by Emily Ward
Once Emily was out of the barn and the doors were once again closed, Madeline sat up and began fixing her dress and looking for her bloomers. To her dismay all she found were bits of the ripped material.
“This was a big mistake. I knew it was. I do not know why I let myself do this. Now I need a new pair of bloomers. Those were my best pair,” she lamented as she fixed her dress.
“I do not think this was a mistake, Miss Fisher. I do not know what one would call it, but a mistake is not one of the things I would say it was. I am drawn to you like a moth to a candle flame. I know you feel the same about me as well, do you not?” He asked as he inched closer to her.
Madeline felt her heart speed up again as he closed the distance between them and pulled her to him. She quickly put her hand against his chest and pushed him back. The confused look in his eye told her that he did not understand why she was pushing him away when she had so willingly accepted him before.
“We cannot continue to do this, My Lord. You are betrothed to my cousin and I will not do anything to ruin her hopes and dreams. We must learn to control ourselves for the duration of your visit for her sake,” Madeline said firmly. She hoped she could make herself understand that as much as him.
“You are right. Once again, I have been a cad and displayed boorish behavior at least by your standard. I do not see what we have done as a mistake, but for your sake I shall try my best to behave myself. I feel something for you, Madeline. I know I am not supposed to, and I cannot say exactly what it is that I feel, but I do feel something, and I do not want to deny myself the things that I feel. Please do not make me,” he said sternly.
Madeline looked at him with tears glistening in her eyes. “Please, if you feel for me the way you say you do then do not do anything to ruin your marriage with Emily. They would never forgive me, and I would have no one,” she sobbed.
Charles lifted her chin with his finger until her eyes were even with his. “You are wrong, you would have me. I know I am being rather bold and forward about this and we have not known one another very long, but what I feel for you is real. If you would rather, I keep it to myself and no longer act on my feelings then, that is what I will do. Just know I do not like it one little bit and the whole lifetime I am married to your cousin I will be thinking of you,” he said as he climbed down the ladder and left the barn.
Madeline sobbed as the words he said rang in her head. How could she have let it happen? How could she have let herself fall for the man her cousin was supposed to marry? She wondered if Emily had any idea of what had been transpiring between them over the past several days that he had been there. She hoped that she could keep how she felt from showing on her face the rest of his visit and that Emily would never know anything had gone awry. Madeline wiped her tears and made sure she was covered as she climbed down the ladder. When she exited the barn, she saw Charles standing at the window of the foyer that overlooked the barn. She made her way inside the house hoping to get by without any further contact with Charles, but he was waiting for her in the foyer where he had been watching her out the window. Without saying a word, he had her pinned against the wall and his lips on hers. Madeline pushed against him, but it was no use. His strength was ten times that of hers.
When he finally pulled back from the kiss, she opened her mouth to say something and he covered her mouth with his hand. “I know what you are going to say and I know that it is wrong, but I also know that there is something about you that my heart desires and I intend to discover what that might be,” he said as he released her mouth and walked away from her, leaving her standing there alone.
***
Madeline made her way down the stairs as she heard voices talking excitedly. She knew she was going to have to pretend to be happy even though she did not feel that way at the moment. As she reached the bottom of the stairs and headed for the dining hall, the voices reached her ears.
“I think it is marvelous that you want to extend your stay, My Lord! I am sure this news will make my daughter a very happy woman. You may also be of service when it comes to planning the wedding!” Walter exclaimed.
“I think I will leave that particular job up to the ladies. Whatever my Emily wants she will get,” Charles said as Madeline rounded the corner.
There eyes met for a brief moment before Emily grabbed Madeline and pulled her into a broom closet down the hall. Madeline knew that something was wrong by the way Emily had tugged on her. She prayed that Emily had not seen them leaving the barn or heard any of the exchange they had before they left the barn.
“I know what you are trying to do, Madeline and it is not going to work. Charles is mine. He loves me and we are getting married in less than a month. I wanted you to be my maid of honor, but I do not know if I can have a thief in my wedding,” Emily hissed.
“I have no idea what you are talking about, Emily I have not stolen anything from you, nor do I want to. I know who Charles belongs to and I have done nothing to give him reason to come calling on me. You have absolutely nothing to worry about,” Madeline lied.
“Oh, come now, Cousin, I see the way he looks at you and the way he stares at you from the window. I noticed it straightaway after he arrived. He fancies you because of your free spirit and inability to follow the rules set forth for nobility. He is the same way and I can tell he is drawn to you for that. You cannot tell me you do not fancy the attention of a man like him. I know you do so just be truthful with me,” she begged with tears glistening in her eyes.
“Emily, I swear to you there is nothing between us. I would never do anything to hurt you that way. He has only just met me; he probably watches me because he wants to get to know me better. I am sure you have nothing to worry about,” Madeline reassured her.
