thegoodfellas/blogset-br huggingface dataset:
kissed Nurse goodbye and went downstairs.Yourea good brother, Sir, Martin told him at the top of the stair. Atthe second-floor landing, Martin said, Ill see you soon, Sir,and darted a quick glance around the empty stair before squeezingHenrys hand. He hurried down the stairs and Henry watched him go,then made his way down the hall to his own room.Henrywanted to go to the wedding party, and he wanted to hear Martin playfor an audience, but he didnt want to forego his usual activitieswith Martin, all the sex and closeness, and he was realizing that hewould likely have to do without much of what he wanted on this daywhen he felt he needed it so badly.Heopened the wardrobe and looked at his suits. He was wearing hisleast-favorite, the brown, and wanted to wear something different tothe party, maybe the new blue plaid with the paisley waistcoat. Theblack-and-grey check was always good, too. He would ask Martin whichwould be most appropriate.Hehad a new book hed started two weeks ago, a story about an amateurdetectivean exceptionally clever manand his devoted companionwho assisted him in solving mysteries. It had been recommended to himby Charles, who shared his fondness for reading. It seemed as good atime as any to pick it back up. He read perhaps twenty minutes,trying to concentrate on the book rather than listening for Martinsstep in the hall.Atlast, he heard Martin hurrying down the corridor and only had time toput a bookmark between his pages before Martin was in the room,locking the door and leaping on top of him. Henry wrapped him up inhis arms and rolled him over and over again. The solid weight of himfilled Henry with joy. He wanted to drown in Martins warmth,Martins smell.Dowe have time...? he asked hopefully.Notto do it properly, Martin said, shaking his head regretfully. Idont want to rush, and youll be expected downstairs soon. Hepushed Henrys hair off his forehead and looked into his eyes.Later, well do whatever we want, all right?Itwasnt unreasonable; Henry tried not to pout.Martintook off his glasses and stretched to place them on the nightstand.We could neck a bit, though, he offered. As a stopgapmeasure.Itwasnt everything Henry wanted, but it was certainly a great dealbetter than nothing. He pulled the tie from Martins hair and tookit in silky handfuls. It smelled deliciously of vetiver and Martinsskin. He kissed Martins mouth and caught a hint of chocolate.Youhad cake?Martinlaughed. We did. You taste it?Mm-hmm.Henry kissed him again, reveling in the heat of his mouth, theslickness of his tongue. Martin made a little grunt and threw a legover Henrys. Henry took this as a cue and maneuvered himselfbeneath Martins body, matching at thighs and hips and chest. Henryran his hands up and down Martins back and ass and rubbed hischeek against Martins hair as he arched beneath Martins weight,wanting intense, seamless contact.Martinsighed into Henrys mouth as they kissed, and Henry could feel thathe was hardthey both werebut kissing wasnt just about sex,didnt inevitably lead there. It felt so good to be close toMartin, to have his touch accepted and welcomed. He craved closenesswith Martin almost
more than sex. Almost. He wrapped himself aroundMartin and held on tight. With Martin in his arms, everything wasright in the world. Henry felt soothed and content, generous andexpansive.Martinsskin was warm through the folds of his clothing. Henry strokedMartins back with one hand, the other deliberately tangled in hishair. He made a little contented growl and tilted his head to offermore of his neck for Martins mouth, a leisurely string of hotkisses from collar to ear.Martin,Henry murmured. Martin.Hmm?Martin lifted his head to look at Henrys face.Henryblushed. He hadnt meant to speak aloud. Nothing, he said.It feels good.Martinlaughed, low and intimate. Youre sweet, Henry. But he beganto disentangle himself. We should get you dressed now.Henrywas disappointed. Is it time already? He didnt wait forMartin to answer but sat up and swung his legs over the side of thebed.Martinstood at the bedside smoothing his hair back into a tail. He lookedupon Henry with an expression that was indulgent and fond and even alittle admiring. I feel better now, Martin said. Ivemissed you these past few days.Youhave? Henry was surprised and delighted but at pains to hide hiseager