A British Governess in America

by Becky Lower

  • ♥ •

  Seeing Hawk again took Patterson back to the last time they’d been together, sitting around a campfire before the battle in South Carolina. The words from his friend about Eleanor returned to haunt him. There is more there than you are willing to admit. Since returning home from battle, he’d witnessed her tenderness as she took care of his wounds. He’d noticed how her eyes–brown eyes–took on flecks of gold when she became angry or amused. He got the same level of satisfaction from being with her that he’d gotten from being with his wife.

  Maybe Hawk could tell something he hadn’t been able to see for himself. “It’s all your fault, Hawk, for putting these ideas into my head.” Patterson hissed, and lay his head on the straw above the blacksmith shop. There was only a single bed in the loft, left over from when Hawk lived here. Now, he had a wife and children to run home to, and no longer needed these quarters. So, for the foreseeable future, this would be home to his family. And his family included Eleanor, who now slept in the single bed, along with Elizabeth and Daniel. She cared for him, loved him, even, but wanted children of her own as well as tending for his as if they were also hers. She wanted intimacy and lovemaking. Could he give it to her? Tear down the walls around his heart and be a true husband to her? To again put a woman in harm’s way by getting her with child?

  It had been a long time since Patterson had a woman. Rolling onto his side on the hard floor he finally admitted what Hawk had known all those months ago. He did love Eleanor. He hadn’t even given love or marriage to another a thought in all the years since Margaret’s death. But he was now. Until he had a home, and a job, in order to provide for his family, all he could do is wrestle with his thoughts. Right now, he could offer a woman little. The road ahead was filled with uncertainty. And lying awake while the others slept was not going to solve anything. All that did was make his stomach tie itself into knots. Hawk was still downstairs, so Patterson quietly left the loft and returned to the forge, where Hawk poured molten lead into forms on the wooden table. Patterson’s eyes lit at the sight and he grinned.

  “Ah, just like old times, eh, Hawk? The need for bullets never ends.”

  “Oui, mon amie, except I no longer have my lovely assistant working with me.” Hawk glanced up at Patterson. “Libby is at home with the children.”

  “I’ll help you, since I can’t sleep.”

  Hawk’s amused gaze flickered over him. “You are not nearly as good looking as my Libby, but you’ll do. Right now, we must wait for more of the metal to melt.” Hawk leveled his gaze at his friend. “So, we can discuss your situation.”

  Patterson shrugged, hoping to deflect Hawk’s train of thought. “I’ll begin looking for a job in the morning, Hawk, and a place for us to live. We’ll be out of your hair as soon as possible.”

  Hawk’s gaze pinged him. “Your living quarters is not the situation that needs discussing. You may stay in the loft as long as you need. But the situation with Eleanor is what we need to talk about. Your woman has decided to stay in America?”

  Patterson nodded. “Eleanor has faced a lot more than she ever thought possible when she first arrived here, as a frightened, timid woman. But despite all that she’s had to deal with, she’s decided she rather enjoys the freedom America offers.”

  “From what I can tell, she is no longer a frightened, timid woman, such as what you described when we were in South Carolina.” Hawk caught Patterson’s gaze. “And if you have convinced yourself her freedom is the only thing keeping her here, you are lying to yourself.”

  Patterson hung his head. “I have no wish to be the cause of her death, as I was with Margaret.”

  Hawk straightened. “Ah, I see. You are in love with her, too.”

  “Yes, I am. But Margaret died because of our love.”

  “But you forget, Margaret was near forty when Elizabeth was delivered. Eleanor is a younger woman.” Hawk carried a ladle of hot lead to Patterson. “You might not be able to keep up with her, mon amie.” Hawk’s tongue was in his cheek, making it bulge outward.

  Patterson took the ladle and poured the hot lead into the bullet forms. “You make a good point, Hawk. But I am more than able, even with a gimpy leg, to run circles around her.”

