A Convenient Measure

Chapter 1

"Mother, we've been over this. I have no wish to wed. It's all such a farce."

"Nonsense, you're approaching your 30th birthday and you need a wife."

"I need no such thing. I have my dogs and my horses, plus taking over father's accounts keeps me plenty busy."

"Henry, do not fight me on this. I will broker no such discord. Your father agrees with me."

What she means to say, Henry thinks, is that she's already raked father over the coals about it and brow beaten him over it.

"Hmmpf. Well, I'm going for a ride."

"Henry Sewell, we're not done talking about this. The Fairfax Ball is coming up!" his mother called after him as he turned to leave and head to the stables.

Truly, his mother meant well, but could also be so, so exasperating. He knew he was stuck, but being almost 30, a man grown, and to still be at the whims of his mother infuriated Henry so. Henry could have married at any time over the last eight years or so. Henry was tall and well built with auburn hair and a pleasing face. He was wealthy when compared to many men. He could have his pick of many women, but he was content to stay single. Why does mother want to ruin it? He was certain she didn't know some of his reasons against marriage, but it should still be his choice.

"Come, Midnight, you will not be a bother, now will you?" Henry patted his stallion's mane before he got up on his beautiful horse. His black steed snorted assent and off they went. Henry truly was happy with his life as it was. He loved riding and hunting with his dogs. Engaging in taking care of the estate was something he'd grown to like as well. He had two great friends in the Hanson twins. What did he need a wife for? For his carnal desires that was easy to take care of in town, even if his proclivities ran a bit to the strange side.

"Good boy," Henry called out to Midnight as they jumped over a fallen log. "Boy, I envy you Midnight. You get to lead a simple life: eat, drink, ride, fuck. I thought I had that life too, now I have to be shackled to someone my mother deems proper. I bet she has already been plotting with friends of hers on who I am to marry."

The wind felt great in his reddish-brown hair as the sun shone down on him in the mid-afternoon heat in the fields near his family's country estate in Fairfax county. He knew that part of it was mother not letting go of the old ways. He was but a boy of twelve when they moved from England to America. In London, it was a long tradition for women to having a "coming out" and mothers would plot on which eligible bachelor would make for a good son-in-law. His mother wanted to stick to that. Henry knows she wants an heir to take over Sewell Manor, but this isn't England. Why can't his younger brother Lewis handle those duties?

"Blast it." Henry shouted as he pushed Midnight even faster until soon he was coming up on the home of his good friends, Charles and Eliza Hanson. "I suppose I could drop in for a visit."

Charlie was one of the first friends he made when his family moved to Virginia. It was a package deal as Charles' twin sister Eliza was never far from Charles. At first, Henry would try to get rid of Eliza so he could have Charles all to himself, but he quickly learned that was no easy task. Soon, she was just as good a friend as Charlie was. Plus she could skip rocks better than both boys. The Hanson family was middle class, their father being a rather successful shoemaker, but Henry didn't stand on class even if his mother still can't seem to shake some of the old ways.

After tying his horse up and catching his breath, Henry knocked on the front door. The Hanson's housekeeper, Mrs. Naughton, opened the door, smiling as ever.

"Good day, Mr. Sewell. Come to see the twins?"

"If it's not an imposition, Mrs. Naughton."

"No trouble at all. I'll see you to the sitting room and bring them to you."

As ever, Charles and Eliza showed up at the same time.

"Henry, good friend," Charles remarked. "How are you?"

"I've been better, to be honest."

"Oh dear," threw in Eliza, as she seated herself opposite Henry. "What could be the matter?"

"Do you want some tea?" Charles offered.

"I might need something stronger than that."

Charles made his way to the bar. "Brandy then? Whatever could be the issue?"

Taking the glass from Charles, Henry drew in a breath. "Well there's nothing for it, I guess. Mother insists I get married."

Both Charles and Eliza burst out in laughter.

"This is no laughing matter, I can assure you."

Eliza tried to calm herself, but still giggled out, "Oh no, certainly not. It's no laughing matter at all." Unable to hold it in, she burst out laughing again.

"Some friends you are!" Henry announces before taking a none too small swig of his brandy.

"Damn, Henry. One of Fairfax county's most eligible bachelors is going to have to get hitched?" Charles still could not suppress a grin. "And there's no way out of it?"

