"Well, it all started at the Rose Ball," said Clovis. "I noticed Rafe paying his attentions to this pretty little thing, all fluttering dark eyes and pretty pouts. And I saw her giving the glad eye to me on more than one occasion that evening. So, I thought to myself, "I'll have you, m'lady." I mean, if Rafe couldn't keep her eye from wandering for a single evening, I doubted he'd be able to keep a better guard on other portions of her anatomy at other times."

Emma, curled back up in her arnchair, smiled. If ever she had been shocked by Clovis' nature. that time had long passed - possibly before they had ever been so forcefully brought to Amber. Now she listened with aplomb to tales that should make a virtuous young Amber maiden gasp with shock.

"Any way," Clovis continued, "I made an assignation with her ... the next time I knew Rafe would be at sea. So ... I called round, threw myself at her feet, and swore I couldn't live another minute unless she gave herself to me. Actually, I had to stretch that minute out to half an hour ... she was a saucy piece, and I knew at once that she was minded to yield, but she also wished to impress me with her virtue ... "

"Well, by the time she assented, as you can imagine, I was ... well, fairly impatient. Damn it, I was tearing my clothes off as I chased her up her staircase and scattering them behind me. And so ... a lovely trail ... all the way to her room ... "

He sighed, replete with happy memories. "Oh, she was a bold one. She pleasured me and I pleasured her ... and then we fell to the delightful old sport of pleasuring one another.

"Well, there we were, my Lady and I, going at it with a will ...when suddenly I heard this ... this roar."

He imitated Rafe's stentorian voice. "Clovis!"

"Believe me," he said, "It sounded like the voice of doom."

"The voice of Doom? Really? From Rafe? You look to be quite capable of handling yourself, cousin."

"Normally," said Clovis, "I would have been capable. Rafe might be big and tough, but I'm definitely faster on my feet ...

"But I was naked as a babe, damn it ... and my clothes were strewn in a long line reaching back virtually to the entrance hall. My sword belt and rapier were dangling from the newel post at the foot of the stair - yes, I know, idiotic of me - but I don't know how you would undress in such circumstances, but for me the sword belt is one of the first things to get removed in the heat of passion. It is possible to remove everything but the belt ... but it takes thought and effort - not suited to a chase up the stairs.

"So anyway, I raise my head and curse ... and my Lady starts to giggle beneath me.

"At which point, all thoughts of chivalry deserted me. Damn it, I might and stayed to fight for her honour - not that the saucy trollop had any - but if she found the whole thing wildly amusing, I foresaw that the only course for me was to depart as rapidly as possible - preferably before Rafe killed me. So ... "

The cousin asks at the point if Clovis locked the door ...

Clovis rolled his eyes. "Picture the scene, cos. A ripe and ready female ... myself panting my way up the stairs, led not so much by my nose as by my rampant ... yes well, we will spare my sister the details. Did I lock the door? I didn't even see the bloody door. All I saw was a roguish dimple and two quite luscious alabaster ... well, I daresay you get the gist.

"So anyway ... there's the bull-like roar. And my Lady is giggling under me. So I leap out of bed and look wildly around for my clothes.

"My breeches, fortunately, made it as far as the bedroom ... as did my shirt ... but my jacket was long past hope ... while my boots ... "

He shook his head.

"So, I'm hopping around the room, one leg in and one leg out of my breeches .... and Rafe is thundering up the stairs ... bursting through the door ...

"And I'm standing there, wearing little more than my most charming smile, and saying, of all the idiotic things, 'Hello, Rafe. Wind in the wrong quarter?'

"He just looked at me, lowering his head slightly like a bull about to charge ... I swear, I thought I was shortly to be the late Clovis Barimen, and how fetching Emma would look all in black, weeping at my grave-side ...

He took a long draught of perry. "Ah ... this is damn good, cos. Remind me to beg a bottle from you ...

"It was at this point," he goes on, "that my Lady ... thank the Unicorn! ... finally intervened. She had reared up on the bed when Rafe entered ... and now she leapt off and threw herself at his feet."

He imitated a high-pitched voice. "Rafe ... Rafe ... spare him! Think of the scandal, Rafe! Think of me!"

In his normal voice he continued, "All of which sentiments I would have been happy to endorse, except perhaps the last. Rafe, I think, would have ignored the lot ... only by now she was on the ground by his feet and clutching at his knees. He still attempted to take a step towards me ....

"And then, I am happy to say, the inevitable happened, aand he came crashing to the ground ... with a look ... sweet Kolvir, I shall treasure it for ever ... of the most profound surprise.

"That was good enough for me. I tell you, I was over the sill and dropping into the garden, my breeches unfastened and my shirt flapping free. Of course, by then I was laughing so hard, I could hardly run ....

"I'd reached the horse and was mounting it when I heard another bellow ... believe me, I didn't even stop to look ... I was mounted on a rather different kind of filly and away before he'd even reached the second syllable of my name.

"So," he concluded, "now you have the history of my encounter with Cousin Rafe."

"Rafe," said Emma smugly, "told me quite a different story."

To read about how Clovis learned to fight, click here.
To see information about Clovis, click here.
To see information about Emma, click here.
To see the Seasons game, click here.
To see information about Seasons pbem, click here.