Right then. Slight hurried changes made, so it might not all make sense. Might as well get it out there.
The previous evening.....
"I need Norah's help with this. Your marvellous at removing them, but not so good at putting them on" Lady Beatrice laughed as Athos struggled to help her with a new dress.
He laughed, slightly red in the face as once again the laces eluded him.
"Well she's busy, so I'll have to do. Although you should get your maid to help. It's what she's paid for after all."
"Aha, but then I wouldn't be having half as much fun would I?" Bea teased. Athos' smile vanished, replaced with a look filled with desire.
"Oh, no, not now." She laughed. "I need to...oh " she exclaimed as he pushed her against her bedroom wall, his mouth crushing hers.
"You know I don't like to be laughed at" he growled between hard kisses.
"Yes..I..." Bea's reply was halted by his teeth nipping her bottom lip.
He pushed his hand up her skirt, rough and demanding, then when he found her swirling pussy, began to circle and stroke. Every time she tried to gasp in pleasure he would cut her off with his mouth and tongue. Harder he pressed her against the wall, faster he moved his fingers and deeper he kissed her until Lasy Bea's knees buckled under her.
She pulled his breeches to one side, grabbing his cock impatiently and guided it towards her, desperate to feel him inside her again.
He did not disappoint, and fucked her hard up against the wall, so she thought she might fall through and into her dressing room.
He was sweating now determined to make her come first. It was like a game to them now, seeing who could hold out the longest. Finally, he felt her clench around him, shuddering slightly and moaning. He laughed triumphantly before his own pleasure took over.
"Now I need another bath" Bea pouted, but she looked up at him with bright teasing eyes.
"Hmmm. So do I." He rang for more hot water to be brought up.
"You should send for Norah to help you dress. That will give us plenty of time to wash." He grinned.
Bea arched an eyebrow at him. He looked at her meaningfully and advanced again.
"Not now." She laughed. "I really do need to get ready. I can't be all flushed when I leave."
Athos stopped, he knew she was going to an important meeting. That was why he was here after all, to accompany her across town.
"Are you certain we can't tell Norah the real reason Porthos hasn't been around?" He asked. He'd seen how sad she looked nowadays,sad scared and lonely.
Lady Beatrice sighed.
"Is he still being watched?"
Athos nodded, serious and brooding again.
"And getting impatient. He won't do as I say for much longer."
"But if he goes to her.." Bea looked horrified.
Athos held up his hands.
"I know."
"Would you stay away from me, even if you knew it could end badly not to?"
Athos looked pained. Of course he could, he had a lot of practice at denying himself pleasure. But he didn't want to say anything to hurt her.
But nor could he lie.
"Yes. To save you I would." Bea stood still, digesting his words.
"Then we must trust that Porthos will do the same." She said sadly. "He must be told what happened so that he knows exactly how much danger she is in."
"I won't risk it! He'll go after him."
"Maybe."
"Definitely. We'd have to lock him up until he calmed down."
"Might be safer all round if you do that?"
Athos gave her a look that told her he wouldn't even entertain that notion.
"Well, I can take her away. Or bring her here, I have a lot of work to do what with my masquerade ball I am planning. She's my dressmaker, we could go far away for a while."
"She won't run. Not now. Maybe bringing her here would be an idea."
"Bring them both, I could do with the company when you're off with other...business." Lady Beatrice looked at him slyly. She knew he had other lovers. He had the decency to blush. "And I could keep an eye in them both." She continued.
"Hmm. Maybe it would work. Can I let you know?"
Bea powdered her face a little, thinking.
"We need to get rid of Rocheforte. But how, he's so slippery he gets away each time." Lady Bea banged her drawer shut and sat down.
Athos had got an idea that had been rolling around uncomfortably in his mind for sometime now.
"How badly does he want her, do you think?" He asked quietly. Lady Bea stopped brushing her hair ready for it to be dressed.
She spun announcing her chair.
"How could you even think of such a thing? She would never trust us again."
"It might be the only way. We could trap him. I'm sure your word and that of the Queen...?" Athos trailed off.
