Correspondence
This is for the fic rush on the mailing list. I hope my current popularity on this fandom takes the focus away from my shameless ripping off of all Lorena's skilful techniques. (Quentin Tarantino appears out of nowhere and smacks Missie upside the head. " We call them homages, not rip offs!" he screams at the terrified authoress.)
This fic is set in mid-nineteenth century England.
Kai Hiwatari Esq.
Long Birch Manor,
Surrey
Dear Tyson,
I do apologise for not putting pen to paper sooner than this, but as you can imagine I have been rather busy since arriving at Long Birch. The last of my books finally arrived from London the day before yesterday, and I found myself caught up in arranging the tomes in the library. You know how much I despise a badly organized collection. My grandfather's eyesight is failing him in his dotage, and I'm afraid his wits are departing at a steady rate. He did surprise me when I returned to the manor. He has had the uncanny foresight, even with his scattered mentality, to hire a new servant. God knows it's a big house, but as far as I know his opinion was that we had far too many peoples on the payment roster. We had the cook, the housekeeper, the butler and the stable master and he grudgingly paid them just enough to keep them around.
He has hired a young boy as his personal caretaker, something I expected to have to do myself which necessitated my return from London. There's not really that much work to do, Grandfather still has the physical capacity to bathe, dress and feed himself. Quite frankly, I think he went to the trouble of hiring this boy just so someone would listen to his incessant religious gasbagging. It's the only explanation, the poor child does nothing but follow Grandfather around listening to him talk. It must be quite bemusing. He doesn't even speak English.
He's a pleasant enough boy. His name is Rei Kon, and he's from China. According to James, he was once employed by the Kunestov household, but there was some scandal involving the Lord Kunestov's only son. Apparently, he was caught accosting the unfortunate child in a most immodest way in the parlour. I felt such sympathy for Rei upon hearing this. He is an exceptionally attractive youth, and he carries himself with a certain dignified grace that just makes him seem all the more vulnerable. To think that beastly Kunestov swine saw fit to molest him just because he occupies a lower social status than him is abhorrent to me. That said, I can understand Bryan's reasoning behind such an attack. There is something about Rei that makes one think lustful thoughts. Maybe it's his poor understanding of the English way of doing things. I suppose people must be more affectionate in his native China. Certainly none of my other servants have ever embraced me in such a familiar way upon a first encounter.
Anyway, I will finish this letter. I have very little paper with me, having used it all to light the fire in my bedroom. Rei's good at many things, but doesn't seem quite able to light a proper fire yet.
Yours sincerely,
Kai Hiwatari.
Rei Kon,
Long Birch Manor,
Surrey
Dear Max,
I apologise for the delay in writing. I've only just managed to acquire some paper. I'm afraid I had to pilfer it from my young master.
Despite having been at Long Birch Manor for over a month, I have yet to get used to the sheer size of the house. I swear, what is it with you Englishmen and your huge houses? I would say that you're trying to compensate for inadequacies in other departments, but most of the Englishmen I've met so far have had little to feel inadequate about. I'm sorry, barely halfway through the letter and already I'm sounding like an utter bawd. Anyway, back to the subject in hand (don't read too much into that) which is the monstrosity of English houses.
Back in China, I lived with my three brothers, one sister, two cousins, our parents and their siblings and our grandparents, and our house had only four rooms! What on Earth does Lord Hiwatari need all these rooms for? My own quarters are so big I hardly know what to do with myself. Maybe if the young master wasn't so reserved I would know exactly what to do with myself…
Oh, lord! There I go again! You poor thing, Max, I'm sure your virgin eyes must be burned right out of your skull. Lord knows it was bad enough listening to me while I was at your house, but now I'm sending filth right to your door. I must thank you for teaching me English, by the way. There are words in this language that have no meaning in my native Chinese. I'm doing a rather good job of concealing my grasp of your mother tongue, by the way, which makes Lord Hiwatari's behaviour all the more baffling. I really don't know what I'm here to do. All I do all day is follow his Lordship around listening to him spouting Christian psalms and Bible quotes. He's trying to teach me Latin, though as far as he knows the only language I speak is my native Chinese. He is also quite senile, so he often seems to quote the same verse over and over. Or maybe that's just me. All those psalms sound the same to me.
