When North spotted a big nest at the top of a giant pine, I bet him my best carving knife that he couldn't knock it down. Couldn't have been in my right mind. I knew better than anyone that Levi North never failed at anything. He picked up a fist-sized stone and fired the thing straight up. The nest tumbled through the branches, landing upside down on the ground. I was busy brooding over the loss of my knife, plotting how I'd win it back, didn't think twice about what we'd done." Malaton's smile took on a rueful quality. "North didn't say a word, just bent over the nest. I could hear the tiny shrill chirping of a fledgling, not even fully feathered. He put the bird in his coat pocket and took him home. After that, the two were inseparable." Malaton shook his head with fond remembrance. "What a sight he was walking around with that huge bird perched on his leather-gloved arm."
After a brief hesitation, not certain she wanted to hear the answer, Jensen asked, "What happened to Talib?"
"Well, Talib wandered into the chicken coop one day and scared the hens right out of their feathers." He threw his head back in laughter. "You should have seen it. Maggie and Cook were screaming and yelling, waving a broom and a wooden spoon. North was working frantically to get the hawk out of the coop before they knocked it senseless."
That decided it for him, it was time to let Talib go. It took him months, but he trained the bird to hunt for himself and then set him free in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Poor guy wore the leather glove for some time afterwards. I think he was hoping Talib would return, but he didn't."
His black eyes focused on the distance. "It was the oddest thing the way he connected with that bird. While the hawk honed its hunting skills, so did North. It was as if they both learned from each other."
"He has Ginger now," Jensen said to comfort herself as she pictured a heart-broken young Levi.
"That he does." Malaton stacked his hands behind his head and relaxed back against the wall. "I'm the one that brought Ginger to him. I was trapping one day and had to shoot a vicious she-wolf in self-defense. I walked over to make sure she was dead and found my hand being licked by a very young wolf cub. I couldn't leave her alone. I knew exactly where to take her," he chuckled to himself.
"I'd better get back to work, I took a much longer break than I had intended to." Jensen packed up the leftovers of her lunch and smiled pleasantly at Malaton. "Thank you for the story. I enjoyed it. Oh, and thanks for the beautiful bouquet," she said as she picked up the wilted yellow weeds.
***
In England, the summers only last for about five days, Jensen thought with a fleeting pang of homesickness as she organized the tack on the stable wall. Spring was just ending in Virginia, and Jensen felt nearly nauseated by the stifling humidity. Refreshing coastal breezes were few and far between. Lightheaded and heated to the core, Jensen felt shrouded in her perspiration soaked shirt, and the thought of squeezing into the tiny hip tub in the bathhouse was less than appealing. She decided to stroll down to the river to bathe. Cool, clear pools dotted the entire length of the slow moving river.
After a long walk through shrubbery and trees, Jensen came to a perfectly secluded swimming hole. The towering pines cast latticed shadows on the clear, emerald-green pool. Aside from a broken tree stump, the bottom appeared smooth and free from jutting rocks. Jensen marveled at her luck at finding such a tranquil spot. She resolved to tell no one else about it. It would be her own secret paradise. After removing her work clothes, she waded slowly into the refreshing water, pinching the loamy soil with her bare toes. The coldness of the river, a sharp contrast to the heat of the air, made her gasp slightly for a breath. Once all the way under, she floated smoothly through the cool green, thinking to herself that heaven could not be better than this.
Returning from Williamsburg on horseback, Matthias decided to stop and refresh his horse and himself at the river. Knowing just the spot, he dismounted and led the sweat covered gelding through an area of forest shaded heavily by pines. Hearing the sound of splashing, he quieted his footsteps. He tied his horse to a tree and walked lightly to a clearing in the shrubs that lined the river.
Standing in the shadows, he muttered under his breath, "Well, well, well," as he shamelessly watched an unsuspecting Jensen float serenely in the water.
"Matthias, what the devil are you doing here? I heard a horse, and I thought one of--sweet Jesus," Levi stopped talking and stared hypnotically at Jensen's naked form breaking the glassy surface of the pool.
"Hey, are you two having some sort of a meeting or what?" Malaton's loud voice came from behind as he bounded down the dirt path.
