A Regency Romp Ch. 05

Will Robert's return ruin Juliet's newfound happiness?

Author's note: Lots of plot movement in this one, so I definitely recommend reading in order so that all the characters and events make sense. Also, please be warned that there is some MM bisexual action in this if that's not your cup of tea. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy!

Juliet and Peter did not much care that Kit and Violet's activities were not on display tonight. They were both naked and sated from their own exertions, which would have taken most of their attention in any case. Juliet was perched on Peter's thighs, in the same position they had been on their first night together. He had just fingered her to her second climax of the night and she was catching her breath as he soothed her with slow strokes up and down her limp arms.

They had begun the night with Peter sucking and licking her pussy while she sat in their favorite chair, her legs spread wide. He had thrust his fingers into her, rubbing and pressing up into the front wall of her cunt, and she had felt that lovely knife's edge of pleasure and over-sensitivity. It had built and built until she was moaning, her legs shaking in the air. When he had said, "Come on, my sweet, cum for me, I want you to squirt all over my tongue," she obliged with a soft scream. Her juices had spurted out, drenching his pumping hand and he had licked it all up, groaning in satisfaction with her.

Then, they had switched places and it was Juliet's turn to do the sucking and licking. The moon was bright that night, and Juliet loved seeing the muscled ridges of Peter's torso in light and shadow as she brought him to climax. It was a heady feeling to wrest control from this capable, strong man, and she had especially loved it when she had reached up to caress his balls and he had exclaimed, "Bloody Christ!" before cumming hard down her throat. He had cum so much that some escaped from her lips and ran down his cock, but she quickly licked and swallowed it all up, until his cock was shiny clean like new again.

"Peter," Juliet now sighed, placing her hands over his roving ones on her breast and stomach. She turned her head to meet his eyes. He kissed her on the forehead, a sweet, caring gesture and she briefly closed her eyes at the warmth of it. That night, after Peter had tucked her into bed as was their habit now, she made a decision.

The next day, after Kit and Violet had driven out in his curricle to see the ruins in the nearby village of Clarkston, she sat with Peter in their sitting room (she had come to feel possessive over it, despite its shabby furnishings). They shared a small, low couch, his arm scandalously around her shoulders. The servants seemed to suspect the nature of their relationship, but were all cheerfully turning a blind eye. After all, Peter was the man who had hired them, and he was already proving to be a fair and generous steward. There was no reason to kick up a fuss just because he had the good fortune of winning Lady Juliet's regard.

"I want you to take my virginity, Peter," Juliet said, clearly and distinctly. Beneath his buckskin breeches, she thought she saw his cock twitch. He tightened his hold around her shoulders, but shook his head.

"Jules... when your fiancé returns--"

Juliet interrupted with a decisive wave of her hand. "Robert doesn't deserve my fidelity. I don't even know where he is! He might never return. I've been thinking for months now that I should write to him and break off the engagement."

Although the idea had been floating in the back of her mind for quite a long time, Juliet felt so much loyalty to her father, who had arranged the match, and she was so naturally obedient that she never had the courage to take such a drastic step. But this past week with Peter had changed her mind. It had changed her.

They had spent many hours together since she had arrived at Blackburn Cottage, often going for morning rides, sharing meals and long walks. She felt so at ease with him, so comfortable, that her sad story of the absentee fiancé had come out the very next day of their acquaintance. Peter was a good listener, and he sympathized with all of her frustrations of the half life she was living, just waiting, waiting, waiting.

He had immediately apologized for his actions that first night, Kit not having told him of her engaged status. Juliet had shushed him with a kiss that had turned incendiary and she had ended up with her skirts rucked around her waist as he pumped his fingers into her pussy, bringing her to a climax right in the middle of the library, against one of the shelves of poetry. It was only a few minutes later that Violet had walked in, looking for a book, and Juliet had stammered out some kind of excuse for the two of them conversing alone and standing so close together.

Now in the sitting room, she said, "I want you, Peter. I have... a great affection for you. I trust you." She tilted her head to look at him, her large, hazel eyes stormy in the afternoon light slanting through the windows.

