Glimpse Time Travel: Enemy Of Mine Part 18

He sipped in a large breath, trying to think of anything remotely not sensual as the carriage door opened. Immediately, he heard a high-pitched giggle. It sounded particularly vicious. Lovely, Miss Whinny was here. He hoped he could keep the pompous young miss away from his beautiful G.o.ddess who had just kissed him as if she would never see him again. Oh, the woman could kiss. And utterly confuse him. The whirlwind of a conversation they'd just shared was...d.a.m.nation, he realized he still didn't have any answers, and he'd gone and asked even more questions. One very deliberate question in particular. After tea he was determined to get an answer, if not many.

Chapter 20.

Maybe Erva was acting a bit like a teenager, but she'd had a feeling Winny would be attending tea. So she happened to extract herself from the carriage, Will right behind her, with her lips red and raw from making out with him who also happened to have a slightly swollen mouth. Miss Winny took one look at the two of them, her face turning fuchsia, then stormed off with her two little friends chattering behind her.

G.o.d, that felt ridiculously good.

Yeah, it had been very high school of her to do, and she had to remind herself that she was a college professor after all. Well, almost. She needed to have a serious talk with Dr. Peabody when she got back. She'd sit her down and let the b.i.t.c.h have it-all those years of working her a.s.s off and she didn't even have her PhD to show for it.

Erva tripped a little as she realized what she had been thinking. Will caught her immediately. They stood a tad outside the open doors of the largest mansion Erva had ever seen, with servants dressed better than most of the people on the streets. The manicured yard was amazing, of course, and the house itself was-well, it was fabulous with marble pillars and climbing green ivy and wide open windows letting the late summer's heat infiltrate to all inside. She heard music and the rumbling of people talking and laughing. This was supposed to be tea, but it was more like a party.

"Are you all right, darling?" Will asked with his voice more rugged than usual. His blue eyes bore into hers with noticeable desire. She loved the way he held onto her, peeking down at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Her body instantly rekindled the fire that had been lit in the carriage. Remembering what he'd done to her last night, instantly flashed through her mind. Her center stirred. Again. G.o.d, she seemed insatiable concerning him.

She nodded. But as much as her body ached for him, worry superseded. Did he think he should marry her, like an eighteenth-century gentleman would?

"Lady Ferguson, how nice to see you here," the too high-pitched voice of Winny said.

She turned, surprised to see the girl and her two friends back so soon. Erva had to give Winny credit. The girl was tenacious, albeit in a nasty like a rabid Chihuahua way.

Erva curtsied toward Winny as she felt Will bow beside her.

"Thank you, Miss Winny. It's nice to see you too." The lie hadn't been too hard to say. After all, even through her anxieties, when Evra was around Will it was difficult to not be chipper and probably unbearably happy.

Winny curtsied herself, then beamed at her, which was, of course, a bit disconcerting. "Won't you come inside? Lady Anne has been talking about you all afternoon. She wants you to play more music. But she also wants you to meet some of her other guests."

One of the girls behind Winny abruptly burst out in a nervous neigh that might have been a chuckle. Winny stared her down. Her eyes narrowed cruelly. Erva couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl receiving the cold shoulder from Winny.

"Of course," Erva said with a smile. "Thank you. Won't you lead the way?"

Winny caught a fan strung around her wrist, then, with a too perfected move, fluttered the white feathered fan into a wide semicircle. She hid her mouth behind the fan, but said, "It would be my pleasure."

As Winny wound her way through the house, she looked back at Will. "Oh, and good afternoon, General."

"The same to you, Miss Winny, and to all your friends too."

Winny's cronies t.i.ttered as if Will had said he was naked.

Suddenly, Lady Anne appeared and rushed to Erva, hugging her as if she were a long lost daughter.

"My dear, I'm so delighted you have come," Lady Anne said as she whirled Erva about and showed her into a room with a pianoforte and a few guests sitting on tiny chairs, sipping from teacups, although the room smelled strongly of whiskey.

"Thank you, my lady," Erva said, wondering slightly about the vice grip Lady Anne had on her wrist.

"Sit with an old woman for a spell. I want to know everything about you."

With more force than Erva thought the woman could muster, Lady Anne shoved her on a couch and sat beside her. Will stood before them, looking a little surprised, but then rocked back on the heels of his black boots with a small smile.

Erva couldn't help but return a grin, then glanced back at her host. Oh G.o.d, what could she tell her?

"Well, what would you like to know, my lady?"

"Anne, call me Anne please. Unless you think it too informal, of course. I'm sorry for my impropriety, but your music has stirred my soul, my dear. I'm simply in love with you and your music."

