by Jenn LeBlanc
“Yes, Your Grace. It is. I have no issue with you, this woman is not my responsibility, and I will not again cause any sort of harm to befall her, or to insult you, or any member of your household or family.”
“Let it be done then. Do not cross me, Mayjoy. I will not hesitate in my retribution a second time.” Then Castleberry turned to her. “Do you wish to say anything more?”
She peeked past his massive frame to the man she’d once been so frightened of. He was a paltry sum of flesh and bone at this point. Beneath her notice. She shook her head, and Castleberry took her hand and placed it on his arm, leading her away without hesitation.
He paused in the narthex. “Miss Present, a moment.”
“Yes, Your Grace?” She turned to him.
“We haven’t been properly introduced, which is my fault. You know who I am. However, in private you may know me as Charles. We are to be family. If not in name, in every other possible way.”
Tears pricked at Louisa’s eyes then at how thoughtful this man was. “Please, you may call me Louisa.”
“Louisa,” he said with a nod. “Thank you for trusting me. If you have need for anything, please know I am at our service.”
“Your Gra— Charles, at the moment I want for nothing other than to spend the evening with my family.”
He nodded and they joined the others on the church stair. Most of the congregation had already dispersed.
Ellie walked to Louisa carefully. Perfectly poised. “Is anything amiss?” she asked, running a hand up and down her arm.
“No, my Ellie,” she whispered. “Everything is as it should be. Though I do have something to tell you later.”
Ellie smiled, then took her hand, squeezed it and let it drop between them.
Charles was thanking the priest and confirming the reading of the Banns twice more over the next two weeks, his confirmation to be sent to the parish priest at Berryshire, so their wedding, which would be at The Keep, would be on schedule. Then he turned to Amelia, bussed her cheek and took her arm. “I’ve decided that the two of you are to stay with us in the guest suites at Castleberry House tonight. They’re much more lavish than your townhome, Hugh, so there should be no complaint from you. If you would have your things brought over, I’ve already arranged for a wedding breakfast at the House.”
Louisa glanced down at her toes, which peeked out from beneath her black service dress. She twisted her arms together around her waist and tried to keep herself from falling apart at the very thought of what a duke would do for a simple girl.
Then Amelia’s arm came around her shoulders. “I think it a brilliant idea.”
Hugh winced, then looked to Ellie, whose smile was brighter than the sun. He considered for a second then smiled to himself and nodded as well. “Thank you, Castleberry. That’s quite thoughtful of you.”
Ellie
The door closed, and Ellie stared at Hugh. Hugh stared back at Ellie.
“Well,” he said, sinking his hands into his trouser pockets.
“Well,” she replied. Having nothing better to do, she walked past him to the bed and tested its buoyancy with her fingertips as he watched from the entry. After an extended silence, she heard him take a deep breath and she turned to him. Fidgeting at the door.
“We really don’t—”
“Yes. We do,” she replied.
“We could wait a bit—”
“No, we need to get this over with.”
“Right, get it over with. Like taking your medicine or burning the garbage,” he mumbled.
“Lie back and think of England and all that,” she said but she felt exasperated. They didn’t have a choice. Why put off the inevitable? “Look, we’ve been through this. We don’t need unanswerable questions from society. Besides, I want a child. Louisa and I—we want a child. This is the way to make that…happen.”
“Yes, well. There are unwanted children we could—”
“My lord, please.” They’d been through this as well, over and over. She closed her eyes for a moment to think.
“You calling my title forth isn’t going to help matters. Please. Please, call me Hugh,” he said.
She considered the difficulty for him. He was in love with Amelia, that much was patently obvious. More than that, she knew Hugh to be an honest and caring soul. This couldn’t be easy for him. After all, a man had to enact certain things in order for the act itself to take place. As it were. It wasn’t easy for her—the very idea—but she had very little need by way of preparation as far as she knew… She shook off the thoughts and started again. “Hugh. The simplest course from wedding to children is—”
“Sex. Yes, so we’re doing this.”
