Tess Awakening (17 page)

Amir and Fadime were long time lovers. She
was very much like him; intensely sensual, craving the pleasures
that only the men in their society were allowed to partake. Amir
had started to make love to her without penetration to keep her
away from men whose admiration would likely lead to her loss of
virginity before marriage. He hoped that his ministrations would be
enough to sate her until she married, still a virgin. He succeeded
in preserving his sister’s honor for years until he could not be
with her due to his military commitments. Now she had lovers, and
he blamed himself for not being available to her.

Fadime had recovered from her orgasms and
took Amir’s swollen shaft in her mouth. How she craved having him
inside her, but it could never happen. She used her expert tongue
to give her brother release.

Chapter 24

Amir, Tess, and Fadime met for breakfast. He
announced that they were going to fly to London and go to the manor
house one hour outside the city. Tess inquired about Aara.

“Aara is already there with her nurse,” Amir
said matter of fact.

The boarded the plane later in the morning
and arrived in London where a black Mercedes S600 Maybach met them
on the tarmac. They swiftly proceeded to the Surrey countryside
until they reached Guildford. The car drove through High Street,
paved with granite setts often referred to as cobbles.

Surprisingly, the town was lined with
expensive stores. No roughing it here.

They passed by the relatively small Guildford
Castle and the town’s indoor swimming pools. The helpful driver
acted as a guide, explaining that Guildford has an Olympic size
Lido, built in the 1930s, which is open for public swimming or
corporate entertainment.

They finally arrived at the manor house owned
by Amir’s family for over a century.

As usual, the house staff was lined up at the
main entrance to welcome the Master. Tess recalled that Amir was
very fond of English lordly mores.

Tess left the car, only to see Aara running
toward her. The child practically flew into her arms, giggling.
“Miss Tess, you are here!”

Tess hugged the child, who as usual refused
to be put down. Tess did not mind and followed Fadime, who showed
off the house. There was a classic reception hall with a finely
carved staircase, three reception rooms, a kitchen and breakfast
room, a conservatory, twelve bedrooms and eight bathrooms. Fadime
added that Amir had managed to buy the property next door. It had a
cottage, outbuildings and a splendid 17th-century Flemish brick
barn, all part of the original manor. The barn sheltered six riding
horses.

Tess was more interested in nuzzling the
agitated child with the incredible eyes.

She was shown to her own suite, predictably
splendid. Her clothes were already hung in closets and fruit on a
platter provided a refreshing snack.

Before dinner, Tess descended the staircase
looking like a princess, her beautiful gown hugging her figure and
showcasing her bosom.

She noticed a magnificent black Bösendorfer
grand piano in the parlor. She touched a few keys, and her ear
could ascertain that the instrument was perfectly tuned. She
started to play Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C major, the first
piece of the Well-Tempered Clavier, a slow, sublime composition
that melts the soul. The sonority of the piano was amazing. ‘This
instrument belongs in a concert hall, not a private house,’ she
thought.

Fadime sat on a chair. “You play beautifully,
Tess.”

“Thank you, Fadime. At one time, I considered
music as a career.” Her mood changing, Tess dove into the Etude No
12 in D sharp minor by Scriabin, a gorgeous, turbulent, even angry
piece requiring great skill from the pianist. Amir walked into the
room. He sat on a chair and witnessed a fiery woman playing a
titanic piece of music overflowing with urgency and passion. He was
mesmerized, looking knowingly at Fadime, sharing in the wonder of
the performance. It was one more arrow in his heart, cementing his
fixation on a truly remarkable woman with many facets of her
personality.

When they sat for dinner, Amir’s chef had
prepared a predictably splendid repast: Escargots de Bourgogne,
Cervena Venison, Coquilles Saint Jacques, Coq Au Vin, and Crepes
for dessert. The food was accompanied by fine wines. It was as if
they never left France.

After dinner, they retired to the open
balcony where the waiter served cordials and fine cognac.

