Fetching Charlotte Rose Read online

  Once they were seated and had each been served their meal, he said, “I’ve been curious about something. What made you leave home and come all the way out here?”

  Charlotte swallowed her bite of mashed potatoes, which were tolerable and had only a few lumps in them. “I wanted adventure, and I wanted to use my education. I was uninterested in becoming a wife and mother right away. Not that I don’t want children. I do,” she added hastily, then blushed, realizing her last statement was unnecessary.

  “Me too. I’ve always liked children and thought I’d be raising a few long before now,” he said in a matter-of-fact manner. “Go on. What else rattled your hocks all the way here?”

  Something about the way he spoke to her, in such a plain way without airs or devices, caused her to be forthright as well. “To be frank, I didn’t want to lead the life my mother led, married to my father, who never loved her or me. I felt afraid of that. I was courted by multiple men who seemed just like my father, and I guess I felt I needed to get away and see what else the world had to offer.”

  Max cocked his head and frowned at her. “How could your father not love you?”

  She shrugged. “He doesn’t think much of females in general, I suppose. Growing up, I heard him call my mother ugly and stupid or some variation of that every chance he got. My mother was able to protect me from his insults and scorn most of the time, but I didn’t always escape it.”

  Max shook his head. “No wonder you’re so….” His voice trailed off.

  Charlotte stiffened. “So what?” she demanded.

  He smiled at her without mockery. “Defensive.”

  Charlotte’s shoulders slumped. “I shouldn’t have been so upfront. I’ve never told anyone of my troubles with my father. I don’t know why I burdened you.”

  Max set his fork down and reached across the table to cover her hand with his, causing her to look into his eyes. “I’m glad you told me, Charlie. I want to know you better. I took a shine to you the moment you first sassed me on the station’s platform, and the way I felt got stronger the more time I spent with you.”

  Charlotte felt warmed by his touch and his words. She couldn’t believe how easily he told her that. “Really?” she asked, peering at him through her lashes.

  “Don’t feign surprise,” he admonished with a smile, removing his hand. He picked up his fork and knife and sliced into the roast beef on his plate. “You must know I’m one of many men who would give up five Sundays for five minutes of your company.”

  “I’m not feigning surprise, Max. I really do feel surprised. I know many men find me attractive, but you didn’t seem to like me much. I suppose I couldn’t blame you if you didn’t. I acted a bit spoiled on our first meeting.”

  Max snorted. “A bit?” He ate a bite of roast beef and leaned back in his chair. His eyes twinkled as he chewed and waited for her reaction.

  For once, Charlotte didn’t react with outrage at his needling. “You like drawing my ire, don’t you? You’re worse than a schoolboy who likes a girl and shows it by pulling her hair.”

  He leaned forward and drank some water. “That’s probably true. I’d like to show you how I feel in nicer ways though, Charlotte.” He spoke in a low voice that held promise.

  She felt her cheeks grow warm at his forward remark and the smooth way her name rolled off his tongue. She concentrated on buttering her roll. “Enough about me. I’m curious about you. Have you ever been married?”

  “Yes, more than ten years ago. But it ended in divorce.”

  “Really? That’s unusual.”

  “Mm hmm, and unfortunate. Like you, she was from the east. She came all the way from New York but went back within a year of marrying me. It was too rough out here for her, and I was too stubborn and selfish to show any kind of understanding. If I had, it might have given her cause to stay.”

  “It’s big of you to admit that,” Charlotte said, impressed by his humility and willingness to share his regret with her.

  “I’m older and wiser now.” He gave her a pointed look. “I won’t make the same mistake. If I marry again, I will ensure my wife’s happiness.”

  Charlotte looked down, unused to a man so openly explaining what kind of husband he intended to be. Max didn’t have a lick of guile or artfulness. She found it refreshing, but it also made her feel exposed and vulnerable. It seemed he knew the unspoken questions she had about him.

  She changed the subject. “How long has Tim been your apprentice?”

