Covet - Miles Bridgerton's story

Chapter 9 - Campfire (Part 2)

 The storytelling turn by the campfire had passed on to Sarah, who gave a surprisingly gruesome presentation about an undead axe murderer that roamed the dark forests of England, probably even right here in Kent.

"Alright, that's it. I want to go to bed, but I do not dare to go alone after that..." Amanda grimaced when it was close to midnight. "Olly, could you please come with me?"

"Sure, I'm getting rather tired as well..." He yawned and stood up. "Goodnight everybody!"

"Goodnight!" Charlotte and the rest hooted back at them. "Perhaps we should go home, too?"

"Why not..." Jack replied, a bit dryly.

"Wait a minute, I am just being very curious..." Miles began and had yet another sip of his ale, while Geoffrey thought to himself that he indeed seemed to be curious about a lot of things nowadays. "Are you like... Not sleeping with each other at all, or how does your thing work out?" He wondered, clearly emboldened by all the alcohol.

"I feel very sorry for your future wife, Miles, if you honestly think that intercourse is the only way to do it." Charlotte snapped sharply back at him and Jack blushed severely, as well as David and Sarah, while Amelia and Geoffrey looked a bit more intrigued than awkward.

"I do know that there are other ways, thank you very much." Miles replied with a feigned smile to his sister. "So, you are just... Living like a couple of sapphic ladies then?"

"Goodnight, Miles." Charlotte snarled. "And goodnight to everyone else, too..." She muttered, before disappearing into the darkness with Jack.

"That was a bit unnecessary." Geoffrey pointed out to Miles.

"I simply wanted to know how they do it!" Miles protested, while Amelia thought that they behaved like an old married couple, the nicer one scolding the ruder and grumpier one.

"Hey, Augie went back to the house and... Sorry, I did not mean to startle you!" Eddie smirked, when he had suddenly appeared into the light of the fire and made everyone wince, probably thinking that he was the horrendous axe murderer. "Davey, I tried talking to your brother, but I think I might have just pissed him off more and now he marched up to the house... He is also quite drunk and high, could you go and see that he is alright?" He asked in a slightly worried tone.

"Of course. Goodnight everybody." David bowed politely and cast one more look at Sarah before leaving towards the house. Amelia immediately realised that her moment had come.

"Ah, I'm so terribly tired and we have to get up early with Lavender tomorrow...!" She exclaimed with a long yawn. "I am so sorry, Miss Sarah, but you cannot stay here any longer either, not without a chaperone... I am the only married woman around here." She stated with what was supposed to be an apologetic voice, fighting the urge to wink her eye at Geoffrey.

"Oh, of course... What a pity, I would have liked to stay out a bit longer, but I do of course understand that you are tired, being with child and all." Sarah replied somewhat melancholically.

"I can stay up a while longer with you. Surely I can be a chaperone, too, since I am a married man!" Eddie smiled, but grimaced when Amelia suddenly stepped hard on his toe.

"No, darling, you cannot. It's your turn to wake up with Lavvie, remember?" She said sternly with a meaningful look and it took a while before Eddie's eyes lit up with understanding.

"Ooh, yes...! I forgot about that entirely." He blurted out, glancing at Geoffrey and Miles.

"Come, Miss Sarah, it is my duty as the future viscountess to escort you safely back to your room." Amelia said with an exceedingly friendly smile towards the girl and offered her an elegant arm.