When Tillie finally turned to him, she told Alexander how much she was enjoying the company of his dear friend, as she placed a hand on the arm of Lord Merryweather .
Alexander had always got on well with his friend, but in this moment he could have clocked Merryweather in the jaw .
In truth, Tillie had been enjoying the stories Lord Merryweather was telling of himself and Alexander. They had been quite mischievous in their youth, and Tillie soaked it up. She didn’t miss the set of Alexander’s normally smiling jaw, however, and realized with a start he was jealous .
Tillie was not surprised when Alexander showed up in her chamber not long after they retired .
“Ah, my darling fiancé,” she said when he appeared, his normally pleasant face drawn together in ire. “How wonderful to have you join me .”
“Matilda Andrews,” he said as if he was scolding her. “Fake or not, you are here as my fiancée, do you understand ?”
“Perfectly,” she said. “But if you would like me to keep you from Eliza, I suggest that you do not go gallivanting off alone with her .”
“I seem to recall it being your responsibility to keep the woman away from me,” he responded with an eyebrow cocked .
“One can only help those who will help themselves,” she responded with a lilt in her tone .
“Enough of this,” he said as he leaned over her, his face turning serious. “I believe, Miss Andrews, it is time I showed you exactly what it means to be engaged to Alexander Landon .”
12
A s he leaned down to kiss her, Tillie reached for him just as hungrily. In truth, she had not enjoyed the games played today. She hadn’t liked the look on Alexander’s face following supper. He was typically so charming and likable, and she had made him act otherwise .
Although she would not argue with the reaction that today’s jealousy elicited from him. The passion he kissed her with now went even beyond what he had shown her last night, and she eagerly returned his fervor .
The fact that he cared about another man showing interest in her sent a twinge of excitement through her. She liked to be her own woman, free to do as she chose, yes, but maybe it showed he did care more than he let on .
Her thoughts quickly faded as he pushed her backward and onto the bed. As he continued his assault on her lips, he traced the pad of his thumb along her collarbone, toying with the necklace round her neck. He smelled of spice, of soap, and a masculinity that surrounded her, invading her senses. He overwhelmed her, the taste, smell, and sight of him, and she dug her fingers into his biceps steeled around her head .
This was a side of him he so rarely showed. He typically took everything with light flippancy and charm. Yet tonight he was passion and danger. She reveled in it, soaking it in and drawing all she could from him .
He made love to her mouth as one hand slowly made its way underneath the light fabric of her nightgown, and began caressing her breasts, causing her to gasp .
She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, drawing him back to her, kissing him as deeply as she could, wanting more of him. As she began to move against him, he responded, one hand slowly making its way up her leg, his fingertips trailing fire as they danced around her calf, her knee, and finally up her thigh .
He waited for her response, ready to stop the moment she told him so, but instead she opened her legs wider and invited him to inch higher. She was no longer thinking, but simply reacting to him and his touch .
His fingers began to caress her very center, and she jerked upward at the shock that went through her system. He instantly stilled, leaning above her and asking if she was all right. “Yes!” she responded, panting. “Do not stop .”
He kissed his way back down her stomach and hesitated just at the very core of her.He swiped at her center with his tongue, sending electricity straight through her. She cried out against the intensity of it, but he didn’t stop. He spread her open and laved her with his mouth as her hips began moving in sacred rhythm with his mouth .
It didn’t take long for Tillie to feel like something inside her was trying to break free. She whimpered and bucked and grabbed the blanket in both hands .
“Just follow it,” Alexander insisted. “Let yourself go, Tillie .”
With his encouragement, she did and she nearly came off the bed in orbit as the world splintered around her. She’d heard about orgasms of course, from Tabitha, but she’d hardly believed her friend at the time. How could something like that feel so good ?
How foolish she’d been for doubting her oldest friend and she swore to herself that she would write Tabitha a note of apology first thing in the morning for not listening to her .
“That,” he said with a grin of his own, “Is how I treat my fiancée, real or otherwise. Do not forget that, Matilda .”
“I do not think I ever could,” she said, as he lay beside her, combing his fingers through her long, free locks .
As he rose to leave, she called out his name. “Alexander,” she said from her prostrate position on the plush pillows of the bed. “Do you not want… something of the same ?”
“I am more than satisfied, love,” he said. “Sleep well .”
As he exited through his secret doorway, she sighed to herself, and rolled over, utterly content .
* * *
O ver the next few days, Tillie and Alexander attended a dance and a Christmas party in the village, doing the best they could to avoid Eliza Masters and her family, revelling in their newly discovered desire for one another .
At the first dance, Tillie simply observed Eliza attempting to attract Alexander back toward her. She drew the other men to her, her radiant smile and masterful storytelling captivating them. Tillie wasn’t particularly impressed, but as long as she had the attention of Alexander, she was quite comfortable with Eliza attracting the rest of them .
At the second party, however, Eliza went beyond what Tillie could forgive .
