Part 18 (1/2)

He sipped in a large breath, trying to think of anything remotely not sensual as the carriage door opened. Immediately, he heard a high-pitched giggle. It sounded particularly vicious. Lovely, Miss Whinny was here. He hoped he could keep the pompous young miss away from his beautiful G.o.ddess who had just kissed him as if she would never see him again. Oh, the woman could kiss. And utterly confuse him. The whirlwind of a conversation they'd just shared was...d.a.m.nation, he realized he still didn't have any answers, and he'd gone and asked even more questions. One very deliberate question in particular. After tea he was determined to get an answer, if not many.

Chapter 20.

Maybe Erva was acting a bit like a teenager, but she'd had a feeling Winny would be attending tea. So she happened to extract herself from the carriage, Will right behind her, with her lips red and raw from making out with him who also happened to have a slightly swollen mouth. Miss Winny took one look at the two of them, her face turning fuchsia, then stormed off with her two little friends chattering behind her.

G.o.d, that felt ridiculously good.

Yeah, it had been very high school of her to do, and she had to remind herself that she was a college professor after all. Well, almost. She needed to have a serious talk with Dr. Peabody when she got back. She'd sit her down and let the b.i.t.c.h have it-all those years of working her a.s.s off and she didn't even have her PhD to show for it.

Erva tripped a little as she realized what she had been thinking. Will caught her immediately. They stood a tad outside the open doors of the largest mansion Erva had ever seen, with servants dressed better than most of the people on the streets. The manicured yard was amazing, of course, and the house itself was-well, it was fabulous with marble pillars and climbing green ivy and wide open windows letting the late summer's heat infiltrate to all inside. She heard music and the rumbling of people talking and laughing. This was supposed to be tea, but it was more like a party.

”Are you all right, darling?” Will asked with his voice more rugged than usual. His blue eyes bore into hers with noticeable desire. She loved the way he held onto her, peeking down at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Her body instantly rekindled the fire that had been lit in the carriage. Remembering what he'd done to her last night, instantly flashed through her mind. Her center stirred. Again. G.o.d, she seemed insatiable concerning him.

She nodded. But as much as her body ached for him, worry superseded. Did he think he should marry her, like an eighteenth-century gentleman would?

”Lady Ferguson, how nice to see you here,” the too high-pitched voice of Winny said.

She turned, surprised to see the girl and her two friends back so soon. Erva had to give Winny credit. The girl was tenacious, albeit in a nasty like a rabid Chihuahua way.

Erva curtsied toward Winny as she felt Will bow beside her.

”Thank you, Miss Winny. It's nice to see you too.” The lie hadn't been too hard to say. After all, even through her anxieties, when Evra was around Will it was difficult to not be chipper and probably unbearably happy.

Winny curtsied herself, then beamed at her, which was, of course, a bit disconcerting. ”Won't you come inside? Lady Anne has been talking about you all afternoon. She wants you to play more music. But she also wants you to meet some of her other guests.”

One of the girls behind Winny abruptly burst out in a nervous neigh that might have been a chuckle. Winny stared her down. Her eyes narrowed cruelly. Erva couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl receiving the cold shoulder from Winny.

”Of course,” Erva said with a smile. ”Thank you. Won't you lead the way?”

Winny caught a fan strung around her wrist, then, with a too perfected move, fluttered the white feathered fan into a wide semicircle. She hid her mouth behind the fan, but said, ”It would be my pleasure.”

As Winny wound her way through the house, she looked back at Will. ”Oh, and good afternoon, General.”

”The same to you, Miss Winny, and to all your friends too.”

Winny's cronies t.i.ttered as if Will had said he was naked.

Suddenly, Lady Anne appeared and rushed to Erva, hugging her as if she were a long lost daughter.

”My dear, I'm so delighted you have come,” Lady Anne said as she whirled Erva about and showed her into a room with a pianoforte and a few guests sitting on tiny chairs, sipping from teacups, although the room smelled strongly of whiskey.

”Thank you, my lady,” Erva said, wondering slightly about the vice grip Lady Anne had on her wrist.

”Sit with an old woman for a spell. I want to know everything about you.”

With more force than Erva thought the woman could muster, Lady Anne shoved her on a couch and sat beside her. Will stood before them, looking a little surprised, but then rocked back on the heels of his black boots with a small smile.

Erva couldn't help but return a grin, then glanced back at her host. Oh G.o.d, what could she tell her?

”Well, what would you like to know, my lady?”

”Anne, call me Anne please. Unless you think it too informal, of course. I'm sorry for my impropriety, but your music has stirred my soul, my dear. I'm simply in love with you and your music.”

Erva giggled.

”Have you been composing very long?”

Erva sucked in a breath, thinking of the Beethoven melody she had played. She wished she could take credit for that. Shaking her head, she said, ”No, none of the music I play is of my own making.”

”Wherever did you learn such music?”

”I was wondering the same thing,” Will chipped in.

Erva thought quickly. ”Well, the music I first played I learned from an American by the name of Mr. Elfman.”

”I've never heard of him.”

Erva tried not to laugh. The lady wouldn't have heard of him, since he lived more than two-hundred years in the future. ”Oh, well, you might soon.” Erva folded her hands together, already feeling guilty as she told her lies. ”And the other is from a composer. Prussian, I believe. Or is he Austrian? I always forget.”

”Ah,” Lady Anne's eyes widened. ”I've never been to the Prussian Empire. Is it lovely?”

Erva nodded, thinking of the modern day, federal parliamentary government of Germany. ”There are no words to describe it.” At least none that she could share with Lady Anne, she thought.

Lady Anne nodded enthusiastically. ”Oh, now I have to go. Will you go with me? Of course, we'll take General Hill with us.”

Erva couldn't help but giggle up at Will who smiled down at her. That grin, the way his eyes seemed to stare only into hers, his whole attention given to her, it was enough to think he was serious about wanting to marry her. Then again eighteenth-century rules practically dictated they were supposed to wed after what they'd done last night.

Unless it was just an affair.

As if attracted to Erva's dark thought, Winny floated into the room. Lady Anne straightened and turned more pointedly to Erva.

”My lady-”

”Erva, please.”

Lady Anne smiled widely. ”Erva, my dear, would-would you care for some tea?”

Iced tea sounded delightful, Erva thought, since the room was nearly a thousand degrees. However, there was something so genuine about Lady Anne that Erva couldn't say no to such an eager face. ”I'll have some if you do.”

”Lovely. Now, help me up to see if I can find one of my maids.”

”I'll get you the tea.” But the horrified look upon the elderly lady's face let Erva know that wasn't acceptable. ”Er, I mean, I'll go find a maid. Please, continue sitting.”

Erva stood as Lady Anne smiled appreciatively. ”You are an angel, my dear. And after we share our tea and talk more, I will, of course, insist that you play for me.”