La Belle Ile en Mere Pt. 07

“Oh … yes.” Anna nodded. She moved over and patted the widow on the back. “I’m so very sorry for your loss.”

“One moment, we were in each other’s arms, so to speak. I was closer to him than any other man, like you and your son. The next, he was gone, and I am left with … emptiness.” Kapnos started to sob.

“There … there …” Anna pulled the other woman into a gentle embrace.

George watched them closely. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but he could tell that Kapnos had already begun helping him with his mother. For a brief moment he allowed himself to believe it could actually happen. Then he remembered who his mother was, and his hopes were dashed. He turned from them and waited while Kapnos pretended to be comforted by his mother.

~~

“Mr. Zaal?” Roy knocked on Ernest’s door. “We’d like to ask you a few questions about your son.” There was no answer. Roy and Constance had already searched Albert’s room but found no clues. Océane had cleaned the place thoroughly. Albert’s stuff was all neatly ordered, like he might come back any moment. Even the sword had been cleaned and leaned in the corner. There was no other sign of the murder in Albert’s room. Which is why Roy had turned his attention to Ernest. “Mr. Zaal. Are you there?”

“He’s probably sleeping.” Constance frowned at her husband. “Don’t you push that door open.” She watched her husband apprehensively. “Remember what happened the last time we peeked into a room? I cannot handle finding another suicide.”

“Another murder.” Roy pushed the door open gently. He half expected to find Ernest’s corpse, but the room was empty. “Huh, he’s not here. I thought the man spent most of the time sleeping.”

“He has to eat sometimes, honey. He’s probably out at a restaurant.” Constance pulled the door closed before her husband got the urge to search Ernest’s room. “We can talk to him later.”

“I suppose.” Roy frowned, thinking things over.

“I love when you make that pensive face.” She gave him a motherly kiss on the cheek. “Are you thinking about homework, sweetie? It’s good to take a break sometimes.” She lowered her lips to his ear. “Mommy knows how to take your mind off things. Would you like to come with Mommy?” She looked around to make sure no one was about and pulled off her glove. She took his hand in hers and pulled him back toward their room. She could feel his palm getting clammy. “You can do your homework later, can’t you?”

“Yes, Mommy.” Roy let her pull him down the mirrored hallway. For a brief second, he thought he saw a black figure step in from a perpendicular hall and then retreat. He figured it was probably Ernest. He thought about chasing the man down, but he couldn’t say no to Constance. He put Ernest out of his mind and looked up at his wife’s motherly smile as she gazed back at him over his shoulder. Her height has always been a turn-on for Roy. “I want Mommy to take my mind off things.”

“Well then, that’s what I’ll do.” The second she was inside their room, she began undressing. Later, he could return to his murder mystery. She knew he liked to keep occupied. It was all well and good so long as she had him. And she did.

~~

Edith lost herself in the melodrama she was watching on the feed. When she heard the thumping through the wall, she knew the Havershams were back at it again. She could have picked a room anywhere in that giant hotel. Why did it have to be next to a couple that behaved like newlyweds? Edith turned up the volume and tried to ignore them.

~~

Lillian stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom, wearing the tiara and necklace. She still didn’t understand what had happened to put them in her possession. Her brother said he hadn’t been at the pool, but clearly, he had. Was it some sort of game he was playing with her? It had to be. She hated him for it. Her humiliation had to be George’s goal. It was disgusting the way she’d danced naked for him. But then she remembered the tenderness and passion in his kiss. That hadn’t been contrived. Had it? She hated him for that, too. They weren’t supposed to kiss. Francis was her lover and future. Not her stupid brother.

“Hello. Hello.” Lillian gave her reflection a regal wave. The jewels glittered as she moved her shoulders. They looked so fine on her. She’d worn her most elegant bodice for this bit of dress-up, and she had to admit she looked very much like a princess. “How do you do?” She curtsied to her left. “How do you do?” She curtsied to her right.

George had done something right. The jewelry belonged on her. She looked resplendent. With a sigh, she took the tiara off and placed it on the bathroom counter. She removed the necklace and set it down, too. It was time to go check on her father.

~~

Floor one-hundred-forty-two was mostly guest rooms. They searched thoroughly anyway. Maybe they would find an unexpected terminal. Maybe they would find something unexpectedly helpful.