Tillie was passing by Eliza and her gaggle of suitors when she overheard her words .
“... can you imagine , a hat-maker who fancied herself a duchess? Why, I am quite unsure what the woman did to poor Nicholas to force her to marry her, but —”
That was enough. Eliza could embarrass her, say she would about her background, or even her family, as they were used to the barbs of the aristocracy. But to speak about Tabitha in that way? This was something that Tillie would not stand for .
“Eliza,” she said, walking up to her with what she hoped was a winning smile on her face. “I could not help but notice your dress. Wherever did you find such a creation ?”
“Rochester’s, in London,” she said with a smug glance. “You should visit the store, Matilda. It is where you can find the latest of what is new and updated in trends .”
“How interesting,” said Tillie. “I was actually in just last week and saw nothing of the sort .”
“You shop at Rochester's ?”
“But of course,” said Tillie with a pleasant look on her face, although she was far from happy with the woman. “In fact, I purchased a hat there just the other day, designed by Tabitha Fairchild, Duchess of Stowe. While there, I was admiring their newest collection. It is fabulous. I cannot say I saw anything like the dress you are currently wearing .”
In truth, Tillie was well aware that Eliza’s gown, while quite striking on her, was about two years out of date. Then again, so were most of the dresses women wore around here. Not that Tillie was the type to judge any of them on that basis. In fact, she rather enjoyed the fact that here, unlike in London, a dress could be worn beyond one season in order to extend its life .
However, she was willing to use her knowledge to take Eliza down from the mantel she had placed herself on .
“In fact,” Tillie continued, “I believe I owned a dress just like that a couple of seasons ago. It is rather darling, isn’t it ?”
Eliza’s cheeks turned a bright red as she excused herself from the group. Tillie soon had the attenti
on of the young men, as she told delightful stories of London and her brothers and their time at sea. Her laugh, her looks and her countenance drew the crowd, and she was high on the attention and the turn of events .
She was quite content, that is, until she turned and saw Alexander. He was standing against the wall, his arms crossed in front of him and his normally cheerful face in a scowl. When she caught his eye, he turned abruptly and left the room. She excused herself from the men and followed after him, but couldn’t locate him anywhere .
She returned to Warfield Manor with the Dowager Duchess and retired for the evening, waiting for him to appear in her bedroom. She knew he was angry, but she was ready to respond to him .
Back in her bedroom reflecting on the evening, she felt rather ashamed, to be honest. It was as if being near Eliza for such a time had poisoned her, drawing her into the depths of pettiness to which Tillie typically refused to stoop .
She wished that Alexander had come to her room so she could apologize and put this to rest. She peeked through the secret door and emerged in the dusty, dark study of the departed duke. She didn’t know, however, where to find the passage that continued to Alexander’s chamber .
Instead, she went to bed with a knot of guilt in her stomach, and tossed through the night fitfully, unable to find peaceful rest .
* * *
T he morning dawned bright and clear, the winter sun streaming through the evergreens outside of her window. Tillie resolved that today was a new day, and she would find a way to put everything to rights .
The group was to find greenery for the church that morning, and would be meeting at the front steps of Warfield Manor. Tillie didn’t see Alexander until she stepped outside. He inclined his head towards her, his expression unreadable. She wanted more than anything to go speak to him, but before she did so, she had something else to do first. It was an action she most dreaded, but knew was necessary .
She made her way down the steps and sought out Eliza, extricating her from the group .
“Miss Masters,” Tillie said, turning to face her. “I feel that I must apologize. I should not have spoken to you as I did yesterday. I was upset at the way you were speaking of my friend Tabitha, but that was a poor excuse for lashing out as I did. I do believe that your gown was quite fetching on you, and might I say, you look equally as attractive this morning in that fur and bonnet .”
The words said, Tillie turned from Eliza and her startled expression, and rejoined the group, engaging in conversation with the younger daughters of an earl, who was a cousin of the Dowager Duchess. They were spirited young women, and Tillie was enjoying getting to know them during their stay in Warfield .
She longed for Alexander, however. She looked his way, the soft snow falling on his shock of blonde hair as he laughed with Lord Merryweather. Her heart skipped, and she realized the impossible had happened — she had fallen in love .
She should have known better. It was why she had avoided him following Tabitha’s wedding. She knew she may fall for the handsome duke and his charming ways. It was different now though, she realized. Before it had been his winning smile and his flirtatious compliments. Now it was the man she had come to know so much more intimately .
What to do about it now, she wasn’t sure .
They were amidst the evergreens gathering branches when Alexander finally joined her. He took her arm and guided her a short distance from the others .
“Do I want to know what you and Eliza were chatting about on the way here?” he asked .
“I was apologizing,” said Tillie, her eyes turned to the tree in front of her. She turned to meet Alexander’s blue gaze. “I behaved quite badly yesterday, and I needed to make amends. While she was speaking ill of Tabitha to a good many people, that was no excuse for my behavior .”
“I understand the need to defend your friend, but perhaps you enjoyed the attention just as well ?”
