Under The Moon And Stars

Chapter 1

Evangeline Campbell had known her future since she was seven years old. Born to a very wealthy tradesman, she was the only child of Edward and Abigail Campbell. Perhaps if she'd had siblings she might have been given more choices. But after seven years and no other children being born to her parents, her father decided to take action to prevent an unworthy gold digger from marrying his only child. The solution was to make an agreement with his best friend, Harold Montgomery, that when Evangeline was deemed ready, she would be married to Harold's son Alexander who was just two years older than she.

Evangeline, or "Evie" as everyone called her, had grown up in the country rather than the city of London where most of her father's acquaintances lived. Her mother had never liked the crowds and hustle of the city. She had begged Edward to allow her to make his country estate in Surrey their primary residence when he proposed. Edward loved Abigail dearly and promised he would as soon as they were married.

And so, Evie had grown up surrounded by land, trees and flowers instead of high society, crowded streets and balls. But this indirectly led to Evie and Alexander never having met. His family had come to visit a handful of times over the years, but Alexander had always been away at school. When he was home, they preferred to vacation abroad. Edward often went to town for business but, it never occurred to him to bring Evie along. Therefore, even now at the age of 19 and with the marriage itself looming ever closer, Evie had no idea what her future husband even looked like.

This was the topic of conversation one afternoon by the stream as Evie and her best friend Nathaniel skipped rocks. Nathaniel Martin's family also lived primarily in Surrey although unlike Evie he had been to London on several occasions. His property bordered hers so they had played together since they could walk. Evie couldn't pronounce, "Nathaniel," when she was little. It had come out, "Natti," and she continued to call him that. Fate had not been kind to Natti in the looks department. His brown eyes were small and beady, though they were soft and kind when you looked into them. He wore spectacles which rested on a nose that was too large for his face. That might not have been too bad but as a child Natti had contracted smallpox which left scars on his cheeks. He was tall and trim though. At 6 foot he was quite a bit taller than her 5'5. Having spent hours outside his whole life he was in good shape. He had brown hair that matched his eyes. He was also the sweetest and most patient person Evie knew.

Evie's parents had given her more freedom than was normal for most girls and she had run around outdoors playing in the fields and stream her entire life. When the weather was warm she almost never wore shoes. Her long blonde hair was usually styled in a loose braid during the day. She had been wild and high spirited as a child which had led to her sometimes yelling and even shoving Natti from time to time. But no matter what tantrum she was throwing Natti never once raised his voice or shoved her back. She had long since outgrown her spoiled tantrums and had become a sweet young woman while still maintaining her independent spirit. Evie adored Natti and hoped that one day he would meet a woman who would look past his not-so-handsome face and instead see the treasure that he was. Whoever married him would have a loyal and loving husband. Evie was certain of that.

What she wasn't so certain of was how she and Alexander would get on. No wedding date had been set but she'd overheard her parents speaking about her engagement more often of late, so she suspected it was only a matter of time now. She had been telling Natti as much while tossing another stone into the stream. "Have you ever met him, Natti? You've accompanied your father on business several times in the last year. Did your paths ever cross?"

"I'm afraid not, Evie. I was hoping to. The last two times I was in London I thought I might meet him since we attended the opera one evening and even a ball last month. Both times his parents were in attendance but not him. I kept a lookout for him though as I had hoped to make his acquaintance and report my thoughts about him to you." Natti shifted uncomfortably on his feet for a moment before straightening his posture and looking her in the eye. "I don't like it, Evie. I don't like that this decision has been made for you without you even being consulted. You deserve to be happy and have a say in what will make you so."

Evie smiled. Natti was the best and was always looking out for her. "There's nothing I can do. This has been the plan for 12 years. I've never even questioned it. It's just the way it is. And I trust my father. Mr. Montgomery has been his best friend for years. He wouldn't marry me off to anyone he deemed unworthy. As a matter of fact, that is why the marriage was arranged in the first place."

"But what if this deal was never made? What if you could choose your own future? Would you still pick him? Or would you select a different path?" Natti looked at her expectantly, almost hopeful. But hopeful for what she wasn't certain.

"I don't know Natti. It's never a question I've asked myself. To be honest I don't know that I want to question it because if I did and the answer was something else it would make me horribly sad. It's better to just embrace what you know to be true than to ask a bunch of what ifs." Natti regarded her thoughtfully but didn't reply and instead skipped another stone. Evie looked at the moving stream for a moment and thought about what she had just said. It was true, she never thought about other possibilities because it terrified her. She was going to do what her parents wanted and had wanted for years. She would marry Alexander. She loved her parents dearly and they had given her the most wonderful childhood she could imagine. It stood to reason that they would be ensuring her a wonderful future as well.

