After a few minutes of soaking quietly in the tub, I could hear the faint sound of footsteps just outside the hall, and then the opening and closing of a door. Victor must be back from the stables. I got up and grabbed a towel, wrapping it tightly around my wet body as I limped over to the wall we shared. I pressed my ear against it, listening to the sound of water rushing down a shower head. I imagined him taking off his fancy riding clothes, and I wondered what his body looked like completely naked. Was he muscular? Skinny? Was he really that big down there, or had I only imagined it? Did he have a nice ass?
I stuck my hand in my mouth to keep from laughing as I stepped away from the wall. I could stand there and imagine the finer points of Victor Draper, but I was almost certain Karen was downstairs wondering where the heck I was.
After I had dried off and slipped back into my work clothes, I found Karen in the dining room setting up a long, narrow table for a dinner party Victor was to host later that night. “How does your ankle feel?” she asked as she noticed me walking in.
“It feels much better after the bath I took. I don’t think I sprained it too bad. I won’t need crutches or anything.”
“Well, that’s good to hear. Keep it easy for a few days though, all right?”
“I will.” I took the envelope that contained the bird pin I found on my desk from my breast pocket and showed her the handwriting. “Can I ask you a question, Karen?” I asked hesitantly.
“Of course.”
“What does this say?” I held out the envelope, still a bit embarrassed that I wasn’t able to read anything. I wanted to fix that as soon as possible.
The maid looked down at it and smiled. “That’s Mr. Draper’s handwriting. It says Dove,” she replied as she continued setting down expensive antique-looking dinner plates.
“Dove,” I repeated, looking down at the bird above my breast. I had pinned it there after I had gotten dressed.
“It must be your name now, if you don’t mind.”
I looked at the letters on the envelope, mouthing the name silently. It was a pretty name, and it made me happy to have something to identify myself with. It seemed the emptiness within me was slowly beginning to fill with each passing day.
“You can help me set up the table. Don’t look too panicked; I’ll show you how.” Karen grabbed a small fork and spoon. These ones go closest to the plates like this,” she demonstrated for me, setting the utensils next to the dinner plates. “The larger ones go on the outside, like so.”
I furrowed my eyebrows in concentration as I started to set silverware on the table, trying to remember the correct order Karen instructed me. “I met Victor today,” I told her. I stared down at the forks and knives, blushing at the memory of our time in the parlor, of his cock sliding in and out of my dripping wet pussy. “He’s not like anyone I met before, that’s for sure. He likes rules, doesn’t he?”
Karen glanced behind her as though to make sure Victor wouldn’t walk in before she spoke. “He likes rules, yes, but it’s more about staying in control. Having strict rules helps him maintain that control in his life.” She began to set intricately folded napkins down on the table. “He does have a kind heart, although it may seem like he doesn’t want to show it often.”
I wonder why? I thought about that for a moment before remembering my task at hand. “Damn it, I can’t remember what goes where,” I swore, and then cursed again inwardly. I was glad Victor wasn’t there to hear me. “Ugh, I’m having a hard time with this whole ‘manners and decorum’ thing. I’m so used to not caring what other people thought about the way I act; when I was living on the streets I was too busy worrying about food and finding someplace warm.” I dropped a fork on the ground and crouched down on my hands and knees to retrieve it. “And it’s not even the swearing I’m worried about. I’m constantly bumping into things and tripping over my feet in these shoes.”
Karen smiled at me and gave me a reassuring pat on the back. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you out as best I can. Forks go to the left of the plate, knives and spoons go to the right. An easy way to remember the order is that the silverware for the first course is the closest to the plate. The last course is the furthest away. Chin up, it’ll only get easier. I was a bumbling fool the first few months I worked here.”
I nodded, making a mental note of everything she told me. It seemed simple enough, and after a while I got the hang of it, and when Betty walked through the dining room, she congratulated me on a job well done. I flushed with pleasure. I really enjoyed being with these two older women; there was a certain peaceful quality about them that I gravitated towards. Talking to them and laughing with them made me believe that everything in my life would turn out okay.
“Here,” Karen said, handing me a huge pile of dark red cloth napkins. “Let’s sit in the kitchen while Betty finishes up dinner and I can show you how to fold the napkins.”
As I nibbled on a freshly baked blueberry muffin while practicing folding napkins at the kitchen table I decided to ask Karen a few questions. “You said you’ve known Victor since he was little?”
The question made Karen smile at the memory. “My husband used to work for Mr. Draper’s father when Mr. Draper was only a toddler. When my husband died unexpectedly, Mr. Draper’s father took me in and hired me to do housekeeping duties for his family. I’ve been here ever since, and so eternally grateful for this family. Since his father passed away, Mr. Draper has treated us very well.”
“Betty and Oscar have been living here for that long too?”
“Betty has been here a few years longer than I have. Mr. Draper hired Oscar as a butler a few years back. Both are absolutely wonderful people, don’t you think?”
I nodded my agreement.
