Logan, Duke of Westchester
Logan, Duke of Westchester
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Title: Logan, Duke of Westchester
Author: Karen
E-Mail: kittenrescue@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Not mine and doubtfully ever will be. The characters belong to Fox and Marvel.
Archive Rights: Dolphin Haven and Postcards From The Edge
Rating: R
Summary: Set in the
late 1800’s, Logan is lord of the manor and Marie is his new chambermaid.
Leopold”, but without Kate.
Author’s notes: I’d like to thank Gina for her encouragement
during the preview stage, Taryn for her ‘spot on’ beta service and Heather for
making the story look so pretty on my website.
Dedicated to Hugh Jackman whose amazing portrayal of both
Logan and Leopold was the inspiration for this story.
The horse-drawn carriage drew to a halt in front of a grand
house and the trepidation that Marie had managed to tamp down during the
journey resurfaced sharply. The door of the carriage was opened and a large
hand was extended, ostensibly to help her out. Marie took the hand proffered
and stepped down onto the pebble-covered ground. Up close the house looked even
more imposing and she swallowed hard.
“I trust your journey was a pleasant one?” the man asked in
gentle voice.
“Yes, thank you, sir,” Marie replied, bowing her head
slightly.
“There’s no need for such formalities with me, Miss
D’Ancanto, I am simply Otis,” the man informed her.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Otis.”
“Welcome to Balmore,” Otis continued, “Come, first I will
show you to your quarters and then you will be presented to his Grace.”
Marie obediently followed Otis inside, surprised that she
wasn’t being taken in through the traditional servant’s entrance on the side of
the house. The foyer of the house was bigger than the entire home she’d left
behind. It had two grand curved staircases on either side and a large round
mahogany table that dominated the center, atop which sat the largest flower
arrangement she’d ever seen. Directly above the table was an enormous crystal
chandelier that twinkled in the afternoon light and cast prisms of color upon
the walls where paintings of beautiful landscapes were displayed. The floor was
a highly polished dark green marble that she could see her reflection in. If
this was an example of the size of the rest of the house it was no wonder that
it required several maids assigned to different areas.
Marie had been employed to take care of the Duke’s private
quarters, an honor that was usually reserved for someone who’d been in service
to the family for many years. When the offer had been presented to her father
he hadn’t hesitated for a moment, accepting on Marie’s behalf without even
consulting her. She’d hoped to join her friends Jubilation and Katherine in
London, but a serious lack of funds had impeded that plan. The wages offered by
the Duke were more than generous, so maybe if she saved diligently she’d be
able to join her friends in a year or two. The proviso was that she would have
to send fifty percent of her wages back to her family, but she was free to do
as she wished with the rest. With her room and board provided, she’d decided to
simply forego everything but the barest of necessities and had even brought a
small painting of London’s Tower Bridge with her as a constant reminder of the
goal.
Otis led her up the stairs, down a long hallway and into a
large, airy bedroom.
“Here you go, Miss D’Ancanto, I trust you will be
comfortable,” Otis said.
Marie had expected a small closet-like room at attic level,
but this room was fit for a lady, not a mere servant.
“There must be some mistake, surely these are not servant’s
quarters,” Marie queried as she gazed around the beautifully appointed
room.
“Most of the bedrooms in this old house sit vacant. His
Grace felt it would be a waste not to put them to use,” Otis explained.
“Oh,” was all Marie managed to say.
“I shall leave you to get settled and return for you at half
past three, then I shall take you to meet his Grace,” Otis informed her as he
walked out of the room and closed the door.
Marie dropped her bag and ran over and jumped onto the huge
canopied bed.
Pretending to ring an imaginary bell, she said in a put-on
upper crust voice, “I will take my morning tea in bed, if you please.”
And then she burst into a fit of giggles as she collapsed
against the mountain of pillows. She lay there for a few minutes just taking in
the grandeur of her new room. If only her friends could see her now – Marie
D’Ancanto, a right proper lady.
She was startled out of her daydream by the sound of a clock
chiming three times and realized that Otis would be coming back soon to collect
her and present her to his Grace, and she hadn’t yet begun to unpack.
