Debt of Dishonour Book II: A Gothic Palace
Part III
Early the following morning as Archie and Horatio quietly entered Stansford's bedchamber, the first thing they noticed were the occupants of the massive bed. On the far side Nelson appeared to be sleeping peacefully next to an unknown man. On the near side Stansford, his arms around Edward, appeared to be kissing his neck and shoulder while, Edward, his eyes closed and an expression of sheer bliss on his face, appeared to be enjoying Stansford's attentions very much.
Glancing at each other, a silent communication passed between the newcomers. Tiptoing over to the bed, Horatio tapped Edward on the shoulder.
"Hmmm?" was the dreamy response.
"Well, Edward, it would appear that we can not leave you alone for even a few short hours," Horatio remarked.
Edward's eyes popped open, though appearing slightly unfocussed. He cleared his throat. "Ah, gentlemen, I see you've returned. And where have you been all night?"
Archie, arms folded, gazed meaningfully from one to the other of the bed's occupants.
"Horatio, it seems to me that we've interrupted more than a mere tête-à-tête."
"I could not agree more, Archie."
"Uh, Mr Stansford was cold," Edward muttered. His officers exchanged looks of disbelief. "Now where have you two been?"
"In the Lancaster Tower," Archie responded casually.
Stansford meantime had recovered his senses enough to inquire about Lady Nelson.
"Oh, dear Frances would not let us go and insisted that we stay with her," Horatio whispered. "She said she was afraid in such a huge place on her own, especially after meeting the dwarf."
"What!" both Edward and Stansford exclaimed.
In his sleep Nelson muttered and moved closer to Hardy who pulled the bedcovers higher around them both.
"Explain yourselves!" Edward whispered. "And what do you mean by calling her ladyship 'Frances'?"
"This should be most entertaining!" Stansford muttered to no one in particular.
"We escorted her to the door of her bedchamber in the Lancaster Tower and the lady wanted a good-night kiss," Horatio stated quite matter-of-factly.
"You mean you... kissed her ladyship goodnight? Both of you?" Edward queried in disbelief.
"Of course."
"Archie?"
"It was only a peck on the cheek, Edward. You have shared as much - nay more from the looks of things - with Mr Stansford."
"Well I never!" Edward muttered. "What happened after that?"
"Oh, she wanted us to stay," Horatio continued.
"In her bed," Archie added.
"I see," Edward muttered. "And then?"
"Well we wondered if maybe you might miss us if we failed to return," Archie whispered.
"And we thought maybe you might not since you have Mr Stansford here," Horatio smiled at Stansford.
"And it seems we were right," Archie added.
"Yes, gentlemen. You do seem inordinately fond of each other," Horatio concurred.
"Indeed they do, Horatio, and they did not even bother to search for us in spite of the fact that we might have got lost in this huge place. I believe that truly shows us where we stand, do you not agree?"
"Indeed I do, Archie. Indeed I do for it appears that no one even missed us."
"Gentlemen, please! It was my fault," Stansford intervened. "You must not blame your dear Commodore. It was I who... uh... attempted to lead him into temptation."
"He did not appear to be resisting overmuch!" Archie retorted.
"But of course I failed owing to the fact that Sir Edward is most loyal to his dearest and most trusted officers. Why you should both be ashamed of yourselves!" he declared with some asperity.
Horatio took a deep breath. "What do you think, Archie?"
Archie pretended to scratch the slight stubble on his chin. "Perhaps we were a little too quick to judge."
Horatio nodded. "Perhaps we were a trifle hasty," he agreed.
"Horatio, I think we should make an effort to forgive our dearest Edward, even if we did find him in a compromising position."
"I agree, provided that he begs our forgiveness here and now before Mr Stansford."
"And before Admiral Nelson," Archie added.
Both Edward and Stansford immediately pressed their fingers to their lips and whispered, "Don't wake Nelson!"
"I can not think of a more valid witness, can you, Archie?"
"Indeed not, but pray tell who is the other gentleman?"
"Captain Hardy," Edward whispered.
"Hardy of 'Victory'?" Horatio queried, awed.
"The very same. No doubt you'll meet him later."
Stansford spoke up once more.
"Ah, do they not sleep peacefully together after their tender labours?"
Horatio's eyes became as large as saucers. "You... can not mean...?"
As Edward nudged him under the covers in an effort to quiet him, Stansford ignored him and nodded meaningfully to Horatio, who turned to Archie, their twin expressions of astonishment at Stansford's disclosure a sight to behold.
"Gentlemen, did you spend the *whole* night in the lady's bed?" Edward inquired.
Archie grinned. "We did. I still had some laudanum from earlier and the lady asked for a glass of warm milk before she retired. So when the servant brought it I added the remaining laudanum and some brandy to disguise the taste. The lady said it was the best glass of warm milk she had ever tasted."
Stansford giggled. Edward chuckled.
