl hooted outside, and she imagined him flying over the gardens.<br><br>She knew that the couch was behind her, to her left.&nbsp; Neared to her was his large, masculine desk.&nbsp; On her right was his armoire, the one she'd been caught pilfering through.&nbsp; The one that had started her down this path.&nbsp; She reached up and took a step forward, at first tentative, and felt for the wood.&nbsp; It made her nervous, knowing that she was nude and that Lord Covington watched her.&nbsp; But then she remembered the hunger in his gaze when he looked at her body, and she stood straighter.&nbsp; She knew this room, had explored it only the night before.&nbsp; She knew where things were.&nbsp; <br><br>Two more steps forward, this time much more sure, got her to her goal.&nbsp; She felt smooth wood and gripped the handle, pulling the door open.&nbsp; Her lips curved into a smile.&nbsp; Ah, soundless.&nbsp; How clever of him to keep the hinges well-oiled.<br><br>This time, as she reached, her hands moved slower.&nbsp; She did not know the inside of this, but she remembered how she'd gotten to his secrets the night before.&nbsp; Ah, yes, here.&nbsp; She slid the latch to the right and slid the drawer open.&nbsp; A hard stick, a flap of leather at the end.&nbsp; No, this was the riding crop she'd found last night.&nbsp; Here, this was what she sought.&nbsp; Looser leather, with many strips hanging from a handle.&nbsp; She wished to see what this was used for.&nbsp; Pulling it from its hidden compartment, she slid the drawer closed.<br><br>Turning away, she wondered where he was.&nbsp; Across the room?&nbsp; Near where they'd been?&nbsp; She could hear him no longer, and she bit her lip, her brow furrowing as she listened for him.&nbsp; No, she couldn’t tell where he was.&nbsp; No matter, though.&nbsp; He’d made her instructions clear.&nbsp; <br><br>The journey across the room took a bit of time as she worked to remember where obstacles might be.&nbsp; &nbsp; With a soft thud, her shins hit the sofa, and she was reminded that she did not have layers of petticoats protecting her.&nbsp; Once she arrived where she needed to be, she stood a moment, contemplating.&nbsp; On her back or her belly?<br><br>It was almost as if her arse twitched in anticipation.&nbsp; She wished to feel these strips of leather, this mixture of promised pleasure mingling with pain, and she laid down on the couch on her belly, the contraption held in her hand tightly.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>18-11-2013, 06:31:15</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Lucy nods her understanding, and supplies him with a different word, smiling as she does so.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br><em>"Chrysanthemum, then,"</em><br><br>He smiles, given that it is a word he will not readily forget, given the ruckus Lady Kent stirred up upon her arrival about their absence from under the windows of her suite.&nbsp; He'd had to have the gardener dig up the only bed of them in the garden to replant under the lady's nose.<br><br>"Ah yes, chrysanthemum; that will do nicely."&nbsp; <br><br>Having committed herself, Lucy seems to have lost her nervousness, though that could be the Port doing it's job.&nbsp; She does gasp when he touches the nub of her desire, with his finger.&nbsp; But she tolerates it as ready as she does his other touches.&nbsp; It seems to him that she is a woman of considerable untouched passion, a thought which he personally finds stirring as well.&nbsp; That she likes having her arse smacked is beyond a doubt, and a lovely revelation for the Baron.&nbsp; A woman who enjoys being spanked is definitely a delicious find.&nbsp; But then she responds to all of his touches, now that she has no good reason not to do so.&nbsp; <br><br>Lucy is decidedly aroused already, by the time he finishes his circuit of her body, and hissing at his touches.&nbsp; Moisture sheens the lips of her sex, and her nipples are prominent and rigid.&nbsp; She is enough to make even him take a deep breath, and she is quite compliant with his instructions.&nbsp; She does look at him a bit askance when she sees the blindfold, but nods&nbsp; when he explains that he intents to do by blindfolding her.&nbsp; It is a heady feeling for Hugh to have her willing to follow his will and even more so when she does just that.&nbsp; But it is when she goes beyond his instructions that Lucy becomes decidedly intriguing.<br><br>Hugh does absolutely nothing to deter her progress, but he watches Lucy with a growing sense of amazement, as she moves not directly to the couch, but rather to the armoire, where he had caught her last night.&nbsp; She apparently knows just where to find what she seeks, and blindfolded no less.&nbsp; He stands very silent as he watches her reject the riding crop, and select instead the flogger.&nbsp; Clearly she is adventurous in this, but he keeps his peace, just watching her as she works her way back to the sofa.&nbsp; There she appears to take a moment to ponder her next move, but finally lays down on her belly giving him a lovely view of her arse, which seems to twitch, and full access to her backside.&nbsp; <br><br>Hugh has to smile, even a his open hand descends forcefully on her arse without warning … twice.&nbsp; There are proprieties to be maintained, after all.&nbsp; <br><br>"So, you wish to choose your own punishment, do you?