The moment Nanny agreed to go with him to his family's estate, Wilkes rang up his late brother's wife and got his nephew, Lord Cecil, on the line. Cecil said rather rudely that Wilkes shouldn't expect to come a week early and stay with HIM... especially if he had an unknown female 'friend' with him! Then the telephone was obviously grabbed by Wilkes' sister-in-law who almost shrieked into it, "I won't have your doxy in my house, Wilkes!" Even Nanny heard the Countess' words, and her face went white.
Instantly furious, Wilkes forbore to bandy words with the small-minded woman and instead reminded Gertrude in a biting tone that he had every right to bring whoever he wished to 'his' home, and that he expected a car would be sent for them first thing in the morning. In the end, Cecil reluctantly and sulkily agreed to send a car for the two.
"There, all settled," Wilkes said, putting the receiver down and looking at Nanny, his eyes still flashing with the anger he felt toward his nephew and sister-in-law.
She shook her head. "I 'eard 'er, Wilkes. I'm not welcome in your sister-in-law's..." She had no intentions of putting herself into a situation where she knew she was considered 'beyond the pale', so to speak. She might have come from a poor background, but she still had her pride!
"Pay no attention to that, Nanny," Wilkes said grimly, wishing desperately that Nanny had not overheard the foolish woman. "To be honest, *I* am not really welcome in her house myself. But I would like you to see my castle, such as it is right now... and according to my brother's will, I have every right to be at the family estate and I even have my own wing of rooms there. I will not have my sister-in-law dictating who I invite there... and while I'm showing Gertrude I can't be ordered around, I'm thinking perhaps you could, you know, show Kay that you are not totally subject to her whims and fancies any more either, that you have a life of your own as well – so that maybe she would appreciate you more!"
"I would like that, for sure, sure, sure," Nanny murmured frankly, intensely drawn to the idea. She admitted softly, "Kay means well, I expect. It's just... well, sometimes I do feel as if Kay takes me for granted. I suppose that makes me sound pathetic and..."
Wilkes couldn't help it. He cupped her face tenderly with his hands and smiled. "If the most you have to be ashamed of is being too supportive and too loving, you're far superior to most people, Nanny. Not, you know, pathetic at all!"
Looking at him doubtfully, hopefully, as if she wanted to but couldn't quite believe what he was saying, Nanny said, "So you don't, don't, don't think I'm a complete failure?"
Wilkes was considering kissing her, but her eyes suddenly widened as if she realized the position they were in and how very close they were. "I see panic in your eyes, Nanny," Wilkes said carefully, not releasing his light hold on her face nor drawing back in the slightest. "There is no need. Anything that, you know, gets started... tonight... can be stopped... at any time. You only have to, you know, say the word."
"The word 'No'?" Nanny asked more pertly than she was feeling. Her emotions were all twisted up. It had to be exhaustion and the thrill of having Wilkes so close to her!
He smiled faintly and shook his head. "Actually, Nanny, I had meant that you could say 'Good night.'"
"That's two words."
He laughed then, a full, deep-throated sound of appreciation.
"Aoww my Lord, it 'as been a long, long, long time for me, Wilkes," Nanny sighed, suddenly weary from more than just lack of sleep and jet lag. "I 'ave been looking after other people's children for forty years, and 'ave never 'ad a, well, a relationship in all that time. I rawther feel as if I'm not a woman; I'm just a nanny, a caregiver, a babysitter, a substitute mother, an organizer, a..."
He pressed his thumbs lightly to her lips, stemming her flow of job descriptions, but not releasing his gentle hold of her face. "You're a woman, Nanny. Trust me. Very much a woman. A beautiful, desirable woman..."
"Sometimes I forget," she admitted, trembling slightly and overwhelmed by his description of her, not to mention his touch on her lips. "It 'as been so long..."
"Then allow me remind you, Nanny..."
He kissed her then. Finally. A lengthy, passionate kiss like their kiss on Christmas Eve and the one after their 'date' in the Oak Room. A kiss that reminded Nanny of long ago dark corners and secluded park benches. But Wilkes didn't kiss like anyone in her distant memories. He didn't kiss like a boy or young man; he kissed like a man with skill and control. She was the one who promptly lost control, the one whose hormones overwhelmed her common sense. Her pulse raced and her breath shuddered in her lungs.
