This chapter is for Kirbs, thank for the encouraging review JUST when I needed it! See you at the bottom, as a good friend of mine would say!

Miss Swan's POV

I rushed back to my rooms bursting with my new found power and knowledge. Bosie's lesson had been more successful than I could have hoped and Edward's reaction had been one of delight and passion. When I had removed my mask and Bosie had swung back the heavy curtains Edward pulled me to him, crushing me to him and raising my chin so that he could press his soft lips against mine ardently. I had begun to protest, surely there lingered some traces of my recent actions on my lips but he pulled me to him all the more tightly as I shrank back.

"No Isabella," his voice was low and serious, "hold nothing back." His tongue found mine and a thrill of the forbidden trembled through me at the thought that he must surely taste his own expulsion in the kiss.

All this was buzzing around in my head like a swarm of happy bees when I burst into my room expecting to find Shannon dutifully laying out my costume for the evening's masked ball. My rooms were empty, the fire had grown low in the grate and the weak winter sunshine was peering through the windows as it sank in the east. For a moment I stood quietly and absorbed the solitude. It seemed strange to me that I was alone for, since I had come to London, my life had become full of society and gaiety. To think that I had wondered if I might feel lonely away from Mama and Papa!

Eventually the room became dark and chilled and so, not being a high born lady unused to fending for herself I put a few more logs on the fire and lit the lamps. When the fire was blazing and there was still no sign of Shannon I decided to visit Laura. I wanted to regale her with the story of the afternoon, all my embarrassment at my naivety gone now that I was an experienced woman of the world.

As I walked along the dark corridors, watched by the long line of Laura's ancestors I began to wonder about the last piece to my erotic education, the deed itself. Edward was quite adamant that we should wait for our wedding night and, although I agreed with him on account of my terror of pregnancy before I was properly wedded, I also shared the feelings of Laura and Bosie who argue that this final step should not be allowed to grow so monstrous in my imagination that the deed become filled with terror. I mused to myself as I walked the wooden floors. How could I know what I was missing? I wondered. But then my body did seem to know what is desired. Indeed when Edward kissed me and toyed with my body I felt a yearning and a strange hollowness that longed to be filled up and completed. My legs would find themselves parted and my most intimate feminine parts would grind themselves against him almost of their own will. I chuckled at the thought of the carriage ride to Madam Chang's after the theatre. How close we had come to our undoing! And then I thought of Edward, putting aside his own masculine desires for my wellbeing.

Laura's door was before me and I knocked, cocking my ear to the door, expecting to hear her getting dressed. Usually Laura would banter with the servants, taking the cosmetic brush, the hairbrush and the stocking s out of their hands as they tried to help her dress. Tonight I could hear nothing. Wait; perhaps there was the faintest of rustling, the gentlest of sighs? I raised my eyebrows, had Laura a young man with her? I waited one moment longer and was half turned to go back the way I had come when I heard Laura's unmistakable laugh.

"Who is it?" she called, her voice filled with mirth. It seemed the other occupant of the room was attempting to silence Lady Ashton, who shouted all the louder. "Who is it?"

"Isabella!" I shouted back, unsure what to say and unused to shouting through closed doors. More laughter and rustling greeted my reply.

"Come in!" I turned the handle and went into the room. All was dark and only the fire in the grate gave any light to the scene before me. I went to the table and lit a lamp, turning the small button on the side to brighten the flame.

Laura was sitting up in the large bed, her hair beautifully awry and her face flushed. She was clearly naked beneath the heavy coverings and there was obviously someone in the bed with her. The obscured lover wriggled and said something in a muffled tone. Laura looked at the squirming blankets and raised an eyebrow to me, which only rendered her more comical and lovely.

"Oh she knows silly! Or she would do soon at any rate, sit up pet!" she shook the covers from her bedfellow and the hidden figure slowly sat up.

Shannon's hair was similarly tangled and her face too bore a rosy sheen. Whether this was from the sport in which she had obviously been engaged in previous to my knocking or the embarrassment she was now feeling I was at a loss to decipher.

"Miss...." she mumbled and tried to curtsey despite the wrapping of the bedclothes and her obviously undressed state. I looked at Shannon and then at Laura. Laura began to laugh, a deep amused chuckle which I had heard on several occasions. In the face of such a scene I began to laugh too. Shannon, now a shade of crimson which would be the envy of every cardinal in Rome, tied to slither out of the bed whilst maintaining her dignity. I passed her the discarded clothes from where they lay on the floor. Behind the curtain of the great bed she scrambled into them and was raking her fingers through her hair in attempt to tie it back when Laura leaned across the bed. Her movement caused the blankets to fall back and I was treated to a view of her softly curved back and her round behind as she planted a sloppy kiss on Shannon's mouth.

"Miss Swan isn't going to be cross, dear heart. Are you?" she turned to me, quizzing me with one eyebrow. I shook my head and tried not to giggle.

