History Lessons (11 page)

"Isn't it?"

"No!" she said, her voice edged with anger now.

"Temper, Miss Primm." His voice was laced with warning, the same warning he used not as her friend but as the stoic director of Hartford House. Warren Ellis was warning her to calm down, to listen. And the tone triggered a wariness in her. Perhaps she was wrong; perhaps he'd been telling the truth when he'd said a relationship with her would not stop her from getting a spanking if she stepped over the line.

"Please don't think I'm insulting you," she said. "I just want to be careful."

He leaned forward, taking her face gently in his hand.

"Pretty Lucy," he said. "You love your son. You're a good mother. That's just one of the things that makes me unable to stop falling for you."

She was blushing when his lips fell upon hers in a warm kiss. His mouth teased hers open and she sighed as his tongue slipped between her teeth to caress hers. Her hands moved to his shoulders, then her arms were around his neck as his kiss deepened. Lucy felt a flush of heated pleasure course through her body, and pressed herself against him in spite of herself.

"Here I was worrying about moving too fast," she said, and they both laughed before beginning to kiss again.

"What are you doing?" Lucy jumped and turned to see Keegan standing there, looking at them.

She turned, wiping her mouth. "Nothing."

"Sybil Anderson said that's called making out." His voice was accusatory. "She said kissing is where babies come from. Are you going to have another baby now?"

"Good lord, what are kids telling each other these days?" Warren sounded somewhere between amused and incredulous.

Lucy got up and walked over to her son, kneeling down to take his hands in her own. "Sybil Anderson doesn't know anything. People don't make babies by kissing, so don't worry. And for heaven's sakes don't go back to school and repeat what you just said, OK?"

"Why?"

Lucy sighed with exasperation.

"Because it's not honorable," Warren said. "And as a little man you need to be honorable and only say honorable things."

Lucy glanced over her shoulder. "Honor is a pretty heavy concept for a little boy, Warren. Keegan doesn't even know what that is."

"Yes I do!" Keegan grew serious. "Mr. Ellis said honor is being fair and kind and paying attention to how you act. He said it makes the people you love proud, and makes you proud of yourself. So don't worry. I won't say anything."

"Wow." Lucy shook her head, impressed. "That's pretty amazing."

"He's a pretty amazing kid." Warren walked over and ruffled the boy's hair.

The rest of the day only got better. Warren took them for a spin around his lake in a canoe, after which they drifted to the middle so he could teach Keegan to fish. Lucy watch with amusement from under the brim of her hat as her son pulled out a small bream and then proudly snapped a picture before Warren threw it back so it could "grow up."

Next came a trip to the orchard to pick more apples and pears which Warren showed Keegan could be turned into cider on a press. Keegan wanted to try everything their host did and by the time evening fell Lucy felt like she'd spent much of the day feeling happily like a fifth wheel.

Keegan fell asleep ten minutes after his bath, happily exhausted as he planned for the next day's activities. Lucy showered after he was asleep and went down to find that Warren was patiently waiting with a tray of wine and cheese. They'd had a nice dinner; she wasn't hungry. But she took the glass of wine with gratitude.

"Thanks for today," she said. "It really was lovely."

"It was lovely for me, too," he said. Then he paused.

"I'm not looking forward to tomorrow afternoon," he said.

She shot him a quizzical look. "Why not?"

"Because the two of you will be going back."

Lucy blushed. "That's really very nice of you to say. I was wondering earlier if you'd invite me back after warning me about my temper."

He stood up and took her by the hand. Leading her back to his chair he sat down and pulled her into his lap.

"Well, I would hate to have to spank you again. For punishment, that is. However, I must say the idea of warming your body for pleasure does appeal to me."

"For pleasure?"

He laughed and then kissed her. "For a woman who has a child you have a certain innocence about you, Lucy Primm. Do you mean to tell me that no one has ever introduced you to the subtle line between pleasure and pain?"

She blushed. Her sexual experiences had been brief and less than impressive. She blushed even deeper as she admitted this to him.