&nbsp; All well and good, but you should show proper respect to your teacher.&nbsp; Next time you will come to your knees before me to offer it up unto my hands, or it will be the broad of my belt, or a cane, across your arse.&nbsp; But we shall make do with the flogger tonight, since you are so adventurous.&nbsp; Hand it to me please."<br><br><br>He waits calmly for her to comply, and when the implement is in his hand, he drags the deerskin tails slowly across&nbsp; the flesh&nbsp; of her back., to demonstrate the softness of it's caress, before flicking it down on the muscular part of her back just beneath her shoulders.&nbsp; It lands with more of a thud than a sting, a kind of sensation that many find as more&nbsp; stirring than painful, though, others prefer the more stinging blows inflicted by less supple leathers.<br><br>"The flogger is related to the cat of nine tails used to administer punishment in the Royal navy.&nbsp; This deerskin flogger, however, is soft and supple and quite capable of caress, as you will have noticed.&nbsp; I have a number of different floggers, depending on how much sting you enjoy or wish to tolerate.&nbsp; But you have picked a very good one to start with."&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br>He continues with caressingly strokes of the flogger, down the more vulnerable parts of her back, using the soft tails as he might trail his fingers. But brings it down again with a distinct thud upon her arse cheeks, several times, before returning to caress, this time on the back of her thighs.&nbsp; He even drags a few of the leather tails suggestively up between her thighs, before again bringing it down hard on her arse.&nbsp; <br><br>"It's not nearly so personal as the palm of a hand, but floggers are almost infinitely variable in their ability to deliver pain, and pleasure.&nbsp; Some even find release under such attentions.&nbsp; It is my wish that you do not do so just yet.&nbsp; So in this case, I will stop if you simply say stop."<br><br>After several more strikes on her arse he pauses, gently caressing her heated and reddened flesh with his palm, and fingers.&nbsp; <br><br>"Would you like me to continue with this Lucy, or select a different flogger with more sting?&nbsp; Or would you prefer to sample a different pleasureable pain?"&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><br><br>Edited to add content to unviewed post:
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elina</strong> on <strong>15-09-2014, 01:35:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There was a moment, tense and filled with anticipation, and then Lucy felt a force against her bottom, followed by another.&nbsp; It was a sharp crack, the same as what she'd gotten the night before.&nbsp; His hand.<br><br>Heat spread through her, but she bit back her disappointment.&nbsp; She had looked forward to the leather strips.&nbsp; She was eager to try something new.<br><br>When he spoke, his voice was businesslike, quiet and strong.&nbsp; <em>"So, you wish to choose your own punishment, do you?&nbsp; All well and good, but you should show proper respect to your teacher.&nbsp; Next time you will come to your knees before me to offer it up unto my hands, or it will be the broad of my belt, or a cane, across your arse.&nbsp; But we shall make do with the flogger tonight, since you are so adventurous.&nbsp; Hand it to me please."</em><br><br>Her mind rushed to process all that he'd said.&nbsp; Next time!&nbsp; He wished to continue his engagement with her, even after tonight?&nbsp; And dearest lord above, the thought of being on her knees before him.&nbsp; There was something she found very enticing about the very image.&nbsp; Perhaps she should apologize for not doing it right, but no, she wouldn't.&nbsp; There was a rebellious streak in her, and even under these circumstances, she would not admit to fault where none lay.&nbsp; If he'd wanted her to be on his knees, he should have told her so.&nbsp; She'd be warned for next time, and now she knew the consequences.&nbsp; She could choose her plaything and present it to him on her knees, or she could feel the bite of a cane or a belt.<br><br>She swallowed a moan and handed him the... flogger.&nbsp; She had never heard the word before, and part of her wondered where he had.&nbsp; How did a man learn of such wicked debauchery?&nbsp; And part of her wondered how far this would go, how much Hugh Covington would teach Lucy in her quest to become a worldly, adventurous woman.&nbsp; He was complicit in her endeavor even if he did not know of its existence.<br><br>He dragged the soft material across her back, and she squirmed against him just the tiniest bit, her breath hitching as her muscles tensed, expecting the worst.&nbsp; Instead, when the flogger struck her, there was no pain.&nbsp; Gone was the sting she'd felt from his hand, replaced instead by little more than the caress of a heavy-handed lover.&nbsp; <br><br>Hugh... no, he was still Lord Covington, promised to her dear Katie... <em>Lord Covington</em> launched into an explanation about the flogger, and she hung onto his every word.&nbsp; Her education, after all, needed both an intellectual and a more hands on component.&nbsp; And as he spoke, he continued the gentle swats with the contraption, some on her back and harder ones on her arse.&nbsp; <br><br>She felt hot, but it wasn't pain that was causing the sensation as it did when he struck her backside with his palm.