Erva giggled.

"Have you been composing very long?"

Erva sucked in a breath, thinking of the Beethoven melody she had played. She wished she could take credit for that. Shaking her head, she said, "No, none of the music I play is of my own making."

"Wherever did you learn such music?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Will chipped in.

Erva thought quickly. "Well, the music I first played I learned from an American by the name of Mr. Elfman."

"I've never heard of him."

Erva tried not to laugh. The lady wouldn't have heard of him, since he lived more than two-hundred years in the future. "Oh, well, you might soon." Erva folded her hands together, already feeling guilty as she told her lies. "And the other is from a composer. Prussian, I believe. Or is he Austrian? I always forget."

"Ah," Lady Anne's eyes widened. "I've never been to the Prussian Empire. Is it lovely?"

Erva nodded, thinking of the modern day, federal parliamentary government of Germany. "There are no words to describe it." At least none that she could share with Lady Anne, she thought.

Lady Anne nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, now I have to go. Will you go with me? Of course, we'll take General Hill with us."

Erva couldn't help but giggle up at Will who smiled down at her. That grin, the way his eyes seemed to stare only into hers, his whole attention given to her, it was enough to think he was serious about wanting to marry her. Then again eighteenth-century rules practically dictated they were supposed to wed after what they'd done last night.

Unless it was just an affair.

As if attracted to Erva's dark thought, Winny floated into the room. Lady Anne straightened and turned more pointedly to Erva.

"My lady-"

"Erva, please."

Lady Anne smiled widely. "Erva, my dear, would-would you care for some tea?"

Iced tea sounded delightful, Erva thought, since the room was nearly a thousand degrees. However, there was something so genuine about Lady Anne that Erva couldn't say no to such an eager face. "I'll have some if you do."

"Lovely. Now, help me up to see if I can find one of my maids."

"I'll get you the tea." But the horrified look upon the elderly lady's face let Erva know that wasn't acceptable. "Er, I mean, I'll go find a maid. Please, continue sitting."

Erva stood as Lady Anne smiled appreciatively. "You are an angel, my dear. And after we share our tea and talk more, I will, of course, insist that you play for me."

Erva curtsied, something that was becoming easier and easier to do. "It would be my pleasure, Anne."

Lady Anne giggled like a schoolgirl at the use of her Christian name, which made Erva grin again. She couldn't help it. Even with Winny circling the room with her little minions behind, as if they were sharks in a tank, Erva couldn't help but feel carefree and loved.

Whoa, where had that thought come from? Loved?

She glanced at Will, still smiling down at her.

"Would you care for some tea too, b-" She stopped herself from saying anything more, almost calling him baby. It was a term of endearment that she wasn't sure would be in Will's vocabulary. She hadn't even realized it was in hers. Unsteadily, she said, "Would you care for tea, Will-the-er-General?"

Will noiselessly chuckled and nodded. "Yes, please."

"Keep Lady Anne company for me, will you?"

Will looked down at Anne with an easy smile. "It would be my honor, darling."

She blinked at the word, then peeked at Lady Anne who appeared to be bursting at the seams with a giant smile. The lady even clapped tiny, almost soundless applause, which made Erva chuckle all the more. Before she got too lost in the moment, Erva left to hunt down a maid.

The quest hadn't lasted long because there was a maid a few paces from the entrance of room. Erva asked for some tea for herself, Lady Anne, and General Hill, and the maid bowed very low in her black and white uniform, never uttering a word, but turned quickly and returned with a silver tray full of little cakes, teacups, sugar, cream, a teapot, and a small pitcher filled with what mouth-wateringly looked like cool water.

Erva followed the maid back into the room, and saw Lady Anne still on the couch, but standing before her was Miss Winny and her friends. Glancing around the chamber, Erva wondered where Will had gone.

"My dear," Lady Anne said, her voice lowered and wispy, almost nervous. "Erva, I believe you've made the acquaintance of Miss Winny. She is from the Devon's family, arriving in the colony of New York more than a hundred years ago."

Lady Anne reached out for Erva's hands, and upon taking them pulled her back down on the couch forcefully. From her periphery Erva noticed the maid a.s.sembling the tea on a nearby table then leaving without so much as a word.

"Yes," Winny said. "Lady Ferguson and I have known each other for eons, Lady Anne."

Erva glanced up at Winny, feeling as if something was out of proportion and wondering about the odd exaggeration. Still, she tried to focus on the conversation Lady Anne had started. "Fascinating." Then turning to Winny, Erva said, "Your family's been here in New York for quite a while then."

Winny nodded condescendingly. "Yes, we were one of the first families to live here, of course. The Devon's are related to King Charles I, you know."

