by Rose Haven
“Hmmm… in that case, you can wear one of my shirts. I am sure they’ll be far more comfortable than what you are wearing.”
He begins pulling back the covers to get up when Rebecca stops her.
“No need….” She says a bit too loudly. “I mean….no need to get up. Here, I’ll wear this shirt if you have no problem.” She picks up the shirt that he’d taken off a few minutes ago.
“Of course! You can wear that if you want,” Henry says but does not look away. Rebecca waits for him to close his eyes or to turn around or to lie down but when he keeps on looking at her with a funny grin pasted on his face, she gets irritated. “How am I going to change if you keep on staring at me like that,” she asks.
“I promised not to touch you. I didn’t say anything about not staring at you,” he says cheekily.
“You think you’re very smart, don’t you?” asks Rebecca. She goes to the nightstand and blows out the candles. The entire room dissolves into pitch darkness. She hears Henry’s laugh and something that sounds like “my fiery beauty.”
Chapter Five
Rebecca tries her best to undo the buttons on her wedding gown, but to no avail. In the darkness, it is becoming extremely difficult for her to take the damned thing off. She knows that Henry is well aware of her predicament and the fact that he is offering no help infuriates her further.
When she almost trips over her gown in a bid to undo the buttons on her back, she decides that she can’t take it any longer. She swallows her pride and asks Henry to help her.
“My dear husband, do you mind helping me with these damned buttons on my gown,” she asks through clenched teeth.
Laughter bubbles up in Henry’s chest, but he knows better than to laugh at his furious wife.
“Of course, my dear wife,” he replies and is behind her in less than a moment. As his fingers fumble with the buttons on her back, a strange shyness overtakes her. She feels her body come alive under his gentle touch. When he finally undoes the last button, her gown falls in a heap on her feet. Now she is standing there in just her chemise and stockings.
“Is there anything else that I can do for you,” Henry asks huskily. His breath tickles her bare shoulders and she fights an insane urge to lean back on him.
“No!”
“Do you need help with all those pins in your hair?” Henry doesn’t want this magical moment to end so soon. He is dying to hold Rebecca in his arms and kiss her senseless, but he is bound by his promise.
There is an agonizing moment as Rebecca considers. “Alright!”
Henry gently begins removing the pins holding her luscious hair in place. As each pin comes out, a strand of her silky hair is let loose and it falls down her almost-bare back. When he removes all the pins, she turns around to face him. Her entire body is shaking with anticipation. What will he do next? Will he kiss her? Will he take off her chemise too? Rebecca feels a sweet ache down in her belly. She’s never been kissed before.
It takes every bit of Henry’s willpower to go back to the bed after standing so close to Rebecca. Just a step further and he would’ve been touching her curvaceous body. But he is a man who honors his word. He’ll not touch Rebecca unless she asks him to. And he’ll make sure that day arrives soon! If her shallow breathing was anything to go by, Rebecca had been as affected by their close proximity as he was. In a matter of few days, he’ll make her crave his touch and much more.
When Henry steps back, Rebecca wants him to ask him to stop. She wants him to hold her in his strong arms, to kiss her. But she can’t say such scandalous things to him! What would he think? She doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she’s so affected by his touch.
A little disappointed with herself for her wanton behavior and with Henry for deliberately putting her in such a situation, Rebecca puts on his shirt and goes to bed. She tries to lie down as far away from him as possible and soon falls into a deep sleep.
Henry, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his sweet, tempting wife sleeping mere inches away from his fully aroused body. He is cursing the moment he made that foolish promise. After a lot of tossing and turning, he too finally falls asleep.
The next morning, Rebecca wakes up to an empty bed. As she wonders where her husband is, Henry emerges from the bathroom, a towel tied low on his hips and his body glistening with drops of water. He looks too handsome for his own good! What an incredible way to start the morning.
“Good morning, my dear. We’ll be leaving the inn in another half an hour or so. Please get ready for the next leg of the journey.”
