Damsel in Distress? (16 page)

It was late afternoon when they slowed and turned down a drive. It was long and winding, but the cool breeze slipping through the trees along the way made it pleasant enough.

Philip broke the silence. “I used to come here often as a child. It was wonderful escaping my own household for a few weeks at a time. Once I went to Eton, I spent most of my holidays here as well. I tended to avoid any family gathering.” He plucked at his trousers. “I tried to bring Cressandra here as well, but father rarely allowed it. I spent much of my time here feeling guilty. Guilty for leaving Cressandra behind, and guilty for enjoying myself while I was here, knowing that she was stuck at home with him.”

Philip looked out the window and rubbed his eyes. They were suspiciously bright, although Harriet could see no tears.

“It’s not your fault your father treated you so. You can’t blame yourself for wanting to get away from him. I would, if I had a father like that…who knows, maybe that’s why I’m here. Maybe I was running away.” She smiled, trying to inject some humour into the atmosphere. They both knew what she was running from was not a tyrant father.

He smiled in return, the sadness not so sharp in his eyes. “It wasn’t all bad. The servants here were more than wonderful to me. Grayson, the butler, was a father-figure to me…a nice one at that. And Cook spoiled me with her best baking. I always left here a few pounds heavier than when I arrived.”

It was nice to see the pleasure back on Philip’s face. Harriet was pleased they ended their trip on a happier note than a few minutes before.

A grand stone building greeted them at the end of the road. The carriage came to a stop moments before the front door opened and an elderly man dressed in the finest red uniform hobbled down the steps to meet them.

Philip alighted from the carriage and handed Harriet down before turning to greet the elderly butler.

“Grayson, old man,” Philip said, “nice to see you again.” He clapped the old man on the back in greeting.

“You as well, sir, you as well.” The man bowed. “We expected you late last night, I hope the trip was well?”

“Bit of a mix-up with the horses, that’s all. I trust you didn’t wait up all night?”

The dark circles under the man’s eyes belied his response. But his bow to her was executed excellently when Philip introduced her. “May I present Miss Harriet? Harriet, this is Jasper’s butler, Grayson. He has been with the family since well before we were all babes.”

“Indeed, sir.” Grayson dipped his head in response and bade them inside.

Harriet found herself whisked from Philip’s side and shown to a room on the opposite side of the house to Philip’s. The housekeeper was most precise about telling her. Harriet tried to keep the blush from blooming on her face, but she held out little hope.

A bath was ordered and she slipped into the warm water gratefully as soon as she was left alone. Her skin protested against the intense heat, but her muscles rejoiced. The stiffness from the carriage and her ‘ride’ last night melted away with the warmth.

She jerked awake and realised she’d fallen asleep in the tub. The water was now tepid. She sighed and climbed out. She reached for the towel the maid had left on the chair next to the tub but instead of soft fluffy cotton, she touched flesh. A scream rose in her throat before Philip’s voice filled the room.

“Shhh, it’s only me. You don’t want to bring the whole household in here do you?”

Her mouth shut with a snap. She’d touched his arm. “What are you doing here?” she asked, turning to look over her shoulder at him.

“Watching you sleep. I find that I am addicted to it now.” He smiled at her and handed her the towel.

She turned her back and quickly wrapped herself up in it. “How long have you been here?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Not long actually. You woke up when the chair squeaked as I sat down.” He put a finger into the tub. “Good thing, your water’s getting cold.”

She gave a shiver. “Yes, I know.”

“The fire is lit.”

“I see that.”

The chair squeaked when he shifted again. Harriet looked over her shoulder again at him. His mouth was open as though he was about to say something.

“You aren’t supposed to be here,” she said before he could get any words out.

“Yes I am,” he replied. “Who says I’m not allowed?”

“The housekeeper, Mrs Barnes isn’t it?”

“Oh, not to worry about her, she is just trying to protect me from you.”

“Protect you? From me? Why on earth would she want to do that?”

Philip got up from the chair and crossed the room to stand behind her, his hands placed lightly on her hips. Shockwaves of desire coursed through her body and she struggled to not lean back against him for support. He wouldn’t allow her resistance and pulled her gently back to his chest.

