A | B | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14A | 14B | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30A | 30B | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39
PART II
MAY, 1780
ST. JAMES’S
LONDON, ENGLAND
THE SOPRANO’S LAST notes hung over the inhabitants of the ballroom like a noxious fog. What was worse, the woman was performing the very opera that had defeated seventeen-year-old Celia’s hopes to make her mark in the world as an opera singer.
If Monsieur Rameau had thought Celia sang no better than a strangled fishwife, he would have taken this soprano out behind the Paris Opera House and shot her dead for opening her mouth at all.
“Mother of God,” Mary whispered when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s guests began to rise to their feet to applaud her with great exuberance.
But Celia dutifully stood when Mary and Aunt Harriet did. They barely tapped their gloved fingertips into their gloved palms, and from under her brows, Celia stared daggers at the beaming soprano.
“If I had a pistol … ” Celia gritted once the crowd began to disperse for intermission.
“I would load it for you,” her mother muttered back.
“Oh, do let me out, both of you,” Aunt Harriet said testily. “Celia, move.”
She obeyed.
“I fear,” Harriet grumbled as she maneuvered her panniers past the chairs and into the aisle, “that everyone here is deaf as a stone.”
Celia almost laughed.
“May we take our leave?” Mary murmured.
“Sadly, no, as the duchess fancies herself quite the connoisseur of opera as much as Sandwich fancies himself a naval strategist.” That explained quite a bit. “’Twould be mistaken for a Cut Direct.”
“Not mistaken for one.”
“So right. But we can fetch a bit of air to brace our nerves for the rest of it. Come along, Mary. Celia.”
Far too soon they were back at their row of chairs to seat themselves for the remainder of the performance of Hippolyte et Aricie.
“Celia,” Harriet said airily as she wedged her panniers back down their row of chairs, following a handsome earl who had wedged himself into their party with promises of a night spent wedging himself between Harriet’s thighs, “secure a seat on the end for Lord Covarrubias.”
Celia’s mouth tightened and she traded unamused glances with her mother, which the marchioness did not see because she and the earl had seated themselves and begun their illicit contredanse in earnest. When, moments later, Rafael gracefully ensconced himself beside Celia, she gave him no chance to speak.
“Why are you here?” she hissed under the bustle and noise of the many guests returning from their gossip and assignations to find their chairs.
“I was invited, of course, because I am handsome, charming, and brilliant. Lady Hylton,” Rafael said respectfully to her mother, who gave him a withering sidelong glance and a slight sneer. It was not the Cut Direct, though had anyone observed it, it would be remarked upon with much speculation. “I forgot. Both papí and mamí disapprove of their probable future son-in-law. Excellent recommendation, considering said parents’ … praiseworthy … history.”
Mary blanched.
“That was cruel,” Celia hissed.
Rafael ignored that. “I will expect you tonight.”
“Whisht! I told you under what conditions I would return to your bed and thus far, I have heard no promises of fidelity.”
“Tell me something, my love,” he ground out behind a perfectly lovely smile, “if you refuse to live with me as man and wife, what would you have me do? Pledge eternal celibacy?”
“I would not believe you anyroad. Your yard is never satisfied.”
“You satisfy it quite brilliantly—when you are about. But that fact would be inconvenient if you wished to continue your affaire with Judas, no?”
“Aye, it would.”
“Her father and I approve of Judas,” Mary said out of the side of her mouth. That garnered the desired reaction, for Rafael’s nostrils flared, though he never dropped his charming demeanor. “And judging by what I heard, so does Celia.”
“She does, does she?” he growled.
God’s teeth. If it weren’t so maddening, it would be funny.
“He appreciates my scars,” Celia murmured.
Rafael’s body tensed further, one hand slowly clenching into a fist. “Now I see where you get your sharp tongue, my love.” Celia sniffed, unimpressed. “Very well. You may have it. My fidelity.”
That shocked her so that she looked at him, still carefully keeping her face blank for any onlookers. “You truly hate him, don’t you?”