  Hawk was correct. Eleanor was considerably younger than Margaret had been. And she had professed her love for him, even with his age and bad leg working against him. As soon as this war ended, if it ever did, the young men who were currently under the command of General Washington would return home and start their families. Patterson might lose Eleanor to one of them, if he didn’t wrap her tightly to his family. And that meant marriage and sleeping together every night. Preferably not with two or three children between them. Even as he gave over his thoughts to the notion of what his nights might become, his manhood swelled in anticipation. He’d best get to work.

  Soon enough, the lead was poured, and the bullets were cooling in the forms. Tomorrow, he’d bundle them up and deliver them to the Sons of Liberty before he searched for a job. By tomorrow night, he’d find something to do that would pay him in money or food. Then, he’d start putting his plans together to woo Eleanor properly. He wondered if the Bible contained any names beginning with the letter ‘F’.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  F inding a job had been the easy part of the return to Boston. Patterson had lived in the town for years, was friendly with a lot of people, and there was always work to be done. He was placed in charge of inventory at the general store two days after returning to Boston.

  Finding a home took a bit more effort. Hawk took Adam on as an apprentice, and the boy was so fascinated by blacksmithing he no longer spoke of running off to fight. Patterson was grateful for small favors, since, even with the French aiding the Patriots, victory over the British still was unattainable, although the fields of battle shifted further south.

  Patterson and his brood relocated from Hawk’s loft two weeks after arriving in Boston. Patterson found a small place for rent in the Dorchester Flats area of Boston. It was close to the harbor and close enough to the Sons of Liberty and his work. Eleanor and the three youngest children slept in one room, and Patterson shared his bedroom with Adam and Ben.

  Patterson and Eleanor sat at the table the first night in their new dwelling, sipping cups of tea. Patterson lit a cheroot, enjoying the new space. With a new woman. His woman, if he chose to make her so. The scent of the burning tobacco tickled his nose.

  “Finally, I’m starting to feel settled.” Eleanor brushed her auburn hair back from her face.

  “It has been a struggle, hasn’t it?” Patterson removed a small jar from his pocket. “I picked this up today from the apothecary.” He opened the jar and held it to Eleanor’s nose.

  Eleanor sniffed deeply and raised her gaze to him. “It’s the same scent you had made up in Groton, yet a bit different.”

  Patterson smiled and dipped his finger into the mixture before he took hold of her hand. “It is, indeed, a bit different. You are a bit different than you were in Groton. I had the apothecary add in even more spice. It suits you better than the other.” He massaged the cream into her worn and callused fingers.

  She leaned back and sighed before she raised an eyebrow in his direction. “Are you saying I contain more spice now?”

  Patterson’s eyes lit with amusement. “Over the months you’ve been here in America, you’ve adapted quite nicely. You were so quiet before, almost as if you didn’t want to be noticed. Now, you have no trouble expressing your opinions. You’ve developed a strong sense of character. Daniel wouldn’t be able to recognize you if he passed you on the street. You’re quite different from the young woman he brought over from England.”

  “There’s nothing like abetting a crime and fleeing from fire to add some spice to my character.” Eleanor didn’t remove her hand from his.

  He leaned into her. His lips touched hers, softly. His tongue ran across the seam of her lips and they parted. He swooped in, and his heartbeat became a drum
beat. Her tongue tentatively touched his, and he was lost.

  Patterson finally broke from the kiss, his breathing ragged. He stared at her. “I have been doing some Bible reading of late, Eleanor. There are two names I’ve come across that might be of interest to you. Felix and Faith.”

  Eleanor glanced up at him, the gold flecks in her eyes more predominant. “What exactly are you saying, Patterson?”

  Patterson’s gaze focused on her lips, which were a bit swollen from his tortured kiss. Eleanor was right now biting her lower lip. He brushed his thumb over it before he swooped in for another kiss. “I’m saying it’s high time we put all the children into one room, and we share the other.” He kissed each of her fingers, which still carried the spicy scent he’d created for her. “But if you’d rather carve your own path, I will accept your decision.” He dropped her hand and shoved his chair away from the table. “I should not entice you with kisses to make you stay with me. With us.”

