"Sean Russell - River Into Darkness 1 - Beneath the Vaunted Hills" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Sean)

тАЬErasmus Flattery, maтАЩam.тАЭ

Her face changed as she heard the name, and though she held a list of guests, it was immediately
forgotten. тАЬAh, Mr. Flattery. It is a great pleasure, IтАЩm sure.тАЭ

She motioned for him to escort her, clearly pleased to have a member of such an important family visit
her establishment. The name, Erasmus thought, did occasionally prove usefulтАФwhen it wasnтАЩt a curse.

тАЬWell, youтАЩll find weтАЩve created a place of refined entertainments for the discerning gentlemenтАФand
ladyтАФfor we do not cater to gentlemen alone. Not at all.тАЭ

All of the тАЬladiesтАЭ Erasmus could see were clearly in the employ of the able Mrs. Trocket, and they
smiled at him less than coyly as he passed. One blew him a kiss. They wore gowns that one would not
see in most Avonel homes, that was certain, and several seemed to have forgotten their gowns and wore
only the most exotic En-tonne lingerie. He tried not to stare, but they really were the most fetching
creatures. And they laughed with the gentlemen present, flirting in the most open manner. Erasmus
thought suddenly that the place was a bit too warm.

The air was redolent with the smell of perfumes which did not quite mask a musky odor that pervaded
the rooms. Erasmus did not have to wonder what that scent was, his body reacted to it of its



own accord, and likely would have had he never encountered it before. Love had its own scent.

They passed into another room, not so different from the first, though perhaps not so well lit. Here
musicians played, and the men had shed their coats or loosened neckcloths. The women seemed to have
joined in the spirit, and were less encumbered by clothing as well. Some couplesтАФor even
threesomesтАФwere dancing drunk-enly, pressed close while others were locked in more passionate
embraces, too drunk or too aroused to care that they were in public. On either end of a divan a naval
officer sprawled, like tumbledown bookends, insensible with drink. So much for their evening with the
ladies, Erasmus thought, though it would not likely stop them from boasting, all the same.

A woman put her hand on ErasmusтАЩ arm as he passed, and she did it with such familiarity, meeting his
eyes so calmly, that for a moment he thought he knew her, and he was sure he looked at her with the
greatest surprise. Mrs. Trocket led him through the next door.

They entered a hallway with large rooms to either side, and through the open doors he could see that
several тАЬrefined entertainmentsтАЭ were underway. He glimpsed near-naked dancers through one set of
doors, and heard singing from another. A farce, played out in elaborate and outrageous costumes, was in
progress in yet another room.

тАЬWe try to have something for everyone,тАЭ Mrs. Trocket said, noting his interest. тАЬAnd things change
oftenтАФnothing stale at Mrs. TrocketтАЩs. Amusement with wit and charm, that is our goal. A bit tooтАжтАЭ
she used an Entonne word that did not have an exact Farr equivalent, though its meaning lay somewhere
between тАЬracyтАЭ and тАЬfashionable.тАЭ

тАЬтАж for many of the worthies of Avonel. But for a young man such as yourselfтАжтАЭ She smiled knowingly.