“Yes, we’re doing this,” she said, settling it once and for all—she hoped. She stood and started to unbutton her shirtwaist. Hugh looked down. Her gaze followed…to his trousers. His hands placated, but she could see that nothing, nothing was happening in the region of his trousers. Not a single thing. She had no idea how to…handle this particular issue. Her hand motioned toward him as she cut her gaze back up to his. “So…now that we’re reconciled to—?”
Hugh shook his head, “It’s just—not…going to happen. No fault to you, of course, but…the very idea of an unwilling—”
“I’m not unwilling—”
“‘Lie back and think of England’ isn’t quite willing is all I’m saying.”
“I won’t be thinking of England. I’ll be thinking of Louisa,” Ellie returned with a smile.
“Won’t that feel a touch like…you’re being unfaithful?”
“No, I’m here with her blessing. We all discussed this, Hugh. It’s important and not simply because we wish for those beyond our relationship to see, but because we wish to build a family of our own. All of us. Together.”
He turned at the sudden knock on the door and held his hand up to stay her. After all, they were supposed to be in this bedroom together. Everyone expected the two of them to be here. Doing what they were supposed to be doing as married people. It was perfectly awkward, regardless how wonderful everyone had been. And supportive. And thoughtful. They were just married and the wedding breakfast had come to an end, the afternoon waning into evening before the fire as the five of them had become more familiar with each other. And then they’d all decided to retire…to their respective suites.
Hugh took a deep, calming breath and turned the knob and the door fell into him, banging his knee as he let go of the knob and caught his true bride. “Amelia, what?” he said as he lifted her to her feet.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I just, we thought perhaps… Or, I thought— And then Charles… And Louisa mentioned—”
“Amelia.”
“Yes, right.” Amelia took him by the lapels and brought his attention to her with trembling hands. She smiled over his shoulder at Ellie, then back up at him with tears in her eyes. This was it—they’d planned this, Ellie and Amelia and Charles, because Hugh had been waffling. He was too thoughtful. But here was Amelia to help with her part. Ellie hurried with her trappings but couldn’t manage to take her eyes from the two of them in the process.
Hugh lifted one hand, skimmed the crest of Amelia’s cheek and wiped a tear aside then kissed its path. “Amelia.” He sounded desolate.
“I’m simply happy. Truly, I am so…” Amelia sniffled and nodded to Ellie over Hugh’s shoulder, and Ellie hurried, slipping her skirts free. When he turned to see what she was doing behind him, Amelia tightened her grip on his lapels, stealing his attention. “Hugh. Just one thing, and then the rest of our lives, remember?” She nodded then pushed his jacket off his shoulders. “Just one, small, tedious—” Ellie glanced up at her, and Amelia winced. “Not tedious…beautiful…beautiful and important thing, and then the rest of our lives. With all of our blessings. All of us.”
Amelia had managed his jacket, cravat, and waistcoat and was slipping the buttons from his shirt as Ellie was sliding between the linens with naught on but her chemise, drawers a
nd stockings. She adjusted the fall of the bed curtains to cast shadows across her but left her breasts free for Hugh to see, as instructed, by Charles. He’d mentioned how important breasts were—as if she weren’t aware.
Ellie waited. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of clothing being removed and thought of Louisa—concentrated on her, on her mouth, her hands skating across her skin, her fingers taking her virginity. At that memory, Ellie became wet with wanting and her breath rushed her.
She heard Hugh whisper, “Have I told you today how much I love you? Because I do. I truly love you, Amelia.”
Ellie watched again from behind the heavy velvet drapes. Amelia’s hands stilled when his rested on top of them and she met his gaze. Ellie thought sure she should look away but she couldn’t manage it.
“And I love you, Hugh. You—I married you today. You married me today.” She rose up to his mouth and he took, sliding his hands down her arms and around her waist as she held on. Hugh licked, kissed, nibbled and played with her lips until she smiled against him. “I simply couldn’t be happier, husband,” she whispered into him.
