Courting Miss Greene Ch. 06

Abby folded her arms across her chest and scowled at him. "Well, we can't leave her all by herself. She's hardly more than a toddler."

"So what should we do?" asked Thomas. "Bring her home?"

"I think that would be best," agreed Abby.

Thomas walked up to the little girl and crouched down beside her. "Hey, little twerp," he said, "if you stop crying, I'll let you ride on my shoulders. How about that?"

The little girl only blinked at him, choking on her sobs.

"Way to go, Thomas," said Abby. She patted the little girl on the back. "Molly, we're going to take you home to mommy now, alright?"

The little girl stopped sobbing and nodded at Abby.

"Have you got her?" asked Abby when Thomas put Molly on his shoulders. "Careful now. Don't drop her."

"What do you take me for?" asked Thomas. He leaned to the side, pretending to lose his balance. "Wooaaa!!!"

Abby's heart missed a beat. "Thomas...!" She shook her head when Molly started giggling. The little girl apparently enjoyed her continual brush with danger while Thomas kept leaning from one side to the other, accelerating his step by doing so.

"Ah, I'm so great with kids!" the young man cried, laughing with tears in his eyes.

Abby grimaced. She thought to herself Thomas was good with children as long as he could act like one. "You should be aware I'm judging your parenting skills right now," she warned.

"Hm?" Thomas cast her a curious glance. "You're thinking about having kids with me?"

"No..." Abby wished she had kept her mouth shut.

"Oh, I see," said Thomas. "You want to know whether I'll be of any help when Robert and Lizzy start hatching goslings."

"Erm, yes," replied Abby, even though it had not crossed her mind at all.

"I'm sure Robert's already thinking about baby names," continued Thomas. "He's such a family guy."

Abby nodded. "Lizzy's like that too," she said. "She's into everything that has to do with babies and nursing and things like that. Oh, Thomas! This way!" She pointed down another path.

"Yes, ma'am," the young man replied, turning on his heel. He recalled the conversation with his brother. "You know, Abby," he said, "I meant to ask you what exactly Ol' Granny gave you the other day."

The girl blushed. "She gave me a sponge and some wild carrot seeds," she answered.

Thomas frowned. "I don't see how that's supposed to work."

Abby suppressed a chuckle. "Well, it doesn't work together," she explained. "The sponge is to be soaked in vinegar and, erm, inserted beforehand to block anything from getting in. Ingesting the seeds will prevent an actual pregnancy in case that fails."

"Ah!" The conversation seemed to be over when Thomas remained silent for several moments. He startled Abby when he spoke again. "Weren't you supposed to leave the sponge in during the act? I don't think I encountered it."

Abby cringed and forced a little smile at Molly, but the toddler was too busy enjoying her elevated vantage point. "That's right," she said. "I didn't use the sponge."

Thomas raised his eyebrows. "Why not?"

"I guess I lacked the courage," answered Abby, "being a virgin and all. Besides, I didn't like the idea of having anything between us."

Thomas gaped at her. "Then what about the seeds?"

"I'll be taking a teaspoon a day," she assured him.

"Maybe you should make that two," suggested Thomas. He lowered his voice. "Because I came rather hard and it was a lot."

Abby cocked an eyebrow at him. "Now that wasn't my fault," she said in a stern voice.

"In a way though, it was," disagreed Thomas.

Abby managed to maintain her frown for only a moment before they both started chuckling.

"Mommy!"

Abby froze in shock, wondering why Molly would cry out such a thing. She sighed with relief when she turned around and recognized Mrs. Harrison walking towards them.

"Molly! Oh, Molly!" the woman cried with tears in her eyes.

"Ah, the happy reunion," said Thomas while he handed the girl to her mother.

Mrs. Harrison hugged her daughter. "Bless you, young man," she said, "and you too, Abigale. Molly was supposed to stay inside, but she always wants to go out with her brothers. Oh, I can't thank you enough!"

"Well, 'Goodness is its own reward.' That's what I always say," replied Thomas, leaving Abby to bite her tongue.

Mrs. Harrison gave him a warm smile. "How wonderful!" She turned to Abby. "The two of you are... together?"

"Erm, yes. Actually, we are," admitted Abby.

Mrs. Harrison's smile widened. "Well, hold on to him then," she advised. "I'm sure he'll make an excellent father!"

