Genesis in Bloom

"Come Alex, you must see the women of Le Petit Palais for they are the most beautiful courtesans in all of Paris."

Lord Alexander Lansing, the Earl of Landower, smiled at his friend. "I have enjoyed dinner and a game of cards, but now I wish to take my leave."

"And return to your solitary home?" Gregory shook his head. "I thought when you moved to Paris, we would spend more time together."

Alex looked around the elegant restaurant with its glittering chandeliers, reflective mirrors, and candlelit atmosphere. Suddenly he was reminded of the ballrooms of London, of the night he had danced with Anna for the first time.

"I see it in your face," said Gregory. "You still mourn her, don't you? It's been two years, and you must get on with your life."

"How can I stop myself? If I had shown her more love, if she had trusted me more—"

"She was a suspicious woman, and you couldn't have done anything more to allay her fears and jealousies. She was torn between her love of you and the life she left behind."

"She gave up her child to be with me. Her husband wouldn't consent to a divorce, neither would he allow her to see the boy. This was the beginning of her decline, but her jealousy made things intolerable for her."

"She made the decision to end her life. If she had kept faith in you, if she had kept faith in the future, but she didn't possess those qualities."

"If she had trusted me more perhaps she wouldn't have taken her own life."

"You must pray you never fall that deeply in love again for that sort of passion never survives."

"Do you really believe that?"

Gregory nodded. "My way is better. No emotional attachments to muddy the waters. I take their bodies, and they take mine. Everyone is happy."

Alex gave a bitter laugh. "You make it sound so easy."

Gregory shrugged. "What's hard about it? Listen, you can't rewrite the past, and you can't blame yourself for Anna's death. What you need is a woman to help you forget." He spread his arms wide. "And if there's any place on earth which will offer forgetfulness, it is Paris. The women here are the most beautiful and elegant in the world."

Alex looked around the crowded restaurant and studied the happy patrons enjoying a delicious meal. Perhaps his friend was right. Paris was a city of life, of light and hope. There was beauty around every corner, from the colorful flower stalls to the cozy cafes where one could spend a lazy Sunday people watching. There was the majestic cathedral of Notre Dame and the magnificent boulevard Champs-Élysées which had often been referred to as "la plus belle avenue du monde" or "the most beautiful avenue in the world."

"Very well," said Alex. "Let us visit these courtesans which you find so entrancing."

The drive through Paris soothed Alex's troubled spirit. His newly adopted city was at her most enchanting in the evening when the city lights glittered and finely dressed people were out on the town. They passed the famous Left Bank, the most romantic area of all. Artists who were building their careers called this community home, as did others who were not so well known and who supported themselves by selling reproductions of more famous works. The city throbbed with energy, with youth, with a vital essence which had been missing for too long in his life.

For the first time in months, Alex inhaled deeply of the perfumed night air and smiled.

Their carriage pulled up in front of Le Petit Palais at midnight. Even at this late hour, the mansion glowed with light from every window. The grounds were well-landscaped, and a butler opened the door to their carriage and greeted them warmly.

"Gentlemen, we are full at the moment but I invite you to have a drink in the bar. There are many lovely ladies to entertain you while you wait for a room."

Alex's cock pulsed with life at the thought of an evening spent with an attractive woman. The butler led them into a foyer which was wallpapered in luxurious red damask trimmed in gold. Off the foyer, they entered a large, smoky room filled with well-dressed men. After all, this was the most expensive brothel in Paris, and only the wealthiest men could afford it. Men such as himself.

A bare-chested young woman with rouged nipples approached them with a swish of her skirts. Alex watched her breasts bounce as she glided across the soft carpet. For the first time he noticed that all the women in the room were topless.

"What can I get you to drink, handsome gentlemen?" Her gaze lingered on Alex.

"I think she means you, my friend." Gregory laughed, long used to his friend's attraction to the opposite sex. "A whiskey, if you please."

"The same for me," said Alex.

She nodded as she ran her tongue over crimson lips. "It's a shame I'm working the bar tonight for I would like to invite you upstairs. Would you care to call on me another night? My name is Gigi."

Alex smiled at her. "Perhaps another night, Gigi."

She pouted and threw back her mane of blond curls. "I don't think I believe you, but I shan't give up hope."

Her taffeta skirts flounced as she walked away. A few minutes later she returned with their drinks.

"The drinks are on the earl," said Gregory. "I could scarce afford a drink of water in this place."

Alex laughed. "Why do you pretend your family hasn't made a fortune in the wine making business? You own the largest vineyard in France, yet you pretend to be as poor as a church mouse."

Gregory lowered his voice. "Because once my fortune is discovered, I suddenly have dozens of new friends. I prefer meeting people who think I'm poor. That way, I know they're true friends."

"Makes sense." Alex raised an eyebrow. "I had no idea your heart concealed the soul of a philosopher."

A group of women entered the room
,
and if he hadn't known better, Alex would've guessed them to be daughters of wealthy aristocrats. They carried themselves with self-assurance, each dressed in a gorgeous gown which complimented her coloring. There were so many beautiful women in this one room and yet he felt nothing except loneliness and a sense of melancholy. If there was a woman who would help him forget Anna, she wasn't to be found here.

"Have you chosen the one you want?" Gregory's eyes were warm with appreciation as he looked at the women who lined up as if for inspection. "I'm partial to the redhead myself."

"Then you better hurry because that elderly man is making a beeline toward her."

"What?" He stood up. "I'm sure I can beat that old codger to the lovely maiden."

Gregory headed across the room and was at the redhead's side before the elderly gentleman could take three steps.

"Lucky Gregory," Alex said under his breath, deciding he needed a breath of fresh air. Then he decided what he really wanted was to explore the mansion, for he was partial to architecture, and beautiful lines always commanded his attention. He walked out into the hallway and then up the stairs, running his hand along the curving banister which smelled of lemon oil. The lovely house had once been a private estate in the distant past. If he could see one of the bedrooms, there might be examples of exquisite crown molding.

He passed a large man with a scarf tied around his head and a gold earring dangling from one ear. His skin was the color of cafe au lait, a beautiful golden shade. The man didn't smile as he passed Alex, but simply nodded at him. This must be one of the Nubian bodyguards, employed by Madame Colette to ensure no customer got out of line with the ladies. It was rumored she had imported eunuchs from a Turkish harem to control security in Le Petit Palais.

A group of giggling ladies passed Alex as they hurried down the hall. The sound of their tinkling laughter ceased as they turned to smile at him and follow his progress. He moved further down the hall until it intersected with a narrower hallway. He followed the narrow hallway until he found himself in a quiet section of the second floor. Here the lights were dimmed and there were no sounds coming from behind the doors. No conversation or laughter reached his ears. Perhaps these rooms were empty.

He knocked softly on one of the doors. He waited a moment but there was no answer. As he opened the door, he was struck mute by the glorious creature who turned to look at him.

The golden-haired man raked his gaze across her body and then imprisoned her with his startling green eyes. "Oh, excuse me. I wished to examine the architecture and I thought this room might be empty."