The Hogarth Club Ch. 36

Lola heard them laughing in the kitchen.

"Master, you are truly Masterful, merge your juices with mine in an ecstatic union," Roger quoted, "who writes your scripts?"

Georgina's grin remained, "They weren't just words, by then I had been coming non-stop for minutes and I felt like a wet sponge."

"How come I always seem to be missing out on sex lately?" Lola said as she walked directly to the teapot and poured a cup.

"What did I say about home mice?" Roger said.

"Plus Reggie and Judith already have a punter in the dungeon. To mix a metaphor, the early bird..."

"Judith?"

"See you've missed lots," Roger said.

"Yes sorry, a friend has been going through a little difficulty. I'm catching up with her again this morning. With any luck, we will have soon solved all her problems."

Lola looked at Georgina and Roger, they were nicely dressed.

"Going out?"

"Yep, Octavian at the Dorchester," Roger said.

Lola raised an eyebrow but said nothing of her liaison with his brother at the wedding.

"I'm meeting my friend at the corner of Broad Sanctuary and Storey's Gate at 9.30am. We can walk down together. You'd pick up a cab more easily in Victoria Street."

"That would be nice Lola, I have been missing your company too. A chat would be good." Georgina turned to Roger, "That's OK Roger?"

"Sure, the timing is perfect too. Go and grab your coat Lola and we'll stroll."

Lola walked away. Pleased for an opportunity to hide her face from her friends lest it betray her misgivings.

She had hated Roger for killing her sister. In September she would have enjoyed the feel of a sharp knife slicing his jugular vein, she would have relished seeing his life ebbing away and the stickiness of his blood on her hands. Now the emotion had gone, replaced by the realization that each fought for their own Country, principals, and beliefs. Her sister had died because of her loyalty, not Roger's brutality.

Georgina had shared with her that Roger still woke crying Cynthia's name, shouting - 'You'll be OK Cynthia, stay with me, please stay with me.'

Lola wiped away a tear, she was being silly. In another few weeks Britain would have surrendered and Lola would have put them in a strong position with the new overlords. She snatched her coat and met them in the kitchen.

Lola shut the door on the Hogarth Club, they were all coated up, prepared for the elements. November in London, it was chilly and foggy. The fog seemed to trap the smoke from the fires caused by last nights bombings. The docks were plastered last night.

Roger looked up at the sky, all he saw was an opaque mist. His senses felt dulled their footfalls dampened as the fog enveloped them. Roger felt fear for Georgina's safety his senses moved to high alert. He scanned the fog for danger but the visibility was poor all he could see was the girls. Lamp-posts and fences would solidify from the murk as they passed and disappear behind them.

Even with his familiarity of the roads he felt lost until he recognized the railings at the back of Westminster Abbey and saw headlights on Victoria Street. They only lit the fog, not the road so the vehicles were crawling along, it looked surreal.

Georgina and Lola were chatting away as only women can.

"I've got some perfume, Roger come and smell too," Lola said.

Georgina reached up to take the offered atomizer but Lola continued to bring it to Georgina's face, Roger was surprised at the last moment when Georgina struck the hand that was offered to his face. Her right hand was already reaching for the atomizer, her left hand had too far to travel to defend herself but it flew from her hip and struck Lola hard to the chest after she was sprayed fully in her eyes. Roger would have seen Lola fall had it not been for the excruciating pain and blurred vision.

Georgina's deflection of Lola's hand meant that Roger was only affected by the periphery of the spray. Roger heard Georgina gasp in pain then he heard the unmistakable sounds of a scuffle. Even though it was happening next to him the fog made it sound as if it was taking place beneath a blanket.

Thanks to Georgina's preventative action his vision was only impaired, he could see no detail but he could see the participants of the struggle. Roger pulled his revolver from his jacket and aimed at the larger figure and pulled the trigger. The explosive blast from the gun seemed unaffected by the fog, it was loud, as loud as Georgina's scream.

"I love you, Roger!"

Roger heard as one of the figures slumped to the pavement, the remaining figure was tall and male.