"Jules," Peter breathed, leaning forward and resting his forehead on hers. "The feeling is mutual. I have loved you since that moment on the terrace when I first saw you, a Botticelli Venus come to life. If I could, I would marry you tomorrow. But I'm just a steward, Jules. I have a little money from my pension, but it's not much, and my parents can provide me with even less. Your father, your family's opposition..."

Juliet sighed and said, "Yes, I'm not sure if he would consent to our marriage. Oh Peter, I love you too!" She threw her arms around him and their lips met in a fiery, passionate kiss. Soon, she was straddling his lap, the skirt of her light blue muslin dress riding up to reveal her white cotton stockings and her slim, creamy thighs above.

The kiss was all-consuming, tongue and teeth, licks and bites. Peter's hands caressed her exposed thighs, then traveled to her ass, helping her to rock on his hardening cock. They were so preoccupied that they didn't notice a young gentleman slip through the door, which had been ajar, and shut it behind him.

"Well, well, well!" the young man said, in a slightly mocking tone.

With a gasp, Juliet scrambled off of Peter's lap, and he stood up with her as they faced the intruder, who was leaning back against the door, his arms folded and a smirk on his face. He had dark auburn hair with hints of red and his light gray eyes were twinkling in a way that offset the insolent moue of his full lips. He was not so tall or broad-shouldered as Peter, but he was very handsome and he wore riding clothes. His boots were covered in dust and Juliet vaguely wondered if he had ridden on horseback; it would explain why they had not heard a carriage approaching the house on the gravel drive.

The larger portion of her mind, though, was engaged in disbelieving recognition of the young man. Incredibly, just as she blurted out his name, Peter did the same.

"Robert!" Both of their voices blended in the same tones of incredulity.

Juliet turned to Peter and said, "You know him?"

Peter asked, "Robert Clifford is your fiancé?"

Robert laughed. He had a boyish look, and his laugh made him seem even younger. He grinned in delight at their confusion and amazement. He sauntered over, his hands behind his back.

"Yes to both questions. Peter knows me very well indeed, in fact!" He winked at Peter, who looked discomfited at this, straightening his shoulders and directing a frown at Robert.

"Well, well," Robert said again with a jolly smile that seemed entirely nefarious to Juliet. "I do believe I have stumbled upon a tryst! Terribly sorry, I've always had the worst timing."

Juliet felt her embarrassment suddenly melt away in the face of a rising anger. An anger that had been building for five long years, ever since she had received a short, perfunctory letter from Robert the day after their betrothal, simply explaining that he would see her again soon, but that he was leaving for Oxford to begin his university studies. That was the last time she had heard from him. Her anger, coupled with her confusion at being caught in such a compromising position, caused her to uncharacteristically loosen her tongue.

"Timing!" she spat. "That's not your only fault, you inconsiderate lackwit!" At this, Robert and Peter both raised their eyebrows. "How dare you!" Juliet continued. "How dare you come here after five years and pass judgment--"

"Ah, love, you misunderstand me!" Robert raised his hands, palms out. "I pass no judgment. In fact, I am rather pleased by this turn of events. Sit, sit," he said, ushering them back onto the low sofa. "By the expressions on your faces, I see I shall have to explain myself."

He dragged a chair over to face them and sat, meticulously picking a piece of lint off his sleeve as he did so. The expression on his handsome face, which had just been so mischievous and cheerful, turned pensive. He stared off into the distance and began to speak.

"As you well know, Juliet, I am an only child. My mother died young and I was left with a father who did not know what to do with a sensitive boy like myself. I never cared for hunting or fishing, and beyond those two activities, my father had very little interest besides his lands. I had a tutor, a young clergyman who would come give me lessons in the morning. His name was Elijah, and he was... beautiful." Robert sighed and smiled in fond remembrance.

"It was then that I began to understand that I was not quite like other boys. I was so young when our fathers arranged our betrothal, Juliet, although of course not as young as you were. Still, it was a fraught time for me, considering how attracted I was to Elijah. Alas, he did not share the attraction. I believe he eventually found a mousy little wife, a perfect companion for him in his country parish.

