When Adam saw Eleanor climax, he swore he hadn’t ever seen a more beautiful sight. With her face flushed and lips swollen from his kisses, she looked good enough to eat! After a few more moments, Adam reached his own climax.
“Your job is now complete” shouted his brain. And this time around, he could not ignore the voice. He had consummated his marriage and most probably, given his seed to Eleanor. There was nothing else left to do. He looked at Eleanor sleeping peacefully and quietly slipped out of the bed. After getting dressed, he looked at her once more and then quietly moved out of the room to spend the rest of the night in his study.
Chapter Nine
Next morning, Eleanor woke up to a vacant bed. She tried recalling if Adam had slept with her but couldn’t remember anything. She covered herself in one of the blankets and moved back to her room. Maybe Adam had a pressing matter to attend. Yes, that could be a possibility. She tried to cheer herself up with the thought and started getting ready for the day.
After an hour or so, Donna arrived with a tray of breakfast for her.
“Where is Lord Sonhurst? Will he not join me for breakfast?”
“My lady, Lord Sonhurst left early this morning. He said that he’d be gone for a week or two.”
“But where did he go?”
“My lady, I have no idea. He didn’t tell any of us and we are in no position to ask. We thought you might be knowing.”
Eleanor felt her heart sink. Why would Adam suddenly leave like this without telling her anything? Especially after what they shared last night.
Eleanor decided that he may have left due to some urgent matter and refused to give his absence much thought. This was her new home and she would devote most of her time in getting to know the manor and its inhabitants. That would keep her occupied in the coming days.
Two weeks had passed and there was still no news of Lord Sonhurst. Meanwhile, Eleanor had got herself acquainted with almost everyone at the manor and had become quite popular among the staff too. Mrs. Hopkins adored her and often spent her evenings telling her stories of Adam’s childhood. Eleanor could make even the most poker faced man like Mr. Robert, laugh!
One morning, while Eleanor was helping Tabetha bake a special cinnamon cake, Mr. Robert announced the arrival of Lady Elizabeth and Lord Collin. She immediately went to greet her guests.
“How are you doing, my darling?” inquired Lady Elizabeth.
“I am very well, thank you”, replied Eleanor but the sadness in her eyes said it all.
“Do not lie to me, dear. I am just like your mother. I know what you have been through these past days. Robert and Mrs. Hopkins keep me updated on the happenings in this house. I know that Adam left you here all alone right the next day after your marriage. I do not know what this boy has in mind! Lord Collin and I have called him back immediately to discuss why he is behaving in such a strange manner. He should be here any moment now!”
As if on cue, Adam entered the room. Eleanor couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face upon seeing him. But he barely acknowledged her presence.
“Good morning, everyone. I see, there is a very important meeting going on here in my absence”, Adam said bitterly.
“Watch your tone, young man. You have no right to speak to us this way”, warned Lady Elizabeth.
”Right, mother? To tell you the truth, I have every right to do anything I want in this house. This is MY house, if you don’t remember!” he spat.
“Adam, I know that for some reason, you hate me. I do not know what I have done to earn your wrath but anyways, it is not about me this time. This woman here, she’s your wife! How can you subject her to such cruelty? Leaving her all alone in a strange house….”
“Mother, you’ve rightly pointed out that she’s MY wife. But you forget that she is my wife because YOU wanted her to be my wife, not ME! For all I know, she could turn out to be exactly like you! Selfish, manipulative, unfaithful….”
“Shut your filthy mouth, Adam” roared Lord Collin. “It is your mother you are talking about!”
“I know very well that she’s my mother! And I also know that of late, she’s become the object of your affections, Lord Collin.”
Lady Elizabeth’s face turned ashen.
“Jesus! How bitter you’ve become, Adam! Elizabeth, I’ll not remain silent today. Can’t you see that your son is ruining his life because of the half-truths that he’s been subjected to?” cried Lord Collin.
