Jack coyly walked over to where she was sitting and stood there quietly for a moment, a little shy. "Miss Lily?"
She turned to him with a surprised look. "Oh, hello, Jack, do you need something?"
"Um, I was wonderin'...do you really work at a circus?"
"I do."
"I-Is it fun?"
She smiled warmly at him. "I think it is, but it's a lot of hard work."
"I've never been to one before," he admitted.
That piqued her interest. "You haven't?"
He shook his head. "Momma says we can't spend the money."
That was a shame. The families that came to her show always seemed to leave happy. It was an exciting time for everyone. Jack seemed to know that he was missing out. "Jack, would you like to see a little bit of the show?"
His face seemed to light up immediately. "Yes please!"
Lily got up with a sudden bounce in her step. Her stage persona had quickly taken over at the thought of a show. No matter how many she had to do in a day, she was always ready for another. She darted into her wagon and was back out faster than a blink of an eye with breeches on.
She whistled sharply. "Butch, my friend!" she called out to her horse. "Are you in the mood to dance?"
Her large shire horse, that stood a good head above even the other shires, let out a winnie and stomped his hooves.
"I know, I know, you always are, but as a lady, I have to ask." She hummed happily as she harnessed him with her usual side-saddle saddle and extra long reins for performances. "We're in a small area, so we'll keep it slow."
Not understanding a word she said, Butch happily trotted after Lily as she led him to the campfire.
She cleared her throat and addressed Jack directly. "Welcome to the High Rolllllller Circus!" she sang in a loud voice, but it was certainly way quieter than her usual stage voice.
Jack clapped happily.
"Butch, my lovely steed, are you ready to give this child the performance of a lifetime?" she asked, dramatically enunciating every word and then let out some more sharp whistles.
The gelding smoothly put one hoof out in front and bowed his head low. It was showboaty, but also gave Lily some help, getting up into the saddle. She positioned her legs to ride side-saddle, but instead stood on the stirrup. As she settled, Butch stood up to his full height and began trot at a leasurly pace around the space he was given.
From there, Lily fluidly transitioned into impossible poses that were hard to do even on solid ground. She showed off her upper body strength and balance with handstands and gymnastics, but the real dazzle came from her bewitching personality. The way she appeased the crowd drove them wild. Especially Dutch. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. When she blew a kiss at him, it looked as though the last bit of restraint he had suddenly snapped in him.
At the end of her show, with a showy maneuver of swinging her leg high in the air to dismount Butch, Lily landed squarely on her feet, thowing her hands up. Next to her Butch happily took his bow.
Some at the camp enjoyed the show. They cheered, laughing and clapping with glee. Jack, who that performance was intended for, had a bright smile on his face and laughed with so much excitement behind his eyes. That merriment she felt in that moment, the crowd roaring with joy and the atmosphere alight, was what she lived for.
"Wow! Miss Lily, could I learn how to do that?!" Jack asked.
"Jack," Abigail, who had joined him some time during the show, chuckled and ruffled his hair, "maybe you can start when your legs can reach the stirrups."
"Aw, but..."
"Don't worry, Jack." Lily winked at him. "I'm pretty old, so you've got all the time in the world to find out what you want to do. For now, just listen to your ma."
Abigail looked at her son with an amused expression and raised brows. "Did ya hear that, Jack? Listen to your momma."
He pouted and kicked around the dirt at his feet. "Okay..."
"I'll tell you what, if you listen to your ma and do what she says, I'll let Ringmaster Bobby know to let you and your ma and pa into the shows, no charge."
He gasped and nearly jumped to his feet. "REALLY?!"
"Sure. Maybe you'll finally be able to have some fun."
"That's really kind of you, Lily." Abigail hugged Jack's shoulders as he jumped with excitement. "Are you sure you can do that for us?"
Lily gave her a cheeky wink. "Bobby might be the face of our show, but I get to make the decisions."
"Thank you, Miss Lily!" Jack giggled.
With a final bow to him, Lily led Butch back to the other horses. She fed him a large carrot, praising him generously for the wonderful job he did. "You are so talented, you big pony you. We'll go out and try to find you a nice grazing place and you can eat to your heart's content."
Just hearing her tone, Butch knew she was happy with him. In return, he fondly nudged her with his nose.
