Chapter 10: The Ball and After

Both James and I had more than sufficient sleep the day before, so we both woke early. My headache was completely gone, although I still had a small and tender bump on the back of my head. After we dressed and took our breakfast in the dining room, James hired a brougham and took me through the New York Central Park. It was an astonishing sight, such a wide and open expanse of land, so artfully landscaped, in the very center of the metropolis. When I asked how it had come about that none could build there, James replied that the people wanted it this way, and that using it so was a deal too raw for even the most crooked of politicians to stomach. When I asked the value of the property, he contemplated it for a moment, then said at least one hundred million dollars, although he was very probably low! Why, I do believe that if Saratoga could be plucked up and set down inside the park, it would not fill it! We spent the morning and afternoon walking and riding throughout the great tract.

After a brief rest, we had an early and light supper, then I begged away from my relation, explaining that I would need to prepare for the ball. This mystified him mightily, inasmuch as he (and most other gentlemen), seem to feel it is sufficient to bathe and dress to be prepared. However, a lady needs somewhat more time. Fortunately, we ran across Mary Johnson going about her duties, and it was easily arranged with the concierge for her to assist me.

Once we were alone, I immediately asked her if she had worn her new night shirt to bed with her husband, and if it had aroused the passions she desired. She responded with a giggle. “We made our own three ring circus, in the most literal sense.”

“How do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, upon my entrance to our bedchamber, David promptly threw aside the covers and tore off his own nightshirt. I was quite right when I said that since I was taller, it would not cover me completely. My private parts were completely exposed to his lusty view! Further, the straps kept slipping off my shoulders, so that view was unimpeded as well. Disdaining any play, he had me immediately climb on top and ride him till he spent.”

“And was it a long ride, and does your husband have a stallion worth riding, or only a pony fit for a child?” I coaxed from her.

“It was a short but exceedingly vigorous ride, and a fine stallion it was. But that was not the end of the evening. Afterwards, as we reclined together, he had me leave the light on so that he could watch as I revived his manhood using my lips. This brought him so much pleasure and excitement that he ended up spending in my mouth. It was delicious!” she said.

“What of the third ring to the circus? Did you take another ride? A true third ring would be in your nether parts. Was this the case?” My quim was melting from her lusty description of her pleasures, dissolving in a heated flow of my own juices of passion.

“Yes, only this time he was riding me. Stripping me of the shift and my shoes, he had me kneel on the bed and raise my arse as high as I could, whilst lowering my face to the pillows. Then he knelt behind me and rogered me fiercely. This was simply in preparation, for as soon as he had greased himself with my oils, he withdrew and forced his way into my other hole. I swear, Miss Pendrake, I was screaming with joy as he buggered my arse! We perform such on occasion, but I cannot recall a time when he took me so fiercely or so often in a single evening. I thank you for the gift, and David says thank you, as well!”

I hugged the older woman and said that I was happy that I was able to help, even if only indirectly. After that we proceeded with my ablutions. Suffice it to say, that a lengthy and hot bath was in order. Afterwards, Mary helped me in shaving my body. While she maintained her own hygiene quite perfectly, she had no experience in the defoliation of her quim and was fascinated to watch as I did so. Afterwards I dressed in my robe alone, and offered to assist her in doing the same, explaining that the exotic nature of the effect would most surely drive her husband mad again. Although Mary complained that she couldn’t, that her position at the hotel was in mortal danger by the very thought of doing so, I persevered. After we had locked the door and braced a chair against it, she stripped her dress off. I then lathered her moist and soft lips and, as she worriedly watched, used my razor on her, taking the greatest pains to ensure that neither nicks nor cuts should occur.

Upon seeing the result, she stood in front of the glass to view the end product of my manufacture. I recall thinking that it was a good thing that Uncle James had not installed one of his special mirrors! She gaped at the lewdness she displayed and hurriedly covered her brazen nakedness, although she felt assured that David would find her the most tantalizing of creatures. I recommended that she present herself to him again with the lights on, only this time, she should insist that he relieve any irritation with his tongue, kissing it to make it better, as it were, and she promised to tell me how the evening went.

Afterwards, I slipped on the sheerest and finest black silk stockings I had been able to procure, to the extent of especially ordering them through a fineries shop back home in Saratoga. I had insisted that they be very long in the leg, going well up my thighs, so that the very sight of them would inflame James’ passions. I adjusted my black lace garters and stepped into my tall black slippers, then tightened my robe around me as we waited for the hairdresser to arrive.

Normally I wear my hair long, hanging down to the middle of my back, most often tied with a simple bow or restrained with a comb. It is very straight, and has no curl to it, which I have occasionally despaired of, but in general I am pleased by this condition. For tonight I was going for a considerably more sophisticated look. Siobhan and a few of the maids back home had practiced various styles on me, mystified that I had used the mirror in the bath rather than the much larger mirror in my bedchamber. However, they were unaware that James may have been prowling the secret passageway, and I did not wish him to learn of my surprise.