As you may have guessed from an earlier paragraph, I am quite taken with his Lordship's grandson, Kai Hiwatari. Do not mistake this for one of my fleeting infatuations, Max. I felt a twinge in my chest when he approached me for the first time, as opposed to the usual twinge in my thighs. I felt that too, but the twinge in my chest is quite new to me. He is devilishly handsome, like one of those marble sculptures scattered about the grounds. He is far from the stocky, muscled individuals I have been allowing privy knowledge to my person for the last few years. Rather, he is tall and lean, with a hint of underlying strength. I hold his eyes in very high regard. They are so vivid, both in colour and expression, and they seem to penetrate my being to the core. I do hope that won't be the only part of his body he will be using to penetrate me…
Oh, blast! I'll have to stop before this letter becomes more tawdry than it already is.
Love,
Rei Kon.
Tyson Granger,
Roselawn Lodge,
Bath
Dear Kai,
Why on Earth did you bring all of your books back to Surrey? It cost you an obscene amount of money to get them shipped to London in the first place, I imagine its cost you a hefty portion of your inheritance to get them returned. To this day, I cannot understand how you managed to fit them all in our tenement. It's not like you're going to be at Long Birch for long, especially now your grandfather has a personal assistant. You could have left most of them where they were.
I've settled in very well at Roselawn. The atmosphere is much more humid than my beloved London, but I have found a reason to like the place. His name is Max.
I didn't meet him until a day or two after my arrival at the lodge. His parents own the place; apparently they had to move out of London because he was sickly as a child. Poor dear still looks frail, but in an endearing way. He was bedridden during the first few days of my residence with rheumatic fever. He's cheerful, though, in spite of his weakened constitution. I had the privilege of supporting him as he walked around the gardens (it's good for his lungs) and I was heartsick at the way he had to practically cling to me for support.
I do realise, before you lecture me, that Max is very sheltered due to his illness. I promise I will resist any urges I might have to pounce on the boy and ravish him senseless. Lord knows it will be hard. He is so very beautiful, Kai. His hair is the colour of the sun, and his eyes as clear as the bright blue sky. I think I may be falling for him, but I will exercise restraint.
It's strange that you talk of your Grandfather's servant. Hiring young boys from China seems fashionable at the moment. Max used to have a Chinese servant too, but they had to dismiss him when the stable master took a fancy to him and attacked him in the barn. With Max being so vulnerable, they had to send both of them away. I hope nothing unfavourable happens with your servant.
Yours sincerely,
Tyson.
Max Mizuhara,
Roselawn Lodge,
Bath
Dear Rei,
I'm so glad to hear that you've settled into your new position so wonderfully. It's certainly an easier job than you had with me, ferrying me about the place and answering all of my stupid questions. Listening to an old man talk all day sounds like a good job to me. However, some of the contents of your letter give me cause for alarm.
Rei, it was a sad occasion when you left this house, especially for me. And in such disgraceful circumstances! You told me yourself that you didn't even think that Spencer fellow was particularly attractive. So why all this trouble over someone you didn't fancy? I fear that you will get yourself in trouble again over this Kai fellow, and you will be burdened with such a dreadful reputation that you'll never be able to find employment ever again!
I must admit, I am grateful that you gave me such marvellous instruction in the ways of seduction before you left. A young man by the name of Tyson Granger has come to live with us and by God, he is handsome. He is a little on the stout side, with such broad shoulders and wonderfully large arms that I felt quite maidenly staring at him. You would have been proud of me Rei, for I managed to convince him to accompany me around the gardens. And in those gardens, I took hold of his arm and practically had him carry me around the place! He was eager to oblige, my mother having filled him in about my malady.
What do I do next, Rei? I wish I was as schooled as you in the art of seduction, but all I have at my disposal is my vulnerable state and those stories you told me before you had to leave. God, I wish I could just throw myself upon him and offer myself up for his ravishment, but I am not so bold as you. I need help, for I am going mad with longing! Write back soon, and please be prudent!
Yours sincerely,
Max Mizuhara.