Masquerading (Open)

Raphael listened silently, patiently, as Eleanora told her story. He didn't look at her, instead granting her space as she revealed something that clearly embarrassed her.

He squeezed her hand in reassurance. Eleanora's vulnerability was almost tangible, but so was her trust. Raphael knew she was taking a risk and he refused to judge her for it.

He turned, pulling Eleanora into his embrace and holding her close.

"I hadn't expected that," Raphael admitted, "But that matters not. I don't think you should be ashamed, and you remain my favourite Simoneti sister."

He held her close for several moments, just taking in the moment, feeling her slim form against his body.

"Do you know where Lucieta's family took her? Is she still somewhere in Venice? I would welcome you to be reunited with her if it was somehow possible."

Raphael kept hold of her until she wished to break the embrace, contemplating what she had told him.

And then an afterthought hit him, and with a mischievous grin, he added: "Did you enjoy it?"

It was an enormous relief to Eleanora that Raphael did not recoil in disgust, or loudly condem her as her father had done. The embrace felt warm and soothing, and yet it excited her also. It made her feel safe. And it made her wonder what else he could show her, what more she could learn from him.

"No, I know nothing of where they went. Perhaps one day I will seek her out.... I'm not ready for that, not yet."

She smiled shyly at his second question, tucking/ a strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously.

"Yes, yes I did enjoy it. It was first thing to make me feel alive. I felt I mattered, I experienced passion. Physical passion..." She blushed further. "Perhaps I will again some day."

Raphael chuckled lightly. Even when she spoke of actions that most deemed to be unbecoming of a lady, Eleanora's innocence still shone through.

"Yes, perhaps you shall!" he grinned back at her. "A flower such as you should never be prevented from feeling alive."

Raphael pulled back slightly to admire her beauty, the perfect shape of her face, her beautiful hair, and of course her irresistible eyes. He felt a familiar stirring within - one that, unconsciously or otherwise, had been present since he first saw her glide past at the ball.

He knew what he was to say next might be deemed forward, but this was where their conversation had led them.

"If I may say, Bella Indigo, Lucieta has impeccable taste," he started, his eyes intently studying her for any reaction that told him to back off. "Perhaps the best taste in all of Venezia."

Then his grin returned, along with a playful twinkle in his eyes.

"But if you want passion again, milady, where could it be so? It would need to be somewhere private. Your father knows to check your bedroom and you spend so much of your time inside that opulent prison."

Eleanora smiled at his compliments, able now to enjoy them without self-conscious coyness. She enjoyed his appreciation of her, and felt in turn that he was a most pleasing sight, a handsome man. She wanted to voice this, but did not know how to articulate such a thing to a man- it just wasn't conventional.

Then Raphael hinted at something that touched her deeply, thrilliningly. A return to the world of passion which she had visited over a year ago with Lucieta.... could it be possible? And.... with a man? Would it be different? Could she dare? She thought that she could- a few weeks previous it would have seemed impossible, now it seemed almost logical, necessary.

"I..... I would like to, I most assuredly would. But there is no privacy to be found, begged or bought in my home, that's a certainty."

Raphael nodded slightly as she spoke. Eleanora, whose petite and gentle beauty frequently caught his breath, was interested in experiencing more physical passion.

This revelation actually came as a relief to the handsome young merchant. He wagered that there was plenty they could explore together, and his suspicions were that his beloved flower would blossom within the private confines of a bedchamber.

Volpe's desire for her made sense now, too. While Raphael had fallen for a beautiful but frightened doe, his defeated dueling opponent saw nothing but a cat in heat.

"Then it seems a plan is in order, Bella!" he exclaimed, sweeping her back into his arms. "It is not long after midnight, and the city is ours. We could go to my villa. Or we could climb the bell tower at Piazza San Marco. Or we could even stay right here on this little bridge!"

Raphael lifted a palm and cupped Eleanora's cheek just as he had when they had first met. Again, her flushed skin burned in perfect contrast to the cool of the night.

"Eleanora, I am at your disposal. Tell me where you wish to go, and we shall go there and make use of our privacy - and I promise to get you home before your father's servants even notice your absence."

His hand on her cheek no longer provoked the half-fear it once did, but the excitement remained. His suggestion.... seemed right, somehow. Her family would be furious, but they never needed to know. Her father had ruined one passionate affair for her, and she would not allow him the chance to do so again. She would fight for this one. She believed she had a right to it, was more than just her father's property.

