Crimes of Passion : An Erotic Romance Story (3 page)

“We were just on
our way out to engage in some exhilarating shop talk on the Ripper murders,” Chapman replied.

“The White Chapel murders?
But that was nearly twenty years ago---” she said, growing concerned. “Wait, that girl who was murdered, do they think she---?”

“Addison, I believe you’re acquainted with my close friends Peter Chapman, Marcus Eddowes, and Avery Nichols, but I don’t believe you’ve had the pleasure of meeting my colleague John Kelly.” Stride pushed Kelly forward
, shattering any remnants of the previous conversation, and Kelly grabbed Addison by the hand.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance miss,” Kelly said, leaning forward to kiss her hand.

“John, I would like you to meet Miss Addison Wilkes, my fiancée.”

All of a sudden,
Kelly felt his stomach flop and blood rushed to his face. He was humiliated once again by Edmund Stride’s false friendship.  Stride continued with the ruse.

“Yes dearest, as a matter of fact, John was just telling me how breathtakingly beautiful he found you. What did you say Kelly? She had the likeness of
the goddess Aphrodite and the form of a Botticelli painting.” John looked down at the ground, attempting to hide his humiliation.

“That’s very kind of you Mr. Kelly. You also have a
very pleasant face,” Addison said, placing her hand upon Kelly’s shoulder. He looked up at her and their eyes locked; his heart skipped a beat.  He noticed a flush of color rush to her cheeks as well, and as the corner of his lip curled into a grin, she smiled back at him.

A
glint of jealousy flashed in Stride’s bright green eyes, but before he could continue his assault on Kelly’s pride, Nichols intervened, grabbing John by the scruff of the neck:

“Yes miss, Mr. Kelly is a wonderful gentleman indeed. But I hope you will excuse us---the bo
ys and I will continue on our way, so that you two lovebirds can steal a moment for yourselves. I have no doubt they are few and far between. Good day.”

“Good day gentleman,” Addison spoke, kneeling slightly and bowing her head.

Kelly waited until they were a distance away before he turned back to take one last look at Addison’s face. And when he did, she met his gaze, staring over Edmund’s broad shoulder as they were engaged in a long embrace.
She is truly an exquisite beauty
, Kelly thought to himself,
certainly she is worthy of a more devoted companion than Edmund Stride
.

“Edmund Stride, engaged?! That’s unbelievable! What ever could a girl like that possibly see in him?!” Kelly said, ranting to Nichols as they entered Lancaster’s Pub. “Certainly she must realize he is a complete scoundrel and a notorious fornicator. I’m surprised she hasn’t caught onto him already.”

Chapman chuckled from behind, “Uh-oh Marcus, I do believe that Mr. Kelly is smitten with Mr. Stride’s fiancée. Is that the slightest hint of jealously I hear John?”

Eddowes continued, “More than a hint. It sounds like our boy is in love.”

“Sod off you two,” Nichols intervened once again. “It’s a reasonable question.
After all, Stride isn’t exactly above the gutter.”

Eddowes and Chapman hailed the bartender, and they returned with two pitchers of ale for the corner booth.

“Five mugs here,” Eddowes shouted back.

The boys piled their bags and jackets on the next table, before taking a load off.

“Edmund told me once that he met her in primary school,” Eddowes said, reopening the conversation. “Apparently she was always looking out for him, cleaning up his scrapes after fights, sharing her lunch with him when he lost his to bullies…”

Kelly choked on his ale, “Stride? Bullied?”

“That’s before he inherited his father’s muscles and dashing good looks,” Eddowes answered.

“And all
of his money,” Chapman added, taking a deck of cards from his jacket pocket.

Eddowes continued,
“And as they grew up, it became clear that Addison had the power to bring out the best in Edmund. And since her family was destitute, Stride’s family was willing to offer them a comfortable living as long as her good will continued to rub off on him.”

“But Stride’s a
complete and utter cad,” Kelly said, slamming his mug down in frustration. “He drinks, gambles, philanders with street whores---how is Addison’s decency rubbing off on him?”

“
Simple. Because of Addison Wilkes, Edmund Stride is a promising young law student with a bright future ahead of him, in the eyes of London society.  He hasn’t squandered his inheritance or developed a drinking problem significant enough to disgrace his family’s good name. And that’s all that matters to those of the upper crust. What he does behind closed doors and in the dark corners of low-end pubs or private gentlemen’s clubs is none of their business.”

The table slammed next to them as Stride dropped his
weighted satchel.

“Did you miss me mates?” Stride asked, clapping Eddowes and Nichols on the backs.  “By the way Kelly, I sincerely apologize for taking a piss at your expense with my fiancée. Who knew we had the same taste in women?”

Kelly took a giant swig of ale as Stride sat down. “Well the best man won.”

Chapman changed the subject. “Kelly, I’m surprised at you. I thought you said you didn’t drink?”

“I’m feeling festive,” Kelly replied, attempting to hide his disdain.

“
That’s my boy John. Deal the cards mate,” Nichols said, swatting Chapman on the shoulder.

Chapman passed the cards around the table,
giving each man five faced down. Stride lit a cigarette, borrowing a set of matches from Nichols.  Eddowes lit his cigarette off of Stride’s, as Stride poured himself a mug of ale.

Kelly turned up his cards and found three queens: the Queen of Hearts, the Queen of Spades, and the Queen of Clubs.
He looked over his hand and noticed Stride staring at a group of wenches out of the corner of his eye. The three lovely women were leaning up against the bar, lightly conversing, before they met Stride and Kelly’s gaze. They waved seductively. The blonde one slowly ran her hand across her bosom and brushed her long hair back over her shoulder. Kelly gulped at the suggestion and sweat formed over his brow.

Stride
turned back to the table and laughed. “Has something caught your eye John?”