“It’s girls like you who are after my money,” he whispered in her ear. “I have quite a lot of it, you know.” He thrust his hips forward slightly and a gasp jumped from her lips at the shock of feeling exactly what he had a lot of against her bottom. “Money,” he said. “Lots and lots of money.” He continued to rock back and forth against her, emphasising each word with a thrust.

Harriet’s body reacted to the onslaught of emotion slamming into her from all directions. She turned in his arms and looked him in the eye. “Is that why you think I’m here?” Crushing grief pierced her heart. How could he think that of her? Is that what she was to him, some girl after his money?

Philip stepped back but didn’t take his hands off her hips. “I love you.”

“What?” She wasn’t expecting that. The shock of his words weakened her knees until she had to lean on the chair he had vacated.

“I said, I love you. I can’t stay away from you. Ever since that night in the park I’ve wanted to keep you close. That night at the ball? The plan was that I was supposed to find you a husband, someone who could protect you. I couldn’t do it. Instead I dragged you into the bushes and tried having my way with you there. I couldn’t stand watching anyone else’s eyes on you, let alone their hands. When you danced with…I couldn’t take it. Something snapped inside. I couldn’t stop myself from taking you away.” Philip let her go and went to the other side of the bathtub. The steam had stopped rising from it ages ago and it sat there looking just as much out of place as Philip did amongst the flowers and pink carpet of the room.

“This trip,” he continued, “wasn’t only because my house has been invaded. I was desperate to get you out of town, alone, just the two of us. Who do you think convinced my sister to stay behind? She should be here, if nothing else as your companion and our chaperone. She only agreed to stay behind when I told her what I intend to do.”

Harriet waited for Philip to continue, but he just stood there looking at her, slightly out of breath. “What is it you intend to do, Philip?” Her voice was breathless as well, and when he started walking around the tub towards her, she couldn’t help but take a few steps towards him as well.

Philip reached into his waistcoat pocket and was about to pull something out when the door burst open. A maid bustled into the room, oblivious Philip was even there. She had her head down and her arms full of clothes. She didn’t see him until she hit him full on in the chest. Towels and ladies’ undergarments went flying everywhere! Harriet watched in horror as the clothes sailed through the air in slow motion. Slowly they descended and landed in the bathtub. The maid screamed loud enough that she could be heard from London and continued to do so, despite Harriet’s best attempts to quieten her down. It was at this moment, more than any other, that Harriet regretted their decision to leave Rebecca with Cressandra in London. She would have given anything to have her here instead.

Harriet heard Mrs Barnes huffing up the stairs and knew in moments that Philip would be spotted in her room. A man alone with her, in her room! Without much thought she grabbed Philip by his sleeve and shoved him behind the long thick curtain in her bedroom and returned to the distraught maid just before Mrs Barnes made her appearance.

“What in heaven’s name is going on up here, may I ask, Penelope?” The housekeeper’s booming voice did what all of Harriet’s attempts did not. The maid, Penelope, shut her lips with a snap, the tears stopping instantly.

“Oh thank you, Mrs Barnes,” Harriet said, quickly filling the silence before the maid was able to tell her version of events. “I seem to have startled this poor girl here and I couldn’t get her to calm down. She was so upset about getting all my things wet when we collided, she was quite uncontrollable, isn’t that right, Penelope?”

The maid looked at her with round, large eyes, confusion written all over her face.

“Is that what happened, Penelope? Did you collide with Miss Harriet and spill the clothes in the bath water?” Suspicion was thick in the housekeeper’s voice.

Penelope looked quickly at Harriet before nodding her head. “Yes, ma’am, that’s what happened.” She didn’t sound convincing but unless Mrs Barnes wanted to call both of them a liar, there was nothing she could do…except of course berate Penelope for spilling the clothes.

“You foolish girl! Clean this mess up straight away. And you,” Mrs Barnes turned to Harriet, “you had better stay out of her way. If I catch you anywhere besides your room, I will be having words with Master when he arrives.”

