“That’s not true, you know Hazel.”
“Hazel is here?” I asked, turning my head to look. She and Adam were walking together arm in arm down the steps of the balcony. I waved to her, and she broke apart from Adam to join us.
“You’re here with Adam,” I said to her as she drew closer. She seemed about to burst with excitement, a smile breaking out onto her face.
“I think he asked my parents for permission to court me!” she whispered.
“That’s wonderful!” Annabelle exclaimed. “Are we going to have another summer wedding?”
Hazel twisted a tendril of hair as her face flushed. “Well, I don’t know about that. I certainly do hope so.”
She seemed ready to change the subject as she looked around, wide–eyed at the people milling about. “Who is everyone?” she asked. “I recognize them from my interview, but I don’t know many of their names.”
I turned to Annabelle. “Would you like to introduce us?” I asked.
“I’d be delighted!” she said.
“The one there with the brown hair and the mustache, that’s your husband, right?” Hazel asked.
Annabelle smiled. “Yes, that’s Stephen. Standing with him and Adam is Lord Bleddyn; his wife and daughter are over by the trees there. He has a son as well, but it appears he didn’t bring him. Over there by the sandwiches is Lord Rollins and his wife.”
“I met her at the wedding,” I remarked. “She’s the one who told me about Cecilia.”
“Yes, she’s always been one for gossip,” Annabelle mused. “Sitting at the table there is Lord Lester Udolf. His wife, unfortunately, passed last year.”
“He looks ancient,” Hazel whispered. “How old is he?”
“He’s eighty–one, and he’ll remind you constantly.” Annabelle rolled her eyes.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen someone that old,” Hazel remarked, and I had to agree.
“Over there by the duke is Lord Roderick Melle, and it looks like he brought his nephew,” Annabelle finished.
“I’m not too fond of Roderick,” I admitted. “He has always been quite rude to me.”
“Oh! I thought it was just me,” Hazel said.
“He…can certainly put on airs,” Annabelle admitted. “His wife passed away about, oh, thirty years ago now. He never remarried, and they never had children. I think the loneliness has hardened him.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” I said. For the first time, I felt bad for my judgment of Roderick.
While I had initially been hesitant of Jasper’s party idea, it turned out to be fun. It gave me the opportunity to get to know all of the guests better, and watch Hazel and Adam tentatively flirt. We stuffed ourselves full of sugary treats and played croquet until the sun went down. By the end of the party I was exhausted, and my bed was calling to me.
Before I turned in, I headed to the kitchen for a cup of tea. I was tired, but after the busy day, my mind was whirring. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to fall asleep right away. As I turned down the hallway I passed the library and paused. Perhaps a book would help my mind rest.
I reached around my neck and grabbed the key. When Jasper had first handed it to me, it had been on a small ribbon, but I had switched it over so it rested on a chain around my neck. I pulled it off and slid the key in the lock, turning it until the doors were opened.
The sun had dipped below the horizon hours before, and the room was dark. The sconces in the hallway were still lit, though, so I took one off the wall and ducked inside. Shadows danced around me as I crossed the room to the window by the fiction section. I knelt and scanned the titles, but truly nothing was appealing. Everything seemed so fanciful, so silly. I wanted something with substance. I sighed as I stood back up.
I glanced to the stairs on my right and the shadow–filled loft above. Jasper had said he didn’t want me up there, but I was curious. It was perhaps the only part of Wolf’s Peak I hadn’t visited yet. Jasper hadn’t expressly forbade it, but he had heavily implied that I was not to go up there, and that made me curious.
I looked around the room, but of course it was empty. I took a deep breath, holding the torch out in front of me as I placed one foot on the iron step. My free hand took hold of the cold, dusty banister. I peered ahead of me as I lifted my other foot…
There was a noise at the door and I leapt back down to the fiction section, pretending to read the titles as Jasper entered the room. I turned around, pretending to be surprised.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him.
He crossed to me. “I could ask you the same thing. I saw the door was open.”
“I went to get some tea from the kitchen, and stopped in here for a book to read tonight.”
