The Vaudeville Star

“You did this! You got me drunk!” She pouted.

“I got you drunk?” he said, stifling a laugh.

“Yes! You taunted me, telling me I had never been drunk before, so I got drunk. This is all your fault. So the consequences are yours as well.”

He did laugh then. “No, Ruby. The consequences will be yours. In the morning, you’ll have a hell of a headache.”

“Oh, Ford,” she whispered, turning her head away.

He moved his hand through her blond hair and watched as she closed her eyes in sleep.

18

Ford laced his hands behind his head and stretched out upon the sofa. The bed was in his line of vision, and he saw that Ruby lay sleeping quietly. He knew it was late. A quiet stillness had settled over the ship, and even the sound of water against the ocean liner was distant.

He dozed off once, and when he woke again, everything was the same except he saw that Ruby had shrugged out of her dress, and it lay in a dark pool on the floor with her corset. She was only wearing a white chemise and a petticoat, and in her state of undress, she appeared more vulnerable, more desirable.

She had turned on her side away from him, and he saw the length of her back, her bottom, and her legs splayed a little apart. Her chemise ended at her knee, so her calves were clearly visible to his eye. She had shapely calves and delicate ankles, and he groaned inwardly as his cock lengthened again.

He didn’t touch himself but only turned his head away from the sight of her lying almost naked in his bed. They would arrive in London soon enough, but there would be more problems in that city. He would be busy with whatever duties King had him perform, but he would also keep an eye on Ruby, no matter if she wanted it or not.

Another hour passed, and when he woke he heard footsteps along the passageway. Someone was moving about at the very late hour. He suddenly wondered what he needed to do to get Ruby out of his cabin and into her own.

It would have to be when it was still dark so that no one would be about. He raised himself and looked out the porthole and saw that the sky was still dark. He might have another two hours to decide, and then he would have to wake her.

He settled back onto the sofa and looked over at Ruby. She had changed positions and was now curled on her other side, facing him. The shoulder strap of her chemise had fallen down on one side and her naked shoulder tantalized him. Her hair was spread out on his pillow, and her legs were tucked into her body. She looked so sweet.

Any other man might have said to hell with lofty ideals and proper behavior and taken her even if she was drunk. But Ford knew better. Even though he had made love to her once before, he had been racked with guilt afterward, though she had seemed perfectly happy to go their separate ways.

He remembered coming home after that disastrous night by the watering hole, when his mother and father had both cornered him in the front parlor after Jessbelle had been sent to bed.

Faylene had seemed a little flustered, but Marshall had poured them all a drink and then summed up the entire night most eloquently.

“Well, that’s that,” he had said, sipping his whiskey.

“That’s that? That is what you have to say to our son and this debacle, Marshall Rutledge?” Faylene had said, her cheeks flushed from the heat and the scandal.

“What should I say Faylene? We always knew Ruby Mae followed Ford around like some lost puppy.”

“A lost puppy I can handle. A young girl throwing herself at our son while he’s engaged to her sister? That’s a little much.”

Meanwhile, Ford had stood near the front window looking out. He could still remember Ruby’s lush curves under his hands and his cock aching for her.

“What do you want, Faylene? You want us to go back to the Suttons and beg Pernetta to take him back?”

“No.” Ford had said quietly. “That’s something I would never do.”

Marshall had nodded. “Rightfully so.”

“I thought this was such a good match,” Faylene had almost sobbed.

“Honestly, I never did.” Marshall had spoken quietly.

“You didn’t? Why did you go along with it?”

“For all the logical reasons. Our two plantations would become one. We’ve all known each other forever. And as the two oldest, it seemed to be the right thing.”

“But?”