Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Series Title: Highbury Tales By: Alexander Sunshine Episode 3: Dilemma

   ******************************

   When Rupbert and Alice arrived at the former's home, the latter thought
it was incongruous that he referred to his home as "the house".  The fine
expansive mansion he lived in was set in at least five acres of land.  The
house was set back a distance from the road such that it took a few minutes
to even get close to the building.  As they walked along, Alice looked left
and right at the well-kept grounds.  Colorful flower beds, lit only by the
moonlight, dotted the sides of the paved path.  Ahead, Alice could see a
tall stone fountain.  Even from afar, Alice could see that the fountain was
a sculpture of two lions wrestling, one them with water pouring out of its
mouth.

   "This is a beautiful home you have here," said Alice.  "I think the
flower-beds are beautiful".

   "Oh, thank you." said Rupbert.  "The grounds here were designed by the
famed Italian landscaper, Baldassare Salmoiraghi," he said the name with an
affected accent.  "This land has been in my family since the age of the
great conquerers, but the house and grounds were completely re-modeled and
modernised fifty years ago.  There used to be more trees out in front of
the house but my grandmother had them removed because she wanted more
sunlight.  Oh, I apologize, I am rambling on in the most tedious manner..."

   "No, I do not mind at all," said Alice as they continued to walk towards
the house.  She did in fact find the subject matter not very interesting,
but she enjoyed the sound of his voice.

   They entered the house and Rupbert swiftly led her to a dining room. 
Alice did not have much time to admire much of his exquisite home.

   "I am so hungry!  I hope you do not mind if we eat dinner now.  I am not
sure what time you are accustomed to dining."

   "I'd love to eat now, I am famished as well." she said.

   "Wonderful.  Please, have a seat, I am going to go speak with the cook,
he should be here at this hour, he should have already have dinner done."

   "Hullo, Mr.  Greenleaf" said the cook, appearing suddenly at the back
doorway.  "Pardon my appearance, I was cleaning ashes out of the oven just
now."

   Alice had expected the cook to be a sophisticated chef, but instead he
seemed rather common.  He had long, unkempt straight hair that grew to his
ears.  He spoke slowly, apparently trying to tone down his working-class
accent.  He was a stout, strong-looking man.  His bright blue eyes were
emphasized by the dark greasy ash that covered his face.  Alice looked at
him and their eyes met for a moment, she thought he was rather handsome, in
a rugged sort of way.

   "Hello, madam," he said, nodding.

   "Hello," she said, with a shy smile.

   The cook wiped his face a little with a dirty cloth that was in his
hand. He glanced at Alice again, and said, "Well, after I wash up a little
I'll set out dinner."

   "Thank you, James." said Rupbert.  He turned to Alice and smiled and
then pulled out a chair for her.  Rupbert sat at the end of the table and
Alice sat next to him at his left side.

   "Do you live here all by yourself?" asked Alice.

   "Yes, I do.  I grew up here with my parents, and my sister, and we often
had guests staying over too.  But my parents passed away years ago, and my
sister moved away, and so now the house is much more quiet."

   "Where is your sister now?  What does she do?" Alice was always curious
about how women of his class lived.

   Rupbert looked down and hesitated, looking a little uncomfortable. 
"Actually, I must admit, I do not know much about her.  She has been
estranged from the rest of our family for quite some time now."

   "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." said Alice.  She fingered at the gleaming
silverware on the table while there was a silence.  "So, have you been
running your bookstore for a long time?"

   "No, I have not been, actually.  The bookstore, for a long time, was
just a personal library of mine.  It has grown so much that I just want to
get rid of many of my books.  I figured, I may as well sell them.  It is
interesting to meet people interested in my books.  I have many rare books
and original manuscripts that collectors would be interested in.  You were
interested in books about electricity and steam power, I remember."

   "Yes, I find the topic very interesting.  Do you have any rare books on
that subject?"

   "Let me think..." Rupbert folded his hands together.  "To be honest, I
am not so much a man of science, I rarely look at my science texts.  Let me
think...  actually, I do have some manuscripts, by Nicholas Alset, perhaps
you have heard of him."

   "Of course I have heard of him!" Alice insisted.  "He is one of the most
famed scientists of our time.  His name grew more recognizable after he
died a few years ago."

   "Yes, when he died he left several manuscripts.  I'm not sure what they
are worth, I am not qualified, to be honest, to even understand all the
scientific jargon and formulations in it."

   "You have original manuscripts by Nicholas Alset?  Could I read them? 
Many of his books, even though they were published, are almost impossible
to find, despite their pricelessness."

   "Yes, you may read them, I can lend them to you.  I am happy to have met
someone who might possibly appreciate them.  Ever since he died, they have
just been sitting around here in my house, turning yellow."