“I do not hate him. I simply don’t want him to trespass what’s mine any further than he already has.”
“Trespass?” Mary muttered. “One usually trespasses property, does one not?”
“Mama, please.”
“Baroness,” Rafael growled. “Explain that remark, if you would be so kind.”
“No, don’t.”
“You are exceptionally well educated, Dr. Covarrubias,” Mary returned calmly as if Celia had not spoken. “I’m quite sure you’re familiar with Pygmalion and Galatea, are you not?”
“Lady Hylton, if you were a man—”
The seats were filling, the orchestra was tuning, and Celia was sitting between a spark and a fuse. She could feel a megrim coming on.
“You must be familiar with it, since you do, in fact, have two Galateas, one living and breathing and the other her effigy, so grand, so smooth and without flaw. Without scars.”
… pay homage to your power …
Celia’s chest tightened.
“She rides the Silver Shilling’s prow much better than the Thunderstorm’s, wouldn’t you agree?”
“You—”
“Stop it. Both of you. Would you have me discovered and captured for your battle of wits?”
“Seeeleea! Oh, Seeeeeeleeeaaaaa! Where are you, my darling?”
She almost groaned at the very loud, high-pitched male voice coming from behind them.
“Madre de Dios, he is a fright,” Rafael muttered, looking over his shoulder at what must surely be a hideously dressed Lord Tavendish. “Lady Hylton, even you must agree I am far more acceptable.”
Mary’s mouth tightened. “Barely, Dr. Covarrubias. Do not get too high in the instep over it.”
They were a good match, Lord Tavendish and the Honourable Miss Bancroft. Everyone said so. The Traitor and The Simpleton, because they were so very low that they deserved each other.
“Miss Bancroft!”
Celia wanted to slide down in her chair and cover her face, but instead she turned around in her seat, slowly, stiffly, to see him attired even more freakishly than last evening, now in scarlet brocade.
Though Celia was observing Elliott Raxham as he made his foppish way down the center aisle toward her, she saw Judas: tall, muscular, striding confidently on the deck of his ship bellowing orders, his bare torso darkened from the sun and gleaming with sweat, his long hair slipping out of its queue and floating on the wind.
This man had had her every which way she could imagine a single man could have her and one way that had shocked half the girls at the Dovecote. God help her, she wanted him to tighten her stays until she couldn’t breathe, bend her over a chair, and plow her to a fare-thee-well.
Right then!
Yet he had not recognized her at the ball, though she—The Simpleton, who did not like being touched by people she did not know—had not only allowed him to touch her, but to dance with her and walk about the room with her hand on his arm all evening whilst Aunt Harriet kept Rafael away from her. She had waited and waited and waited for some spark of recognition …
Which now made her as angry with Judas—Elliott—as she was with Rafael, and utterly disinclined to want to fuck either of them.
Finally he was standing at her row of chairs, holding his hand out for hers while completely ignoring Rafael, who sat between him and Celia.
“Seeeleea, my love,” he cooed, raising her fingers to his rouged lips for a kiss. She had kissed that mouth and knew how skilled it was everywhere else on her body. It was her delicious secret to know what, exactly, that disgusting façade hid.
That, too, made her angry. She could guess his intent, but masquerading as an aging and desperately out-of-fashion macaroni was, in Celia’s opinion, far more than necessary.
Just like the Silver Shilling.
Except … he had had a reason for such excess, so perhaps he had one for this.
“My lord,” she said woodenly.
He flicked a glance down at Rafael then laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. “Did I see that you were leaving, Covarrubias?” he chirped.
“No,” Rafael drawled with a sneer. “Get your hand off me before I call you out.”
The earl removed his hand, but not without a bit of a caress. “Ah, well. I don’t go for those sorts of beastly encounters with men.”
“I presume you prefer other beastly encounters with men?”
Tavendish smiled wickedly. “Just so,” he purred.
Lord, what a predicament. Did she think they would consent, she would have both of them in bed with her and dancing attendance upon her pleasure.
