To Want the School Teacher (7 page)

The home's front grounds
and front porch were covered with people.

“I can
only guess the only people not here are the people locked up in the
town's jail.” Thomas felt the woman on his arm take a deep
breath.”

“Would it
help if I promise not to leave your side.”

Victoria
answered too quickly. “Yes...please.”

The word 'done' barely left
his mouth.

“Oh look,
everyone here's the happy couple now.”

Victoria nodded, smiled,
and greeted everyone with a smile and a kind word or two. Thomas
true to his word never left her side. In fact, he never even let go
of the arm hooked in his. A few pats every now and again, helped to
calm the woman he loved, when he felt her tense. If the pat on her
hand didn't do the trick, Then a light brush of his lips on her
cheek near her ear followed by a smile reassured her. The kiss made
her blush, but the guests cheered the couple's apparent fondness
for each other and excused the public display of affection. It was
after all their party.

Except it didn't feel like
a party to the guests of honor. Thomas had always been one to shy
away from the limelight. Even if he knew every single person
invited. What the gathering did accomplish was to make him relax
and believe somehow he had indeed won Victoria's trust and
acceptance enough for her to wed him. He didn't for one minute
believe her feelings for him were equal to his own toward her.

Victoria on the other held
up wonderfully. That is if you consider the genuine welcome she
received for the town's people. Not to mention she performed her
role of the smitten betrothed to the letter.

She no longer suffered
butterflies when Thomas kissed her. There were no tingling desires
for more, when he took advantage of her nearness the minute they
found themselves alone, and boldly fondled her breasts.

In their place the sick
dread of a guilty conscience left behind one doozy of a headache
and a tummy full of twisted knots.

***

Thomas continued to insist
he share the bed with Victoria and her pleading a sick headache as
an excuse that went ignored. He did, however, bring her a glass of
water with citrus acid added to it.

“Drink
this, my mother swears by it.”

She obediently emptied the
glass as he undressed and slipped beneath the covers. He sat high
on the bed and pulled Victoria up and across his lap. She started
to resist him.

“No. Just
allow me to soothe your headache.” He placed a hand on each side of
her head and began to massage her temples.

Thomas' ministration were
feather light, and they did seem to lessen the throbbing. Victoria
desire to relax enough to fall asleep was hindered by bewildering
and discomfort over lying to Thomas. A man who actually showed her
every consideration possible under the circumstances. That is if
one can forgive kidnapping.

The sandman's dust of
slumber carried her away when Victoria figured out a way to sort of
return a kindness to Thomas.

***

Restraint
and restrain yourself
became Thomas'
mantra. Still in awe that Victoria agreed to help set up the
schoolroom for whoever might replaced her. Together they walked
across the nearest bridge and crossed over to the road and the one
room schoolhouse.

All he really wanted to do
was grab the woman and kiss her until she agreed to head into town
to the magistrate's office and get married. Carry her back home and
throw her in the middle of the master bedroom’s bed. Of course,
first held strip her naked in the most titillate manner he knew
how.

Thomas called to mind his
new mantra as a certain part of his anatomy grew restless
envisioning the pleasure he'd been denying himself the past few
days.

Thomas couldn't believe how
her whole altitude changed once Victoria cottoned up to the idea
that Thomas cared deeply for her in sprite of their unconventional
beginnings.

Every time he managed to
hold her hand or brush seductively against her female pieces she no
longer rebuked him. She'd smile warmly. The trust in her eyes is
what allowed Thomas' to continue to honor the promise he made to
her, the last time they where in this room, no matter the ache in
his loins.

Thomas' thoughts were
brought back to the here and now when Victoria said, “This room
definite needs a good cleaning and airing out. If you would open
the windows, please. I'll look for a broom and see what other
supplies are here.”

It didn't take long for the
intended new schoolmarm's presence in the schoolroom itself to be
noticed. Two boys looking to be in their teens showed up.

“Mr.
Kincaid, may we help.” The more out spoken boy with the blondest
hair Victoria ever seen asked. It seemed to be snow white more than
blonde.

“Ah. How
nice of you two to stop by and offer to help. Victoria, my I
present Master Blackman and his friend Master Wellington.
Gentleman, my fiancee, Miss. Victoria Trent.”

Since the boys were old
enough to handle an axe it was decided the two would work some on
the wood pile behind the school.

Around two
o’clock Victoria sat at the last desk in the second row rubbing the
Manning Antique Charm Furniture Polish
©*
into the wood. She flipped over
the rag she used and continued to rub the oil into the wood. Odd
how a simple smell can create past memories. Victoria thought of
her childhood, of home, of her mother, and of those forever lost to
her. Unconsciously, she smiled both her mother and aunt used the
same polish. How silly to have memories tied to a wood cleaner she
admonished herself.

She had been surprised and
pleased to find the half empty bottle in the storage closet. Her
hand stilled as she admired her efforts. The desktop looked also
most happy to be brought back to life. The colors seemed darker,
deeper, and no longer thirsty.

She heard a giggle. Then a
pair of giggles. A girl child she guessed to be about seven or
eight years of age peeked her head out from behind the opened
doorway and disappeared again. Victoria heard another round of
laughter.

“Hello
there. Please, come say hello to me. I'm not mean or
anything.”

The first child walked out
from behind her shield. Big brown eyes watched Victoria as Mary
stepped cautiously toward the woman.

“Hello, My
name is Miss. Trent. What's yours?”

“Mary and
my sister's named is....” The child turned to see her sister didn't
follow her. Mary waved an it's all right hand signal to the other
girl still using the door as a shield. A smaller version of Mary
run up to her and remained behind the child still acting
shy.

Mary proudly said, “This is
Angie my sister.”

