Fifteen

Under an apple tree in the same orchard

After several humiliating heartbeats

“Do not be ridiculous, Charles. I was not staring,” Lilly retorted with more emphasis than required.

You certainly were, too, staring .

A gentleman would not have mentioned her lapse in good judgment, but Charles was as near to a brother as she had, and they had pledged many years ago to always be honest and forthright with each other.

She dug her fingernails into her palms rather than remind him how often he sent longing looks toward Miss Charlene McKenzie, his senior by eight years, who seemed oblivious to Charles’s warm regard.

“I was deciding what to do about Miss Wobblecroft,” Lilly said beneath her breath while sending the mooning woman a pointed glance. She folded her arms. “She has become positively…predatory. For all we know, Zander is a married man. I cannot have the teachers making fools of themselves or acting like wantons.”

“Wantons, eh ?” Charles’s voice shook with humor, but the thunderous look she leveled him brought his mirth under control.

“I am sure you will find a satisfactory solution, Lil.”

Chastity belts ?

Saltpeter ?

Does saltpeter even work on women ?

“I can prescribe nettle tea, willow bark, and camphor. They all cool the body’s humors,” he offered, helpfully, though he could not keep his face straight.

The rotter, teasing her so.

“A cold diet is thought to dampen sexual desire, but I am quite certain bloodletting is ineffectual for reducing libido.” He chuckled at his poor jest.

Lilly ignored his ridiculous suggestions, for she suspected he directed them toward her and not the other teachers. That was what came of him being her best friend for most of their lives.

Charles took liberties that no one else dared, and Lilly rarely minded.

A chorus of, “Bunny. It’s a bunny,” from the youngest children interrupted their conversation.

Sure enough, a gray-brown rabbit pelted hell-bent for nothing toward the meadow, its little black-button eyes wide and terrified.

“I presume you need to speak with me, Charles?” Lilly said dryly as she continued picking apples.

Miss Wobblecroft still shadowed Zander’s every move, and irritation tip-toed up Lilly’s spine.

The woman was not paid to flirt.

Had she forgotten she had children to supervise?

Though to be fair, with the other teachers and servants present, it was not likely the boys and girls would get into much mischief. Unless Miles, George, and Joseph began lobbing apples at each other in an imitation of the Battle of Waterloo.

“I have to leave, Lil.” Charles rubbed the back of his neck. “I just received a message that Mrs. Tillman is about to give birth to her eighth child, though the deed will likely be done before I arrive. It nearly was the last time. I shall probably have a goose or a couple of fat chickens for supper later in the week.”

Mr. Tillman was a poulterer.

Lilly glanced around to take stock of the children, mentally counting them as had become a force of habit. She narrowed her eyes at a group of small girls, clustered together. “I shall have Mrs. B keep your supper warm. Or if you are not back tonight, have her lay out a tray of cold foods in the kitchen for when you return.”

“Thank you.” Charles patted her shoulder before hurrying away, but not, however, before he cast a swift, yearning glance at Miss McKenzie.

Did Miss McKenzie have any idea Charles held a tendre for her?

It was not Lilly’s place to interfere.

Besides, a relationship between the two was forbidden as long as Charlene worked at Kelston Hall, which was probably why she never glanced twice in Charles’s direction. Like many women alone in the world, the only thing between Charlene McKenzie and the street was her position. She would not risk losing it—not even for a chance at love.

Lilly knew that feeling.

Suppressing a sigh, she returned her attention to the little girls.

What were they up to?

“Miss Wobblecroft?” she said.

No response.

Slightly exasperated, Lilly repeated, a trifle louder and firmer, “ Miss. Wobblecroft ?”

Miss Wobblecroft dragged her infatuated regard from Zander and blinked several times at Lilly as if she could not quite focus.

Zander met Lilly’s gaze over Miss Wobblecroft’s head.

Hilarity glimmered in his eye.

“ Mmm ? Yes?” Miss Wobblecroft slid Zander a sideways glance. “Did you need something, Miss Granger?”

Obviously .

“Please see what has captured the youngest girls’ fascination.” Lilly directed her attention to a circle of six squatting girls, including Nellie Picket, staring at something between them. Nellie possessed an insatiable curiosity and a penchant for unintentionally getting into mischief. “Wasps are gorging themselves on the fallen fruit. We do not want anyone to get stung.”

“Oh, indeed. We cannot have that.” Miss Wobblecroft plopped her bonnet on her head and, with one last libidinous glance at Zander’s chest, made haste toward the captivated girls.

“Gir-rls? Gir-rls?” she called, in a sing-song voice, breaking the word into two syllables. She quickened her pace, causing her hat to bounce like a toy boat upon a pond. “Nellie, Marsha, Annie, Flora, Alice, Cora! Away from there this instant.”

She made shooing motions with her hands as she huffed and puffed her way toward the fascinated girls.

“Thank you.” Amusement creased the corner of Zander’s good eye and twisted his firm mouth upward.

Deciding to pretend ignorance, Lilly raised her nose. “Whatever for?”

He chuckled and swiped a hand across his moist forehead.

“Come now, Lilly. You have always been straightforward with me.” He jerked his chin toward Miss Wobblecroft’s departing form. “You saved me from Miss Wobblecroft’s clumsy attempts at flirting.”

It did not help that he had rolled his shirtsleeves to his elbows, exposing sable-covered forearms, or that he had forgone a neckcloth and a delightful vee of manly throat and curly jet-black chest hair peeked from his shirt every time he moved. And it was positively indecent the way his too-small trousers showed off his muscular legs.

“Yes, well, I intend to have a word with all the female staff. Decorum must prevail.” Lilly pressed her lips together. “I shall remind them what happened to Miss Sanders for failing to adhere to the conduct codes she signed. Just because we have an attractive man in our midst does not mean they can throw discretion to the wind.”

“ Attractive man ?” A pleased grin split his face.

Blast and bother .

Lilly had not meant to say that out loud.

Now Zander would be utterly impossible.

He bent his head and whispered, “What about you?”

Good Lord.

Of all the gall .

Was he asking if she thought him handsome?

The brazen cad, fishing for compliments.

“I…” She choked on her response, but after closing her eyes for three seconds and dredging up her equanimity, managed in a calm voice to ask, “What do you mean, what about me?”

His nearness discombobulated her.

“Did you sign a code of conduct too, Lilly?”

Of course, she had.

When she was a teacher under Mrs. Reubins’s authority.

But—darn the oversight—she had forgotten to have Zander sign a code of conduct. She would remedy that today, by Jove.

“You are not going to bait me, Zander Brooks.” After dropping four more greenish-yellow apples into the bushel basket, she squinted at him. “Tomorrow, we are going to the village and ordering you new clothing.”

Clothes that fit and do not practically beg women to lust after you .

He quirked an eyebrow, the glint in his gray eye indecipherable.

“Did you mean to say that aloud, Lilly?”