This was happening! Ella thought, exiting the carriage. Why didn't he tell her soon? She could've read through some physics text before she came. Would he think she's dumb? Oh, dear. She wasn't prepared in the least. True, she had been reading her science textbooks, but if she had known this was happening sooner, she would've amped up her rate of reading.

This is what you wanted, why are you scared?

She glanced at Robert who was climbing the short flight of stairs that led to his townhouse. Mostly because she didn't want to let him down. She has been blabbing about how much she wanted to learn from him and be a vital part of this new invention.

But was she going to be able to do it? She had been reading hard because she knew women would need to be twice as smart to be on the same level as men. What if Robert thought the exact thing her father thought when he caught her reading? What if she wouldn't learn properly and Robert wouldn't see any use in keeping her as an employee?

"Ella," he called out from the lobby of his house.

"My Lord," she said, clearing her throat as she was snapped out of her reverie.

He lifted a brow inquisitively. "Aren't you coming in?"

"I-I don't think I'm ready," she said, playing with the hem of her dress.

"To learn how to make a moon lamp?" He asked, walking out.

She nodded.

"Silly girl," he said, shaking his head. "Why so?"

"I don't think I'm smart enough." Ella knew that was because she was a woman. She had to read twice as hard, which was why she wasn't confident she was ready. She didn't have time to prepare.

Robert looked at her like she had lost her senses. "What happened to the brave, smart Ella I know?"

"I'm still here," she said, blushing, looking at the floor.

She had to admit, being complimented by Robert was quite exciting. Maybe if he believed she was smart, she should have a bit of faith in herself.

"Good," he said, holding her hand, sending a thread of comfort through her body. "Don't forget you have a father to prove wrong. Besides if I don't teach you how to make a moon lamp, when we get the metal, you wouldn't be able to complete the prototype with me."

"Indeed." Ella took a deep breath, mustering courage. She could do this. She could do this. It was just a lesson. There was no way, she would end up not learning. After all, all that she knew about physics was self-taught. Having a teacher would make it easier. "Let's go in."

Robert smirked. "Good girl."

Her stomach was swarmed with butterflies. She smiled up at him as he led her into his house. What had this man done to her? She knew there was no going back now. He was already making her smile like a fool. May God help her.

*****

"Thank you, Mr Griffith," Robert said, thanking his Butler. He nodded, making sure the blackboard was in place before he left. They were inside the room that had the moon lamp hanging above them. Now in the afternoon, it was just a normal-looking lamp with steel holders.

Ella sat down behind the desk that Robert had arranged for her earlier. It was facing the blackboard that he stood next to. He took off his coat, hanging it on a coat hanger next to him. Next, he rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, revealing veins that ran over his tanned forearms. Ella couldn't help but salivate and stare.

"Ella," he called out, smiling. He had caught her staring, "focus on the board, not me."

She chuckled. "I was."

"Indeed," he rolled his blue eyes and wrote with chalk, his wide back facing Ella. She remembered how she ran her hands over them last night. Maybe they could—"Before we proceed, I'll give you a test to see how good your knowledge of light is."

"That's fair enough."

Robert picked up a book and placed it before her, his tall frame, shadowing her. "You'll write in this."

When he turned his back and continued writing, Ella caught herself biting her lips. Pull yourself together, miss. He is handsome but that isn't what you're here to think of.

Clearing her throat, she held the pen, waiting for him to finish writing on the board.

When he was done, he went to another desk that was next to the blackboard and sat on it, his veined forearms resting on both sides, raising his wide shoulders. The sunlight from the cupola caught his golden hair, gleaming it with angelic magnificence. It was going to be hard to concentrate on the board with him next to it.

"If I'm distracting you, I can move to a corner," he said, humour in his voice.

"Yes, please."

He wet his lower lip and went further away, leaning on the wall. That was even worse. But Ella couldn't tell him to move even further. It would be rude. So she focused on the questions on the board and began answering.

"I'm done," she said after twenty minutes, sitting her pen on the desk.

