The Sheik's Son(10)

Juliette had not expected this of him. The only time they had coupled before had been very brief and had not been repeated. She felt that he was a man that she could fall in love with and she didn’t want to. She wanted to remain aloof and distant, and it was for this reason that she did not bed the men in the brothel.

In the past there had been lovers and she had always made certain that there was not to be any mention of love or commitment. Her brothel was everything to her and that was enough.

She had fallen deeply in love once before and a daughter had been the result. The daughter was educated at a nearby convent and Juliette was content to never repeat the situation with another man.

But now Juliette was worried. Sebastian was a handsome man with a quiet intelligence that she admired. He was not the braggart type and she knew he was admired by men and women alike. If this liaison was to continue, she would make certain that no serious attachments would be allowed.

In the meantime, she would allow him the use of her body. She enjoyed lovemaking and he was a skilled lover.

”Why me?” she asked quietly in the dark. She had turned on her side to see him lying on his back.

Their second coupling of the evening had been long and drawn-out. She had climaxed several times and now they both lay together in bed, naked and exhausted amidst the bedclothes.

“You’re a lovely woman, Juliette,” he said, staring at the ceiling and then turning his head to look at her.

“Thank you.”

“I think you and I will suit,” he explained.

Juliette waited to hear more.

“I can’t have any entanglements. I need a woman who understands this,” he spoke quietly.

“And I do.” Juliette knew that Giselle was young and pretty but also clingy. That would not do for a man like Sebastian.

“Then nothing more need be said,” he concluded.

“I’ll speak to Giselle,” she offered.

His hand moved along her curves, settling onto her upper thigh. She moved onto her back and he was moving on top of her, pressing into her.

“Bash,” she murmured into his ear as he filled her completely.

***

Sophie woke to the sounds of the house stirring. She heard the maid moving along the corridor and she jumped out of bed. She pulled her long auburn hair up and then secured it with two large mother-of-pearl combs.

Once that was done, she seated herself at her writing desk to complete the pamphlet. She remembered where she had left off the evening before and immediately picked up from there.

She felt the satisfaction of the quill pen scratching along the linen paper as her thoughts formed into words.

Later in the morning, she summoned Marie to her. Marie was a little older than herself but not flippant and silly as some maids could be. She kept to herself and didn’t gossip, and Sophie knew she could trust her. She handed the folded pages to her and gave similar instructions as before. She was to deliver these papers to Monsieur Blanche and wait to see if he had any orders to return to her.

Marie knew that this pamphlet was to have been written by a “cousin” and she would offer no additional words on the matter to the printer. The man nodded and left her young mistress to perform her errand.

Sophie wanted to look her best for tea that afternoon with Madame Necker, Germaine and her grandmother. She chose a caramel-colored silk dress with a square neckline and elbow-length sleeves. The full skirt was draped in front and pulled back to reveal a cream-colored petticoat with swirls. She wore a delicate pearl necklace and her ivory-colored silk shoes with a square heel.

Her grandmother was wearing a lavender gown of similar style with her hair powdered in the old style. She wore several rings on her hands and a necklace. She enjoyed her jewelry and loved showing it off.

Eugenie quietly eyed her granddaughter standing in the hallway with her small beaded purse before she declared, “Bon.”

Sophie stared back at the older woman. “As you picked out the color and the style, I can’t imagine what would be wrong with it,” Sophie tartly replied.

The carriage ride was brief and they were soon at Madame Necker’s home, descending from the steps of the carriage. They were ushered into a beautiful room decorated in blue and gold.

Madame Necker joined them shortly and, dressed in a peach silk gown, she greeted them warmly.

“My dear Sophie, Madame Gauvreau,” she spoke to each woman kissing them on both cheeks. “Please sit.” She indicated a small couch covered in cream damask.

A beautiful Limoges tea set was placed before them on a low table and Suzanne poured out three cups, asking her guests if they would like milk and sugar. The teacups were painted purple with yellow flowers and a gold handle. Each cup had a matching saucer and the large pot was decorated the same. Eugenie asked for milk and Sophie declined both.