“Lady Marguerite,” Penny spoke softly. “How many times do you have to be fitted by this woman, just to make some dresses? This is at least the f...ifth time she’s sent her husband to fetch you, and we’ve yet to see a finished gown. We could have gone to Paris, had a dress made, and returned in no time.”“She does wonderful work,” Marguerite told her maidservant. “She is meticulous and wishes the dresses to fit me properly. Plus, she shows me new ideas, and we spend time gossiping. Don’t begrudge me. "You honour promises to family and close friends, you do NOT honour promises to a degenerate--" he took a second out to look in Philip McKenna's direction before turning back to his wife "--like McKenna here to have sex with both his boys and a host of their school friends."Alison looked at both secretaries, first at Elizabeth Worthington and then at Paula Chapman who she'd just witnessed her husband fuck on his office desk even while she was on the phone to her mother. She saw the contempt in. "You're a pretty good dancer, Andy." He grunted an acknowledgement. "Not as good as you." "I think we'd better get cleaned up before lunch." Andy shrugged. "Come with me." Taking his hand firmly in her own, Helen led Andy carefully, but determinedly, up the stairs to the bathroom. "We need to shower some of this paint, dirt, and sweat off." "What?" Barefoot, and eager, Helen stepped out of her jeans outside the bathroom door. Now that she was down to her panties and tee shirt, she began to undo. I noticed her steady, confident strides. I noticed her bronzed, toned legs. I noticed her lean, cut shoulders. I noticed her returning my gaze, and grinning. Lastly, I noticed the man with her, carrying 4 bags with designer labels as she pressed the button of the elevator. Tourists. Neither of us knew it yet, but we were about to become closer. Much closer. My entire dinner was a fight with my imagination. Relaxing was not coming easy with flashes of her in my memory. I finally surrendered to.