With that last statement, Lord Maitland picked up his hat from the chair and left the room. Moments later, the front door slammed shut.
“Apologies for that, Ravenstone,” Dr. Walker muttered. “I honestly do not know what prompted Lord Maitland’s visit. He has never done that in all these years.”
“I must be getting popular,” Penelope observed, staring at the door. “So many visitors this week. First, you, my lord, and now my uncle.” She shook her head in dismissal of the entire event. “If everyone will excuse me, I will go upstairs and change.”
Eleanor Walker looked skeptical. “I doubt you’ll be able to get out of that armor without any help, Polly. I shall go with you.”
Mother and daughter left the library, leaving Lucas alone with Penelope’s stepfather once again. Uneasiness warred with his sense of victory. This was a decent family, and Maitland had been right to be suspicious of him. He did have his own agenda.
Dr. Walker strode to the fireplace and stoked the embers with a poker. “How odd that news of your impending nuptials would affect Lord Maitland so.”
He shrugged. “It’s not so unusual. Many families would not welcome an alliance with the tainted Ravenstone title.”
“We know you, Ravenstone, and we are far removed from Society.” Dr. Walker turned to face him. “I do not care what people say about you, I only care about my stepdaughter’s welfare. I believe it is a sound match. Penelope is an assertive sort, and she needs someone who is strong enough to handle her.”
She is a pain in the neck, Lucas thought. The woman was forever trying to jeopardize her health by going in headfirst into a situation without thinking all of the details through. Their impending marriage was a testament to that fact. Lucas had taken advantage of her impetuous and passionate nature to get what he wanted.
He ignored his conscience’s tiny protest. He had done what he needed to do to get her to the altar; it was his duty to do so. Lucas had honored his father’s need for revenge, and the Ravenstone fortune was now secure. By all rights, he should have been happy with the results of his actions.
So why did it feel just a little wrong? When he found out that Penelope planned to have an affair with him, he set out to save her from herself. He’d wanted to teach her a lesson about playing games with men like him, and had delivered the lesson with the finality of a parson’s trap.
Penelope seemed to trust him now so completely, she was actually willing to marry him despite his reputation and what her relatives were saying. He hoped she would never find out the Maitlands were correct in their estimation of his character. His fingers flexed against his glass of port and he forced himself to relax his hold.
He dismissed his uncharacteristic anxiousness as nothing more than wedding nerves. There was nothing to worry about. Penelope was about to be his, forever. He smiled at the thought.
Life with the nymph would sometimes be exasperating but never boring. And the nights would always be exciting. Intense desire flared through his body as last night flooded his thoughts. He could still hear the erotic little sounds she’d made, the way she’d writhed against his hand and gave of herself so freely. He was looking forward to teaching her more about desire and passion on their wedding night. His embarrassing eagerness made him feel like a randy youth with his first lady.
Then Lucas remembered the way Penelope had looked in that suit of armor mere moments ago, and he had to restrain the urge to laugh. He had never encountered a woman quite like her in his entire life. She didn’t fear him or get excited about the danger he represented.
Dr. Walker refilled his glass, and he gave the older man a respectful nod.
“Thank you for taking care of Penelope,” Lucas said with quiet gratitude.
Dr. Walker smiled. “Don’t tell her you said that; Penelope likes to take care of herself.”
“She will not have to do so any longer,” he promised with a smile of his own.
Chapter Twelve
It was her wedding night.
Penelope let her new lady’s maid, Bess, fuss over her hair. Her decadent bedchamber was a stark contrast to the wedding this morning.
She and Lucas were married in a simple ceremony in the little village church up on a hill that overlooked Bouth. Everyone had turned out to witness the wedding, contributing flowers to her bouquet and giving the newlyweds their well wishes.
She wore her mother’s wedding gown, a magnificent creation of rose satin embellished with flowers made of lace, which had to have some last-minute alterations as Penelope was shorter and more buxom than her mother. Lucas had arranged everything, even down to the food and drinks, which The Mucky Duck had provided. The event was as perfect as a wedding could be for a bride who knew the groom was not in love with her.
She noticed the cool satisfaction Lucas had radiated throughout the ceremony. He may think he was so cunning by leaving his coat in her bedchamber the other night, but the truth was he had merely provided her with an excuse to claim what she had wanted all along. She only hoped he did not regret his decision. Strange how life turned out. She had dreamed of being with Lucas for almost her whole life, and now they were husband and wife.
At one point during the wedding banquet, she’d spied the earl across the field talking to some villagers, listening to their plans for the spring planting and giving advice on the best strains of crop and wheat to plant. He seemed to sense her looking at him because he raised his head to give her a reassuring smile.
Penelope smiled back, before turning her attention to Mari standing beside her.
“How does it feel to be a countess?” Mari asked.
“To be honest,” she admitted, “I feel uncomfortable in this gown. It is too tight. I don’t think I’ll be able to eat any of the food you made for fear of ripping the fabric.”
