Le Mariage Normand
Chapter 2
There were pleasant dreams that night. I did not dream of Paris, of walks along the Seine, but I dreamt of endless and dark nights in the Norman village of Longueville-le-Richard, where I now find mysyelf. I was awoken from my slumber by the characteristic stomp of a woman's shoe heel against the wooden floor as Adelaide charged into my room unannounced. It was not a sound that I was eager to hear at the moment, and I was not particularly excited to be seeing Adelaide at such an early hour. There was no need for her to say why she had come so early in the morning, an uncharacteristic hour for the both of us, as I knew that my sister intended to urge me forward in packing our bags so that we may leave Longueville-le-Richard for Paris as soon as the coach and coachman could be made ready.
"How can you sleep, Gaspard, when you know that we must go? You were always very lazy. You have none of father's industry."
"Nor do you, Adelaide," I said, straightening my night shirt and sitting up in the bed. "You are one to talk."
Adelaide, fully dressed, made one of her pretty little shrugs and began to pace the room.
"I am surprised that you are up so early, sister. It is rather unlike you."
"Well, you know that I want to be going, so don't delay, and let us go, at once."
I laughed and stood up. "We aren't going anywhere, my dear. Not on this day anyway."
"What do you mean, brother? The deed is done. There is no need for us to stay any longer, surrounded by Protestants and Monsieur Boulanger. To say nothing of that horrid Monsieur de Rosier! If I marry the count I must demand that Monsieur must always be banished to his own estate and never allowed to visit us, my husband and me."
"Things were not settled as you left them last night, Adelaide," I explained, going on to tell her that I had to speak to the Comte de Longueville myself last night, to ensure that he had not given up on her after her silly behavior at dinner and in the garden. "Things are settled now, I suppose, but there is no reason for us to leave so soon. I am beginning to like the chateau."
"But Papa shall certainly take us with him to the house in the Champagne if we return to Paris now, Gaspard. He told me so himself before we left Paris for Normandy."
"Do you know what your problem is?" I asked my sister, nodding to the valet who entered the room. When he asked me if he should draw the water for my bath I told him that he should. "You lack imagination and the desire for new experience. Why should you be so eager to return to the house that we spend all of our summers in? There is so much more of Longueville-le-Richard to discover."
"I do not wish to discover anymore of Longueville-le-Richard," said Adelaide, skipping petulantly over to the window that overlooked the fields behind the castle and the town. She was wearing one of the low cut dresses with wide panniers that were very popular then. The panniers would grow even wider in the coming years under Marie Antoinette and her dressmaker. "I have seen enough."
The valet returned with a second valet who brought the bathtub and then left again for the hot water for the bath. The first valet carried with him a silver tray on which was a letter bound by a thick red seal. "For you, Monsieur," said the valet, indicating that I should take the letter from the tray.
"It is from Father," I told Adelaide as I broke the seal on the letter to open it. "He must have sent it immediately after we left Paris."
"What could he possibly have to say? I imagine that he only wants to know if we have snagged his prince yet. What ever shall you say to that, Gaspard?"
"As you said, Adelaide," I began, "I shall tell him that the deed is done, no thanks to you."
I unfolded the letter and began to scan the lines. The letter read:
"Dearest Gaspard,
I hope this letter finds you safely arrived in Normandy. I have no reason to doubt that you and Monsieur Boulanger were successful in presenting a fine image of the Villeneufs to Monsieur le Comte de Longueville. I must express my envy that the two of you have been able to escape the Paris heat and the company of the droll masses that must remain in town for the sake of poverty or for want of an estate to which they may retire. As you know, I am stuck in the city as I continue to chair the King's special committee and our matters have not yet found speedy resolution. I write to you to instruct you to remain in Longueville as long as you can so that M. le Comte may continue to grow in his love for the two of you, you in particular Gaspard, and may come to find you indispensible. In this way he may be made a part of our family and come to trust us as he would his own kin. You will, however, be surprised to learn, Gaspard, that I have had another offer for the hand of your sister. Certainly, I immediately refused, but I must tell you that it came from our cousin Colonel de Villiers, who offered us his son Chretien, a good for nothing like yourself that spends all of his time among women in Paris. You have not seen Chretien since you were children as the de Villiers were stationed in the Languedoc with their regiment. Do not tell Adelaide as it shall only make her more petulant and certainly we need no more of that, do we? Please write to me to tell me that you have received this letter and that you shall convince your host to allow you to stay at Longueville-le-Richard at least until July.
