DESIRE & DUTY
by MEL

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
TBC

DESIRE & DUTY

CHAPTER FOUR

Lowingham's dining room was an exercise in restraint in comparison to the other estate rooms in the house. It was currently in vogue to deck out one's home in the most eye-catching and prominent décor as was available, so that even in the dim candlelight that was usually the norm for assemblies in there, one could always be sure of impressing the guests with style and magnitude of ones fashionable abode. This dining room was quite to the contrary, subtle and understated. Clarice's eyes took in the entire room in a swooping circle, before coming to rest on a handsome woman who had risen from the chaise in greeting. Clarice crossed to her.
"You must be Bella," she said. "It is so good to see you again after all these years." They shook hands warmly.
"It has been many years." Bella gestured to the couch and both women sat. "Our guests will be arriving very shortly, but I wanted to take a few minutes for us to meet."
"Your house is beautiful Bella. How long has it been in your family?"
Bella started.
"Why, several hundred years. I wasn't aware that you knew that."
"My husband told me, long ago." Clarice smiled conspiratorially. Bella looked relieved, and laughed lightly.
"It is not the kind of news my husband volunteers freely," she said quietly, as if the walls had ears. "His family were also wealthy but he has an elder brother. I, on the other hand, was an only child with very liberal parents."
"Very clever parents." Clarice interjected. "Entailing the estate away from offspring simply because they are the wrong gender is ludicrous. One can only imagine how many successful family lines and fortunes have been disrupted in this way."
Bella heaved a huge sigh.
"Oh my dear Mrs. Starling," Bella sighed. "You have no idea how refreshing your company is. Society in this area can be so confining. Lots of old families with lots of sons and not a broad mind among them!"
Clarice laughed:
"That does not bode well for our dinner party!"
"Oh I exaggerate a little," the older woman looked coy for a second. "They are not all dreadfully dreary. Please do not judge them prematurely on my account. My cousin and her husband will be here"
"I assure you I will not."

Any other words the two ladies had to say on the subject were cut short when the dining room door opened and Jack entered, followed by a tall, sombre man with a woman on his arm. Bella stood and introduced them as they approached.
"Mrs. Starling, this is my cousin Alice and her husband Mason Verger."
Clarice stood and bowed her hellos.
"It is very good to meet you both."
Alice Verger was an extremely pretty young thing, all big blue eyes and blonde curls. Mason, she could see, was considerably older. She would not consider him handsome enough for a pretty lady like Alice, but she imagined his bank book made him a whole lot more handsome in some eyes.
"Do you live nearby?" Clarice offered by way of conversation.
"Oh no-" Alice began brightly, but was interrupted by Mason.
"It is a number of hours by coach, much less on horseback. Of course we cannot expect our ladies to submit to such punishment." He smiled a toothy smile and looked her square in the eyes. Clarice did not have time to examine the discomfiture she felt at being so scrutinized by this man, as the door opened and two more guests entered.

They were obviously not friends or even acquaintances, by the manner in which they entered the room. Clarice's perturbation ratcheted up one notch when she saw who one of the two gentlemen was. Their eyes fell on each other at the exact same point and for a brief, silly moment she wished she could vanish. Paul Krendler crossed the room to the small group of people now assembled. Seeing nobody of consequence enter, Mason Verger withdrew from the group to stand by the fireplace, taking Alice with him.
"You must be Mrs. Starling," Krendler said. This time she could not resist his taking of her hand.
"Mr. Krendler, we meet again."
"You two know one another?" Bella looked delighted.
"In a manner of speaking, Mrs. Crawford." Krendler said, not taking his eyes from Clarice's. "I met Mrs. Starling at the docks upon her arrival in the country. Seems she did not see fit to disclose her name to me at the time, thought I do not know why that was."
Clearly the Crawfords and he were going to wait for an answer. Being so completely unable to disclose the truth of her thoughts, Clarice decided to play her poor defenseless lady card.
"The journey was a very harrowing one, I was not myself at all that day," she smiled generously.
"Oh I'm sure it was you poor thing," Bella exclaimed. "Is it true that you came all this way by boat, just you and young Annie?"
"Yes, though it really is not as much of an ordeal as all that. The ship was very comfortable, and I am very much used to the environment given our -" she paused for a split second - "my business."
"Still, you are very brave. I'm afraid a journey like that would finish me off." Bella laughed her light, tinkling laugh, but her eyes were sad.

