Yes Sir Part Eleven
Nov. 20th, 2013 09:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hannah_chapter1Title: Yes Sir Part Eleven
Author: hannah_chapter
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: 18/NC-17
Summary: AU. Victorian England. Matthew is the son of a lord, Dominic is a young and innocent servant: "The moment Matthew laid eyes on the boy, he knew he had to have him."
Feedback: Makes me do the dance of joy.
Disclaimer: Fake as fake could be.
A heart, beating steadily beneath his ear.
A chest, rising and falling.
Voices, soft, low voices, speaking of unfamiliar people and unfamiliar places.
These are Dominic's first impressions upon waking.
The servant opens his eyes and his fingers twitch. Matthew feels him stirring and runs long fingers through his hair.
"Hello, my sweet," he says, did you sleep well?"
"I did."
They kiss and Christopher laughs, startling Dominic, who had almost forgotten the third man sharing a bed with them.
"My my, but you are just too adorable for words," he drawls.
Matthew and Dominic ignore him and Christopher pouts, unused to such treatment.
"Well then," he says, "the afternoon is not yet over. Shall we go out and have some tea?"
This gets Matthew's attention. He sits up and smirks at his old friend.
"We shall," he says, "but not quite yet. You have had your fun with us, Christopher. I think it only fair that we should have some fun with you."
Christopher considers the proposal.
"You are right, Matthew," he agrees, "what would you have of me, then?"
"Oh, I think Dominic should decide. Which would you prefer, Dominic, the mouth or the arse? I can recommend both."
It takes several minutes for Dominic to regain the ability to speak.
"I think ... perhaps ... I would like to try the arse."
"Arse it is, then, " Matthew says, "Christopher, would you be so kind?"
"But of course."
Christopher gets on his hands and knees. And now it is the tutor's turn to be shared by two men. Dominic looks down, enraptured by the sight of his own prick moving in and out of an unfamiliar arse. Then high, breathy moans cause him to gaze into Matthew's face and watch his master's ever-changing expression as he is given oral pleasure.
And when it is all over, and they have rested themselves and recovered somewhat from the exertions of the afternoon, they wash and dress and return to the drawing room. Christopher summons the servant and has tea brought in. This is, in many ways, the strangest part of the afternoon, or so it seems to Dominic. While it is true he has, on occasion, taken tea with Matthew in the master's rooms, they remain painfully aware of their respective roles when out in public. Dominic waits in the servants' quarters if there are any, outside if there are none, while his master eats and drinks and conducts business. To sits at a table and be waited upon as though he were any other gentleman - it is beyond Dominic's comprehension.
They finish their tea and take their leave of Christopher. Silence reigns supreme in the carriage in the journey home, the occupants lost in their own thoughts. Dominic watches his master, notes the furrowed brow and unconscious flexing of the fingers. He has seen this before, it happens when Matthew is preparing himself for an unpleasant, yet necessary, task. The carriage comes to a halt and the servant follows his master into the house and all the way to Matthew's private sitting room. Matthew drops onto the sofa. The evening is drawing on, so Dominic lights the lamps. He waits for orders, but there are none. Matthew gazes into the middle distance, unmindful of his surroundings.
This uncomfortable moment stretches, and stretches and Dominic wants to scream. Then Matthew sits up and blinks, like a man startled out of a dream. He sighs and pats the seat beside him.
"Sit with me, Dominic. We have much to discuss."
Dominic joins his master, heart hammering in his chest. Matthew's hand comes to rest on top of his, before enfolding it in a tight, almost painful, grip.
"This afternoon," Matthew falters, "I did not ... I never ... to force you into such an awkward position ... never my intention ..."
Matthew stumbles on and, nervous as he is, Dominic still has to choke back a laugh. He has seen Matthew happy, calm, in the throes of passion, in a towering, pain-filled rage. But he has never seen his master so hesitant, unable to express himself.
"Matthew," he interrupts, "there is no call for this. You did not force me to do anything. I was a willing participant in the events of the afternoon and, while I would not care to recreate the experience, I do not regret it."
Matthew's expression slides from worried to relieved.
"You know Christopher was my first lover," he says, "as I am yours. My body still responds to his touch. But that is as far as his influence goes. He has no claim upon my heart. That belongs to you, Dominic, and you alone."
Joy renders Dominic mute as Matthew pulls him onto his lap, into his arms.
I love you, Dominic, I will always love you."
Dominic clings to his master, almost weeping with joy. How he has longed for this day, longed to hear those words. Matthew indulges him for a few precious moments. But then he sets Dominic aside and his expression is grave.
"You know I cannot acknowledge you, Dominic. This is something I can never do."
"I know. I do not care. This is all I need, Matthew."
"But it cannot always be like this, Dominic. You know I cannot remain a bachelor. I am not quite thirty and, in society's eyes, a freak of nature. I should have been wed long ago."
