The Reverend's Daughter (Book 2 after The Duke's Daughter)

Chapter Ten Part Two

Betsy gasped as Violet flailed his arms, tossing his sword to Brutus, before disappearing and creating a muted splash.

When all on deck began laughing and clapping, Betsy realized this was for their benefit and laughed along with them.

"Ain't they great?" Davey's eyes glowed with laughter as he spoke to Betsy.

"They sure are!" Betsy handed Sarah off to her brother, Johnny, then rose and went to the side of the ship where Violet would have to climb up. He was already halfway up the ladder, his smiling eyes returning the pleasure in her own.

Violet climbed aboard and bowed to Brutus, "Your match." He conceded, then he slipped the tie from his hair and shook his head, spraying anyone within close proximity with droplets of water.

Betsy clasped her hands together, "That was wonderful, I hate to even ask you to try to teach me if all of that is required." She chuckled as she said it, shaking her head at the feats she had just witnessed.

"There are no requirements and I shall be glad to teach you the basics to begin. But not tonight, tonight has worn the little ones out, and I have need of some dry clothes." His smile was wide as he bowed again, this time to the audience, as the applause had kept coming.

Brutus tossed the swords to Violet, who caught them and grinned at his opponent, as he made his way across deck towards the steps leading below.

"Go ahead, Missy, I haves a tale fer the wee ones afore bed. T'would be ta me pleasure ta tuck 'em in." Paulie encouraged Betsy to follow Violet, as he called to Johnny to bring Sarah, and come along with him.

Betsy followed Josh and his men belowdecks, as they made their way to the galley to clean up the mess from dinner.

The boys, and most of the crew, took the skiffs and went to sit around the campfire, to spend an hour or two telling stories and just be on land. All knew they would be leaving soon and would not have another opportunity to do so for weeks.

Betsy walked through the door of their outer cabin, closing it behind her, and caught a glimpse of Violet stripping off his wet garments in the bedroom. His back was to her. He was standing in front of his dresser, a linen draped around his neck to catch the droplets that still dripped from his hair. He must not have heard her enter as he began a tug of war with his wet breeches.

Betsy stood, rooted to the spot she had stopped at, as his back was fully revealed to her view. Her eyes roved over his muscular torso as his derrière was revealed a mere moment later.

She was dumbfounded as more and more of his skin was uncovered for her viewing pleasure.

His thighs were white to right above his knees, as this was where his cut off breeches ended that he had been wearing for her swimming lesson, and then again later to swim back and forth to the beach. She raised her eyes to return to his bum and sighed her pleasure at what she saw.

His head whipped around, his rounded eyes found hers, as she gazed at him appreciatively, a small, stupid smile upon her mouth.

He chuckled at her, as he lowered the linen from his shoulders, wrapping it around his waist, as her nose wrinkled in displeasure at his interruption of her view.

He sat on the bed and summoned her to him with a hand, "You may as well help me since you are here."

Oh, she would like to help him alright, she would like to help him lose that towel, and let her acquaint herself better with just what she had married. But she went forward, walking towards him, a saucy smile upon her lips,"How can I be of service, my love?"

He chuckled again, "Help me to get these off, 'tis near impossible when they are wet." He gestured to the breeches, which were still around his knees.

"It would be my pleasure." Betsy purred, as she came forward to assist him.

Therein ensued a tug of war with the wet leather, which left her breathless and panting from the exertion.

As the breeches parted from Violet's body, she walked the few steps and tossed them into the tub.

Violet had risen and was going to his dresser for dry clothes when he felt her hands snake around him from behind. She wrapped her arms around his middle and placed a hand upon each of his pecks. Her body was pressed against his, as she sighed her pleasure once more.

Violet closed his eyes and luxuriated in the feeling of her hands worshipping his chest. Her hands then slid back to his sides, feeling his ribs as she went.

Violet turned in her arms and picked her up, kissing her, as her arms snaked around his neck. They enjoyed quite a few moments of their own sparring, until Violet finally had to call a halt to their play, as he realized she was asking for more than she bargained for.

He broke the kiss and pressed one to her temple as she lay her head upon his shoulder.

She absolutely loved when he held her so, he made her feel so small and fragile, as her toes once again, did not touch the ground.

He held her with one arm as the other hand pulled the tie from her hair, letting it fall to the ground. He then ran his hand through her hair, luxuriating in the silky feel of it sifting through his fingers. He needed these few moments to cool his ardor, which had become apparent, and he was not ready to give that lesson to his young bride just yet.

He clasped her to him for a moment more, before setting her upon her feet, giving her a rakish smile. "I have a plan, if you would take some nightclothes to the children while I dress.

She sighed again, this time in annoyance, at the halt to their play.

"We shall take some furs up to the helm, lie under the moon and stargaze, just the two of us, if it would please you, love." He brushed her cheek with his fingertips as she gazed at him with continued longing.

She needed to stop doing that or all his good intentions would be thrown out the window. To hell with wooing and courtship, he thought, if she keeps looking at me like that. He raised a brow at her in question, as she turned and huffed. Walking over to the small trunk, she lifted the lid.

Violet grinned, as she rummaged around for clean nightshirts, then he returned to his dresser to find his own clothes.

Setting them on the bed, he waited, as she turned back towards him, the nightclothes in her hand, and surveyed his muscular torso once more, before finally quitting the room.

Violet continued to grin, as he used the linen to dry his hair and body, before donning his clothes. He left his hair loose, and his feet bare, as he gathered some furs, taking them topside and tossing the heap upon the scrubbed helm deck. He then put out most of the lanterns, leaving only a couple, for the crew to find their way across the lower deck upon their return from shore.

He spread the furs, making sure it was going to be cushioned enough, before going back down to find his wife and bring her topside.

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I just love a good sword fight !!!!