She brought her brother with her to the sofa and they sat. He straightened and wiped his wet eyes. His frown tugged at her heart and tears stung her own eyes. “Tell me what happened today.”
Billy sobbed most of the way through the story, describing how much he hurt when hearing Nate was going on an outing with his father and Billy could not do that with his. Ella nodded as she listened, stroking his arm tenderly. No wonder he and Nate had gotten into a fight. Poor Billy. She wished she knew what to do to help him through this troubled time.
“And then when Mr. Morgan talked to me...” His voice trailed off as his gaze communicated a silent plea to her.
Her heart jumped to her throat. Please say you didn’t tell him. “What happened with Mr. Morgan?” she managed to ask.
More tears filled his eyes. “He was being so nice to me, and telling me that he knew what I was feeling because his father ignored him, too.” He shook his head. “I knew my teacher didn’t fully understand, but for a moment, I really wanted to tell him the truth. I felt that Mr. Morgan would understand and help me...help us.”
A tear slipped from her eye before she could stop it. “Oh, Billy. I wish I could tell you he could help us, but I fear nobody can. I’ll turn twenty-five in four months and then everything will be all right. We just have to keep our secret until my birthday.” She grasped his hands and squeezed. “Please, promise me you’ll keep our secret until then.”
He nodded. “I’ll try.”
She smoothed his messy hair back on his head. “And I shall help you. We need to be each other’s support. That’s the only way we can accomplish this.”
“I know.”
Sighing heavily, she relaxed back against the sofa. “Do you want to return to school?”
“No. My face hurts. Nate hit me hard.”
“Yes, he did.” She reached over to the end table, picked up the bell, and rang it. When Rebecca came in and saw Billy, she gasped. “Rebecca,” Ella said quickly, “could you please take Billy into the kitchen and get him some meat for his eye?”
“Oh, yes, Miss.” She hurried to Billy, took his hand, and led him out of the room.
The butler stood nearby, so she motioned to him. “Please get my carriage ready. It’s most important that I see Billy’s schoolteacher today.”
“Yes, Miss.” He turned and hurried down the hallway.
A knot of emotion clogged Ella’s throat. She leaned her head back against the cushions and closed her eyes in mental exhaustion. Nobody knew why life dealt some hard blows. But she knew becoming a stronger person would depend on how she handled these trials.
Groaning, she rubbed her head before dropping her hands back to her lap. Her whole body was exhausted from all of this. But no matter what, she could not fall apart. She must keep on believing that everything would turn out right.
What Billy didn’t realize was that keeping the family secret was hard on Ella, as well. She was the oldest. She had to protect her brother and protect what was theirs no matter what lies she had to tell. But sometimes she wanted to confide in someone. Being the stronger sibling was wearing her down, and she feared she would break like Billy almost had today in school.
Tears swam in her eyes, but she kept them closed as her chest grew heavy. Four more months and then she wouldn’t have to worry about their secret. She’d get her inheritance, and she could finally tell everyone that she was the one who owned the shipping business...not her father.
Freedom was close at hand. The question was could they make it that long? Would she or her brother break down before then?
Inside her mind, she heard Mr. Morgan’s soothing, kind voice, and immediately, an image of his face popped into her head. Smiling, she allowed the memory of him while she mentally rested on the sofa. She recalled when they were at Mr. Sprat’s farm. It had been a while since she’d laughed so hard. She quite enjoyed laughing with Mr. Morgan that time. She cherished how it made her heart feel light.
Strange to think he had even rescued her from thieves, and that she’d felt so protected while in his presence. She didn’t want to trust him—to trust anyone, and yet she couldn’t stop her heart from wanting to believe in him.
Her thoughts warmed her, offered her an escape from reality. She didn’t want to open her eyes and face the real world. Dreaming of him this way calmed her...but it also made her heart hammer faster. What was it about him that made her breathless?
This was one man who’d been put together quite nicely. His arms and legs held more muscles than she’d seen on a man for quite a while. Schoolteachers weren’t supposed to be so incredibly handsome, were they? How was it that he could annoy her one minute and the next make her want to be held in his arms?
Ridiculous! There was no way she could allow that emotion to fill her heart. There was too much going on in her life for such complications. However, just as her brother had felt, she had a feeling the schoolteacher might be the one she could tell and he’d understand. For some reason, she hoped he would be able to help.
Within seconds, warmth grew inside of her, starting at her cheeks and quickly spreading throughout her body. She didn’t know why, but it felt like a man’s hand was cradling her face. Inwardly, she chuckled. Although she didn’t have to open her eyes to see that no man was in the room with her, it was wonderful to imagine a man’s gentle touch comforting her.
But not just any man.
Mr. Morgan’s face became clearer in her mind. She could actually smell his scent of leather...and chalk. Dreamily, she sighed and cuddled her face closer to the warmth surrounding her.
“Miss Parker?”
Why could she hear him calling her name? She really needed to give him permission to call her Ella. She’d bet money that it would sound perfect tumbling from his lips.
“Miss Parker, wake up.”
I’m asleep?
