Courting Miss Greene Ch. 04

"No, Thomas!" cried Abby while she leaned back, "I assure you, my memories are quite fresh!"

"Oh, come on," he said, pulling her close. "Just one kiss and then you can tell me whether it's good or not."

Abby tried to ward him off even though it felt nice to feel those strong arms around her again. "Not in front of Robert and Lizzy!" she protested.

"They won't mind," said Thomas, unconvinced of Abby's unwillingness.

The girl's heart pounded. "Thomas Clark!" she cried. "Do I need to remind you of our little arrangement?"

He released her at once. "No, ma'am," he answered.

Robert raised his eyebrows at the sudden change in his brother's behavior. "What arrangement was that?" he asked.

"I'm Abby's slave," answered Thomas.

"Her what?" demanded Robert.

"Her slave," repeated Thomas, "because she saved my life."

Robert frowned. "I think I saved your life too, once or twice," he said. "Why don't I get any favors for that?"

Thomas was taken aback. "You're a man," he answered, "and my brother besides. I'm into a lot of things, but not that."

Abby was aghast at the implication in Thomas' words. Lizzy covered her mouth, but could not stop herself from giggling.

Robert massaged his forehead, trying to keep his frown from getting any deeper. "I see," he said. "You want Abby to tie you down and spank you or something like that."

"Something like that," admitted Thomas.

Abby folded her arms across her chest. "Careful now, or I might just give you what you wish for!"

Thomas beamed at her. "You would?"

"Yes, I'll definitely spank you if you don't behave in front of my parents!" Abby realized her mistake when Thomas' grin widened. "No, I'll spank you if you behave like a perfect gentleman!" she corrected herself.

Robert and Lizzy shared a confused glance.

Thomas was amused. "Perfect gentleman it is."

Mr. Greene was raking leaves from his lawn when a carriage halted in front of his house. The driver tipped his hat at him and Mr. Greene returned the gesture with a nod, wondering who could be inside. His heart jumped when the door opened. "Elizabeth!" he called out.

"Father! I've missed you so much!" cried Lizzy.

Mr. Greene helped his youngest daughter get out of the carriage. The girl could not control herself and broke down in tears when she embraced her father.

"Stop crying like that, you silly goose!" scolded Abby, worrying their father might get suspicious.

"Ah, Abigale! Neither of you have changed a bit!" remarked Mr. Greene. He assumed Elizabeth was crying because she had missed him, but when he released the girl and saw her face there seemed to be something else as well. Mr. Greene made a mental note to himself to get to the bottom of things later, but first he had to greet his two other daughters and help his son-in-law with their luggage.

Mrs. Greene came out of the house to welcome the travelers. "Where are your parents, Ethan?" she asked.

"Oh, they wanted to give the girls some time to catch up. They'll stop by tomorrow, if that's alright, with two guests of their own."

Mrs. Greene raised her eyebrows. "Guests?"

"Ethan's cousins," explained Ginny. "They came back with us for, erm, a return visit."

Abby and Lizzy promptly nodded their head in affirmation.

"Goodness me!" their mother exclaimed. "I wouldn't know how we'd be able to entertain two young gentlemen from Northfair!"

"Oh, I'm sure they can keep themselves busy," remarked Ethan. He covered his mouth and coughed, trying not to grin.

Mrs. Greene gave her son-in-law a suspicious glance, but thought it best to drop the subject. Ethan and Ginny took the carriage to their own house shortly afterward, promising to return the next day with the aforementioned guests.

When Mrs. Greene retreated for the night, she waited for her husband to get into bed. "George," she said while she snuggled up to him, "didn't you get the distinct feeling there's something the girls aren't telling us?"

"Most certainly!" he replied.

"What do you suppose it could be?" asked Mrs. Greene.

"What could it be?" asked Mr. Greene in return. "We sent out two unmarried girls and they returned with two unmarried gentlemen. There's at least one match to be made, mark my words!"

"But the girls only spent two weeks in Northfair!" exclaimed Mrs. Greene.

"I know," agreed Mr. Greene. He lowered his voice. "That's why I'm afraid Elizabeth has finally managed to get herself into trouble and Abigale is ashamed she couldn't prevent it."

His wife blinked at him. "George! Surely it'd be too early to tell whether Lizzy is in any real trouble."

"The possibility would be enough," said Mr. Greene. "It should be enough... for any true gentleman."

Mrs. Greene frowned. "A true gentleman wouldn't create a situation like that in the first place."

"It must be the younger one," her husband reckoned. "You know young men can't always control their... passion."

