The Duke's Kamasutra

The Book

I enter the Duke's study and nearly stumble over the hem of my dress. Well, it was Ada's old dress and I release a foul curse about not having the hem altered properly in time. With little grace I am able to hang onto my pile of translations while a set of amused eyes observe my near tumble.

„You have impressive language skills but I never imagined you to have learnt to swear so... skillfully. I am quite impressed. Where did you learn this accomplishment?" He reclines in his seat and gazes at me.

I shuffle my feet and draw a breath to find my composure. „On my voyage I learnt one or two expression from the sailors". Or three or a few dozens? I don't know. Since my infancy, language sticks to me. I am not like other people. Common folk forget things they want to memorize, I on the other hand have trouble to forget anything, even something I want to eradicate. I am like a word-sponge: anything I read integrates into my spiderweb of a memory.

„So you learnt Arabic and cussing on the same trip? What other fascinating knowledge did you gather while you were traveling to London, I wonder?"

Interesting, he might have a good memory himself if he remembers something so insignificant to him. I answer politely: „Not that much my lord, just what I read in my fathers books."

And what would a lady read during her long, straining travels? He grins darkly again. „Adventures like Robinsoe Crusoe? Or tragedies? Moll Flanders perhaps? Or a salacious romance forbidden to mention in civil company, hidden deep down at the bottom of your travel chest?'

I approach his desk, position my pile of translations on the edge and answer drily: „No, nothing so diverting I'm afraid. I read Keppler's Astronomia Nova and Galilei's Sidereus Nuncius and Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche. And Newton's Naturalis Principia Mathematica. I was quite fortunate to borrow this one from Captain Saladin, who helped me furthermore refine my knife throwing skills."

He looks at me in awe-stricken silence for half a minute. „Knife throwing skills? Why on earth does a lady like you learn to throw a knife, I wonder?"

„I have to be able to defend myself against men who want to torture sordid details about former mentioned literature out of me" I answer deadpan and add „and I sometimes had to fend off less than decent folk on my travels".

He chuckles to himself „Why, Miss Bentley, I wonder: What other aces do you have up your sleeve? You turn out to be rather resourceful. That will certainly help you with your next assignment" he adds mysteriously and walks to the closed cupboards to retrieve a book. „I procured this volume from an indian nobleman who passed through London a few weeks ago. The text must be a few hundred years old and is written on paper, interestingly. I didn't know that paper existed outside China that early." He walks back to me and hands me the volume.

I instantly recognize it and recoil in horror. „My lord, I must decline this assignment! It doesn't behove an unmarried woman and I simply have not the proper vocabulary for a translation of this oeuvre. This needs expertise beyond my own and I am simply out of my depth."

„Well Miss Bentley, as I am the Duke and your employer, you will do as you are told" he says ruthlessly. His arrogance irks me and I want to launch into a retort but he simply holds up his hand and continues: „Furthermore, as a woman who reads Keppler, Galilei and Newton, you are surely intelligent enough to learn about male-female interactions as well? Isn't the need to learn driving you to excellence? Wouldn't you want to know more about your own warm body and its delights instead of predicting orbits of planets in the cold universe?"

It is unnerving how he's figured me out and found the most important trigger to my consent. But still, I hesitate. He approaches untill his coat brushes my shoulder and he whispers softly into my ear: "And I am at your service for any questions you may have. As you may be aware of my reputation by now, I am quite accomplished in the sins of the flesh". He smiles wolfishly and puts the volume into my hand.

It's Vatsyanyana's Kamasutra. 

Thank you very much for reading!

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

Lavinia Perla