A Companion for Life (23 page)

“
Now bend over for your lashes.” Sobbing at
the sight of the leather belt in Jones’ hand, Grace felt her heart
crushed under the weight of humiliation as she bent over leaving
her backside in the air like an orange seller she’d once seen
outside a playhouse. The first lash was barely more than a light
flick barely felt through her skirt; the slaps had been more
painful. She relaxed. It would be over momentarily. The force of
the second lash sent her sprawling face forward onto the kitchen
floor. Breaking her fall with her right forearm, she cracked her
chin on the flagstone and collapsed sobbing as a hot flame
engulphed her backside.

“You bastard! She’s a girl not a dog.”

“I’m following orders Master William; light
on the first lash heavy on the second.

Mr Bowen wants her to remember what will
happen if she doesn’t control her temper.

Grace pressed her burning left cheek into a
puddle of tears. “I hope I can forget licking the kitchen
floor…William, my bottom hurts. I can’t get up.”

He scooped her into his arms. “I know. My
father used to lash me every time I did something he thought stupid
which was unpleasantly frequent. I’ll prepare a glass of laudanum
and then fetch some cold stones from the garden for your backside.
I’ll try to find a nice clean one for your chin. You’re going to
swell up like a prize fighter.”

Grace’s eyes filled with horror. “I’ll be
ugly?”

“For a few days.”

Her lips trembled as she touched her aching
chin. “Will you still be my friend?”

“
Of course Silly, I have lots of ugly
friends.”

“What if I lose my temper and I kick someone
ten times? I’ll never be able to sit again. I’ll have to walk
around bent over like a cripple.”

“I’d have pity and carry you.”

“You would?”

“
That’s what friends do, but Uncle is bound
to take us back to Wales soon. We can take long walks up the
mountain every day. After an hour you’ll be too tired to kick or
bite anyone and after a long walk even porridge and water taste
good. Those dresses look familiar.”

Grace pulled her face from his shoulder and
looked around to see dozens of her old dresses draping various
pieces of furniture in her small bedchamber. “My dresses! My shoes!
My parasol.” She burst into tears of relief. “My bonnets…”

“If they mean that much to you, I’ll ask
Uncle if he’ll let you have some of my future allowance. If he
agrees we can go to the pawn shop tomorrow and see if there’s
anything else that hasn’t sold.”

Grace wiped her nose on her sleeve. “You’d do
that for me? Why?”

“Because that’s what friends do.”

“You must be the best friend in the
world.”

“Only for you.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re a silly Goose who makes me
laugh.”

“I was an idiot to jilt you.”

“Yes you were; now you’ll have to settle for
being my friend.”

Grace felt something inside her deflate. “You
mean you won’t kiss me?”

“
Friends don’t kiss each other.”

The words seemed to puncture her lungs.
“Never?”

“Not unless they become more than
friends.”

“Oh…” He didn’t sound interested in taking
that road. “Would you ever want to be more than friends?”

His eyes filled with laughter. “You’re a
silly goose!” That was his answer? She was a silly goose? Clearly
he didn’t want to fall in love with her again. The future was
suddenly cast in dull colour as if the rainbow had been boiled away
into shades of grey. She waited until he looked away and glanced up
at his face. His nose didn’t seem quite so large; it was a nice
face full of laughter. He turned and caught her eye and smiled as
if he’d heard her thoughts. “I’ll bring you a glass of laudanum and
then find you some stones.” He was gone before she could think of
something to say.

Penryth’s arm draping the back of the sofa
hovered near Lily’s warmth, waiting to fold around her. The world
was blissfully quiet. All he could hear were the sounds of his
heart beating and almost inaudible kisses. He was teetering on a
sensual cliff as the feel of her hands innocently resting on his
thigh threatened to tumble him over the edge. “Lily, I need to tell
you something…” She silently looked at him with a dazed curiosity.
What was it he needed to say? It was so hard to think with those
brown eyes admiring his person. “My confession; I need to tell
you…I can’t wait…Yr wyf fi’n eich caru chi…”

“You needn’t keep casting spells Mr Bowen, I
assure you I’ve no desire to escape.”

