The Virtue Of Sin

Eric retired to his chambers after his meeting with Sookie. When he sat before the fire his groin tightened. He felt the ghost of her lips under his and the tightness of her sheath around him.

He groaned and stood and summoned James. “Bring me Gemma.”

Minutes later she appeared and he ushered her in and immediately tired of her put upon expression, he went to his bed and took the pillow case off a pillow.

Eric came back to her and ripped her nightgown off and threw her to the floor. He shoved the pillow case over her head and took her. She didn’t struggle she just lay there and he could hear her soft weeping.

He fucked her for two hours coming twice and still when it was over he felt unsatisfied.

 Eric paid her and had a bath drawn. Afterwards he dressed carefully and scowled at the attention he was giving to his appearance.

He went down the many flights of stair to the main floor and headed for the dining room. It was rare that he ate there as it brought back too many memories. He adjusted his high collar and coat glancing at his reflection in a mirror as he passed.

Eric sat down at the head of the table and rang the bell. Barbra appeared and bowed to him “Dinner will be served shortly,” she said in a stiff and unaffectionate manner.

And even though this was how she always addressed him when they weren’t in private audience, he knew she was angry with him for his mistreatment of Sookie and he decided that he didn’t care.

Sookie hadn’t dressed for dinner he noted angrily and there was dirt smudged on her cheeks. She sat at the foot of the table “Sit closer,” he snapped.

She did claiming a seat three chairs down from him to his left. Eric glanced sharply over to his housekeeper “What is the meaning of her appearance?”

Barbra gave a look full of innocence “I’m afraid I don’t know what Your Grace means, she is in the standard uniform of your house,” she replied flatly.

Eric scowled and waved his hand “You’re dismissed but from now on see to it that she is dressed for supper.”

He studied her as he waited impatiently for the food to arrive; she seemed extremely tired and her head dropped like a heavy flower on a fragile stem. “Why are you so tired?” he asked irritably.

Sookie glanced up “I have scrubbed half the floors in the ground level,” she said it matter of factly and it was clear that she didn’t expect sympathy from him.

Eric’s eyes narrowed and he said nothing but inside he was counting the rooms, there were over thirty rooms on this floor alone.  

She was looked down and played with her silver ware. Just then six servants filed in with the many courses. The food was mostly bizarre as always for that is what the Duke preferred. And though it wasn’t customary for more than one course at a time to be served Eric demanded that it be done this way because he liked to mix different flavors in his mouth in a single bite.

One dish had pigs feet basted with a strawberry reduction, another one a roasted boar’s head drenched in butter; beside it were the animal’s eyes floating in gravy. Sookie lost track of the dishes offered to her but one contained what looked like beets with pasta. She gave Eric a quick glance and motioned for the dish to be brought to him.

“Why are all these foods so strange?” she finally asked. Eric lifted his head and patted his mouth. “I have a unique pallet,” he said stiffly.  

The only thing remotely appetizing to her was leek soup with bits of bacon. She lifted a spoonful to her mouth and swallowed while he watched.

Eric began to eat methodically patting his lips after each bite with his monogrammed napkin.

Her eyes kept closing in between her tiny spoonfuls and he slammed his fork and knife down and rang the bell.  

“Bring me Mrs. Maple,” he ordered. The servant nodded and returned shortly with her in tow.

He stood at her arrival “Come with me.”

She followed him into a drawing room and looked expectantly at him after he closed the door.

“When I told you to work her hard I didn’t intend for you to abuse her,” he snapped.  

Mrs. Maple almost smirked before thinking better of it “I was simply following your directions Your Grace.”

Mrs. Maple smiled with her eyes though her mouth was still and Eric flashed her a warning look “She is to be given the day off tomorrow and from this point forward her duties are to be lighter,” with that he returned to the dining room and sat down.

Sookie was nearly sleeping when he returned and he glanced at her “You’ve barely touched the soup.”

She shrugged and pushed the bowl away “I’m not hungry.”

The Duke let out an angry hiss “You have lost nearly a stone and that is unacceptable I demand that you finish the soup.”

Sookie lifted her spoon and took a spoonful “I’m full, may I be excused?”

Eric stared at her “You can’t possibly be full take another mouthful.”  

Sookie did and gagged, he reluctantly stood “Supper is done you may retire.”  

Eric went to his rooms above and sat down he was irritable and bored. He drank heavily and felt a yawning loneliness that he detested as soon as he recognized it. Suddenly he couldn’t stand the sight of this room any more with it’s remnants of broken furniture and its gloomy air.  

On his way to his study he saw the library door was ajar. He stepped in and saw her reading. She glanced up and choked back a scream of surprise when she saw him standing there with a dark expression on his sinfully beautiful face.

“Why aren’t you in bed?” he asked coming into the room and shutting the door. She shrugged and ignored him. He crossed the room and tore the book from her hands “Answer me.”