Lady Anne laughed loudly. "Miss Winny, I never expected the likes of you to talk about the topic of b.a.s.t.a.r.ds at tea."

Winny's face turned again an ugly color close to a bright flamingo. Erva could guess at how Lady Anne, whether intentionally or not, had just insulted her. At that Erva, for the first time, felt sorry for the girl who was trying so hard.

"Oh, who doesn't have a few b.a.s.t.a.r.ds in the family?" Erva said, hoping to relieve Winny from the intense color in her cheeks.

Lady Anne roared with another laugh. "Very true, Lady Ferguson. Very true."

Winny turned toward Erva. Her eyes deviously dark and narrowed. That wasn't the reaction Erva had hoped for.

"Lady Ferguson." Winny arched a dark brow, then tried with her fingers to align it with the other. "I don't think you've had the pleasure of meeting Miss Emma and Miss Lydia, have you?"

Erva felt her lips descend into a frown. She usually tried to censor her reactions, especially in front of someone like Winny. But when hearing those two names, she couldn't hide from the pain and shock that tore through her.

"Miss Winny-" Lady Anne said reprovingly.

"Yes, I think it quite time you met them," Winny said, ignoring the lady. "Don't you, my lady?" She'd said Erva's t.i.tle as if she'd called her a b.i.t.c.h instead.

"You discourteous trollop," Lady Anne hissed.

Winny glanced at Lady Anne, her eyes wide and shocked. It was an act. Winny was playing at some awful game. And winning.

"Why, Lady Anne, I am no such thing. I am a good and loyal friend to the pretty Lady Ferguson. I only wish to serve her. Would it be wrong of me to tell the lady that General Hill is in the room next to this with his two mistresses?"

"Churlish girl, shut your mouth." Lady Anne's voice dropped and hollowed, making her sound remarkably threatening.

Winny appeared unfazed. She kept her crocodile smile aimed right at Erva.

Standing, Erva stared at the doorway Winny had indicated. Lady Anne tugged at her hand, holding it tight.

"Dear, dear Lady Ferguson, don't," Lady Anne whispered.

Erva locked eyes with the elderly lady, whose warm brown eyes shone back only sympathy.

"It won't come to any good, sweet Erva."

It was such an odd moment, but the way Lady Anne looked at her, held her, and seemed so attentive to her, well, it broke Erva's heart. She thought of her own mother who wouldn't have cared if Will was in a room with his two mistresses. Her mother wouldn't have cared how much Erva had grown to like Will. Oh, h.e.l.l, she wondered if it were possible to fall in love with the guy this quickly.

But not when he had two mistresses in the room next door.

She swooped down and hugged Lady Anne quickly. When standing, still holding onto Anne's hands, tears blurred Erva's vision. "You're so good to me."

Lady Anne blinked, sudden moisture in her own eyes. "You are an angel, my dear."

A tear escaped down Erva's cheek. It felt so good to have a woman say that. A nurturing, kind woman. Although it was an odd moment to think such things, she knew she should give herself the acceptance she craved.

With that tiny glimpse at clarity, Erva turned back to the door, catching sight of a sneering Winny. Looking one more time at Lady Anne, she shrugged. "I have to see for myself."

The lady closed her eyes, but released her hold on Erva. She nodded, and Erva walked toward the door, slightly hearing the cruel giggles of the girls behind her.

Well, Erva thought, she had wanted answers. And this was one h.e.l.l of a way to get them.

Unlatching the door quietly, she snuck into the silent room. It was a library of some kind with floor to ceiling leather bound books. The library was also dark, and none of the windows were open, making it seem too hot and musky. At first, Erva didn't see the three figures, but then she heard a woman's soft whisper. They stood with their backs to her. Thank G.o.d, they were all dressed and not touching. Otherwise, she might kill someone. When Erva's eyes adjusted she saw them standing like a triangle, as, Erva thought, what they were rumored to be-a love triangle. They leaned close together, whispering something.

Will softly whacked something small and rectangular against his leg, then held it up. Erva crept closer to hear him say, "I don't have much money on my person, but I'll go get more."

Oh G.o.d. Oh no. Money was exchanged?

Her blood cooled then froze, making everything in her body hurt. She slapped her hand across her mouth to stop herself from screaming, but she may as well have. The smack to her lips was loud enough that all three turned to her.

"Erva," Will whispered. He held his billfold in front of his flat stomach, open and showing several pound notes.

They were beautiful, Erva noticed, his mistresses. One of the women was tall, with dark hair and strikingly blue eyes, and the other was a honey blonde with vivid green eyes, staring at her with open shock.