"Shannon?" the maid jumped. "Would you draw me a bath? And get out my costume for this evening?" without another word the poor girl fled the room. I turned back to Laura. "Really! I might have had to draw my own bath Laura! What were you thinking?" at my mock anger Laura dissolved into more giggles and I joined her.

*****

After dinner all the guests retired to change for the ball. Shannon had spent an age dressing me in my Juliet costume. Although she chattered on about the party and the beautiful satins of my gown, the delightful tiny pearls which were stitched to the lavishly embroidered bodice matching the ones on the cap and net I wore over my coiled hair, she did not say a word about my discovery of her that afternoon. I followed her lead and we talked as though nothing had occurred which might have been out of the ordinary way of things. I think I saw some gratitude in her expression as she handed me the small reticule in which she had put my tiny scent bottle and the small pot of rouge.

"Have a lovely evening Miss. You look just like Juliet, all beautiful and innocent." She smiled as she placed the short rose pink cape about my shoulders.

"Thank you Shannon, you work so hard for me, I am awfully grateful, dear heart." I couldn't help adding Laura's favourite pet name and was rewarded by Shannon's blush which rendered her a similar shade to my cape. I decided to cease my teasing and go downstairs where I could already hear the music playing and the tinkle of glasses.

*************

As I entered the room I saw Bosie bounding towards me. He was wearing the most risqué outfit I could have imagined. Most of his lean, muscled body was naked, save for a short, silver toga which draped nonchalantly across his left nipple and settled itself over his hips daringly. His beautiful curled hair was glittered with silver and he wore a silver laurel wreath across his brows. Silver sandals laced up his legs to his knees and, as he came towards me a champagne glass outstretched in his hand, I noticed that all of his bare flesh had been painted a subtle shimmering silver tone. He bounced on his toes in front of me, spilling the champagne and risking a fainting from the young men lounging against the wall, who were eying him with wolfish curiosity. Their attention was not wasted on Bosie who, after handing me the now half finished champagne glass, bowed a low bow to his admirers, no doubt they had a more fulfilled view of Bosie's charms as he swept the ground with one languorous hand. When he stood again his eyes were twinkling.

"Ah, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun! How the devil are you my dear? I'm cupid. "He said waving a hand over his lack of costume. I laughed and glanced to his audience who, if I could read their looks correctly were thinking sinful thoughts about the young god before me.

"Of course you are Bosie, who else could you be?" I took his offered arm and he walked me to where Laura and Edward stood together talking. Edward had to lean quite over in order to hear what Laura was saying. The skirt of her dress stood out in a dramatic sweep around her and took up most of the corner where she and Edward were standing. As she turned I saw her face was powdered to within an inch of its life. Her lips were two bright crimson cherries, painted dramatically in a sulky moue; one enormous beauty spot in the shape of a heart was painted onto her cheek just below the pink dusting of blush. There was no doubt in anyone's mind as to which character Laura had dressed. But it was her wig which stole the spotlight from her costume. The thing was enormous, almost as tall as her entire upper body it teetered marvellously on her white brows. The magnificent silver frosted hair was coiled and curled to represent a churning sea, spidery silver webs of a fishing net swung as she turned her head. Perched atop it all, like the most fantastical wedding cake ever imagined was a silver galleon. Its sails were full and they sparkled as the fabric fluttered against the chains of the rigging. Tiny cannons poked through the ports on the side of the vessel, the crow's nest soared to another seven inches above the main wig and, good god, there were even little replica sailors drowning beautifully in her elaborate coiffeur. She was a spectacle.

"My goodness Laura! What an outfit!" I gasped out, barely registering Edward's presence as the enormity of the entire ensemble sailed into view. Laura shrugged her white shoulders and gestured lazily at her hair.

"This old thing? Dear heart I simply threw it on!" Edward took the empty glass from my hand and replaced it with a brimming one as he laughed with us all.

"You look beautiful." he whispered to me. His eyes glittered in the candlelight and his Romeo costume seemed to only enhance his air of romance. His fingers brushed mine lightly and I felt a tremor of desire course through me, would it always be this way?

"I'd say she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear, wouldn't you Eddie?" Bosie drawled. Edward laughed turning to him.

"No, old boy I'd say she teaches the torches to burn bright!" it was Bosie's turn to giggle.

"And I'd say is there any cake?" trilled Laura, causing us all to laugh all the harder. So busy were we in our amusement that we did not notice our two new arrivals until they were fully upon us.

Lord Arthur was dressed in a leather skirt, slashed to his thighs and decorated with heavy looking metal studs. His chest was covered with a leather armoured breastplate which was sculpted to muscles he didn't own and a similarly fashioned helmet trailed from one hand, he held a champagne glass in the other, the little finger extended in a comical fashion. Beside his was Lady Caroline, swathed in a dark red gown and her face painted like an exotic Greek figure on a vase.

"Greetings!" Lord Arthur banged his fist dramatically over his heart; the effect was ruined somewhat by the spilling of champagne over his armour.

"What have you come as?" asked Bosie in a voice as sharp as diamonds. We all leaned together to hear the answer.