"Shhh!" Levi and Matthias responded simultaneously with such seriousness that Malaton stopped in his tracks.
"What is it? A bear?" Malaton whispered loudly, readying the knife on his belt.
"It's nothing," Levi said quickly, walking briskly toward his friend, hoping to turn him back up the trail. "Let's go, Matt," he whispered angrily over his shoulder.
"Oh no, you don't." Malaton pushed past Levi. "Something has you two in a daze, and I plan to find out what it is. Holy . . . ." he laughed quietly. "Matty ol' boy, you always have had a keen eye for beautiful scenery."
"How've you been, Mal?" Matthias said shaking his hand vigorously.
"If you two are done with your little tea party, I think we should get out of here," Levi hissed through clenched teeth.
"Ginger!" a surprised voice came from the pond. "I thought you were . . . ." Jensen's voice trailed off as she swam behind the partially submerged tree trunk in an attempt to hide herself. She glanced around frantically at the surrounding greenery as it dawned on her that she was not alone.
The three men froze in an attempt to remain camouflaged in the shrubs. Ginger politely pointed them out with a sharp bark and a quick wag of her tail. Seeing not just one head but three, Jensen screamed so loudly it echoed off the wall of trees. "Get out of here you--you--beasts!" She heard the loud rustling of leaves. When she was sure they were gone, she grabbed her clothes and quickly got dressed. Tears of embarrassment stung her eyes as she cursed the stubborn buckskins that refused to slide over her wet skin.
The three offenders fled on horseback like thieves running from the warden.
"You both behaved like fools," Levi scolded his two accomplices.
"Us?" Matthias laughed incredulously. "Why, for a moment back there, brother, I thought your tongue would fall out of your mouth."
Levi promptly grabbed one of Matthias's boots, yanked it from the stirrup, and dumped him off the horse.
"Blast it, Levi," Matthias grunted as he picked himself up from the ground. Levi spurred his horse on without a backward glance.
Malaton rode up beside a fuming Matthias who stared at his brother's retreating back in disbelief.
"What the hell was that all about?"
"You'd better watch it, Matt. I've found that your big brother has a real sore spot when it comes to that little stable hand of his." Malaton handed Matthias the reins of his gelding.
"So I've noticed," Matthias groaned, pulling his sore body into the saddle.
***
Hearing Celia noisily bustling around the room, Jensen rubbed the sleep from her eyes and saw to her dismay that it was still dark outside. "What on earth are you doing?" she asked with a yawn.
"Maggie was just at the door. She said Mr. North wants us in the tobacco field. It seems there's a blight on the crop, and he needs everyone's help. Wear something cool. The last time this happened, we worked in the blazing sun from dawn 'til dusk."
Jensen struggled out of bed, splashed her face with water, and reached into her wardrobe for the linen dress she'd brought from England. It was of the palest ivory and dotted with tiny violets. It had been one of her favorite spring dresses. She'd worn it so often, the lace sleeves had frayed and the top two pearl buttons were missing. She was surprised to find that the bodice had become a bit tight. That, coupled with the missing buttons, made her feel a bit immodest. But knowing how relentless the Virginia sun could be,
she wasn't about to wear any of her heavy, homespun garments. She hastily pinned her hair up and snatched up one of Celia's straw hats.
Jensen found the entire population of Moss Rose in the dawn light milling around the perimeter of the north field. Kettles of coffee and tea and platters of biscuits and smoked meat had been set up on a trestle table. Within moments, Jensen found herself surrounded by eager to please young men offering to fetch her coffee, tea, or anything else she might require.
"Would you look at that?" Sarah Willit, the wife of the plantation blacksmith, was saying to a group of women. Jensen pretended not to hear. "Wearing that kind of outfit to work in the fields. The vain little chit. It's a wonder she can breathe the way she's got her waist cinched so tight."
"Ah, Sarah, you're just jealous because Samuel's panting, and it isn't even hot out yet." Celia eyed Sarah's own tightly cinched waist with a raised brow. "And for your information, she has no corset on at all," Celia said, eliciting a startled gasp from Sarah. Celia strode over to Jensen with a triumphant smile.
