“I thought you had choir practice?”
“I did. I left early.”
“Early or before it started?”
“Tomato, potato,” she replied. It didn’t come out right, but he knew what she meant. He was funny like that, she realized. He understood her.
“’Tis pretty cold to be sittin’ on a park bench this late in the season.”
“Aye, and ’tis dark too,” she added.
“Are you cold?” he asked, reaching for her hand.
“No,” she replied with a shiver.
“You’re lyin’.”
“Why don’t you go tell Father Fitzgerald?”
“He told you about that, did he? I had no intention of tellin’ him, but he wanted to know why I was in such a hurry to wed you and the truth is always best.”
“Says you.”
“I might not have mentioned this before, but you’re cute when you pout,” he drawled, chafing first one of her cold hands then the other between his.
“Good thing. You’ll probably be seein’ a lot of that since you’re intent on robbin’ the cradle,” she sniffed.
“Is that how you really feel about it?” he asked, holding both of her hands tightly as he waited for her answer.
“No, but you obviously do. You say you’re goin’ to spank your wife, that would be me, and that’s not how you treat someone you see as an equal,” she pointed out. “I almost became a woman the other night, but someone butted in.”
“No,” he said sternly. “You almost became a victim. What he was goin’ to do to you had naught to do with becomin’ a woman. It had to do with lust, not love. It takes love to turn a girl into a woman.”
“You act like you know all about it,” she accused.
“I know enough and ’tis not from takin’ advantage of virgins I’ve had to drug,” he growled.
“You have a point.”
“Thanks for noticin’.”
“You’re welcome. Gettin’ back to the other thing?—”
“You mean my intention to spank you if need be?”
“Aye, that.”
“What is it you want to know?”
“Why?”
“’Tis really a very simple concept,” he sighed.
“No doubt drummed up by a very simple man,” she said drolly.
“God you’re a sassy lass.”
“I’m tellin’,” she squealed, pointing her finger at him and laughing. “Father will not be pleased. You took the Lord’s name in vain.”