pleasure.Martinscoffed at this. Of course. How could I not?Henrysuspected that Martin might easily tire of him, but he would notsuggest it for fear of giving Martin cause to consider thatpossibility. He had no doubt it was obvious, but he said, Ivemissed you, too.Martinsmiled as he held out his hand and pulled Henry to his feet. Letsget you dressed now, Henry.Duringdinner, which was served by Paul and Randolph alone, it occurred toHenry that he hadnt asked his parents for permission to go to theslave party, and he worried that it wouldnt be granted if he didask. He ate in dread of being asked about Martins participation,worried that one or the other of his parents would be astute enoughto realize that he would definitely want to see Martin perform andwould forbid it. To his relief, he got through the meal with therebeing no mention of the slave party or even the missing Billy.Afterdinner, Henry was prepared to spend an antsy hour listening to Pearlread the final chapters of TheGhost of Hedgecombe Manor,but Father offered a surprising respite.Seeingas how Timothy and Martin have a party to get ready for, why dontwe skip the reading this evening, ladies?Oh,said Mother. Well, I suppose thats all right. She turned toHenry. Will you be able to entertain yourself this evening,Henry?Henryblushed and tried to hide it by dabbing at his mouth with his napkin.Er, yes, Mother, I think Ill manage.Allright then, darling. Come kiss me goodnight.Henrygot up and went around the table to kiss his mothers cheek, thenleft the dining room with Martin following close behind.Thatwas so kind of your father, dont you think, Sir? Martin said onthe stairs.Doyou think he suspects Im going to the party?Oh,Im sure he knows, Sir, Martin said, seeming surprised Henrywould believe otherwise. Its a party in your very own home,after all; why wouldnt you go?Henryfelt vaguely annoyed that he wasnt actually getting away withanything after all. Still, there was a party, and he was going, andit didnt matter if
his father knew so long as he wasnt going tostop him.Martinthought the black-and-grey check was a better choice than the blueplaid. All the other men will be in plain clothes, remember,Henry, mostly black, and you will stand out enough as it is in yourcollar and tie. Youll be more comfortable if you blend in alittle, dont you think?Itwas a convincing argument, and Henry allowed himself to be dressedaccordingly. Martin recommended a red necktie, as red was the slavewedding color and any guests who had red garments would be wearingthem.Slaveweddings are about carnal love in tandem with fidelity, you see, andred is the color for sex, after all. Martin tied the red foulardtie and fussed with the ends. Which tie pin do you want?Goldand onyx, Henry decided.Whenhe was dressed, he followed Martin into his room and watched from thedoor as he changed his undergarments and shirt. When Martin bent topull on his clean drawers, Henry leaned forward off the door jamb andput his hand on Martins back, the soft corrugation of his ribs,just needing to touch him. Martin turned his head to smile up at him,and Henry felt such tenderness for him that it hurt. The words hewanted to say were thick in his throat. He loved Martin so much, butit wasnt the right time to tell him so; he could wait a few moredays.Itsinteresting, Henry began, that free peoples marriages areall about babies, having children, but children arent even apossibility for slaves, so slave marriages are just about love.Andsex, Martin pointed out. Sex and fidelity. Theres no reasonto marry just to have sex, after all, but if you want to be exclusivepartners, then you can commit to that in front of everyone. He puthis pants back on and tucked in his shirt.Henrythought about this in terms of Timothy and Dora. Do you know whenTimothy and Dora got married? And did they do this same ceremony thatBillys having?Ithink Timothy was about 30 and Dora must have been 32 or 33.Shesolder?Justa little. He buttoned his waistcoat and smoothed it over hisstomach. And as far as I know, they would have used the sameceremony. Its quite standard, I understand.Henrywondered if there was a slave ceremony that two men might do toproclaim their fidelity, and wondered if Martin would do it with him,but was afraid to ask for fear Martin would react unfavorably to theidea.Martinslid his arms into the sleeves of his jacket. Do I look niceenough, Henry? Neat and clean?Yourevery handsome, Henry told him. He smoothed Martins lapelsagainst his chest as Martin did so often for him.Well,Im ready to go down, then. Shall we?Onthe stairs, Martin said, Ill be playing for most of theevening, Sir, so if you become bored, dont feel you have to stayfor my sake.Illstay, Henry assured him. Ill be there the whole time.Downin the basement, the hall was full of peopleall slaveshednever seen before. A few of these strange slaves looked askance athis checked suit, his collar and tie, but of course no one challengedhis right to be there.Therewere tables of food set up in the hall, along with a giant
