by T. Massey
She bought herself a ticket when she got there, and got on the first train to a big city. She was done with this place, and these people. She'd write to her mom when she got to a safe location, but she was done with Hammond.
Roscoe could marry himself for all she cared. She was done with this situation, she deserved more.
Florence boarded the train and found a seat, determined to never look back.
Chapter 2 – The Ball Gown
Benjamin Knapp’s family had been in the ruby business for generations. Dinner parties like tonight’s were as common as Sunday brunch. A handful of suited businessmen reclined in deck chairs smoking cigars on the wraparound porch. They alternately bad-mouthed each other and discussed what the next shipment would go for.
Their wives and daughters sat inside, gossiping, although a few had strayed outside to get some fresh air and meander about the property. Dusk had just settled, and the light of the sun going down behind the mountains made for a beautiful evening.
Ben didn't even notice, his eyes were on something else. Someone else.
Benjamin let his gaze linger on Lady Brielle’s plunging neckline, imagining where that bodice wouldn’t be later that evening. She met his eyes and blushed. The two of them were intimate, but he had no intention of marrying the girl. He liked her well enough, but she had too many lovers for his taste, and he wouldn't share his wife and he knew she wouldn't be able to be monogamous. He had no patience for that in a wife.
If he married, he expected his wife to belong to him. He wouldn't share her, anymore than he'd share himself. He had honor, integrity and if he made his vows before God, they'd damned well better respect them.
A hacking cough drew his attention back to his father and off the cleavage and smiles the girl was sending his way. The man had aged shockingly in the past few months, he realized. Gray hair had thinned to a few wisps over his ears. His cheekbones were more pronounced over sunken cheeks. Sallow skin sagged around his neck where he’d lost weight quickly. A cold fist gripped Benjamin’s stomach. His father was sick, and probably dying. He didn't want to lose him, but he wouldn't see a doctor either. There was nothing Ben could do.
“If you can’t go, what will the union do?” His father’s business partner, Randy, said. Randy was a shrewd, skinny man whose eyes never joked.
“Benjamin will go in my stead,” His father said, catching Ben's attention, he should have been listening to the conversation he realized.
Randy stared blackly at Benjamin. Ever since Randy had caught Benjamin conning the neighbor girl into kissing him as a young lad, he’d had nothing generous to say about Benjamin. Feeling he was a scoundrel and so far, the grown up Ben had seduced many women and left a trail of broken hearts in his wake. He wasn't interested in love right now. At least not the kind that involved the heart.
Randy had always held it against Benjamin that he was a rake, but he supposed that had something to do with the fact that Randy had caught him kissing his daughter before she'd gone off to boarding school.
When the first round of cigars had burned low, his father excused himself. When he didn’t return, Benjamin went to check on him. He knocked and let himself in. The old man stood staring at his reflection.
“You’re sick,” Benjamin stated it as an obvious fact, there was no question that something was wrong.
The old man leaned against the marbled countertop, “I have some time still.”
"How much time, Dad?" Ben asked him quietly, shutting the door as he walked into the room.
His father smiled at him, but the expression seemed to take too much effort and instantly fell away. “My affairs are in order. I’ve left you everything. You need an heir. Do that before I die.”
“I know, but you still have a lot of time, right?” Benjamin said, panic hitting his gut at the idea of finding a wife and having children. He wasn't ready.
His father didn’t respond immediately and then walked over to him and put a shaky hand on his shoulder. “Find a sensible wife. Like your mother was. Rubies are a tough business, and the sharks will circle looking for weakness. You need a strong woman to support you.”
“But you still have time,” Benjamin said. “You’re not dying soon.”
“I still have time.” His father said, but the lie was written on his face. He didn't have much time and Ben was trapped. He couldn't ignore a dying man's wish. If he wanted to see Ben married, he would get married.
Benjamin helped his father back to the party to say goodbye to the guests as they took their leave.
Lady Brielle lingered when the last of the guests had left. Her carriage was the only one left.
“In the gazebo?” she whispered to Ben, catching his arm and looking up at him, a sly suggestive smile on her face.
Benjamin stared down into her face, her blue eyes devoid any real affection for him. She was a toy, a plaything, and she had no interest in an emotional attachment. She was beautiful, but she was nothing like his mother. Realizing he had to say no, he shook his head.
"Not tonight B, go home, get some sleep. I have business to take care of in the morning. I am tempted, but I need to be well rested," He told her and pressed a kiss to her forehead to soften the rejection.
She gave him one long lingering look before she nodded and got into her carriage to go home.
Chapter 3 – Finding Flo
Kath Surrey was an older lady, but she observed people, she could spot a girl in trouble a mile away. The minute she saw that young, black haired girl step off the train she knew she had to help her. The look of loss on her face was evident, and she seemed to shy away if anyone got too close to her. Seeing her skittishness, Kath felt the urge to protect her. Maybe she didn't need rescued, but Kath was going to rescue her whether she liked it or not
Kath was incredible spry for her age, and even though she was in her sixties, she knew she could pass for a women twenty years younger than she was, except for her gray hair. She kept it pinned up to her head, after her husband had died, she stopped wearing it down. The man had loved it down and it hurt every time she brushed it out, even ten years later. So, she left it pinned and tried to enjoy what was left of her life.
