Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

“ R emember what we spoke about last night, Amelia,” Frederick warned. “You promised to behave today.”

“I remember, Father,” Amelia said solemnly, looking at the empty plate in front of her as if upset.

“You promised you would at least try.”

“I will, Father.”

“And as for pushing Hannah as you did yesterday…” Frederick trailed off, raising a warning eyebrow at his daughter.

She did not look at him directly, but he knew that she saw it and knew its meaning.

Her face contorted into a tight ball. “I did not mean for her to fall.”

“I know.”

“It is not my fault that?—”

“Amelia,” he growled.

She continued to pout. “I will not push her.”

He chuckled lightly as he reached across the table and took her hand. He gave it a squeeze, then brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it.

“I promise that if you give her a chance, you will learn to love her. Trust me, this is…” His stomach twisted with guilt. “This is a good thing.”

To that, Amelia did not respond, only staring at her plate. He knew his daughter well enough to know that sometimes silence was the best response he could hope for.

Frederick had made sure to prepare his daughter early today so that they would be in the dining room to break their fast before Hannah arrived. That way, he could have one final chance to speak with his daughter alone and let her know what was expected. After what had happened yesterday… Well, needless to say, a fresh start was needed. And many a stern warning.

But Frederick resolved that Amelia and Hannah should get along. That was, after all, one of the main reasons he had chosen to remarry. A little girl needed a mother, a role model, someone to look up to in a way that a father simply could not fulfill. And whether Amelia liked it or not, Hannah would become that person.

For that reason—and Frederick knew that this would be the true challenge of the day—he too had to make sure to treat Hannah with respect.

“Good morning,” Hannah said as she appeared in the doorway of the dining room.

She was dressed in simple daywear, a light dress that had shoulders and a back, thankfully. But the sunlight filtering through the window shone right where she stood, and the sight of her, beaming, brought back memories that had kept Frederick up most of the night.

“Good morning,” he returned as she sashayed into the room. “Amelia…”

“Good morning,” Amelia muttered to her empty plate.

“I slept wonderfully last night,” Hannah crooned as she made her way toward them. “And you, husband?”

“Well enough…” He could not even look at her, as if she might know the truth of his rough night… and its cause.

“I am glad to hear it.”

She made right for him, not so much as breaking stride, and then when she reached him, she leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Frederick’s eyes went wide in shock. Caught between pulling away and snapping at her, forced to remain composed because his daughter was now watching him with a very curious look, he cleared his throat and offered her a grateful smile in return, to which she smirked with smug satisfaction.

“Is the food nearly ready?” she asked as she sat down across from Amelia, to Frederick’s left. “I am famished.”

Frederick’s mind was still on that kiss. His cheek tingled. His skin grew warm. His neck and chest flushed. It was a reminder of what had not happened last night while somehow emphasizing what had.

He still could not believe that he gave in the way he had. And while he liked to tell himself that he had not broken any rules, that was flimsy logic at best. On his left, Hannah was watching him with a wry smile, as if she knew what was on his mind, and while he hoped she might be more embarrassed, for some reason he was the one feeling as such.

It was a good thing she did not know what happened after he left her. When he snuck into the washroom and pleasured himself furiously at the image of her with her legs spread, touching herself. If she had known that…

“Father, are you feeling all right?” Amelia asked.

“W-what?” He hadn’t even realized that he had been staring, his mind lingering on last night. He cleared his throat and pounded his chest. “Yes, perfectly fine.”

“He looks like he has seen a ghost. Right, Amelia?” Hannah chuckled.

Amelia almost smiled, but forced herself not to, back to looking at her plate.

“I am just…. hungry.” He looked around and caught the eye of one of the footmen, motioning for him to check on the food.

“Me too,” Hannah sighed. “I could eat an entire horse—I am that hungry.”

Amelia snorted, but then her eyes went wide with shock, and she forced herself to keep looking down at her plate.