The elegantly decorated carriage offered all the privacy an engaged couple could want, but there was not enough room inside the well-cushioned interior for two people to lie down with much comfort. Robert kept one foot on the floor while he leaned his other knee on the bench, careful not to crush the girl who lay caged between his legs. When he sat upright to take off his jacket, he cast a quick glance through the small window pane in the back of the wagon. The narrow country road following the riverbank remained as deserted as the last time he had checked it.

"Don't worry," said Lizzy as if she had read his mind. "I asked Katie to start singing when they see the carriage again. She's got quite the voice, so we'll be sure to get plenty of warning."

Robert turned to his fiancée with a curious look. "You... planned all of this?"

Lizzy cast him a triumphant, little smile and started unbuttoning his shirt. "Didn't I ever tell you not to underestimate us Windfarn girls?"

"O-ho! I consider myself warned then, but James..." Robert's voice trailed off. He probably should have had a talk with his coachman before letting him go off with the other girl.

Lizzy giggled at his pensive frown. "They're not your responsibility," she said, rubbing the crease between his eyebrows.

"But they are," argued Robert. "James is in my father's employ. If he misbehaves in any way, I'd be the one to chastise him."

"Well, I'm not chastising Katie if she misbehaves," retorted Lizzy.

Robert could not suppress a grin. "No, I'm sure James would be much amused if she did."

A mischievous twinkle appeared in Lizzy's eye. "You will be much amused yourself." She propped herself up on her elbows and proceeded to slowly hitch up her skirts.

Robert's eager gaze followed the smooth curves of her legs. He recognized the fabric of her stockings soon enough, but nothing quite prepared him for the sight of the lace and frills hugging her shapely thighs. "Oh, that's perfect, baby," he muttered, unable to keep his hands to himself.

Lizzy shivered with delight when he reached under her skirts. The last time they were together like this seemed so long ago. And it was such a naughty thing to do by the roadside. Lizzy giggled and sighed while she squirmed on the bench until all of a sudden she stopped Robert's hands. She blushed heavily when she met his questioning eyes. "Let's go all the way," she said in a small voice.

Robert blinked at her in amazement. "Baby, are you sure?"

"Of course I am," she answered with a hint of indignation. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, considering your low pain limit and what not," Robert gently reminded her.

Lizzy cringed. "I'm feeling courageous," she said, forcing a little smile. "I won't cry out this time."

"I certainly hope not," said Robert. "You'd only scare the horses and then we'd be in for the ride of our lives, trapped inside a driverless carriage."

Lizzy grimaced at the thought. "Robert Clark!" she reprimanded him, but his mouth was on hers before she could say anything else.

Further up the road, another couple emerged from the treeline.

"Thomas, isn't that one your carriages?" asked Abby.

"Why, indeed," the young man confirmed. "I wonder why there's nobody on the perch though."

"I suppose they all went to stretch their legs," guessed Abby.

Thomas scanned the environment and found not a soul. "Probably," he agreed, "but it's highly unusual to leave the carriage so unattended. Anyone passing by could make off with it. Or with the horses at least." He leaned towards Abby with a mischievous smirk. "I know I certainly would."

"Ha!" Abby folded her arms and cast him a stern look. "Then you are a thief after all!"

Thomas shrugged. "I'd just take them for a ride," he explained, "but I probably wouldn't return them to the place where I found them."

Abby's frown deepened. "That still counts as theft, Thomas," she said, "but no matter. I'll be watching you. Closely." She waved a finger at him to emphasize her point.

Thomas blocked her path. "How closely?" he asked with a grin.

Abby stopped right in front of him and lifted her chin. "Extremely closely."

They spent several moments staring at each other, until Thomas remarked, "Why, there's a whole universe inside your eyes."

"What?" Abby ducked when he leaned in for a kiss. "Silly boy! We weren't supposed to kiss today, remember?"

Thomas blinked at her. "Tomorrow is another day," he replied.

"What? No!" cried Abby. "Then today would have been all for naught!" She squealed when Thomas tried to grab her. She needed to keep him at bay somehow and the only solution at hand was the carriage. Abby ran towards her intended refuge with Thomas close on her heels. She yanked open the door of the wagon as soon as she reached it.

Abby froze.

Lizzy returned her sister's shocked stare and stopped her task at once. Her main concern was for her fiancé's privacy, which she managed to secure swiftly enough. Her only regret was the loud pop that broke the dreadful silence when she did so.

"Sorry!" cried Abby, slamming the door almost simultaneously. "It's occupied," she told Thomas when he halted next to her.

"Oh! Oops!" The young man covered his mouth, but could not hide his amusement. He followed the girl while she stepped away from the carriage. "So what did you see?" he asked in a low voice.