Her hands went around his neck, then slid down his back, gripping and pressing closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him, almost expecting him to disappear and herself to awaken from a delightful dream. This couldn't really be happening to HER, could it? His hold on her delivered something novel – a feeling of security, of having someone on her side against the world. Even more than passion, it spoke of giving and taking. She had been giving for so long that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to take something she wanted for herself. She took it now, opening to him in a way she distantly recognized as dangerous, but unwilling and indeed unable to stop just yet.
His mouth moved over hers, his hands left her face, smoothed over her back, around her sides, hesitated, then moved back to the safety of her back. Her lungs strained for breath, but she didn't care. She didn't need to breathe as long as he kept kissing her and caressing her so tenderly. This was the sort of kissing that could easily lead to tangled sheets and midnight confessions. This last thought brought her abruptly back to her senses.
Making the supreme effort, Nanny escaped his embrace and stepped back, already feeling the chill. "We... we shouldn't do this..." she said huskily, trying to get her breathing back to normal.
"No... no, I suppose we shouldn't." Wilkes looked disappointed but resigned... a gentleman to the achingly aroused marrow of his very bones. When he got himself more under control, he might ask her to marry him, but he certainly did not want it to seem as if he only wanted marriage in order to, well, you know...
Nanny braced herself to say the two words he had told her would stop things whenever she said. "Good night."
Something flashed in Wilkes' eyes, then was gone. Tonight was not the best time for a proposal. Perhaps after she met his family and had a chance to view the ramshackle castle where she would have to live... "You take the, er, powder room first, Nanny. I can change into my pyjamas out here."
Unsure whether to be delighted or frustrated by his immediate compliance, Nanny gathered up what she needed and disappeared into the bathroom. She unpinned her hair from the rawther untidy bun and loosely braided it as usual. When she had changed into the prim, high-necked flannel nightgown she had grabbed from her suitcase, she looked into the mirror and shuddered. This definitely would not seduce anyone, especially Wilkes! Then again, why was she even thinking about him like this, for Lord's sake? There could be nothing but perhaps friendship between them! With this thought uppermost in her mind, Nanny slipped on her robe and hesitantly stepped back out into the bedroom.
Seeing him already lying under the bedclothes on the cot, Nanny was horrified. "Aoww, my Lord, Sir Wilkes! No, no, no!" She hurried over to him, insisting, "I was going to sleep there!"
He opened his arms to her, holding up a corner of the sheet to reveal his silk pyjama-clad body, grinning and saying, "You are more than welcome to join me, Nanny."
Flushing brilliantly, Nanny turned away without another word, shut off the light and crawled into the far side of the bed, only to lie on the mattress tensely, wondering if she would ever go to sleep!
Lying on the narrow, very uncomfortable cot, Wilkes was quite restless. He turned one way and then another, and the cot creaked protestingly every time he moved. He tried to stay still, just in case his movements were keeping Nanny from falling asleep, but it was impossible. There just was no one position he could find in which he could fall asleep.
Nanny lay quietly, listening to the sounds of the cot and Wilkes' smothered groans as he twisted and turned, and guilt almost overwhelmed her. She began to wonder if Wilkes would allow her to have the cot after all, and whether or not she should offer. After almost an hour, just when she was almost asleep from sheer exhaustion, Wilkes rolled over heavily once more and there was a loud cracking sound then a series of thumps, along with a startled exclamation from Wilkes. Nanny sat up with a gasp and turned on the light to find the cot collapsed and Wilkes crawling off the wreckage sheepishly.
"I do apologize for waking you, Nanny!" he said. "The cot just, well, gave way beneath me!"
"Imagine my surprise," she said dryly. "For Lord's sake, Willy, just get into this bed with me. We both need sleep desperately after last night on the aeroplane and the short night before that! I'll try not to surprise you with a sudden attack or anything."
