Atrum Visum

Not even the events of the afternoon had prepared Kris for what she
found upon entering the dining room. The large hall was ablaze with light
from the crystal candelabra, reflecting from the china and silver on the
table. Rising from his place at the head of the table, the Marquis took
her hand and led her to the seat at his right, gently lifted the chair
into place and assumed his seat. With a slight motion of his hand, the
Marquis signalled the waiter to begin serving. The meal was the most
delicious she had ever had and the waiter never seemed to stop pouring
wine, there was even a sweet desert wine after the meal had ended, all of
which, left Kris with a just a touch of disorientation. During the entire
meal, the Marquis had outlined the varied duties she would be required to
attend to as the mistress of his house. The longer the meal lasted, the
harder it became for Kris to concentrate on the exact details of the
Marquis' explanations.
In due course, the Marquis arose, steadied Kris as she arose from
her own chair, and gently led them both toward the sitting room. There he
seated her in a deep easy chair before another roaring fire and placed
another chair in such a way that he could watch her as they talked. He
began to talk of his home and the estate, his businesses and his
acquaintances. As he talked, Kris watched his eyes and the manner in
which he used his hands to punctuate his remarks. A subtle change began
to happen.
As the wine and dinner began to work the magical effect, Kris began
to feel strange stirrings deep within her body. She began to watch the
way the Marquis moved and spoke, and as she watched a strange urge
overtook her. A question which had been in her mind for several hours,
suddenly found its way to her lips and burst forth, almost even before
she knew she wanted to ask it. "Why aren't you married?"
The Marquis leaned back deep into the chair and looked intently at
Kris. A few moments of deep silence followed, during which Kris began to
wonder if she had committed a breach which would cost her the chance at
the job. Leaning forward, the Marquis sipped his brandy, placed his
elbows on his knees and spoke almost in a whisper. "I have never found
the woman who could satisfy my desires, my appetites or my needs."
With the wine in even more control than before, Kris leaned forward
also, forgetting the effect of such a position on the deep decolletage
she wore, and replied, "And what desires, appetites and special needs
would such a woman have to satisfy?" "Are you sure you want to know?"
asked the Marquis, with what Kris normally would have called an evil leer
in his face. "Of course", she boldly replied, letting the wine speak for
her. "Then come with me," spoke the Marquis as he rose from the chair,
"and I will show you what sets me apart from other men and makes finding
a suitable wife so difficult."
Taking her hand, the Marquis crossed the room to an unseen door
slightly recessed behind a panelled wall. Opening the door, he stepped
back to reveal a staircase, descending into darkness for an
undeterminable depth. Urging her forward with his hand in the small of
her back, the Marquis followed her down the stairs, first tightly closing
the door behind them. For several minutes they descended the stairs until
Kris could see dim lights at the foot of the stair case. Rounding a
corner at the bottom, she beheld a sight which immediately cleared the
wine induced cloud from her mind. A large dark cellar stretched before
her, with walls, floor and ceiling all of stone. Within the room were
strange machines and complicated apparatus. On the walls hung what at
first appeared to be harness and tack for horse riding. Within the walls
and floor and upon the great stone columns were set iron rings at various
heights from the floor. In the dim reaches of the room she could barely
ascertain what looked like heavy wooden doors with grated windows set
high and heavy iron bolts. At first she was confused but slowly, like
water flowing into a dry river bed, the truth of what she beheld came to
her. Turning , she found the Marquis standing slightly above her on the
stairs.