thegoodfellas/blogset-br huggingface dataset:
Henry by the elbow,guiding him through the crowd. Dont know if you remember, butthe formal parlor is up here on the left, Jesse was saying. Mymother wanted them to have their reunion in the nicest room.That wasthoughtful of her, Henry said, his voice barely audible. Therewere familiar faces all around, people he was related to, people heonly saw once a year. Faces passing in a blur. Cousin Sophie. CousinEdward. Another of his second cousins, a girl he thought was calledAdelaide. A house full of people, hectic and laughing and happy, andjust twenty blocks from his home, but Father didnt want him tohave this. Father didnt want him to have this family.The parlor door wasclosed. Henry hesitated to knock, but Jesse reached past him and didit, and a mans muffled voice called out, Come in.Jesse and Henry wentin with their slaves. Mother was crying on the settee, but joyously,her eyes full of love and her smile brilliant. Henry had never seenher like this, so purely happy. The man who sat beside her holdingher hand was smaller than Henry remembered, slight and dapper andvery handsome in the Wilton mold, with wavy hair and a neat mustache.He appeared to have been crying, as well. Reggies red-haired slaveBenjamin stood off to the side with Pearl, who dabbed at her eyeswith a handkerchief.Oh! Reggie, look!Its my Henry! Henry was taken aback by his mothersextravagant enthusiasm. See how beautiful he is?Henry! Reggiestood up and took a step towards him, arms open. Oh, you lovelyboy! How good it is to see you!Reggie didnt hatehim. Mother didnt hate him. Choking back a sob, Henry steppedforward and let himself be embraced. Reggie was small and light, likea bird, and he smelled of heady flowers and amber. He held Henrytightly and rubbed his back. Henry found that he was crying andcouldnt stop.Ill just leaveyou, then, Jesse said softly at his back, and Henry was dimlyaware of the door closing.Henry breathed inshudders, clutching handfuls of Reggies velvet jacket. Imsorry, he whispered.Whatever for?Reggie pulled away from him so that they might look one another inthe eye. Youve done nothing to be sorry for, Henry.But I know,Henry said. Now I know why you left.Reggie smiled andtouched his cheek. Thats all in the past, Henry. Werestarting over again today.I missed you somuch. I thought...I thought you got tired of me. Henry started tocry again.Oh, no, darling,no! You mustnt tell the others, but you were always my favorite,Reggie told him. My little prince. I could never tire of you,Henry. You were such a delightful child. And look at you now! Yourealmost a grown man!Henry fished in hiswaistcoat pocket for his handkerchief. He glanced over Reggiesshoulder and saw that Martin had gone to stand with Pearl andBenjamin. Martin offered Henry an encouraging smile.I have my slavenow, he said. Hes...hes amazing. It was a silly thingto say, and he blushed.Youre stillbashful, Reggie said fondly. He turned to look at the slaves.Come here and meet me, young man.Martin steppedforward and bowed. Im Martin. At your service, Sir.So nice to meetyou, Martin. I trust youre taking good care of my nephew.I
do my best,Sir.Hes a sweetboy, Reggie said, patting Henrys arm. He deserves a lot oflove.How hed missedReggie! No one else talked about him like this; no one else thoughthe was sweet or deserving. He felt his throat grow tight and fearedhe would cry all over again.There was a knock,the door opened a few inches, and Jesse stuck his head through thegap. I dont mean to interrupt, he said, but Mother saysdinner will be served in five minutes.Thank you,Jesse. Reggie said. Well be out directly.Oh dear,Mother said. Ive been crying so much! I must look a sight!Reggie, couldnt we stay here? Maybe Virginia would send us in atray?Reggie went to herand took her hand. Nonsense, Louisa. Everyone wants to see you.They want to see you happy. No one will mind the tears.Mother and Henryboth got themselves under better control and Mother went out to thedining room on Reggies arm just as the clock struck two. Just asReggie had said, all the family members were happy and excited forthe reunited siblings. Mothers cousins gathered around heroffering congratulations and affection, little touches and pats.Father stood byhimself at the far end of the long table. Henry was surprised to seethat he didnt seem angry, as he had earlier, but