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Daphne sighs loudly as she collapses in Anthony's arms, allowing him to gather her closer against him. He allows her a few seconds to follow this with a statement but she says nothing. She doesn't know where to start, and so waits for him to take the bait and ask her what this weary sound is all about.
Without fail, as he softly kisses the back of her bare neck, he asks "What is it Daph?" and she finds in herself the courage to finally bring it to the open.
"It's Eloise. And Katherine. It's … the outside of this room, really."
He hums against her skin and they get even closer than they already are, as he brings his arms around her and hugs her from behind. Of course he hugs her so a hand touches a breast and the other goes to rest just above her hips, as if hesitating between her mound and her thigh.
"What about them?"
"Eloise wants to know, she doesn't know what she is asking about but she has been inquiring about… life. About why I do not seem to mind if Simon is never around, about why Benedict visits me so often. And do not ask how she is aware about the frequency of his visits, I am choosing to not thing about it. Because if I do, I panic."
"Just like thinking about my engagement panics you. It'll be alright sweet dove."
She is quite unsure about that, about whether things will ever be alright. Anthony is going to marry and she likes Katherine enough to not want her to have to deal with Anthony's escapade with his siblings. She doesn't want Katherine to know, she doesn't want anyone to know and keep this their secret. Still with Anthony marrying, everyone will look at Benedict and expect him to marry and then what will be left of their little secret but the after taste of decadent nights where nothing exists but the pleasure of life.
She replies with a light chuckle and a request. "Make me forget, you've always been good at that." He says nothing and does as asked, twisting himself to loom over her and kisses her with all the passion that has left her marital bed. Soon he is sucking her and her hands automatically grab his hair, as she rocks against his face, moaning without restraint. She climaxes as Benedict lets himself into the room and she is only aware of his presence as the fabric of his tie falls on her face before being used as a blindfold. Shuddering, she giggles as her minds finally lets go under both men touches her and conspire to make her forget her there is a world outside of their touch.
She floats on that feeling until she is back in her household and sees Eloise waiting for her. There is determination in the younger woman's eyes and Daphne guesses that this is it, the time to come clean to her sister is upon her and she shudders as she lets her maid take her cape.
"You and Benedict have been acting strangely of late" is Eloise opening salvo as Daphne sits down on the meridienne, inviting her sister to sit next to her. "You know our older brothers, they are- protective." And even contrarian Eloise can't deny that fact. "Well, with Simon travelling, I have been quite morose and sad, so Benedict took it upon himself to take me to plays. And from there, we started to explore London together until Anthony decided we were being slightly too reckless and my reputation could be forever tarnished should it ever come to the ears of lady Whistledown. And so they came up with a different way to, well, entertain me."
She lets the silence fall around them as her throbbing wetness reminds her that a mere hour before she was being fucked against the wall by a rather enthusiastic Benedict who wanted to prove he had gained enough strength with his latest boxing endeavor. She would bear his nails mark for a week at least, but she had had to admit he had indeed gained strength. She had left them with the promise of more in the near future.
Eloise is strangely silent, her eagle eyes piercing her and Daphne is not sure how she feels at being on the end of that particular look.
"Benedict, Benedict has a room. We meet there, sometimes."
"Often," Eloise pipes up.
"Often." Daphne confirms, wondering how much of her life her younger sibling actually is aware of. How much is her staff aware of. And the panic, forgotten as she sucked on Anthony thick cock, creeps back and slithers down to the pit of her stomach. But there is also anger in her, because she doesn't want to be judged for being bored, for being alone, for not being touched for months at a time while taking care of a newborn who still doesn't do his nights.
"We… They… they are taking care of me. They make sure I don't do what a lot of married women do when their husband is away for months at a time, and find pleasure with strangers. They, they make sure of that."
She is not looking at Eloise and only see the penny drops when her younger boisterous sister let's a soft 'oh' escape her lips. She dares not look at the looks she suspect to be of horror and judgement and is therefore surprised when Eloise starts to giggle.
The issue is, it doesn't stop and soon she is calling the maid to bring some calming tea for her hysterical sister. Finally the laugh trickles back to a chuckle until Eloise is sipping on the lukewarm chamomile. Finally silence envelops them again and Daphne gets up, and walks to the window overlooking the gardens.
"They always did take their role of big brother quite seriously didn't they?" she hears Eloise says softly as she comes near her. "Think they would care to educate me?"
She hears the bravado behind the shocking question and smiles softly at her the young woman. "I'm sure we can ask them tomorrow, if you wish to accompany me to the modiste?"
The question of Katherine remains, but in this moment, she chooses to leave it be, and concentrate on Eloise and her new set of questions. And as it turns out, for an innocent young lady, she does have quite a few.