Bridgewater House
Shrewsbury, England
Country seat of Lord and Lady Hackett
Georgia sat idly in the parlor of Bridgewater House awaiting her one and only truest friend, Lady Vivienne Hackett. She was quite familiar with the dark wooden room and its overly rich and intimidatingly dark furniture, compliments of Lord Hackett, Vivienne's husband, as soft light shown through the lightly draped window panes and candlesticks burning softly nearby. She and Luella had been to Bridgewater on numerous occasions within the last year. Bridgewater House was on a presumably flat piece of land with many acres and a lake at least half a mile up ahead before you even noticed the estate. There was a stoney grey connecting bridge that crossed them over unto the actual estate lands.
Luella and Issac often played on the land and sometimes even got to go exploring down by the waters with a few nursery maids, although always sure to never let them too close to the edge, and actually Georgia thought that a play date for Luella would also be the perfect excuse to speak with her dearest friend. At the moment she had had more than one dire situation that she very well needed some kind of advice on. Especially after last night. Lord, her heart warmed burningly at the memory's sensations and her stomach clenched into a tight ball. Just thinking about it made her feel wantonly unreal.
Luella began to mumble something at the same time Vivienne, wearing a pretty, light green dress with floral lace walked through the threshold, bustling skirts and petticoats giving away her entrance. Georgia stood and bowed in her silk yellow dress with short ruffled sleeves and patches of lace rimming her bosom. A dark, brown, straw bonnet tied under her chin with a matching brown ribbon.
"Good Afternoon, Lady Hackett." Georgia and Luella both said in unison like how they had practiced for the titles of nobility.
"My, my what do we have here? Isaac?!" Vivienne seemed to call not caring that she was shouting a bit. "Come look at who the cat drug in." She finished saying mostly to Luella who in returned flashed her a toothless smile before surprise and happiness settled over her little expression. Luella hadn't seen a playmate in almost two fortnights too long. A few moments later a small person the size of a midget with short dark hair neatly cut into a bowl around his head popped into the parlor.
"Is that a new haircut I see?" Georgia couldn't help the question or the small smile stealing away on her expression. She had never seen Issac with a hair cut and had thought he looked absolutely adorably handsome and much like his father than ever. "He looks just like his father." Georgia whispered to Viv.
"It's my haircut isn't it mama? I hate the stupid haircut!" Isaac said before running out of the room completely with an arm covering his eyes. Georgia and Viv winced as soon as they heard him bump into something in the hall. With Isaac not making it far at all on his little escape, luckily there were already servants in the hall to help clean the mess and escort the boy elsewhere.
"Please do not mention the hair cut." Vivienne said almost rolling her eyes with a crack of laughter hidden. "He seems to be ultra sensitive to that matter of subject."
"Of course." Georgia said naturally but Viv could see in her countenance that she possibly wanted to discuss more pressing matters. "Viv, there is-..."
"Shall I ring for tea and a nursery maid? Luella would you like to go play with Issac outdoors?"
"Yes, Lady Hackett." Lue Lue said flashing her a darling missing tooth smile once more. Which Viv returned in kind as she stepped over to pull the bell. Seconds later a maid was in to serve them tea and a nursery maid was already escorting Luella and a still upset Isaac to the grounds where they would play where he would forget all that he was even upset about. Not Georgia, no amount of playing can undo her memory from the things she'd soon like to forget. If only it were that simple as being a child again.
"Gi, sit please. Whatever is the matter?" Vivienne said as she herself sat and began to pour some tea with milk and sugar. Georgia finally sighed taking her seat across from her friend. "Oh, dear what is it?" Vivienne said not missing another beat as usual. "Come on you stubborn mule. If you will not say I will have to pry it out of you. Now, do you want me to do that?"
"There will be no need." Georgia sighed again. Finally when she began to open her mouth Vivienne cut her right off seeing completely through her. As if she were crystal glass.
"What did you do!?" Viv exclaimed excitedly. Georgia's cheeks burned the color scarlet with ferocity. She hadn't even thought she would discuss any information that happened the very night before pertaining to the Duke but all she knew was that strings in her heart were being pulled like never before and she didn't want it to stop. She wondered had Vivienne had a similar experience with her husband, Lord Hackett. She bit her lip stubbornly holding her tea cup with two fingers. "Gi, this is truly torture. I must know."
"Francis and I...well, we um...uh..." Georgia started but was cut off again by another one of Vivienne's outbursts. For a lady of genteel birth she was quite boisterous.
"You've done it!?" Vivienne nearly shouted with damnation.
"Quiet! do you wish for your entire staff to know who's bed I'm climbing in and out of?" Georgia said whispering that last part through clenched teeth which caused Vivienne to giggle.
"Sorry." Viv had admitted honestly, it wasn't in her intentions to possibly ruin her bestest friend. "So what now?"
"I don't know." Georgia told her glancing out the windows. "I-I'm not sure what it even was that I have experienced, Viv."
"Was it invigorating?"
