for those who wanted more
Apr. 10th, 2008 07:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valarltdA little more of the Zara muse:
A man in a heavy opera cloak stopped him near an alley and asked the time in French. Charlie showed his bare wrist and all of the lights in the City of Light went out.
Lord Edward sat alone, drinking a third bottle of champagne, wondering if Charlie would be sober enough to drive. He wasn't sure he could give adequate directions to his city apartment. He was considering just paying for one of the upstairs rooms, and maybe a girl to go with it, one for him and Charlie to share, when the doorman delivered a note to him.
He recognized the handwriting at once.
"Darling Edward, I'm enjoying the company of your adorable young American.” He sighed. Only Lady Sarah would be bold enough to try something like this. He kept reading. “How typical of you to leave such a morsel unattended as you debauched yourself. Never fear, my dearest. He is perfectly safe. I will be keeping him with me to ensure your cooperation. Drop out now and no harm will come to him. Kisses.”
He crumpled the note, and paid for the room. There was no way he could find his way home tonight. He'd plan a kidnapping of his own tomorrow.
Charlie woke up, his head pounding like a marching band. The slim blond man who had asked him the time was polishing his glasses. He now recognized Lady Sarah's secretary, Nigel. He hadn't much liked Nigel back in London, because of the man's nasty insinuations and sly manner.
"Good evening, Mr. Doyle. Please try sitting up.“ Now Nigel sounded coolly polite, not at all silly and flirtatious.
Charlie looked around, not bothering to ask where he was. It was a hotel room, like hundreds of others all over the world. He tried sitting up.
His stomach rebelled and his eyes crossed. He slumped back down, stopped only by the soft pillows at his back. Nigel put on his glasses and looked across the bed.
“I told you that you coshed him too hard.“ He ran very light fingers through Charlie's hair and found a large and tender bump behind Charlie's right ear.
"Sorry,“ came the low rumble from the big bodyguard Charlie remembered from London.
"Try again, please, Mr. Doyle. Lady Sarah insists you walk in on your own feet.“ Nigel unfolded Charlie's glasses and set them on his face. The world came back into focus.
Charlie managed to sit up without losing his lunch, but the room spun for a minute. The two men sat on either side of him, making the bed shake and his stomach respond queasily.
They took his arms and stood up together, hoisting him to his feet, and half-dragged him to where Lady Sarah waited.
She had been intimidating wearing trousers and tweed in London. Here in Paris, in a room of scarlet, wearing only black silk, she set Charlie's head reeling more than the blow had. Her jet-black hair was down and long, her pale skin almost gleamed in the gaslight. Her dark eyes bored into him, and he felt his knees weakening as he walked into the red room. Cherries, blood, bricks to dash his aching brains out, and her lips...ah God, her lips, as scarlet as the velvet hangings. She looked like a vampire, and in that instant, Charlie knew she would eat him alive.
He steeled himself and walked toward her, with as much of a smile as he could manage, exactly as he imagined Lord Edward would do in his place. She extended a hand and he bowed over it. The motion made his unstable head and stomach lurch sickeningly, and she drew back a bit. He knew he must look an unbecoming shade of green.
"Nigel, stay please. I may yet require you. Vincent, darling, watch the door.”
The big goon who had done most of the carrying stepped outside. Lady Sarah stood up and came to Charlie.
"I must apologize for my man's unseemly tactics. He is nothing but a crude American thug. He amuses me.”
"Please, my lady, why am I here?”
"Because that too, amuses me. And because you are Edward's.”
He realized she was going to kiss him a bare instant before she did, and once her lips were warm on his, there was nothing for it but to go along. From the corner of one eye, he saw Nigel scowl.
"I don't believe I shall need your assistance after all, Nigel dear. Please go see to Vincent's needs. Charles and I,” she stroked a long white hand over Charlie's face, “will be just fine.”
"Call if you need us, my lady,” Nigel said as he bowed out.
