Little Secrets (3 page)

Charley sent a note by courier, only to hear nothing from the headmaster of the Ashby.

"You do not have to go, Charley. There are other finishing schools," Leona said.

His sister was unaware of the other reason why his desire to return to Ashby had increased. He wanted to know more about the mysterious brunette in the short yellow dress, which had forced his cock to stir in his trousers. It had not only been her beauty that allured him but strangely her sadness. He wanted to see if she was happier, better, and taken care of. He had felt his worry for the young woman grow more urgent, as well as the desire to care for her. Surely someone at the finishing school would have solved whatever trouble she was having. He did not wish to see her or any other young woman cry.

"You deserve a fine education and a chance for a husband. I will not take no for an answer." Charley gave his sister a hug goodbye. "I shall return this evening. Promise me you will stay out of trouble." He had never known Leona to cause trouble, but many of his days were spent at the newspaper, working on articles.

"When have I ever been caught?" Leona asked, smiling as she waved goodbye. "If I do not get into Ashby, Charley, there are other finishing schools that are just as good."

He ignored what she had to say. He would get Leona enrolled. It had to be a matter of finances, and though he was not part of the wealthiest class, he did all right. With part of their inheritance and her dowry, it would cover her tuition for at least a year, if not two. Charley had hoped that would be enough time for her to meet a suitor and acquire his hand in marriage.

They did not live far from the train and so he walked to the station, paid the fare, and rode toward Ashby. He had no specific plan and had not contemplated what he would do if the door was slammed in his face. Perhaps he could inquire about the young woman who had caught his eye, Miss Eliza Stead. Surely she was unwed if she was attending the finishing school. The headmaster would have to allow him to see her, especially if he seemed interested in finding a wife to marry.

Marriage had been a faraway thought in his mind. It was not that he did not have the desire to settle down, have children, and start a family, but his life had been spent between work and looking after his sister for the past few years. Leona had grown older, more mature, and he no longer worried about her getting into too much trouble during the afternoons. She kept to herself, stayed planted at home with her nose always in a book, which made it difficult for her to find a husband when she was not out in the world, meeting available suitors to marry.

The train ride was not terribly long for a visit, but the mere thought of not seeing Leona every day would be difficult at first. Charley had grown accustomed to having her around, and the house would be quiet without her presence. Another reason, he decided, why it was time to find himself a companion, a woman who could fulfill his desires while also bringing her own touch to his home.

Sitting by himself, his thoughts were on the pale yellow dress, the ruffled hem, and how her white stockings had been on display, revealing her legs. Though she had not shown a hint of skin, the skirt length was highly inappropriate for a young woman to wear. And yet, he found both the dress and the girl wearing it attractive. The train felt hot and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying not to let his desires stir his cock awake. He needed to be presentable and have a clear, level head when he insisted on meeting with the headmaster.

Upon his arrival, he exited the train and walked the couple of miles to the Ashby Chateau. The weather cooperated, which made the trip not too terrible. He kept his hat atop his head, blocking the harsh noon sun, as he felt warm in his waistcoat.

Approaching the main entrance, Charley saw the metal gate had been left open and unlocked. Was the headmaster expecting a visitor? He did not delay as he rushed in past the gates and then strolled up to the main entrance, giving a prominent knock.

The door creaked open and a woman with dark curly hair pinned to her head blocked the entrance. "May I help you?" she asked, her voice deep and robust. She spoke with a lisp as there was a slight gap between her two front teeth. The gray and black dress she wore grazed the floor but did not hide her thick muscled arms as the material clung to her body.

"I have come to speak with Headmaster Philip Hartley." Charley felt relieved to know the gentleman's name. At least meeting Eliza had helped him gather a little information.

"You must be Mr. Stead." The woman glanced him over. "I admit you look a bit younger than I would have expected. Come inside. I shall take you to meet with Headmaster Philip. He was not expecting you for almost another hour. Did he get the time wrong?"

"I apologize for being early." Charley did not correct the woman's assumptions as to who he was. At least he had a way inside. The name sounded familiar and his eyes widened slightly as it dawned on him: Eliza Stead. Was Mr. Stead her father? Surely he could not have been her betrothed, they would not yet share the same surname. He itched to know more about Miss Eliza, how she was doing at the finishing school, whether she had any prospects for marriage, and even more so, why she was allowed to wear such a scandalous dress! Perhaps that had been why Mr. Stead had been contacted to visit the headmaster.

"Come, we shall see if Headmaster Philip is free. If not, I am sure you can wait in his office." She locked the front door and led him down the hall.

The walls were bare and a dull gray with doors to the left and right of them. He followed the woman, presumably a governess, up the stairs as she retrieved a key from around her neck and used it to unlock the door.

"You keep the girls locked inside?" He wanted to know everything about the finishing school. Perhaps it should not have been a surprise, considering most girls who attended such an elite establishment were well bred and came from money, which meant that they were easily worth a hefty ransom. It was not uncommon to hear stories of unwed brides being snatched and forced to marry solely for their dowry.

The woman did not so much as smile. "Yes. It is for their own protection."

Stepping into the hall, Charley's eyes grazed the window of a room in which several young women were playing together, laughing, and having far too much fun for an establishment that focused on the education of young ladies. He did not even have time to register in his mind the painted walls of that room, the colorful décor, and childlike nature of such a place. His eyes landed on the brunette, Eliza, whom he had seen just a few days ago. She no longer wore the pale yellow dress but was now dressed in a powder blue gown with white lace that reached her knees. White stockings covered her legs. "What is she wearing?" He could not keep his mouth from running. "How is that appropriate for a young woman, to reveal so much leg?"

