The Brass Octopus

By Cornelia Amiri

Spinster Librarian Piety Plunkett is happy alone with her books, until her sister Polly transforms her with a bras octopus beautifying machine. With her new look, the librarian catches the lusty attentions of London's most notorious rogue. Blake Blackmore enjoys the favors of beautiful women from the brothels of London to high society's most fashionable debutantes but only the spinster librarian consumes his mind night and day. Piety insists she will not wed but devote her life to her position as head librarian, but Blake will stop at nothing to win her. He takes matters into his own hands and tutors her in carnal pleasure in three passion filled lessons. Now that she is sharing her body, instead of just her books, Piety is shocked yet pleased at how naughty she can be under Blake's personal tutelage. But if anyone finds out about what goes on in the library after closing time, her reputation would be ruined. Is that Blake' ultimate plan?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cornelia Amiri
• Release date: Sep 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781386842576

Book preview

1

The women at the brothels can wait. Their charms will be for sale tomorrow as well. Jasper matched his friend’s stride, step for step, though Blake stood taller and his feet were larger. As for cards, I hate to bear bad news, but my dear friend, you usually lose.

Blake patted his chest. Oh, wound me with honesty. His leather soles clapped against the sidewalk as the dense brown fog started to lift at last. He caught sight of the ornamental iron streetlight and stepped aside before running into it.

What are friends for? Jasper pulled his crisp linen handkerchief from his coat pocket and covered his mouth with it as he coughed out the sooty, smoky taste of the diminishing London fog.

They came to a stop, waiting for the carriages to roll past so they could cross the street. Blake watched Jasper’s upturned nose twitch, no doubt due to the lingering rotten egg stench from the dirty fog.

I ask you as my best friend to set your usual pursuits aside for this one night to attend the ball. I dislike attending such events by myself, and Mother already committed me to the affair. You know I can’t turn down Mother. Jasper’s eyes rounded as he flashed a pleading look at his friend.

Do not say I never did you a favor. Blake stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket. For your sake alone, I will attend. Dare I remind you, I also am here as a favor to you. I don’t put things aside, you know that. I live in the moment and as far as gambling, I’ve made enough over the years at it, if I sometimes lose, what does it matter?

As they walked across the street, Blake noticed the library building, with large arched windows and double oak doors, before them. Surprisingly, a sensation of relaxation came to him as he gazed at the city library. He recalled how his mother loved to read. Of all the women he’d been with, none were as intelligent as her. Women like that didn’t seem attracted to him. What did it matter? He’d realized a long time ago that a family life just wasn’t in the cards for him.

Indeed I will not, Jasper replied. Every bookstore in London is sold out of this novel, the only gift Mother asked for on her birthday. I hope the library has a copy. Early Experiences, it’s called, though Mother did not mention the name of the author.

Early Experiences is the novel your mother wants? Having arrived at their destination, Blake pulled open the heavy doors to the London library.

Have you read it? Jasper’s eyebrows arched as he swept past Blake and stepped inside.

Indeed I have. The author is Anonymous, and for good reason.

Whatever does that mean? Jasper’s eyebrows arched.

I fear to put it any plainer. Blake glanced at the dour woman at the counter, with her hair pulled in a tight bun. Round spectacles perched on her nose and she was swathed in black from her high collar to her toes. She wore no jewelry, not even a cameo. She looked as if she’d drunk something sour. Well, we may not be in luck, I doubt the librarian has read this one.

What an odd thing to say. Jasper tilted his head back. She doesn’t need to have read it. She just needs to have it on one of these shelves.

Blake looked around at the bookshelves reaching from the wooden floor to the ornate plaster ceiling, where a huge steam-powered feather-fan hung, circulating aeriform fluid as it waved over the room. He took a deep breath. He loved anything that smelled pleasant. The air does seem fresh. I imagine without that device it would get quite stuffy in here.

Jasper shrugged. Mother had steam-powered tubes installed in our home to suck out the stale air and blow the fresh air in. He nodded at Blake. It’s healthier.

Women and their gadgets, he scoffed. Just more machinery from that confounded book. The queen took such a fancy to Jane Webb Loudon’s The Mummy, A Tale Of The Twenty-Second Century, she decided to pattern her country after it. With his mind on books, he noticed all the shelves were crammed with leather-bound volumes in a variety of sizes and colors.

He scanned the patrons, all quiet, eyes cast down, seated in sturdy captain chairs around walnut tables as they absorbed the stories they read. If it is here, it’s probably available. I doubt any of these people have interest in the contents of that particular novel.

Blake followed Jasper as he walked to the counter, and with a jaunty tip of his top hat, greeted the librarian.

My dear woman, I hope you can help me. I need to borrow a book titled Early Experiences.

Blake watched the dowdy creature roll her eyes and he pressed his lips together to suppress a chuckle.

We do have one, just returned. She picked up a book lying on her desk and handed it to Jasper. She then shoved a ledger toward him. Sign here.

As he grabbed the steel nib pen, she added, It is to be returned in five days.

Thank you, my mother will be most grateful. Jasper signed his name.

Your mother, indeed. She let out a snort of doubt. I hardly think so.

Blake felt challenged by the woman’s snort. A sudden urge hit him to prove her suspicion that the book was for Jasper and not his mother was wrong. He flashed a feigned smile. You misunderstand, the book is for his mother and hardly any concern of yours. He signed for it and he will return it when due.

I assure you, sir, I have no interest in interfering with this gentleman’s choice in literature or that of his mother. Her forehead crinkled.

As he gazed at the librarian the way he would an opponent in a poker game, he noticed behind the heavy round lenses, her eyes were a brilliant blue, like shards of sapphires. He wondered what she would look like with her glasses off. This woman who stood up to him, who had confidence matching…his own. I would think not. The gleeful, thrilling feeling he had when he played pranks as a boy struck him again. He hadn’t felt like that in a long time. Possessed with a mischievous yearning to shock this lady, he asked her, Have you read it? The question had flown out of his mouth before he could stop it. He’d also mistakenly said it loud enough that the patrons in line behind him could hear as well. Blake realized now, even with all his charms, he would never be able to persuade her to remove her spectacles for him.

She raised a brass walking stick and pushed the ruby button on top. The mechanics on the side of it turned, spun and slid back and forth. This motion squeezed an accordion style part, emitting a noise sounding like the word hush.

Jasper tapped Blake on the shoulder. Very well. We have the book. Let’s go. He possessively clutched the leather-bound volume to his chest.

Feeling challenged by a worthy opponent, a woman who did not back down, brought out the prankster in him even more. No, not before I show my gratitude to the librarian by delivering a reading for her of this most popular book. He pulled Early Experiences from his friend’s clutches, flipped the pages to what he considered a fitting sentence and leaned toward this woman who had caught his attention in a way no other woman ever had. He read aloud, Her lips pressed mine, and her soft hand thrust under my clothes, sought for and caressed my stiff-standing—

Thump, hush, thump, hush, thump, hush noises rent the air as the librarian banged the tip of her cane on the floor, then pushed the gadget’s button.

Several patrons pulled their eyes from the pages of their books, turned their heads toward her and uttered in unison, Hush.

The librarian’s hand flew to her mouth, covering her lips, which he had noticed seemed quite pink, moist and plump. She appeared taken aback at having been hushed in her own library.

Blake felt his lips tremble as he suppressed a giggle.

Jasper’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at the offending book. Mother?

We should leave before I am struck on the head with an obnoxious and very loud cane. As Blake held the lascivious book with one hand, he grabbed his friend's arm with the other and tugged him toward the door.

Blake barely noticed the woman who had just