Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
This is a short chapter, especially once I removed the extended section of the first scene. But I was eager to post it, so I decided to go ahead with it before I had anymore written. 
Check your e-mail if you're on the extended scene mailing list. 
**Disclaimer – Though inspired in part by people who exist in reality, this story is not meant to represent them in any literal way. No offense is meant to anyone who resembles in any way any of the characters in the story.
On the rising tide Chapter 22
The men had agreed that one of them needed to remain awake at all times, and in Bono’s suite to ensure he and Sebastian avoided encountering each other while he was there. None of them trusted the man, including Adam, sadly. He loved his brother, but Sebastian was loyal to a fault when it came to England. He put much greater value on titles and bloodlines than he did the merit of a man’s actions.
Edge had volunteered for the job, but none of them would hear of it. It was his wedding night, after all, and he had already been away from Molly for too long. Gavin and Larry both decided to stay the night, though their own homes were not more than half an hours walk away. They would be the ones who watched over Bono, who resented the fact that they all thought he needed watching over in the first place.
Edge knocked politely on the door to the master suite, which Adam had graciously given up for the newlyweds. He was surprised, to say the least, when the door swung open and Fiona greeted him with a smile.
“Don’t worry, I’m just leaving.” She told him, a mischievous gleam in her eye as she bid him good night and hurried on her way. Edge watched her retreat and wondered just what sort of an influence Adam had on his wife. She was certainly far happier and more playful than the young woman Edge had only had a few days to get to know, or the young boy he had believed her to be before that.
He stepped inside and shut the door behind himself, a sudden rush of anticipation flowing through him as he thought about the fact that it was his wedding night. He thought of all the years of stolen moments with Molly, and the past week or so of having her near but not close enough. Not in his bed. Not in his arms.
It wasn’t that they’d never given in to the passion they stirred in one another; that had happened long before he had even made his intention to marry her known publicly. He had been too curious, too eager in his youth; and their love had burned so brightly that neither of them could deny it.
He tried, of course. He did not want to ‘ruin’ Molly. Strong willed, rebellious, passionate Molly. She had gotten so frustrated with him! She had tried to convince him with whispered pleas, with deeper kisses, bolder caresses. Finally she had threatened to find someone else. She wasn’t serious, of course. He’d known that, but the weight of the threat was still enough to convince him she was certain of her decision.
He found himself grinning so hard at the memories that his cheeks had begun to hurt.
“Molly?” He called out to her, not finding her upon immediate inspection of the room.
“I’m here.” She replied, and Edge could hear the sound of water sloshing in the bathtub, just on the other side of the privacy curtain. The smell of soap and hot water hit him next and he felt a surge of anticipation at the possibilities this brought to mind.
Shedding his waistcoat, Edge stepped around the curtain to find Molly placing the now empty kettle on the mantle. She was as bold as he remembered, standing there in the altogether and smiling at him enticingly.
“I was just adding a bit more hot water to the tub. Wouldn’t want you to catch a chill.” She said, slowly approaching him. Giving him time to look at her, he realized. She was nervous about the way he would accept the changes to her body, the irremovable reminder of what had happened to her. She watched his face carefully, but saw no hint of the revulsion she had feared.
In fact, he reminded her very much of the boy he’d been, years back, on the first night that they’d made love. His green eyes shimmered with interest, excitement, and admiration. His cheeks flushed red and his smile was a bit lopsided. He was at an obvious loss for words, shifting awkwardly in silence as his eyes scanned her from head to toe, completely naked and exposed for his approval.
“Uh… me?” He finally stammered as she reached out and took his hand to guide him toward the tub. “You look like you’re ready for a bath yourself.”
“I thought we might share.” She told him, peering up at him from beneath her eyelashes as she began to unbutton his shirt. It had been so long since she’d touched him this way, her fingers were trembling a bit. Edge caught her hands in his own and raised them to his lips, kissing the tips of her fingers on each hand.