Scooting off the bed, she placed her small bag on the bench
at the foot of the bed and unceremoniously dumped out its meager contents – six
rather plain dresses, two pairs of sensible shoes, assorted undergarments, a
hairbrush and a few toiletries. She’d been told that a uniform would be
provided for her, so she hadn’t bothered packing that much, but looking over
the small pile Marie decided she’d definitely under-packed. She’d bet a week’s
wages that the other servants didn’t roam around such a grand house on their
days off in ugly clothing. As she placed everything in the mahogany wardrobe, she
decided that a portion of the first couple of pay packets would have to be
spent on some decent dresses and London would simply have to wait another
fortnight.
At precisely half past three there was a sharp knock on the
door – Otis.
Marie followed the older man down the hall for what seemed
like just a few paces when he stopped in front of a set of ornately carved
double doors.
“His Grace’s suite,” Otis announced.
They were neighbors, how convenient. Otis opened the doors
with a sweeping gesture and they stepped into the room.
“Miss Marie D’Ancanto, may I present his Grace, the Duke of
Westchester – Logan Alexis Elijah
Walker Gareth Thomas Mountbatten.”
The man Otis addressed as the Duke turned around and Marie
caught her breath. She’d expected an
ely, ly, gray-whiskered gentleman, but this was a young, clean-shaven and
extremely handsome man and Marie’s heart skipped a beat. Logan, meanwhile, was
having a similar reaction of his own. He’d expected a ruddy-faced matronly
widow in a somewhat similar vein as Mrs. O’Brien or Mrs. McAllistar, but this
was a young girl and a very beautiful one at that. As his personal chambermaid
she’d be in his bedroom and Logan swallowed hard at the thought of such a
temptation in the same room as his bed. Marie’s dark brown eyes rose up to meet
Logan’s smoky hazel ones and they simply stood there staring at each other
until Otis officiously cleared his throat.
“Welcome to Balmore. I take it that Otis has shown you to
your quarters?” Logan finally said.
“Thank you, your Grace. The accommodations are more than I
could have hoped for. You are most generous,” Marie replied with a shy smile.
“A pretty lady deserves a pretty room,” Logan said and was
amused when Marie blushed daintily.
“Sir, if you will excuse me, I have matters to attend to for
this evening’s dinner,” Otis interrupted.
“Yes, of course,” Logan replied, not taking his eyes off of
Marie.
Otis left, although he doubted that either Logan or Marie
even noticed.
Marie just stood there, not knowing what to do when Logan
took a few steps and eliminated the gap between them. She was a tiny thing he
noted, at least a foot shorter than him. His eyes took in the curves beneath
the plain cream-colored dress and he wondered if the breasts straining against
the cotton fabric were as beautiful as he was imagining. He had to resist the
urge to undo the pearl buttons that went from the high neckline all the way
down to her waist and find out. Marie was letting her own imagination picture
what his broad chest was like beneath the starched white linen shirt. When she
unconsciously licked her dry lips Logan almost leaned down to wet them with his
own tongue.
Indeed, having Marie in his bedchamber was going to be a
strong test of his honor. Many of his friends bedded their servants, it was
often even considered an accepted part of their duties, but Logan had never
been so s. Ts. Then again he’d always surrounded himself with grandmotherly
types and had never had to face one so vexing as the enticing young woman standing
before him now. He wondered what she’d been told regarding what was expected of
her. His family had always been generous with the wages for their household
staff, but he sincerely hoped that Marie hadn’t taken it as an indication of
other *services* being obligated. As he
wasn’t sure exactly how to broach such a delicate subject, he decided to just
wait and see what she might offer, at which time they could establish the
duties required.
“I’ve never been anyone’s maid before, so you will have to tell
me exactly what you wish for me to do,” Marie said innocently.
Logan grinned at that remark as thoughts of Marie naked and
writhing beneath him flitted through his mind.
“Sir?” Marie said, interrupting his train of thought.
“Oh, yes. Your duties,” Logan said with a shake of his head,
“Mrs. O’Brien, the head housekeeper, will explain things in detail, but
basically it will involve tidying up the room, opening the drapes, lighting the
lamps, and ‘er…straightening the bed, that sort of thing.”
Marie glanced over at the large four-poster mahogany bed and
wondered what it would be like to be lying on it naked with an equally naked
Logan. She felt herself blush hotly and said a silent prayer that he wouldn’t
notice her inflamed cheeks. Logan did catch her reaction to looking at his bed
and his mouth curved up into a lop-sided grin. Apparently the attraction was
mutual, which was a very good thing indeed.
