Dorian Villeneuve
Chorus Girl/Boy
Don't they know they're making love to one already dead!
Posts: 19
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Post by Dorian Villeneuve on Aug 7, 2009 10:25:53 GMT -5
Lady Hargreaves had come to tell him that his bath had been prepared and pointed him directly through the door. Dorian nodded and whispered a muddled "thank you" before walking in quickly and shutting the door. He was embarrassed by his previous action and wanted to get out of the room as quickly as possible. He entered a meticulously decorated and designed wash room, not surprised at how beautiful it was, looking around at the different bits of marble placed carefully and perfectly. Dorian then laid eyes on the bath of warm water sitting for him and he began to discard his rags, flimsy to the touch and so worn he could have ripped them off. Finally stripped of all clothing, he dipped himself into the bath.
His body was well muscled, it had to be in order to appeal to his costumers, but it had also been covered with marks, most of them coming from his boss who whipped his employees every time they refused to comply with his demands of...personal gain. But the marks seemed to be calmed by the warm water, very pleasurable to the touch and Dorian couldn't help but fall back in the tub before grabbing soap that had been left for him on top of the towel. The towel he threw onto another counter so it wouldn't get wet and he would retrieve after his body. He was to make sure that he would get every single bit of dirt off him with this bath and feel refreshed about it as well.
He dunked his face and hair in the water, clearing it of all the grim (which had disgustingly showed in the bath water afterward) and having it shine in the light. He paused for a moment, looking down at the grim in the tub, watching how much he life had changed. A bath was a luxury now, a luxury he couldn't even have often. Dorian rose from the tub, allowing the water to drip off of him for a moment before getting out and beginning to dry himself off. After draining the tub, he rubbed the towel vigorously all over his body, finally bing able to see his skin without a trace of anything on it. At that he smiled before finishing the drying process.
Dorian spotted the clothes left for him and he reached for them, feeling their soft fabric (and very expensive too) and hopefully they would fit right. He put them on slowly so not to ruin them, the cotton vest going on last, and then looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was still drying, so he tried to put it the way he wanted it. His eyes of blue stood out and stared at a vision of where he might have been had he not made that one mistake. It was a vivid picture, but it was time to return to Gabrielle so made for the door.
"Mam'selle, I've finished." he said before stepping out in fully dressed form.
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Post by Gabrielle Hargreaves on Aug 7, 2009 17:17:59 GMT -5
Gabrielle lowered her eyes, watching his feet as he passed her into the bathroom and closed the door. Following that, she went immediately to her book... and found herself repeating the same passage over and over again in her head, not understanding a word of it. She could hear the little trickling of water from within the room, and it was sending her mental images she wished to entirely eradicate from her mind. Standing, book clutching too tightly in her hand, she glared at the page--she paced, muttering the words aloud to herself in order to imbue them with meaning.
"Dr Hardy could find neither the sympathetic society which soothes nor the solitude which strengthens; yet, had his mother been at home, he doubted if he could have told her of his dilemma, its ludicrousness was so patent, its pathos was so subtle. She would certainly have laughed, and somehow a laugh would have jarred him. And he fancied she might have made some severe remarks on Lydia Ray, and they would have jarred him still more. Besides, he had no right to share this trial with anybody. He and Lydia must get through it by themselves. Women must forgive him that he did not remember this at once. It only escaped his mind, because, being a man, he did not fully realise how disgraceful it is for a woman to be ready to fall in love!"
Her voice trailed off. She still hadn't, though she had murmured the words, comprehended all of it. Her mind was diving into some words and drifting, back into the bath room, from others. Still, her reading had distracted her just enough to miss his exit.
"Mam'selle, I've finished." Her head snapped around to look at him, and at first sight her book slipped from her hands. Blushing, harried, she bent to pick it up, several loose curls falling from her coif. She appeared absolutely frazzled. My, my... imagine that, commented Ada, and Gabrielle tore her gaze away from the handsome figure of Monsieur Villeneuve in order to deny Ada the pleasure of her participation.
"Uh, r-right--of course. Very good." Was that all that she was going to say? Apparently. Her lips locked tight. Dirty, he had looked like a big, dirty vagabond; he had been about as handsome as a noble but scruffy dog. Now, there was no denying that he was a gentleman, dressed cleanly and well. His hair was still damp, and the little curls around his forehead were more than fairly charming. He was a picture of masculinity and good breeding.
Imagine that, asserted, once again, the ever-present Ada.
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Dorian Villeneuve
Chorus Girl/Boy
Don't they know they're making love to one already dead!