“Good. I couldn’t bear it. Have you ever seen
a swan that’s lost its companion? I’d pull out my feathers in
despair and attack happier swans out of jealous spite. Without you,
I’d soon end up a fox’s dinner.”

“That’s a very sad image; are you trying to
make me cry?”

“Any excuse to hold you…” His arm on the back
of the sofa slid off its perch and wrapped around her shoulders
pulling her closer. “…is that very wicked?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Her bashful smile seemed to throw
alcohol on the coal in his chest, making it burn hotter. She licked
her lips and the need to explain his heart with words was forgotten
as he was enveloped in warm damp autumn leaves. A forceful knocking
made him jump ending the kiss. Feeling like someone had just
slapped his face Penryth glanced at Lily’s wet parted lips and
turned an angry glare towards the door. “Go away!” Expecting to be
obeyed he mentally dismissed the intruder and sighed into her ear
as the urgent need to tell her his secret returned with force.
“Lily, what I meant to tell you this afternoon was that I…”

William closed the door behind him with a
loud bang. “Uncle Penryth, I need to speak with you man to
man.”

Penryth rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Not
now William; I’ll speak with you tomorrow.”

“I need to talk now.”

“Unless someone is threatening to kill you;
I’m talking to my wife.”

“You must have been talking rather closely to
make your lips swell up.”

“So I’ve been kissing my wife; I enjoy
kissing my wife and it so happens that I was trying to tell her
something extremely important when you rudely interrupted.” His
cold glare had no visible affect on the younger man.

“It’ll only take a few minutes. It’s
important!”

“What is it?”

“Can we go to your room? It’s a private
matter.”

“I’m in the middle of a private matter, but
that doesn’t give me any privacy.”

“It’s private.”

Penryth loudly exhaled as he turned to catch
Lily’s eye. “You know we’ll probably be repeating this scene in
exactly twenty years except our brat will probably give us a
lecture on how old people shouldn’t be so insensitive as to display
any sign of passion, even behind a closed door.” He lightly kissed
her pink cheek. “Join me in my room in fifteen minutes. I have
something that belongs to you; something I need to give you.” He
glanced back to find her watching his departure with
disappointment. Blowing Lily a noisy kiss he smiled as she blushed
and William groaned in disgust.

Penryth marched into his room and headed for
his pipe resting on the mantel as William closed the door. “What is
this pressing problem?” He turned to find William hovering at his
elbow, the young man’s eyes burning with righteous indignation.

“Jones carried out your heartless
instructions. He lashed her so hard she ended up on the kitchen
floor.”

“Good. She’ll remember distinctly what will
happen if she loses her temper.”

“If you weren’t my uncle I’d pummel you. I
may not be her fiancé, but I’ll be damned if I stand by and let you
whip the flesh off her backside. If you have a heart, at least
allow me to be her whipping boy.”

Penryth sucked on his pipe and calmly eyed
the younger man’s clenched fists. “She lost her temper and pushed
her mother down the stairs. I couldn’t stop her because she’d
kicked me in the chest and tried to choke me. If she loses her
temper and hurts other people she will be punished. Would you
rather she swung from a rope until dead for killing someone in a
rage?”

“No.”

“If you need a sparing match we can arrange a
boxing lesson and pummel each other where it won’t alarm the
ladies.”

“As soon as my head feels better; I’ve had
enough sparring today.”

Penryth could hear movement in the room next
door. Was she changing into one of her nightgowns? The thought
momentarily made him smile. “Now if that’s all…”

“I wasn’t finished.”

“Hurry up, I want to change.”

The clothes the maid bought from the pawnshop
were Grace’s old things. I’d like to use some of my future
allowance to purchase the rest of her belongings…or what’s left of
them.”

“She wasn’t going to share her dress
allowance with you.”

“She told me. It would mean a lot to her and
you’re always telling me I’m a selfish toad who needs to think of
others.”

“If you wish to waste your money on someone
who hates you, that’s your affaire.”

“We’ve decided to be friends.”

Penryth eyed his nephew in exaggerated
disbelief. “Friends?”

“I’ve told her I’ll never ask her to marry me
again.”