Emily nodded and wiped at the tears from her face as Madeline embraced her. Seeing Emily this way made Madeline realize that she could not let anything more happen between her and Charles. She also knew that if anyone found out what they had already done, there would be severe devastation where Emily was concerned. Madeline led Emily out of the broom closet, and they made their way back to the dinner table. Madeline had no idea how she was going to handle being around him now, but she knew she had to keep her secret for Emily’s sake even if that meant being miserable for the rest of her life.
Charles
Charles laid awake thinking of Madeline and how good she had felt beneath his hands. He knew he needed to put her out of his mind, but he could not. The feel of her soft curves and the sound of her soft moans in his memory made him want to experience more of her. He tossed and turned in a fitful sleep until the sun peeked through the window. He reluctantly rose from his bed and dressed for the day. His heart leapt in his chest as he overheard Emily and Madeline discussing the fact that Madeline was finished with school for the winter and Emily was going on a trip to town.
Charles knew this would be his only shot most likely to get Madeline alone and take her as his own. He knew deep down that the thoughts he was having were not right and he should not be planning to do something like that to Emily, but he could not deny there was something strong drawing him into Madeline. Once the duke and Emily left for town, Charles made quick work of searching the house for Madeline. He found her in the library and snuck in behind her. He turned her to face him and pressed his lips to hers before she had time to react to him. She fought against him at first, but then slowly her body melded into his and she pulled him closer to her for a moment before breaking the kiss.
“Charles, I thought we agreed that this would not happen again, and things would go on as if this had never happened?” Madeline asked, a bit bewildered.
“I know, I know. I am sorry I just needed to feel you against me once more. You have no idea what your touch does to me Madeline,” he confessed.
“Oh, but I do know as I felt it against my leg in the barn,” she quipped.
They shared a quiet laugh before coming together for another brief moment of passion. Before things could g
et too out of control, Madeline pushed him back from her and pursed her lips together.
“I need to deliver these books to the neighbor down the road for their children. I plan to ride a bicycle. Would you care join me on the ride?” She asked him.
He quickly nodded his head and they headed for the bicycles they were to ride on the quick delivery. Once they returned, Madeline headed to the barn to check on the horses. Curious to see how she handled the horses when not riding them, he followed her inside. He stood closely and watched as she bathed and brushed each horse carefully. After she finished putting away the grooming supplies, she turned and threw herself into his arms, pressing her lips to his. Before Charles knew what was happening, Madeline took his hand and led him to the back of the barn where the ladder for the hay loft was located. She quickly climbed the ladder and he followed her up. Charles pulled her to him and crushed his lips to hers as he began to fumble the buttons of her dress. Once her breasts were exposed, he cupped them in his hands as he rubbed them gently. He looked in her eyes as he pulled her bloomers free of her body and caressed the soft flesh between her thighs until soft moans of pleasure escaped her lips.
His body responded to her and he felt his hardened length pressing against his knickers. He desperately wanted to be inside her feeling her all around him, but he knew that he could not have that wish granted unless Madeline told him she wanted the same. He pressed his hardness into her buttocks as she cried out in climax. He held her and kissed her gently as her body convulsed with the spasms.
“Make love to me, Charles. Make love to me please,” she begged him as she pulled at his clothes.
He knew that doing what she asked of him was a big mistake, but he knew he could not resist her. He had wanted to know what it would feel like to bed her from the moment they locked eyes and he was about to get the chance he had waited for. He quickly wiggled out of his clothing and maneuvered himself between her long legs. She lithely wrapped them around his waist, and he groaned as he felt her warmth against his skin. He gave in to her and gave her the pleasure she asked for from him and when it was over, he knew a big mistake had been made. He dressed quickly as he heard the carriage making its way up the lane. They both scurried down the ladder and made themselves disappear from the barn before anyone could see where they exited from. Charles watched as she went upstairs from the back of the house and he headed to his room on the grand staircase. He knew that had been a close call and he could not expect Madeline to continue risking her living situation for his need of her touch. Her touch was something he loved, and he felt himself harden again at the thought. He knew he needed to get a grip on himself before Emily did find out what had been going on.
As he sat in his room pondering the situation and how it had come to that, the guilt over what they had done washed over him like a wave on the sand. Despite the fact that it had felt the way he imagined it would, he knew what they had done was very wrong and he would secretly spend the rest of his life making it up to Emily.
***
It had been a week since the encounter with Madeline in the barn and he still felt horrible about it. He knew he felt something for her, but he still had no idea what it was that he felt. He knew that even though he felt something for her, what they had done was wrong and he could not get it out of his head. He knew that he loved Emily even if it was not as strong as it once had been. He realized that no matter how he felt it was his duty to uphold the promise of marriage he made to Emily and her father and that was what he was going to do. He had spent the week watching Madeline from a distance and only interacting with her at the dinner table.