Posts: 19
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Post by Dorian Villeneuve on Aug 7, 2009 18:14:42 GMT -5
When he exited the bathroom, he had let Gabrielle know that he had finished, but he feared that he scared her. She had allowed her novel to fall on the ground in shock, but perhaps it was surprise. Dorian had cleaned up well compared to what he looked like before and even sent Gabrielle into a blushing state. The years had somewhat aged him but he still looked his age. No telling how much longer that would last, but one would never know. All he could do was wait to see. Certainly Angelique would be thrilled to see her father looking so clean and upperclass. However he felt that the clothes would end up getting sold in order to...no, they were a gift and it was rude to sell gifts.
She mumbled out some words which made Dorian smile for the first time after being there probably. It had been long since he had heard a woman act anxious in a long time, something he had heard often in his life as his mother had a habit of it. Honestly, he didn't have much hard feelings toward his mother seeing as it was his father who gave him the choice, his mother only wandering in halfway through the conversation. She was a prisoner to his father and had little say in what he did. There was always the small bit of hope that she wanted him home, but it wasn't enough to go and seek them out. He had vowed never to return after all.
"Well, I appreciate the meal, bath and clothing, Mam'selle Hargreaves, but I must be going home to my daughter. Probably wondering where I am. If you'll kindly take me off the grounds in a way so I won't lead anyone into thinking something inappropriate occurred here. I wouldn't want to start any gossip revolving around your family."
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Post by Gabrielle Hargreaves on Aug 7, 2009 18:58:00 GMT -5
She watched a small smile curl onto his lips, and she felt compelled to smile back. Poor man. He was born to be handsome, privileged, revered--and yet he had been abandoned and degraded beyond the reaches of her imagination. Her nature rebelled against the thought of what he did each night, and she knew it would plague the dark hours of her days from then on. When the sun dipped down below the horizon, her mind would invariably wander to the fallen nobleman with his lips on those of a stranger, struggling with every ounce of his being to survive the shattering blow for the sake of his daughter.
She nodded silently, voicing none of this. With a kind smile and gentle gesture of beckoning, she turned and went to the door, peeking out and then waiting for a maid to pass by sufficiently before opening the door while and motioning for him to follow. She led him through in the same way as before, with little variation, and they emerged into her garden sanctuary--though it was quite a bit later in the day than when he had arrived.
Before he could go, she put a hand out and her fingers alighted gently upon his arm. "Monsieur Villeneuve--I am but a woman, of great family, but little power thus. It is however within my power to garner some honest, discreet employment for you, on some days of the week. If you might be able to spare yourself Fridays from the influence of your employer, there are many basic duties of labour to be had, working upon this very garden. No names are required for the labour. If you but arrive at sun up, instructions will be given and a handful of sous will be granted you." She did not want him to go back to the brothel; but what right had she to that? And then, how else would he feed himself and his kin?
"I should like to meet your daughter, as well. And I... I wish for you to know that by way of vines, you might climb that wall" she gestured "and enter my bedchamber, any time of day or night, when you have need of safety. It is the only in which I have privacy and dominion, and I gladly offer it to you at any time that you should need it."
Regardless of wisdom or propriety, added Ada.
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Dorian Villeneuve
Chorus Girl/Boy
Don't they know they're making love to one already dead!
Posts: 19
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Post by Dorian Villeneuve on Aug 7, 2009 19:52:26 GMT -5
Dorian was taken through the house the same way he was taken in with a few exceptions because servants were in certain places. They had escaped from the house without any unexpected issues though, which were always not appreciated in his mind. Rather go out with ease and not getting Gabrielle into trouble with her family. Even though she had been kind to someone who needed it, it wasn't best to take them into your home and let them use your things without knowing about it.
They were once again in the secluded garden behind the house, hidden from the house and the outside world. How he hated to once again leave a luxury that had been so good to him, but still it wasn't his place, his place was in the underworld of Paris...where the rest of his kind thrived on unpleasant living despite them all hating it. They didn't choose this life, but he had. But Dorian had kept Angelique because she was apart of him, she was his mistake and hen wasn't going to let someone else correct it nor was he going to take the easy way out and have her "disposed."
Gabrielle placed her hand on his arm before offering him a job there, as a labor worker. All he needed to do was show up on Fridays and help out with whatever was needed to be done. She also was curious about his daughter, wanting to meet her even. Angelique was a small toddler and not much troubling, a girl who just needed a toy to keep her busy for hours. "I'll take you up on your offer, Mam'selle, my employer gives me Fridays off anyways. I only work there on those days if I desperately need extra money. But I will surely work hard here and I'll try not to be a bother if I do need you. Perhaps I could bring my daughter here one day and she can simply stay in your room. She's well behaved and a darling child. I'll definitely be here to work and you won't be disappointed. Now if you'll excuse me, good day to you."
With that Dorian walked out the gate, headed out for the road. He wanted to get home and see his daughter, spend the little time he had with her. Gabrielle had been generous to him and he'd never forget it, knowing there was one person in this world that would assist him that had a name and money. It was noble of her and surely if there was a God above, he would smile upon her greatly.
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