The Colonel's Nieces

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“The house which I was about to enter was by no means a new or modern building. It was, however, obviously a very well kept estate, and maintaining it must have cost the owner a fortune. Moreover, it was located in a quiet section of the city, because I did not hear a sound coming from the streets. The house was quiet, almost dead, which made the many flowers and the brilliant lights look eerie.

“'Would your Grace please walk up these stairs?' Felicitas, who had preceded me, opened the door to a small waiting room which was covered with Oriental tapestries and rugs.

“The Negro woman announced the Count de Paliseul, opened yet another door, and I believed myself transported to one of those fabulous places mentioned in the stories of a Thousand and One Nights.

“On a couch, at the other end of the room, a woman was resting. And what a woman! She wore an enchanting negligee made out of white velvet and red silk. Only a dress designer drunk with love, could have dreamed up such a gown. Her face was covered with a domino mask, but her arms were naked, sticking out of the red silk. I had never seen such beautiful arms. They could have been those missing from the Venus de Milo!

“Her firm, ample bosom peeked through a thin, silken blouse which was barely held together by a few ruby-colored ribbons. She wore some fresh flowers in her hair.

“Her entire dress was so incredibly voluptuous that I was struck dumb. And, my friends, you know that this hardly ever happens to me. Nevertheless, there was nothing in her demeanor, or dress, which reminded me of a courtesan. Not even of a very expensive one.

“I was standing in a huge, high-ceilinged room which was completely covered with a rose-colored velvet, upon which flowers and arabesques were embroidered. Tapestries, artfully folded, were hanging from the ceiling, losing themselves in the corners, making the room look even more enormous. Comfortable furniture was artfully grouped in the room, and exquisite objects of art were everywhere.”

“'A poor hermit welcomes you,' said a melodious voice, and an aristocratic little hand was offered me. She wore a wedding band.

“'A hermit! Possible! However, it seems to me that your hermit's existence has in no way interfered with your becoming an aesthete,' I said, giving her my most seductive smile. 'But I would be extremely grateful,' I added, 'if this beautiful hermit would allow me to share the abode with her. I will do anything in my power to make it very attractive for both of us.'

“'You may not wish that after a couple of days.'

“I looked at her carefully. She was a beautifully built woman. And her whole demeanor betrayed that she was a member of high society. I waved my hand as a protest to her insinuation.

“'Sit down next to me,' my charming hostess said, 'and let's talk while tea is being served.'

“I sat down, quite close to my secretive lady, and she showed neither embarrassment nor the usual shyness which always seems to be unavoidable when two members of the opposite sex are suddenly thrown together.

“We were sitting intimately close together when the black Felicitas announced that a small supper had been served. Meanwhile, Madame Pomegranate Flower and I had been talking as if we had known each other for years. Our conversation was very flippant, to say the least, especially since my lady seemed to know a lot about many of the little secrets of Parisian society. Even though she was a foreigner, she was extremely up to date on all the scandals that were going on, and she seemed to be well acquainted with many of the skeletons that are hiding in important Parisian closets. Once in a while she would throw in a few foreign sounding phrases, but my knowledge of languages is not so great that I could identify them. I can therefore only assume that they were properly used.

“My beautiful Pomegranate Flower offered me her arm. She trembled slightly. She led me into a tiny dining room where a table had been set with a fine, elegant supper for two. And who can describe my incredible surprise when I could see, through a double door, an enormous bedroom with a gigantic bed, a heavy velvet canopy and a few Algerian lamps which cast a mysterious spell in the room.

“I was now sure that all my fears had been unfounded, and I decided to enjoy whatever the evening might bring. I recognized the symptoms and was full of anticipation.

“'Dear Count,' said my beautiful lady friend, after we had finished our lobster, liver pate, and strong tea, 'let's do away with the ceremonies. What is your name?'

“'For you, my beautiful Pomegranate Flower, my name is Raoul.'

“'Well, then, my dear Raoul, what would you think about a little stay in my domain?'

“T think that would make me the happiest man in Paris, and the thought of this intoxicating possibility practically makes me lose my head.'

“And to prove my words, I kissed her beautiful breasts softly. They had somehow slipped out of her blouse, and the erecting nipples were driving me wild.

“The young woman made a slight jerking motion, but it was so noticeable that I knew immediately that I had gotten the green light.

“A few moments later we ate from the same plate, and drank from the same glass. Pomegranate Flower was sitting on my lap, and she gave my wandering hands complete free play. The pink ribbons of her blouse were in my way, and I pulled them loose. The blouse fell to the floor, revealing beautiful white globes which were tipped by hardening strawberry nipples.

“A simple jewel held her tiny corset. I unclasped it and then… my entire being still shivers at the memory… my arm encircled her submissive, voluptuous body. I could feel spasms of incredible passion jolt through her entire being.

