Road to Absolution Part 1
To watch her breathe however was almost pleasure enough.
Tired as I was there seemed little chance of sleep due to the increasingly uncomfortable nature of the journey. The roads in that part of France were atrocious with more pot holes than the pock marked face of my employer. I thrust my head out of the carriage window and shouted up at the coachman.
‘Go easy on the horses man. The cardinal wants me alive not dead.’
The wind and rain lashed my face so I quickly retreated into the carriage. I noticed a slight slowing in pace for which I was grateful. I had two companions. A spider, which I had been watching since we left Angouleme. It was living in the finely furnished roof of the carriage and occasionally would come down a foot or two and then retreat upwards. At that moment it was on its way down and suspended just above the nose of my other companion. One of the prettiest noses I had ever seen, which belonged to the sweetest travelling companion a man could hope for. Milady de Blois. She must have sensed the spider for her hand came up and touched her nose. The spider quickly ascended to its roof top redoubt.
How she slept so soundly I do not know but I was grateful for it gave me time to slyly observe her beauty. Barely twenty years of age and already married. To that simpleton but highly favoured, the Duc de Blois who had more money than sense. A man whom I would happily cuckold. A moment of pleasure with Milady de Blois would surely give me enough satisfaction to last me at least half a week. Harsh I know but I seek lust with the same energy that I seek adventure.
To watch her breathe however was almost pleasure enough. The rise and fall of her bosom, lit by the last shafts of a setting sun, stirred me most pleasantly. I moved across to her side and sat beside her. The faintest of downy fair hairs glowed upon her breasts and it was all I could do to stop myself leaning forward and kissing them. Her lips were slightly open and my mind went to grosser thoughts. I kissed her as gently as I could. Our lips hardly touching. But it was enough to stir her.
‘Why my lord what ails thee? Why so close?’ she said in a voice as fresh as a mountain stream.
‘There was a creature upon your person. I felt it my duty to protect you. To save your honour.’
‘And what creature would that be? I see none other than you in this carriage.’
‘A vile beast was about to settle upon your breasts.’
‘My breasts?’
‘All eight legs. A spider in short. Which has now returned to its web high above us. But I think I should stay hard upon you in case it should return.’
‘There is no need my lord as I know spiders very well, having grown up on a farm. In my experience it is the beast with two legs that one has to be more wary of.’ She smiled demurely and pulled her cloak about her. It felt like the final curtain at the opera.
I grudgingly returned to my seat opposite, but even the voluminousness of her dress could not stop my leg from brushing against hers. I smiled inwardly as I remembered the line from Othello about making the beast with two backs.
‘Will we reach the chateau before night fall, do you think?’
‘I fear not Milady. The roads are so bad in these parts we have had to slow down to avoid losing a wheel. There was so much bucking that I feared for my ancient bones.’
‘You’re not so old. Compared with my husband that is.’
I had only seen De Blois once, three years before, and even then he was looking decrepit. It grieved me to think of this wondrous creature embraced by that gnarled and withered being.
The sun had eventually set for the day as our carriage approached a coaching inn I knew only too well. A very convenient bolt hole on the route to Tours. As we prepared to alight, Milady put her gloved hand on my shoulder and whispered fragrantly and tenderly into my ear.
‘One moment my Lord.’
‘Milady?’
‘Tonight, I would be most grateful if you would hear my confession.’
‘Tush tush Milady. I am no man of God. I work for the Cardinal, it is true, but I am not of his cloth. I hear no confessions.’
‘I crave absolution.’
‘From what? You are the purest women I have ever met or shared a carriage with. You cannot know what sin is.’
Her cloak fell from her shoulders to the carriage floor. Her body was illuminated by the lamp held by the rapidly approaching innkeeper.’
‘Absolve me tonight my Lord, I beg of you.’
The innkeeper was upon us. ‘Well met, my Lord, your room awaits.’
‘Very good. And one adjoining room for Milady de Blois.’
I turned to her, holding her hand to kiss it most reverently.
‘Milady, if you crave absolution, who am I to deny yo? The pleasure will be all mine.’
Read this tale from Milady’s point of view.
Part 2 coming next week…
This tale is linked to the prompt of imagination over on the Wicked Wednesday meme.
