Little Secrets

by Alta Hensley

  "Yes, of course." Eliza nodded, her eyes still wide like saucers.

  Doctor Colt headed out of the room and shut the door behind him. Within seconds, Eliza had tossed the gown to the floor, not seeming to be bothered anymore by her own nudity in front of her papa.

  "My gown and bloomers, please," she said, hand outstretched for him to retrieve her clothes. He stood blocking the attire that was nestled on a nearby chair.

  His mind felt rather hazy as he enjoyed the sight of her naked body. Why did Doctor Colt wish to speak with both of them after she dressed? What reason could there be to inform him of any news? He had said she was in good health and still a virgin, exactly what he needed to hear.

  Reaching for her bloomers first, he brought the cotton material back toward his little Eliza and bent down, allowing her to step in, one leg at a time, while she leaned on him for support. His hands gradually drew up her sides, bringing the cotton to her waist.

  Standing, Charley retrieved first her shift and then her white dress, guiding the material over her arms and then her head before it slid down her torso. She was perfect to him, even with the earlier outburst, taming her did not seem nearly as difficult as he would have thought. It was as though she wanted to submit, to become submissive for him. Had she been like that with her previous papa as well? He tried desperately to push the thoughts of her former partner aside. The man had left, abandoned her, and made her unhappy. Charley would never do that to her. She trusted him, didn't she?

  "I am sorry I misbehaved," Eliza said, her eyes downcast.

  "Apology accepted." Charley understood the awkwardness of such an intimate exam. Perhaps if he had been in her position, he, too, might have reacted with such childish impulses. Hopefully she would not have to suffer through it again. "Turn around." He tied the ribbons, securing the gown before helping her into her stockings and shoes.

  Doctor Colt waited outside and, after they had finished, Charley opened the door, ready to head back to the littles' hall with Eliza. "What was it you wished to speak to us about?"

  "It is not uncommon for littles to please their papas, but I must remind you that Eliza has been here many months and is the first to have two separate papas. Her transition might take some time."

  "Are you suggesting I wait?" Charley had been eager to claim her bottom, seeing as how he could not have her virtue until she had graduated and they were wed.

  "I am merely suggesting you make sure that she is emotionally ready, not just physically."

  Charley nodded, shaking the doctor's hand before he led Eliza back to the playroom. His hand stayed poised at the small of her back, wanting desperately to touch her. Did she not want the same thing? He would not force himself on her or any woman, even if they were betrothed. The desire he felt for Eliza—he had been certain she felt the spark too. Had he been wrong?

  "I do not wish to take what is not mine," he said. His hand fell from her back to tangle with her fingers. "When you are ready, we will move forward." Charley leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on the corner of her lips.

  Her head turned, brushing her mouth against his. She dropped her hold on his hand and leaned up on her tiptoes, stroking her fingers at the nape of his neck, in his hair, as she held him close. "Thank you, Papa."

  Chapter XIII

  Eliza had been excited to learn that her papa would have special time with her. She did not know or care what her nanny would be doing, so long as it did not involve her participation or watching. She had grown tired of Nanny Agnes's constant attention. It had never bothered her when she first came to Ashby, but now that she desired Charley, she felt as though her nanny constantly got in the way. Didn't she have other charges to worry about?

  She sat quietly on her bed, reading a story while she waited for her papa to come visit. He had promised to return on Saturday, although she did not know the hour he would arrive.

  There was a prominent knock on the door and she glanced up to see her nanny opening it for her papa.

  "Good afternoon, Mr. Lockwood," Nanny Agnes said, smiling politely. "I have spoken with Headmaster Philip, and you do not require my services this afternoon or tonight, is that correct?"

  Papa nodded. In his hands, he held a stuffed tiger. "Yes. I have the day planned out already, for just the two of us."

  Eliza clapped her book shut and climbed down from the bed. Her gaze fell upon the toy. Was it for her?

  Nanny Agnes strode across the marble floor, coming to face her charge. "I expect you to be on your best behavior. If I learn otherwise, you will not have time alone for the next month."

  The young brunette gasped. Would her nanny be so cruel as to take special time away from the two of them? "I will behave, I promise." Eliza had no reason to cause a scene, she had gotten exactly what she wanted. The smile grew upon her cheeks as she stared at her papa, pleased he had come to stay with her. Would he spend the night?

  "Good," Nanny Agnes said, nodding before she left the nursery, closing the door behind them.

  "I brought you a present for when I am not here. I thought it might keep you company," Papa said.

  Eliza ran over to her papa, throwing her arms around him, crushing the toy, having missed him greatly. Though he visited her nearly every day, the visits always felt too short. Her hand got caught in his waistcoat pocket, her fingers brushing over folded paper. "Is this for me too?" she asked, wondering if he had written her a story. She unfolded the page and took it toward the window for better light.

  Papa placed the stuffed animal onto the mattress, striding closer to her. "Give that back this instant!" He did not seem happy she had found the note.

  "What is this?" Her eyes danced over the words, trying to make sense of the scribblings that he had jotted down. His handwriting was difficult to read but she saw her name, along with the names of the little friends she spent time with daily in the playroom.

