Walk the Line - For the Nun

[Sebastian Mannering]

Their exit from the chapel gave Sebastian the opportunity to pass her again, their movements feeling like a flirtatious dance as he used to opportunity to lean in close once more. He drew much nearer than was truly required for him to slip by her and through the narrow arch of the door, the hem of her robe shifting in his wake. Either brushed by the slightest of touches or disturbed by a swirl of air as he moved. He slowed his pace as he stepped out into the corridor, allowing her time to shut the door of the chapel behind her and draw level with him as they walked.

As they put some distance between themselves and the chapel Sebastian allowed quiet to fall between them for a moment while he pondered which of his particular list of sins he should confess. He had quite a list of scandalous stories in his repetoire, ones that would hopefully shock her and leave no doubt in her mind exactly what he was capable of. In the end he settled for the most recent one, his careful wooing of the Lady Daine in order to hopefully lay claim to her brother's lands and unfaithful straying into the arms of... Well Sebastian couldn't actually remember how many servants it had been.

"My disgraceful behaviour has to do with a woman." He announced and paused for effect, an impish grin turning up the corners of his lips. It was clear to most people he did not feel at all remorseful for his actions. "Well, several women actually." He clarified, looking to the nun to see if he could catch that disapproving look on her face once more. "Two of them at once on one occasion." He wondered how much detail he could go into before she became quiet scandalised.

[mariannelovett]

Their footsteps echoed on the barren walls as they made their way down the corridors, filling the silence until the man began to talk. The halls were cool and sheltered, decorated only sparsely with the odd coat of arms or suits of armour posed in a soldier-like stance. She watched the man beside her out of the corner of her eye, keeping pace with him. Her laced her hands in front of her as she walked, interlocking fingers tapping impatiently on the opposite hands' knuckles.

He finally began to speak after collecting his thoughts, and Mari had to work hard to repress the smile he was encouraging. She turned her head to see his face, noting that same smile on his face. He was clearly not embarrassed at his misdemeanors, and Mari forced her expression into a frown. The innuendos were not lost on her like they might on a truly innocent member of the convent and she cleared her throat to cover a chuckle.

"Sir, I assume you are not married for that would be adultery, a cardinal sin!" They turned a corner, and the woman slowed to a halt, taking hold of the man's tailored tunic to stop him in front of her. "How many times have you given in to this 'disgraceful behaviour', sir? Pray tell, when did this gross behaviour begin?" She was enjoying herself, excited at the prospect of knowing more about the man's devilish ways.

[Sebastian Mannering]

"Adultery!" Sebastian echoed her words, allowing his eyes to widen in a parody of offence. "I can only hope I shall never stoop so low." He said gravely, his worrying at his lower lip as though he was actually concerned about the matter. In actual fact he had no intention of remaining faithful when he did get married, he considered it only a minor obstacle he would overcome when he got to it. Whoever he did choose to wed should be content enough that he would provide them with wealth and title without expecting him to alter the way he behaved.

"No, I remain a single man for now." He clarified as the nun drew them to a halt by placing a hand on his tunic. The way she looked at him as she asked her questions sent a thrill of excitement and triumph down his spine. Sebastian had definitely sparked her interest and there was no denying the teasingly coy smile that had been on her lips before now. She was definitely the most interesting nun he'd ever come across and he almost found himself thanking the servant for being so persistent. Without her he would not have chanced upon this irresistible encounter.

"I could not tell you even if I tried, sister." Sebastian admitted, his smile never once faltering. "I have succumbed to my treacherous desires too many times for me to recall every occasion." The interest she was showing in his words, in the details he gave, suggested she was far more invested in the situation than her disapproving looks had led him to believe. "As for when..." He paused again to think about how best to answer. "My father always gave me the freedom to do as I pleased as a young man, I never truly grew out of that habit."

[mariannelovett]

Mari kept her hold on his tunic, using the excuse that she was too shocked by his words to take the hand away. She absently rubbed her thumb over the nearest button, catching her bottom lip between her teeth as if she were thinking deeply. She was contemplating something with deep thought, though it definitely wasn't how to help him out of his quagmire of hellish sins. Far from it as the briefest flash in her eye betrayed. Thankfully she was looking off the the side, else the man might have noticed her expression was contradictory to her role.

Under control once more, owing nothing to her vivid imagination, she turned her head to meet his eyes, feigning concern. "My dear child, have you never confessed before? You are clearly in need of help. This has gone on so long, I am not sure you can be saved." She told him, her mouth set in a serious line, her eyes drawn up and cemented to his. Such a pale blue, and so vivacious. No wonder he had lost count of the amount of women he had seduced.

Almost losing the game right then, she drew her hand back reluctantly. She wanted this preamble to last, and she would not resist it if she continued to keep her hands on him. Although thoughts of her hands on him alone were enough to spoil her facade if she didn't stop herself now.

Sighing deeply to calm herself, she appeared to be mulling over the issue while she trained her thoughts onto less meandering roads. "Confess all your sins to me, I will consult with the Lord and ask for your forgiveness. He will give it if you are honest, and your soul will be cleansed." She did believe that God would help him, and if He allowed, she would give him sanctuary in her arms and in his bed.

[Sebastian Mannering]

The way the nun moved was tantalising, Sebastian's eyes followed her thumb stroking across one of the buttons on his tunic, making him wish he could see those delicate hands in action in another capacity. Her teeth bit into the plump flesh of her bottom lip, another movement that teased him no end. He did not bother to hide the arousal in his eyes as she looked at him concerned. "I am afraid I was never really encouraged to find solace in the house of God, I have a lot to make up for." He agreed gravely. "I have faith that you can help me though. I will do anything you ask."