They were so beautiful together. She’d seen them together but never this intimate, of course, never like this. This was a man and wife behind a closed door…and what was she? Technically speaking she was his wife, but here, in this room, she didn’t belong. Children, she thought. Children, we need children to validate this…whatever this is. For protection. But also for Louisa. She and Louisa wanted children—they wanted a family to raise as their own, together. This was the way to make this happen because Louisa couldn’t do it. Besides, as his lawfully wedded wife, it was Ellie’s responsibility.
Amelia pulled Hugh’s shirt from his trousers, then he bent at the waist so she could lift it from him. She skimmed her hands over his chest, and Ellie heard him hiss against her as he took her up and pushed his hips to hers. “Amelia, my love, my darling, please.” And Ellie watched, waiting. “We haven’t even—”
“I know, I know, but our time will come.” Amelia’s eyes were bright with unshed tears in the flicker of the gaslights. She slid a hand through his messy hair, then pulled him to her again and her other hand went between them, in the area of concern—his trousers, and he hissed against her once more.
“Oh God, Amelia,” he groaned.
She shouldn’t be watching this between them—even as she lay here practically naked. Waiting. Nervous. Terrified, truth be told. She leaned back into the shadows and listened to their heavy, breathy voices.
“Just one more thing, and then our wedding night. Just one more thing,” Amelia said. “Be gentle. I love you.”
Ellie heard the heavy click of the door opening and peeked around the curtains again when everything went silent. Amelia turned the knob for the gaslights and they dimmed around them, and she took him by the shoulders and turned him around, gave him a push. He walked toward the darkened bed, toward her, as she heard the latch on the door click shut.
The only thing he’d be able to see, above the edge of the linens on the bed, were her breasts, because Charles said men were visual creatures, and breasts were meant to arouse men, though they happened to have much the same effect on her. She smiled. She supposed she had more in common with Hugh than she’d considered.
“Maitland.” He was close now, passing through the shadows closer to the bed, and she felt him pull aside the linens and the bed dipped when he put one knee and then the other on the bed. He moved between her legs, and she welcomed him.
“Shhh…I know. No more words. Let’s see to this.”
He stiffened. “Let’s see to this?” he said as he searched the depths of the shadows.
“Hugh, come to me,” she whispered. She drew her hands to her breasts and ringed her nipples with the tips of her fingers just as Louisa had done. She watched as he leaned back on his knees and released the fall of his trousers, giving her a clear view of his manhood and every muscle in her body tensed, stopping her breath as though a sudden freeze had overtaken the landscape of her flesh. His cock was large and…well kept was the best way she had to describe it. She found she wasn’t averse to it, though it was larger than Louisa’s fingers. It seemed smooth and somehow proud, as he stroked it base to tip.
Hugh stopped moving, yet again, “Maitland, I’m not sure I can… I care for you. I can’t—”
“Hugh.” She reached for him, but he avoided her hands, then grasped her thighs and pulled her down in the bed until the soft gaslight covered her face and she was below him. His cock skimmed her belly at the gap of her drawers as he leaned over her, skin to skin, and the breath left her lungs.
“Maitland.” He leaned down and rested on his hips, his belly covering her most intimate parts like a security blanket, his hands skimming the flesh of her shoulders, calming, attempting to convince her muscles to relent.
It was the oddest sensation, having so much skin covering her between her thighs, and the sensations when he shifted were rather fascinating. She reached for the drapes to shadow her face once again, but he stopped her, bringing her hand to his chest, and holding it there.
“I care for you. I understand what you’re trying to do, but I can’t make love to a headless woman. This must be done and do it we shall, but it’s me with you. I love you as family. I care for you deeply as my wife in name, as the wife of my dear friend in act. I understand what you and Amelia…and apparently Charles and Louisa attempted to do tonight and I very much appreciate it, but this is between us in this moment. Children should be created from love, and we do have that. So I will make love…with you, or not at all.”