"We both know that all too well," confirmed Mrs. Greene, "so you'd better not make a fuss about it, or I'll tell the girls Ginny wasn't born prematurely."

Mr. Greene's heart missed a beat. "You wouldn't!" he exclaimed.

"I definitely would," his wife threatened, "to keep the girls from feeling embarrassed or ashamed about themselves."

"But my opinion is still--"

"Completely irrelevant," Mrs. Greene completed her husband's sentence.

Mr. Greene was speechless for a moment. "How could I forget?" he muttered, mostly to himself.

His wife smiled and pinched his cheek. "Come on now, don't feel sorry for yourself. Haven't you had enough fun these past few weeks?" she teased.

"Oh, I have," admitted Mr. Greene with a grin, "but you know me. I like to toy with people whenever I can."

"A-ha!" Mrs. Greene sighed when her husband kissed her forehead. A few moments passed in silence. "George?" she asked all of a sudden. "What if it's the older one?"

Mr. Greene gasped for breath. "It'd better not be the older one!" he replied in a menacing tone.

"Because?"

"Because that would be bad," explained Mr. Greene. "I'd expect an older man to behave better than that. Surely you must agree with me!"

"But if Lizzy wanted him--"

"Elizabeth made it very clear she's not attracted to older men," interrupted Mr. Greene, "which means he must have forced himself on her, taking advantage of her innocence, her natural curiosity... He probably only wanted to use her for her body, but then his conscience got the better of him... or his father did. Poor girl! No wonder she was crying like that!" Mr. Greene involuntarily started cracking his knuckles. "Just wait until I get my hands on that cradle robber!" he mumbled through clenched teeth.

Mrs. Greene patted her husband's shoulder. "Don't get all worked up now!" she said. "It's the younger one, I'm sure of it!"

Mr. Greene let out a deep sigh. "Yes, of course," he agreed. "What am I saying? It must be the younger one, definitely."

Having reassured themselves, the Greenes drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Lizzy closed the kitchen door and turned to her sister. "Oh, I can't believe it! Robert... in the parlor... talking with mom and dad! What should I do, Abby? What should I do?"

"Well, first you should stop hopping up and down like that," answered the older girl. "I thought you were trying to act more like a lady."

"But I'm so nervous, I can't help myself!" exclaimed Lizzy.

"Why?" asked Abby. "Robert can handle himself. It's Thomas I'm worried about. How's that scoundrel holding up?"

Lizzy calmed down. "He seems to be doing well," she answered. "Remarkably well, in fact! Mom and dad have taken quite a liking to him and he hasn't said anything improper... yet." Her lips curled into a little smile. "I hope you won't forget to give him his reward!"

Abby lifted her chin. "I reserve my judgment until it's all over," she replied, trying not to sound too skeptical.

The two sisters returned to the parlor, each carrying a plate.

"Refreshments?" offered Lizzy.

"Ah, muffins!" exclaimed Robert. "Just the way I like them... fresh out of the oven, soft and warm..." His voice trailed off while he gazed at Lizzy.

The girl blushed and gave him a little smile. "I hope the taste is good," she said.

"Oh, I'm sure it's perfect," replied Robert. It took a moment for him to realize Lizzy expected him to try one and he quickly complied.

Mrs. Greene was unsettled by the level of familiarity between her youngest daughter and Ethan's older cousin. When she glanced at her husband, she saw his knuckles had turned white from clutching the armrest of his chair. She patted his hand to pacify him, remembering the talk they had last night. Apparently they had both been wrong.

"Fresh out of the oven, indeed!" echoed Mr. Greene under his breath.

Thomas was amused by the unintended innuendo in his brother's words. "Then the ginger snaps must be Abby's!" he guessed after taking a bite.

Abby cocked an eyebrow at him. "Or maybe Lizzy's just a kitchen princess," she suggested.

"Possibly," agreed Thomas, "but I would have expected Lizzy to use more sugar, while these have extra pepper."

"And do you like them spicy?" asked Abby with a little smile.

Thomas blinked at her, wondering for a moment whether they were still talking about cookies. He had been walking on eggshells from the moment he set foot in the house and he did not intend to slip up now. "In fact, I do," he answered and quickly helped himself to another biscuit, avoiding any misunderstandings.

"Ah! 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach'," remarked the older Mrs. Clark, drawing questioning glances from the Greenes.

Abby started coughing, hoping Ethan's mother got the hint.

"Hypothetically speaking, of course," Mrs. Clark promptly added.

Mr. Greene shifted in his chair, no longer in the mood for playing the fool. "What's going on here?" he demanded. "Abigale?"

Abby turned to her younger sister. "Lizzy?"