He came behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Find anything?”
I shook my head. “Not particularly. I think I may just reread Jane Eyre.”
“Jane Eyre?”
“It was my mother’s favorite book,” I explained. “The only thing of hers I got from her. I lost out on a lot when I lost my mother. I never learned to cook or sew. I’m a bit rubbish at being a woman.”
Jasper frowned and turned his body toward me. I was still looking down at the shelves, but he put his hand under my chin and tilted it so I was looking at him.
“Don’t ever say that,” he said. “You aren’t rubbish to me.”
I blushed. “Thank you.”
He leaned down and kissed me softly, warm lips brushing mine. He pulled away, but our eyes stayed locked.
“I had an idea,” he said.
“Like your garden party idea? Because that went surprisingly well.”
“Even better, I should think,” he told me. He took my hands, his thumb gently stroking my skin. “How would you like to go on a honeymoon?”
I blinked twice. “I hadn’t even really considered it,” I said.
“I hadn’t thought it would be possible, but it looks like I may be able to manage it after all,” he said. “The prince owes me a favor, and I’m sure he could give me a week or two off. What do you think? Perhaps a visit to the seaside?”
My mind was whirling, and I couldn’t suppress a smile anymore.
“I think that sounds wonderful,” I said.
Chapter Fourteen
“I’ve never been on a train before,” I yelled to Jasper over the roar of the engines.
“Really?” he asked. He looked quite dapper in a dark gray coat and black hat. He clutched our luggage in his hands, our tickets sticking out of his coat pocket.
“I never had reason to,” I shrugged. “I’d never left town before.”
“I take this train into London all the time,” he sighed. “I suppose the novelty has worn off.”
I looked up at him and beamed. I was excited to get a chance to spend a few weeks with my husband. We’d hardly seen each other lately; to be allowed a few weeks on holiday, he’d been in London on business for the prince for nearly a week. I’d spent that week with Annabelle and Hazel. They were both teaching me how to sew, and although I was awful at it and had ruined several squares of fabric with blood after pricking my finger, I was enjoying their company. When they weren’t around I sat and chatted with Bridget if she wasn’t busy.
When there was no one to keep me company, I spent time in the garden. Annabelle had brought me back a scrapbooking kit from town, and I’d sit by the fountain and paste pictures. I always kept a lookout for the wolf, but I hadn’t seen him since the day after the wedding. Annabelle had mentioned that there were thick woods surrounding Wolf’s Peak, and for all I knew my new friend had followed the trees to London.
My other favorite place in Wolf’s Peak was the library. I tried to content myself with the fiction books, but I was still curious as to what was upstairs. I hadn’t made an attempt to sneak up there since the night Jasper nearly caught me. I was too afraid that next time, I wouldn’t be so lucky.
“This is us,” Jasper nudged me. I looked up to see someone beck
oning for our tickets. Jasper bent down, and I plucked them from his breast pocket and handed them over.
“Duke Wolfric, it’s so good to see you again,” the man said. “Your compartment is ready, as always.”
I gazed at him. “You have your own compartment?”
“It’s not mine, technically,” he said as we handed off our luggage and stepped onto the train. “It’s the one that I typically reserve, though. Like I said, I take this train to London quite often.”
I gazed around the train. The ceiling was high and embossed with gold leafing. The carpet was plush and red, and the seats were the same. I couldn’t help but notice the glances that we got as we crossed through. Clearly, Jasper was known around here. I was thankful that Annabelle had picked me a pretty, navy blue frock to wear while traveling. It was comfortable, but still made me look like the duke’s wife. Like a duchess.
Jasper led me back to the compartment he had reserved. The seats here somehow looked even more comfortable than the ones in the public cars, and best of all, it was private. The car was set up with two long seats along each wall, and a table between them. I sat down on one seat beside the window so I could watch the passing scenery. I had expected Jasper to take the other side, but I was pleasantly surprised when instead he sat beside me. He put his arm around my shoulders as the train began to depart the station.
“How long is our ride?” I asked him as I leaned into his shoulder.