instead lookedsad, even sheepish, as he watched his wifes effusive relativescomfort and encourage her. He saw Henry and gave him a solemn nod,and Henry realized that his father would be able to see that hedbeen crying and felt guilty. It felt disloyal to Father to be sohappy to see Reggie, but he couldnt help it. Hed loved Reggiebetter than either of his parents.Henry watched Reggielead his mother to a chair and hold it for her, both Pearl andBenjamin looking on, letting him do it. Jesse took his elbow againand gave it a little tug.Were still inthe family parlor this year, he said, with all the little ones.Therere too many adults for there to be room for us at the bigtable.There were tablesset up for the young people in the parlor adjoining the dining roomand the smaller children were running between them laughing andshouting, their nurses trying in vain to corral them. Cora wasalready seated, Nurse standing behind her, but when she saw Henry andMartin, she got up from her chair and darted over to greet them. Shehugged Henry and leaned against Martins legs, seeming supremelycontented.Hello, Jesse.Hello, Jesses slave. She smiled up at Russ. I remember yourface, but I dont remember your name.Im Russell,Miss. I remember you, too.Look, Henry,Cora said, reaching into the pocket of her pinafore. I broughtHoney.Honey?The dancingbear, Cora explained, showing him the little bear from her circusset. Martin, do you see? I brought Honey to Christmas. Ive beentelling our cousins all about my circus. To Jesse she said, Didyou know, Jesse? Henry and Martin gave me the best present for mybirthday.Really? What wasthat? Jesse asked politely, and Cora proceeded to tell him aboutthe circus with great enthusiasm and in exhaustive detail.Miss? Nursecame and put her hands on Coras shoulders. Miss, come sit.Leave the boys be.The rest of thechildren and young people began filing into the
room. Bette hadgraduated to the adult table this year, as had another of the oldergirls, but otherwise the faces around the tables were all familiar.The little ones were attended by their respective families nurses,but only Henry, Jesse and Eli were attended by slaves of their own;none of the remaining girls was old enough for a companion. Adelaideand Caroline and Theresa all made a point of telling Henry howhandsome they thought Martin was which made Henry blush. Once again,he accepted compliments rather gracelessly.Everyone foundplaces and sat. Jesse was at the head of the boys table, Henry andEli to his right and left, respectively, and the rest of the tablefilled out with the younger boys, some on their own and others withnurses. Darwin sat at Henrys right elbow, whispering questionsabout Martin.How did youchoose him, anyway? How many did you look at before you picked him?As far as Henry wasconcerned, the choice had been made for him by fate; he had seenMartin and responded viscerally to his beauty, and that had been allhe had needed to know to make a decision. He certainly wasnt goingto tell Darwin this, however, as it was far too romantic and foolishto share. Oh, I looked at a few, Henry said blandly. He wasthe best one. Hes smart, and we like to do a lot of the samethings.I like his hair,Darwin said confidentially. Jesse should have kept Russ hairlong.The adults wentsuddenly quiet, so the young people quieted, too. On the other sideof the wall, Uncle Gilbert cleared his throat and began a prayer in aloud voice so that all could hear. Henry bowed his head along withall of his cousins. He wondered what Father was doing, if he wasbowing his head or if he sat upright, scowling at all thesuperstitious Wiltons with their pointless prayers. When UncleGilbert said, Amen, Henry joined everyone else in saying it,too.As champagne wasbeing poured at the main table, a footman brought flutes for thethree eldest boys, who were all grateful and pleased.Darwin elbowed,Henry. Can I have a sip?Amused, Henry letDarwin gulp down half his glass.Now there was atoast. Uncle Gilbert said how glad he was to have Reggie back, hisvoice nearly cracking with emotion, and there was a murmuringthroughout the gathering, a gentle but emphatic agreement.To Reggie,Uncle Gilbert said. To family. A joyous Christmas to us all.Here, here!The adults Henry could see from his seat raised their glasses, so theboys did, too, clinking them together.Im especiallyglad youre here, Henry, Jesse