Little Secrets (11 page)

"Since when do you care about being proper?" Papa asked. "Everything about Ashby seems fitting for the two of us, but not what I would deem suitable in the eyes of others." His hands gently stroked her arms, caressing her soft skin as his touch grazed her stomach.

She leaned her head back against his chest, momentarily shutting her eyes as she basked in the warmth of the water and his strong embrace. "I
do
care about my reputation." It had been why they had had an argument earlier. Eliza had been afraid that he might ruin her reputation with an article in the newspaper.

"I know," he whispered, kissing her neck. "You will take my name when you graduate, and I have no intention of sullying it. Besides, no one is going to speak about what happens behind the closed doors of the chateau. Not even Philip himself will say a word if you misbehave, except perhaps to me. Which is why I shall spend every waking hour I can charming you, and reminding you that when we do eventually leave together, it will be to start a family of our own. I look forward to the day you graduate, even if neither of us wish to leave the comforts of such a fine establishment."

Her hand fell upon his arm. "You wish to start a family with me?" Preston had never uttered such a phrase. She had not thought seriously about children and being a mother, but the idea he presented to her did not sound terrible.

"I do want to carry on the Lockwood name," Papa said. "What is it that you desire, my little Eliza?" His hands gently caressed her stomach, moving toward the juncture of her thighs.

She shifted against him, growing restless as she separated her legs, giving him better access to her most intimate area. A single digit swiped her cunny lips apart and she shifted her hips back against him, desiring more, wanting to feel alive all over again. "I want you," Eliza said. She did want him, in several years when she graduated, but more importantly, now.

Charley smiled, pleased with her admission of desiring him. He had been serious in wanting to discuss the fact he wished to have children with her, but that would not be for several years. Given that he could not take her purity until they were wed, he abstained from the physical act of sex. However, it did not mean there were not other ways to enjoy her body—and she his.

"I want you too," he whispered into her ear, his breath against her neck. Charley kissed a soft path over the delicate salty skin. She tasted heavenly, like an angel sent down for him to enjoy. His finger separated the folds of her cunny, and he felt her hips gyrate against him.

Smiling, he was pleased with her response. Although he was supposed to be only giving her a bath, this was much more enjoyable, and so he let his urges and desires comfort her as he slid another finger down to her quim.

Charley grazed her clit, circling the hooded bead as he brought her blood flowing to her cunny.

She moaned, her voice soft and breathy as she asked him one single question. "Can we?"

He did not quite know what she was asking or meant, but he certainly felt like there was no reason to stop this exploration of her body. The water would clean them and perhaps after their bath, she would take his hardened cock into her mouth. He wanted to teach her that there were many ways to love, it did not have to solely be from the physical act of sex.

Charley dipped two fingers in past her cunny, thrusting beneath the surface of the water, stretching her tight pussy with his digits. He wanted to feel her trembling against his member, but his resolve was stronger than his desires. Instead, he made the sensation and moment about her, focusing on what she needed and wanted, because deep down it was what he wanted as well.

In a come here motion, his fingers stroked the inside of her quim, his breath caressed her neck, his tongue and lips leaving a soft impression as he sucked the sensitive flesh, wanting to show everyone that she was his. Charley wanted her to desire no other man for the rest of her life. They were betrothed, and he had found his happiness in her.

Her insides clenched onto his digits and his thumb swiped over her clit, sending her body into a trembling fury, water splashing, as her toes curled and she gripped his thigh, her nails digging into his skin.

The searing force was enough to keep him from letting go, the bite of pain only intensified the pleasure of his cock pulsating, as he desired his little Eliza. He could not take her in the bathtub, not the way he wished.

Hearing her gasping for air, he knew she was slowly coming down from her euphoric high. Charley reached for the cloth, dousing it in soap as he gently scrubbed the remnants of the day away, working her arms first and then down across her chest to her breasts. His movements were methodical and though he was still aroused, he did not try to please her as he washed her body.

Eliza had experienced her dose of pleasure and Charley was working quickly to clean her skin as he was supposed to before the water chilled, and they were to go to bed. He had no intention of putting her right down to sleep, not without her lips around his cock.

He worked swiftly, adding more soap while the water washed the suds away. He worked the cloth lower, between her silky folds, his touch not aiming to please but to clean before he scrubbed her legs and then her back.

"I do not wish to go to bed so soon," Eliza whispered, her voice returning back to normal as she had finally caught her breath.