"I see."
"Of course, nobody cared about me when I was the second son, adrift in Europe. But now I am the heir and people have already begun to remark on it. I must still wagging tongues, but that is not my only concern. I must have children. The Bellamy line cannot end with me."
Matthew reaches out and links their fingers together.
"I should have told you about this, and please believe me when I say I wanted to. But I could not, for the life of me, think about how to go about it."
Cold dread rises inside Dominic.
"You are engaged?"
"No, not quite. But that is a detail. The bargain has been all but struck."
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Margaret and she is the daughter of my father's oldest friend. She was engaged to my brother, but no man in full possession of his faculties would abandon his daughter to Paul's tender mercies and the engagement was soon called off. But my father will not abandon this, he has long cherished the idea of binding our families together. And, I must confess, I find it all rather apt. I have already taken my brother's title, why not take his bride, too?"
"The engagement will be announced soon?"
"I expect it will. Lord Granville, having been scalded once, was by no means eager to hand his only daughter over to another Bellamy son. I have spent months, oh so many months, charming the man. I have expended more energy upon wooing him than upon his daughter."
"And your wooing has been successful."
"It has. We are now haggling over dowries but that is, at most, a minor obstacle, soon overcome."
"Have you met your intended?"
"Yes, we have met, even taken tea together, with her mother and several maiden aunts to chaperone, of course."
"Do you like her?"
Matthew shrugs.
"I suppose I do. A pleasant young lady, but also possessed of a keen mind and a strong will. She will make a wonderful Lady Bellamy."
The master pauses and regards his servant. Dominic's hand has grown clammy and his complexion has taken on a greenish tint.
"It upsets you, Dominic, all this talk of my marriage."
"You are mistaken, Matthew."
"No, I do not believe I am. You hate the idea, as do I. But we both know it must be done."
"Yes, I know."
"It will be unpleasant for you, most unpleasant. But what if another path were open to you, Dominic? A way out of this awkward situation?"
"I do not understand."
"We had a long talk, Christopher and I, while you slept. He could take you back to Vienna with him."
He knows it is only his imagination, but Dominic would swear the ground is shifting beneath his feet, falling away from him. When he speaks his voice is a high, wounded thing.
"You would cast me off so abruptly? Is this how you express your love, Matthew? Assuring me of your everlasting devotion and, in the same breath, giving me away to your friend?"
"Dominic, you do not understand-"
"I understand, I understand perfectly. You mean to put me aside, as you put aside all things that might inconvenience you."
"That is not true."
"It is, it is true. Milly got in your way and you had her removed. I know of your plans to send your mother to the North upon your father's death, you have told me of them often enough, and now you want to be rid of me, too!"
Dominic stops, flustered. He has never raised his voice to his master before. But Matthew is not angry. Unhappy, desperately unhappy, but not angry.
"Please listen to me, Dominic, and try to understand. I love you and I do not want to send you away. The very idea is more than I can bear. I want you to stay. But do you really think you can?"
The servant tries to speak but his master sweeps over him.
"Let me finish. Could you live here, Dominic, could you share this house with my wife? Could you see her every day, knowing she has, in public at least, taken the place that is rightfully yours? Could you endure my visits to her bed, even though these visits would be purely for the purpose of procreation?"
Dominic absorbs Matthew's words. These things Matthew has spoken of - these are the questions Dominic has turned over and over in his mind, late at night, when he cannot sleep. The master brings their foreheads together for a moment before continuing.
"You can stay here and suffer through my marriage, or you can go with Christopher. You have no cause to trust him, but you can trust me and I tell you now, his intentions are good. He does not want to take you off my hands, like an unwanted pet or plaything."
"What does he want, then?"
"To help you. Go with him and you will see. You will receive a fine education and you will never want for money, not so long as I live. You could have a good life, a better life. It is all within your grasp, Dominic, all you need to do is reach out and take it."
"A better life, you say. How can you be so blind, Matthew? There is no life for me without you, you must know that, see that."
"You-"
"No. You have said your piece, Matthew, now let me say mine. I know it will be difficult for me when you marry, I have always known this. It will be painful, but I can bear the pain."
"Oh, you say that now, Dominic, but you may change your mind when the events we have been speaking come to pass."
"I will not. I can endure the pain, I can endure anything, if it means I remain here, with you."
"This is what you want, then, Dominic? What you really, truly want?"
"It is. I want to be with you, Matthew, always. I never want to leave your side."
The master holds him tight.
"Then you never will, Dominic, you never will."
Footfalls, heavy, urgent footfalls, in the hall outside Matthew's rooms. Master and servant have just enough time to disentangle themselves and move to opposite sides of the sitting room. And then Gregory wrenches the door open and bounds into the room, flush of face and wild of eye.