said. I wish we saw you moreoften. Maybe, if Reggie stays...Maybe, Henryagreed, although he didnt see how Reggies presence alteredanything. Father would still be prejudiced against Wiltons. Thankyou. Im happy to be here.The Wilton slaves,their numbers padded with the addition of slaves from other familyhouseholds, brought around the dishes for service a la russe.Despite the good service from the slaves, the meal felt casualtheearly hour, the everyday dress, the laughter and cross-talk.Lyle, it turned out,was a fan of Drakes Progress. Mouth full of quenelles, hewas happy to share with Henry his ideas about how Captain Theo mightbeat Dr. DeSade for good and for all.I dontunderstand
why he doesnt just shoot him, Lyle was saying. Andwhy doesnt he ever seem to have a gun at hand when hes fightingDeSade? Or his cutlass, for that matter? Whys it alwayshand-to-hand fighting?Henry finishedchewing his quenelles before replying. But DeSade is a really goodvillain, dont you think? If Theo just kills him, whatll they dofor a villain then? I dont think theyll come up with a betterone. Besides, its not just hand-to-hand. Sometimes theyhave knives.Lyle seemed toconsider this. I suppose youre right about DeSade, but it justseems ridiculous that Captain Drake cant beat him. He beatseveryone else!Jesse got thefootman to pour more champagne in their flutes and then turned tooffer his glass to Russ, who sipped and gave it back with a murmuredthanks, and Henry was surprised again. Hed never before seenanyone treat a slave so indulgently for all to see, with such fondgenerosity, with such a lack of boundaries. He found it shockinglyerotic and he blushed once again. He found that he desperately wantedto question Jesse about his relationship with Russ; it seemedimpossible that they werent actually lovers in a real sense.Eli raised aneyebrow. If youre sharing, I suppose we all need to share,he said, handing his champagne up to Owen, who drank giving theimpression that this sort of thing was nothing new to him, either.Henry hesitated amoment, then passed his flute up to Martin, who smiled at him andmouthed, Thank you, Sir. Martin drank and Henry took the glassby the stem and brought it to his own lips. He imagined his lips weretouching where Martins had been, and it seemed almost as excitingand apocalyptic as if theyd kissed in front of everyone. He turnedhis attention to his plate, hoping to hide the reddening of hischeeks by lowering his face over his turkey and cranberry relish.Whats in thisstuffing? Darwin asked, apparently noticing nothing odd about theolder boys behavior.Oysters, Jessetold him, passing his glass up to Russ again. Dont eat it ifyou dont like it.Peering across thetable and over Elis shoulder at the adult side of the party, Henrytried to see how the adult Wiltons treated their slaves. Were theysharing glasses with them? He wasnt seeing the entire room, ofcourse, but it seemed unlikely.The turkey wasfollowed by ham, sweet potato croquettes, broiled chicken, thepleasant surprise of macaroni and cheese, French peas, and a lettucesalad which did not interest any of the boys very much, though Henrytook some to be polite. Slaves came to sweep the crumbs from thetable and then brought out cheeses and fruit, mince and pumpkin pies,and fruitcake. All the adults had coffee and the older boys wereallowed cups as well, including Lyle but not Darwin, whose parentshad forbidden it.Im not ababy, Darwin complained. I dont know why they treat me likeone.While the mastersand their children took their dessert and coffee, the slaves wentinto the bowels of the house for their dinner, which wouldnecessarily be a hurried affair. Henry watched Martin walk away, halfa head taller than either Russ or Owen, bending to speak first toone, then the other. After the slaves had gone, the boys lolled intheir chairs, feeling