"Nothing you do surprises me anymore," Wilkes muttered, bowing to her insistence and slipping into the bed beside her. He had never before shared a bed with anyone... let alone a woman who was not his wife! But from the looks of the cot, it was no longer salvageable, and he needed his rest desperately! He was much too old to stay up for three nights in a row with very little sleep!
For a short time, all was quiet, as the two lay on their respective edges of the bed, facing away from each other. Both were very tense, however, and their somewhat erratic breathing proved that. Finally Wilkes exclaimed in frustration, "Enough of this nonsense! We're both tense, waiting and wanting for this to happen, so it might as well right from the start! Nanny, come lie right here next to me!" Without waiting for her acquiescence, he pulled her nearer and tucked her close to him, his arm around her and his body warm all along her back. She felt his lips kiss her hair softly, then he said in a rawther disgruntled voice, "Now, good night!"
Without a word, Nanny covered his aging yet strong and capable hand at her waist with hers and held it tightly, conveying to him her complete trust in his behaviour. Reflecting that it was the third night in a row he was cradling her in his arms, and fearing she might lie awake for the rest of the night just to enjoy the experience, it surprisingly only took a couple of seconds for her to drop off, cocooned in the warmth of his embrace.
The next morning, Nanny became gradually aware of being in much the same position as when she had fallen asleep. She felt steady, unhurried breathing close to her ear, a heavy arm across her midriff and a solid form still warming her back. Something hard and hot nudged against her lower back and a flare of desire flashed through her body. She almost moaned in delight at the sensation, but managed to stop herself. Wilkes' breathing altered instantly and he stirred behind her, triggering little tingles of fire which raced throughout Nanny's body.
Coming to her senses at last, Nanny jerked away from him, almost falling out of the bed. "Aoww, knickers!" she muttered, and managed to scramble out of the bed rawther less than gracefully.
Wilkes had pulled away himself and clutched the bedclothes to his body. "I, er... it... this... it's a... normal morning, you know... hazard... for men..." he stammered, his face red as he gestured toward the lower half of his body.
Nanny's face reddened too. "Y-yes, yes, of course," she almost whispered, snatching up her robe and holding it in front of herself as a barrier, backing away until the wall brought her up short.
Taking a deep breath, Wilkes struggled to return things to normal by greeting her in his usual way, albeit this time with a trace of a smile in his voice. "Good morning, Nanny." For him, it WAS a good morning indeed! She had felt so warm, so accessible, so... natural in his embrace!
"M-morning, Sir Wilkes!" she returned hesitantly, one hand frantically trying to smooth her hair down.
"Surely after we have slept together you should be calling me just plain Wilkes... or Willy." He tried teasing her out of her agitation.
"I suppose I should..." she admitted, her eyes still large with trepidation.
"Good." With a great deal of self control, he managed to yawn and stretch quite casually, taking care to keep his lower half covered nonetheless. "Do you want the powder room first?" he asked.
"Aoww, yes, please, please, please!" Nanny said, thankful to escape his presence even for a few moments. "I'll just dash in first, if you don't mind, then you can go. I'll, er, dress when you're done." She disappeared for a moment, then, after splashing water on her face and grimacing in the mirror, she re-emerged. "It's all yours, Wilkes."
Wilkes got out of bed and made his way over to the bathroom, pausing when he came close to her. "Nanny? Remember when I said last night that nothing you do surprises me?"
"Yes," she said, eying him warily.
"I was wrong," Wilkes grinned and kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose. "You snore almost as much as I do!" Before she could respond, he was gone into the bathroom for his morning ablutions.
Nanny glared after him, then a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. My sainted Aunt Fanny! He's teasing me, and I actually like, like, LIKE it! she thought. Then a horrid thought intruded. What if he were NOT teasing? DO I snore that much? How mortifying THAT was! No... he was smiling when he said it... Nanny shuddered, then gathered her things to be ready for her turn in the bathroom.
O o O o O o
After they had dressed, they began to gather their things together. Wilkes hesitated, not being able to help but see that Nanny had packed only a couple of navy skirts and some white blouses. He wondered if Kay did not want her wear anything else, or if that was all Nanny WANTED to wear. Seeing the way she tenderly folded her new lilac outfit into the suitcase, he resolved to find a way to stop at the same dress shop before leaving the city to arrange for more clothing so that she would not feel out of place at his estate. Gertrude, he knew, dressed to the nines every day, whether or not she had company, and she was just the sort of person to make Nanny feel inferior simply because of her clothing.
