A Fantasy about Love Pt. 14

"How can I help you? " Very polite, but he was a man also, and his eyes appreciated the two beautiful women in front of him.

I explained the situation. "I'm Count de Winter and this is my wife, Maureen. My mother-in-law, Mrs. Monahan. We'll go to the Hochadelsball tomorrow and the two ladies need an introduction to the formal dances, especially the minuet. I tried to do it but was not successful. Could you teach them and refresh my memory, so that we don't create chaos tomorrow night on the dance floor? I can assure you that they learn fast!"

He looked at them. "Would you please get up and walk to the door and come back?" They did it and he turned to me. "What do you know?"

"Childhood's memories; my family held occasional events and the adolescents had to perform all these dances." He asked me: "Try the initial movement" and I did my bow, my toe scraping and danced around an imaginary woman in front of me.

He shook his head. "You need a lot of practice also, Count, but I believe that we can get the rudiments of the dance into you three. Ladies, please change into dresses with a long skirt, and you, Count, into a suit. We cannot do this in slacks."

It was almost three o'clock and we did as ordered. The concierge had found a boom box and a CD with traditional dances, and Mr. Soliterra told us to line up. He explained the main movements and we had to practice, and then practice more, and then repeat them all over again. The music helped and my ladies were fast learners indeed. My memory came back and after two hours he was satisfied. "I would not take you into a solo performance on stage, but in these events you can hide your mistakes easily. What do you want to do now?"

I remembered that there might be other dances, too. There was the waltz, the polka, and probably the quadrille. This one frightened me: I had never done it well. It was normally danced by four couples. I remembered that they lined up in a square, facing the center. One couple started with a dance figure and then the others had to repeat it. Then the second one had to start and so on. It was a courtly dance normally set to string and flute music, and it could be complicated. Mr. Soliterra looked at me.

"If you can, avoid this dance, but if not, try to be the last in the group and when it's your turn, improvise. They might smile, but they'll admire your courage."

We thanked him and asked him to come back tomorrow afternoon to practice a bit more, but he declined. "You're good enough that you'll not step on your partner's foot, and more practice might just confuse you. Have fun, and good luck! The concierge will send my bill."

We looked at each other: there was more work involved than we had thought, but suddenly Maureen laughed.

"This is fun, James! I see you already trying to avoid my high heels! Mom, let's try once more!" and off they went, whirling, curtsying and laughing. In the end, they collapsed, still laughing and I reminded them of the spa they had reserved. They got up, changed into more comfortable clothes and left, but not without kissing me. Life got back to (almost) normal.

I called our lawyer and agreed to a meeting the following morning, and then went into the internet to refresh my memory on social behavior. Maureen had joked when she said that my family was the upper half on the German nobility, but at the end, I was right. We were not simply Grafen, i.e. Counts, but 'Reichsgrafen', meaning that the title had been conferred in the 1400s by the German Emperor. In the German Nobility Register, the Gotha, we were classified as 'Uradel', as one of the oldest noble families in Germany. We were never considered royalty but were respected as if we were. 'Honor et fortitude' was our family motto, and honor and courage my family had always shown in their service to the German people and the nation. The next night we would meet princes and earls, rich and poor, old families and new ones, and I needed to hold my head high. My father would never have forgiven me if I did not hold our standard high above all heads.

In these times, there was no real benefit anymore for my title, but it helped to make reservations and get an upgrade in airplanes. And for Maureen it was fun, since we were placed just below royalty and above all other counts. I hated to repeat to her, however, that the crown was still out: it was a coronet.

The ladies came back, red and flushed, but happy. Eileen laughed. "James, you would not believe this: the massagist was very good, extremely handsome and at the end, he whispered that he was free after nine o'clock. Do you believe this? What did he think? Imagine his audacity!"

"I imagine that he has a good taste in women! But let's forget the guy and order dinner."

We were not very hungry, and I looked at the room service; the hotel had an indoor restaurant I remembered from New York: Matsuhisa. The starter list was impressive, and we ordered some tacos and Eileen the Blue Lobster with truffle cream, Maureen the spicy Snow crab and I the King Crab Tempura; I always had enjoyed King Crab, which in my opinion had much more taste than lobsters. I asked for help with the wines and the sommelier recommended a Grand Cru Montrachet for the Lobster and the King Crab, and a German Clean Slate Riesling for the spicy Snow Crab.