“Well, I really won’t be needing your services for the rest
of the day, so why don’t you just take the time to get settled in your room and
I will see you tomorrow morning,” Logan said, suddenly needing to get Marie
away from his bed until he could reclaim his control.
“Thank you, your Grace,” Marie said as she bowed slightly
and turned to leave.
“Marie.”
“Yes, your Grace.”
“You may address me as Logan when we are alone,” he informed
her.
“As you wish,” she replied as she stepped out into the
hallway and closed the door.
Marie ran back to her room and collapsed on the bed,
breathing hard and trying to calm her racing heart. Soon she fell into a light
sleep, images of her virile, handsome new boss filling her mind with thoughts
she didn’t realize she was even capable of having. Meanwhile, next-door Logan
was changing for dinner and it was images of Marie that he envisioned as he
stroked himself to orgasm.
~*~*~*~
Marie settled into her new duties with relative ease. She
was a conscientious servant and Logan was a relaxed and undemanding
master. The attraction between them was
obvious to everyone in the household and the rumor mill worked overtime.
It was three months of well-orchestrated dancing around each
other before things finally exploded.
It started out just like any other day. Marie was tidying up
Logan’s suite while he was downstairs in the solarium partaking of his
breakfast. She’d just fluffed the last
pillow and set it in place when the door leading from the hallway opened and
Logan entered the room.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was taking so long. I’m
almost done,” Marie informed him as she gave the bedcovering a perfunctory
smoothing.
“No apology necessary,” he replied, “You’re not behind
schedule, I merely returned early.”
It was so like him to absolve his staff when he was the one
truly at fault.
Marie tucked a sun-bleached piece of hair behind her ear and
smiled demurely at him.
Logan loved the way she couldn’t seem to tame her silky
brown hair into the severe bun-style worn by the other female staff
members. Inevitably strands of chestnut
would work their way loose, so Marie always had a slightly wind-swept
look.
The smile he directed back at her had been known to make
women of all ages weak in the knees.
Marie’s present location suddenly registered. There was
always something faintly suggestive about standing next to Logan’s bed whenever
he was in the roomr chr cheeks flushed pink and shwerewered her eyes to the
floor, as if she suddenly found the area rug infinitely fascinating.
Unbeknownst to her, her proximity to his bed had an effect on him too.
He closed the small distance between them, put his hand
under her chin and raised her eyes to his.
room was instantly electrified with sensual energy. Class differences and
social standing were cast aside as the boundary lines between master and
servant were erased.
Logan gathered Marie against him and leaned down to capture
her rosebud lips with his own. Their kiss was whisper soft and tender at first
and then more insistent. Logan pulled down on Marie’s chin with his thumb,
which parted her lips enough for him to slide his tongue into her mouth. Marie
was too caught up in the overwhelming intensity of the moment to be startled by
the action and having never kissed anyone before she simply assumed that was
how it was done. When Logan finally released her so that they might both catch
their breath, she was positively lightheaded. She brought her fingertips up to
her kiss-swollen lips and traced the outline gingerly. That simple gesture
motivated Logan to lean down and claim her lips once again. The second kiss was
even more heated than the first because Marie now grasped the concept so much
better. They were both flushed and panting by the time they reluctantly parted.
Suddenly a terrible thought struck Logan.
“Are you doing this because you think it is part of your
duties?” he asked cautiously, knowing he was too much of a gentleman to
continue if she answered ‘yes’.
Marie glanced up at him and with a delicate smile replied,
“I honestly hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“Good. Because I am simply Logan, the man who wants to make
love to you. That is, if you want me?” he said as he brushed a loose tendril of
hair off of her face.
“Oh yes, Logan, I do want you,” she replied breathlessly as
she boldly pulled his head down for another ravenous kiss.
Logan swept her up into his arms and gently laid her down on
his bed. He then divested her of her garments, taking a moment to admire the
way the sunlight made her body glow, before proceeding to remove his own
clothing. Marie let out a small sigh as he peeled off his shirt to reveal a
chest that was even more magnificthanthan she’d imagined – broad, muscular and
covered in a blanket of dark hair.
She couldn’t resist the temptation to reach up and run her
hands over him, discovering that his skin was wonderfully wto tto the touch.
She sat up, leaned forward and brazenly placed a tender kiss on the spot above
his heart. Her small hands then went to the buttons of his undergarments and
undid them. Even though she saw the tenting of the material she still let out a
gasp as he was finally revealed to her. Marie may never have seen a naked man
before, but she instinctively knew that Logan was extremely well endowed. A
shudder of excitement flashed through her and she felt the moisture between her
legs as she watched him toss the undergarment aside. He gathered her to him for
yet another heated kiss and her arms slid around his neck as he lowered themwn own onto the soft covering.