Sookie looked up “I couldn’t sleep,” she said simply. Eric frowned down at her “You were exhausted,” he snapped. 

She shrugged and said nothing and didn’t look over when he sat next to her. Eric stood and pulled the cord. A servant appeared and knocked on the door “Bring me toasted bread with jam.”

He sat back down “Your lack of appetite at dinner spoiled mine,” he murmured. Sookie sighed heavily and had no response other than to pick up her book from the floor.

Eric settled back and slung his long leg over the armrest, his booted foot went back and forth as he studied her “Your belongings arrived the other day, have they been delivered to your room?”

Sookie nodded her eyes on the book and Eric opened the door when the food arrived. He set the plate on the table in between them picked up the toast and took a bite; he chewed and swallowed with his eyes on the fire.

“Make me a drink,” he ordered. She set her book down and went to the side board “What kind?”

Eric pointed to a large crystal container with a handle at the bottom “Take the metal rectangle and place it above the glass, put a cube of sugar on it and pull the spigot.”

She did and watched with interest as the cube dissolved under the dripping green liquid.  When it was done dissolving she handed it to him “Thank you,” he said quietly. 

A quick look of surprise flickered across her eyes as sat “What is it, and why do you put sugar in in?”

Eric took a sip set his glass down next to the plate “It’s absinth and the sugar sweetens it and enhances the wormwood.”

He thrust the drink toward and she reluctantly took a sip. She didn’t care for the licorice flavor and handed it back. Eric smirked tipping it back and finishing it in a single gulp. The effects of the liqueur were immediate and his eyes shone brighter and the whole of his body seemed to relax.

Eric got up and made drinks; for himself more absinth and for her a glass of sherry he came back and put it in her hand. Sookie shook her head “My father always said that only tavern wenches and dockside whores should drink, ladies are never to imbibe.”

He sat down and suddenly his expression became a strange mixture of amusement and irritation. He drank half the contents of his glass and slammed it down “How interesting and tragic that you would listen to the pronouncements of a man so attached to his title that he would hand over his only daughter to a notorious libertine such as myself,” his voice was controlled and laced with contempt.

Sookie’s alabaster skin paled further “How dare you judge him when you’re the one with a heart of brimstone!”

Eric stared at her over the rim of his tumbler “You are not my daughter and if you were I wouldn’t give your honor and maidenhead to someone such as myself to save a worthless title and a few acres of land, so ask yourself who is the real monster here?”

She shook her head her long honeyed locks shimmering “Yes you would I can’t believe you have the gall to pretend you have any sort of honor much less the sort that surpasses my father’s.”

He gave a negligent shrug looking into the fire “Believe what you like,” he said in a dead way.

Eric was quiet for a time his expression growing darker with every drink that he finished. Suddenly he glanced over sharply “Have you been nauseous is that why you ate almost nothing at supper?” His massive body was coiled to strike and she shivered as she met his burning gaze.

She didn’t reply for a minute “Why do you care?”

The Duke let out a big breath and his eyes narrowed “Because you little fool if you have been vomiting especially in the mornings you are with child.”

Sookie shook her head “Well I haven’t been so I suppose I get to live yet another miserable day in this horrible nightmare that my life has become,” she stood and curtsied “If you will excuse me Your Grace, I would like to retire.”

Eric smirked and looked at her from hooded eyes “No I won’t.” He gestured for her to sit down again which she did.

Her dainty head tipped back and she released a sigh “Please I’m tired,” she whispered.

The Duke waved his hand “Go on, your duties are suspended on the morrow I suggest that you use that time to rest.” She left and closed the door behind her and Eric closed his eyes for a moment.

The next day Sookie awoke, it was dark in the room and when she rose she looked out the window and saw it storming. She was grateful for the day off her body ached in every muscle. It was a strange winter thunderstorm where instead of rain snow was falling.

Since she was now a servant she didn’t know what to do about getting a bath drawn she couldn’t very well order her peers about. She had no choice but to ask Eric to order one for her.

With that thought she got dressed in a golden muslin gown with an empire waist that opened after the cinched hip area to reveal a bright emerald green silk under shift. The sleeves were elbow length and belled around her dainty arms, showing her tiny wrists to great advantage.

She padded down the stairwell taking a left to his wing. She realized that she was beginning to know the layout of this massive house. She still found it gloomy and forbidding but as was the case in human nature she was becoming accustomed to it.

She knocked on his door “What?” his voice said clearly annoyed. Eric came to the door in fitted black breeches his chest bare in the dimness. He seemed a little shocked at her arrival but he showed it only for an instant before his eyes narrowed “What?” he said again.

Sookie craned her head up straining to meet his eyes “I need a bath,” she said simply.

Eric smirked his eyes raking over her body “Come in,” he stepped back and she entered.