Hannah saw her reaction and grinned. “Or perhaps two horses. One time, I was so hungry that I ate an entire cow.”

“You did not!” Amelia cried, unable to keep quiet any longer.

“I did too,” Hannah said rightly. “Of course, it was far too much for me, and I did not eat after that for an entire week.”

“You are lying!” Amelia said, trying to look angry but failing. “Father, tell her she must tell me the truth!”

Frederick held out his palms. “I am not getting involved.”

“An entire cow?” Amelia scrunched up her face. “Even the hooves and the tail?”

“And the teeth and the tongue and the ears.” Hannah nodded as if she was being serious. “Although I do not recommend it. Also—and this was most strange—not only did I not eat for an entire week, but for a full month, I drank nothing but milk.”

Amelia began to giggle. “You’re being silly. Father, tell her to stop being silly!”

Frederick caught Hannah’s eyes, and she winked at him. A small moment, a silly one, but he could sense his daughter slowly starting to come around.

Oh, it would take more than that, he knew, but suddenly he wondered if the day might not be as tragic as it could have been.

What was more, the gratitude he suddenly felt for Hannah… well, it was enough that he was able to look at her and smile without feeling a burning intensity well below his belt.

“So, what are we doing today?” Hannah asked conversationally. “Amelia? Any ideas.”

Amelia was still hesitant. She eyed her curiously, a little bit nervous, then looked at Frederick, who nodded for her to speak.

“I… I want to explore the forest.”

“Oh, fun.”

“There is… there is a pond there that…” Amelia bit her lip. “That I want to swim in.”

“I told you, Amelia, you are far too young for that,” Frederick explained.

“Nonsense,” Hannah spoke up. “I was about your age when I first learned to swim. That is unless…” She frowned at him. “Frederick, you do know how to swim, do you not?”

He looked at her flatly. “Do not be ridiculous.”

“What do you think, Amelia? Is your father lying?”

Amelia giggled. “Maybe.”

“I think he is.” Hannah winked at her.

“Careful, you two,” Frederick warned jokingly. “There will be no ganging up on me. Understand?”

“Girls versus boys,” Hannah said. “What do you think, Amelia?”

“Yes.” Amelia giggled excitedly. “Girls versus boys.”

Frederick caught Hannah’s eyes again, and they shared a relieved smile. He had been telling the truth all those weeks ago when he had told Hannah that he wished for them to be friendly, and this here was a perfect start. Even if that word ‘friendly’ didn’t feel adequate anymore.

But Frederick also remembered that Hannah had promised to be on her best behavior when Amelia was around, so for today, at least, he did not have to worry about her doing anything untoward, like trying to seduce him again. A relief… if not for the other worry that lingered deep within.

She might not try and seduce him overtly, but just to be in her presence, to see her and be reminded of last night and what it had done to him, might mean that she didn’t have to do anything. Frederick was the one who would need to control himself today, a task that once seemed infinitely possible only to now feel the very opposite of that.

Honestly, what was happening to him?

“I don’t think I can…”

Amelia looked nervous—damn terrified, in fact. She stood by the edge of the pond, staring at the water as if it were a monster from her nightmares.

“Oh, nonsense,” Hannah said cheerfully. “The water isn’t that deep. It will barely come up to your waist.”

“But… what if I can’t?”

“Then your father will happily dive in and save you. Won’t you, Frederick?” Hannah turned around and raised an eyebrow at her husband. “Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing him go in.”

“If you are not feeling up to it, Amelia, there is no pressure whatsoever,” Frederick assured. “In fact, I would prefer it if you didn’t.”

“Oh, we all know that,” Hannah said dismissively, before turning back to Amelia. “But he is right. You do not have to do anything you do not want to.”

“I…”

“Just the fact that you considered it is a huge step forward,” Hannah continued. “Honestly, most girls your age wouldn’t be nearly that brave.”