We had never heard of this wine, but I trusted the professional, and he was right. The selection of Mosel grapes from various vineyards in the region produced a clean, crisp flavor with minerals and ripe peaches. It matched the spicy Crab wonderfully. And nobody could go wrong with a Grand Cru Montrachet! The food was delicious, the wines matched the quality of the food, and the Riesling was a big positive surprise!

It was getting late and tomorrow would be an exhausting day, so I suggested that we retired early. They agreed and the white, fluffy robes fell off their bodies as they walked to the bedroom. They knew that I was looking and swayed on their way, something someone had once described to me as 'wall-to-wall-walking'. I enjoyed the view as I followed them and when they lay down, it became even more interesting.

I never tired to look at my ladies: Eileen was a woman at the peak of her beauty: a slim body from years of running, full curves of breasts and hips, large areolae with small nipples straight looking back at me, and when she opened her legs a bit, I could see her shaved crinkly pussy with her clitoris already protruding a bit. Maureen was as beautiful, but in a different way: younger, firmer, as slim as her mother from running and martial exercises, and when she saw Eileen opening her legs invitingly, she followed suit. She also had her pussy shaved and her pronounced mound hid her labia in a closed half shell. I knew, however, how I could invite her clitoris to come out. And as always, the best part was the smile that was on their lips, inviting and loving.

I lay between them and they laid their heads on my chest. "Mom, I'm a bit tired, but if you want to fool around, feel free to do so. Tomorrow will be tiring; can you imagine dancing the minuet? I just want a hug and a kiss." and turning to me she did just that.

Eileen thought for a moment, but took a deep breath. "I had my fun on the flight in, so I follow you, dear." and lifting her body up, offered her breasts for my kisses. "Extended local rules!" she grinned.

Nobody asked for my opinion, so I closed my eyes and followed them into sleep. The last thought I had was how wonderful it was to have Maureen's warm body close to mine, of holding her breast in my hand, and of smelling her light taste of Celui; and to feel Eileen behind me, with her arms on my chest, and her breath tickling my shoulder.

There was no noise from outside and the curtains blacked out all the lights, and we slept well. Whenever I turned to my other side (which I do quite a lot, unfortunately) there was always a body in front of me to hold, and a body behind me to hug me.

The alarm clock woke us up and Eileen jumped out.

"I have to lie in my bed at least a few minutes - what will they think if it's untouched!"

I waited until she was almost on her way and whistled. "Oh, men!" was her only response, but she came back and fulfilled her obligations. Maureen laughed "You have your women well trained, my love!" and followed suit. We ordered breakfast and again it was of excellent quality, and the German bread selection was exactly what I wanted.

Maureen decided to come with me to the lawyer (after all, she was family) and Eileen went to the Deutsche Museum, a worldwide known museum of technical accomplishments. If I remembered right, they even had the first Luftwaffe jet fighter, the Messerschmidt Me 262, on permanent exhibition. Maureen and I were properly dressed for a visit to a lawyer: Maureen in a light blue blouse with a little bolero jacket and a narrow dark blue skirt, and I in my business outfit of suit and tie. Eileen had selected a green dress that showed off her body; she was lucky since the weather was nice and the sun warm. We put her into a taxi and walked to the lawyer.

Dr. Willington was waiting for us and we did not need long, since he had settled affairs well. The money was distributed to remote family members and they had apparently never even said thank you, and his bill was paid from the estate. He agreed to be available if anything ever came up and that was it.

We walked back to the Marienplatz, walked around the square and looked at some shops and then took a taxi to the Tantris restaurant, which the concierge had recommended and made reservations in this two-star Michelin extravaganza. We had given Eileen the address and she arrived shortly after us. The restaurant was on a quiet street, and the retro décor was in beige, reddish and orange colors, with simple, elegant tables covered in a white table cloth, and black chairs. We decided to go directly to the food and selected their Business Menu, a selection of salmon and asparagus, an Entrecôte with mushrooms, and a chocolate dessert with rhubarb and banana ice cream. They recommended a bottle of a Brochet 1st Cru, a little French champagne, and a German Spätburgunder, a Stodden Herrenberg. The match was perfect, but I thought that the meat could have stood a heavier red wine, the ladies, however, were satisfied. I paid the bill and we took a taxi back to the hotel.