Half an hour! Rebecca jumps out of bed without realizing that she’s wearing nothing except Henry’s discarded white shirt. The way his eyes widen and fill with hunger when he looks at the long expanse of flesh exposed to his hungry eyes, makes her heart begin to pound. She immediately snatches a blanket to cover her legs and rushes to the bathroom. She hears Henry calling out that he’d wait for her in the dining area. Thank God, he is leaving! Now she just needs to get control of her pounding heart and ready for yet another day of gruesome travelling.
As much as Henry tries, he can’t seem to keep his libido in check whenever he is around Rebecca. So he decides to spend as little time with her in seclusion as possible, at least until they reach Southampton. Then maybe he can work something out.
After having breakfast in relative silence, Henry and Rebecca start the next leg of their journey. Both of them deliberately steer clear of any scandalous topic, each for their own reasons. Rebecca informs him of the new techniques that she’d encouraged the farmers back in Leicester to try and the positive response they generated. Henry is highly impressed by her knowledge of managing the estate and agriculture. She seems as good as any of the men he’s known.
By the evening, their carriage reaches the second inn where they would spend the night. Rebecca quickly fished out the most modest nightgown she owned earlier that morning after Henry left the room. She is relieved that she will not have to wear any of Henry’s shirts! To her surprise, Henry proposes to wait outside as she changes her clothes this time.
“I’ll wait here. You go ahead and change and let me know once you are done.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind if you close your eyes for a little while when I’m changing.”
“I can’t trust myself around you anymore, Rebecca. I don’t want to break my promise,” Henry says huskily.
Chapter Six
Rebecca blushes at his words. She is elated about the fact that her husband desires her. That he is willing to withhold his passion to honor his promise speaks volumes about his character. Rebecca recalls Peter's words..... "Don't judge him too quickly"......."He seems like a good man".
Rebecca badly wants to believe her brother's words. In the little time they've spent together, Henry has not been nasty to her even once. She feared that he'd be vindictive and take revenge for her less-than-polite behavior back in Leicester, but he has been a gentleman throughout.
She goes into the room and quickly changes into her nightgown. When she opens the door to let in Henry, she sees that he has already taken off his jacket and undone the top buttons of his shirt. A splattering of dark hair peeps out of the opening and she is unable to tear her eyes away. Henry notices her staring at his chest and clears his throat to get her attention. Rebecca looks up instantly and feels mortified when she sees the amused grin on Henry’s face.
“Like what you see, huh?” Henry winks at her and enters the room. Good Heavens! She is sure she is blushing right to her toes.
“So you finally found your nightgowns,” Henry’s gaze rakes her from head to toe. He had hoped for something as exquisite and scandalous as what she’d worn that night when he saw her on the balcony. The one she is wearing right now covers her completely from her neck to her toes. “I was wondering what you’d wear since we decided that you’d be wearing my shirts.”
“Well, I found all my nightgowns in one of the boxes this morning.”
&nbs
p; “Hmmmm… And why did you choose to wear this particular one, may I ask?” When she does not reply for a few seconds, he says, “Is it because it was the safest one you had?”
When she does not answer his question, he goes up to her and holds up her chin so that she looks directly into his eyes.
“I’ve told you, Rebecca, I won’t come near you until you want me to. I know that we didn’t get married under the best of circumstances, but I’ll try my best to see to it that you get the life that you deserve. I’ll make sure that you have all the comforts…”
“Do you think all I want from my husband is a comfortable life?”
“Well, that is what most women want. You’ll be attending lavish parties, you’ll enjoy the status of a Duchess in the society, you’ll have the privilege to shop to your heart’s content, you’ll have many servants at your beck and call…..”
Rebecca gives him a sad smile that stirs something deep within his heart.
“Then I think I am not like most of the women that you’ve met,” Rebecca says softly. Henry looks at her questioningly, but she ignores him. She quietly goes to the bed and lies down with her eyes closed. Another day of continuous travelling has exhausted her completely.
