Victorian Love (closed)

[Sweetandsexy3]

Ellie stays close to Henry, trying her best to focus on the hunt instead of the pain, not wanting to get distracted and end up lost. "Did I miss anything interesting?" She asked trying to make small talk.

 

[Hard_Rom]

"No." Henry replies, "The fox has been a good one. But that is about it for interesting." "Daphne's stallion is quite impressive. It is without a doubt the best horse today."

"I am ever so glad you were able to join us. I think if I had found myself alone with Daphne she might have forced herself on me. But now I have you to protect my manhood and my honour," he adds with a smile thrown over his shoulder as his horse slips ahead to enter the trees.

Far ahead the hounds are cresting a hill and disappearing over the top. Daphne and Richard have forded a small stream and are climbing the slope quickly. The woods are thick this side of the stream and the horses are slowed as they pick their way to the stream ford. Henry dismounts at the streams edge and leans against a large willow tree hanging over the stream.

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

Ellie dismounts her horse and carefully leans against the tree next to Henry, glad to give her behind a break, even if it is brief. "I'm sure if you ever find yourself alone with her, she would jump at the chance to be with you." She said "I know I did..."

 

[Hard_Rom]

"And the danger is she would then wonder why I refused her advances," Henry replies, "I doubt many men say no to her." "Even if she isn't really my type."

It's a lovely winters day. Though low in the sky, the sun is unobstructed by cloud or trees and warms the body nicely. The large tree blocks the slight breeze blowing. Within the woods snow lingers covering most things in several inches of white. The horses exhalations condense in great clouds and drift away. Henry turns to Ellie and takes her hands in his.

"Now we are alone, I can say Hi and Good Morning properly."

He leans forward and kisses her.

"Hi!"

Then he kisses her again.

"Good morning!"

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

"Good morning." Ellie looks away from him as she tries to gather her thoughts "Do you think she suspects something? Just the way she looks at me... It's like she can see right through me. I felt as if she was watching us, waiting for one of us to slip up.... " sighing she turned back to him "I'm worried we are in trouble Henry."

 

[Hard_Rom]

"You're not in trouble until you get caught," he replies with a smile, "So long as we don't get caught flagrante delicto in the next couple of days we will be fine." "Richard will divert any suspicion, I think."

He puts his hand on her hips and draws her close to him. Leaning forward he kisses Ellie again. And then again. Reluctantly he steps back from her.

"We should be going now. I just wanted to be able to kiss you properly that's all. Dangerous of me but..." Henry continues with a shrug and a grin.

He moves to stand by Ellie's horse. "May I assist you into the saddle, Miss Darlington?"

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

"Why of course. It would be quite improper of you to not help me." She said "Just be cautious. I'm still in quite a bit of pain you know..."

 

[Hard_Rom]

Cupping his gloved hands together, he assists Ellie into her saddle. Slipping off a glove he allows his hand to move indecently up her calf and settle above her knee. "At the first opportunity I will have another look at your bottom," Henry laughs, "Perhaps I can kiss it better." He smiles up at her and squeezes her leg before removing his hand from under her dress.

Henry swings up into his own saddle and turns his horse to cross the stream and follow the tracks of Richard and Daphne. The edge of the woods is just past the next hill top. Their little dalliance has put Ellie and Henry far behind the contact group. Henry doubts Ellie bottom will appreciate the race to catch up. From the west Lady Addling and her group are racing along the skyline.

"Perhaps if we ride with your aunt it will be easier on your bottom," Henry says turning to Ellie, "And we won't have Daphne staring at us."

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

"I would be willing to do so... As long as you will still be enjoying your hunt..." She said "I would hate if my pain caused you to miss out on the fun. I do not want to limit you or hold you back. What do you think is best for us Henry?"

 

[Hard_Rom]

"Well! As it is my decision, I say we ride with your aunt," Henry replies with a cheeky grin, "I want to put you on your back again soon." "So perhaps we should give your bottom every chance to heal."

As this is his last chance for a bit, Henry steals a kiss, as Ellie's horse comes along side his. He smiles brightly at her and spurs his horse out of the woods. Even to catch Lady Addling and the chase group is a brisk ride across the fields with a couple of jumps required. The chase group is paralleling the contact group with just a few dozen yards and a hedgerow between them. The fox is beginning to tire and can be seen regularly turning it's head to catch sight of the closing pack of hounds. Twice having gone to ground and been rooted out by terriers, the fox weaves from one side of the separating hedgerow to the other.

