Her Rags-to-Riches Christmas

by Laura Martin

  Silently she shook her head. ‘I just want you to know that I would never want to hurt you. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me...’ she paused, feeling her heart beat in her chest ‘...and I care for you very much.’

  It was so much more than that. She loved him, that much she’d finally admitted to herself, but she couldn’t come out and tell him yet. Not until everything was settled between them. To hear him say he loved her back, only to retract the words when he found out about Bill, that would break her heart.

  The cart trundled to a stop outside the farmhouse, but George made no move to get down.

  ‘Whatever it is you’re worrying about, we can get through it together,’ he said quietly. He looked at her, the moonlight glinting off his blue eyes, then leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead.

  Silently she nodded, wondering if tomorrow everything would change.

  ‘Get some sleep,’ he said as he helped her down from the cart. ‘Everything will look different in the morning.’

  * * *

  George woke up early, just as the first rays of sun were filtering through the window. Already it was hot, the chill of the night dissipating quickly as the sun rose over the horizon. For a few minutes he lay in bed, taking time to think over his day. Today was the day, the big moment. In truth he’d been building up to this point for a while, but the conversation with his friends the night before had given him the push to go ahead and do it.

  Today he was going to ask Alice to marry him.

  It was the logical next step. He loved her and he knew she cared for him. Already they enjoyed the time they spent together much more than any time apart.

  For a moment he felt a flicker of doubt, but pushed it away. Of course she would say yes. There was no reason not to. Even if she didn’t look at him as though she could see no one else when he was in the room, the marriage was advantageous for her.

  ‘Stop worrying,’ he told himself, pulling on his clothes. He opted for a simple pair of trousers and a crisp white shirt. Many men would choose to wear something more formal, something smarter, when they proposed to the woman they wanted to marry, but George knew it would be another sweltering day and the last thing he wanted was to be uncomfortable when he asked Alice to marry him.

  Downstairs Mrs Peterson was already bustling around, preparing the kitchen for the day’s work. He’d asked her to make up a basket for lunch today and he saw with satisfaction it was already half-full.

  ‘Good morning, sir,’ Mrs Peterson said with a suspicious look in her eyes. ‘I’m just preparing your lunch now. May I ask where you are planning on going?’

  He grinned. Although they had been discreet, it was unlikely that his housekeeper hadn’t picked up on the budding relationship between him and Alice.

  ‘I’m taking Alice out to Turner’s Meadow,’ he said, knowing the time for secrecy was over. If all went well today he would return from the trip out engaged to be married to Alice, there would be no keeping that from the Petersons.

  ‘Turner’s Meadow? Whatever for?’ Mrs Peterson asked.

  At that moment Mr Peterson walked in through the kitchen door, the rescued baby kangaroo in his arms.

  ‘I should imagine to have some peace with the woman he’s going to wed,’ the gruff older man said quietly.

  George couldn’t help but grin. Mr Peterson was stoical and quiet most of the time, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t observant. And he didn’t seem to object to Alice the way his wife did.

  ‘What?’ Mrs Peterson spluttered.

  ‘Oh, hush, Edie,’ Mr Peterson said, placing the baby kangaroo down on the floor and letting him hop around the spacious kitchen. ‘You know as well as I that when two people are meant to be together there’s nothing to be done but accept it. No matter the difference in their stations.’

  ‘It’s not right,’ she muttered. ‘How do you know she’s not using you? Seducing you?’

  George took a step towards his housekeeper. He felt an enormous affection for the older woman who had looked after him and his home for so many years. He knew her words came from a place of concern, a place of love, and that when she saw Alice made him happy she would accept things easier.

  ‘I’m thirty-one years old, Mrs Peterson,’ he said softly, ‘And in all my life I’ve never felt the way I do about Alice. It’s not rushed or impulsive, but when the heart knows what it wants, there is no arguing with it.’

  He saw the flare of emotion in the older woman’s eyes.

  ‘You have to trust me,’ he said. ‘Trust me to know myself, to make the right decision.’

  ‘She makes you happy?’ Mrs Peterson asked, the emotion making the words stick in her throat.

  ‘She does. More than anything.’

  The older woman nodded, sniffing to cover the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.

  ‘Then I suppose that is the most important thing.’

  George leaned in and kissed his housekeeper on the cheek, grinning as she batted him away like a naughty schoolboy, but seeing the blush of pleasure on her cheeks.

  ‘Away with you. I need to finish this basket for your lunch.’

  He wandered back out into the hall, unable to focus on anything, his mind in too much turmoil for him to even think of doing any work.

  ‘Good morning,’ Alice said as she descended the stairs. It was early, but she looked fresh and bright, her hair tumbling around her shoulders in bouncing waves. He caught a look of trepidation in her eyes and wondered again how he was going to get her to tell him exactly what it was that she was keeping from him. ‘I should go and help Mrs Peterson,’ she said.

  She paused for a moment as she reached his side and he couldn’t help but reach out and pull her into his arms.

  ‘George,’ she whispered in protest, ‘someone might see.’

  ‘Let them see,’ he murmured. ‘I’m done with pretending I don’t feel anything for you.’