Your Father,
Henri de Villeneuf"
"Well, we've had another offer for your hand," I said, immediately folding the letter and placing it on the bedside table. I disregarded my father's recommendation to withhold the news from Adelaide. "From our cousin, Chretien. I do not understand why anyone would be wanting you."
"For the money."
I shrugged. "For the money, I suppose."
"Father refused it, of course," said Adelaide.
"Of course. If we do not manage to snag M. de Longueville, Father shall kill us both."
One of the valets turned to look at me as I said this, but instantly glanced away.
"Kill you, perhaps."
"Adelaide, please leave so that I may take my bath," I demanded, after the servant filled the bathtub with water. "I have done nothing to deserve being killed over. Now get out!"
"Only if you agree that we shall leave today."
"I have no intention of agreeing to that. Father himself says that we must stay for another three or four weeks. Now leave."
"Three weeks!" cried Adelaide.
"Adelaide, get out!"
After I was bathed, powdered, and dressed, Adelaide and I descended from our tower of the chateau and recovered to the sitting room, where we found the master of the house calmy sitting in a chair by the window and listening to one of the servants play something sweet on the harpsichord. Something in the music heightened the sense that we were all merely children playing at matchmaking, amor, and being adults. Adelaide, in particular, was not ready to be a woman and yey here she was, thrust unwilling into a marriage. Entering the sitting room, I caught the image of Edouard in profile, the sun emerging in the morning behind him. It was a view that suited him particularly well. I noted that he wore today a suit of red satin, rather different from the staid black that he had been wearing over the prior days.
Edouard stood to greet us as Adelaide and I entered the room. "I hope it has not been another rough night in the castle?" he asked.
"Indeed," began Adelaide, "I would say--"
"It was a wondeful night, Monsieur," I interrupted. "We continue to appreciate your hospitality."
Edouard avoided my eyes and only smiled at Adelaide.
"I hope that horrid Monsieur Rosier is not to return this evening for supper," said Adelaide, taking a seat in the center of the sitting room, where there were several chairs around a wide table. "I am not in the mood for anymore insults, and why should I be insulted?"
"I do not believe that Monsieur Rosier shall return tonight," said Longueville, calmly shrugging his shoulders. "In fact, he is a very good neighbor. He has always been good company for me. In the six months since I have returned to the castle, we have been hunting four times. Perhaps more."
"What do you hunt?" I asked, searching Longueville's face.
"Red deer," said Longueville curtly, gazing at Adelaide.
Adelaide began to suspect that something was amiss and she, with an uncharacteristic timidity, returned the young man's gaze and asked. "Is there something the matter with my hat, Monsieur?" She was wearing a wide brimmed silver satin hat of the fashion of the year. "You seem to be staring at it."
"No, mademoiselle," said Longueville. "It is a very fine hat. It suits you very well. I only wanted to say that you seemed very pretty and fresh today and I was waiting for the right moment."
Something about the timing of the comment was right, and Adelaide smiled prettily at the count. I began to realize that Adelaide was warming up to Longueville,. Although I was happy that I had smoothed things over with Longueville in the morning, something like envy rose up within me as I knew that whatever it was that would grow between them, as husband and wife, there was unlikely to be a place for me.
"I have sent for tea," remarked our host. "Will the two of you have some as well?"
"I would prefer hot chocolate," said Adelaide, "though Gaspard shall certainly have tea."
Longueville rang for one of the servants and informed him of Adelaide's request. Soon after, several valets returned with the tea, hot chocolate, and other refreshments and we sat quietly enjoying the light meal as a maid continued to play the harpsichord and sang occasionally.
There was very much of silence as we enjoyed our tea at table and the mood was decidedly different than it had been the prior days. Longueville tapped his foot repeatedly against the floor in tune to the music, I thought to avoid conversation with my sister and me, and it was rapidly beginning to irritate me. "It seems to be a fine day outside," said Longueville, finally, after he was done with his tea. After he spoke this, he bid us to excuse him as he had to meet with his estate manager. But, watching him from the hall, I saw as clear as day that our host left the castle and descended to the garden along the castle's eastern aspect. It was the same place where my sister and I had been gossiping the afternoon before.
"Did we do something wrong?" asked Adelaide, alarmed by our host's sudden departure. "I was only just beginning to like him."
