Free A Seven Year Hitch by Mary Beeken

face.
    “Would you like to throw down your pillow now?”
    “Obviously not. I fe ar you have been very imprudent My Lord for this will only end in humiliation for you.”
    “Brav e words, sweetheart but foolish.”
    With an unexpected agility, Trevellyn leapt into the boat and gained his balance before Erica could get many blows in. It did not deter her and she stuck to her tried and tested battle strategies. Trevellyn having watched her fight with Stephen knew what to expect, and he therefore went on the defensive rather than the offensive. He realized that, fighting as she was; she would tire quickly and then would come his opportunity to send her into a watery defeat. He had not allowed for Erica’s sheer determination to beat him or the fact that she was not averse to using underhand tactics. Appreciating that her strength would soon be spent she went on one last rampage of hits all the time edging closer, and when she was in reach, she stamped down hard on his bare foot. While he hopped about she grabbed an oar and used it to push him into the lake.
    The crowd went wild!
    Erica knelt down and holding onto the side of the boat, leaned over to watch Trevellyn as he struggled to stand in the waist high water.
    “Brave words but true, My Lord ,” she misquoted. “I believe this battle goes to me. Oh the taste of victory is so sweet is it not?”
    Trevellyn shielded from the onlookers by the boat leaned forward and swiftly kissed her on the lips. “Y es, I can taste it on your lips but it is unlikely to remain there for long so savour it, my sweetheart.”
    Erica was so taken aback that she could think of no riposte and by the time she had recovered, Trevellyn had taken hold of the rope securing the boat and had pulled her to shore.
    “Behold the winner,” he declared, “Definitely one worthy of the title: Champion!”
    Erica could not help a delicious little shiver as he placed his hands around her waist and lifted her onto dry land. He kept his hands there a fraction longer than was necessary and a frisson of desire swept through her as his gaze met and held hers. No one, Erica was relieved to note, seemed to have noticed and she naively hoped that Trevellyn himself would not have recognized the turmoil his touch had had upon her.
    “To save face and retrieve some respectability from this,” Gerald announced, “I suggest to all my male relatives that we now view this not as a victory for the women but one for the family. The Wilmshursts are victorious!”
    “Oh no you don’t young man !” Aunt Hebe struck him with a pillow. “You men lost and that’s an end to it!”
    And to everyone’s delight she continued to pound him until he said,
    “Yes aunt. Sorry Aunt. The ladies won, Aunt”
    It was a natural conclusion to the afternoon’s events and everyone made their way back to the house weary but happy.
    Dinner that evening was a much more subdued affair as everyone was feeling the affects of a day in the sun and strenuous activity. Trevellyn again sat next to Charlotte but manoeuvred them both into a position whereby he was also next to Erica who was conversing with Michael sitting opposite her. Commonsense and observation had told him that they enjoyed a brother and sister relationship but he could not prevent a stab of unreasonable jealousy at seeing them together. He was still seriously considering Charlotte as a potential bride; she was all that was elegant and poised as befitting a future duchess, but he found his thoughts were increasingly of Erica. His dreams; over which he had no control, were positively erotic and consisted of him making love to her in a number of different positions and locations. He had, God help him, even started to daydream, for even now he was thinking of ripping her clothes off and taking her on the table, amidst the silver cutlery and flower displays!
    He quickly averted his eyes from her delectable person and caught his mother watching him with a knowing smile on her