She walked over to Florence who was looking in awe at the tall buildings and trying to avoid having people step on her as they tried to get past her on the sidewalk.
The girl had a couple of bags in her arms, and her pants and threadbare shirt had seen better days. Her hair was fancy, like she'd run away from a fancy event and hadn't bothered to take the pins out of her hair.
"Where you running from?" Kath asked her bluntly.
“How can you tell?” Florence asked her in shock.
Kath pointed at her head, "Your hair is a dead give-away. Too fancy for that flannel shirt and jeans. You're too pretty to be dressed like you are, so you have to be running away and trying to avoid attention. Are you in trouble?"
"No, not in trouble exactly. My fiancé stood me up, small town, would never have been able to show my face again. I decided to take it as a sign to get out while I could. I'm Florence." Flo told her, "Most people call me Flo."
“Interesting. You need a job, yes? I will hire you. Kath Surrey.” The woman reached for Florence’s hand and shook it hard.
"Okay, thank you," Flo had accepted the job before she realized what she was getting herself into. She just assumed that a job was better than no job. This way, she could send money back home to her mama to make up for abandoning her to the vultures, maybe this would all work out. She could handle it.
Boy was she in for a surprise.
Florence thought she knew what hard work was; she’d grown up on a farm. But it seemed that until she had spent a few weeks working in an elitist boutique in the ritzy shopping district, her definition of hard work hadn't come close to long hours she'd had to put in. Her wrists, hands and fingers hurt. Her back wasn't much better either, and the attitudes she had to put up with made her want to strangle people. Yet she slapped on a smile and pretended to be nice.
>
In the stores she was used to, people just bought what they liked and left everyone else alone. Not here, nope, if she didn't go an hour without someone yelling at her something was wrong. It wasn’t even lunchtime yet, and Florence had been yelled at least six times and had snarky, backhanded insults thrown her way. She wasn't sure what was worse, the mother's of the snobby, stuck up daughters, or the daughters who cried, screamed and even threw things at her when they didn't get everything exactly as they liked it.
She needed a break, she finally cleared out the last customer and sat down on a stool and buried her hands over her face trying to breathe and let go of some of the stress.
The bell on the door jingled. Florence looked up, bracing herself once again for more yelling and insults. Instead of a grumpy mother and a pouting daughter, a man with flashing green eyes and forearms like a bronze marble sculpture filled the doorway.
“I’m here to pick up a dress for Victoria Knapp,” He announced as he walked through the doorway. The bell chiming as the door swung shut behind him.
The sound of his voice had her going weak in the knees. The rugged good looks and tailored clothes that fit him like a glove didn't hurt either. She turned to grab his order from behind the counter, running into a mannequin in the process. She caught is as it rocked back but wasn’t quick enough to catch the wig that slipped off onto the floor.
“Graceful,” the man said chuckling, he was clearly amused at Florence's clumsiness.
Flo felt her face catch flame, and the heat spread to the rest of her body. “Sorry, I am not normally this clumsy. I just forgot she was standing there, she must have moved when my back was turned."
"The mannequin walked over there all by her little old self?" He asked her, his mouth quirked up with humor.
"Of course, didn't you know that all mannequins are secretly able to turn into people? They move when you aren't looking as long as you keep their wigs on them." Flo told him as she grabbed the wig off the floor and put it back on the statue’s head.
“My dress?” He said her, still grinning. Flo was so busy staring at his perfect straight teeth that it took a minute to register what he was asking.
Florence looked up at his eyes finally and blinked. "Your dress? You wear dresses?"
Barking out a laugh, he shook his head, "No it's my sister's. Do you need the name again? Victoria Knapp. Do you need me to spell the last name?"
Flo nodded and looked down at the book in her hand that had all the information written down in it. She checked the last names as he spelled it until she found the name in question and then looked up, realizing he'd moved and was standing right next to her.
He took a step closer to her, making her gasp softly. Her heart was racing in her chest and she stared up at him stupidly, wondering if he was going to kiss her. He leaned down slightly so his face was close to hers and then pointed at the rack behind her where custom ordered dresses were wrapped in plastic with little papers attached with the name and order number.
"That pink and white one?" He smiled at her again, his eyes crinkling up showing how entertained he was.
Florence blushed and immediately turned around to go get the dress off the rack. She was tallying up the cost of the material, the altering, and the accessories, which were also neatly boxed up in the back and ready to go as soon as he paid.
What was her problem? Why was this man making her feel so crazy? She handed him the dress bag as he handed her a wad of cash that covered the amount of the dress, plus apparently a generous tip from the seamstress.
Which happened to be her, he was the first one who'd actually tipped her well since she started working here. It gave her a new appreciation for him, even if he did tease her for being clumsy.
“It’s sleeveless. It's a beautiful dress, your sister will look wonderful in it,” Florence said as she handed him the rest of the stuff from the back that went with it.