  “Going on two years now, but he’s more than an apprentice. He’s like a son to me.”

  “Oh? Why’s that?”

  Max hesitated for a beat, but then explained. “Like you, he doesn’t have a particularly pleasant father. That became clear to me when he showed up to work every day with fear in his eyes and fresh bruises.”

  Charlotte gasped. “Poor child. That’s awful.”

  “I thought so too, which is why I convinced his father to let him stay with me. Tim is doing better now. He’s still very shy. That might never change, and I reckon it’s all right if it doesn’t. He’s a good lad.”

  She smiled. “Careful, Max. I’m beginning to think you’re a nice man.”

  He grinned back at her. “Well, we can’t have that.”

  “No,” she agreed, and picked up her saucer and teacup. She sipped her tea daintily.

  “I’m not too worried though. I have a feeling your impertinence will often bring out a side of me that’s distinctly not nice.”

  She set her tea on the table. The china rattled. “You think I’m impertinent? This coming from the most impertinent man I know?”

  “I guess we make a good pair,” he said, leaning back and chuckling.

  “Is that what we are, Max? A pair?” she inquired with a shy smile, hoping he would confirm it.

  Before he could answer, however, Simon Evans appeared next to their table. Charlotte noticed his clothing for the first time. In Boston, he would have fit right in with his well-pressed trousers and silk brown vest over a starched white shirt. He held in his hand a clean hat that matched the color of his vest. In Weston, he looked fancier than every other man, much as Charlotte did every other woman.

  “Hello again, Max,” he said.

  The smile left Max’s face. He nodded curtly. “Simon.”

  Charlotte felt herself tense up when the man turned his attention to her.

  “And hello again to you, Miss Rose. I gather your illness was not long-lasting. I see you feel well enough to entertain a new gentleman only hours after your first. I’m most pleased by your speedy recovery.”

  Charlotte felt like she’d been caught doing something wrong, and she felt embarrassed by his words, which made her sound like she made a habit of spending time with multiple men. She glanced at Max.

  “You were unwell?” Max asked, scrunching his brows together.

  “Yes. I mean no—I had a headache,” she finished lamely.

  Max observed her with an unreadable expression.

  She sat a little straighter and tried to sound unruffled. “My head feels better. Thank you for asking, Mr. Evans.”

  “My pleasure, dear. We can’t have the prettiest woman in all of Weston unwell. How else will all the men you see find satisfaction?” He flashed a perfect white smile at her, which didn’t reach his eyes.

  Charlotte looked down at her plate and blinked, humiliated by the thinly veiled insult. She wouldn’t have minded so much if he’d said it just for her ears, and she probably would have battled it out and set the man straight if he had. Max’s presence, however, rendered her speechless and distraught. She feared what he might think of her, and her cheeks burned.

  Max stood from the table abruptly, his chair scraping loudly across the floor as he did. “Are you finished with your meal, Miss Rose?” His voice sounded angry, which made Charlotte’s spirits sink lower. He was displeased with her.

  She nodded and stood as well, her eyes cast downward.

  Max addressed Simon, hi
s voice hard as steel, without the lilt of false cordiality used by the other man. “If you need a table to sit at, you can use this one. We’re leaving.”

  “Thank you, Max. How very generous,” Simon said with a sneer.

  Max stepped around him and took Charlotte’s elbow. He led her away from the table without another word and strode to the front of the restaurant. He released her arm to pay the bill, thanked the waitress, and then held her arm again. He only let go of her when they were alone inside the schoolhouse. That’s when he spoke, his voice heavy with disapproval.

  Chapter Five: Obedience Required

  “Charlie, have you become friendly with Simon Evans?”

  Charlotte shook her head emphatically. “No, Max, not in any way other than polite. He stays at the same boardinghouse as I do. He invited me to breakfast this morning and I accepted. I had a headache, though, and he left before the meal’s end.” She looked pleadingly into Max’s eyes, which flashed with fury. “Please don’t think ill of me. I don’t make it a habit to dine with two men in one day. He made me seem like a loose woman. I’m not, I assure you.”