“'Pomegranate, my adorable one,' I whispered, 'I see you today for the first time, and already I am smitten by an unquenchable love.'

“The delicious woman smiled and threw her arms around my neck.

“'Ooh, your lips are so fiery! I want to devour them!' My lips pressed against hers, my tongue crawled into her warm mouth, and the way she reciprocated drove me out of my senses, making the bulge in my pants larger than it had been in a long time.

“'And your breasts, oh lovely lady, what precious marvels… I have promised to respect that horrible mask you are wearing. But what about the rest?'

“'It is all yours,' a sweet, trembling voice whispered.

“'You must be the most beautiful woman in the world,' I said. 'But, alas, my friends call me a doubting Thomas. I would like to see, before I believe.'

“The negligee, too, slipped to the floor, revealing one of the most beautiful female bodies I have ever seen. Her shoulders were beautifully rounded, and as milk-white as her breasts. I was absolutely speechless. I felt her skin shiver and crawl and the breasts began to firm, jutting provocatively forward. My wild, passionate kisses made any conversation impossible.

“Another clasp, on her thigh, held a pair of Turkish harem pants. I unclipped it, and the last vestige of her clothing slipped to the floor. The divine creature was sitting fully naked on my lap. Her skin was now flushed with desire, and her kisses became extremely passionate.

“'Pomegranate,' I whispered, pointing at the bed which seemed to be waiting for us, 'dear, beautiful and exotic flower… up to bed… for a beautiful bout of wonderful love! Shall we?'

“'Yes,' my hostess whispered almost inaudibly.

“And I carried her, without interrupting my passionate caresses, toward the enticing bedroom. I carefully laid my booty down upon the huge bed, divested myself rapidly of my own clothing, and soon our legs were happily intertwined.

“I satisfied my desire to kiss her breasts and nibble her hardened strawberry nipples to the fullest, and held those beautiful arms firmly against my own.

“My mysterious lady love behaved like a love starved wife. It was as if I were her husband who had just returned from a year's travel.

“'Kiss me, oh, please, kiss me everywhere,' she panted, writhing upon the huge bed.

“I complied more than willingly and both of us manifested our satisfaction with sighs and little cries of pleasure. I no longer wondered about the incredible strangeness of the whole situation. I was too busy enjoying the treat Madame Pomegranate offered me. I had no more thoughts about the engagement I had broken for that night, because I knew that nothing in the world could have afforded greater carnal delights than what I was tasting upon the enormous bed.

“I seized the nipples in my mouth, biting them playfully. She was trembling in my arms. She arched her breasts toward me, obviously wanting me to go on biting them. She almost spasmed at the touch of my lips, and it became clear to me that this ravishing lady had been love starved. I began to caress her, at first lightly. I ran my hands over her skin, from thighs to neck, from buttocks to back. She was now shuddering uncontrollably, fanning the fires of my own passion till I could no longer control them.

“I fondled her marvelous breasts at great length and then, almost savagely, I grabbed them, pinched them, digging my fingers deeply into their milk whiteness.

“She uttered deep little moans. Then she slid one nipple between my fingers, and I began to rub it. In an uncontrollable movement, she seized my head, pressing it against her belly. I ran my tongue over it, lingering around her navel, drawing deep moans from Pomegranate.

“I tried to engulf an entire breast in my mouth, and she asked me to suck her lower. I gladly obeyed, and I licked her nudity tirelessly. My ministrations were driving her mad, and she begged me to suck her still lower. Obviously, I could not resist such a charming request, and my caresses were making her almost go out of her mind. I had never seen such passion, and the aphrodisiac was incredible. I have always been able to retain my composure while dallying with a lady, but now it became quite impossible for me to retain my dignity.

“When she arched her back, offering me her secret love spot, my desire had become so great that I leaned forward, running my tongue around her little hole and rosy lips. We were both terribly excited.

“I licked the border of her hole, advancing a little, but just when my tongue was slipping into the opening, I withdrew and went back to her navel and belly. I could see that my little game was bringing her to the breaking point. And frankly, I was no longer able to hold myself back, though I had planned to spend the entire night making love to this incredibly beautiful mysterious creature.

“We were both writhing with lust. I parted her beautiful white thighs, revealing a pink flower of incredible delicacy, encircled by raven-black pubic hairs. I kneeled on my knees between them.

“My manhood was incredibly stiff and had never been so large before. She leaned forward and brought the tip of my member up to her slit. She let out a cry of delight.