"I should love to see your villa, if my presence there would be acceptable to you. I'm sure no one will notice my absence anyway, they will no doubt be too engrossed in doting upon my sister, the pride of the Simoneti household."

Raphael studied her as she spoke. Her willingness to join him on this new, passionate adventure thrilled him, her warm cheek shifting as her delicate jaw opened and closed with every word.

His palm shifted from her cheek to the side of her neck, caressing the perfect skin.

"Ah, milady, but it is your presence that will make my villa acceptable," he whispered in response, unable to look away from her gaze.

His other hand, meanwhile, found itself at the front of her cloak, and slowly, gently, worked its way through the dark perimeter to expose the fine silk of her pale blue dress. It then brushed across her stomach, eventually finding her waist, the material much thinner than that of her cloak.

"And please, Bella Indigo, don't be jealous of your sister. For all that she might have, she isn't the Simoneti sister who has arranged to be with her secret lover at his villa after dark."

The words were whispered, but did that make them true? Were they now lovers?

Raphael finally pulled both hands back, then used them to hold her own, gently guiding her down the side of the bridge to his waiting carriage. He kicked one of the wooden wheels to waken Antonio, before opening the door to let Eleanora in and telling his driver to take them home.

"And please, Bella Indigo, don't be jealous of your sister. For all that she might have, she isn't the Simoneti sister who has arranged to be with her secret lover at his villa after dark."

These words, and his hand on her slender form, thrilled Eleanora, and inside her mind she preached herself calm. Relax. Be a true lady.

The ride to Raphael's villa was silent, aside from the sound of the horses clomping there steady way through teh streets, towards the city's outskirts. He seemed to understand her need for the quiet, her need to counsel herself, to arrange her feelings. Their eyes occasionally met in intense, fleeting moments. The carriage slowed, they had arrived. Eleanora wondered what destiny awaited her here, what new chapter of her life might unfold, what new experiences she might have. She always wanted to learn- her life was comprised of the dynamic struggle of her shyness and family restrictions, and her thirst for new knowledge, new horizons.

Raphael knew to be patient. This wasn't some petty fling to him, but something more. What kind of man fought a duel to defend a lady's honour on a mere whim?

And if Eleanora was worth risking his life for, she was worth waiting for.

Truth be told, he had expected he might have to be more patient, until she had spoken of Lucieta.

Raphael stood and opened the carriage door once they had arrived, and he offered her a hand to help her down the step. After dark, the villa was well hidden, but that mattered not - he could give her a proper tour during daylight at some point.

Raphael guided Eleanora up the steps and then let them both in through the front door. He quite enjoyed the privacy afforded to him at this hour. His doorman and servants were asleep, enabling the pair to move through the expansive but dimly lit entrance and deeper into the building.

At no point did he let go of her slender hand, enjoying the soft warmth in his gentle grasp.

They moved in relative silence through the villa, up two sets of internal stairs, eventually arriving at a large set of double doors.

There he paused, turning to face Eleanora.

"Please, milady," he whispered, "You must tell me the instant you wish to leave. You are here as a guest and the moment you wish to return to your father's villa, I shall ensure that happens."

Raphael offered her a reassuring smile, then finally released her hand and turned back to the doors, opening one and guiding them both through and closing it behind them.

"I want to show you something," he added as he lit candles near the door to cast some light against the persisting darkness.

The large room was his bedchamber. A large four poster bed sat against the wall to one side, with a large dresser next to it. A pair of sitting chairs, separated by a small table, rested in the centre of the room. A large bath sat across from the bed, presently empty.

But what Raphael moved towards was directly opposite the internal doors they had just been through. Another set of doors - external ones - opened out onto a private balcony.

The young merchant opened them, allowing the cool, still air to invade the room, before stepping out and inviting Eleanora to admire the beauty of Venice at night: canals reflecting the light of the street lamps; the stars shining across the clear night sky; and the things usually unseen, such as a cat prowling a nearby rooftop.

"Incomparably beautiful, no?" Raphael smiled, looking back at Eleanora.

But whether he was talking about the view, or her - or both - was unclear.

Eleanora was entranced by the villa. It was smaller than her father's, but had all the qualities that home lacked. It was decorated with sophistication, flair, imagination, without becoming cluttred or overly extravagant. It was elegant, becoming of her gentleman, and she loved every room.

His bedroom was a whispering of chances and thrills, speaking seductively to her. She wondered if many women had seen it. She followed himmout onto the balcony, nodding mutely at his question. It was indeed beautiful. The light on the canal, the unusual view of the city from its outskirts. She saw familiar streets and unkown streets, wealthy dwellings and poor dwellings. She studied them as she stood by Raphael, and she felt that his was the first time they had been together away from dangerous places, enemy territory. The cool air kissed her and she felt quite calm.