Lily heard a low hum behind her, and she turned around to see Dutch sauntering over to her. "Miss Lee, that horse of yours is quite impressive," he said as he gently pet Butch's muzzle. Butch, happy for anyone to pet him, graciously accepted the affection. "And very friendly."
"Isn't he?" she giggled. "I raised him to be a gentleman."
"And what a gentleman. Maybe I should let you train The Count." He gestured to a bright white Arabian horse. It almost looked ethereal with its lithe but strong body and clean coat.
"He's beautiful. Can I?" She reached out to him, wanting to pet him.
"He's temperamental, but go on and try."
Lily slowly moved her hand closer, but before she could touch The Count, he neighed and reared slightly as a warning. With a gasp, she stepped back into Dutch.
"Careful now." He put a hand on her hip, both intending to stable her and intimately touch her. When he looked down to see a sheepish look on her face, he chuckled. "Don't take it personally, Miss Lee. He doesn't take to anyone but me. Let me try something." Dutch took her hand, casually caressing her fingers, and guided it to The Count's muzzle. At first he shook his head, but soon he became still and let her pet him with Dutch's assistance.
Lily smiled brightly. "He really does only like you."
"Consequently, if you do want to ride him, he won't mind if you ride with me." He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it gently.
She raised a brow at him, a playful gleam in her eyes. "Why, Mr. Van der Linde...aren't you just the gentleman too."
"Tonight," Dutch whispered in her ear, "after everyone's asleep, my dear, I'll take you somewhere with a bit more privacy, and show you how much of a gentleman I can be."
"You're confident. What if I say 'no'?" she teased.
He dug his fingers into her hip, hard enough to leave bruises. "I'm confident, because it's not a question," he said slowly.
She leaned her back against him and rested her head on his shoulder, staring up at him. "Is this why you asked me to stay here, Dutch? Should I worry about you showing up in my quarters in the wee hours?"
He raised his brows. "That hadn't crossed my mind, but trust that it has now."
With a strong bump from her butt, she pushed him back and turned to him. "You're such a rascal, Dutch van der Linde."
"Is that an invitation, Miss Lily?"
"Sure, this is my type of fun, as long as you have something to offer me."
"A very good time."
"I believe you, and I'll see you tonight."
Throughout the day, Lily helped out around camp. She took over some chores from the girls, so they could go out into town and do what they did. Of course they happily accepted her generous offer, and Ms. Grimshaw was hardly the wiser since all the tasks ended up being done timely. Lily buzzed around hauling around feed for the chickens, logs to be chopped, and product for Mr. Pearson. Despite her elegant form, she had strong muscles and lifted everything with relative ease.
Arthur had been watching her for some time from his tent, including the exchange she had with Dutch. It wasn't any of his business, but it crossed his mind to tell her about Molly. Dutch was playing a dangerous game, and the last thing the camp needed was an out of her mind Molly. But it really wasn't any of his business...
He sighed and snapped his journal shut. Maybe he would just talk to her, and see if it came up. Lily didn't need to be caught in the crossfire. At the moment, she was feeding the chickens and talking to them. From the look on her face, it was a very stern conversation.
"Listen, I'm telling you, if any of you sass me again, I'm gonna tell Mr. Pearson to kill you. How does that sound, huh? Wanna be beheaded?" The chickens around her continued to mindlessly cluck and crowd her for more food.
Arthur watched her with amusement, crossing his arms. "You threatening our chickens, Miss Lee?"
"Chickens are ferocious. If I don't assert myself, they'll attack me in a second for this food."
He climbed into the pen and made a sudden movement with his arms. They scattered immediately. "There, saved ya."
"My hero." She began to scatter the feed. "So what can I do for my hero today?"
"I just wanted ta keep an eye on ya. Makin' sure you ain't makin' trouble."
"Definitely not trying to, Mr. Morgan. I'm in the business of making laughter!" She dramatically tossed feed into the air with joy.
"Ain't nothing gets ya down, huh?"
"A lot does, but that's why..." she tossed up another little handful, "we need laughter."
"Anyone tell ya that it's annoyin'?"
Lily beamed. "All the time! It doesn't bother me. I'm sure no one here cares too much about what people think about them either. We'd all be having a heck of a time if we did."
"I guess things would be a helluva lot harder for you if ya thought 'bout the families your clients got."
She grinned brightly. "I'm sure a lot of the people who come for me have wives and families, but I have trouble feeling sorry for their own choice. You don't have an issue with that...do you?"