Harriet stepped in close to the housekeeper to make sure she was heard. “Mrs Barnes,” Harriet said in a low dangerous tone, “you forget that I am a guest here and as such, am allowed out of my room if I so chose. You as well as ‘Master’ know that. Besides, Lord Bingham is not here and I imagine won’t be here until long after Lord Eaglestone and I have gone so therefore your threat is redundant.” She stepped back and then said loud enough so Philip could hear, “I believe I will go for a walk.”

Chapter 33

Philip met her down by the small creek on the edge of the grounds. There was a pond Philip knew about, hiding in some trees a short distance away, so they headed towards it. They walked together but did not touch until they were well out of view of the house and a ways into the woods.

Philip clasped her hand in his and she enjoyed the pleasant sensation that ran up her arm at his touch. The sunlight shone through the branches of the trees, casting shadows over the ground. The pond came into view and in a few moments they were sitting at the edge removing their shoes.

Harriet was the first to touch her toes into the cool water. After the walk in the heat of the day, the cool water was refreshing across her skin. She raised her dress higher and ventured in further still, aware that a Lady never reveals her ankles, let alone half her leg. Philip watched her from the bank still with one of his shoes on.

“Are you going to join me, Philip?”

He cleared his throat, “You are going to get your dress all wet.” His voice came out rough and full of passion.

“Well then, I had better remove it, hadn’t I?” Harriet returned to the shore and slowly reached behind her and untied the ribbon that held her dress together. She slowly let it slip from her shoulders and slide down her body until it lay in a pool at her feet. “Now it won’t get wet,” she said and ran into the water and dived under.

Philip wasn’t far behind. Where it had taken him minutes to take off one shoe, it took him mere seconds to discard the rest of his clothing. His naked body glistened through the clear pond, his buttocks catching the light of the sun as he swam towards her.

Harriet waited for him in the middle of the pond, her toes just touching the silt underneath. The water lapped at her chin and neck in the faint waves Philip created as he swam closer. He stopped just short of touching her and stood up. The water reached his shoulders even with his feet planted firmly on the bottom of the pond.

Harriet pushed off on her toes and bounced to him, and her scantily-clad breasts brushed up against his chest. Where he swam naked, she had remained in her shift…she wasn’t that brave. His arms wrapped around her automatically and brought her closer. The warmth of his skin was welcoming in the cool water. She tilted her face up to look at him and smiled.

“This wasn’t how I envisioned spending my afternoon, especially since I have already bathed today.”

He grinned back at her and kissed her nose. “Me neither. But I’m glad neither of our plans worked out the way we had hoped. This is much more fun than reading one of Bingham’s many books.”

“Quite.” She stood on his feet and raised herself as far as she could out of the water and pressed a kiss to his lips. She could feel the smile he was wearing, against her mouth.

He deepened the kiss and lifted her higher until her legs dangled in the water, out of reach of the bottom of the pond completely. The combination of the cool water and hot skin colliding around her was exquisite. She wrapped her legs around Philip’s waist as he started walking towards the shore, his erection pulsing just below her entrance. They had not yet reached the shore but she couldn’t handle the erotic sensations of the water and the heat and the smooth skin rubbing her most private place any longer. She lowered herself so that his slickened penis slid smoothly home.

He stopped in waist-deep water. “I was planning on getting to shore first,” he grunted, and gave a little thrust of his hips.

Her world shattered around her and she gasped out loud with release. The one tiny movement had sent her over the edge.

“Hang on, my darling, I’ll get us to the beach.” Philip strode faster to the shore, but with each hurried step his penis glided in and out, causing Harriet’s body to build to a peek even before he lay her down on a bed of leaves. He moved over her, his eyes never leaving her face. His motions were tender and slow and although she was desperate to relive the fulfilment of her orgasm, she was overwhelmed by the emotion she could see shining in his eyes. This time they reached bliss together, the woods swallowing their simultaneous cries as their worlds came apart and then formed together as one.

They lay in each other’s arms and dozed in the late afternoon shadows. She was boneless and more relaxed than she had ever allowed herself to be. She cracked her eyes open when Philip rolled onto his side, propped his body up on his elbow and looked down at her.