by Sarah Winn
“Oh, my,” Ellen sighed.
He stopped caressing her breast, pulled the sheet back to expose most of her body, and turned on his side so he could look down at her. For a long moment, he stared at her breasts, her belly, and the patch of dark hair below it. Then he began to caress her with short strokes, is if he were petting a silky cat. He worked his way back to her face. His lips lightly touched her cheek, the tip of her nose, and finally her lips. The pressure of his lips grew firmer. When his tongue probed her lips, she opened for him, and he plunged into her mouth.
Ellen had always liked kissing, but she had become accustomed to the light pecks that married couples came to exchange after the newness wore off. Gerald’s kiss was full of the passion and the eagerness of a new relationship. As his tongue thrust against hers, he moved his body over hers so she felt his growing excitement pressing into her abdomen.
Her body began to tingle, and she very much wanted to join with him. But she remembered his knee. “Don’t hurt yourself,” she called.
With a grunt, he flopped over onto his back. “Then help me.”
His hand pulled on her arm until she rolled onto him. She awkwardly braced on her arms as she straddled his body trying to find the right position. His arm surrounded her and pulled her down until their lips met again and it was her turn to kiss him, to slip her tongue into his mouth, to begin the back and forth motion with her tongue that her body was soon imitating.
Then he pushed so firmly on her shoulder that she had to break the kiss and move her body back until the tip of his now fully erect organ was bouncing against her slickly wet opening. She had to grab his organ with one hand and guide it into place until Gerald was bucking inside her and seemed to be pounding against her very heart. His rhythm grew more frantic, his breathing louder, and she knew he would soon reach completion, but her passion did not soar. What he was doing felt good, but not the mind-numbing good of approaching completion. Would she not be able to reach it with a man she was not in love with?
With a long grunt, Gerald lunged upward and flipped her onto her back. She feared he might hurt his knee, but then she could wonder about nothing but the growing passion building inside her. As he pounded with long hard strokes, her world caught fire, her body clenched his organ, and she cried out at the sweeping waves of pleasure. Before those waves reached their maximum height, his body tightened, and with a veritable growl, he emptied his passion into her.
When it was over, and they were both lying on their backs, staring up at the ceiling, and gasping for breath, Ellen asked, “Did you hurt your knee.”
Gerald replied, “Knee? What knee?”
She sighed. Relieved to know that he, at least, had found satisfaction.
* * * *
“Mama! Mama!”
Gerald felt Ellen jerk away from his body. He opened his eyes and saw her sitting up in bed with the sheet pressed against her naked bosom. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I overslept.” Ellen hissed. “Toby’s awake.”
“Is the door locked?”
“No!”
He remembered that her clothes were behind the screen.
The doorknob jiggled. “Captain, is my mama in there?”
He placed his hand on Ellen’s shoulder, pulled her down onto the bed, and whispered, “Cover up.” Then he called, “Yes, she is.”
“Can I come in?” Toby called.
“No,” Ellen whispered.
“Yes,” Gerald called.
Ellen glared daggers at him as the door opened and Toby, dressed in his night shirt, entered the room and gaped at the sight of his mother huddling under the covers. “Why are you in the Captain’s bed, mama?”
Ellen opened her mouth, but no words came out.
In a calm voice, Gerald said, “You know that your mother and I are married don’t you, Toby?”
“Yes.”
“Well, married people often sleep together. In fact, they mostly sleep in the same bed. Your mother has been staying with you until you got used to being in a new place, but we think you’re grown-up enough to start sleeping by yourself. Don’t you?”
Toby’s little face screwed in concentration as he considered that question. “Ye—yes.”
Gerald smiled at the boy. “That’s what I thought. Now you go back in your room and your mother will be there in just a few minutes to help you get dressed.”
Toby looked at his mother for confirmation. She nodded and gave him a forced smile, so he turned and left the room, closing the door behind himself. As soon as the latch clicked, she threw back the covers and jumped from the bed. She glared down at Gerald and said, “You’re making a lot of assumptions about the future, aren’t you?”
He chuckled. “If you think I’m going back to the old sleeping arrangement after last night, you’re delusional.”
She stopped her dash behind the screen, looked over her shoulder, and frowned at him, giving him a great view of her very curvaceous bottom. She huffed before she disappeared behind the screen, but he had glanced up in time to see the hint of a smile on her lips and felt relief. He knew last night had not been a great experience for her, but she didn’t seem too disappointed. Surely, she’d give him another chance, and he promised himself that he’d make it better for her next time.
* * * *
Ellen was gathering plates and cutlery to put on the breakfast tray, when a tapping sound in the hallway outside the pantry caused her to pause. Surely Gerald has not come downstairs!
Then men’s voices from the back-dining room began calling out greetings to the “Captain,” and she knew that was exactly what he’d done. She didn’t know whether to be angry with him for doing too much too quickly or relieved to know their activity last night had done him no harm. She carried the dishes she had gathered back to the dining room to add to the table’s settings, and had to interrupt the conversation in order to move chairs about to make three more places. As Gerald stood, so his chair could be shifted, he shot Ellen a possessive smile that made her realize she truly belonged to him now. She felt a wave of uneasiness, but told herself not to be silly. All the reasons that had led her to commit to this relationship were still valid.