“We haven’t officially met yet. I’m Benjamin, but all my buddies call me Ben, you can call me Ben too, if you'd like.” He took her right hand in his, but instead of shaking it, he held it firmly and pulled her knuckles to his mouth and kissed them gently.
Florence stammered her name out, wondering if he felt the electricity between them the same way she did. She was too stunned, she didn't even pull her hand away. Since she'd moved here, no one had noticed her. Besides yelling at her, she didn't exist to anyone.
Benjamin felt puzzled by his own reaction to this young girl in front of him. Her big doe-like chocolate eyes made him want to wrap her in a hug, she looked a little lost. Why was she affecting him like this? He’d been with many women, and none of them had made him feel like he was about to start the most epic chase in his life. She was the deer, and he was the hunter. He would have her. He knew he was supposed to be searching for a wife, but this girl in front of him made him forget all his plans.
She wasn’t the most refined young woman he’d met. Her clothes were wrinkled, she wore a simple frock with a shift underneath and work boots. Her black hair was pulled back into a messy bun and some tendrils had escaped to frame her oval face. She had a soft red mouth that he could picture kissing his most intimate parts, and it made him shift uncomfortably as his body responded to the mental image.
He wanted to free her hair from the bun and spread it across a white pillow and tangle his fingers in it. Her small body hinted at soft curves through her dress, but unless the ladies he was used too, she wasn't using cinchers to make herself have fake curves. She was real. He liked real.
“Have you eaten lunch yet?" He asked her quietly, wanting to get her alone.
She blinked at him, unsure if she should answer him truthfully.
“Go on, dear, I know you need to eat. You've been here since dawn and I don't think you ate breakfast. I don't want you falling down." Kath yelled from the back of the store, apparently the woman had dog-like hearing and nothing got past her.
Flo swallowed hard and then decided what the heck, it was just lunch. She nodded at him and then let him escort her down the street to a little bakery that had some tables outside on the sidewalk. He went in and ordered them some lunch and brought it out to her a few minutes later.
He sat down next to her, and handed her a plate, it had some fresh baked bread, meat and cheese on it. It smelled divine and Flo ate it and relished every bite. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she started eating.
"So, why are you in the big city Flo? You don't seem like you're from around here." Ben asked her, watching her eat and admiring that she didn't pick at her food like many of the women he knew. She seemed to enjoy eating it.
“Back home I was about to get married, but we ended up going our separate ways before the wedding could take place. I needed to get away, Kath offered me a job when I got here, and I took it. She lets me rent a room above the store.” Flo told him and put a bite of bread in her mouth. It literally melted on her tongue, the rich flavor had her closing her eyes and signing in pleasure.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. The man was a cad. He abandoned me on our wedding day to go hunting because he got cold feet, stood me up in front of our whole town, he didn't deserve me.” Her eyebrows shot up. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn't be speaking so bluntly.”
Benjamin laughed. “I like you more every time you speak, blunt honesty is a nice change. Most of the women I meet flirt and play word games. I like that you just speak your mind and say the truth.”
“Are you still hungry?” He asked her, noticing she'd completely cleared her plate and was eyeing the leftover bread on his. He pushed his plate forward so she could grab it and watched her eat it. Her lips opening and closing around the bread had him almost moaning out loud as he watched her consume the remainder of his food. Watching her eat was an erotic experience and she appeared clueless to the feelings she was stirring in him with her innocence.
When they were done, he walked her back to the store, but before she could walk in, he
pulled her into the alley way. She froze looking scared and like a helpless deer.
Flo froze, unsure of what he planned to do next, and then backed up until the brick of the building rammed into her spine. She watched him corner her, and put a hand on either side of her head, leaning his head down, he brushed his lips lightly over hers. So light, she almost didn't feel it, and then he pushed harder, until she gasped and his large tongue slipped gently between her lips deepening the kiss.
Reaching up, she curled her hands around his neck, kissing him back, letting herself melt into him. This made the experience with Roscoe fade to the back of her mind. The sloppy, wet, irritating kisses Roscoe had given her could never compared to the heat and sensuality that he was causing.
Her stomach felt like it was tying itself up in knots, her knees were weak, and her heart was pounding in her chest like it wanted to explode out of her rib cage.
Ben reached up and pulled the pins from her hair, freeing her long, ebony hair so he could tangle his fingers into it.
"Beautiful, you are so beautiful." He whispered to her as he kissed her again.
Florence had never experienced a kiss that had made her feel this way. She felt hot everywhere. This man was nothing like Roscoe, and she liked it, the only thing she was worried about, was the fact they were in the alley where anyone could stumble across them.
"Stop, the stairs are around the back. We can go up to my rooms," Florence said blushing, realizing that what she was about to do would probably change his opinion of her, but she couldn't deny what she was feeling and if this was her only chance to feel this way, she didn't want it to stop yet.
Grabbing his hand, she took him to her room. It wasn't much, a love seat, a small double bed, a basin for water and washing, the shower and washroom was down the hall. She shared it with Kath, and they'd recently had electricity installed.
Benjamin’s hands slid behind her back and cupped her bottom through her dress, his large fingers massaged her ass cheeks as he pushed her towards the love seat until she'd fallen against it.
