lips against his, feeling daring and wonderful. At first, he didn’t move, but he didn’t pull away, either. And then, he tilted his head, just slightly, and kissed her back, moving his lips in a way that seemed to touch every part of her body—even parts she hadn’t really thought existed.
He pulled back, looking as if he’d just hurt her rather than kissed her. “I can’t keep doing that, Genny. I can’t.”
“It was your idea,” she pointed out, teasing him. “And I really don’t mind. I ought to know how to kiss, oughtn’t I, if I’m going to be married to a prince.”
Mitch’s expression changed subtly, and he dropped his head and let out a small laugh. “Yes, you’re right. You wouldn’t want to disappoint your prince.”
Mitch knew Genny was teasing, but her words couldn’t have been more perfect for a man who was in an epic battle with his heart and his head. Genny was the granddaughter of a duke and he was the illegitimate son of an actress. Even in America, a match between them would be unheard of, and he knew the English were much bigger sticklers about such things. In their world, he figured he wouldn’t even be hired as a servant. And here he’d been thinking that maybe, just maybe, he could manage a way to keep her.
He’d laugh if he wasn’t so angry—with himself, mostly. Her teasing about marrying a prince brought him back to reality. He was a man, just has he’d told her, who had gotten himself into a gnarly situation, who would hopefully end up with some gold in his pocket. If he got a couple of kisses from a pretty girl in the meantime? That didn’t make him a villain, just a man who was taking advantage of his situation.
What an idiot he would be to let his heart become more engaged than it already was. That horse was already out of the barn, but he’d do his best in the next few weeks to make certain it didn’t get away entirely. And maybe he could coax it back into the barn. He chuckled to himself, winning a questioning look from Genny.
“Just thinking of horses and barns,” he said by way of explanation, which only seemed to make Genny more confused.
Omaha, Nebraska was a small but bustling city, seemingly sprouting from the plains in a random way. It had been only twenty years since the first white baby had been born in Omaha, and now it was a sprawling city with brick buildings and paved streets. The train pulled into a station situated in the older part of town with clapboard buildings and fences that looked like a good wind would knock them over. But in the distance, Genny could see a gleaming white church steeple and fine brick and stone buildings.
The Walshes had already gathered up all their belongings and were ready to head to the baggage car when the train groaned to a final stop. Genny stood and bade them a tearful good-bye, feeling as though she was leaving behind a life-long friend.
“You make friends quickly when you travel,” Mrs. Walsh said, giving Genny a warm hug. Mr. Walsh patted her shoulder and did something with his mouth that Genny assumed was a smile. As far as she could tell, he hadn’t said more than a handful of words the entire way from Sacramento.
After they’d gone and Mitch had collected their belongings, Genny said, “I’ll never see them again. I’ll never see any of these people again. It’s so sad.”
“You get used to it. I’ll likely never see Will Jackson again and he was the best friend I’ve ever had. Just part of life.”
Just part of life. For the first time, it struck Genny that she would have to say good-bye to Mitch, that after she was safely ensconced with her grandparents, she would likely never see him again either. She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. She would not think about that until it happened. It would do no good to dwell on their good-bye when they still had weeks left together.
“But I can write. I have their address. Mrs. Walsh did promise to write.”
“I’m sure she
He pulled back, looking as if he’d just hurt her rather than kissed her. “I can’t keep doing that, Genny. I can’t.”
“It was your idea,” she pointed out, teasing him. “And I really don’t mind. I ought to know how to kiss, oughtn’t I, if I’m going to be married to a prince.”
Mitch’s expression changed subtly, and he dropped his head and let out a small laugh. “Yes, you’re right. You wouldn’t want to disappoint your prince.”
Mitch knew Genny was teasing, but her words couldn’t have been more perfect for a man who was in an epic battle with his heart and his head. Genny was the granddaughter of a duke and he was the illegitimate son of an actress. Even in America, a match between them would be unheard of, and he knew the English were much bigger sticklers about such things. In their world, he figured he wouldn’t even be hired as a servant. And here he’d been thinking that maybe, just maybe, he could manage a way to keep her.
He’d laugh if he wasn’t so angry—with himself, mostly. Her teasing about marrying a prince brought him back to reality. He was a man, just has he’d told her, who had gotten himself into a gnarly situation, who would hopefully end up with some gold in his pocket. If he got a couple of kisses from a pretty girl in the meantime? That didn’t make him a villain, just a man who was taking advantage of his situation.
What an idiot he would be to let his heart become more engaged than it already was. That horse was already out of the barn, but he’d do his best in the next few weeks to make certain it didn’t get away entirely. And maybe he could coax it back into the barn. He chuckled to himself, winning a questioning look from Genny.
“Just thinking of horses and barns,” he said by way of explanation, which only seemed to make Genny more confused.
Omaha, Nebraska was a small but bustling city, seemingly sprouting from the plains in a random way. It had been only twenty years since the first white baby had been born in Omaha, and now it was a sprawling city with brick buildings and paved streets. The train pulled into a station situated in the older part of town with clapboard buildings and fences that looked like a good wind would knock them over. But in the distance, Genny could see a gleaming white church steeple and fine brick and stone buildings.
The Walshes had already gathered up all their belongings and were ready to head to the baggage car when the train groaned to a final stop. Genny stood and bade them a tearful good-bye, feeling as though she was leaving behind a life-long friend.
“You make friends quickly when you travel,” Mrs. Walsh said, giving Genny a warm hug. Mr. Walsh patted her shoulder and did something with his mouth that Genny assumed was a smile. As far as she could tell, he hadn’t said more than a handful of words the entire way from Sacramento.
After they’d gone and Mitch had collected their belongings, Genny said, “I’ll never see them again. I’ll never see any of these people again. It’s so sad.”
“You get used to it. I’ll likely never see Will Jackson again and he was the best friend I’ve ever had. Just part of life.”
Just part of life. For the first time, it struck Genny that she would have to say good-bye to Mitch, that after she was safely ensconced with her grandparents, she would likely never see him again either. She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. She would not think about that until it happened. It would do no good to dwell on their good-bye when they still had weeks left together.
“But I can write. I have their address. Mrs. Walsh did promise to write.”
“I’m sure she
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