Charlotte’s brother was in the army and he was dressed in regimental uniform. Tall and with high cheekbones, he had a little bit of a rugged appearance, like someone who was used to marching in hard weather or riding for days. William knew that Robin would fall for him lock, stock, and barrel, and that he would do his best to catch the other man’s attention and–if possible–desire.
William shook his head as Robin effortlessly and cunningly began to charm the young military man, and within minutes they seemed engrossed in a private conversation, which excluded both William and Charlotte.
“I do hope that they will play a waltz soon.” The ambassador’s daughter sighed, which brought William back from his silent musings.
It took him a moment to understand the double meaning in her comment, because initially, when waltz dancing had first been introduced to the Victorian society, it had been seen as imprudent and risqué.
“What an extraordinary coincidence, waltz happens to be my favourite dance too!” William smiled, although now that he had won her affection, she seemed to somehow lose some of her appeal; however, William knew that he had to entertain her for at least an hour before he would try to whisk her away somewhere private and seduce her.
“It is such a wonderful dance, is it not?” The young woman smiled back and fluttered her fan before she let the handle touch her lips. It meant ‘I want you to kiss me’ in the ladies’ secret fan language.
“I agree,” William replied to both of the comments. “And perhaps they will play a waltz later and we could dance together? Meanwhile, would it be possible for me to claim the next two dances, if you are not otherwise engaged?”
The ambassador’s daughter accepted beamingly and together they headed towards the ballroom’s chequered dancing floor.
*
However, as they came back from the dance floor, William noticed that Robin and Charlotte’s brother were nowhere to be seen, which made William slightly anxious. It was getting late and it was already past midnight. He knew that Robin was more than half-foxed, and the last couple of months Robin had become more and more reckless in his behaviour. It would not be the first time William had to get him out of trouble.
“Shall I get you anything to drink, Miss?” William asked as an excuse to leave the ambassador’s daughter and search for his friend.
“Yes, please. You are very thoughtful,” she replied.
William left the young lady and quickly searched the ballroom, both the serving area and dance floor, as well as the upper balcony, but neither Robin nor Charlotte’s brother could be found.
Perhaps he has gone outside in the garden for a while? William thought.
The January night was quite chilly, but William was convinced that Robin would never have left without letting him know first, so it seemed like the only logical conclusion.
What if he said something indiscreet to Charlotte’s brother and managed to get himself into a duel with the other man? William thought with a sinking feeling and began to regret their silly wager. Flirting outrageously with the American ambassador’s daughter directly under her brother’s nose had been more than foolish, William concluded, and in his mind, various gruesome scenarios were starting to form.
He searched the ballroom once more, and he became more and more convinced that Robin must have gone outside, before he went back to Charlotte with her drink.
“It is very hot and stuffy in here,” William said and drained his glass. “Will you excuse me, Miss Hartford? I do believe that I am in need of some fresh air.”
“Oh, let me accompany you!” she replied, and it took William a second to realise that she had misunderstood him and for her insinuation to sink in.
“Of course,” he said and tried to hide his impatience. He lowered his voice and said in a concerned tone, “However, you should be aware that here in England it may be frowned upon if a lady leaves in the company of a gentleman–even if their intentions are entirely honourable!–so just to be on the safe side, let me go out first and then follow after me in five minutes’ time.”
“I understand,” she whispered back with an eager smile and glittering eyes. Deliberately slowly she unfolded her satin fan. ‘Wait for me’, it meant. William forced himself to smile secretively in reply and bowed towards her politely before he left.
He left the besotted and slightly annoying ambassador’s daughter and the crowded ballroom behind and slipped through the high white-painted glass doors to the large ornamental garden at the back. The garden was extensive and reminded him of Holland Park in Kensington, and it contained various large marble statues, neatly trimmed evergreen bushes, and large ornamental stone pots, all of which served to provide perfect secluded corners for privacy to settle a private dispute. Although duelling was illegal in England, it did not stop it from occurring.
William took a couple of deep breaths and tried to clear his mind from the influence of the champagne. Clearly he had had a glass too much to drink, but the cold air made him sober again, more or less, at least.
It could be a coincidence that both of them are missing, William thought in an attempt to keep his hopes up, deciding not to think of Robin’s generally unwise character and the fact that the ambassador’s brother was carrying a rapier and was in the army.
“Simply a coincidence,” he told himself out loud.
The garden paths were sparsely lit with burning torches, which were placed in wrought-iron holders along the gravel paths. William began to search through the garden, and he had nearly finished searching through most of the closest garden when he thought he heard something.
He stood still, listening. Thankfully, there were no sounds of metal swords hitting against each other or angry voices, and all he heard was the music from the orchestra inside and a lady’s pearl laughter in the distance. Then he heard light footsteps on the gravel behind him.
“There you are!” the ambassador’s daughter burst out. “I have looked everywhere for you. Can you believe it, I managed to sneak away right under the noses of my chaperones!”
It was quite obvious that the young lady had left not only her lax protectors, but also both modesty and wisdom behind at the ballroom. Before William could stop her, she had thrown both of her arms around him and kissed him breathlessly.
