Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Lydia crept back into the rooms she shared with her sleeping sisters and undressed quickly down to her shift. Extra clothing would be distributed among the ladies and gentlemen tomorrow, but most guests left behind by the storms had to make do for tonight.

To avoid disturbing Eleanor and Charlotte in their twin-sized beds next to hers, Lydia brought the satchel provided by the footman, plus a candle, into the adjoining sitting room. At a beautiful desk in the corner, she quietly sat and wrote out her notes from the evening so she wouldn't forget.

Physiological Observations: The Engagement Kiss

First impressions: Highly pleasurable with addictive tingling sensations throughout my body, particularly in the region between my legs as mentioned by the viscount, who seemed particularly concerned about my experience in this area.

Questions to Explore:

Would kissing any man feel the same? I cannot imagine that kissing a man like Lord Triton would produce the same results, but perhaps this hypothesis is worthy of more research.

Would kissing a man while naked produce even more sensations?

Why are the sensations strongest within the folds of my nether lips? Do I need to see a doctor if it happens again?

Does a man's appendage always stand at attention when a woman is near?

Should I put my hands on a man's buttocks, too, or is that element of the kissing experience optional?

Kissing Likes:

His soft lips against mine

His wet tongue against mine

His apparent inability to continue being a horrid beast while kissing

Kissing Dislikes:

Results inconclusive. More experimentation required.

Lydia finished her notes, then moved on to write a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove to let them know of her whereabouts. Doing so would explain why she would not be able to visit them again soon. It would also explain why she would not be able to attend the next local underground meeting in support of tenant farmer rights, which was held monthly in the basement of a country church.

She'd only snuck into one of the meetings so far, but it had amplified the importance of their cause for her even more. Lydia was certain that if her family found out about her involvement in that movement, they would lock her away. And the scandal it would bring to her parents and siblings could cause their downfall.

But there were desperate people working Briarwood land and struggling to survive, all the while filling her family's pantry with the fruits of their labor. Lydia felt strongly that attending the meeting, even while hiding in the back with her bonnet pulled low on her face, would help her determine the best actions to take to help those in need.

She didn't mention the meeting in her letter to the Musgroves in order to keep her secret involvement in such matters from being revealed. But the Musgroves would know from the dates of her family's confinement at the Winstone Estate that she could not be there.

"I hope Emma writes back so I know their family is safe." Lydia spoke to herself in a whisper as a way to ease her nerves. She worried about the state of the Musgrove farm and other tenant farmers in this weather. "I hope they are well and not in danger."

She finished her missive and made a mental note to ask for a stamp and wax in the morning to seal her letter closed. She left the quill and ink on the table and washed her hands in the basin by a set of windows, the wind howling against the panes.

I hope Joseph is well and inside by now!

Guilt crept like a spider through her body as she bit her lip and remembered pushing him off the balcony like he was a prowler on attack. But he was merely a man whose lust for her was so powerful that he could not hide it when she was near.

How can you punish a man for that?

She didn't yet understand the full meaning of his desire for her, but tonight she finally understood the allure of pursuing every lusty sensation until you simply had to push a man off a balcony or die of unending need for more.

Can desire end in less violent ways? What is the outcome if desire is allowed to run its course? Much more research is needed!

Lydia listened a few more minutes to the new storm rattling the shutters, then she tiptoed back into the bedroom and slid the satchel with her letter and notes under her bed. Tomorrow was another day for taking advantage of this unusual situation in every productive way possible, including combing the Winstone library for more information about human anatomy and its function.

And for hopefully enjoying every surprising discovery along the way.

***

"I can't wear this color, Mama! Please send it back and ask for something in pink or mauve silk." Charlotte tossed the simple blue dress onto the pile of dresses she'd already rejected, which were loaned to the Carter women by Lady Winstone's maids. "Are we truly to wear the garments of maids all week long?"

Lydia plucked the discarded dress from the pile and pressed it against the front of her freshly washed shift. It was a pale shade of soft blue cotton perfect for lounging comfortably in a library all day. "I'll take this one, if it fits. You should be grateful there are any extra day dresses for us to wear at all, Charlotte."