“It was not the attention from those gentlemen that meant much to me,” said Tillie. “The night prior you seemed quite… enamored with me due to your jealousy of Lord Merryweather. I had thought perhaps that provoking your envy may encourage you to me once again, but it seems I overstepped the boundary. For that, I apologize to you as well .”
“There is no denying I was jealous,” he said. “I would prefer to have your attentions all to myself. However, I also realize why other men are drawn to you. I do not blame you, either, for being yourself. Your natural way captivates people, and as a natural charmer myself” — he gave her a mischievous grin — “I cannot find fault with you for it .”
“You are a devil, Alex,” she said, “Although I have been very fortunate to be the recipient of your flirtations this past while. I can admit to some jealousy of my own when that turns to another woman, particularly Eliza Masters. To know that she still has enough of a hold on you to cause you to bring me here under the pretense of an engagement says enough .”
Alexander cleared his throat, looking away from her before responding. “Until you arrived, Eliza was the fairest of all in this county,” he said. “Now that I have brought you here, she no longer holds that title .”
“I am not so sure about that, Alex, though it is generous of you to say,” she replied .
“It’s the truth. Everyone holds you in high esteem, not only for your beauty, but your wit and charm,” he said .
“I have never been the type of woman to bring others down in order to build myself up,” she said. “She was talking ill of Tabitha and I could no longer hold my peace, but I went about it the wrong way. Forgive me Alex ?”
“There is nothing to forgive,” he said, then was silent for a moment. He was having an inward debate, and Tillie waited patiently for him to speak .
Alexander turned to her, holding onto her hands but refusing to meet her eyes. “I feel this is all somewhat of my own doing. In fact, I have a bit of a confession to make .”
13
T illie looked at him expectantly as Alexander paused, as if regretting his decision to start down this path of revelation .
“When I asked you to come here, as my fiancée, I told you how grieved I was from Eliza leaving me,” he said. “While it is true that she did toy with my affections, and she did leave me for another, Eliza never quite had the hold on my heart I described to you. I was angry when she broke things off, yes, but I was over it soon enough. I also knew her well enough not to fall under her spell again .”
“What are you saying?” Tillie looked at him, wide-eyed, and dropped her hands from his. “You lied to me? You brought me here under a ruse, not needing me at all ?”
“It depends how you look at it,” he responded, a plea entering his eye. “Did I need you? Absolutely. In more ways than I ever thought possible. But did I need you to keep me from falling for Eliza again? No. I know her games, I know the lengths she will go to in order to get what she wants .”
“Then why have me here? As your fiancée ?”
“Because, Matilda,” he said. “I felt something for you, and you rebuked me. I knew that you believed what you were told of my reputation, and I wanted to prove to you that I was not the man you thought I was. I thought perhaps if you joined us here — joined me — you would see me for who I truly am. I knew you had the wrong impression of me from Nicholas and Tabitha’s wedding, so in order to change that opinion I had to keep you close. I know this elaborate scheme probably wasn’t necessary, but I am not always a patient man when it comes to something I want — and you I want very badly. I knew you would never agree to court me, so I decided to provide you with a backstory that would require your intelligence and your wit .”
She looked, at him, stunned. She didn’t know whether to be upset at the elaborate lies that he had told her, or flattered that he had wanted her so badly after the short time they had spent together. True, she had developed her own crush on him in that time, and she hadn’t seen beyond his reputation, but had protected her heart first .
Now she wasn’t sur
e how to respond. She knew him now, beyond the charming exterior, the wide smile and his flirtatious comments. He was much more than that. She loved him, from the very core of her being. He was kind, he was generous, and he always found the very best in people — even those such as Eliza Masters. He was a good friend to those who needed him, and he knew how to live life to the fullest .
She so desperately now wanted to be part of that life with him. He had admitted he wanted her, but she needed more than that. If she was ever to be married, she wanted an equal love, one in which her husband loved her as much as she loved him. She would settle for that and nothing less .
She also needed trust, to be treated like an equal partner. She felt like somewhat of a fool now. Who else had known about this? His mother to be sure. The servants? His friends and family ?
“I — I shall need some time to think on this,” she said. “I do not like being lied to, Alexander. Particularly when this scheme of yours called my character into question .”
“Tillie, I —”
“Give me time .”
With that, she turned, pasted a smile on her face, and left a miserable Duke of Barre staring after her .
On the way back, Eliza stumbled on the snowy path, grabbing onto Alexander’s arm for help. She feigned a re-injury of her ankle, but Alexander kindly suggested that Lord Merryweather would be happy to help her back. He was right — the man had no qualms about assisting her back to the manor .
Alexander looked at Tillie, a question in his eyes, but she was lost in thought as she continued down the path. She remained civil to him that evening, and politely requested, out of the hearing of any nearby, that he not come to visit her that night. He nodded in agreement, though she caught a glimpse of pain in his face .
Someday Her Duke Will Come Page 8