MARY

A few nights later, Reckness had sneaked into Mary's room, and they'd begun kissing, but of course Mary was going to have it stop there. She knew she should stay away from the rich blind boy, but Reckness was so much fun. Adam was very serious, and besides, he had no real interest in Mary, he was all about teaching, right?

Reckness had a beautiful face, Mary loved rubbing her fingers all over it, tracing his Grecian nose, and running her forefinger up and down his cleft chin. Reckness had beautiful ears, they felt like little shells, and he smelled of hair pomade and Bugler tobacco.

"Mary, you're driving me mad." Reckness whispered into Mary's ear. "I wish you'd let me make love to you, life's too short for-"

"I bet you tell that to all the girls here." Mary said teasingly, although she hoped she was the only one.

Reckness laughed deep in his throat. "But it IS short for all of us. Some girls understand, you know."

They heard a bustle outside the room, and a knock.

"Mary?" Adam's voice came. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but Bonnie told me she thought she heard strange voices in here."

Reckness's finger touched Mary's mouth. Mary didn't want to giggle. Mary was a fairly serious young woman, herself, but this was serious giggling time. But if they were caught, she might be sent home to Pa and Ma…blind, and a fast girl!

"Adam, I don't know, maybe I was singing or something." Bonnie was an awful gossip. Fat and slovenly, she used the tiny amount of sight in her left eye to catch other students out in bad behavior…Mary felt guilty, but she wanted to pull Bonnie's hair.

Mary heard the door open. She realized Reckness was right here next to her on the bed, but Adam was blind, wasn't he?

"Mary, I just need—" Adam sniffed. "Mary, has Reckness Cardew been in your room?" He sniffed again. "I think I smell his hair oil. Mary, you can't let him come in here. He will compromise you." Adam's voice grew earnest. "Mary, you mean a lot to me. You can't let a blackguard like Reckness ruin—"

He cares about me? Mary spoke briskly, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Adam, Reckness came in to play whist earlier. Just a hand or two. We're good friends."

"Well, keep that sort of thing in the lounge from now on." Adam said, and Mary heard the door closing. "I know the little kids make it difficult to concentrate in the lounge, but you can't let him in here. Good night."

After Adam left, Reckness chortled. "Listen to him. I'm a blackguard. Me! I'm certainly not an old sobersides like Mr. Kendall, but how does that make me Bluebeard?"

Mary was still internally toying with "Mary, you mean a lot to me" Adam was tall—taller than Reckness by a few inches, and he was concerned about her. Reckness began kissing Mary again, and she became distracted.

ADAM

Adam felt his way back to his own room, and sat at his desk. He had grammar quizzes to correct, but he was a little worried about Mary Ingalls. She wasn't spending as much time devoted to her studies as she'd once been. Adam was glad Mary was starting to have a fun time here at the school, and of course when Adam had been a student here once—he'd had his share of romance.

But there was something about Reckness Cardew that galled Adam. And—and things had been better when Mary had been more focused on Adam's teaching. Adam wondered if his interest in Mary Ingalls was a chaste one. Maybe not entirely. Mr. Ponsonby, the headmaster had instructed Adam that he must avoid even the hint of impropriety, as some of the school's funding came from religious organizations, and they had to seem worthy and trustful.

And, of course, Adam, despite his handicap, had squired ladies around from church. But most of them, although genuinely enjoying Adam's company, did not see him as a serious suitor, as he was, indeed, blind.

That hadn't prevented a few kisses…but Adam was lonely for a woman who wanted all of him. That was probably the nonsense about his fascination for Mary Ingalls. Mary was smart, and funny, and her long hair smelled beautifully, and once or twice he'd touched her face, Adam had…she was a beauty!

But she was a STUDENT above all else, and Adam couldn't let down Mr. Ponsonby. Not for anything in the world.

RECKNESS

Reckness Cardew climbed out of Mary's window. The last thing he wanted to do was bump into Kendall and give him nasty thoughts about the sacred precincts of Miss Ingalls. Reckness was hot and bothered. Mary wasn't going to let him go but so far. Of course, that might not be so bad.

Reckness had been at the exclusive Perkins School for the Blind in Massachusetts for a period, but then Ethel Wharton, the glaucomic niece of the state's governor, had found herself with child, and Father had had to hastily move Reckness to this backwater state school.

It was so ridiculous being here, Reckness thought, as he guided himself back to the front door by grazing his fingers along rose bushes and the ivy along the building. Reckness knew his way around New York, like a sighted person, and missed doing outrageous things like riding a bike, which shocked admiring girls back home.

Reckness had courted quite a bit in New York, and of course here, he'd messed about with a couple of housemaids. For a man who couldn't see, Reckness certainly was one to notice a shapely ankle!

Father understood Reckness's interest in the ladies—Father had taken Reckness to a bawdy house on the boy's twelfth birthday—but Pa would be more than a bit annoyed if Reckness were tossed from this apology for an academy because he couldn't stay out of girl's rooms.

But, if Reckness was going to get in trouble, he'd like to do it with Mary Ingalls. That one was worth it.