Bribery for Skylark

[maderr]

Finished ^__^

And crap, we have a food day at work tomorrow, and I have nothing in the house to take, which means I must bus it to the store since the roomie is not here -__- Blah. Also must do laundry and other tedious things. I miss my sister. Chores are so much less tedious when you have someone to help you. Now that it's back to just me...

Ah, well. Moving on.

Story ^_____^ Hope you approve, Skylark. It wrote smooth as anything, which makes me worry. <<333

In two parts.

Lessons

Jude strode along the park, desperately bored and eager for anything to relieve it.

Famous last words, he knew, but he meant them all the same. Whatever might come to pass, it had to be better than this awful ennui.

He gazed with disinterest across the lush surroundings, all manner of plants and trees and flowers combined as only a royal could command. The royal park was a thing of beauty, truly. More times than he could remember had he brought one lover or another here for an intimate picnic or a moonlight tryst.

Rare were these solitary visits. He wasn't quite certain what to do with himself.

There were people he could have brought…but where was the thrill in the familiar? The tried and true? He wanted someone new to amuse him.

Or perhaps he should just cease to take lovers altogether. Each one bored him more quickly than the previous.

A breeze stirred the trees that lined the path upon which he walked, blowing pale pink petals everywhere. He brushed them from his deep blue coat and brown breeches, picked them from his now-tousled pale gold curls.

One little bit of amusement, that was all he asked for. Something really and truly worthy of his attention. Something to capture and enthrall him.

Instead he was spending the afternoon trolling an empty park, because it was the only way to avoid all the bothersome people who wanted him to do dreadfully boring things.

Sighing at himself, as disgusted by his petulance as his apathy, Jude continued walking.

Eventually the cherry trees came to an end, the pathway taking him to the large pond. Swans glided across the surface, thankfully quiet. Marble benches dotted the bank, empty to the last.

No. Not quite.

Jude slowed his steps a bit as he drew closer to the occupied bench. The man looked familiar, and he rifled through his store of faces and names.

Ah. There it was. Crispin Ford, the youngest son of Earl Ford. His mother was a foreigner from the northeast, and her youngest son bore the marks of that – blue-black hair, cut unfortunately short. A bit more length would do him wonders, as would clothes finer than the simple things he wore. Such severe black and the plain knot in his neck cloth…

Well, it was nothing to do with him. If he recalled correctly, the man was only a year or so out of school, and the reclusive sort. At least, Jude could not recall ever seeing him dancing and drinking with his peers or even his family.

Presently, young Ford was bent over a writing case, scratching furiously at a piece of paper, writing then crossing words out, writing again.

Jude weighed his options. Walking was boring, would conversation with a quiet young man be equally as boring? Well, at least with young Ford there was some chance he might prove distracting.

"Good day to you. What brings a young man to this dreadfully boring park?"

Ford yelped, there was no other word to describe the sound, as his papers went flying all about. His eyes – a deep, dark blue, Jude did not recall his brothers having such eyes, and they were so different from his own pale green – went wide, face flushing red. "My lord, I did not hear your approach."

Jude chuckled. "So I see. I do apologize. Let me help you gather your papers." He snatched one from the air as the wind tried to steal it, one brow quirking at the slightly panicked look that overtook Ford's face. "Hmm," he teased, amused by the obvious discomfort, taking a guess as to the reason. "Writing sonnets by the pond? How…traditional."

Though he hadn't thought it possible, Ford flushed even darker. "Hardly sonnets, my lord. Only a letter, and I have not accomplished even that." Hastily Ford finished gathering all his things, stuffing the papers into the writing case.

"So it is a matter of affection," Jude said, amusement growing. "Traditional, indeed. You do not simply choose the route of seduction? That is more traditional still."

If any more blood stained those pretty cheeks, the lad would pass out for want of blood in other portions of his body. "I am hardly capable of seduction, my lord," Ford replied, bitterness and sadness thick in his voice, woven through with mortification that they were even discussing it.

Jude chuckled softly. "Seduction is not so hard a thing to learn."