Still, she felt an ache in her heart sometimes that was difficult to explain. It was the feeling of losing her independence, of handing her life over to someone she had never even spoken to. There was so much life left to be lived. What if hers was miserable? No, she wouldn't think like that. She was happy now and she would find a way to be happy no matter what came. She smiled at Natti and said, "I better get home. Dinner will be served before too long and I must change. I've gotten a bit muddy today playing by the stream."

Natti smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck giving him a warm hug. He held her tightly before pulling away and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Have a good evening. I may not see you tomorrow. I've got to look over ledgers and accounts with my father."

"Uggg. Boring," Evie laughed. "I'll see you when you break free, I guess." Evie ran off towards her house leaving the sound of Natti's chuckling behind her. Once she made it to her bedroom she immediately set to getting cleaned up. She washed her face and rang for her lady's maid, Lucy. Lucy was around 30 years old and had been with her family for about five years working as a house maid before becoming Evie's personal maid last year when she'd turned 18. Lucy was the same height as Evie with sandy blonde hair and freckles. She'd been married some time ago, but her husband had run off and abandoned her never to be seen again. It was at that point she'd applied as a maid.

Edward and Abigail had hired her gladly. They truly were good people and had wanted to help poor Lucy who was searching desperately for employment and a place to live. From what Evie understood she had no parents or other family to help when her husband abandoned her. She was an excellent lady's maid. Evie's room was always tidy and after learning of Evie's tendency to come home in the afternoons covered in dirt, she always had a pitcher of water waiting for her to clean her hands and face. Later she would help Evie pick a dress for dinner and restyle her hair. After dinner, Lucy always had a hot bath waiting for her in her room.

This evening Evie picked out a light blue dress that matched her eyes. Lucy brushed her honey blonde hair for her before pinning it up in a simple yet elegant bun. It was just her parents tonight at dinner so there was hardly any reason to look more formal.

Most of dinner was idle chit chat with her parents. Her father talked about his estate and the working of the land plus the business ventures he currently had. Her mother talked of her garden and how excited she was by the spring blooms this year. Evie talked about her picnic by the stream with Natti and how she'd spent the afternoon enjoying the warm spring weather and skipping stones. Once dessert was served, however, her father said he had news to share. He looked right at Evie. Evie glanced at her mother, whose eyes were shining with excitement. "I've been in touch with Harold Montgomery," he began, "and with Alexander having both finished his schooling and taking over a good deal of his father's responsibilities, we both feel that the time is right for the two of you to finally be wed."

Evie stared at her father silently for several moments before realizing that he was waiting for her response. Truthfully Evie wasn't sure what to say. Although she had known this was coming it was still a surprise to hear it said. She wasn't angry but she wasn't overjoyed either. How could she be? She was marrying a man she had never seen or spoken too. Maybe they should have been exchanging letters over the years, but the thought hadn't even occurred to her before now. Still, she'd known this had been coming since she was 7. So, she gave her father a small smile and said, "I see. I've known that it would probably be soon. Have you worked out any details?"

"A few," he replied. "Of course, I'll leave most of the actual wedding planning to you and your mother, but we have decided when and where. Our London residence, as you know, has been closed since your mother and I left to make this our home. But it is a beautiful house that will serve you and Alexander well. The plans I've made so far are as follows, we will continue to spend the spring here as we always have. This will give staff time to open, clean and decorate our townhome in London. You and your mother will go into the village here to have not only a special gown for the wedding designed but an entire new wardrobe as well."

"We'll have the most wonderful time Evie," Abigail interrupted. Edward smiled at his wife before continuing.

"In a couple months, we will travel to London where you will finally be introduced to Alexander. You will attend some events and parties together. This will allow the two of you to get to know one another a bit as well as introduce you to society. After a couple of short weeks you will be married in the same church your mother and I were wed in." Edward and Abigail smiled at one another remembering their wedding day.

"Afterwards you and Alexander will reside in our town home which I am gifting to you both. Your mother and I will never live there and this way you two will start off your marriage in your own home. The last thing a newly married couple want is parents and in-laws sharing the same space," her father laughed at that statement. "So how does all that sound to you Evie? An early summer wedding and your own home to set up and run however you see fit?"

Truthfully it didn't sound bad and she knew her father was doing everything in his power to see that she was well taken care of for the rest of her life. Still, she was incredibly nervous at the idea of giving her life to a man she didn't know. What if they didn't get along? What if he was a horrible man who treated her badly? Women could almost never get a divorce and even if they did it came with the shredding of her reputation. She knew that would never likely be an option for her.

