Lilly Blossoms (Lessons in Submission Book 3) Read online

  “That may be true and yet, to the two of them, she has chosen to be his little girl and he is her papa,” he said as he took a few more steps.

  Only when she began to tumble forward to see him better did Lilly remember she was sitting in a tree and not standing on the ground. And, oh God, she shouldn’t have looked straight down! She’d climbed up really high. Screeching, she grabbed the trunk, squeezing her eyes shut.

  “Careful! Don’t move!”

  She opened her eyes just enough to glare at him. “Don’t yell at me!”

  “I didn’t mean to yell. You are about to take ten years off my life.” She watched his own eyes close for a moment before he opened them again and spoke in a much calmer voice. “Please come down.”

  “No… just… just go away.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until your feet are on the ground. If I have to come up, I promise that not only will you come down, I’ll give you a far more tangible lesson.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” She knew what the word meant but wanted to hear what he believed the definition to be. She could think of no lesson she needed or wanted him to give her.

  “It means that instead of sitting up in a tree and watching something you had no business witnessing, I’ll take you over my knees and spank your bottom so that you can experience for yourself exactly what happens to naughty girls.”

  Well, you had to ask didn’t you?

  “You wouldn’t!”

  “I assure you that I most certainly would. As you must have heard, little girls who choose to be naughty get their bottoms spanked.”

  Why did he keep calling her little? Really, Lilly? Why aren’t you asking yourself why he keeps insinuating you are naughty and reminding you what happens to naughty little girls? Telling the voice in her head to go away, she tried to think. Yes, she really wanted to be on the ground, but if she climbed down… make that if she even could climb down, would he really spank her?

  “I promise never to eavesdrop again,” she said.

  “I’m glad to hear that but what I really want is for you to come down, sweetie. It’s not safe for you to be up there. I really don’t wish for you to fall and break your neck.”

  Why did he have to say that? Suddenly, falling was all she could think about. If she did and if she hit that bench… She felt fear clawing at her insides as she imagined the sound of her neck snapping.

  “I-I can’t. I’m… I’m scared.”

  “It’s all right; I’ll come up.”

  “No!”

  “Yes.” Removing his jacket, Phillip reached for the first branch and began to climb.

  Seeing that he obviously meant what he said, Lilly realized that he’d also said he’d spank her if he had to climb the tree to get her. Well, she might not be able to climb down, but she could climb up! Her feet and hands tore leaves and acorns from their moorings and his call of surprise told her that a few had found their mark.

  “Hey, stop climbing! I’m coming to get you.”

  “Go to hell!” she yelled, her foot slipping from where she’d pressed it against the trunk, reaching for another branch. She squealed but tried again, scrambling up the tree another foot.

  *

  Forget ten years. For every additional foot she managed to place between them, Phillip felt his fear grow. He waited, not moving a muscle until he was sure she had reached a secure spot before he spoke. “I’m not going to hurt you, little one.”

  She glared down at him. “That’s a lie! You said you… you would spank me!”

  This was not the time to explain the difference between hurt and harm. The bit of hurt caused by a spanking she definitely deserved would warm her arse but only for a short time. If she slipped and fell, the harm she’d encounter could be life threatening.

  “I don’t lie. I promise I won’t spank you but you need to be very still. Those upper branches aren’t as sturdy as the ones where you were sitting.”

  He wasn’t sure she believed him until a gust of wind pushed through the tree, causing it to sway. Her face turned the color of chalk before she pressed her forehead against the tree trunk and gave a cry that told of her terror.

  “Honey, let me come and get you.”

  “Only if you swear that you won’t spank me.”

  “I already promised…”

  She gave a strangled sob. “People break promises all the time.”

  “I don’t. I promise…”

  “I want you to swear… on something very important that you won’t break your word.”

