The Hands of Time (13 page)

“My dear, you look simply stunning.  Georgina is a marvel, is she not?  All eyes are on you,
” she
smiled slyly
,
and led me around the room giving everyone a chance to admire me.  I noted the lascivious glances of the men
,
and blushed under my powder
,
unaccustomed
to that kind of attention.  Lady Weston introduced me to various people as we made our tour de force of the room
, as
I tried in vain to remember their names.  I was finally rescued by Finlay, who drew me away from a group
of admiring men and led me to the huge table set for supper.  I took my seat between Finn and Alec, thankful to feel their protective presence during the meal. 

I
’d
never seen so much food, prepared and decorated so elaborately.  The tables literally groaned with an array of dishes from every possible food group.  An army of servants came and went
,
bringing platters of treats, clearing away dirty dishes
,
and refilling carafes of wine and ale.   I snuck a peek at the dessert table
,
promising myself to
return later and sample some of the multi-tiered cakes, tarts and sugared fruits that were on display.  I
’
d always had a sweet tooth
,
and right now it felt like the only one in my mouth
.

The supper seemed to last for hours
,
and I was grateful to finally get up and mingle. 
Either Alec or Finn
was
always at my side, guiding me from one group to another,
introducing me to the various
guests
and
filling my wine
glass
.
 
The ladies were gorgeously attired in silks and satins in all the colors of the rainbow, their jewels glowing in the light of a thousand
candles
,
and casting colored
shadows
onto their
painted
faces.  The men were equally dashing in velvet and brocade, their
ornaments
no less extravagant
,
nestled in their
neck cloths
and glittering on their fingers
.  Some of the men wore long, curly wigs over their own hair
,
making themselves look like very large poodles.  I almost
laughed
out loud
when
an elder
ly man walked past me wearing
a ginger-colored
wig with curls hanging halfway down his back. 
He looked oddly familiar, but it was probably just my imagination
,
and I dismissed the thought from my mind. 
I was glad that
neither Alec nor
Finn had donned a wig.  I would have had a hard time keeping a straight face. 

Strains of music drifted out of the ballroom
,
and Finn took my elbow and led me to the
dance floor
.  I was a little nervous
at first
, but as soon as I started to dance
,
I
became lost
in the music and was soon breathless and happy
,
as Alec took Finlay’s place for the next dance.  I barely noticed the envious looks of the young ladies who were short
of
a partner
,
and found myself
having the best time I had in years
. 
I was invited to dance by a few other
men and I graciously accepted, giving the brothers a chance to dance with other
women
.  Everyone made small talk and paid me elaborate compliments, but no one asked me any intimate questions
,
and for that I was grateful. 

They all pronounced my accent to be “charming” and expressed a great desire to visit
Virginia,
if all the young ladies were as beautiful and accomplished as myself.  I accepted the flattery as a matter of course
,
knowing that there was nothing of substance behind the words.  This was the way of the time
,
and men routinely showered women with
flowery
compliments comparing them to the sun, moon and stars
in the hopes
that
it
might earn them a few minutes in a secluded alcove.  I smiled and flirted back, but carefully refused any invitations to stroll around the garden or navigate the maze. 

             
Finally, I found myself partnered with Alec once more and I was more th
a
n ready for a break from
the
dancing. 
“I think I need a little air,
” I
told
him
as he lifted me by the waist and set me back down
,
taking my hand and leading me around
him
, effortlessly following the steps of the dance.  The
tune
finished at last
,
and he
navigated the crush
of people toward the French doors and into the
coolness of the
garden.  The first stars were
just
beginning to twinkle in the
purpling
sky
,
and couples seeking privacy could be seen disappearing into the maze and stepping behind tall hedges.  The air smelled of sun-warmed earth, freshly cut grass and a profusion of flowers and I took a deep breath filling my lungs with the heady aroma.  Alec placed his hand on the small of my back
,
and guided me away from the house toward a gravel walkway leading to the fountain
of a semi-nude woman
holding
a jug
in her arms
,
and letting the water pour endlessly into the pool at her feet. 

“Are you enjoying yourself?” 

“It’s wonderful.  Thank you for bringing me.”  Alec looked down at me, smiling.  
“You
seem so sad sometimes.  I
will not
ask you why, but I am glad to see you
happy
.  You are the most beautiful woman here.” 

I reached up and kissed his cheek
,
wanting to show him how much his compliment meant to me
,
since I knew it to be genuine
.
  The kiss
took him by surprise
,
desire light
ing
up his eyes before he got hold of himself and turned to admire the fountain.  “
I am happy for you and Finlay.  You two have my blessing if you want it.” 

