“But, Joseph, I know you felt as I did when we kissed. After all, you threatened to ravage me!”
Although she had whispered these words to him, Joseph still glanced around the stables to make certain no one was listening. He turned back to her and spoke softly. “As I said, I regret it happened. It would be for the best if you would forget about it, and forget about me. I beg you to select one of the many young men who are better suited to you and accept his advances. Now, leave me and Midnight and get back into the house before you are discovered.”
Ginger’s breath caught in her throat, and she placed her hand over her heart. “Oh, are you calling him Midnight? That means you do care for me, in spite of what you say, if you let me name your precious horse.” She wiped her tears away. “Well, bless my bloomers!”
Her laughter filled the air as she skipped out of the stables.
Joseph went to his horse and put his head on the steed’s neck, stifling his groan. It was true he regretted the day in the livery. He knew Basil’s anger would be uncontrolled if he discovered Joseph had kissed Ginger. If Joseph had lost all of his control and taken her, as he wanted to do, Basil would surely cut him out of his life in St. Louis, and would cease doing business with Joseph and his father. For the sake of the family business, and so as not to lose Basil’s friendship, he must never touch her again. He had been trying to tamp down his feelings for her since the day he had lost his senses and kissed her in the livery, and thought he had regained his control.
But seeing her today, in the clothes of a stable boy — so typical of her lively spirit and her sense of adventure — brought his desire to the surface once again. Not to mention her beautiful face and curvaceous body, which a boy’s attire only accentuated. He thought he had been successful over the past few weeks, forcing her from his mind and keeping his distance from her physically, even though she played a starring role in his nightly troubled dreams.
He replayed the scene in Niblo’s Garden when Richard tried to seduce Ginger. He had managed to undo her bodice before Ginger fought him off and Joseph had caught a momentary glimpse of her exposed bosom. The vision of her creamy swell of breast and that luscious pink nipple played in his head nightly as sleep overtook him. On the evenings when he could sleep. He spent many a restless night in the livery, bestowing extra attention on his horses as he relived the afternoon when she rescued him from the runaway buggy. Their close encounter had caused him to take advantage and kiss her. If not for his rigid self-control, he would have given in to his need to plunder her there and then.
His manhood had sprung to attention today the very second he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of Midnight’s stall. He did not need to look at her or to see her telltale reddish locks to know it was Ginger in the clothing of a young boy. His body knew the minute he put his hand on her.
With his head swimming, he pondered what to do next, and decided. He would leave New York immediately after the race, and head back to St. Louis. Once he got out of this privileged and cultured environment of New York City, which was totally foreign to him, and fell back into his hard routine of finding and breaking horses, sheer exhaustion would put Ginger forever out of his mind. At least that is what he had told himself every day since their kiss in the livery.
He grabbed a brush and began to groom Midnight to a sleek, coal-black sheen worthy of his name.
Chapter Fifteen
Later in the day, Ginger and Elizabeth, along with the Englishmen Cedric and Richard and the other guests, took their places on the wide expanse of carefully manicured lawn in front of the large estate house, in preparation for a game of hide-and-seek. In actuality, the game was an excuse for couples to steal away from the crowd for a few moments of pleasure out of the view of the mothers and other chaperones who were constantly in attendance.
Ginger knew she could not count on Elizabeth to run interference between her and Richard. Elizabeth and Cedric were among those couples who wanted to find a hidden spot where they could kiss. And she knew Joseph would not leave Midnight alone in the stables until after the race. Even if he were free, she could not imagine him playing such a foolish game. So, it was up to her to defend herself against Richard’s unwanted advances. Fortunately, it was an overcast day, so she thought it wasn’t too unseemly of her to carry her parasol with her as she ran lightly over the grass with the others in search of a place to hide.