  His expression softened slightly. “Of course you’re not, Charlie. I don’t think ill of you. I think ill of him. He’s a cruel man. Listen carefully to what I say now. You’re not to dine with him again or spend any time alone with him. Is that understood?”

  Charlotte flinched, and her temper flared. She suddenly remembered why Max always managed to irritate her. “Max, what right do you have to order me about? I’m a grown woman, perfectly capable of deciding whether I wish to spend time with someone, and I’ll thank you not to boss me. It galls me.”

  Max raised his voice. “That’s too damn bad, young lady. You will mind my words. I speak them for your safety, not for your pleasure. As for the right to give you orders, I want you to be my woman, and unless I’m really bad at reading signals, you want that too.” He held a finger to her face. “If you want me to court you, Charlotte Rose, you must agree to obey me.”

  Charlotte stared at him and then stammered her response. “That was the worst offer of courtship in the history of courtships.”

  “That could very well be,” he growled. “But I’m not concerned about being courtly at the moment. I’m concerned about your stubborn pride getting in the way of your safety. Look here, Charlie. Whether or not you want me to court you, I insist you stay away from him or else answer to me. I won’t watch you harmed at that man’s hands, and I’ll do whatever needs doing to prevent it. Have I made myself clear?”

  Charlotte looked into his fierce eyes and swallowed hard. She felt something blooming inside of her that she’d never felt before. It grew stronger than her irritation. It was a feeling of gratefulness and trust. For the first time, she felt like a man cared enough to protect her, and not just any man, a man she believed capable of doing so. What all but eliminated her annoyance was learning than he would ensure her safety even if she offered him nothing in return.

  “Yes, sir. It’s clear,” she said, lowering her eyes to the floor.

  “You agree to stay away from him then, Charlotte?”

  “Yes, Max,” she said, her eyes still cast downward.

  “Good girl.”

  His two simple words caused her new feeling to grow, as though what bloomed inside of her had been sprinkled with rain.

  “Have I mentioned yet that Simon is Tim’s father?”

  Charlotte’s head shot up. “No.”

  “Right. Now you know. That’s the man who beats his own son, and he punches women as easily as he bows to them.” Max removed his intense gaze from her face. He walked to a bench that had escaped water damage, sat down, and held out his hand. “Come here, Charlotte, and place yourself over my lap. I’m going to give you that spanking I’ve mentioned a couple of times.”

  Charlotte’s mouth fell open, and her stomach tightened into knots. A few beats passed before she found her voice, which was small and pleading. “But Max, I promised I wouldn’t see him again. I told you I would mind your words.”

  “Yes, and for that reason, I don’t plan to be too hard on you. However, you only agreed after giving me lip and reminding me about your stubborn pride. It’s what led to you becoming ill from heatstroke, and I believe it could lead to much worse if I don’t address it. Come to me now, or it’ll be a longer punishment.”

  The expression on his face left no room for argument. Charlotte thought she’d never seen a man so intent on doing something as Max seemed intent on spanking her. She felt her feet walk in his direction as her mind spun. She’d never been subjected to any form of corporal punishment, and she hated the thought of being spanked by a man she very much wanted to remain dignified around. It seemed dignity wasn’t an option when it came to Max, who had already seen her in various states of upheaval. Her lips formed into a pout as she reached out her hand to him. His warm, callused fingers enclosed her soft hand, and he guided her smoothly over his lap.

  “Good girl,” he said again, and Charlotte felt relieved that he didn’t seem angry with her. He lifted her skirt and positioned it on her back. “On our journey from Arcadia together, I could tell it hurt your feelings when I threatened a spanking, but I only did so because it scared me when you became ill, and I felt angry when you didn’t seem to pay it any mind. I didn’t want to make you feel sad. Do you understand that now?”

  “Yes,” she said meekly, as he pushed up one of her two petticoats.