  He felt her relax in his arms, saw the warmth in her eyes and bent his head to kiss her. Softly at first, savouring the sweetness of her lips, groaning as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Every inch of skin her fingers touched tingled and burned and he wondered how damned he would be if he just lifted her into his arms and carried her to his bedroom.

  There was a shuffling of feet behind him and guiltily Alice sprang from his arms. They turned together, just in time to see Mr Peterson’s retreating back.

  ‘He saw us,’ Alice said.

  ‘Stop worrying. The Petersons would have to be blind not to have seen what has built between us the last few weeks.’

  Alice hesitated and he saw her frown as she tried to think through the repercussions, his heart lifting as she smiled at him and sank back into his arms.

  ‘Where are we going today?’ she asked, looking up at him, her eyes sparkling in the sunlight that poured in through the windows.

  ‘Somewhere special,’ he said with a smile. Turner’s Meadow was always beautiful at this time of year, even when there hadn’t been rain in months. Three little streams converged on the hillside, flowing down from their bubbling brooks, providing the perfect conditions for the bloom of wildflowers over the meadow. He hadn’t visited since returning to Australia and even just the thought of sitting looking out at the rolling hills covered by summer flowers with the sun on his face made him feel relaxed. ‘We’ll take the horses. It’s less than an hour’s ride away.’

  ‘Your lunch basket is ready,’ Mrs Peterson said, bustling out into the hall. Alice stepped away guiltily, flashing the housekeeper a wary look, but Mrs Peterson handed over the basket without comment.

  ‘We shouldn’t leave too late,’ George said, stepping closer to Alice again and speaking quietly. ‘We don’t want to be on horseback in the hottest part of the day. I need to leave some instructions for Mr Peterson, check on the cattle in the top f
ield and then we can be on our way.’

  He leaned in and kissed her again, seeing the passion he felt reflected in her eyes. George felt happier than he ever thought possible. Today he was going to take the woman he loved out somewhere it would just be the two of them and tell her exactly how he felt. They would be able to plan their future together, work out how they wanted to live their lives. It was going to be the start of something very special.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It was hard not to be swept away by George’s infectious enthusiasm. As they rode he pointed out the perimeters of his farm, the spots he played as a child or where he, Robertson and Crawford got up to mischief when they were young.

  As she looked out over the rolling hills, brown and yellow under weeks of relentless sunshine, Alice realised she was beginning to fall in love with the country. Not the harsh world of convict-heavy Sydney, but out here, the true Australia. The beautiful countryside stretching out as far as the eye could see, the peace, even the heat. She was beginning to see what George was so passionate about.

  It was different to the stark and striking vistas near her beloved Whitby, but stunning all the same.

  ‘That little copse of trees over there hides a pond and that is where my father taught me to swim,’ George said, shielding his eyes as he pointed into the distance.

  ‘There were no crocodiles there?’ Alice asked, still amazed anyone would risk swimming in a country where a crocodile might be lurking under the murky waters.

  ‘No, the pond is small and far enough from any other water to make it unlikely.’ He looked at her and grinned. ‘I’m guessing I’m not going to be able to persuade you to come in swimming with me?’

  ‘Definitely not.’

  ‘Shame,’ he said, his eyes raking over her, the heat of his gaze making Alice shiver with a wonderful anticipation.

  Alice’s head filled with images of George stripping down and pulling her into the cool water, kissing her until she lost all rational thought. It was a tempting fantasy, even with the threat of giant hungry lizards with a mouth full of huge teeth.

  ‘We’re nearly there,’ he said, motioning to a little hill in front of them, ‘Just on the other side of that ridge.’

  Alice felt the knot begin to form in her stomach again, a heavy, dragging sensation that she couldn’t rid herself of. The closer they got to their destination, the sooner it would be that she had to tell George the truth about her past. It wasn’t fair to keep it secret any longer, especially as she knew he felt the same about her as she did about him.

  The rode slowly, allowing the horses to pick their own sedate pace in the sweltering heat. As they mounted the top of the ridge Alice felt her eyes widening. In front of them the countryside rolled away in gentle hills, the hazy Blue Mountains ever present in the distance. It was the closest fields that caught the eye, though, large open meadows filled with wildflowers of every colour. Bursts of yellow and red mixed in with the pinks and greens. Alice couldn’t believe such a stunning display could survive the oppressive heat, but somehow the little oasis of beauty was flourishing.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ she said, unable to take her eyes away from the view.

  ‘I thought you would like it here.’

  George led the way to a spot in the shade, underneath the leafy branches of a huge tree. He dismounted, tied up Kareela loosely to a low branch, giving the horse enough length to move about and sample the grass, then he turned to Alice. He gripped her by the waist, lifting her down, continuing to hold on even once her feet were firmly on solid ground.

  She felt his eyes on her, darting over her face as if trying to take it all in.

  ‘Did you know you’re even more beautiful in the sunlight?’ he said quietly.

  Alice laughed. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well, you’re beautiful all the time, of course, but in the sunlight you look even more radiant. Everything shines: your hair, your eyes, your skin. You are beautiful.’