Anna stepped back into the hall and found Delores and George whispering to each other. She judged their body language as strangely intimate. “I’m exhausted. Perhaps we should end our search for the day. We passed that restaurant two floors back. Should we eat there and find some rooms for the night?” George and Delores stopped talking when they heard her, and both of their eyes lit up when she mentioned “rooms for the night.” Is there … something going on between them? Delores might seek comfort in another man’s arms if she came to accept that Carlos was gone. And clearly, George is smitten. Anna didn’t know whether she should pry. She sighed. If something was happening, it was her duty as his mother to put a stop to it.

“Sure, Mom.” George nodded and smiled. He walked over to the backpack where he’d left it in the hall and hoisted it onto his shoulders. “Great job on the search plan today. I know we didn’t find anything useful, but we covered a lot of ground.”

“Thank you, sunshine.” Anna gave him an exhausted smile.

“I love that bodice on you, by the way. The blue compliments your pretty eyes.” George started walking back to the stairway.

“He’s right, Mrs. Zaal. You look fantastic.” Kapnos nodded her head. She retrieved her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Without waiting for Anna, she fell in next to George.

Anna rubbed her chin, watching them walk. Why were they both complimenting her so much? Were they buttering her up for something? They both had a giddy energy she wouldn’t have expected from this grueling and fruitless search. She walked behind them, watching their interactions closely as they all trekked to the restaurant.

~~

“That’s good … George … that’s good.” Kapnos and her newest paramour were both naked in her temporary room. She rode him on the bed with long, lunging bounces. Her breasts made countervailing circles, large dark nipples almost crashing together each time her breasts met.

“Uuuuggghhhh … Nossy … I’m going to … cum again.” George watched the orbital movement of her heavy breasts with a wide grin on his face. He clutched at the sheets on either side of his hips. Kapnos was a dynamo. She had a sense for what he liked, and when to change things up to maximize the moment. And … right on cue, she moved from bouncing to grinding, placing a bare finger in his mouth. His grin faded as his pleasure increased. “Nossy … Nossy …” He chanted around her finger.

“I’m going to … cum … too … Georgie. Ooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh.” Her undulating hips sped up. “Delores’s clit loves … to rub … like this. Ooohhhhhhhhhh.”

Outside the room, Anna pressed her ear to the door. She could hear lovemaking. Her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open. It was one thing to have your suspicions, it was another to have them confirmed by such lurid noises. She couldn’t hear what they were saying. Anna continued to listen. It would have been obvious to anybody that saw her in the hall that she was eavesdropping, but there was nobody else there. What a strange turn of events, listening to her son in that vast empty hallway. The décor on this floor was oddly themed. The murals on the walls depicted suits of armor, wood paneling, and dour oil paintings.

The young people certainly sounded like they were enjoying themselves. Anna could hear them joyously calling out their pleasure to one another and moaning. She now understood why Delores had taken a room some distance down the hall from Anna and George’s rooms. As the shock wore off, Anna chewed on her bottom lip. What to do? I wanted him to court a lady, but I thought he would know better than to bed a woman before marriage. We’ve talked about this more than once. The affair was indecent and unseemly, but they all found themselves in strained circumstances far beyond the constraints of their normal lives. Maybe she should leave them be? It certainly sounded like they both needed this outlet.

Does George have a condom? The thought tensed Anna’s shoulders. He was only eighteen, and Delores was beautiful. He might not even think of safety. She took a deep breath. She had to interrupt them. Her cheeks flushed deeply. She was about to do something no mother wants to do. She had pretended for a while that George hadn’t blossomed into a man in those ways. She had ignored his crusty socks and locked doors. Just a month ago, she had even found one of her own gloves tucked away in his room when cleaning. She couldn’t ignore this side of him any longer.

“I’m sorry I have to do this, Georgie. I hope you’ll forgive me the embarrassment I cause all of us,” Anna whispered to herself. She turned the handle and opened the door. The smell was the first thing to hit her. This … this is what sex had smelled like decades ago. The scent brought her back to her courtship with Ernest. She smelled the pungency of sweat, the tanginess of a woman’s arousal, and … Oh, gods … I smell George’s sperm!