  “The last thing I want is to break your spirit. I don’t want to change who you are, Charlotte. I find your cheek and smart mouth quite adorable, to be honest, but when it comes to health and safety, I don’t wish to hear your tart replies or arguments. I want you to listen to what I say and obey it.”

  He lifted her other petticoat. Only her thin drawers protected her tender seat. He settled his hand on her bottom, and she felt the same current of arousal she’d experienced earlier in the day when his thigh touched her knee, only this time the feeling was much, much stronger.

  He gave her seat a few light pats and rubs. “Ten swats, Charlotte.”

  The rubs heightened her arousal, but it was quickly replaced by alarm when he inflicted a punishing swat on her right cheek. She gasped with surprise. Before she could exhale, he landed another on her left. The emptiness of the schoolhouse allowed the swats’ echoes to ring in her ears as the sting spread over her bottom.

  The next three slaps fell briskly. His large hand covered both cheeks at once, landing low on her bottom and in the same place, and Charlotte yelped and felt her eyes fill with tears. She had never felt so small and helpless, nor had she felt so much of a man’s focused attention, as she did at that moment over Max’s lap.

  “Halfway done,” he murmured, rubbing her bottom in circles, relieving some of the sting. She sniffled, and his hand stopped rubbing when he heard her.

  “This is mild discipline, Charlotte, only a few swats to get your attention and let you know I mean business, and it sounds like you’re crying. It’s not really that bad, is it?”

  “N-no, I guess not. But I’ve never been spanked.”

  He resumed rubbing. “I didn’t think so. A man’s firm care is new to you. This is one of the less pleasant aspects of it, but I think you’ll find it preferable to someone not caring enough to do it. How old are you?”

  “Twenty-four.”

  “Mm hmm, that’s about what I thought. I’ve got a whole decade on you, darlin’.” His hand connected again smartly with the low curve of her left cheek. “That’s ten more years of experience in this world and thirty-four more in this part of it.”

  He landed another swat on her right cheek. “So the way I see it, if in the future I suggest changing into different clothing, I will expect you to do so without argument because I know the weather here. Is that fair, Charlotte?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And if I order you to avoid someone for your own safety, I expect you to be agreeable to it without giving me attitude because I know the people h
ere. Is that fair as well?”

  Charlotte spoke quietly. “Yes, Max. I want to obey you, and I want you to court me.”

  “I’m happy to hear that, sweetheart. I very much want to court you too. Three more swats, and then I’m going to give you a big hug. Will I ever have to spank you again for allowing stubborn pride to affect your health and safety?”

  “No, I will listen to you.”

  “And make good choices on your own?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good girl. If I must spank you again for this, I won’t be lenient. All right, Charlotte?”

  “All right, Max,” she said, and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain that would come from the last of the punishment.

  His hand fell smartly in succession, which stung, but in general the punishment hadn’t been as awful as she imagined it might be. He carefully straightened her petticoats and dress back over her backside. She felt a new warmth toward Max. He had seen past her defenses and rebellion and located something inside of her she didn’t know she had—a desire to be taken care of.

  “Thank you, Max.”

  Max helped her stand and immediately brought her to sit on his lap. He enclosed her in the promised hug. “For what, darlin’? Spanking you?”

  “I guess, and for caring. I just… I feel grateful for how I feel right now. I feel vulnerable, but not scared. I don’t know how to explain it.”

  Max loosened his grip and leaned back to study her wet eyes for a moment, then wrapped her up in his arms again. He sighed. “Oh, honey. What you just described sounds an awful lot like the feeling of being loved. You haven’t had much of that, have you? No matter, I intend to make up for it plenty.”

  She leaned her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. Time passed during which they said nothing and only felt the presence and touch of the other. Charlotte lifted her head after some time and looked deeply into his green eyes. Max smiled. She thought he might kiss her. She could almost see it cross his mind, but instead he stood up, bringing her to her feet as well.