STOLEN SPRING

The direct sequel to A Little Hell

By Atonia Walpole

(Picture creations also by Atonia)

Part 1

Terry Thorne was in Australia. He’d left on Friday morning two weeks ago, much to Toni’s discontent. Since it was a training mission and not a K&R job she was somewhat mollified, but still she didn’t like being separated from him for a month. A whole month.

She plunged her spade into the ground. The whole month of April, when flowers were in bloom and all the beauty nature could gather and put forth was on display. On her knees she placed the plant into the earth and patted down around it, fingering it’s leaves, then picked up the watering can and gave it a drink. She looked over at Jacky, who was planting little twigs he’d picked up in his sandbox, following her actions he watered it with his little watering can.

“All finished?” she smiled and brushed her hands on her jean-clad legs.

“We make a garden,” Jacky said.

Toni thought she should find him a little plot and let him really plant something and watch it grow. She turned, looking around the garden and a flash on the balcony caught her eye.

He’d been standing there for some time, having been let in the door by Wiggins, enjoying the picture Toni and Jacky made in the back garden. He hadn’t wanted to disturb her content in his voyeurism.

“Jack!” She threw down her spade and ran toward the balcony. Jack Aubrey met her half way down the steps, gathering her in an embrace and a lingering kiss.

“Hello, Pet.”

She ran her hands up his arms. “Where in the world did you spring from?”

“Spring…I do believe it is,” he smiled. “I’ve been at the Admiralty and now have some time on my hands.”

“Did…Terry send you?”

“No. Is he not here?” He feigned surprise.

“You must know he’s not. He’s in Australia on a training mission. Oh, I’m so glad to see you!” She hugged him again.

“And I you.” His hand had slipped to her bottom but seeing Jacky about to climb the stairs, he moved and went down to meet him. “Hello, Jacky.”

Jacky gave him a wide smile, took his face in his little hands and gave him a kiss.

“You’re a big boy now. Let’s have a look at you.” Jack stood up, holding Jacky. “He’s a fine lad, Pet.”

Toni was all smiles. “Yes, he is.”

Something about Jack always set her heart aflutter and caused her breath to catch in her throat. It had always been that way. From the first time she had encountered him in her bedroom at The House of Four Seasons when she’d been in a distraught state and not wanting to see anyone, he had affected her that way. Since then she’d been on adventures with him on the sea and on land. She knew him well.

Jacky was interested in his uniform for he was kitted out in his best, having been to the Admiralty.

“You cut a fine figure, Captain Aubrey,” she smiled, catching his eye.

He smiled a little, setting Jacky back down on the balcony. Squatting while Jacky went to get something to show him, he looked up at her. “You’re quite fetching yourself.”

Oooh, it was in his eyes, that twinkle that sparked. “Can you stay? You said you had some time?”

“I’ve taken rooms at an inn half day’s ride from London.”

“Rooms…?”

“Yes.” He looked back at the ship Jacky had brought him and examined it carefully, discussed it with him, and Jacky listened as he named the various bits and pieces for him.

Toni leaned against the wall, looking at their two blond heads together, Jacky’s slightly lighter in color than Jack’s. She knew the feel of his hair in her hands. She curled her fingers…shouldn’t be having those thoughts. “Half day’s ride, you say? Why so far out and why not stay here?”

He didn’t answer her, busy with Jacky and his ship. “Will it sail, do you think?”

“In the water.”

“Well, of course in the water! Shall we find some?” He stood up, met her eyes for a moment, his dark, unreadable, hers questioning, and took her son down to his wading pool.

“Well…” she said, dusting her hands together and marching into the house to change her clothes and clean up. Something was up with Jack. She went upstairs, took a quick shower and dressed in  a full skirt and top. She met Anna on the stairs with Jacky’s laundry.

“He’s wetting the lad,” she said in passing.

“Wetting?”

“In the wading pool.” She continued her climb.

“Oh, we’ll see about that.” She went down the stairs to the kitchen and out into the courtyard. Sure enough Jacky was in his little pool with his ship. Jack sat on a chair watching him with a wide smile.

“It’s too cold for him to be wet outside.”

“Nonsense. He’s having fun.”

“He’ll catch a cold.”

“Don’t fuss so, Pet. He’s a tough little lad.”

Jacky, splashing and laughing, sailed his ship over his waves fully dressed.

“You are not a good influence.” Toni cocked a brow at Jack.

“You’re only his Mum. I’m his Uncle and therefore I have certain rights to this boy. One of which is to teach him about water…and I shall. He already knows he cannot breathe it if he puts his head under water and so therefore he must keep his head out of water or hold his breath, which he can do.”

Toni’s eyes widened. “You’ve been trying to drown him?”