It is on the chase groups side of the hedgerow that the fox meets it's end. A dash across the road is stopped by four hounds. Lady Addling's phaeton comes to a fast halt as Ellie's elderly aunt reins in her team. Almost everyone in the slower chase group now hurries to dismount from horses and carriages. Ellie and Henry are just catching up and are out of the running.

"Go girl! Go!" she yells at young Miss Suzie.

Looking a bit unsure of what to do, Suzie leaps from the carriage and runs to the hounds worrying the dead fox. It is grooms and handlers who pull the dogs safely away allowing the pretty heiress to triumphantly pick up the dead fox. Not often does the chase group get the kill and the group of older hunters are ecstatic. With all decorum the huntmaster paints two stripes of fox blood on Suzie's cheeks to mark her graduation to fox killer. The lead group has had to continue down before being able to jump the hedgerow and double back. Everyone is quite happy with the results. A good fox carrying the hunt for a few hours and miles, no injuries to horse, hound or rider and a surprising and delightful ending.

Henry keeps his horse close to Ellie.

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

Ellie felt a bit uneasy as she watched "I would really like to go home now..." She said turning to Henry. "Please, I just need to get out of here...." She sighed as she turned away from the group and quickly headed off, racing back in the direction of the house as fast as she could. It was painful but her mind was already on other things.

 

[Hard_Rom]

Caught unaware by her words and action, Henry just watches as Ellie rides off. He can't just ride off after her. Help of a sorts arrives in the shape of Lord Darlington and Richard riding up. Suzie has thrown herself into the embraces of Daphne as she extols the driving skills of Lady Addling.

"I'm afraid Miss Darlington may not be feeling well," Henry lies to Lord Darlington, "She looked decidedly ill."

Lord Darlington gives an exasperated sigh and shake of his head. "I do hate to impose. But would you do me the favour of seeing to her?" "It is such an imposition to invite you here to reward your service to our family and now I hate to ruin your day out."

"Of course, m'Lord," Henry says with a slight bow from the saddle, "It would be my pleasure to."

"Richard, accompany the Major!" Darlington orders his son.

Richard looks wistfully at Suzie and Daphne embracing. His exasperated sigh is a copy of his father's.

Richard and Henry turn their horses to follow Ellie. Their horses are far more tired then Ellie's and they have no chance of catching her or even keeping up.

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

Upon reaching the house Ellie guides her house back to the stable. As she carefully dismounted she couldn't help but feel more than a bit foolish about the way she had reacted. Usually she could hold herself together during hunts. She had trained herself to not let her emotions show but today as she watched the poor fox die she couldn't help but feel sick. Trying to calm herself she slowly headed inside.

 

[Hard_Rom]

At a medium canter to Ellie's hard gallop, Richard and Henry are twenty minutes behind her arriving at the stables. The conversation along the way is of course, Ellie.

"I just don't understand, why she won't just accept her fate," her brother says, "She can have scandalous affairs or torment him after they are married, if she is so unhappy being married to Cedric." "My father suspects a touch of insanity."

If either Richard or his father had ever been inside Bethlehem Royal Hospital, they would never use that word to describe their sister and daughter. There is a reason Bedlam has entered the Queen's as more than a local slurring of the name.

"I can, almost certainly, assure you and your father that Ellie is not insane!" he says defensively, "You remember Parker or Bellwood after the Valley."

Richard frowns, not from trying to remember, from the memory of his two friends.

"In men, it is referred to as a melancholy. While in women, it is called hysteria," Henry says, "Although from my experience, I would hesitate to differentiate the two." "There are treatments. It is actually more common than many think. Probably the most diagnosed illness on Harley Street."

"Did you know Parker hung himself last year?" Richard asks worriedly.

"No! I didn't know that. Poor chap!" Henry replies, "I can give your father the name of a physician on Harley Street. If he was to describe her symptoms to him, I am sure he would confirm my diagnosis." "The weaker sex are prone to such things. An unhappy marriage can affect them more than a bloody senseless battle affected Parker or poor Bellwood."

"This hysteria, is treatable?" Ellie's brother asks.

"There are techniques that have been developed. A close examination may be required to determine treatment options," Henry continues, "Such things as whether or not she tight laces her corset and therefore causing an unusual displacement of her internal organs. What cardinal humours are most affecting her. It's all quite scientific these days."