stuffed and leaden. Jesse told them about someFrench poet he liked, Arthur somebody and Henry was onlyhalf-listening, wondering what Martin was eating, whether he wasgetting along with the Wilton slaves.After the slavescame back to clear away the last of the dishes and the companionsrejoined their masters, the adult women went to the front parlor,accompanied by some of the older girls. The men disappeared into thelibrary to smoke cigars. Jesse pushed his chair back and stood.Eli, Henry andLyle come with me. The rest of you go to the nursery.Henry rememberedwhat Jesse had implied about after dinner and feltincreasingly apprehensive.Even me?Darwin protested. Im not a baby, Jesse. Lyles not that mucholder; why does he get to go with you?Lyles 16 nextmonth, Jesse offered as explanation. Next year you can come.Jesse whisperedsomething to Russ, who headed for the back of the house. The rest ofthem left Darwin with the younger boys, the next-oldest of whom was avery immature 11, and headed up the staircase. Darwin wore such adevastated expression that Henry almost felt sorry for him, exceptthat he would have been relieved to also be excluded from whateverJesse had planned.Once they wereinside his room, Jesse locked the door, lit some heavily-perfumedincense and threw a tattered red scarf over his bedside lamp, bathingthem all in pink light. Henry felt increasingly ill-at-ease. He wasgoing to have to excuse himself and take Martin with him, but hehesitated, unsure when he might be able to do this without lookinghopelessly weak.Jesse said, Comelook at what Ive been drawing, Henry, so Henry went to see,looking over Jesses shoulder. It was a pencil sketch of a woman,nude to the waist, lounging on a chaise with her arms stretchedoverhead. She had the face of the girl from the cabinet card,Elizabeth. It showed a great deal of skill; Henry could see why Jessewas proud of it.She didnt posefor this, did she? Henry asked.Oh, no, of coursenot, Jesse assured him. But Ive told her Im doing it, andshes very encouraging. She encourages me in everything I do, yousee. He smiled fondly at the drawing, as if it were the girlherself. Ive been writing her the most pornographic lettersyoucant even imagine! He thought about it a moment, and added,Well, maybe you can! He laughed and nudged Henry with hisshoulder. She just keeps asking me for more, asking for thedirtiest details. Ive told her she has to burn them after shereads them. If anyone else finds them, Ill be in the worsttrouble.There was a lightknock at the door and Jesse went to let Russ in, bearing anearly-full bottle of champagne. Will this do, Sir?Good boy,Jesse told him, ruffling his hair. He took the bottle from Russhand and took a swig, then passed it to Lyle. All the masters drank,then the slaves.Jesse smiled atLyle. Are you ready, then? Ready to be initiated?Lyle flushed brightred. Heck, yes!Jesse waved Lyle offtoward Russ attached room. Slaves, go with him. You know whatto do.Martin looked toHenry, who shook his head.Henry cleared histhroat. Martin stays with me, he said. I dont share him.Really? Jesselooked surprised. All right, then. Russ and Owen, you go.
Hepassed the champagne to Henry and sat down on the floor, crossing hislegs.Henry sat, too, anddrank deeply, offering the bottle to Eli.No more for me,Eli said. He stretched out on the floor, knees bent, hands behind hishead. I just want to digest for a bit.Henry gave thebottle to Martin, who took a sip.Do you nevershare him at all? Jesse asked, nodding at Martin, who leanedforward to hand him the bottle.No, never. I tryto stay away from all that.Even with yourbest friends?Really, I dontshare him. Honestly, Jesse, if I was going to swap him with anyone,Id do it with you, but I just dont. At all.In the silencefollowing Henrys words, they heard a fluttery moan emanating fromRuss room. Jesse and Eli laughed; Henry blushed.Fair enough,Henry. I wont try to convince you otherwise. He gave Martin along look, smiling. Im sure you get lots of requests, though.Most people knowbetter than to ask, Henry said, tired of the subject. He foundMartin indescribably desirable, of course, but he sometimes thoughthe would have liked it better if Martins appeal were lessuniversal.After a few moreminutes, a rumpled Lyle emerged from Russ room with Russ and Owen,both nude. Lyle was wearing a huge, irrepressible grin. Rather thanjoin the older boys on the floor, he flopped face-down on Jessesbed. Owen went to lounge beside his master, bending to murmur in hisear. Owen had more chest hair than Henry would have imagined, and hisslim body was surprisingly muscular. Russ also looked different nakedthan Henry would have guessed, his limbs seeming especiallywell-formed and shapely. Russ stood in the middle of the room anddrank from the champagne bottle, tilting it back, his half-hard cockcommanding Henrys attention. His immediate thought was that hedlike to suck it, to know what a