   "Perhaps you should hold on to them, I think they might be worth a great
deal of money to future generations." Alice stopped herself for a moment.
She suddenly thought herself foolish to think that someone like Rupbert is
concerned about such a relatively minor investment.  "So...  you say you
are not a man of science.  Are you more interested in the arts?"

   "I have indeed enjoyed working in the art trade.  When it comes to
books, I love reading about history, autobiographies and the like. 
Recently I have begun the process of trying to get out of the ivory tower
and into real business.  Some associates of mine and I trying to get into
the textiles trade."

   "Textiles?"

   "Yes, we are hoping to market textiles from Rwambia.  With the new
colonization there along with other parts of the dark continent down south,
it is becoming easier and more affordable to subsidize trade routes.  In
the area there are many unique species of plants and animals from which
very luxurious and exotic fabrics can be produced.  Also, I have read that
there is a miraculous species of tree that grows very quickly even in poor
soil that can be used to produce paper far more cheaply, and possibly for
other purposes as well."

   James the cook emerged from the kitchen with a cart that had several
platters on it.  He carefully set each of them on the table and uncovered
them, commenting on the preparation of each item.  Alice was set aback at
how much food was set before only the two of them.

   The two of them idly discussed the food.  They also discussed Vindhyan
food, which Rupert ironically knew much more about than Alice.  Soon, the
cook came out with a dish that had a colorful arrangement of fruit on it.

   "Oh, that looks delicious," said Alice.  She was particularly attracted
to the strawberries, which she very rarely had the opportunity to eat.

   As she ate the strawberries she stopped for a moment as she noticed how
Rupbert was watching her.  "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so gluttonous."
she said.

   "Oh no, you do not seem that way at all.  I just find it interesting how
you eat the entire strawberries...  you eat the little green leaves and
everything.  I've never seen anyone do that before."

   "Oh, I'm sorry..."

   "No, no, there's no need to apologize.  That is no breach in etiquette
in eating the greens."

   When the dinner was coming to an end Rupbert dramatically declared:
"Alice, I want to ask you something."

   "All right, go ahead."

   "Alice, how would you like live here with me?"

   She hesitated a moment.  That offer sounded too good to be true, she
felt as if he had read her mind.  "Live here with you?  I wouldn't want to
impose." she said, not wanting to get her hopes up.

   "No, do not think of it that way.  I am the one who has imposed on your
life.  I have given in deep thought, and I feel most obligated to help you.
It is my fault you have no place to live.  Besides, I can use some extra
help around here.  You do not have to work, but I understand if you feel
the need to contribute to the household while staying here."

   "What kind of work are you talking about?"

   "Whatever you want, you can cook and clean, whatever you are accustomed
to doing."

   "Oh, I can't cook, but I do usually work in house-cleaning."

   "So, I think this would be a mutually beneficial arrangement.  Would you
agree to it?"

   "I don't know...  Let me think about it."

   "Yes, of course.  You can think about it overnight.  I did not mean to
put you on the spot like that.  I must insist though, that you stay here
tonight.  There is a spare bedroom with my sister's old clothes, I think
they would fit you, and that there must be some bed-clothes there too."

   "I would be happy to..." said Alice understatedly.

   By the time they were done with dinner, it was rather late, and Rupbert
showed Alice to a guest bed-room where she did not easily fall asleep.  As
she lay in bed restless, she did not consider whether or not she would take
Rupbert up on his offer, she intended to say 'yes' from the moment he asked
the question.  However, she felt anxious about the arrangement, as she
tried to imagine living there with him, she realized that the immediate
future had suddenly become quite mysterious and unpredictable.

   ------

   When Alice woke up the next morning, she did not want to get out of bed.
It was by far the nicest bed she had ever slept in.  She never knew someone
could sleep in such warmth and comfort.  In the morning light, she admired
the exquisite decor of the room.  It was even more luxurious than the
houses she had worked in before.  Most mansions looked the same, more or
less.  They tended to lack the character and warmth of a regular home as
they were so fastidiously designed and cleaned, it was as if all the charm
and spirit of the place was washed away along with the dust and dirt.  But
Rupbert's mansion had something special about it.  All of rooms seemed so
dim and romantic: the walls had dark wooden panels and rugs and tapestries
were deep, rich colors.  In many rooms there were tall bookshelves filled
with well-worn books.

   She stepped out of the guest bedroom and listened intently but heard no
one else in the house.  She walked down the hall-way and saw a
grandfather-clock there which read nine-o'clock.  She reflected on how rare
it was for her to oversleep in such a way and continued to explore the
house.