As I was walking back to my room after getting everything set up for the dinner party, I noticed a pad of paper on the credenza in the hallway. I walked over to it and picked up the pencil sitting next to it. Without really thinking, I started sketching on the small square of paper. The first picture I drew was that of a horse, similar to the one Victor was riding earlier that evening. However, I wasn’t too happy with the way it was turning out, so I quickly tore the paper off the pad and crumbled it up, slipping it into my pocket. I started a new sketch which quickly began to form a face; guarded eyes, stern, yet gentle lips...I was drawing Victor as I remembered him earlier that day in the parlor. I touched my own lips as I looked at the drawing, wondering how it would feel to be kissed by him. I started to get that fluttery feeling in my stomach at the thought of his lips pressed against mine, of his body touching mine...
“Dove! I still need you down here!” My little daydream was interrupted by Betty calling my name. I jumped and rushed back down the stairs to answer her, leaving the sketch forgotten where it was.
Chapter 5
I had been at the mansion for only a few days, and I was already becoming used to my role within the household. At least, my role as a housemaid was becoming easier to get used to; the other part of my contract seemed to have been put on a standstill since that afternoon in the parlor. Victor rarely made an appearance, and I assumed that he was caught up with his work. I would catch his attention only briefly at meals I would set up for him, or when we passed by each other in the halls. He would only nod at me and leave it at that. It was a bit disappointing, since I half expected him to pull me into his room or mine to have his way with me like he did in the parlor.
It was like that day in the parlor never even happened.
The dove pinned to my blouse told me otherwise, and sometimes when I was in the middle of cleaning I would stop to look down at it, wishing I knew more about the man who had given it to me.
I decided to take matters into my own hands. After my shift was over at 5:00pm, I changed into more comfortable clothes—dark slacks and a tight fitting long-sleeved shirt, and I marched outside and over to the stables, hoping to find Victor in there with the horses. Instead I only found Oscar, brushing the shiny coat of the black horse I w
ould always see Victor riding.
He noticed me as I walked in. “How is your ankle feeling, Miss Dove?”
“Oh, I...It feels a lot better.” What should I say to him, that I wanted to confront Victor? The entire idea seemed silly now, and I was beginning to wish I had just stayed in my room for the night.
“If you are looking for Victor, I’m afraid he is busy at the moment.”
My face turned red at the mere mention of his name. “Oh, it’s okay. I’ll just head back to my room.”
“Would you like to ride on one of Mr. Draper’s horses? He has already told me he wouldn’t mind.”
My eyes widened as I looked at the beautiful, complacent creatures around me. “I’ve never rode on a horse before,” I began.
“It won’t be difficult. I can hold on to the reins if you are uncomfortable. Butterscotch over there is already saddled up. She’s the gentlest mare I’ve ever worked with so there’s no reason to worry.”
Within minutes I was mounted on top of Butterscotch, led out of the barn and through the green pastures with Oscar leading the way. I was nervous at first, imagining that the smallest movement would cause the horse to kick me off of her. However, Butterscotch was in fact as gentle as a lamb, and soon enough I was able to tell Oscar that I was comfortable enough to take the reins into my own hands.
Oscar kept an eye on me from the stables as he continued on with his chores while I walked Butterscotch in big laps around the pasture. It was refreshing to be outside as the cold winter sun dipped behind the mansion, casting a shadow over the entire length of the pasture. I could see my breath in front of me, but the warmth emanating from the animal kept me at a pleasant temperature. I became bold enough to nudge Butterscotch into a trot, and as we sped up, my ponytail came loose and began blowing wildly about my face. I laughed at the newfound feeling of joy riding on this horse. I glanced up at the mansion and spotted a figure standing by the window of Victor’s room. I almost stopped Butterscotch where I was to stare.
“Dove!” I heard Oscar calling out to me. I steered Butterscotch back towards the stables and after Oscar helped me down I stood by to watch him brush the horse’s glossy coat.
“Can I ride her again sometime?”
“As long as someone’s here to watch over you. At least for the next couple of times. I feel like you’re getting the hang of it quite quickly.”
“Thanks so much for teaching me how to ride.”
“Best be getting back to your room before Mr. Draper’s guests arrive,” he told me with a wink.
As I walked back to the mansion, I looked back up at Victor’s window. It didn’t surprise me to see that he wasn’t standing there watching over me anymore.
People who I assumed were important glided in and out of the mansion during some of the evenings when Victor hosted parties. Tonight was the first night I wasn’t too sure of my place in the mansion and stood downstairs in plain sight staring with open interest as guest after guest filed through the house. Karen finally spotted me and pulled me away. “You’re supposed to stay in your room while Mr. Draper holds his parties,” she admonished me, but not unkindly. “I don’t want you to get in trouble if he sees you out here!”
I crept up to my room and stayed there for a few moments until I was sure the coast was clear. I then quietly walked over to the staircase and remained in the shadows of the hallway as I stared down at all of the extravagant guests socializing with one another. The women wore gorgeous gowns, and had their hair done up beautifully. I touched my own, long hair, wondering if I could learn how to braid my hair or pull it back into an intricate bun like some of the women had done with theirs. I watched enviously as they walked around with ease in heels at least twice the length of the ones I wore now. Perhaps I could ask Oscar to get me some to practice in.
