“How soon can we be married?”
“I can get a special license. I will have to leave you to obtain it.”
“You’ll return here?”
“Yes. There’s a small, picturesque church in the village. I’m sure the vicar would be willing to perform a marriage service.” He paused. “Would you like to invite anyone?”
“Maddie. But she’s too far away. Your aunt if you can persuade her to travel.”
“Your mother? Sister?”
“No. I hope Jocelyn and I can become friends. Mother has no use for me.”
They walked briskly to the bottom of the path. Jane started to climb, knowing Gilbert was behind her in case she stumbled. He wouldn’t let her fall. He probably would never let any harm come to her ever again.
When they reached the top, the sun was dipping toward the horizon. “I know you don’t want to hear this now, but I think there is a spark of caring in your mother’s breast. It took the events of the past few days for her to know it was there. I think, like you, she’s been afraid of showing affection because of rejection. She told me when your father took you she was inconsolable and would have died except Jocelyn needed her. She decided it would be best to forget she ever had another child, only random thoughts of you sometimes snuck into her brain. She knows she failed you. Perhaps one day you can forgive her.”
“I’d like to try. For now, let us keep our wedding private.”
They dashed across to the lane leading to the front of the house. No one was about, so they continued up the stairs. Stopping at the door of her room, he drew her into his arms and kissed her again. “I love you, Janie. Please believe me.”
“I love you, too.” She opened the door and towed him inside.
“What are you doing?”
She twisted the key in the lock. “You’ve taught me about rogues. Now I want to learn about husbands.” She tugged off his cravat and undid the buttons of his waistcoat, the heat of expectation thrumming through her body.
“Are you sure? ’Tis afternoon.”
“I want you to kiss me while easing the ache in my intimate parts. I want you to touch me in places that burn with need. I want you to love me as no one has ever loved me before.” Her fingers pulled his shirt over his head. She rubbed her lips gently over his collarbone as her palms moved down his muscular chest and rested on the flap of his trousers. When he gasped, she looked directly into his half-closed eyes. “Please, Gil, make love to me. Only you can erase the bad memories I have.”
She trembled as his mouth closed over hers, drugging her, claiming her, as he’d never done before. His tongue boldly stroked hers as she pressed against him, heat rising between them. He released her and turned her around to remove her gown, corset, and shift, dropping them to the floor. Soft lips nuzzled her neck as his hands closed over her breasts.
A bolt of heat surged through her. How could she have known about feelings so powerful that all you want to do is close your eyes to intensify the pleasure? His hands left her breasts and drifted down to the curls between her legs.
“I love you so much.” His voice was as soft as a whisper as his supple fingers stroked her cleft.
When he laid her on the bed and removed the rest of his clothing, Jane held out her arms. She loved the feel of him against her nakedness, the tickle of his hair at her breasts as he sucked the nipples that puckered for his attention, each tug of his lips sending sparks of heat straight to her core. His breath was warm on her stomach as he kissed his way downward. She whimpered at the mind-numbing pleasure she received, the tension rising with each stroke of his tongue. And she writhed and jerked, then melted into a puddle of warm honey when the tightening coil of pleasure sprang and waves of sweet release washed over her.
When the ripples subsided, she ran a hand over his muscled back while the other hand inched its way to his silky shaft. He groaned as her fingers tightened around it.
“You are killing me, Janie.” He positioned himself over her, his cock poised at her entrance. “This might hurt the first time. It will not thereafter.”
She gave into the urge to tease. “The best things in life sometimes rise out of a little pain. Did you not know that, milord?”
He entered her then, slowly at first, allowing her to get used to the feeling while his mouth drew her attention elsewhere.
How could she have though she could live without this man? Even if she had accepted a proposal made out of duty, she still would have had this experience. If she’d continued to say no, she would have missed it.
He began to move, and after a sharp pinch, heat continued to build with every thrust. Caught in a surge of intensifying sensations, she wrapped her legs around his waist to take him deeper until emotion replaced all thought. And when he moaned and collapsed on top of her, rolling to his side to tuck her within his arms, she was filled with a sense of well-being so powerful she knew there would never be anyone else for her.
As rays of the setting sun filled the room with orange light, she remembered the advice Maddie had given her about grief and healing.
Grief will come when you least expect it.
She’d finally shed tears for Papa today, casting off the past, while at the same time embracing her future. Maddie had also said everything will come right if you believe in yourself.
Yes, Maddie, I shall be fine because I do.
She snuggled into Gilbert’s arms, relaxed, confident, and finally unafraid of the future.
Epilogue
Four months later
“You want me to do what?” Jocelyn Stafford wrinkled her nose in disgust, glancing at her filth-covered boots.
“Go from nest to nest, and put the eggs in the basket.” Jane tried not to laugh. Her sister was truly citified.
“It smells in here.”
“It’s a chicken coop. It’s supposed to smell. Now do as I say, and we shall have fresh eggs for the next few days.”