It was not often Sebastian offered anybody the chance to gain power over him, but the glimpse of lust he'd seen in her eyes had driven him to respond. He was playing her game now, and he had no doubt that it would lead to something enjoyable if she would let it. He tried to hide his disappointment as she withdrew her touch and allowed them to continue their walk at a slow pace, one that gave them the opportunity to talk as well. She seemed to encourage the same thing, prompting him to delve into his past sins.

"Well," Sebastian began, clasping his hands together in front of him. Where to begin? Well, he saw no harm sticking relatively close to the truth. He was fairly certain nothing he said would truly shock this sister, even if she tried to act as though she was outraged by his behaviour. "My first tutor taught me all I needed to know. I was barely fifteen at the time and I do not believe when my father hired her he intended for her to open my eyes quite so thoroughly to the ways of women."

[mariannelovett]

Anything she asked? She would have to remember that promise for later. If that look in his eyes was anything to go by, it would not be difficult to tempt the noble into a 'later'. Preferably sooner rather than later. She decided wisely to keep her eyes on the ground to hide the evidence of her thought process flitting through her wide-pupilled gaze. It would ruin the game somewhat if it was revealed just how interested she was.

Mari took a deep breath through her mouth to avoid his scent. men always had just an alluring aroma about them that usually destroyed her self control if she were weak enough to indulge herself in it. She kept a careful distance between them as they walked. Not too far to seem disinterested, but not so close as to undo her already unravelling self control.

He was right to think that nothing would shock her. After all, she'd lost her innocence a year younger than fifteen. Although the idea that he'd had that much experience made the tip of her fingers curl in delight. She would have to apologise to the Lord later but why would he pull the strings of fate to bring sch a man to her if she was not supposed to show him the delights and pleasures that God Himself had gifted all mankind with?

She began to wonder how close this man's room was, and how she could influence him to take her there. She would try and work it into the conversation soon. But first, a chance to learn more about this gift of a man was arising, and she was not about to pass it up. "Are you sure your father did not employ her for just that? His twisted act could have been the reason for your sins now." Unless his conduct in the bedroom was as good as hers. In that case, his father was indeed an angel. "How long was it before your father realised what was replacing such important lessons?" She asked, wishing she could crudely eke out every detail of his sins in the hopes that even she could learn something.

[Sebastian Mannering]

The distance between them felt staged somehow, the nun was walking beside him with an exactly reasonable space between them. To anybody else they would look a noble sharing pleasant conversation with a woman of the church, which only seemed to amplify the scandalous content of their words. Sebastian wondered if she had distanced herself on purpose, if she could feel the spark zinging between them and was trying to maintain a professional boundary. Or perhaps she was doing it to tease him, allowing to look and speak (as there was quite clearly no limits on what he could say), but not touch.

It was ever so tempting for Sebastian to hold his father responsible for his... addiction to women now. Mannerings were brought up to take responsibility for actions that gained them glory and place blame for those that did not. It would be easy for him to say it had all been the elder Mannering's doing and he had no doubt that at the very least his father had been aware that his tutor had been not nearly so qualified as she claimed, at least not in the area of the academics. He probably had wanted Sebastian to gain a little experience, but the old fool had not expected the woman to go about her task with quite such vigour, frequency or adventurous nature.

"I do not think my father, fool that he was, realised quite the extent of the impression this woman would have on me." He said with a small, wicked smile. Allowing all the blame to be placed on his father may allow the nun to forgive him too soon and then their delightful exchange would have to end. Sebastian couldn't have that at all. "It was a year before he realised and had my tutor dismissed, she did not work again, at least not in any similar professions. In that time I also discovered during that year that with a few gentle words of persuasion and half-truths that many of the serving girls and local peasants were more than willing to extend my experience."

[mariannelovett]

The particular distance was beginning to smother her lucid facade, and Mari thought she might not be able to keep this up for long. Giving in just a little, Mari made a pretend act of contemplation and stopped in front of a decorative alcove. The nun stepped back into the alcove as if freeing the passageway for anyone who might wander past, even though there was ample room for four abreast to traverse down the corridor. The movement took her out of direct view of the rest of the passage way, except for the section in front of her where the man stood. It gave her a sense of privacy, and she allowed a slight smile to play her lip as she mused aloud.

"So your father was not wise to it? I'm afraid that will mean that this odd behaviour is your own doing, sir. Your inability to resist your first tutor is a weakness only you can atone for. To persist and lure servants and peasants into your Hellish ways has damned you further, I fear. Taking into account all the years since then, there may not be any redemption for you, my child. I do not mean to frighten you, but I believe it will take many a confession and devotion to pure ways to redeem yourself in the eyes of God." Despite the seriousness of her words, she actually smiled from the shadow that the alcove provided her. Only the nobleman in front of her would be able to see it, and she was not smiling about his doomed fate.

Covering her mouth with her fist, she coughed politely and when her fist retreated, she was dour-faced once more. "Your obsession with lady-folk is troublesome, sir, I think perhaps you might need a Brother to help you in your quest for purity. I might only hinder matters..." She paused, letting the innuendo hang between them for a moment before she continued, "After all, I am a woman under this habit, I think that in your depravity, you would be distracted while I try to help you." She said the last seriously, but under her lashes, her eyes were warm with something equating hunger.