Taboo

Keywords: Intelligence, Ch., Artificial, 04,

Stratford. Please excuse me." She rose and slowly walked out to the stables, forgetting to take her coat, not noticing the cold.

Drake looked up when he saw her enter. "Hello V, what brings you..." he suddenly noticed her dazed expression and the fact that she wasn't wearing a coat. "V, what's wrong? Are you alright?" He guided her into the back of the stables, where it was a bit warmer. He wrapped a blanket around her and rubbed her arms, staring at her with concern.

She stared straight ahead. "Rosy is afraid of you because she's scared you might rape her," she said flatly.

"Rape her?" he asked, clearly horrified.

"She confessed that she had omitted a particular house from her list of previous employers because the man of that house treated his servants that way. He particularly liked virgins," she said, still staring straight ahead, her voice emotionless.

"My God, what kind of a man would do that?"

"It was the Ogilvy's," she said, her voice breaking. She looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears. "It was Thomas."

He stared at her a moment and then pulled her into his arms and held her tight. He closed his eyes, thankful that he had exposed Thomas and that she was no longer involved with him. "I was seriously considering marrying him," she said quietly. "Thank you, thank you so much," she murmured.

He loosened his hold on her, so that he could look at her. "For what?" he asked.

"For showing me what sort of a man he is, for getting me away from him."

He wiped away the tear that trickled down her cheek. "I'm glad I was able to do that for you. However it happened, I'm glad you're not with him anymore," he said gently. And heaven help him the next time I see him, he thought.

"I assured her you would never do such a thing, so she shouldn't be scared of you anymore," she said. "And Drake, any grooms or farm hands or any men that I hire on this farm, I want you to make it very clear to them that they are to treat the female servants with the utmost respect and courtesy. I know they sometimes behave in a rough manner and I don't want any of that going on. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, of course," he replied. "You must be freezing, and now that I've stopped working, I'm beginning to get a bit chilled as well. What do you say we go in the house and have some tea?"

"That sounds very nice." She stood, keeping the blanket wrapped around her. "Thank you, Drake," she said, placing her hand on his arm. He wrapped his arm around her and they walked to the house.

He still had his arm around her as they entered the house. Rosy stood in the shadows just off the mezzanine and watched them. She wondered why Virginia had reacted so strangely to her confession about omitting the Ogilvy's from her list of experience. She had immediately gone and told Mr. Stratford. I'm going to get sacked, she thought fearfully as she continued to watch them.

"You're sure you're alright?" he asked her again.

She nodded and removed the blanket, placing it on the couch. She stood in the foyer and said to him, "You exposed him as a liar but I had no idea he really was so terrible. I can't believe he treated his maids like that. I know that in some big houses where there are lots of servants that some have affairs with the sons or even husbands who employ them, but to brutally rape the virgins in your employ? Oh, it's too terrible to think of," she said rubbing her face.

They began to walk into the sitting room, when Rosy heard her say, "I'm so glad we hired Rosy so that now she has a nice and decent place to work. I wonder if she knows any of the other maids that worked there. We still need two more."

"Why don't you ask her?" he suggested.

Rosy's heart soared. They weren't going to sack her! They were glad to be able to help her. For the first time in months she really felt good about things. When Virginia called for her, she happily ran to do whatever it was that she wanted.

Virginia asked Rosy about other maids that had been in the employ of the Ogilvy's and hired Dolly and Sarah, both of whom were wary of Drake until Rosy spoke with them, assuring them that they would be treated well at Aurora.

Virginia found that she enjoyed having servants in the house. Not only did it make for a busier atmosphere but she no longer had to do so much of the work herself and was able to relax and enjoy herself. She spent much of her time in her sewing rooms happily working on Drake's riding outfit. She made Rosy her personal maid and enjoyed her company.

One morning she was helping Virginia work out some particularly nasty tangles in her hair. "I don't know how I managed so long without a maid, Rosy. You are truly a godsend," she said as she gently guided the comb through the knots.

