Louisiana Lightening!
A Spanking-Hot Historical Yarn By Rhett

Julia Devereaux was as pretty as a porcelain doll & as alluring as a budding young beauty could be. Her skin was white & unblemished, her cheeks held a natural blush, her lips were full, moist & pomegranate red, her eyes were vivacious pools of violet, & her curly, jet black hair framed her finely etched face to perfection. Shaped by corsets & draped in the most fetching fashions of the day, her figure was one that caught many a Southern gentleman’s eye & made them wonder how much more voluptuous she could possibly look later on in life when she had fully developed... Or naked in their arms now.

Julia enjoyed her life & all that her father’s wealth provided. She didn't bother herself with politics or nasty news about the possibility of an impending war with those "damn Yankees" up North. Those were "men's issues" as far as she was concerned, & like the self-centered child she still was, she preferred to focus her attention on clothes, parties, boys & the prettier things life had to offer a spoiled, Southern belle like her.

Julia's father was invited to all the best social gatherings in New Orleans, Baton Rouge & the other outposts of civilization & sophistication in Louisiana. And, naturally, although she had yet to reach the age of majority, he brought along his lovely daughter in place of his beloved wife, who had fallen victim to yellow fever epidemic of 1853 & gone on to her reward.

Father & daughter had been devasted, of course. But life went on & so did they, clinging to the life they knew & making few changes, save for Pierre Devereaux's sudden penchant for spoiling Julia even more in an effort to make up for the tragic loss of her mother. Being 12 at the time, Julia recovered quickly & became used to her father's excesses on her behalf. She just loved the clothes & gifts he bought her & the trips they took. And she felt just like a queen when she took his arm & caught the admiring glances from men of all ages at her budding beauty.

Julia blossomed into the first flower of womanhood by the time she was 14. Like her mother, her bosom & hips grew more than amply enough to do justice to the adult gowns her father allowed her to wear... And to attract the eye of every rogue who stopped & stared at her lovliness & the eager attentions of every young swain who rushed to her side at the society functions she chose to attend.

This fact made Julia an outcast among her female peers who, having nothing better to do than be petty little girls, envied & hated her for her popularity & talent for attracting any man that caught her eye. In truth, the young beauty loved making the other young women of her station jealous & could have had any beau she wanted. But Julia found all of her smitten suitors boring & the game of conquest more fun than any lasting relationship.

Julia's father was proud as a peacock of his daughter's beauty & popularity. But he did not approve when she played with the heartstrings of her peers like so many strings of a harp, leading silly young men astray with hopes that would never be fulfilled while ruining the evenings of their less attractive dates. He had warned her several times about what he called her "unladylike" behavior. But, as was his custom since Julia's mother had passed on, he'd done little else to spoil his spoiled daughter's fun.

As cunning as she was pretty, Julia realized how easy it was to wrap her father around her little finger &, in fact, had used many of the tricks she'd tested on him with the young men she met. Wanting to make up for the loss of her mother, her father could deny her nothing. And wanting to win her affections, the young men were equally powerless against her every wish. Knowing these facts & liking the power they presented, Julia had grown into a well-spoiled Louisiana miss by the time her coming out party rolled around.

As was the custom when a girl child turned 16, Julia's father had thrown open the doors of his mansion for a weekend & invited everyone that was anyone to celebrate his daughter's majority. Parties were planned, food & wine were imported, events & entertainers were lined up, & no cost was spared. The weekend would end with a gala ball at which everyone would dress in period clothes from "Gone With The Wind" days, thus preserving & passing on the best traditions of Southern society to the younger generations in a way that would be as enjoyable as it was memorable.

Atwitter for months before her big night, Julia had selected the best seamstress in the South to craft her gown & sworn her to secrecy to ensure the stunning result she achieved when swept into the ballroom after her father's introduction. Made of silk with French lace finishings, the emerald green gown clung to Julia's curves without being immodestly tight & featured a daring décolletage that drew stares & many envious glares from the smaller bosomed women at the ball.

Watching from amongst the crowd, William Dupree was as impressed as the rest. He was 20, handsome to a fault, & as popular with the ladies as Julia was with her men. The child of another rich, old, Southern family, he was pampered as a child, but not spoiled as he instantly knew Julia was by the way she glided into the ballroom with her delicate nose in the air as if the polite applause, accolades & gawking glances she received were expected more than appreciated.