She hears Henry change his clothes and come to her side. But, when he sees her closed eyes, he probably assumes that she’s asleep and lies down beside her after extinguishing the candles.
The sad look on Rebecca’s face haunts Henry. What had she been talking about? What else did she want from him? She obviously knew by now that he desired her. He’d also told her in as many words that she’d enjoy all the material comforts that every lady dreams of. So why did she look so sad?
Unable to answer his questions, Henry fell into a deep sleep.
***********************************************
Henry specifically asks Rebecca to wear her wedding gown next morning. Both of them reach Southampton by the afternoon. The entire Northwall Castle has been decorated with candles and flowers. The news of their marriage has reached Southampton before them and there is festive ambience all around.
Rebecca feels overwhelmed by the sheer size of the castle before her. She’d known that the Northwalls were quite wealthy but still she had not expected such grandeur. Henry is apparently a little embarrassed by all the decoration and celebration and Rebecca finds this quite amusing and endearing at the same time.
“My mother wanted to see me married for quite some time. Now that I’ve finally tied the knot, she seems to have gone a little over the top with all this…..” He nods towards the beautifully decorated castle.
“It is natural for any mother to be ecstatic at such a time. I am looking forward to meeting Her Grace,” smiles Rebecca.
“I am sure you’ll love her. She tries to put up a tough exterior, but she is as soft as cotton on the inside.” Henry is relieved Rebecca does not find this entire thing ridiculous. He has no idea what his mother had been thinking! It looks like he’s come back after winning a major battle!
Her Grace Lady Elizabeth Northwall is standing at the huge entrance of the mansion to welcome her son and his bride. She is finding it difficult to contain her excitement and happiness.
“My dear, you are finally here! I am so happy to see you,” the Duchess is talking to Henry but looks appreciatively at Rebecca all the while. Henry feels glad and relieved that his mother seems to approve of his choice of bride.
“Mother, she is Lady Rebecca Thompson….I mean Lady Rebecca Northwall, your daughter-in-law.” Rebecca bobs a curtsy to her.
“Oh…I know, I know! How beautiful! God bless you, my dear. Henry, I wouldn’t have been able to choose a better bride for you! You both look made for each other!”
Rebecca likes Lady Elizabeth at first glance. She is glad that she will once again have a maternal figure in her life.
“Please come in. You both must be very tired after this long journey.”
“Yes, we are. My back is sore after all these hours of travelling,” Henry says.
Chapter Seven
“Robert, please ask the servants to take all of Lady Rebecca’s belongings to her room,” the Duchess commands the butler. She then turns to Rebecca and adds, “My dear, don’t worry about opening your luggage just yet. The maids will assist you with that later on. You can take a short nap if you want. I shall introduce you to the staff this evening. They are all very eager to meet their new Duchess,” Lady Elizabeth goes on without stopping. Some of her enthusiasm rubs off on Rebecca too. She is suddenly not feeling tired anymore.
“I would love to meet them. And I am not too tired right now. If you please, I can meet them right away.”
Henry looks at her as if she’s lost her mind but she chooses to ignore him. “Well, I am very tired, so I shall take my leave and rest for some time. Rebecca can get acquainted with the castle and the staff if she wishes to, though I would recommend that she take things easy for a while,” he says looking at her.
“Oh, Henry! If she wants to meet a few people, what is the harm? She is their new mistress after all!” says Lady Elizabeth. “Come on my dear, they are all waiting to meet you.”
Rebecca spends the rest of the afternoon with her mother-in-law, meeting people and getting a little acquainted with the castle. In between, Her Grace asks her questions about her family- her parents, her brother, Leicester in general. She seems to have already heard about her father and his reputation and even sympathizes with her for having such a scandalous and self-centered man for a father! Though Rebecca didn’t love her father deeply, she still feels a little offended by Her Grace’s remarks.