Lizzy blushed and turned to her fiancé. "Robert?"

Robert rose to his feet. "I suppose now is as good a time as any," he said. "Mr. Greene, Mrs. Greene." He bowed to the couple. "I realize this must come as a surprise to you, but I dearly love your daughter, Elizabeth, and with your blessing I would like to make her my wife."

Mr. Greene grimaced while he got up from his chair. "In my study!" he bellowed and promptly left the parlor.

Robert gave Lizzy a little smile before hurrying after her father.

"Good luck!" she whispered.

"Lizzy," said Mrs. Greene, "I'd like to have a word with you. In private."

Lizzy's eyes widened. "Alright," she said and followed her mother upstairs.

"Oh, dear! It's my fault, isn't it?" asked Mrs. Clark.

"No, I think sooner is better than later," answered Abby, "although father and mother probably expected Thomas to ask for Lizzy's hand." She shot him an angry glance while she folded her arms across her chest.

"I thought you wanted me to make a good impression on your parents!" exclaimed Thomas.

"I did," confirmed Abby, "but not to the point of overshadowing Robert! Or did you forget the purpose of this visit?"

Thomas stared at her in disbelief. "Me? Overshadowing Robert?"

While he struggled with the idea, the door flew open.

"I'm so sorry we're late!" cried Ginny.

"Don't apologize, honey," said Ethan, "I'm sure everybody's used to it by now."

"Really, son! Don't you have a clock in your bedroom?" his father asked, upon which his wife promptly elbowed him in the ribs.

Ethan's face turned red. "I have, but--"

"You were too busy facing the other way," guessed Thomas with a grin.

"Watch it, little guy!" warned Ethan in a low voice while his wife blushed a furious red.

"Yeah, don't get careless now or the deal's off!" threatened Abby.

Ethan's parents shared a questioning glance, but did not dare to ask what sort of deal Abby had made with Thomas.

Thomas gasped. He did not think it was fair now that her parents had left the room, but he was obliged to follow Abby's rules even if she changed them as they went along. "Can I have another biscuit?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Anything to shut you up," answered Abby.

"Where is everybody anyway?" asked Ginny after she poured herself and her husband some tea.

"Well, Robert's in the study with father and Lizzy's upstairs with mother," her sister answered.

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Already? I'm surprised!"

"Everybody was," said Abby. "Father did not look too amused either. For a moment I thought he would throw a fit at Robert."

"I suppose you got your father's temper," remarked Thomas.

Abby narrowed her eyes. "I suppose so," she agreed. "Sadly I didn't get his right fist as well."

Thomas tried to keep himself from chuckling while he remembered Abby's feeble attempts at slapping him. "Now that's a shame!" he exclaimed.

"A shame indeed," replied Abby in a cool voice.

"But why would father be so displeased with Robert?" asked Ginny.

"Who knows?" asked Abby in return. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Mr. Greene observed the young gentleman in front of him. "So, Mr. Clark," he said, "I've heard a thing or two about you." He shifted through the letters on his desk. "You live in a house with a hundred rooms, staffed by a squadron of servants. Your family is among the most prominent ones in Northfair and practically everybody there knows you. I can imagine a gentleman like you would be able to choose and pick a wife from any number of women... So tell me, why would a man like you want to marry a girl like Elizabeth?"

Robert took a deep breath, overwhelmed by Mr. Greene's speech. "For love?" he suggested.

"Love?" Mr. Greene's eyes narrowed. "I know Elizabeth has been curious about men for some time now," he explained. "You didn't happen to... take advantage of the situation, did you? Such an eager, young girl... without her parents anywhere near... conveniently under your roof...?"

Robert's face reddened. "Well, I, erm..." he stammered.

Mr. Greene tapped his fingers on the desk. "So you did," he continued, "and you felt guilty afterward, so you thought you should marry her to save your conscience."

Robert gaped at the older man. "No, sir! It's nothing like that!"

"There's no use in denying it," said Mr. Greene. "Elizabeth knows you don't really love her and I won't condemn my daughter to a loveless marriage, no matter how rich you are."

"You don't understand, sir!" exclaimed Robert. "I love Lizzy with all my heart! She knows I do!"

"Then why would she cry?" asked Mr. Greene.

"Sir?"

"Elizabeth cried when she came home yesterday and it wasn't for joy," explained Mr. Greene.

Robert shook his head. "I honestly don't know, sir. Lizzy seemed fine when we parted. Shouldn't you ask her?"

"I'm asking you now," said Mr. Greene. "Have you ever do anything to make Elizabeth cry?"