“I beg your pardon, madam.” His eyes teased her. “What is the time?”

“Time?” She looked at her watch. “Half past one.”

“You have a nurse for your child. I saw her. Anna, I believe she’s called?”

“Yes, what…?”

“Inform her you will be away for the night, perhaps two. You’ll want a wrap of some kind.” He eyed her sleeveless top.

“Jack, what are you talking about?”

He stood up and walked close to her. “I’m stealing you away.”

“You can’t….”

“Oh, but I can…I am.” He held her with his eyes.

Toni moistened her lips and closed her mouth. “You are….”

“You must hurry and inform his nurse. I will wait with him until she arrives.” He smiled mischievously. “There is not a moment to lose.”

“I don’t believe you would…Jack…I can’t…Jack…,” she sputtered.

“Not a moment to lose,” he repeated.

She felt herself turning and walking back inside and up the stairs, looking for Anna. She must be out of her mind. Surely Jack was. This was crazy…madness. She felt a little thrill in the pit of her belly.

She packed her large purse with a change of clothing, soap and a hairbrush, mascara. Taking a longish pashmina from her closet, she ran down the stairs. He was pacing in the hallway.

“I did hurry. I have to tell Wiggins….”

“I’ve already done so. Come. We are away.”

“Yes…but….” He opened the door with a flourish and she stepped through into another time and place.

He set her on his horse and mounted behind her. Getting her settled in front of him with her bag, he set off at a gallop.

Toni was trying to gather her senses, which she had obviously lost to let him do such a thing. He’d taken her back to his time. She turned her head this way and that as they left her neighborhood, which was no longer a neighborhood but fields and grazing cattle.

“I can’t believe I’ve left Jacky,” she said.

“He is content. He knows you are with me.”

“You told him?” She turned and looked up at him.

“In a way I did. We communicated.” He smiled down at her, moving the reins to his left hand.

“Mentally…oh, Jack!” She shook her head. Terry would have a fit if he knew what she’d done. She worried as the horse slowed a bit, Jack bearing off to the right along a dirt road lined with cowslips and evening primroses. Resigning herself, she leaned against his chest and his arm went around her waist. His scent coming up heavy around her. She smiled a little, knowing what he was doing. He was flooding her…and she let him.

Part 2

The sun was sending long shadows down the road by the time they came to the River Thames and the inn where he had rooms. He lifted her down, gathered their belongings and escorted her inside and up to his rooms.

Once the door closed he pulled her in for a long kiss. “Pet.”

“Jack…I know what you’ve done.”

“I met little resistance.”

“I’ve lost my mind.”

He smiled and ran his hands up her sides. “I’ve had you back in my world before. It should be easier this time. I’m well and we are in England not France. You must be hungry. I’ll order a meal. There are two rooms.” He moved away from her. “This the sitting out room and through there…the bed. I’ll show you that later.” He gave her a look and went down stairs.

Toni’s hand went to her throat. Oh, dear God…he was strong, his magic was strong. She looked around the room and went into the bedroom, finding the chamber pot, relieving herself. Yes, she had lived in his world for a while. She knew what to do. She removed her wrap and lay it across the back of a chair, walked to the window and looked out. What a lovely place this was, flowers in full bloom, roses everywhere as though it were full summer. She shrugged...it well may be. How would she know? She didn’t even know the year. Did it matter? She poured out some water from the jug into the basin and washed her hands, splashing some on her face and drying on a towel.

The door opened and Jack came in followed by a small, plump woman with a tray of good-smelling things. “My dear, you should find something here you can eat.”

“It looks and smells wonderful.” She looked over the tray, took a plate and filled it.

Jack did the same. “I shall always regret that I was unable to provide for you in France when we went down the River Seine. I know there were long and hungry nights.”

“I don’t remember them, Jack. I only remember being held in your arms. You kept me warm and dry. We ate when we could. I didn’t suffer.”

“Yes, on that moldy little straw bed we made. Those were hard times, Pet…but not tonight. Tonight you will have a feather bed.”

As Toni picked up the glass of ruby red wine, the significance of that statement rested in her breast. She and Jack had slept together many times but this was different. He had come for her and taken her into his world. He’d never done anything like this before. She took a drink from the glass. He’d planned it beforehand, had the rooms when he came to her house.

“Jack, may I ask you why you have done this?”

“You may, and you may not like the answer. It’s spring and I thought of you. I wanted you and so I came and got you. I don’t plan to make a habit of it. I may never do this again. The opportunity may never present itself again. I know I’m going to be in trouble with Terry. I’ll weather it.”

“You’re not the only one in trouble with Terry. He’s going to be angry with me.”

“I’ll take full responsibility.” He smiled and touched her hand with his on the table top. “You have nothing to fear.”