“You make me feel so… so naughty, Mr Heatherton,” she mumbled and pressed herself against him. The stiff busk on her whalebone corset pressed uncomfortably against his chest and he could smell the powder on her curly hair, which tickled his nose.
If it had not been for his fears regarding Robin, William would have been more than happy to have responded to the young woman’s passion and eagerness as she reached back to undo the laces to her peach-coloured evening gown. However, as it was, he gently had to wrap her wrists in his hands and removed them from their excited tearing off of her dress.
“My sweet lady,” he said kindly and with as much patience as he could muster. “This is not the time, nor a good place.”
“Y-You do not want me?” she said with a trembling lower lip and impossibly large eyes.
“Of course I do,” William reassured her swiftly and kissed her cheek softly. “But it is a little bit too cold outside.”
“I do not care,” she replied and embraced him anew.
William changed tactics. He needed to get away from her and continue to search the garden for Robin.
“In that case,” he said huskily, “we need to make sure that we are alone, do we not?”
“Of course!” She smiled at him and she seemed pleased and mollified by his reply.
“Trust me,” William said and forced his voice to sound calm and reassuring. The last thing he wanted was for the young woman to dash back into the ballroom in a half-hysteric state, feeling rejected and with a half-untied corset. He had no intention whatsoever to seduce her in the garden, it was far too cold for making love outside, unless you were truly desperate, of course. “I will be back in a moment to make
sure that we are alone, just stay here. Do not go anywhere!”
“I will wait for you, my darling,” she replied and after a couple of more kisses, William managed to finally untangle himself from her and he went deeper into the garden, searching for his friend.
As he walked briskly along the meandering gravel paths, something caught William’s attention at the corner of his eyes. He stopped and went back. A snow-white silken cravat was carelessly thrown on the side of the gravel path, nearly hidden in the darkness.
It could belong to anyone, William thought at first as his fingers glided over the smooth fabric, but then he noticed the elaborate silver pin.
William caught his breath when he recognised it. It was the shape of a tiny silver sword decorated with a small ruby, just like the one Robin had worn earlier.
An unfamiliar sound not far away made William look up. Fearing the worst and with a rapidly beating heart, he swiftly walked through the dim garden in the direction from where he had heard the noise.
However, the scene that unravelled before him was not what he had expected or anticipated at all. William had thought that he would stumble upon Robin and Charlotte’s brother fighting or–in the worst case–duelling. And at first, before his mind had managed to make sense of the scene before him, William did indeed believe that the two men were struggling and wrestling with each other, until a moan of pleasure told him that they were engaged in a completely different act.
William froze.
It was one thing to know that his closest friend had a taste and preference for gentlemen; however, it was an entirely different matter to stumble upon him and another man together, only half-dressed and kissing each other deeply while tearing at each other’s clothes. A soldier’s uniform jacket lay deserted on the ground together with Robin’s dove-grey waistcoat and silk shirt.
He knew that he should leave as discreetly and quickly as possible; however, William found it impossible to take his eyes off the two men and swiftly hid behind a stone column. There was something untamed and feral about the way that they kissed and hastily undressed each other, oblivious to the chilly night, which was nothing like the gentle and careful lovemaking with a lady.
William stood petrified as the other man groaned with desire and roughly pinned Robin against a stone column, and taking hold of his neck, he kissed him hungrily. Robin laughed softly and for a second William could have sworn that for the briefest of moments he met Robin’s eyes, which were glazed over with lust as he kissed the other gentleman back.
However, his friend did not seem to notice him in the dark, and instead Robin let his hands glide down the other man’s naked spine and his fingertips teasingly stroked the cleft between the other man’s buttocks, which made him growl deeply in response. The other man pushed his hips forward against Robin, and Robin leaned backwards in encouragement as his fingers began to venture in under the other man’s uniform breeches.
Unable to move and barely able to breathe, William’s mind screamed at him to leave immediately. On one hand he was afraid that any movement or sound would reveal him; however, on the other hand, it was of course outrageously imprudent and absolutely wrong to stay and watch! And worst of all, although utterly conflicted by his own emotions, William could not deny that the whole scenario was beginning to make him aroused, as Robin moaned with half-closed eyes as the other man stroked his prominent bulge under his breeches while he spread his thighs apart for him.
William felt his throat go dry and he licked his lips unconsciously and noticed somewhat hazily that he was beginning to grow harder and harder against his will. He had a rather loose definition of morality for a gentleman; however, watching his closest friend and another man kissing each other thoroughly and on the verge of making desperate love was well and truly beyond William’s own moral standard. William knew he should leave, but still he stayed, breathlessly watching, hidden by darkness.
*
Robin laughed in surprise as his lover for the evening nearly lifted him from the ground and firmly pressed him against the cold stone column in the garden outside the ball. However, his attention was broken for a short moment when he saw the shadow of a person standing half-hidden in the shadows behind another stone pillar less than ten yards away. Robin nearly called out, but then he recognised him.
But that is William! Robin thought, genuinely astonished and somewhat distracted by the other gentleman’s kisses.
And then he realised that William was not making any movement to leave or make his presence known.