The hairdresser washed and dried my hair, then combed it out most thoroughly. Afterwards she put it up, not in a bun or braid, but in a much freer and flowing form, held in place by several pins. This left my ears and neck bare, a perfect accompaniment to the dress I had purchased.

For my next to last act, I removed from a small velvet bag the jewelry I had borrowed from James’ collection. He had astounded me when I had asked to retrieve my mother’s earrings; he had invited me into his study and had opened his safe, from which he removed a large wooden box. Opening it, I saw that it was lined in velvet and had the most astonishing array of jewels I had ever seen, all thrown haphazardly inside! I gaped and stared at them, much to his amusement, my index finger gently moving them around, fearful to disturb the glittering assortment. He had innumerable rings, earrings, and necklaces, even a tiara, all bound together by the finest gold and silver chains and settings, an overwhelming abundance of diamonds and rubies, emeralds and sapphires. He had promptly said, “Why don’t I just take these with us, then you can use whatever you need.” I stared at him as he blithely offered this king’s ransom for my private use and was too dumbfounded to argue. Once at the hotel he had installed it in the manager’s safe and allowed me to borrow from it as necessary.

Since our arrival, I had been careful not to overindulge in wearing his jewels, but tonight I planned otherwise. I had no intention of being cheap or overdressed, instead I wanted simple yet spectacular elegance. Within his treasure I found a pair of diamond earrings, large stones of the perfect cut, hanging from small gold chains. These made the consummate match for a magnificent pear-shaped diamond of a huge size which was the centerpiece of a gold necklace. The necklace was long enough that the stone hung down to the top of the valley of my bosom, inherently drawing all eyes to my greatest charms. I felt rather nervous about wearing such a fortune on my person, but James had amply proven his ability to protect me. When I had first seen them, I had believed them to be paste, they were so large, which James had laughed at, then picked up a water glass and scored it with them.

After putting on my jewelry, I wrapped my robe around myself and dismissed the hairdresser with my thanks. Then I dispatched Mary to my uncle, asking when we were due at the ball. He responded that any time now would suffice, though if I wanted to be ‘fashionably late’ I should wait another half hour. Perfect! Mary and I gossiped for another fifteen minutes, then I stripped off my robe, and with nothing on but my slippers, stockings, and jewelry, stepped into the gown she held for me.

This was the piece de resistance to the entire ensemble. I had had the finest seamstress in Saratoga custom make it from an idea I had had upon seeing one of my mother’s dresses. The top of that dress had possessed long sleeves and an off-shoulder neckline, the sleeves being but lightly attached to the body of the dress. It had occurred to me that the sleeves and shoulders of the dress were providing no possible support to the bodice. Would it be possible to prepare such a garment with no sleeves or shoulder straps of any sort, much as in the corset type known as a ‘Merry Widow’? Siobhan was quite properly scandalized by the very concept, but had accompanied me to the seamstress, who had agreed that it could be done, but that it would take several fittings and would have to be closely matched to my dimensions. I had made my specifications and undertaken the fittings and was delighted with the result. I knew that James would enjoy it also, assuming he survived the seizure he was sure to suffer upon seeing it!

Imagine, if you will, a heavily boned corset, without straps and cut exceedingly low in the back, which wrapped around my sides, climbing higher, to encase my bosom sufficiently so that I was secure in my movements but with an ample display of my boobies so as to arouse a man’s passions. Then imagine that this garment was done in a heavy black silk, neither brocaded nor beaded, but in a simple smooth and unruffled cloth, with the boning hidden most cunningly beneath. At the bottom of the corset, at my hips, more silk draped down to my ankles, allowing my tall slippers to be seen, with a hint of my sheer and fine black stockings. I disdained any bustle or petticoats, hoping for the curvaceousness of my natural figure to be adornment sufficient. I was encased into and released from this dress by a row of hooks-and-eyes running down the back, hidden by a seam in the garment. The boning was heavy and sturdy enough that, short of cutting the seams open, I would be able to walk around comfortably without any fear of the dress falling to my ankles in the middle of the ballroom. After it’s delivery to the house, I had practiced putting it on several times and walking around in it with a pair of slippers, all when James had been out of the house on his business. Mary helped me into it and did up the hooks-and-eyes, while I jiggled my voluptuousness into place.

There was but one final adornment to my appearance, a pair of shoulder length black silk gloves. Mary helped me on with them, and then draped a black silk cape around my shoulders. I was not planning on wearing this cape more than a few minutes, but the overall effect would be ruined if I did not wear it initially. It covered me to my waist and buttoned at the shoulder. I checked myself in the glass, then Mary opened the door to the sitting room, and I joined my uncle already waiting there.

