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* * *
Jennifer pressed her hands against his strong stomach. How she longed to feel his hard body for so long. Now, it brought her relief.
He kissed her with deep feeling, and she could only assume that this was what real passion had felt like, for she had never been kissed before. How she was glad that Jacob was her first kiss.
Her lips parted slightly and he took the invitation she offered, slipping in his tongue. A small groan escaped his mouth and Jennifer felt flooded with happiness. She did not want this to go away, but she also could not allow it to last.
She pressed on his hard stomach and pushed away from him. “I cannot. I am sorry, that should not have happened.”
“I wanted it to happen,” His voice was stern.
“As did I, but I cannot continue, not like this,” She moved to the fire and stared at it.
“I do not understand.”
“No, you would not.”
“Then tell me, Jennifer!”
She turned to him. “If I know what it is like to kiss you than I shall mourn it even greater when we are apart. I cannot have that.”
“Why must we part?”
“I am terrified, Jacob, of knowing you, of being with you. I cannot go back to prison. I must find a way to support my brother and eventually to be able to see my family again, somehow, someway.”
“Yes...?”
“If you are caught and I am caught with you, I will never have that again.”
“I understand. I cannot ask you to risk that.”
“I want to find work again, with this new identity, and save money. And after a year, perhaps send for my brother and mother to live with me someplace new where I will not be found. That is my plan. My plan is not to risk going back to prison.”
Jacob sighed. “You are right. I could not live with myself if you are caught because of me. What I do is my own work. But you will see, Jennifer. One day I will be set right and proper.”
“But not today? If you were to leave it all behind today, I would stay with you, Jacob.”
“I cannot do that, Jennifer, not when I am so close to everything I have ever worked for.”
“Then we shall not kiss again. I cannot bear knowing what that feels like, only to not have it.”
“Then you must excuse me.” Jacob kicked open the door and walked out. Jennifer closed her eyes, allowing the bittersweet feeling of still feeling his lips on hers.
She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and moved to the window. Jacob pulled off his tunic. Her eyes grew wide, what was he doing?
He kicked off his boots and walked straight into the ocean water. Lowering his body, he swam out. Jennifer watched him. He was like a God, and she would never forget this image before her.
* * *
“Is this really necessary, Jacob?” she pleaded.
“Yes, it is.” Jacob said, standing behind her as she sat in the chair, scissors in his hands.
She sighed. “ If you must. I am ready as I ever will be,” Jennifer closed her eyes tight.
Behind her, Jacob cut her long red hair.
“Oh, no. It is so short.”
“ it has to be if we are to disguise you as a boy, on our journey west.”
“West? Why west?”
“I am heading in that direction for my job. Too, I may know of a family in need of a woman for some housework. They have a very comfortable living. Not extravagantly rich, but they do have servants.”
“Yes, thank you Jacob””
“Do not thank me yet. We can only inquire and it is up to them to accept you.”
“That is a start,” she said.
Jennifer knew that this was all very lucky indeed. At this moment she should be on a ship, sailing away to Australia, never to see her family again, sentenced to die in horrid servitude.
“There, all done,” Jacob said.
“I am too frightened to look,” she said.
He held up an old mirror in front of her with a big grin on his face.
“Oh you think this is funny do you?”
“Yes, I do. Take a look.”
Jennifer turned to the mirror. “Oh Lord. I look like a boy!”
“That’s the idea.”
“But what of when I change back into women’s clothing?”
“Wear a bonnet,” he said, smugly.
She pursed her lips together in annoyance.
“Now, what say you, put on some of my clothing and let’s have some fishing outside. You have been indoors too long.”
“Outside, is that safe?”
“They are looking for women, not a young boy fishing. If anyone comes upon the top of the cliff they will see too males and nothing more.”
“Alright then,” she said excitedly.
Jacob pulled out a tunic and a pair of his trousers. “You will need to roll these up but they should do.”
“I will get the fishing line ready outside.”
“Alright.”
He walked outside. Jennifer pulled off her dress and stockings. Then she pulled his tunic over her head. She inhaled deeply, it smelled just like him. Oh, how me made her stir inside. The kiss he gave her was fresh on her mind. It was a dangerous kiss. It was a kiss that could persuade her to throw caution to the wind and join him on his quest risking her freedom once more. All for that delicious kiss and the promise of more.
She turned to the old mirror and laughed, a hearty laugh. “I look ridiculous.”
Jennifer double over in laughter at her reflection, but she did look like a young boy.
Then she realized that she was laughing. It had been so long since she had in real life. Not since Kevin. The last time she had a real laugh and felt alive was in Jacob’s cottage, long ago. The spark came back to her, and it was all due to Jacob.
The hard life in London had changed her. In truth, it had broken her spirit, but not her will to continue to support her family, even though she had not seen them in years. But the simple act of laughing, she had lost. She had been spending years being angry; angry at the factory system that took Kevin, angry at the people that sat by and did nothing about it. So much anger, and now it was leaving her. Jacob was showing her a life, with passion, and laughter. She only wished that it could last.
She walked out of the fish hut, onto the beach. Jacob was putting bait on the end of hooks when he turned and saw her. He burst out laughing as she stood there.
Then she started to laugh with him;no words were needed. They both grew into hysterics, laughing and laughing.
“You look just like me in my clothes,”
“You tease me, sir. I think I look like a proper gentleman,” She played along.
“A very beautiful gentleman,” He said.
The smile fell from her face as she looked at him. Her toes were digging into the sand, and the ocean waves were loud in her ears, but all she could think about was his words.
“ You think I am beautiful?”
“Yes, have I not said so before?”
“No.”
“I am sure that I have. I have said it a million times in my head, perhaps it never came out of my lips, but I have always thought so, even when I first saw you in the Black Forest.”
“That feels like ages ago,” She said.
“It does for me as well. Yet here we are, and you are even more beautiful than you were when I found you injured on the ground of the forest. You will always be beautiful, Jennifer.”
“As are you, Jacob.”
In that moment, a very loud neigh interrupted their strong gaze. Champion came between them, nodding his head up and down.
They laughed. “I believe someone is feeling left out. You are the most beautiful of us three,” Jennifer said, scratching his neck.
Jacob laughed. “He is one for all the attention. Now let’s catch our dinner shall we?”
“Yes, if you will show me,” she moved to him.
It was undoubtedly the best day that she had ever had, except for one day playing with Adam collecting frogs. But this day measured up to it quite equally. She and Jacob fished, catching plenty for dinner and breakfast the following day.
They ran in the sand, and played in the surf. Indeed, she felt like she did not have a care in the world. He often had this effect on her. How did he do it?
* * *
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