Read His Not So Sensible Miss (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time - Book 3) Online

Authors: Jane Charles

Tags: #romance regency romance historical romance

His Not So Sensible Miss (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time - Book 3) (5 page)

BOOK: His Not So Sensible Miss (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time - Book 3)
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A gasp from below had Dillon turning
his head in her direction. She made a very pretty picture indeed,
though her face appeared more flushed than on previous occasions.
He hoped the climate wasn’t giving her a chill because it wouldn’t
do to have her become ill.

He walked to the edge of the roof to
greet her and changed his assessment. It wasn’t the chill that
caused her high coloring, but another look he recognized all too
well – desire. Perhaps he had no need to be concerned with her
current area of study and Sappho was simply a literary interest.
“Good afternoon, Emily.” He should apologize for not being ready to
meet her properly, but he wasn’t sorry. He wouldn’t trade her
reaction to him for anything in the world.

Emily raised her arm to shield the sun
that was shining behind his head to return his greeting. The action
cause the green cloak to tighten across her full breasts and Dillon
experienced the same desire that he noted in her eyes.

He climbed down from the barn and
helped Emily from her horse. His hands were reluctant to let go of
her waist and her hands remained on his shoulders a bit longer than
necessary. It took all of his will to pull away and not kiss her.
They shouldn’t be alone as it was and if he started kissing her
now, who knew where it would lead. He needed to keep his distance
and behave like a gentleman no matter how unconventional and
ill-advised their courtship was.

Dillon offered his arm and led her into
the house, leaving her in the parlor. “I’ll be back in a moment,
after I’ve changed.”

When he reappeared, Emily was thumbing
through one of the books from his father’s library.


I borrowed those from Mr.
Chambers. I thought to read what you were currently
studying.”


Few people own these
volumes.” She placed the book back on the stack. “Two I have never
seen.”


You may borrow
them.”


Oh, no, I couldn’t. They
don’t belong to you.”


They were only collecting
dust in that old library. You might as well read them. Somebody
should.”

She eyed them with interest. “Are you
sure Mr. Chambers wouldn’t mind?”


I doubt Mr. Chambers would
notice. He has always allowed me to borrow what I
wished.”


I am a bit surprised.” A
frown marred her brow. “I heard that Mrs. Chambers was a bit of a
snob. I wouldn’t think she would allow a commoner in her back door
unless they were to work in the house.”

Dillon chuckled. His mother’s
reputation did precede her. “That is true. Mr. Chambers is a bit
more friendly, I suppose. He has allowed me to use his library in
the past and insists upon it. I believe he may love books as much
as perhaps your father or Ellings does and does not believe they
should be wasted.” Though he couldn’t remember the last time his
father cracked a book open. He just liked having them around. It
was his way of displaying his wealth.


Very well, if you’re sure
he wouldn’t mind.”


I promise.”

She picked up two from the middle of
the stack and tucked them under her arm.


Why don’t you leave them
here until it’s time to go? I don’t think carrying those tomes
would be comfortable.


I suppose not.”


I thought a stroll would be
a pleasant way to spend our day.”


That would be
lovely.”

Dillon escorted her out the front door
and turned toward a wooded area where he drew her onto a path. “I
am curious, Emily. Why Sappho?”


Didn’t you find her work
interesting?” She looked up at him from the corner of her eye as if
she were gauging his reaction.


I suppose it could be
described as such,” he hesitantly answered before he deiced to
switch tactics. He needed to know if there was a deeper interest in
the topic. “Does Ellings approve of this area of study?”

Emily lowered her head, but he saw a
hint of a smile on her lips. “Do you mean does he approve of me
being exposed to the history of Lesbos and the writings of Sappho,
and what she alludes to?”

Dillon cleared his throat, surprised by
her bluntness. “Ah, yes. Does he?”


I don’t know.” She
shrugged. “His Grace has never censored my reading.”


I can’t believe he would
approve.”


It’s history.” She looked
up at him, a brilliant smile on her lips.


True, but it isn’t at all
proper for a young lady.”


Is that so?” she laughed,
and eyebrow arched. “Why exactly?”


Some of the things I read
were shocking.” He hadn’t intended to sound so proper. His friends
in London wouldn’t even recognize him, Dillon was sure.


Then I shouldn’t read the
Bible either, I suppose?”


The two are worlds apart.”
Where was she going with this, and what right did he have to tell
her what was proper or not?


Have you ever read the
Bible? In its entirety?” Emily asked with a tilt of her head and
smile upon her lips.

Dillon was afraid he was at a
disadvantage. “Some, but not all.”


Have you ever read Song of
Solomon?”


Yes, I have.” At least she
picked a book he was familiar with. “That book is about love
between a husband and wife.” He paused and looked at her, narrowing
his eyes. The book was an expression of passionate love, but
broached in terms that no innocent young lady should understand.
“How much do you understand?”

Emily laughed and shrugged her
shoulders without commenting one way or the other.

Her cavalier attitude had Dillon
doubting Emily’s innocence. Was that the reason she couldn’t have a
season? No, he couldn’t believe that of her. Yet, she was the one
who insisted they meet secretly. Had she done this before? On the
other hand, was it really important? He wasn’t exactly an innocent
himself.


Still, the two are entirely
different,” Dillon insisted.


Very well, what of Genesis
then?”