She ducked behind one of the large, squat boxwoods running along the side of a stone wall. Their pungent smell filled the air, reminding her of cat urine. Perhaps their odor would keep other people away. After all, it wasn’t nearly so romantic to crouch behind stinky boxwoods as it was to lie in a field of sweet-scented lavender.
She sat quite still and enjoyed hearing the whoops of laughter as one person after another was found, or tagged home. She had no desire to leave her spot and rejoin the game. Doing so would just mean she’d have to be the one to find the others, and she had no wish to intrude on intimate scenes like the one she knew Elizabeth and Cedric were having, maybe even at this very minute. She had to admit she was a bit jealous of Elizabeth. Cedric may not be the man she would have picked for her friend, but at least he hadn’t sent her away from him and told her to forget his existence! No, Cedric was more than willing to kiss and fondle Elizabeth. Ginger propped her head on the stone wall and closed her eyes, imagining being kissed and fondled by Joseph. Her lips parted as she thought of his mouth touching hers again.
“Aha, there you are, my little minx.”
Her eyes popped open as she recognized the cultured British accent. She had only a second to brace herself before Richard fell on top of her, pinning her to the ground.
“Get off of me, you big oaf,” she said as she pushed against him.
“Not this time, my love. I made sure the Frenchie is nowhere near us before I came to you. This time, you will be mine.” His hands moved over her breasts as she continued to struggle. “I must admit, even though your money is what I need, your body is what I lust after. It will be no hardship to be married to such a comely lass as yourself.”
He captured her mouth with his as one hand began to creep down her body.
Ginger wrapped her hand around her parasol and pushed its pointed tip into his ribs with all the force she could muster. At the same time, she bit into his lower lip.
Simultaneously, his mouth and his ribs exploded in pain as he doubled over, trying to catch his breath. Blood spurted over his fine white linen shirt.
“What have you done? I was just trying to have some fun.”
Ginger scrambled to her feet. “Yes, I know the kind of fun you have in mind, Mr. Douglas. Your form of seduction comes very close to rape. How do you think my father would react if I tell him what you’re trying to do? Do you think he’d open his arms, and his bank, to you and welcome you into the family? I’m sorry for your plight, but I won’t be your way out of your financial problems. Nor will my father, I’m sure. He did not have money handed to him, which is what you’re anticipating.”
Ginger’s eyes glimmered in anger as she continued. “Papa worked hard to get where he is today, and he expects each member of our family to work hard as well. So, you see, Mr. Douglas, you’d never fit into the Fitzpatrick household. You don’t know what an honest day’s labor is.”
A picture of Joseph and his family, working on their ranch, training and breaking horses, flashed through her mind. Joseph knows what an honest day’s labor is, though, she thought.
Richard tried once again to grab her in a last futile effort to overwhelm her. But, she had grown up with brothers and knew the best place to aim to do the most harm. She raised her knee and hit him squarely in his crotch. Richard crumpled to the ground, grabbing his inflamed testicles and moaning in agony.
Ginger chuckled. “Men. You’re all cry babies.”
She helped him get to his feet. She felt only a tiny bit sorr
y for inflicting such pain on him.
“If you can ever find a woman who considers herself lucky just to have you, and she can afford you, you can continue on with your dissolute lifestyle. But this is America, not England. People don’t mind working and getting their hands dirty, if that’s what’s needed to get ahead. That attitude enabled us Americans to beat the pants off you British during the Revolutionary War, and it’s why we’re here this weekend, celebrating our independence from louts such as yourself!
“Come on,” she said. “I’ll help you back to the house where you can take care of your nasty cut lip. And maybe get an ice pack to soothe the, ahem, other parts of your body that are hurting. And, if I were you, I’d come up with a really good story about how it happened. You don’t want everyone to know it was the result of a failed attempt at lovemaking.”
