St. Vincent

[ricky]

I'm wondering if Silly Billy will find Granger hanging on Chartley's silly willy when he sneaks into Caroline's bed tonight. It could be That Silly Billy's Willy gets caught up in something more than he planned!

 

How can Chartley help in the Mess with Caroline? I have no clues. I'm still anxious to see how this conversation with the King plays out. After all, George Will be seeing him at Windsor before the Earle has a chance to see him. Yes? But I think the King will not be surprised. Kings have a kingly way of knowing what things are rumored that may affect the harmony of his realm. (Well, I would if I were the King.)

[centexhairysub]

I have to wonder if that old abbey that the Earl has given to George isn't about to see an influx of seaman... I did wonder about the party, I guess Chartley can act as host and Granger as hostess. LOL... I really want to see Granger and Chartley spend some serious time together. I also hope that Granger is able to keep most of his crew together. I don't think that Granger is going to have to take care of Silly Billy, once the King knows, I think Silly Billy will get more than he deserves. George III was known as a strict moralist and a committed family man. Silly Billy will see some serious repercussions from this, escpecially since Granger is also so well liked by the King.

 

I do have to think that Caroline will come to her senses and realize the situation and will work with George to make the best of all of this. I can see all of this working out to Granger's benefit in the end.

[Mark Arbour]

I have to wonder if that old abbey that the Earl has given to George isn't about to see an influx of seaman... I did wonder about the party, I guess Chartley can act as host and Granger as hostess. LOL... I really want to see Granger and Chartley spend some serious time together. I also hope that Granger is able to keep most of his crew together. I don't think that Granger is going to have to take care of Silly Billy, once the King knows, I think Silly Billy will get more than he deserves. George III was known as a strict moralist and a committed family man. Silly Billy will see some serious repercussions from this, escpecially since Granger is also so well liked by the King.

 

I do have to think that Caroline will come to her senses and realize the situation and will work with George to make the best of all of this. I can see all of this working out to Granger's benefit in the end.

 

Did you say semen in the Abbey? Oh, my bad.

 

I think it's important to view this from Caroline's point of view. She's probably been going along, totally unaware that people were talking about her and Gloucester, and the next thing she knows she's pregnant and her husband is back. It's not that easy to end an affair, especially if the guy (Gloucester) isn't all that worried about offending the husband. And she'd just now starting to realize that, while she thought she was being discreet, she really wasn't. I'll bet it takes her a bit to finally figure that out, even though in this chapter she got a pretty rude shock.

[centexhairysub]

Yes, I agree with Mark; I doubt very seriously if Caroline had any idea that anyone was aware of her assignations with Silly Billy. Few people are ever self aware enough to see how others see them and their actions, I do think that George's behaviour has probably clued her in more than anything else. She knows that George loves her and for him to take the actions he has, I really believe she will realize soon was the only way to work their way out of this situation.

[centexhairysub]

I don't know how I knew it but I swear I knew halfway through this chapter that Bertie was going to be one of the people that Lord Chartley had slept with, it was just such a strong feeling. I can really see this about Bertie, he is the kind of man that loves sex and would clearly prefer women but if one isn't there and he needs to get off, well any old hole will do... LOL...

 

I just knew that the old abbey was going to end up with seamen in it. This will let Granger retain as many of the men as he probably wants to until he can get another ship. It will give Jeffers something to do besides Winkler, but Winkler clearly doesn't like the abbey and will have to stay by Granger's side but still they aren't going to be seperated for long.

 

I really do feel that Chartley and Granger maybe destined to be the ones that end up together. I do think that Granger will work the situation out with Caroline and with the Earl's help and intervention with the King will give Silly Billy what he has coming to him. I think that when all the smoke clears Granger will be in just as strong or stronger position then where he was when he arrived in England. I know that since Chartley is in the army and Granger the navy they will have to endure some seperations, unless maybe Granger is ferrying Chartley somewhere; but even then I think these two can deal with the seperations and still stay strong and true to each other.

 

This was truly a great chapter and Mark, congragulations on yet another win, Granger is truly a unigue and intriguing creation.

[Clydee]

Arrrrrgggghhhh! I didn't see that one coming! I suppose it makes sense...Bertie and Chartley were good friends, Mark...you told us so in a previous chapter. I just didn't think about it...Bertie always had whores, not men...I'm surprised George didn't fall off his horse!

Be that as it may, this was a great chapter! Congratulations on your win, Mark!

[Mark Arbour]

LOL. You know the old riddle: What's the difference between a straight man and a gay man? A six pack of beer. I think Bertie just had one of those moments.

 

Thanks for the congrats! I'm pretty excited about that, since he's been such a fun character to write. Even more, having a character in a specialty story like this (Historical: Napoleonic Era) win is pretty awesome. Thanks to all of you who voted for George!