Then Ellen noticed that Toby, who was standing beside Gerald’s chair, had somehow managed to grab a link of sausage with his fingers and was gnawing on it. She turned her attention to wiping his greasy hands and lecturing him about proper behavior at the table. She got him seated in the chair next to Gerald as Mrs. Moore and Alice brought the last platters of food to the table and sat down themselves.
For a few minutes, the company busied itself passing food about, serving plates, and taking the edge off their hunger. But soon the men resumed their discussion of matters in the stables.
Mr. Sam said, “That big chestnut with a star is taking the jumps in the paddock with ease. He’s ready for cross-country work.”
Gerald looked up from his plate. “Well, don’t let Jim attempt that until I can be there.”
“If we’re going to get these horses ready for the fall market, they’ve got to start riding outside the paddock.” Mr. Sam said.
Gerald’s expression said he wasn’t at all happy with that statement. “I won’t be responsible for Jim getting hurt.”
Tully swallowed a mouthful of food. “The boy can do it. He’s a natural.”
Jim had breakfast at his parent’s home before coming to work, but Ellen wondered if his ears might be burning this morning.
The men turned their attention to the food on their plates, until Mr. Sam turned to Toby. “What are you doing this morning, young man? I don’t have any lessons scheduled. I could work with you on the pony.”
Toby’s eyebrows jumped up. “Can I ride him by myself?”
Mr. Sam smiled but shook his head. “I think you need to be on a lead line for a while longer.”
Toby’s eyebrows gathered into a frown. “I’m a big boy now. I sleep in a room by myself.”
Several pieces of silverware clanked
against plates. Ellen cast a horrified glance around the table. The men who worked at the stable were looking at Toby with amusement, but the household staff were all glancing back and forth at Gerald and Ellen. Then Mrs. Moore looked at Mr. Moore and gave her head a decisive nod. He winked back at her.
Gerald made a big display of wiping his mouth with his napkin, but when he removed the cloth a trace of a smile still remained. “Toby, it’s not a matter of how big you are, but how much you know about horses. You’ll do well to take Mr. Sam’s advice.”
Toby, looking crestfallen, muttered, “Yes, sir.”
Ellen fastened her attention on her food, hoping her cheeks did not look as red as they felt. When she finally looked up, Gerald grinned at her with a comfortable smile that made her wonder what she was embarrassed about. After all, they were married!
* * * *
Gerald went back to his bedroom after breakfast to continue working on his business records. When all his debts and expenses were totaled, he looked at the sum and realized his financial situation was close to the breaking point. If he did not sell some of the horses soon, he would have to dip into the government bonds to keep going. He had to get back into the saddle to move the process along, but could he even get into his boots? There was only one way to find out.
His work boots were standing neatly in the front of the closet where Ellen always placed them. They were intentionally old and worn, so he could slip into them without a lot of pulling. He carried them over the side of the bed and sat down. After flipping off his felt slippers, he raised his left foot, but he could not bend his knee fully, so he leaned over far enough to get his toes into the top of the boot. Resting the heel of the boot against the floor, he pulled and tugged on the top of it, until his foot was completely inserted.
Quickly slipping the right foot into the other boot, he stood up and took several steps. He still couldn’t put his full weight on his left knee. He certainly wouldn’t be able to mount on that leg. Of course, Phantom would let him mount from either side, but Gerald dared not try that with the other horses. They were meant for market, and custom was to mount from the left, leaving the right arm available to defend oneself.
He hobbled over to the window to stare at the unchanging view. It really felt better to walk in the boots than the slippers he had been wearing since his injury.
He heard Ellen’s quick footsteps in the hallway. She went into Toby’s bedroom—probably taking advantage of the boy being at the stable to do her cleaning. Maybe that was why she had allowed the boy to go without her. She worked hard to make their home more comfortable.
And now she had given him the precious gift of her body. Had last night meant as much to her as it had him? Probably not. Perhaps, it was nothing more to her than consummating a deal to become his life-long partner. After all, she had honestly told him she still loved another.
He gave his head a small shake. There was no need to start fretting over what might be wrong with this situation. He’d had a choice, and he had chosen to accept this marriage despite its blemishes. Ellen and Toby were fully Gerald’s responsibility now. Somehow, he had to give them a secure life.
Ellen barged into the room with clean linens draped over her arm. She stopped suddenly. “What are you doing?”
“Just looking out the window.”
“You’re wearing your boots.”
“Wanted to see if I could get them on.”
She eyed him warily.
He smiled and extended his arm. “Come here, please.”
She dropped the linens on the end of the bed and walked into his embrace.
He rested his chin against the side of her head so he need not look into her eyes as he said, “At lunch, I’m going to ask Tully to bring Phantom up to the house so I can try to mount him.”
She tried to pull away from him, but he held her firmly in place. “I know you will object, but I’m going to do it anyway, so there’s no need to argue about it.”
She stood very still until he loosened his embrace. Then she pulled her head back so she could face him. “Am I such a shrew that you fear to look me in the eye?”
