Mexico as I am.”
Morgan smiled at Cynthia and extended her hand, very aware of Seth’s arm around her. “You must come again. Do you know your way out? But of course you do.” Morgan’s voice held a trace of venom.
Cynthia turned and left, nearly slamming the door behind her. Morgan stood and stared at the door, seething with rage. How dare Cynthia! She was totally unaware that Seth had drawn back from her and was now grinning broadly.
“Be careful. That door is made of wood and your look just might set it on fire.”
She turned on him. “And just what are you grinning about? You certainly enjoyed her visit!” Morgan mimicked holding a teacup, her little finger extended. In a falsetto voice, she said, “Didn’t Seth tell you we were very old and very dear friends?” Morgan’s anger mounted. “And then, ‘May I kiss the groom?’ It looked to me as though she had done that several times.”
Seth’s laughter rang through the room. “Calm down, little one. You’ll make me think you are jealous!”
“Jealous!” Her voice grew more calm. “I’m not jealous—I just don’t like being insulted. She had no right to insult me.”
Seth moved close to her and pulled her to him. “Were you insulted? You noticed that she looked familiar with kissing. Were you that interested?”
“No.” She was still very angry. “It looked like she was familiar with kissing you .”
“So you were interested.”
“No… I…”
“I told you that any time you were interested in trying out kissing—or anything else for that matter—I’m ready.”
“Seth, you promised.”
“I promised I wouldn’t force you, but I didn’t promise I wouldn’t try to persuade you.”
Her anger was slowly receding. How she had hated seeing him kiss Cynthia!
She tilted her head back, and molded her body to his as he started to kiss her.
“Oh, excuse me.” Nora had quietly entered the room, and Morgan quickly moved to free herself from Seth’s arms. Seth refused to remove them, holding her tightly to him.
Seth told his mother, “Cynthia’s gone. She saw what she came to see, and then she left.”
Nora was beaming. She had known that nature would take its course.
Morgan, embarrassed at being found in Seth’s arms, brought an elbow sharply into his stomach. He didn’t flinch. She turned and glared at him, whispering through clenched teeth, “Let me go.”
Seth chuckled and, relenting, released her.
“Dinner will be in an hour. Maybe you two would like to rest before dinner?”
Seth immediately grabbed Morgan’s hand and led her across the room. “That’s a good idea, Mother.” He led her quickly up the stairs to their room. “Now, let’s start where we left off.” He turned to her, but she moved from him.
“No, Seth, I was angry before.” Her voice was pleading. “I want to be friends—no more.”
Seth smiled. “All right. I have a long time. I’ll wait. Why don’t you rest? Bessie could bring you a bath.”
“I’d love that.” As Seth turned to leave, Morgan said quietly, “Thank you for understanding, Seth.”
Morgan sat in the hot water for a long time. She tried not to think about the day, the long ride with Seth, how she had felt when Cynthia kissed him. Everything was moving too quickly! She lay back in the tub and thought about Trahern House.
Life had been so simple, so quiet and gentle there.She had always done exactly as she pleased. Her days had been filled with riding, cooking, embroidery, and caring for her flowers. She had been very happy. There had been so few people in her life then. She had been left in peace.
She thought about Seth’s family. Nora was so kind, and always close to laughter. William was always easy to be with. And the sisters—it was funny how a person always thought of them together. They, too, were always smiling. Everyone seemed to enjoy life so much. Morgan slid deeper into the tub, thinking that if she ever did leave Trahern House, the Colter family
Morgan smiled at Cynthia and extended her hand, very aware of Seth’s arm around her. “You must come again. Do you know your way out? But of course you do.” Morgan’s voice held a trace of venom.
Cynthia turned and left, nearly slamming the door behind her. Morgan stood and stared at the door, seething with rage. How dare Cynthia! She was totally unaware that Seth had drawn back from her and was now grinning broadly.
“Be careful. That door is made of wood and your look just might set it on fire.”
She turned on him. “And just what are you grinning about? You certainly enjoyed her visit!” Morgan mimicked holding a teacup, her little finger extended. In a falsetto voice, she said, “Didn’t Seth tell you we were very old and very dear friends?” Morgan’s anger mounted. “And then, ‘May I kiss the groom?’ It looked to me as though she had done that several times.”
Seth’s laughter rang through the room. “Calm down, little one. You’ll make me think you are jealous!”
“Jealous!” Her voice grew more calm. “I’m not jealous—I just don’t like being insulted. She had no right to insult me.”
Seth moved close to her and pulled her to him. “Were you insulted? You noticed that she looked familiar with kissing. Were you that interested?”
“No.” She was still very angry. “It looked like she was familiar with kissing you .”
“So you were interested.”
“No… I…”
“I told you that any time you were interested in trying out kissing—or anything else for that matter—I’m ready.”
“Seth, you promised.”
“I promised I wouldn’t force you, but I didn’t promise I wouldn’t try to persuade you.”
Her anger was slowly receding. How she had hated seeing him kiss Cynthia!
She tilted her head back, and molded her body to his as he started to kiss her.
“Oh, excuse me.” Nora had quietly entered the room, and Morgan quickly moved to free herself from Seth’s arms. Seth refused to remove them, holding her tightly to him.
Seth told his mother, “Cynthia’s gone. She saw what she came to see, and then she left.”
Nora was beaming. She had known that nature would take its course.
Morgan, embarrassed at being found in Seth’s arms, brought an elbow sharply into his stomach. He didn’t flinch. She turned and glared at him, whispering through clenched teeth, “Let me go.”
Seth chuckled and, relenting, released her.
“Dinner will be in an hour. Maybe you two would like to rest before dinner?”
Seth immediately grabbed Morgan’s hand and led her across the room. “That’s a good idea, Mother.” He led her quickly up the stairs to their room. “Now, let’s start where we left off.” He turned to her, but she moved from him.
“No, Seth, I was angry before.” Her voice was pleading. “I want to be friends—no more.”
Seth smiled. “All right. I have a long time. I’ll wait. Why don’t you rest? Bessie could bring you a bath.”
“I’d love that.” As Seth turned to leave, Morgan said quietly, “Thank you for understanding, Seth.”
Morgan sat in the hot water for a long time. She tried not to think about the day, the long ride with Seth, how she had felt when Cynthia kissed him. Everything was moving too quickly! She lay back in the tub and thought about Trahern House.
Life had been so simple, so quiet and gentle there.She had always done exactly as she pleased. Her days had been filled with riding, cooking, embroidery, and caring for her flowers. She had been very happy. There had been so few people in her life then. She had been left in peace.
She thought about Seth’s family. Nora was so kind, and always close to laughter. William was always easy to be with. And the sisters—it was funny how a person always thought of them together. They, too, were always smiling. Everyone seemed to enjoy life so much. Morgan slid deeper into the tub, thinking that if she ever did leave Trahern House, the Colter family
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