“Are you certain?”
“I am.”
Blayth rubbed his hands together thoughtfully. He’d been waiting for this very question for years and he was prepared. Tor had been in denial for so long that this was an unexpected moment, but not entirely unexpected considering the way Tor kept looking at Isalyn.
He had a bride to protect.
“Do not take what I am about to say as an insult, but from the start, you failed where Barbara and Lenore were concerned,” he said. “They were quite young when you brought them to Castle Questing and you turned them over to Scott’s wife and told her to do with them as she pleased. Avrielle molded them, taught them, guided them, but you were their only family and you essentially cast them off. I am not trying to hurt you, but what I am about to tell you is the only solution as I see it.”
“What is that?”
“Send them away,” he said flatly. “Armathwaite Nunnery is near Carlisle. Barbara and Lenore have been able to do whatever they please since they were brought into our family and you have not held them in check, nor have you disciplined them. They do not know what discipline is. You must send them to the nuns at Armathwaite and let them impose their strict rules upon them. They are Benedictines, Tor. That means their order is one of obedience and strict discipline. Unless you want your new wife looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life, it is the only solution. Let those two vipers atone for their sins, of which they have many.”
Tor knew he was right and tried not to feel like a failure because of it. He had created a pair of monsters and now he had to deal with the consequences. He glanced at Isalyn, who was holding up a sheer gossamer scarf so Isabella could see it and he knew there was no other choice. He realized that he was quite eager to get rid of them, especially when Barbara’s words to Isabella sounded like a threat.
He couldn’t let any lingering guilt for Jane muddle him any longer.
“I thought about finding the pair husbands to solve the problem, but that will take time,” he said. “Moreover, I do not want to saddle any man with women like that. It would be a cruel trick to play on my worst enemy, so you are correct. Armathwaite is an excellent suggestion.”
“I am glad you think so,” Blayth said, but his manner softened. He really wasn’t trying to be cruel. “Tor, we know you thought you were doing what Jane wanted by taking care of her sisters, but you were so young at the time. We know you did what you thought was best, but there is an old saying – nati sut mala. Do you know what that means?”
“Evil born?”
Blayth nodded. “It means that some people are just born wicked,” he said. “Mayhap Barbara and Lenore were just born that way and there was nothing you could have done about it even had you known. Jane was a good and true wife, but sometimes that does not always carry over to the rest of the siblings. It is not something you should blame yourself for, but ignoring it was your fault. I am proud of you for finally facing the reality of those two and doing as you must. Do not feel guilty for it.”
Tor smiled weakly. “I am trying not to,” he said. “But I know that Jane would have been appalled at what they have done. She did not have an evil bone in her body.”
Blayth had never met Jane, but he knew Tor was a man of character. He surrounded himself with people of character, the exception being Barbara and Lenore. Out of guilt, they had been his blind spot.
But the blind man could now see.
“I am sure she was a fine woman,” Blayth said. “That was never in dispute. As for her sisters, would you like me to send a missive to Armathwaite and relay the situation? We can send Barbara and Lenore to the nunnery as soon as you wish.”
Tor thought on that a moment. “Nay,” he said. “No missive. I will personally escort Barbara and Lenore to the nunnery and explain the situation myself to the nuns. I shall also leave a sizable donation for their care. This is something I must see to myself. They are my problem, after all.”
Blayth understood. “You should do it sooner rather than later.”
Tor nodded. “I will. Tomorrow, if I can.”
Blayth smiled at him, patting him on the shoulder and calling to his daughter to attend him so the betrothed couple could be alone. Isabella went, but slowly, until Blayth grasped her by the hand and dragged her out of the chamber. Fraser, who had been lingering by the door, followed close behind. When he shut the door quietly behind him, Tor turned to Isalyn.
“I am sure you heard all of that,” he said quietly.