“Molly, if you’re uncomfortable, I’ll understand. If I could just hold you tonight…” He offered, but Molly shook her head emphatically at his misinterpretation.
“No, Edge! I’m not scared. Not of you." She told him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him tenderly. “I know you’d not hurt me.” Edge replied with a low groan from deep in his chest, almost purring as he ran his hands up and down the length of her smooth back and returned her kiss.
************************************************************
“So, who are they?” Sebastian asked Adam the next morning as the two of them had breakfast at the sitting room window, the morning sun breaking through the window in sharp well-defined beams. The snow outside sparkled like diamonds in the unusually bright light of day, and the street was a rush of activity. People were eager to take advantage of the beautiful Christmas day.
“My guests?” Adam asked absently, his attention drifting out the window to the cheery greetings people were exchanging. Sebastion nodded as he sipped his tea. “They’re friends. What more do you need to know?”
“You’re always going to be a mystery to me, Adam.” His brother told him with a sigh. “You have taste, class, and refinement. Yet you seek out the things in life which most would be happy to ignore. You can live a life protected from the ugly things which linger in the darkness, but you choose to dive head first into the shadows.”
“If I were to turn a blind eye to the world outside of what you consider ‘proper society’, that world would not cease to exist. Perhaps I can use my resources to help make the lives of the less fortunate a little better. Why should a title determine who eats a meal at the end of the day and who sleeps with an empty belly? Who deserves to be protected from the elements and who should suffer the cold and damp?”
“I did not say it was a perfect world, Adam. Just that you have the chance to be better off, yet you don’t take that chance.”
“I could say the same of you. I am far better off for having spent a night or two in the cold with no food in my stomach. I have met people who I would not have known, otherwise. People whose quality far exceeds that of anyone you’ll find waltzing at the King’s palace this evening. I hope that I have learned enough about life from those people that I can be half as good as them, someday.” Adam informed his brother earnestly.
“I hope you’re happy with the life you’ve made for yourself, Adam. Because you won’t get far in this world with your bleeding heart.” Sebastion replied, and a chill coursed through Adam as he heard his brother’s tone. Was there something deeper there? An underlying warning?
“How long will you be staying in Dublin?” Adam asked, stirring a spoonful of sugar into his tea.
“I’ll be on my way shortly. You don’t need to worry about hiding whatever it is you’re hiding much longer.” Adam considered arguing but knew there would be no point. It didn’t matter what he said at this point, Sebastion had already made up his mind.
“Oh, here you are.” Fiona’s sweet voice drifted in from the hallway. “I was going to ask if you’d had your breakfast, but I can see that you have.”
“Fiona, come in here for a moment please.” Adam asked, rising from his seat and waving her into the room. Sebastion stood as well, as was expected of a gentleman when a lady entered a room. “Sebastion, this is my wife, Fiona. Fiona, my brother.”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Sebastion greeted her, raising her hand to his lips, his eyes on her face all the while. Fiona smiled nervously and squirmed under his gaze. They exchanged polite greetings and made small talk for a few moments before Fiona excused herself and left their company as quickly as possible.
“I see what drew you to her.” Sebastion told Adam once she’d disappeared from sight. “She’s lovely.” Adam frowned at his brother, but decided to hold his tongue. It was best to simply ignore him and let him leave as quickly and with as little aggravation as possible.
“Oh. I almost forgot.” Sebastion said, withdrawing an envelope from the pocket of his coat. “Though I have no clue as to why, you’ve received a very important invitation from Captain Audley to his New Year’s Eve ball.” Adam took the carefully and beautifully engraved invitation from his brother and examined it carefully.
“Where did you get this?”
“It was delivered to the country house, just before I left. How do you even know the Captain?”
“I don’t.” Adam replied, his brow furrowing as he read the invitation again. “I know his wife.”
