by Alexia Praks
Just this morning when Betty had found out that the guests were going to have a picnic in this very garden, the maid had devised hundreds of devious plans for her to perform. She remembered one of them very clearly. It was supposed to be a jest, but now it did not seem like a jest to her anymore.
“Master Chris, a little help over here,” Mr. Sam shouted from the other side. He was still in the dark as to what was happening and didn’t give a damn.
Christine turned to see Mr. Sam waving his arm wildly at her, signaling for her to come and help him dig up the dirt. She nodded at him and then turned back to look up at the angry beast.
Merrick saw the signal and narrowed his eyes.
She stared up at him, showing very clearly the stubbornness in her eyes. “I have to go help,” she said as she backed away.
Merrick advanced a step forward.
Christine’s heart did a startled kick.
Max watched, his eyes sharp.
“Chris, I warn you,” Merrick said.
Christine took another backward step. Then she took a big deep breath, turned, and ran in the opposite direction.
“Chris!” Merrick barked. “Chris! You come back here!”
Max roared with laughter. Merrick shoved his friend in the arm to make the man stop. Max did and shook his head. “You’ve found your match, Merrick,” his friend said, and Merrick wanted to punch him.
Christine did not look back. She ran to Mr. Sam. Once there, she heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that Merrick would not come after her into this dirt. He would not get himself dirty just because she did not obey him.
“You need help, Mr. Sam?” she asked, looking down at the old man in the big hole he had made.
“Ah, Master Chris, I want you to shovel the dirt for a while. I need to go for a leak,” he said and pushed himself up. He seated himself on the edge of the hole, wiping his dirty face with his dirtier hands. “All right, Master, off you go,” he said, nodding.
Christine seated herself on the rim of the hole, and Mr. Sam took off. She watched as he rushed toward the far side where there were many bushes. He was in such a hurry that he tripped on the dirt and fell flat on his face. He pushed himself up, looked around wildly, and went off again.
Christine giggled as she watched him disappear into the bushes. She proceeded to lower her body into the hole. She was sliding down smoothly when she felt her body being lifted up. She looked about her in confusion and then realized that there were large, strong hands beneath her armpits. She tipped her head backward, and, to her horror, she saw teal-blue eyes burning fierily down at her.
Merrick lifted her back up. Her light weight was nothing against his superior strength.
Christine panicked when she realized Merrick was serious. He came after her whether there was dirt or not. Panicked, she wiggled her body, making herself slip from his grip.
Merrick guessed her tactics. He held on to her arms tighter, causing her to flinch. With one pull, he dragged her body back against his so that she lay in the crook of his body, on top of him as he hit the dirty ground, his outfit getting filthy all over.
“Oh my God!” Anne exclaimed. “My lord, are you all right?” she shrieked as she hopped about on her spot. She was scared of getting her gown dirty but wanted to go to the earl and kick that damn kid out of his arms at the same time. She thought their position was horrendously uncalled for. It didn’t help her temper either with the duke laughing so loudly beside her.
Christine fought her way from Merrick’s arms, trying hard to get away from him. He caught her arm and forced her down against him. Her head smashed against the base of his neck, and her back collided with his chest. Christine could feel his manly strength against her thin arms and back. She pushed herself up so that he would let her go, but the action caused her pain as her head hit his chin. She thought she had hurt him. She was so scared that she turned to look at him.
“My lord, are you all right?” she asked.
“Where do think you are going, brat?” he said.
Christine tried to wrestle against his strong hands, but it did not seem to work. By chance, she managed to sit up. She was sitting across his waist, her legs on either side of his body.
Merrick dropped his head back to the ground. Something was nagging at him. Something was very wrong indeed. But right then he couldn’t think what. All he knew right then was that his ward had disobeyed him, and this ward needed some discipline.
He loosened his grip on her arms.
Christine knew it was her only chance of escape. She gathered all her strength and was about to dash up when Merrick’s reflexes took hold. He grabbed both her arms and threw her back against the dirt, forcing her to lie below him.