Isalyn was in the process of draping the gossamer scarf over her shoulders, admiring the glistening material. “I did,” she said. “But it was not my place to interrupt you or give my opinion. May I do that now?”
“Of course.”
“Your uncle’s suggestion is an excellent one,” she said. “Barbara and Lenore will be well tended at the nunnery. They will have a life of purpose and discipline. You said yourself that they did not wish to marry, and they cannot remain here, so the nunnery is a logical solution. I do not mean to sound callous, but let Armathwaite have the harpies.”
Tor gave her a half-grin at the name she used for the pair, true as it was. “I suppose I should have done it long ago,” he said. “This entire situation has me ashamed.”
Isalyn shook her head. “You should not be,” she said. “No matter how hard you try, you cannot control the thoughts and actions of others. Barbara and Lenore have made their own choices.”
“True,” he said. “But I feel as if I should make amends to the young women they injured. Poor Heather d’Umfraville lost three front teeth because of them.”
Isalyn winced, putting her hand to her mouth at the ghastly thought. “Poor woman,” she said. “But everyone believed it was an accident, correct?”
“They did.”
“Then mayhap you should simply let things lie. What good will it do to let her know it was deliberate? It will only hurt her more.”
He sighed. “I suppose that is true,” he said. “I saw her a year after the accident and her father had taken her to a surgeon in London who had made an appliance for her with the teeth of corpses. She could put it in her mouth and it looked as if she had never lost those front teeth, so thank God the damage was somewhat repairable.”
“What a remarkable thing,” Isalyn agreed. “Since she has been restored, I would just let her continue to think the incident was an unfortunate accident. But you are very sweet to want to make amends.”
Tor smiled at her and, as if suddenly realizing they were alone, reached out and pulled her into his embrace. It was the first time he’d ever done that, freely and without reserve, and Isalyn wrapped her arms around his neck. He was so tall that he had to bend over in order to hold her and she clung to him tightly.
For a moment, they simply held one another, feeling warmth against warmth.
It was a magical moment.
“I want to take care of Lenore and Barbara before we wed,” he said huskily, his face in the side of her head. “I hope you do not mind, but I do not want them hanging over our heads or interfering with our marriage in any way. Let me take them to Armathwaite first so that we may only focus on our life together. That is all I want to think about.”
Isalyn’s fingers were in his hair. “I understand and I agree,” she said. “Do you really intend to take them to the nunnery tomorrow?”
“I would do it tonight, but I suppose it is the compassionate thing to give them time to choose which possessions they wish to take,” he said. “But truthfully, I have lost my perspective with this. What do you suggest?”
She pulled back to look him in the eyes. “You are worrying too much,” she said softly. “It seems to me that you went through years of inactivity where they were concerned and now, you are concerned that you are not reacting swiftly enough. Taking them in the next day or two is fine.”
He smiled faintly, leaning forward to kiss her soft mouth. “Thank you,” he murmured. “When they are safely away and all is well again, we shall go to Ca
stle Questing so you can meet my father.”
She chuckled. “Then you must retrieve my father from Carlisle first. He will not forgive you if you visit Warenton without him.”
“Why did he stay in Carlisle, anyway?”
She shrugged. “Something about his majordomo stealing from him,” she said. “The last time I visited, years ago, he said the same thing, so I think it is something he accuses the man of on a regular basis.”
“But still, the majordomo remains.”
She nodded, giggling. “He does.”
Tor pulled her close once again, feeling her body molding against his. He could feel her breasts against him, her belly. She was round and pleasing, and he could feel himself becoming aroused. It had been years since he’d last had a woman, and being a man in his prime, had all of the normal needs of a man.
Especially where Isalyn was concerned.
She made him feel like his entire body was awakening from a long and dark slumber.
“Let us not speak of your father or of the harpies any longer,” he muttered, burying his face in the side of her head again. “Let us only speak of us.”
Isalyn gave in to his overwhelming heat, his power. She closed her eyes, savoring his embrace.