Arriving at the stables, grooms collect their horses.

"Where is Lady Darlington?" Richard asks.

With the grooms answer, the two of them go find her.

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

Ellie had shut herself in the library. Huddled up on a sofa she lay with her face buried in her arms. She had cried for awhile but eventually the tears dried up, but she still remained there not ready to face life again. Everything that had happened in the past few day suddenly seemed overwhelming.

 

[Hard_Rom]

The sight of Ellie's maids hanging about the library doors tell the two men where she is. The girls look worried. They inform her brother of her crying.

"Ellie! It's Richard and Henry," Richard calls through the doors before opening them.

Ellie is curled up on a large padded leather sofa. Henry sends a maid for his medical bag, while Richard moves to his sister's side. Henry hovers over his shoulder looking concerned.

"Ellie!" Richard says sounding very concerned, "Are you alright?" "Please, Ellie!"

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

Ellie shook the her head "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make a scene back there." Sitting up she looked over at her brother "I'm fine. Hunts just are too much for me... That's all..." Ellie said hoping to ease his worry "I knew I shouldn't have gone. You don't have to look after me."

 

[Hard_Rom]

"Of course I do, you silly girl," Richard replies, "I'm your big brother. It's part of the job description." "I'm just glad to see you're alright."

Richard stands up and turns to Henry saying, "Would you be so kind as to perhaps talk with my sister for a while? It would ease my mind greatly if you, as a doctor, could try help."

"It would be my pleasure," Henry replies.

Richard strides from the library, leaving the doors open. In a somewhat loud voice, orders the servants not to disturb Lady Darlington and her doctor. Henry moves to sit beside Ellie.

"You did not have to go on that hunt," he says, "I would have found an excuse, if needed, to get back to you as soon as the hunt was done."

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

"I know. I shouldn't have gone." Ellie said feeling defeated "It was foolish but I just wanted to take the opritunity to see you... I'm screwing everything up. I don't how much longer we can keep this up. I'm pretty sure everyone thinks I've gone completely insane..."

 

[Hard_Rom]

"You are not screwing every thing up." Henry replies, "And you are not insane!" "That is a medical opinion too."

"I can well imagine the strain you have been under these months. But I am here now. And I promise with all my heart to do everything in my power to save you from this dreadful marriage. I can't bear the thought of Cedric having you... or any other man."

Henry puts his arm around Ellie and lifts her chin.

"You Lady Ellie Darlington will me my wife," he says, his accent becoming noticeably thicker, "Nae other man but me will be your husband."

He leans down and kisses her deeply.

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

"That is a very bold promise to make Henry." Ellie said as she pulled away from his kiss "One I'm not certain that you can keep. I'm completely powerless. My fate is out of my hands. If I don't get out of here soon I will go insane." She turned away from him "On my way back I seriously considered just taking off. Getting lost somewhere would be better than all of this."

 

[Hard_Rom]

"Nothing is for certain, I know that," Henry replies, "But a plan has been made and put in to action. This time tomorrow afternoon you will have the opportunity to take back your fate. I still sure of that, as much as I ever was."

"I don't want to lose you. So if you go get lost somewhere then I will have to just come a find you." "And then I would be sorely tempted to give you a good spanking for scaring me. So I think it best you stay near me at least."

Henry rises and goes to a sideboard and pours himself a Scotch.

"Can I get you a drink?" he asks Ellie, "Speaking of which. How is your backside?"

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

"A drink would be nice. Something strong preferably." Ellie said "I think the ride just made things worse but I should be alright in a few days. I'll just have to be careful that I don't get into more trouble."

 

[Hard_Rom]

Strongest liquor on the board is brandy. Henry pours Ellie a large one. He returns to her stand beside her and hands it to her.

"Be careful with that. Your father serves a rather strong brandy," he says.

"As long as you don't publically embarrass your father, I doubt he will have cause to have you birched again. And with Cedric gone you won't be annoyed by his prescence and provoke your father." "I have Epsom salt if you would like to have your maids draw you a bath. That will help some of the inflammation."

"Or I could put some more cream on it. If you wish."

 

[Sweetandsexy3]

"I think I can handle myself." She said taking the drink "we know exactly what will happen with the cream. It may be best if we keep our relationship from becoming sexual again... At least for now. Don't you agree?" She asked before taking a long sip of the brandy. "Although you are the expert on these matters not me."