Julia's eyes swept over the lines of admirers on each side of the ballroom as she passed, acknowledging them without seeing them. Until they fell on William. He was the most handsome young man she had ever seen, even though his eyes were cold & his lips curled down in a disapproving scowl as he met her eyes & returned her regard. Julia briefly wondered what his problem was, who he was, & why she had never seen him before?

As always, Julia soon had a circle of men just waiting for her to choose them for each & every dance. William was not one of them. He had his own circle of admirers around him & danced every dance with a different young lady, which made Julia all the more determined to win his attention. Begging a respite from her prospective suitors, she made her way down the ballroom, timing it perfectly so she would bump into William when he finished his dance.

"Why, Georgia, darling," Julia drawled toward the gowned girl she knew, while her gaze teased William's dark green eyes with a hooded, come-hither promise. "Who is this handsome creature on your arm? I don't believe I've had the pleasure, sir. I am..."

"Julia Devereaux," William said through a half-cocked smile. He could instantly see that the stories he'd heard about the belle of this ball were true. The 16-year-old was as beautiful & desirable as his already conquered cousin had claimed. And, from the look in her eye, as a much of a man-eater as well.

"You have me at a disadvantage, sir," Julia simpered, pleased that the tall, handsome, popular young man knew who she was & arrogant enough to think he'd inquired.

"Yes, I suppose I do," William smirked. Without telling her why, he introduced himself &, to Julia's delight, took her hand & raised it to his bow-shaped lips.

"Oh my! You are a gallant gentleman, sir," Julia husked. His kiss was properly light & fleeting, but her skin burned where his lips touched & her heart began to flutter.

"How kind of you to say, Miss Devereaux," William stated politely as the orchestra her father hired began to play.

Julia suddenly wanted William to ask her for the next dance & would have suggested it if he didn't dash her hopes first. With a cocky gleam in his eye, he asked if she would excuse them & made Georgia beam by asking her for another turn around the floor.

"Why, of course, William," Georgia eagerly agreed &, with a last haughty, triumphant look toward her stunned 16-year-old rival, let William lead them back onto the dance floor.

Julia stood & glared at the pair for several seconds. She couldn't believe William had picked plain old Georgia Peach over her! How dare he! And at her own ball no less!! She glanced around to see if anyone had noticed her being rebuffed & seethed at the sight of the gaggle of girls waiting for William giggling behind their fans.

With an effort of will, Julia composed herself & proudly made her way out onto the verandah, pleased with the escort of several young gentlemen who fell in beside her & accompanied her into the moonlight. Each hoped that she would turn her attention to them &, perhaps, favor them with a kiss. But, although good-looking & gallant young gentlemen all, her sights were set on winning over the one she'd left inside. Then crushing him for the embarrassment he'd caused her!

Standing above the crowd at six-foot-three, William watched Julia dance & laugh with every young swain as if she hadn't a care in the world. But he knew he had pricked her pride & gloated at the petulant looks she cast his way when they danced by each other throughout the night.

When the evening was close to an end, William finally made his way to Julia’s chair. Standing before her, he bowed at the waist & asked her for the pleasure of a dance. Julia’s response was a chilly, "No, thank you!"

Not being a man to take no for an answer, William took Julia's wrist & gently pulled her to her feet. Not wanting to make a scene & secretly dying to feel this man's arms around her, Julia allowed him to lead her to floor, & cursed herself for being so weak & foolish. With just the touch of his hand, her heart began to flutter again like that of a smitten schoolgirl!

As music filled the ballroom, Julia danced round & round in William's strong arms, feeling like she was floating on a cloud but unwilling to look up at him or speak until his soft voice & stunning statement made her do so.

"You are one of the loveliest spoiled brats I have ever laid eyes on," William crooned.

"W-What?!" Julia gasped, hardly believing her ears. But one look at William's smirking face told her that her ears had not been mistaken. Then she spit, "Why, I never! Spoiled brat indeed!"

William grabbed her hand before she could pull it back & slap his face. He then held it tight in his as he pulled her close to him &, still taking on the pretense of dancing & having a wonderful time, waltzed them towards the verandah & through the french doors.