The rest of the time had been spent with Emily choosing the flowers for the upcoming wedding, even though that was not something he was interested in. Despite knowing that he did love Emily and it was the right thing, the closer the wedding day came, the bigger the pit in his stomach got. To keep Emily from getting suspicious of anything, Charles had suggested they all go on a horseback ride together. He knew that was a colossal mistake when Madeline appeared in her riding habit and sun hat. The hat shaded her face from the sun and made her eyes a deeper shade of blue than they normally were, and the riding habit was hugging Madeline’s curves in just the right way. He was mesmerized and he knew it. He just hoped that Emily had not noticed how much he was staring at Madeline.
The girls had reached the barn first as they raced back. When Charles rode up to the barn, he was met with the sound of an argument. By the time he walked his horse to the barn the fighting had stopped, and Madeline had stormed past him in a huff.
“What was that all about?” He asked Emily as he brushed his horse.
“I confronted her about the relationship going on between you two. I see the way you look at her Charles I know you feel something for her. You do not have to lie to me, besides one of the staff saw you both coming out of the barn together. I know you do not really love me Charles I have seen it in your eyes for a long time now. You have lost the spark you once had when our eyes met, and I know it is because you have found her. She is wild and free like you and I am boring and follow all the rules that nobility are meant to follow,” she said as she looked at him with glistening eyes.
“Emily, there is no relationship between Madeline and me. There is something about her that intrigues me, yes, but I love you and I am so very excited to marry you on Christmas Day and we were in the barn together because I helped her bathe and brush the horses. I swear to you there is nothing going on between us,” he lied as he grasped her hands in his.
The smile that spread across Emily’s face warmed his heart. He knew that there could never be anything else between him and Madeline so that he would never hurt Emily. It had to stop he would not allow himself to shame Emily any more than he already had. She had loved him through so many bad times he could not believe that he had betrayed her the way that he had. He wanted to tell her, to confess everything, but he knew that would do no one any good and there would be no marriage. He quickly decided that he would never tell anyone just as they had agreed, and he would continue on like everything was as it had always been.
He spent the few hours he had before dinner walking the grounds and taking in the magnificent view. As he reached the house to wash up for dinner, Emily met him at the door.
“Have you seen Madeline? She did not come inside after our argument earlier and I have been looking for her to apologize,” she said, a worried look on her face.
“No, I have not seen her since she stormed past me at the barn. I am sure she just needed some time to herself. I would not worry too much, my dear,” he said calmly even though he was a wreck on the inside. His gut told him there was something wrong about the situation, he just could not figure out what it was.
“You are right. We should go to dinner, I am sure she will show up when the food comes out,” Emily said with a shaky voice.
Neither one of them believed that everything was okay, and Charles knew it by the way Emily sounded. He escorted her to the dining all making sure to remove her arm from his before the duke saw them touching. The last thing he needed was her father angry at him for breaking protocol.
“Good evening you two, where is Madeline? It is not like her to be late to the dinner table. She knows we eat at six sharp,” Walter said gruffly.
“I do not know, sir. We have not seen her since earlier this afternoon,” Charles replied.
He could tell everyone was worried about Madeline and he had no idea what to do to help them. He knew if she did not come home soon someone would have to go and look for her and he knew it needed to be him no matter what Emily thought. He had caused this mess and he needed to be the one to fix it and would if given the chance to.
Charles grew more worried when Madeline had not came back by the time the dessert hit the table. He knew then that something had gone horribly wrong and she could possibly be in danger. As he sat on the veranda alone with only a glass of brandy and a cigar for company, a shrill scream pierced the quie
t. He jumped and ran inside to find Emily clamoring down the stairs.
“She is gone! She has been taken! I found a note. I have no idea how they got in the house without any of us seeing them. They must be professional kidnappers,” Emily shrieked.
“What does the note say?” the duke bellowed. “We must find her immediately!”
Emily handed Charles the letter with shaking fingers. He unfolded the paper and looked it over. He had no idea who was behind this, but he knew that once he found them, they would wish they had never been born. He handed the letter to the duke so he would be the first to read it, then he carefully looked over it once the duke was finished.
To whom it may concern:
I have taken your precious jewel Madeline and judging by the fact I slipped in and out with her, I can tell you will not miss her very much. In the event that you do miss her and want her to return home, you may take one million pounds and place it in a bag beside the fountain in the town square. You have until the end of the week to comply or I send the girl back to you in tiny pieces.
-B
Rage flowed through him like the brook flowed through the hillside. How dare this monster come in and remove Madeline from her safe place and demand money from the man that had just recently become her father. Charles handed the note to Emily just as the constable arrived from town. He took the note, but we all knew there was very little he could do about the fact that Madeline was missing. As I watched him tell the duke that with such little evidence there was not much that could be done, I told myself I could find her, and I felt compelled to go and look for her. He decided to look around the estate before taking his search elsewhere. Once he established that they had not hid her in the house somewhere, Charles knew he must take his search elsewhere.
Charles knew that it would be a daunting task trying to find her, but he knew he had to try. He did not understand why someone would want to take such a sweet girl and harm her the way they described in the letter.