12.

~ "I doubt I've had this much fun in my life." Felicity said as she tried to smoke the cigarette Julian had given her.

She choked and coughed as her lungs rejected it and he laughed.

They had fled the party around midnight when a fight broke out among the drunkest of the guests and Dovie started to cry. Julian had taken her on a long walk to get some air before the two of them parted for the evening.

"I take it you don't get out much." he said as she decided she didn't like smoking after all. What a stupid habit this was! She didn't look glamorous at all almost choking to death in front of this handsome stranger.

"Not especially. Papa sends me away when I become a bother, and then my loving older brother Harold just had his clerk ring me up today to say I had to be home for dinner or my pocket money would be severed." she said scornfully.

"So you defied his orders and came to Dovie's party instead. What a waste of a rebellion. You should have saved it for a real party." Julian laughed.

"Very true." she agreed. "But it was splendid to see the looks on their faces." she said with a pleased smile.

"Yes, they did hate us." Julian agreed happily.

"We need to do that again." Felicity said happily. "Just show up like we're lord and lady of all creation."

"You keep dressing like that and I'll follow you to hell." Julian said as she caught him looking at her exposed back and more.

"You're a very forward person Mr. Hunt. If you don't mind my saying." she said and didn't stop him from looking at her.

"I don't mind, only because it's true. I don't believe in wasting time." he said easily as they walked.

"You don't think it's too aggressive?" she asked innocently.

"Yes, but we're only young once. Do you think it's too aggressive to say I like you? That I want to see more of you and not just in dance halls and at parties?" he said.

Felicity caught her breath and looked at him. Her heart racing.

"I... I'm seventeen." she said.

"Old enough." Julian said happily.

"It's just-" she stammered.

"I'm not asking you to marry me, Felicity." he laughed and she felt embarrassed. "I just want to see more of you."

"I don't think that's wise." she told him.

"Why not?"

"Tonight was perfect." she said sadly. "If we see each other outside of tonight, in the real world, it won't be as magical. It won't be a wonderful or as good. We'll be disappointed. If we leave each other like this, then tonight will be perfect forever."

He looked at her with those hunter eyes of his.

"I say to hell with that." he whispered before kissing her.

~ Olivia opened her eyes to the sound of a roster crowing and sat up. She wasn't used to the sudden rush of country air, smells and sounds. She opened her window to the dawn and smelled mud, grass and bread baking. The rustic, timeless village was slowly waking up and coming to life.

"Miss?" came a knock on her door and the young hostess, whom she despised so much, let herself in without invitation.

"I've cleaned your dress, and mended a small tear." she said and promptly hung Olivia's traveling clothes up. "I think Mr. Hays is downstairs when you're ready."

"Already?" Olivia asked. "It's barely dawn."

"Early to bed and rise." the young hostess said swiftly. "I admire that about the man."

She gave Olivia a good looking over and swiftly left her to dress.

Olivia wasn't used to feeling competitive. She had never spent time with a man whom another girl had affections for. Even though she hardly knew Harold, hardly dared to question if she liked him, she didn't want that girl to like him. Didn't want that girl to think she could have him. No, Harold didn't belong to Olivia or that other girl, but she would make certain that everyone knew that Olivia Bradford could have him, if she wanted him.

She combed and pinned her hair back in a more grown up fashion. Left off her matching grey jacket because the weather was too hot and made sure her face looked clean and fresh for another day of travel.

She found Harold down in the dinning room reading the paper alone at the table.

"I'm sorry if I kept you. I didn't realize you got up so early." she said and took a seat.

"I've always been an early riser." he said dryly.

"Will we be going to Blue Rivers now?" she asked.

"Yes." he said coldly.

She felt odd inside. Was he mad at her? Did she say or do something to offend him? She had been sick, that was true, but that was hardly her fault. He had said so himself.

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked.

He folded his paper in half and then in half again.

"Not at all, forgive me." he said. "I've just phone Blue Rivers and spoke to the butler there. My wayward sister was supposed to beat us there for dinner last night, but she never showed up. I called her friend in London and she had not stayed there either."

"Oh, Harold." Olivia breathed.

"Not to worry." he said. "I'm certain she's stayed with another friend of hers. She's very popular."