“Good, that should lengthen your life by at
least three decades. The heart is a fickle creature; you’ll soon
fall in love with some other silly wench.” Penryth ignored
William’s scowl and fumbled with the hidden latch on his desk and
the secret drawer slid open. He threw a small leather purse at his
nephew and pulled out the jewelry box and snapped it open. The
thought of holding Lily wearing only his emeralds made his heart
beat faster pressing time to hurry.

“Don’t you want to count it?”

Penryth started out of his daydream. “Note
how much you spend, give twenty pounds to Miss Philips as her
monthly allowance and return the rest. Shut the door behind you.”
He couldn’t hear the door closing; he was bewitched by the emerald
bracelet arching itself over his hand with shameless delight at the
prospect of being returned to his owner.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror over
the mantel Lily slightly adjusted her clean ivory cap and
rearranged the bow under her chin. Would he think her odd for
changing into her nightclothes so early? Would he think her
forward? If he said anything she’d say she was tired. She sighed in
nervous uncertainty and stared at her face. She blushed with
pleasure as she remembered the look in Mr Bowen’s eyes as he said
he thought her dashed pretty. The visible bruises had healed and
her brown eyes seemed to sparkle with happiness. Staring at the
happy woman in the mirror was like meeting a good friend after
years apart. The sad hopeless woman had been transformed into an
older version of the Lily who’d met the enchanted swan.

She could hear her husband speaking in the
next room to Jones and then the door closed and there was silence
except for a few faint creaking floorboards. The clock assured her
seventeen minutes had passed since William had interrupted.
Ignoring her racing heart she forced herself to walk slowly to his
door, but before she could knock he called out, “Come in Lily.”
With her heart pounding she nervously opened the door while staring
at the floor. “The key’s in the door; lock it!” She was caressed by
the smell of tobacco as she turned the key. Her eyes slid across
the floor until she found naked feet in slippers near the fire. He
was emptying his pipe into the flames. Naked lower legs disappeared
under voluminous white linen that made her blush with relief. He
was hardly going to laugh at her dressing gown when the dark
outline of his body against the firelight seemed to boast its
nakedness. She stopped beside him and blushed as she met his
smiling eyes. “You look even prettier than you did…” He glanced at
the clock. “…eighteen minutes ago. I hope you haven’t been thinking
about cake, I’d feel a complete twit.”

“Why?”

“Because I’d have to admit I was jealous of a
pudding.”

Her laughter somehow seemed to make him look
even more beautiful. “I was thinking of you.”

“Good.” He caressed her cheek and leaned
towards her as if to kiss her, but stopped and stared into her
eyes. “Your emerald bracelets…may I return them? You don’t have to
wear them. If they hold bad memories…”

“Of course I’ll wear them.”

His eyes looked like a clear night sky. “Oh
Lily…wait here!” He rushed to his desk and back again. She watched
his earnest expression as he ceremoniously clasped the jewels
around her wrists and brought each hand to his lips.

Lily looked at the heavy green fire and
blinked back tears. “They look happy.”

“They’re happy because they’re touching you.”
Lily blushed at his fervent tone and stared into eyes wide with an
intense emotion. He lifted the hand he was still holding and kissed
her palm. “I swear when I put them away, after our shared
rejection, they looked as dull and miserable as I felt.” Lily
shivered as he reached out and caressed her neck. “That should have
convinced me that Lady Gillingham was right; that I was in love
with my wife, but I didn’t want to be in love.” Lily stared wide
eyed at the handsome man as her brain tried to process the words,
but the only conclusion was impossible. “Love complicates
everything. It makes life difficult. It makes one vulnerable.
Fighting it makes one an ass. That’s my confession…”

Lily’s eyes were drawn to the fascinating
triangle of hairy skin revealed by the open neck of his nightshirt
as her brain refused to believe the impossible. “That you’re an
ass?”

“I shouldn’t think that needs confessing. Yr
wyf fi’n eich caru chi means I love you.”

Warm air that smelled of Mr Bowen filled
Lily’s heart. She was floating away up into moonlit clouds. She
looked down at her feet in disbelief through distorting tears to
see if her feet had left the ground and caught sight of the
emeralds around her arm hanging at her side. Flashing green fire
forged in the heart of the earth by some unknown magic; the
emeralds had been set into a repeating Greek symbol of eternity.
She looked up to find dark eyes smiling with happiness. “You love
me?”