Eleanor attempted to tug a cream and yellow dress up over her hips, then shouted with frustration when it wouldn't budge. "This is unacceptable!" She tugged the dress back off her frame and plopped down on her unmade bed. "You're one to talk, Lydia. You've already secured your match, so a dowdy dress does you no harm. Unless the viscount changes his mind about his proposal after seeing you looking like a working-class laundry girl."

Charlotte and Eleanor giggled together as Lydia sighed.

"My dears, please do not bicker. I realize this situation is less than ideal, but we are guests here and should be grateful for the hospitality. I agree with Lydia. We need to make the best of it with smiles on our faces. Finer clothes will likely be available to us in a day or two once everything is sorted out. Now let's hurry before breakfast is finished without us." Lady Briarwood gazed down at her own borrowed cotton dress in acorn brown and smoothed her hand over the dull fabric. "Though a bit of lace would have been nice."

The dining hall was still full of guests for breakfast, some in fancier clothes than others. At one end of the table the Penton family gathered together, including Oliver and Sophia. Oliver looked pale and haggard while Sophia seemed distressed. But the rest of the Pentons were jovial and greeting guests as they sat down to eat.

The viscount wasn't in attendance, and neither were Lydia's father and brother.

"Lady Lydia, good morning! I don't believe we've met yet. I'm Maria Penton and this is my husband, Henry. We wanted to personally congratulate you on your engagement to Joseph. We're excited to welcome you to the family!" Maria wrapped Lydia in a warm hug.

Henry Penton bowed and showed the Carter women places to sit next to the Penton family. "We're excited to have all of you as our extended guests this week. And for however long it takes to get our roads repaired, of course. We hope your accommodations are to your liking."

Eleanor elbowed Charlotte as the youngest Carter sister scowled. Based on their behavior, Lydia decided it was best to speak for them all. "Thank you. We are grateful for your hospitality. Our rooms are lovely and comfortable."

"At least someone's room is comfortable," Oliver Penton mumbled under his breath, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. "Ours is an emotional wasteland."

"Ladies, good morning! Please join me at the other end of the table where we can enjoy the sunlight streaming in from the windows." Countess Winstone waved Lydia, along with her sisters and mother, toward the far end of the dining room, which happened to be as far away from her mumbling middle son as possible.

The countess was wearing a glamorous gown for breakfast, but she was known for being the quintessential host so this sight didn't seem all that unusual. However, she looked so much dressier than nearly everyone else that it was a little bit suspicious.

As Lydia followed her to the other side of the room, she suppressed a giggle. There is not a single chance Lady Winstone offered up any of her fine clothes to the stranded guests today!

"My lady, have you seen Lord Briarwood and my son William this morning? I'm afraid I have lost track of them already." Lydia's mother accepted a chair from the footman as her daughters were all seated around her.

"Oh, yes, Lady Briarwood. Lord Winstone and some of the other gentlemen decided to walk through the nearest roads this morning to assess the damage. Your husband and son joined them, as did my Joseph. Poor dear, he fell off the library balcony last night and into the boxwoods! Apparently, his back is covered in scrapes and bruises but he insisted on joining the walk anyway." Lady Winstone signaled to her servers to hurry their pace and leaned back in her chair at the end of the table.

Lydia gulped and twisted her napkin in her lap. She hoped she was the only one at this table or anywhere else who knew exactly why the viscount wound up in the bushes in the middle of the night.

She also hoped she'd be able to talk to him today to make sure he was alright. After all, there are more experiments to conduct.

"Oh dear! I hope the viscount recovers quickly. I'm sure he and Lydia have many plans to make for their nuptials." Lydia's mother patted her hand and smiled.

"Yes, indeed! Though I hope they take some time to get to know one another first, of course." Lady Winstone lifted her cup of tea with her pinky high in the air, smiling with her lips but not with her eyes.

Lydia furrowed her brow. Is Joseph's mother having second thoughts about the engagement this morning?

"Yes, of course." Lady Briarwood sipped her tea in similar fashion and let the subject drop. "Thank you again for the use of the lovely clothing during our stay. I don't think I've ever worn this shade of brown before."

"Mmm, you are so welcome, Lady Briarwood. I think it suits you."