For the first time in weeks, Raphael felt content. Yes, it was past midnight, and most of Venice was asleep, but he was home, and Eleanora was by his side.

There was no Volpe here, that was for sure.

He wrapped an arm around Eleanora's shoulders and pulled her gently against him. She, too, seemed more comfortable. Her shoulders were no longer raised in tense anticipation - rather, they rested gently on either side of her pale, slender neck, finally relaxing in his presence.

"There are some mornings when I wake before light," Raphael spoke quietly, "And the view of the sunrise from here is exquisite. I think, though, given this late hour, that I will not see tomorrow's sunrise."

He chuckled lightly without elaborating on why he was expecting to sleep in.

"But one day, I should like to share that view with you, Lady Indigo."

"I should indeed love to see that sunrise," Eleanora said, the beauty of the moment relaxing her further. "You have made a wonderful home Raphael. Have.... have you always been alone here? I... don't wish to pry, it's' just that... you seem a man who is disposed towards sharing." She looked away from him, back out across the city, a little embarrassed to have ventured such an inappropriate question.

Raphael allowed a quiet laugh to escape his lips. It wasn't mockery; if anything, he found Eleanora's question to be rather endearing. They were finally alone to do as they wished, and his gorgeous flower was talking real estate!

He squeezed her lightly against him as they talked. One hand gently caressed her shoulder, its fingers lightly brushing against the exposed skin of her neck, revelling in its soft smoothness.

"The villa comes from a combination of inheritance money and my own successes in trade. And yes, truth be told, there have been others who have visited it, but I have never wished any guest to stay for long."

Raphael turned to face his flower, his free hand finding and cupping her cheek, his face offering a warm, affectionate smile.

"Until now, of course, Eleanora. If I had my way, I'd have you here with me every night, and if it means stealing you away every midnight, then that's a price I'd willingly pay."

Eleanora returned his smile, and dared to lean to him for a fleeting kiss, before once more casting her gaze on the wonderful night view. His choice of words stirred some uncomfortable memory deep in her mind..... what was it? Something important...... Price. That was it, Price. She had heard mny young women talk of the experience of being with a man for the first time as the "price" of a beneficial marriage. She had no current interest in that, but the idea of a stern price did concern her somewhat. Would it be so terrible? To be taken by a man? To be..... penetrated. The word itself was threatening.

She hoped that this troubling thought would not show on her face. She did want it to happen. And she felt ready. But it was difficult to escape the idle chatter that she had heard, of pain and blood.

Raphael savoured her all too fleeting kiss, relishing the feel of her soft lips and the taste that lingered after.

Eleanora's champion was unaware of her troubled thoughts, but he had noticed that she had fallen silent. Perhaps she was merely enjoying the rare moment of serenity when it seemed what she was most used to was fear and worry.

She had tensed slightly in his embrace, too, but he attributed that to the cooler temperatures found at such a late hour.

"Milady, are you cold?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

He looked down at her and that was when he saw a sadly familiar look in her eyes. Was it fear? It was difficult to read - and it certainly wasn't as strong as it had been at the ball when they'd first met - but her apparent sense of comfort had slipped.

Raphael turned to face her, gently taking hold of her upper arms to turn her towards him, their faces just a few inches apart.

When he spoke again, his voice was quiet but urgent, his tone warm but concerned.

"Eleanora, my flower, you seem sad. What can I do to make you happy?"

Eleanora knew that Raphael sensed the shift in her mood, and the risk of opening a gap between them loomed. She didn't want that. She wanted to be closer. She wanted the passion that she had found before- could she experience it with a man? She was sure she could, with the right man. And that he was.

"Eleanora, my flower, you seem sad. What can I do to make you happy?" He asked her.

"Take me to bed," She replied softly.

Raphael had been watching Eleanora's face intently, studying her beautiful eyes as if doing so would answer his query.

When her softly spoken response came, it was met with a mixture of surprise and relief.

For one fleeting moment, Raphael considered asking her if she was certain, but if he knew one thing about Eleanora, it was that she didn't make such decisions on a mere whim. If she was asking for this, she had given it plenty of thought.

So instead of questioning her decision, he relaxed, offered her a warm smile, and closed the gap between them for a slow, gentle, lingering kiss.

Raphael was still smiling when the kiss ended, and he swept Eleanora up, scooping up her legs with one arm and wrapping the other around her back, then carried her back inside.