At one point I spotted Victor down below, talking to a pretty young woman with golden red hair and porcelain white skin. I watched enviously as his hand rested on the small of the woman’s back as they both laughed at some joke I could not hear. What makes you think you will ever be like that woman? A voice in the back of my mind told me. You would fall flat on your face before you could even make it down the stairs if you wore shoes like those.
I hated when my doubt came rearing its ugly head, but once it did it was hard to escape from it. I walked back to my room, deciding I had my fill of tonight’s events.
Later the next day, as I was dusting off the sculptures displayed by the grand piano, I heard Victor come in through the front entrance. As he was taking off his leather jacket—the same one I had worn when I was taken to this place—he noticed me and walked over to where I was cleaning. “G-good afternoon,” I said, feeling somewhat nervous at his close proximity as he stood only a foot away from me. I could smell his cologne and the aftershave he had used this morning.
“I’ve seen you looking at my art collection more often than not,” he told me.
I looked down at my duster. I was so helplessly shy around him, no matter how hard I tried not to be. “I enjoy art,” I told him. “I’ve always been fascinated by it.”
“Can you recognize any of these pieces?”
I quickly looked up, surprised and somewhat excited that he would ask that question. My shyness suddenly melted away as I pointed to a small sculpture of a light brown horse. “This sculpture is from the Tang Dynasty. I’ve never seen anything so old. They made these sculptures out of ceramic glazed porcelain.” I paused, staring at the precise craftsmanship of the sculpture. “It’s so beautiful, don’t you think? It looks kind of like your horse, Butterscotch.”
“Yes,” Victor agreed. “This has been passed down my family for generations. It’s one of my favorites.”
“I’m not so sure where this one is from,” I said, pointing to a portrait of an elderly man, hanging in an intricate gold frame on the wall. “It’s very lovely though.”
“That is a self portrait of my great, great grandfather, when my ancestors still lived in England.”
“He was very talented.”
“People in my family tend to have an appreciation for art. My great, great grandfather used to have exhibits all around Europe, as well as the United States when he moved his family over here.”
For a moment we were silent. I suddenly remembered my place and the shyness once again overtook me. I tried to focus my attention back towards the art, all too aware of how Victor’s gaze lingered on me. “You’re wearing the dove I gave you,” he said softly, almost as though he were talking to himself.
I touched the pin resting above my breast. “I-I never thanked you for it. It’s so beautiful. I like to look down at it while I work.”
I held my breath as Victor’s hand reached out to touch the dove. If I moved ever so slightly his fingers would end up brushing against my breasts. I bit my lip as I stared down at his hand. I didn’t want anything else in that moment except for him to touch me.
“Go get Oscar,” Victor suddenly said. Confused, I lifted my head up to look at him. “Have Oscar call to get my jet ready. Meet me outside at my car in twenty minutes.”
I stared at him, puzzled. “W-what? Why…”
“Did I tell you to ask questions? What are you waiting for?”
He was becoming impatient, so I quickly rushed off to find Oscar. What was he planning, and why the hell would I be involved?
I was nervous for the entire ride to the airport. The thought of being shoved into a metal tube and launched into the sky scared me senseless. In my panic to find Oscar, Karen stopped me in the hallway before I left and told me she would pack some of my belongings. I was thankful for her, since the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.
Where are we going?
Chapter 6
After we arrived at the small airport, Oscar bid us farewell before we were whisked past the VIP section of the security checkpoint and escorted out into the tarmac where a small jet waited for us.
I was downright terrified of that metal contraption, and my knee
s were shaking as we walked up the stairs leading into the cabin. “I’ve never flown before,” I whispered to Victor. “Not that I can remember, at any rate. I-I don’t know if I can do this. Would it be okay if I stay with Karen, Betty, and Oscar?”
“You’re acting like you are about to be swallowed up by a gigantic whale,” Victor told me. “Relax.”
Easy for him to say, I thought as I sat down in one of the chairs in the small cabin of the plane. We sat there in silence for a few moments before the plane’s engine began to rumble to life. I gripped my armchairs as though they alone could save me from my doom. As the plane sped up and began to lift off the ground I swallowed a whimper, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Come over here.”
I opened my eyes at Victor’s request. He was looking at me, and his expression told me that it wouldn’t be wise refuse him. I got up from my seat and walked over to him, my legs feeling weak underneath me. Victor quickly grabbed me and pulled me onto his lap. He slid one hand underneath my skirt and panties and started fingering me while fondling my breasts with the other hand. I squirmed, still not quite used to feeling so much stimulation at once. His fingers unzipped the back of my skirt, and he pushed it all the way down to the floor. My body burned as he continued fondling my clit. I felt his own arousal began to harden underneath me, so I mentally prepared myself, thinking that at any moment he would pull down his pants and stick his cock into me while I sat on top of him. I was surprised when he reached up towards his neck and pulled off his silk tie.
Bonds of Fate - Part 1 (An Erotic Romance) Page 4