"Indeed, my lord." Sadness dominated his voice this time, flickering across his face. "Everyone knows, my lord, you are a master of such things. I am precisely the opposite." He looked away, then looked back and bobbed his head in an apologetic nod. "No doubt I am also quite boring. Forgive me, my lord. I should not burden you with my problems."

"Not at all," Jude replied, and realized he meant it. How could he complain? The conversation was amusing, entertaining, and an idea had begun to tease. Outrageous, to be certain, but now that he'd thought of it, he could not give up the thought. "I was the one to startle you, after all. So you know nothing of the ways of seduction? The pleasures of the flesh?"

Ford's face flushed anew. He half wondered if it was a perpetual state. "Do I look as though I would, my lord?" His eyes flashed with an anger at odds with the discomfort turning his face red. "I have done nothing to warrant such mockery, my lord."

Jude lifted both brows. A shy little kitten, to be certain, but even kittens had claws and teeth. How deliciously distracting. "No mockery was intended, I do beg your pardon. It was meant as an honest question. You are pretty enough, and many favor that youthful, innocent air."

"Indeed," Ford said tightly, eyes jerking away to gaze out over the pond. "Unfortunately, too many prefer experience."

Jude smiled, surprising himself. Then again, he was most certainly not feeling bored now. That was plenty enough reason to smile. "So you reduce yourself to penning letters, rather than going about learning the ways of flesh?"

The cheeks burned again. Honestly, that would have to be overcome, amusing though it may be. Jude wondered idly how far the flush extended, if he burned red from head to foot when truly overcome. The idea was…strangely appealing. "As I said, my lord, I lack your talents. Neither have I a way of obtaining them. What is easy for you….is far more difficult for me." He stared at the ground, cheeks deep scarlet, and Jude realized now the flush carried a touch of shame.

Well, that certainly was not necessary. Not everyone need be a hopeless rake like himself. It was a vastly amusing life, most of the time, but it had its own pitfalls.

He moved the slightest step closer, just barely invading Ford's personal space – but it was more than enough to make Ford take a step back, then another as Jude moved closer again. Until Ford collided with a tree.

So easy.

Jude braced his hand just to the left of Ford's head, almost laughing at the way those dark, dark eyes went wide. "Would you like to learn?"

Ford choked. "W-what?"

This time he did chuckle, reaching up idly to dust the knuckle of his right hand down Ford's left cheek. "Well, you call me a master, and you are an innocent in need of lessons. I am in need of an interesting way to pass the time, and you want to know how to seduce your man. I would call it a fair exchange."

It was a wonder there was blood left for the rest of his body, so much of it seemed to have gathered in Ford's face. "My-my lord. You could not possibly mean…"

"Oh, but I do," Jude said, dropping his hand and stepping away. "One month, say? That will bring us to her Majesty's Summer Gala. The perfect opportunity to seduce your man. By then, I will have made you a master in your own right."

Ford's eyes were still so wide. He licked his lips. "You are making a mockery of me, my lord. I cannot see why you would offer such a thing. Indeed, are you not one of those who prefer experience?"

"I prefer not to be bored," Jude replied, moving close again, trapping Ford between him and the tree. "So what say you, innocent? Yes or no?"

Seconds turned to minutes as Ford stared at the ground, at the pond, at his discarded writing case. Finally he looked up, a hint of something – determination, stubbornness, or maybe defiance – in his eyes, the tilt of his chin. "Very well, my lord. Accepted. However, if you are to give me lessons, then there should be payment?"

Jude laughed and bent down just enough to brush a feather-soft kiss across Ford's lips. "Oh, I think I shall receive payment aplenty from the arrangement." He pulled away, amused at the dazed look upon Ford's face. "And as I said, it will keep me from boredom. That is all I truly require."

"Of course," Ford replied, the words oddly calm. Then again, he did look rather overwhelmed. How entertaining. He was used to men who knew all the rules, all the plays, men far too jaded to be affected by such a simple kiss – if they bothered to kiss at all.

"Call upon me tomorrow, young Ford," Jude said stepping further away, giving Ford breathing space.

Ford looked at him, then looked away, cheeks once more burning fiercely. "Yes, my lord."

Jude laughed softly. "Under the circumstances, I think you must call me Jude."