Check your e-mail if you're on the extended scene mailing list. **Disclaimer – Though inspired in part by people who exist in reality, this story is not meant to represent them in any literal way. No offense is meant to anyone who resembles in any way any of the characters in the story.
On the rising tide Chapter 22
The men had agreed that one of them needed to remain awake at all times, and in Bono’s suite to ensure he and Sebastian avoided encountering each other while he was there. None of them trusted the man, including Adam, sadly. He loved his brother, but Sebastian was loyal to a fault when it came to England. He put much greater value on titles and bloodlines than he did the merit of a man’s actions.
Edge had volunteered for the job, but none of them would hear of it. It was his wedding night, after all, and he had already been away from Molly for too long. Gavin and Larry both decided to stay the night, though their own homes were not more than half an hours walk away. They would be the ones who watched over Bono, who resented the fact that they all thought he needed watching over in the first place.
Edge knocked politely on the door to the master suite, which Adam had graciously given up for the newlyweds. He was surprised, to say the least, when the door swung open and Fiona greeted him with a smile.
“Don’t worry, I’m just leaving.” She told him, a mischievous gleam in her eye as she bid him good night and hurried on her way. Edge watched her retreat and wondered just what sort of an influence Adam had on his wife. She was certainly far happier and more playful than the young woman Edge had only had a few days to get to know, or the young boy he had believed her to be before that.
He stepped inside and shut the door behind himself, a sudden rush of anticipation flowing through him as he thought about the fact that it was his wedding night. He thought of all the years of stolen moments with Molly, and the past week or so of having her near but not close enough. Not in his bed. Not in his arms.
It wasn’t that they’d never given in to the passion they stirred in one another; that had happened long before he had even made his intention to marry her known publicly. He had been too curious, too eager in his youth; and their love had burned so brightly that neither of them could deny it.
He tried, of course. He did not want to ‘ruin’ Molly. Strong willed, rebellious, passionate Molly. She had gotten so frustrated with him! She had tried to convince him with whispered pleas, with deeper kisses, bolder caresses. Finally she had threatened to find someone else. She wasn’t serious, of course. He’d known that, but the weight of the threat was still enough to convince him she was certain of her decision.
He found himself grinning so hard at the memories that his cheeks had begun to hurt.
“Molly?” He called out to her, not finding her upon immediate inspection of the room.
“I’m here.” She replied, and Edge could hear the sound of water sloshing in the bathtub, just on the other side of the privacy curtain. The smell of soap and hot water hit him next and he felt a surge of anticipation at the possibilities this brought to mind.
Shedding his waistcoat, Edge stepped around the curtain to find Molly placing the now empty kettle on the mantle. She was as bold as he remembered, standing there in the altogether and smiling at him enticingly.
“I was just adding a bit more hot water to the tub. Wouldn’t want you to catch a chill.” She said, slowly approaching him. Giving him time to look at her, he realized. She was nervous about the way he would accept the changes to her body, the irremovable reminder of what had happened to her. She watched his face carefully, but saw no hint of the revulsion she had feared.
In fact, he reminded her very much of the boy he’d been, years back, on the first night that they’d made love. His green eyes shimmered with interest, excitement, and admiration. His cheeks flushed red and his smile was a bit lopsided. He was at an obvious loss for words, shifting awkwardly in silence as his eyes scanned her from head to toe, completely naked and exposed for his approval.
“Uh… me?” He finally stammered as she reached out and took his hand to guide him toward the tub. “You look like you’re ready for a bath yourself.”
“I thought we might share.” She told him, peering up at him from beneath her eyelashes as she began to unbutton his shirt. It had been so long since she’d touched him this way, her fingers were trembling a bit. Edge caught her hands in his own and raised them to his lips, kissing the tips of her fingers on each hand.
“Molly, if you’re uncomfortable, I’ll understand. If I could just hold you tonight…” He offered, but Molly shook her head emphatically at his misinterpretation.