“I… I want to,” Amelia forced herself to say, her body shaking now. “I do. It is just…” She half-stepped forward, her feet on the edge of the pond. “It is scary.”

“There is no need for it to be.”

“And wet.”

“Yes.” Hannah chuckled. “That is the idea.”

“Amelia…” Frederick rested a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Perhaps this was a bad idea? As Hannah said, just the fact that you considered doing it is enough. More than enough, truthfully.”

Amelia looked undecided. On the one hand, he could see the stubborn determination in her eyes, that willfulness to not back down because she was so very much like him. But on the other hand, she was only six years old, and this was a rather big ask for anyone her age.

Truthfully, Frederick had not even thought things would go this far. What he had expected from today was pleasant conversations, a little bit of exploring, and a chance for Hannah and Amelia to get to know one another a little better. Not to mention a chance for him to spend time with Hannah in a friendly, platonic manner.

And it had started that way, too. Once they had broken their fast, the three of them took two horses from the stables and crossed the tracks of land that surrounded the estate, where a small forest sat on the edges. There, they tied the horses to a tree and began their trek through the wilderness.

It was a sparsely grown forest, easy enough to walk through. Amelia would run ahead, call out excitedly, and then come back with her face red and her eyes wide with glee.

Hannah played her part perfectly, too. She didn’t say anything untoward to Frederick. She didn’t try and touch him or even mention the previous night. She kept almost her entire focus on Amelia, who was slowly but surely warming up to her.

But then they came across the hidden pond, and everything changed.

Amelia wanted to learn how to swim. She wanted to go in. At the sight of the pond, she ran to its edge and demanded that she be allowed. And while Frederick would have ordinarily said no, Hannah stepped in and made that all but impossible.

“I am sorry.” Amelia pouted, looking away from the water. “I… I can’t.”

Frederick breathed a sigh of relief. “You have nothing to apologize for.” He took her by the hand and began to lead her back from the pond’s edge. “How about we head back home? It’s getting late, and someone has earned themselves a slice of cake.”

“Might I still go in?” Hannah asked suddenly.

Frederick turned back and looked at her. “What?”

“Might I go in?” She nodded innocently toward the pond. “Seeing as the weather is nice and we have come all this way.”

“You’re serious?”

“I have never been more serious.” She cocked an eyebrow at him and then, still holding his eyes, began to unfasten the front of her dress.

“Hannah!”

“It is quite all right,” she sighed. “I am wearing a shift underneath. And it is just the three of us. Amelia doesn’t mind. Do you, Amelia?”

Amelia looked as if she could not believe what she was hearing. Partly shocked. Partly amused. Her eyes were wide, her smile was eager, and her body shook from withheld laughter.

“Are you really going to go in?”

“Only if your father does not object.”

Hannah could not have looked more smug. It was a test, Frederick thought, for she knew he wished they would get along, and to deny her this would upset his daughter.

Frederick’s expression was flat and cold, and he made sure that Hannah could see it. “I have no objections. So long as you do not mind getting wet.”

Hannah’s eyes flashed. “I haven’t minded in the past.”

That comment alone had his knees shaking, for the underlying meaning was obvious! And then, as Hannah began to unfasten her dress slowly, watching him the whole while, he could feel the rest of his body join in, growing hot. His breathing became labored.

Her fingers gently undid the ties around her bosom, opening the dress and allowing it to pool around her ankles. Sure, she was wearing a thick shift underneath, but that hardly seemed relevant. Even though it was loose, hiding her curves from view, Frederick’s heart began to thud so loudly that he wondered if Amelia could hear it.

Still watching him, smirking to herself, Hannah started toward the water’s edge. She dipped a toe first. Then she lifted the garment to her knees and stepped into the water.

“Oh, it’s cold,” she gasped. “Amelia, are you sure you do not wish to come in?”

“N-no.” Amelia giggled to herself, then she looked up at Frederick. “Father, she is crazy.”