"Crispin," Ford replied. "Calling me Ford makes me think of my father or brothers."

"As you like, then, Crispin. Call in the early afternoon, I will treat you to lunch. Lessons will begin shortly thereafter." Winking, Jude turned and strode away before Crispin could say anything further, mind spinning with ideas for all the lessons he could and would give.

*~*~*

The next day brought rain, a summer shower that made it impossible to do anything but stare out the window and wait for it to end. The rain was so heavy he could scarcely see the stoop, never mind the drive and the lawn beyond.

Jude rather felt like sulking.

Glaring at the rain once more, he abandoned the front salon and made his way to his study to do precisely that. Settling behind his great desk, he worked his way without interest through correspondence he had been avoiding the past few days.

Invitations to various fetes, a weekend party, letters from distant friends, one from his sister who lived halfway across the world now. Quickly he sorted everything into that which could be discarded, those to which his secretary would need to reply, and the letters he would like to keep.

The clock in the hallway chimed the fourteenth hour, and Jude lost interest in the letter he was pretending to read. Such foul weather made travel foolish, if not downright impossible, though the Ford estate was only an hour or so by horseback from his own.

No note had come stating that Crispin was canceling their appointment, but Jude had not sent a note either. There was no need – the weather was plenty note enough.

Still, when he had been looking forward to a day that should have been anything but boring…rain and correspondence made for poor compensation.

Bother it.

Shoving back from his desk, Jude stood and strode over to his bookcases. The majority of his books were kept in the library proper, but he had several of his dearest in his study. He touched the spines lightly, perusing his options, but in the end returned to his desk with nothing.

He had just begun going over his accounts for the month when he heard the sharp, echoing bangs of the knocker being struck. Who the devil would come knocking in this weather? Surely not…

Jude stood up and moved round his desk, even as he saw Feathers stride by the open study door. Moving slowly toward the door, he paused there as Feathers opened the front door and spoke to someone outside.

The rain drowned out any chance he stood of hearing the speaker, but a moment later Feathers stepped back and ushered in a short, thin figure draped in a sopping cloak.

It was rare anything surprised Jude. He could count on one hand the number of lovers who had ever braved such inclement weather to visit him and still hold a glass of brandy without difficulty. His feet were moving before he quite realized it. "Feathers, have a hot bath drawn. Tell the cook to prepare tea, we'll take it in blue room. I will tend our guest here."

"Yes, my lord," Feathers said, and vanished to carry out his orders.

Jude watched in silence as Crispin stripped off his sodden cloak. The clothes beneath were only slightly better off. "I left my horse in the stable, my lord. I hope that was not taking liberty."

"It is not, but were it, I could hardly take issue," Jude replied, teasing him with a gentle smirk. "The entire purpose of our acquaintance is, after all, to take liberty. Extreme liberty." And oh how he suddenly wanted to take them – the depth of that want was startling, but he never had been the type to deny what he wanted. Soaked from the rain, very little of Crispin was left to the imagination, dark strands of hair clinging to his cheeks, the pretty eyes moving restlessly. "I did not expect to see you today, my dear boy."

"Oh," Crispin said, eyes widening with dismay, cheeks turning ruddy. "Shall I take myself off? I…"

Jude caught his forearm in a light hold as Crispin started to pull his cloak back on and turn away. "Not at all. I simply assumed the weather would not be worth braving."

Crispin looked at him, amusement flickering across his face, but the reason for it went unvoiced.

"What has you so amused?" He drawled the question, making the question sound as though it was asked out of bored curiosity.

There was a moment of hesitation, wariness in Crispin's face – but a smile twitched his lips. "I have braved more than one storm in my life, my lord, and will face many more, if the only other option available to me is to remain trapped inside with my older brothers.

"Ah, yes. Siblings." Jude found himself returning the hint of smile. How strange, that was twice now Crispin had tricked him into smiling. "My sister oft found herself the victim of rainy day pranks."

"Yes, my lord," Crispin said, smile settling more firmly on his mouth. "So, you see, the storm is not much of an obstacle."

Jude nodded, and finally took the wet cloak, passing it to the maid who had appeared.