“No, Edge! I’m not scared. Not of you." She told him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him tenderly. “I know you’d not hurt me.” Edge replied with a low groan from deep in his chest, almost purring as he ran his hands up and down the length of her smooth back and returned her kiss.
************************************************************
“So, who are they?” Sebastian asked Adam the next morning as the two of them had breakfast at the sitting room window, the morning sun breaking through the window in sharp well-defined beams. The snow outside sparkled like diamonds in the unusually bright light of day, and the street was a rush of activity. People were eager to take advantage of the beautiful Christmas day.
“My guests?” Adam asked absently, his attention drifting out the window to the cheery greetings people were exchanging. Sebastion nodded as he sipped his tea. “They’re friends. What more do you need to know?”
“You’re always going to be a mystery to me, Adam.” His brother told him with a sigh. “You have taste, class, and refinement. Yet you seek out the things in life which most would be happy to ignore. You can live a life protected from the ugly things which linger in the darkness, but you choose to dive head first into the shadows.”
“If I were to turn a blind eye to the world outside of what you consider ‘proper society’, that world would not cease to exist. Perhaps I can use my resources to help make the lives of the less fortunate a little better. Why should a title determine who eats a meal at the end of the day and who sleeps with an empty belly? Who deserves to be protected from the elements and who should suffer the cold and damp?”
“I did not say it was a perfect world, Adam. Just that you have the chance to be better off, yet you don’t take that chance.”
“I could say the same of you. I am far better off for having spent a night or two in the cold with no food in my stomach. I have met people who I would not have known, otherwise. People whose quality far exceeds that of anyone you’ll find waltzing at the King’s palace this evening. I hope that I have learned enough about life from those people that I can be half as good as them, someday.” Adam informed his brother earnestly.
“I hope you’re happy with the life you’ve made for yourself, Adam. Because you won’t get far in this world with your bleeding heart.” Sebastion replied, and a chill coursed through Adam as he heard his brother’s tone. Was there something deeper there? An underlying warning?
“How long will you be staying in Dublin?” Adam asked, stirring a spoonful of sugar into his tea.
“I’ll be on my way shortly. You don’t need to worry about hiding whatever it is you’re hiding much longer.” Adam considered arguing but knew there would be no point. It didn’t matter what he said at this point, Sebastion had already made up his mind.
“Oh, here you are.” Fiona’s sweet voice drifted in from the hallway. “I was going to ask if you’d had your breakfast, but I can see that you have.”
“Fiona, come in here for a moment please.” Adam asked, rising from his seat and waving her into the room. Sebastion stood as well, as was expected of a gentleman when a lady entered a room. “Sebastion, this is my wife, Fiona. Fiona, my brother.”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Sebastion greeted her, raising her hand to his lips, his eyes on her face all the while. Fiona smiled nervously and squirmed under his gaze. They exchanged polite greetings and made small talk for a few moments before Fiona excused herself and left their company as quickly as possible.
“I see what drew you to her.” Sebastion told Adam once she’d disappeared from sight. “She’s lovely.” Adam frowned at his brother, but decided to hold his tongue. It was best to simply ignore him and let him leave as quickly and with as little aggravation as possible.
“Oh. I almost forgot.” Sebastion said, withdrawing an envelope from the pocket of his coat. “Though I have no clue as to why, you’ve received a very important invitation from Captain Audley to his New Year’s Eve ball.” Adam took the carefully and beautifully engraved invitation from his brother and examined it carefully.
“Where did you get this?”
“It was delivered to the country house, just before I left. How do you even know the Captain?”
“I don’t.” Adam replied, his brow furrowing as he read the invitation again. “I know his wife.”
I had meant to edit this a little differently before posting it here; I left several paragraphs in that I meant to cut out and include in the extended version. If it's too much, too innapproptiate for here, could a mod maybe edit it?
Interesting ending! Thanks for the extended scence! Can't wait for the next part.
