Seacrets (19 page)

"Hargendon Manor! A letter for me?" Her attention piqued, she grabbed the mail from his hand in such haste that all the rest of the letters fell out of Frederick's arms, and left the young man sprawling on the ground.

"Oh I'm dreadfully sorry Freddy. Do be a dear and pick those up for me, will you?" Then she turned to climb the steps to take her perch on the overstuffed divan.

Mallory deliberately hiked up her skirts, so Frederick could have a better view of her legs. She thought it a fair trade for her rudeness in causing him to go floundering over the ground to fetch the rest of the mail.

Frederick wasted no time in doing so, for he did not want to miss his chance at feasting his eyes upon Mallory's stunningly gorgeous calves. He sat on the top step, at Mallory's feet like an old faithful dog waiting to be petted.

"This is Hargendon stationary, all right, but the invitation is to his brother Aiden's Estate, not Hargendon Manor." She read on, “‘tis some sort of coming out party introducing their new governess, a Miss Maura McCoveny. Hmm, I've not heard of any family with that name, o'er these parts. I wonder where she is from." Her elbow on her knee, she drummed her slender fingers along her cheek bone, and sighing deep. "Well no matter. I'm sure Daniel will be invited, and I'll have a chance to come face to face with the rake that broke my heart, ruined my reputation, and jilted my family out of a fortune." She seethed at the thought, but was excited at the same time. Perhaps she would engage him in a sensual tryst in the garden, only to punish him by denying him of her delectable body. She began to fantasize about how she would tease and tantalize him.

Mallory began to
daydream of her hopeful encounter with the only man that could make her heart race this way. Absentmindedly, Mallory began to play with the hair atop Fredericks head. Winding it around her fingers and then gently running them through his thick chestnut locks. Frederick laid the side of his head at Mallory’s knee and allowed her molestation of him to continue.  Her soft skin felt heavenly next to his and her scent was intoxicating to his young male sensibilities.

In her fantasy, Mallory walk
s into the garden. It is a hot summer evening. The soft moonlight illuminated the rose garden. The heat from the day made the roses give off a sweet heady fragrance. She sees herself in Daniel's embrace, as if she were a voyer watching from afar. Daniel was running white hot kisses from behind her ear, along her neck, and down to her décolletage area.  He buried his face in the swell of her breasts that overflowed the top of her bodice.  Mallory thought she would lose her mind when she envisioned him lifting one breast from its hiding place, running his thumb across her tender, very sensitive nipple.She arched her back and sucked in her breath when he replaced his thumb with his tongue. She saw herself grabbing onto the sides of Daniel’s face, guiding him down further towards her most private area. Her fingers intertwined within his lustrously thick black mane. She motioned her hips forward, as his hot tongue slipped into her silky folds. She hissed as though she were a snake on the attack, Mallory no longer had control over her senses.

“M
iss Mallory you taste just as I imagined, like a sweet pomegranate.”

M
allory opened her eyes to find she was in a heated embrace with the young lad.

She was far too
immersed in her fantasy… and far too hot to stop. "Freddy take me now, dear boy!" Her voice was ragged, her chest heaving with need. She thought,
It's time dear little Freddy learned the fires and passion of a woman.
She dropped her head back against the downy cushions of the divan, rolled her eyes back in her head and let the waves of pleasure over take her body.

§

Maura handed the last of her belongings to Aiden to put on the buckboard of his carriage, when Daniel walked out onto the front porch. She turned to look in his direction but he turned his attention to his brother. Maura recognized Daniel’s obvious disdain as evident by his ignorance of her, that he may still be stinging from her rebuke of his amorous attention, from the evening before. She wanted so much to run to him and tell him she in fact was enjoying their kiss and embrace, but felt if it kept on the way it was heading, they might both regret it. Maura comprehended the experience of extreme feelings of lust for Daniel, for which she felt shame. It wasn't proper to have all these morally wrong feelings for someone she hardly knew. Granted, the man
is
magnificently handsome, she reasoned with herself, but the most striking quality of his ruggedly handsome features is his sapphire blue eyes that are a deep violet in the center with a contrasting lighter shade to the outer aspects.  They softened his features immensely. And each time she gained nearness to him she could smell the most wonderful fresh clean manly smell...like the ocean...yes, that was it, the ocean!

Maura
was roused from her daydream, when Aiden called out for her."C’mon, now, Maura. We've got to get movin', if ya are wantin' ta be settled in by midday and meet the children. It will take at least two hours to reach my estate.”

"Yes, of course Aiden." Maura said
despondently, as she passed by Daniel.