"My lord, the bath will be ready shortly. We've also put out some suitable clothing. All is waiting in the burgundy room…"

Ah, he had neglected to say where to put Crispin. Most of his guests came with amorous intent, but not all, so it was hard to anticipate his wishes. The burgundy room was across the hall from his own. "That will suffice, thank you, Abigail. See his cloak is dried and neatened, if you please."

He waited until she had gone again before speaking to Crispin. "Does your family know where you are?"

Crispin shook his head. "I did not feel at liberty to discuss our…arrangement, my lord, not certain of your wishes in the matter." His gaze landed on the door through which the maid had vanished. "You need not trouble yourself, my lord. I assure you I am not so wet as that."

"Nonsense," Jude said, and moved close enough to place a hand lightly on the small of his back, gently urging him forward. The fabric of his jacket was cold, but beneath he could feel the warmth of Crispin's body.

Perhaps this distraction would prove far more interesting than he had dared hope.

Continuing to half-push, half-guide, he got Crispin up the stairs and into the burgundy room. Steam curled from the copper tub set before a fire, and Jude nodded in approval that Feathers had thought to set out a glass of brandy on the small table near the bath. "Here you are, then. If you were willing to come see me in such foul weather, the least I can do is see you do not catch your death. Bathe, get warm, then find me in the blue parlor room."

"Y-yes, my lord."

Jude departed before he gave into a sudden temptation to begin lessons that very moment. He had far better control than that, and he must be more bored than he thought if he was this taken with the idea of playing tutor to such an innocent.

Shaking his head, he returned to the study to put his things in order, as he would not be getting further work done that day.

It was half past the fifteenth hour when Crispin reappeared, dressed in clothes finer than those in which he had arrived. Jude tried briefly to recall which of his myriad lovers might have left such finery behind, but could only manage to narrow it to three possibilities, and then only because few of his lovers were that slight.

All things considered, the clothing fit Crispin well. Black breeches and a deep violet afternoon jacket. The knot in his neck cloth was more intricate than he suspected Crispin ever bothered.

He fought a sudden, surprisingly hot, urge to tear the neck cloth away. Obviously the lack of boredom was going straight to his head. Or perhaps straight to his prick. Amused with himself, Jude beckoned for Crispin to sit.

His mouth curved when Crispin chose the nearby chair. "Now, now, my pretty pupil. There are different ways to go about the little game I am teaching you to play. 'Hard to get' is, I suspect, too advanced a style of play for you. A bit of forwardness will contrast beautifully with your innocent air." He crooked his fingers idly. "Sitting over there is playing hard to get. Forwardness would be to come and sit by me."

Crispin flushed, but did not move.

"Now, now, do not be a naughty student," Jude said. "Hmm, perhaps it is better to say do not defy me. You are more than welcome to be naughty. Now, come and sit by me."

Face burning, Crispin stood and moved to the settee, sitting at the far end of it.

Jude chuckled and snagged his arm, tugging him closer, so that their thighs were not quite touching. "Better." He let his fingers slowly fall away. "Now, the next part of this lesson – showing your gratitude properly."

Crispin started to speak, but Jude placed a finger over his lips, then slowly slid the finger away and cupped his chin, tilting Crispin's head up, angling it just so. "Now tell me thank you, as prettily as your tutors taught you to say it. Do not move your head or look away until I bid you."

Red-faced and embarrassed, Crispin nevertheless obeyed. "Thank you, my lord, for your fine hospitality. You are most generous."

"Oh, very prettily said, indeed. I think you will be a fine pupil. Now, here is an important lesson for you. Seduction is all about control. You are the seducer, therefore you control the situation. We are playing off your quieter nature, therefore, your goal is to coax me into taking liberties."

He was so very tempted already. Perhaps he should consider giving lessons more often, if it stirred his blood so much. It was an idea he had given in to on impulse, but he was utterly taken with it. Why, he was not quite certain. Simply because it was such an amusing way to go about those acts in which he'd engaged a thousand times and more.

"Tempt me, lovely. Take full advantage of the situation. Thank me again, but this time offer a desire to thank me, or perhaps being at a loss as to how to thank me. Lean forward a bit as you say it, invite me with body as much as words."

