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“Are you enjoying yourself, little one?” Edward asked, looking down into the flushed face of his ward. “Is the party meeting all your expectations?” Lucy flushed, and again knew why her sister had fallen in love with this man. He was extremely charming and attentive to her, and though she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to turn her over his knee and spank her when he felt she needed it, tonight she knew he was truly concerned about her happiness.
“It is lovely, sir,” Lucy answered sweetly, seeing her sister laughing at something that Mr. Birkenstone was saying. “I… I was a bit nervous,” she admitted, and saw his acknowledgement in his eyes.
“You expected to see little girls in short dresses and bows aplenty, perhaps?” Edward teased, causing her cheeks to heat. When she nodded, he pulled her a bit closer. “Even papas know their little ones enjoy a bit of dress-up, Lucille. We may prefer to keep our girls cloistered in our homes, but we realize that isolation from all the world only tends to stifle contentment,” Edward said softly. “We all adore the women who have honored us by becoming our wives, Lucille, be they dressed in fashionable finery attending a ball or dressed in frilly dresses attending to their papas in their homes.”
Lucy nodded, and realized her understanding of this lifestyle had grown. No longer did she think of her sister as being denied happiness. Having seen Louisa blossom over the past few weeks, she had discovered that this was exactly where her twin belonged. She knew that Louisa was still held to both a structured routine and a strict set of rules that were far more restrictive than even her own. She had heard her sister cry as she promised her papa that she would be his good girl, even as he spanked her bottom in their room down the corridor from her own. Despite the sound of her sister’s pain as she was being chastised, Lucy knew she was extremely happy.
She flushed slightly, acknowledging to herself that she had heard other sounds as well—moans of pleasure, and cries of passion that had caused her skin to pebble with goosebumps and had her wishing to have a man cause her to make those same sounds.
“I know, sir,” Lucy finally said. “I know you love Louisa and I will always thank you for that. She is happy, and I understand better now.”
Edward smiled and pulled her closer in order to bend to kiss the top of her head. Lucy smiled at the fatherly gesture and felt loved and protected. “Thank you, sir,” she said. “Thank you for being my guardian and for helping me to find myself.”
“You don’t need to thank me, little one,” he said hoarsely, “It has been my pleasure, to watch you take this journey, Lucille, and I am deeply honored to have you under my wing.”
Lucy felt her eyes sting as they filled with tears. She had fought so hard to prove she was an independent, modern woman. She had fought to deny that deep inside her heart, what she truly desired was to find some man exactly like the one holding her. Despite her barriers and denial, it seemed both her father and her guardian had been correct all along. She and Louisa were identical, in even this.
“Don’t be sad, Lucy,” Edward said softly. “This is a night for joy.” The music ended and he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and then grinned when seeing she’d already pulled Lucas’ from beneath her cuff. She smiled and then giggled as his eyebrow quirked. “Seems your collection is growing, little one,” he teased. “Now, dry your eyes and make those two”—he turned her to see that both Charles and Lucas were pushing their way through the crowds toward them— “make them prove that they deserve one of the most special little girls in the world.”
Lucy smiled and impulsively lifted herself onto her tiptoes and brushed a kiss across Edward’s cheek. “Yes, sir,” she said, and then giggled before she tucked the small cloth away again. “This is one order I must say that I am truly looking forward to obeying.”
Edward’s loud laugh echoed about the room, causing many a head to turn to look at the two of them.
Chapter 14
The façade of the ball being one from a childhood fairy-tale was peeled away a few hours later as Louisa and Lucille climbed the stairs to the second floor. Lady Eddinberg’s maid had given them directions where they might go to freshen themselves. As they reached the top of the stairs and turned into the corridor, they saw a couple a few feet in front of them, the girl’s upper arm being held by her companion. Before the sisters even heard the girl speak, they knew she was in some sort of trouble.
“Please, sir, please! I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do it again. Please don’t span… spank me,” they heard the girl pleading softly.
The twins looked at each other and silently moved to the left side of the hall intending to slip past unnoticed. They’d not yet made it past when the man turned, his eyes finding the sisters.
“Ah, good evening, girls,” he said as if he greeting them while holding a large wooden paddle in his free had was perfectly normal.
Louisa spoke first, while Lucy’s shocked stare moved between the man she instantly recognized and the beautiful young woman whose face had turned scarlet and was already showing traces of tears.
“Good evening, Pastor Reed,” Louisa said, and gave him a curtsy. After straightening, she softly hissed, “Lucy.”
Reminded of her manners, Lucy followed suit though her curtsy was wobbly and her greeting was a far softer and hesitant, “Sir.”
“Does your papa know you are running about upstairs, Louisa?” Reed asked.
Louisa nodded. “Oh, yes, sir, we are just going to… um, freshen ourselves. Papa is waiting downstairs,” she answered, her hand tightening its grip on her sister’s.
Lucy felt her face heat, the awkwardness of both the conversation and situation keeping her silent.
“Very well then,” Reed said. “See that you both return to him quickly, young lady. Heaven knows little girls are tempted to forget their places when allowed to run about without supervision. Being allowed to dress like women tends to foster naughtiness.” Though he was directing his comments to Louisa, his eyes were boldly raking up and down Lucy’s small body, causing her to shudder and catch her breath as he continued, “All of you girls should be properly attired instead of flaunting yourselves in these ridiculous gowns, thinking it acceptable to act as if you are adults.”
“But we—” Lucy began.
“Do not interrupt when I’m speaking, young lady,” Reed snapped.
Lucy saw that she wasn’t the only one to flush at the disgust evident in his voice, though she had to wonder if the other two were a bit angry as she was. He’d cut her off before she could remind him that they were actually all adults no matter what roles they played.
“I suggest you pay attention instead of attempting to interrupt your elders, young lady.”
Remembering Lucas’ words, Lucy forced herself to sheath her claws. The look in his eyes as well as the implement in his hand, helped in her decision that the safest route to take was to remain silent. “I apologize for interrupting,” she managed, her refrain in addressing him as sir again, a tribute to the lioness Lucas had spoken of.
Obviously her slight slipped right past the pastor as he gave a grunt before continuing. “As I was saying, perhaps if little Camilla were wearing a proper dress, she might have remembered it is not appropriate to flirt and flaunt herself when she believed her betrothed wasn’t looking. Acting like a common harlot is severe naughtiness that must be corrected just as severely.”
