Funny Fanny

Chapter 5

Ella returned three days later to find the house still reeling from Arman's visit. I knew Ella had found out who Madame's guests were when she came in running into the kitchen screaming. "Fanny! Fanny! Why didn't you tell me?" I turned to look at her with an amused look on my face

"What did I not tell you?"

"Don't be coy you know what I mean. That Prince Arman and Duke Fredric were Madame's guests."

"Oh that!" she looked at me with annoyance.

"Yes that!"

"Madame did invite them to dinner and yes, they accepted. I have to say that you chose the wrong night to go over to a friend's house." Her face changed into disbelief.

"Something about you has changed. You would never talk to me in such a way." I looked at her and realized she was right.

"I am sorry. I am just feeling unwell." A look of pity came across her face,

"Oh I am so sorry what is wrong?"

"It is nothing. I just haven't eaten in a few days but I will be fine after I eat." Ella gasped and ran to the larder.

"She will not undo all the hard work I have put into feeding you." She came back with a large loaf of bread and half a wheel of cheese and a quarter of a ham. "Eat!"

"Ella I can't eat all of this."

"Yes you will." She stood there expectantly.

"Fine." I started to eat and she watched me eat until I had finished the entire thing. "Ella I can't eat anymore."

"Fine. I will be in my room taking a nap before supper. Oh the sun is so high tell Matron to come and close my shades." This got my attention.

"Oh, Ella I almost forgot I have to go out into the orchard to pick some apples for Pierre's famous apple pie. He wished to make it for your coming home party because it's your favorite." I grabbed the basket off the table and ran out the door.

"But I saw apples in the larder." Ella yelled out after me.

I ran and ran until I saw the clearing and there he was standing in the sun making him look stunning. He turned around and smiled. He was perfect. "I thought you might not be coming." I was a little out of breath and my corset was pinching me. "I... could... Never...stay...away." Damn Ella for making me eat so much.

"Are you alright?" He leaned over me.

"Corset ...pinching... me" He looked at me and laughed

"Well we should do something about that shouldn't we."

He nudged me against a tree and grabbed a dagger from his boot. He lifted my dress and with a clean slice he cut the ribbon that held my corset together. My corset fell to the ground and I felt free. "Thank you but how am I supposed to put on back my corset?" He cheekily replied

"Well I for one don't like it because it limits my range." That got my attention.

"Range of what?"

"You."

And with that he took me into his arms and kissed me. His hands roamed my body free of the corset. We only stopped to catch our breaths and laid our foreheads against each other.

"I waited three days to do that." He pecked my lips and left me against the tree. My body felt cold as our combined body heat left me. I looked at him and asked

"Why did you leave?" He turned his back to me and put his hands in his hips.

"Because if I stayed in your arms I would take you again." I gasped and then I did something that I did something that I never saw coming. I walked over and wrapped my hands around his waist and kissed his shoulder. He froze.