Charlie Rokeby, following the death of his uncle had in a short space of time left his London home and settled in the Countryside as Lord Ashfordly, married after a whirlwind romance and the couple had set the tongues wagging with their incessant and insatiable love making.
Rokeby and Mary now faced up to their responsibilities, her step sisters, Faith and Hope sired by Rokeby's Uncle, her father the Reverend Peasbody, uncovered embezzling church funds and his uncles daughters, Katherine and Rebekkah, and his Uncles Widow Hermione, brought from the flesh pots and bordellos of Catesby to be Mistress of Ashfordly Hall, all thrown upon Rokeby's mercy but known to be undeserving, whilst still the fortune seemed squandered, the Ten Thousand spent and the Capital too frittered to nothingness.
Mary lay resting her head on Rokeby's chest as was he wont, waiting for Rokebys prong to rise once more for to pleasure her.
"My lover, we have to decide, your Aunt Hermione, what do you propose?"
"My love, she is unknown to me, is she a worthy person for our charity, whom we should keep as she would wish or merely a fortune seeker."
"She sought fortune sir, she believed with Lord Ashfordly dead all would be hers and she sought to destroy him through fornication."
"As you exhaust me?"
"No I allow you rest, tis you who exhaust me, and we are young, Lord Ashfordly had seen sixty summers and more."
"So my love what suggest you."
"We should offer her a position, as servant."
"My eye you have a cruel streak my love."
"No my lord, what widow dresses in her finery at her beloved's funeral, seeking approbation, and desire from the gentlemen present, black sackcloth she should have worn for a year at least. I shall always wear black if I should lose you."
"No a month only, then we are parted, and you must seek company elsewhere, pray obey me in this." he entreated.
"And you, if I should die."
"I should wish only to die also" he admitted.
"You speak so sweetly but seek thy pleasures elsewhere I should not wish to deny you and there will be children to mind, I intend to breed two and twenty."
"Then we have no time to lose," he spoke as he lifted her to lower her again onto his rock hard prong and they went again to paradise.
His Aunt flung open his bed chamber door,
"Mr Rokeby, where is your sense of propriety, it is unseemly that you should consort with your wife as if she were some slut or concubine or indeed common prostitute, in the day time outwith the bed coves have you no shame?"
"Madam, you have no station in this house, I am master here, you may stay or go, I care not, but speak as Mistress you will not. Mary is mistress now, you need a new station Madam."
"I am indeed Mistress," she blustered.
"No Madam you have nothing, the will is clear, everything devolves to me save that which thou had before matrimony, and I see nothing, pray tell, what have you that is yours and not mine?" Rokeby asked.
"And why in black are you not attired, if you grieve so for the late departed" asked Mary.
"We have decided, Aunt, my Lady will instruct you how you will deport your self henceforth."
"I take no order from that strumpet"
"Then take what is yours and go" Mary shouted, "Here a cloth cover your nakedness therein and go." she ordered.
Hermione went white.
Mary continued, "Or take up the position of servant, you may serve me, and we shall find uniform and lodgings for you and keep you even when old age renders you useless."
"I shall not, relinquish my position, I am Mistress" Hermione insisted.
"She is deluded, I shall contact the asylum directly" Rokeby confirmed, "And now to love, I am recovered my dearest, shall we to paradise repair anew,"
"But my Lord the Hag even yet spies upon us." Mary observed.
Hermione slammed the door so hard the very frame shook, and the lovers entered paradise once again.
A faint knock and discrete cough announced someone wishing an audience.
"Come" cried Rokeby pulling bed covers around their shoulders as they embraced. Flemming entered "Charlie, may I still address you so? I am little use here, you have no need of me. I should repair to the City."
"With what old chap, I know your situation, you may stay here without expense, repair your finances."
"But there is nothing for me here, no mate, no dances or parties or any excitement."
"No woman, that's it he hath been chaste and it rankles," Rokeby chortled.
"Yes you have hit directly thereon" Flemming admitted.