bowl ofpunch that smelled like pure alcohol. Additionally, there wereperhaps a dozen bottles of various liquors sitting open, all with redribbons around their necks.Thosewill have been presents, you see, Martin murmured. Do you wantsomething to eat, Sir, or a drink?Illget whatever I need for myself later, Henry told him. Yourebusy now.Twoof the Blackwell maidsHenry thought they were Ruth and Lucystoodby the door of the slaves mess handing out ribbons (Ruth) and pins(Lucy). The women were shy with Henry, but seemed happy enough to seehim there. The ribbons were double bows, one ribbon red and the otherwhite, and Henry stood still while Martin pinned one to his lapel. Hemade to do the same for Martin, but Martin stayed his hand andblushed a bright pink.Sir,you cant,Martin said in an urgent whisper. He pinned on his own ribbon andhurried into the hall.Theyoungest boys had done a nice job decorating. Garlands of leaves andvines swooped in arcs over the walls, punctuated with heavy knots ofred and white flowers. The room smelled of greenery and roses.Yourfather and Mr. Slattery gave them money for the flowers, Sir. Wasntthat kind of them?Sure,said an unimpressed Henry, who imagined his father spent more onlunch every day than hed spent on these flowers for his slave ofseventeen years.Jerrywas already in place, sitting on the piano bench; he saw Martin firstand smiled, but jumped to his feet with a look of alarm when he sawHenry.Sir!What a surprise to see you, Sir, he said uneasily.Hello,Jerry. Im eager to hear you play, Henry offered. And Imexcited to hear Martin play with other musicians.Ihope you like what you hear, Sir, Jerry said, sounding worried.Here he had none of the confidence and authority that he demonstratedin the stables with the horses.Imsure I will. Henry tried to sound reassuring. He hoped that notall of the slaves would be made so uncomfortable by his presence.Whereare Homer and Mr. John? Martin asked. He put down his violin caseon the piano bench and undid the latches.Theyrearound here somewhere. I think they might have gone out for acigarette.WheresArthur? Martin tucked his violin under his chin and drew the bowacross the strings. Doesnt he want to see you play?Jerryblushed. Hes coming a little later with Tom.Ah,Martin said, chuckling.Tom?Henry asked. YourTom? He hadnt known Tom was coming, and he wasnt sure heliked the idea.Yes,Sir. Hes coming to see his friends play, Martin said blandly.Henrywould have to be fine with this. Tom was indeed Martins friend,and he was apparently Jerrys friend, too. He was probably fuckingArthur at this very moment. Or Arthur was fucking him. Henry had noreal sense of which way it might go. All he could think of was Tomtelling Martin that Jerry had a very nice cock, and then of Tomon his back on the Rosses gaming table.Martinmade some ugly noises come out of his violin as he tuned it, and thenhe turned to Henry and smiled and played the first few notes of thepartita just for him, and that made up a little for the prospect ofTom.Therewere chairs lining the walls of the hall and Henry sat down, out ofthe way,