Snapping alert, she sat up. It took her a few awkward moments to adjust her vision, and suddenly, the schoolteacher’s face was right in front of her. His smile was so tender it made her melt. Thank goodness she was on the sofa because if she’d been standing, she’d be on the floor in a puddle of dreams.
Her heart hammered like a locomotive, or at least that must be why she was breathing so fast. “Mr. Morgan?” she said, her voice laced with the heaviness of sleep.
One side of his grin lifted higher than the other. “Yes.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Your butler showed me in.”
She rubbed her tired eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to focus. Had she really fallen asleep? Of course she had. That’s why she was dreaming of Mr. Morgan, yet he was really here. Had he been cradling her face as she’d imagined? Dare she ask?
What worried her more was that her heart still sang from his nearness. How could she concentrate on anything else while gazing into his mesmerizing gray eyes? It surprised her to realize that she wanted nothing more at the moment than to cuddle him and lose herself in his protective embrace.
EIGHT
Chris couldn’t believe how lovely Ella looked. Even half awake.
He smiled as she fought to wake up. He noted her nervousness as she smoothed her palms down her dress. Her gaze darted around the room, avoiding his gaze.
“Why did you come to see me?” she asked. “What about your students?”
He chuckled. “Miss Parker, it’s three-thirty in the afternoon. Class is out for the day.”
Her eyes widened as her attention snapped to the miniature grandfather clock in the room. “Oh, Heavens. I must have fallen asleep.”
He chuckled quietly. When he’d first been shown into the house, he’d lost his breath a few times taking in the luxury of the family home. He practically drooled over the walnut wooden floors, the large grandfather clock, and the ivory inlaid ebony cabinet in the hallway. When he walked into the parlor and saw her asleep on the green velvet settee carved with a deep walnut finishing, he hitched a breath. She appeared enchanted, a vision of loveliness that surely
could not be real. The other objects in the room—the exotic Persian rugs and the rare deep brown pump organ—paled in comparison to Ella.
She’d remained asleep, even as he’d moved closer, taking quiet steps and then kneeling beside the settee. Whatever she was dreaming about had made her smile, which softened his heart. When she’d finally awaken and sat up, sleep still coated her glassy eyes.
“Indeed, you had fallen asleep.” He stroked his fingers along her cheek again, now bright pink and heated.
Finally, her azure eyes met his. He sucked in a quick breath. Several emotions lighted her stare. They held a touch of sadness, and yet at the same time, longing. And most certainly desire.
“Um, Mr. Morgan, I insist you get up off the floor. Where are my manners?” She laughed with difficulty as she played nervously with the gold locket hanging around her neck. “Please, have a seat. Can I get you any tea and cakes?”
He widened his grin. Tea and cakes? She must have forgotten he was a schoolteacher and not someone wealthy like she was. Tea and cakes were not on his daily schedule. “No thank you, but I’ll definitely take a seat.” He winked before standing. Since the sofa she was on left enough room for him to sit, he went ahead and sat beside her.
She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “So, Mr. Morgan. I must admit, I’m surprised to see you here.”
“Please, call me Chris.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Chris?”
“Yes. My full name is Christopher, but my friends call me Chris.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “All right, Chris.”
Was he imagining it, or had it sounded like she’d sighed his name? It didn’t matter. His heart sang with gladness, and Heaven help him, the undeniable pull of attraction ignited between them. Even in her eyes, the spark of interest was evident.
“Then I insist you call me Ella.”
Happiness grew inside him. “Ella. What a lovely name for a lovely woman.”
Her face flamed red again. It gave him great satisfaction to realize he had been the one to reduce her to this bashful emotion.
“I thank you,” she whispered and linked her fingers together on her lap. “Now please, tell me why you came to see me.”
For a brief moment, his mind went blank. Staring at her beauty, it was hard to think of anything else. “Um, oh yes. Your brother.”
“Billy?” Her gaze jumped up to his. “Oh yes, my brother. I do need to talk to you about him.”
“Did he tell you about the fight he and Nathaniel were in this afternoon?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “Let me apologize for my brother’s behavior, again. You see, our father is away on business—”
“Yes, he told me that.” He touched her arm. “I also got the impression that your father has been ignoring Billy a lot lately.”
She kept silent for a few awkward seconds. Slowly, tears filled her eyes, but she blinked quickly. “Yes. Our father has been ignoring us lately, but it’s only because he is away on business.”
“How long has he been gone?”
“Umm...well, off and on for about a year and a half.”
Chris frowned. That long? Why, the elder Mr. Parker should be horsewhipped for leaving his family for that amount of time. No wonder Billy acted out the way he did, begging for any kind of attention.
“I’m sorry. That is a long time for a fourteen-year-old boy.”
“He’ll be fifteen in two weeks.”
Poor kid. Chris wondered if the elder Mr. Parker would even be here for his birthday.
Frowning, he recalled the heartbreak of a young boy who knew his father had chosen a life of crime instead of being home with his wife and youngest son. Chris had experienced this until his mother took him, leaving her husband and oldest son who had followed in the father’s footsteps. His mother had done her best, until her untimely death. Once in the orphanage, Chris wondered if having a criminal father would be better than none at all. But over the years, he decided it was best he didn’t contact his father or older brother. In a way, he missed having grown up with a brother, but Daniel wouldn’t have been a good example. Besides, now Chris had Darby, who was practically family, anyway.