  Eliza Stead – little, scandal?

  Clara, Addie, Jane.

  Nurseries, Playroom, Nannies.

  Indecent gowns, what else is forbidden?

  She stopped reading the list, none of it making her feel even the slightest hint better. "Why is my name on here?" Why was he taking notes? Her eyes widened, remembering when he had told her that he worked for a newspaper. "Tell me you did not!" She could not even voice the fear that crept into her stomach and made her hands tremble. Eliza crumpled up the paper and threw it at his chest. "Why, Charley? Why do this to me?"

  "It is not about you, Eliza. I have a job to do and since I have been spending every waking hour with you here at Ashby, I am approaching a deadline. My boss expects me to have an article in on Monday. When do I have time to write anything, let alone find a story worth telling? Look at this place. It is the story to tell. No one would suspect such a fine establishment to have such a scandalous little secret."

  "You cannot write this," she said, shaking her head, pacing the length of the nursery, the gift he had given her long forgotten. "It would ruin me!" Eliza recognized that such a story would tarnish all the girls' reputations.

  "What other choice do I have? I spend every hour with you. Do you not want that, Eliza?"

  He wasn't being fair, turning this onto her, as if his presence was entirely her fault. "Is that what you think of me, that I am worthy of a scandal? Do you think I did something to taint my name and force Preston to leave me?" She could not contain her anger and her voice rose as she stomped toward Charley, refusing to address him as he preferred. "Charley, you will not write that story if you wish to spend one more moment with me!"

  Her hands bunched into fists at her sides, her top lip snarling with defiance, unwilling to let him push her around. She was submissive when it suited both of them, making them happy together. This she could not witness, the destruction of Ashby, of those she had grown to care about. "Think of your sister!"

  "Keep your voice down," he growled at her. Charley stepped closer, encroaching on her personal space.

  "Why? Do you not want the headma
ster to know of your plans? Perhaps I should go tell him before he reads it in the newspaper." She brushed past Charley only to find his firm grip on her arm. He was not letting her leave the room.

  "No. You are not going to do that."

  "Why the blazes not?" Eliza asked. "You care that little about me, perhaps the headmaster should know who you really are." Why had she been so foolish as to think that he could have wanted her? It had been the story he was after… her story. Had he truly believed she had disgraced Preston, and that that was why she had no papa any longer?

  "Stop, Eliza." His grip remained strong around her wrist, pulling her closer toward him. "Think about what you are suggesting. My sister attends Ashby. Why would I want to ruin her reputation?"

  The young brunette shook her head. "I do not know. You are the one with the notes, writing a stupid story to appease your boss. Perhaps you are selfish." It was the worst insult she could throw at him and even saying the words made her heart hurt.

  "Yes, that must be it." He stared into her gaze, refusing to part ways.

  She tried to shake him free. "Let me go!"

  His grip did not so much as loosen. "Think about what you are saying. If I write anything that hurts you, I am hurting my sister as well. Why would I do that?"

  Making sense of his actions was not at the top of her agenda. Little did she know or care why he had enrolled his sister or continued to pay for her own education, except for access. It made the most sense, and he wasn't exactly being forthcoming or honest with her until she found that slip of paper. "I cannot believe you have been taking notes on us this entire time. I never want to see you again!"

  Charley sighed, finally letting go of her but blocking the door. "Never is a long time considering our betrothal."

  Was he mocking her? She had been promised to Preston and now Charley. "I am sure Headmaster Philip can tear up the papers again." At least she had seen through his treachery before marrying him.

  His hazel eyes narrowed as he studied her face, refusing to look away from her. "What do you intend to tell the headmaster? Surely you cannot confess the truth without it affecting you as well."

  "What do you mean?" Eliza did not understand how she had incurred any demerits for what he had done. The note had been all his information, obtained while inside the Ashby. She had not shared anything with him that he could not discover on his own.

  "Two betrothals falling apart, it would look suspicious, Eliza."

  "How dare you say that to me!" she spat.

  Charley took a deep breath. "I apologize. I misspoke out of frustration. You are not listening to what I have to say. I have no intention of hurting you or anyone else here."

  Eliza turned her back and poised herself on the edge of the mattress, pushing the stuffed animal from the bed, trying to calm the anger and adrenaline that coursed through her veins. Merely looking at the gift only made her further upset. The toy glided across the marble floor until it came to rest up against the wall, just below the curtained window. She needed to get a level head if she wished to properly discuss the matter at hand. "I do not care how it looks. What matters to me is this school. I will not let you tarnish the reputation of the ladies who attend Ashby."

  "Who is to say that I will bring disdain to their name? I have no plans of destroying the school my sister attends, and I would never bring you, my love, harm. I need a story, Eliza, the littles' school is perfect, and offers a bit of charm to an otherwise strange enjoyment of wealthy men. It must be liberating to be young again, without a care in the world. What girl would not like to attend Ashby?"

  She sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "I do not see how you can write about the littles' school without affecting the finishing school."