I could see the sadness in his eyes
,
and I wished I could tell him that
I cared about him as well and found him as attractive as Finn.  Finlay had simply been more aggressive and I fell for it in my vulnerable state, allowing myself to take comfort in Finn’s admiration and affection at a time when I had no one to turn to.  I linked my arm through Alec’s
, resting
my head on his upper arm
and
enjoying the solid feel of him
,
wanting to show him some kind of affection.  Alec leaned down and kissed the top of my head, accepting my gesture.  We stood like that for a few
minutes
until I saw Finn on the far side of the garden.  He seemed to be engaged in an intense exchange with some man
,
and I drew Alec’s attention to the scene.

“Who is that man Finn is talking to?  It seems heated.”

Alec peered into the gathering darkness trying to see the man’s features.  “I think that
’s
Fawkes. 
He is a retired soldier.  I
do not
know him well.  Finlay tends to get passionate about things after a few pints of ale, so pay him no mind. They are probably just
discussing
horses
or the latest fashion trends.”  He smiled
indulgently
, turning me around and walking back to the house.  “Let
us
fetch your cloak and head up to the hill.  Lord Weston has a huge bonfire laid out and they will be lighting it soon.  It
is
a sight not to be missed.  I believe they only have the one fire this year.”

“How many fires are there usually?”  I didn’t know much about Midsummer Night
,
except that it was celebrated
at
the
time of the
Summer Solstice and was a Pagan tradition that carried over into modern times. 

“There used to be three fires lit, one of wood, one of bones
,
and one of both.  Lord Weston likes to be modern
,
and the three fires are not in fashion anymore.”
  I could already see people gathering
at the top of
the hill where a large pile of wood was laid out all ready to be lit.  There would be singing and dancing around the flames, no doubt followed by some serious sexual escapades that would be conveniently forgotten in the morning.  Adultery seemed fairly acceptable as long as it was discreet.

Alec draped the cloak over my shoulders and led me back outside
through the dining room
.  I threw a longing glance at the dessert table
,
and followed him into the velvety darkness of the June night.  The moon was high in the sky, playing hide
-
and
-
seek with
wispy
clouds that lazily floated across its glowing orb.  We started up the
hill
,
and I turned around looking for Finlay’s tall silhouette among the other
guests
.   Where had he gone to?  He wasn’t at the top of the hill when we got there
,
and I suddenly wondered if he was with some other woman, taking advantage of the dark
ness
and my absence. 
Jealousy doesn’t become you
, I told myself sternly, still feeling uneasy.  I had to admit that I would be very hurt to find that Finlay was making love to another woman
since I
still held the prudish belief that there should be only two people in a relationship, especially one where marriage had been proposed
, if not accepted
.

A cry of approval went up as several manservants held flaming torches to the dry wood
which ignited quickly
,
belching up a shower of sparks into the sky.  The wood must have been doused with
something
, since the flames roared and consumed the entire pile with an unnatural greediness.  Firelight illuminated the faces of the people surrounding the pyre
,
making them look mysterious and at times sinister as the shadows shifted.  I kept a close watch for Finlay, but he was nowhere to be seen.  Someone began to play a tune
,
and people
started
dancing around the leaping flames, paying homage to the Pagan Gods of the past.  Couples melted into the darkness seeking privacy
,
and I stood back out of the way of the dancers
,
annoyed
and in
no mood to
join in
.  I was consumed with jealousy.  Alec was strangely quiet, no doubt
plagued
by the same thoughts.  Suddenly
,
I felt strong arms encircling my waist as I was pulled against Finn, who reeked of ale and wasn’t too steady on his feet.  I pushed his arms away, turning on him. 

“And who have these hands been fondling before me?”  I demanded.  He looked genuinely shocked for a moment
,
and then burst out laughing. 

“
I do believe y
ou are jealous
,
and I
love it,” he chuckled, flames reflected in his shadowed eyes.
“I
have been with no other woman.  As a matter of fact, I was with a man,
several men,
but I swear I did not go near
their cocks
.  I saved myself for you, my little wildcat.”  With that he pulled me off into the shade of a nearby tree
,
leaving Alec behind
and
turning
me to face the bonfire.  He held me firmly against him as his hand found the gap between my bodice and skirt and slid downwards
slowly and suggestively
.  My knees went weak as he found what he was searching for
,
and I leaned against him staring at the pyre
,
as he brought me to a shuddering climax. 
His stiff cock was
pressed against my buttocks
,
and when he asked me to go to the house with him, I simply allowed myself to be led away like a marionette.  What power did this man have over me?  I knew that modern men thought they had the monopoly on sex, but I had to admit that Mike never made me feel like this.  Finn just had to gaze at me with those green eyes
,
and I felt myself responding instantly, feeling a surge of desire that was all
-
consuming and unexpected.