The Duke's Kamasutra

The Coffehouse

I sit on a little stage in the coffee house and plug the strings of my sitar to tune it, using an exotic scale. There are dozens of men and even some women gathered in the cramped room and Charles welcomes them cordially. „My art loving friends, may I present you Miss Elinor Bentley who just arrived from Bombay a few weeks ago. She is the daughter of the late Sir Arthur Bentley, a former factor of the East India Company. Growing up in China and India, she has learnt the musical art of the east and presents you a classical piece on her sitar."

The audience claps politely and I nervously start with my first notes. As the sound surrounds me and cover the silence, I sink into the wonderful last piece Guru Sankar instructed me and play a quarter of an hour. My fingers hurry over the neck of my sitar as the pace accelerates till the piece ends in a blur of exotic notes. There is a short silence and then the room erupts into a thunderous applause. Many people approach me and I hand my sitar to a young man reverently touching its strings.

An elderly aristocrat with a younger woman at his arm smiles benevolently. Charles introduces him to me „Elinor, may I present you the Baron and Baronet Longmark?" I answer civilly and smile at them. „You must have learnt many languages then, Miss Bentley" the Baron asks me. The crowd quietens around me. „Yes my lord, I learnt French from my mother, Hindi from my amah and Sanskrit, Latin and Greek from my tutor. The same who taught me the sitar as well. And some Mandarin during our stay in Bejing, but my writing is not yet proficient. I picked up even a little bit of Arabic from the ships captain this last four months."

The crowd comments my language skills with excited exclamations when a portly man in the last row ask loudly „Miss Bentley, there is a lot of talk about a famous book from India called the Kamasutra and some coffehouses are in an uproar about it. Can you tell us about it?"

I look at him and feel my face heating up as the crowd gets quiet. „Well, sir, it is a more than 1000 years old text with rules of conduct between man and woman and is traditionally laid under the pillow of newlywed couples in the Indian upperclass. But I can't comment on its content as it is usually not a subject of debate in the company of unmarried women." And then the loud babble starts to drown every attempt to any conversation.

I am tired and pack my sitar in its bag. Charles is still in a intense discussion when I sign him that I wait outside. I wrap my cape around myself and leave the noise. I take a deep breath while enjoying the silence outside the door. The coffee house is in a quiet part of London where traffic is scarce.

„So you know Sanskrit, Miss Bentley" a velvety voice asks behind me. I startle and spin around. The approaching mans face is in the dark, I just can make out his tall, lean frame against the lanterns light and I start to back away. He stops immediately and bows briefly „I am Lord Egerton and an acquaintance of your cousin Mr. Charles Pemberly. He mentioned that you are in need of a position as a governess."

I relax and answer politely „How do you do, Lord Edgerton" and curtsy equally briefly. I recognize a flash of a smile in the dark before he asks „Your Sanskrit, Miss Bentley?" Lord Egerton doesn't seem to appreciate chitchat.

„I am proficient in Sanskrit, my lord. I had lessons in Indian culture and language for the last ten years."

„So you are able to translate old Sanskrit texts into English?"

„Yes, my lord. I translated around seventy philosophical and religious texts into english until now. My tutor was quite pleased with their quality."

„You would be quite wasted as a Governess, Miss Bentley." He approaches and looks down at me. He has the full advantage of the candle lighting my face whereas I am not able to determine his features nor his age. But the wind blows a pleasant scent to me. Sandalwood, it must be Sandalwood with a hint of saffron and ambra. I close my eyes and Bombay's market flashes in my mind. He wears an Indian perfume, how odd.

„I was able to purchase some old manuscripts from India and want them translated. If it meets with your approval, I will contact you again through Mr. Pemberley." He bows again and strides to a grand carriage with four horses where a coachman and two footmen await him.

Charles exits the coffee house as Edgertons carriage rolls away.

„What can you tell me about Lord Edgerton, Charles?"

„William Edgerton is the Duke of Bridgewater."

Thank you very much for reading!

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Any new read spurs me to continue this exciting search for sensuality.

Lavinia Perla