“It’s hard on both of us.” Her voice broke and she quickly cleared her throat. “But we are dealing with it the best we can. To be sure, there will be times when we have breakdowns, as Billy did today. I just hope you don’t try to punish him because of it.”
His chest tightened as he grasped her folded hands. “No, Ella. Now that I realize what is going on in his life, I understand him better. However, I would still like him and Nathaniel to talk this out and become friends again. I met Darby when I was about Billy’s age, and Darby helped me through the tough times in my life. Billy needs a friend to rely on, just as I had.”
She nodded. “Yes, I think that is wise. I shall talk to him about it as well.”
“That would be good for Billy.” He squeezed her hands tenderly. “The main reason I came to see you was because I want to know if there is anything I can do to help.”
She blinked quickly again as tears filled her eyes. Her throat jumped with what he assumed was a hard swallow.
“I shall give it some thought, but right now I cannot think of anything you can do to help Billy.”
“And how about Billy’s sister?” He lowered his voice slightly as he ran the pad of his thumb over her knuckles. “Is there anything I can do to help her?”
Her breathing quickened, moving the lacy bodice of her blue gown up and down faster. He couldn’t stop his gaze from dropping to her neck and the top of her shoulders that the gown displayed for his view. The urge to stroke her skin became overpowering, but he fought it.
This was certainly not the time to charm her...and did he really want to charm her knowing how quickly her temper snapped since he’d experienced her tirade firsthand? But the more and more he talked with her, the memory of their first meeting faded. Perhaps she had been in a foul mood before nearly running him over outside Rosanna’s home that day. That could be the reason she acted as if he was nothing but a sewer rat. At least he hoped so.
He lifted his gaze and met hers. Pink highlighted her cheeks like pretty roses. He enjoyed seeing her this way.
“Oh, Chris.” She sighed and licked her lips. “You are too kind. I appreciate that you want to help, but right now all we need is your understanding.”
“You have that.” He breathed in slowly, taking in her sweet fragrance. No wonder he’d compared her cheeks to roses. She smelled just like flowers.
Her beauty and nearness were having a strange affect on him. He should move away, sit across the room, perhaps. Then maybe he could have a decent conversation with her. When her gaze dropped to his lips, his mouth went dry.
If he leaned closer, would she pull away? Could he steal a kiss from her so tempting lips without her taking offense?
Taking the initiative, he followed his instincts and bent closer to her. She sucked in a breath but didn’t back away, nor did she try to stop him. Her breathing grew faster, as did his.
Now what should he do? Did she want him to kiss her? Then again, if he kissed her, would his heart get involved as it had with Rosanna? Undoubtedly, it would, and the end result would be Ella eventually breaking that particular organ in his chest. He couldn’t allow that to happen twice in one year.
Dejectedly, he pulled back. Her eyes widened, and before he knew what was happening, she closed the space between them and placed her lips on his. Explosions erupted inside his head and his heart leapt. Instinct took over, and he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to his body.
When her bosom touched his chest, a moan echoed from her throat. Or was that his own groan of pleasure he’d heard? Yet right now it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the soft woman in his arms, and the way she slid her hands up his chest and hooked them around his neck.
Tilting his head, he relaxed and prolonged the kiss, gradually nipping at her bottom lip in hopes of her opening her
mouth a little more. When her lips finally parted, he slid his tongue inside to touch with hers. A shocked gasp rattled through her mere seconds before she released a helpless sigh.
An irregular pounding shook through his chest as urgency spun through him like an out of control whirlwind. Good Heavens, she was passionate. Even the times he’d kissed—uh, what’s-her-name—he’d never felt so lost in his head like he had just now.
Ella was the first to break the kiss, but she didn’t pull out of his arms. Instead, she lowered her face to his chest.
“Oh, Chris,” she said breathlessly. “I don’t know what came over me. Please forgive—”
“Shhh,” he soothed and lifted her chin. When her eyes met his, he smiled. “There is nothing to apologize for.”
Her body relaxed again. She felt so wonderful in his arms, and so...right.
“I just feel like I should say something,” she whispered.
He chuckled. “Then say, Thank you, Chris. That was the best kiss I’ve ever had.”
She laughed. “I don’t know. I’d hate for you to become so full of yourself that there’s no room for my compliments.”
“Never.” He stroked her cheek. “I will never get tired of hearing you tell me what a good kisser I am.”
He meant it as humorous, and thankfully, she laughed harder. This time she did break out of his arms, but the genuine smile on her face let him know she wasn’t uncomfortable about their kiss in the least.
“Chris, do you know how long it’s been since I’ve laughed like this?” Sighing, she leaned back against the sofa, keeping her eyes on him.
“It has been that long?” His playful mood dimmed as he thought about her father and the problems the older man was putting his family through right now. “Then I suppose I need to come around more often to make you laugh.”
“Will that be the only reason you want to come see me—to make me laugh?”
Keep on Believing Page 8