Levi, overhearing Celia's remarks, followed Sarah's angry glare to find several of his men flocking around his stable hand, practically falling all over each other as they vied for her attention. Of course, she looked anything but a stable hand in the soft, clinging dress, which gave more than a tantalizing glimpse of the wild beauty that lay beneath. His breath caught in his throat as he watched her coyly tuck her hair behind her ear. A slap on the back jolted him out of his reverie.
"I daresay, you could have postponed this an hour or two," Matthias grumbled. "I had to tiptoe past the chicken coop so I wouldn't wake the damn rooster."
Levi laughed as he took in Matthias's disheveled appearance. His usually smooth, golden locks were standing on end, his jaw was darkened with stubble, and his blue eyes were puffy slits. "Good God, brother, this won't take as long as I thought. We'll just have you walk up and down the rows and scare the pests right off the plantation."
"It's early yet, I get more handsome as the day goes on," Matthias said with a shrug as he walked over to the coffee kettle. Spotting Jensen, he hastily smoothed down his hair and tucked in his shirt. He cleared his throat. "Miss Hawthorne, what are you doing out here?" His cheeks darkened with color as he realized the ridiculousness of his question.
Levi dumped an armload of tin buckets with a noisy racket at their feet. "This is hardly a dance," he said, raising a disapproving brow. He was unable to pull his eyes away from her supple, honey-colored breasts, which appeared ready to break free of their snug confinement. Momentarily unsettled, he swallowed hard and raked his fingers through his hair.
"It's the lightest thing I own, and besides, a dress like this no longer serves any purpose in my life," she said pointedly. She looked at the other women. Many had cut the sleeves from their old chemises. Jensen handed Celia her teacup and ripped her shoulder seams. She pulled loose the sleeves and dropped them to the ground, and then sliding her hands under the skirt, she tore loose the ruffled petticoats. Levi watched her with a bemused expression as he drained a large tankard of strong coffee. He glanced over to find Matthias, mouth agape, delighting in Jensen's hasty dress alterations. Levi delivered a swift kick to his brother's boot.
"What?" Matthias asked innocently.
"Stop your gawking and get a move on."
"Mayhap you're taking this Master thing a bit too seriously," Matthias mumbled under his breath and moved out of his brother's range.
"Jensen, how could you ruin that lovely dress," Celia whimpered as she retrieved the discarded lace sleeves from the dirt.
Jensen shrugged, poured another cup of tea, walked over to the food table, and helped herself to a warm biscuit.
Levi climbed onto the bench and addressed the workers. "I want everyone to work their way down a row peeling off the hornworms. When your bucket's full, empty it into the fire. No one quits until the last one has been disposed of. Go to it."
Chapter 11
The sun was already beating down, and by noon the heat would be sweltering. Jensen felt a trickle of sweat run down her back. She reached for a bucket that was jammed tightly inside another one and began a tug of war with Matthias to pry them apart. They started laughing when the two buckets separated, sending Jensen reeling backwards. He grabbed her hand to steady her.
"Come with me, I'll show you what to do," he said, and she followed. A scaly, brown lizard stood motionless on the packed dirt, soaking up the stark rays of the sun. It skittered to safety between the stalks of tobacco as they passed.
"This part of the field gets the most shade," he said. "Look here," he lifted a leaf, "see this gruesome pest?" A monstrous white striped caterpillar with horns protruding from its backend clung to the underside. "You want to pinch it here and simply tug it free of the leaf." He grabbed the wriggling thing and tossed it into his bucket.
Jensen wrinkled her nose and gingerly pried one loose, adding it to the bucket with a plink. She watched Matthias out of the corner of her eye. She had never seen him dressed so shabbily. He wore a thin, threadbare lawn shirt, with a pair of loose cotton trousers, like a sailor's, tied at the waist with a rope.
"It sure is hard to get used to all the creepy, crawly little things around here." She shuddered.