“Are
we playing for money?” Kelly asked, looking back down at his hand.

“Now don’t change the subject. I saw you undressing the blonde one with
your innocent puppy eyes. Would you care for us to order her for you? We were going to play a few rounds of cards first, but if you’d like to have a go at her now--“

Kelly was fed up with Stride’s sarcasm
and raised his voice. “Aren’t you in the least bit ashamed of yourself Edmund? You have a beautiful fiancée like Addison waiting for you at home and instead you’re squandering your time in a dank pub, paying for affection?”

Stride took a puff of his cigarette and blew the cloud back in Kelly’s face, leaning across the table and threatening him with a gruff voice. “Now you listen to me John Kelly. I don’t give a flying fuck about what moral codes you think I’m breaking, or even if
part of you wants to fuck the brains out of my little wife-to-be. But if you raise your voice like that to me in a public place ever again, I’ll flatten you out in front of everyone, and you’ll be lucky if you wake up in a pool of your own piss and vomit.”

The two locked eyes and
Kelly kept a straight face despite Stride’s threats--- he didn’t back down to bullies--but he did nothing more to retaliate.

“Now let’s have a round,” Stride said,
returning to his jovial self.

A moment later, t
he buxom blonde Madame of Lancaster’s Pub, Madame Cannery, approached the table and hiked up the leg of her violet skirt so she could sit across Marcus Eddowes’s strong lap.  She placed a kiss upon his cheek, leaving an imprint of red lipstick on his face, and flirtatiously addressed the table. “Good to see you again my ravishingly handsome young lawyers.  Will you be joining us for a little soiree in the private lounge this evening?”

             
“We wouldn’t miss it my darling,” Stride said, taking a pound note from his billfold and dancing it down her ample chest.

             
Madame Cannery leaned closer to Stride and stroked his face with her hand, “Is there anything special you’d like me to have prepared? Or anyone?”

             
“Well I believe Mr. Edwards will do the honors of making the selections tonight,” Stride insisted gesturing to Eddowes, “But I would like two bottles of Absinthe and a vile of magic elixir sent up for myself and the rest of my colleagues here.”

             
“Your wish is my command, as always Mr. Kline.” Madame Cannery’s eyes lingered on Stride as she stood up, curtsied, and left towards the bar.

             
“Mr. Edwards? Mr. Kline?” Kelly asked after the dame had left.

             
“Our aliases,” Eddowes chimed. “The ladies of the house greatly prefer affluent lawyers to horny law students.”

             
“And what’s the magic elixir?”

             
“For Christ’s sake Kelly, you’re so green,” Stride groaned.

             
Nichols took over. “He means ether John. It’s a recreational drug people in the upper crust are using nowadays at parties and the like; it helps you relax, makes you feel like you’re in a dream. Apparently it even has psychedelic side-effects. I’ve only tried it once or twice myself, but a mate of mine said he tried it once and he lost all sense of time and place. He barely remembered taking it. But it’s okay John, you don’t have to try it if you don’t want to, it’s not for everybody.”

             
“Gentlemen, shall we retire to the lounge a bit early? After all, what’s a game of cards in comparison to the company of beautiful women?” Stride asked, motioning to the table.

             
“To think, the Ripper probably sat at a table just like this, selecting his next victim,” Kelly whispered to Nichols.

             
“Let’s not try to think about that tonight,” Nichols replied, “Let’s just have fun.”

             
The boys gathered up their things and started up the stairs, while Eddowes set off in the opposite direction. A group of beautiful women lined the stairway and stroked the men’s arms, shoulders, and backs as they passed by.

             
“Hello there,” the very same flirtatious blonde in a blue dress said to Kelly as he walked by. She pushed up her breasts in his general direction.

             
“Looks like someone’s got their eye on you John,” Chapman teased, slapping Kelly’s back.

             
The boys entered the green plush lounge through a velvet curtain, and they set their effects to the side.

             
Stride, Nichols, and Chapman loosened their ties and collars, and rid themselves of their jackets before finding seats. Kelly took up in a spot away from the group, in the corner of the lounge.

             
Madame Cannery entered carrying a tray with two bottles of Absinthe along with five shot glasses, and set it on the center table. A voluptuous assistant followed closely behind her with a second tray that included a vile of ether, a whiskey glass, and five rags.

             
“If you need any further assistance gentleman, do not hesitate to call.” The women curtsied and Stride slipped Madame Cannery a wad of notes before she disappeared behind the curtain.

             
The men stepped forward, and Chapman and Nichols attended to the Absinthe while Stride prepared the ether. Kelly maintained his role as a spectator, observing his colleagues from the corner. Nichols crossed over, and handed Kelly a shot of Absinthe.

             
“No thank you Avery,” Kelly said waving his hand, “The ale was strong enough for me.”

             
“Oh, don’t be such a wet blanket John, for once in your bloody life,” Stride teased, taking his first shot. “It’s time for you to get out from behind your books and join the real men in a little grown-up frivolity.”

             
Kelly looked to Nichols. “It’s really not that bad John,” Avery reassured him. “Just hold onto it in case you change your mind.”

             
John took the glass and set it on the table beside him. He watched Stride fold the five rags into tiny squares a pour a splash of the magic elixir in the center of each one. Stride took his rag, wafted it from side to side, and then placed it over his nose, inhaling deeply.

             
“Perfection,” he said, smiling. He tossed the other rags to Chapman and Nichols, who had already collapsed in their seats, before throwing a rag to Kelly. “Again, in case you change your mind.”

             
Kelly watched as Nichols and Chapman modeled Stride, inhaling the fumes radiating from their white cloths, chasing the high with a shot of Absinthe. They passed the first bottle between themselves, as Kelly drummed his fingers against the end table.