They had a busy afternoon: spa, hairdresser, makeup, you name it. I was told to read a book and relax. I had my laptop with me and contacted Jenny via Skype. There was a difference of eight hours, but she was still awake and probably even waiting for my call. I told her everything about the flight, the hotel, the food, that Eileen behaved well and that I missed her. She wanted to speak to Maureen and was sad that she missed her. Then she looked at me.

"My love, I am counting the days until you are back. I've visited Ellen and she is worse, and Allan and I are very worried about her. She sends her love to you and Maureen and tells you to enjoy your stay."

Then she started to grin. "James, local remote rules apply?" I nodded. "Then goodnight, my love" and she leaned back a bit, pulled her pullover down her shoulders and pushed first one breast, then the other to the camera on her computer. "Kiss them!" I bent forward and pressed my lips to the screen; stupid, childish even, but it was fun. Then she blew me a kiss and turned the thing off.

It was getting late when the ladies returned, and I was getting tense. Punctuality is one of the vices of the German people and this ball started at 7:30 sharp, and no excuses. Waiting for a woman to get ready is an art form. Trying to rush them is a very bad idea. It may or may not speed up the process, but will almost certainly piss the woman off. Besides, the results of simply waiting usually make the wait worthwhile.

They were different creatures from the ones that had left earlier. I had always cherished Maureen's natural colors, her sparkling eyes, her soft cheeks. Even Eileen never used heavy makeup, but tonight? The hair was carefully put up and was placed in waves that would support the coronet and the tiara. The eyes were underlined by almost heavy blue-green mascara in Maureen's case and dark brown red on Eileen's face. The eyelashes were carefully brushed (?) and the only thing missing was the lipstick. They walked straight to the bedroom to change, telling me to get into my tuxedo. It was laid out in the second bedroom and looking at the mirror, I had to say that I was not ugly. Tall, slender, light blond hair eyes a mixture of grey and green, and in a straight position honed by endless martial art exercises. The phone rang; the driver was waiting for us.

Then Eileen appeared and again all I could say was: "Wow!"

She used the black dress she had worn to Allan's event: black with fine gold threads woven through the cloth, a long slit up the left side, and embroidered below her breasts. Her cleavage was just a bit less than decent and emphasized her opal pendant. She had her transparent grey-green cashmere stole around her shoulders and her huge blue diamond ring on her finger. The tiara we had given her, complimented her face and hair: the blue sapphire as the centerpiece with the six-sided star floating on the surface of the stone was almost translucent, with a cabochon cut, set in platinum, and the white and blue diamonds at both sides emphasized the beauty of the stone. It was supported by waves of her golden-red hair and she was beautiful.

She was satisfied with my reaction and turned around slowly, showing off her slim body and the rather large cutout at her back. "Do you agree?"

I nodded wholeheartedly. "As always, and today more than before, you are a beautiful woman. I'll be honored to be at your side."

Then Maureen came into the room and I was unable even to say: 'WOW'. Whilst Eileen exuded wealth and success, Maureen was elegance and love in person. Finally, I saw the dress she had hidden from me. It was made of luscious silk damask in the most beautiful color of blue I had ever seen. The golden threads woven into the fabric shimmered as she moved under the light. The dress was full length and the bodice was laced in the front. It had a square deep neckline with a panel of golden silk running down the front to the floor. The bodice nipped in at the waist, and the dress fell from there into a full, flowing skirt that was heavily petty-coated. The sleeves were long and wide, shaped into a point that hung down from the wrists. When she stepped forward, her move caused the skirt to rustle. She had a pair of silk slippers that used the same fabric as her dress and matched it to perfection, trimmed with gold braid.

She moved demurely forward, and I stared at her, unable to say a word. Her hair was put up and supported her coronet, which circled her head, nestled in her luscious red hair, and looked lovely on her: it was artisanship at its best. The nine tines showed that it was the coronet of a count, and the main tine had a beautiful opal glittering in blue and green, with red flashes when she turned her head. The other minor tines had opals and black pearls showing that it belonged to a senior count; the jeweler had mixed red and yellow gold in the circle so as with the opals, the color changed slightly at every move. The band showed our family 'Honor et Fortitude' and in the middle showed a minute engraving of our family crest. I must admit it was beautiful, and on her, it shone like a beacon. She wore our family signet ring, and the opal pendant was hanging from a neck. There was a bit of blush on her cheeks and a pastel red color on her lips. Her eyes were sparkling, asking whether I liked it?