Mari giggled. “I doubt you’ll have to suffer long. Your husband looks as if he can’t wait to turn in for the night.”
Though she had never seen a man naked, she knew what married couples did in the bedchamber. Nevertheless, it was disconcerting to think everyone knew what she would be doing that night.
Penelope changed the subject. “I am glad David was able to attend the wedding, even if my uncle did not want him to.”
“Yes,” Mari said lightly. “I am amazed he was able to do the decent thing.”
“He’s not so bad, you know. I mean, once you get to know him.”
“I already know far too much about that man,” Mari countered before dismissing the subject. “When are you leaving for London?”
“Tomorrow. Lucas’s sister is having her first Season, and I thought we must be there to give our support. We will have a proper honeymoon after the Season.”
“Excellent! I will be leaving for London soon, as well.” Mari beamed. “I received a letter from a publisher, and he wants to meet me in person to discuss my book.”
“That is wonderful news! You can stay with us.”
Mari waved off the offer with her hand. “I am staying with my aunt and uncle. Nothing is certain yet, so I may not be there long.”
“Well, make sure to visit us when you’re in Town.”
“I will,” Mari promised. “The Nevilles are coming over here to congratulate you, so make sure you have a smile on your face.” With that, Mari left her side to help herself to some pudding.
Penelope pasted a smile on her face as she watched the Nevilles approach. The plumes on Mrs. Neville’s head threatened to fly away as they caught the slight breeze. Thankfully, her mother waylaid the couple before they reached her.
Releasing a sigh of relief, she turned to seek a moment alone. She closed her eyes as the wind cooled her face, and she breathed in the grass-scented breeze. She was thankful to find a moment of peace amid the raucous laughter and music swirling about her.
“You look like you’re abo
ut to cast a spell on all of us, nymph,” Lucas whispered behind her.
She turned and gave her husband a serene smile. “I saw you talking to the farmers. Did you find their conversation edifying?”
“I hope you do not mind if I sometimes wander off to discuss crop rotations and fertilizers. It is what saved the Ravenstone fortunes, after all.”
“I do not mind at all, Lucas. I’m glad the villagers no longer act oddly around you.”
His brow arched in sardonic amusement. “They seem to be willing to forgive my reputation now that I have made an honest woman out of you.”
She laughed, feeling lighthearted for the first time since the reception had started. “I still haven’t forgiven you for letting Papa find your coat in my bedchamber.”
Lucas reached up to tuck a wayward curl behind her ear. “Let that be a warning to you, Penelope. I always get what I want in the end.”
She had a feeling he was not merely teasing. Then he took hold of her hand and all thoughts of who tricked whom scattered to the winds.
“Shall we dance, my dear?” Lucas asked, pulling her to the makeshift dance floor. “We can start the dancing and leave soon after. What do you think?”
“So eager to leave, my lord?”
He pulled her into his arms as the musicians struck up a waltz. “You have no idea,” he rasped against her ear.
They left the party shortly after, heading for one of Lucas’s smaller estates in Kendal. Her mother hugged her goodbye, and Papa shook her husband’s hand, telling them they would visit soon to discuss the several business ventures Lucas had advised him to invest in.
Colin and Sarah were eager to visit London, too. Even Gertie had given them a tearful goodbye. It was during the farewells that it hit Penelope how everything was about to change.
Her life was with Lucas now.
And as Bess finished fussing over her hair, she decided to make the best of the situation. She was married to the man she loved. It was already more than what most women could ask for.
Her logical side said she should be content. Lucas was taking her to London to share his life, which was certainly more than what Father had done for Mama in all the years they’d been married. But her heart yearned for things just beyond her reach, things that involved loving, loyalty and trust. Things she’d witnessed between her mother and stepfather.
Her heart was stupid. And impossible to ignore.
She didn’t even know anymore why Lucas had been so determined to marry her. Resorting to blackmail in the form of a discarded coat spoke of something more than duty. It was the action of a man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. It sparked a tiny bit of hope in her soul.
“You look wonderful, m’lady,” Bess gushed.
She surveyed herself in the mirror and had to smile in agreement. Bess had done wonders with Penelope’s hair, making it shine with highlights of red in the candlelight, instead of just the plain brown she was used to. Would Lucas notice?
“Thank you, Bess. I don’t think my hair has ever looked this nice.”
Her maid glowed with the compliment then excused herself from the bedchamber with a mysterious smile, as if she knew something Penelope didn’t.
But, of course, Penelope knew what was about to happen. What was taking Lucas so long to open the connecting door between their bedchambers? Was he giving her time to get used to the idea of having a husband at night? She didn’t need time to get used to the idea. Lucas had made her wait for more than twenty years already, and she was waiting no longer. It was time to take what she wanted.
With a deep breath, she smoothed the wrinkles from the frilly lace nightgown, barely registering the golden velvet drapes hanging on the four-poster bed she passed as she walked to the connecting door.
