🕸 VIII 🕸

My dress of choice for supper with the Longropers was of course black. And no shock at all, Maggy wore white. We contrasted each other and yet marched in rhythm to dinner. We entered the dining hall with the table intimately set for a small gathering.

There were heads of all manner of beasts on the walls. Their staring eyes were like voyeurs gawking at us from Hades itself. And the lighting was so dim it might as well have been pitch black. I enjoyed how eerie the atmosphere was.

Maggy hated the dining room though and it was going to be a very long meal for her.

Maggy and I sat at one side, Lurkson and the Earl sat across from us, and the Duke Longroper sat at the head. An empty chair at the other end of the table was a clear sign the household was without a head lady. Our maids stood at attention behind us while the Longroper maids stood behind their masters.

I was grateful that it was only the five of us at the table. Noble meals tended to become grudgingly dreadful with more people present. Friendships are made, some are destroyed, rivalries are set, nemesis are eternally established, and all before the main course is laid out.

Nobility is a terrifying thing and a single word could kill. I was raised to be on my best behavior during such meals. Dinner time was especially brute. Hunger for power can never be satisfied with a simple plate of food.

But I digress.

Maggy sat across from the Earl and I sat across from my Lurkson. He and I spoke volumes to each other with just our eyes. My hunger intensified my lust. He sat with a small smile laced with an equally wolfish hunger.

Wine was poured and the Duke made a speech. I did not bother digesting the old man’s words. I could not help but keep my eyes on Lurkson. Maggy had to step on my foot to gain my attention when we toasted.

The wine was red and full of smokey and dark flavor. I drank a little but only a taste. I had a habit of giving into a bottle and I wanted to be sober for my Lurkson. And I also wanted to keep my wits about me during another dreadful dinner for nobility.

“Oh, I forgot to add,” said the Duke. “I personally chose, beheaded, and butchered the bull you are about to enjoy. And he was the finest slaughter I have done in ages.”

A maid wheeled a serving cart out with the bull’s roasted head on a silver platter. The head was set at the center of the table. The face had the most dreadful look of horror and shock. It was a dark centerpiece that I welcomed greatly.

The Duke went on, “Our expert chef made certain that the meat and etcetera were done to the utmost quality and perfection. Of course, I prepped the bulls, so our good chef made certain my efforts did not go to waste.”

“That is superb, Duke Longroper,” said Maggy as she gawked at the head with a steady smile. “I must say, I never had a meal prepared personally by the host .”

“My great-great-great-grandfather moonlighted as a hunter and refused to have his trophies handled by anyone else but himself,” said the Duke. “He was a hard working man who liked to get his hands dirty.”

“His tenacity was superior to others of his class,” said Maggy.

“Or under his class as well,” said the Duke.

Light giggles and chuckles were had. My stomach growled. I looked forward to the bull that was executed for our uppercrust meal. But a nagging question slipped my lips.

“Oh, dear Duke, what was the bull’s name?” I asked.

Maggy flashed me a dirty look but the Duke laughed.

“Hercules, for he was such a stud he might as well have been the son of Zeus,” said the Duke.

More pointless and forced laughter followed. I grew bored and the first dish was not placed yet. The Duke then looked to Maggy in earnest and signaled a maid to fetch something from the kitchen.

And soon my boredom was to be alleviated.

“Before we present the appetizers, we have a special course just for you, Lady Vineharth,” said the Duke. “It is a proud tradition of the Longroper family to present this delicacy to our most honored guests.”

“I am truly humbled and elated to be considered for this special course, dear Duke,” said Maggy. “What pray tell is this delicacy—?” The maid the Duke sent to the kitchen then returned.

And the maid placed a plate in front of Maggy. Two round balls covered in golden brown batter were before Maggy. I immediately knew what they were and had to suppress my laughter.

“We present to you the most important part of a well-breed bull,” said the Duke proudly. “His testicles.”

Maggy went pale and I had to bite my lip. The Duke then went into detail about the preparation.