Abby scowled at him. "Whatever I did or did not see was none of my business," she answered with a flushed face, "nor any of yours."

"What? Of course it's our business," argued Thomas. "Your sister and my brother."

Now Abby had to hide her amusement. "I wouldn't say you were brothers from looking at your bodies."

Thomas opened his mouth and closed it again, guessing it would be wiser not to ask for specifics.

The carriage door flew open again. "Alright, we're decent," said Robert. "You may join us if you are so inclined."

"Well, you didn't have to stop on our account," replied Thomas.

Robert glared at him. "Honestly, Thomas. You didn't think we'd continue after an interruption like that?"

Thomas shrugged. "I would."

"I'm truly sorry, Robert," said Abby. "It didn't cross my mind you could still be inside." She climbed into the wagon and seated herself opposite her sister. "Where's your coachman anyway?"

"James is out for a walk with Katie," answered Lizzy.

Abby raised her eyebrows. "I see."

Thomas sat down next to Abby, but left the door open. It would be awkward to be shut in with the other couple after what had just happened. Robert certainly seemed a bit restless. Always up for a tease, Thomas leaned towards his brother and asked, "You weren't getting too close, were you?" Robert's foot shot out so fast, Thomas did not have a chance to evade. "Ow!" he cried, clutching his shin.

Lizzy covered her mouth. "Aw, poor Thomas!" she said, although she did not blame Robert for kicking him.

Abby did not blame Robert either. "Serves you right," she told Thomas.

The young man gave her a pout. "How cold," he muttered, mostly to himself.

Robert cleared his throat. "So how was your day?" he asked Abby, changing the subject.

"Oh, we've been taking it easy," the girl answered. "We fed the ducks, danced without music, returned a lost child to her mother, discussed some important stuff we really should have brought up yesterday... and then we ended up here."

"You forgot to mention we passed the school house," added Thomas.

Abby failed to notice the importance. "We passed several different buildings on our way."

Thomas turned to his brother. "Did you know Abby tutors Math in school?" he asked as if it were something unimaginable.

Robert grinned at his younger brother. "Ah, your great undoing," he replied. "Perhaps she could tutor you, should you wish to try again."

Thomas grimaced. "Well, unlike you, I'm not one for academic achievements," he said. "Although..." He tapped his chin while he pondered the issue. "I do see some possibilities for roleplay." He grinned at Abby, wondering whether she would follow his train of thought.

"What?" Abby folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. "Oh, don't tell me. I already know. You want me to spank you if you don't do your homework or something like that."

The young man's grin widened. "Something like that." He paused for a moment. "Do you ever spank any of your students?" he asked.

"Actually, I don't," answered Abby. "I just look at them very crossly until they cower in their seats. If that doesn't work, I can always break them with my tongue. I'd never resort to violence. Unless somebody gets physical with me first." She cast him a stern glance.

"Oh, yes." Thomas involuntarily prodded his scalp when the image of a metal bucket flashed through his mind.

"You'd have to pretend he's younger than you," Lizzy pointed out. "Otherwise it would be weird to tutor someone who's older."

"The whole situation would be weird," retorted Abby, "but it shouldn't be too hard. Thomas still looks very much like a boy. I mean, if it were Robert..." Abby's voice trailed off when she turned to look at him.

Lizzy followed her sister's gaze and giggled. "How cheeky of you to flash your chest hair at my sister," she said, closing the top buttons on Robert's shirt.

"I did no such thing!" he protested. "I was just feeling a little hot, that's all."

"No matter," said Abby, waving her hand to brush off the issue. "I already saw more than that."

Lizzy and Thomas did not dare to inquire further. Robert did not wish to do so either and simply assumed the worse. "I suppose it's only fair," he remarked, which closed the matter as far as he was concerned. He did not think more of it until he found everybody staring at him. Robert's face reddened when he realized they were waiting for him to explain himself. "Well, I wonder what's taking James and Katie so long," he wondered aloud.

"What do you mean 'it's only fair'?" demanded Thomas, ignoring his brother's attempt to change the subject.

Robert turned to Lizzy. "I didn't mean anything by it, really."

"You don't have to tell me," she said. "It's Thomas who asked the question."

"I didn't mean anything by it," Robert repeated to his brother.

"Really?" Thomas was now even more suspicious than before. He turned to Abby, but the girl was staring out the window, seemingly disconnecting herself from the matter at hand. "My love, what do you make of this?" he asked, trying to get her involved again.