“She is something…” He barely even heard his daughter, unable to look away from Hannah for even a second.

She waded deeper into the pond, her dress now falling into the water and trailing behind her. Deeper and deeper she went until the water reached her waist. She spun about, splashing the water around her, laughing and giggling with delight.

The dress had been loose before, but now it clung to her waist. Those curves were on full display. Her skin shimmered in the sunlight. And when she dipped her hands into the water and ran them through her hair, flicking it back as she closed her eyes and basked in the sunlight…

Subconsciously, as if he had lost control of his body, Frederick found himself walking toward the pond. As if a hand was grabbing him and dragging him forward. He might have tried to fight it if he had been so inclined, but… well, with how he was feeling right now, he wasn’t that.

Images from last night flooded his mind. Watching her pleasuring herself on his bed, somehow resisting the urge to join her. Frederick couldn’t fathom how he had managed to do even that. He wanted her. It really was that simple. A fact made all the more tempting by the very real fact that she wanted him, too.

“Oh, are you coming in?” Hannah asked him, seeing him hesitating by the water’s edge.

Frederick blinked, snapping himself back into the moment. “Ah… No—no. I don’t?—”

“Daddy, you should! Please!” Amelia giggled. “If you do, I will.”

Frederick’s eyes widened as he realized the trap Hannah had set. “I really don’t?—”

“Oh, come now!” Hannah splashed water at him, enough that it reached where he and Amelia stood, hitting them without soaking them. “It’s lovely in!”

“Yes!” Amelia cried. “Daddy! Can I? Can I?”

Frederick knew he had no choice. But more than that, he didn’t care. This marriage had been about finding a woman who could help him raise his daughter, a woman who Amelia might come to like, given time. And seeing that happen before his eyes… it was more than he could have hoped for.

What was more, his desire not to touch Hannah, the reason for it, was now seeming less and less relevant. Tonight, he had no doubt that she would try and seduce him again, and while he wondered if he would be able to hold himself back like he had previously, he now questioned if he cared.

“Fine,” Frederick sighed, making sure to act as if it was the last thing he wished for as he began to unbutton his shirt. “But when we are all cold and wet later, do not say I didn’t warn you.”

“Yay!” Amelia cried.

Frederick’s shirt came undone, and he made sure to look at Hannah when it did. Her eyes widened with delight. Then she looked up at him, and he met her gaze. They shared a grin. Memories from last night and the implication of what this really was. And then Frederick took off his shirt, dropping it to the ground.

“There he is!” Hannah laughed.

Frederick took off his boots next, kicking them away before wading into the pond. The water was indeed cold, but he did not care. He laughed as he stepped into it, wading forward until it came up to his knees. Hannah splashed him playfully, and he widened his eyes at her in warning, only to splash her back.

“My turn!” Amelia squealed and charged into the pond fully clothed.

“Amelia!” Frederick shouted as she tripped and fell face-first into the water.

A collective gasped rang out, but then her head emerged from the water, and they erupted in laughter and cries of delight.

“I told you!” Hannah cheered. “Nothing to be afraid of.”

She waded through the water until she was standing beside Frederick. Her hand moved toward his, and she looked at him, raising both her eyebrows in question.

Frederick paused for a moment, rolled his eyes, and then took her hand. It was warm compared to the water, soft and somehow cozy. He held it tight, feeling a pulse shoot up his arm at her touch. In that way, he was glad that his daughter was here, for she kept his desires in check. But in another way…

It was a shame that his daughter was here, for with Hannah now drenched from head to toe, her shift clinging to her curves, her breasts heaving beneath, it was all he could do to only hold her hand.

Today was special, Frederick realized. And he relished it for what it was. But tonight, he did not know what would happen. He did not even know what he wanted. But deep down, even he had to admit that he was excited to find out.

This woman had unmasked him, and from the way she looked at him, he knew that it was only the beginning.