[ricky]

Well Mark, you've got more twists than a standard poodle. Sheesh!

You know that old saying, once a King always a King, but once a knight is never enough.

Silly Billy's willy is gonna get him in some deep water. And I don't mean the submarine races either!

And what will all those seamen do on dry land to stay busy? I mean they're 5 miles out of London. And for how long? And what about Winkler and Sommers? It's not like Winkler is going to be able to travel out there every day. What was Sommers thinking? And Bertie?!! Sorry Mark but I don't think a six pack would do that. I mean you've painted a pretty solid picture of the guy. And although there are those guys that would screw a snake if they could get someone to hold it tight enough, Bertie is not exactly the friendly partying type. Perhaps there are some genetics in play?

And hey, wouldn't the brotherhood take the prince's play as an afront on the manhood of one of their members? I am very curious to see how the King will respond to this. He likes Granger and frowns on infidelity. Granger has served his soverign with honor and dignity. But blood IS thicker than water.

To steal a quote from "night court", an American sitcom of the past, "BALIFF! Whack his peepee!"

 

Those are just my thoughts of course.

[Andrew Q Gordon]

Mark,

 

I'm a few reviews behind, I'll catch up later, but you've been posted fast and furious.

 

I wondered about Berdie since the oil baths in India, so this sort of confirms my suspicions. Seems he isn't opposed to it for political gain and now he's not opposed to it with his BFF if he can write it off as a drunken rut.

 

Chartley is interesting in many ways. My sense from how you've written him is that he is a much more loyal person - lover wise - than George, or at least Goerge at this time in his life. He is also going to be a bit dangerous for George if George doesn't change his ways. Meaning, Peter isn't Travers or Calvert or Cavendish men in the Navy who understand separation and subcribe to the 'sailor in every port' life - not to say any of them had near as many 'loves' as George, but they were/are able to compartmentialize their feelings. George is at sea, so I diddle with the Duke of Clarences son. George is on another ship so I'm going to sleep with one of my officers, etc. Chartley seems to be more reserved and less oportunistic.

 

Now, here's something I'm sort of scratching my head over - people seem to fall in 'love' a lot at the drop of a hat. Chartley barely knew George and only 'knew' him once, before the last chapter and is now in love with George. I'd have a hard time believing there is a lot of Berdie displacement if I were George. But back to the love issue. Three days ago, George loved Kerry and was upset that Kerry was now in 'love' with Sommers. He's loved a lot of people very fast, but Chartley is the quickest I think. Just seems that for a group of Sodimites who were trying to keep things on the DL, they are falling in love awful fast. But that could just be me.

[ricky]

Mark,

 

I'm a few reviews behind, I'll catch up later, but you've been posted fast and furious.

 

I wondered about Berdie since the oil baths in India, so this sort of confirms my suspicions. Seems he isn't opposed to it for political gain and now he's not opposed to it with his BFF if he can write it off as a drunken rut.

 

Chartley is interesting in many ways. My sense from how you've written him is that he is a much more loyal person - lover wise - than George, or at least Goerge at this time in his life. He is also going to be a bit dangerous for George if George doesn't change his ways. Meaning, Peter isn't Travers or Calvert or Cavendish men in the Navy who understand separation and subcribe to the 'sailor in every port' life - not to say any of them had near as many 'loves' as George, but they were/are able to compartmentialize their feelings. George is at sea, so I diddle with the Duke of Clarences son. George is on another ship so I'm going to sleep with one of my officers, etc. Chartley seems to be more reserved and less oportunistic.

 

Now, here's something I'm sort of scratching my head over - people seem to fall in 'love' a lot at the drop of a hat. Chartley barely knew George and only 'knew' him once, before the last chapter and is now in love with George. I'd have a hard time believing there is a lot of Berdie displacement if I were George. But back to the love issue. Three days ago, George loved Kerry and was upset that Kerry was now in 'love' with Sommers. He's loved a lot of people very fast, but Chartley is the quickest I think. Just seems that for a group of Sodimites who were trying to keep things on the DL, they are falling in love awful fast. But that could just be me.

 

A lot of guys, both straight and not so straight, fall in love with anyone who drops their drawers. That is not that unusual really. A lot of guys confuse love with lust I guess is a better way to describe it. But let's not forget that George is a real "looker" and he will draw the shallow "pretty people". And with a steady diet of smelly sailors it is not unreasonable to think that he would fall for the next pretty face. I think it is more a statement of desire for a continued relationship.

 

Also remember that Georges view of love is a bit different than most. Duty overrides desires and love. Those are just my thoughts about the way he has been fleshed. Remember we are seeing an isolated bit of society, not the whole of London. That means the sampling rate we have seen is exclusive and might tend to be more one way than another.

 

OR, I could be dead wrong and everything I've said could be construed as sexually active male bovine excrement.