"Course not, whatever brings money in." He shrugged.
In the end, Arthur couldn't bring himself to mention the kind of trouble she was heading into with Dutch. Their talk tipped him off a little that she wouldn't care.
Arthur began to scratch the back of his neck in irritation. From his tent, he watched Lily again, who happily took over Mary-Beth's job with Person. Lily was outwardly so sweet and kind, looking after people, but...that tone she had. Ice cold.
That night, not one to turn down a good time, Lily accepted the invitation, and when the time came, she came out of her caravan. Dutch really was sure of himself. He was waiting right outside for her. He took her hand and escorted her down the steps.
Dutch leaned over her shoulder. "You are breathtaking, my dear," he whispered.
"You'll say anything to get these clothes off of me, won't you?"
"I speak only the truth." He continued to whisper passionate compliments.
Though everyone was asleep, a lot of them were out in the open and were the types to wake up at the slightest sound. With no trouble, Dutch mounted The Count and helped her up, pulling her up behind him.
Dutch led The Count along the path for a while before coming to a stop at the riverbank and dismounting him. He pulled Lily into his arms and let her wrap her legs around him. All the while, kissing her passionately, as if he had been starved. She didn't mind. Lily gave back eagerly, holding his face in her hands. He tasted like heavy tobacco smoke, a taste that she desperately enjoyed. Dutch appreciated the sudden eagerness, tossing her to the ground and climbing on top.
Naturally, he was a dominator. He started out sweet and kissed every bit of exposed skin as he undressed her, but soon she was at his mercy, in only her undergarments. He wrapped his hand around her throat and massaged her neck between his fingers.
"D-Dutch," she gasped.
"Miss Lee, you are a pretty little thing, aren't you?" His free hand slowly trailed down her body and back up. "I bet you have men lined up, waiting to spend the night with you, don't you?"
She gasped and arched her back as his grip got tighter.
"Oh, you like that?" He leaned over and kissed her neck dearly. "Your honesty is refreshing. Do you want more?"
"M-More.." she eked out a raspy whisper.
"All fours, my dear." Letting go of her neck, he watched her turn over and admired as the slit in her knickers exposed her dark pink folds. She looked over her shoulder at him, waiting eagerly, her hips swaying with anticipation. "Magnificent," he said as he slipped his hand under her garments and caressed her butt.
She mewled and raised her hips, wanting something, anything from him. She received a nice firm swat across her cheeks and let out a delighted squeal.
"Mm-mm, you've been a good girl." As he caressed her rear, he slipped his thumb into her, earning himself a little whimper. She backed into him and rolled her hips, trying to feel him deeper. Dutch took his hands off of her and undid his pants. Lily looked over her shoulder and wiggled her butt at him. He chuckled, pushing her head to the ground. "I hope you enjoy your gift."
Into the night, , Lily's muffled moans joined the quiet sounds of the night. Despite it being rather one-sided, Lily enjoyed herself and happily pleasured him. It was something she had just gotten used to. And when he was done, so was she.
"Should we head back now?" Lily asked as she put her dress on.
Dutch stared out onto the lake. The waning moon shimmered on the river's surface, dancing slightly with the flowing water. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"Of course. I don't think I've ever heard anyone calling the moon ugly before."
He chuckled. "Not just the moon, my dear. All of this. The river, the wilderness, the seclusion. Isn't it magnificent?"
"Nature is beautiful," she agreed.
"Not just for the eyes but for the mind and soul too. It's a shame that all over, this wilderness has been tainted."
Lily scrunched up her face in thought. "I'm afraid you've lost me."
"Cities like Saint Denis, being erected across the country. Soon, places like this will be of a rare, breed, my dear."
She let out a small, unsure laugh. "I didn't expect you to be one to hate civilization."
He glanced at her. "Why do you say that?"
"You seem fond of the finer things, opera, literature, fancy suits. Aren't those things the crux of civilization?"
Dutch chuckled. "Civilization, my dear, not culture. Civilization is what takes over nature, gives us rules to live by in order to be a welcomed member of society. It tries to change people and kicks out people that it doesn't want."
"Since we came on one horse, I'd be remiss to argue."
"You disagree?"
"I think you're splitting hairs, but...I'm not sure why."
The corners of his mouth twitched. "You're quite...shrewd. I think I underestimated you again, Miss Lily. I'll have to keep a closer eye on you."