“What do you wish to speak of?” she whispered.
He sighed with great contentment before picking her up and carrying her, her body trailing down his, over to the bed so he could sit down. He sat, putting her on his lap.
“Of you,” he murmured, kissing her neck. “Of us. My father has ten children. I should like to have at least that many.”
Her eyes flew open and she looked at him in horror. “Ten children?”
He fought off a grin. “Too many?”
She could see that he was teasing her, so she played along. “Nay,” she said. “But I think they should all be girls.”
Now, his eyes opened wide. “All girls?”
She nodded confidently. “Girls are much easier to manage than boys.”
He grunted. “I have not done very well with girls in my care in the past.”
Her smile faded. “You will when I am in charge of them,” she said. “They will be disciplined and loved and encouraged to be creative. They will be the most cherished and well-mannered lasses in the north.”
His smile returned, just a little. “You’ll have them writing dramas?”
“Mayhap,” she said, a twinkle in her eyes. “Riding wild horses, writing dramas, and forging their way in this world. That was how you met me, after all. It is not such a bad thing.”
He leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose. “It is not,” he said. “And after we are married, we will make plans to go to London and look for property to purchase. I will speak with my Uncle Edward. He spends most of his time in London and will know who we may speak with. Mayhap there is an old earl somewhere, selling his London townhome.”
“I am looking forward to it.”
“Are you really?”
Her answer was to lean forward, kissing his lips sweetly. That was the only answer Tor needed. He lost himself, winding his fingers in her carefully styled hair, but she didn’t stop him. He pulled her down to him and she let him. She was soft and sweet, and he feasted on her like a man who hadn’t tasted a woman in many years.
Truth be told, he’d only had one sexual experience before he met Jane and he hadn’t had any since. Oh, there had been urges, but he hadn’t given in to them simply because he felt as if touching another woman was betraying Jane. He was confused and sad, and considered celibacy a necessary evil.
But he didn’t feel that way any longer.
He was prepared to feast on a woman he would be faithful to until the end of his life.
That delicious figure was calling to him, those full breasts and generous hips. His kisses became more forceful, his tongue sliding into her mouth as she gasped. But he suckled on her tongue, settling her down, and she began to mimic his movements. Her body became boneless and pliable.
In a short amount of time, Tor was on fire.
Laying Isalyn on the bed beside him, his big, warm body partially covering her, his weight bearing down on her, but she didn’t resist. Her arms around his neck held him fast. When he tried to pull away a little so his weight would not be so heavy on her, she wouldn’t let him move. She suckled on his tongue as he has suckled on hers.
The fire began to burn out of control.
Tor didn’t keep her waiting. As his lips feasted on hers, a big hand closed gently over a full breast, feeling the silken texture against his palm. The action startled Isalyn but she didn’t pull away from him, not even when he pulled the top of her gown and shift down, down to the point where he nearly exposed the nipple. Still, she didn’t resist and he pulled the dress down a little further.
The nipple sprung free.
His mouth clamped over it.
Isalyn gasped in both surprise and ecstasy as he began to suckle. Every tug sent bolts of excitement shooting through her body and between her legs, a flame ignited that she’d never before experienced. She had no idea what it was, but something was pulsing to life. The more he fondled her, the more Isalyn seemed to respond.
The gown was coming off.
Isalyn didn’t even know how it came off, only that it had. The ties were unfastened and she lifted her arms so he could pull it over her head, and suddenly it was on the floor. She was nude, with only her hose on her legs, tied with matching ribbons, and the mere sight drove Tor mad with desire. His mouth left her breasts, his lips feasting over her belly and her hips. His mouth, his hands, were everywhere.
Isalyn lay there and let him.
