He left when Torie was just fourteen. Having just observed his eighteenth birthday, it was time for him to complete his gentlemanly studies at University, like all future peers of the realm. Even though everyone assumed his father to be dead and Tyler the Marquis of Milton, the only one to oversee the estates, he still had an obligation. But Torie didn’t want him to leave. She had planned since the time of her tenth birthday to marry Tyler and become the Marchioness of Milton. She thought that her secret was safe until the eve of Tyler’s departure when he surprised her by admitting he had known all along. "Torie, my sweet, please don’t cry, you know I can’t bear it when you cry," he crooned to her from their secret hiding place in the wooded area just beyond the stables on Victoria’s estate. At that site, they had erected a small tree house of sorts and had been meeting there since both were just small children. Victoria inwardly smiled, knowing how displays of emotion affected him. Maybe it would make him change his mind. "But, Tyler, I can’t help it...You’re leaving and I won’t be able to stand it. " Who else would continue her fencing lessons? She had tried to convince Ponsonby, the footman, but he was too afraid of the wrath of her father, Lord Lane, Earl of Claybourne, should they be discovered. Her father had forbade her to even think about the gentlemanly sport. He greatly disapproved of her interest. Every summer after his mother’s death, Tyler had lived with him Aunt Sophie, his father’s elder sister. His parents were never married and, in fact, Edward Hamilton only learned of son’s existence upon Eloise’s, the boy’s mother's, death. Tyler was inherited by his father since he had no other known heirs and needed a son to carry on the Hamilton name. It didn’t bother Tyler that he was only half English. He loved his Scottish relatives and missed the Highlands while he was in England, but he was a boy raised to do his duty and his duty meant living in England when he became the seventh Marquess of Milton and carrying on his father’s heritage. Tyler looked down at Torie, wishing for all the world that he didn’t have to leave her. But he also knew that he had to go to Oxford. It was expected of him. "Torie, please, I’ll be back in just four short years, by then you’ll be eighteen and we can marry." Victoria gasped. "Marry me?" Tyler smiled. "There’s no reason to pretend anymore, Torie, I know you too well. I can see it in your eyes." Victoria’s cheeks grew warm and she looked away, unable to make eye contact with his bright blue eyes. All she wanted at this moment was to run her fingers through his light brown hair and brush back that lock that casually fell onto his forehead. "I just wanted to be like Mary Montgomery. I wanted to be in her place. You seemed to like her an awful lot." Victoria knew it was true. She had followed him on many occasions to the local village tavern. Tyler wanted to howl with laughter at her misinterpretation. Mary was a barmaid. "Torie," he stumbled for an explanation, "you don’t want to be like Mary." "But why not? She gets to spend the night with you. That’s something I wanted!" Tyler was shocked at her innocence. Had she no idea of what went on between men and women? But, then again, he reprimanded himself, why would she? She was a properly bred young lady, and wasn’t supposed to know. "Torie, I shouldn’t be telling you this, especially at such a young age...but...what I did with Mary...well, it was nothing really..." "Just lust? A gentleman’s pleasure?" she finished. Now it was Tyler’s turn to be appalled. "What do you know of that?!" Victoria shrugged. "Nothing really. No more than the stable boys talk about." "You sit there and listen to them? What do you think you’re doing? I ought to thrash you for that! You have no business listening to that sort of debauchery..." "And you have a right to do it?" "Victoria! I will not discuss this with you, you are much to young for me to be filling your ears with that...that...well, never mind." "Then you don’t love Mary?" "Of course I don’t love Mary!" "Really?" Victoria squealed and threw her arms around his neck. Tyler was so shocked by her sudden action that he put his arms around her and held her close, inhaling the faint scent of jasmine in her long blond locks that cascaded in loose waves down her back. He drew her away from him and looked gently into her emerald eyes and captured her lips in a kiss, innocent at first and then more demanding. Victoria, swept away by it all, submitted herself to him and let him kiss her, learning what he wanted and what pleased him. Before he could stop himself, he forced her mouth open and thrust his tongue inside to mate with hers. She gasped at the sudden intrusion until she decided she liked the feeling of his warm breath inside her mouth. With great reluctance, Tyler gently pushed her away, before he allowed himself to get too carried away. After all, she was only a girl. Much too young for him to have the feelings he did for her. So, he released her before his man’s lust scared her away forever. "Why did you stop?" Victoria sighed as she tried to scoot as close to Tyson as possible, while he moved in the opposite direction. Not because he wanted to, but, because he didn’t trust himself. "Torie, I had to...you know that, I shouldn’t even have done that." "But why? We didn’t do anything wrong." Tyler sighed, trying to think of a way to maker her understand. "No, we didn’t do anything wrong by our standards, Torie, but by society’s, yes, we did. It’s not proper for a man to be in a situation with a young girl like you." Victoria stood up, hands on hips, "Wait a minute, Lord Tyler !" she said, emphasizing ‘lord’. "Man? You are only eighteen yourself. I could still best you in a fencing match anytime!" she boasted. Tyler stifled a smile. His Torie definitely had spirit, he would give her that. Images of her agilely skirting around him clothed in tight-fitting men’s breeches flashed through his mind. "Victoria, we are not comparing skills here. It’s a matter of who is older and more experienced." "Well, if that’s all it there is to it, then I’ll go and spend a couple of nights with gentlemen at the tavern and ask Mary to teach me a couple of things !" she said and turned to go. Tyler caught her arm and turned her back around. "You most certainly will not!" "And why not? You are not my father, you can’t tell me what to do!" "Yes, but I am your elder and you will not go and do something foolish like that! You have no idea what you are even talking about!" "Well then why doesn’t somebody tell me?" she demanded. "Why is there such a mystery about it? It can’t be all that bad if you men are so willing to go off and do it all the time!" Tyler did laugh this time. Her green eyes were on fire and her cheeks were red, nicely contrasting her blonde hair. And that was all he could think of -Victoria’s appearance. She was as angry as he’s ever seen her and Tyler was near to doubling over with laughter. "Torie, come one, there’s nothing I can do about it. You’re right, it is unfair, but that’s just the way it is. Now, are we going to spend my last night here fighting?" he asked. His words calmed her and the reality that this really was Tyler’s last night with her for a while set in. "I know, I’m sorry," she apologized, "we shouldn’t argue." Tyler smiled. "I’m sorry, too. No, we shouldn’t argue, especially on something as stupid as society’s rules. Victoria turned her back to him. She knew she couldn’t face him when she said this. "Tyler," she began, her voice suddenly losing it’s confidence , "just promise me that you’ll come back. Please?" He felt his heart nearly break with her words. Yes, he did indeed love this little girl. It was just a bad twist of fate that she was born too late. He swallowed, so his voice wouldn’t show any signs of emotion. "Of course I’ll come back for you, Torie. I promise," he vowed and grabbed her hand to give it a tight squeeze.

Chapter 2 Back to Valerie's Place