[Mark Arbour]

You guys make some interesting points about "love." I think that's a real hard thing to pin down:

1. What is love? People define it differently. When I see Chartley talking about love, I see his description as more of a friendship that has romance intertwined. I wonder if he's really gotten to the kind of love that Granger has experienced with Travers, Calvert, and Cavendish.

2. This era was renowned for people falling in love quite often, so it's period-realistic. I think that maybe there's something to that, what with the lifespans being short. I mean, you didn't have all that much time to figure it out. Shit, most of us would already be dead if we were alive back then. Did that make sense? I think this is Granger's flaw, where he confuses infatuation with love, and dives right in, then has to figure it out later. Lucky for him, he's usually gone by the time it wears off, so it fades away naturally. I think his big challenge will come when he develops feelings for someone and he's in a position to take his time, like say when he's at home for an extended period.

[Daddydavek]

Remember too that George is still really young, dashing, sexy and well-connected. I think even in the 20th and 21st centuries it is pretty easy for good looking, sexy, succesful young people to fall in love--repeatedly.

[Andrew Q Gordon]

You guys make some interesting points about "love." I think that's a real hard thing to pin down:

1. What is love? People define it differently. When I see Chartley talking about love, I see his description as more of a friendship that has romance intertwined. I wonder if he's really gotten to the kind of love that Granger has experienced with Travers, Calvert, and Cavendish.

2. This era was renowned for people falling in love quite often, so it's period-realistic. I think that maybe there's something to that, what with the lifespans being short. I mean, you didn't have all that much time to figure it out. Shit, most of us would already be dead if we were alive back then. Did that make sense? I think this is Granger's flaw, where he confuses infatuation with love, and dives right in, then has to figure it out later. Lucky for him, he's usually gone by the time it wears off, so it fades away naturally. I think his big challenge will come when he develops feelings for someone and he's in a position to take his time, like say when he's at home for an extended period.

 

Can I debate this with you as a reader who only has what you've written to go by?

 

Chartley - I got a very different take from him. My sense was/is that he is reserved and loyal and will only give his 'heart' or feelings to those he expects to return the affection. I didn't get the sense that this was 'just' a friendship. Maybe that is a bad perception. Maybe he only has a very select few friends and thus any friendship with 'benefits' would by necessity be one where he 'loved' that person. I just took from his character that his feelings for George were way beyond just friends. I'm not saying his feelings for George were out of character, though I don't know that I accept there isn't a bit of Bridie displacement here. He clearly loved Berdie and George must remind him terribly of Albert. Given George's personality and nature, it's easy to see why Chartley would love him already.

 

George - I don't think he rushes into infatuation and calls it love. I say this because you've written numerous times where he's done soul searching about his feelings for Travers, Calvert, Cavendish etc. To me, St. Vincent, has been a bit of a change for him, an evolution of sorts, not good or bad, just an evolution. Where before he was quick to have fun then realize he'd developed strong feeling for someone, here he seems to lurch from 'love' to 'love'. I also see that he was very lonely this trip. Before he always had someone 'special' to have time with. Then Kerry shows up and he's been lonely. Not without sex, just without a significant person to be emotionally connected to. I never got the sense Kerry was his type or that he 'loved' Kerry, but then when Kerry shows up, he filled a void. When he 'left' to fuck Sommers, that brought a return of the void and that pissed him off. My take was when they returned to 'civilization' George would realize he wasn't 'in love' with Kerry. He was just sort of a place holder.

 

Now Chartley is a return to the Travers type figure for George. A steady, mature, handsome, (fat dicked top - since this is an Arbour story, that is important ) man. Someone who isn't younger, subordinate, under his command etc. After Travers, George was the mature, older. wiser. more experienced half of every love pairing he had. Chartley gives him a chance to let go of being in charge for for a change. I think that's a common trait among those who are in command outwardly and always taking care of others they sometimes desire someone to take care of them in their personal/romance/sexual lives. SO here too, George's action are easy to understand.

 

Your comment on shortened lifespan is interesting as is periodically accurate. In current times, even people in the closet are 'out' and about. The internet makes it much easier for those in the closet to find others they're attracted to. I imagine before the net, it must have been harder for those not out enough to go the bars etc. They'd cruise known areas now and then and probably end up 'settling' for whomever they 'found' That is probably similar to this period. Men were not 'out.' How could they be when being a sodimite meant being hung - as Ramsey would have been if he didn't do it to himself. So the idea of finding someone, especially someone like George, would be something you didn't toss aside lightly.

 

Okay rambled on enough. Take that Protagonist of the Year

 

Congrats Mark- well deserved.

[JimCarter]

Congrats Mark!!!!! I so love this series and George is a large part of that along with you excellant story telling ablility.