"So Jack," Clarice turned to her host. "Who else are we to expect tonight?"
"Well you didn't meet our local doctor yet."
The man who had entered with Paul Krendler stepped out from behind Jack Crawford. Clarice had totally forgotten he was there, like so much wallpaper. He had on a wrinkled suit-coat and his hair shone unnaturally in the dim candlelight. His swarthy skin was also much exaggerated by the lighting. He grasped for her hand and his own was clammy.
"Mrs. Starling! It is an honor beyond words to finally meet you. I have heard much about you from our wonderful host, and hostess," his eyes turned to Bella for a moment, then fixed back on her. "The pleasure is all mine." He was shaking her hand vigorously now.
"I am glad to meet you too sir. Doctor, was it? Doctor?"
"Chilton, Dr. Frederick Chilton ma'am."
Clarice extracted her hand from his and bowed politely.
"Is our party complete, Bella?"
"No there is one more gentleman. I believe I heard a coach outside. We are awaiting another Doctor! Are we not lucky to count so many wonderful people amongst our friends and neighbours?"
"Another Doctor?" Chilton suddenly looked somewhat uncomfortable. "You have invited Dr. Lecter?"
"Why yes!" Bella gushed. "You two must have much to talk about, being in your similar professions."
"Not as much as you'd think," Chilton replied weakly, and with an insipid smile he bowed out of the group and went to introduce himself to Paul Krendler.
"Doctor Lecter is such a character," Bella said quietly to Clarice. "He's from the continent, you know, somewhere very far away is all I can remember of that. But he is very learned, and an unusually handsome man for his age. He writes, I think, but nobody knows where his money comes from or how much he has a year."
"Thank you Bella," Clarice laughed, "That was a very thorough summation indeed. Except you forgot the bit about his wife."
"Oh he is unmarried, though everyone believes he must propose to Miss DuBerry sooner or later. They have been linked for a very long time."
"And Miss DuBerry would be?"
Bella did not have time to answer that particular question, as the door opened and in came the gentleman in question.

Bella was right, he was handsome. His eyes quickly took in the guests scattered around the dining room before they settled very firmly, to Clarice's consternation, on her. A smile played over his features and his eyes bore into hers. Evidently, he knew who she was. Clarice suddenly felt at a loss for the first time in her trip. She looked around for Bella but she had moved off to talk to her cousin. Clarice swallowed hard and directed her gaze back to Dr. Lecter. He cocked his head to the side in salutation, and then his eyes slid off her as he turned to greet Jack Crawford. She felt naked, as if he had looked at her and automatically known a million things about her. Everybody else who had come to dinner tonight had made a beeline for her, come to inspect the famous Mrs. Starling, curiosity that she was. This man, on the other hand, had made it clear he knew of her presence, and had then proceeded to completely ignore her. She was amused to find herself a little put out, and laughed as she chastised herself.

"Are you alright me dear?" Bella had returned to her side.
"Oh yes, I am quite well. I was just inspecting the handsome Dr. Lecter. I was hoping to be introduced to this erudite neighbour but he has become busy with your husband."
"Do not fret about that," Bella assured her. "You will have ample chance to make his acquaintance as you are seated next to him at dinner."
Before Clarice could assimilate that information, Dr. Lecter appeared before her, offering his arm.
"I believe dinner is served, and Bella tells me I am to escort you to the table." His voice was velvet soft, and his manner and demeanour seemed out of place in the somewhat strange gathering. "I must apologise for not introducing myself sooner, but I am positive that you are already aware of my name, as I am of yours." He smiled his devilish smile once more and Clarice felt a flutter of something in her stomach, and found herself unable to do anything but smile and allow herself to be led to her seat.


To Be Continued