"Pray humour me and stay a while longer that we may consider if we may do a trifle for you my good friend, in any case the season is done and the rich widow still remains unsnared, wait a while."
"Yes, I thank you, I shall stay, Thankyou again.
The problem of Rev Peasbody remained, and the fortune.
Rokeby sent word for Bradbury to bring the books of account, so that they might sit and them peruse but word came back shocking in its ugliness.
Ramsden entered "My Lord, Mr Bradbury yet lies dead, of his own hand my Lord, a noose from a beam, he seemeth upon a stool he hath stood then it having fallen his neck within a rope loop from barn roof descended, were snapped and broke."
"The Books?" They are here sir.
They took the books of account and very soon the deceipt was laid bare, Mary dressed and Rokeby donned his breeches and undershirt whilst they sent for Flemming.
"James, pray lend us thine intellect, there is none wiser at the card table, or horse race when odds are to be calculated," Rokeby asked,
"Ah so it is James is it, what hole hast thee dug thyself that thou needest to use mine Christian name" Flemming replied.
"Tis the books", Replied Rokeby, "Accounts, where hast the monies gone."
They pored over the ledgers all three pointing this or that trifle but naught sense was to be made, but a thousand had been squandered yet ten thousand was gone and thirty more from Capital and even yet mortgages upon property.
"Bradbury, we must seal his abode and seek every scrap of evidence," Flemming announced and forthwith they ordered servants to come and rode to Bradbury's home.
Mrs Bradbury sat distraught and with her, her daughter Agnes.
"He was doomed when you set foot here," Agnes challenged Rokeby.
"My father ran rings around the Lord, and would have died rich except only for your interferance."
"We are come to put you out, I had thought that a lodging at he Vicarage might be arranged but clearly the street awaits you if you are not the innocents I had believed."
"Yes throw me out, I shall go to the bordello and fornicate and whore myself till I snare a rich fool like your Aunt did." Agnes challenged.
"I wager you could with those ruby lips and green eyes, you must send for me that I may sample your wares" Flemming spoke thoughtlessly but honestly and was shocked when a heavy bowl was thrown from Agnes fair hand to whistle past his ear.
"I spoke in Honesty Madam, I am presently in need of a whore."
A second Jar and a third he dodged but a platter hit soundly drawing blood.
Rokeby sprang forth and grabbed the wench pulling her raiments from her shoulders to pin her arms uselessly behind her, the material tore and her womanly breasts were on view to all.
"I'll wager you could demand sixpence halfpenny for each prong" Rokeby remarked.
"I said it in jest you fools" Agnes replied.
"Ramsden, remove the old woman to the Rectory directly, but I feel Flemming wishes to excercise his prong so we shall bring the wench later." Rokeby ordered.
They found Bradbury's desk, with the papers and saw the variance in scripts.
"You are implicated here are you not?" Flemming addressed Agnes.
"How could I a mere girl be implicit in such a thing, my interests are in sewing and cooking alone" lied Agnes.
"I see a bright brain, Indeed you will brighten the bordello, but come, it is to the penitentiary you shall go lest you cooperate" Flemming warned.
"What would you want of me, I warn you am pure, you shall rot in hell should you defile me"
"My soul hath the devil many promisiary notes upon obtained already so one more is a mere trifle, but come calm thyself and unravel this web." Flemming asked.
She was surprised, she thought to be immune from censure as an innocent but Flemming had so easily found her out and yet he desired her carnally, he had admitted. She gazed upon him, if ruined she had to be then she thought Flemming better than most for the task.
Flemming had it.
"It is the Railway, the line is waiting upon a wayleave, from Ashfordly estate, I believe Bradbury hath refused this yet hath bought railway stock, such will be worthless without the leave then when bankrupt Bradbury sought to purchase same grant the leave and be rich."
"Twas not his idea it were mine" Agnes spoke proudly.
"Oh look at her" cried Flemming, "So proud of her evil doings, which hath taken the very breath from her own dear father."