"Sir," he addresses Matthew, "my lord, I mean to say ... I found ... he has ... your father is dead."
Author: hannah_chapter
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: 18/NC-17
Summary: AU. Victorian England. Matthew is the son of a lord, Dominic is a young and innocent servant: "The moment Matthew laid eyes on the boy, he knew he had to have him."
Feedback: Makes me do the dance of joy.
Disclaimer: Fake as fake could be.
A heart, beating steadily beneath his ear.
A chest, rising and falling.
Voices, soft, low voices, speaking of unfamiliar people and unfamiliar places.
These are Dominic's first impressions upon waking.
The servant opens his eyes and his fingers twitch. Matthew feels him stirring and runs long fingers through his hair.
"Hello, my sweet," he says, did you sleep well?"
"I did."
They kiss and Christopher laughs, startling Dominic, who had almost forgotten the third man sharing a bed with them.
"My my, but you are just too adorable for words," he drawls.
Matthew and Dominic ignore him and Christopher pouts, unused to such treatment.
"Well then," he says, "the afternoon is not yet over. Shall we go out and have some tea?"
This gets Matthew's attention. He sits up and smirks at his old friend.
"We shall," he says, "but not quite yet. You have had your fun with us, Christopher. I think it only fair that we should have some fun with you."
Christopher considers the proposal.
"You are right, Matthew," he agrees, "what would you have of me, then?"
"Oh, I think Dominic should decide. Which would you prefer, Dominic, the mouth or the arse? I can recommend both."
It takes several minutes for Dominic to regain the ability to speak.
"I think ... perhaps ... I would like to try the arse."
"Arse it is, then, " Matthew says, "Christopher, would you be so kind?"
"But of course."
Christopher gets on his hands and knees. And now it is the tutor's turn to be shared by two men. Dominic looks down, enraptured by the sight of his own prick moving in and out of an unfamiliar arse. Then high, breathy moans cause him to gaze into Matthew's face and watch his master's ever-changing expression as he is given oral pleasure.
And when it is all over, and they have rested themselves and recovered somewhat from the exertions of the afternoon, they wash and dress and return to the drawing room. Christopher summons the servant and has tea brought in. This is, in many ways, the strangest part of the afternoon, or so it seems to Dominic. While it is true he has, on occasion, taken tea with Matthew in the master's rooms, they remain painfully aware of their respective roles when out in public. Dominic waits in the servants' quarters if there are any, outside if there are none, while his master eats and drinks and conducts business. To sits at a table and be waited upon as though he were any other gentleman - it is beyond Dominic's comprehension.
They finish their tea and take their leave of Christopher. Silence reigns supreme in the carriage in the journey home, the occupants lost in their own thoughts. Dominic watches his master, notes the furrowed brow and unconscious flexing of the fingers. He has seen this before, it happens when Matthew is preparing himself for an unpleasant, yet necessary, task. The carriage comes to a halt and the servant follows his master into the house and all the way to Matthew's private sitting room. Matthew drops onto the sofa. The evening is drawing on, so Dominic lights the lamps. He waits for orders, but there are none. Matthew gazes into the middle distance, unmindful of his surroundings.
This uncomfortable moment stretches, and stretches and Dominic wants to scream. Then Matthew sits up and blinks, like a man startled out of a dream. He sighs and pats the seat beside him.
"Sit with me, Dominic. We have much to discuss."
Dominic joins his master, heart hammering in his chest. Matthew's hand comes to rest on top of his, before enfolding it in a tight, almost painful, grip.
"This afternoon," Matthew falters, "I did not ... I never ... to force you into such an awkward position ... never my intention ..."
Matthew stumbles on and, nervous as he is, Dominic still has to choke back a laugh. He has seen Matthew happy, calm, in the throes of passion, in a towering, pain-filled rage. But he has never seen his master so hesitant, unable to express himself.
"Matthew," he interrupts, "there is no call for this. You did not force me to do anything. I was a willing participant in the events of the afternoon and, while I would not care to recreate the experience, I do not regret it."
Matthew's expression slides from worried to relieved.
"You know Christopher was my first lover," he says, "as I am yours. My body still responds to his touch. But that is as far as his influence goes. He has no claim upon my heart. That belongs to you, Dominic, and you alone."
Joy renders Dominic mute as Matthew pulls him onto his lap, into his arms.
I love you, Dominic, I will always love you."
Dominic clings to his master, almost weeping with joy. How he has longed for this day, longed to hear those words. Matthew indulges him for a few precious moments. But then he sets Dominic aside and his expression is grave.
"You know I cannot acknowledge you, Dominic. This is something I can never do."
"I know. I do not care. This is all I need, Matthew."
"But it cannot always be like this, Dominic. You know I cannot remain a bachelor. I am not quite thirty and, in society's eyes, a freak of nature. I should have been wed long ago."
"I see."