“But why here? Why not at my house?”

“There are only the two of us suspended in time right now, nothing except you and me. Nothing can touch us here…and I thought it a romantic little inn.” He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling.

“That remains to be seen.” She and busied herself in her plate.

Jack liked a challenge and the shot had crossed his bow.

A little later, he asked, “Would you like a little time alone in the bedroom?”

Toni blinked her eyes. She hadn’t brought anything to sleep in. She usually didn’t sleep in pajamas with Terry but when he was gone she did. She never thought about something lacy and sexy. "A moment,” she said and left the table, going into the bedroom. She turned the bed down and lit a candle, removed her clothes and slid between the sheets. The bed smelled fresh and clean. Something she’d noticed in his world, they often didn’t. Nervously, she waited.

Jack set the tray out in the hallway and removed his jacket, vest and boots, blew out the candle on the table and knocked softly on the door.

“Come in.”

He opened the door and stood there a moment looking at her in the candlelight then walked over to her side of the bed and sat down. She had the sheet up over her breasts, leaning on the headboard.

“What a lovely sight you present, Pet.” He picked up her hands and kissed them.

“And you.” sShe reached behind his head and untied his hair, running her fingers through the length of it.

He finished undressing and came into the bed with her, taking her into his arms. His sea-roughened hands finding familiar places and eliciting little moans from her, he played her as delicately as a violin. Touching, retreating, building until she cried out his name and he took her where she wanted to go, moving his weight on top of her, filling her and flooding her with himself, skimming the surface and plunging until they both went under. And as she slept curled against his body something magical and wondrous happened.

Toni woke the next morning in the bed alone. She ran her hand over where he’d lain and found the bed cold. He’d been up for awhile. When she opened her eyes it was to find a rose on his pillow. She smiled and brought it to her lips…Jack. The sun was pouring though the window and she wrapped the sheet around her, carrying the rose to the window to look out.

Jack woke at daybreak. He’d had coffee and a bath and ordered hot water to be brought up for Toni. He’d just closed the door on the woman who’d brought a breakfast tray to the room when she opened the bedroom door, still in the sheet with the rose.

“Good morning,” he said quietly.

“Good morning to you, Jack. This is nice.” She brought the rose to her lips again.

“I spent a good deal of time picking just the right one.”

Toni sighed and noticed the tray. “Is there tea?”

“Yes, and hot buns with butter and jam, boiled eggs and gammon steak.”

“Wow…I think I will,” she smiled, trailing the sheet with her to the table.

“How are you?”

“Very well, thank you,” she grinned, placing the rose by her plate.

“You have a hearty appetite,” he noticed.

“Usually I don’t eat breakfast until much later. Is it much later? I don’t know the time.”

“Neither do I precisely but the sun has been up for some time now. I’ve taken care of my horse and had a coffee with the landlady. Oh, and there’s hot water for your bath.”

“You’re so thoughtful. You were right about this place.”

“Hmm?”

“It is a romantic inn or maybe it’s a certain sea Captain that makes it so.” She smiled and finished her breakfast. The sun coming through the window danced on her ring, the one Jack had given her for Christmas and worn on her right ring finger. She noticed it and so did he.

“You still wear my ring.”

“Yes, I said I’d never take them off and I don’t.” She looked down at the aquamarine. “This is so you, Jack. It’s the color of the sea, like your eyes.”

“Do you know I still have that jade you gave me a long time ago, the stone that never feels cold in my hand.”

“Really?” she smiled. “I would have thought you’d lost it along the way somewhere.”

“No, it’s one of my prized possessions. I’ll leave you to your bath and meet you downstairs.”

“Where are we going?”

He tilted his head back a little. “I’ve had an attack of conscience, let guilt worm its way into my being. I’m going to take you home.”

Toni went around the table and sat on his lap. “I love you, Jack Aubrey. Keep that with your prizes, too.”

He kissed her deeply and pulled back. “You’d better get off me or else.”

Toni smiled and got up, finding the sheet clasped in his hand. Their eyes met for a moment and he let the sheet go.

“Go…have your bath.” He stood up and left the room.

Toni, bathed and dressed, with her bag on her shoulder, took one last look around the room and, noticed the rose still on the table, wilted now. She picked it up, wrapped it in a tissue from her bag, and placed in with her rolled-up clothes. Something to press when she got home, to remember this place and her night with Jack.

Jack brought his horse around the front, waiting for her. Toni came out the door and went to him, stopping before she mounted. “Jack, I don’t know what to say. This has been….”

“Yes, Pet it has been, a moment out of time when I could love you, when you were mine for awhile.” He kissed her softly on the lips, helped her mount and pulled himself up behind her, turning the horse toward the road that would take her home.

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