Why Lorie? Part I

Chapter 20: The Desired Intruder (Mature!)

**The following chapter contains sexually explicit material. It is intended for mature audiences.**

After the day's excitement, Josette was exhausted. She and Lorie had eaten more than usual on the train ride from Paris to Vienna - mostly out of boredom, so they decided to skip dinner. Parting from the Forets and reuniting with the Bartholys had been emotionally draining, and unpacking - physically so. Even Lorie started to yawn after she spent all of her energy exploring their new home. Josette decided it was time to put her daughter to bed.

"But, Maman... there's still so much to do," the little one protested.

"I know, but you have all the time in the world to do so, cherie. And I am very, very tired," Josette explained.

Despite Lorie's arguing, her eyelids felt heavy. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light. Josette placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead, turned off the light and quietly closed the door to the child's room. She gave a sigh of relief as she re-entered her own quarters.

Josette decided it was time to test out her fancy bathtub. She turned the water on hot and selected a bottle of lilac bubble bath. Viktor had been thoughtful enough to provide her with a variety of scents. Josette had always loved lilac and found its smell calming yet sensual.

While the tub was filling, Josette walked into her closet and undressed. She threw her travel clothes in a pile on the floor and examined her surroundings. Lorie had been right - the closet was gigantic. Josette had sent most of her things ahead of her, and they were already hanging neatly on wooden hangers. She noticed there were a few items that were unfamiliar to her and pulled them off the rack for a closer inspection. To her delight, she saw they were all lingerie items that Viktor had purchased for her. Among them, Josette found a nightgown made of the lightest pale green satin, and a matching robe.

"How beautiful," she whispered, feeling the softness of the material against her own cheek.

Josette decided she would wear it that night, and set it on her bed. She and Viktor had already started planning their wedding, but until that fateful day, Josette wanted to remain chaste. She realized she was twenty-five years old and already had a child, and didn't make the decision out of prudishness. She wanted it to signify a new beginning. When she first told Viktor of her decision, Josette worried he might be upset. However, to her surprise, her fiancée was quite supportive and didn't put up an argument.

"I understand," Viktor told her. "And my love for you is great enough that I can wait a little bit longer. After all, I was able to control my desires for five years already... so what's a few more weeks?"

Viktor already had his own chambers across the hallway from hers. Traditionally, couples of their elevated station kept separate bedrooms in order to ensure their privacy. When it came to lovemaking, they always found a way to be together, but late Victorian society expected them to also maintain a certain degree of separation. Plus, Josette enjoyed the feminine aura of her own quarters. She had stepped into Viktor's room earlier that evening and saw it was decorated in a very masculine style, with furniture made of heavy mahogany and dark blue upholstery. While it was still quite elegant, Josette did not think she would like to spend too much time cooped up in there. It was a bit too dark and traditional for her taste and she much preferred her light and airy room.

Josette returned to the bathroom just as the tub got full. She lightly stepped into it and immersed herself in the steamy, aromatic water. She laid all the way back and closed her eyes, enjoying the peace and quiet surrounding her. She let her thoughts drift wherever they would go... her life had taken such a dramatic turn. As a teenager, Josette had never thought she would marry a much older man. Then again, she had also never thought she would have an affair that would leave her with a child born out of wedlock. And now, she found herself in the house of Viktor Bartholy, a man in his forties - at least twenty years her senior... and her soon to be husband.