Belvoir Hunt Ball Gentlrman's lounge

The ball is once more the preserve of aristocrats, Society swans, debs and fashion celebrities, who flock to grand palazzos in show-stopping couture.

The hunting season signals the start of the hunt ball calendar the Belvoir Hunts’ is known as one of biggest and most popular.

It’s essentially a singles party for people who live in the county and very, very boozy. Most hunt balls were traditionally held in grand homes before marquees erected in the middle of a field became the norm.

To get invited you’ll need to be part of the hunt or be close to someone on the committee.

A few years ago the Belvoir Hunt Ball moved back into Belvoir Castle and was held in February rather than mid-summer, with Otis Ferry on the decks and the Marquess of Granby leading the dancing.

 

www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=121128efe758b014JmltdHM9MT...

 

 

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A Pub Story (After the drinking Began, because don’t all good stories involve Pubs and Drink now?)

Told (and instigated) by my Twin Brother

Anyone familiar with my world in RL knows that a lot of my stories are based on the antics my twin Sister and I do in unique thievery infused role-playing games that we have come up with ever since we were young.

 

My sister has always felt a delicious urge to dress up in pretty clothes and sparkling jewelry, and an even more intense desire to think someone may want to steal her baubles.

 

I will argue( and we have had friendly ones over this ) that her drawing me into being a thief to her victim, was the key to me realizing my fondness overplaying the protagonist. Though she harbors thoughts that it may have been the other way around.

 

So that all being said. On should not be surprised at a recent occurrence at our local riverside drinking establishment.

 

Hailed as the Poet and Peasant Pub.

 

 

Incident at a Pub

 

Last Saturday I was just well into my 20th straight day of work.

 

With working 10 hours today(Sat) and have to go in at some point Sunday for 4, then 10 hour days all again next week, I was sure it would be a long while before I’d have any type of personal fun with family or friends, with or without drinking.

 

But then the Pub, my Twin Sister, and a certain diamond bracelet came to the rescue…

 

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It was Saturday in my 4th hour of a ten-hour workday that the texts started coming in from my mates to join them that evening for a dart match at the pub.

 

I didn’t want to, knowing I’d be here until 7 and have to go back in on Sunday. But they were persistent buggers and since the match started late I easily talked myself into accepting the invite.

 

I made it to the Poet and the Peasant pub at 7:30 just as the first team was up.

 

It was a rousing time, drinking, eating, and tossing the darts. I even managed to play decently for a change, I;e not missing the board once.

 

Before I knew it the clock struck 10:00 and my team was still in the thick of it.

 

Suddenly I was warmly grasped in a bear hug from behind.

 

Turning I found I was being mugged by my twin sister and …. then by my giggling cousin Michael(Micke)

 

The two sillies had been out at a dance and had been drinking, before heading to our pub to finish off the evening.

 

It was a nice surprise to see them there, in more ways than one.

 

My sister was indeed looking very pretty, wearing her scooped necked velvet dress, with rhinestone trimmings that looked smashing on her.

 

With her dress, she wore some of her collection of rhinestone diamonds. The set tonight consisting of long earrings, a bracelet, and a cocktail ring.

 

The decadent bracelet is something special, a real cracker that is dazzling when she wears it.

 

A five-strand diamond sparkler. The two outer strands were set with stones about 1 1/2 carats in size. The middle strand was set with 3-carat pear-shaped rhinestones. My sister bought it online at a site called Windsor Royal.

 

And it looked like something royalty would wear, granted theirs would be real and worth a cool million if not more.

 

Micke was also looking very cute, wearing a long-sleeved satin blouse with ruffles, gold mesh belt, and long black shiny skirt.

 

She had on wide gold chains, gold mesh earrings shaped like a kite, and no less than six gem-set rings.

 

Both looked a treat and soon had all us lads buying them drinks, which I believe was the point of my girl's plan for coming dressed like that and not changing after the dance.

 

Needless to say by the last hours before we had to be kicked out, none of us were feeling any pain.

 

We had been well into our third and final

Match when I realized the girls, who had been cheering us on, had disappeared

 

I shrugged it off figuring that they had just taken off for horizons unknown. Though it was a trifle odd they did not say goodbye.

 

I played my best, but my lads and I were losing the final match

 

When my last turn was up I plopped down on the couch to watch our final attempts. Merrick, our best player was up. But the odds were against us.

 

Then from out of nowhere, Micke plopped down next to me, I looked around but no sight of my sister, though I then heard her laughing by the bar in the next room.

