When they were alone, Charlie apologised..
'Oh, don't worry about that, old chap. You can do what you like to the girls, but it's your aunt-quick, for God's sake put those books away: I hear a rustle.'
Charlie was just in time. Lady Lavinia was in the room just as the cupboard door slammed.
She sniffed at the collection of liquors.
'As I thought, drinking-and solitary drinking. Why couldn't you be like your friend and come into the drawing room for a little music?'
'And what's this?' She picked up a maid's cap from the floor. 'One of the servant's caps! What's it doing here?'
'Oh, I suppose she must have dropped it,' answered Charlie, pettishly. 'I'll come down to the drawing-room now. It'll be bedtime in a few minutes.'
In the servants' quarters of the house, discussion as to the identity and raison d'etre of the new guests ran rife.
Young men of the world like Charlie were no new thing, but Aunt Lavinia-in such a house-well! 'Such particular instructions. I've had to clear her room of anything saucy,' said the old housekeeper, gossiping in her room with the butler and the chauffeur; 'and I'm to take 'er tea myself: let none of them 'ussies go near.
'It makes me fair nervous, it do. Not that I altogether 'old with these games 'ere, but we're all in it, with our eyes open-oh, dear, if she should see some of them pictures.'
''Twould be a to-do, and no error,' said the butler.
'And the good lady she tink Mr Bertie so good young man vos-ha! ha!' and the chauffeur laughed viciously. 'She into what you call a 'ornets' nest' as got, is it not?'
In the servants' hall speculation was also rife: guests seldom arrived at that house except in very large parties, motor loads at a time, as a rule. And as for mistress bringing home a single young man, she hadn't done such a thing for years.
No one had seen his condition when he arrived except the chauffeur, who had maintained a dogged silence. He had been told to do so, and his job was too good to lose.
They were a free and easy lot in the servants' hall at Maudie's, with a very large preponderance of women, mere girls, many of them, and all pretty. In fact, the house was ridiculously over-stocked with females. There was nothing for them to do save when the very big parties were on, and then they were more required for the photography than anything else.
There were only two men, both deft-handed servants and both French, and a French-American cook, who was rather a wet blanket on the general irresponsibility of the girls. There remained the page-boy, and several other young boys and girls who helped in the scullery.
The girls did not care much for the two Frenchmen, and the cook thought of nothing at all but inventing new dishes; hence the joy with which Charlie was received.
It was an appetising scene. Everything in the house was done, and the girls sprawled in varied alluring dishabilles -it was a hot night, and drawers and chemise, or chemise only, or drawers and vest, or, for one or two, vest only was the chosen attire. Two were quite naked. The room was very comfortable to lounge in, and Maudie didn't care what happened so long as she was waited on quickly. Two girls remained dressed, ready to see their mistress and Lady Lavinia to bed when rung for.
The page-boy was in general demand, fetching coffee and cigarettes, and came in for a good deal more petting than was good for him. In fact, he was quite blase. The warm caress of a semi-naked divinity had no effect on him.
They disappeared to bed by degrees, till only Elsie and May were left.
'Are you going to take the new gentleman any hot water?' queried May.
'Yes,' answered Elsie.
It was she who had come into the smoking-room. 'May I follow you?'\'
'A good half-hour after me. I tell you, dear, I need something badly; I haven't had my legs opened for a week, and it's just about time. You come in later, and we'll see what the two of us can't make him do; he's got a rare big 'un.'
'Right'-and they sealed the compact with a kiss.
There are few things more engaging than the sight of two pretty women, who are both lustful, and who really care for each other, kissing as if they meant it.
Upstairs, after two whiskies and sodas, which she was not accustomed to, Aunt Lavinia became first garrulous, then sleepy. After her departure, the three culprits first looked serious, then giggled.
Maudie spoke first.
'Look here, Tubby,' she said, 'the Lord blew Charlie against my carburettor: I recognised him, and brought him here, for a purpose. That purpose I have explained to him, and will to you. I want him to supervise our photographic and theatrical sessions. What do you think?'
'Oh, I think he'd do admirably,' said Tubby, a little doubtfully; 'but what does Charlie think?' 'Oh, I'm game enough.'
'Then let's call it a deal right off,' said Maudie. 'I know you two boys will get on rippingly. We'll just have a nightcap, and then, like Mr Pepys, to bed.'
Tubby rolled over in bed, and grunted, then he kissed his bedfellow, and was immediately asleep. Maudie sighed. She had had a great deal too much of this of late. She thought over the events of the day, and longed for Charlie. For one wild moment she recollected how firmly Tubby slept, and contemplated making a dash for Charlie's room-but prudence prevailed. She mustn't jeopardise the future. She took up a book, Nadia, a lustful romance, and tried to read herself to sleep" but in vain. Her blood boiled, and at last she woke up Tubby roughly.
'Tubby, dear, I must and will be fucked,' she said. 'You hardly ever touch me, and yet you expect me to be true to you. Come on.'
Tubby acquiesced sadly. His extreme stoutness made it quite impossible for him to attack in the old Adam and Eve fashion. He had to do it as the beast of the field. He got out of bed and turned Maudie over its edge. Then, without seeming in the slightest enraptured by the sight of her snowy white buttocks, he deliberately plunged his sausage like machine into that gap which should only have been reserved for connoisseurs.
Of course he liked it: he was very healthy, and full of good food and wine, and his penis swelled enormously as his strokes increased in vigour. Maudie lay on her stomach, her pretty little face buried in the lace-edged pillow, and in her brain, behind her closed eyes, just a blissful vision of Charlie.
Oh! if it had only been Charlie!
The fact is known that sometimes women who, when madly lustful for a particular man, are forced to be carnal elsewhere, derive really more pleasure from the beatific dream of their fancied darling, who in a vision is responsible for the flesh spasms which the unseen operator brings about, than they do when the real darling is in the saddle, so to speak.
Maudie certainly loved it, and she was only just conscious enough of what had happened to bite her tongue to stop crying 'Charlie' as the last violent stroke from her fat lover sent a hard-shot torrent right up to the doors of her womb.
'My God,' she thought, 'I really believe Tubby has copped me this time.'
She hastened to syringe, a precaution she seldom took with her fat lover.
Tubby, on his part, sank exhausted into an armchair.
'You've fair whacked me this time, petlet,' he gasped. 'I've never had a fuck like that with you before. What's come over you?'
The dream was still in Maudie's brain as she answered vaguely, 'How-how can you help it, when you love so much?'
When Tubby did turn off to sleep he dreamed rapturously. Maudie, too, slept well; she was thoroughly tired at last. These physical and mental fucks combined are pretty fairly damaging to the vitality.
Lady Lavinia, when the pretty maid had helped her out of her clothes and given her a nightdress, the decorations of which ill chimed with the elderly widow, removed her wig, put her teeth in a glass, and sniffed round the room.
She could not but approve of the comfort. No detail necessary to coax comfort to the weary or lazy bed-goer was missing.