He let her down gently, before turning back to the balcony doors and closing them. He turned back towards her, unable to contain his excitement, and stepped forward to kiss her again.

Eleanora was trembling with excitement as he closed the balcony doors and turned back to her. His kiss had stirred her, she felt ready for him. She smiled sweetly at him as he approached, her pretty eyes wide. His strong figure and handsome face were pleasing- exciting.

Raphael could see the excitement in Eleanora's eyes as he approached, and he knew he had been right not to question her decision.

He could feel his own excitement building. She was, after all, an exquisitely beautiful woman, whether she recognised that or not. And for all her claims of inadequacy and clumsiness, he had only seen a lady who exuded grace and elegance, and whose company he desired to share more of.

In Raphael's opinion, his pretty flower had spent too long in the shadow of her older sister. Perhaps tonight would see her truly blossom.

The merchant made a slow approach. The night was theirs, and rushing would serve no purpose. Once he was close, he raised his hand and cupped her cheek as he had before, then brought his mouth to the opposite side of her neck, planting gentle pecks on her smooth, perfect skin. As always, her aroma was entrancing.

After a few moments, he stepped back, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Bella Indigo, I do believe we're inside now. Surely there's no need for you to wear your cloak any more?"

"Yes," She repied quietly, "I suppose there is not." She shed the cloak, revealing the expensive dress that clung to her slim body, the gentle curves of her hips and the shape of her small, firm breasts evident. He was looking upon her with what she knew was lust- she had seen it in men's eyes before, but this time it didn't worry her, it excited her. She wanted him to desire her. She met his gaze, shyly but wilfully.

If Eleanora wished for Raphael to desire her, then his eyes were enough to show that any money she had thrown into the wishing well had been shrewdly spent. In truth, Raphael was doing all he could to restrain himself - to go slow, when all he wished to do was rush.

But if his secretive encounters with Eleanora - and, indeed, with Volpe - had taught him anything, it was that Bella Indigo was well worth going slow with.

Unless, of course, she chose to speed things up...

Despite all his restraint, however, Raphael had still shown his fallibility. As the object of his affection had dropped her cloak around her feet, he had been unable to avoid admiring her form, his eyes lingering over every curve, his tongue veritably beginning to salivate at the thought of exploring her and tasting her.

Reaching forward with both hands, Eleanora's champion pulled her into him by her hips, their bodies pressing against each other, and his pleasure impossible to ignore.

He nuzzled into her cheek, before kissing it and then seeking out the soft lips of her mouth, wanting to share the first of many heavy breaths.

Eleanora returned the kiss, her readiness mounting. She realised suddenly that she could feel his masculine excitement in its physical manifestation.... a new, novel sensation. It occurred to her to reach down and try to touch it, from a strong curiosity, but her restraint was not yet so far disappeared. Her thoughts spun wildly from what her sister would think to how the experience might differ from her explorations with her female lover.... she felt somehow that her life was about to change.

Their mouths opened, soft lips against each other, and their tongues met. What started off as a slow and tentative kiss began to grow in passion, and Raphael could feel his hardness pressing against Eleanora's lower stomach.

His tongue gently duelled hers as he explored her warm mouth, so often a shy part of her but slowly becoming bold and hungry. His palms slid from her hips to her perfectly formed backside, squeezing a handful of each cheek in greedy desire and pulling her even harder against himself.

Raphael suddenly realised that with each passing moment, he felt less and less gentlemanly, but he did nothing to combat that. He was confident that Eleanora would tell him if she became uncomfortable.

Eleanora felt his strong hand grasping at her, claiming her. It felt natural, how it should feel. They had been moving steadily towards this, and Eleanora could hardly believe that they were reaching their wonderful destination.

"I'm ready now," She whispered to him, drawing him towards the bed.

In a way that he couldn't express with words, Raphael was proud of Eleanora. When he had whisked her away on the ballroom floor, she had been a frightened doe, ready to jump at the slightest unexpected movement. But now, in the most vulnerable of moments they had shared together, she was taking the lead.

The flower was blossoming, and she looked more beautiful than ever.

Raphael didn't even bother to try to hide his excitement as they moved towards the bed, his hands still squeezing his lover's backside as they moved.

When they reached the edge of the four poster, Raphael lowered her onto her back, his mouth planting kisses across her lips, jawline and neck. And then he began to move slowly down her body, kissing her chest, her cleavage, and then the material that covered her breasts and stomach, his hands gently tugging up her full length dress, exposing more of her legs an inch at a time as he descended further.