  For such a tiny thing, she was acting very big. He could tell she was terrified and yet she was pretending to be brave. It took him but a moment to find something that was suddenly very important to him. “I swear on your life that I will not break my word. I will not spank you.” When her nose crinkled, he wondered if she were attempting to understand why he’d said ‘your life’, or perhaps she’d actually heard the word he’d added quietly to himself. Had she heard him say ‘today’?”

  Before he discovered the answer, he heard her screech and saw her flinch backwards as a very irritated squirrel jumped to a nearby branch and began to chatter at her.

  His heart almost stopped. Enough was enough. This was becoming more dangerous by the moment. If he were just a few feet closer, and he wasn’t worried that she’d fight him tooth and nail if he moved, he’d grab her and they’d negotiate later. Instead, forcing himself to remain calm, he spoke very softly once her cheek was pressed into the bark of the tree trunk, her eyes clenched tight. “It’s all right. She’s just saying hello to you.” Moving very slowly, he moved up another foot. “Please, honey, let me help you.” He knew he needed to get to her quickly before her nerves stole what little courage she had left. “Just be very still. All right?”

  She didn’t answer but her head bobbed up and down. When another breeze fluttered the leaves, he heard a sob that pulled at every protective instinct he had. “Hur…hurry!”

  “I’m almost there. Just stay still.”

  What had taken Lillian several minutes to accomplish, his strength and height allowed him to reach her in a fraction of the time. Standing on a branch and praying it didn’t snap, he slid an arm around her. She gave a small jerk and another sob, but managed to keep her arms wrapped around the trunk.

  “You are going to be all right,” he said softly. “I want you to turn around and put your arms around my neck and then I’ll help you climb onto my back.”

  “I-I can’t… what if I fall?”

  “I won’t let you fall, sweetie. Trust me to get you down safely.”

  “You might fall.”

  “I promise you I won’t. I used to climb trees all the time when I was a boy.”

  “You did?”

  He was not about to admit he’d broken his arm falling from a branch that hadn’t been as high as the one they were presently standing on. He eased her to release one arm and guided it around his neck. “Yes, I did. In fact, I had an entire family of squirrels adopt me as their own.”

  He watched as her eyes found his, her nose crinkling. Yes, that was a definite tell that she questioned what he was saying. However, if a story could keep her from panicking, then he hoped her nose continued to crinkle. Grinning, he continued to nod as he reached for her other arm. “Yes, we used to hold tea parties with the birds.”

  “What did you eat?”

  He chuckled, “Well, the squirrels and I had acorns but the birds preferred bugs.”

  “Ewww.”

  “Yes, ewww. I’m not a connoisseur of insects myself. Too many wiggly legs tickling your tummy after you’ve swallowed.” His story distracted her long enough for him to have both of her arms around his neck. “You are being so brave. I want you to wrap your legs around my waist and don’t let go.”

  Her eyes widened and her bottom lip began to tremble. Damn, his instructions had removed any distraction his story had provided. “You are going to be fine, little one. I’ve got you.”

  She whim
pered as she slowly obeyed. “Please, don’t drop me.”

  “I promise, just close your eyes and hold on tight.” He felt the softness of her breasts against his back as she clung to him and felt her breath as she buried her face against his neck. “Good girl. Almost there.” He slowly began his descent, testing each branch, praying they would support their combined weight. Once on the ground, he had to practically pry her arms from his neck and then eased her off his back. Squatting down, he slid his fingers up her arms to soothe her as her breathing slowly calmed.

  “Owww,” she said, jerking her arm from his hand.

  Looking at her forearm, he saw a long, ragged scratch where blood had clotted in some parts, and yet was again seeping in some spots. “That looks like it hurts. I’m sorry if you scratched it when I was climbing up.”

  “No… a big thorn scratched me when I was cutting—”

  “Lord Carrington?”

  At the sound of a woman’s voice, the girl wrenched free and ran.