different cock would feel like in hismouth, and he felt a flushing heat permeate his skin once again.Come here,Jesse said, reaching for Russ. Russ went to sit by his side, withinthe curve of his arm. Jesse kissed the side of his head. Thanksfor doing that for me, he said.Anything youwant, Sir, you know that. He smiled at Henry and then Martin inturn. Is Martin really not going to play with us, Sir?Shh. Henrydoesnt share.Its a shame,dont you think, Sir?Dont makeHenry any more uncomfortable than he already is, Jesse warned him.The subject is closed.Very well, Sir.Do you want me to suck you, or would you rather have Owen?Jesse turned andasked, Owen, are you busy?No, Sir. Owenwas already getting to his feet. Eli lay motionless on his back withhis forearm across his eyes.Come here, then.Come help Russ. Show me what you did to Lyle. He began to unbuttonhis trousers.I should go.Henry got hurriedly to his feet, Martin scrambling up behind him.You dont haveto. Jesse let the slaves finish undoing his trousers and ran hisfingers through Owens hair, looking up at Henry wide-eyed andguileless. You can stay and watch if you want.Henry was shockedand aroused in equal amounts. No, Id better go. If he didntgo, hed do something hed regret. Ill come and say goodbyebefore we leave, all right? He went to the door and fumbled withthe
lock. Martin reached around and turned it for him and theyescaped into the hall. They heard Jesse ask Russ to lock the doorbehind them and listened as the bolt slid into place.Lets go to themusic room, Henry suggested. It seemed like neutral territory,safe. Thankfully, there was no one else there. Henry sat in thearmchair and Martin went to sit on the piano bench, where he pickedout a tune.I didnt knowyou played piano, too.Just a bit, Sir.He then belied that assessment of his skill by playing somethingbeautiful and lingering with a pellucid calm that soothed Henrysjangled nerves.Henry slumped in thearmchair with his eyes closed, dazed, unaware that Martin had stoppedplaying until he felt a hand on his shoulder.Sir? Are youfeeling all right?Henry put his handover Martins fingers so that he couldnt pull them away. Saymy name, Martin.Martin bent overhim, his mouth close to Henrys ear. Henry, he said in a lowvoice. My Henry.Henry opened hiseyes and looked up at him. I want to fuck you so badly right now.Martin liked theidea, it was clear. Maybe, Sir, if we could find a private place...Henry shook hishead. Im too scared of being caught. Even if they did onlywhat was allowed, it would still reflect very poorly on his entirefamily if he were found fucking his slave while a guest in someoneelses home. Such bad manners! It would have been different,however, if hed stayed in Jesses room with the other boys, ifhed stayed to fuck Martin while they watched. He shuddered at thethought and shifted uncomfortably in the chair. My cock wontstop being hard, he complained.Martin laughed andperched on the arm of the chair at Henrys side.So, I like mycousin a lot, Henry began, but I dont quite understandwhats going on with him. Do you think he and Russ...do you thinktheyre like us? He seems very fond of this Elizabeth, too.I couldnt say,Sir. Hes a bit of a bohemian, is what I think.A bohemian?Henry had heard the word, but didnt know how it might apply.It means anunconventional person, Sir. A person with an artistic temperament.Theres perhaps a hint of...of sexual freedom associated with theterm, if its all right to say that about your cousin. Martingrinned, seeming to like the idea of sexual freedom, and Henrywondered with a jealous pang if Martin had wished to stay in Jessesroom.Do you think heshandsome?All of theWiltons are very attractive, Sir, Martin told him. So, yes,your cousin is quite handsome, but not so much as you. At least notto me, Sir.Do you wish Iwould act more like Jesse?Sir? Martincocked his head, his expression the very definition of quizzical. Hewas doing that thing he did, stalling while he scrambled for ananswer, and Henry felt a little annoyed. He liked to think he couldhandle the unfiltered truth.Do you wish I wasa bohemian? Henry tried again.If that meant youwouldnt be so jealous, Sir, then maybe I would wish that,Martin offered gently. I dont like it when youre suspiciousof me. I am very devoted to you. They both thought on this a fewmoments, then Martin said, I dont need you to draw nudepictures of me,