Her head hit the ground with a thud. She found that he was imprisoning her below him.
They stared at each other, their faces inches apart, their breath warm on each other’s faces.
Merrick stared at her, at the bright eyes, at the flushed cheeks, and at the full lips. He wanted to kiss those lips. He wanted to bury his fingers in that thick mop of curls and do things to his ward, things that he would do tonight to Maria.
He grunted loudly in frustration and in anger for thinking such sinful thoughts. He stood up and looked down at her. He said, “Don’t disobey me again, Chris. Don’t make me do things I’d regret.” Then he walked away.
Christine closed her eyes as he departed. He was angry with her. What did she do wrong? She sat up and stared at his handsome form walking toward the two beautiful women. Just look at them, she thought. They looked exquisite standing there with their pretty gowns and high-fashioned hair. She felt like a monster from the dirty pond. For the first time in her life, she understood envy, and she didn’t like the feeling one bit.
She got up, stalked to the hole, and jumped down. She angrily picked up the shovel and started digging. She stared at the dirt. Then slowly she smiled. Determinedly, she drove the shovel into the dirt. She stamped her foot on it, forcing it to go deeper. Then she lifted the shovel. It was full of smelly pond dirt. She peeped up at the four occupants still on the far side. She saw Merrick cleaning his clothing while the two women helped with their small, delicate handkerchiefs. She had one shot at them, and she had better make a good attempt at hitting the target. Then with all her might, she threw the dirt in their direction.
The lump of dirt flew into the air and hit its target.
Max widened his eyes when his saw the bomb coming. He shifted his body just so. The attack missed him by an inch. Most of the dirt hit Anne. Her beautiful gown turned a muddy mess. Anne opened her mouth in shock and then screamed. Some of the dirt hit Merrick. Instantly, his eyes darted toward the hole, and he caught Christine looking at them with a smirk playing about her face. A small amount of the dirt hit Jane. She looked at it in confusion and said, “Oh dear.”
“My lord, ’tis outrageous. My God, look at what that ward of yours has done,” Anne raved, half crying, one of her hands pulling at Merrick’s sleeve. “My lord, you must do something,” she said. “Why, just look at my gown. My lord, do something.” Anne stamped her feet.
By now, the guests had arrived, wondering what all the commotion was about. “What’s going on here?” Lady Queensbury asked.
“Mama, look at my gown. I can’t believe this, Mama. He did it.” Anne pointed a finger at Christine, who had resumed digging the dirt, pretending not to have noticed anything amiss.
Lady Queensbury thinned her lips. She turned to Merrick and said, “Really, my lord, this is outrageous. I must say, sir, you must do something about this.”
Max raised his eyebrows at her. Lady Queensbury became flustered because of the stare.
Merrick was oblivious to his surroundings. He was still staring at his ward digging the dirt. In his mind’s eye, he kept playing that image of Christine smirking at him after she had thrown the dirt at them. It was obvious to him that she had done it on purpose.
Anne was still pulling at his arm, trying to get hi
s attention. Merrick heard Allan laugh wholeheartedly. “Well, Merrick, I dare say this is very entertaining indeed.”
“I don’t think it is entertaining, Allan.” Merrick frowned at his cousin. “I suggest you two ladies go up and change,” he said, still staring at the brown curls of a head popping up and down in the hole.
“The earl is right, Jane. Let’s get that gown off you,” Mrs. Wilson said and then led her daughter toward the Hall.
“Come along now, Anne, you must get out of that gown,” Lady Queensbury said, pulling her daughter behind her. The crowd left, leaving Merrick still staring at Christine with a murderous expression on his face.
Max slapped his friend’s shoulder and said, “Spank the behind. Don’t touch the head or that slender back. I like that mop of brown curls.” And then he walked away.
“Chris, come here,” Merrick called.