  “Wait!” Phillip called out as she ducked beneath some bushes. The sound of her sharp cry told him she’d most likely found another thorn. His repeated call to wait wasn’t answered, and by the time he’d straightened and stepped to the bushes, all he saw was a flash of brown cloth disappearing beneath a break in the tall bushes that flanked the property.

  “Phillip?”

  Turning, he saw his hostess walking towards him, a question in her eyes as she looked between where he stood and the hedge. “Is something the matter?”

  Sighing, he shook his head. “No, just a little squirrel.”

  “A squirrel?”

  Chuckling, he bent to pick up a rose on the ground, seeing where it had been cut from its branch. Running his finger along the stem, he paused at the sharp thorn, wondering if this had been the cause of the girl’s scratch. Seeing another object, he reached for it. Lifting the basket, half-full of flowers, he looked again at the hedge.

  “Is there a tiny chit of a girl on your gardening staff?”

  “Gardening? Perhaps you’d better tell me everything that happened since you and Lord Martingham came out with Rachel. They returned quite some time ago but when you didn’t accompany them, I thought perhaps you’d forgotten our appointment.”

  “Um, no,” Phillip said, giving the hedge one more glance before giving the beautiful woman his full attention. “Come, I’ll tell you the story over a cup of tea.”

  Eleanor slipped her arm into the crook of his elbow. “That sounds delightful.” Together the two walked back through the extensive garden until they reached the French doors that led into the house. While soft conversations were taking place in the various rooms they passed through, neither spoke until Eleanor requested a tray and led her prospective client into her office and shut the door.

  Chapter Two

  After Phillip had told his story, he sat back as Eleanor sipped her tea. “At first I thought she was one of your girls, but then, well, the moment I was close enough to truly see her, I knew she wasn’t.”

  “No, but I do believe I know who she is,” Eleanor said, pouring him another cup.

  “Ah, so she is your gardener?”

  Eleanor laughed as she returned the pot to the tray. “Hardly. Really, Lord Carrington, did you see the condition of those bushes?”

  “What do you mean? They were just rose bushes.”

  She laughed again. “No, I didn’t mean what type of bushes, I mean the fact that if they were in the hands of a gardener, he or she most certainly wouldn’t be long on my payroll.”

  “I have no idea what you mean.”

  “I believe you were far too busy looking at the boundary hedge to see,” Eleanor said as she sat back in her chair. “I purposely keep that entire section of the gardens rather wild.”

  “Why on earth would you do that? Your gardens are truly magnificent.”

  “Thank you,” she said, giving him a smile. “It came to my attention a few months ago that while having gardens that win accolades is nice, there are more important things. Let me tell you a story.”

  Curious, Phillip nodded, sitting back in his own chair. He had a feeling that whatever story she was about to share over their tea would be far more factual than the one he’d told that girl.

  Eleanor began. “You know how there are flower girls on almost every block in the center of the city?” At his nod, she continued. “Well, one afternoon when I had taken several girls to enjoy a matinee at the opera, I saw something that practically broke my heart. A girl was being screamed at by the woman who runs the flower market. It seems that she believed that Lilly, that’s the girl you met today, was not working hard enough. When Lilly attempted to explain that she’d sold all of her flowers but that some thief had stolen her reticule containing the coins, the woman called her a liar.” She paused and shook her head. “That little lady stood toe to toe with a woman twice her age and at least three times her size. Evidently, the woman didn’t take kindly to the fact that Lilly wasn’t cowering. By the time I reached them, the woman had slapped Lilly so hard that she knocked her down into the street. I can’t even begin to tell you how outraged I was.”

  Phillip didn’t need her to tell him as he was feeling the same outrage. He’d had that girl on his back. If she weighed seven stone he’d be surprised. Hell, he’d been afraid that a slightly stronger gust of wind would send her plummeting to the ground. He set his cup and saucer down, no longer the least bit thirsty.

  “I paid the girl’s quota, and, well, I admit to a bit of cursing myself. I told the woman that the girl would never work for her again and that if she ever even tried to speak to her, I’d report her to the constable for assault.”