He did not want her to fall asleep soon either, though he kept his plans from her for the moment, enjoying that he was in control and she was to do as he said. Charley washed her bottom before rinsing her hair, lathering it with soap, and cleaning the dark tendrils under the surface of the bathwater. The room felt cooler, or perhaps it was because the water had chilled during their time spent together, caught up in one another.

Although Charley did not have a fresh change of clothes for himself, he was pleased that Eliza was clean. "Come, it is time to get you dried off and into bed." He helped her stand and felt the cool chill of the air send goosebumps over his arms. He grabbed two towels, wrapping the first around Eliza before drying himself. He did not bother to remove his clothes from the floor or to pick up hers, either.

He took her hand and led her to the bed. Charley dried off quickly, rubbing the towel over his wet skin. He ran the last bit through his hair, making sure his dark locks would not drip all over him.

Eliza stood by the bed, her teeth chattering. "I need a nightgown." She nodded toward the dresser.

"You need no such thing," Charley said. He had the remainder of the evening planned and it did not involve either one of them wearing clothes. Though he supposed she could be dressed, he much preferred to admire her naked form. "At least not for several more hours." He had every intention of staying as late as Ashby's curfew permitted. He wanted to enjoy every last minute of his time with Eliza before he returned home to think about his job. Sunday would be spent writing the article that was to be put into publication that week. It was easier to push the thoughts of work aside with a naked woman in her bed.

Charley stepped closer, dropping his own towel while he used hers to finish drying her off. "Better?" he asked, sensing that her discomfort from the cold had vanished. She no longer shivered. He dried her hair with the towel, watching as her body relaxed.

"Much," Eliza said.

Was it solely the fact she had warmed up, or the attention he gave to her that made her seem to unwind? "Climb onto the bed," he said, pointing to the mattress.

She followed his instruction, climbing onto the bed, waiting for him to join her.

"Do I get to touch you now?" Her green eyes sparkled under the amber lantern as she stared at his body, her gaze falling down to his hardening member. Dinner had helped give him time to rejuvenate and the bath had aided in helping him relax.

Charley climbed atop the mattress, gesturing for her to come closer. "This time you get to do all the touching and licking," he said, lying back on the bed. His head gently fell upon the pillow as she climbed above his body, her breath teasing just above his nipples, forcing the small buds to harden under her nonexistent touch. How did she do that to him?

Eliza's breath fell upon his chest, where his heart lay, and she kissed a warm wet path, licking and sucking her way down his body. "Am I doing it right?" she asked, her kisses over his navel as she mumbled her question against his skin.

His fingers tangled in her hair. "You are doing perfectly." He had no doubts about her ability to please him; only whether she would find satisfaction in performing such an act.

She climbed further down his torso, her eyes staring at his hardening member, her breath hovering as she teased him. He did not dare know what she was thinking, or even want to guess. "Do not be shy," he said, guiding her hand onto his cock.

It had not been the first time she grazed his erection. Just earlier that afternoon she had shoved her hand into his trousers unceremoniously. Staring at his erection, her eyes had darkened and she descended with her lips upon the head and her fingers caressing his shaft.

Charley's eyes shut and his head bent back, exhaling a heavy breath. She made him feel as though his body was on fire. Did she know the power she harbored? He preferred to be in charge and yet he knew that he could easily lose himself in her.

Her tongue swirled over the head, sucking and licking the pre-cum that grazed the tip. She did not pull away or shy from the sight as she bobbed her head up and down over his length, taking him into her mouth with a thrusting motion.

Eliza's hand came down to caress his balls as she sucked his manhood.

He wanted her to take him deeper into her throat, but he was not sure she was physically ready. It would require training, just like her bottom had, to stretch and relax her muscles. Charley felt the first surge, a pulse that ripped through his body as he grew near. "I am going to—" He wanted to give her fair warning but then his body trembled and he spilled his seed into her mouth.

She licked and sucked at his cock, swallowing every drop, her green eyes heavy and thick with desire as she climbed back up his body. "I want you to take my virtue, Papa."

Charley desired the same, but not tonight. He guided her to lie down with him, pulling the covers up around their bodies. Though he knew he could not spend the night, he did not move quickly to leave, either. "When we are wed," he whispered. Though he knew Ashby was a place to train young ladies to submit, why could he not wed her while she remained enrolled? Would it be improper to perform a wedding and continue her submissive training?

He would speak to Headmaster Philip and determine whether a wedding at Ashby would be allowed. It might have been uncommon but he did not feel there was anything immoral about his intent to marry little Eliza. After they were wed, she would continue her training until graduation, when she could join him at home. Such an occasion would allow them both the pleasure to explore one another fully as a little and papa, without concerns about a scandal. If anyone asked why his wife was attending Ashby, he could give an excuse of work and needing to get her properly acquainted with the rituals of being a mother and wife. It may be unusual, but it was what he desired with his little Eliza.