"Stupid men," he said. "What a chance many pass up to explore the finer things in life with a truly beautiful pupil." He put his arms around her. "May I?"

She nodded, breathless and he kissed her. His hands gently roamed her body as he did and Lucy felt herself relax into him. He picked her up and took her to the sofa, laying her down gently. Lucy was wearing a then flannel night set, not the sexiest pajamas, but they hugged the soft curves that his hands now explored.

When those hands reached her bottom he stopped and cupped her cheeks gently, squeezing them. Lucy felt a naughty thrill rush through her as she recalled his words. He'd spanked her before and it had hurt. He had spanked her to tears. Tonight Warren had alluded to a totally different kind of spanking, one that could bring pleasure. It made no sense to her and she realized that he was right; she really as still an innocent in so many ways.

She looked up at him, aghast at the words that came out of her mouth.

"Teach me?"

He looked down at her and smiled.

"Teach you what?"

Lucy blushed and took her lip between her teeth, worrying it as she looked up at him demurely from beneath her long lashes.

"Teach me what the others were to inexperienced to teach."

Warren kissed her again.

"All in good time, my dear." He raised her up then and put her in his lap, stroking her face with the back of his hand. "We have all the time in the world for that. I want to make sure you're ready."

She blushed again. This was becoming a habit. "Great," she said. "Now you think I'm some sort of fast woman."

"Lucy Primm, if I thought that then you wouldn't be here," he said. "I think you a fine, honorable woman. But I detect a bit of the wanton and you and I would be a complete liar if I said part of me did not take delight in that knowledge."

"Really?"

"What man wouldn't? A woman as passionate about life as you are is surely to be as passionate in bed."

Her eyes met his. "And a man who is as take charge as you are?"

She wasn't sure what he was going to say in reply, but when it came it thrilled her for reasons she did not comprehend.

"Yes," he said. "But I will try not to frighten you. Or to overwhelm you."

"And I will try very hard not to be too overwhelmed he said."

He stood. "It's getting late. I suppose we should go to bed."

Lucy wanted to join him and she knew he wanted to join her. But she also knew he wanted to do this only after they'd enjoyed the kind of proper, old-fashioned courtship befitting the man and woman of honor be believed the to be.

On the way to his room he stopped by the one she was sharing with Keegan and looked in on the sleeping lad.

"He really is a fine little man," Warren said.

"When I was pregnant I was so afraid," she said. "I often thought, 'What am I going to do with a child?' Now I think 'What would I do without him."

Warren looked down at her. "Don't you have any family at all for support?"

Lucy shook her head. "No. I didn't have the benefit of a close family. What's left are strangers, relatives in name only."

"You won't have to worry about being alone again, Lucy," he said.

She wanted to believe this. "You don't really know me," she said.

"Men and women in colonial times often married without knowing each other at all," he said.

"We're not in Colonial times," she reminded him.

"Perhaps not, but as you know I believe in adopting the values and traditions that work. Some things don't go out of style. Like honor, chivalry and the anticipation that only a long courtship can bring.

She laughed. "Well, this should be interesting, having you as a suitor. And as a conscience."

He leaned over and held her, kissing her again.

"Ssssh," she said. "Don't let Teegan see. I'd hate for him to solicit any more advice from the likes of Sybil Anderson."

"Hmmm," he said. "I'll take that under advisement."

He took a step back then and bent into a courtly bow. "My lady," he said. "It has been a most pleasurable evening."

She smiled and curtsied. "Sir," she replied. "Likewise."

Warren raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. And then Lucy went into the room and shut the door, her heart racing as she leaned against it.

She'd told herself to go slowly, but it was too late. Even if she moved at a snail's pace her heart was racing forward. She was falling in love, and there was no way to stop it.

Chapter Eight

It was a restful sleep followed by the dawn of another perfect day. Warren Ellis had a full slate of activities planned for them which included a sightseeing trip to several historic sites with stops along the way to his favorite off-the-beaten path antique dealers.