"Of course, nobody cared about me when I was the second son, adrift in Europe. But now I am the heir and people have already begun to remark on it. I must still wagging tongues, but that is not my only concern. I must have children. The Bellamy line cannot end with me."
Matthew reaches out and links their fingers together.
"I should have told you about this, and please believe me when I say I wanted to. But I could not, for the life of me, think about how to go about it."
Cold dread rises inside Dominic.
"You are engaged?"
"No, not quite. But that is a detail. The bargain has been all but struck."
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Margaret and she is the daughter of my father's oldest friend. She was engaged to my brother, but no man in full possession of his faculties would abandon his daughter to Paul's tender mercies and the engagement was soon called off. But my father will not abandon this, he has long cherished the idea of binding our families together. And, I must confess, I find it all rather apt. I have already taken my brother's title, why not take his bride, too?"
"The engagement will be announced soon?"
"I expect it will. Lord Granville, having been scalded once, was by no means eager to hand his only daughter over to another Bellamy son. I have spent months, oh so many months, charming the man. I have expended more energy upon wooing him than upon his daughter."
"And your wooing has been successful."
"It has. We are now haggling over dowries but that is, at most, a minor obstacle, soon overcome."
"Have you met your intended?"
"Yes, we have met, even taken tea together, with her mother and several maiden aunts to chaperone, of course."
"Do you like her?"
Matthew shrugs.
"I suppose I do. A pleasant young lady, but also possessed of a keen mind and a strong will. She will make a wonderful Lady Bellamy."
The master pauses and regards his servant. Dominic's hand has grown clammy and his complexion has taken on a greenish tint.
"It upsets you, Dominic, all this talk of my marriage."
"You are mistaken, Matthew."
"No, I do not believe I am. You hate the idea, as do I. But we both know it must be done."
"Yes, I know."
"It will be unpleasant for you, most unpleasant. But what if another path were open to you, Dominic? A way out of this awkward situation?"
"I do not understand."
"We had a long talk, Christopher and I, while you slept. He could take you back to Vienna with him."
He knows it is only his imagination, but Dominic would swear the ground is shifting beneath his feet, falling away from him. When he speaks his voice is a high, wounded thing.
"You would cast me off so abruptly? Is this how you express your love, Matthew? Assuring me of your everlasting devotion and, in the same breath, giving me away to your friend?"
"Dominic, you do not understand-"
"I understand, I understand perfectly. You mean to put me aside, as you put aside all things that might inconvenience you."
"That is not true."
"It is, it is true. Milly got in your way and you had her removed. I know of your plans to send your mother to the North upon your father's death, you have told me of them often enough, and now you want to be rid of me, too!"
Dominic stops, flustered. He has never raised his voice to his master before. But Matthew is not angry. Unhappy, desperately unhappy, but not angry.
"Please listen to me, Dominic, and try to understand. I love you and I do not want to send you away. The very idea is more than I can bear. I want you to stay. But do you really think you can?"
The servant tries to speak but his master sweeps over him.
"Let me finish. Could you live here, Dominic, could you share this house with my wife? Could you see her every day, knowing she has, in public at least, taken the place that is rightfully yours? Could you endure my visits to her bed, even though these visits would be purely for the purpose of procreation?"
Dominic absorbs Matthew's words. These things Matthew has spoken of - these are the questions Dominic has turned over and over in his mind, late at night, when he cannot sleep. The master brings their foreheads together for a moment before continuing.
"You can stay here and suffer through my marriage, or you can go with Christopher. You have no cause to trust him, but you can trust me and I tell you now, his intentions are good. He does not want to take you off my hands, like an unwanted pet or plaything."
"What does he want, then?"
"To help you. Go with him and you will see. You will receive a fine education and you will never want for money, not so long as I live. You could have a good life, a better life. It is all within your grasp, Dominic, all you need to do is reach out and take it."
"A better life, you say. How can you be so blind, Matthew? There is no life for me without you, you must know that, see that."
"You-"
"No. You have said your piece, Matthew, now let me say mine. I know it will be difficult for me when you marry, I have always known this. It will be painful, but I can bear the pain."
"Oh, you say that now, Dominic, but you may change your mind when the events we have been speaking come to pass."
"I will not. I can endure the pain, I can endure anything, if it means I remain here, with you."
"This is what you want, then, Dominic? What you really, truly want?"
"It is. I want to be with you, Matthew, always. I never want to leave your side."
The master holds him tight.
"Then you never will, Dominic, you never will."
Footfalls, heavy, urgent footfalls, in the hall outside Matthew's rooms. Master and servant have just enough time to disentangle themselves and move to opposite sides of the sitting room. And then Gregory wrenches the door open and bounds into the room, flush of face and wild of eye.
"Sir," he addresses Matthew, "my lord, I mean to say ... I found ... he has ... your father is dead."