 

Micke had placed her hand upon her raised knee, and I cast my eyes down to relish a look over her collection of sparkly rings.

 

The sleeve’s cuff of her satin blouse had slipped up, and I realized that there was a diamond bracelet peeking out.

 

How in the world had I missed that?

 

As Micke chatted on about something I was only half-listening to, I nonchalantly reached over and placed my hand on her arm. Then without her notice managed to carefully raise the sleeve of Micke’s satin blouse for a better look.

 

I then realized it was my Twin’s fancy diamond bracelet Micke was wearing?

 

“Clever girl, how?” I was thinking as I touched the sparkling bracelet and carefully cut into her conversation and commented to her as she looked down at my finger.

 

“Pretty bracelet....”

 

“It’s not mine silly twit, it’s Your sister’s !” She answered with a pleasant little twittering laugh

 

“Oh...” I answered in an open sentence with my best shot at a perplexed look.

 

Raising her arm and flashing the diamonds set in the bracelet, creating amazing sparkles as it was wrapped snugly around her wrist, she happily confided in me her story.

 

Apparently the pair, Micke, and my twin sister had been in the loo together to freshen up.

 

My sister had removed her bracelet and ring to have a wash-up after some of her drink had accidentally spilled on her hands.

 

On a lark, Micke, who had come up from behind, had touched Sis on the opposite shoulder, and as she turned away, snatched the bracelet up and got away out the door without being caught.

 

She had put it in and was now wearing it around as a teaser to my Sister.

 

“No worries luv, I’ll give it back to her at Sunday Service tomorrow.”

 

Micke told pacifically me, though I had no concerns that she would not give it back.

 

“The last call” came a friendly command from the pubs’ bar in the other room...

 

“Come on, “ said Micke, grabbing my arm

 

Go on ahead Lass. Meet you thereafter this last lad finishes his round

 

“Let the finale drinking now heavily begin.” She added with a challenge in her charmingly sweet voice as she swished away

 

I studied her thoughtfully as she disappeared around the corner.

 

My eyes traveled down the backside of Her shiny blouse and I caught a last look at her swinging arm.

 

Her sleeve covered the bracelet, but I knew it was there.

 

That was the problem

 

For now, feeling confident from alcohol I had an objective that was tickling my fancy.

 

The only question was how I would achieve it?

 

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Since Micke with a degree of cleverness had nicked the diamond bracelet from my twin sister, I would try and nick it from Micke.

 

I meant to acquire the bracelet from Micke and make it home without being caught out by either girl.

 

I had read in a short story once about a scoundrel who was determined to part a wealthy American lady from the jeweled necklace she was wearing, mainly because she was nieve enough to wear it out in public.

 

And now in an odd way, I sorta knew what that character had felt.

 

For me, it hopefully would not prove difficult if I could just manage a way to distract Micke.

 

I knew the clasp of that bracelet, having removed it from my twin on several of the role-playing thievery games/adventures we do.

 

Including one a few months back. Her favorite damsel in distress game; a role-play she calls help honey. This we had played about a month ago at the old cemetery around midnight.

 

My sister had worn a green taffeta bridesmaid gown recently picked up at the thrift.

 

With it, she had worn a nice collection of rhinestones, including the bracelet. Playing a princess who has been lured away from her prince, innocently not realizing the plot to lead her off was to rob her of the jewels she wore.

 

That had seemed a long while ago since I had had a bit of play and seeing Our Cousin Micke now wearing that bracelet had whetted my appetite to do some playing again.

 

My mind raced through a myriad of ideas.

 

Most of them ran the gauntlet of just silly to outlandish. None were clever.

 

I knew there was not much time anyway so I unhappily had decided to just shelve the idea.

 

We also had lost the match ...

 

I rose as we shook hands, then left to head to the bar for final rounds.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Now I am writing this at 3 am Sunday, still two sheets to the wind, before heading to sleep.

 

Laying next to my laptop is my sister's diamond rhinestone bracelet…

 

The very one Micke had nicked and been wearing around at the pub.

 

Of course, once the loss is noticed I will be the prime suspect.

 

But my cell will be off all day at work tomorrow, so they will have all day to wonder and stew over how I did it before I can enlighten them to the fact that l was the thief, and decide whether or not to keep it a secret as to my method if they fail to figure out.

 

Oh, and let Sis know my ransom demands for its return... something quick and easy like her princess in green taffeta meeting the culprit, at the old cemetery to get her bracelet back.

 

Anyway, it was truly an inspired moment that allowed me to slip away the lovely diamonds unnoticed from around Micke’s wrist.