and listened to Martin and Jerry play little snatches ofsong. They were eventually joined by two older men about Timothysage. He thought he recognized Homer from the Labor Day picnichedbeen the friend that Old Bob had sought in the twilight crowd. Mr.John was a very dignified fellow with old-fashioned sideburns. BothHomer and Mr. John would sit down to play their instruments, as wouldJerry; only Martin would be standing up in front of everyone.Timothyappeared, and at first he didnt see Henry. It was interesting tosee how the other slaves treated Timothydeferentially, and withrespect, even Mr. John from the Slattery household. Martin was alwayseager to be a good boy for Timothy; theyd never discussed it, butHenry suspected Martin was a bit of a teachers pet based onobserving his interactions with Timothy. Martin said something toTimothy and nodded toward Henry, and Timothy turned around and sawhim sitting and gave him a stern look. Blushing, Henry sat upstraight as Timothy came over to speak with him.Sir,Timothy said, Ill be blunt with you. Im going to recommendthat you not drink too terribly much tonight. Martin will be verybusy and unable to look after you, should you need any caretaking.Henrywas a little offended. I have no intention of getting drunk, hesaid haughtily. I have no desire to cause a scene at Billyswedding.Verywell, Sir. So long as were in agreement, Timothy said coolly,and Henry was hurt, but then Timothy patted his shoulder and added,Youre a good boy, Sir. I just want all to go well for ourBilly.Thatswhat I want, too, Henry assured him. Where is Billy? Id liketo congratulate him.Timothylooked around the room, which was filling up with people. I dontsee him, Sir. Ill be sure to let him know youre here when I seehim, though.Doyou think itll be all right for me to sit here, Timothy? I dontwant to be too conspicuous.Dontworry about it, Sir. People will get used to you being here in shortorder. He continued to look around the room as he spoke to Henry.Sir, would you like something to drink? Martin cant get it foryou, of course, but Id be happy to do so now, while I have an idleminute.Yes,thank you, Henry told him. Despite what hed said to Martinearlier, the idea of wading through this sea of strange slaves to gethis own punch and cookies was somewhat daunting.Timothydisappeared into the crush. Henry looked around at the people intheir sober dress, almost everything black, grey or white. Some ofthe women had red ribbons woven into their hair or wore red glassdrops in their ears, and both men and women wore ribbon arm bands,everything from a simple ribbon tied in a bow to fancy flat braidswith long, trailing ties. Everyone had at least the ribbon bowshanded out by the maids for a bit of color. The black-and-grey checkhad been the right choice.Someof these strange slaves seemed quite shocked to see Henry sitting byhimself. Some even flinched when they realized they were looking upona master. He heard youngMr. Blackwell,and Martinshis boy,and hesclose to Billycome out of the crowd and felt self-conscious almost beyond bearing.He contemplated taking off
his tie and collar just to blend in alittle, but knew neither Timothy nor Martin would approve.Sir?Ive brought someone to see you.Henrylooked up and saw Timothy with Billy behind him. Billy! Henrystood and held out his hand. Congratulations, Billy!Billygrinned and shook Henrys hand. Thank you, Sir. Thank you forcoming. He wore his usual uniform, all black and white, except fora brilliant scarlet waistcoat of plush velvet.Thatssomething, Henry said nodding toward the waistcoat. Itsbeautiful fabric.Itsgood luck for the bride and groom to have something red to wear, Sir.Mr. Tim gave this to me.Itslovely, Timothy. That was very kind of you. You look quite dashing,Billy.Willyou stay for the party, Sir? Id like to introduce you to my brideafter the ceremony.Iintend to stay, Henry told him. I want to see the dance. I wantto hear Martin play.Thankyou so much, Sir, for letting us have him, Billy said earnestly.Its so generous of you.Itsnothing, Henry said, suddenly feeling that it was, in fact,nothing, not compared to the years of service Billy had given him. Iwant you to have a real celebration.Timothyheld out the glass of pale yellow punch hed brought. Keep inmind this is very strong. Now, if youll take this, Sir, Billy andI have things we need to do to prepare. With the other hand, heheld out a heart-shaped cookie covered in red icing.Henrytook both. Thank you for taking care of me, Timothy.Illdo my best to see if you need anything later, Sir, but you willlikely have to fend for yourself this evening. Timothy looked asif he doubted Henry could do this.Illbe fine, Henry insisted. Go do what needs to be done. Illjust sit here and eat my cookie.Thecookie was good, but it didnt taste like Cooks work somehow,and Henry supposed it had been brought over from the Slatteryskitchen.Themusicians had been milling about and talking to other slaves, but nowgot into their playing positions. Jerry