"You know my mother. I doubt it unless I want to get disinherited. Which I don't particularly want to do."

"What's so bad about marriage, Hank?" Eliza queried.

They were the best friends he had and the twins were the only ones he ever allowed to call him Hank. Indeed, Liza, Charlie, and Hank were almost inseparable and had been for some time. Even though Henry was almost four years older than them, they became friends almost immediately and loved traipsing the countryside together: fishing, adventuring, and exploring together. For her part, Eliza was not like a normal girl. She could keep up with the boys for the most part and was the first one to jump in a lake or pond if they happened upon one. As they grew in age and Henry turned twenty, they made a pact to always remain friends no matter what happened. Henry supposed he would marry, but the further he got into his twenties, the more he thought he didn't need to.

It was a series of events that lead him to that train of thought.

Chapter 2

It was during Henry's twentieth year when he first tasted of a woman's unique offerings. It was with their stable master's daughter and Henry couldn't believe the ecstasy that coupling with a girl brought about. Sarah was a bit plump, but was more than eager to accept Henry's advances as his lustful desires overtook him one day when they were in the stables. The way his cock felt as it entered Sarah's wetness was other worldly and, for a month at least, Henry was in sexual heaven. They would meet as often as they could at the stables, which was sometimes five times a week.

That was until the day Sarah's dad caught them going at it in one of the horse stalls.

"Sarah, pull up your dress."

"Oh Henry, you can't resist me, can you?" Sarah demurred.

"You know I can't. Now show me that amazing ass."

Sarah turned and raised her dress so her luscious white ass was on full display for him. Henry was almost instantly hard. He licked the two first fingers of his left hand and slid them into her waiting wetness. They went in easily and Sarah let out an "Ohhhh" as he plumbed her depths for a moment. He couldn't wait much longer, so soon his cock replaced his fingers as he took her from behind while she was standing.

Sarah gripped the railing of the stall and was grunting in pleasure as her lover took her with abandon. Her long dark hair fell to the sides of her head as Henry grasped her hips and was just about to release his seed when Sarah's father unexpectedly returned over an hour earlier from his errands.

"What in the hell?" were the loud words that would change Henry's life for quite some time.

Henry tried stuffing his hardened, moistened cock back in his pants before Mr. Johnson could see, but it was no use. They had been well and truly busted. Henry might have been new to sex, but he knew enough that polite society demanded that a man and woman be married to partake in such a coupling.

"You!" He said to his daughter. "You get on home. I'll deal with you later."

"You! He said, turning to Henry, "Come with me."

Mr. Johnson marched Henry right into his father's office. Honestly, the next fifteen minutes were a blur to Henry, but he remembered his dad asking him if he loved Sarah. "Love?" was Henry's innocent and honest reply. Henry didn't really even understand the question.

Henry took all of his meals in his room for the next three days and, when finally let out, he was informed that the Johnsons had moved away and that a new stable master was coming soon. One without a daughter!

Henry Sewell Sr. pointed out that he lost quite a sum of money settling this indelicate matter. If there was one thing Henry's father didn't like it was parting with money.

Henry was on his best behavior for the next few months even if his bodily desires returned within the week. He craved a woman. His cock craved one even more. Henry supposed he would have to get married. He thought that was maybe the main reason a man married. The union with a woman was certainly the most pleasurable thing Henry had ever experienced and even though he didn't want his life tied down by a woman, if it meant he could have sex freely and often, he figured that he must do it.

That changed soon when his father called him into his office about two months after the stables incident.

"Sit down, Henry." His father gestured to one of the two chairs opposite father's desk. "I know things have been hard for you lately. Look, son, I understand what you were doing with Sarah Johnson. Believe me, when I was your age, I soiled my oats more than a few times."

Henry raised an eyebrow, but then supposed his father was just a man as well.

"Well, Henry, then I had to grow up and get married."

"So, it's marriage for me if I want to continue, um, doing those things?"

"Well, certainly that's an option. But not the only one."

Henry sat up a bit in his seat.

"Look son, marriage is great for many reasons." His father looked around the room rather uncomfortably. "But fulfilling fleshly desires isn't always one of them."

"But shouldn't a wife, you know, want to please her husband?"