But this was her fate. She'd known since she was a child. It just never seemed so bad when it was in the distant future. It seemed far more daunting now that the time was upon her. Nevertheless, this was her duty, and she would find a way to make it work. She looked at her parents, managed what she hoped was an excited smile and said, "It sounds wonderful. Thank you for making all this possible for me." After a few more words of excitement and joy from her parents, dessert ended and everyone left the dining room. Her mother went to the library while her father decided to go for an evening horseback ride.

Evie went upstairs to her room where her bath was waiting. She had never been more grateful for the warm water in her life. She tried to let it ease the tension in her body. She looked at her naked body as she relaxed, noting her voluptuous breasts and her pink nipples were flushed from the steamy water. Evie had a small waist with narrow hips and a small backside. Sometimes she worried that she was disproportioned. She'd once asked Lucy as much. Lucy had simply laughed and told her that she was lovely and had nothing to worry about. She stayed in until the water grew cold and she dried off and donned her nightgown.

Evie tried to occupy her mind with some reading, but when that couldn't distract her, she decided to try and sleep. Unfortunately, her mind would not rest. She didn't know how long she had been lying in bed worrying but eventually she decided to get a snack. She thought about ringing for Lucy, but it was so late and the house was completely silent so she assumed Lucy was already asleep. Evie decided to go to the kitchen herself so after putting on her robe she crept quietly down the stairs. The kitchen was away from the main part of the house where the family lived.

She moved as silently as possible trying to avoid waking anyone up. But as she got closer to the kitchen, she began to hear strange noises. It sounded like a man, but he wasn't speaking. Just making odd sounds like he was gasping for breath. The kitchen door was partially open, so Evie could poke part of her head in and what she saw shocked her to her core. It was Charles, one of the family's footmen. He was probably in his mid-thirties and had worked for her family for years. But seeing him standing in the kitchen wasn't what shocked her. It was the fact that his pants were open and Lucy was on her knees in front of him with what could only be his male organ in her mouth. Evie only had a basic understanding of anatomy. She knew that males and females were different down below, but she had never seen a man's genitalia before. Lucy had some of him in her mouth and was moving her head back and forth on it while pumping the base of it with her hand.

Charles was grunting and gasping, one hand placed behind Lucy's head. "Oh Lucy. Oh yes, just like that. Just like that. Oh! Here it comes! Get ready! Ohhhh..." Charles's words deteriorated to become a garbled mess that made no sense and his entire body started jerking. His eyes rolled back as he looked towards the ceiling. Lucy moved even more aggressively now pumping her hand and sucking him hard. It also looked like she was swallowing something, but Evie couldn't be sure. Finally, Lucy pulled away and Charles tucked himself back into his pants. He looked at Lucy fondly and said, "Your turn now."

Lucy moved over to the bench by the table. She sat at the end and then lay down on her back. She planted her feet apart on the floor and Charles knelt at her feet. He pushed her skirt up and if that wasn't shocking enough Charles lowered his head between her legs and began kissing her private area. Evie covered her mouth to keep from making any surprised noises. She knew instinctively she should leave but her legs felt planted to the floor. She was mesmerized by the sight in front of her.

Charles was kissing and licking Lucy in a way Evie was positive no one should. Once more, Lucy seemed to be enjoying it. She sighed at first, followed by some quiet whimpers and then she began panting. Lucy started to thrash her head from side to side, and Charles buried his head even deeper between her thighs. His head was moving up and down and she could hear him slurping. He grabbed her legs and put them over his shoulders then held Lucy by her hips. Lucy started speaking, sounding very similar to Charles when she'd been sucking him. "Oh yes Charles. Yes! Don't stop! Oh! It feels amazing! You're incredible...OH. Ugggg...OH YES!" Suddenly Lucy grabbed Charles by his hair and held him to her as she began to rub herself into his face. She cried out with a noise that almost sounded like pain, but her face was one of joy. Evie could tell Lucy was trying to be quiet when it seemed she wanted to scream.

Once Lucy released her grip on Charles's hair he stood up, then reached out a hand to help Lucy. She pulled her skirt down and they smiled at one another. "Tomorrow night Lucy," Charles asked? "Of course, Charles. Same time," Lucy replied. Charles turned to go outside, and Evie realized she'd better run or risk being caught by Lucy. She hurried up the stairs and into her room, her snack long forgotten. Once in bed Evie stared at the ceiling. What had she just witnessed? Something she wasn't meant to see, of that she was certain. It looked dirty and wrong but also nice somehow. Lucy and Charles had clearly enjoyed themselves. Evie knew she would have to find out what she had observed. She would have no peace of mind until she understood not only what she had just seen but also why her own nether region was now tingling in a way it never had before.