'In another field that day we met young Nick, the son of old Cave the farrier. He was a fine young man of sixteen or seventeen, tall for his years and with rich dark eyes. It was the dinner-hour, and he rose to greet us from the shade of an old blackthorn where he lay sheltering from the noonday heat of the sun.
'“'Tis fine weather for the harvest indeed,” he said in answer to our polite observations.
'“Is it going well this year?” asked Primrose.'
'“Very well indeed, so as I gather.”
'“And will you be looking forward to the harvest supper?” I asked, knowing that this was as great a highlight in the countryman's calendar as was Christmas in our own.
'Before Nick could reply, Primrose clapped a guilty hand to her mouth.
'“My goodness,” she exclaimed, anxiety strong in her voice. “I had quite forgotten! I was supposed to go with mother to make arrangements with the minister about the flowers for the harvest festival. What time is it, Rosie?”
'I took my watch from my bosom. It was nearly twenty minutes after twelve.
'“Then I must fly,” cried Primrose. “The Reverend Stitchum is a most punctilious man, and mother will be most annoyed.”
'I rose to my feet, but Primrose demurred.
'“No need for you to come, my dear friend,” she averred. “I'll go by the long pasture here, which will take me to the church gate by half-past. You can walk back to the house the way we came. Even half an hour in the company of the Reverend Stitchum,” she whispered to me, “is a penance to deter the most wicked sinner. It is a punishment I could scarcely wish on my dearest cousin. Better that you shall linger awhile with young Nick here.” And with that she tripped away across the field.
'Nick looked discomfited, perhaps embarrassed at being alone in the company of a young lady, but I quickly put the farrier's son at his ease. We talked of this and that, of life in the village and his hopes that he might in time make his way in the horse-trade for, though so young, he had already shown considerable acumen in that respect. He had found two splendid Clydesdales going cheaply at a farm some ten miles away which Uncle had subsequently purchased, his recommendation being rewarded by two equally handsome sovereigns.
'Like many countrymen, Nick showed great facility with animals. But while many of his contemporaries were interested solely in those which they might trap or hunt, he loved them for their own sake.
'I was about to be going, but Nick said he would show me something. “It's only over here, behind old Moss's barn,” he said. “The lane takes you out past the big house in any case.”
'We walked through the copse and I noticed how firm and strong his hand was as he helped me over the little tinkling stream that ran through it.
'“Here,” he said, as we approached the old barn. He pointed to a rusty piece of farm machinery, long disused and partly covered with a tarpaulin.
'“How interesting,” I murmured, wondering what he possibly thought I would find so fascinating about Messrs Ransome and Rapier's Patented “Ipswich” Seed Drill.
'He must have noticed my momentarily quizzical expression, for he laughed and drew me closer. Again I noticed the firmness of his hand on my arm.
'“No, underneath,” he said, speaking in a husky whisper which I found by no means unattractive.
'I peered past his pointing finger and there, in the gloomy cavern revealed by pulling back the tarpaulin, I saw what he had brought me to see. A fine tabby cat, around whom four delightful kittens were happily playing.
'“Oh how sweet!” I exclaimed. “Look at the little black one, with his white feet. And the ginger one-I bet he grows into a real bruiser!”
'“This one's my favourite,” said Nick, and picked up a tabby that was the image of her mother. He stroked her gently while the mother looked on anxiously. “Don't you worry, Mrs. Tibbies,” he said. “Young Rosie here won't come to no harm.”
'“Rosie?” I cried. “Why, that's my name! What a coincidence!”
'Nick laughed. “Not really,” he said. “I named her for you. I found the cat had had kittens here the day you came to stay with your uncle. I heard you was called Miss Rosie, see. Hope you don't mind me being so familiar as to borrow your name, Miss Rosie. Only it strikes me as such a pretty one.”
'I laughed, not minding at all, and stroked the kitten that had become my namesake. Mrs. Tibbies began to show signs of annoyance, so we quickly restored her brood to full muster and quietly made our retreat.
'“Why name her after me?” I murmured as Nick replaced the tarpaulin.
'Nick blushed hotly. “Well,” he stumbled, “'cause I thought you were a real lady and she was too. And she's a bonny little thing, and so are you, if you don't mind me saying.”
'“Of course not!” I tinkled. “Every woman likes to be flattered, especially by a handsome young man like yourself, Nick.”
'I don't know quite how it happened, but we had been standing there for some moments, not knowing quite what to say, and then all of a sudden we were in each other's arms. Our lips met in a long, smouldering kiss.
'As my tongue probed his I felt strong, sensitive hands grasping my bottom cheeks. I pressed myself hard against him, feeling the steady stirring of his manhood through my summer dress.
'We broke for breath, and then once more we embraced passionately. I nibbled his ear, his neck. His hands seemed everywhere at once, caressing my arms, my thighs, my breasts.
'“Oh sir,” I exclaimed, more for form's sake than from any genuine desire that he should desist.
'“Oh how I've loved you,” cried Nick, his voice passionate with entreaty. “Right from the first moment I saw you I've felt drawn to you. And yet you always seemed so remote, so untouchable. You being from such a grand family an' all.”
'“Oh fiddlesticks,” I retorted. “My father was an ordinary farmer, not half so grand as my uncle. His family held no higher social station than your own, my dear Nick. And not half the gentlemen I've met since then in society have had half your sensitivity.”
'I kissed him again, full on the lips this time.
'“Come,” he said pushing me towards the open door of old Moss's barn. Our lips were firmly glued together, and I surrendered to his judgement implicitly, as though he were my partner leading me backwards across a crowded ballroom.
'There was a squawk-he had unknowingly trodden on Mrs. Tiddles' tail-and we toppled over backwards on to a bed of fresh straw, laughing.
'I felt his hand busy with the buttons at the front of my dress, and I did nothing to stop him. My naked titties were quickly exposed to view. He pulled back to look at them, and I heard him gasp.
'“Why, them's a wondrous pair,” he gulped at last. “Ain't 'em just.”
'“You like my bosoms then?” I asked coyly from beneath fluttering eyelashes.
'“'Em's lovely,” he said, and he buried his face in the deep cleft between my bosom. My nipples, as I could see, had perked up like organ-stops, and they seemed to fascinate him. I caressed them playfully.
'“Lick them, Nick,” I whispered on impulse.
'“Lick 'em?”
'“That's right. Lick them.'
'“What?” he said, his eyes wide with wonder. “You're asking me to lick your nippy ends?”
'“That's right.”
'“Lumme! Ain't you a dirty girl then! I never heard a girl ask me to do anythin' like that.”
'Such a sweet, innocent boy! But he sucked my titties as well as any man I have known, and then I stood up, and shed my dress, and he pulled of his trousers, and I could see he had a most wonderful winkie there, straight as a ramrod and seemingly bursting with youthful vigour. Instantly I took a letch to have it in my mouth there and then.