“The testes are marinated in our finest whisky and herbs for a full day. They are then coated with rich butter and yokes then patted down with fine battered and deep fried to slow perfection. And of course, they are served with the most exquisite horseradish sauce money could afford.”

“You do not need to indulge my father and his outdated habits, Lady Vineharth,” said the Earl with a gentle smile. “If you do not wish to—”

The Duke then said, “Now, Alberto, it is a proven fact that consuming the testicles of a well-breed bull promotes vigor, fertility, and is a wondrous aphrodisiac.”

“But father, you are embarrassing the poor woman,” said the Earl.

“It is quite alright, Earl Longroper, I am truly honored to be given such a unique offering,” said Maggy as she forced a smile.

“May I share this wonderful offering with my dear sister, Duke Longroper?” I asked upon hearing the last benefit of consuming well-breed and fried bull testicles. “I am most curious.”

“You are our honored guest as well, Madame Vineharth,” said the Duke. “We only regret that the bull only had one set of testes to offer, ha-ah!”

Maggy held back a grimace. I could tell she did not wish to eat the testes. I was more open minded. Especially if it gave me strength to face my Lurkson when we were finally alone.

I was given a plate and one of the fried bull balls. I sliced into the tender flesh before Maggy could even pick up a knife. I stabbed the first piece with my fork and opened my mouth wide.

I glared right at Lurkson, brought the meat so far into my mouth that my lips hovered over the hilt of the fork. I then closed and slowly slid the fork out. My lips caressed the metal and the delicious bull ball fell onto my tongue.

Lurkson watched with bated breath. The taste of whisky, pungent herbs, and tender beef filled my mouth. I could almost feel the aphrodisiac take me already. Lurkson surreptitiously licked his lips at me. I flashed him my teeth as I chewed the tasty teste.

Maggy coughed a few times upon eating teste and took wine to wash it down. She struggled to chew her bull ball but soldiered through the meal. I greatly enjoyed the experience and the horseradish sauce punctuated all the other flavors. I looked forward to the rest of the meal.

After Maggy and I finished our honored guest course, the maid brought out the appetizers. There were bull ear fritters with sea salt. Bull heel stew served with horseradish. Bull tripe in red sauce with roasted onions and peppers.

And a bull liver pate with crunchy crackers.

It was enough to be a formal banquet. Maggy ate away as a proper guest should though I could tell she was not fond of the choice of dishes. I tried a little of everything and I was most enraptured by the pate.

Its rich iron flavor was positively dreadful.

Then came the main course: Beef and oyster pie. Maggy was very relieved to be offered something in her hushed words: “I can digest.” But then the Duke offered Maggy and I kidney and oyster pie. I had both the beef with oyster pie and kidney with oyster pies.

Maggy suffered through the kidney with oyster to keep up appearances.

Not a thing from that bull went to waste. Our dessert was evidence of that. It was bread and butter pudding but the butter was replaced with bone marrow. It was silky smooth and quite beefy.

Maggy ate all of her pudding but I knew she hated it. She preferred seafood over bovine. My dear sister was such a picky eater. Meals at home always smelled so fishy.

After dessert, Lurkson leaned forward and I leaned towards him.

“I hope the meal was to your liking, Gothia,” said Lurkson.

“It was the best meal I have ever had as a guest,” I said. “Every last thing was so deliciously dreadful.”

“Dreadful? Was it not to your liking, Mademe Vineharth?” asked the Earl.

“Ignore her, Earl Longroper,” said Maggy. “My sister is going through a phase where she uses the word ‘dreadful’ ironically.”

“I do not follow,” said the Earl.

“Trade seats with her and I will better explain,” said Maggy. She glared at me and ordered, “Switch with him, Gothia.”

I was shocked by her request. Rearranging seating was not something normally done during a supper for nobility. But the Earl and I obeyed and switched our seating. And I did not fret because I got to sit next to my Lurkson.

I forgot to note one key thing that was happening during the dinner. Maggy’s suffering sidetracked me. During our feast, the Earl’s wine, water, and food was placed in front of him by one consistent maid.