"That was fast." Ella appreciated the look of surprise on his face. Did he think it would take her a year to answer the questions? He took the book and inspected it, his eyes widening as he went further. Smirking, he dropped the book back on the desk and struck a cowboy pose. "Well, we just wasted twenty minutes. You did well, Ella. I'm impressed."

Ella's inner child screamed. She loved being praised by Robert. Making him proud thrilled him. Surely she was doing this to prove her father and society wrong, but if Robert was going to keep praising her like this, she could as well take more tests.

He picked up the chalk and drew on the board a prototype of the moon lamp. "Now, the moon lamp isn't a complicated invention." He turned to her and pointed at the top of the drawing, Ella's eyes dreamily watching his veined hands. Goodness, they were attractive! "Ella, I know you're looking at my hand."

She went red like a tomato. " I wasn't. I was looking at the drawing."

"That's better," he said, calmly. "Now, as I was saying; The body of the moon lamp is mainly made of steel, except the glass bulb." He pointed below the drawing. "Down here is a mirror that captures light from the," he pointed upward, diagonally. "Photonic crystals that collect light from the moon. Now, we have all the constituents for the moon lamp, but what we need is the metal that can trap light. Physically, no metal can trap light, but this metal is different. It has some features of mirrors."

Ella nodded as he continued to explain. After an hour, she was sure she had enough knowledge about the moon lamp, now she wanted to make one. Robert settled the chalk and whirled to face her.

"I take it that you have enough knowledge on it now," he said, inclining his head to a side.

"Yes." Ella's legs moved excitedly as she bounced on her seat. "So when do I start making the moon lamp?"

"Soon," he said, leaving the room and coming back with a chinking box. He settled it on the desk next to the blackboard, dust rising. Ella stood up and walked over to him. She peered into the box.

"What are these?" She asked, so close to him that his barrel arms were near her face.

"The materials you need."

"Lovely." She grinned, excitement coursing through her veins. "When do we start?"

"Now, I'll guide you," he revealed, bringing out two steel bars that she assumed would be the body of the lamp. He gestured for her to follow him to the working table that lined the length of the room. It had various tools plopped on it. He settled the materials and took a step back. "Try knotting them together."

Ella screamed internally. A month ago she wouldn't have believed she would be here. She was on her way to being one of the most respected inventors of their time and it was all thanks to Robert. She moved to the table and picked up a screwdriver, her hand shaking.

"Take a deep breath," Robert said behind her, holding her wrists, his hard chest rubbing against her neck. Aye, he was that tall. "You can do this."

She obeyed, feeling her body calm against his. He led her hand to the steel and soon, they were constructing, his hand supporting her. Soon she would be able to do it by herself. But it wouldn't hurt to learn from him.

"See, it's not that hard," he said.

Ella turned to look up at him and her heart paced at their proximity. The sun rays danced in his blue eyes like the sun on the sea. Her eyes trailed down his Roman nose, past his stubbled cheeks, down to his heart-shaped lips. Lips that devoured her last night.

His hands slid around her waist and soon her fingers were skimming over the hard features of his face. His dreamy cerulean eyes travelled their gaze to her peach-coloured lips, her heart hammering against her ribcage.

"How long do we have till you go home?" He asked as she got lost in his gaze.

"Long enough."

"Good." He carried her from behind and settled her on the work table, Ella brushing the tools to the floor. But she was careful not to touch her ongoing work. He began taking off his shirt and she worked her dress, letting the sleeves fall from both sides of her arms, leaving her corset to be in view.

She enjoyed watching Robert as he took off his shirt, revealing the mat of hair on his chest that she found mind wrecking. It was her favourite feature of him. He flung his shirt across the room and leaned over to kiss her shoulders as he untied her corset.

Her body spasmed with pleasure as she moaned, running her fingers on the ridges of his muscles. He slowly took off her gloves, his eyes maintaining strong eye contact that made her knees weak. She blushed deeply once he kissed her bare hands, making her feel special. He trailed most kisses over her neck before he went up to her cheeks and then to the corners of her lips.

"You smell so good, Ella," he praised, making Ella's heart do flips.

"Tell me more," she said, running her fingers up and down his back, her neck left vulnerable to his kisses.

"Your lips," he said, gently kissing them. "Your lips are softer than silk and sweeter than honey."