They really would have to overcome those red cheeks, amusing as they were. Crispin gave a slow blink, eyes darker than ever. "Thank you, my lord, for your generous hospitality." He obediently leaned forward the slightest bit. Perfect, really. Perhaps a natural seducer lurked beneath the flushed face and nervous mien.

A surprisingly unpleasant thought, though Jude could not say why. If the lessons were in seductions, all the better if Crispin showed a natural capability for it. Still…it would make the lessons too easy, and easy was boring.

"I am at a loss as to how to thank you properly," Crispin finished, and then his nervousness got the better of him, as he licked his lips.

The gesture was a perfect touch, even if he didn't realize it.

Jude sank a hand into the soft, dark hair, tugging his head back to a sharper angle, falling into the proper role for this little lesson. It was entirely too easy to do. "I'm certain we can think of something, if you insist, but it is my pleasure to be your generous host."

Then he kissed Crispin, because that was the natural conclusion to this little play. He'd intended to keep it brief, so as not to overwhelm, but the mouth beneath his was surprisingly soft and warm, flavored with brandy, and shockingly pliant.

Crispin's responses were awkward, clumsy, but he quickly grasped the basics. How strange a feeling, to know he was the first to have done this. He avoided innocents like the plague, preferring the company of those who knew what they were about and would suffer no illusions. Nothing spoiled a dalliance like declarations of love and eternity and other such claptrap.

When he finally broke the kiss, Crispin looked thoroughly dazed and wonderfully mussed, and in no small way seriously affected. Jude almost smiled. His ego hardly needed the stroking, but he liked to see a mere kiss have such a strong affect.

It was, however, more than a little astonishing that the kiss affected him.

Attributing it to an amusing distraction after so many days of ennui, Jude sat back and summoned an approving smile. "Well done for a first lesson." He idly reached out and brushed back a loose strand of damp hair from Crispin's cheek, then sat all the way back in his own seat. "Now, if you would, pour us some tea and we shall move right along."

Nodding, face hot, Crispin moved to pour the tea. Jude considered and discarded instructions on teasing and playing with food, serving tea – such things required a degree of artifice and playfulness that would likely prove problematic for Crispin to affect.

He accepted his tea as Crispin offered it, holding the fragile-looking green and blue porcelain cup lightly, sipping idly. Dark and sweet, exactly as he liked it. Taking another sip, he then set the teacup aside and reached for a bit of savory pie, eating it slowly as he regarded his pupil, who sat quietly eating a scone and sipping tea.

Another bit of pie kept him from reaching out to stroke the still-red cheeks.

So easily embarrassed, so shy and awkward – yet there was boldness beneath that, to agree to such a thing as these lessons. Boldness or pure determination…desperation? Either way, it was remarkable. Jude was impressed, and despite himself wanted suddenly, badly to know who would inspire so quiet a boy to such lengths as these.

Well, he had never been one to deny himself. "For whom do you take these lessons?" he asked, breaking the silence. "Seduction works all the better when tailored to the last detail for a specific person? What arouses one will repel another."

Crispin shrugged, eyes meeting his briefly before skittering away. "I feel foolish enough, my lord, without confessing the object of my torment. I beg of you not to demand of me a name."

He moved before he thought, licking crumbs from his lips as he loomed over Crispin, bracing his hands on either side of him, forcing Crispin to lean back, putting him at a lovely angle. "Well, normally I would demand…but I like the way you beg, pretty pupil."

The blue eyes widened, Crispin drawing a sharp breath, and the heat from the kiss that had only just dissipated came back in full. Before he realized what he was doing, Jude was kissing him again, taking all the pleasure to be had from Crispin's warm, untutored mouth.

Jude broke the kiss, sternly admonishing himself to focus. "You are proving to be the finest of pupils, Crispin." He rubbed his thumb over the kiss-swollen lips. "Fine, indeed. Which brings me to a question that perhaps I should have addressed sooner. How much do you want to learn from me? A line must be drawn somewhere, after all."