"How on earth?" Bea was dumbfounded.
"I'm sure if the right words were passed onto her she would help. She cannot stand either Rocheforte or Richelieu."
"By me?"
"Amongst others"
"She has to know. And agree to it or it doesn't happen."
They paused as Bea's maid arrived with the water.
"Stay and help me dress" Bea told her.
Athos sighed and nodded curtly, there were so many lies all the time.
"I'll be downstairs." He muttered and left.
"Lady Beatrice has agreed to shelter you both at her house."Norah was hearing the words but not quite understanding them. "Porthos is to stay with you at all times, for both of your protection"
"And my work? My shop? What about those? I can't lose them."
Treville raised a hand, "Lady Beatrice will pay your rent, board it up. She wants you to carry on in her house. Has a lot of work for you she said"
"Oh, well that's lovely isn't it? I still don't know her though, why should I trust her?"
"Because Athos and I trust her?" Treville tried. Norah snorted with derision. She had learnt a lot about Athos in the last few minutes.
"Will I be a prisoner, or free to leave when ever I want?"
"Ideally you'd stay there as much as possible. But yes, you'd be free to come and go, as long as you were both careful."
"So Porthos had to stay away so as not to draw attention to me, but now you want him with me permanently. Why?"
Treville looked uneasily at her.
"You want Rocheforte to find me don't you?" Norah's voice turned into a whisper. She sat down heavily on the chair, feeling sick.
"Eventually, yes." Treville looked ill at the admission.
"Why? You know what he'll do. And I'm not important enough for anyone to care about."
Treville blushed and took the chair besides hers.
"Which is precisely why it must be you. He wouldn't dare go after Lady Bea, but you...." He drank some wine. "I hate this. But I wouldn't ask it of you if I didn't think it was the only way. That bastard gets away every time."
"Bit if he's so slippery what makes you think he won't get away with it again."Norah gulped. Talking about her own death felt odd. She looked Treville in the eye.
"I can't guarantee anything. But we really want to catch him, before he does this to someone else....and you seem to have been given to us. Forgive me. I'm used to giving orders to soldiers, but that doesn't mean I don't understand how you might be feeling." He looked at her desperately.
"I doubt that some how." She knew she would do it somehow, she didn't want to because she also knew it could hurt her, kill her even..but she would do what she could.
"When can I see him?"
"He's back from the palace now. He should be in the armoury cleaning his muskets. Does that mean you'll do it?"
"Can I think about it and give you my answer in the morning?"
Treville sighed
"Of course. Thank you for thinking it over. It is a lot to ask of anyone. There is one more thing, don't speak of this to Porthos."
"I won't lie to him." Norah promised. "But I understand." She hoped that, should this plan work, Porthos would too.
Treville nodded, then opened the door.
"Aramis!" He called. "Show this boy the armoury."
Aramis nodded, "this way."
"And I'd have done a much neater job of Lady Caitlyn's head." She smirked as she passed Treville in the doorway. He grinned and nodded before returning to his papers.
Norah went down the steps and followed Aramis. He opened the door, whispering as she went in,
"It locks from the outside. I'll be back on an hour or so" and he winked. Norah stepped inside, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Aramis slid the bolt across outside.
"What the..?"Porthos angry voice came rumbling towards her and she felt he stomach tighten. "Oh!"
Norah smiled, walking towards him.
"It seems we've been locked in" she teased. He grinned at her, putting his musket down.
"Indeed. Well, we'll just have to find some way of passing the time until they realise won't we?" He looked at her legs in their breeches.
Norah blushed a little and started to un strap herself.
"Here, let me" Porthos leant back against the table, pulling Norah to him so she stood between his legs. Slowly he unwound her, leaning in and breathing on her neck as he reached around her, kissing it lightly as he did. She shivered slightly each time until finally she was free.
Breathing deeply she out her arms around his neck and leant towards him. He slid his hnads uo her shirt and gently massaged her breasts.
"Better?" He asked
Norah nodded. It was uncomfortable being bound so tightly. He grinned again, pulling her close.