Richard leaned on her and Ginger laughed as they walked toward the house. On the way back, Ginger noticed he had pieces of boxwood hanging from the back of his suit. She playfully poked him with her parasol, in an attempt to free the clippings from the cloth. When the parasol failed to dislodge them, she brushed his back to clear all signs of debris. Soon they were laughing together, as Richard returned the favor and picked some boxwood clippings from her hair. Ginger was almost sorry for Richard and his attempts to land an heiress. It must be a horrible position to be in, to either marry for money or be forever dependent on the benevolence of an older brother.
• • •
William Davenport had been attempting to feed Joseph’s horse moldy hay, in the hopes of making the horse sick, when Joseph crept up behind him. William swore the man appeared from nowhere — he hadn’t noticed his moccasined entrance. Joseph said nothing, he simply emptied the crib of the bad hay and glared at William.
Foiled in his attempt to put Midnight off his game tomorrow, William backed away from Joseph and then barreled out of the stable. He ran straight into Ginger and Richard, nearly knocking Ginger off her feet. His stormy eyes took in the scene, and already angry, he turned a malicious gaze toward Richard.
“So, have you finally succeeded in compromising Miss Fitzpatrick, eh, Douglas? When you first boasted several weeks ago that you would be the one to take her, I thought she’d see through you. Yet, here you are, still in my way. And from the looks of it, you two have been rolling around in the grass.”
“Officer Davenport, please! Mr. Douglas has not compromised me. How dare you even think such a thing?”
“Unlike you, William, I don’t need to compromise Miss Fitzpatrick in order to win her hand. I don’t see a whole lot of competition here,” Richard taunted.
William bristled. “That’s it, man. I’ve taken one too many of your fancy English slurs. Put up your hands and let’s fight like men.”
The two men circled each other, fists raised. They bobbed and weaved, each gauging the other, yet neither took a punch. Ginger thought it was more posturing than anything. And, if they were trying to impress her, they needn’t bother. Shaking her head in exasperation, she stepped between them and raised her own hands, just as William let go an upper right, aimed at Richard’s jaw. Richard ducked out of the way, and the blow landed on Ginger’s shoulder, knocking her off her feet. Richard gasped as Ginger fell to the ground, absorbing the blow meant for him.
When William struck Ginger and she fell, Joseph rushed at them, fists clenched. He was at her side in a heartbeat, and helped her to her feet.
“Are you hurt? Is your shoulder all right?” Joseph asked.
“I’m so sorry,” Richard said.
“It wasn’t your fault, Richard,” Ginger replied. “I’m fine. It was not much of a punch.”
Richard and Joseph both turned on William.
“Such gentlemanly behavior, Officer Davenport. I’m sure Miss Fitzpatrick will be enamored with you now, if she wasn’t before,” Richard said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Miss Fitzpatrick, I do apologize. It was never my intent to hit you, only the cowardly Richard Douglas, who was hiding behind your skirts. However can I make amends?”
Ginger dusted herself off, and rolled her shoulder to assess the damage. Satisfied it had been just a glancing blow, she replied, “You can make amends by ceasing this childish behavior. I am more than capable of watching out for my own virtue. I don’t need either of you to do it for me. Please stop this foolishness.”
“We are not just fighting to protect your virtue, Miss Fitzpatrick,” William replied. “We are in a battle for your hand.”
“Well, then, by all means stop. My hand is not yours for the taking. I do not have romantic feelings for either one of you.” She stole a quick glance at Joseph.
The duelists stopped in their tracks and looked at her in disbelief.
William coughed out a laugh. “You’re full of fine talk now, but after I win the horserace in the morning, and have women swarming all over me, you’ll change your mind. You will want me then. And despite your words today, I will still welcome your attention tomorrow.”
Ginger looked at the West Point officer and raised an eyebrow. “I hardly think it will sway my opinion. I couldn’t care less who wins a stupid and ill-advised horserace. But if you want to believe the outcome of the race will change my stance, go ahead.”
She turned to Joseph. “I’m unhurt, so please return to Midnight’s side. I know you’re concerned about his safety. Thank you for your efforts. Mr. Douglas will accompany me to the house.”