Nanny and Wilkes went downstairs for breakfast, carrying their luggage with them. Nanny asked at the front desk if there were any more messages from Kay, but there were not. Despairing because of her lack of funds, Nanny was very silent when they went in for breakfast. What was she to do? She could not expect Wilkes to continue paying for everything the way he had been, for Lord's sake!
She wrote a message to Kay herself, on paper scrounged from the front desk, while waiting for her meal: 'Gone with Sir Wilkes to his family's home for my holiday... will be back in a few days! Nanny'
"That's the ticket, Nanny! Worded like that, she will know you're safe and chaperoned... yet she'll have no way of sending for you to be at her beck and call for her every whim!" Wilkes said with satisfaction, his displeasure in Kay's actions quite evident.
Nanny was very grateful to get some rawther hot coffee. When she tasted it, however, she made a bit of a face. "Aoww my Lord, I should 'ave remembered that coffee doesn't taste quite the same over 'ere!"
"You're welcome to share my tea if you wish," Wilkes said, cocking an enquiring eyebrow at her before glancing down at his teapot. "But we will be stopping mid-morning for another spot of tea, then again at noon, if you want to just finish your coffee now and have tea later."
"Aoww, that will be fine, fine, fine. Thank you! Er, 'ow long did you say it will take to get to your estate?"
"It's about a five hour drive, so it depends upon when the driver arrives and the weather." Wilkes looked out at the cloudy day and sighed. "I'd forgotten it rains so much here. If the rain stays away, our journey should not be too difficult, but..."
"I understand. Don't worry so much, Wilkes. I must say, I'm looking forward to seeing where you grew up." She patted his hand, then, as if embarrassed by her comment, drew back and looked down at her toast.
Wilkes smiled. "I'm looking forward to showing it to you, Nanny." Then he decided to take the plunge and ask about the clothes, praying his assumption was correct that her skirts and blouses were a sort of uniform. "Nanny, I couldn't help but notice when you were packing that you did not bring much, er, casual wear. Shall we stop at that same dress shop to see if they have a few, you know, summery things for you to wear at the estate?"
Flushing deeply, Nanny shook her head, confessing in a small voice, "No, no, no, Wilkes, I can't. I... I would love to say yes, but, well, to be honest, Kay hasn't paid me for a month, so I simply can't, can't, can't afford it."
"Allow me to arrange for that, Nanny," Wilkes said. Seeing her about to protest, he added quickly, "Not me, personally, of course! The hotel will no doubt advance the money on Kay's account here, seeing as she owes it to you anyway. I'll arrange for it, shall I?"
Nanny chewed her thumb for a moment, then nodded. She would like some other clothes to wear so Wilkes wouldn't be ashamed of her and his family didn't think too, too, too badly of her! But to buy more clothes, she needed money, for Lord's sake! Would Kay be terribly upset? Well, no matter. The money was owed to her! "Please, Wilkes. And, thank you."
They lingered over their breakfast for a while until Wilkes said they should probably go to the front desk to arrange for the transfer of funds into Nanny's name. He held out his hand to assist her to rise, and they made their way out to the lobby. Nanny carried her written message and asked for an envelope. She scribbled a postscript to the message, saying she was taking some money for expenses out of the April salary Kay still owed to her as well as an advance on May's salary. While she was writing, Wilkes spoke to the clerk in an undertone, quickly arranging for some money for Nanny, making it clear that if Kay was not good for it, HE would be, personally, but not to tell Nanny.
Nanny sealed the envelope with her message in it and handed it to the clerk to give to Kay when she arrived, and the clerk handed her an envelope with, as he explained, the funds with which she was to be provided. Nanny looked dazedly at the envelope, then at the clerk, then at Wilkes, who hurriedly took her elbow. "Right, then, shall we go?"