“Seeeleea, will I see you later tonight at Lady Carlisle’s rout?”
“No,” Rafael snapped, glaring up at him. “Miss Bancroft is with me this evening and I have no plan to attend.”
Tavendish gasped, putting his hand to his chest, fingers splayed out. “Why, my handsome conde, I am no threat to your … claim.”
Mary laughed suddenly, but immediately forced it into a cough.
Rafael settled back into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Leave us, Tavendish. I am generally out of sorts and do not wish to flirt with you tonight or any other night.”
There was nothing the earl could do other than acquiesce with a click of his heels and a mocking bow.
“Useless fribble,” Rafael harrumphed once he had taken his leave with a swish of hips and kerchief. “You have no opinion?”
“He was kind to a simpleton last eve.”
“He was kind to a simpleton for his own purposes.”
“He is a useful fribble,” she murmured.
“Oh?”
“Aye. Think you not I have my own purpose for accepting the kindness of a peer, no matter how ridiculed he may be? I do not make alliances without purpose.”
Rafael grunted. “Some days I do not understand how your mind works—”
“That is a certainty,” Mary muttered.
“—and since I trained your mind, this is somewhat disconcerting.”
“For five years. You discount the prior six years with Dunham and you know nothing of my time aboard the Carnivale. You treat me like a child. I am not your pupil, and I grow weary of your condescension on land, to say nothing of your atrocious behavior aboard the Thunderstorm, which weakened my command. You’re lucky I didn’t toss you overboard.”
He said nothing for a moment. “It is … difficult,” he said low. “I freely admit it. When you are dressed thusly and act the simpleton.”
“Then I am satisfied that my ruse is so complete that even you are lured in.”
“I do not like you this way.”
“You do not like Fury, either.”
“No, I do not. She is a tyrant, locking me in the brig for half an ocean. Where is my brilliant lover?” he cajoled, tracing his finger over the back of Celia’s gloved hand.
“Did you misplace your masterpiece, Doctor?” Mary asked sweetly.
Rafael’s hand curled into a fist against Celia’s glove. “Lady Hylton … ”
“Begone, Rafael. I will come to you two nights hence if I can manage to get away.”
“Sí, but will you come for me?”
Mary choked.
At Rafael’s raised eyebrow and refusal to move, Celia muttered, “I always do.”
If you don’t want to wait 2 years to get to the end, you can buy it here.
Pirates!
Is everyone zooming?
Nope. I’m not.
Who’s zoomin’ who?
I’ve been welding.
Poorly as usual.
Stacked my little Lincoln over my new plasma. Dang shop is too small by a magnitude.
Building a new air compressor mount for the new worktruck.
https://ibb.co/6JYykZcD
https://ibb.co/05gmqzf
Trying to get some stuff taken care of before the weather changes and I get my worktruck back from paint next week. It’s going to be a hectic month or three.
Nah. I decided to drop the money to stream the Supernova Ska Fest. Dropped in late tonight, but can replay it after it’s done.
–Construction – Voodoo Glow Skulls
Conservatism pays
https://gazettedirect.com/charlie-kirk-net-worth-2025/
Hearing an opinion you agree with stimulates the same areas of the brain as food, drugs, and sex. The echo chamber can be addictive.
This is but one of the many shocking discoveries from the Institute for Studying Obvious Things.
I’m curious what he owed on the properties.
I’m betting the net worth was not that big.
I crunch my net worth and even though I own nothing, what I do own isn’t enough to support my family if I die.
The business fails without me.
The house and property is not an asset, it’s a liability.
All my equipment needs maintenance, and selling it likely will involve a broker who will take a cut making the sale worth less than what I paid for the stuff.
Beck today said he set up a give send go for Kirk’s widow of $10 million. If he didn’t have life insurance for five or six he was a fool. His family will need security for at least a decade and that’s not cheap.
