Page 33 of The Songbird of Wychwood

“Of course, sir.”

“Are you going to purchase anything?” Percy asked me. “Oh, no, mores the pity. This is all far too rich for my purse,” I said regretfully.

We left the shop with Percy carrying his box by the red ribbon. Was it rude to ask what was in the box? I was curious but I said nothing. I let Percy walk ahead of me so I could admire the rear view. I was hit then with a flash of remembrance about what a pleasure it was to kiss, bite, and lick the soft pale globes of his backside during our bed play. So distracted I was that I bumped into a gentleman. “Begging your pardon, sir,” I said to the furious man before hurrying to catch up with Percy. There was strange, crackling electricity between Percy and me as we strolled. I felt a little like a puppy following its master, for here on the upper-class side of town, I was a pretender, an actor playing a role, while Percy Harcourt was the real deal.

“The day is very pleasant. Shall we take a walk in St James’s Park?” Percy asked, linking my arm again. I was a little shocked at the gesture.

“Yes, why not! It’s been a while since I was in this neck of the woods.”

After several silent minutes of walking through the bustling crowds with Percy’s arm linked in mine we stopped again, this time we were outside a confectioner’s shop. We looked in the window at the displays of beautifully boxed sweets. “What’s your fancy?” he asked.

I turned and pinned him with my gaze. I grinned and cocked a brow. Percy’s smile sent a jolt of desire through me.

We left the confectioners shop ten minutes later with several boxes in a large paper gift bag. Percy had purchased Turkish delight for his mother, Russian toffee for his father, and chocolate truffles for himself. He also purchased an ornate gift box with lots of little drawers that contained a selection of sweet treats for me. I’d bought a quarter of barley sugar twists for myself, and a quarter of pear drops for Eloise, as they were her favourite. I felt bad that I hadn’t purchased a gift for Percy, but what could the likes of me offer a man as well off as he? I would have to think of something special that only I could give him! For starters I opened the paper bag of barley sugar and offered it to Percy. He took a small orange coloured twist, popped it in his mouth, and as he sucked on it he hummed with approval. Gods, the sight of him sucking that sweet made my pego twitch. I too sucked on a barley sugar and so we were silent as we made our way across the Mall to St James’s Park.

Temptation most certainly had me on a leash as I strolled along the pathways of the Royal Park with such a handsome gent. To be frank, in his company I felt rather drunk with lust and each time our hands brushed accidentally, a dart of desire coiled my innards. The floral displays of daffodils, tulips, crocuses, and snowdrops were lovely and all ages of people were enjoying the Queen’s park on this glorious spring day.

"There's something I’d like to show you," Percy said cryptically before darting into a grove of trees. I didn’t even ask what he meant before following Percy into the wooded area that cut us off from the park and bustling city. The woodland area was dark, and as we moved deeper into the trees the dried leaves of last autumn crunched underfoot. Percy stopped by a huge old Oak tree a couple of minutes later and he looked around warily. I stepped up to the tree trunk and leaned against it, my gaze searching his handsome face. I knew full well I'd been led here under false pretences, unless Percy wanted to show me his favourite tree. I didn’t care about any tree, but there was one particular stick I’d like to be reacquainted with! A shaft of sunlight shot through the woodland canopy lighting Percy’s mop of blond curls, making him luminous. A blush of colour rose to his cheeks and his bright green eyes sparkled with affection. I smiled back mirroring his look. Percy placed the gift bag on the dry woodland floor and angled his body closer.

“I’ve been so very desperate to get you alone,” he admitted as he lifted his fingers and tenderly stroked the back of them over my cheek. It was an intimate gesture that sent my heart fluttering and made heat travel to my nethers.

"I’d rather like to kiss you?" he said in a whispered growl. I was amused that after the blistering night of passion we'd shared he still didn't have the confidence to know what he was permitted to do, bless him.

"Did you think I'd changed my mind? I’d say we've established that I like you and you like me," I purred.

"I…I didn't want to assume," he chuckled nervously. It was totally adorable.