Releasing her mouth, Logan dusted Marie’s face with delicate
kisses and then trailed his mouth down onto the smooth skin of her neck. She
tilted her head back slightly as he stroked his tongue over the pulse point,
making her shiver. When his mouth moved down onto her breasts, dusting them
with open-mouthed kisses and finally closing over one of the rose-colored
nipples, she felt the wetness between her legs intensify. While lavishing
attention on her breasts with his mouth, he moved his hand down her body and
between her thighs; delighted to find her wet, he touched her with languid
okesokes. Expertly he caressed her feminine bud and quickly brought her to
orgasm, latching onto her succulent mouth and swallowing the cry that
accompanied her climax.
“I want to taste all of you – everywhere,” he whispered in
her ear.
He then began a gentle exploration of her body with his
mouth, alternating between feathery kisses and teasing licks. By the time he
nudged her legs apart to taste her there, Marie was lost in a fog of ecstasy. The
first sweep of his tongue over her made her cry out as the pleasure rippled
through her. She tasted like the ambrosia nectar of the gods and Logan lapped
at her thirstily. He sucked on the little swollen bud and with a shudder she
came again.
Logan spread her legs further apart and slid up her
trembling body. She felt him at her entrance, ready to thrust into her and
gulped in anticipation.
“ROGUE!”
Marie bolted upright at the soundher her name being screamed
at her.
“Chiyou you were having another Logan sex dream,” Jubilee
announced unnecessarily.
“And I was just getting to the good part, damn you,” Marie
huffed in frustration as she pushed a sweat-dampened strand of platinum off of
her face.
“I told you not to wake her up just yet,” Kitty piped in
then turning to Marie asked, “So, who was he this time, the pirate,
businessman, computer hacker or male stripper?”
“Logan, Duke of Westchester,” Marie answered dreamily and
then flushed a shade of pink darker than Kitty’s comforter.
“Oh, the ‘Kate and Leopold’ fantasy,” Kitty giggled and then
blushed herself as she remembered her own ‘nineteenth century Scott’ dream that
particular movie had inspired.
“Listen, Rogue, you need to quit dreaming about banging
Logan and go jump his metal bones,” Jubilee advised, tossing Kitty a knowing
wink.
“I can’t do that,” Marie replied in horror.
“Sure you can,” Jubilee stated, “You just walk up to him and
say, ‘Logan, I’d like you to take all your clothes off and climb on top of
me.’ If you wanna be all Southern polite, you can add ‘please’.”
“Jubes, I’m trying to be subtle.”
“Subtle is a foreign word to tall, dark and growly. You need
to hit him over the head with a clue-by-four or you’re gonna be the oldest
virgin in recorded history.”
“I have to agree with Jubes on this, Rogue,” Kitty offered,
“Logan’s the kind of guy who needs a visual aid and it’s not your IQ score you
need to flash at him.”
At that all three erupted in a fit of giggles.
Just then a somewhat tousled, bare-chested Logan opened
their door without knocking. The laughing immediately ceased and three pairs of
curious eyes turned to him.
“I thought I smelled, ‘er….heard something,” Logan
stammered, “Everything okay in here?”
Marie went pale, wondering just how much he’d actually
heard, while Kitty and Jubilee had caught his slip and exchanged surreptitious
looks.
Kitty raised her hand to her mouth and in a hushed tone
said, “I swear his radar must be tuned in to her pheromone frequency or
something.”
“I told Rogue he could smell her when she gets aroused,”
Jubilee whispered back.
The look Logan aimed at the two girls denoted that he’d
heard them, but at least he had the grace to look embarrassed.
“Everything’s fine, Logan. Just a little girl talk,” Marie
drawled in the honeyed southern accent that always seemed slightly thicker
whenever she was in vixen mode.
Wishing to flee the scene before his sleep pants became
noticeably tented Logan managed to grunt out, “Okeydokey.”
“Okeydokey?” Kitty noted, “He must be flustered.”
As Logan crossed the threshold Marie casually threw out, “By
the way, I have an idea for your costume for next week’s Halloween party.”
The three roommates burst out in a renewed fit of giggles as
Logan sighed and closed the door.