"So I suppose the two of you just fell asleep then?" he queried.
"Indeed we did," Horatio answered.
"Later," Archie added.
Horatio gave him a surreptitious nudge.
"I see," Edward sighed. "So you compromised the lady's honour by spending the night in her bed..."
"Edward, I can assure you the lady's honour is intact..." Horatio began.
"And the bed is almost as large as this one," Archie continued, only to get another nudge from Horatio.
Edward gazed at them sternly. "So the lady's honour is intact, you say?"
"Quite intact," Horatio assured.
"My dearest Edward, it is quite obvious that the dear, sweet boys were too busy bestowing sweet affection on each other to bother the sleeping lady, is it not so?" Stansford queried, a sly smile turning up his pink lips.
Horatio blushed most becomingly; Archie merely grinned.
Edward sighed once more. "When they are aboard ship they are perfectly correct and very efficient young officers. However, when they are on leave..." His voice trailed off.
"Yes, Edward?" Archie encouraged.
"...they are quite different people," Edward finally finished.
"In other words, the lusty lads religiously practise the only true faith every chance they get," Stansford ventured.
"Only because we don't get enough practice aboard ship and are sorely deprived," Archie explained, climbing onto the huge bed and straddling Edward.
Stansford sighed. "Sex and more sex. At their age it's all they dwell on." He reached over to stroke Archie's muscular thigh while Edward deliberately rubbed the hard bulge at the boy's groin. "Mind you, I seem to have aged little myself in that regard."
However, it was at that inopportune moment that Nelson chose to waken. Blinking, he stretched a little only to find his limbs entwined with those of his flag captain in whose arms he had apparently been sleeping.
Turning his head to the right, he beheld his host and a well-respected senior naval officer whom he was sure he recognised if he could just get the cotton out of his head. He had definitely imbibed too much excellent wine last night, he decided. Squatting over said naval officer was a particularly handsome, fair-haired, young lieutenant with his breeches open and his sturdy member poking out rather stiffly. There was another equally handsome young officer standing beside the bed and they both seemed somehow familiar.
"What's going on here?" he demanded.
"Good morning, my dear Nelson!" Stansford responded as Edward took Archie into his yearning mouth, hands stroking and possessing the lad's well-formed buttocks.
"It plainly is not a good morning!" Nelson's memory of some of the previous night's events returned. "Sir Edward! Just what do you think you're doing with that young officer? Sir, your behaviour is outrageous! I shall have you up before the Board!"
Edward pushed Archie's groin away for a moment.
"I think not, my lord. After all, it is no more than you yourself indulged in last night with your own flag captain - and I did not object. Oh, and by the by, my officers did you a considerable service last night, sir. You owe them your gratitude."
"What are you talking about, man? What service?"
"We, uh, occupied your wife, my lord," Horatio explained.
"What's that you say? Explain yourself, sir!"
"That is, we kept Lady Nelson occupied whilst Mr Stansford escorted you here, my lord," Archie clarified.
"Oh, I see. For a moment I thought... Well never mind. Pity," he reflected after a moment. "Lord knows Fanny could probably do with a good occupying."
The room's other occupants tried desperately to suppress their mirth, Stansford holding his hand over his mouth to stifle his giggles.
Edward returned to sucking contentedly on his dear Archie as a simultaneous sigh of purest pleasure floated down to him.
Following Edward's example of brazen sensuality in the face of outrage from a most senior officer, Stansford smiled up at Horatio and lifted the bed covers, inviting the beautiful lad to climb in beside him, which he did, after first shedding his uniform with undue haste.
Nelson, however, was severely scandalized by the lascivious goings on taking place in the very same bed in which he lay. Turning to Hardy, he shook his shoulder.
"Hardy! Hardy, wake up!"
"Mmm, yes, my lord," a half-asleep Hardy murmured.
"Hardy, wake up. We have to leave now."
"Oh, my lord, my dearest commanding officer, I shall never leave you," Hardy sighed, apparently still half asleep.
"Hardy, wake up! We must leave this Gothic den of unnatural vices," Nelson urged.
"What unnatural vices, my lord?" He took Nelson's hand and placed it on his swelling groin.
"Hardy, I command you to cease and desist this instant!" Nelson protested.
"Oh, sir," Hardy sighed, now reaching for Nelson's groin and stroking it shamelessly whilst it proceeded to grow steadily in his hand.
"Hardy, we must cease this... this disgraceful behaviour. It is against the Articles," Nelson moaned. "This place has cast a spell on us and... and..." He lost his train of thought as Hardy continued to fondle him.
"Oh, yes, my lord! Is it not wonderful?"
"But, Hardy..."
"Shh, my lord."
Shortly thereafter Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy gained the greatest satisfaction in the world as his beloved Admiral hoarsely whispered his name and begged him to continue.
He did.
So did the others.
* * *