&nbsp; As he continued his ministrations, she could feel her breathing deepen, tiny gasps escaping her as she realized that the heat she felt was arousal.&nbsp; How very wanton of her, to be this way in her presence.&nbsp; At least she was faced away from him, so that he could not see how her cheeks were flushed and her nipples had pebbled.&nbsp; <br><br>He mentioned release, and it was not until then that she realized she yearned for hers.&nbsp; Was it really possible, to achieve such a thing from the repeated strike of a flogger?&nbsp; She had found it before, of course, but only in her own darkened chamber, and only very rarely, when she was so restless that it was the only relief she had.&nbsp; It was a wicked thing to do, and even more so for a girl who was not wed.&nbsp; It was private, and she'd never do such a thing in front of him, never!&nbsp; <br><br>So she held herself back, acutely aware that her sex throbbed with need, wishing she was back in the stable with Thomas Bonner.&nbsp; There, she got relief, although the experience had been nothing like this one.&nbsp; The whispers about the Baron were true.&nbsp; He was a dark soul, wicked.&nbsp; So wicked that he made Lucy ache for more.<br><br><em>"Would you like me to continue with this Lucy, or select a different flogger with more sting?&nbsp; Or would you prefer to sample a different pleasureable pain?"</em> he asked.<br><br>Now Lucy did moan aloud, the sound coming out strangled and more like a whimper.&nbsp; Did she want more of the same?&nbsp; Something different?&nbsp; If it was the same, what would the end of such sweet torture be?&nbsp; Would she be able to contain herself, or would she end up humiliating herself by climaxing though he'd instructed her not to.&nbsp; No, it could not be more of this.&nbsp; She was breathy when she answered, "Something different, my lord.&nbsp; I'm afraid I need the time it would take you to get a new instrument to regain my composure."&nbsp; She was, after all, starkly honest in all things except when it suited her not to be.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Discretion [Aadreal, Elina and Geraint]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geraint</strong> on <strong>17-09-2014, 02:48:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br><br><div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Lucy is an adventure, to say the least.&nbsp; She's adventurous herself, and exquisitely responsive.&nbsp; And while her tongue may not always tell the truth, her body not only finds it difficult to lie to him, but doesn't even seem inclined to do so.&nbsp; He can almost sense her disappointment when he spanks her. But when he speaks of her on her knees before him, she seems almost eager to do so.&nbsp; He may yet provide the opportunity for to do so this evening, depending on where his lessons take them.&nbsp; She swallows hard before she hands him the flogger, but it's not fear he senses from her, but excitement.<br><br>The soft strokes of the flogger elicit a squirm from Lucy and then a tensing of her buttocks, an intriguing response, that he continues to tease.&nbsp; He knows already how she responds to pain, but he also wishes to explore her arousal response, which is more powerful than he might have expected.&nbsp; The more complex her response, the more satisfying it is to him.&nbsp; And he has no disinclination to giving her pleasure as well as pain., especially if it brings her back more often.&nbsp; And indeed he manages to invoke her arousal minimal amounts of pain.&nbsp; While he many not be able to see her stiffened nipples, he can read her respiration rate in the muscles of her back, and he can also scent the beginnings of arousal in her when he leans near.<br><br>He can almost sense her resisting it now, though he doubts that she is doing it because he told her to.&nbsp; Rather he suspects that she does not wish to be that much at his mercy … except she does, of course.&nbsp; She wants what he has to offer her, but he won't give it to her quite that quickly.&nbsp; That she actually moans at his query is quite telling enough, especially when the moan deteriorates into something nearer a whimper.&nbsp; <br><br><em>"Something different, my lord.&nbsp; I'm afraid I need the time it would take you to get a new instrument to regain my composure."</em><br><br>He smiles at the candor in her statement, and he welcomes the time to regain composure himself.&nbsp; She likely knows it not, just yet, but she is hardly the only one aroused by their activities tonight.&nbsp; His cock is already swollen within his breeches .<br><br>"Roll over onto your back now Lucy, and I shall provide you with a different sensation to savor."<br><br>It isn't a question, this time, but a command, however politely rendered, and there is an accompanying edge to his voice.&nbsp; He expects her to be ready when he is.&nbsp; He moves away from her for a moment, but quickly returns, this time sitting on the edge of the couch beside her waist, and the sound of him placing something on the floor, beside the couch, his only announcements of intent to begin.&nbsp; Her arousal is a good deal more evident to him now, and it stirs him further.&nbsp; But that doesn't deter him from slowly tipping the already lit beeswax candle, and starting to drip hot wax across the tops of her breasts. <br><br><br>
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