perhaps another fifteen minutes before the boys thought of something ridiculously dangerous to try.
So they walked, Mr. Montgomery slipping easily between them. He extended his arms, and they both took hold, just as proper ladies would. The conversation was easy and filled with generalities. He asked about the village, they commented on the weather, together they deplored the coming heat and laughed at the antics of children. Quite a lot of topics to cover in fifteen minutes, but the conversation flowed easily. Mr. Montgomery was the reason. As a fine gentleman, he kept the topics light, amusing, and all completely acceptable. Which meant, of course, that it was all perfectly boring !
Josephine struggled to cover her yawn. Worse, she looked longingly up at the tree. The boys were having a great time pretend fencing with branches while they scrambled like monkeys. They were having such a great time, she started laughing along with them, completely losing the thread of conversation.
Until, of course, Nanny called out that it was time to go home. Everyone groaned, herself included. She hadn’t even been climbing in the boughs, but she had enjoyed the late afternoon sun on her face, the breeze as it stirred her hair, and the antics of the boys. She felt relaxed, and the idea of returning home to a stuffy house and an excruciatingly proper supper was infinitely less appealing.
Then she glanced back at Mr. Montgomery and felt her insides freeze. He was looking at her, his expression thoughtful. Had he heard her groan? She felt her face heat. Of course he had. And he’d heard her conversation before, so the jig was up now. He knew her to be exactly the wild creature she was. To cover, she raised her voice to the boys, making sure it was extra stern.
“Come along, children. Enough dallying. We can’t stand around here all day.”
They dropped from the boughs like ripe fruit. Plop. Plop-plop. Five in all, and she had to stabilize the youngest or watch him fall. She did it without thinking and got sap on her dress for her efforts. She stifled her curse, but not well enough. And she hadn’t said anything like “rotten turnips,” either.
As the village boys waved their good-byes and scampered off, Josephine managed a discreet glance at Mr. Montgomery. His brows were drawn together in a frown, and she had to bite back another curse. There was no help for it but to carry on. It was a long, excruciating walk back to the manor while she mentally cataloged her sins.
The polite conversation continued, of course. Mr. Montgomery was too much of a gentleman to let his disapproval show. But Josephine was all too aware of her lacks. And if she weren’t, there was someone to remind her less than two dozen steps along the road.
Will Benton sat on his horse watching them. He was in the shadows, half hidden by the trees, but she saw him. She knew his size, his hat, and even his sturdy brown horse. And despite the distance, she knew he was frowning at her.
Really, it was too much. After everything she’d done to be perfect this afternoon, the sight of him made her fury boil over. But she was a lady, and so she held it inside. Or rather, she tried. She waited until the proper moment. The boys had run ahead. Nanny was pointing to something in the opposite direction so Mr. Montgomery’s attention was directed elsewhere.
It was at that exact second that Josephine turned to their steward and stuck out her tongue.
Six
Will didn’t expect her to come to the creek that night. The family was busy entertaining that damned Scot, and she would be on her best behavior. He waited nonetheless, just in case, until he fell asleep against the tree. His dreams, of course, had been filled with the sight of her pink tongue sticking out at him. What a woman! The idea that she’d not only caught him spying but had an answer to it had nearly made him fall off his horse. The only reason he hadn’t burst out laughing was because his organ had abruptly
So they walked, Mr. Montgomery slipping easily between them. He extended his arms, and they both took hold, just as proper ladies would. The conversation was easy and filled with generalities. He asked about the village, they commented on the weather, together they deplored the coming heat and laughed at the antics of children. Quite a lot of topics to cover in fifteen minutes, but the conversation flowed easily. Mr. Montgomery was the reason. As a fine gentleman, he kept the topics light, amusing, and all completely acceptable. Which meant, of course, that it was all perfectly boring !
Josephine struggled to cover her yawn. Worse, she looked longingly up at the tree. The boys were having a great time pretend fencing with branches while they scrambled like monkeys. They were having such a great time, she started laughing along with them, completely losing the thread of conversation.
Until, of course, Nanny called out that it was time to go home. Everyone groaned, herself included. She hadn’t even been climbing in the boughs, but she had enjoyed the late afternoon sun on her face, the breeze as it stirred her hair, and the antics of the boys. She felt relaxed, and the idea of returning home to a stuffy house and an excruciatingly proper supper was infinitely less appealing.
Then she glanced back at Mr. Montgomery and felt her insides freeze. He was looking at her, his expression thoughtful. Had he heard her groan? She felt her face heat. Of course he had. And he’d heard her conversation before, so the jig was up now. He knew her to be exactly the wild creature she was. To cover, she raised her voice to the boys, making sure it was extra stern.
“Come along, children. Enough dallying. We can’t stand around here all day.”
They dropped from the boughs like ripe fruit. Plop. Plop-plop. Five in all, and she had to stabilize the youngest or watch him fall. She did it without thinking and got sap on her dress for her efforts. She stifled her curse, but not well enough. And she hadn’t said anything like “rotten turnips,” either.
As the village boys waved their good-byes and scampered off, Josephine managed a discreet glance at Mr. Montgomery. His brows were drawn together in a frown, and she had to bite back another curse. There was no help for it but to carry on. It was a long, excruciating walk back to the manor while she mentally cataloged her sins.
The polite conversation continued, of course. Mr. Montgomery was too much of a gentleman to let his disapproval show. But Josephine was all too aware of her lacks. And if she weren’t, there was someone to remind her less than two dozen steps along the road.
Will Benton sat on his horse watching them. He was in the shadows, half hidden by the trees, but she saw him. She knew his size, his hat, and even his sturdy brown horse. And despite the distance, she knew he was frowning at her.
Really, it was too much. After everything she’d done to be perfect this afternoon, the sight of him made her fury boil over. But she was a lady, and so she held it inside. Or rather, she tried. She waited until the proper moment. The boys had run ahead. Nanny was pointing to something in the opposite direction so Mr. Montgomery’s attention was directed elsewhere.
It was at that exact second that Josephine turned to their steward and stuck out her tongue.
Six
Will didn’t expect her to come to the creek that night. The family was busy entertaining that damned Scot, and she would be on her best behavior. He waited nonetheless, just in case, until he fell asleep against the tree. His dreams, of course, had been filled with the sight of her pink tongue sticking out at him. What a woman! The idea that she’d not only caught him spying but had an answer to it had nearly made him fall off his horse. The only reason he hadn’t burst out laughing was because his organ had abruptly
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