Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Over the next few weeks, Sarah got into a firm routine with Louisa and Daisy.
It was fun to be around the little girl, and even though she had to put up with her sister’s constant moaning, she was equally pleased she got to spend time with Richard too.
The factory job picking out crushed or broken biscuits on a conveyor belt became a distant memory.
It was also much better than living at home with her mother, never knowing what mood she’d be in, if she was even in when she got home.
It beat everything about her old life and the longer she was at White Oaks, the more she felt it was her rightful place to be.
She and Richard were having sex a few times each week now. So far, Louisa hadn’t suspected a thing and it had been fun getting to know an older man. Sometimes, he was much more capable of giving a woman pleasure than any man she had been with before.
It was mid-afternoon. Richard was out fetching supplies, something he did every fortnight, so she’d had to be around to watch Louisa and Daisy while he was gone. Shortly after he’d left, he’d sent her a saucy message, saying something along the lines of what he would be doing to her on his return.
With Daisy down for a nap and Louisa yet to surface from her bed, she was at a loss for something to do. Louisa had been complaining all morning about her back aching. No wonder when she didn’t move for days on end. To her mind, Louisa was her own worst enemy.
Sarah knew there were many people with hidden disabilities, but it seemed clear to her that Louisa played on her illness.
She’d often catch her dancing around the kitchen when she thought she was alone and then limping afterwards, saying she’d done too much trying to be normal.
It really angered her to see how weak Louisa was, how much she used her illness to gain sympathy from Richard. She really was a wet lettuce.
Still, things were warming up between Sarah and Richard, and she wasn’t sure how long it would be before their relationship would come out in the open.
See how much Louisa liked going back to Derby with her tail between her legs.
Louisa would take Daisy with her too – she’d miss her, but she was glad of that.
Then there would be only the two of them, living here in her idea of an idyllic home. Time to start their own family then.
The sun was high in the sky and it was pleasantly warm.
Sarah lay on a lounger in the garden, but after a while it became too hot.
She got up and strolled around the garden.
Stopping at the studio, she peered through the window to see what Richard was working on, only to see the blinds were down.
She moved to the side and retrieved a spare key hidden under the second plant pot along.
Louisa had told her about it the other day.
Unlocking the door, she stepped inside. A thrill rushed through her as she nosed around. Richard didn’t really like anyone coming into his studio, and he certainly wouldn’t take kindly to her being there without him.
She wondered what he was working on. He often said he was doing landscapes but more recently he’d moved on to portraits and they were selling extremely well. There were also small paintings dotted here and there, the bread and butter ones as Richard called them.
Upstairs on the mezzanine, she spotted an easel with what looked to be a large canvas underneath it. She went upstairs to seek it out.
Pulling back a sheet revealed the image of a young white woman.
Her long red hair was piled on her head, a few loose strands hanging sexily down towards her neck.
She wore a strappy dress with a full skirt and was standing barefoot, smiling as if she were looking at a photographer.
Her hands were reaching out as if she was ushering whoever looked her way into the canvas itself.
It was provocative yet fun; casual yet intense.
The door went behind her and she turned sharply. It was Richard.
‘What are you doing in here?’ he asked as he took off his jacket.
Sarah shrugged. ‘I wanted to see what you were working on.’
‘And have you?’
She pointed to the canvas. ‘Why are you painting another woman?’
‘Because I have a client who likes her. He’s had three portraits so far. I’ve made a fortune from them.’
‘Does she model for you?’
‘Of course not or you would have seen her. I get sent photos of her and paint from those.’
‘But—’
With a few strides, he was at her side, silencing her with his mouth. She didn’t hesitate to pull him into her arms. It heightened her sexuality as it was dangerous. They never made love during the day. It was always when Daisy and Louisa had gone to bed.
He lifted up her skirt and pushed himself into her. ‘You ask too many questions,’ he said before covering her neck with butterfly kisses. ‘You don’t need to be jealous of another woman.’
‘I’m not!’ She tried to push him away, but he held on to her.
His eyes bore into hers as he ground his hips on her. She pulled him in closer, closer, longing for that feeling of orgasmic pleasure as he rocked her body along with his own.
God, the man consumed her. She daydreamed about him constantly. She ached when he wasn’t with her. She longed for his touch, the pleasure she would give him and the ecstasy she would receive.
Even when she thought she had the upper hand, at times like this she wasn’t so certain.