“Ugh. That chicken is going to bite me.”
“It will not. Just prod it with your finger, and it will fly away.”
Jane couldn’t help herself. She nearly doubled over with laughter as the chicken flew off her nest and perched on her sister’s head.”
“Get it off!”
Jane brushed the hen away, taking the basket from her sister’s hand. “Come. You can help feed the horses. Maybe working with the chickens isn’t the best job for you.”
Jocelyn ran out into the fresh air, fanning her face with her hand. “Look into my hair. It didn’t, er, leave anything there, did it?”
“Why yes, she did. I believe it’s an egg.”
“Noooo.”
Jane grinned. “I’m teasing. No egg. No deposits of any sort.”
Jocelyn tugged at her dress and glared at her twin. “I’m beginning to think I should not have come for a visit. This country life is not to my liking. I prefer to have servants do the work.”
“I guess I shall never make you accept a classless society.”
“No, you shall not.”
They returned to the house. Jane loved Seacliff Cottage. She and Ralston spent the first month of their marriage here. This was Jocelyn’s first visit. They sat on a bench in the kitchen herb garden and removed their boots. Both had left soft shoes to put on when they reentered the house.
“Come, sit at the table, and I’ll have Mrs. Bobkins serve you a cup of tea. Later we’ll go sit on the beach.”
“I’d like that.”
When the tea arrived, along with fresh biscuits, Jane planted her elbows on the table and propped her chin in her hands. “So tell me. How are you faring, now that I’ve been gone for a few months?”
Her sister frowned and bit her bottom lip. “I had no offers, if that’s what you are asking. I lacked invitations. When I accepted one, people tended
to look at me with pity in their eyes. Thank God the Season was at an end.”
Guilt tore at Jane’s heart. “I was the one ruined. Once people saw us together, they knew it wasn’t you who’d been abducted.”
“I did the unforgiveable. I was complicit in having you take my place at the ball, and as you know, society is unbending in its rules. I am your sister so I, too, am damaged.”
“Not damaged, Jocelyn. Tainted perhaps. I am wed now. Surely the scandal will subside. Is there not anyone else engaging in inappropriate behavior?”
“Many. When the Season begins again, I am hoping our dishonor will fade. Some of the tabbies have long memories, and I think the marquis’s friends intimidated any gentleman who might have become interested in me. My twenty-first birthday will come and go, and I will still be unwed.”
Jane grimaced as she sipped her tea. Lately, tea—even the scent of it—unsettled her stomach. She wondered if she might be increasing. She’d been married four months, and while her monthlies were normally regular, two had been missed.
She grinned, not hearing what her sister said.
“What did I say that amused you?”
“I confess I was thinking of something else. As you said the word ‘amuse,’ another thought popped into my head. Wasn’t there a man in your past? Before Aubrey? I met someone once who thought I was you.”
She paled and then blushed.
Well, now we’re getting somewhere.
“I don’t know who you mean.”
“Of course you do. You just don’t want to tell me.”
Jocelyn rose and stood by the door. “We were teens. Puppy love. Nothing more.”
“And yet you cannot look me in the eye and say his name.”
Jocelyn sat and stuffed a biscuit in her mouth. When she finished chewing, she attempted a smile. “You know, I think it’s time I joined Mother in the Lake District. London is unbearable in the summer, and she has retired to the home her parents left her. Perhaps by the time the Season is upon us, I may actually have dance partners instead of holding up the wall.”
“But you’ve been here only two weeks. Mother will think I chased you away.”
Jocelyn’s eyes softened, and she reached out for Jane’s hand. “Will you ever be able to forgive her, Jane? I, too, had a parent I didn’t know, and once I learned their situation, I didn’t fault either parent.” She squeezed briefly, then set her hands in her lap. “Perhaps one day you can tell me about our father. I long to know.”
Jane pushed away her cup. “I shall. You’ll like what you hear.” She swallowed and decided her stomach was definitely unsettled this morning. “As for Mother, I don’t hate her, although I admit I haven’t quite forgiven her yet. Perhaps next time you visit I shall include her in the invitation.”
“Make sure it is your country estate in Chelmsford—the one with lots of rooms and servants. Not here. She still hates the sea.”
“I promise.”
The sisters rose together, and Jane offered her arm. “Let’s go back to the bench in the kitchen garden,” Jane said. “I’m in need of fresh air. You must tell me if the heir to the Siltsbury title has been found.”
“We’ve heard nothing. Mother said Father had a male cousin who fathered sons, but she’s never met anyone from that branch of the family.”
“What a mystery. Nothing to concern us. You have your house in London, and I have this property as well as Ralston’s homes.”
Jocelyn took Jane’s arm, and they strolled toward the door. How wonderful it was to have a sister, a husband, and one day soon, perhaps a child. On the night Papa died, she’d never imagined she’d be happy again.