Lucy was especially excited about the antiques. When she'd started working at Hartford House, it had been just a job opportunity. But as time passed she realized a fascination with the craftsmanship and detail that went into the furniture produced before mass production came into existence. Lucy even loved the innovative tools and devices so many people considered primitive in today's time - the lathes and grain mills and spinning wheels. Warren had told her the antique dealers he frequented spent weeks traveling the country, attending rummage and estate sales to find the remarkably well-kept treasures they offered.

But before they set out on their day trip, Lucy's cell phone rang. It was Karen Nook, the mother of one of Keegan's classmates. She wanted to confirm that Lucy's son would be at her daughter's birthday party that afternoon.

Keegan, ever the little eavesdropper, quickly picked up on the conversation and interrupted his mother by pulling on her pant leg.

"Remember, Mommy?" he asked, his eyes wide with excitement. "The infutation was in my bookbag."

"Invitation," she corrected her son before speaking again to his classmate's mother. She couldn't bring herself to tell the woman that she'd not even looked through her son's bookbag. Wasn't that what good mothers always did at the end of a school day, just in case the teacher had left a note?

"Well, actually, we're out of town at the moment and..."

"Mommy! I want to go! Mary Alice is my best friend!" Keegan pulled harder on her pants leg. Lucy shot Warren Ellis an exasperated look as he stood watching with a bemused expression."

"Karen, let me call you back and let you know," Lucy finally said and then closed the phone.

Keegan was dancing around Warren's kitchen then as his mother helplessly watched.

"Honey," she said to her son. "I don't think we can make it back in time for the party."

Her son stopped dancing and put his head down, his adorable face transforming from excited to dejected.

"But Mommy!" he said. "All my friends will be there!"

Lucy sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe this," she said more to herself than anyone else. "I always check Keegan's bag for notes - always. And the one time I forget.."

"If I miss this party my social life will be ruined!" Keegan fell dramatically to the floor.

Warren Ellis couldn't help but to laugh as he looked at the boy's mother. "You do realize your son has a future in acting."

"Do you think?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well," Warren said. "We don't want his social life to be in shambles. If we leave now we can hit the toy store for a gift and get Keegan to his party on time."

"But our afternoon..." Lucy felt ridiculous and selfish, putting her desires above her child's.

"We can go antiquing another time," Warren said. "We'll just round out the day at your place, provided I can wrangle an invitation."

"Oh...of course!" Lucy said, but mentally she was in a panic. Ellis was so neat, so orderly and she tried to remember in what state of disarray she'd left her house when she'd departed. Were there dishes in the sink? Toys on the floor?

"It might be a mess, though.."

"Relax," he said. "I'm coming to visit with you, not do a photo shoot for Home and Garden magazine."

Lucy managed a smile. Sure, she was missing out on antiquing but the idea of spending a Keegan-free afternoon with Warren Ellis would have its advantages. It helped that he was trying to make her feel OK with it.

"All right," she said and Keegan began his happy dance again.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lucy asked. "I mean, going to a toy store isn't exactly the kind of things most adults want to do with their afternoon."

Warren walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Lucy Primm," he said. "It is a good thing that your son is close at hand, otherwise I would upend you right now and spank your bottom most firmly. Don't you know enough about me by now to realize that I am not the sort of man who embarks on activities he does not want to do?"

Lucy reddened slightly and looked down, embarrassed.

"Of course," she said.

Thirty minutes later they were heading back to the city and listening to Keegan's chattering over the strains of classical music. Lucy tried to concentrate on her son's excitement but couldn't help but feel guilty for being slightly angry about the situation. She'd really been looking forward to antiquing the afternoon away. Had she just looked in the bookbag she would have told Keegan ahead of time that he'd have to miss the party. Sure, he would have thrown a fit but she could have offered him something in place of it, a toy perhaps. It was hard not to show the disappointment she felt and the more disappointed she felt the more guilt it caused.