And he is watching us! The thought flew through Robin’s mind with the speed of lightning and it felt like all his blood turned scorching hot in his veins.
He kissed the other man back fervently and eagerly let his fingers follow his back along his shoulders and further down. With slightly shivering fingertips he stroked his bottom before his fingers began to explore the naked skin under his breeches.
Robin knew all too well–and to his own personal disappointment, which he had carefully hidden away–that William had never shown any attention to gentlemen before; however the fact that he was watching them could not mean that he was entirely uninterested, Robin concluded. He felt his erection grow even harder by the thought that he was being watched by his friend. His lover noticed his reaction and Robin moaned with pleasure as he felt eager hands stroking him through the thin layers of clothes. He moved his legs apart and the other man pressed himself closer, breathing hard against his neck.
The combination of the sensation of another man’s full length pressed against his own and his lover’s demanding hands and hungry kisses would soon lead him out of control, Robin noticed distantly. But it was the fact that William was watching him, half-naked and breathlessly with another man, that was about to push Robin resolutely over the edge of pure satisfaction.
Robin closed his eyes and in his mind it was William’s hands that began to undo his trousers and William’s warm lips that kissed him and left love bites along his throat. A low moan escaped his lips and he knew that he would come as soon as the other man’s fingers would surround his hardness. He was more than ready, and the wickedness of the whole situation was only serving to make him even more aroused.
“Touch me,” he begged, unable to stop himself.
*
William’s heart beat rapidly and he could feel his face turn crimson as he helplessly continued to watch his friend and his lover. He knew he should have left as soon as he stumbled upon them, but he seemed to be unable to move. A feeble excuse that it was better to stay where he was, so that any sudden movement would not betray his presence, had formed in his mind; however the truth was far more complicated. Wrong or not: William wanted to stay and watch and he was–against his own will and reason–helplessly and incredibly aroused by the whole situation.
The half-naked men, their hungry kisses, and Robin’s moans as he begged the other man to touch him made William yearn to reach down and immorally stroke himself as his own throbbing erection stretched the fabric of his breeches.
A sudden noise from behind William broke the spell.
“Mr Heatherton?” the ambassador’s daughter called out not far away. “William? Are you there?”
Hell’s bells! William thought alarmed, and quickly turned around from the erotic scene in front of him.
“I think someone is there!” he heard Robin’s lover say.
William fled. As he stumbled out on the gravel path from behind the carefully trimmed hedge and tore his frock jacket during his hasty departure, he nearly collided with Charlotte.
“There you are!” she purred and threw herself in his arms and whispered, “I waited for you, but you did not come back for me...”
“Ah, well, yes,” William replied and cast a worried glance behind her, where Robin or his lover could appear any second, both of the scenarios would be deeply unfavourable. William most certainly did not want Charlotte’s brother to see him together with his sister or–wor
se!–that Robin would stumble over them and somehow figure out that William had spied on him together with another gentleman.
Ignorant of his anxious concerns, Charlotte reached up on tiptoe and began to place soft kisses on his cheeks while she tugged unsuccessfully at his frock jacket. Clearly waiting had made her impatient and eager.
“Come! We must go back inside,” he insisted and tried to untangle himself from her embrace.
“But–” she protested as he grabbed her hand and more or less dragged her away.
“It… it is too cold outside,” he said with gritted teeth and briskly began to walk back to the brightly lit ballroom, ignoring the young lady’s protests while trying to leave all his thoughts and the sinful memory of what had just happened behind.
*
The rest of the evening had disappeared in a hazy mist as thick as an October morning fog in London, consisting of confusion, guilt, and a large amount of alcohol.
Somehow William had managed to convince the persistent ambassador’s daughter to get back to the ballroom, and after delivering a feeble excuse, he had withdrawn from her and swiftly drained glass after glass of champagne by the serving table. However, regardless of how much he drank, the erotic memories of the two men together and Robin’s moaning pleas refused to leave him alone, although William did his very best to drown the memories of what had happened as effectively as possible.
His feelings were erratic, irrational, and high-strung. Horror over the fact that he had been aroused by the two men and guilt that it was wrong mixed with suppressed desire, dangerous curiosity, and–oddly enough–a sensation of dark jealousy, which he could not explain.
It was a mistake, William thought, somewhat sluggishly. A freak accident. Too much champagne and too much flirting with… whatever her name was…
He only had blurry memories of the rest of the late evening, with incidents appearing like moving pictures from a broken praxinoscope theatre with uneven mirrors. William vaguely remembered Robin, without his cravat and with fresh love bites on his neck, which made him unreasonably cross, and he remembered Robin preventing him from getting into a fight with Charlotte’s brother. William also recalled Robin helping him in a horse carriage and that someone half-carried him up the staircase to the upper floor, which seemed to sway wildly from side to side, like a ship lost in a storm. And dimly he remembered pieces of a slurred conversation with Robin in his bedchamber, and although he could not exactly recall what they had talked about, William had a terrible feeling that he had said something highly embarrassing.
An Extraordinary Evening ~ The fourth novelette from Forbidden Feelings , a Gay Victorian Romance and Erotic novelette collection. Vol. II. Page 2