Charley made no attempt to tell his little one of his plans. If the headmaster shot down his idea, then he did not wish to have to relay the disappointing news and break her heart.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself the opportunity to relax, feeling her drift off to sleep in his embrace. She was warm in his arms, and it lulled him into the perfect slumber as he curled against her body, finding sleep came easily for him.

Eliza had not felt her papa sneak out of the room late that Saturday night. She missed his presence on Sunday, but understood he had to work. It was necessary if she wished to continue her education as a little at Ashby.

Monday and Tuesday rolled around and without a hint of his arrival, she hoped he would come and pay her a visit now that it was Wednesday. After their intimate activities just a short time ago, she had found herself unable to keep her thoughts from him.

Why had he not returned?

Eliza found it difficult to express what she felt, the sense of longing to see him again, the tugging of her heart at missing him. She had played in the playroom with her friends but had not shared the details of her tryst with any of the girls. Could they tell she was anxious for him to pay her a visit? Perhaps she had done a poor job of pleasuring him. She had not thought she had done anything wrong, but she could not know without a doubt. His lack of appearance at the Ashby worried her.

Eliza was unsure how her nanny would respond to what had transpired between them. Nanny Agnes had found her charge naked on Sunday morning when she came to awaken little Eliza. She had thoroughly examined the bedsheets again before her shoulders relaxed. What had she been looking for?

Eliza had been frightened that she might be forced to visit with Doctor Colt a third time for another unpleasant examination, but her nanny had not taken her to his office. Eliza certainly was not going to fill her nanny with any unfavorable thoughts.

The brunette stared out the window, her gaze on the garden, wanting a stroll outside more than anything. She missed the sun, the warmer months of spring and summer. Inside Ashby it was nice, the place being as beautiful as one could create, but she still lacked the freedom of exploring outdoors, the fresh scent of grass being cut and birds chirping as the wind caressed her cheek.

"Do you think I might be able to take a walk outside today?" Eliza asked her nanny. The headmaster had been kind enough to grant her the freedom a short time ago, when she had first laid eyes on Charley. It seemed a rare occasion where he allowed the girls out without company, but the gates kept the little ones protected from the outside world.

"If Headmaster Philip were in a good mood, I would say perhaps." Nanny Agnes pulled the sheets from the bed, tossing them momentarily on the floor while she removed the pillowcases. "But there are too many unwanted visitors this morning; an issue we have been faced with all week. I suspect it will only continue. Come, little one. We shall visit the nursery while I send for a maid to finish your laundry."

Eliza did not desire to spend the entire day with the other young women who were under a nanny's care. It was not that the girls were unpleasant, but there were times when she wanted to be the young lady she was, and not act like a child. The playroom only intensified the feelings of being little, with toys that made her reminisce of her childhood.

"May I stay in here today?" Eliza asked. "Would it be appropriate for me to color alone?" She did not have it in her to play and pretend all was well. Where was her papa? Had something happened to him on his way home? Preston had not been one to visit her often, but Charley had been different. The lack of him showing up concerned her.

"I am sure you are disappointed not to visit with your papa, but I can assure you that it is quite common for visits to be days apart. In fact, he made mention on his departure last Saturday that he had some business to attend to. I believe it involved marrying you. Do not worry, little one. Your papa loves you greatly."

Neither had expressed such feelings aloud but Eliza was certain she harbored strong feelings for Charley. "He wishes to marry me? When?" Eliza did not understand the urgency if it involved a wedding. She doubted that she would be able to leave Ashby in less than two years. What was her nanny talking about? Perhaps she had got the conversation confused with another little's papa.

"He spoke briefly with Headmaster Philip. I do not know the specifics but there is a wedding to come soon. I suspect his absence has been to find you a ring and perhaps a gown for your special day."

Eliza's head swam at such thoughts. She did want to marry Charley, but the idea of it being so soon overwhelmed her.

Nanny Agnes bent down to gather the linens, tossing them into a basket for the maid to bring down to wash. One of the pillowcases was left behind, and so her nanny bent down, grabbing it from the floor, her eyes landing on something beneath the bed. The older woman's arm stretched out, pulling the crinkled slip of paper as she read the note. "What is this?" Nanny Agnes asked, her tone sharp and curt as she glanced over the page.

