Feeding Cedric - a Victorian Age Gay Story

Chapter 1 - The club

Cedric put on his golden cuff links and straightened his vest. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. Not because he was vain, but because society expected him to be flawless. It seemed the right price to justify his father-in-law’s decision to make him his heir and successor with the bank, despite his plain heritage and skin color.
Tonight, he would attend another dumb evening with people who called themselves his friends, when in reality, they and their fathers were business associates of Kingsley Sherman Masterson the third and his bank house. He didn’t succumb himself to believe else, than his father-in-law being the only reason they would not cast him out of their circle.
The reason for today’s get-together was Gordon Fry who would very soon marry the daughter of a European nobleman. It was his bachelor party in the club.
Cedric put on his suit jacket and took his hat in one hand. Then he set off. Deidre and the children were spending the summer at the sea in their country house together with their tutor in ancient Greek and Latin. Deidre’s lover. His and Deidre’s marriage had been the perfect match, with Kingsley in dire need of a successor and him the perfect apprentice. He and Deidre had promised each other not love, but respect and duty. She wanted her peace and a numerous family. He had no idea what he wanted, but being the heir of one of the most important bank houses along the east coast didn’t sound bad at that specific moment.
Now, they had three children. Two boys and one girl. all his, of that, Cedric was certain not only because of their slightly darker skin color. Some time ago, Deidre had told him about her affection for Ennio, the Italian teacher of old languages and he had given her his consent. He would accept every child to follow as his own.
When he stepped outside the town mansion, a burning heat awaited him despite the evening hour. Sweat formed in his neck, tickling down his back. Nevertheless, Cedric decided to walk the short distance to the club.
Inside a generously decorated room rented for the occasion, the air seemed even hotter and stickier than outside, filled with chatting and laughter. The society consisted of around forty men, most of which Cedric knew for years.
»Cedric. You are late! You missed out on dinner.«
Gordon looked as if he already had one or two or ten glasses of whatever it was, he drank.
»Make yourself comfortable! I have prepared a little surprise for later.«
His dirty smile kind of gave away the element of surprise in his announcement. Nevertheless, Cedric nodded, trying to be convincing in his excitement.
The better part of two hours later, he had greeted and chit-chatted with all the important guests of the evening and finally sat down in a plushie armchair with his first glass of champagne watching the crowd. Not all of them were elegant or beautiful. Cedric had learned that these characteristics weren’t handed on by inheritance. But they all had the air of people, who had never endured hardship.
»You look at them with scorn, why?«
Cedric turned to face the person who had interrupted his trail of thought. »I do no such thing. I am merely sitting here enjoying a glass of champagne and good company.«
The man opposite of him couldn’t be described else than beautiful. He looked like and angel straight out of one of the old masterpieces with his dark curls and huge, light eyes. Cedric tried to decide whether they were light blue or light green, but failed the task.
»I think myself to be the best company either. At least usually. It seems as if I have found my narcissistic equivalent.«
His accent sounded British, therefore, Cedric deducted that he belonged to the party of the bride. Now, the other man let himself fall into the Chaiselongue next to his armchair and sighed.
»Would you fetch me some champagne?«
Cedric felt anger rise inside him. Who did the other man think he was? »I don’t even know your name and I am not your servant. Go and fetch a glass of champagne yourself if you are thirsty.«
His words only caused a smile on the other man’s full lips. A most enchanting, alluring smile Cedric unwillingly admitted in his mind.
»You are Cedric Isidore Boyle. Married to Deidre Annabelle Boyle. Heir and successor of Kingsley Sherman Masterson the third. Probably the most powerful man in the room in terms of money. Maybe this is the reason why you despise them?«
Cedric was taken aback and that didn’t happen very often. He wanted to say something smart to hold his ground, but nothing came to his mind.
»And now, go and fetch me some champagne!«
The command was issued with a tempting twinkle in the light color-changing eyes. Cedric felt the urge to do as told. He wanted to obey. But how would that look like? Very slowly, he rose and searched for a waiter.
When he returned to the handsome stranger with a full glass of champagne, he had justified his desire to comply with his sense for business. If the other man was European nobility, he might very well be wealthy and worth his acquaintance. He handed him the glass. »Now, you seem to know quite a lot about me, while I know nothing about you. How about we change that?«
»My name is Hugo. I am European. Obviously. A nobleman. Wealthy, but not rich. I am Gertrud’s half-brother and here to look after her until the deed is done. Or maybe she is looking out after me? Sometimes I get confused.«
He took a deep sip of champagne. In that moment women in all sorts of costumes swarmed the room and started to dance for the men. Most of them married as himself. Cedric saw a blonde nurse, a hefty redhead in a police uniform and so on. He sighed. Somehow, performing his marital duties had been exactly this for him. Duties. And it had not been different when trying to enjoy another woman’s company than Deidre’s.
The nurse approached him, apparently knowing his rank in society and therefore overlooking the apparent flaw of his dark skin. She started to touch his hair and Cedric forced himself not to flinch.
»Leave him alone. He is not interested.«
The blonde stared at Hugo for a moment showing her real face with a nasty glare. Then she just walked away, trying to secure another rich prey for herself.
»How dare you to speak for me?«
»Isn’t that what you want? Because I think it is. I think, you had no less disdain for the blonde whore than for the other men in this room. The truth is, you want to learn more about me and about yourself in the process.«
Cedric was about to say again how dare you, but the sentence was stuck in his mouth and it would probably have sounded quite dumb to repeat the words anyway. Instead, he forced himself to stand up. Waiting for Hugo to ask him to stay. To apologize.
»Sit!«
The command lingered between them, tasting sweet and relieving in Cedric’s ears. He knew he had to go, but his body overpowered his mind and was already settling back in the armchair.
»I will be gentle with you. And discreet.«
Hugo’s eyes wandered to a full plate of food the waiter had left with him some time ago because he missed dinner.
»Eat!«
Cedric’s mouth went dry, desire spreading through his body like he had never felt it before. This was wrong. Nevertheless, his hand reached for the plate and he started to do as told, knife and fork trembling in his hands.
»You don’t need cutlery.«
Hugo sat a little more upright to shield him from the eyes of the other guests, though they were occupied in much more incriminating behavior than eating with bare hands. Cedric set aside the cutlery.
It felt strange to feel the texture of the lukewarm food between his fingers. He looked up to Hugo, who held his stare, licking his lips, showing the pink tip of his tongue and desire jolted through Cedric’s body again.