Angrily he stomped up the rickety stairs to the loft. Blast his brother! And blast his brother’s best friend, Lord blasted Fennely! Throwing his fourteen year old body onto the soft pile of hey he and Cecily had spread out there earlier today he bemoaned his misfortune at being too young. Again!
He and his older brother Frederick; or just Fred; were visiting with their old family friends the Fennely’s after they had been in London for over a year. The current Lord Fennely having only last year inherited the title after his older brother and his young wife were killed by highway robbers. It had taken him this long to secure the title he had always coveted. The unfortunate couple’s daughter Cecily, at twelve was now in the not so capable care of the younger brother William.
William was five years older than Fred but that age difference had never bothered one of them, they were more alike than brothers and had often gotten themselves into heaps of trouble if he could believe all the gossip that went around; and he did.
Young Connor thumped his fist on the planks in frustration, and then had to cough to clear all the dust from his mouth. After he had cleared his mouth of dust and hay, he saw the tip of one of the ‘swords’ sticking out. He and Cecily had played up here before lunch, pretending that the loft was their very own pirate ship. They had plundered many ships and robbed them of their treasures, making all the make believe sailors walk the plank to their dusty doom.
Connor smiled as he thought about how shy she had been at first when they had met after not seeing each other for such a long time. It had been longer than a year and she had grown quite a bit. Even his loathsome brother had said so. Connor frowned as he remembered how Cecily had blushed at Fred’s bold statement that the young girl was developing in a most pleasing way. Snorting he wondered what Fred had meant with that. Had he referred to the way she had gotten so much taller and thinner? Or was it because she was wearing those horrible new dresses that had almost stopped her from following him up the loft. He had teased her that she would rather listen to his brother’s silly comments than play with him at their favorite secret place.
She had scowled at him and pulled down all of her petticoats and after hiding them under a heap of hay, had followed him up onto their own very pirate ship.
Still fuming in anger he heard the sound of footsteps rushing to the open barn door. Fred came walking in as he loosened the jacket around his waist. He carelessly threw it one side and fumbled with the buttons on his shirt as he walked deeper into the barn until he was standing under the loft.
Conner peeped at his brother through one of the many holes in the wooden planks. What was happening? This is not the stables! Connor frowned as he thought back to the conversation after dinner. Cecily had been dismissed and told to go practice her needle point while he was told to get lost. During lunch William had told Fred about a new filly he wanted to break in after lunch and when Connor had expressed an interest, both of them had laughingly told him he was not old enough. Connor seethed as he remembered the embarrassment he had felt after they had insulted him like that in front of Cecily.
If they were so eager to see this new filly, what the hell was Fred doing there? He did not have long to wonder before he heard another set of footsteps rushing to the barn.
One of the serving girls hurried in and when she saw Fred, she nodded her head at him slightly. Before Fred could say anything William walked in. Once he saw Fred and the serving girl, he pushed the door closed behind him, letting the hatch fall into place.
William walked up to where Fred and the girl were standing; he reached out and fondled the girl’s breasts through her shirt. The girl made a strange sound in her throat and Fred stepped closer and kissed her.
