A/N: This storey deals with mature themes and may be offensive to some readers. I'm not going to have to start carding you am I?
The versions of the chapter title song by James Blunt and Ximena Sarinana are recommended.
I Want You
Wednesday, April 21, 1915
Rosamund used every trick she had to get Mary to agree to act as Sir Richard's hostess. She cajoled 'think of how exciting it will be, Lloyd George is supposed to be attending"; she bribed 'I will give you that ivory cameo that was your great grandmother's'; she begged 'I promised Sir Richard, if you don't come he will be so angry with me'; she reasoned 'this is an excellent chance to learn the art of being hostess without any responsibility'; she flattered 'I know you have a natural talent, you'll do such a good job'; she wheedled 'This is the best way to avoid Sir Richard, a host and hostess never see each other at a party'; until she finally wore Mary down.
There was much planning to do. They did not meet with Sir Richard; providing them with the guest list was the extent of his preparations. They meet with Sir Richard's butler and cook several times. Mary discovered that butlers had a mutual assistance pact whereby they exchanged information about guests so that dietary and drink foibles were dealt with; seating arrangements were satisfactory; and all other matter of inadvertent unpleasantness was avoided. Advertent unpleasantness was left to the hosts and guests to deal with themselves.
On the day Rosamund insisted that Mary wear her red dress. There was a jet necklace and earrings which would probably look best with it but, as a talisman, Mary decided to wear the locket and four leaf clover earrings Matthew had given her over the last two Christmases.
Rosamund and Mary arrived at Sir Richard's house early to check the arrangements were all in order. Chamberlain, Sir Richard's butler, apologized on behalf of Sir Richard, who had only got home himself, for not meeting them personally, but he was getting changed.
Minutes before the first guest arrived Sir Richard came down the stairs. They barely had time to greet each other before they were greeting the guests.
The guest list was a mix of politicians and self made business men. As Rosamund had pointed out to Mary when they had first received the list, they would be the only true gentry there. The guests were all from the middle class, or lower, and nothing more than nouveau riche. 'You watch' she had predicted 'they're so gauche, they'll talk all night about how much 'things' cost'.
Mary had intended for her aunt to take the hostess' seat directly across from Sir Richard but Rosamund out manoeuvred her and she ended up in it. To her left was the guest of honour, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, himself. He was quite charming, although a bit full of himself to Mary's taste.
During the fish course Mary felt a hand give her left thigh a small squeeze. She startled. She turned to Lloyd George and glared at him as best she could without making a scene. He smiled at her. She reached down and tried to peel up his fingers but that just encouraged him to caress her leg some more. She leaned towards and whispered "Unhand me sir! I am a married woman."
He whispered back in turn "Married women make the best lovers, they are more experienced and also more discrete. I would love to contnue this conversation in private at your convenience."
Mary flushed. She picked up her fish knife in her left hand. She whispered back "Are you right handed?"
Lloyd George looked puzzled "Yes, why do you ask?"
Mary dropped her left hand, still holding the knofe, into her lap and then pressed the point against the top of his hand. "Because if you don't immediately remove your hand I am going to drive this knife right through it and you'll never write again"
Lloyd George snatched his hand away. He grinned at her "Sir Richard certainly has himself a firecracker" and then he turned to speak to the lady on his left.
Mary looked over at Sir Richard. He was laughing. He knew what had happened and he thought it was funny. She frowned.
When dessert had been finished Rosamund and Mary shephereded the ladies into the drawing room, leaving the men to their port and cigars.
Mary ensured the ladies all had an after dinner drink of their choice and then glided from one set of conversations to another; all of which seemed to concern, as her aunt had predicted, the price of this or the price of that. She started to get irritated; this is not how she imagined what it be like to a hostess in high society; this seemed like... work. She started to appreciate what her mother went through.