We all were served by our respective maids and it did not matter who served who. Except for the Earl who had the same maid serve him without deviation. This particular Longroper maid was named Lydia. There was an electricity between the Earl and Lydia that was palpable.

So, when the Earl traded places with me, Lydia was visibly distraught. She even wormed her way into the ranks of the Vineharth maids just to remain at the Earl’s beak and call. Maggy was very perceptive and I was certain she noticed Lydia.

Lurkson and I sat close and we gossiped surreptitiously about the Earl and Lydia. And Lurkson confirmed that Lydia had been a childhood friend and long standing crush for the Earl. And his feelings were reciprocated by Lydia. Lurkson then wished to reward me for my vigilance.

My prince of darkness waved his hand and one of the maids walked out of the dining room.

“I have something special set aside to share with you, Gothia,” said Lurkson.

“I hope it is datura laced wine, Lurkson,” I guessed.

Lurkson flashed a smile and said, “No, I would not do that to you. Not intentionally, that is.”

I pouted and said, “Not intentionally? What a pity.”

Now that I sat closer to the Longroper maids, I noticed a lack of Miss Easter. She had not been present through the whole meal. I wondered what became of her but I did have Lurkson all to myself, so her absence did not bother me.

The maid Lurkson had sent away then returned with a plate covered by a silver top. It was a small dessert plate on a stand. The maid set it down carefully in front of us.

“Do you have room for one more bite, Gothia?” asked Lurkson.

“You can fill me until I overflow, Lurkson,” I said, showing my teeth.

Maggy cleared her throat at me but I ignored her.

Lurkson then removed the top from the plate. There, staring at me from within a mound of seared meat, were two eyeballs. The horror conveyed in those eyes made my skin crawl. And I mean that in the most dreadful way possible.

“Oh, Gothia, that is just revolting,” said Maggy. “I forbid you to eat those.”

“Yes, Lurkson, do stop forcing your eccentricities onto poor Madame Vineharth,” said the Earl.

We ignored their words because we were too enthralled by one another to care.

Lurkson said no words and only smiled. I knew what was to take place. It was like we shared a brain.

He handed me a fork and readied his own. We stabbed into the eyeballs, square into the pupils. A colorless ooze dripped down our forks as we raised them to one another.

Lurkson opened wide. I too opened my mouth wide. We then fed each other the eyeballs.

The eyeball popped in my mouth as my teeth crushed it. The juice was like eating a pomegranate. Which was appropriate because sharing anything with Lurkson sent me to Hades. Even the simple gesture of feeding one another was enough to push me to the brink.

I let a little juice escape my lips and I smiled at Maggy. She sneered at me and slowly looked away and she smiled apologetically at the Earl. The Earl gawked at Lurkson in abject horror but then Lydia presented him with more wine to avert his eyes. .

After I swallowed, I whispered to Lurkson, “Any more surprises tonight, dear Lurkson?”

“There might be,” he answered coyly.

“Oh, you dreadful man,” I giggled.

I noticed the Duke was oddly quiet since dessert ended. He was more focused on chatting up the servants with a comfortable smile. I sensed that some of the maids were his mistresses. But after learning of the Earl and Lydia’s not-so-subtle chemistry, I was not surprised.

The woman of the house was in a sanitarium. And when the leading lady was away, the door was wide open for any female to snare a Longroper man in her web. I too was guilty of spinning my web around Lurkson. All women who entered the Longroper men’s lives were preying on them.

All the women except for Miss Easter, she was just enjoying life in her own way.

“Shall we all migrate to the lounge area?” asked the Duke. “Alberto is a wizard at the piano. Do you play the piano, Lady Vineharth?”

“I have been playing since I was old enough to press the keys,” said Maggy.

“Are you proficient in an instrument, Lurkson?” I asked with dark hope.

Lurkson grinned and nodded. “Yes. I am most proficient at the violin.”

I smiled wickedly and asked, “Do you have a cello on hand?”

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