Lydia stared at her cup of tea to avoid looking into either woman's eyes. There seemed to be a subtle power play happening between Lady Winstone and Lydia's mother that she didn't understand and had no desire to decipher.

Perhaps that was just what proper married ladies did. Yet another reason not to become one.

Fortunately, her sisters were oblivious and quieted by the passing of scrumptious food. Lydia hoped they would fill their hungry bellies before their late morning complaints and general sour moods took hold.

As the meal wound down, a maid whispered in Lady Winstone's ear. It must have been something exciting, because the countess's eyes brightened and she clapped her hands together over her emptied plate.

"Good news, ladies! We have arranged a soiree for this afternoon with card games! There will be one for the ladies and one for the men. So rest up and wait for further instructions!" Lady Winstone leaped from her chair to tell the other guests, leaving the Carter women to entertain themselves.

Eleanor tossed her linen napkin on the table and let her shoulders slump. "Card games are positively provincial. When are we leaving here, Mama?"

"Perhaps you should focus more on behaving like an eligible young lady in want of a husband instead of a petulant child, Eleanor. We are still surrounded by distinguished and respectable men, are we not?"

Lady Briarwood gestured toward the table dotted with eligible bachelors just as Oliver Penton stood and released a loud belch before scratching his belly and stumbling out of the dining room.

His wife, Sophia, kept her eyes on her plate.

Charlotte and Eleanor sneered at the back of Oliver Penton's head, as most of the other ladies in the room did the same.

"I would like to spend some time in the library this morning, Mama. Would you like to join me, sisters?" Lydia knew Charlotte and Eleanor would rather do anything else than sit in a room full of musty books, but she wanted to appear interested in spending time with her siblings at least now and then.

Gone were the days when the three girls were thick as thieves, playing with dolls and writing fantastical stories together. Once Lydia grew into her unique and curious brain, she withdrew from so many hours of whimsical play. It wasn't until much later that her ideas and intelligence made her an outsider who became more and more isolated the harder she fought against injustice and for her own independence.

Her interest in learning more about the opposite sex had been blissfully lacking until a certain beast trespassed in her favorite mineral spring.

"Eww! No, thank you, Lydia. Books are the root of all evil. Right, Mama?" Charlotte picked at the egg on her plate when she wasn't itching her skin below the scratchy fabric of a mauve housekeeper's dress.

"I wouldn't go that far, Charlotte." Lady Briarwood sighed and turned to her oldest daughter. "Yes, that's fine, Lydia. I think your sisters and I will take tea in the drawing room before perhaps taking a longer tour of this fine home."

Once her mother and sisters left the dining room, Lydia practically skipped to the library, where she hoped she would be alone to explore through the bookcases. She had a plan for two different scenarios.

First, if she was alone, Lydia would search high and low for the kinds of books young ladies weren't allowed to open for any reason. Second, if there were others in the library, she would pretend to be browsing for flowery tomes of poetry while actually locating the books that were off-limits in order to come back to them later. It was a trick that had served her well in her own family's library for years.

Unfortunately, the second scenario was what awaited her when she arrived in the library occupied by at least four other people.

One of them was Wilhelmina Underwood.

"There you are, Lady Lydia. I was wondering when you would make an appearance in this very room." Wilhelmina was dressed in all black, from her silk dress and gloves to the black lace entwined through her hair. It made her pale skin look ghostly or supernatural.

"Were you waiting for me, Miss Underwood? I'm sorry, I wasn't aware we had any plans to meet." Standing next to Wilhelmina, Lydia felt self-conscious in her plain blue dress for the first time since she'd put it on.

"No, we didn't have a plan. I just wanted to give you a message before the day got away from us. Here you go. Have a lovely morning." She handed Lydia a folded note and sashayed toward the door into the main hallway.

Lydia stared at the note, then watched Miss Underwood wink seductively at a gentleman who opened the door for her before she walked out of the room.

After saying hello to the other occupants in the library, Lydia took Miss Underwood's note to a small round table in the corner to read it in private. When she was finished, she swallowed hard and crumpled the note in her trembling hand.

There is nothing so wonderful as a secret kiss with a man in the rain. Would you agree, Lady Lydia?