dr_mabeuse
seduce the mind
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2002
- Posts
- 11,528
The fog had grown thicker by the time the coach finally pulled up outside the gate of the Doctor's town house. The gardener let them in without a word, suspecting that the Doctor would have his own words for them, and the coach pulled up the short drive to the front door.
"Not there!" the gardener hissed. "Around back! Take the bloody thing around back, damn you!"
The coachmen pulled around to the kitchen entrance where the Doctor was waiting. He did not look happy.
"Sorry, your honor," said the coachman, "but it was the fog, the…"
"Where is she?" the Doctor said, cutting him off.
The driver jumped down and opened the coach door. He reached inside and helped the sole passenger down.
It was a lady, her face was thickly veiled, her body obscured by heavy coat she wore. She moved carefully, nervous and still a bit shaken from the journey. The Doctor suspected that she'd been drugged as well. That would be like the Count, to drug his own daughter before sending her off to her uncertain fate.
He strode over to her and raised his lantern, peering at her face, but the veils were too thick to see very much at all.
"I trust your journey wasn't too unpleasant?" he asked.
She simply shook her head.
"Good." he said, still considering her. "Please come this way, then."
She followed him unsteadily across the shadowy courtyard and he led her to the kitchen door, from where a shaft of light illuminated the steps. Here he stopped and turned to her.
"You do know why you're here, my dear?"
At last she spoke. "I'm sorry, sir, but I do not. Only that my father…"
He raised his hand to silence her.
"Then let me tell you. Your father owes me a great sum of money. A very great sum of money, which he lost through some very ill-advised and unfortunate wagers. He is unable to pay me. He is in fact, on the verge of penury, in spite of his title. Society expects a man to pay his debts, Madame, and so do I. I have thus agreed to accept you as payment for his egregious obligation to me."
She said nothing for a moment, speechless, then: "Sir, you are joking I trust. I'm afraid I do not understand."
"I am not, Madame. By law you are your father's property. He has signed you over to me, and when I have accepted you and signed myself, you shall belong to me."
She seemed to grow faint. "But that is impossible! It is illegal!"
"It is legal, and it is possible." he said, turning to enter the warmth of the kitchen. "Now come with me. Let me have a look at you. Let me see if you are worth keeping."
"Not there!" the gardener hissed. "Around back! Take the bloody thing around back, damn you!"
The coachmen pulled around to the kitchen entrance where the Doctor was waiting. He did not look happy.
"Sorry, your honor," said the coachman, "but it was the fog, the…"
"Where is she?" the Doctor said, cutting him off.
The driver jumped down and opened the coach door. He reached inside and helped the sole passenger down.
It was a lady, her face was thickly veiled, her body obscured by heavy coat she wore. She moved carefully, nervous and still a bit shaken from the journey. The Doctor suspected that she'd been drugged as well. That would be like the Count, to drug his own daughter before sending her off to her uncertain fate.
He strode over to her and raised his lantern, peering at her face, but the veils were too thick to see very much at all.
"I trust your journey wasn't too unpleasant?" he asked.
She simply shook her head.
"Good." he said, still considering her. "Please come this way, then."
She followed him unsteadily across the shadowy courtyard and he led her to the kitchen door, from where a shaft of light illuminated the steps. Here he stopped and turned to her.
"You do know why you're here, my dear?"
At last she spoke. "I'm sorry, sir, but I do not. Only that my father…"
He raised his hand to silence her.
"Then let me tell you. Your father owes me a great sum of money. A very great sum of money, which he lost through some very ill-advised and unfortunate wagers. He is unable to pay me. He is in fact, on the verge of penury, in spite of his title. Society expects a man to pay his debts, Madame, and so do I. I have thus agreed to accept you as payment for his egregious obligation to me."
She said nothing for a moment, speechless, then: "Sir, you are joking I trust. I'm afraid I do not understand."
"I am not, Madame. By law you are your father's property. He has signed you over to me, and when I have accepted you and signed myself, you shall belong to me."
She seemed to grow faint. "But that is impossible! It is illegal!"
"It is legal, and it is possible." he said, turning to enter the warmth of the kitchen. "Now come with me. Let me have a look at you. Let me see if you are worth keeping."