Abby cast him a distracted glance. "What do I make of what?"

Thomas started to feel agitated. "You said you already saw more of Robert, and then Robert said it was only fair. Maybe I'm just a halfwit, but it sounds like Robert already saw more of you as well." Thomas shifted closer towards the open door in an effort to cool down the sudden flash of hotness in his neck.

"That's what it sounds like," admitted Abby, "but I've always been decent in front of Robert. So unless he was spying on me... like you were..."

"I'm pretty sure I would have noticed if anybody else was on your balcony with me," replied Thomas.

"Aren't there other places to spy from?" asked Abby.

Robert quickly glanced outside. "Oh, my. I wonder whether it's going to rain again today."

Lizzy frowned at such a random remark. "Robert Clark!" she cried. "Please tell me you never spied on my sister."

He coughed a few times in his fist. "I never spied on your sister," he replied. "Not intentionally."

Thomas jumped to his feet and subsequently bumped his head against the ceiling. Fortunately it was padded like the rest of the interior and he dropped back in his seat. "Not intentionally?" he echoed, rubbing his head. "Ho, wait a minute... I think I know..." His finger wavered while he pointed at his brother. "Ha! I know! Why, you sly fox, you...!" Thomas was not sure whether to feel outraged or amused, but he decided to sit back and wait for the undoubtedly immanent confession.

Realizing he had been found out, Robert leaned towards his brother. "Thomas, could we have a word in private?" He nodded at the door.

"Nuh-uh." Thomas scooted over towards Abby and threw his arm around her. "Anything you have say to me you can say in front of Abby. I'm not keeping any secrets from the woman I love."

"Hear, hear," said Abby.

Robert turned to Lizzy. "I was going to tell you," he said. "Later."

The girl stared at him with wide eyes, biting her lip. "Later?" she echoed. "As in after the wedding?"

"Or even well after that," confirmed Robert. "Please forgive me, baby."

"For what?" asked Lizzy. "I still don't know what exactly it is you've done, and I'm starting to get worried thinking about it. What could be so bad you wouldn't tell me? You think I wouldn't marry you if I knew?

Robert took Lizzy's hand in his and let out a deep sigh. "I'm not the perfect gentleman you think I am," he said.

Lizzy squeezed his hand to encourage him to continue, but she trembled when she did so.

"That day when you ran off and Thomas gave Abby such a fright," started Robert, "you and Abby shared a bath that evening."

Lizzy frowned and shook her head. "I don't know what you're getting at."

"Remember that large mirror on the bathroom wall?" asked Robert. "When you stand on the other side, it's more like a window."

"Oh? Like a window?" It took a few moments for Lizzy to realize what Robert was telling her. "You mean you were there and watched us having a bath?"

Robert pursed his lips and nodded. "I saw Abby only briefly since she stayed in the tub. But you--"

"Oh! You watched me do all of that!" cried Lizzy. "You saw everything! Everything!" She pulled away her hand and backed into the corner, hugging herself while she sniffed back her tears.

Abby palmed her face. "I told you that mirror wasn't for preening."

"Actually, my own embarrassment should be worse than yours," Robert told Lizzy.

"Oh, how could anyone's embarrassment possibly be worse than mine?" the girl wailed.

Thomas had not thought it that far through yet. "No...! Surely not!" he cried, glaring at his brother. "No, you didn't!" Thomas broke into laughter and slapped his knee when the dismay on Robert's face confirmed his suspicions.

"What's so funny?" demanded Abby.

Thomas took a few moments to collect himself. Both girls turned to him for an answer since Robert was too embarrassed to speak. "Why, can't you guess?" he asked. "That dirty lecher touched himself while poor Lizzy put herself on display."

The two sisters gasped in horror.

"You could choose to feel flattered though," suggested Thomas in an attempt to console Lizzy.

"Flattered?" the girl echoed in disbelief.

Thomas shrugged. "Or not."

"Baby..." Robert tried to take Lizzy's hand again, but she would not let him. She did, however, accept his handkerchief when he offered it to her.

"You weren't meant to see all of that," said Lizzy, drying her eyes. "I don't mind so much that you touched yourself, but why were you there in the first place? Is it a habit of yours to spy on your guests like that?"

"On my life, it is not!" Robert assured her.

"Then why?" asked Lizzy.

"I don't know why," said Robert. "I was using the corridors to take a shortcut to my own chambers, but then somehow I took a wrong turn and ended up there. Something just lead me to you. I don't know what it was. I have a theory, but I'd only sound like a fool if I told you."