Joseph silently walked back to the stables as William glared after him. Then William puffed himself up, and followed Richard and Ginger to the house.
In a voice filled with indignation, he spoke to their backs, “All right, Miss Fitzpatrick. I can wait until tomorrow to claim you as my prize.”
Chapter Sixteen
Ginger took her seat at dinner, silently stomping her foot underneath the expensive mahogany table. She’d hoped to be seated near Joseph, but he was not at the table. She and her maid, Colleen, had taken extra care with her grooming this evening. Her new dress, with its full skirt of patterned blue organdy, complemented her hair beautifully. The sleeves fell just below her elbows and were finished off with a wide band of creamy Maltese lace. The bodice was cut in a low V, with another band of lace inset at the middle. The tight bodice made her waist look even smaller, and her hair had been brushed until it gleamed. Ginger knew she looked her best, but it seemed her dress and her grooming were all for naught, for there was no one at dinner she wanted to impress.
She was seated between Basil and Mrs. Curran, their hostess, and across the table from William, who would be racing the next day.
“Basil, where is Joseph this evening?” Ginger asked.
“He’s eating with the stable hands tonight.”
“But why would he eat in the stable, instead of feasting on this wonderful meal Mrs. Curran has provided for us?” Ginger smiled at Mrs. Curran, who accepted the compliment with a nod of her head.
“Maybe he doesn’t want to show his face, knowing how soundly I’m going to beat him tomorrow,” William sneered.
Ginger flicked an angry glance across the table at William, then turned back to Basil. “Well?”
“He’s worried about his horse, and doesn’t want anything more to happen to him.”
Ginger caught her breath. “Anything more? Has something happened to Midnight?”
“No, but only because Joseph is never far from him. Someone tried to slip moldy hay into the horse’s feeding trough this afternoon.”
She glared at William, who would not meet her gaze. “Why, moldy hay would make the horse sick for at least a day! Who would do such a thing, knowing that the big race is tomorrow?”
William straightened in his seat, pulling his body into military erectness. “Are you accusing me of foul play? I have not been anywhere near the stables since this morning. And I don’t
need to resort to trickery to win the race.”
“But you nearly ran into me this afternoon as you were hurrying away from the stables! Surely you remember? It was right before you punched me.”
Basil turned to his sister. “William punched you? What are you talking about?” He rose from his seat and reached across the table, grabbing William’s arm. “You hit my sister? I’ll beat you to a bloody pulp!”
Ginger pulled on her brother’s arm and hissed. “Sit down. There’s no need to cause a scene. I’d be happy to show you the bruise, Basil, if you’d like. It’s of no consequence, really — he certainly didn’t have much power behind his punch. I’ve received harder blows from you and Halwyn when we were just playing. But Mr. Douglas and I did see Officer Davenport leaving the stables this afternoon, so his claim he hasn’t been there since morning is indeed false.” Basil took his seat once more, but he continued to glare across the table.
William glared back. “So now you’re accusing me of lying as well as insinuating I’m trying to harm a horse?”
Basil covered his sister’s hand with his own. “Despite the fact that you hit my sister, I’m certain Ginger did not mean to cast aspersions on your character. She knows you are a horse lover, as is Joseph. But in addition to the moldy hay, one of the workers tried to take Midnight out for a run this evening. When Joseph caught him leading the horse out of the stall, the stable boy said he’d made a mistake and had the wrong horse. So, Joseph thought it for the best he take off his fancy dinner suit and stay in the barn for the night, in order to avoid any more mix-ups.”
William’s hand flexed into a fist on top of the table. His eyes flashed as he stared at Basil. “It seems to me Joseph is finding one excuse after another for why his horse will lose tomorrow. Why doesn’t he just accept the fact his is the lesser horse and he is the inferior rider instead of trying to pin blame on someone other than himself and his steed?”
Time After Time Page 193
