Oh, Cherry Ripe

Time was not on her side. However, the children—everyone, actually—seemed to be enjoying the fair, and she decided to put off these decisions until another time.

The fair was a wonderful place of ‘make believe’ and a collection of all sorts of individuals bent on shopping for reasonable wares, quick and easy food, fortunetellers, and animals not often encountered in their daily lives.

The aromas of delicious pies wafted their way. Swings invited them to play, and every other booth displayed enchanting toys for sale—and they saw not one monkey, but two, and many eye-catching things to fascinate children and adults alike. Tents were set up, hawkers called out from their tables made of wooden crates while bakers held up their goods, and the twins were drawn to everything all at once.

A performing bear delighted them all and proved to be the highlight of the day when he stood and roared at the crowd. The excitement carried them all along, and even Freddy and his lordship began exchanging amiable quips and banter.

Francine suddenly pointed. “Sky, oh Sky … sugar treats… please!”

Her brother smiled, flipped her a coin, and told the twins affectionately not to get lost.

A group of Freddy’s cronies appeared and surrounded him, wanting to know when he had returned, and he was lost to them for the moment but called out to his older brother, “Take care of our treasure till I return, brother!”

Skyler grinned ruefully and called out, “Treasure, indeed,” even as he put a hand to the back of Cherry’s black velvet cloak and led her along.

She stopped and turned to look up at him. “That is very rude, but I daresay ’tis true that quality such as yourself might not think a member of the poorer class have any feeling

s.” She was having a jolly good time and enjoyed the stricken look that covered his face.

He answered immediately. “I beg your pardon. I did not mean it as a slur. I was simply trying to bring my young brother to order. His … interest in you is far too marked to be tolerable.”

“For either of us, but I rather think his … er interest, as you put it, is just that, and only for the moment. It will pass in due time.”

“As to not thinking of the concerns of those less fortunate, you don’t know me and cannot reasonably make such a statement, for it is blatantly untrue.” He sighed. “And speaking of which, I must ask you to remember, Miss Sarah Parker, that I am not a fool. I don’t know anything about your family, which by the way is extremely irregular, but I do know you did not spring from the unknown and mean streets of London.” He put up a hand to stall her retort. “Are we clear on this?”

“Perhaps. We shall see.” She avoided eye contact because she knew hers were alive with laughter. She could see she had made him uncomfortable, which was precisely what she wished to do.

“We shall see? Do you believe, really believe, I mistreat those less fortunate than I?” He shook his head. “I take exception to it … and you, Miss Parker, you must admit to me, did not come from the ‘poorer classes’, so then, please do not pitch your gammon at me.”

He’s clever, and how neatly he turned that around. She said, “And yet, I am a governess.”

“A mysterious one at that. Your speech, your walk, your manners and style denote your higher station, yet …”

“Yet, I am a governess.”

“I could say perhaps your family has fallen on hard times, but I already know you left them in the middle of the night—supposedly running away from your stepfather.”

“Ah, I am surprised you remember that … you seem to have forgotten other events of the evening.” Again her eyes twinkled at him, and she could see a light of appreciation in his own dark blues.

He took her down an aisle between two tents and turned her, pulling her close to him. “Tell me, beauty … clear up the mystery.”

“No. I don’t think so, my lord. You have been curt to me—that is when you are not ignoring me as you did last night at dinner. All that should matter to you is that I have already grown very fond of the twins, and they are responding to me and my teaching methods. If I had been old, dowdy, and with less youth and more experience, you might have been kinder to me, for I do see the way you behave with your servants. You are not judging me on my merits, my lord, but on my looks. Tell me …” Cherry decided to continue berating him and get it out of her system, for it had occurred to her that life could be very difficult for a penniless young woman endowed with good looks. “Yes, tell me, what a young woman with some countenance is to do in this world? Must she always sell herself because men like you think she isn’t fit for anything but a bed? That is unfair and cruel. Why should I confide anything about myself to you?”

He was taken aback. He took her arm and brought her into himself. “Miss Sarah, you are forgetting our first meeting and what influence that had over me!”

“I am not forgetting that. I am not forgetting your delightful kisses that night, and I am not forgetting your willingness to deliver me to my … to Polly.” She hurried on. “You were—even in your state of fuzziness—most gallant, for you did manage to leave me nearly untouched. I trusted you then and thought you kind … now I am not so certain.”

Why her words inspired him to take her in his arms and repeat his performance of that night, she didn’t know and didn’t care. She felt herself melt against him as he murmured, “Beauty … sweet delicious beauty …” when he came away from that kiss and then took another.

When his hand traveled beneath her cloak and cupped her breast, she knew she was in trouble. She wanted this outrageous man who dared touch her so intimately. Why wasn’t she stopping him? She should stop him …

“Sarah … can’t you see? You must know how I feel. Forgotten the other night? It is all I have been thinking about. I am nearly mad with thinking about it. You are on my thoughts constantly … and perhaps I have been regretting leaving you … untouched.”

For once, Cherry was at a loss for words. She was in trouble, because the thought of him making love to her even there behind the tent was sweetly, devilishly enticing.

What was wrong with her? Her heart was in control of her mind, and he seemed to be in control of her body. She didn’t want him to leave her untouched. She wanted him in every imaginable way. She remembered her talks with the girls at school when some would sneak out at night to meet the local boys and how they had described their experience. Faith—she was one and twenty and wanted that experience!

Perhaps it was in that moment that she made up her mind. She was going to do whatever it took to make him feel about her the way she felt about him. She pressed herself up against him while his tongue withdrew and he nibbled at her lips and then her neck. She tried to get control of herself and said, “This is wrong … I am governess to the twins …”