Georgia blushed at the memory. "Yes."
"Did he... do lots of wicked things to you Georgia?" Viv asked with keen interest.
"Yes." Georgia said without hesitation and shyly looked back to the window. She should feel completely ashamed. Instead she felt alive. More than ever and wanted nothing more than to feel her blood coiling through her veins as she sang out sweet praises of his pleasure.
"What about with his mouth, did he-...?" Vivienne's started to ask but was cut of with Georgia's quick and shy answers.
"Yes. Yes. Yes. Viv, all the above. We were passionate and kissing, and he touched me in ways that I have never been touched." Georgia sounded like she almost couldn't believe it all herself. Probably because she actually couldn't. Somewhere in her brain she was still processing the fact that for five years she didn't know thar men actually looked like that, and gave pleasure like lustful beasts.
"Oh, Gi." Vivienne said with a rueful smile. "It sounds like the exact same thing that Hackett and I share on nightly occasions."
"Yes, but that's besides the fact. You're married, Viv!" Georgia said feeling defeated. It couldn't be true could it? There was only one way to find out. She would have to let herself be seduced again. Not that she hadn't wanted to, but she couldn't help but to feel uneasy about the whole thing.
"Well, yes I supposed that is true. Then there is only one simple question we must ask ourselves." Vivienne paused tapping her chin and Georgia flashed her a serious look.
"Pray do tell." Georgia told her not sure if she was even ready for what her friend might have to say.
"Would you mind being married to a Duke?" Vivienne said and then added the last part with a dash of acerbity. "Simple."
"Oh, so simple is it really?" Georgia chuckled with dry humor.
"Uh-huh. I don't know why it is so damned complicated for you two. Do you want a duke or not?" Viv said using her non lady-like manners. "To marry that is."
"Well, I am not in the business of trapping men into marriage. Yes, because that worked out so wonderfully splendid." Georgia said sarcastically with more than enough evidence from whatever happened in her first marriage to know better.
"No, not trap." Vivienne said thinking to herself for a moment. "No, no make him fall in love with you Georgia."
"And, just how do you suppose-..." She said with a gaping wide mouth and shocked dark brown eyes that she was actually going to consider this dangerously wild request. "Viv, have you completely lost your wits?"
"Not completely. Now, come along. Shall we go and see what the children are doing?"
"Why, yes of course." Georgia said not realizing that they both may have chatted themselves into a lover's oblivion losing track of time and realizing that she had something else to discuss with her friend. "Wait- there is more."
"Good heavens, Georgia!" Viv said settling back down picking up a biscuit from the tray the servants left for them.
"Luella's grandparents, my hus- Lord Pearson's mother and father wrote me to bring Luella to London so she may meet them."
"Oh," Vivienne started but had no words to finish and being that she truly didn't have any children of her own she didn't really know what to say.
"I'm terribly torn you see." Georgia voice wavered and tears began to well in her eyes.
"Oh, Gi, no don't cry my heart can't bear it." Vivienne said placing a small hand on top of hers. She gulped. "Whatever you decide Georgia it will be for the best. Now all you have to do is just believe it, my darling."
"I know Viv-..." She said with her mouth in a fine pout, almost quavering. "In all but a matter of days, I tell you..."
"Oh, come here." Viv said getting up to come over to her dear friend pulling her up into a comfortable hug where both there arms were latched together. After a few moments they both found themselves smiling as they pulled back from one another. "It will all work itself out. Now, shall we check on the those children?"
"Yes, of course." Georgia said laughing through the tears through it all because she knew more than anything she couldn't stop thinking about Francis Audley's incomprehensible secret promise to pleasure her. That was the type of pain she had wanted. Viv stepped away only to return with a handkerchief and a hopeful smile that Georgia took gladly and they bound arms both grateful for their small, little escaped.
Georgia somehow felt revived stepping out into the sun tanned lawns of Bridgewater House and it was even more refreshing to hear two little high pitched voices screaming with giggles from around two forsythia hedge bushes. Thankful for her bonnet it wasn't long before the two children heard Vivienne calling out for them and the two of them were coming at them like a stampede with all the power and energy there little bodies could muster.
"Mama, are we to leave already?" Luella asked with blue eyes of innocents. Georgia thought whoever should marry her daughter would be most lucky indeed to stare into them everyday.
"Why, are you not ready to leave then?" Georgia asked tipping Luella's nose then added. "You look dirty enough one would be sure you are quite evidently ready."
"Sorry, mama." Luella said looking down on her pale blue skirts the dress was trimmed with an adorably white collar and even that part somehow managed to get dirty. Georgia shook her head as a few chuckles or laughter escaped her.
"Shall you two be off then?" Viv asked and Isaac stood next to her pretending not to pout even though they all knew he'd be upset after they left.
"Yes, we shall. Until next time then, dear friend." Georgia said with a sympathetic smile with a tip of her bonnet and wave of her hand but Vivienne pulled her into a hug anyways.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Gi."