Christine looked up. She tiredly threw away the shovel and climbed out of the hole. She slowly walked toward him. Once in front of him, she stopped.
“My lord?” she began. She did not dare look up at him.
“Hear this, brat, you have been warned. Don’t you ever do that again, not in front of all my guests. And especially do not attack me and my guests. Do you understand me?” he scolded.
Mutely, she nodded her head.
“I don’t ever want to see you behaving in such a way again, do you hear me?” he demanded.
Again, she nodded her head.
He took three strides toward the Hall before he turned around and added, in a very serious voice, “In fact, Chris, ’tis better if you return to the cottage.”
Tears misted her eyes. So that day had come, the day that he no longer wanted her here. It had come sooner than she had expected. Her heart shattered. Mutely, she nodded again for she could not speak. It was too much.
Merrick saw the mist in her eyes. He wanted to wipe it away but couldn’t for it was wrong. He turned to go without a backward glance.
Christine blinked, causing tears to spill down her dirty face. She sniffed and wiped them away with her sleeves.
“Whoa, what’s wrong, Master Chris?” Mr. Sam asked once he had returned, having missed out on the action.
Christine turned to him and sobbed. “It’s his lordship. He doesn’t want me here anymore.”
Mr. Sam’s mouth dropped opened. He scratched his head. He didn’t understand anything.
Christine felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Mr. Jacob standing behind her. “I’m sorry, Master Chris,” he said.
Christine shook her head.
“Now, Master Chris, I think you should go and clean up, you know, to maybe feel better,” Mr. Sam suggested. Christine nodded and then ran back to the Hall.
* * *
Christine ran straight to her bedroom and requested a bath. Emma and Betty quickly made her one, questioning her red eyes and sorrow-filled face. Once the warm bath was ready, she dismissed them. Alone, she bathed, scrubbing herself as she cried, tears flowing down her pink cheeks like a waterfall. After twenty minutes of vigorous scrubbing and telling herself how much she hated Merrick, her body was red all over, and her tears were all gone. She sighed and got out off the bathtub.
No, no, she shouldn’t hate Merrick, she told herself. He was a very kind man; otherwise, he would never have taken her in and employed her grandpapa. Aye, she told herself, she had been foolish to have treated his guests in such a way. It was she who was in the wrong. She must go to him and apologize. After all the good things that he had done for her, she must return his kindness and protect him from the callous Lady Anne Wilson. Her mind made up, she dressed quickly and went to Merrick’s door.
She turned the doorknob quickly before she got scared and changed her mind. She slid into Merrick’s sitting room and closed the door behind her.
She stood still, her back to the door, contemplating what to do next. Then slowly, she tiptoed toward the door of the adjoining room. Gently, she turned the doorknob. Ever so slightly, she pushed it open and then poked her head in. Her eyes searched the large room from corner to corner, scanning very slowly, and then she saw him.
Her breath caught at the back of her throat. Her eyes widened in shock for in the very corner of the room she saw Merrick with Lady Ferguson.
She was looking at his muscular, bare back. He was holding on to Maria, his strong arm around her body. He made sensual sounds from deep within his throat. A sound that made Christine’s head spin. She saw that Maria’s gown was down about her waist. The top half of her body was bare. Christine swallowed. In all her young life, she had never known two people could be so close together.
She saw Merrick’s mouth move down the length of Maria’s delicate throat, kissing it sweetly, down toward her breasts.
Christine closed her eyes. Her breathing became short and fast, and somehow, she had difficulty breathing. Merrick was kissing Maria’s breast, but somehow her own breasts too tingled. They hardened, pushing against the binding. And it hurt.
Merrick closed his eyes at the beautiful, intense feelings he was having while he was with Maria, and the feelings washed over him. Ah, Maria. Her sweetness filled him with wonder.
She had been in his room, waiting for him while he had been outside dealing with his ward. She had started to seduce him once he had entered the room. Before long, the heat inside him had started to rise, and now he wanted her. This was good, he thought, because Maria seducing him and arousing him proved that he wasn’t homosexual, that he didn’t prefer men over woman.