"Robert," she gasped, her body warming up with pleasure. "I love when you praise me."

He ran his thumb over her lip, looking down at her, dominance exerting in his blue eyes. "A goddess deserves to be praised."

She could feel the moisture burgeoning between her legs. "Kiss me."

"As you wish," he said, seizing her lips with fierce desperation. She moaned in his mouth, his hand running over the mound of her breast. Their lips meshed together, her lashes lapping over her porcelain cheeks.

His hands ran through the side of her hair as he kissed her like a starved man who hadn't eaten in a while. She was his student, satisfying his hunger as she let him devour her. He was in between her legs and she could feel her wet cave yearn to be filled up. But she couldn't do that, they would be moving too fast.

Smiling, she kissed his nipple and he moaned, "God, you're an angel." He yanked her hair backwards and kissed her chin. "Who thought you that?"

"You pick up a few things when you read romance novels," she said under her breath, feeling his hands move over her sides.

He grinned and kissed her. "You should read them more often."

"Okay, anything for you. I'll do anything for you."

Robert froze, and his hands went to his chest as he breathed heavily. Ella's brown eyes were carried with fear and she watched him sit next to her, his breathing quickening. She came off the table and held him by his hands.

"Robert, look at me," she held his sharp jaw. "Are you okay?"

He raised a hand, his breathing making him appear puffed. "I-I will be fine."

"What happened?" She placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart pound fiercely.

After a minute, his breath calmed. He took in a deep breath and pursed his lips as he looked at Ella with emotion so heavy his blue orbs couldn't carry them.

"No one has ever told me that before," he said, smiling softly, running his finger through Ella's hair as he pulled her closer.

"Told you what?" She asked, her brown eyes soft with concern as she rubbed her soft thumb on his hard cheekbone.

"That they'll do anything for me. Not even my father."

Ella felt warm and fuzzy, her heart threatening to burst. Robert never had anyone who he had a deep emotional connection with. His father couldn't even build that with him. Maybe that was why he needed her. She needed to show him that he deserved to be loved. He needed to see that he was good enough.

"Well I would," Ella said, kissing his forehead.

"Do you mean that?" He asked, his blue eyes shaking as he gazed intensely into her soft brown eyes.

Ella nodded and he kissed her lips again, combing his long fingers through her brown barely curls. There was a ticking sound and Robert stopped kissing her. Curious, she watched him move towards a hole by their side. A white paper shot out of it and he caught it. It was rolled up and tied with a red ribbon. He unrolled it and read through the inked lines.

"What is it?" Ella asked, picking up her corset that lay on the floor.

"It's from Captain Asher. He says the preparation for Crawley is done. We move the day after tomorrow. I have to prepare myself too for the journey."

"Without me?" Ella asked as Robert set aside the letter to help her tie her corset. She had to leave, it was getting late. Her mother would soon visit Juliet to ask Ella to come over for lunch.

"You could come," he said but narrowed his eyes. "Though I highly doubt your mother would let you."

Ella knew that was true. Her mother would collapse if she heard her daughter wanted to travel with a group of men. But she knew a way her mother would let her leave without knowing where she went to.

"I have this aunt in Essex. She's my mother's only sister," Ella said, slipping into her gown. "If there was a way to make it look like she sent a letter, asking for me to visit, it would be possible for me to come. My mother would think I went to see her."

"You're in luck then. I have a few friends in the post office that could fabricate a very believable letter," Robert said, a smile lingering at the corner of his lips. Ella hated that she had to lie to her mother. But it was the only way she could be a part of this amazing journey. And there was no way she would let Robert do this all on his own. He needed her help, no matter how little.

She wore her white gloves. "How long would we be gone?"

"We packed up supplies that would last us for a week."

A week with Robert without the fear of going home early...

Ella smiled inwardly. This was going to be an interesting trip.

"I have to go now, my mother would soon look for me," Ella said regretfully.

"I understand."

"How about the lamp?" She asked, looking at her unfinished work.

"We'll continue it on our trip." He held her hand and kissed it once again. "Till we meet again, Miss Featherington."

Ella curtsied. "Till we meet, again, My Lord."