Chapter Six: His Mistress, Irresistible

Demons did not sleep, except as a luxury, so Claude Faustus had ample time to review the events of the previous evening as his mistress slept. He wished he could risk sleeping so that he might find respite from these troubling thoughts, but he didn't dare in case more automatons attacked the manor.

Last night he had been impaled by a bayonet in order to protect his mistress. Though he would never have let any harm come to her, the mere thought of losing her before their contract was completed had shaken him. He was afraid that he was beginning to (Devil forbid!) care about Ann Dudley, when just yesterday he had been lamenting her growing attachment to him.

Even though he hid behind a mask of demonic indifference Claude was truly gratified he had been able to serve his mistress so well. And that she sincerely appreciated his efforts made it even more rewarding. What was happening to him? Why was he so concerned about what a human thought of him? He was an immortal creature. Human lives were so short and most made little difference. The Countess Dudley promised to be a fine feast, nothing more.

Then why did he still recall her singular fragrance when she kissed his cheek last night? Why did he long to claim her lips? It was more than a taste he wanted. Claude wished to possess her body as well as her soul, but he feared she would send him away if he took such liberties.

In this Claude supposed demons were not so different from humans; they both often wanted what they could not have. All he could do was continue to serve the countess faithfully and see where it led.

Ann was in good spirits when Claude woke her the next morning, none the worse for wear. "For breakfast we have scones with clotted cream and a Congou tea from Twining's."

She smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Claude." He smiled ever so slightly in return.

"I was thinking, those toy soldiers reminded of a toy I had as a child. I don't know if it means anything, but it might be a clue." Ann began to chew her lower lip. "If I can find it, that is." She threw the bedclothes back and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Now shoo so I can get dressed. I'll call you when I'm ready for the corset."

"What about your breakfast?" Claude said with more concern than he intended.

She grabbed a scone and stuffed it in her mouth, then motioned for him to wait outside.

After he finished dressing her, Claude followed his mistress to the nursery in search of her old toy box. The room was filled with furniture covered in sheets. Ann started sneezing because of all the dust being thrown up into the air as Claude uncovered the furniture. Her butler offered her his linen handkerchief to cover her nose and mouth.

Claude finally found her old toy box, but she insisted on going through it herself. Not surprisingly, all of her toys had been well loved but cared for from the porcelain dolls, a genuine Funtom Noah's Ark, to a crocheted elephant. Her eyes moistened with tears when she pulled out a worn stuffed horse. "Look, Claude, it Mr. Horse!"

He raised an eyebrow and adjusted his glasses. "Mr. Horse?"

She hugged the toy tightly. "I love Mr. Horse!" She held up the horse's muzzle to her ear. "What's that Mr. Horse? You don't want to live in that old toy box anymore? Well, who can blame you for that?"

Ann turned to Claude and handed him the toy. "He'll be staying in my room from now on. Do be kind to him," she whispered, "he's very sensitive."

Claude gave her a withering look. "You can't be serious?"

"Don't tell me you didn't have a little devil doll when you were a young demon?"

"Certainly not."

"Well, I am sorry for that. There's something about loving a toy that does a soul a world of good. Anyway, make certain Mr. Horse has a comfortable place atop my dresser."

Claude found his ardor for his mistress somewhat dampened after that silly performance. He didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed. "Very well, my lady. Now that we have Mr. Horse's accommodations taken care of, perhaps you can locate the actual object of our search."

"Fine." Ann restrained herself from gushing over any more of her old toys and eventually found the toy soldier. She placed it on the ground then flipped a switch on its back. The soldier began marching across the room. When it ran into the wall, it turned on its heel, got down on one knee and 'fired' its rifle.

"Where did you get it?" Claude asked.

"Our old butler John Hunter made it," she replied.

Claude picked up the toy and examined it. "Strange occupation for a butler."

"John was a poor, frustrated inventor my father met during his travels. He gave John a position as the Dudley butler and let him tinker in his free time." Ann paused and looked out the window. "When my parents were killed John was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he was responsible for the soldiers and Mr. Falmouth, as well as the lizards that attacked my parents. We should go looking for him."

"I will make inquiries," Claude said sternly. "You will stay here out of danger."

Ann did not hide her disappointment. "Is that an order, Master Claude?"

He bowed. "Merely a request. You were almost killed last night. I would hate to lose you—before I can harvest your ripened soul," he added hastily.

Ann sighed and pouted. "Very well. I'll just sit here while you have all the fun."

Claude bowed again. "Thank you, mistress. I will be back before lunch."

Before Claude left, he carefully placed Ann's beloved Mr. Horse atop a little piece of yellow flannel to mimic the look of hay. The butler also made a floral blanket, which he draped across the toy's back so Mr. Horse wouldn't get chilly at night. Ann was so touched she began to cry. Once again she was overcome by the desire to kiss her butler. She knew he had only done it because she asked him to, but…

"Mr. Horse, Claude thinks I'm ridiculous, doesn't he?" She leaned into the toy's muzzle. "He does? Oh well, I was afraid of that." She laughed at herself then waited for Claude in the study.