Amir relayed to his sister the fascinating
conversation he and Tess had at the restaurant in Villefranche. “I
really must congratulate you, Tess, on your knowledge of history.
And you are also a truly accomplished pianist; remarkable.”

Tess was slightly annoyed about what she
perceived Amir’s patronizing. “There are intelligent and talented
women out there, Amir. You just have to find them. Sometimes you
might consider getting past their décolleté and be surprised to
find a real person.”

Amir placed his hand on his heart. “I am
crushed. I thought I was sincerely paying compliments to you, which
you fully deserve. But, of course, we both know that you are
different. You are both a warrior and a scholar — an extraordinary
combination in this day and age.”

“…and a remarkably beautiful woman,” Fadime
added.

Tess tried to change the subject.” I looked
at your library. You have an excellent collection of rare books.
Many appear to be first editions.”

Fadime saw her entry. “Yes, we are fortunate
to be able to acquire some fine examples. We have first edition
Milton and Shakespeare and many books from the 1600’s. One of my
favorites is a very old edition of the Kama Suthra — but, of
course, it is not proper in England to talk about such naughty
books in polite company.”

Tess inquired: “What do you like about the
book, Fadime?”

“I am reading it to prepare for the day I get
married. It seems that I can’t avoid tying the knot. It is expected
of me.”

“You could do worse than that book. I have
read it myself. What surprised and interested me was not the
description of various sexual positions by which the book is
superficially known in the West, but the treatise on creating a
proper and fulfilling relationship between lovers.”

Amir looked at her, surprised. “You actually
read the book, Tess? It is true; the perceived salaciousness is not
necessarily the whole message of the text.”

“I agree, Amir. If you make allowances for
the time the book was written and discount ancient customs and
practices such as harems, there are significant passages of wise
counsel on what couples should do to get to know each other, and to
explore what they need and what they fear. A lot of the material
helps couples achieve closeness before they make love. I think that
the suggestion that couples wait three days so that they can
appreciate each other is the best advice you could give to people.
When they finally physically love each other, they are prepared to
give each other intense pleasure that would not otherwise be
possible.”

Fadime interjected. “I am afraid that the
romantic notions you talk about are no longer valid in today’s
society. There is no such a thing as a virgin anymore. People
fornicate like rabbits before they get married.”

“That’s true, but all it proves that people
today lose a lot of pleasure by having been promiscuous. You also
have to consider that the sex, drugs and rock-n-roll culture that
burst through in the sixties was probably a reaction to the guilt
about sex that the Christian Church systematically imposed for
centuries.”

“All religions exist by creating guilt in the
people,” observed Amir.

Tess took a sip to clear her throat. “To a
great extent you are correct, Amir. I don’t know much about Islam
or the Eastern religions, but I know a lot about the historical
impact of the Christian religion in the West. By institutionalizing
fear of God and a sense of guilt just for being human, I cannot
even try to conjecture the misery that such dogma has plagued
people’s lives for centuries.”

Amir stood up and raised his glass of cognac
toward Tess. “Madam, I was not wrong. You are truly remarkable, and
I am honored to have you in my house.”

Fadime followed suit. Tess wondered if she
should have kept her own counsel.

Amir looked at his watch, a superfluous
gesture since the room had two beautiful antique clocks on the
walls. “I enjoyed the evening ladies, but I need to retire. I have
to go to London in the morning to tend to some business. I will be
back for dinner. Good night.”

Fadime also excused herself. Tess stayed
behind, enjoying the cool evening.

Amir was ready to go to bed when Fadime burst
into the room. “Amir, I don’t know how you found this woman, but
you need to think about what you are doing. She is out of your
league. Tess is not your type. She is tough, smart and is well
aware of who she is. Even if you persuade her to go with you, she
will never be the compliant blushing violet that you usually like.
She is a real person and I am not sure she is right for you.”