“By now I had lost all reason. I seized my throbbing prick and placed it in her cunny. She sighed with ecstasy, grabbed my hands as if to thank me for what I had done. I lowered myself completely. She pressed herself firmly against me, and our hot, steaming bodies began to tremble. We were covered with sweat, and my panting chest was pressed against her throbbing bosom. My fingers caressed her thighs, her glorious buttocks, and even the little hole nestled between their crack. It sent shivers up and down her spine.

“I cannot go into any more details, because I would be unable to get up from this chair, my friends. But let me tell you, that in our passion, our tongues tried to swallow one another, and our hands mutually explored every tiny crevice of our bodies.

“I introduced my member gently, slowly shoving it inward, till I had reached her up to the hilt. She moaned with joy as she felt my rod slipping into her. I began to move slowly, penetrating her as deeply as I could. But, suddenly, I was no longer in control of myself. I threw my head back, and almost screamed.

“'At last, my dear love, my Pomegranate… it's marvelous! We are fucking, it's marvelous!'

“She was moving wildly under me, without restraint. I felt an extraordinary exaltation rising within me. Then a wave of great passion submerged me, and I could feel that her entire body began to spasm, and we both tasted supreme ecstasy at the same moment. We let out a cry of great pleasure.

“It was a passion as I have never felt before. Never have I held such a young, glowing and beautiful female in my arms who had absolutely no reins on her unbridled lust.

“'Will I ever meet you again?' I whispered.

“'Possibly, my sweetheart, Raoul,' she murmured sleepily.

“Who is Pomegranate Flower? I am afraid that I will never find out. One thing is for sure, she is a woman, completely without any prejudices. And not only does she know how to be taken, but she also knows how to give. My friends, I left this mysterious home with my head in seventh heaven. I was totally exhausted. One thing is sure, I would be the most unhappy man on earth if I were never to see her again.”

“What?” the little gathering that had been absorbed by Raoul de Paliseul's story exclaimed. “What do you mean, 'never to see her again!' Do you believe that this mysterious Pomegranate Flower wanted only one passionate night of love? Would she be capable of denying herself any subsequent ones?”

“I don't know. I honestly have no idea. When I said good-bye to her, I obviously asked when we would meet again. And she answered with a mysterious smile, 'When the sphinx writes you again.' And I am still waiting for that letter.”

“Well, my dear Raoul, one or two nights of decent rest won't do you any harm. Those deep rings around your eyes are positively indecent, especially now that we know for sure how you got them. You have simply made too much love.”

During the entire story, Maxim de Berny had not said a single word. From time to time the officer would look in his friend's direction with a mysterious smile on his face. When Raoul had finished his story, the officer walked over to the young Count, offered him his hand, saying, “My compliments, Raoul, for your gift of storytelling. It is swinging, full of elegantly turned phrases, a melodious voice and an absolutely thrilling imagination. But please, my dear friend, don't try to swindle us, and that's what you were trying to do. And, what's even worse… you are an ostentatious, swaggering braggart.”

“Well, goddammit, man… that is strong language, and I demand satisfaction.”

“It is true, I am not exaggerating. Because I, too, know the mysterious woman. I know all about the golden sphinx, the large estate with flowers and lanterns. And, since I was there myself, I know for sure that you cannot have spent the night there!”

“That remark surpasses all bounds of good taste!”

“As you wish. But it is nevertheless true, and I can prove it.”

The small circle of people held their breath. It was a very long time since a similar sensation had shaken the club.

“Proof? I beg of you… what proof?” Raoul exclaimed, slightly nervous and worried.

“Now, now, let's not lose our heads!” De Melreuse, as usual, tried to calm everyone down. “Let's go over some of the details of the story once more. What day were you there, Raoul?”

“On the sixth.”

“And you, Maxim?”

“On the sixth.”

“And you both had supper and tea?”

“Of course!” the gentlemen answered simultaneously.

“All right, it's Maxim's turn.”

“As far as I am concerned, the entire story Raoul has given was true up to a certain point. He was right about the exotically perfumed letter, sealed with a golden sphinx, the Negro coachman and the black chambermaid, and also about the perfumed calling card which I hereby show as proof.”

“And here,” Raoul said feverishly, “is mine!”

“So, gentlemen, be happy! Both of you were nominated, and both of you were selected!” It was de Melreuse again, who tried his best to avoid a bloody fight.

“It couldn't have been at the same hour…” someone interjected.

Maxim spoke up again. “Raoul gives very enticing details. However, there is one thing wrong with them. They are positively untrue! The name of the ravishing and mysterious lady was not Pomegranate Flower, but Evergreen. And she has never been near the scorching sun of the Iberian Peninsula, either! On the contrary, she is a divine creature of a far Northern country. She represents the most enchanting moonlit night. In other words, she is the most ravishing blonde one can possibly imagine. And after I had unraveled her out of Lord knows how many yards of finest linen, I beheld an Eve who had just descended from the snow capped tops of the mountain. A totally innocent woman, who was only curious. The surprise, expressed by her virginal innocence could not possibly have been faked by any courtesan. There was nothing fiery and passionate about her, but she was very cuddly and as innocently playful as a young kitten. As a matter of fact, she is so much woman that it was almost sacrilege to be a man next to this enchanting creature.”