   She went downstairs and into the dining room where she noticed a note on
the table.  She noticed her name was written on it on the first line.  She
picked up the note and read:

   "Dear Alice, I hope you slept comfortably last night, and have finally
decided to take me up on my proposal.  Meanwhile, I have left this morning
to go about my business.  I will return back to the house sometime in the
afternoon.  I regret to admit that I am not certain when I can return.  In
the meantime, feel free to enjoy the atmosphere of my humble home.  To stay
occupied, perhaps you might be interested in my home-library.  Part of it
is upstairs two-doors down from my bedroom, another part is on the ground
floor in the sitting-room, and then I have even more books downstairs in
the cellar.  Feel free to explore any part of the house, as you wish, and
to request anything you wish to eat from James.  Please excuse my
abandoning you so early, and I hope you enjoy your stay.  Sincerely,
Rupbert."

   Alice put down the note and was suddenly overwhelmed by the realization
she was free.  For the first time in a long while, she did not have to
work, and she did not have to wonder where her next meal would come from.

   Still in her night-clothes, she wandered about the house, in awe of its
size and beauty.  Most of the rooms seemed as if they were never used: very
neat but also dusty.  The house had three floors which she explored from
bottom to top.

   Eventually Alice went up to the attic.  When she went up there she was
instantly charmed by the view from the window which faced the back-yard. 
In the back was a patio with a few white tables surrounded by chairs.  That
area was surrounded by flower-beds.  She looked off into the distance and
could see a pleasant view.  She had not realized it until then but the
house was on a hill.  In the distance she could see all the way to the
ocean.  "I'm going to enjoy living here," she decided.

   Just then something in the corner of her eye startled her.  She looked
down onto the grounds and saw something very weird: some kind of shadowy
figure stood on the grounds and seemed to look up at her.  The sun was
shining through the clear sky, yet the figure was only a silouette.  She
stared at it in awe, but she did not get to look at it for very long, for
in a moment it disappeared in a shower of white sparkles.  On seeing this,
Alice bolted out of the attic, as if she would be safer if she was on a
lower floor.

   She hurried down the stairs and then stopped, realizing she did not know
what to do.  She went to another window, which was blocked by venetian
blinds.  She stood by the window for a long moment, terrified of what she
might see if she looked past the blinds.  She lifted up one of the slats of
the blinds and saw no one was there.

   Perhaps it was just my eyes playing tricks on me, she thought.  No,
that's impossible.  Maybe the grounds are haunted.  Perhaps it is one of
those secret society men spying trying to spy on Rupbert and me, who knows
what they can do?  After several minutes of considering the possibilities,
Alice realized there was nothing she could conclude for now.  She wondered
when Rupbert would come back, and then realized she was finally getting
bored.

   She went over to sitting-room where the walls were lined with
bookshelves that reached all the way to the ceiling.  She made a brief
survey and decided that the books were rather unorganized.  Most of them
were fiction.  She figured that those books were for guests who wanted a
light read.  On one shelf, however, at the bottom near the floor, there
were no books but piles of papers and folders stacked horizontally.  She
wondered if those were manuscripts, perhaps the scientific ones Rupbert had
mentioned the night before at dinner.  She carefully pulled out a folder,
and the first one, indeed, was labelled with the name 'Nicholas Alset'. 
She sat on the rug and and went through the folder.

   At first it was hard to tell what the manuscript was about.  It had no
title page and many pages went on and on with jargon she did not
understand. Soon she found a page that had the title of the chapter on it.
It said 'Powering the PEAC Device.' What's a 'PEAC Device'?  Alice
wondered. She flipped to the back, hoping to find a glossary or index but
there was none, and so she flipped back to the earlier pages and skimmed
random pages, but it only discussed arcane technical details of the PEAC
Device, she could not find a place where it actually mentioned what it was
supposed to be or do.

   Alice went back to and began reading the chapter on powering the device,
to her frustration the manuscript referred to an 'EPEE' as the source of
energy.  She continued to read the chapter, hoping to at least learn what
the 'EPEE' was.  She read and read, as carefully as she could, and soon she
found she at the end of the chapter.  To her disappointment, the chapter
had discussed such minute technical details but never gave too much insight
into the big picture.

   Alice closed the manuscript in frustration.  She put it back into the
bookshelf, where it was originally, and made a mental note to go back to
the manuscript later.  She wondered if Rupbert could be connected to
someone who would understand the manuscript better.

   A clock on the wall began to chime a song.  Alice looked up and saw that
it was noon-time.  "It's midday already!" she said aloud to herself.  Just
as she started to wonder if Rupbert would come home for lunch, she heard
the front door open.

   "Hello Alice," Rupbert said.  He looked at her up and down, noticing
that she was still in her night-clothes.  "You've been sleeping in?" he
asked.

   "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, fidgeting with the buttons on her frilly
pajamas.  "I just got caught up in reading and did not get around to
getting dressed."