They walked to the door just as a car pulled out and an older man dressed in livery got out. "Jimmy!" Wilkes hailed him in delight. As it turned out, the driver who had been sent by Cecil was someone who had known Wilkes since they were youngsters, Jimmy's father having worked for the Earl, and they had been great friends ever since.
"I 'eard you were in England, wanting a ride 'ome so I volunteered to come to London to pick up you and your, er, your companion, Sir Wilkes. Although I must confess that Lord Cecil was not quite so, you know, polite, you might say..."
Wilkes promptly said, "And you will keep everything you learn here and on the drive home to yourself, won't you, Jimmy?"
Nanny was surprised when Jimmy grinned and said, "Well, now, that depends, Sir Wilkes. I'll keep anything and everything close to me chest on the condition that you promise to do something for me in return!"
Nanny held her breath, almost expecting Wilkes to explode at the familiarity of the man! Instead, Wilkes chuckled. "This bargaining reminds me of when we were lads. Well, I suppose that depends what you want me to do, Jimmy."
"I want to work for you, instead of your nephew the Earl, when you decide to finally move back here permanently, Sir Wilkes! Me AND Lois. She'll be just the thing for your 'ousekeeper, if'n you 'aven't got one yet."
"Done... on one condition..." and Wilkes frowned at the man.
"What might that be, Sir Wilkes?"
"That you never call me 'Sir' again! You will call me Wilkes the way you used to or I will turn you off without a reference or pension or anything! You and your lovely wife, Lois!"
"Done, Wilkes!" grinned Jimmy.
The two struck the deal and shook hands, then Wilkes said something to Jimmy in an undertone. Jimmy looked surprised, glanced at Nanny then looked very, very pleased before giving Wilkes the 'thumbs up' signal for his approval. Then he bowed to Nanny. "My lady? Might I fetch your belongings so's we can get on the road?"
"Aoww, I'm no lady, I'm just Nanny..." she said hurriedly. "I'm as Cockney as you are, for Lord's sake!"
"Must be the time you've spent in such exalted company as Willy 'ere," Jimmy grinned. "You don't sound a bit like me! MUCH more refined-like, my lady!"
"She's a lot prettier than you are, too, Jimmy!" Wilkes broke in dryly, "Might we get moving? I'd like to get home by dark or before the rain, whichever comes first!"
It wasn't long before Jimmy had packed their suitcases into the boot and Nanny and Wilkes were ensconced in the back of the car. Then Wilkes leaned forward and directed Jimmy to the dress shop, over-ruling Nanny's protests that she really didn't need anything, it was only some foolish wanting...
Once in the store, the same saleswoman came bustling up to them, beaming. "You've come back for more clothing? I should be sorry that your luggage didn't arrive, but it's a godsend to us." She winked at Wilkes when Nanny was staring around looking for some sign of clothing, and added, "We had another order cancelled early this morning, and I do believe many of the outfits were in your colours and size, my lady!"
Nanny blushed. "I just need, well, a skirt and maybe a couple of blouses..."
"I'll get you all fixed up in an instant!" the woman promised. "Please, go ahead into the dressing room. Your husband can sit here and I'll bring some tea for him and your friend while they wait..."
Seeing Jimmy's eyebrows shooting up into his receding hairline, Nanny scurried away quickly, hoping that Wilkes would explain the misunderstanding to his friend. Instead, Wilkes again spoke to the very helpful saleswoman, saying that he hoped she could do for Nanny what she had done the previous day.
"Certainly, Sir Wilkes! That will not be a problem at ALL! May I say how very generous you are?"
"And, er, could you perhaps throw in some, you know, lingerie... preferably without Nanny noticing... and something, you know, light, er, fancy, for, you know, perhaps some, well... some night attire...?" Wilkes blushed scarlet at his audacity, almost whispering his request and not daring to look at Jimmy.
The saleswoman smiled in sympathy, patted his hand and said, "I know just the kind of negligee that would look lovely on your wife, Sir Wilkes. Have you any preference in colour?"
"Er, no... not really. Just not, you know, navy!"
The saleswoman chuckled. "No. No navy. But perhaps black? She would look stunning in a filmy black one... and it would bring out the brilliant colour of her eyes."