"Well, she should, but many don't." He paused for quite some time and seemed to be stuck on what to say next. Finally, his dad continued, "You see, your mother rarely fulfills that duty. And, well, there are other ways of getting those needs met."

Henry figured his father was about to spill to him that he had a woman he supported in some other town or house, but that wasn't quite it.

"Henry, you turn twenty-one next week and I want to take you to the club with me."

"Your gentleman's club?"

"Yes, I was planning to take you anyway as it's a great way to get to know the influential men in the area. Of course, we play cards and drink and smoke, but you may be interested in the club's, uh, other offerings. Mind you, son, these are nice, clean ladies and they know how to satiate a man's desires."

Henry could almost feel his cock twitch in his pants. And he couldn't wait for his first visit.

The first few visits were awkward, but soon Henry was a regular and would engage with four or five ladies on a fairly regular, rotating basis.

So, Henry progressed through his twenties content in his life, with his sexual desires met at the club with no added baggage and the rest of his life as normal as any man. Honestly, it was a perfect set up. Now that was to be ruined by his mother. He figured many wives wouldn't put up with that sort of nonsense; he knew his father partook in the women from time to time at least. But somehow, Henry felt as though he shouldn't continue if he was married. And what if his wife didn't want to fulfill her duty very often or rarely?

"Well, then, it would be perfectly fine to have another outlet for his needs," he thought as a wicked smile spread across his face.

---

"Henry, are you going to answer me?" came Eliza's voice through the fog in his brain.

"I'm sorry. What was that?"

"I said, 'What's so bad about marriage?'," she repeated.

"Oh, well. I don't know. You know, I just don't think it's for me."

"Forever the bachelor, huh, Hank?" came the confirmation from Charles.

"Well, that's I was thinking at least," Henry admitted.

"I don't know," Eliza commented. "Maybe it's time."

Henry knew she meant well, but she didn't know about his, uh, special desires. Desires that would probably not be met by any normal woman. Henry felt really based about this being some of the reasoning behind his not wanting to get married, but he was who he was. And it wasn't like he was a monster or something. He just needed certain things sexually that others might not understand.

"Well, ready or not. I guess it's time." With that, Henry gulped the rest of his brandy.

Chapter 3

Henry looked at the bevy of girls arranged around the room. His mother looked especially in her element chatting up mothers and fathers around the room. The girls looked nice, Henry thought. Girls not women, though, as most of the ladies there looking for a husband were no older than nineteen. Sure, there were quite a few he wouldn't mind seeing with their clothes off, but he couldn't just jump right to that, now could he? No, he had to endure inane chatter and exchange niceties, etc. Such were the machinations of the Fairfax Ball. Damn it to hell, thought Henry!

Luckily, Henry had Charles and Eliza with him for support. That was the one condition Henry made to his mother. She didn't like it one bit, but she caved to him. She liked Charles and Eliza well enough, but she was still stuck in her ways and thought them below their station and shouldn't even be in attendance of an event of this stature. Henry thought all of that was poppycock and he told his mother as much. Still, he was glad she acquiesced.

"Look out, sport," came Charles's murmur.

His mother was approaching with a rather stunning brunette in tow with what evidently were her parents.

"Henry, may I present Miss Cecile Waverly. Cecile, this is my son, Henry Sewell."

"Charmed, I'm sure," was Henry's automatic response.

They proceeded to have a stilted conversation for a few minutes before Henry felt obliged to ask her to dance. She was quite a good dancer and she was definitely easy on the eyes. There was not more beyond that to recommend her, unfortunately, and Henry was glad to be rid of her after another 30 minutes.

The evening progressed in much the same way until, finally, mercifully, the ball came to an end. His mother was in high spirits for the carriage ride home, but Henry was rather despondent.

"Well, my life is over I suspect," Henry thought to himself, "Damn it all! I have to take charge of my life. It is mine after all. But how?"

The next day at around three, he was taking a stroll with his friends when Charles couldn't wait any longer. "Well, man?"

"Well what?"

"Were there any good candidates for the role of Mrs. Henry Sewell?"

"Oh man, I don't know."

"You are entirely too picky, Hank," came Eliza's assessment.

"Easy for you to say, you're not being forced into a marriage that will mostly likely be loveless and sexless as well."

Eliza colored slightly in the cheeks. "You're such a cad, Henry Sewell."