“God preserve us,” said de Laigle and de Resdorff to one another. “These two are out of their minds with passion!”

“Yes,” de Resdorff said, “and if you ask me, they are not only infatuated, they are falling deeply in love with women they don't even know.”

“Maxim, listen,” said de Laigle who was more or less the unofficial president of the Club de Topinambours, “this whole affair is so filled with mystery, that our club cannot stand idly by and have such a thing happen in Paris. Especially if it involves a secret where our combined honor demands that we unravel it! It is simply the duty of our club!”

“Our friend Raoul maintains upon his honor that he has wallowed in seventh heaven with a divine brunette. And you, — dear Maxim, are just as positive that you have tasted the delights of heaven in the same house, at the same hour, with a delicious blonde. Gentlemen, now please, be reasonable. Don't you think that you have been the victim of an extremely cunning matchmaker?”

“Impossible,” both young men exclaimed simultaneously. “Nothing of the sort! Even the meanest servants refused to take money from us!'

“And I,” Raoul said, slightly blushing, “received a letter in the mail with a substantial check which, oh, how stupid of me, I had discreetly put down upon one of the tables.”

“Mystery on top of mystery.”

“Yes,” Raoul said, “and it is a mystery that excites me to the point where it is driving me insane!”

“Me, too,” Maxim added, “and I promise that I will not leave a stone unturned to get to the bottom of this seemingly impenetrable mystery. Day after tomorrow I will keep eyes and ears open, that I can promise you.”

“What?” de Paliseul asked jealously. “Do you have another meeting promised for the day after tomorrow?”

“Yes…”

“Did you receive another sphinx letter today?”

“No, but before we separated, she definitely promised me another rendezvous.”

“Dammit! I should have done the same! Why didn't I think of that? You were much smarter than I.”

“And what about your lady friend? Didn't she say, 'Possibly'?”

“I have been dreaming about that ever since she whispered it to me. Are you supposed to meet her again in the Avenue MacMahon?”

“No, this time I am supposed to… but, wait a moment. I have promised to be discreet and secretive, and I am not going to reward the favors of the beautiful lady Evergreen with an indiscretion. She wants to maintain her incognito, and it is not up to me to lead you lecherous gentlemen to her secret abode.”

These words evoked a storm of protests. “And what about the solidarity of our club? What about that, hah… can you tell us?”

“For once I shall forget about that solidarity. Moreover, the Good Book says, 'Seek and ye shall find.' I advise my dear friends to turn these divinely inspired words into deeds and if you can come up with anything, remember, dear friends, 'Finders keepers… losers weepers.' As far as I am concerned I leave whatever plan of action you decide upon entirely up to the discretion of the club. Just don't expect me to help you.”

And with these words, Maxim de Berny left the Club de Topinambours.

After he had left, Raoul remained pouting in the big leather chair. Finally he said, somewhat irritated, “Now what on earth… this Maxim has all the luck in the world. What does he have, I ask you, that makes him such a prize among women?”

“My dear de Paliseul, I am glad that your father cannot hear this. He still prides himself on his prowess, and he is convinced that his son is firmly in his footsteps. And, after what we have heard tonight, it seems to me that you have the least reason to complain about Maxim.” De Melreuse had, like all the other gentlemen, thoughts about nothing but women. They could not care less what types of women, as long as they had all the attributes of the weaker sex, and were willing to part with their favors. The stories of Raoul and Maxim had gotten every one of the members of the Club de Topinambours very willing and eager. Unfortunately, not all were sure that they would be able to get some, and therefore, Raoul's pouting remark had put a sharp edge in the voice of de Melreuse.

“I… I… did not mean to say that…” de Paliseul stuttered, “and, besides, you know… with me those affairs never last long. I can't help it, and I don't know why it is. But once, at the most twice, and then they have lost their interest. I am discarded. And he!”

“Listen, young man, count your blessings. Many of us here are discarded before we are even selected. Believe me, a woman is an unpredictable creature. There is an old proverb that says, 'A woman's heart is never fair; only a fool puts trust in long hair.' Let it be a consolation to you, my friend. Maybe you are not capable of evoking eternal passion, but it saves you the trouble of getting rid of undesirable fetters.”

“I am glad you are trying to lift my spirits. I have to leave now, gentlemen; I am waiting for word of my beloved Pomegranate Flower. But I can promise you one thing right now. I shan't be a hog about my little secret-like our friend Maxim!”