So Far From I Expected

20

I emerged from the green curtains again, with my head down. ‘No party dress?’ Theodore asked quizzically.

‘No sir, that’s a surprise!’ Sinead answered for me before I had the chance. ‘Theodore, where is the older man who was here? Mr James? Is that his name?’ Theodore told me he would be returning shortly. Sinead handed him a piece of paper that he slipped straight in his pocket and motioned for me to sit down. She poured us fresh tea and said good bye, not before shooting a beaming smile at me.

We drank our tea and bantered back and forth, I tried to let him know how grateful I was for all he had bought for me but he wouldn’t listen.

Mr James returned as I finished my tea. ‘Mr James,’ I stood up to talk to him. ‘I wanted to let you know how lovely Sinead was to me today, she made me feel very welcome and well she did an amazing job, as you can see!’ I twirled for him and he laughed, it booming through the room.

‘I’m sorry about Sheila, Miss Black,’ I shook my head but before I could say anything Theodore had dismissed his apology and was whisking me out of the store to the street.

‘My beautiful Caireann!’ he twirled me around and must have caught the tower clock. ‘It’s after midday! Are you hungry?’ I hadn’t realised the time passing; I was hungry but he had spent so much money already.

I had an idea, but it was cold and my shawl had been left in the changing room in Blandas. I wrapped my arms around myself and shook my head, ‘Theodore this morning has been magical, but I can’t accept any more from you!’ I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. He took off his blazer and draped it over my shoulders. ‘Let’s go to the hotel, we can warm you up and decide what to do from there.’ My idea would have to wait for another day.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and led me towards the hotel talking excitedly about how pretty I looked.

I sat in a plush, rose coloured arm chair opposite to Theodore; we ate sandwiches and drank tea from tiny china cups. We were in what he called a suite, a whole suite of rooms. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, everything was so pristine and everything had its place, even the forks.

Theodore looked up from his tea cup, ‘Why do you look so scared?’ The look on his face made me smile. ‘Theodore look at me. I am in the best room in the biggest hotel in town. We are eating sandwiches but there are three forks on the table beside me! I’m wearing a dress that when I go home, my Mama will complain about, I’ll be afraid to get it dirty and the price of it could probably buy a new cottage for us if we needed! I am in way over my head! When you said about having something to eat, I thought it would be nice to have a picnic, but then it’s cold and my shawl is probably in the bin at Blandas.'

Theodore pursed his lips and his eyebrows were raised. 'And now I sound ungrateful. I don’t mean to.’

I looked at my hands wringing in my lap and took a deep breath before looking up to see that Theodore looked rather amused. ‘Caireann, I don’t care about the forks, or the fact that your mother will be jealous about your new dress, it is cold and a picnic would be lovely but not practical because you have no shawl, that is because I bought one for you this morning and wanted to give it to you now. The money thing; Caireann I have money and I work hard for it, I enjoy spending it and I especially enjoy spending it on you.’

He stood up and walked around the table. ‘Are you full?’ nodded and he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight, ‘I love you Caireann.’ I looked up into his eyes and felt my heart swell inside my chest. ‘I love you too Theodore.’ His smile stretched across his whole perfect face.

‘You love me! You love me!’ He lifted me off my feet and swung me around the room. ‘You love me?’ he asked. I laughed at his excitement and wriggled for him to put me down. ‘Put me down, put me down!’ I squealed through my giggles. He kissed me tenderly as he set my feet on the ground.

The door to the suite opened and people began to clear the table. ‘Would you like to see the rest of the suite?’ he asked me with a grin on his face. I nodded excitedly and braced myself for what was to come.

We moved from the great room into a small library with a beautiful ornate fireplace. There were so many books, it took my breath away.

From there we went into a room with a bath tub, plush towels and robes, sweet smelling stones and hot running water.

Before we walked through the next door Theodore paused, I realised that the next room one of the bedrooms. ‘You don’t have to take me in there Theodore. Maybe I’ll see it one day.’ He turned on his heel and faced me.

Before I knew what was happening I was in his arms, the fire I had seen in his eyes in the barn had returned and I was held fast to the door leading into the library.

His mouth found mine, eager and hungry he kissed me, his tongue meeting mine and his fingers digging hard into my waist. I couldn’t help but pull him closer to me, the ache inside me growing, his body was pushing closer to mine and my knees were shaking.

He lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist, squeezing my bottom, he pulled me closer to him. His lips abandoned mine and moved down to my neck and chest, nipping and sucking gently on my skin.

He whispered my name and my eyes flew open. What was I doing? ‘Stop, Theodore stop please we can’t do this, we shouldn’t do this. Please.’ He looked up at me and then closed his eyes and rested his head on my shoulder. Slowly he released my legs and lifted his head to look at me.

‘I’m sorry Caireann, I should never have done that.’ He looked so sad and ashamed. I cupped his face with my hands and kissed him gently. ‘Theodore, I want you. I wanted you to. I want you to kiss me and touch me. I want to feel your skin against mine. I want you to satisfy the ache inside me.’ His fingers trailed the top of my breasts and I pushed him gently one step away from me. ‘I don’t want to get into trouble, and you be on your way back to Junaath by the time I find out.’

Theodore’s face was screwed up when I opened my eyes. ‘I would never do that to you. I would never leave you that way.’ He turned away from me and leant forward on the sink holding it tight; keeping his head down. ‘Caireann, you, you do something to me. It’s like I know I should stop but my body won’t let me. You have this power over me, I need you Caireann. I’ll do anything to prove that to you.’

He looked too distraught I could do nothing but put my arms around him and hold him tight to me. We sank onto the floor and held each other.