squirm,
but he held her still.
Matthew moved closer.
He released her wrist, but his arm draped over her shoulder. The
lips that excited so much inside her, burned her, and made her want
more were again insisting, drawing her within their web. The fire
he generated spread over her, consuming Julie. She felt her
traitorous body weaken, her reserve crumbled, and she kissed him
ardently.
Matthew’s skillful
hands undid her bodice. Her breasts strained against the fabric,
desiring his fiery touch. He pushed her farther down onto the sandy
beach. He kissed her tenderly and caressed her flesh until passion
took over, and she had no will of her own.
The calm of the beach
splintered when laughter and the sound of horses’ hooves bore down
on them. Matthew tugged Julie behind the boulder they were sitting
beside. The interruption brought her to her senses. She stared down
at her open bodice. With trembling fingers, she put her clothing
back together and hastily stood up, but only after Ian and his
riding teacher passed their hiding place.
Before Matthew could
say anything, Julie raced up the beach. She thought she heard
Matthew groan and say something she was sure she did not want to
hear. She kept telling herself she’d had a lucky escape until she
was behind the door of her room.
* * *
Matthew managed to
stay out of her way, or she managed to stay out of his, for the
next several days. The day of the games arrived without any further
incident, and Julie and Ian entered Mrs. Parsons’s inn to find her
smiling and laughing amid the chaos, despite the possibility of
inclement weather.
“It’s a dark, damp day
for the games. Do you think there’ll be a good turn out?” Julie
asked.
“Not to worry, Miss
Hastings. The sun is going to burn off the fog. Did you feel that
nice wind blowing when you came in? It’s coming from the west.
It’ll be sure to chase those clouds away,” Mrs. Parsons
chirped.
“This is my first time
at the games.”
“You’ll not be
disappointed. I don’t know when I’ve been more excited. My inn is
filled to capacity.”
Julie listened to
sounds of merriment surrounding the inn. The entire village was
filled and bursting at the seams with revelers. Still more people
seem to arrive. Her fascination with the crowd was cut short as a
mournful wailing assaulted the air.
“What’s that sad sound
I hear?”
“Oh, that’s just
Robbie getting his bagpipes ready. You just don’t know what a time
yer in for,” Mrs. Parsons said, smiling.
A bit later, Julie and
Ian departed to get ready for his race. He was almost as tall as
the other boys, but much slimmer. She watched him take off and
disappear over the hill—somewhere in the body of the pack of
runners. She did not believe he would win, but she hoped he would
do well. She waited with anxious parents looking for their sons to
top the last hill into town.
She heard the roar of
the crowd and looked up to see Jamie MacDonald cross the finish
line. Several others came, and then Ian ran up the street waving at
Julie. Out of breath, his face red, he continued running as fast as
his legs would carry him. He came across the finish line and fell
into Julie’s arms.
When he recovered, he
said, “I didn’t do too badly, did I?”
“You did really well,
Ian. I’m very proud of you. You were not first, but you finished,
and that is what’s important. This was just your first try. There
is always next year,” Julie encouraged.
“I’ll win next year.
You’ll see. I am going to train all year. I like the games, don’t
you?”
“Yes, they are very
exciting. What would you like to do next?”
“Miss Hastings, let’s
go watch the caber toss. Ribble says I need to put on more weight
for that event, but he is going to start my training now,” Ian
gushed.
Turning around, Julie
and Ian glimpsed Matthew walking toward them. Ian pulled away from
Julie’s hand and started for his uncle.
“Uncle Matthew, Uncle
Matthew, did you see me
but he held her still.
Matthew moved closer.
He released her wrist, but his arm draped over her shoulder. The
lips that excited so much inside her, burned her, and made her want
more were again insisting, drawing her within their web. The fire
he generated spread over her, consuming Julie. She felt her
traitorous body weaken, her reserve crumbled, and she kissed him
ardently.
Matthew’s skillful
hands undid her bodice. Her breasts strained against the fabric,
desiring his fiery touch. He pushed her farther down onto the sandy
beach. He kissed her tenderly and caressed her flesh until passion
took over, and she had no will of her own.
The calm of the beach
splintered when laughter and the sound of horses’ hooves bore down
on them. Matthew tugged Julie behind the boulder they were sitting
beside. The interruption brought her to her senses. She stared down
at her open bodice. With trembling fingers, she put her clothing
back together and hastily stood up, but only after Ian and his
riding teacher passed their hiding place.
Before Matthew could
say anything, Julie raced up the beach. She thought she heard
Matthew groan and say something she was sure she did not want to
hear. She kept telling herself she’d had a lucky escape until she
was behind the door of her room.
* * *
Matthew managed to
stay out of her way, or she managed to stay out of his, for the
next several days. The day of the games arrived without any further
incident, and Julie and Ian entered Mrs. Parsons’s inn to find her
smiling and laughing amid the chaos, despite the possibility of
inclement weather.
“It’s a dark, damp day
for the games. Do you think there’ll be a good turn out?” Julie
asked.
“Not to worry, Miss
Hastings. The sun is going to burn off the fog. Did you feel that
nice wind blowing when you came in? It’s coming from the west.
It’ll be sure to chase those clouds away,” Mrs. Parsons
chirped.
“This is my first time
at the games.”
“You’ll not be
disappointed. I don’t know when I’ve been more excited. My inn is
filled to capacity.”
Julie listened to
sounds of merriment surrounding the inn. The entire village was
filled and bursting at the seams with revelers. Still more people
seem to arrive. Her fascination with the crowd was cut short as a
mournful wailing assaulted the air.
“What’s that sad sound
I hear?”
“Oh, that’s just
Robbie getting his bagpipes ready. You just don’t know what a time
yer in for,” Mrs. Parsons said, smiling.
A bit later, Julie and
Ian departed to get ready for his race. He was almost as tall as
the other boys, but much slimmer. She watched him take off and
disappear over the hill—somewhere in the body of the pack of
runners. She did not believe he would win, but she hoped he would
do well. She waited with anxious parents looking for their sons to
top the last hill into town.
She heard the roar of
the crowd and looked up to see Jamie MacDonald cross the finish
line. Several others came, and then Ian ran up the street waving at
Julie. Out of breath, his face red, he continued running as fast as
his legs would carry him. He came across the finish line and fell
into Julie’s arms.
When he recovered, he
said, “I didn’t do too badly, did I?”
“You did really well,
Ian. I’m very proud of you. You were not first, but you finished,
and that is what’s important. This was just your first try. There
is always next year,” Julie encouraged.
“I’ll win next year.
You’ll see. I am going to train all year. I like the games, don’t
you?”
“Yes, they are very
exciting. What would you like to do next?”
“Miss Hastings, let’s
go watch the caber toss. Ribble says I need to put on more weight
for that event, but he is going to start my training now,” Ian
gushed.
Turning around, Julie
and Ian glimpsed Matthew walking toward them. Ian pulled away from
Julie’s hand and started for his uncle.
“Uncle Matthew, Uncle
Matthew, did you see me
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