Her alluring eyes seemed to capture the sparse light in the room as she took in the carnage; the broken furniture and the smashed windows that made the room icy.

“What’s happened here?” she asked softly.

Eric scowled “I destroyed the contents of the room.”

She was afraid to ask why so she said nothing, she stared up at him “Please ask a servant to draw a bath for me.”

The Duke smiled and his great cruelty was revealed in his eyes “Only if you agree to have it here in my room.”

She turned to go with a heavy sigh and he was instantly before her “You are not dismissed servant,” he said in mild amused manner.

He leaned down sniffing her hair and made a face “I demand that you bathe I will not allow any person in my employ to go around unkempt and unwashed, so put aside your girlish modesty.”

Eric pulled the cord looking at her “Besides I’ve already seen everything there is to see,” he added smugly.

Sookie scowled and since there was no other chair besides his she stood. A servant appeared one of the upstairs maids and Eric gave her instructions to have a scented bath drawn in his chambers.

When she had gone he built a fire with a thoughtful expression and then looked off into the sky beyond the ruined windows.

It seemed forever before a copper tub was brought in; the water was scented with oil of rose and soon the scent filled the air. When they’d gone Eric stood leaning against the mantle. “Take off your clothes slowly,” he said huskily.

Sookie shivered looking at him “Why are you doing this?”

Eric shook his head as if amazed at her stupidity “Shouldn’t that be obvious you are beautiful and you are mine, do it.”

Her trembling hands went to her gown and she undid the cinch at her hips, letting the dress fall. Eric smoldered at her when she drew the emerald shift over her head and dropped it beside her gold gown.

Finally she was in her chemise and pantaloons and there she stopped and went to the basin. The Duke smiled “No, Sookie that will never do,” he said softly from across the room.

Her back stiffened as lightning savaged the sky “Why not?” she snapped. Eric moved the chair to the left of the tub and stretched out his legs crossing them at the heels “Because I want to see what I own of course,” he said lazily.

She whirled to him “No I won’t do it,” she stamped her little bare foot in rage.

“You’re a filthy disgusting pig,” she added moving to get in the tub. Eric moved so quickly she barely had time to dive from his line of charge. They crashed to the floor and he ripped off her underclothes. He lay on top of her and she could feel his manhood stiff against her.

He glared down at her his with thickly lashed eyes giving off sparks. His head moved in a striking position and he kissed her. It was brutal and tender all at once and some evil depraved part of Sookie wanted to respond but she fought it, and pummeled his chest.

Eric growled and their lips broke “Little prude,”  he snapped sounding disgusted. He rolled off her and picked her up dropping her into the hot water.

Then he took his seat again after making a drink. She glared over at him as she picked up the thick soap “You drink constantly and just so you know that’s a sign of a weak person.”

Eric laughed to her surprise “You clearly don’t know me at all,” he murmured. “I put up with the extreme boredom that only the very rich and privileged ever get to experience that is why I drink.”

Finishing his statement he drained his glass and set it on the floor beside his chair. Sookie said nothing and began washing; wishing more than anything that he wasn’t sitting there with that disgusting look of arousal and ownership in his leering eyes, watching her every move.

Suddenly he moved and she was reminded of the time her father had taken her to a traveling circus and she’d seen a lion pouncing. Eric took the bar of soap from her and started washing her hair.

She couldn’t see his expression as he was behind her but she could only imagine that it contained smugness at having his way. But that wasn’t the case at all and because her back was to him his continence was almost tender as he piled her thick hair up so he could get all of it clean.

“Your hair is so long and heavy,” he remarked.  Sookie stopped breathing and said nothing as he filled a pitcher and rinsed.

His voice had sounded strange to her but why that was she couldn’t place. When her body and hair were clean he handed her a towel and a brush.

Sookie got out and quickly wrapped it around herself and made to leave, his voice stopped her “No.”

She turned at the door “Why not?”

Something flickered across his primal elegant features for an instant before vanishing “Because I say so, and that is all that matters,” he snarled.

“Sit on the bed and brush your hair,” he ordered.

She frowned furiously at him and didn’t move to do as he said. Eric hurled out of the chair and dragged her to the bed with a crushing grip on her shoulder.

Sookie stared up at him “Why must you control everything about my life? I can’t even brush my hair in peace.”

Eric smirked down at her before turning taking his chair and placing it so he could watch.

The truth was that he found her hair to be incredibly stunning and he had always wanted to see it brushed.

She started at the bottoms getting the tangles out and moved slowly up its length. Eric’s eyes never wavered “My mother’s hair was even longer than yours she used to stand on it to make me laugh when I was a boy,” he said abruptly.

Sookie glanced up and the firelight was caught in her eyes making them seem supernatural “You were close to her,” it wasn’t a question and her face was certain.

Eric scowled “Get out.”

She rose from the bed and for a long moment stared at his turned back “Thank you for the bath,” she said softly before shutting the door.