By the evening, Rebecca is thoroughly tired. Her exhaustion probably shows on her face and Lady Elizabeth asks her to go and take some rest. One of the maids escorts her to her chamber and she is surprised to see how large it is. The maid, Mary, informs her that Lord Northwall’s chamber is adjacent to hers and that they are connected with a small door.
“These chambers previously belonged to His Grace and Her Grace but after His Grace’s demise, Her Grace moved out of this room. Lord Henry occupies his late father’s chamber and Her Grace always said that this chamber will be occupied by his wife,” she tells Rebecca. “Do you need anything else, my lady?”
“Yes, please. Can you get someone to prepare a hot bath for me? I badly need to relax my sore muscles,” she says rubbing the back of her neck.
After a long, warm bath, Rebecca finally feels relaxed. She wears a light pink gown that she’d inherited from her mother. It is trimmed with pale blue lace and Rebecca wears a fresh pearl necklace to go with it. She then proceeds downstairs to accompany her husband and mother-in-law for dinner.
As soon as she enters the dining room, a rich and savory aroma of mutton assaults her senses. When her stomach involuntarily growls, she realizes how hungry she is.
“Come, come, my dear. We were waiting for you. I hope you are a little relaxed by now,” Her Grace says with a smile.
“Yes, Mother,” Rebecca blushes. “I hope I can address you that way!”
“Why, yes of course. I would love that,” she beams. “I am proud of your choice, Henry. Rebecca is truly a gem. What I really wonder is how you managed to convince her to be your wife!”
Henry literally chokes on his food. Rebecca gives him an amused look that he pretends not to see. Rebecca is eagerly waiting to hear his response.
“Well, that was quite easy. She became enamored with my charm and wit and….”
Now it is Rebecca’s turn to choke on her food. After a brief fit of coughing, she literally glares at Henry. He merely chuckles in response.
“Henry, don’t lie to your mother! I am dying to hear your story. Before leaving, you’d said that you were going to Leicester to claim something that was yours. Were you talking about Rebecca?”
“No. I’ll tell you everything in detail later on, Mother.”
“Oh don’t sound so mysterious! Rebecca, you tell me. What qualities did you see in my son that attracted
you towards him?” Lady Elizabeth asks an unsuspecting Rebecca. She has absolutely no clue how to respond to that! The look on Lady Elizabeth’s face tells her that she is eagerly awaiting her answer.
“I-I like him for his honesty,” she blurts.
“Honesty?” Clearly Her Grace was not expecting that answer! She looks a little confused and Henry raises one of his eyebrows at her confession. “I know my son is an honest man but I don’t know if this virtue alone is enough to attract a woman….let alone a lovely woman like yourself!”
Chapter Eight
“Well, I find him quite good looking too.” Rebecca is not lying but admitting such a thing right in front of Henry is embarrassing to say the least! She doesn’t even dare to look in his direction. Apparently, this answer pleases Her Grace.
“Ah yes! My Henry is one fine looking man,” she says, her eyes shining bright with pride. “You know, he gets his looks from his late father, God bless his soul! Women used to actually swoon in his presence.”
“Really?” says Rebecca, eager to know more about the erstwhile Duke of Southampton.
“Why, yes! I met him at one of the parties in London. He was with his group of friends while I happened to pass by him. My foot somehow got caught in the carpet and I stumbled. If it hadn’t been for him, I would’ve fallen flat on my face and become the laughing stock of the party,” she reminisces. “He caught me in his strong arms before I could fall and…That was it! We fell in love the first time we looked into each other’s eyes.”
“Oh! How romantic! It seems so…perfect!” exclaims Rebecca. Henry looks at her a little strangely. He had heard this story probably a million times and could never really comprehend how two individuals could fall in love so quickly! He doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Actually, he thinks, he doesn’t believe in love at all! Like, yes; lust, most definitely; but love, no…never!