Adam and Eve? The two were
created for each other. There was no sin until Eve ate of the
fruit.”


No,” Emily responded with a
mischievous smile. “Later in the book.”

The historical information she could
refer to without hesitation was impressive.


Sodom and Gomorrah? Are you
familiar with what happened to those two towns?”


Yes, they were destroyed
for immorality.” Thank goodness she continued to pick portions of
the Bible he remembered.


Do you know what the sin
was?”

Dillon wondered if she was making a
fool of him or only having fun at his expense. He would find a way
to get back at her, somehow. “I believe it is self-explanatory.”
How did a young lady come to have knowledge of such things? He
doubted his mother knew the act of sodomy existed, or what it was.
Never would he have though to actually discuss the topic, with a
lady no less. He should have never questioned her in the first
place.


Then I ask you, how is it
different? Why is reading of those instances in the Bible less
ladylike than studying the history of Lesbos or the writing of
Sappho?”

Now he felt like an idiot. Never had he
ever had to be on his guard as he needed to be with Emily. She was
quick. He would need to remind himself that she was not an ordinary
lady one met in society but an extremely thoughtful, intelligent
woman. He had underestimated her and he would not be able to get by
with just his opinion on poetry or the success of any given event.
“Genesis doesn't come out and explicitly state what the crimes of
the cities were.”

 

* * *

 

Emily admitted to herself he had a
point. “You are correct, yet anyone with even a minuscule amount of
intelligence would know.”


That is beside the point.
Until you have reached an age of maturity, it is not truly
understood. I doubt most women were even aware of the
crime.”


What makes it different
from what you have read in Greek history?” She hadn’t had an
interesting discussion, if not debate, with anyone since her father
died. Being with Dillon was invigorating.


They are worlds apart.” He
threw his arms wide to emphasize his point. “Even I was embarrassed
reading about Lesbos.”

His face even colored with the
admission and Emily was hard pressed not to giggle. “Which parts
were embarrassing?”

Dillon opened his mouth to answer, but
stopped and looked at her. His eyes narrowed for a moment. “Oh no,
that we are not going to discuss.”

Emily laughed and turned down another
trail, leaving him behind her. “What, without going into great
detail, do you find so offensive in my studies?”


The immorality for one,”
Dillon called form behind.


What else?”


No young lady should read
such literature.”

It was all she could do not to laugh
out loud. He was so serious in what he thought was proper reading
material when he hadn’t bothered to stop and think how improper it
was for the two of them to be strolling in the woods all alone. “It
is history, writing about an immoral people at an immoral
time.”


It addresses the, ah,
physical pleasures.”


Between men and women, and
same gender lovers?” Emily looked over her shoulder at him and
smiled.


Yes. Now you understand.”
Dillon caught up to her and turned her to face him.


I understand that you would
have all young ladies sheltered.”


Why should you be
different?”

Emily stepped around him and sighed.
“As I have said, it is simply a history. To leave out even the
smallest part of a country’s past could change how the entire
culture is viewed.”


How would not knowing about
these people change how we understand Greece?”


I agree that perhaps Lesbos
and Sappho is a bit obscure for the average person, but one should
not skip over anything we come across because it would change how
we understand their literature,” Emily answered in a serious,
instructive tone. “How could we ever understand Napoleon if we
didn’t know about the Revolution? There would be a gap in
understanding. One book would end with a King Louis and Marie
Antoinette on the throne. The next would begin with Napoleon.
Historians, years from now, would wonder what happened that the
king no longer ruled.”


It’s not the same at all.
They were not immoral and that bit of history is important. I don’t
see how Greek literature is.”


It wasn’t immoral to behead
part of the population because they were noble, including infants?
How many young minds can’t fall asleep at night worrying about very
real monsters taking control of their own country?”


That was France, this is
England.”


The French nobles believed
they were safe once upon a time,” Emily argued.


Touché.” Dillon nodded his
head. “However, we are discussing morality, not
morbidity.”


You are correct.” Emily
nodded her head. “So, why don’t you explain why you still find me
knowing such history offensive to you?”


I don’t find it offensive.
Do you even understand everything you read?”

Emily turned down another path to hide
the smile on her face. “Do you mean the many veiled references to
physical pleasures?” How would he react to that
question?


Yes, did you understand it
all, or do you need something explained?”

The question brought her up short. He
had turned the tables on her. She hadn’t expected to have to answer
that question directly. “I believe I have a vague understanding.”
Her face heated. “And, I don’t believe you need to explain anything
to me.” Goodness, he certainly knew how to put her on the defense.
Just the thought of discussing intimate details with Dillon
embarrassed her to the very core. Generalization was one thing,
details were quite another.


Yet, you still study
literature you do not completely comprehend,” Dillon
countered.

Emily stopped and sighed. “It is a
study of history. These were immoral people. They believed in Gods.
It would be centuries before Christianity found them and still,
they were not willing to forsake their pleasures for a God that
wasn’t represented in a marble statue.”


That is all?”


Yes, if you study the
country further, you will see how Christianity changed their
beliefs and way of life. But, without knowing from where they came,
you cannot appreciate the changes made.”


I do see your point,” he
replied with a reluctance in his tone. “But, why
Sappho?”


Why not?”


There are greater,
well-known authors from Greece.”


I know.” Emily smiled at
him.

BOOK: His Not So Sensible Miss (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time - Book 3)
10.9Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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