Even had Roger not been paralyzed with shock, he would have been too slow to defend against the blackjack which hit him skillfully behind the ear. He sank to his knees a mantra playing in his head - I've killed Georgina, I've killed Georgina. He continued falling when his head made sickening contact with the kerb, the mantra and everything else stopped.

Octavian's agents heard the screams and then a gunshot.

"Let's go," said Jamie, he was the senior agent.

They heard another shot and the ping of a bullet bouncing off the pavement.

"Cover!" Jamie shouted, "use the fog."

It seemed like a stupid thing to say, but they both knew what they were doing, they advanced slowly side by side, one facing forward one back.

They heard the scream of an engine as a vehicle accelerated away in front of them, they moved a little more quickly but were still cautious.

"There!"

They approached a slumped form on the pavement.

"He's alive," Jamie said as he turned him over.

"Fuck, we are in the shit. That's the Earl of Alveston, Eight's brother. Not only that, he hasn't left the woman's side since we've been watching. That means she's been taken."

"Over here."

Jamie knelt to see what had been found. It was a pool of blood.

"Whoever that blood used to belonged to is a goner, I didn't even think a body held that much blood." He pointed to a knife, even in the dull light the initials JM stood out.

"I'll stay with Eight's brother, you get help. Then get to Eight and let him know what's gone down."

"Thanks a heap, I'll stay, you do it."

"RHIP and I know first aid."

The agent slipped away quietly. The next person who told him that Rank had it's privileges would be in a sea pain.

—<~>—

Roger was floating, his world was white. He heard voices and gravitated towards them. He could feel his consciousness climbing he felt the throb of physical pain.

The voices were like a loudspeaker at the railway station in the fog.

"Whoever that blood used to belonged to is a goner, I didn't even think a body held that much blood."

Then he remembered. He had shot and obviously killed Georgina. The realization flooded his body with the toxins of regret, anger, and remorse. He tried to imagine his life without Georgina and failed.

He slid back into the white mist, it masked his pain, not the physical but the heart-searing devastation that came with the knowledge that he had killed his love.

—<~>—

The Hogarth club was buzzing, thanks to Claire it operated without Georgina's intervention.

"There's a man to see you, he's asking for Brielle, not Dione, your working name. Do you want to see him or shall I get Crash to show him out?"

"Yes, I'll see him, Claire," Brielle looked excited.

"You coming, Reggie?"

"Why not?"

The girls finished their cups of tea and headed to the Morning Room. Brielle expected to find, her man, the one who had been watching over Georgina. Brielle was surprised at who was visiting.

"What are you doing here, Eight?" Reggie asked.

"I wanted to see Brielle alone," he said, brusquely.

Reggie looked at Brielle her senses seemed internalized, her face was dark.

"Well we can't always get what we want, how can Brielle help you?"

Octavian shrugged his shoulders.

"Brielle, I am arresting you for the kidnap of Georgina and Lola and the assault of my brother."

As if the girls had switched consciousness Reggie was now gob smacked and Brielle was feisty.

"You are a fucking idiot," she said, her voice dripping with venom and contempt.

Her tone and it's implication did not miss Octavian. He was shocked at the words and the tone but the knife in Brielle's hand was the clincher. Brielle held the knife up to his eye-line.

"If she dies because of your fucked up intervention I will slip this up your arse and thrust it out of your dick, clearly that's where you do your thinking."

She stepped towards Octavian, Reggie, now back with the living walked between them. Reggie with a command that no one suspected she owned demanded they both sit. Neither thought of disobeying.

Reggie looked at Octavian, "First what about Georgina, Roger and Lola?"

Octavian told the story. The girls were gone, there were three buckets of blood on the pavement. And Roger, who was bludgeoned, hit his head on the pavement when he fell and was in a coma.

Reggie looked as if she had been hit by a sledge hammer while Brielle just looked at Octavian, slicing him with her gaze. Much to Reggie's credit she recovered.

"What's this got to do with Brielle?"

"She is the spy. Look she is not even surprised. The reaction of the guilty."

"What happened to your two operatives?" Brielle asked.

"That proves it, how did you know I had two of my people there?"

"Well you could give them flashing neon signs to hide behind that would make them less conspicuous. I suppose you took my man, god you are a fuck-up."