  She rose from the table and rounded the corner, sitting on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Please entice me with kisses. All I hoped for when I arrived here was to turn around and head back home. You, and your precious family have shown me I can be a strong woman on my own. But I don’t want to be on my own. I want to be with you. I’ll never replace Margaret in your life, nor should I. But I hope to make the second half of your life every bit as fulfilling as the first has been.”

  Patterson wrapped his arms around Eleanor’s waist and leaned in, more than happy to oblige her. He had been starving for affection for more than two years. He smiled as he recalled his braggadocio to Hawk about having a lovemaking sandwich. Now, he had the opportunity once again to have a feast. His kisses deepened, one hand roaming over Eleanor’s backside, the other cupping a breast. His erection poked her bottom. She squirmed under his hands but didn’t back away. Instead, she leaned into him, sighing softly.

  “Once this war is over and done with, I wish to head west and help settle the country. Are you game?”

  Eleanor laid her head on his shoulder. “I feel the end of the war is still a long way off. Right now, my wish is to become a teacher, and help all of Boston’s children how to read and write.”

  “America will always need teachers. Otherwise, how can we ever govern ourselves?” He kissed her again and began to undo the buttons on the front of her dress. He opened the gown and stared at the pert breast. Her nipple was a bit darker than Margaret’s had been. He leaned in and placed his mouth over her exposed bosom and all thoughts of Margaret evaporated when Eleanor sighed. When she moaned. It was a siren song that had been too long in coming. His hand slid south, under her skirts, the flesh of her legs soft to his touch. He reached the apex of her legs and his fingers wove into her coarse hair, tugging on it gently. She cried out, her eyes opening.

  “I want you, Eleanor.”

  She sat up, tugging her dress together and lowering her skirts. “The only other time I’ve been touched like this was when Billy Buford touched me as he pinned me to the floor. I don’t wish my first time with you to be on a floor as well.” She rose from his lap.

  He stood and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so sorry, Eleanor. I didn’t mean to stir up old memories best left forgotten.”

  She laid her head on his shoulder. “I want you, too, Patterson, but not like this. Not under a table while your children could walk in on us at any moment.”

  An idea began to percolate in Patterson’s lust-filled brain. “There’s an empty bed at Hawk’s shop. Are you up for a short walk?”

  Eleanor glanced up at him, a smile forming on her lips. She rose on her toes and kissed him, her tongue boldly sliding in between his teeth and lingering for a moment. “Let me get my shawl.”

  • ♥ •

  Eleanor was breathless as Patterson led her quickly through the quiet streets of Boston. Whether it was from the fast pace he set or from what was about to happen, she had no clue. But her excitement grew with each passing step. As did the dampness between her legs. She was grateful Hawk had left the blacksmith shop for the day, since she didn’t want to exchange pleasantries before running up the stairs to the loft.

  What she did want was to see Patterson in all his naked glory again. When he’d been so sick with his leg wound and she took care of him, she had been careful not to expose him entirely, so she’d stare at his naked chest for hours, or caught a glimpse of his private parts as she bathed him. But now, she could peruse him to her heart’s content.

  “Here we are, Eleanor.” Patterson led her with sure steps to the crude staircase and they ascended to the loft. “Do you want me to light a candle?”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes. I’ve been waiting months to see you naked—”

  She could feel his intake of breath, and he took one of her hands, placing it on his erection. “I didn’t think I could get any harder, Eleanor, but your words have this effect on me.”

  She let her fingers stray over the hard shaft, and Patterson hissed out a breath. “It’s been too long, darling.”

  “Then light the candle quickly.”

  He did her bidding and then stripped his clothing away before she had done more than remove her shawl. She drank in the sight of him, her eyes roaming over his chest to the seemingly massive erection between his legs. She touched him there and he wavered on his feet.