"Brilliant! Right. Filmy black. Yes, of course!" Wilkes felt as if his tie were too tight, and he ran his finger around the collar of his shirt before joining Jimmy at the little table where tea was brought for them in short order.
"So, Wilkes... you didn't see fit to tell your nephew that your 'companion' is really your wife?" Jimmy asked.
"Well... she isn't. My wife, I mean. Not yet. I mean, I hope she will be... I mean, I love her, and hope she will marry me... as soon as I ask her..." Wilkes almost burnt his tongue trying to bury his red face in his teacup.
Jimmy grinned. "I see."
"That is another of the long list of things you are never to mention to Cecil. Or Nanny!"
"You can count on it, Willy, me boy. Besides, I don't visit with Lord Cecil anyway. 'e's above me station and it would probably be boring as 'ell if I were to try."
Wilkes choked on the tea when a laugh bubbled up. "Right. Thank you, Jimmy." The saleswoman happened to bustle out of the dressing room at that moment, so Wilkes went up and spoke with her confidentially once more, and was granted the use of the establishment's office and telephone for two quick calls... to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to the parish vicar. With the very satisfactory response to his questions, Wilkes returned to sit with Jimmy, his expression showing his happiness. Although Jimmy looked at him somewhat expectantly, Wilkes said nothing to him and Jimmy shrugged and minded his own business.
The saleswoman added three more bustiers, similar to the one bought the day before, to Nanny's purchases, this time a red one, a black one and a white one decorated with ribbons and bows. She was having much more fun than the recipient of the clothes was, she reflected, seeing Nanny's worried face in the dressing room and imagining the lady counting the cost. Recklessly the saleswoman slashed prices drastically, hoping to ease the mind of the woman whose husband was being so very, very generous! Burying the bustiers in the bottom of a shopping bag which she left at the cash register, she carried in for Nanny's approval a couple of skirts, some blouses, two suits, three day dresses and the red silk dress from the day before. Nanny tried to protest that she did not need so many outfits, for Lord's sake!
The saleswoman, however, convinced her that a lady visiting an estate simply must have a different outfit for every day of the visit. "And besides, they're on sale... You simply can't go wrong with taking them all, my lady!"
"No, no, no!" Nanny objected. "We are only going to be gone three days at the most!"
"Then pick three outfits," the saleswoman said, practically.
Giving up her arguments, Nanny tried on all that had been brought in to the dressing room, and everything looked lovely. Finally she choose a brown skirt, a deep yellow silk and a cream-coloured cotton blouse, a red day dress with a circle skirt, a shirt dress in light blue and a yellow eyelet lace day dress that was a little fancier. Then she decided to splurge on the red silk dress, which was truly exquisite, just in case she had to really dress up for dinner at Wilkes' family estate... and because of the incredibly low prices, Nanny STILL had a bit of pin money left over!
Wilkes paid the bill while Nanny was dressing for the trip in the brown skirt and yellow blouse and he added a huge tip for the saleswoman, who was delighted and assured him that he and his lovely wife were more than welcome to return any time at all! She also pointed out to him that the black negligee and the other lingerie was in the bottom of one of the bags.
Nanny, of course, fussed when she learned that Wilkes had paid the entire bill, and insisted upon seeing the receipt as soon as they were back in the car. Grateful that the saleswoman had written up one especially for Nanny, with the extra lingerie items listed as 'complimentary' and prices almost obscenely low, Wilkes passed the receipt to Nanny who clucked over the amount then painstakingly counted out the total for him. He pocketed her money without comment, much to her relief, and Nanny sat back, determined to enjoy herself now that she was armed with a brand-new wardrobe!
As they headed out of London, Wilkes said "Home, James, and..."
Jimmy chimed in with the conclusion of the quote, "don't spare the 'orses!" The two men laughed crazily.
Nanny almost felt like rolling her eyes, but she was too tied up in knots again, very nervous at the thought of meeting Wilkes' family, still concerned about Eloise and wondering what Kay had in mind now... Wilkes spent his time chatting casually with Jimmy, but to Nanny's surprise and gratitude, he held Nanny's hand... squeezing it gently every now and then and smiling at her encouragingly.
O o O o O o to be continued