Should she lie to protect Charley? How had that slip of paper ended up under the bed? She remembered him dropping his waistcoat along with his other garments to the floor, perhaps it had fallen out and been hidden beneath the mattress.

Eliza said nothing. There were not enough words to explain what her nanny was reading. She silently hoped it would not be a big deal. Maybe she wouldn't know what the note meant. Did they have any idea that her papa worked for a newspaper?

"Stay here!" Nanny Agnes warned her charge, storming from the nursery out into the hall.

Eliza poked her head into the hall, curious to see where her nanny was taking the scribblings. They meant nothing to the untrained eye. What did Nanny Agnes think she had found?

A host of gentlemen waited near Headmaster Philip's door, their arms crossed, faces rigid, as they leaned against the walls.

Nanny Agnes knocked briskly against the frosted glass. "Headmaster Philip, I must speak with you at once!" She boldly knocked again, interrupting whatever meeting was being held behind closed doors.

The door slowly squeaked open and Philip Hartley poked his head out, looking tired and worn. What was going on around here?

Nanny Agnes held up the note that Eliza's papa had written and had been stuffed inside his waistcoat. "I have something you need to see."

Philip snatched the note from her grip, glanced it over as he silently read it before asking the gentleman in his office to step outside. "Bring her to me."

The older woman turned on her heels, the brass clicking over marble as she headed for the nursery.

Little Eliza rushed back from the door, heading for the window where she had been earlier. Had her nanny seen her watching the scene out in the hall? She tried to pretend she was not interested in what was going on, but found it difficult. Her hands trembled at her sides.

"You are to come with me," Nanny Agnes said, holding the door open as she waited for her charge to follow.

With slow footsteps, Eliza trudged out of the nursery and down the hall. She felt the heavy gaze of seven gentlemen lined up outside the headmaster's office. Who were they, and what were they doing in the littles' wing?

Headmaster Philip's doors remained open and he gestured for little Eliza to come inside his office.

She did not wish to set foot in there, it was as though she were in trouble, but she was not quite sure what she had done wrong. With her head tilted down at the ground and her gaze on her shoes, she stepped inside the headmaster's office.

Briskly he slammed the door shut, forcing her to jump from the loud
smack
. She did not have to look up to know he was furious. Was he angry with her? What had she done wrong?

"Have a seat." Headmaster Philip pointed at the empty sofa.

Eliza exhaled a nervous breath and shuffled to the plush couch, sitting down. She did not dare ask what was wrong. The note had been enough of a telltale sign that there was trouble brewing. Could she blame it on Preston? He had shared tea with her in the nursery once, although Nanny Agnes had been with them the entire time.

"Tell me about this," he said, handing her the note.

Sure enough, it was the same scribbled lines she had read just a few days ago. The contents had angered her, but Charley had assured her that he was not going to write about her. "I do not know what there is to tell."

The headmaster walked around to his side of the desk, reaching for a newspaper. He folded the front page, letting her see the headline at the bottom.
Little Secrets: What the headmaster refuses to tell you.

Eliza's eyes widened as she snatched the paper from his grasp, her eyes scouring the details. The byline did not give away Charley's name, but the article itself described a finishing school near London that housed young ladies who were treated as littles, only to learn to submit to their papas. In further detail it outlined their level of dress and the scandalous nature of such an act.

"Ashby is not named in the article," Eliza said, breathing a sigh of relief. Why was the headmaster worried? It could have been any finishing school, there were many near London.

Headmaster Philip came around from the desk, taking the paper and placing it back down on his desk. "It does not have to name Ashby. My understanding at the moment is that all the finishing schools are under scrutiny. Some have less to concern themselves with. The men in the hall are papas of the girls who are—or have previously been—enrolled as a little. They worry about their reputation. I have parents lined up in the finishing school demanding to know if their daughters are part of a hidden littles' school, including Clara and Addie's father. Do you think that is something that I am responsible for expressing to them? Charley has made a mockery out of finishing schools, ruining the institution, including the Ashby's reputation."

Eliza could not believe that to be the case. "I am sure it will all soon subside. He writes for a small paper. How many people could have read the article?"

The headmaster snorted under his breath. "What was once small and mundane has grown. The paper was sold out and the story is being reprinted by other neighboring communities. Your betrothed has made a name for himself, even if it is fictitious. Perhaps I should have suspected that Charley might be behind the article. I did not know journalists could be so callous."

"I am sure it is all a misunderstanding," Eliza said, even though she felt the urge to vomit. She did not want to believe that her papa could have caused this big a mess. Was that why he had not returned sooner to visit? What had he done? What had her papa done?