"I greatly enjoyed my time at university. Fellows like me, you know, we have a natural ability to sense each other. It took some time before I had the courage, but by the time my studies had ended, I had experimented a great deal with the sterner sex. I'm sorry to say I thought very little of you and our betrothal during that time, Juliet." Robert finally looked at her and gave an apologetic smile when she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but it all struck me like a lightning bolt when, after I had finished my studies, my father wrote to ask when I would return to Feltham to marry you, as you had just turned 18 and our two families agreed that it was time. I felt that I could not love you as I ought and, being a selfish sort of man who avoided conflict, decided to attach myself as a secretary of sorts to the father of one of my friends who is a diplomat."

Robert now turned to look at Peter, and Juliet suddenly realized that Peter was not comfortable. He sat beside her, holding himself very rigidly and staring straight at Robert with an expression of foreboding.

"We found ourselves enmeshed with the war effort in Portugal, and it was there that I met Peter." He smiled gently at Peter, as if to reassure him. After a moment, he turned his stare to the far wall again before continuing on with his story, and Juliet felt Peter relax incrementally, although she also felt some trepidation at the familiarity with which Robert spoke of Peter.

"It was on the continent that I discovered something new about myself. It was the fault of a French madame, very feisty, very beautiful. She had hair just like yours, Juliet, straight and golden. I had a very narrow view of women back then, you see. I thought they were all quiet, demure prudes. I had little interaction with the fairer sex as a boy, and even less at Oxford. Madame Faucher was femininity itself, but of a powerful, sexual sort. I would wager she could seduce any man or woman. She certainly seduced me." A smug, satisfied smile came over Robert's face and he sighed happily.

"Yes, we had a lovely time together, and I found that it was not just the Madame that I now found attractive. Any number of women and men have now crossed my path, and I have found them all delightful. I must confess, however," and here he directed his open, impish gaze to Juliet, "that I still do very much prefer blondes."

Juliet turned a bright red. But then Robert turned his eyes towards Peter's fair hair and she saw a splash of color across her lover's cheeks, as well as a tick in that chiseled jaw. Before she could say anything, however, Robert continued on.

"When I received the news of Violet's wedding, it finally struck me that I had been acting a coward. My behavior for so long has been unpardonable. I decided to come back to Feltham and tell you the truth so that you could make the decision of whether or not we would still suit, knowing my open preferences. I found your parents alone at Segrave Manor, and decided to travel on here.

"You can imagine my immense pleasure and surprise, Juliet, to find you not the reserved, silent miss that I left in Feltham so long ago, but a vibrant, wanton woman with desires not unlike my own. You see, I, too, fell in love with Peter some years ago," he said, a soft, fond smile playing across his features.

Juliet was floored by this revelation, but she could do no more than stare at Robert as he blithely continued on.

"I was very young then, and, not knowing my own mind, wanted to see for myself what else was out in the world for me. How many adventures I have had!" He sighed reminiscently. "But I have now become a little--tired, shall we say? My father has been writing increasingly frequent letters and I am more and more inclined to agree with him that it is time to settle down. If you will still have me, Juliet, might I throw my hat in the ring with Peter's? I would very much like to fight for your hand." He gave her a charming, disengaging smile, as if he had not just thrown a metaphorical bomb.

As she and Peter stared open-mouthed at this new interloper, there was a knock on the door and Alice entered the sitting room. "Mr. Clifford, sir? Your room 'as been prepared, and I'm to show you to it." She curtseyed, a move which always displayed her ample bosom to great effect.

Robert stood up, eyeing Alice, her blonde ringlets escaping from her cap, her bright, eager face so open and eager to please. "You will excuse me, Lady Juliet, Mr. Galway?" he said, never taking his eyes off Alice, who blushed under his scrutiny. "I believe I must follow this lovely, young servant to my room." The two departed and Juliet could hear Alice's signature giggle from the hallway.

"My God," she whispered, stunned at all of the revelations of the past half-hour. "Peter," she said, turning to him. "He's staying here! At Blackburn Cottage!"

"Yes," Peter said drily. "I gathered that."