“It's nice
to meet the both of you. What grades are you both in.”

Mary stood a tad taller
answered for them both.

“Angie is
start her first day when class begins. I don't go to
school.”

A raised eyebrow formed and
Victoria asked. “Why ever not?”

The question was out of her
mouth before she thought perhaps she shouldn't have ask. What if
the answer embarrassed the child? Victoria left the chair she sat
in and knelt beside Mary to hopefully comfort her by not over
powering her.

“You don't
need to answer that if you rather not.”

Mary seemed unconcerned.
“Can Angie go swing on the swings out back?”

“Of course
she can.”

Mary nudge the smaller
child once and she ran from the room.

“I don't
want my sister to be afraid to go to school. I don't come any more
not since Mrs. Powers stung my hand with her ruler. She liked to
hit everyone every chance she got. Nobodies ever gonna hit me
again. So I ain't coming. I don't need to any way. My mama said so.
I can write my name. Even better than my Ma and Pa can.”

Victoria cringed inside but
continued smiling at Mary.

“Well, I
can understand why you feel that way. However, since you seem to be
very smart I wonder if...”

Mary anxious about Victoria
might say expressed cut in.

“Yes.”

“I wonder
if you'd be able to help set the class room up. You spent time
here. More than me. Could you assist me tomorrow if you have
nothing better to do.”

It wasn't possible,
however, it appeared the child eyes grew larger and beamed.

***

On the walk home they
discussed what they accomplished today at the school. Thomas
suggested since they were dirty and tired he'd take Victoria to
town for dinner. By the time Victoria finished refreshing herself
he had the carriage ready and waiting.

He took her to the same, as
well as the only place to eat, where they first met. They greeted a
few people he knew and a few even Victoria remembered meeting.

The food hit the spot. The
after dinner coffee was divine. The conversation wonderful and
free. Thomas glowed more each time Victoria smiled at him. It would
be a meal Thomas would happily remember forever.

That was until the minute
he said, “Why, Victoria, your flirting with me. I have made
promises to you about my behavior. You keep this up all promises
will be null and void. I am only a man. A man who loves and desired
you beyond belief.”

The chastisement she gave
herself was harsh. Good grief, she was suppose to be playing a role
not seducing him. She felt lower than dirt. No, lower than the scum
of the earth. There seemed the dilemma for she enjoyed every moment
she spend with him at dinner.

A note
came during breakfast requesting Victoria come to Mother Emily's
home.

“It will
work out. I've been neglecting my work at the Cattleman's
Association, so I'll leave you at mother's for a while and return
at noon. Then we can head over to the school.”

Victoria moments after
arriving at Mother Emily's home found herself upstairs in one of
the bedrooms standing on a dressmaker pedestal. The dressmaker
pulling the satin cream white wedding gown over her head.

“Lovely,
just lovely. Victoria, you will be a stunning bride. My mother was
married in this dress and I wore it to wed Thomas and Keith's
father.”

Victoria really thought
this was going a bit far. Especially, since the older woman knew no
wedding would be taking place. However, with all the activity
around her Victoria couldn't get the woman alone. Leaving her
nothing but to submit to the goings on.

The bust needed to be let
out. The seamstress tsk'd as if it Victoria chose the size of her
bosom on purpose. The need to take in the waist line brought a
pleasant smile from the same woman. After tugging on the hem a line
of pins marked where the new shorter hem should be.

“Emily, if
this is all it needs the dress will be ready late
tomorrow.”

The two women shared in the
chore of removing the garment without getting Victoria stuck by a
pin in the process.

“Victoria,
you and Thomas will have dinner with us tomorrow night, so we can
make sure the alterations are correct?”

“Yes, I'm
sure Thomas will agree. If that's what you think is
needed.”

“I
do.”

Both Emily and the
dressmaker headed out of the room leaving Victoria to redress
herself.

One of Thomas' habits
Victoria came to appreciate was his promptness. By the time she
managed to dress and show herself downstairs he arrived and rushed
her out the door. On the floor of the carriage sat a large picnic
basket.

“It's such
a beautiful day I thought before we start our chores we take some
time and share a small repast together.”

Victoria's heart melted. It
wasn't not a beautiful day. The clouds though not threatening never
let the sunshine break through. The breeze in the shade contained a
nip of the forth coming chilly fall weather. Thomas saw the world
through rose colored glasses at least when he looked at her.

Victoria wondered would it
be so bad to wear a pair herself. She sighed.

***

Mary sat on the
schoolroom's steps. Another dilemma to deal with Victoria heard
herself sigh another sigh.

Before they reached her the
child bounced up to greet them.

“I'm here.
I'm ready to help.”

Thomas bent over and took
the girl's hand and brushed a kiss on the back of it. “And so you
are.” He picked her up. “Shall we ladies?”

Thomas planned on cleaning
out the large pot belly stove that heated the room in the
winter.

“Mary, can
you count?”

Mary's head bobbed. “Of
yes, Ma'am. I can count to ten.”

“Wonderful.” Victoria responded knowing it wasn't wonderful at
all. The girl should be getting ready to memorize the
multiplication tables.

“Do you
see the books over there on those selves. Could you stack them in
piles of ten making sure the book are of the same
kind.?”

She beamed and danced as
happy children do toward the books.

***

Thomas, Victoria, and
little Mary sat on the schoolroom's front step for a well earned
break.

A middle aged woman with
two boys strolled up to them and Victoria recognized the boys from
yesterday.

The Wellington boy who
yesterday seemed to have nothing to say now spoke up. This is my
mother, Alice Wellington.

“How do
you do?” Victoria greeted her. Please overlook my manners, but I am
truly in disrepair and covered in dirt.”