   "No, don't apologize, do what you will while you are a guest in my
home." He placed his brief-case on the floor and sat down on a couch,
taking a deep, relaxing breath.  "It's so nice to sit down." he commented,
perhaps to himself.  He closed his eyes for a moment and then looked to
Alice.  "So, have you considered accepting my work-proposal yet?" he asked.

   "Yes, I have thought a great deal about it," she said, speaking slowly.
"I've decided that...  I've decided that I'll take it." She tried not to
sound too excited.

   "Wonderful!" he said smiling.  "I'm glad that you have decided to take
me up on my offer.  One would think that it would be easy to find good help
in Highbury, but then one would be completely wrong."

   "Well, don't speak so soon.  How do you know I would be good help?"

   "Ah, don't be so modest, it's obvious you would fine help."

   Alice smiled shyly and avoided his gaze for a moment.

   "Well, I've come by to get you so that we can go to the bookstore.  I
just received a large shipment of used books that are completely
unorganized.  I was wondering if you would help me with them.  You don't
have to if you don't want to."

   "Oh, I'd love to go," Alice said.  "Just let me get dressed, I can get
ready to go in five minutes."

   "Wonderful," Rupbert said.

   ********************************

   They arrived at the bookstore and once again Alice was taken aback by
the sheer number of books in the establishment.  Rupbert led her to the
back of the store, back past several rows of high shelves until they
reached a door.  They went inside and could only take a few steps before
they were in front of a formidable heap of books.  They were not even
stacked evenly on top of each other.  Along the walls were some tables and
chairs.

   "Why, what a mess you have here." she remarked.

   "Right now you must be thinking, 'this is much more than I had bargained
for!'"

   "Oh no, I would still love to help you.  I love books, and it looks like
you have so many interesting ones."

   "All right," said Rupbert, transitioning into a more serious tone of
voice.  "This is what I want you to do.  For now, all I want you to do is
put the books in separate stacks: one for books that are in bad condition,
missing pages or the cover, another stack for fiction, and then some other
stacks at your discretion.  If you find that many books are on the same
topic, give them their own stacks.  Take your time, there is no hurry."

   "Sure, that sounds like fun.  It will be like exploring, like
treasure-hunting." Alice was indeed interested in looking in the books.  It
was a unique opportunity for herself.  "It looked like you had many
unorganized books in your sitting-room, as well."

   "Yes, you're right.  I keep forgetting about those books.  Did you find
anything interesting in there?"

   "Oh yes, indeed!  I found a manuscript like you had mentioned the day
before, one by Nicholas Alset."

   "Oh those.  Did you find it interesting?  Those manuscripts might as
well be in a foreign language, I do not understand what they are about at
all."

   Alice did her best to try to explain what she had found in the
manuscript, and she related her frustration with the undefined acronyms.

   "Ah yes, scientists and their acronyms.  I remember when you had first
come into the store you said you were interested in radio and electricity,
did it have anything to do with those subjects?"

   "It seemed like it.  The manuscript discussed some kind of
electricity-powered devices, I could not decipher what purpose the devices
served, however."

   "So tell me, why are you so interested in these subjects?"

   "Why am I interested?  I wonder how anyone could not be interested. 
Soon, radios will completely revolutionize communication.  With a radio,
one can communicate instantly with anyone else with a radio.  Try to
imagine it!  A society where people could communicate along large distances
so easily...  It would make letters obsolete."

   Rupbert was taken aback by her enthusiasm.  "Gee, I had never given it
very much thought, I suppose radios should inevitably revolutionize
society. I forget...  how is a radio supposed to work?"

   "To explain simply, a radio works by utilizing invisible waves of energy
that permeate space.  These waves of energy are just like visible light
except they are at a lower frequency such that they are invisible to the
human eye.  The frequency also allows it to go through matter, and so a
radio can be used in the comfort of indoors and usually is not blocked by
weather, like sunlight is.  So, imagine light that can go through matter,
and how that could be used to communicate across long distances, and that
is what a radio is, basically."

   "Wow..." said Rupbert.  He did not know what to say about all of that.

   "Pardon me..." said Alice, realizing she had gotten carried away.  "I
hope you did not completely misunderstand what I said!"

   "Oh no, you explained that very clearly.  I understood well enough." But
again, he visibly flabbergasted.

   Alice admired his face.  He had such well-defined cheekbones.  She had
thought his lips to be too thin, but just then in that moment they looked
quite attractive, so pink and fine-textured, most of all because they were
his.

   "Alice...  you are so interesting...  you are really something.  You are
unlike any other woman I have ever met before."

   When Alice heard those words, so frank and full of admiration, she
followed the suit of his frankness and drew closer to him and kissed him.
For a moment, she feared that he would resist, but he did not.  She put her
arms around him and kissed him more with all of her ardour.  Still, she was
afraid to look into his eyes, and so she kept her eyes closed as she kissed
him longer, with sleepy, loitering kisses.  She feared that when she
stopped, she might never have the opportunity again.