 

And a rather proud one at that, even if my victim was giggling silly drunk at the time.

 

Please read on as I brag on about it

 

>>>>>>

 

After Micke left, my mind was not letting go of wanting to acquire the diamond bracelet I now knew our cousin was wearing.

 

As the final drinking now heavily progressed, I could tell neither girl’s mind was thinking about the bracelet.

 

They were concentrating on giving out hugs to anyone buying them last shots.

 

It was in the middle of this commotion that I saw Micke wrapping her arms around a shot buying lad, the bracelet peeking out from her satin blouse’s sleeve, that I had an inkling of an idea.

 

With really no thought or plan as to how exactly this would give me a crack at the bracelet, I sprung into action.

 

I quickly bought two shots.

 

Told the barmaid,with a wink, to tell my sister hers was from a lad named Shamus and that Micke’s shot was from Merrick

 

Merrick was alone practicing in the dart room. Shamus was at the opposite end of the barroom.

 

This would split the girls up, which was the first step.

 

Giving me the second step of Micke pretty much being separated from the herd.

 

As for the third step, I was merely hoping there would be one.

 

I am sure a professional thief would have already had all of the steps figured out, no sweat.

 

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The plan, however, began to work smooth as silk.

 

I went and stood next to my Sister and Micke as the barmaid approached us.

 

The barmaid served the girls their shots, gave them the message (winking back at me), and immediately the two girls split off.

 

Micke began to scurry, almost tripping over the hem of her skirt, over to Merrick, with me in close tow.

 

Reaching the surprised lad she grabbed and enveloped him in a tight warm hug, leaning heavily against him.

 

I reacted without any thought...

 

It took only seconds but seemed to me far longer.

 

Seeing no one watching us, I came in from around behind and pressed up playfully against them, with Micke’s hands at my stomach. I could feel her fancy rings digging splendidly into my skin, through the thin white turtleneck I was wearing, as I grasped her arms just above the elbows and pressed into her.

 

I slipped my fingers ever so nimbly down to her blouse's slick sleeve, and pulling the cuff of her blouse up with my right hand, exposed the shimmering bracelet.

 

As I held the blouse’s cuff up with two fingers of my right hand, I pressed my thump up into her arm to divert any focus of unusual feelings she may experience around her wrist.

 

With the diamond bracelet now exposed, it was a simple matter of locating the clasp, with my left hand, wedging my index finger in between Micke’s wrist and the bracelet.

 

Almost at the same time, I managed to quickly press my left thumb up against the hinge to release the clip and grasp a loose end as it separated ( thanking in my mind pretty Micke for not setting the safety chain).

 

And “Bobs your Uncle”, I had the fancy diamond-encrusted bracelet she was wearing slipped off from around her wrist and secreted in my pocket, easy peasy as you please. And thank you, Micke.

 

As I let go of her arm with my right hand, the white satin blouse’s long cuff slipped back down covering up the evidence of my dirty deed.

 

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That deed was done I talked to Merrick for a few minutes before I rejoined the girls, remaining cool as a cucumber over my secret.

 

They didn’t suspect a thing. And as I joined in with the final partying before closing, a perfect idea popped into my head.

 

I had been talking to Micke while over her shoulder watching my sister, and the long sparking earrings she was wearing. Thinking that if they had been real they would be worth a fortune, like her bracelet.

 

And how any thief worth his salt would have hated to pass them up, or her diamond cocktail ring.

 

Then it hit me, an idea of how if I was a professional thief, I could trick my sister, along with her diamond earrings and ring, into a trap.

 

Bloody hell, If I hadn’t to be at work the next morning I would have attempted it.

 

My idea had been to sneak out the back and using the pubs stationary, leave a note on Micke's car saying

 

Lady, I have your diamonds. If you wants them back it will cost you. Meet me at the churchyard.

 

The pair would have fallen into it, curious as to what game I was playing, as well as how I had taken the bracelet.

 

So when they showed up they would be met by the thief who would then rob the pair of the rest of their jewelry for being so gullible.

 

What a devious lot we play thieves are!

 

But it, of course, did not happen. Only the bracelet would be nicked from the fine clothed, pretty damsel this evening.

 

We all together left at closing.

 

I gave the girls warm hugs goodbye (inwardly smirking) and watched as they drove off in Mickes Italian made sports car

 

I turned and took the wooded path that led down to my cottage.

 

I lit a pipe and happily made my way home, placing a hand in my pocket and fingering the diamonds I had nicked, just because she had been wearing them out in public!

 

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Done