"I don't think so, Adelaide," I lied. "I shall go and see if he wants anything," and I left my sister alone with the servant playing the harpsichord as I went to find Longueville in the garden.
"You made a fast escape," I said to Edouard when I found him sitting on a bench by the garden's edge. Edouard sat under the insufficient shade of fiery laburnum by the garden's outermost wall. "This does not seem like a suitable place to flee as certainly even the guests must know to check here first."
"I suddenly felt very hot in the room."
"Aren't you going to say anything, Edouard?"
"I am saying something," said Edouard. "What would you like to hear, Monsieur?"
"Have you forgotten?" I asked.
"I have not forgotten any of the events that have passed in the two days that your sister and yourself have been here," said Edouard. "They have all left their mark upon me, Monsieur de Villeneuf."
"Must you go back to calling me that again? I thought we had cleared everything, Edoaurd."
"Was there anything to clear?"
"You aren't still cross with us, Edouard?" I continued. "With me? I hope that you shall never have cause to say that I have wronged you. I hope that we can understand one another."
"I don't understand any of it."
I reached up and placed a hand on Edoaurd's cheek. "You are burning hot," I said. "Do I bother you that much?"
"I think you should leave today," said Edouard. "If not today, tomorrow."
"I hope to remain longer," I said, looking down and placing a hand on Edoaurd's thigh. I could feel the tight straps of his leg muscle underneath the palm of my hand. "My father hopes it as well. He wants us to stay most of the summer. I have just received a letter from him."
"Please give him my regards when you send your reply."
"I shall. Of course." I touched Edouard's neck with a hand. "Let's get out of here," I said.
Edouard shook his head and looked away, but I left my hand on his neck, squeezing it and gazing deeply into his eyes.
"No," said Edouard.
"Let's go," said I again. "Let's get out of here."
There was a short silence and then I stood up.
"And go where?" asked Edouard, standing up after I had done so.
I took him by the hand and led him up the steps and out of the garden. It was not long before we were ascending the steps of the tower and making our way to my bedchamber. I turned around and grinned at Edouard as I pushed open the door into my chamber and led him in. "Now?" he asked. "In the middle of the day?"
"You shall certainly find Paris very surprising when you marry my sister and move to the city," I said. "There is nothing better than making love in the middle of the day with the window open and the fresh air blowing in."
"Fresh air in Paris?" asked Edouard.
I walked over to the small and narrow window along one of the walls of the room and pushed it open. "The sounds of the city coming in to the room from outside. I have much to teach you about life."
"It seems that you have lived much more than I," said Edoaurd, as I reached up and began to remove first his jacket and then his waistcoat. I bent down on one knee and unbottoned his breeches. Edouard kicked off his shoes and I helped him pull down his stalking. With his clothes removed, standing before me in his nakedness, I stood up and Edouard gazed deeply into my eyes with his own shining eyes. I felt that we had become one, at that moment, and that what was to pass between us would not merely be the sex act between lust-filled animals, but something very different. Though Edouard was naked, I was still dressed and I hugged Edouard, moving my hands up and down his back, kissing his neck.
"Get in the bed," I said, and the tall Edouard slowly sat down on the edge of the bed and moved himself backward until he was laying flat. Standing in front of him, I slowly removed, one by one, each of the articles of my clothing, as Edouard watched. He was wide-eyed and awestruck as he saw me in my own nakedness. I walked over to the bed and he sat up and hugged me, resting his head against my chest. He kissed my abdomen and then he kissed my chest, licking first one nipple and then the other. I pushed Edouard flat on the bed and lay on top of him. He felt something of mine grind against him and he asked: "What do you call that, Monsieur?"
"I call it my lance," said I.
"Your lance?"
I kissed Edouard on the mouth. I rubbed my hands up and down his chest and then I lifted his legs up and pushed them backward, so that his arse was facing me. His tight pink hole was staring right up at me and I was awestruck. Knowing what was coming, the beautiful Edouard tossed back his head and moaned. I kissed Edoaurd's pink hole and then I took my lance and slapped it against Edouard's leg, to get it to its full girth. Positioning myself over Edouard again, I placed my lance against his hole and I warned him that I was about to push it in. Edouard merely nodded and gazed at me with his trusting eyes. I felt then that he, perhaps, trusted me too much, but I was not going to convince him that he should not. This was the first time in this sort of act for the both of us and it would be a time of exploration.
