[Reviews - 468]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 4555 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
I just love you all. Please keep reviewing it makes me post faster, honest. I was not going to post anything for a few days but some people, and you know who you are, have been screaming at me post more. Please review, it really does give me tingles
Chapter 17 – Bottom of the bottle



Lord Clement Telford arrived at Annandale House within an hour of receiving the summons from his friend. Will and Clem had been inseparable at University and the friendship had carried on through adulthood. Although Clem knew of his friend’s relationship with Lady Drusilla he knew better than to comment. Clem believed the woman was the devil incarnate and her husband was much worse. He had tried to warn his friend on many occasions that all was not as it should be with Will’s ‘Dark Princess’ and there had been times when William had not taken Clem’s advice in good part. A turn at Gentleman Jackson’s had usually settled any argument between them.

It was with an uneasy mind that Lord Telford climbed the steps to the Annandale mansion. If William’s note told the truth then he was about to meet a broken man. The bitch, it appeared, had finally broken her liaison with William after ten years and left a wreck in her wake. Clem knew that Drusilla had never really cared for his friend in all that time; she had only used him for her own nefarious ends. William had fallen under her spell and had spent too many years as her lapdog.

As he handed his great coat and hat to the butler Clem enquired after his master. With a nod towards the library Clem dragged himself to the door wondering what he would encounter on the other side. As on old friend he decided that he would not ask the butler to announce him as he knew that William would not wish the old retainer to see the state his master had allowed himself to get into. With a heavy heart he opened the door.

The sight before him stopped him in his tracks. William was sprawled across one of the library sofas obviously very drunk. The room stank of strong spirits and unwashed man. Clem made his way across to his friend and staring down at him he sighed. ‘What are we to do with you William?’ he whispered as he gently tried to rouse his drunken friend.

William opened one eye and it appeared to take a few minutes before he realised who was standing over the top of him. “Go away Clem” he growled “Leave me to die in peace”.

Clem stared for a few seconds at his friend and decided strong coffee was required. Moving over to the bell-pull beside the mantle to summon the butler, Clem ordered William to his feet.

“Get up man for God’s sake. We need to sober you up and quick”

When Clem heard the butler at the door he hurried over and blocked his entrance. “Coffee and lots of it Smithers and don’t let anyone but yourself deliver it.” The butler returned a knowing nod to his Lordship and in a familiar way used by servants who had been in their master’s employ for many years, informed Lord Telford that a bath was being prepared in Lord William’s rooms and his future bride and her family were due for dinner.

Clem stepped back from Smithers in shock. “His future what?” he asked.

“Lady Elizabeth Summers” Smithers informed him. “Daughter of the Duke of Craven Sir, the notice was in The Times this morning”

“No wonder he’s in his cups” replied Clem. Drawing a hand down his face in order to try and put his thoughts in order Clem started to give instructions.”

“Get coffee in here fast Smithers and I will try and get his lordship in some sort of order. Make sure his valet looks out his best clothes and make sure there is plenty of cold water to pour over the idiot’s head”

Looking round at the drunken heap on the sofa he started to plan. “Don’t tell his grace Smithers, you and I will get him sober before the chit arrives”

Smithers nodded and closed the library door as Clem turned towards his friend. He had to sober him up soon. William needed to look the part of the besotted fiancé not the emotional mess lying before him. With this in mind Clem put his hands on William’s shoulders and pulled him upright.

“What the hell do you think you are playing at William?” Clem shouted into William’s bloodshot eyes. “Pull yourself together man, your fiancé and her family will be here soon and you look like death.” Giving his friend a sound shake Clem felt like hitting him a facer.

The library door opened and Smithers entered carrying a tray with coffee. Laying it down on one of the side tables he began to pour. Walking over to the very angry Lord Telford he helped him to get William to drink the strong brew. After a few cups William started to pull himself together.

“Can’t face Buffy tonight” he mumbled. “Send them a note Clem and tell them not to come”

“There is no way in hell I am doing that William and what the hell is a Buffy?”

William found it hard to put a sentence together. “My Buffy, mine, mine, mine”

Clem turned to Smithers with questioning look and Smithers informed Lord Telford that Buffy was the Craven pet name for Lady Elizabeth.

“Right” Lord Telford replied, still none the wiser. “Let’s get this sorry excuse for a Lord upstairs and bathed before they arrive. With any luck Smithers we will get him sober as well”

Between Lord Telford and the Smithers William was dragged to his rooms. Inside his bath was waiting and his valet was standing by the bed with the clothes he chosen laid out. The three men stripped the drunken man and almost threw him into the bath. Jenson, the valet, took over at this point and helped his master to bathe.

“Get off me man” roared William. “I am not a child and can bathe myself. In fact why don’t you all fuck off and leave me here to drown in peace”

Jenson stared at William in trepidation. His master had never spoken to him like that before. He could not understand what had come over him.

Clem decided it was time to intervene. He asked both men to leave them alone for a few minutes and suggested that more coffee was required along with something to eat. “Bread and cheese will do. Will you see to it Smithers?”

Once both men had left Clem pulled up a chair next to the bath and sat down facing William. He could see that the coffee and the bath had started to have a sobering affect on his friend and questions poured into his mind. What he was not sure of was what to ask first.

Taking the bull by the horns, Clem started with the question of his friend’s engagement.

“Who is Buffy William?” he gently asked.