Reggie held up her hand, "We can war, when we have found the girls. Brielle told us Georgina was in lethal danger a couple of days ago."

They both sobered.

"How did you know?" Octavian snapped.

"I'm a gypsy and a fortune teller."

Octavian laughed, "You are fucking joking."

"Eight, language!" Reggie said, in an equally snappish tone.

"Sorry, but who believes that shit-"

"Georgina," Reggie said, interrupting.

Octavian swallowed, he had never known Georgina to be wrong.

"I sensed danger so I hired a private detective to follow Georgina and protect her but you've probably arrested him too."

Octavian swallowed again.

"He hasn't said anything, has he?"

He shook his head.

"If he'd been there, this might have been avoided."

"Brielle," Reggie said, "are you being a bit hard? You said there was nothing you could see that would save Georgina. Although you said Roger would die too."

"No, I said his life would be lost."

"A coma," Reggie and Octavian said together.

They looked to Brielle for a response, there was none. She had her eyes shut, her body language said she wasn't home. Octavian looked at Reggie who shrugged her shoulders.

Claire clattered in with a tray, she took the tension of the room with her when she left. Reggie was noisier than usual as she poured the tea but Brielle was unresponsive. Suddenly her eyes flew open.

"I'm sorry Octavian, your actions although stupid have introduced, for the first time in my reading, a small possibility Georgina may survive about one percent or less."

"That's a chance?" Octavian said.

"Well before, every path I travelled left Georgina dead. I can feel hope at the end of two paths."

"Lola is the spy, I would have thought that was obvious even for someone who stuck their cock up her."

Brielle continued it was a statement not an accusation.

"My man will tell you everything, then tell him to come here. I need to speak to him."

"All he says is that he was reading a newspaper and keeps shouting for a lawyer."

"Tell him, Dione says - Pork pie and a pint, it's a code."

Octavian looked a little perplexed.

"Christ, do you want me to come and hold your hand?"

Octavian stood and walked towards Brielle, she stood and held her ground, Octavian slowly pecked her cheek. He had seen how quickly the knife was in her hand before but he wanted to reinforce his message.

"I'm sorry Brielle, I know you won't work with me but whatever help you need, just ask."

"I'll have to stab you in the ear now."

"Why?" Octavian asked, puzzled.

"Because now you are using the correct brain."

She hugged him back. There was so little of her Octavian was surprised at how snugly she fitted in his embrace.

—<~>—

Reggie had spent the evening in the quiet of her room crying. Even the glimmer of hope that Brielle had seen in her divinations, seemed unlikely. As unlikely as Reggie's ability to survive, or even her wish to survive, without Georgina.

She stopped sobbing to drink some water, the jug that she had already consumed had gone nowhere near her kidneys it had leaked out of her eyes. Her drinking, suppressed the noise of her crying, in the relative silence she heard a noise.

Reggie stood in shock, it was Brielle crying in her room next door.

"Brielle never cries," Reggie said to herself.

Reggie found a dressing gown and moving towards Brielle's room remembered that Brielle had cried when she told Georgina that she was doomed.

Reggie quietly entered Brielle's room forgetting in her grief that a knife was a likely welcome for a surprise intruder. Brielle was naked, curled up on her bed. She was immersed and consumed by despair. Her crying, like Reggie's had reverted to a continuous keening sob. Reggie walked to the bed unnoticed and touched Brielle, she didn't respond. Reggie's concern temporally drove away her grief she dropped to her knees and whispered in her ear, still nothing. She decided that Brielle was missing Georgina's avowed love just as she was. Reggie rolled Brielle over so she could free the blankets on the bed. She kissed and covered her and headed to the door.

"Stay Reggie."

She thought she heard, she turned to see Brielle's eyes closing. Reggie needed no second invitation she too felt wretched at the loss of her friend, her rock. She threw off her clothes snuggled under the covers and drew Brielle to her body. It felt like cuddling an ice block, she knew how long Brielle had been laying uncovered and distraught, too long.

Both girls slept fitfully drawing comfort from each other. Reggie was first fully awake. She looked at Brielle and pondered, Brielle was as strong as Georgina but she was showing none of it, even sleeping she looked somehow diminished. Reggie remembered Georgina sharing Roger's words... I'll love Brielle when she finds the ability to love herself and trust others, she is certainly more damaged than she looks. Reggie wondered if Georgina's certain death had finally broken Brielle.