   Rupert stood up and pushed her back against the table.  Alice hopped
back onto the table to sit higher up on it.  Now her face was a little bit
higher than his, and so he kissed her neck up close to her chin and then
lower and lower.  He kissed her so delicately.  He put his hands up the
front of her blouse and cupped her breasts.  He lifted her blouse and
kissed her smooth belly softly, and worked his way up to her chest.  He
lifted her breasts gently as he suckled at her nipples, one and then the
other, and then kissed her stomach again.

   Alice threw her head back and savored the feeling of his hot mouth on
her torso.  When she sat back up and opened her eyes she was shocked to
see, through the glass window on the door, that Linda Barton herself was
staring at them, shocked and wide-eyed.  Their eyes met for only a moment,
before Linda turned around and stalked away.

   Alice took his face in her hands and guided his lips back to hers.  As
she closed her eyes and held his face against her own she thought very hard
about Ms.  Barton.  She wondered what the lady would do.  Would she tell
others about what she saw?  Would Rupbert regret what was happening at that
moment?

   Their petting soon grew even slower until they were just holding each
other motionlessly.  Rupbert slowly pulled away and gazed into her eyes
hesitantly.

   "Alice," he said.  He looked up at the ceiling and then down at the
table, and then his eyes rested on wall behind her.  "You are a beauty." He
looked at his watch.  "I apologize, but I have a lunch appointment with an
associate in twenty minutes.  He just came back from a trip to Rwambia and
I am eager to hear what he has to report.  I must get going now if I will
arrive in time." Rupbert looked in the mirror hanging on the wall and
adjusted his tie.

   Alice tucked her shirt back down.  "I hope you get good news." she said.

   "Thank you.  I'll come back some time this afternoon."

   ------------------

   Alice spent the afternoon looking through the pile of books.  Meanwhile
her mind gleefully dwelt on what had happened earlier, optimistic of what
might come next.  She found an interesting book on photography and read it
cover-to-cover.  Soon Rupbert came back to the store, and then they both
went back to his house for dinner.

   "So..." asked Alice at the dinner-table, searching for a delicate way to
ask what she wanted to ask.  She quickly gave up and just said: "So, do you
eat dinner alone every night?"

   "I am ashamed to admit, yes, I do.  A lady by the name of Elizabeth
Jefferson has a salon close by, where acquaintances of mine often dine, but
it is basically a club for ladies.  Do you remember Linda, who came by the
store the other day?  She is there every night.  I would not want to give
her a wrong idea by going there too often.  My gentlemen acquaintances,
they all have their own families to dine with, the few bachelors often dine
at the loud coffee-houses, which I do not like very much.  Besides, the
food there does not compare to what my dear James whips up."

   "How did the lunch meeting with your business-associate go?" she asked.

   "The meeting with my associate was so exciting." Rupbert said. 
"Everything seems to be falling into place perfectly."

   "Oh, that's great.  I figured that was the case, you seem so upbeat
tonight."

   "Life is going so well for me.  I am so confident that this business
deal will be very exciting, not to mention, lucrative.  Perhaps in the
future I will take a trip to Rwambia.  I hear that there is beautiful,
tropical wilderness there.  And it is so nice having you here." He took a
bite of food and after swallowing he casually mentioned: "I think I'd like
to get married in a year or two."

   "You want to get married?" asked Alice, incredulously.

   "You remember Linda from the bookstore...  I just mentioned her...  she
is a widower, and I intend to propose to her soon.  Everyone always says we
would be such a smart match."

   Alice felt as if he had struck a blow to her heart.  Her throat felt as
if it were in knots.  "Oh..." she managed to say.

   For a while, the dining room was silent except the gentle tinkle of
silver-ware against the dishes.  "You are so quiet all of a sudden." noted
Rupbert.  "Is something wrong?"

   "No, nothing's wrong." she said, unconvincingly.

   ***************************

   Later that night, Alice went out for a walk by herself.  Alice
approached the door of Elizabeth Jefferson's salon where a door-man stood.
He did not offer to open the door and so she reached for it.

   "Madam," the door-man stated, pushed the door closed.  "This is private
club for members only."

   "Pardon me, but I am just here to give a message to someone.  I will
only be in briefly to deliver my message and then leave."

   "And whom do you wish to give a message to?"

   "Linda Barton.  Is she there?"

   "And from whom is this message?"

   "Uh, Rupbert Greenleaf."

   "All right, you may enter." he said, recognizing the name.  He opened
the door for her.