“Let me tell him the truth today”, he continued. “Adam, it is true that your father fell in love with your mother and married her despite her poor connections. But another truth is that your mother DID NOT love your father! In fact she was in love with her neighbor’s son, Phillip. But when your father saw her, he wanted her at all costs. He bribed her greedy father and forcefully married Elizabeth. And that is not all. When Elizabeth could not forget her first love, he got Phillip killed!”
Adam could not believe his ears. “No, my father could not have done such a thing. He was a kind man.”
“Yes, your father was a good man, God rest his soul. But this once, he got completely blinded with love. He loved Elizabeth madly but he could not force her to love him back. He realized his mistake later on, but it had been too late by then. That was the time when he isolated himself from the world and repented for his mistakes.”
It all started to make sense now. His mother’s indifference, her hatred towards his father, his father’s drowning himself in alcohol….. Good lord! It can’t be true!
“But…but I myself saw Mother flirting with gentlemen on various occasions.”
“Yes, you are right Adam. I am no saint. I did all that on purpose because I wanted your father to feel the pain I had been through. I swear to God that I had never been unfaithful towards him. I wanted to hurt him, that’s all!” cried Lady Elizabeth.
Eleanor was listening to all of this, stunned. Now she knew that Adam didn’t want to marry her because Lady Elizabeth wanted her to be her daughter-in-law. And he hated his mother too much to get married to a girl of her choice.
“I love you, Adam and I always want the best for you. I know that I have never been with you in your difficult times, but I always made sure that Mrs. Hopkins was there to attend you. I was in depression for a long time and often forgot to eat myself. How could I trust myself with taking care of a young child?” Lady Elizabeth said in a soft voice. There were tears rolling down her eyes.
“Oh Mother! How badly I have treated you all these years and you never told me the truth! I am ashamed of myself, Mother, I am ashamed of myself,” cried Adam.
“No, dear. It is not your fault. I didn’t tell you all this because you loved your father too much and looked up to him. I didn’t want to tarnish his image in your eyes. And yes, your father was a good man. He did realize his mistakes and even agreed to give me a divorce, but I had already forgiven him by then.”
“Adam, your mother has given love a second chance. Yes, you were right about the both of us. We do intend to get married soon but before that, we want you to start a happy married life,” said Lord Collin.
“Eleanor is a very good girl. In fact, I hear that she’s already won the hearts of everyone here,” Lady Elizabeth smiled at Eleanor.
Adam looked at Eleanor and his heart skipped a beat. He had missed her too much.
“I owe Eleanor an apology too. I have been nothing but a brute to her!”
“Oh Adam, please don’t blame yourself. I completely understand. I would have done the same thing had I been in your place.” Eleanor said with a smile.
“I love you, sweetheart. In fact, I fell in love with you that very night when I saw you standing in the moonlight on that terrace.”
“I love you too, my heartless rake!”
Lady Elizabeth and Lord Collin excused themselves from the room smiling as Adam and Eleanor shared a passionate kiss. Eleanor’s heartless rake’s heart had been at the right place all along. He had just rediscovered it now!
THE END
Regency Romance
Because Love Happens By Chance
Defiant Lords Series
Rose Haven
Regency Romance: Because Love Happens By Chance
Chapter One
It was an extremely sad day for Lord Thomas Cornwall, the young earl of Devonshire. After his father’s death a year ago, he had today lost another man whom he greatly admired and looked up to. The man was an orphan whom his late grandfather, Lord Robert Cornwall, had taken under his wing. The young lad had shown great promise even as a child and his grandfather had funded his entire education, highly impressed by his sharp wit and intelligence.
This lad was none other than Mr. James Nesbitt, his late father’s confidante and chief accountant. Being almost the same age as his father, Mr. Nesbitt shared a special bond with him. He was more of a friend than an employee. He had been like a father figure to Thomas after he lost his father a year ago. Thomas had never come across a more intelligent man in his life. Mr. Nesbitt was famous all over Devonshire for his loyalty and honesty and Thomas knew that his death would be an irreparable loss for the estate.