William stared for a few moments at his friend and smiled. “Buffy is my fiancé Clem. Father and the Duke of Craven wanted the match so we are engaged”

“How long have you known the chit William?”

“Four days my friend. Four days” William stared down into the water as if it held all the answers to life.

“Why are you marrying her William?”

Lifting his head, William looked his friend in the eye.

“For fifty thousand on the wedding day and ten thousand a year thereafter”

Clem sat back in his seat in shock.

“My God man, even I would marry for that” he exclaimed. “Is she ugly or deformed?”

Laughing William slid down into the tub and smiled at his friend.

“She is beautiful” William said softly. “She is my golden girl who tastes of Lemon and Peach and smells of roses and vanilla”

Staring at the sobering man in the tub, Clem could not resist asking the question.

“If she is as beautiful as you say William why are you so far in your cups that I am having a devil of a time sobering you up?”

William closed his eyes for a few seconds and decided that his friend deserved as much of the truth as he could give him.

“This is a marriage of convenience Clem. I do not love her and probably never will. Her father wants me to bed her and get her with child. To be honest my father wants that as well need to beget an heir and all that. Once she is with child I am to send her to the Annandale estates in the north whilst I stay in London and spend her fortune. Craven will send his wife and other daughter to the estates to keep Buffy amused while I am in London.” William stared at his friend. “Craven wants his wife out of London so that he can keep time with his mistress.” Staring down at the water once again he carried on in a small voice. “The only stipulation was that I was not to embarrass his daughter with any talk of Dru. I was to visit her for a month each year on the estates and get her with child.”

Clem’s mouth fell open in disbelief. “Do you have any idea how many men in the ton would kill for that type of marriage? My God man rakes and libertines would be at her heels in droves if they knew her father was bartering away his daughter’s freedom for his pleasure with a lightskirt.

“I know Clem,” William started to rise from a little shakily from the tub. “Tis the perfect gentleman’s agreement.” Swaying slightly William stepped from the tub and moved to dry himself with the towels laid out by the fire.

At that moment Smithers entered the bedroom with the coffee and sandwiches. “Do you require anything else My Lord?”

“No Smithers, thank you” replied William. “I will ring for Jenson when I am ready to get dressed.” With a small nod of his head, Smithers retired from the room.

Wrapped in warm towels and feeling slightly less giddy, William moved to a chair beside the fire and sat down. He poured himself and his friend a cup of coffee and Clem moved f to the chair at the opposite side of the fire. Between them they started to eat.

Leaving his friend for a few minutes to finish his repast, Clem went over in his head the marriage arrangement his friend had embarked upon. He could not understand why William was so upset. He should be jumping for joy. More questions were definitely called for.

“Tell me why you are so down my friend” Clem asked gently. “Is the thought of bedding the chit too much?” Clem could see no other reason for this melancholy.

William laughed. It was not a happy sound. “No Clem I would bed the chit now if she were here. She is too tempting for words and I can’t keep my hands off her”

Clem stared at William in shock. “Have you already bedded the chit?” he asked.

“No” William replied. “But we have come pretty close.” He smiled at his friend in a knowing way and Clem knew better than to continue with the subject.

“It’s Dru that’s brought me to this Clem” William stared into his empty coffee cup and decided that he had to carry on with his explanations. Buying himself a little more time before he voiced his problems he poured himself more coffee.

Taking a deep breath William looked at his friend. “Drusilla has never loved me Clem” There the statement had been said and William wondered why it did not hurt as much as he thought it would. He must be still drunk he thought.

Clem waited for him to carry on. He knew this was not the time for questions but the time for answers.

“I decided that I loved Dru too much to take on a marriage, even if it seems to be manna from heaven. I like Buffy, I like Buffy a lot and I did not want to leave her bed to go to Dru or leave Dru’s bed to go to Buffy. I was so confused and I decided to talk it over with Dru and maybe find a way to stop the engagement.”

William looked his friend in the eye. “I met Dru in the Green Park this morning to talk it over with her.” Clem watched as tears came into his friend’s eye. “She told me that I had to marry as she needed Buffy’s money to pay her debts. She told me she never loved me and that I was her toy to play with as she pleased.” William’s voice dropped to a whisper. “She told me I was nothing and that she created me into the creature I am today and that she owned me. Then she laughed at me Clem and turned and rode away. I came straight back here, wrote you that note to come and see me and promptly fell into a bottle or two of whiskey.”

Shocked at his friend’s tale Clem rose from his chair and laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“You need to pull yourself together William before your fiancé arrives.” Clem made his voice stern. “You will call for Jenson and make yourself presentable. You will go down to dinner and charm the Summers family en masse. I will stay to dinner this evening and help you out.”

Staring at his friend William could not keep the gratitude from his face.

“Thanks Clem. I don’t think I could face them tonight on my own.”

“What are friends for William?” Clem replied. “Now I need to send a note to Faith to let her know her benefactor will not see her tonight as planned”

William smiled at his friend.

“She has been your mistress for years Clem, have you not had enough of her yet?”

“Don’t think I ever will” Clem smiled in reply. “The woman can do things with her mouth that could get you hanged. I am sure sometimes she is trying to suck out my soul”

The friends laughed in unison and Clem knew that he had managed to sort out his friend for a little while.

“Time to get dressed William and face the new ‘family’”.





You must login (register) to review.