When she started to wonder out loud that the gentlemen were taking a rather long time one of the political wives told her that 'it was like this all the time, sometimes the men would talk all evening and never rejoin them And this might be one of those nights, there seemed to be some sort of cabal forming' she lowered her voice 'concerning the prime minstership'. This irritated Mary more, she wanted to be involved, she wanted an equal say.
Finally at ten to eleven the gentlemen joined the ladies, but only for a moment. It seemed the political guests were leaving, only a few of the business guests were staying for a while.
Mary and Rosamund joined Sir Richard in saying goodnight.
Lloyd George held Mary's hand entirely too long, and gave it a most improper squeeze. "I look forward to meeting you again Lady Mary. Sans cutlery." he leered at her. She scowled at him as much as she dared without destroying her facade as the gracious hostess..
As they walked to the drawing room Sir Richard was exultant. "This has been a most excellent night. If all goes according to our plan, Lloyd George will be prime minister before Parliament rises this June". He saw that Mary did not share his joy. "What is wrong my dear?"
This was the final irritation for Mary. She stopped while that the others continued on. Sir Richard stopped also. They were the only ones left in the hall. "I am not your dear!" and as Sir Richard started to mumble some sort of apology she rode right over it "Didn't you see that man pawing me at dinner?"
Instead of sympathisizing, or getting angry, which is what Mary would have expected, Sir Richard just laughed at her. "You say that like it is not a good thing"
Now Mary was angry. "It is not, it is improper!"
Now Sir Richard had his back up. "Don't lecture me about propriety. I know all about your past; you are the last person who should be talking about what is proper"
Mary drew in her breath. He knew about Pamuk!
He continued on "Was it proper that you and that callow youth of yours were going at it like rabbits until you were caught out? Is that sham marriage the two of you entered into proper? I think not. You do not care any more for propriety than I do."
Mary let out her breath. He thought it was Matthew.
Richard would not let it go. "As for Lloyd George, they don't call him the Goat for nothing. He's probably bedded half the political wives who were here tonight, and the other half wish he had, all with the tacit approval of their husbands. It is not a bad thing for a couple to have the ear of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, even is that ear happens to be laying on a pillow. Although if you hold out for a few months, you can bag the ear of a prime minister"
Mary stared at him. "You would want.. encourage..your wife to...:
"Oh grow up, you're not a silly virgin anymore. If you want power and wealth you had better use whatever assets you have available. I'm not saying you have to bed the man, or even asking you to, but if you chose to do so I would not object.."
Mary huffed and pushed by him Just before she entered the drawing room Mary remembered to paste on a smile. As soon as she could she was going to roundup her aunt and leave.
Mary was just about to approach Rosamund when one of the ladies quoted " 'It is a truth univerally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife'. When is that want going to be satisfied for you Sir Richard?"
Sir Richard smiled at the guests. "Soon I hope; there is a lady whom the first time I saw her, I knew that she was the one for me; but there are certain legal entanglements that will take a little time to resolve."
Mary flushed. She knew that the gentlemen would be oblivious but she could sense more than one of the ladies appraising her. She realized that tonight she had been auditioning for the role of wife, Sir Richard was having his friends check her out.
Sir Richard went over to the mantle and picked up a flat box. "In anticipation of that happy day when she is mine I am alrady buying her gifts." and he opened the box. Inside was a beautiful ruby and diamond nacklace and matching earrings. The ladies, other than Mary, let out a collective ahh.
Someone asked "And what did those baubles set you out back?
"I don't want to say out loud in case the Inland Revenue is listening" there was nervous laughter at this "But it was a choice between buying this or half of Kent"
"Or all of Yorkshire" someone called out and there was general laughter from all except Mary.
"Why don't you have Lady Mary model them for us?" asked Rosamund.
Mary glared at her aunt. She realized she had been set up.
"I would be honoured if she would" replied Sir Richard. He held the box towards Mary.
What could she do? She was trapped. She smiled at him and put out her hand to take the box.
