Blue Tango

Chapter Seventeen

What I did was talk to Simon Ruddle, an old acquaintance, a music hall manager, a man who looked his best in a boater and plus-fours. I said I wanted an introduction to an actress named Lily Graham. Did he know her? Yes of course he knew her, whatever did I want that one for? “She's not reliable,” he said. I told him I had no concern about her reliability, I wanted the introduction as soon as possible.

And so the meeting with Lily Graham was adequately arranged by Simon Ruddle. I was determined now to have my vengeance against Claire and Julie. I went to Lily's dressing room one evening, carried my hat and cane in my hand and entered a cloud of perfume thick enough to choke a rhino. And there she was, a perfect little tart, a typical actress, blonde and pink and laughing blue eyes and delicious rosebud lips. Not much of an actress really, but a complete cocotte. “So pleased to meet you, Mr. Ransom. Shall I call you Edward? Yes, I think I shall. It's a nice name, isn't it?”

Lovely ankles in dark silk. She was amused when she learned I was Claire's husband. The laughing blue eyes moved up and down as she flirted with me. She was one of those women who flirt with men as a matter of policy. She agreed to dine with me. “Provided it's a decent place, of course. I don't like the ordinary places. I like a bit of polish, if you know what I mean.”

Yes, I did know. I was overwhelmed by the perfume and her complete femininity. As was Claire, I suppose. How amusing it was. Lily's sexuality was so intense it filled the room. My mind was in a fever as I imagined her with Claire. Hot imaginings. I thought of their bodies entwined. Claire kissing her breasts, sucking her nipples, nuzzling in her nest. Claire would treat her as an hors d'oeuvre. Lily would be a delicate hors d'oeuvre for Claire. How completely clever of Claire to amuse herself with this tropical bird.

I took Lily Graham to the Ritz and she was delighted. She clapped her hands and settled her feathers. I ordered champagne. I offered a toast to her ravishing beauty. I told her every eye in the room was upon her and the blue eyes danced in response.

But it was true. The eyes of all the men were upon her. She was certainly something to look at. She flaunted her beauty at them, gazed at one and then the other, a hint of promise, a smile. She knew precisely what she had and she knew precisely what the men around her wanted.

Then she looked at me. “And you?”

“Me?”

“What do you want with me, Mr. Edward Ransom?”

“I thought we decided you would call me Edward.”

“Such a nice name. And wanting what?”

She was not stupid. So often one thinks such a woman less than clever, but usually the case is otherwise. They don't go far without cleverness. Lord knows where she came from, but she now had a life of sorts. A name in the music halls, pleasant evenings with moneyed men in attendance. I could she her breasts, the glow of her skin. I wondered what she looked like naked. I sipped my champagne and lit a cigar and said I wanted to buy her.

She laughed. That sparkling music hall laugh, the blue eyes now burning. Her laughter rippled across the table. She was delighted. She sipped her champagne. She said it was lovely to find a man so honest. “You say it right out, don't you? Well, I like that. I think it's lovely. And what will you do with me after you buy me?”

How amusing she was. She knew the world. I told her I would surround her with flowers. “And then make passionate love to you. We'll make love in a bed of white roses.”

Her teeth glistened as she smiled. “Now that's a fancy, isn't it? What did Claire tell you about me?”

“Nothing at all. She has no knowledge of this and I'd rather you wouldn't tell her.”

“A bit of intrigue, isn't it?”

“Yes, quite.”

“You're not what I imagined. Not Claire's husband. You're different.”

I suppose she thought I'd be a species of poodle, combed and beribboned and quick to the beckoning. Fiery images filled my brain. I imagined Lily in my arms. That deep cleft between her breasts looked so delicious, a place to nuzzle, a place where the warm scent of her body would be intoxicating. Then I imagined her in Claire's arms. What did they do with each other? I imagined Claire making love to Lily. I imagined Lily's breasts in Claire's hands, Claire's mouth on Lily's sex. Claire would be the aggressor. My dear Claire. She would lose herself with a toy like Lily. I pictured the two women together in a feverish embrace, their mouths pulling at each other's flesh.

Then I told myself I was a fool for being so obsessed with it. I ought to have more equanimity. I chided myself for allowing my brain to become addled.

Lily persisted in questioning me. She knew I was up to something. She toyed with me. She moved to sit beside me and I adored it. Now I had her scent in my nose. Once again I said I wanted to make love to her.

Her eyes were hot as she teased me. “I prefer women, you know.”

“Like my wife?”

She laughed. “She's a beauty, isn't she? Yes, like your wife.”

I said I was aware of her preferences. I said I wanted her nevertheless. I said I hoped to persuade her to yield to me as a diversion. Would she be interested? For the proper sum, of course. She smiled at me. It was understood that I would pay handsomely. I did not pretend it would be anything else. She laughed and agreed when I named an exorbitant sum.

“That's quite charming.”

“But sufficient?”

“Oh dear yes. It's lovely.”

I thought to see her again in a few days, but she wanted to sleep with me immediately, that very night. I was taken aback but I agreed. She was amused at my surprise and asked if I found this evening inconvenient. I said not all. “But I don't think we can have the bed of white roses. We can't have that done so quickly.”

She tossed her feathers as we left the Ritz. In the hansom cab she laughed and said I looked much too serious. She talked about her career. She spoke of her travels on the Continent. She said she adored the stage.