Ann tried to be the dutiful young mistress, but she couldn't help recalling Sir Robert's words when her eyes fell on the Megalosaurus femur.

"He has a full skeleton, you silly creature. Surely he's shown it to you…"

The fake Falmouth was wrong, her father had never shown her the Megalosaurus skeleton, if indeed he even had one. Why would the late earl hide such a glorious discovery?

Dudley Manor had been built during the reign of King Henry VIII, so there were many secret rooms in the cavernous basement of the house. If the skeleton was in the manor it would be down there, so she decided to look for herself. It wasn't long before Ann got hopelessly turned around in the maze of rooms, but she was determined to find the Megalosaurus if she could.

After an hour or so, she gasped when she opened a door deep within the basement. There it was, a fully assembled Megalosaurus skeleton! The massive specimen stood 20 feet high on two legs, and was about 30 feet long. Flushed with success and excitement, Ann ran heedlessly towards the skeleton. She got within 10 feet of it when her feet were pulled out from under her and she found herself hanging upside down from a rope hanging from the ceiling crossbeam. Her father must have set the snare to prevent the skeleton from being stolen.

Ann tried to reach the rope around her ankles, but the restrictive corset prevented her from doing so. She willed herself not to cry and decided she would just wait until Claude returned—that is until she lost feeling in her feet. The rope was cutting off her circulation; she had no other choice but to call Claude back before his errand was completed. He'll never let me hear the end of it. Ann unbuttoned the top buttons of her dress to reveal the contractual seal on her chest. "Claude!" she called, her voice reverberating around the room, "I order you to help me, please!"

Claude was at the London docks questioning a particularly helpful mechanic (helpful because Claude had strung him up by his thumbs when he refused to answer the butler's questions) when he heard Lady Ann's call. She had never used the seal to call him before, so he knew whatever it was she needed him immediately. Claude's spider heart pounded in his throat as he ran at an inhuman speed to his mistress's side. He burst in the front door of the manor and began calling for her, but she didn't answer. It took him less than a minute to search the upper hall, but he still could not locate her. Panic began to rise inside him. How could I have left her alone!

Claude tried to still his racing thoughts so he could concentrate on her energy, then his feet began to tingle. Ann was in the lower hall! Within a few minutes he found her hanging by her ankles. He pulled out a Dudley butter knife and threw it, cutting the rope and catching her in his arms.

"My feet! I can't feel them," she told him. Claude laid her down gently on the floor, removed the rope, then her short boots. He gingerly began to rub feeling back into her feet, then once again scooped her up into his arms, visibly relieved.

She roughly wiped the tears from her eyes and attempted a smile. "I found it."

For the first time her butler noticed the huge skeleton. He grinned back at her. "Well done, my lady."

Even though Ann insisted she could walk, Claude carried her up to the drawing room and laid her down on the cushy divan, putting her swollen ankles and feet up on pillows. "I'll prepare luncheon directly."

Ann held onto his arm. "Wait, did you find out anything?"

Claude sat down on the edge of the divan facing her. "I have a few leads, but we can discuss them after you have rested a while."

"Thank you, again," Ann said, stroking his cheek.

"As always, my lady, it is my pleasure to serve you." Claude placed his hand on hers, then kissed her chastely on the lips. He withdrew, prepared to apologize, but Ann did something he didn't expect—she kissed him back, rather inexpertly.

"That's the first time you've ever been kissed," Claude said. It was a statement, not a question.

Ann winced. "Is it that obvious?"

"I'm afraid so, my lady," he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice. "Here let me show you. Just relax with your lips slightly parted." He slipped his hand on the back of her neck and kissed her again, but this time he snaked his tongue into her mouth. Ann let out a loud moan and started running one hand through his hair, tightly gripping his shoulder with the other. With little urging she began entwining her tongue with his. Claude's member began to strain against his trousers, begging for release, but he knew he would have to wait for that.

His previous masters and mistresses had all demanded affection from him of varying degrees, but this was the first time he had given it freely. He didn't love Ann Dudley—demons were incapable of such a tender emotion. Claude found her amusing, delightful actually, and he enjoyed pleasing her.

After kissing for half an hour, Claude forced himself to withdraw before he lost control.

"That was glorious," Ann sighed, her eyelids fluttering. "I could do that forever."

Claude rose and turned away from her, willing his erection down. "You must eat first, then rest."

"There you go ordering me around again," she said with a grin.

"My apologies, mistress," Claude said. "I will make it up to you later."

"Promise?" she asked with anticipation.

Her butler bowed low on one knee. "By Lucifer's name, I swear it."

Claude would have to take things slowly with Ann; a young noblewoman did not usually give up her maidenhead easily, but he would have it no matter what.

To be continued…