He pulled it back. "Let me help you. The clasp will be unfamilar to you"
Mary walked over to the mirror on the wall. She started to take off her clover leaf earrings. She felt as if she were disrobing and disnonouring her marriage vows all at once. Oh Matthew she cried out in her mind; I don't mean to; I am trapped. Sir Richard undid the clasp of the chain on her locket. She put the locket down on the table with the earrings.
He scooped them up and put them in the pocket of his waistcoat. "We don't want them to go missing" he explained when she started to protest.
As he was doing up the clasp of the ruby necklace he took liberties with his fingers, stroking the nape of her neck. She shivered. He whispered "I am sorry if I upset you earlier. I was just being practical. Look in the mirror and see what power and wealth can do for you"
Mary looked. The necklace complimented her features perfectly. She frowned and the effect was of an imperious queen.
She put on the earrings and turned to the crowd. There was another chorus of ahhs. She turned back to the mirror and started to take them off.
Sir Richard grabbed her elbow "Please wear them for the rest of the night, help break them in."
What could Mary do? She was trapped.
-0-
Mary was returning to the drawing room from a quick trip to the water closet when, just before she entered, she heard her aunt asking someone:
"Do you mind giving me a lift home tonight?"
The other person said something and her aunt replied "From the looks of it I would say my niece has made other arrangements for tonight" and then they both laughed.
That was it as far as Mary was concerned. This whole thing was degenerating into some kind of French sex farce. She was leaving.
She found the telephone, telephoned her aunt's butler and told them that her aunt was taken ill and she wanted the auto here in twenty minutes. She brooked no dissent.
She then reetered the drawing room where she was happy to see that the conversation had revolved back to the coming coup d'etat and away from Sir Richard's pending (at least in his mind) nuptials.
She walked up to Sir Richard and in a voice loud enough for her aunt to hear she told him "I sorry but my aunt has taken ill and I must take her home"
"Oh?" Sir Richard looked at Rosamund who was as puzzled as he.
"Yes, she is going through the Change, you really don't want to know the details." she gave her aunt an insincere smile.
"You don't have to leave dear, I can catch a ride with...' Rosamund started.
"I wouldn't think of it, I wouldn't think of burdening anyone else with you dear aunt.. You know how moody you can get. Besides I have already ordered your auto, it will be here in fifteen minutes." Mary went over to the mirror and started taking the earrings off.
Sir Richard came up behind and whispered "Keep them on, they are yours"
Without turning around she whispered back "Keep them for your wife, whomever she may prove to be"
She put her hands to undo the clasp of the necklace but Sir Richard beat her to it. He whispered "I was hoping that this would be the last thing I took off you tonight". He breathed on her neck and again she shivered. She hated that he could do that to her.
"If wishes were horses ..." She turned to him and held out her hand "My jewellry please"
"That gimcrack? I not sure what I did with it..."
"Look in your waistcoat pocket"
"Oh yes" and with ill grace he gave her back the locket and four leaf clover earrings. The ones Matthew had given her.
-0-
When they had their coats on and were just about to leave Sir Richard took Mary aside. He took her hand. "I know this evening has gone wrong for you somehow and I want to make it up to you. If we could just spend some time together in private I can prove my worth to you. You think I am crass and selfish but I have a passionate side that will excite you. I can make you the woman you deserve to be." He pressed a card into her hand. "This is the address of a pied-a-tere I have just off Bond Street. Tell your aunt you're going shopping with a friend and then meet me there tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock. I promise that you will enjoy what you find there".
All Mary said in response was "Goodbye Sir Richard"
-0-
On the ride back to her aunt's house Rosamund praised Mary "Except for that little snit at the end you did a brilliant job. That is the role you are born to, not the one being a country solicitor's wife"
Mary rebuffed her aunt. The only thing she said to Rosamund was "As soon as we get to your place I want that cameo."
-0-
Mary sat at her vanity and toyed with the card Sir Richard had given her while Anna took down her hair. She made her decision.
"Anna, there's a change in the plans for tomorrow."