“It’s about two hours to get to London, then we’ll switch to another train, and it will take us about five hours to get to the coast.”
“I’m so excited,” I said, as if he couldn’t already tell. I was grinning giddily. “I’ve never seen the ocean before.”
“There have been a lot of firsts for you since we met, haven’t there?” he asked me tenderly.
My face burned red, though surely he didn’t mean any sort of impropriety when he said that. After all, it was true. My first time wearing such fine clothes; my first time in a bathtub with running water; my first time with servants; my first time getting married; my first time on a train; and my first time on holiday. However, I’m sure it hadn’t escaped his attention that I hadn’t been with a man before we’d been married, and I was distinctly aware that we hadn’t lain together since. The energy between us was almost palpable, a static charge that kept building.
A short time after we had left, someone knocked on our door. I looked up at Jasper, but he didn’t seem surprised or fazed. The door opened, and a woman stood there with a cart.
“What can I get you today, my lord?” she asked.
He turned to me. “What would you like?”
I craned my head to see what she was offering. Tea, along with chocolates and pastries. My jaw dropped open. “Oh my goodness,” I said.
Jasper laughed. “Tea for the duchess, please,” he said, giving me a smile.
“And I’ve got your coffee here, my lord,” the woman said, handing him a cup, then reaching one out to me.
“Coffee?” I asked.
“I’m not a fan of tea,” he admitted. “We’ll take a few of the eclairs, please,” he said to the woman.
“Of course, my lord,” she said, handing him a plate. He passed her some money, and she disappeared, shutting the door behind her.
“You don’t like tea?” I asked him as he left. I was staring at him, incredulous.
“I don’t.”
“That’s almost blasphemous,” I said, taking a piece of the eclair. The sugary taste that filled my mouth was almost as good as our wedding cake.
“Tea is really just warm, flavored water.”
“Well, what do you call coffee?”
He looked at me for a moment, then planted a long, deep kiss on my lips. I grasped at his coat, pulling him closer as the train rocked along.
After a moment, he pulled away. “You had some ganache on your lips,” he teased, making me laugh.
We made our transfer at the London station easily enough.
“I’ve never been to London either,” I said ruefully as we boarded our train, looking over my shoulder at the bustling station.
“I promise to take you sometime soon,” Jasper said as we walked through the train. He had booked another private car. “Perhaps on one of my business trips I’ll take you with me and we can enjoy the city at night.”
“That sounds lovely,” I said, clutching onto his arm.
“In fact, the prince’s son Albert, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, just recently became engaged. I think they’re planning a longer engagement, but you’ll definitely accompany me to London for that.”
“A longer engagement,” I sighed. “Seems that’s a little more typical.”
“We had a very strange engagement,” Jasper agreed after a moment. “Our circumstances were…different.”
“I’m not complaining.” What good would it do to be hesitant now? The papers were signed, our wedding consummated. No, I had moved on from complaining about the wedding.
“I do feel bad, though,” he said. “You weren’t very involved in the planning of our wedding.”
“I’m quite all right with that! Annabelle did a lovely job.”
“I suppose she did,” he said, smiling at me as the train departed.
When Jasper had said we were going to the coast, he wasn’t lying. Our hotel was situated right on the beach. We could hear the waves crashing from our bedroom.
The hotel was beautiful. I had started to grow accustomed to beauty, living in the duke’s house, but his home was older, more of a classic structure. The hotel was much more modern, with marble floors and high ceilings. Our room had a massive tub and soft white linens. It was luxury like I had never experienced before.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I think we’ll need to postpone our sightseeing until tomorrow,” Jasper said, looking out at the darkening sky.
“That’s all right, I can see plenty of sights from here,” I sighed. I was standing on the balcony, watching the waves greet the shore in the torchlight. The wind had picked up a bit, and I was aware of my hair blowing around my face, but I didn’t mind. The sea air smelled salty and clear, and rain had started to strum on the roof overhead. It was a different kind of peace than that of the garden, a sort of chaotic peace that reminded you that humans were only there at the whim of nature.
