Her Lord's Desire (The Forbidden Saga #3) - Maggie Ryan Page 0,40

that Lucy was not an important guest in the house. Despite the fact that she was the ward of Lord Wintercrest, in this house, she was nothing more than a little girl who should remember just how quickly she could be turned bottom-up over someone’s knee.

Seeing that the annoying man at least knew what a sewing basket looked like, she picked up her dress and dropped onto the settee. Choosing a spool of thread, she threaded a needle and began to work tiny stitches in the fabric to repair the ripped seam. As she stabbed the needle through the material, she imagined it was that Edward’s friend’s skin, instead. She shouldn’t be sitting here mending a dress he had torn. She shouldn’t be sitting here at all. It was his fault that, instead of walking out with a wonderful man who obviously still wished to court her, she was made to do something she was quickly learning to absolutely despise. As she felt the needle stab into the pad of her finger, she moaned and put her finger into her mouth.

“Bloody hell,” she mumbled, sucking on the injury.

“Lucille!” she heard and instantly knew she was in deep trouble. She found herself being yanked up from the settee, her mending falling to the floor. She saw Lord Huntington standing behind the housekeeper and dropped her gaze.

“Vulgar words are never to come from your mouth,” Anna scolded, dragging the girl toward a nearby chair.

Lucille instantly understood her intention. “Please, don’t,” she begged. “I… I didn’t mean to curse… I… I stabbed myself,” she attempted to explain, holding her finger out, a small bead of blood providing evidence of her injury. It became clear that the housekeeper had no care what caused the misbehavior; she only cared to correct it. With Lucy’s arm held firmly in her hand, she was about to sit when Lucas stepped forward.

“Mrs. Bremmer, there is no need for this,” he said. His voice was no longer light or teasing. Lucy felt herself shiver at the absolute tone of authority in his voice. She felt Mrs. Bremmer straighten beside her.

“Sir, it is my duty to correct this little one when she is naughty,” Anna said firmly, her pose stiffening at his objection.

“I’m not questioning your authority nor am I attempting to undermine you, Miss Anna,” he said using a softer tone. “I agree vulgarity is not something any young girl should be allowed.”

“I should hope so,” Anna huffed, nodding in total agreement.

“However,” Lucas continued, “as I’ve taken responsibility for the dress, I find I can’t allow Lucille to be punished for my crime. My actions have already cost her an outing with the professor as well as an injured finger. They shall not cost her a hot bottom as well.”

Lucy’s heart stuttered in her chest realizing he was not going to allow Mrs. Bremmer to give her a spanking, but felt embarrassed at the directness of both his gaze and his words.

“Than… thank you, sir,” Lucy said softly, her bottom relaxing from the clench that had begun the moment she was jerked to her feet.

Lucas turned his gaze to hers. “Don’t thank me yet, kitten,” he said, his eyes locked on hers as she felt her face flush hotly. “You do not deserve to have your bottom roasted, but, young lady, you do deserve to have your mouth washed out.”

Lucy’s mouth dropped open for an instant and then clamped tightly shut not wanting to think for a single instant that she agreed with him. However, it appeared that Mrs. Bremmer couldn’t agree more.

“An excellent suggestion. I shall tend to it immediately, sir,” Anna said, and tightening her grip on Lucy’s arm, began to pull her out of the library.

Lucas watched them go and shook his head. He had returned to the library to retrieve a package meant for Edward. He picked it up from the table and then bent and retrieved the dress that had fallen to the floor. He set it once more on top of the sewing basket. He knew Lucy would be returned to finish her task and would be doing so with a squeaky clean mouth. He grimaced remembering the housekeeper’s soapy cloth in his own mouth when he was a young boy. He might have saved Lucy from a spanking that he knew she truly deserved, but feared any appreciation she might have had would disappear as her mouth was expertly cleansed by Anna. He was still thinking about the taste of soap bubbles