  “I need to get you undressed in short order, Eleanor.” He again unbuttoned her dress and tugged it over her shoulders, letting it drop in a pile around her feet. The cool air on her exposed bosom caused her nipples to peak. Or possibly it was Patterson’s gaze as he took in the sight of her. Or possibly it was his mouth and hands as he toyed with her. Whatever the reason, she could not hold back the moan. Her belly tightened as her inner muscles clenched, searching for release of some kind. Patterson’s clever mouth was making her breast ache in the most pleasant fashion, as he suckled and teased her. She wrapped a hand around the back of his head, holding him in place while her entire body writhed. He picked her up and walked the few paces to the bed, where he finally broke his hold on her breast. Panting, she glanced up at him, noticing the glazed look in his eyes.

  “Why did you stop, Patterson?” She brushed a lock of his hair back from his forehead.

  “Your first time, my love, should not take place while we both have our shoes on.” He laughed, kicking off his footwear and then seeing to hers. Holding her nude foot, he kissed her instep, then nibbled his way up her leg. He puffed out a breath when he reached her apex, and she shivered.

  When his mouth covered her aching sweet spot, her body bucked. Patterson cupped her bottom in his hands and held her in place while he teased her most sensitive area. An area she had not known existed before this evening. She could not control the noises coming from her mouth as her body tensed, heading toward something, but she had no idea what. His tongue and lips kept up their delicious assault on her as her body coiled. Then, he entered her damp region with a finger. She bucked again, feeling as if she’d flung her body off the side of a mountain and was floating to the ground. Her moans, and her heartrate, slowly quieted. She opened her eyes and Patterson loomed over her.

  “What just happened to me?” She wrapped her arms around him.

  “It’s called a climax. I’m grateful I was able to give you your first one. Would you like to taste yourself?” He grinned and pointed to his damp chin.

  She nodded and tasted his lips, then lapped his chin. She tasted sex for the first time. He kept her busy kissing him, while he positioned himself where his mouth and finger had just been. He fondled her sensitive area and she could feel her inner walls tightening again. He ran the tip of his cock around her folds, gathering her moisture and entered her slowly.

  “This will hurt a bit, but only for a time.” He pushed a bit further into her. “Let me know when you are ready for the rest of me.”

  “Can all of you fit?” Eleanor ran her hand down his backside, cupping his bottom. “You are so big.”


  He laughed. “Never fear, my love. I will fit.”

  She gave a little shove to his bottom. “Then get on with it.”

  When he finally was completely rooted in her, he began teasing her, withdrawing slightly, then entering her again, until the ache disappeared, and she accepted him fully. She began to match his rhythm, and her body began its coil again. Her breathing grew ragged as Patterson slammed into her time and again, bumping her sweet spot each time until she cried out and fell over the edge. With one final push, Patterson cried her name as his seed poured into her. He fell onto the mattress beside her and their breathing slowly returned to normal.

  He cupped her cheek and drew her in for a kiss. “I want you again already.” He led her hand to his cock, which already was regaining its erectness. “But I fear you cannot handle me just yet.”

  She raised up on one elbow. “I think you’re right. I am a bit sore.”

  How could she have gone all these years and not known the pleasures a man could provide? Not any man. Her man. Patterson Lovejoy. Her life would never be the same again. She lay back against him contentedly, in a drowsy stupor.

  “We can’t fall asleep here, my love.” Patterson shook her slightly, sensing her drowsiness.

  “But I want this to continue.”

  He laughed again. “You make me very happy, Eleanor, and I’d love to oblige, but the children will grow concerned if we’re not in the house when they wake up.”

  “Can we change the sleeping accommodations at the house then, so you and I can sleep together every night?” Eleanor rose from the bed and bent to pick up her dress.

  Patterson tugged on her, bringing her back to the bed. “We can, but I would prefer us to be married before we share a room in front of the children.” He fondled her breast again, and she nestled closer to his hard chest, toying with his nipples, and bringing a shudder to his body.