“Come inside,” Jasper laughed, tugging at my arm. “You’re going to catch a cold.”
“All right.” I stepped back into our room and secured the door behind me. “I just love looking at it.”
“You can look at it plenty tomorrow, when it’s light out,” Jasper assured me.
“I am tired.” I sat down on the edge of the bed. It hadn’t escaped my notice that Jasper had only reserved us one room with one bed.
“I hope you’re not too tired,” he said, stepping in front of me. He placed his hand under my chin and tilted my lips up to meet his. A shiver ran through my spine. I loved it when he did that; it was sort of tender and controlling at the same time. Our kiss grew deeper, tongues exploring and twisting together. He gently pushed me back on the bed, supporting himself with his arms as he continued to kiss me. I sighed happily, remembering our wedding night. This time, he wasn’t going to leave me.
I reached up and pushed his coat off of his shoulders. My fingers tangled in the buttons of his shirt, clumsily trying to undo them as quickly as possible. Finally, my hands pressed against the warm skin underneath, flat against hard muscle. I wanted his skin against mine.
Jasper rolled himself over, never breaking our lips apart, and sat down on the bed next to me. He reached behind me, slowly, tortuously, unlatching each button and hook holding my dress on. Once the last button was free, the dress fell down my shoulders. His lips nibbled at my neck as I freed my arms from the sleeves. I pushed the dress over my hips, letting it fall into a crumpled heap on the floor.
My arms wrapped around Jasper’s neck, playing in his hair, never wanting to let go. One of his hands stayed on the smal
l of my back, securing me, while the other reached up and brushed against my breast through the thin fabric of my slip. I felt the nipple harden beneath his hand and I arched my back, leaning into him. He pushed the strap of my slip off of my shoulder, exposing my chest. I had never been exposed like this before in front of anyone. Even on our wedding night, my slip had stayed on the entire time. He leaned his head down, soft hair brushing against my sternum as he took the nipple in his mouth. The sensation was more delicious than anything I’d ever felt before, and a low moan escaped my throat. Again, he gently lowered me back down, never allowing his mouth to leave my nipple. I lay back on the bed, and he moved his other hand up to gently tease my other breast.
I couldn’t think, almost couldn’t breathe. It was more amazing than anything I had ever felt before. I wanted… I needed to give back to him. Tentatively, I reached down, feeling his hardness through his trousers. This time, it was his turn to moan, and I felt the vibrations radiate through my chest. He pulled away and I pouted.
“This is for you,” he murmured. “Consider it my apology for letting you be lonely.”
I was about to protest, to tell him that was nonsense, that this was more than enough, but then his mouth moved lower, pulling off the last of the undergarments I wore. I was completely bare before him, with no way to hide myself. Strangely, though, I didn’t feel the need to hide. I wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed. I was too engulfed by pleasure for that.
Jasper kissed down between my ribs, taking a few moments to kiss my stomach tenderly. His mouth continued lower to the patch of dark, curly hair between my legs. Tension was building in my chest. I had no idea what to expect. I kept in mind the advice from Bridget and Annabelle. Breathe.
It was hard to take deep breaths, though. Even harder when his tongue lashed out, licking me from my slit on up, circling at the sensitive nub just above. I let out a loud cry of ecstasy. I briefly wondered if we had neighbors. I decided I didn’t care.
His tongue worked carefully, gently, on my inexperienced body. He’d circle my clit before darting down inside of me. My hands were buried in his hair, clutching tighter every time he did something that made my back arch. I had thought I was in new territory before, but this surpassed anything he had done to me so far. I was completely at his mercy as he worked his ministrations on me, clever tongue hitting all the right spots. The tension in my chest was still building, and I felt I could burst at any moment. He circled my clit again, and while he did I felt him slip a finger, and then two inside of me. He worked them in and out quickly, and soon the pleasure hit its peak. Pleasure racked my body in waves as I cried out, one hand still clutching his hair and another wrapped in the bedspread.
The Wolf's Wife (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 1) Page 12