  “I’m confused,” Phillip said. “I thought you said you didn’t employ her.”

  “I don’t,” Eleanor said, shaking her head. “Well, not exactly. Lilly was furious that I’d interfered.” She paused and looked at him for several moments, then smiled. “And let me tell you, that little minx can curse a blue streak that you can’t even imagine. She pulled herself up out of the dirt, put her hands on her hips and basically accused me of murder.”

  “Murder?” Phillip sat forward at the word, his elbows on his knees, his hands steepled under his chin.

  “Yes, but not in that sense. She meant that I’d not only caused her to lose her employment, but that if the woman couldn’t speak to her, couldn’t sell her the flowers, I’d also killed her opportunity to make a living. And well, I had to admit that she was right.”

  “Surely she understood that you were only trying to help?”

  “She didn’t see it that way. To her, I was some high-handed woman who thought she knew better than she did. I didn’t even stop for a moment to consider it from her viewpoint, but she was right. It seems that sometimes what you think is a good deed isn’t truly. Yes, I paid the debt the woman stated was owed, but I’d taken the chance of future earnings from Lilly.”

  “So, knowing you, Eleanor, I must say I’m surprised you didn’t bring her into the school, taking her under your wing, so to speak.”

  “Believe me, I tried,” Eleanor said. “Lilly might not have much but she has a great deal of pride. She stated she’d rather starve to death than take charity. I finally got her to agree that I at least owed her dinner and she agreed to ride home with us… not inside with the other girls but up top with Alton, my driver. I didn’t argue because I knew that was all she would allow.”

  Remembering the young woman’s ability to negotiate, Phillip grinned. “I don’t believe that is all, Eleanor. After all, you keep an impeccable house and grounds. There is a reason for that section of the garden being left untended, and I’m guessing her name is Lilly.”

  “Yes. She wouldn’t come down when the carriage stopped out front and the girls went into the house. I followed as Alton drove around to the carriage house. I saw her face when she finally allowed him to help her down. Phillip, she lit up like the sun when she saw the gardens. And while I said that she did accept some
dinner, she refused to come inside, stating she preferred to eat among the flowers. Belinda prepared her a tray and we found it later at that bench, but she was gone.” Eleanor paused again, turning to look out of her window that faced a part of her garden.

  “That girl sells flowers to survive and had just lost her job. She could easily have stolen the tray or the silver and made more profit than she does in a month. But, she not only didn’t, she refolded her napkin, tucked it under the silverware, and placed a rosebud in the middle of her plate. I’m telling you, I almost instructed Alton to hitch the buggy to go and look for her.”

  “Why didn’t you?” Phillip said. The more he heard, the more intrigued he became.

  “Because, if I had, I’d just be interfering again,” Eleanor said, turning away from the window to face him. “About two weeks later, Mr. Kerr, my head gardener, asked me to accompany him, where he showed me evidence that someone had been crawling beneath the hedge. There were a few spots where roses had been snipped from the bushes and, well, I just knew it was Lilly. I told him to stop tending that section. I mean, I didn’t let him totally forget it as I knew that if Lilly discovered what I was doing, she’d consider that as charity, as well. So, she wiggles through the hedge, snips a few flowers and sells them on the street while I look the other way.”

  Phillip sat back again, his thoughts his own for several minutes before he spoke. This woman had a well-earned reputation as a stern headmistress of the school she’d opened, and yet he had just heard a story that showed she had a much softer side as well. “You are truly an amazing woman, Miss Summers.”

  “No, I’m not,” Eleanor said, “if anyone is amazing, it is Lilly. She found a way to scratch out a living despite the fact that the world couldn’t care less if she is in it. It breaks my heart that there are so many young women who deserve so much better than life offers.”

  “You can’t save every one, Eleanor,” Phillip said, reaching out to lay his hand on her arm. “You are doing what you can, and that is far more than most of the people I know would do.”