Reggie was amazed, her desire to join Georgina in death seemed a distant memory, she needed to survive to protect her friend. As if Brielle had read her thoughts she turned kissed Reggie.

"Thanks for staying, Reggie. I found love, at last, and now its gone."

Reggie knew exactly what she meant, none of the girls would think of a long term committed relationship with each other. But Reggie and Brielle had felt Georgina's unstinting love. They had been cared for, cosseted, supported encouraged, and despite feeling and sometimes proving themselves unworthy, Georgina's love for them wavered not one iota.

"It's little L love," Reggie said.

Again Brielle was simpatico with Reggie's thoughts.

"Yes she Loves Roger and loves us."

"I - little L - love you too Brielle."

Reggie was kissed again, not a chaste little peck like last time but a passionate giving kiss.

When the kiss broke Brielle said, "Me too!"

Brielle scissored their legs. Each upper thigh was in contact with the others clitoris. She rocked their bodies. Reggie laughed.

"That's what Georgina does, she rocks me when ever I'm sad or overcome."

"She did it to me when I was coming undone about her death."

The girls sobered.

The rocking continued, Reggie enjoyed the contact and care but eventually being Reggie she came. Brielle felt her stomach fluttering and kissed her to coincide with her climax, her tongue was busy until Reggie's stilled.

The gloom they felt was diluted by pleasure.

Reggie reached for Brielle's breasts, they were small but full, just a handful. They firmly and perkily filled her hands. Reggie kneaded them, then grabbed Brielle's orbs roughly and pulled them away from her body, stretching her nipples. Brielle groaned and increased the tempo of their rocking. Reggie concentrated on Brielle's tits, her nipples were hard and very pale.

"Yes!" Brielle said, breathlessly.

Reggie flattened her tits against her chest, circling her palms over her nipples. Brielle was moaning now.

Reggie squeezed her hand between their bodies, Brielle rolled away and opened her legs in an invitation. The sudden chill across her cunt made her shiver.

Reggie smiled she saw diamonds of Brielle's liquid passion glistening on her thatch, she bathed her fingers in Brielle's juice and returned the droplets from whence they came. Brielle shuddered as Reggie invaded her with two fingers. She partly withdrew her fingers and basted her thumb, she did this a few times slowly.

"Reggie, don't tease!"

Reggie's laugh told Brielle that was exactly what she intended, like a bitch she slowed down further. Brielle rose her hips in search of Reggie's fingers but they remained illusive.

"Be still," Reggie said, she delivered the missive with a kiss.

Brielle sighed and acquiesced.

Reggie sped up a little and when she gauged Brielle's frustration was about to over flow added her lubricated thumb to her hardened nub. She felt Brielle's frustration disappear like air from a ruptured balloon. She was groaning.

Reggie's clit was out of contact, so she slid closer to Brielle and mounted her hip bone, it slid firmly between Reggie's legs, it was her turn to groan.

"Race you," Reggie said, cheekily.

Reggie's fingers sped with her own arousal, Brielle's hips were thrusting as were Reggie's. Their groans sounded like a casualty ward after a major battle except theirs were occasioned by pleasure.

Reggie was exercising constraint she wasn't good at it but she needed Brielle to come first. Her fingers were flying, Reggie felt her own control slipping so she leaned across and sucked Brielle's nipple into her mouth and punished it with her tongue. Brielle felt Reggie's tummy dancing and let go herself.

Tension, fear, grief and melancholy were banished by searing strands of pleasure. They ground their bodies together adding to their sensory overload but it was a sweet pain. They didn't fall from the plateau of pleasure but slid gracefully down its flank. They arrived together and found themselves wrapped in each other, their lips were locked and their bodies were glossed with sweat.

"I had no desire to live further without Georgina but Brielle with your support I think I could."

"Would you really kill yourself?"

"Yes, NO one has ever loved me like Georgina. Like you said - I found love, at last, and now its gone."

Brielle sounded brittle, as if she was exposing a raw wound.

"Will you love ME like a sister?"

They flew into each others arms.