Now she knew. As Maddie always said, “Everything comes right if you believe in yourself.”
They left the house and walked out into the sun.
Also from Pamela Gibson and Soul Mate Publishing
SCANDAL’S CHILD
Miranda Comstock, widowed and impoverished, accepts a position in London caring for a child who was blinded in a fire. When she discovers the child’s mysterious guardian is the lover who’d seduced and abandoned her five years earlier, her first thought is to flee. But nine-year-old Phoebe depends on her and is blossoming under her care.
Jeremy Montague returns from Jamaica to take up his duties as the new Earl of Longley and is shocked to find his former lover is his ward’s nurse. Believing she played him for a fool, he vows to remove her from his household, especially when his traitorous body begins to remember the passion they shared.
But there is a mystery afoot involving a long-ago disappearance, Miranda’s resemblance to a society debutante, and the child’s suppressed memories of the fire, which are starting to emerge. As Phoebe’s memories become sharper, Jeremy begins to suspect that he and Miranda were pawns in a twisted game. And both must learn to trust again, if they are to find their way back into each other’s hearts.
Available now on Amazon: SCANDAL’S CHILD
SCANDAL’S BRIDE
Marry in haste…
Lady Gwendolyn Pettigrew longs to be a mother, but refuses to marry the lecherous old fool her father has found for her. When her best friend convinces her to consider her husband’s younger brother as a suitable candidate, Gwen agrees to a marriage of convenience, hoping against hope that her dream of becoming a mother will have a chance.
The Hon. John Montague, a penniless younger son, is handsome, witty, and thrilled that a woman with a dowry has agreed to wed him. Best of all she’s a fiercely independent bluestocking, a woman who won’t want to bother with a family. Because John has a shocking secret. He’s vowed never to bring a child into the world, a child who, like his own mother, might carry the strain of madness.
Available now on Amazon: SCANDAL’S BRIDE
SCANDAL’S PROMISE
Haunted by questions and her own insecurities, Lady Emily Sinclair longs to discover why her betrothed abandoned her and married another. Seven years have passed, but the pain of his betrayal still lingers, buried beneath layers of humiliation and mistrust. When he returns after the Napoleonic Wars, she vows to avoid him. If only her foolish heart felt the same.
Broken and addicted to his medication, widower Andrew Quimby, Lord Cardmore, rattles around his ancient manor, oblivious to his deteriorating health and state of mind. When he learns the woman he was forced to abandon remains unmarried, he vows to try to win her back, even if it means returning to a society he despises.
But Andrew soon discovers he has a secret enemy. Threatening notes appear and sinister accidents put those in his inner circle in danger. Can he overcome his demons in time to keep them safe, or will everyone and everything he loves disappear forever?
Available now on Amazon: SCANDAL’S PROMISE
SHADOW OF THE FOX
In 1846 War Looms in Alta California.
Sorina Braithwaite, rebellious granddaughter of a prominent California ranchero, has her own battle to fight. Desperate to escape an arranged marriage to a man she despises, she threatens to expose an American spy unless he helps her flee.
Lt. Lance Grainger, intrigued by her audacity as much as her beauty, knows if Sorina disappears, her arrogant fiancé will follow, thus distracting him from the insurgency he’s plotting. But there’s a risk. As the son of a man branded a coward, Lance has spent his entire career rebuilding his family’s honor. If he’s thought to be a deserter, his honor will be in shreds.
As the declaration of war nears, Lance and Sorina set out on a journey of danger and intrigue, but both soon discover their hearts may be in the greatest peril of all.
Available now on Amazon: SHADOW OF THE FOX
RETURN OF THE FOX
The year is 1847…
Gabriel de la Vega, disgraced son of a Mexican ranchero, returns to his Alta California home when Americans take
power to help his countrymen with the bewildering transition and make amends to the woman he once wronged.
Fiercely independent, Isabella Fuentes swore she’d never forgive Gabriel for abandoning her on the night they were to elope. Now he’s back, playing a dangerous game, pretending to be meek and repentant when she knows the handsome, former outlaw is anything but contrite.
When a series of accidents threaten Isabella’s safety, Gabriel offers an outrageous solution: the protection of a brief civil marriage. Isabella is tempted. But can she rely on a man who once betrayed her and can she trust her foolish heart to let him go when the danger has passed?
Available now on Amazon: RETURN OF THE FOX
Author of eight books on California history and seventeen romance novels, Pamela Gibson is a former City Manager who lives in the Nevada desert. Having spent the last three years messing about in boats, a hobby that included a five-thousand-mile trip in a 32-foot Nordic Tug, she now spends most of her time indoors happily reading, writing, cooking and keeping up with the antics of Ralph, the Rescue Cat. If you want to learn more about her activities go to https://www.pamelagibsonwrites.com and sign up for her quarterly newsletter and occasional blog. Or follow her in these places:
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