Twelve million during his career? Chump change. Start up a charity supposedly feeding children lunches in Minneapolis during covid. A cool quarter billion in just a couple years, and it’s entirely legal, until the feds start poking around, anyway.
Teach me o great one.
I bet it has a good beat.
I’m wondering what their sources are for all that.
Sources?!
Sounds racist.
Erika Kirk’s speech left me misty eyed, and I shut it down before she got to the part where she had to tell her 3 year old that daddy was dead.
I haven’t watched the shooting but I have heard that the girl ran towards him.
It made me think about my daughter who is also three. She sat in the mom mobile web my wife and another neighbor were the first on scene at a fatal crash in my neighborhood.
My three year old keeps being it up, “the police came to help” “there was a helicopter” “the car was crashed but it’s going to get fixed”
I would like to know how long she’ll be bringing it up. It’s been three months now.
Couldn’t watch. Thankfully, never saw his murder.
Astonishing what’s happening.
I’ll admit, I found his shtick tiresome. Arguing with the very dumbest of people, college students, people who either had their way paid by affluent parents, or (far worse) financed to be there, attempting to formulate a rejoinder. And usually, at least if you go by his videos, failing. You go to the deepest, darkest Amazonian tribes and drag their Starlinked porn-addled brains into a conference with Charlie Kirk, they’d do better than American students umming as they try to work out which river and which sea they’re chanting Jews be forced from and toward.
But I didn’t want him killed for interrogating dumbass college kids, and that seems like a subversive stance for a lot of leftists.
Yeah. No intent to watch it , ever.
I avoided watching the video of the Orlando Castile shooting for the same reason. I ended up watching it years later thinking it was something else. Fuck, that was awful.
I knew who he was and what he did, I wasent his audience, even though I’m probably 97-98% in agreement with him. Just didn’t interest me. Preaching to the choir bores me.
At no point in my life did I ever have to think that saying “I don’t want to watch snuff films” could be considered controversial.
That may be the best thing I’ve written, and I’ve been shitposting on X all day.
The left is calling the shooter a Republican who shot Kirk because he wasn’t conservative enough. Claiming he was a follower of Fuentes (which is funny because my brother just got into Fuentes after I mocked him for being too anti-Semitic and said go watch some Fuentes you fuck).
The right is claiming he’s a leftist.
I can’t find any good breakdown. Saw The Quartering’s videos but I can’t stand his shit. I just want him to get to the fucking point and he talks too slow for Christ’s sake.
Yes, I am asking someone to enact some labor for me.
I believe in your power of firsting.
You go get it for us.
You’re so far behind X
He’s a NORK AGENT
can’t believe you didn’t see it
I’m far too busy Firsting to watch a Quartering video, you inconsiderate fuck.
Sorry, I don’t do videos. Ten times the time investment for no more enlightenment.
I’m tired of explaining to people that I can read faster than you can talk.
Scream Queens so far
It got its start in 2015. It’s fantastic. No idea whether this keeps up but it’s pretty funny.
In 2015 I was: happily married
expecting our first
Just so excited for Trump
see what happened
hashtagtrump never again
Did he steal your wife?
Never trump, never again
Got a half a bottle of Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin left, you gonna fight me or what?
Firsters do not concern themselves with the threats of seconders.
It’s fucking rough, man, I think I might have a drinking problem.
Suddeny quaffing half a bottle of gin, everyone says you’re a problem
I think they may have a point,
I don’t miss alcohol at all having once been in that place. Given how you get at night, I’d say you do have some issues with it certainly.
I don’t have any advice on quitting. It’s tough to get out of and everyone’s path is different. But there’s a point in life where you just got to ask yourself what the hell is this really adding to my life versus taking away.
Drinking myself into oblivion got a lot less fun when you all started going to sleep at decent hours.
FWIW I tend to aim for the middle ground between “sleep at a decent hour” and “drink myself into oblivion”. It’s Friday so I’m leaning more towards the latter.
My cry for help was more fun!