"Here, lass, let me help ya aboard." Daniel surprised Maura, who was not expecting Daniel to even acknowledge her leaving, let alone help her up onto the front carriage seating.

He reached for her waist and with one effortless swoop he lifted her onto the seat, his hands lingering on her hips a bit longer than necessary. They both held a long gaze into each other’s eyes. Maura, now blushing, broke her stare first. Daniel was pleased he’d gotten that response from their short interaction. That small telltale sign let him know there was room for hope between them. He released her and stepped back from the carriage.

Maura watched as the two brothers talked a moment or two longer.

Mary rushed out to the carriage to give Maura a basket of food for the journey, and of course to shed a few tears and let her know how much she will be missed.“Oh my dear you’ve no idea how much you’ll be missed. Whoever will I confide in my teasin’ of Daniel.” She laughed.

"Oh c’mon now mother, you know Maura will be out here every Sunday for dinner." "So enough with the tearful good-byes. It's Wed
nesday. We'll be back in four days and ya know that ya are always welcome out ta our place."

With a quick giddy up and a flick of the crop, they were off. Maura had a tear in her eye for she had grown very close to Mary. In fact Maura thought of her as a mother. Not ever remembering her own mother, she was sure she would've been a lot like Mary Hargendon. Maura turned to look back and saw that only Mary stood at the end of the carriage road. Daniel was nowhere to be seen.

This fact seemed to bother Maura, though she did not know why.
Why only a few short minutes ago the man could not seem to take his eyes from me, but now could not spend another few seconds until I disappeared from site? The man is a puzzle.. One minute intense, the next aloof.

Aiden yammer
ed on and on about his farm and his children and how he couldn't wait for them to meet her, yet all she could think about was
how dare he not stand there pining for me
. Maura nodded and smiled appropriately when the opportunity presented itself in the conversation, but her thoughts were miles behind them.

The weather was perfect
, sunny, with a few wispy clouds here and there. As the carriage approached the end of Aiden's estate, two adorable youngsters ran out to greet their daddy. " Dhaidi! Dhaidi! Ya are home." His son Mick yelled." What have ya brought me dhaid?"

“Here, son, take these inta the house ta yer mother." Aiden handed down the basket of goodies nana Hargendon had sent to them. Mick already had his hands inside the basket and was pulling out his nana's famous chewy chocolate drop cookies. With chocolate smeared all over his face he ran up the carriage road with Colleen
in tow.

"Your children are precious, Aiden." Maura was already looking forward to beginning her job as governess. She took
in a deep breath and began to help unload her belongings from the back of the carriage.

"Here,
lass, let James finish unloadin’ ya bags. I want ta show ya about the grounds and introduce ya ta my wife, Quinn."

Quinn proved to be all Aiden had described and more. 

Maura was shocked to find not only did she have her own quarters but it was a whole house.

Aiden
assisted Maura into the guest house. It was a charming cottage by a brook, with a few oak and maples to frame the property. “Oh aiden, I’ve read of the spectacular colors of fall in this region and am sure the view will be spectacular from the oversized bay window in the drawing room where I plan to make a classroom.”

Maura pulled back the heavy crimson embroidered draperies in the drawing room and opened the windows. The guest house had not been occupied in quite a while judging by the fact she could write her name in the dust on the furniture and the musty odor in the cottage. She was definitely pleased, though, and thought to make it her own.

"Sorry 'bout the condition of the place, luv, but it's been ages since we've actually had a guest that stayed more than one night, so we've not kept it up, but I'm sure you'll make the best of it, eh?" Aiden said with a smile. He also had ulterior motives for having her see the place in disarray. He knew it would keep her busy making it her own style and keep her mind off his brother. He sensed they have a connection and if something were to come of their relationship, then absence would make the heart grow fonder and she'd be needin' some tasks to keep her busy.

"I think it's lovely, Aiden. Oh, I'll be sure to call you by your sir name when in front of the children." She stated, apologetically.

"No need to stand on ceremony with us, luv, Quinn and Aiden will be fine." He winked in her direction.

"Well then, I guess I'd better get started." Maura
reached for a dust rag but Aiden tossed it away.

“N
ot until you've rested and had something to eat. Come, lunch is probably ready in the main house." Aiden extended his right arm.

Maura smiled and said "Alright sir
." smiling back at him. She placed her arm above his and they both walked towards the main house.

§

Unbeknownst to them both, were a pair of sinister eyes watching them from behind one of those giant oaks, just beyond the guest house.
"Ruin my plans, will ya? Well you will surely rue the day that ya set foot off of ya precious Ireland, mark my words, Miss Maura McCoveny."