Thomas asked his butler to get his carriage ready. He had to attend a very important meeting after the funeral. He had heard that Mr. Nesbitt was survived by a daughter and he had to go and offer his condolences. He had already informed his mother about the loss and hoped to see her at the funeral too.
”Brandon, please inform Mrs. Ridgeley that I will not be back before dinner,” Thomas said to his butler. Mrs. Ridgeley was the house keeper and Thomas was extremely fond of the old lady. He didn’t want to keep her waiting for him.
With a heavy heart, Thomas proceeded towards the Chapel. He remembered the time when Mr. Nesbitt helped him ride a horse for the first time, or when he helped him with his Mathematics problems, or when he didn’t go home for five nights in a row after his father’s death so that Thomas didn’t feel lonely. Thomas’s mother, Lady Rebecca Cornwall, also held Mr. Nesbitt in high regard. She treated him no less than a brother-in-law.
Thomas came out of his thoughts when his carriage came to a halt with a jerk. He was surprised at the sheer number of people who had gathered outside the Chapel to pay their last respects to the departed soul. Mr. Nesbitt was indeed a kind-hearted man, loved by one and all.
When the crowd saw Lord Thomas Cornwall approaching, they dispersed to make way for him. The service was going on inside and Thomas saw his mother already seated in the front row. He quietly went ahead and occupied a seat next to her. Lady Cornwall acknowledged his presence with a slight nod and Thomas could see that her eyes were moist like most of the people gathered there.
The Minister said the last prayers and as preparations for the burial began, Thomas noticed a very young lady burst into uncontrollable sobs. His mother, along with a few other elderly ladies, went up to her to console her.
“My lord, she is the daughter of Mr. Nesbitt. You must be knowing that Mr. Nesbitt was an orphan and that his wife died during childbirth. His wife was an only child and her parents have long since left this world. Now, this poor soul here has no immediate family of her own,” the Minister’s son informed Thomas.
“Mr. Nesbitt wanted to see her married and settled but before he could see that happening…. Who can win against God’s will,” he continued. “Charlotte has a heart as kind as her father but she is still so young and naïve. God knows how she will survive all alone in this cruel world.”
Thomas’s heart was filled with sympathy for the poor girl. He could see that she had once again composed herself and he felt proud of her courage at such a young age. The girl could not be more than seventeen. She was covered in a black oversized gown from head to toe and her eyes were red and puffy after crying for so long. Even in her condition of distress, she was pleasant enough to look at.
“Poor girl! I just don’t feel like leaving her alone after she’s suffered such a huge loss,” his mother was once again by his side.
“Do you remember how James was always by your side when your father passed away? How can we leave his only daughter alone in this hour of crisis! As much as I want to take her along with me to London, I don’t think she’ll agree to it. She loves it here and has a lot of memories attached to this place,” Lady Cornwall said.
“Mother, why is it that Mr. Nesbitt never talked of his daughter? I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before today.”
“That’s because he loved her too much to share her with anyone. I know that sounds strange, but he was fiercely protective of his daughter. When he lost his wife in childbirth, James was shattered. Had it not been for Charlotte, he wouldn’t have survived.”
“I see,” said Thomas softly.
“Thomas, I know it may be too much to ask, but can you take Charlotte along with you to the castle?” His mother looked at him hopefully.
“Mother, what will that poor girl do there? Besides, she’ll feel all the more lonely in that huge castle. At least, here she has her neighbors and friends….”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that! She can assist Mrs. Ridgeley in the housework and I hear that she is great at keeping the books just like her father. Besides, Mrs. Ridgeley is always complaining that it is becoming difficult for her to manage the castle all on her own, given her old age. She’ll love having her around to assist her. And who can ever feel lonely in Mrs. Ridgeley’s company?”
He could see that his mother had already formed a plan. Trust his mother to find an easy solution to all the problems!
“Mother, but will Charlotte agree to move into the castle? You have to ask her first.”