Not to worry: I have swallowed enough Benadryl to make your responses to this awful plea for help moot. So:
Whee another OD just got carted away from the Junkie Arms apartments across the street. I so appreciate how caring and tolerate we are.
The fuck am I even kidding myself about Good night you all I think you all hate me and you should, you absolutely should hate me as much as I hate myself. IT DON’T MATTER NONE OF THIS MATTERS alright goodnight we’re out.
Sorry, broseph – You don’t even make top 5 of the hate list.
Maybe, though, taking a month off the booze to level-set may be worthwhile. I’ve found it helpful when going a bit too hard, FWIW. YMMV. Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Ball.
“GIT GUD BRO”
Goddamn I fucking hate Steam comments.
I get it; you got my money already but the controls are broken and the game is so fucking hard it’s not fun.
Give me a choice.
Charlie Kirk achieved all the goals I want: stable income, wife, kids
He didn’t get to enjoy them for long. Count your blessings.
***
2 Corinthians 11:25-33
King James Version
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
***
Good morning, all. Time for my midweek shift, and at 9am I’ll be half done with the week’s schedule.
Giddy on up! Next week I finally have a big voca rehab meeting. All paperwork and whatever accomplished, should be entering the supposed productive part. Regardless, legit job search will be re-beginning.
Kick ass, y’all.
I am only using those folk for their contacts, connections and in’s into local businesses and long-term career paths. Supposedly, we’re finally in that stage. Mostly doubtful of their ability to really help, but it’s certainly worth the reach out (and around?…).
Aight. Commute Time start. Enjoy your rest.
You guys are awfully quiet this morning.
They hardly work.
It’s my saturday, so I could be sleeping, but I woke at 5am with no alarm.
Nope, just doing the morning feeding of cats, as they have trained me to do.
What are you feeding them to?
😆 they apparently now require their wet food presented to them between 0330 and 0400. I am convinced that the will absolutely eat me if I die in the house…
Yes, Cats will do that. Don’t die in the house.
I’m here, but about to go out for the morning.
Nothing’s open here and I’ve got no work to do outside.
Good morning all.
My apologies Uncivil. Rather than check in here as I normally do my wife awakened when I did. We have been having coffee, cigarettes and solving all of the world’s problems.
Speaking of which, I need a refill.
Good morning, U, EfE, Donny 3F, Ted’S., Suthen, Sean, 4(20), ‘loosey, and Tater!
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/09/the-week-in-pictures-karen-goes-to-the-ballpark-edition.php
Bring a spring upon ‘er!
We’re in search of some booty.
🏴☠️⚓️👑
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzLT6_TQmq8
🎶🎶
Good Morning, Morning Folk,
Today is the moving day. The bees get relieved of their daily chores when the Honey Snatchers show up.
They get a free ride to about 5 miles north to enjoy the fall and the changing colors, at a lakeside retreat.
Neither my bee partner nor I have been stung a single time this year, today is the last opportunity for them to rein havoc upon us. We’ll have our protective gear on nonetheless.
Good morning all. I’m having my morning coffee while watching my dog zoom around the yard with his new Kong ball. The sun is rising over my garage and the sky is silver and blue.
Looks like a great day so far.
Just beginning to show daylight. Almost shooting light, we’d be in our deerstands, in November, ready for action, as the morning breaks
BD 🙂
Happy Saturday all!
Good morning, Beau! I hope you’re getting some of the unseasonably warm weather we’re getting down south here!
Sadly, too much of it. At least given that my accursed apartment building has turned off the a/c and turned on the heat. Sigh. It’s like they have no clue about Michigan’s roller-coaster early Autumn temperatures.
🥵
“Photos showed one little bushy-tailed forest friend painted red and another snapped in blue as it snacked on a patch of grass in the Nutmeg State.”
https://nypost.com/2025/09/12/us-news/connecticut-animal-activists-seeking-jerks-who-coated-two-squirrels-with-neon-paint/
Gender reveal party gone wrong?
https://www.reddit.com/r/UsedCars/s/N72X8OnqJa
Whoah. 🤯😳