"My love, I've seen beautiful women before in my life, but never anyone as beautiful as you. May I have the honor to take you to the ball?" She smiled and curtsied. "Most certainly, dear sir. The honor is all mine."

There was a little cough beside me: great God, I had forgotten about Eileen. I stepped forward, kissed Maureen's hand as I had been taught not to touch her anywhere else in these circumstances, and then turned to Eileen, repeating my gesture. "Should we go?" They nodded and off we went.

When we entered the lobby there was the normal noise, but as we walked to the entrance the noise stopped. I could imagine the reaction of the people watching us passing through; two stunningly beautiful women all prettied up, a handsome man (if I may say so) at their side; it was certainly something to gossip about later. The driver wanted to open the door, but I insisted that I would do this: they were my ladies. He drove carefully through the heavy traffic to the Sofitel Hotel where the ball was held. I had read that it was the biggest ballroom in the city with no supporting pillars, with over 1000 square yards.

When we arrived, there was a red carpet on the street, and a general to judge by his medals and adornments opened the door for us. He did not hesitate: "Welcome to the Hochadelsball, Milady's, Milord."

He pointed us to the next entrance where his superior was standing: more medals, more adornments, and a big staff in his hands. I handed him our invitations and he opened the door. He went ahead and tapped the floor three times and called out in a stentorian voice: "James Gustav, Reichsgraf de Winter." Three more taps. "Maureen, Reichsgräfin de Winter." Three more. "Mrs. Eileen Monahan."

The room was already crowded, but not too much; it was huge after all. It was nicely decorated in German colors and the walls showed banners with the family crests of the attendants. It was over the top, but I liked it, and the ladies lapped it up. We were shown to our table, and to Eileen's satisfaction, it was way in front. Maureen whispered: "Nobility - upper half?' and I nodded.

It was a table for eight and an elderly couple and a single handsome man in his late 40's, were already seated. They got up as we approached, and I bowed to the lady. "James Gustav, Reichsgraf de Winter, my wife, Lady Maureen, and my mother-in-law, Mrs. Monahan."

The husband offered his hand. "Winfried, Graf von Stauffenberg, and my wife Ursula." He pointed to the other man. "This is Theobald, Graf von Lichtenstein."

I kissed the lady's hand and they did the same with Maureen and Eileen, then we shook hands. We sat and small talk started. How we liked our stay in Germany (the master of ceremonies must have advised them about us), that it had been a long time since they had any contacts with the de Winters, and whether Mrs. Monahan found everything as she wanted. The men were dressed as I in tuxedos and Graf Stauffenberg even had some small decorations on his jacket. He saw me looking. "I served in the army."

Then the other two guests arrived, and the introductions were repeated. They were Prince and Princess Fugger, and I remembered my history lessons: their family started in Augsburg a long time ago being traders and getting very rich in Latin America (Venezuela? Peru?) and had been given their title out of gratitude for their financial support to the Emperor. They were also way over fifty and looking around, it seemed that Maureen and I were in the minority of young people.

I was proud of Eileen and Maureen: while the ladies at our table were well dressed in long gowns, they could not even come close to my ladies. And looking farther, the same applied to the other guests. Starters and white wine were served, and then the speeches began. They were short and to the point about the ball, the program of the evening and the dances, and a few remarks about past members who had died. Then the speaker (he had been introduced as His Highness, the Prince of Thurn und Taxis) called for a moment of silence.

"Dear guests, may I have a moment of your attention? We have had our events every two years and attendance has always been excellent. Today we can add a family that has been absent for too long a time. They have served Germany and their people truthfully and with dignity, and always obeyed their family motto 'Honor et fortitude', Honor and courage. Unfortunately, the father, Oberst de Winter, died last year, but his son and heir is here. May I welcome back to our circle James Gustav, Reichsgraf de Winter, and his wife, Lady Maureen?"