“Fadime, don’t insult my intelligence. I am
not stupid. There is a reason why I want her, and not just for one
night. I love her.”

“Good night, Amir. Beware of what you wish
for.”

***

The next morning, Tess asked for a car to
take Aara to town for some shopping. The driver dropped them off in
the center.

Tess was not particularly interested in
shopping; she just wanted to spend time with Aara without other
people around. She found quickly enough that this would not happen.
Amir had tasked the driver to provide security and pay for any
purchases. The man followed Tess and Aara from a respectful
distance.

Tess wanted to buy things that the child
wanted rather than toys that others had chosen for her. Grasping
the child’s hand, she went on a whirlwind tour of the attractive
cobbled High Street, which is the focus of Guildford’s shopping
district. They visited sophisticated toy stores where Aara chose
several dolls, an enormous dollhouse, and a few stuffed toys. The
driver paid for the goods and arranged for delivery.

The shopping spree over, Tess picked up the
child and carried her off to the market that stretched along North
Street. She wished that she could buy some of the food on display.
It was a genuine cornucopia: fresh meat, fish, fruit, coffee,
cheese, olives, vegetables, and flowers. Other presentations
offered pet food, luggage, linen, rugs, bags, towels, jewelry,
clothes, cards and wooden carvings. Just about everything one would
need. Except that in Amir’s house, all shopping was done by the
servants.

Aara wanted to see everything. Tess put her
down, and they walked to a market offering crafts and handicrafts.
She then led Aara to the house of Lewis Carroll, ‘Chestnuts’, on
Castle Hill in the center of town. Carrol was one of her favorite
authors. As a child, she lost herself in
Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland
and its sequel
Through the Looking-Glass
.

She had delighted reading
The Hunting of
the Snark
, a fantastical “nonsense” poem, dealing with the
adventures of a bizarre group of tradesmen and one beaver, which
sets off to find the eponymous creature. The books provided her a
respite from a relentless regime of working toward concrete
objectives. It was one of the few times that she let her
imagination run free.

There were many other sites that she wanted
to see, but Aara was now getting tired, so Tess asked the driver to
take them back to the manor.

The child fell asleep on her lap. Tess
pondered about the last few days spent on trivial pursuits and
enjoying the benefits of wealth. Ordinarily, she would consider
what she had been doing a waste of time. There seemed to be nothing
in this lifestyle that would suggest constructive pursuits,
elimination of evil or contributions to society.

She looked at the sleeping child on her lap
and again felt the closeness and, yes, love. She never thought she
would ever feel like that. Her life thus far had never contemplated
the possibility of motherhood. She now felt physical changes within
herself, a sudden surge to protect and nurture the child—any
child.

She also thought about Jake. She again felt
guilty to have left him in the dark about what she was about to do.
Jake would not have understood her placing herself under Amir’s
aegis. It was for the right reasons, she kept telling herself.

Chapter 25

The next morning, Amir, back from London,
suggested a horse ride. Tess had not done that for a long time and
readily agreed.

She got back to her room to dress. A complete
riding outfit had already been laid out by Amir’s furtive trolls:
an Ashby show coat, riding breeches, show shirt, half chaps boots,
riding gloves and a riding hat. Miraculously, everything fit to
perfection.

Tess met Amir at the stables. He saw her
approaching, walking with assured grace and confidence. She was not
a novice at this noble pursuit.

Amir expressed his appreciation. “You look
exquisite, my Lady.”

“Thank you, Amir. You are handsome and look
like a true equestrian.”

“Actually, I am a true equestrian,” he
responded, smiling. “As you see Tess, we keep the horses together
in spacious stalls. This prevents them from becoming antisocial and
difficult to handle. We employ grooms that regularly exercise the
horses and look after their welfare.”

Tess was impressed by the facilities and the
quality of the horses. She selected a beautiful white stallion
called Achilles and led him out by the bridle. Once outside, the
horse snorted, signaling that he would not be an easy animal to
handle.