Page 3 of What a Courtesan Wants
“As it happens, I have just the man for you.”
“Who?” she asked, giving him a once-over with her shrewd eyes. “You?”
He huffed a laugh, not at all surprised by her assumption or her forwardness. She wasn’t the first to think he intended to match himself with a new client, and she wouldn’t be the last.
“Unfortunately, I am already attached and satisfied with my current arrangement.”
“Pity,” she murmured.
“Besides,” he added with a nod in Millicent’s direction. “Millie knows the man in question and can attest that he’s an experienced master. You’ll be in the best of hands.”
“It is true dear,” Millicent chimed in. “Aubrey was trained by the Marquis of Ashton himself. Ashton was a dear friend of your husband’s, was he not? Then you know the man is one of the best and most experienced masters in England. He trained me as well as many other dominants. Aubrey will be a good match for you, I think.”
Little did Millicent know, they’d be better suited than she realized. Benedict and Aubrey were close, making him privy to the details of the other man’s personal life. Linen-draper by day, courtesan by night, and guardian to a young lady … Aubrey had no time for attachment either, and had cemented his status as a confirmed bachelor years ago. He was no more interested in romantic entanglements than Lady Bowery.
“I trust your judgment, Millie,” she said, before turning back to Benedict. “Well? Is he here? I would like to meet him.”
Benedict smiled, a wicked thought occurring to him. It was something he’d never attempt with another client, but this woman had already proved she was no shrinking violet. She was a widow who had experienced the sort of pleasures Aubrey specialized in. She seemed interested enough now, but this would certainly convince her to sign a contract.
“I’m afraid he is … currently occupied. Though, Millicent has informed me that he’s been placed in a very special room of the house, one with a peephole for watching. And I know Aubrey; he doesn’t mind an audience. It wouldn’t be an official meeting, but you would have the chance to observe his technique and decide whether you would like to contract his services.”
Her eyes blazed with heat at the idea, curiosity softening her previously tight face. She glanced to Millicent, who gave her a nod, then gestured toward a nearby corridor.
“Right this way, darling. I’ll see you into the neighboring room and show you the peephole.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sterling,” Lady Bowery said before allowing herself to be led away. “Should I find him satisfactory, I shall come find you to discuss the contract.”
He bowed to the lady and watched them leave with a smug sense of satisfaction settling over him. He fully expected her to hunt him down to secure an arrangement before Aubrey’s current bedmate decided she wanted him. By the end of the night, he hoped to have his three unattached courtesans settled into new arrangements.
With all nine courtesans happily working, an apprentice in training to learn the administrative duties currently falling on Benedict, and three prospects wanting to join their ranks, business was better than ever, despite the vindictive efforts of a certain gossip columnist.
“Take that,London Gossip… you meddlesome bitch.”
Chapter 1
“That most notorious widow, Lady D, is hosting another one of her soirées this evening. For those new to London society, the vile woman is known for her gatherings to which only a select segment of thebeau monde,are privileged to be invited. Whispers of the scandalous things that go on there are the stuff of legend. If you are wondering whether I belong to this exclusive set, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. While I would never seek to socialize with the scandalous people who call that woman friend, I cannot help but wish to be a fly on the wall during such a party … purely in the interest of reporting the goings-on to you.”
-The London Gossip,15 August 1819
Icannot believe I’m doing this.
The thought echoed through Lucinda’s mind as she followed Millicent into a bedchamber decorated in sumptuous shades of violet, royal blue, and black. The walls displayed erotic art, much like the other rooms of her friend’s house. A sculpture of a woman reclined on a chaise with a kneeling man’s face planted between her thighs stood on a plinth in one corner of the room. The bed looked large enough for five people to sleep in … or, to engage in other pastimes as Millicent’s guests were wont to do.
None of this surprised her, as she and her late husband had been frequent guests of the notorious Widow Dane. They’d attended parties, masquerades, and dinners—all of which had been a thin pretext for them to meet with other like-minded individuals and indulge in their favorite forms of play. They’d watched Millicent and other masters demonstrate various techniques, immersing themselves in a world where a marriage like theirs was commonplace instead of an oddity. They’d retired to chambers like this on many occasions, enjoying the array of tools and implements Millicent kept on hand, often discovering items they didn’t own themselves.
Lucinda had known of the peepholes in various rooms, and had allowed the earl to invite friends and acquaintances to watch them—people interested in learning from her husband, who had been one of the most experienced masters in London. Few men could match him, and before his death he’d been one of only two men in England who would take on students in his spare time, ensuring they were taught the rules of safe practice and the complexities of a relationship between a dominant and a submissive.
As Millicent directed her to an armchair facing a wall adorned with blue and black Oriental wallpaper, she felt a niggling of shame at being reduced to spying on people through a peephole. The moment she registered the feeling, the voice of her dear late husband filled her mind, deep and firm with confidence.
“What need have you to feel ashamed of your desires, pet? I don’t want you to be embarrassed of the things you want. Instead, I want you to feel free to express them. As your master, it is my duty to fulfill your every desire.”
With a sigh, she sank into the chair and watched Millicent place a hand over an ornate bit of woodwork, flipping open a hidden latch.
“Enjoy, my dear,” Millicent urged before allowing the wood to fall back in place and making her way to the door. “You know where to find me when you’ve finished. And, you ought not feel obligated to take Mr. Sterling up on his offer, though I have several friends who’ve indulged in his arrangements. They’ve all enjoyed their time with their courtesans, and Aubrey comes highly recommended among submissives.”
Lucinda clasped her hands together in her lap. “I am not certain I’m ready for …”
She bit her lip, holding back the rest of the words. But, Millicent understood, giving Lucinda a sympathetic look.