[B1ue]

This is going to KILL George's father if/when it comes out, even if only the clan knows about it all. Assuming, of course, he's not an conspirator. Will honor force him to have Freddie and Davina killed himself? Or will he simply try to calm George down, or even accuse him of making the incident up?

[Daisy]

You've certainly taken us on a big twist.

Hey again , ive been following but quietly.

[Clydee]

What a completely unhinged maniac Davina is...! Jeez, for once I am speechless! I never had a clue you would take it so far, Mark...and now you must bring out another chapter soon! Way to go!

[rjo]

After the this comes out, and these things always do, Davina will be band from court and maybe from England for life. I personally would like to see her hanged drawn and quartered. That maybe little much but if she kills or attacks George or Chartley, both officers in uniform wouldn't it be the same as attacking the King? Certainly, George III would not look kindly upon her. I also can't believe the Earl would have anything to do with this. He has shown nothing but love for his son. I can't believe he would or could want him dead. Now Davina died maybe. Mark, you need to send us a new chapter soon. You can't leave George in bondage.

Edited March 3, 2012 by rjo

[Mark Arbour]

This is going to KILL George's father if/when it comes out, even if only the clan knows about it all. Assuming, of course, he's not an conspirator. Will honor force him to have Freddie and Davina killed himself? Or will he simply try to calm George down, or even accuse him of making the incident up?

 

I think the big question is why she did it in the first place. That will probably determine his reaction. Regardless, I think this will only bring him closer to George, not farther away.

 

You've certainly taken us on a big twist.

Hey again , ive been following but quietly.

 

It is so good to see you here! Wow! Welcome back!

What a completely unhinged maniac Davina is...! Jeez, for once I am speechless! I never had a clue you would take it so far, Mark...and now you must bring out another chapter soon! Way to go!

 

Sharon said that if I was going to turn him into a sex slave, I should have had the pirates do it. I think that's just because she likes those big swarthy guy encounters.

 

After the this comes out, and these things always do, Davina will be band from court and maybe from England for life. I personally would like to see her hanged drawn and quartered. That may bra little much but if she kills or attacks George or Chartley, both officers in uniform wouldn't it be the same as attacking the King? Certainly, George III would not look kindly upon her. I also can't believe the Earl would have anything to do with this. He has shown nothing but love for his son. I can't he would or could want him dead. Now Davina died maybe. Mark, you need to send us a new chapter soon. You can't leave George in bondage.

 

I think the king would be pissed off. Really pissed off. If he finds out.

[ricky]

The King will not find out. Or if he does it will be from Granger's father. Granger will not bare the shame of being raped. No, you see Freddie is not taking care of her. He's gay and in the closet. If it gets out then he will face the consequences. And with no male child of his own, who will inherit the title? She is a power hungry bitch and this can only be the plan and the reason for it.

I doubt that Freddie knew of it but I'll bet that Freddie was enjoying himself with Chartley. Perhaps Lady D gave him a gift.

 

SO now, Freddie will be stripped of his title with no fanfare or explanation. The King will see that Granger is a man of character for raising the princes child and the Earle's peerage will come through. Freddie and Lady D will serve out their days in exile. She will have twins and die in child birth while Freddie will die of the fever and Granger will raise his twin boys.

 

Well done Mark.

[centexhairysub]

That Evil Bitch... It is obvious that she is hoping to get pregnate with George's child and claim it is Freddie's, they have to look somewhat like each other. I really think that there is no choice but to have her killed, neither George, Caroline, or non of their children will ever be safe while that woman is alive. I don't care whose daughter she is, she has to be killed for the safety of everyone else involved.

[ricky]

That Evil Bitch... It is obvious that she is hoping to get pregnate with George's child and claim it is Freddie's, they have to look somewhat like each other. I really think that there is no choice but to have her killed, neither George, Caroline, or non of their children will ever be safe while that woman is alive. I don't care whose daughter she is, she has to be killed for the safety of everyone else involved.

 

Remind me to never piss you off. lol, those boys in Texas don't mess around.

 

She said Chartley was unharmed. Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

Wow mark, what a soap opera this is turning into. lol. A royal soap opera. And I'm loving every minute of it.

[Canuk]

I, too, am now a little more terrified of upsetting those texas lad. Mark, I can see that you have a seriously long list of just how to make people uncomfortable. Please give me one warning shoudl I piss you off - I promise I'll apologise..... In fact if I start apologising now, can I build up credit for a possible future indiscretion????

 

great twist to the story - mind you from the moment he got the letter, i was suspicious......

Edited March 4, 2012 by Canuk

[Mark Arbour]

You guys crack me up. I'm glad you enjoyed it. The next chapter more or less answers your questions on this matter, but it won't be up for a few days. Hang in there!

[centexhairysub]

Hell, I have enough land and they have just never been able to find any bodies to ever pin anything on me.... I will get rid of her if no one else can...