So Far From I Expected

24

Mrs McNamara collected Tommy when she took the twins to school. Mama and I had a few hours to ourselves before we would be collected and decided to go and prepare Granny for the day ahead.

When we got there, Granny was hunting through one of the trunks at the end of her bed. ‘Mama what are you doing?’ Mama knelt down beside her and Granny batted her hands away.

‘Meghara, would you stop fussing; make the tea! Caireann come here love and help me empty this trunk a minute I’m looking for something.’ She sat up on the bed and winced, the pain in her hips obviously troubling her. ‘Granny what are you looking for?’

I started lifting out the items one by one, placing them on the floor beside me, Granny’s treasures; a box I’d never been allowed in before.

On the top was a deep blue shawl of thick wool, a pale blue cotton dress with a white lace collar and hem, pretty white leather shoes with a little heel. A photo frame with a faded picture of a girl and a man, the girl looked like Mama. ‘Me and your Papa, Meghara.’ A small wooden box was in the bottom amongst other dresses and scarves.

‘That’s it! Caireann pass that box here!’ I handed her the box and she hugged it tight to her chest and took a deep breath. Mama had put tea on the table and was kneeling beside me with tears in her eyes.

Granny lifted the lid of the box and smiled sadly at its contents. She lifted out a silk handkerchief with lace edging that was slightly yellowed. ‘Meghara, your father gave me this the day before our wedding.’ Mama took the handkerchief and fingered it gently as Granny lifted out a silver object, she called it a compact and when she opened it, inside was a small mirror and brush.

The next thing she pulled out Mama didn’t seem to have seen before. It was a rose coloured velvet box which held a fine silver chain with three white pearls on it and matching earrings. I gasped when I saw it, it was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.

Granny looked up and me and smiled, ‘Your Mama never attended anything to make her able to wear these before but tonight Meghara in that lovely gown you’ll wear these for me won’t you?’ Mama nodded excitedly and threw herself and Granny and hugged her.

‘My own mother was given these on her wedding day and I’ve never been able to wear them. I’m too old now and Meghara, you are still a beauty.’ Tears welled in her eyes as she looked lovingly at Mama. My heart swelled in my chest I was so happy.

We drank our tea and chatted, both of them refusing to tell me what their dresses were like. I got up to clear the table and looked at the picture sat on Granny’s bed. The more I looked at it the more I realised that the man in the photo reminded me of Frankie.

My mind ran away with me thinking of how well Frankie would look in tails, he would have been old enough to come tonight; almost a man. A sob escaped me and Mama asked me what was wrong.

I told them what I had been thinking and Granny smiled, ‘Indeed he was very like his Grandad! Bless, could you imaging him in tails. His sticky out hair slicked back!’ The three of us laughed our tears away and finished tidying up before Theodore arrived with a horse and trap for Granny and Mama, whilst I rode on the back of his horse with him.

Theodore rode hard and fast towards the town as I clung to him tightly and enjoyed the wind blowing my hair. We jumped off the horse and Theodore ushered me into the hotel and up towards his suite.

‘In a hurry are we?’ I asked through my laughing. He pulled me close and kissed me hard, he lifted me up and took me through a door we hadn’t been through last time. We arrived in large bedroom decorated in emerald green.

‘Oh my goodness, Theodore this room is beautiful’ I gushed as he set me on my feet. He opened another door and gestured for me to go inside, it was another washroom. A large bathtub and bottles of colourful liquids with white robes draped over the tub.

I turned around and Theodore was smiling from ear to ear, ‘For you Caireann, all yours for as long as you want it; the room too. I have one more surprise for you too, come here.’

He put out his hand for me to take, I grasped it excitedly threw myself at him and kissed him hard. ‘I don’t want anything else Theodore.’

He lifted me again and swung me around the bedroom making me squeal. ‘Put me down! Put me down!’ I giggled as he set me on my feet and kissed me softly on my nose.

