could so much as utter a single word of protest, he crushed her lips with his own.
At first Carolina was desperately appalled and angry, but the longer the kiss lasted the more she had to make herself maintain her anger. Hampton’s kiss was not all that terrible. She didn’t actually respond by kissing him back, but neither did she fight. And when Hampton pulled away, she simply stared at him with an expression that surely must have registered the confusion she felt inside.
“Wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be, now was it?” Hampton asked, dropping his hold on her.
For Carolina it was the first time a man had kissed her lips, and much to her surprise, it truly wasn’t as bad as she’d presumed it would be. Hampton Cabot was quite accomplished in the art of kissing, or so she decided for herself. Having nothing else on which to base her assumption, Carolina nevertheless found her mind overflowing with thoughts and emotions.
“Well, say something. Surely I’ve not managed to tame that sharp tongue with one simple kiss.” Hampton stared at her oddly, as though trying to decide what to do next.
Carolina’s pounding heart seemed to slow a bit as her breathing came in less ragged gasps. Was Hampton right? Had she simply focused too long on her studies and missed out on the magic of coming of age? She thought of her girl friends and their giggled conversations of stolen kisses and moonlight walks. Always before, Carolina had found these things boring at best, but now she wasn’t so sure. Perhaps her viewpoint had been totally wrong.
“Carolina?” Hampton’s face seemed more apologetic now. “Are you ill?”
She managed to shake her head. How could she explain any of this to Hampton? To admit that she actually found his kiss tolerable would only encourage him to do it again, and that , she decided, would be absolutely intolerable. Struggling to clear the webs of doubt from her mind, Carolina reminded herself of the importance of remaining true to her dream. Her independent nature worked its way back to the surface of her mind, although now it was slightly tempered with questioning thoughts. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to marry and raise a family. It was, after all, something she’d always figured on doing. And if she was fortunate enough to find a man who believed in her dream of participating in the development of the railroad, then she would truly have it all.
James.
She wasn’t at all surprised that his name came to her now. He believed in her dream. Again, when she glanced upward to Hampton, it was James’ face she thought of. “James,” she whispered faintly.
“What?” Hampton asked, leaning down. “What did you say?”
Carolina shook her head. “Nothing. I . . . I’d like to go home now. Please.” To her surprise, Hampton’s expression showed sudden sympathy.
“I’ll find our chaperone and call for the carriage,” he said, sounding genuinely concerned with her reaction. “Wait here and I’ll return in a moment.”
Carolina nodded and watched him walk away. Several other couples moved about the porch. Some secluded themselves behind trees for moments of pleasurable interlude. Carolina was fascinated by this. For all appearances, should anyone have seen her with Hampton, they would have presumed them to be very much in love.
But of course, she reminded herself, that was quite impossible. Hampton might kiss very well, but he wasn’t James, and he didn’t know her heart. With a heavy sigh, Carolina was surprised to find herself very close to tears.
7
Laying the Trap
“But surely you see the benefit of rail service,” Joseph Adams stated firmly, eyeing Hampton from across a coffee table in the Oakbridge drawing room.
Hampton lifted a cup of coffee to his lips and shook his head. “Too risky. The economy is in grave danger of falling apart. Should just the right elements come together, we will be in for a tremendous financial depression.”
“But how can this be?”
At first Carolina was desperately appalled and angry, but the longer the kiss lasted the more she had to make herself maintain her anger. Hampton’s kiss was not all that terrible. She didn’t actually respond by kissing him back, but neither did she fight. And when Hampton pulled away, she simply stared at him with an expression that surely must have registered the confusion she felt inside.
“Wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be, now was it?” Hampton asked, dropping his hold on her.
For Carolina it was the first time a man had kissed her lips, and much to her surprise, it truly wasn’t as bad as she’d presumed it would be. Hampton Cabot was quite accomplished in the art of kissing, or so she decided for herself. Having nothing else on which to base her assumption, Carolina nevertheless found her mind overflowing with thoughts and emotions.
“Well, say something. Surely I’ve not managed to tame that sharp tongue with one simple kiss.” Hampton stared at her oddly, as though trying to decide what to do next.
Carolina’s pounding heart seemed to slow a bit as her breathing came in less ragged gasps. Was Hampton right? Had she simply focused too long on her studies and missed out on the magic of coming of age? She thought of her girl friends and their giggled conversations of stolen kisses and moonlight walks. Always before, Carolina had found these things boring at best, but now she wasn’t so sure. Perhaps her viewpoint had been totally wrong.
“Carolina?” Hampton’s face seemed more apologetic now. “Are you ill?”
She managed to shake her head. How could she explain any of this to Hampton? To admit that she actually found his kiss tolerable would only encourage him to do it again, and that , she decided, would be absolutely intolerable. Struggling to clear the webs of doubt from her mind, Carolina reminded herself of the importance of remaining true to her dream. Her independent nature worked its way back to the surface of her mind, although now it was slightly tempered with questioning thoughts. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to marry and raise a family. It was, after all, something she’d always figured on doing. And if she was fortunate enough to find a man who believed in her dream of participating in the development of the railroad, then she would truly have it all.
James.
She wasn’t at all surprised that his name came to her now. He believed in her dream. Again, when she glanced upward to Hampton, it was James’ face she thought of. “James,” she whispered faintly.
“What?” Hampton asked, leaning down. “What did you say?”
Carolina shook her head. “Nothing. I . . . I’d like to go home now. Please.” To her surprise, Hampton’s expression showed sudden sympathy.
“I’ll find our chaperone and call for the carriage,” he said, sounding genuinely concerned with her reaction. “Wait here and I’ll return in a moment.”
Carolina nodded and watched him walk away. Several other couples moved about the porch. Some secluded themselves behind trees for moments of pleasurable interlude. Carolina was fascinated by this. For all appearances, should anyone have seen her with Hampton, they would have presumed them to be very much in love.
But of course, she reminded herself, that was quite impossible. Hampton might kiss very well, but he wasn’t James, and he didn’t know her heart. With a heavy sigh, Carolina was surprised to find herself very close to tears.
7
Laying the Trap
“But surely you see the benefit of rail service,” Joseph Adams stated firmly, eyeing Hampton from across a coffee table in the Oakbridge drawing room.
Hampton lifted a cup of coffee to his lips and shook his head. “Too risky. The economy is in grave danger of falling apart. Should just the right elements come together, we will be in for a tremendous financial depression.”
“But how can this be?”
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