"Oh, ma'am, it's nothing. I'm just glad to have a good position for a change. You and Mr. Stratford are my godsends. And I know that Dolly and Sarah feel the same."

"Well you're all doing a wonderful job. I just feel dreadful for any girls still over at the Ogilvy's and for the new ones going in."

"I don't think there are any new ones, ma'am. Quite a few servants were sacked before me, but new ones weren't hired." She lowered her voice to conspiratorial whisper. "Quite frankly, I think they're having financial troubles over there." She nodded her head as if to confirm the point.

She recalled what Thomas had said the night of Billy's wedding about being almost destitute. "Well, that's a good thing then that no more innocent girls will fall victim to him."

A week later, as Virginia and Drake were enjoying a friendly game of billiards, she mentioned that his suit was coming along nicely and that when he had a chance she would like him to come up for a fitting.

"Certainly, my dear. Will I be required to entirely disrobe?" he asked, with a wicked gleam in his eye.

She shot him a sideways glance and said, "Well yes of course. Did I not mention that I'm making you underclothes as well?"

"Oh well, I didn't realize I would need special undergarments for riding a horse. I'm rather looking forward to this fitting." He walked up close to her and said in a low voice, trailing a finger along her arm, "We could go up right now and do it."

She shrugged off his hand and walked around the table, away from him. "Stop that," she said. "You're just trying to get out of finishing this game, because you know I'm going to win."

"Well, it was worth a try," he chuckled.

A month had passed since Drake began working on the new groom's quarters and Virginia decided to see how things were progressing. He had been out there for a few hours and thinking he might be hungry she asked Rosy to prepare a lunch for them. It was a cold and blustery day in late-February, with the sun peeking out between the clouds now and again. She pulled on a warm cloak and walked out to the stables.

She entered and froze in her tracks, mesmerized by what she saw. Drake had finished the new quarters and was now in the process of removing one of the stalls to begin the new tack room. He was tearing down one of the walls and didn't notice her enter. She stood in the shadows watching him.

He had removed his jacket and waistcoat and was clad in just his shirt, breeches and boots. His shirt was damp from his exertion and he paused to wipe his brow. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him strip off his shirt and undo the leather strap holding his hair back. He walked over to a bucket sitting beneath the water pump and picked it up. It was full of water and Virginia thought she might faint as she watched him lift it above his head and slowly pour the contents over himself.

She stared transfixed, as the water cascaded over his upturned face and down his neck, splashing onto his broad shoulders and raised arms, then flowing over his muscular chest and stomach to soak through his breeches, revealing his strong thighs. He dropped the bucket and shook his head, sending water droplets flying through the air. The sun broke through at that point, catching the drops, causing them to sparkle and flash as they soared past the window. He tipped his head back and slowly drew his fingers through his hair, pulling it back from his face. He lowered his head back down and a few pieces of hair fell forward, framing his face.

It was cold in the stables, but his hard work had heated his body and now a light steam rose from him. Virginia had never seen anything so utterly masculine in her life and she found she could scarcely breath.

With the sunlight illuminating the stables, Drake suddenly noticed her standing near the door. Even at that distance he could see the passion and desire burning in her eyes. Witty comments flew through his mind but he didn't dare speak and break the spell that she was under. He slowly walked towards her, dripping water, the light steam still rising from him. He ran his hands over his slick chest and stomach and shook them at his side, casting off the excess water.

She suddenly found her breath and it burst through her lips in gasps. . Her heart pounded as he approached and stood before her. His body glistened in the sunlight and she visually caressed each muscle until her eyes reached his face.

His warm amber eyes immediately drew her in. She could think of nothing except him, the way he was at this moment, and that she wanted him desperately. Before she knew what she was doing, her hands pressed against the warmth of his chest. She traced the muscles there and slid her palms over his ribs. He caught her chin in his hand and tipped her face up to his. They stared into each others eyes and she whispered, "I want you Drake. Now, here."

Keywords: Intelligence, Ch., Artificial, 04,