"I," here Arthur turned his face in profile to us all, "am a roman gladiator!" it was then I noticed the wooden sword slung at his waist. "I had a net and a trident too but..." he searched about him as though they might be tangled at his feet."I lost them...." he trailed off.

"And you are a Turkish carpet seller's wife?" Bosie's tone was still all acid and spite. Lady Caroline pulled herself to her, not inconsiderable, height and looked down her very roman nose at us all.

"I am Medea! Wife of Jason!" she announced theatrically.

"Are you?" Bosie inquired as though he was regarding something new and exotic at the London zoo.

"Who?" blurted Laura over her champagne glass. She turned to Bosie and said in a mock whisper loud enough to be heard by the entire room. "Is she the one with the snakes?"

"No that's Medusa!" Bosie sipped his drink. "Anyway, what do you want?" he turned back to the Greek murderess and the puny gladiator.

"I just thought you might like to know that Lord Arthur and I have been exchanging stories." Announced Lady Caroline in a majestic fashion marred only by her hitching her robes about her like a fishwife.

"Turns her boyfriends to pigs?" offered Laura intelligibly. Bosie sighed and looked over his shoulder at her tiny face under the mountain of hair.

"Circe. What have your stories got to do with us?" he turned back to where Lady Caroline was leaning on Lord Arthur's arm, the poor man looked as though he might fall over.

"Well..." he stammered, "it seems that we all have something in common in this circle." he raised an eyebrow suggestively and leered at Edward who suddenly began to take notice of the new arrivals. Laura leant forward.

"Fucked her son?" Bosie turned to her very slowly. Very deliberately and enunciating perfectly he spoke.

"Jocasta."

"What do we all have in common?" asked Edward, a dangerous edge to his voice. Arthur laughed behind his hand and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Well Eddie dearest, it seems you are what we all have in common. As in, we've all had you." I took a sharp breath, of course I knew that Edward had been close to both Caroline and Arthur but their stating of this fact was a step across a boundary which I had come to take for granted. As debauched and licentious as they might be, the English never spoke about it and certainly not in public. And this was public. People in nearby groups were pretending not to hear but from their frantic glances and over animated discussions one could tell they were all ears.

"Fucked by a swan?" Laura asked in an infuriated tone. Edward looked as though he was about to speak. Laura looked at me and, having got the joke, began to giggle. Bosie handed her another glass of champagne although, with the alarming manner with which her wig was swaying she hardly needed it, and whispered to her fiercely.

"Medea, killed her children? Fed them to her husband?" Laura's face was blank for a moment and then the light of realisation dawned across her face. She nodded happily.

"Of course! Ate the children!" she turned back to the conversation, clearly happy she had solved the mystery. She looked from Lord Arthur to Lady Caroline and then at her dress and then to Bosie. "Bosie!" she announced as imperious as only Marie Antoinette could be, "this is dreadful!"

"What is?" Bosie's brows knotted together in concern. As he followed her gaze from Arthur to his own person, then from Caroline to Laura.

"They are! It's like we're being played by two lower class actors in a musical in Yorkshire!" she smiled happily at her analogy. Bosie began to laugh, soon they were both clutching each other with mirth and Laura's wig looked about to topple and kill us all.

Lady Caroline sniffed and was about to continue her threats I have no doubt when Edward leant forward and grasped her wrist. From her expression one could tell this was no playful gesture and her face grew pale.

"Listen there is one person in this group who I have not 'had', as you so charmingly phrased it Caroline, and two who I wished in all the world I had not. Now if this is a threat to me, my friends or my fiancé," he paused and there was real anger in his eyes. I saw Lord Arthur gulp. "Then I shall be forced to take it most seriously. If you have truly discussed my reputation then you must know I make no idle threat when I say that I will not stand by and let our lives be ruined by a pair of jealous, fly blown harlots!" all this was delivered in a low whisper, he smiled as he stood back from their ashen faces. They had seems something feral, something predatory in his expression and I too had witnessed that dangerous creature lurking behind his handsome face.

Lady Caroline mumbled something and took a step backwards. Arthur, his hand on his wooden sword as though it might defend him, followed after her like a meek lamb.

"Really second rate and cheap imitations!" laughed Bosie at their retreating backs.

"Killed the children and ate them!" chuckled Laura. I looked at Edward. He grasped two glasses from a passing servant and presented one to me with a Shakespearean flourish. All of the danger and menace had gone from his expression and he was once again the sweet, darling man who I loved. As I watched him laughing and joking with his friends I found it hard to believe that he had once worn an expression as feral and as threatening as the one which with I had seen him turn upon our two enemies.

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So, did you enjoy the party? I hope so. RL has been a turmoil recently and I'm sorry this took so long. Your reviews really do make a difference when a chapter is hard to get out, time is short and patience is thin. Thanks so much to Awesomesauce76 for being my lemon mummy, the Tinis for their constant support, my darling ficwife (!) Chandler1200 for being the best thing on the internet and Reg for being the best thing off it!!