Page 38 of Mortal Desires

“Olivia, can you bring something for Milady to eat?” Bessie suddenly asked. “Maybe a glass of wine as well?”

My mouth opened to refuse, but Olivia dropped the dress back in the box and left, not before a long curtsy that made me red on the cheeks.

“I heard rumors,” Bessie started.

I glanced up at her and then back to the dress, afraid to move it and afraid to take my eyes off of it.

“Rumors of what people think will happen in this second part of the ceremony.”

“Maybe they’re just rumors.”

“They say you have to take him in front of the court as a symbol of your carnal desire for one another.”

My mouth went dry and I nodded. There was no point in hiding if she was going to watch it tomorrow.

“How are you feeling about that?”

Her question made my eyes snap from the dress and the words raced out of my mouth before I thought about it. “He makes me watch him pleasuring himself every day at six o’clock. I need to obey him.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s part of the ritual. I’m alive, and I need to pledge my life to the underworld and its god.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Why does he make you watch?”

“Because he knows—”

I closed my mouth, trapping the words before they were out.

“Tell me,” Bessie insisted.

“Because he knows it drives me crazy.”

I brushed my hair out of my face and sat at once on the bed, not caring if I was sitting on top of the dress.

“This is a marriage of convenience, Bessie. But now I watch him masturbate every day and he’s supposed to take me tomorrow night?”

She didn’t say a word for a second too long, but then pulled me away from the dress. “Olivia will kill you if she sees a wrinkle,” she murmured.

I smiled. Bessie pushed the box away and laughed.

“I suspected you weren’t here for love. I couldn’t imagine our lord being romantic.”

I snorted. “Making me watch him masturbating isn’t romantic enough for you?”

She dropped on the bed. “I was a club whore, you know?”

“Excuse me?”

Bessie laughed. “In the eighties, I was a club whore for a motorcycle club.”

“I can’t even imagine what that means.”

She bumped her shoulder with mine. “Means I had a good time.”

The way she laughed triggered mine as she kept going. “People have a lot to say about our lives, you know? I’ve heard it all before. But now I’m here, in literal hell, working as a maid and I have no regrets.”

“I’ll be in front of everyone, Bessie.”

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