was perched on the pianobench. Homer and Mr. John were both seated with their instrumentsready. There was a chair for Martin, and he put his violin caseunderneath it, but he stayed standing and Henry suspected he wouldstand as long as he played; he couldnt recall ever seeing Martinsit to play. As he watched Martin gather his energies, efficient yetrelaxed, Henry felt so proud of him.Henryfinished his cookie in short order, but sipped his drink slowly,partly because he was reluctant to go back for a refill on his own,and partly because it was very strong, strong enough to strip paint,and he was afraid of what might happen if he drank it quickly. Theroom had filled enough that people had stopped really noticing Henryand making the effort to keep their distance from him, and now slavesstood close enough that their skirts rustled against his knees. Henrystood so that he could see the musicians over the heads of the crowd.Martin lifted his chin, tucked the violin underneath, and smiled atHenry across a sea of towheads and dark curls and every shade ofbrown.Timothycame through the center of the crowd gently pushing people aside andclearing the way. Make way for Billy and Jane! he called out.Make
way for the wedding couple! Timothy went to stand nearMartin, at the culmination of the aisle he had just created.Martinraised his bow, gave the count, and the musicians began to play thewedding march.Paulled Billy in, a red kerchief tied over his eyes, and spun him nearlyoff his feet as he harried him along the aisle, laughing as he didso. Hands reached out of the crowd to yank at Billys clothes andto spin him one direction and then the other. Everyone was talkingand laughing and shouting encouragement and Billy staggeredoff-balance into the crowd, laughing and holding onto his blindfoldto keep it in place.Henryhad only seen Jane for a few minutes in the gloaming on New YearsEve, but he remembered her as a dark-haired woman with a heart-shapedface; he knew her now because she was wearing a red blindfold andbeing chased up the aisle by a cackling blonde who spun and botheredher as Paul had done for Billy. Jane had red ribbons woven into herhair and had a pair of red crystal drops hanging from her ears. Henrywasnt sure with the blindfold in place, but he thought she mightbe pretty enough for his handsome Billy.WhenJane reached the top of the aisle her blonde minder pushed herforward, and Paul did the same with Billy, and they staggered towardeach other dizzily, weaving like drunks and groping blindly throughempty air.Janefound Billy first, her hand brushing his sleeve, and she lunged afterhim and they clung to each other happily, giddily. They removed oneanothers blindfolds, and when their eyes met, it was as if theywere truly seeing one another for the first time, so full oftenderness that Henry was quite moved.Pauland the blonde woman set wreaths upon their heads, ivy and roses, andthey stood together before Timothy, holding hands and swaying alittle on their feet. With a gesture from Timothy, the music came toa halt, and Martin stepped back and sat in his chair, making room forthe wedding couple.Friends,family and honored guests, Timothy said. We are gathered hereto celebrate the union of our beloved friends, Billy and Jane; tohonor their commitment and their bond. He turned and picked up acoil of red and white ribbons from the top of the piano. Inbinding their hands, their lives are likewise bound.Timothyarranged the pair facing one another. Now hold her left wristyes,like that. And you hold his. Not too tight! Timothy patted Billyon the back and all three laughed. Ready?Yes,Mr. Tim, Billy told him. Im so ready.Timothycleared his throat and excited people in the audience murmured andshushed one another in anticipation.Billyand Jane, will you always seek what is good in the other and value itabove any worldly treasure?Wewill, they said in chorus.Timothylooped the ribbons around their joined left hands, making afigure-of-eight around their wrists. And so you are bound.Therewas scattered applause throughout the rowdy crowd.Billyand Jane, will you share in one anothers laughter and all thepleasures of life?Wewill.Asecond loop. Voices from the audience joining Timothys as he said,And so you are bound. There were a few excited whoops andshrieks around the room.Billyand Jane, will you share the burdens of your lives and