  Self-consciously Alice brought a hand to her hair, feeling the heat of it after riding under the hot sun for almost an hour. George stepped closer, resting a hand on her waist.

  ‘You’re beautiful Alice,’ he repeated. ‘I find I can’t take my eyes off you.’

  Softly he stroked her hair, running his fingers through the silky locks, then continuing down the length of her back. Alice was wearing the thinnest dress she possessed, in a light blue cotton material, so she could feel the movement of his fingers as if they were on her bare skin.

  As always when George touched her, Alice felt herself go weak, an almighty shiver of anticipation running through her core. She knew one more touch, one more kiss, and she would forget all reason. Already she was finding it hard to focus on anything but the man standing in front of her and how she felt as his fingers ran over her body.

  After a moment George stepped away and Alice had to suppress a moan of frustration. She watched as he lay out the blanket on the ground, smoothing it down before kneeling down, holding a hand out for her. She took his hand, squealing in surprise as he tugged hard, catching her as she tumbled into his lap.

  ‘Hello,’ he murmured as their bodies pressed together.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘Did I mention you looked beautiful?’ he asked.

  ‘You did.’

  ‘And kissable?’

  ‘I don’t think—’ She was cut off by his lips capturing hers and Alice felt herself melt into George as his arms came round her back and pulled her even closer to him.

  He kissed her until she had forgotten where they were, had forgotten everything but the man in front of her. Alice felt as though her whole body was on fire, begging to be touched, begging for attention.

  ‘You don’t know what you do to me,’ George whispered, his words tickling her ear.

  Shifting in his lap a little, she ran her hands through his hair, down his back and George tightened his grip on her in response. For a moment they pulled apart, a look of understanding, of mutual desire passing between them, then they were kissing again.

  Alice giggled as George tipped her from his lap, laying her down on the soft wool of the blanket, never stopping kissing her for more than a couple of seconds at a time. She watched as he shrugged off his jacket, leaving him just in his thin white shirt and trousers. Her hands grasped the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up over his head, revealing the tanned, taut muscles. She paused, running her fingers over his skin before she finished pulling off his shirt and deposited it on the blanket behind her.

  ‘If only your dress was so easy,’ he murmured as his fingers started on the fastenings that ran the length of her back. It was true she hadn’t dressed for this, hadn’t thought about ease of getting undressed, when she’d woken up this morning.

  As he worked to reveal inch after inch of skin he peppered kisses down her spine, making her shiver in anticipation. When he neared the bottom of her back he pulled her to her feet, pushing the material of the dress down past her hips so it pooled on the blanket beneath them. Underneath her dress she was wearing the thinnest of shifts, an almost sheer garment that reached her mid-thighs.

  ‘You’re beautiful,’ George said, gripping the hem of her shift and pulling it up over her head.

  For a moment he just looked at her, then with a fiery passion in his eyes he tumbled her back down on the blanket, his body on top of hers. Alice felt herself being swept away, able to think of nothing but the jolts of pleasure as his hands caressed her skin, as his body brushed against hers.

  ‘I could kiss you for ever,’ he said as his lips left hers and he started to trail kisses down her neck and on to her chest. Alice almost cried out as he took one of her nipples into his mouth, arching her back and closing her eyes, savouring every wonderful moment. She felt her skin burn as his fingers trailed down lower, dancing over her abdomen, then continuing on down even lower. She gasped as his finge
rs grazed her most private of places, responding instinctively as he dipped inside, clutching him tighter to her.

  Alice felt a wonderful tension begin to build inside her, increasing with every rhythmic movement George made. Her hips were thrusting up to meet his fingers, her back arching, her skin tingling, then suddenly there was a wonderful release and wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her.

  ‘George,’ she cried out, pulling him even closer, and when she opened her eyes he was smiling down at her.

  There was a fierce desire in his eyes as Alice gripped the waistband of his trousers and pushed them down, moaning in pleasure as she felt his hardness against her. With a swift thrust he was buried inside her, Alice gripping him, pulling him to her. Again and again their bodies came together until Alice felt everything tense before her body was overtaken by a crashing climax. Above her she heard George moan, felt him push inside her one last time, then collapse down on top of her.

  They lay entwined for thirty seconds before George gently rolled off her, moving so he was next to her, one arm looped across her waist.

  ‘I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,’ he murmured after a while.

  Alice smiled. She felt content lying here in the heat with the man she loved beside her.

  ‘Me, too,’ she said.

  As they lay there, their breathing slowly returning to a normal rate, George trailed his fingers softly across the skin of her abdomen. It felt intimate, wonderfully so, and Alice wished they could stay like this for ever.

  ‘I hope no one rides past,’ she said, making no move to cover her naked body. It seemed an isolated spot and they hardly ever met anyone when they were out and about around the countryside anyway.

  ‘They won’t,’ he said, kissing her neck. ‘This is my land and there are no roads nearby. Someone would have to be quite off track to come across us.’

  Alice nestled her head into his shoulder, inhaling his familiar scent, and closed her eyes. Right here, right now, she felt as though everything was perfect, and she didn’t want time to move forward. She wanted everything to stay as it was right now.