…”
She pulled out of his embrace. “Very well.”
He pulled her back against himself. She felt the
hardness against her belly, and the feel of it so blatant … so
primal, beat at her own desires. She couldn’t speak, though she
wanted to tell him his words did not match his actions. Or did
they? Was he merely dallying ? It seemed so much more
intense.
From nearby, however, they heard, “Babs …”
Guiltily they jumped apart and moved into the light
to find Corry still chatting with Sir Frederick and Otto scanning
the masked people tripping about.
Otto grinned, and Babs looked at him and giggled.
His mask and his domino were askew, and he was trying to adjust
both as he called out merrily, “Ah, there you are …”
Sir Frederick was still attempting to whisper in
Corry’s ear, things she seemed reluctant to hear, as they also
approached, and Babs heard him say, “I can see you don’t mean to be
won over by any of my tricks.” Babs’ eyes opened wide as she
strained to hear Corry’s reply.
Corry lifted her chin and looked up at his face.
“Have you been trying to trick me, sir?”
He chuckled, and this time when he reached to touch
her face, she did not flinch away. Babs moved closer, thoroughly
intrigued.
“Certainly not! I have, however, been trying with
the utmost care to seduce you.”
She laughed. “Really? I would not have guessed,” she
said wryly.
He put a hand to his heart in mock show of pain.
“Wounded. Ah, gentle maid, do you know what you have done to my
pride?”
She laughed again, and Babs could see her cousin was
genuinely amused. “You should be flattered, sir. I have been
thinking what a gentleman you are.”
“And so I am,” he said on a quiet note. “But even a
gentleman, when assaulted by such beauty, may be overcome to do the
unthinkable.”
“What unthinkable would that be?” Corry urged him to
go on.
His answer surprised Babs, and she studied Corry’s
face to find she too was taken aback, for Sir Frederick had moved
to take Corry’s chin with his gloved fingers, tilting her face
upwards first to meet his intense gaze. He whispered, “If we were
not now surrounded … I would kiss those luscious
lips …”
“Ah,” said Corry demurely. “ Most
unthinkable.”
The two realized they were being closely observed,
but luckily a diversion took away attention from them and onto
Otto.
“Should have put a bullet in his head,” said Otto.
“Stands to reason, the blackguard will try that sort of thing
again.” Otto was oblivious to all but his recent experience.
“Damned brute needed a lesson … gave him one.”
“Bravo! But who needed a lesson, Otto?” Babs
exclaimed with a clap of her hands and a short laugh.
Sir Charles arrived and added, “Indeed, Otto …
I saw it, and you were most gallant.” He turned to the assembled
company and explained, “I noticed some poor peasant girl trying to
sell some sweets when this brute decided he wanted to have a go
with her …” He nodded at Otto. “I was on my way to teach the
fellow a lesson, when Otto popped in out of nowhere and landed the
fool a facer.”
“Well done!” said the duke, clapping Otto on the
back.
“What happened to the girl?” Babs inquired
worriedly.
“Charles here bought all the sweets she had and sent
her home,” Otto said with great pleasure.
“Oh, I do think you and Otto are heroes!” Babs
exclaimed.
Jesting and laughter continued until Lady Haversham
arrived and singled out Otto. Everyone knew that her ladyship had a tendre for Otto. They watched as she flirted outrageously
with him; eventually, pulled along by her own set, she left him in
peace.
“She wants you Otto …” teased Babs.
“Blaaah … uck …” was the count’s
response.
“Translation being that Otto has formed a lasting
passion for the Haversham …” Charles said, bursting with
mirth.
Otto proceeded to go off in a convulsion that
created a havoc of indecent laughter amongst the little party,
She pulled out of his embrace. “Very well.”
He pulled her back against himself. She felt the
hardness against her belly, and the feel of it so blatant … so
primal, beat at her own desires. She couldn’t speak, though she
wanted to tell him his words did not match his actions. Or did
they? Was he merely dallying ? It seemed so much more
intense.
From nearby, however, they heard, “Babs …”
Guiltily they jumped apart and moved into the light
to find Corry still chatting with Sir Frederick and Otto scanning
the masked people tripping about.
Otto grinned, and Babs looked at him and giggled.
His mask and his domino were askew, and he was trying to adjust
both as he called out merrily, “Ah, there you are …”
Sir Frederick was still attempting to whisper in
Corry’s ear, things she seemed reluctant to hear, as they also
approached, and Babs heard him say, “I can see you don’t mean to be
won over by any of my tricks.” Babs’ eyes opened wide as she
strained to hear Corry’s reply.
Corry lifted her chin and looked up at his face.
“Have you been trying to trick me, sir?”
He chuckled, and this time when he reached to touch
her face, she did not flinch away. Babs moved closer, thoroughly
intrigued.
“Certainly not! I have, however, been trying with
the utmost care to seduce you.”
She laughed. “Really? I would not have guessed,” she
said wryly.
He put a hand to his heart in mock show of pain.
“Wounded. Ah, gentle maid, do you know what you have done to my
pride?”
She laughed again, and Babs could see her cousin was
genuinely amused. “You should be flattered, sir. I have been
thinking what a gentleman you are.”
“And so I am,” he said on a quiet note. “But even a
gentleman, when assaulted by such beauty, may be overcome to do the
unthinkable.”
“What unthinkable would that be?” Corry urged him to
go on.
His answer surprised Babs, and she studied Corry’s
face to find she too was taken aback, for Sir Frederick had moved
to take Corry’s chin with his gloved fingers, tilting her face
upwards first to meet his intense gaze. He whispered, “If we were
not now surrounded … I would kiss those luscious
lips …”
“Ah,” said Corry demurely. “ Most
unthinkable.”
The two realized they were being closely observed,
but luckily a diversion took away attention from them and onto
Otto.
“Should have put a bullet in his head,” said Otto.
“Stands to reason, the blackguard will try that sort of thing
again.” Otto was oblivious to all but his recent experience.
“Damned brute needed a lesson … gave him one.”
“Bravo! But who needed a lesson, Otto?” Babs
exclaimed with a clap of her hands and a short laugh.
Sir Charles arrived and added, “Indeed, Otto …
I saw it, and you were most gallant.” He turned to the assembled
company and explained, “I noticed some poor peasant girl trying to
sell some sweets when this brute decided he wanted to have a go
with her …” He nodded at Otto. “I was on my way to teach the
fellow a lesson, when Otto popped in out of nowhere and landed the
fool a facer.”
“Well done!” said the duke, clapping Otto on the
back.
“What happened to the girl?” Babs inquired
worriedly.
“Charles here bought all the sweets she had and sent
her home,” Otto said with great pleasure.
“Oh, I do think you and Otto are heroes!” Babs
exclaimed.
Jesting and laughter continued until Lady Haversham
arrived and singled out Otto. Everyone knew that her ladyship had a tendre for Otto. They watched as she flirted outrageously
with him; eventually, pulled along by her own set, she left him in
peace.
“She wants you Otto …” teased Babs.
“Blaaah … uck …” was the count’s
response.
“Translation being that Otto has formed a lasting
passion for the Haversham …” Charles said, bursting with
mirth.
Otto proceeded to go off in a convulsion that
created a havoc of indecent laughter amongst the little party,
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