Nine Shillings

Old Wounds

London - 1842

As soon as I opened the library door Josef's gaze met mine then flicked to Bran lying on the couch staring at the ceiling with his arms folded over his chest.

I leaned against the back of the couch to pull my boots off. 'It's quiet when the children are in bed.'

'This calls for libation,' Josef said and went to the drinks cabinet.

I unpinned my hair, wriggled out of my trousers and tossed them aside then climbed over the arm of the couch to lie on top of Bran. He put his arms round me and pressed his face to my hair, inhaling my scent.

'Why take your trousers off?' Josef asked and put two glasses of whiskey on the table near Bran's head.

'I'm secretly an optimist.' I shifted about a bit so I wasn't poking or squashing anything, I didn't get poked in return.

Josef's fingers brushed my thigh, just above my knee.

'Naughty,' I murmured. 'What'd you think, Bran? Shall I let him have a touch?'

Bran shook his head in the tiniest motion against the top of mine. Josef and I shared a glance.

'My husband doesn't want to share,' I said. 'You're out of luck.'

'Damn.' Josef took a sip of his whiskey and sat back down in the armchair. 'I have deft fingers too.'

I chuckled and kissed Bran's chest. 'I'm quite happy with these hands, thank you.' I moved one of Bran's hands to my rear, he squeezed me tighter to him and I sighed. 'That's better.'

'I hate you,' Josef said, smiling into his glass.

'You love me,' I replied. 'You want to... hug me.'

Bran made a soft sound but I wouldn't have called it a laugh.

'Got the morbs, chuckaboo?' I whispered.

'It's noth–'

'It's never nothing.'

'Just words,' he said. 'I shouldn't let them bother me.'

I propped myself up and loosened his cravat. 'I find words to be very powerful weapons.'

He took a deep breath. 'I feel... inadequate... You and Josef look so perfect together.'

'Except we need a responsible adult.' I pulled his cravat off.

'True,' Josef said. 'You are a very vexing woman.'

'Oh, be quiet.' I threw the scrunched-up cravat at him.

Josef watched it land at his feet and arched an eyebrow at me.

I opened out Bran's shirt. 'Trust me, you're more than...' I kissed his chest and smiled. 'Adequate.'

'Carry on,' Josef said. 'I can manage myself.'

I smothered a laugh and shot him a mock vexed look. 'Quiet you.'

'You're the one who called me a masturbator,' he replied. 'I like to live up to expectations.'

'The direction is downwards, sugar stick.'

He saluted me with his glass. 'Sounds like I could use a hand after all.'

Bran unwrapped his arms from me. 'You're having fun, I'll go to bed.'

'Can we come?' Josef asked.

I stuck my middle finger up at him.

'I wish,' he muttered.