Whispering into her neck as he kissed it he slid his hands all over her body, enjoying the way it made her squirm with pleasure.
"Just fucking kiss me" she demanded, taking his mouth with hers. Deeply they kissed, it was good to be back again. He stood up and spun her around, lifting her onto the table.
"Not another table?" She teased. He laughed and rubbed the back of her head sympathetically.
"Where then?"
"You could come to mine." He stopped kissing her briefly to look at her.
"You know I can't"
"Yeah, that's changed now."
He looked at her, her face in his hands.
"Hmmm. Really? How's that then, surely..?"
He gave her a slight look, then carried on letting his hands roam over her body, his head on hers for a moment as he digested what she was saying.
"No!" He pulled back, angry.
"I haven't said anything!" Norah exclaimed. But she knew he had guessed, he wasn't stupid.
"Whose idea was it?"
"He has to be stopped somehow and I'm the only one they can risk.." He looked thunderous. Norah shrugged helplessly.
"Was I going to be let in on this plan?" He paced the floor. Rubbing his hands through his hair.
"Of course not.," norah exclaimed. "Look at how you're reacting, you'll give the game away, we need him to believe he's winning when he..well..you know."
"Takes you? Hurts you?" Porthos was properly angry now, and scared.
"Yes."
"He'll be extra careful now. And he will kill you."
"He'll definitely try." Norah agreed.
"No I won't allow it! Treville must be mad to think I would."
"You won't allow it?" Norah snorted, getting down off the table. She picked up her cast off strapping and went to the door.
"Fuck it!"
The door was still locked, there was no escape.
"Damn right I won't allow it. Even if it means being at your side every minute if the day and night."
Despite herself, Norah smirked.
He saw her smirk and his anger disappeared. Grinning wickedly he advanced towards her, the look on his face making her forget to breathe.
"So if not the table, where?" He pulled her towards him, feeling her body against his.
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer so she could feel his heart beating in his chest.
"Table's fine" she grinned, laughing as he lifted her and took her to the table. Weaponry fell to the floor with a clatter as they bumped against it.
"Hello? What's going on in there?" Came a voice from outside. " why is this door locked? One of you apprentices think it's funny doing stuff like that do you?"
There were sounds of protests outside. Norah grabbed her stuff and made sure her wig was on straight. She giggled.
Porthos rolled his eyes, laughing too. He bent to pick up some of the things that had fallen. Norah strapped herself down as best she could.
"Well?" She asked
"It'll do. Oh good, you've finally got that door open have you?." Porthos roared as he strode out angrily, using his body to hide Norah for as long as possible. As he turned the attention away from the door, Norah slipped out behind him and went to stand by Aramis. They watched as Porthos wrestled a few apprentices to the floor, laughing with them as he did.
"I'd best get you back." Aramis murmured. Norah nodded and they left.
As before, she used the rope to climb up and over.
"Alright?" Came Aramis' voice.
"Yep. Thank you."
"Porthos will be here soon. Don't leave the shop."
"Uh huh"
She let herself back into her rooms. She'd have a bath before dressing, then she'd go to market to pick up some fresh bread. No point hiding anymore she thought.
He sat up with a start. Finally, something was happening. He followed her as she went to the bakers, watched as she tapped and smelt the bread. Buying some, she made her way around all the stalls, stopping to chat or to ask questions. Then she returned home, having also bought some cheese and cheap meat and vegetables.
He sat back down with a sigh once she'd let herself back into her shop. He was bored, she was boring and he wanted to be back in the arms of that barmaid from last night. He closed his eyes, remembering.
D'Artagnan nodded towards the apparently dozing man. "He's been there all day." Porthos looked at the mans face, memorising it, before clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder, looking over at the shadow that had been following him for the past few weeks. Then he said farewell and entered Norah's shop.
"Was he seen?" Treville asked when D'Artagnan returned.
"No, we lost the one following him, the other seemed to be asleep." He looked dumbfounded.
"Then it's done." Treville murmured almost to himself. "We will have to move them quickly."