. 02

Chapter 16 : Separation and Unity :

Part 2 : Mireau's Wife and Mistresses

She went from Ravelleon's house with only the things she had brought; the Purple Robe of a Priestess which remained special to her; some books given to her by Paul, including the copy of 'The Homecoming', which she had read under occupation by the Prancirians in Dalos, and told her so much about Prancirian and Vanmarian culture. She also took most of the Prancirian clothing purchased for her by Ravelleon, in his generosity. Now she was spurned by Ravelleon she had to go somewhere.

Mireau had been at fault in Ravelleon's discovery. His desperation for another evening of love even while they had known Ravelleon might be returning to Dumis on one of these days had been incautious. She had suggested they delay their lovemaking until later in the evening when they could be sure that the General would not be returning at such a late hour. She might have also suggested to him that they should make their way to Valery's house, but she had known that she should be at 'home' in Ravelleon's house in case he returned. He would be expecting her to be there when he returned, as his letter had implied.

Mireau still preferred to have Danella to himself part of the time, despite his new found insatiable appetite for orgies of every variety. He still professed to love Danella in the full romantic Prancirian sense of the word and he desired to spend part of the night with her alone as frequently as she might allow. She agreed often to his requests because she held a special affection for Mireau. His beautiful chiselled limbs and his flashing handsome and youthful looks still excited her as much as when she first laid eyes on him months before at the opera. She had gone out of her way then to attract and seduce him and he had done his part also. She had found that he was not the traditionally minded male of Ravelleon's ilk. Married already, he was an active womaniser and he had enjoyed a number of mistresses over the years. Sometimes more than one at a time and still found the time and energy to love his wife. Honest to himself, she had been able to extract the detailed story of his life from him. Mireau's openness had not enabled him to view her objectively, however. She had sensed traditional possessiveness in him when she had flirted with Valery, Philippe and Albert. His initial reluctance to perform in the group had been proof of his 'love' for her.

Her own upbringing allowed her no such jealousy and she had never felt any such feelings when she saw his penis deep in other women. She was able to take enjoyment from the pleasure of others, especially so when they were also her lovers. Jeanette and Arabella, and young Annabelle, enjoyed Mireau freely in her presence now. She loved to see Mireau's manhood buried deep inside Jeanette and the young Annabelle as they sucked and licked him all over. They encouraged feelings of tenderness and lust within her. After Mireau had spilled his seed within them she could enjoy his presence with them even as she fingered them to soft whimpering climaxes. Many times they made love like this at Valery's house. She could not go to Mireau because his wife was there. Although she had suggested to Mireau that she should meet his wife and encourage her to join their group of lovers, Mireau was always adamant that she was never to meet his wife.

"She would not understand," he had said. "My wife is a modern and intelligent woman, but she has a strong mind. Her opinions are made up and I am sure she has never been made aware of the possibility of groups engaged together in sexual communion."

"We do not have to introduce her to our celebrations if you think it unwise. Not yet at least, but we could introduce someone else to her, give her life a little more excitement," suggested Danella. "How would you feel about that now after the pleasures you have been through? After all you were very possessive once." She smiled at the memory of his sexual awkwardness, so common among nearly all Vanmarians when introduced to the freedoms of Pirionite pleasure.

"My wife is a lady of leisure. Do you remember meeting her when we were out? You were with Ravelleon and she asked me after you had been introduced who you were. I had to say you were a friend of a cousin of Ravelleon, but she saw through that. She saw you together as have half of Dumis society and she knew quite well that you were his mistress. She does not approve because she knows I have also had mistresses, even though she does not know who they are, and therefore she does not approve of adultery."

"Why does she not take a lover of her own?" asked Danella, knowing as she said it that it was an unnecessary question, worthy only of an Pirionite citizen who had only just arrived in Vanmar. She had seen and heard enough to know that only a few married women were willing to take that step, so afraid were they of the gossip of friends and neighbours. "What does she say to you about your affairs?"