"I'm afraid I have, sir," admitted Robert, "but Lizzy's prone to crying."

Mr. Greene landed his hand flat on the desk with a loud thud, startling the younger man. "Don't take me for a fool, Mr. Clark! You think I don't know my own daughter? Tell me what you've done to my little girl!"

Robert's heart pounded. "I know I must look like some sort of predator," he said, "but I didn't pursue Lizzy until I realized how much she loved me. I'm not sure what I did to deserve it, but her love is the best thing that ever happened to me and I'd do anything to make her happy. Anything!"

"Anything?" Mr. Greene frowned. He did not feel like his question had been properly answered, but maybe he had not been posing the right question in the first place. "Tell me, Mr. Clark, would you marry my daughter without my blessing?" he asked.

Robert's heart sank. "With all due respect, sir, I would, for my part. But I know Lizzy wouldn't want to part from you against your wishes, so... no, I wouldn't marry her."

"You'd leave her here in Windfarn and return to Northfair without further ado?" continued Mr. Greene.

Robert did not wish to ponder the scenario. "If I must," he answered, staring at the floor. "I'm sure eventually there would be another man for Lizzy." He did not wish to say out loud he believed there would never be another woman for him.

"Oh?" Mr. Greene cocked an eyebrow at him. "And what if she turns out to carry your child?"

Robert looked up in shock. "That would be impossible! Lizzy's still a virgin!"

"She is?" Mr. Greene cleared his throat. "Well, I'm impressed. I assumed you had taken her to your bed."

"I have," confessed Robert, "on more than one occasion," he added, barely audible.

Mr. Greene blinked at him. "Then I'm more impressed still." He paused for a moment, fighting the urge to press for details. "And for you to admit such a thing... don't you fear my wrath?"

"I fear your refusal," replied Robert.

"I see." Mr. Greene rose from his chair. "Well, if that's the sort of man you are, you really leave me no choice." He clenched his jaw to keep himself from grinning while he walked up to Robert, knowing his expression could easily be mistaken for anger.

The younger man froze where he stood, unsure of what to expect. "Sir?"

"I'll just have to... welcome you to the family," said Mr. Greene. His face broke into a warm smile.

"Oh, sir! Thank you, sir!" Robert breathed a sigh of relief. "I won't let you down, I swear!"

"Yes. Well, that's alright, Robert." Mr. Greene gave him a pat on the back. "You don't mind if I call you 'Robert,' do you? Because all of you are Clarks for some reason."

"Sir, I wouldn't mind if you call me 'Bob' or 'Bobby' or anything else you like," answered Robert.

Mr. Greene laughed. "That would be pushing it! Come on, let's return to our company."

Upstairs in the girls' room, Mrs. Greene sat on the bed opposite her youngest daughter. "Lizzy, are you sure this is what you want?" she asked.

"Yes, mom. I've never been more sure about anything in my life," the girl answered, surprised by the look on her mother's face. "Why are you so worried?" she asked. "Aren't you happy for me?"

"Oh, my poor baby!" Mrs. Greene sighed, shaking her head. "I should have warned you!"

"About what?" asked Lizzy.

"I didn't think it would be necessary," her mother continued, "since you said you weren't interested in older men."

"I don't care about that anymore, mom," replied Lizzy. "Now that I've met Robert, I know age really is just a number."

"Even so," said Mrs. Greene, "you're just a naive, little village girl, without any life experience or money of your own. You'll be totally dependent on him, so easy to control." She cast a questioning glance at her daughter. "I suppose he must have... touched you."

Lizzy blushed. "We haven't gone all the way yet," she admitted in a small voice.

Mrs. Greene gasped. "I knew it! He couldn't wait to get his hands all over your young body!" She let out a sob. "Your soft skin! Your firm breasts!"

"Mom, honestly!" cried Lizzy, shocked and embarrassed. "Robert didn't do anything I didn't want him to... until I asked him to! Really, I can handle him," she assured her mother.

"Ah, that's what he'd like you to think! Men can be smooth like that during a courtship," warned Mrs. Greene, "but he's bound to take over once you're married and the trap is complete. You'll be subjected to his every whim, his every desire! He'll tell you how to dress and who you're allowed to see. Perhaps he'll even lock you away somewhere inside that big house of his." She paused to catch her breath. "And who will help you then?" she asked. "When you're all alone, all the way up in Northfair, away from your friends and family?" She took out her handkerchief to clear her nose.

"Really, mom!" cried Lizzy. "I'll be perfectly safe and happy with Robert! He treats me with respect, like an equal. His father's been really nice too. He even gave me this." She lifted her left hand. "It belonged to Robert's mother."