"Harold, we should go back to London and find out if she's alright." Olivia said.

"No, you need to meet Mr. Eames." Harold said.

"Mr. Eames isn't going anywhere. Your sister could be hurt." Olivia said.

"My sister is no doubt attempting to teach me a lesson. She's done this kind of thing before." he said.

"What if it's serious?" Olivia questioned.

"I'll have you meet Mr. Eames, then if my sister still hasn't returned home, we'll have cause to worry and then we can go back to London." he said.

~ Olivia didn't feel right about going onward to Blue Rivers when Harold's sister was missing. Such a ghastly thing never happened in her world. Her father had dinner with her every evening and knew where she was sleeping ever night.

She suddenly felt her blood hurt from missing him. She had betrayed him. No doubt he was at home right now, worried sick about her and comforted only by post cards. When she returned home, he would be angry with her. He would want to lock her up in the house until she was thirty.

Her father had given her everything in life except freedom. She would never have been allowed to stay over a a friends house or go out to parties and now she was on a grand adventure to find out about her mother's mysterious past.

She joined Harold back in the car again, and they drove off to Blue Rivers.

~ Felicity woke up alone in Julian Hunt's bed. Her blood red party dress lay on the dressing chair and she was wearing only his dress shirt from last night.

How close she had been to giving herself to this stranger last night. Of not breaking the magic spell that had been cast between them. She was kissing him and their bodied blended so well together. Her skin turning hot as she thought she might die if he stopped touching her. His lips branding her skin as they groped at each other on the sofa of his hotel room.

At the last moment, Julian pulled away from her, his hand running over the blood red dress as she wanted him to kiss her again.

He looked at her in that superior way of his, and told her she could sleep in his bed that night and he would sleep on the couch.

She had felt a little heart broken at the rejection. She was still a virgin, but a lot of girls were doing it now. It wasn't as shocking as it was before. When no girl ever had sex out of the marriage bed. But she had wanted it to happen and he had said no.

"I want to see you after the spell is broken." he said with an impish little smile. "We can have breakfast together and you can sit with me looking tired and with morning hair."

She had laughed at the idea, and felt slightly better.

That night, she waited for him to come to her. Waited for him to sneak into his own room, his own bed, and be with her. Join their bodies together and whisper true love things.

But he never came to her, and she fell asleep from all the waiting.

~ He had room service bring them breakfast as she emerged sheepishly from his room in his dress shirt.

"My don't we look fetching." he laughed as she realized she didn't look as appealing as before. He, on the other hand looked just as dashing as always. He wasn't in a tuxedo, that was true, but his good looks were natural enough to make even a normal suit look impressive.

"You're bed is very comfortable." she said as she sat next to him and pulled apart a muffin to eat.

"That it is. What would you like to do today, Miss Eames? I'm at you're command." he teased.

"My command? How thrilling." she said and yawned.

"We could go to museums or a show perhaps." he offered.

"I really need to go home. Harold is no doubt worried sick and as much as I hate Papa right now, I love my brother." she said after she swallowed her bread.

Julian looked a little disappointed.

"I see. Well, then you need to go home." he whispered and ran his hand over her own.

She didn't want it to end. Didn't want to break the spell that had held through the night and into the next morning. She wanted the magic to hold just a little longer.

"Come with me." she said brightly. "To Blue Rivers."

"What?" he laughed.

"I want you to come to Blue Rivers and meet my father and brother." she said.

"Felicity, we just met." he said. "I don't think that's wise."

"Well, I do. I'm not asking you to marry me, Julian." she said just as easily as he had said those words last night. "Just, I'm not ready to say goodbye to you."

"I would like to meet Mr. Eames. Something to brag to my friends about when I'm old and fat." he said mildly.

"Don't forget bald." she added and grinned.

"Yes, bald. We mustn't forget bald." he smiled. "Why must I be old, fat and bald?" he asked.

"A lot of women like bald men." she laughed. "I don't know any off hand, but I'm sure there will be some."

"Yes, dear, but must I be all three?" he asked and poured her coffee.

"Yes, you must." she grinned. "And you must come home with me."

He looked at her, and she caught a brief hint of kindness in his eyes.

"If I must." he agreed.

"Good." she whispered and kissed him.