The heat of a tear streaked her face and she had the thought that he’d probably never managed to make two women cry upon taking one to bed. She calmed under his gentle ministrations and relaxed beneath him. She wrapped her arms around him, and he kissed away more tears as they came face to face in their marriage bed. His words were so powerful.
The hair on his chest crinkled against her breasts, tickling her skin through the thin chemise as he moved over her. His gaze intent as it locked on hers. “Your eyes are incredible, Maitland. I’ve never seen anything like them,” he whispered. “I’d always thought them brown, for some reason. I’d thought you mousy. But you’re beautiful. Stunning.” His hand moved between them, and her muscles threatened to lock up once again. “Look at me,” he said, and she opened her eyes once again. “It’s just me, Hugh. This babe is ours, but she’ll also be my gift to you and to Louisa.”
“She?” It surprised Ellie, because men, they wanted their heirs—did they not?
Hugh shrugged and smiled down at her, and she relaxed. “May I touch you?” She nodded, and his fingers slid between her thighs, stroking her mons and her vulva. “Or he. But a little girl with your eyes? Born of nothing but love and want? She’ll be the sweetest pixie. A halo of white-gold curls, those intense violet eyes, your pale skin and passionate love for those around you? She’ll be a glorious child.”
“What will we call her?” she asked as one of his larger, longer, fingers sank into her as Louisa’s had the night before.
“She should be named for her mother.”
“Alice?”
“That would be lovely. I’ve always loved Louisa’s middle name. It sounds like it belongs to a fairy, does it not?” He rocked against her, the palm of his hand tempting her as his fingers skimmed and rocked and she became wet, so wet, just thinking about Louisa and making a child for her, a child who would bear her name.
“Hugh.” His name came to her lips without effort.
“May I kiss you?” he asked so reverently it made her eyes sting with tears.
She nodded. “Yes.”
He leaned toward her, and she let her eyes flutter shut as his lips met hers, so gentle it could have been nothing but a dream. But then his tongue licked her lip and she opened for him. When she did, he tasted of her and she felt cherished and loved by this man.
His muscles tensed beneath her hands, and his kiss became mo
re insistent, his fingers leaving her body, replaced with the much-larger nudge of his penis against her. He stopped kissing her, though his lips were still caressing hers and she opened her eyes once more to see his gaze on her.
“Maitland, I love you and I love Louisa, and I will love our child with everything I am,” he said against her. One of his hands came up to push the stray curls from her forehead, cupping her cheek, and she nuzzled into him as his body entered hers. She cried out silently, his penis so much bigger and more intrusive than Louisa’s small delicate fingers had been. “Can you come?”
She shook her head at the thought of it. She was wet, plentiful, but the rest? “I don’t think so,” she whispered.
“Do you wish for me to try?” he asked as his movement stilled, and she shook her head again to say no.
He moved once more, kissing tears from her cheeks, allowing her body to adjust to him. Then she turned and kissed him. He moved into her, more than she ever thought she could be filled, and she bit down on his lip in surprise, tasting the salt of his blood as he kissed her. She released him, kissing his lip where she’d bit him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered into his wound. “I’m so sorry.”
His head swept back and forth against her and he kissed her again, his body moving faster, more determined, now. His hip bones were sharp against the inside of her thighs, the muscles of his arm thick and solid like brick. His chest, even, was hard and unforgiving. All of him seemed so much more hard and sharp than every part of Louisa. Right down to the part of him that pushed inside her.
She felt his big thigh come up, nudging her legs farther apart, the rough fabric covering his thighs chaffing her softer skin where it touched. Her muscles clenched against the sudden thought of the reality of him, and he came up above her.
“Maitland, stay with me. Stay with me,” he said.
She nodded and tucked her face into his neck, holding on and attempting to concentrate on the emotion of him instead of the reality of his hard body, so different from Louisa. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms stretched about his massive shoulders. Then she felt his movements on her change, become more erratic, more unpracticed and urgent. He shifted as though searching her very depths and she thought for a moment perhaps she could come—but not tonight. She ran her hands down his back and back up, “Hugh,” she said, “I love you as well.”