Tor was being consumed by a wildfire now. He returned to her plump breasts, nursing against them hungrily as his fingers sought out the dark curls between her legs. She was already wet and swollen, her body preparing for his entry, and he pushed a finger into her tight, wet passage, slowly moving in and out of her, mimicking the thrusting that would soon be taking place. Isalyn groaned and opened her legs to him, instinctively, and Tor could wait no longer.
As fast as lightning, he ripped off what clothing he had on – a mail coat, padded tunic, belt, breeches – they all ended up on the floor and he threw himself down on top of her again, listening to her grunt as his weight came down. Carefully, he positioned his heavy phallus at her threshold, pushing into her slick and waiting body. He was so big that Isalyn groaned at his sensual intrusion, wriggling her hips as she tried to make it more comfortable, to ease the sting of possession. But her body was so prepared for this moment that a sting was all it was as he thrust into her, breaking her maiden’s barrier, claiming this woman for his own as he’d never claimed another. She was his, body and soul, and nothing on this earth could ever separate them.
She belonged to him, forever.
Carefully, Tor began to thrust, his arms going around her as he gathered her up tightly against him, her chest to his, the feel of her soft breasts against his flesh feeding his lust. Beneath him, Isalyn groaned and gasped at the new sensations, her legs opening wider for him as her nails dug crescent-shaped wounds into his broad back. Her body was responding to his as if she were made for him and him alone.
She wanted more.
Tor had never experienced anything so sweet in his entire life. His body pounded into hers and she accepted all of him, her pelvis instinctively moving against his. It was pure magic, his manhood burying itself into her wet folds as her body tried to coax forth his seed. Her hands, soft and warm, moved from his back to his buttocks timidly. At first, her touch was light, like butterfly wings, becoming acquainted with the feel of his rock-hard backside. After a moment, her touch became bolder and she squeezed his cheeks in a gloriously delicious move.
Tor surrendered without a fight.
His hot seed exploded into her body and Isalyn felt him shudder as he released. He kept moving within her, however, his hand moving to the junction between her legs, stroking her until she, too, experienced her first release
. It was as if her entire body exploded, gasping as waves of pleasure rolled over her.
As the ripples died down, Tor remained buried in her, kissing her gently, showing her without words how much he was coming to adore her. An unexpected woman at the most unexpected time in his life had quickly become part of him.
He’d never been overwhelmed like this before.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered in his ear.
He stopped kissing her and looked at her. “For what?”
Isalyn looked rather dazed, but there was no mistaking the warmth in her eyes. “For not putting up more of a fight,” she murmured. “We are not even married yet and I let you… I pray you do not think too poorly of me.”
He looked at her strangely. “I pray you do not think too poorly of me,” he said. “We should not have taken such liberty and I know that, but the moment I touched you, common sense and reason seemed to vanish. What I have come to feel for you, Isalyn… I am overwhelmed with you. All of you.”
She smiled, her hands going to his face, stroking his brow gently. “Then mayhap we had better marry as soon as possible so that we do not feel guilty should we become overwhelmed with each other again.”
He snorted. “So your father does not turn Fraser loose on me if he realizes I cannot keep my hands from you.”
“I think you can defeat Fraser.”
“I can, but if I hurt him, Isabella would never forgive me.”
Isalyn chuckled, throwing her arms around his neck again and pulling him close. Tor wrapped her up in his big arms, savoring her flesh against his, closing his eyes as he inhaled her delicious female musk.
“Isalyn?”
“Aye?”
“What would you say if I told you that I adore you?”
“I would say that I adore you, too.”
“I may even love you.”
“I may even love you, too.”
That was all Tor wanted to hear. He’d been waiting his whole life for this moment and he didn’t even know it.
He would have liked to have taken more time with her, but there would be all the time in the world after they married. They were in a rather risky position at the moment, so with a final kiss, Tor pushed himself off her and pulled her into a sitting position. He went around gathering clothes that had been thrown off in the heat of passion and they quickly dressed. He’d barely finished pulling his boots on when Isabella was knocking at the door, demanding to come in.
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