  Charley stalked across the room, coming to stand in front of her. "I had not seen it before, the idea of a story that would read like a tale of fiction. We would leave out the name of Ashby and let people wonder if the story could in fact be true. It would be a piece of fiction, based on the truth for my inspiration."

  Her brow furrowed. The idea did not sound so terrible but she was not certain she believed it could be done without risking her name or status. "If the headmaster discovers you are the author, he could have your head." She did not think Mr. Hartley would have Charley killed, but he could very likely sue him and refuse him access to visit his betrothed.

  "Then I would have to use a name that is not my own, to protect both of us," Charley insisted. His hands came down to rest upon her shoulders. "Do not be angry with me, little Eliza. My objective was not to write about you, once I got to know who you were."

  She pulled back as if his touch burned her, and stood. "Then you did intend to write about me! Did you think writing about my past with Preston would be interesting material for your newspaper?" Eliza did not want to keep fighting with Charley. He had been generous in paying her tuition and visiting her almost every day. She had not even thought about how difficult it must have been to travel, work, and spend time with her.

  "Yes. In the beginning. If I am to be honest, I could not fathom how such a beautiful young woman could find herself no longer with her betrothed. It sounded strange and not quite right. Which is why I wrote down 'scandal'. I thought you might have done something to smear your family's name, in an attempt not to marry him."

  "Please, don't be so honest." What had happened between Preston and her was none of Charley's business. Did he not realize that? There was no story to tell, except for the waning interest Preston had felt for the brunette. She had caught his brown gaze staring at Clara, always watching her friend when he visited. Perhaps he had taken a particular liking to blondes, or he had not felt anything for Eliza at all. Either way, he was gone, a memory from the past, one she was tired of dredging up and being forced to relive.

  "What do you want, Eliza?" Charley's stare matched hers, unwavering as he towered above her.

  The air expelled from her lungs as she felt the warmth of his gaze melting her insides. The anger she felt had been a result of fear, concern that he too would abandon her and use her for his own personal gain. He had yet to leave, and she understood that she had stolen him from his job, and that would have to catch up with him eventually.

  "You." Her words were barely above a whisper. "I want you, Papa."

  "I need to know that you trust me. That you trust I would never put you in harm's way. You are now my everything. Can you believe that? Can you trust in that?"

  She nodded. "I want to. As hard as it is to trust, I will try to learn how."

  "And I will try to teach you. I will try to earn it every day, every minute."

  Chapter XIV

  She leaned onto her tiptoes and crushed her lips against his.

  Charley had been caught off-guard by the kiss. The entire argument had been exhausting and yet it fueled his fervent need to please her. He had suspected that she would have emotional doubts when it came to accepting him into her life and trusting him implicitly. Though Charley had not known the extent of damage Preston had done to her heart, it was clear he'd left it torn and for another man to pick up the pieces.

  His mouth opened, accepting her kiss as his hand found the small of her back, pulling her closer and tighter. He wanted to ravage her, make love to her, and experience a union that was sacred only after marriage. His cock hardened in his trousers, and his heart pumped harder and faster. Charley would not take her virtue, not until she graduated and they were wed. It did not mean he could not still desire and please her, while finding his own pleasure as well.

  He unfastened the clip in her hair, bringing her brown tresses tumbling down to her shoulders in one swift motion. He preferred her to wear her hair down. It made her look older and more sophisticated, not that he did not enjoy the youthful look that the Ashby afforded her, but it was nice to see a different side of his little Eliza.

  Grinning, she took charge, pushing him back onto the bed, straddling his waist as she climbed above him.

  It took him a
moment to regain his composure as her fingers worked his trousers loose and her hand dipped in to caress his rock hard cock.

  As much as he wanted her to stroke and suck him, he would not allow himself the pleasure of guiding his shaft into her quim, not for many more years. He wished with all his might that her graduation from Ashby would come soon, because he certainly felt ready for it.

  Forcefully, he rolled Eliza onto her back, his hands pinning her arms down to the mattress. "Remember who is in charge," he said, staring down at her. It took every ounce of strength to stop her from going after what she wanted. He would tell her when it was acceptable.

  "Fine. I will not pleasure you at all," she said, smiling up at him, giggling under her breath. "Although I am quite sure I could help soothe the hardness of your cock."

  Was she trying to make him harden even further? "I should spank you for that dirty mouth." Charley relinquished his hold on her arms, his body shifting slightly to allow his fingers to lift the hem of her skirt. His movements were slow and steady, savoring every second he had alone with her. His fingers dipped down into her cotton bloomers, feeling over her silky, recently shaven cunny. Her wetness seeped onto his digits and he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers, desiring to taste her and satisfy the curiosities that had been tugging at him in the late hours of the night.

  He crawled down her hips, lifting the hem of her dress to her stomach as he kissed a warm path down her navel, gently guiding the cotton bloomers down with his movements. His lips hovered over her center, smelling her sweet womanly aroma before letting his mouth fall to her thighs. Charley felt her hips shift as he teased his little Eliza, dragging the moment on for far longer than she could handle.