He kissed her and closed his eyes. In his mind’s eye, he saw her staring up at him with love. It was Angela. She was stroking the side of his face. Suddenly, Angela’s face disappeared, and now before him was another face. It was his ward. He felt small hands stroking his thick hair. He felt small arms wrapped around his neck, pushing that slim body closer to him.
He stopped the kiss and opened his eyes. Maria stared up at him in confusion. Merrick gritted his teeth in anger. He had thought that he had proved that his lust for his ward had only been his imagination, but he was wrong. It was real. Damn real!
He released Maria, who suddenly felt cold and lost. He turned, and that was when he saw her. He grunted and stalked to the door. He didn’t halt. Once he got there, he dragged her to the sitting room, his strong grip hurting her delicate skin. He dumped her on the sofa and stood glaring at her.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he snapped.
Christine winced. Lord, she had never seen him this angry before. She tried to summon her courage to shout back. She swallowed hard and whispered, “I was here to—”
“To what?” he boomed at her.
She looked up at him then, her eyes teary and her cheeks red, for the scene she had just encountered still played fresh in her mind. She was afraid to look at his face, and so she looked at his broad chest instead. It was massive and so beautiful she had that urge to put her hand there and do what Maria had just done to him. She wanted to touch him so badly that it hurt her not to do it. She frowned at her own stupid feelings.
“Well?” he pressed.
“I was here—” Suddenly she was angry. It was too much for one morning. She wouldn’t allow him to treat her this way. She was so angry that she didn’t care what the hell happened anymore. So she pushed herself up to stand on the settee.
That took Merrick by surprise. He saw her blushing cheeks. They begged to be touched and caressed. He, of course, knew the reason for the blush. He noted that determined spark in her eyes. Suddenly, he felt a glow of pride.
“I’m here to apologize,” she announced, tilting her chin a few inches higher, though her shaky voice betrayed her confidence.
“I see.”
“Merrick, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you,” she told him.
Merrick raised his brows, and his look of indifference angered her. So he didn’t care about her anymore? “Oh, I hate you,” she whispered to herself, and it was not intended for him to overhear.
/> “You hate me?”
He heard that? She bit her lip.
“Merrick, I do not think Master Smith did anything wrong,” Maria said as she came toward them. Her gown was back to normal, and her hair was in good order as if nothing had happened earlier.
“I don’t think you need to get into this.” Merrick frowned at his mistress.
Christine scowled. She didn’t like the way Maria was acting, rubbing her damn beautiful body against Merrick.
“So do you accept my apology?” she sobbed.
“Aye, Chris, I accept your apology. Now come down here.”
Christine jumped down from the settee and turned to Maria. She stared at the older woman straight in the eye and said, “You, leave now.”
“Chris, this is going a bit too far,” Merrick warned.
“You! I said leave.” Christine ignored Merrick. She wanted to be alone with him, and she didn’t understand why.
Maria didn’t move. She knew she had the upper hand. After all, she was the earl’s mistress. To show her power, she leaned her head against Merrick’s arm, rubbing her face against his muscular shoulder seductively. As she was doing so, her eyes mocked Christine, daring her to do something about it.
Christine’s heart drummed so hard within her chest she thought it might pop out any moment now. She looked at Merrick and saw him smiling at the woman. It was very painful to watch. She hated the way he was smiling at that woman. Suddenly, she felt that things were getting out of hand. She caught Maria’s arm and pulled her away from Merrick. The action was so fast that it took Maria by surprise. The woman actually looked confused.
Merrick frowned at her. Christine didn’t care, however, and her fingers bit onto Maria’s delicate skin. Then she literally attempted to drag Maria from the room. Maria, on the other hand, tried to pull herself back in the opposite direction, her other free hand reaching for Merrick.
“Merrick, help,” she cried.