   Alice stepped inside and walked down a short hallway, which led to a
large, open salon, where twenty or so finely-dressed individuals talked and
drank from fine glass-ware.  At one end was a bar with tall plush chairs
lined up in front of them.  At the other end of the room was an elevated
stage that had a grand piano.  Alice looked around and soon recognized
Linda Barton herself.  She sat at the bar talking to one other lady.  She
did not acknowledge Alice until the latter had come very close to them.

   "Excuse me, Ms.  Barton." Alice said meekly.

   The two ladies turned and looked at her uncomfortably.  They glanced
down at her clothes and then at each other.

   "Hello, I am here to give a message to you." she said looking at Linda.
"I think we should speak in private."

   The other lady stood up.  "I have to leave anyway," she said.  "We'll
chat more later.  Good-bye Linda." She embraced her lightly and gave her a
fake kiss on the cheek.

   Alice looked at Linda contritely with her hands folded together. 
"Please, Ms.  Barton.  There is something important I need to tell you."

   "What is it?" she said in a low but harsh tone.

   "What you saw earlier, between myself and Rupbert, it was not what it
looked like.  We are not having an affair, that is the only time something
like that had ever happened, and it will surely happen never again.  He
doesn't want to be with me, he wants to be with you.  He is going to
propose to you, you know."

   "Did he send you here to speak with me?" Linda said, finally looking
directly at Alice, but glaring savagely.

   "No, he did not, I swear.  In fact, he did not even notice that you were
in the store and saw us, and I did not tell him either.  Actually, he does
not even know that I am here now, talking to you."

   Linda stared at her for a moment, one could practically hear the wheels
in her head laboriously turning.  "Is there anything else you want to tell
me?" she said finally.

   "No, I suppose that is all," said Alice, staring at the floor. 
"Goodbye," she said, almost inaudibly.

   She walked back to Rupbert's mansion and walked around the grounds idly.
Tears streamed down her face silently.  Alice did all she could to keep
from sobbing.  As the waves of grief subsided, she continued to walk around
the grounds.  She went behind the building to enjoy the dark seclusion. 
Back there she saw the a patio again with several tables surrounded by
chairs.  The area was shaded by tall deciduous trees and unkempt bushes. 
As she approached she saw a point of light flare up and subside.  Soon she
realized that light came from a cigarette.  She strained to perceive
through the darkness and saw that it was James, the cook that was smoking
the cigarette.  He was barely visible in the shadows as he sat on the
ground silently.

   As Alice realized there was a person there with her, she started, "Oh,
excuse me.  I did not realize someone else was here."

   "No, you should excusing *me*.  I didn't mean to frighten you." James
stood up and came closer to her, and then sat down at one of the patio
tables.  He took another puff of his cigarette.  "It's a nice night." he
said.  "I like the fog."

   "Yes, the fog is rather pretty." said Alice.  She sat down across from
James.  She relaxed.  *What are you so upset about?* she asked herself. 
*It's not like you ever rationally believed that you truly had a chance to
make someone like Rupbert Greenleaf fall in love with you.* She stared off
into the impenetrable black distance of the trees.  "So...", she began,
looking into the cook's eyes.  Even in the very dim setting, she could see
some of the blue in his eyes.  "How long have you been working for Mr. 
Greenleaf?" she asked.

   "I haven't been working here long.  It's been almost six months since I
started."

   "Oh," said Alice.  In the distance one could hear a bat flutter from a
nearby tree.  She felt a chill and hugged herself.  Alice wondered whether
he could tell she had been crying.

   "Want to go upstairs, to my room?  You'll get much warmer there." he
said drily.

   Alice gazed at the smoke that gracefully floated and twisted from his
cigarette.  She stood up and pushed in her chair.  "Let's go." she said.

   The two of them wordlessly crept into the house, up the stairs and to
James's room.

   It was a plain, bare room.  It only had a bed, one dresser, and a desk.
Next to his bed was a pile of clothes.

   After they both stepped into the room Alice immediately lay on the bed
and James closed the door lightly.  No more words were needed, and he got
on top of her.  They kissed and groped.  Alice tried to pretend he was
Rupbert, but James had such rough hands.  His breath smelled of beer and
smoke, and he uttered feral grunts as he ground his clothed pelvis against
hers.  Rupbert would not be like that in bed, she mused to herself.

   He got back onto his feet and pulled his shirt off over his head.  Alice
almost forgot about Rupbert as she admired his broad, muscular, hairy
chest.

   "Yes, fuck me..." she whispered.  She lay on the bed passively as he put
his hands up her skirt reaching for her under-wear.