"Yes, you're right. You see why I'm not marriage material?" The friends chucked together at Henry's quip.

They continued around the pond bantering ideas about when Charles exclaimed, "Oh man. Henry what's the time?"

Henry pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. "It's 3:30. Why?"

"Darn it all. I'm supposed to be at father's shop at 4:00. I'm sorry, guys, but I will have to run."

Looking over his shoulder as he briskly walked away, Charles called out, "Don't worry, Hank. We'll figure something out."

"Alright. See you later." Henry and Eliza continued around the lake.

Henry knew now was his moment. He'd come up with the scheme this morning whilst he lay in bed after taking care of his morning erection. It was hair brained to say the least, but it was the best idea he had. Hell, it was the only one.

"Well, here goes," Henry thought.

"Eliza?"

"Yes."

"I actually do have an idea, but it's kind of crazy that I didn't think I would even say anything. Especially with Charles around."

Eliza felt a warmth go through her, though she knew not to get too hopeful.

"Yes, Henry. What is it?"

"Like I said, it's crazy. No, I don't know. Maybe it's just stupid."

"Dammit, Hank. Would you just spit it out?"

"What if I married YOU, Eliza?"

Eliza's eyes went wide, but before she could say anything, Henry followed up, "You know, just a marriage of convenience. Not a proper marriage if you follow. What I mean to say is you don't have to sleep with me." He started to ramble on. "You see, you're just about the only female whose company I can tolerate. And I know we get along. I mean, I know we don't love each other. You know, not in the romantic sense, but plenty of marriages are like that. Er, I can, uh, have my bodily desires met in other ways. And I suppose you could, too. I mean, it's not perfect, but it's just about the only idea I could come up with."

Eliza was stunned. She, of course, has never told Henry of her love for him. It started so slowly that she didn't even recognize it herself until she was sixteen or seventeen. Henry was about twenty or twenty-one at the time, so she had tried to look extra pretty for months and months, hoping Henry would notice her at some point. But it never happened! And now, he's proposing in the least romantic and business like way imaginable.

"So, I'm just some business transaction?"

"What?" Realizing that his words did sound strange, Henry countered, "No. Not like that. It's just I know we would get along great. And I don't want you to think you have to be a proper wife and all."

"Uh, I don't know, Henry."

"Look, Eliza, don't take this the wrong way, but you're twenty-five and you have no prospects. I can take care of you. You'd never have to worry about money."

The heat was rising in her cheeks. "You think I would do it for money?"

Damn, this is not going well. "No. I didn't mean that. I just mean, you would be provided for."

"And what about kids?"

"What about them? I don't care to have any and I've never heard you mentioning wanting to be a mother."

Eliza was embarrassed thinking on some of her daydreams where she and Henry had a big family, all of them taking walks around the lake together. Stupid girl, she thought, he doesn't like you like that.

"Well, I don't know. I mean, I might want children."

"Oh." was all that came out of his mouth. This was stupid. Eliza deserved better. She deserved a real husband. One who would love her for real. One that wasn't messed up in the head sexually.

"Oh forget it, Eliza. It was a stupid idea anyway. You can see I'm at my wits end here."

"Alright. Let me think about it. Henry, you know you're my best friend in the world save Charlie and I would do almost anything for you, but this request is...is...well, it's rather odd. Give me a few days."

"Okay." Henry felt stupider and stupider as they finished their walk. Indeed, he was quite ashamed by the time they finished their walk.

Eliza didn't know what to think. All of her daydreams seem so dumb now. Ones where Henry would come to her saying, "I've been such a fool, darling. I've loved you all along."

He was the man she wanted to marry, but he doesn't even want her like a proper man.

That evening, she looked at herself earnestly in the mirror. Eliza didn't think herself ugly, but she must be. Sure, the tear stains on her cheeks were doing her no good at the moment, but normally she's not too bad looking, is she? Her hazel eyes were fine and her cheekbones were neither too sharp nor non-existent. Her brown hair was average she supposed, but she had a slender neck. As she continued her assessment of herself, she continued down her body. She was tall for a woman with long legs; that should count for something she cajoled herself into thinking. She fitted her small breasts in her hands, knowing that she wasn't well endowed, but her waist was trim. Her hips and bottom were...fine she figured. Oh, what does it matter? He doesn't see her in that way.