The Education of Amelia; or a Bawdy Tale of the Introductions of a Young Woman of Means into the Passions of Love and Desire
Amelia urged her horse forward and over the fence. Splendor sailed through the air. It was as close to flying as a person could ever get, Amelia thought. Splendor landed gracefully and she galloped him up toward the crest of the hill.
The sun was bright and the day was warm, but with a light breeze. She slowed the horse to a trot as she reached the big oak at the top off the hill. Someone was sitting at the base of the tree. Amelia brought Splendor to a walk, as she got closer. It was a man. He was sitting so that his back was too her, but he must have heard her approaching because he turned and looked at her. It was the O'Leary boy. His father ran the small freehold at the bottom of the hill along Westerly Road. And, he wasn't wearing a shirt.
He stood up quickly when he saw Amelia and she stared at the ripple of muscles under his skin. It made her go all fluttery in her stomach. She tried to look away, but couldn't.
"Ma'am," he said touching his forelock.
"What's your name?" Amelia demanded, covering her discomfort with a fierce exterior.
"Tatam, Ma'am. Tatam O'Leary. My father's got the freehold down yonder." He inclined his head down the hill.
"Oh yes, O'Leary," Amelia said. "What are you doing here?"
"Resting Ma'am. I was fixing the stile, but the sun is hot and I needed some relief."
Amelia nodded, trying not to stare at his bare chest. She felt hot and uncomfortable herself. She urged Splendor forward a bit so that she was in the shade of the oak, but this also brought her closer to the O'Leary boy. He stepped forward and took Splendor by the halter, stroking the big horse's soft nose.
"Fine horse," he said looking up at Amelia.
He was surprisingly handsome. He had dark eyes with long lashes and unlike other commoners he did not avert his gaze when looking at her. He stepped closer so that he could stroke the horse's flank and she caught a whiff of him, a sunny, lemony scent mixed with a light smell of sweat. Her heart beat a bit faster and she found that she was having trouble catching her breath. She stared at the thin trail of hair that descended from his belly button and disappeared into the top of his trousers. She looked away.
"Splendor. His name's Splendor," she said.
"You ride him well. I've seen you at a distance. You ride better than many a man."
"Thank you." She should go. Her stepfather would not approve of her being alone with any man let alone a laborer's son and an Irishman at that. "Do you ride?"
Tatam smiled. "Oh I can ride, but I don't much get the opportunity. Asides, the horses I ride are better suited to pulling a plow."
Of course, it had been a stupid question. She hadn't even meant to ask it, but something about his naked closeness and his smell was making it hard for her to think. She had this odd desire to reach out and run her hand over the muscles in his arm, the same way she would run her hand over Splendor when grooming him. She swallowed hard and shifted in her saddle. "I should be going."
"Aye, as should I. I still have much to get done." He gave her a big smile and stepped away. "Perhaps I'll see you out riding again sometime."
"Perhaps." She watched him turn and walk way toward the stile in the stone fence at the edge of the field. She flicked the reins and Splendor started forward.
**********
"Cousin Charlotte should arrive today," Amelia's stepfather said when she came down for breakfast the next morning. Amelia had never known her real father, he'd died before she was born. Lord Cosgrove had always seemed like a young, benevolent uncle to her, rather than a father.
"Oh good," Amelia said. She didn't know her Scottish cousin, but anything to break up the monotony and routine of manor life was welcome. Cousin Charlotte was a temporary replacement for her Governess, Miss Atkins, who'd been called away due to family illness. Charlotte was young for a Governess, just 24, a few years older than Amelia. If her family had more money it would have been shocking that she had not come out. Most women her age were engaged or married by this time. But Charlotte's father, who was some distant cousin of Amelia's mother, was a doctor. A country doctor at that, and did not have the means. Amelia would come out the next year when she turned 19, if Miss Atkins had any say in it.
It was a wet dreary day, so there would be no riding. With Miss Atkins away there would be no schoolwork either.
After breakfast Amelia wandered up to the library to search out a book. Instead of choosing a book from her stepfather's library, she chose to look at the shelves that held her mother's books. Her mother had died when Amelia was only eight and she hardly remembered her. Her books were one of the few tangible reminders Amelia had. Miss Atkins did not have a high regard for the romances and novels of the former Lady Cosgrove and did not encourage Amelia to read from "those shelves," as she referred to them.
Amelia let her fingers run over the spines of the volumes, finally settling on a book by Jane Austin. She took it over to the day bed by the window where there was more light and began to read. The book was good and engaging, but after a time she found that her thoughts began to wander to her encounter with Tatam O'Leary. She could see him in her minds eye, shirtless and muscular. She remembered how she'd wanted to touch him and the lemony, sweaty smell of him.
She remembered the thin line of hair that ran from his belly button and disappeared into his trousers. Her breathing became shallow and she felt flushed and warm. She closed her eyes picturing him. She imagined his hands on her waist and her hands against his hard chest. She was more than just warm now. She let her knees fall apart a bit under her skirts. She felt hot down there. In her mind Tatam's hand stole lower, pressing against her belly. Then it travelled lower still, until he was pressing it between her legs. Amelia sighed.
Then she opened her eyes. Her own hand was pressing down on her skirts and she felt damp between her thighs. Miss Atkins had hinted about this and about the sin of it and what happened to those who gave in to such sins. But it felt so good. Amelia wanted to hike up her skirts and open her pantalets. The thought shocked her, but the naughtiness of it was also appealing.
Reluctantly, she removed her hand and picked up her book again. No more thoughts of Tatam O'Leary, she told herself.
She'd only read a few pages when she was interrupted by a commotion in the courtyard below. Looking out she saw a carriage drawing up to the front door. This must be cousin Charlotte arriving. She stood, straightened her skirts and went to meet her.
Amelia reached the bottom of the stairs to find her stepfather greeting a slim, pretty woman with thick red hair. She saw Amelia over her Lord Cosgrove's shoulder just as Amelia reached the bottom step.
"You must be Amelia," Charlotte said, and came forward and embraced her. Then she stepped back and look her cousin up and down. "Aren't you the flower of youth?"
Amelia blushed. Charlotte laughed.
"Tell me what do you like to do?"
The sudden, forthright question surprised Amelia. "Ride." It was the first thing that came to mind.
"Oh good, I love horses and riding over the moors," Charlotte said. "What else?"
"Reading."
"And what do you like to read?"
"Well I'm reading a book by Jane Austin right now," Amelia said and glanced at her stepfather to see if he disapproved, but he was watching the two girls with amusement.
"Oh we're going to get on tremendously!" Charlotte declared
"Denby, take Miss MacCarthy's trunks up to the Silver room please," Lord Cosgrove said to the footman waiting by the door.
"Oh, you're going to be next door to me." Amelia said to her cousin.
"I know, I asked to be close by. I want us to be friends."
Amelia spent the rest of the day helping Charlotte and Annie, the chambermaid, unpack Charlottes clothes and get her settled in her chamber. The more time she spent with Charlotte the more she liked her. She was the opposite of Miss Atkins. She laughed and smiled for one thing, but it wasn't just that, she never once admonished Amelia about her manners or how she stood or walked.
"So what are your plans for Amelia's education?" Lord Cosgrove asked at dinner.