   He lifted one of her legs up high and dragged her closer to the edge of
the bed.  Alice closed her eyes and braced herself for his entrance but
instead it seemed as if he had paused for a moment.  She opened her eyes as
she felt his wet finger as he rubbed the hole of her bottom to moisten it.
His fingers felt a little cool from the moisture.  She watched him as he
put his fingers to his mouth again to put more saliva onto his fingers, and
then he put his hand down to lubricate his stiff shaft.  Alice sighed in
anticipation.  She had only heard of anal intercourse before, but she had
found the idea of it appealing.  Alice gave out a little grunt as he
entered her behind.  The feeling was overwhelming as he began to slowly
thrust into and out of her; it was so pleasureful in a way she had never
felt pleasure before.  There was a fullness and a vague fear of being torn
apart by his manhood.

   With one arm he held up one of her legs up and apart.  With the other he
reached down and skillfully began to stroke her clit.  Alice cried out in
surprise as her pleasure reached even greater heights.  She writhed on bed,
almost trying to break free from him, the intensity of the sensations were
almost too much for her to bear.  Then he began thrusting his fingers into
her pussy while still rubbing her clit with his thumb.  Alice lost control
of herself and blurted, "Oh!  Oh!  Oh!" at short, rhythmic intervals.

   He continued to stimulate her adroitly in those three areas at once
without respite and very soon orgasm hit her.  Incongruously, this made her
become silent all of a sudden, as if she had spent all of her voice
already. She held her breath as waves of pleasure overtook her.  She barely
even noticed that the cook still continued to pump his prick in and out
while he held both of her legs up making her stretch awkwardly.  He began
to groan in a low voice as he found his own orgasm.  Alice felt him spurt
his warm seed inside of her bottom and then he pulled out, still moaning.
He looked down between their legs and admired the sight of the string of
sticky fluid that still connected his penis to her body.

   He kissed her once again.  "Oh, that was so good." she whispered.

   James sat up on the edge of the bed, and stared off into the distance.
"Anytime.  You know where to find me." he said.

   There was a long quiet moment.  Alice sat up and adjusted her skirt. 
James opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a cigarette.  He lit it
with the candle which burned on the window-sill.

   Suddenly, both Alice and James were startled as they heard the door
open. Rupbert burst in and said.  "What is going on in here?"

   For a moment Alice did not even realize it was Rupbert, his anger made
him unrecognizable.

   He stared at the shirtless cook for a moment.  He looked as if he were
about to say something, but then he saw Alice's panties lying on bed and
gasped.  "This is unacceptable!" he yelled at James.  "You are fired!  Get
out of here!  Get out of here now!  I never want to see your face again."

   James wordlessly gathered up his clothes.  His cigarette fell from his
lips and onto the ground, but he picked it right back up and put it back
into his mouth.  He glanced at Rupbert and then Alice, and hurried out of
the room.

   "Why are you coming in here yelling?" said Alice, also yelling.  "Why do
you care what we did?  You are going to go marry Linda right?  What
business is this of yours?"

   Rupbert opened his mouth but hesitated to speak.  He knew very well he
was being a hypocrite, that the way he was behaving did not make sense. 
"Alice..."

   "Well?  Answer my questions!"

   "Alice...  this is so difficult." He spoke gently and calmly now.  "I
haven't said anything, but I've thought about it.  We have to be
realistic...  I mean...  I know this is hard for you...  but it is hard for
me too.  This is too complicated!"

   Alice hurriedly put her clothes back on as she spoke: "Well, sorry Ruby,
for making your life so complicated!  I'll just get out of your hair.  I'm
getting out of here, you never have to worry about me bothering you again!"

   She almost left without another word but in the doorway she stopped and
turned around.  "Oh, and Rupbert...  by the way...  Linda saw us in the
store." She spoke calmly and matter-of-factly.

   "What?" he asked, genuinely confused.

   "She saw us, she saw us and then left the store upset."

   Rupbert gave out an exhasperated sigh, and Alice hurried out of the
house.

   ---------------

   When Rupbert arrived at Jefferson's he was sure that everyone there felt
a little uncomfortable to see him.  He wondered how much they knew and had
gossiped about his stay at the sanitorium, his activities with the servant,
his failed initiation into the secret society.  Nevertheless, he did not
hesitate to approach Linda, who sat at the bar alone, sipping at a glass of
red wine.

   He sat next to her.  She glanced at him and then went back to her drink,
pretending to not have noticed him.  "Hello, Linda." he said.  He waited
for her to reply but she said nothing.  "How are you this evening?" he
continued.  He looked at her and then was taken aback by the nasty glare
she gave him when she finally turned to him.

   "I thought you were a gentleman," she spoke quickly but in a quiet
voice, "but it seems apparent that you and all other men are just lecherous
swine.  You ought to ashamed of yourself.  Carrying on with your servant
like that, worst of all, with such an ugly, hook-nosed half-breed."

   Rupbert was at a loss for words.  Hearing her describe Alice in such a
needlessly hateful manner made her far uglier than her uncharitable
description of his employee.  He felt he should defend Alice, but he
quickly realized how little that would accomplish.

