28. After the ball was over ...

Barclay was in my room to put out my pipe and tot of rum, to make sure that the room and the bed were warm, and when I took them off, he would put away my clothes.

"Mrs Dodgson, Joshua? What was it that tipped you off?"

"While they were waiting to enter, Your Grace. It looked like Sir Montague wanted Mrs Dodgson to enter with him. I could not hear what he said to her, or she to him, but she pulled away and let others go before her.

"When I had the opportunity, I asked her if all was well."

"And?"

"You would have thought that she was drowning and I had thrown her a rope, Your Grace. She told me that there were things you needed to know. The rest you are aware of."

"Thank you, Barclay. Well done."

As was usual, Barclay merely nodded. He paused for a moment. I waited.

"Yes?"

"You will require someone to tend your estate books, Your Grace. The young man, Henry, he has some learning, he is quick witted and trustworthy ..."

"Let him do the job?" I asked.

"Temporarily, Your Grace, to see how he handles it."

I thought for a moment. Actually, it was something that I had already considered, just a couple of days ago. "We shall approach him about it tomorrow."

I paused for a moment, then asked, "May I ask why, Joshua?"

"He is a good man, and has demonstrated his trustworthiness recently, and I ... I heard a whisper of something ..."

I raised my eyebrow, this was intriguing, a 'whisper'? I was curious.

"I would prefer not to say any more yet, Your Grace, until I know more myself. Suffice it to say, I believe he has better in him than a footman."

"I shall talk to him about it." Then as Barclay moved towards my clothes on the chair, to put them away, "Leave those till tomorrow, Joshua, I shall not need you again tonight."

"Goodnight, Your Grace."

"Goodnight, Barclay."

It was late when Helena woke me from a deep - and dreamless - sleep, when she climbed in with me. I could sense that she was awake, and wanted me to be so too.

As we nuzzled, lazily kissing, her body pressed against mine, the question I had been half-expecting, emerged.

"That lady?" She asked.

"There were many ladies tonight, mother."

"Lady Elizabeth and her daughter?"

"Arabella?"

Yes," she said, "Are they friends of yours?"

"They are. I knew them in Portugal."

Helena slid her thigh over mine, trapping my cock underneath it and against my belly, "She's very - er!"

"Whatever she is, my love, she is nothing compared to you."

"The girl is very pretty too."

"I am not interested," I told her, "They are just friends of mine from when I was just a lowly captain."

"And I can fly around Rogeringham church tower," she said indignantly.

"Tell me?" she pleaded, "Lady Elizabeth is so beautiful, and that daughter of hers! There was not a man there that did not have drool on his chin watching her when she danced."

"Not I, mother, the only woman that mattered to me was by my side most of the evening."

Helena changed her angle of attack. "This life of yours - in the Army, there were women there weren't there?"

"Yes." I said, "There were very many around and about the army. And I slept with and was intimate with some of them." I told her that none of them were serious to me, because I wanted her. I explained how I used the opportunities presented to me to become a better lover, but only because I wanted to be the best of lovers for her.

"Arabella, was she one of them?"

"She was." I placed Helena on her back and got up on my elbow, looking down at her.

My mother's skin was pale in the dim light, I placed my hand on her breast, teasing her nipple gently. I wanted to tell her what Elizabeth had told me, about her understanding who I was truly in love with, but that itself would have raised more questions. Instead, I settled for "Elizabeth Dorrington is a very rich woman, she has buried three husbands and inherited all of their wealth. Arabella is the heir to that fortune, the man that marries her will control all of that money and the estate.

"She is an amiable and very pretty young woman, and basically, she fucks like a wild thing. She will, when she chooses, make a man very happy. It could have been me, Helena. But I chose, and I still choose not to."

I kissed my mother, deeply, "Do you see Helena, that it is you that I choose? It has always been you and always will be?"

Helena didn't answer, instead she clung to me, tightly, crushing me to her, then kissing my face rapidly.

I moved down the bed, kissing her nipples and her belly as I did, until I reached her cunny.

Helena's hands rested on my head, almost but not quite pressing me in to kiss her. It wasn't necessary - I spent the next few minutes lashing her quim with my tongue, even lifting her bottom in my hands and kissing down to her bum hole. I wasn't too inclined to fuck, but I wanted her to enjoy herself, and was able to lick her to a shaking spend.

It seemed to be enough, Helena welcomed me back into her arms.

In my head I had an image of us lying together in the dark. I could feel Helena's body against me - naked, warm, touching mine in as many places as she could. Our legs were entwined, and she rested her head upon my arm, her shoulder tucked beneath it. Her hair was loose and it fell on the pillow, and covered part of my chest. My arm curled around her shoulders and held her in place against me. It was perfect. A moment to be treasured. If you had offered me a seraglio of Arabellas, and Elizabeths, and all of their combined wealth, I would have told you no. I was where I wanted to be, with the woman I wanted to be with and being truthful I could not think of anywhere else, I would rather have been.

"Now, if you will please mother?" I asked softly, "It has been a long day, and I am very tired, may I sleep now?"

"You may," she granted. "And while sometimes I may be fearful, and imagine all sorts of perils, know that I love you too, William."

I tried to settle myself, but couldn't. I had to ask how Mrs Dodgson was.

"I think you have gained a devoted follower there William. I shall have to be careful."

"Goodnight mother."