Once their buckets were brimming with a wriggling mass of worms, Matthias carried hers to the bonfire, where Levi stoked the blaze with a long stick. Sweat trailed the curving paths of his muscular chest. A leather thong bound his thick black hair in a queue. He wiped his dripping brow with the back of his hand. Gazing at his powerful arms as he heaved a log onto the fire, she found herself unexpectedly imagining what it would be like to be held by those arms. He seemed to read her thoughts, squinting at her through the smoke, his lips curled into a cocky smile. Wanting to wipe that smug look off his face, she turned her attention to Matthias and began flirting outrageously. From between her breasts she pulled out a small kerchief and began dabbing the perspiration from Matthias's forehead.
"Miss Hawthorne," Levi said, his voice cracking with amusement. He waved her over. With a feminine lift of her skirt, she edged around the flames. The fire crackled loudly, and she found herself straining to hear his voice, which had shifted from the authoritarian tone he'd used to address his workers just moments before into a silken Virginia drawl. "I hate to interrupt such a touching scene, but I thought you'd like to know that there is a worm caught in your hair."
She squealed and grabbed him, digging her fingers into the hardened muscles of his arms. "Quick, get it off me!" Her whole body shuddered.
"Stop twitching for a second and move a little closer." Letting go of his arms she inched toward him. The heat of his body penetrated her thin linen dress. A drop of sweat made it's way along his throat to the rim of his collarbone, and on impulse she stroked her finger along his warm brown skin, wiping the moisture away. She shivered again, but this time it wasn't from the thought of the worm. He peered down at her, one black brow raised in question.
"You must be hot," she said lamely.
He gently tugged at a loose curl urging her even closer. "Now, why would I be hot? I've got the Virginia sun beating down on my back and a bonfire at my feet. I feel a little like the devil himself, today." She couldn't seem to stop the malicious smile from forming. "So, you think I'm well cast in the role . . . ." His words trailed off as he unpinned the small bun at the nape of her neck and ran his fingers through her loosened hair. The tingle that started in her scalp ran down to her toes. In moments, the green worm bounced off her shoulder and landed in the dirt by their feet. With the toe of his boot, he kicked it into the flames.
Impulsively, she snatched up a jar of water from a nearby table. "I thought you might be thirsty," she said to Levi, her voice a little breathless.
His eyes glimmered with surprise as he took the jar from her. After a long drink, he handed it back, his fingers brushing hers. She smiled sweetly, took a sip, and then licked her lips. His eyes lingered on her moist mouth. Jensen, feeling the wa
rm metal of a bucket on her arm, turned to find Matthias standing almost on top of her.
"The worms are waiting," he said in an irritated tone.
Jensen headed back to her duties. Matthias soon joined her, puffing on a peculiar tobacco roll and carrying two tankards of ale. Parched, Jensen snatched a mug from his hand, grateful for the drink.
She finished the ale and turned back to her work. Supporting himself on his elbows, Matthias stretched out on the dry earth beneath the meager shade of the tobacco plants. "You're a lovely thing, Jensen Hawthorne."
"Hardly," she said with a laugh and looked down at her sweat soaked clothes.
Levi strode toward them with a barrel and proceeded to dump a ladle full of water over his brother's head. "Get up, man."
Matthias cursed as he got to his feet, shaking the water from his hair.
"Go take some water out into the fields, before everyone keels over from the heat." Levi thrust the barrel at him.
Matthias grumbled but begrudgingly followed his brother's orders.
Levi came to stand by Jensen. She peered up at him from beneath her straw hat. "Jensen, my brother is finding you irresistible in that getup, and I'm hardly getting a lick of work out of him. Do me a favor and put on something a little less revealing."
"'Tis the same as the other women are wearing."
"Yes, but somehow it looks differently on you." He rubbed his bottom lip as his eyes traveled leisurely from her face to her breasts. She cleared her throat, and his smoldering eyes lifted and met hers.
"Since I seem to be such a nuisance, I'll just go further afield where no one can see me." Annoyed, she snatched up her pail and strode away.
At noontime Regina, dressed as always in frills and satin, sauntered into the fields looking for Matthias. She lifted her voluminous skirts and sidestepped the sweaty workers in her path. Finding Levi disposing of some worms in the blaze, she frowned in disgust.
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