"Did you lock the door?" asked Edouard suddenly, his legs bent backward still, so that his knees were almost behind his head.
"No," I replied, and I pushed in to him with my "lance".
Edoaurd moaned as I pushed into him and slowly his hole swallowed my lance. He was very tight, tighter than anyone woman that I had bedded, and I had slept with dozens of them. Granted: almost none were virgins though they might have claimed to be. As Edouard faced me in the bed, gazing now passed me at the ceiling of my bedchamber, I felt that I was the King of France, and had gained the greatest prize in the kingdom. The room was very quiet and the air that blew in from outside the castle could not deaden the masculine scent of the two men in the bedchamber. My lance throbbed inside of Edouard and I thrusted deeper and deeper into him. I was caught up in the throes of passion and I greedily kissed his face and neck. I wrapped my arms around his body and the sweat from my body dripped down onto his.
I watched as Edouard's own lance throbbed and slapped back against his tight abdomen in his excitement. To my amazement, Edouard's lance soon began to ooze thick cream as he was overcome with the pleasure that I was giving him. Edoaurd moaned as the cream shot out of his lance and soon I had neared the moment of my own release.
"I am near, Edouard," I said. "You shall feel it soon."
Edouard said nothing, but tightly gripped onto my arms. His face had flushed as I continued to thrust into him and the contrast of his strength with the timid and trusting expression that I now saw was enough to send me over the edge. Edouard moaned open-mouthed. Moments later, I felt a pulse of electricity surge through my body and I shook as my own cream shot out of my lance and into Edouard. Concerned that the servants would hear, I surpressed my own cries of pleasure by placing my lips on Edouard's neck. His body muffled my cries and then I moaned softly into Edouard's ear.
"Are you done?" whispered Edouard.
"Yes, Monsieur," I said. "I am done. It was the most wonderful thing I have ever experienced." I rolled off of Edouard and then wrapped my arms around him in the expansive, though old, canopy bed.
There was silence for a time, as I kept Edouard in my embrace, and then he said: "Are we supposed to speak after this?"
"We do not have to, Edouard," I said, "if you do not want."
"I don't care."
"Was that your first?" I asked.
"Yes," said Edouard. "We do not have pleasures like these in the ecclesiastical college in Evreux."
"I suppose not," I laughed, sitting up. I bent over and kissed Edouard on the forehead, admiring the dark-haired aristocrat that lay in bed beside me. "I believe that I am very fortunate. When you marry my sister and move to Paris, I believe that I shall see you very often."
Edouard sat up and reached for a handkerchief from his waistcoat. After wiping himself clean, he said: "I have no intention of marrying your sister, Gaspard."
I must have turned white as a sheet then. I stood up. "What do you mean?" I asked. "You must! You must marry her. Everything depends on it!"
"The fortunes of your family, you mean?"
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "No! You understand. My father shall skewer me and toss me into the Seine if you do not marry my sister! I do not understand what happened. My sister and you seem to be growing used to one another. Wasn't she very pleasant at tea this morning? Certainly you must approve of her now."
Edouard shook his head and walked toward a table against the wall. He rapped his fingers along the table's surface of inlaid wood. "Something about this all is very wrong," he said. "Certainly you must feel it."
"No, Edouard. I don't. I don't know what you are talking about."
"I do not wish to be the prey in your family's ambitions."
"You had no problem with it before," I declared. "It's about us isn't it?"
Edouard did not reply.
"Have I done something to upset you? Something must have changed, Edouard. Are you angry with me? Don't be angry."
Edouard walked back over to the bed and hugged me. I was full of rage at this point but Edouard was someone that it was so easy to love that I could not but return the hug that he gave me. "I am sorry, Gaspard," he said, tenderly. "I am fond of you, but I am finding it very difficult to trust you. Indeed, it was easier to submit to the marriage when you and your sister were merely names mentioned in letters from my sister. Now that I have met you... now that I have experienced you, Gaspard, I now find this marriage an impossibility."
"You are being hasty," I said, shaking my head. "Write to your sister and give yourself a few days to think it over."
"Perhaps I am being hasty," said Edouard, "but I am sure of my decision. I shall not marry your sister or enter your family, Gaspard. I believe it would be best if you and Adelaide left Longueville tomorrow."
[TO BE CONTINUED]
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