"Please come with me, Mr. Stead. I am sure you have a lot of questions for Headmaster Philip."

He did have a plethora of questions he wanted answers to. Exhaling a sigh, he followed the older woman down the hall. She knocked on the door to the right, the frosted glass window kept him from seeing inside.

"Come in," a heavy voice bellowed.

The woman who had escorted him opened the door to his office. "Mr. Stead is early. I thought I would bring him by your office," she said.

Charley stepped into the room and the woman closed the door abruptly behind him.

The headmaster glanced up from his paperwork, his dark hair slightly graying on the sides. "Mr. Stead, please have a seat. I know that your daughter, Eliza, was betrothed to Mr. Preston Abbott, and I was asked to inform you that the engagement has fallen through."

Charley had not spoken a word or even had the opportunity to introduce himself. He strode several steps across the room and took a seat on the sofa across from the desk where the headmaster sat.

"I know you may be disappointed by Mr. Abbott, your daughter certainly is, and I want to ask that you continue her education at Ashby. She is doing quite well and we have several opportunities available for her to find a suitable husband. I realize the tuition may be outside of your budget, seeing as how Mr. Abbott was previously handling the finances."

Clearing his throat, taking a deep breath, Charley mustered the courage to speak. "Headmaster Philip, please let me speak freely. I am not Mr. Stead. My name is Charley Lockwood. I came to visit your elite finishing school because I have a sister I am interested in having attend. I have also had the pleasure of meeting Miss Eliza Stead last week and I must say, she has not left my mind. The mention of her engagement breaking up would explain why she was in tears."

Philip placed his hands upon his desk, slid his chair out and stood, towering down over Charley. "You are the young man Nanny Agnes spoke of—the one she saw outside the chateau." He stepped out from behind his desk. "I am going to have to ask you to leave, Mr. Lockwood."

Charley did not budge from his position on the sofa. "I am sorry, but I cannot do that. You have put yourself in a tough position, Headmaster Philip, but I can assure you there is a way out of it."

"Excuse me?" He came around to stand in front of Charley, towering over him.

Charley was not the least bit intimidated. He knew wealthy men and their power. He, too, had power; the written word could take down Ashby and expose the place for its inappropriate and scandalous nature. "I work for the Daily Times. Perhaps you have heard of it? I can assure you that people will want to know what goes on at your finishing school. Parents and betrotheds will not sit by and allow you to take their money and the dignity of their daughters."

"Are you threatening me?" Philip's fury built with every syllable of his sentence.

"No. Not at all. I simply want answers. I am curious, but in no way want you to take my questions as threats. I apologize if that is how you are interpreting it."

Philip seemed to instantly calm. He laughed softly, shaking his head. "You misinterpret whatever it is that you think you saw."

"Eliza twice has been wearing dresses the like of which would ruin her name and her reputation. I cannot understand how what I see here equates to a finishing school."

The headmaster bent his head forward and shut his eyes momentarily. He pinched the bridge of his nose before glancing at Charley. "You will share none of what you see."

Charley nodded but did not verbally guarantee.

"The guardians and betrotheds who enroll their young women into Ashby do so because of our reputation. You will not tarnish it because of a misunderstanding. What you have seen is not the finishing school, Mr. Lockwood, but instead a glimpse into our school of littles. They are two separate entities under the same roof. I do not know that you are ready to understand or explore what we do here, but I assure you that everything is consensual."

"You are a brothel?" Charley asked, frowning. Eliza had not looked like a girl ready to give herself to just any man.

Philip shook his head. "No. Far from it."

"And what do you mean by
littles
?"

Philip took a deep breath before continuing. He seemed annoyed, but no longer as angry. "The littles' school is a place where women can cherish their inner child by being little. They are bathed, fed, disciplined, and cared for, just as a child would be. It allows the young women the opportunity to be completely submissive to their husbands; fulfilling a need for both parties, both sexually and emotionally. The women who come to us all remain with their virtue intact until they marry. Papas and little ones may earn time together when a little has good behavior. I do not tell you this so that you might report on it back to your newspaper. If you do harbor any feelings for Miss Eliza, you must know that she is trained to submit, to call her betrothed 'papa', and is expecting both love and discipline."

"Papa?"

"Yes. There are many men who desire a woman to give herself completely to him. A man who wants nothing more than to love, shelter, and cherish his wife as a papa would a little girl. These men want to be papas to their littles. Becoming a papa to a little is a great responsibility. But this connection between two adults allows them to find a bond that cannot be denied."

Charley's head swam as he listened to Philip explain the concept. He did desire to spend more time with Eliza, and the thought of watching her carefree, without worry or doubts, did appeal to him. The powerful pull toward this concept almost took Charley's breath away. Had he gone absolutely mad? Why did the idea of becoming Eliza's papa seem so appealing? He had barely met this woman, and yet… He wanted nothing more than for her to be
his
little. Listening to Philip speak, was as if all the jumbled pieces of his life had a connection now.

"When you spoke to me as if I were Mr. Stead, you mentioned the finances of her continuing at Ashby. How much money are we talking, Headmaster Philip?"

"Well, that depends. If you decide to enroll your sister in our finishing school, I could grant you a better price."

"Leona will not be in attendance. This place is not appropriate for her." He did not dare say that he worried about his reputation as well, but his heart had begun to win out when speaking of Eliza. Charley wasn't given the opportunity to meet too many young women who were unwed.

Philip seemed to relax, his shoulders hunched slightly as he nodded. "I can assure you that our finishing school upholds the reputation that I am sure you are familiar with. We keep our littles separate. The girls do not even know what exists beyond the locked door. If you are enrolling your sister to find a husband, we have a ninety-eight percent marriage rate. You need not worry about her being in good hands."