Juliet stood, unable to sit any longer. She began to pace. "And everything he said--" She whirled to face him, still sitting on the couch, his hands lightly clasped between his legs, staring at the carpet. "Peter, you knew Robert? Did you--?" She knelt down before him and took his hands in hers, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"Jules," he said, shaking his head. "I don't know how much you know of these things..."

"Tell me, Peter," she said quietly, her expression earnest and true. "Nothing you say will change the fact that I love you. I want to know."

He sighed, some of the tension leaving his shoulders at her words, but it took several minutes before he began his story. There had never been any uncertainty in his own youth about his inclinations and desires, such as Robert had experienced. But in the army, in such close quarters with his friends and fellow soldiers, it was impossible not to forge deep bonds with them. His heretofore straightforward existence slowly became more and more complicated.

"Kit was the first," Peter explained with a rueful smile. "He always had such a carefree attitude about such things. It didn't matter if you were male or female; attraction to him was a simple thing and was not bound by sex. I find myself now with a very similar attitude." He shrugged with a sheepish smile.

Juliet was not as surprised as she ought to have been to hear this. This fit exactly into the idea she had of Kit, and there were those times when Peter slipped up and called the Captain by his first name. The camaraderie between them was very palpable, and she had often wondered how close they had been on the peninsula. Their fellow soldier, Tom Swinton, also seemed to have a role in their friendship, and this thought gave her a slight pause, but she put it away for later.

"And Robert? Did you love him, too?" Juliet asked, her heart racing. She wasn't sure what answer she wanted to hear.

"Ah, Robert," Peter said, and a rueful smile played on his lips. "He reminded me of Kit in some ways, but in others, he still had some of the very lonely, insecure boy inside of him. He was cheeky and winsome, and perhaps he loved me, but he also fell in love on a monthly basis back then. I had no notion he felt so strongly about me at that time, but he is the kind of person to hide his feelings." He paused and frowned. "Do you think he's truly here to fulfill the bonds of your betrothal, Jules?"

Juliet shook her head. "I don't know. Oh, Peter!" She flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck. He gathered her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, Jules," he whispered huskily in her ear. "Have I shocked you? Do you still want me too?"

She nodded and settled against him, cradled in his arms like a child. "Of course I still want you, Peter," she said, lifting her face so they could share a sweet kiss. They sat there in contemplation, each silently considering what had just transpired. She reached out to fiddle with one of his waistcoat buttons and she asked, unable to look him in the eyes, "What was it like, Peter? With Robert, I mean. What did you do?"

He stared down at her, but she continued to concentrate on his button. A faint blush stole over her cheeks. "You want to know what I did with Robert?" he asked, slightly disbelieving.

She nodded and finally met his eyes. He saw in the hazel depths that familiar expression of lust and desire, and the knot inside his chest suddenly loosened. She smiled coyly and then bit her lip, her lashes coming down to fan her cheeks. Peter grinned. "Well, my sweet, let me tell you..."

********

Dinner that night was a surprisingly merry affair. After sensing Violet's dislike of him, Robert set out to charm the entire company and was very successful. After all, he was handsome and personable and had not spent years abroad attending diplomatic dinners without learning a thing or two about making himself ageeable to strangers. He had many humorous anecdotes of his time abroad, and by the time the sisters left the men to their port, everyone was in a cheerful and benevolent mood. This was in no small part to the copious amounts of wine that was served at dinner.

"What a charming man!" Violet exclaimed when they were alone in the parlour, her cheeks flushed from drink. "I certainly don't remember him being so funny or likable, do you?"

Juliet shook her head. "No, I remember him as painfully shy. Very quiet. I think that's why our fathers thought we would suit."

Violet snorted. "You might be quiet, but that doesn't mean you're shy. In fact..." She leaned toward Juliet across the low table with the tea things set out. "Jules, I know about you and Peter. You have been very naughty, haven't you?"

Juliet turned red. "Violet! I--"

"There's no use denying it, Jules," Violet said with an airy wave of her hand. "I saw you last night in the sitting room. I'm so glad you have found a man to share these... experiences with. I declare it relieves me greatly, for I had been very worried that Kit and I would make you uncomfortable here at Blackburn. We are not shy or quiet, you know." She gave a self-deprecating smile.