He was facing away from me as I entered, sitting in an armchair, and as he stood and turned to face me, he doffed his top hat and bowed in my direction. It was only when he stood upright again that he truly noticed me, and he simply stopped in mid-motion and looked at me. He completely ignored Mary as she left the room, simply gazing on me, and I began to worry until he came out of his trance and walked to me. Taking my begloved right hand in his, he raised it to his lips and kissed it. “You really aren’t a little girl anymore, are you Caroline? Stunning, simply stunning.” I kissed him lightly on the lips and for the first time he did not turn away or blush, and then took his arm as he led me from the room. He would soon learn just how much I had grown up!

At the first discussion of the ball, James had made the cynical remark that these affairs were much like slave auctions in the Far East, a barbarous practice at best. Young and pretty girls would be sold off by their families for payment of debts. I had asked who the purchasers would be at the ball, and he had responded that there were two types, young men looking for wives, and old men looking for mistresses. I had promptly asked, “So, are you buying or selling?” He had immediately sputtered and become quite flustered, much to Siobhan’s and Ahkbar’s amusement.

Why James wore a top hat when we were not even leaving the hotel made me wonder, but he did, so we stopped at the cloakroom in the lobby before entering and he deposited his hat and cane. Then, as I held the cape closed, I asked him to undo the catch. He did so, and then I stepped back slightly and whisked it from my body. He gasped to see what little of my dress had been hidden and how much of my bosom and back were exposed, and I saw that wild and frenzied look fill his eyes again. It took quite a bit of doing for him to force the demon back, and I knew that my outfit was an utter success in his eyes. Taking my arm in his, he led me into the ballroom, whereupon we were announced and entered, to descend a short flight of stairs to the ball.

The room promptly fell silent as we entered the ball, as the occupants turned to look in my direction, staring wide-eyed at my attire. I do not remember which was the most amusing, the gaping adoration of the men fighting mightily to avoid drooling into their champagne, or the venomous glances of the women, upstaged by a snip of a girl in a dress that many could not, and the others would not, dare to wear. I was exceedingly nervous but locked a pleasant smile on my face and allowed James to escort me around the room, introducing me to his many friends and acquaintances.

In truth, I was so giddy with emotion that I can remember none of the people I met, neither their names nor their faces. My eyes were only for my consort, and at the first opportunity I asked him to dance with me. He accepted with alacrity and promptly led me to the dance floor for a waltz, allowing me to press against him. I had little surprise in the discovery that beneath his tuxedo, his manhood was in full flourish, and though he attempted to pull away, I followed him and held him tightly in my arms, and he acceded to my silent demands. For the rest of the evening, he danced as closely as a lover would have, and I adored the compliment I felt pressing against my belly.

It was very late, well after midnight, when the ball ended, and James escorted me back to our suite. It was here that events began to go awry, as rather than take me to his chamber and love me as I so madly desired, he led me to my door and let me inside, gazing at me quietly and sadly. He then took his leave and immediately entered his own chambers, leaving me in wonder. I had but one tactic left, an all-out assault upon his person, so I waited a few minutes, then walked across the parlor and knocked on his door.

He opened it and looked down at me, still sorrowful. He had already removed his ascot and coat and was in the process of removing his cummerbund. “Yes?” he asked softly, tossing the ridiculous belt aside.

“James, could you undo my stays? I cannot do it by myself.” Not giving him a chance to argue, I turned away and stood there silently, looking over my shoulder expectantly. Like the gentleman he is, he reached out and mutely undid about half the hooks-and-eyes, but I insisted that I needed them all undone. Hesitantly, he finished the job and moved away.

Turning back to face him, I said, “Thank you, James,” then I let go of the bodice and the dress slid down, puddling at my feet. I stepped out of it and moved forward, to place my arms on his. As he stared wildly at the naked apparition before him, I continued, “James, this has been the most marvelous night of my life. Please, I beg of you, do not end it now, but take me in your arms and love me, even if but for the night.” Then I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned up and kissed him on the lips.

Any other man in the world would have thrown me to their bed and ravished me without fail, but, as I have said, my uncle has a will of iron. Howling in despair, he thrust me away and turned his back to me, then stumbled to his dresser and collapsed against it, his shoulders shaking with emotion. “No, no, I cannot, I cannot!” I heard him whisper to himself, his face wild with rage and torment.

“Please, James, can you not at least pretend to love me, even if just for the night?” I begged of him. He could not face me, but instead stood leaning against the dresser, his body shaking and his eyes clenched shut, tears flowing down his noble face. He was silent now but for his sobs, and I knew I had been vastly mistaken! My uncle did not, in fact, have any more emotion for me than for a real niece, and I had made an utter fool of myself. I would no longer be able to live in the same household with the man I had so embarrassed myself before. As soon as practicable, I would leave and return to England. I bent down and picked up my dress and moved towards the door. “My apologies, sir, I shall disturb you no more.”