And then we arrived. She had a cluttered flat in Bloomsbury, a place filled with smells of perfume and powder and a hint of incense. Now I had a violent need. I wanted her. I took her in my arms and kissed her. I bared her breasts. I admired her pink nipples. She enjoyed exhibiting herself; she enjoyed my compliments. She was eager to be adored. She made sounds of pleasure as I sucked her nipples. When I wanted to undress her further, she laughed and refused. She unbuttoned my trousers to have a look at my tool. She toyed with it, amusing herself, delighting in my arousal. After seating herself upon a footstool, she took my root in her mouth. Her talent for sucking was immediately obvious. I was amused that a woman who preferred other women could show such passion for sucking. I withdrew from her mouth before I spent. I said I wanted her naked. “Like a nymph, my sweet. As naked as a nymph.”

She teased me as she undressed for me. The gown fell, then her chemise and drawers. Finally she lay naked upon her bed wearing nothing but her dark silk stockings. I quickly stripped my clothes away and joined her. She giggled as I took her. I pulled her legs over my shoulders and penetrated her forcefully. Her eyes shone with amusement. In the end it was she who took me. She watched me spend in her grotto. She remained aloof, watching the male in his final spasms.

When at last I withdrew, I made her keep her legs apart so that I could look at her sex. It was a pretty little cunt, not much hair, the flesh pink and firm. I imagined Claire making love to it. I touched it. I wet my fingers in Lily's grotto. I went home that evening with her scent on my hand.

I did not see Lily again until two days later. We had dinner again and then we went directly to her flat.-This time I questioned her about Claire but she refused to say anything of substance. She insisted I ask my wife about their affair. She said she hardly saw Claire any more. She said she disliked lengthy liaisons. I had a sudden desire to suck her sex and she was delighted. She laughed and threw her legs up as I went about it. Her sex was ravishing, succulent and warm, a delightful fruit to be sucked and nibbled. Before long she rolled over and offered me her bottom. “I think you fancy that.”

Yes, of course. I teased her, amused myself with her lust. I sucked her sex from the rear, my mouth pressed against her blonde fig, my nose pressed between her bottom-cheeks. Then I tickled her rose-hole with my tongue. She quivered and said she adored it. I moved my lips back and forth between her slit and the puckered rosette of her bottom. I made her spend with my mouth on her clitoris and my finger in her fundament.

Later, as we lay upon her bed, I told Lily I wanted her to seduce my sister-in-law. “She's Claire's sister. Her name is Julie and she's quite beautiful.”

Lily laughed. “Oh, what a devil you are!” She questioned me about Julie. Lily would receive a present, of course. When I named a sum, she quickly agreed. “You know how to tempt me, don't you, darling?” She said I might watch it if I liked. “From that cabinet. Won't you like that?”

I was delighted and I accepted the offer. Dear Lily took to it so easily. I wondered if she had done this sort of thing before. I suppose she had. She seemed totally at ease as we made our plans.

During the following days, the prospect of watching Lily with Julie totally occupied my mind. Finally one evening I introduced Julie to Lily in a restaurant. Lily proved to be an amazing creature. She had enormous powers of seduction and Julie was soon taken with her. In a few days Lily reported to me that Julie had agreed to visit her flat in Bloomsbury.

So it was done. The plans were made. The large cabinet in Lily's bedroom was cleared and made ready for me. When the day arrived, there I was hidden in Lily Graham's armoire. I heard them in the drawing room. I heard the soft talk, then the kisses. Before long they came into the bedroom. Julie's breasts were already bared. Lily crooned over Julie's breasts, holding them in her hands, laughing as she kissed Julie's nipples. I was in a daze of arousal. I watched the two women in their minuet, Lily undressing Julie, then Lily undressing herself and offering her breasts to Julie's mouth.

Julie moaned constantly. I realized this was the real Lily. The hunger she had for Julie was obvious. She soon had Julie upon the bed with Julie's knees pulled back to show her sex. Lily swooped down upon it. She fed upon Julie, an abandoned sucking that soon had Julie spending over and over again.

And then finally the two of them were locked in each other's arms head to toe.

I watched Julie suck Lily's blonde fig.

Julie's desire was evident enough.

Some weeks later, Claire and Julie and myself were at Prince's. We took turns dancing. We'd had a bit too much wine and both sisters had flushed cheeks. Soon the women amused themselves dancing the tango with a series of young men. I felt no jealousy. My mind was filled with images. I wondered how soon Claire would take another lover to replace Walter Bramsby. I knew that Julie was secretly seeing Lily as often as possible. I wondered if Claire still saw Lily on occasion. Had Lily told Claire about me? I doubted it.

The next day I was alone with Claire in her bedroom. Julie was out of the house, visiting Lily perhaps. I had Claire upon her bed, her knees pushed back to her breasts as I sucked her sex.

Claire teased me when she saw my hunger for it. “Be gentle, darling. I'm always afraid of you when you're famished like this.”

I sucked her juices. She mewled with delight when I tongued her bottom-hole. I finally made her spend with my fingers. I stroked her grotto with my fingers while I rubbed her clitoris with my thumb. She spent twice, her face flushed and her eyes glazed.

Then suddenly Claire pushed me away. She said she knew all about my affair with Julie. “It's horrible, isn't it?” She began weeping as she told me how horrible it was.

I left her sobbing on the bed and walked out of the room.

Part Four: Edward-One Year Later