Sips of Blood Read Online Free PDF

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disgusting and unhealthy, child. Do I proselytize to you about
that?"
    "You try, Grandmother."
    "Yes, but damn it, it hasn't taken hold. My
business is blooming. You could assist me. No sex. Simply tie up,
beat, and drain a few of my customers. It would allow me more time
for my favorites."
    Attempting to change the topic, Liliana asked
about the T-shaped bench at the far end of the porch.
    "It's an Eton Bench that your uncle brought
over. He wants to store it in my dungeon. I left it here out on the
porch because I have no idea where it's been nor who has been
enjoying their pleasures on it. Knowing your Uncle Donatien,
probably some cheap strumpets."
    Liliana turned away from her grandmother to
smile. Her grandmother was intolerant of most things Uncle Donatien
did. Perhaps with good reason, she thought, remembering her
childhood and the stories she had heard about her uncle, the
Marquis de Sade.
    A dusty gold Cadillac of 60's vintage pulled
into the driveway. Liliana did not recognize the man behind the
wheel and feared that she had interrupted her grandmother's
workday. A sloppy man in his seventies got out of the car.
    "My dear, I didn't expect a visit from you
today," her grandmother called.
    "He's here." The man gruffly pronounced.
    "Ah, your son. Liliana, this is Keith
Bridgewater, a close friend."
    The man grunted.
    "And this is my granddaughter, Liliana.
Keith's son has come to spend some time with his father. And we're
both very excited about it." Marie flashed a smile at the man, who
grudgingly nodded.
    "How long is your son going to be staying,
Mr. Bridgewater?" asked Liliana.
    "Too long, probably."
    "Keith has a wonderful sense of humor. Come
up on the porch and sit for a while."
    Slowly he climbed the steps. Reluctant to
look at the women, he studied the ground instead. Once he was on
the porch, his interest seemed piqued.
    "What are you doing, studying about
knots?"
    "Oh, I wish I could share my interest with
you, Keith." Marie reached out a hand to touch his face and he
backed away.
    "I need to take a leak. Mind if I use your
bathroom?" he asked.
    "You know where it is, dear."
    He sighed and twisted around, almost knocking
Liliana over, but she quickly got out of the way.
    Once he was inside the house, Liliana turned
to her grandmother.
    "You must know him well to let him go into
your house alone."
    "If I hadn't let him use the bathroom
immediately, I'm sure he would have pulled it out and pissed from
the porch."
    "Grandmother, is he a beau?"
    "Him! Child, he is in his mid-seventies, and
not terribly well-kept at that."
    "A client, then."
    "No. Although I do have fun working my wiles
on him. It's so different to be able to torture a man with
kindness. Come in, let's have a little fun."
    Liliana opened her mouth to say she couldn't
stay, but her grandmother pulled her into the house.
    The entry hall did not reflect her
grandmother's taste. Black-and-white earthenware tiles covered the
floor. Marie believed only in marble. The walls were covered with
tiresome still-lifes, some done by famous artists, but her
grandmother favored portraits of nobility, especially those she had
personally known. To the right side was an American
Revolutionary-era side table. Antique to most, considered
contemporary by her grandmother, and not very well made at
that.
    Liliana wondered why her grandmother had
never bothered to redecorate the entry; after all, she had lived
there for the past five years. She knew that for her grandmother
the house was temporary, to be lived in only briefly while Paris
had time to forget the Madame with the penchant for
blood.
    The salon had been altered. A portrait of
Marie-Antoinette stood above the fireplace mantel. Grandmother had
met the queen only once, but she spoke of her as an old friend. The
furnishings were Louis XVI, from the jewel casket that had been
designed for the Dauphine to the writing desk covered with
Sèvres porcelain. When she was fleeing Paris, she could not leave
these