"Now, dear Charles, let us see what sort of taste Edward has developed these days.”
A man in a heavy opera cloak stopped him near an alley and asked the time in French. Charlie showed his bare wrist and all of the lights in the City of Light went out.
Lord Edward sat alone, drinking a third bottle of champagne, wondering if Charlie would be sober enough to drive. He wasn't sure he could give adequate directions to his city apartment. He was considering just paying for one of the upstairs rooms, and maybe a girl to go with it, one for him and Charlie to share, when the doorman delivered a note to him.
He recognized the handwriting at once.
"Darling Edward, I'm enjoying the company of your adorable young American.” He sighed. Only Lady Sarah would be bold enough to try something like this. He kept reading. “How typical of you to leave such a morsel unattended as you debauched yourself. Never fear, my dearest. He is perfectly safe. I will be keeping him with me to ensure your cooperation. Drop out now and no harm will come to him. Kisses.”
He crumpled the note, and paid for the room. There was no way he could find his way home tonight. He'd plan a kidnapping of his own tomorrow.
Charlie woke up, his head pounding like a marching band. The slim blond man who had asked him the time was polishing his glasses. He now recognized Lady Sarah's secretary, Nigel. He hadn't much liked Nigel back in London, because of the man's nasty insinuations and sly manner.
"Good evening, Mr. Doyle. Please try sitting up.“ Now Nigel sounded coolly polite, not at all silly and flirtatious.
Charlie looked around, not bothering to ask where he was. It was a hotel room, like hundreds of others all over the world. He tried sitting up.
His stomach rebelled and his eyes crossed. He slumped back down, stopped only by the soft pillows at his back. Nigel put on his glasses and looked across the bed.
“I told you that you coshed him too hard.“ He ran very light fingers through Charlie's hair and found a large and tender bump behind Charlie's right ear.
"Sorry,“ came the low rumble from the big bodyguard Charlie remembered from London.
"Try again, please, Mr. Doyle. Lady Sarah insists you walk in on your own feet.“ Nigel unfolded Charlie's glasses and set them on his face. The world came back into focus.
Charlie managed to sit up without losing his lunch, but the room spun for a minute. The two men sat on either side of him, making the bed shake and his stomach respond queasily.
They took his arms and stood up together, hoisting him to his feet, and half-dragged him to where Lady Sarah waited.
She had been intimidating wearing trousers and tweed in London. Here in Paris, in a room of scarlet, wearing only black silk, she set Charlie's head reeling more than the blow had. Her jet-black hair was down and long, her pale skin almost gleamed in the gaslight. Her dark eyes bored into him, and he felt his knees weakening as he walked into the red room. Cherries, blood, bricks to dash his aching brains out, and her lips...ah God, her lips, as scarlet as the velvet hangings. She looked like a vampire, and in that instant, Charlie knew she would eat him alive.
He steeled himself and walked toward her, with as much of a smile as he could manage, exactly as he imagined Lord Edward would do in his place. She extended a hand and he bowed over it. The motion made his unstable head and stomach lurch sickeningly, and she drew back a bit. He knew he must look an unbecoming shade of green.
"Nigel, stay please. I may yet require you. Vincent, darling, watch the door.”
The big goon who had done most of the carrying stepped outside. Lady Sarah stood up and came to Charlie.
"I must apologize for my man's unseemly tactics. He is nothing but a crude American thug. He amuses me.”
"Please, my lady, why am I here?”
"Because that too, amuses me. And because you are Edward's.”
He realized she was going to kiss him a bare instant before she did, and once her lips were warm on his, there was nothing for it but to go along. From the corner of one eye, he saw Nigel scowl.
"I don't believe I shall need your assistance after all, Nigel dear. Please go see to Vincent's needs. Charles and I,” she stroked a long white hand over Charlie's face, “will be just fine.”
"Call if you need us, my lady,” Nigel said as he bowed out.
"Now, dear Charles, let us see what sort of taste Edward has developed these days.”