“You leave that to me. I shall convince her. You just go home and inform Mrs. Ridgeley that she’ll be having a companion soon,” said his mother with a hint of smile on her face.
“I am afraid I can’t do that as I have a very important meeting to attend and I won’t be back until after dinner.”
“Oh! In that case, I’ll take her myself to the castle and get her introduced to the rest of the staff.”
“Alright, Mother. As you deem fit,” replied Thomas.
Chapter Two
Thomas was happy with the outcome of the meeting. At least something good came out of this day, he thought as he entered the castle almost past midnight. He was greeted by Brandon at the door.
“Thank you Brandon for waiting upon me at this unearthly hour. You may retire for the day now,” Thomas said to the butler.
The butler gave a curt nod in response and Thomas proceeded towards his study. At last he was on his way of realizing his father’s dream. The deal was almost sealed and soon Devonshire would have a hydroelectric power plant of its own. Although Thomas had inherited a sizeable fortune, still he needed a partner for this project as the costs involved were monstrous.
So he had entered into a deal with Lord Peter Stanton, the Duke of the neighboring county of Rotherville, wherein the Duke would also invest in the project and people from both sides would benefit from the plant. Lord Stanton, apart from being the investor in this project, was also soon to be his father-in-law. Thomas was engaged to his daughter, Lady Shirley Stanton and they were to get married in a matter of few months. Though Thomas was quite fond of Shirley as they had known each other since childhood, he was not actually in love with her.
But then, love was an overrated emotion, wasn’t it? He was sure that once they got married, love would follow. Thomas poured himself a drink. He thought of his father and Mr. Nesbitt. They both would have been immensely proud of him today. In fact, it was Mr. Nesbitt who had suggested Lord Stanton’s name when he had been looking for investors. If only he was here with him to share this victory!
Thomas finished his drink and decided to retire for the day. As he was moving up the stairs, he heard a muffled sound from somewhere near the kitchen. Probably, it was one of the servants looking for something to eat. But who could it be at this hour? Thomas decided to see for himself.
As he entered the kitchen, he saw s
omebody curled up behind a chair. The person was shaking badly and all of a sudden, Thomas’ defenses went up. It was most definitely some intruder. Thomas moved as quietly as he could and took out his pistol which he usually carried with him while travelling.
Once he was behind the person, he pointed the pistol at the shaking bundle and was about to shout when he realized that the person was sobbing. And it was the sound of a woman. He quietly retreated and decided to light up a candle first.
As the kitchen illuminated with the candle’s light, the woman looked up. She was none other than Charlotte, Mr. Nesbitt’s daughter. There was a mixture of deep sorrow and fear in her eyes.
“Oh! So it is you. I thought some intruder was hiding in the kitchen,” said Thomas softly.
“Who…who are you?” she asked between hiccups, still looking a little dazed.
“I am Thomas, Thomas Cornwall.”
“Oh, I am so sorry, my lord!” she began to get up in a hurry. Apparently, the effort was too much for her. Barely had she stood up, than she started swooning.
Thomas immediately rushed to her side and gathered her in his arms as she was about to fall. She lay there in his arms, unconscious. Thomas looked at her pale, tear streaked face. She looked hauntingly beautiful in the dim candle light. She was still wearing that oversized black gown and as her body was crushed to his, Thomas could make out that she was no child.
Thomas gently settled her in a chair and then went to fetch some water. He didn’t understand the strong urge in his heart to protect her from all harm. He sprinkled some water on her heart shaped face and she slowly regained consciousness.
“Oh! Did I just pass out?” she asked looking around her.
“Yes. And now please keep sitting while I talk to you.”
Charlotte nodded.
“I know that you’ve been through a lot. I fully understand the pain of losing a loved one. You must be knowing that I lost my father last year and Mr. Nesbitt himself was like a father figure to me.”
BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Unforgettable Southern Billionaires: The Complete Collection Boxed Set (Young Adult Rich Alpha Male Billionaire Romance) Page 122