"Well, consider this permission to assume correctly until I tell you otherwise," I said as I leaned in and claimed his lips. Percy surprised me then by taking both of my hands, raising them above my head, and pinning them to the rough bark of the tree. My knees went weak with the rush of lust that the confident gesture elicited, and a needy little moan escaped my throat as Percy pushed his full weight against me, one leg between my own. He rutted his arousal against me, and by god, I loved it. Our tongues danced and we swapped the taste of barley sugar. I loved the tickling sensation of his moustache against my skin and I couldn’t help but grind my arousal against him, riding his hip with involuntary bucking motions. Our kiss went on for what felt like ages but also, it was not long enough. There was a peal of childish laughter—much too close to us. Percy immediately pulled away, swiped up the handle of the gift bag, and with a thumb and forefinger, he smoothed the saliva from his blond moustache. His lust drunk eyes watched as my tongue darted out to lick my swollen lips.

"Meet me on the blue bridge," he said urgently and then he vanished into the trees. I was suddenly alone, breathless, painfully aroused, and a little annoyed that the shrieking kid had scared Percy away. But I understood all too well that we could not be discovered in such intimate circumstances.

"Henry, darling. This is not funny at all. Nanny’s not playing. Come out this minute or you'll get left behind,” a woman called, her accent cut glass and cultured. “You know there are monsters in the woods that come out after dark," she added. It was then that a little boy of around four-years-old wearing a sailor suit of white trousers and shirt with a blue tar flap collar strolled past the tree I was still leaning against. He was dreamily trailing a stick long the ground as he walked. He turned and his shocked wide eyes found me. This was the errant child who had interrupted a bloomin’ scorcher of a kiss, and so I gave him a toothy grin and a malevolent stare. He screamed, dropped the stick, and went running off in the direction of the woman calling his name. That would teach the little bugger to not run away!

I moved off then and strode through the woods in the same direction as Percy. Finally, I stepped out from the cover of trees and back onto the path. There was no one around in this area of the vast park, and so I got my bearings and walked towards the lake to locate the blue bridge.

My heart flipped when I saw Percy standing in the middle of the bridge, his upper-class silhouette displaying how finely made he was. Percy was gazing longingly out into the water where couples relaxed in rowing boats and children laughed and screamed as they ran along the bank chasing after the ducks. Percy turned and his searching gaze found me and pinned me to the spot with a lustful jolt. He sent me a puppyish grin and his eyes sparkled. I returned the smile and captured that picture of him, my lover, happy to see me, wanting me, and I saved it in my memories. I hurried to meet him in the middle.

“Come, let’s find a bench,” Percy suggested. We walked across the bridge and then we continued on the pathway that led around the lake. We finally found an unoccupied bench and took a seat. Percy put his hand into the gift bag and pulled out the red ribboned box he’d purchased in the stationers. He handed it to me. I was tongue tied for a moment and looked up in shock, searching his luminous face.

“I bought this for you, open it,” he encouraged, his tone full of excitement and affection.

My fingers trembled as I pulled the red ribbon and eased it from around the sides of the box. Then I removed the lid, and drew back a sheet of fine white tissue paper to see that the gift box had three compartments, one held a bottle of Indian Ink, another held a bound blue leather notebook stamped with the silver gilded title: The Songbook of George Dancie, and in the third compartment was a velvet pouch that, when I opened it, I found held a gorgeous fountain pen with a tortoise shell barrel and an iridium and gold nib. While looking at the wonder of these gifts’ tears leapt to my eyes. I turned and gaped at Percy, unable to find any words to say how touched I was. I picked up the notebook and opened it to see a hand-penned quote. I read it out.

“This book is for you to fill with songs that will be sung for a hundred years, P x”

I was moved to think of how Percy had wanted to give me something so personal, so intimate. “I…I don’t know what to say. No one’s ever given me such wonderful gifts.” And it was true. I’d never been inundated with gift boxes like Eloise. I lived vicariously through her, enjoyed her cast offs, eating her boxes of chocolates, and borrowing the rare fancy garment to add to Miss Georgette’s costumes. Unattached ladies did not wait outside the stage door for me. They occasionally sent me notes, or a rare, racy photograph but no gifts. The fellas who had an inkling of my preference would buy me a drink or two, as they thought that was a way to get me on my knees. But I knew my worth!

“Just tell me you’ll use them,” he pleaded.

“Oh, I will no doubt. I shall copy all of the songs I’ve written into the book and use this beautiful fountain pen. It will be good to have them all in one place,” I said as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

“How many songs have you written?” Percy asked.

“For performance, I have twenty original songs. But there are many others that I haven’t found a character for yet.”

“Will you sing for me sometime? For me alone?”

“I would gladly do it now, but I fear we’d attract a crowd.” I reached out and gripped Percy’s hand and squeezed.