Crispin stared at him, then his chin lifted slightly in a gesture of stubbornness that only young men could affect so well. "I want to know what you know, my lord. I did not agree to this only to do things by half."

"Good answer," Jude murmured, satisfaction making his blood hot. Oh, the things he would enjoy teaching this one. A better man would feel ashamed at the idea of taking such advantage of Crispin. Jude had always enjoyed being a rake; let the better men have their rules and propriety.

He wanted Crispin hot and slick with sweat, gasping beneath him, or atop him riding with that strange mixture of shy and bold. Ah, yes. What a fine thing his impulse of yesterday had brought to him.

Sitting back, Jude retrieved his tea and sipped it slowly. "So tell me more about yourself, Crispin, if you will not speak of the object of your affections. If we are not to know the prey, then we must know the predator."

Crispin laughed, and Jude could not miss the trace of sadness in it. "There's not much to tell about me. The youngest of three, and I take after my mother. I studied abroad in her homeland for a couple of years." His mouth quirked in a smile. "It was good to return home; I never developed a true taste for most of the food there. Too spicy."

"I never favored it, myself," Jude said, smiling. "In fact, I believe one of those confounded dishes rendered me sick abed for three days. I have stuck to less exotic dishes ever since."

"I suspect I know which dish was the culprit," Crispin said, hesitant smile turning into a grin. "My mother occasionally has the cooks make her the food she misses. None of us ever eat with her, much to her dismay."

Jude nodded, and set his empty cup down. Before he could move to pour more, Crispin was already doing it, fixing it quickly and smiling shyly as he handed it back. Oh, a natural indeed.

He found he rather wished Crispin was not proving so very good at his lessons, for that would bring them all the sooner to an end. Reaching out to accept the freshly filled teacup, Jude let his fingers brush Crispin's, lingering a moment. "You are taking well to your lessons," he murmured, gazing at Crispin over the rim of his teacup.

Crispin flushed. "You – my lord is a fine instructor."

That was not what he had first intended to say, but Jude squashed an urge to ask. "Have you any plans for the rest of day, Crispin?"

"No, my lord."

Jude chuckled and set his teacup down. "Now, did we not already dispense with formalities? If you are going to continue to address me so, I shall have to cease calling you Crispin, and that would be a pity."

"Oh. Of course, my—" Crispin licked his lips, and his voice had softened when he spoke again. "Jude. My apologies."

He'd not heard his name said that prettily in many long years. As if being permitted to say it were a privilege, rather than a right.

A dangerous thought slipped into his mind, that whoever had snared this young man was very lucky indeed. He did not like it, that thought. Dismissing it, he focused on the matter at hand.

Cupping Crispin's chin, he tugged him gently forward and brushed a slow kiss across his mouth, wondering at the way it burned right through him. "Well, if you have no plans, then remain here with me the rest of the day. You take so well to your lessons, we may as well keep them going at a vigorous pace."

Ah, yes. There were his red cheeks. "As you wish, m—Jude. I should send my family a note, however, for they will miss me come the dinner hour."

"Send any note you like," Jude said, letting go and sitting back, sipping his tea. "It certainly does me no harm for all to know you dally here with me. For your part, it would help to make you a man of experience in the eyes of your true love, to know I had coaxed you into my lair. Hmm? So send your note, and by tomorrow afternoon all will know you have entered into a dalliance with me. He smiled. "Why, come the Summer Gala, you will have your man all but melting in your palm."

Crispin smiled faintly, staring into his tea for a long moment. Finally he looked up. "As you say, my lord. Very well. If you have the materials, I will pen a note to my family." He laughed briefly. "I half wish I was home to see the looks upon their faces. The very moment I return, they will wonder where I really passed the time."

Jude smirked, and pitched his voice low, injecting unmistakable intent into his tone. "Then we will have to make certain you return home looking thoroughly tussled."

He found, to his great horror and dismay, that he was finding those flushes less and less amusing, and far more like something suspiciously close to endearing.

Foolishness. He had been bored so long, he had forgotten what it was like not to be bored. It was going straight to his head. That was all.

Jude stood and crossed the room to the bell pull, summoning a servant to fetch writing implements and to see a proper dinner was prepared.