He smiled. “No, you are sweet and kind and caring and generous and—”
She lightly slapped his chest. “Oh, hush. I won’t say anything about you riding, but I don’t approve of you rushing—”
Through his laughter, he managed to say, “So noted.”
Then he realized her body was firmly resting against his and his laughter died. She tilted her head up, and he bent down until their lips met. He kissed her lightly at first, thinking how wonderful it was to have the right to do this. Then her lips responded to his and the kiss deepened, and he felt life surging through his body, and then—
Little feet pounded down the hallway. “Mama! Mama!”
Chapter 15
Gerald was waiting in the yard behind the house when Tully led Phantom down the lane from the stables. The horse whinnied a greeting as Tully led him up to his master. The stableman’s eyes widen in surprise when he noticed Gerald was not wearing his artificial arm, but thankfully, the man was smart enough not to make a comment. Gerald spoke to the horse and rubbed the side of his head and purposely moved about in front of Phantom to see if the missing arm would alarm the animal. There was no sign that Phantom was bothered by the difference.
Gerald moved to the horse’s right side. He had to force himself not to look up at the window in Toby’s bedroom where he strongly suspected Ellen was watching. Instead, he concentrated on what he needed to do as he mounted the horse. He looped the reins around his palm, then grabbed the pommel, stuck his right foot into the stirrup, and swung his left leg over the horse’s back. He fumbled a bit getting his left foot into that stirrup. A sharp twinge ran through his knee when it bumped against the horse’s side, but once Gerald had settled himself comfortably in the saddle the pain was negligible.
He thanked Tully for bringing the horse and said, “I’m going to ride a bit before I come down to the stable.”
Tully nodded and walked away.
Gerald turned Phantom in the opposite direction, allowing himself one quick glance up at the window. Toby’s face was clearly visible and Ellen’s silhouette was behind the boy. He guessed that was one of the drawbacks to having a family—he could no longer fail without having witnesses. Of course, they watched because they were concerned about his welfare. Surely, it was better to have a wife and child that cared about him than to face life’s trials alone.
He let Phantom walk along the lane where the trees and undergrowth were the densest. Someday he would have this area cleaned out, make a grassy bank along the river where he and Toby could fish. When he saw glimpses of the water shining between tree trunks, he turned the horse and headed back, signaling with his knees, despite the pain, for Phantom to increase his pace. They passed the house and went on to the stable, moving into the more open portion of the estate.
As Gerald reached the paved yard between the barn and the individual horse stalls, Jim came out of the barn leading a saddled horse. “What are you doing?” Gerald asked.
Jim looked up at him with his wholesome, farm-boy face and smiled. “I was about to exercise Mr. Pickering’s horse. Is there something else you’d rather me do?”
“Mount up and ride along with me,” Gerald replied.
Jim did as he was told. They trotted down the lane until they neared the spot Gerald was looking for. He brought Phantom to a stop and signaled for Jim to stop too. Then he pointed to the area just ahead of them that rose into a hill and was not as heavily forested as much of the surrounding countryside. “Do you think this horse can jump that ditch and dodge the trees up to the top of this hill?”
A small smile pulled at Jim’s lips as he nodded.
“Then give it a try.”
Jim turned the horse and moved him back far enough to get a running start. Man and beast sailed over the ditch that edged the field with ease and made their way up the slope weaving through the trees. J
im didn’t push the animal into reckless speeds, but urged him into the pace needed to accomplish the task at hand. He sought to show the horse’s skills, not his own.
He paused at the top of the hill to give the horse a blow and a few pats on the neck as a reward for his efforts, then they came down at a more leisurely pace, gaining just enough speed near the end to easily jump the ditch and end up back on the road. Mr. Sam and Tully were right: The boy was ready to start cross-country training.
“He’s a good horse,” Jim said.
“Yes, he is. We need to set up some courses to train the others. There are several hedgerows down this road, as I recall.”
Jim nodded, “I come by there a lot. Those hedges have been growing wild for some time. They might be too high for new horses.”
“Let’s go check them out.”
An hour later, they had selected a half-dozen spots that could be used for running horses through and over obstacles. Some of the areas needed cutting and clearing, and Jim had said his father knew local men who could be hired to do the work. Gerald hated to take on more expense, but knew it was necessary to give the horses the training they needed.
He asked Jim to ride back to the house with him so Jim could return Phantom to the stable, for Gerald’s knee was beginning to throb so badly that he didn’t fancy the idea of walking from the stable to the house. Dismounting proved a problem. It was easy enough to shake the stirrup off his left foot and swing that leg over the horse’s rump and down to the ground, but in order to free his right foot from its stirrup, he had to put his weight on the other foot, and the pain in his knee was sudden and severe.
Gerald couldn’t stop himself from uttering a small groan, and for the first time that afternoon, Jim looked at a loss for what he should do. He moved forward as if he were going to grab Gerald and support him, but stopped himself before actually touching his employer. Once Gerald got his right foot on the ground and took the pressure off his left, the pain lessened, but he wasn’t sure he could actually walk unaided.