InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "They called him Ernie."

мошенник, Sergius Petrov (moshenik) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-08-18 10:28:00

Entry tags:

beth_downing, plot, sebastian_pleasance, sergius_petrov

Subject: Conversations
Who: Sergius Petrov
Where: His house
Warnings: Probably some bad language, but to be added as necessary
Open to: Beth Downing and Sebastian Pleasence.

It was only a few hours until dawn by the time Sergius' carriage pulled up outside his house. The party, he felt, had been a success, and whether is was because of the flowing wine or because of Beth's charms, even Lord Hurst had been polite and almost jovial to the Russian by the end of the evening. Of course, Lord Hurst may have simply thought he had got, as the English said, one over the Russian by sneaking away with Beth, assuming that Sergius had similar designs on her. It would have pleased Hurst to think that, in some small way, he was getting back at his blackmailer.

He stepped into the house, loosing his cravat and taking a cigar from the little box on the shelf below the hallway mirror, clipping and lighting it. A sucessful evening deserved a celebratory cigar. "You both escaped the evening unscathed?" He called into the sitting room, deciding to bring the carved box with him and setting it on the little table, before settling into his armchair. "So, what news have you got me?"

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dela_mort
2008-08-18 04:52 am UTC (link)

Beth, washed and changed, was lounging in her chair - a glass in her hand, she looked up at Sergius, lips pursed.
"Maybe you had better ask Sebastian. He seems to have misunderstood whose job it was to provide Lord Hurst with companionship." She said icily. She had charmed the old man, given up her body to him and worked hard for the promises she'd received, yet Sebastian had resisted and gained the same invitation! It wasn't fair.

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moshenik
2008-08-18 04:57 am UTC (link)

Sergius raised an eyebrow, leaning forward to peer more closely at the young man, who normally spoke up first. "Sebastian?" He said, letting the cigar smoke curl up into the air like ghosts. "What does Beth mean?" He asked, shifting to the edge of his chair to look at the young man. "I thought we all understood the plan for the evening."

Sebastian was not the sort to attempt such things without discussion. He was smart, quick to think on his feet, but Sergius could not imagine him pushing for such a thing when their success at Lord's Hurst party had been such a cornerstone of their plans.

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goldandglitters
2008-08-18 05:03 am UTC (link)

Sebastian looked up. He had been staring intently at the fire, trying not to listen to Beth's accusations but he knew he could hardly keep quiet, especially now Sergius was suggesting he'd wilfully ignored their plan.
"It wasn't like that. I didn't do anything. Lord Hurst came to talk to me, he offered me something to drink from his private store. I accepted his invite." He swallowed, still able to taste the brandy in his mouth.

"Then he made me an offer which I refused, and he asked to see me again."

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moshenik
2008-08-18 05:25 am UTC (link)

Sergius paused, thinking, bringing the cigar back to his lips and taking a slow inhalation through it. As long as Hurst had not turned down Beth, and wanted to see her again (he could hardly imagine that Lord Hurst would pass over the opertunity to continue to sleep with a woman which, to his knwoeldge, his blackmailer was interested in. That wasn't in Hurst's nature) then allowing Sebastian to also become his lover would be an unexpected boon. With both of them to influence him, well, there could hardly be too many cons to that idea. Although Beth seemed to be almost jealous.

There was also the matter of Sebastian's parentage, but perhaps that need never be discussed. The young man had never seemed particulally keen to discover his parents, or even discuss his youtth. It could all be over-looked for a brighter, wealthier future.

"Would you be inclined to ever accept his offer?" Sergius asked in a low murmur, flicking cigar ash into the ashtray on the table, before glancing to Beth, wanting to pacify her. "He did not turn you down, did he? I noticed your walk in the garden was a rather long one." He smiled, "Having both of you influence him..."

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dela_mort
2008-08-18 05:33 am UTC (link)

Beth gasped, rather outraged at the thought. She knew it was childish but she had hoped she would be allowed to conduct this part of the plan by herself. She didn’t try to run numbers like Sebastian so why was he moving into her area of expertise?
“Sergius, you…yes, we did take a long walk and yes, he did do just what we’d planned but too many cooks spoil the broth. He may begin to suspect something, or grow bored quickly with both of us. Better to keep your cards hidden then show them all at once, yes?”

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goldandglitters
2008-08-18 05:38 am UTC (link)

Sebastian sank lower into his chair. This was what he’d feared. That they’d begin to break apart and fight each other before the plan had even fully been realised. He didn’t want to take Beth’s place. He had secured himself well enough through sexual favours. He wanted a chance to use his intelligence which had been what he thought Sergius was giving him.

And still he couldn’t shake the feeling that of all people Lord Hurst was not one he should go to bed with. He was so similar, in tastes and enjoyments – save for his sexual appetites – that Sebastian found it all rather perverse. But then, he scolded himself, who didn’t enjoy brandy and cigars. He could say the same thing about Sergius, they were similar too.

“I would not want to upset Beth.” He said finally.

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moshenik
2008-08-18 06:21 am UTC (link)

He didn't reply, taking another long drag from the cigar. "Very well. We shall forsake the possibility of further riches to save our little family from arguments." He sat back in the chair, puffing on the cigar and gazing at the flames in the grate. He did not like it when such possibilities presented themselves only to be ignored. If they put Hurst's attraction to Sebastian on the back-burner, there was the possibility that before they had the oppertunity to put that attraction to use, Lord Hurst would loose interest.

Then again, they had not planned for Sebastian to spark the man's interest in the first place, and their plan would work well enough without that extra dimension. "Of course, Beth, you are not Hurst's only mistress at present. There is the French boy, and one or two other women. I would very much like to replace Monsieur Laurent with a gentleman we could influence. After all, having another in the household with knowledge of our plans, and who can help steer Hurst in the directions we want him to face would only be an ideal, not a necessity..."

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dela_mort
2008-08-18 06:31 am UTC (link)

Beth’s frown grew more petulant, more stubborn.
“Do you think I can’t convince him to get rid of them on my own?” She asked, angry at both of them. Sergius for trying to force this new idea upon their already carefully planned little arrangement and Sebastian for not being disgusting to Lord Hurst.

“I’m not sure Lord Hurst will be willing to swap his French boy for Sebastian. He is younger, after all, and from the gossip I heard pleasured many a man in the French Court. Also, I hear his brother does not take kindly to anyone attempting to subvert his little darling’s position. Do we really want to draw any more people into this?”

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goldandglitters
2008-08-18 06:36 am UTC (link)

Sebastian cradled his head in his hands, eyes closed. He had drunk far too much and seeing Reuben again had brought back any number of things he didn’t want to remember or think about. With those memories in mind he hardly felt in the mood to discuss becoming the paramour of anyone.

“I’m not sure I want to.” He said quietly, sure they’d continue to talk over him. Sergius would make whatever decision he felt was best for them and Sebastian would go along with it. He had too much invested to walk away over something this silly.

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moshenik
2008-08-18 06:57 am UTC (link)

"I know you can, my dear." Sergius said gently to her, "I never doubted your abilities, nor your talent. I was not suggesting that you could not do a good job, or that Sebastian's activities would upstage your own. Merely I thought that if it were possible to double our net gain, then we should attempt it." He paused then, looking between the pair of them. "But I can see that neither of you are keen on the idea, and I will not force you into it. We are a team, after all." And besides, he knew a little of Antoine Laurent, and possibly, just possibly, he would be able to gather enough information on the man and his family to significantly reduce the risks of Aimé Laurent spoiling their plans.

He took another drag on the cigar, "You both did very well tonight, and I should congratulate you both."

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