   "Linda, please, listen to what I have to say.  Alice, my servant, told
me about what you saw in the bookstore.  Let me explain: Alice and I were
just talking, and all of a sudden she kissed me.  What you saw was
meaningless, there is no reason it could happen ever again." As he spoke
his words, the sickening guilt almost made him stop mid-sentence.  He had
rarely ever told such outright lies.

   She scoffed.  "Are you trying to make is sound as if you were an
unwilling participant?  Ridiculous!  Remember, I saw you with my own eyes."

   "No, I am not saying I was an unwilling participant, I am just saying
that she started it, she caught me off guard.  I did not know how to
react."

   "'She started it' you say", Linda mocked.  "You sound a like a child. 
Grow up!  No wonder you have been a bachelor your whole life."

   Rupbert sighed.  "Please, Linda, think about what I have said.  I hope,
in time, you can forgive me."

   "Even if I forgive you, you would still be just an overgrown man-child.
Spend all of your time in your books, in your head.  Why should I be
interested in you?  Why should I care if you are diddling the mongrel
maid-servant?  You are just a social laughing-stock, I would be lowering
myself to try to associate myself with you."

   Rupbert felt as if he were talking to a stranger, her acridity almost
transformed her into a monster.  "That's...  unnecesssary," he said.

   They both sat silently until Rupbert decided to give up, and left.

   ------------------

   Alice had not strayed far from the house.  She was not watching the
house for long before she saw Rupbert leave.  She wondered if he was going
to find Linda and try to talk to her, and her heart sank.

   "What am I going to do?" Alice said to herself, under her breath, as she
sat in the wood behind Rupbert's house.  She knew that if he proposed to
Linda, Linda would never allow her to continue to work in the house, and
she would be out on the streets with nowhere to live.  She would have to
move to another country, or at least another city, and start all over.  A
cool, moist, night-time breeze blew gently, and she shivered.

   Alice thought about his face, his kind, handsome face.  She knew she
would never meet someone like him again.  He was so intelligent and
cultured, but, as he had so obliquely communicated before when they were in
the carriage together, not such a snob like his so-called peers.  All of a
sudden, she felt a surge of confidence as she remembered what he had said
to her, how he had treated her most of the time.  He had told her that she
was beautiful, and not just that, he had said she was intelligent, and
unlike any other woman he had met before.  He could love her, he could! 
Alice insisted to herself.  He was just afraid of what other people would
think and say about him.  She could not blame him too much for that.  He
has goals and dreams, and to achieve them he must maintain his social
standing.  Right then, Alice decided to give him another chance, to at
least see what would happen...  "I have so much to gain, and everything to
lose.  If I am going to lose everything, I will not go down without a
fight!" she thought.

   With that, she stood up and hurried back into Rupbert's mansion, and
eagerly waited for him to return.

   ***********************

   Rupbert arrived home and collapsed onto the couch by the front door.  He
sat for a moment with his head down, resting on his hands.  "What a mess
I've made of my life." he said to himself.  He decided to go straight to
bed, hoping that a good night's rest would bring clarity.

   As he approached his bedroom he noticed some light emanated from his
room through the narrow spaces between the door and its frame.  A vague
fear of robbers almost overtook him, but he realized it would make no sense
for robbers to light the lamps in his room.  He slowly opened the door and
listened for a moment.  He thought he heard a gentle movement.  He stepped
in finally and saw Alice, lying on his bed, perfectly naked, hair loose,
and flipping through a book of art-photography.

   "Alice..." he said.  He was so surprised and glad to see her, his mind
almost did not acknowledge her unclothed state.

   She leaned to one side and propped herself up on one elbow.  With the
other hand she brushed her long black hair off of her slender shoulder. 
"Hello." she said in a low voice.

   For a moment Rupbert could only stare at her body.  He was awestruck by
her beauty.  In the dim candle-light her dark skin seemed so smooth and
flawless, even with a gentle sheen.  She had such a delicate waist, and
ankles, and arms, that contrasted with yet curved gracefully into her
womanly hips and bust-line.  He studied her body until he came to the dark
hair he could barely see where her crossed legs met, when he suddenly felt
over-whelmed.

   "Please...  come here and join me," Alice said with a dreamy look in her
eyes.

   "I don't know what you...  I just...  this isn't..." Rupbert sighed and
stared at the wall for a moment.  He turned around and left the room,
closing the door gently behind himself.  Alice was left in the room, alone
again.  Unfazed, she patiently looked back to the photography book.

   Rupbert hurried down the stairs to the sitting-room and sat in a chair.
He chewed at his thumbnail anxiously.  There were two courses of action in
his mind: he could go to a different bedroom and sleep there.  Or, he could
go back into his bedroom of follow his animal whims.