"She never mentions them any more. She prefers to pretend they don't happen anymore, that they are a thing of the past. I take care not to give her evidence. I make excuses when I am away and she has learned not to bother asking me anymore. When she first suspected she questioned me quite hard until I had to admit to infidelity. She was quite angry, citing social principles and social norms, as well as traditional religious ideas. She made me apologise, threatening to tell people I depended on for my career and my own family, as well as her family. That was a hollow threat. I apologised as all men do when discovered to be having an affair. I promised I would end the affair and be content with my wife. I knew as I said those words that there was no way I could actually bring myself to finish the affair I was engaged in at the time, which was at a particularly exciting phase. At that time my mistress was a very attractive, modern woman who adored me, and had begun to meet with me twice a week, and was giving me far more excitement than my wife was giving, with her moods and her house making concerns. But I said those words to my wife thinking it would quieten her down. If I could satisfy her that I wasn't having an affair, be a bit more secretive and subtle, and perhaps see Sandrine a little less often."

"What happened to Sandrine?" Danella asked.

"She was my lover for quite a long time. I thought she really cared for me, and in her own way I suppose she did. But in the end she began to demand more money from me and more time. She was young and had work as a domestic servant, but she was not well paid, so while she was with me I did not object to giving her a small allowance to help out. When she began to demand more I began to find her less desirable. She was becoming a nuisance. She thought she could control me just like my wife thought she could and while I still found her attractive in body, her mind was becoming an irritation to me. In the end I met another woman and began an affair with her. I saw less of Sandrine. She soon realised she was no longer favoured by me. Quite suddenly she stopped meeting me. Probably she met some other lover and benefactor or perhaps she met someone she wished to marry. With her good looks I am sure she had no trouble in finding someone else."

"By Prancirian standards you don't treat your women well do you," Danella joked.

"Well I keep my wife in a life of plenty. She need not work except as the mother of my children and the keeper of my house, but she finds the time to visit theatres and concerts often and helps the local ladies with their charitable events. I listen to her and treat her well and when I make love to her I am kind and considerate and give her all my attention. She likes me in the bedroom and I enjoy her, but her appetite for it is lower than mine and there are things she will not do (also she does not usually wish to spend too long in loving). Even if she wanted to love me every day I would want more. While she is still attractive to me she could never satisfy all of me. I have been loved and adored by a few women. That rarely lasts, but while I am able to find women I will naturally make the most of my good fortune. My wife is by no means the most attractive of my conquests so I will always want to enjoy what I can. She loves me too in her own way. She resents me for my affairs, but I think she realises that my appetite is greater than hers and she now accepts that I can have affairs as long as I flaunt none of these women in public, although she will never approve. She desperately cares that no one knows that her husband is unfaithful."

"You have broken these rules then, by taking me out to operas and balls."

"I did that as a friend of Ravelleon's and I have not taken you out regularly. I suppose I have again broken my wife's trust in me, but I have not flaunted you and not amongst the friends or acquaintances of my wife. So it is harmless, what little I have done. I have taken other lovers out on occasion but only rarely, and then only to restaurants in places away from anyone who knows me. I have remained true enough in spirit to the unspoken agreement between us. Only with you Danella have I transcended these rules a little. But you are so beautiful and still so inquisitive about our culture that I can hardly resist to take you out occasionally knowing that Ravelleon has given me sanction, as a trusted friend to occasionally accompany you to something. He did not suspect our affair I do not think, until he discovered us."

"You have betrayed the trust of your wife, of Ravelleon and it seems, of your previous mistresses. I hope I am worth it," she said, pleased to be considered worthy of such attentions by a Prancirian for whom an affair such as theirs was a risk.

"Ah, you are well worth it Danella. Of all my lovers you have been the best, and I would have given up my friends, mistresses and even my wife if you had wanted me to. I love you very dearly, but I realise now that you are not mine to control. At first I accepted that you belonged to Ravelleon, then I began to hope that you could be mine, and now I can see that nobody can have your heart. I sense that you do love me but you share that love with many others. I need not complete for your love because it is freely given to me and because no one can have all your love.