This was it, Penelope thought. On the other side of the door was where her dreams lay, and all she had to do was reach out and take them.
Without another thought, she silently opened the door and walked into her husband’s chamber.
• • •
Lucas saw Penelope as soon as she came in — a forest nymph who’d ventured out of the woods, swathed in near transparent lace that whispered across her voluptuous body, the candlelight simultaneously hinting at and hiding the delights she had to offer.
Lucas could not help feeling a little awe. He’d been prowling his bedchamber, not certain whether he had the right to go to hers. He’d been at sixes and sevens since the wedding, a ceremony he’d ensured had as many witnesses as possible, in case there was a cause to question its legality in the future. He’d done it. The Ravenstone fortune was safe.
But it was a hollow victory. He wanted more. He wanted this nymph who’d enchanted him from the very first, the woman he’d tricked into becoming his bride. Penelope had teased him about it at the wedding reception, but he wasn’t sure if she meant it. Did she still want him now that he’d given her a glimpse of his true character? That he was not the noble, honorable man she thought he was?
Yet she’d come to him tonight. Looking lovely and seductive with her hair piled loosely on top of her head, the tendrils glinting with fire in the soft light. “You were taking too long to come to me,” she said in a throaty whisper that floated across the room. “I didn’t want to sit and wait for you again. I thought if I did, I could be waiting another twenty years.”
His eyes widened at her jibe. Only Penelope would think of claiming her husband on her wedding night instead of waiting in her bedchamber like a good girl. She must have sensed his indecision and made the choice for both of them.
She bit her lip as she stopped by the foot of his huge bed, and she rubbed her palms on her skirts, unwittingly giving him a better view of her lush form as he stood there by the fire. She was nervous.
He walked over to her, not certain if he had any right to touch her. He took her into his arms anyway. She felt so good to him. Her arms wound around his neck, pulling him down to her.
“I didn’t want to wait another twenty years to know what it’s like to be yours,” Penelope whispered against his lips.
He groaned in response to her sweet words. His hands roved up and down her body. She was rounded in all the right places, and he ached to touch and taste her. All of her.
“Are you certain this is what you want to do, nymph?”
The fire in the hearth shone in her hazel eyes, reflecting the flame coursing through him.
“I’ve been certain of it for years,” she whispered.
He wasted no more time mentally debating whether or not this was the right thing to do. He wanted her. She wanted him. They were married. Tonight, they would have each other.
He’d taken advantage of her trust in him, but this evening she had made her decision, and Lucas was not fool enough to refuse something freely offered. Not when he wanted it so much.
More than anything, he wanted to make up to her for the way he’d used their desire for each other to force her into marriage. He wanted to make sure that by the end of this night, Penelope would want this marriage as much as he did. So even if it killed him, he was determined to go slow tonight. This would be the wedding night she deserved.
“Come here, Penelope,” he said as he pulled her against his rigid planes, loving the feel of her body, so soft and so right against his.
Penelope kissed his neck, making him groan. “Lucas?”
“Yes, nymph?”
“I have never done this with anyone before.”
He nearly choked on his laugh. “I know.”
“But I have seen animals mate. At the farm.”
He lifted his head to stare at her flushed face. She said the damnedest things.
“What I mean to say is, now that we are doing this to make babies, would you require me to be lying on my front or on all fours?”
His hands
stopped their roving for a second as he considered how the hell he was supposed to reply to her question. And then he cupped her face between his hands. “We’ll go with what feels right when the time comes.”
“But I want to — ”
He captured the rest of her words with his mouth. He kissed her gently, wanting to reassure her. But when she slid her tongue against his bottom lip, he let her have what she wanted as the desire that had been building between them since the moment they met exploded.
Growling deep in his throat, he lifted her up against him, wrapping her legs about his waist, then carried her over to the soft bed and gently laid her against the satin sheets.
Penelope watched as he took off his dark silk dressing gown, baring himself as he stood by the foot of the bed. She kneeled on the bed, getting closer to him, her eyes riveted on his fully aroused body.
Perhaps his size was scaring her. He decided to confront the problem head on.
“Would you like to touch me?” His voice sounded gravelly to his own ears.
“Like this?” she asked as she innocently gripped him in her tight little fist, torturing him.
“Christ, yes,” he rasped out. He held her hand, showing her how to please him.
She put her lips to the flat planes of his belly, and he almost came right then. He forced himself to hold back, determined to let her have her way with him. Who would have guessed this sweet country girl would be so uninhibited in bed? And she was his. Entirely, exclusively his. Lucas exulted at the thought.
He couldn’t take the torture long. “Enough,” he said, shrugging off her hand. “This night is for you, nymph.”
“But, I like — ”
“I know,” he ground out. “I like it, too. But if I let you go on any longer, the night will be over before it’s even begun.”
He captured her mouth again, drinking in the joy of her as his hands went beneath the flimsy lace that was her nightgown, touching her bare skin. She moaned and pressed herself against him.
“What do you want, love?”
Time After Time Page 101