‘Why don’t we have a drink in the library before I leave you to get ready?’ I nodded eagerly and let him lead me to the library. When he opened the door, laid out on the floor on a beautiful blanket was a picnic of juice and sandwiches, little pies and cheese; fruit I had never seen before and little cakes!

‘You did all this for me?‘ I asked him, my cheeks hurting from my smile. He nodded and kissed my cheek, ‘All for you Caireann, now eat please! Today will be harder than you think!’

I wondered what he meant by that but gladly sat down and nibbled on all the little treats he had provided. We chatted about the ball; I told him I was nervous about how I was to behave that night, how my parents and Granny would behave and what everyone would think of us, of me; especially his parents.

‘Just be yourself, be my Caireann, your Momma’s Caireann, your Father’s Caireann. I don’t care what they all think of you. My Momma and Father love you already. They see how I’ve changed, how I am happier now you are in my life. That is all that matters to me, and all that should matter to you.’

‘I love you Theodore, with all my heart.’ He looked at me, the fire I had seen before burning in his eyes, the pull between my legs began, every hair on my body stood on edge, my heart began pounding in my chest and my breathing became deeper and more frequent.

I tried to shake it off and stood up, in no time Theodore was by my side. ‘Perhaps I should find Mama and Granny?’ I tried to distract myself, and him but with no avail.’

‘Perhaps.’ he responded, but he didn’t move. His hand brushed my cheek and made my breath catch. He moved closer, his body was flush against mine and his lips so close I could almost taste them, I wanted to taste them. I wanted his hands on me, his lips on me.

‘Kiss me, kiss me.’ I whispered. His kisses at first were soft, as was his touch. They grew deeper and fiercer, more wanting and needing as our hands clung to each other, fingers interlocked before I couldn’t bare it and I needed to touch his face, to touch his chest.

I pulled away momentarily and unlaced his shirt, soft dark curls appeared from underneath and I kissed them tenderly, moving up his neck and along his jaw.

Theodore’s fingers were in my hair and he pulled my waist towards his. Between my legs throbbed, I ached for him. I pulled his shirt out from his trousers, my hands were shaking and I didn’t know what I was to do next.

My hands slid under the shirt and I could feel his skin, hot and soft under my hands. He lifted me, my legs around his waist and carried me through a door leading directly into his bedroom and sat me down on the bed before kneeling on the floor and unlacing my boots one by one.

He pulled off his shoes and laid himself over me and kissed my neck. ‘I’m going to undress you Caireann, and then we will have a bath together. Nothing we do now will get you into trouble. If you want me to stop, please tell me to stop.’ I nodded as he unbuttoned the dress one at a time kissing the top of my breasts softly.

When he undid the last button he looked in my eyes, his hands opened the front of the soft fabric and my breasts fell out, he kissed down my neck and chest, between my breasts to my belly button. It tickled and made me giggle softly; I felt him smile as he did it again making me giggle louder.

He lifted me to stand and pulled my dress off my shoulders where it fell to the floor leaving my body bare in front of this beautiful man. Theodore looked down my body and ran his hand over my hips. ‘So beautiful’ he whispered softly and looked longingly at me.

Taking a deep breath trying to still my nerves I stepped towards him and lifted the bottom of his shirt up and over his head, discarding it on the floor, I ran my hands over the dark curls in his chest and over his shoulders.

His hands remained on my hips whilst I explored his magnificent body. I could feel him becoming tenser and he caught me off guard; he pulled my hips towards him and kissed me hard, his tongue eagerly delving into my mouth, my n*****s hardened and the pull between my legs caused my knees to buckle.

I pulled away meaning to compose myself but found that I was unlacing Theodore’s trousers. Before I could finish he lifted me into his arms and kissed me softly, he looked deep into my eyes and I rested my head on his shoulder.

We moved towards a door leading to the bathroom where Theodore set me on my feet to feel the water in the bathtub. He added oil from a bottle which filled the room with the scent of lilies. He pulled off his trousers and turned around to face me.