She ended the kiss and drew away from him. “In private, I can refer to you as Jason, but in public, we have to be more formal.”
Disappointed she was no longer in his arms, he replied, “I won’t call you Anna in public.”
“I know. I’m just explaining why I won’t when others are around.”
“But you just referred to me as ‘Your Grace’ a moment ago, and we’re alone.”
“But I meant it as a term of endearment.”
Well, there was that. A knock came at the door, directing his attention to the steward who waited for his permission to enter. He turned to Anna. “I’ll be down shortly.”
She nodded and left the room.
He motioned for the steward to enter before he asked, “Did you bring the ledger?”
“I do every time you summon me, Your Grace,” he replied, his voice almost hesitant.
“Good. I’d like to know what everyone’s wages are.” He held his hand out.
The steward handed it to him.
Jason opened it and turned to the sunlight coming through the window to get a better look at the columns and rows. It took him a couple minutes to get a firm grasp on what was happening with the finances. Turning back to the steward, he said, “It appears that my father paid you and the others more than I do.”
The steward furrowed his eyebrows. “Your Grace?”
“Is that an accurate assessment?”
“Well, yes.”
“When did I make such a decision?”
“Shortly after you acquired the title.”
Jason ran his finger along the page in the ledger. “So that is almost seven years?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Jason’s gaze returned to the page and settled at the bottom where the balance was. He couldn’t do the calculation in his head, so he went to the desk in the other room and wrote down the numbers until he came up with the proper back payment plus raises due the staff. When he returned to the steward, he handed him the ledger and the paper. “I believe I owe you and the others your back wages and the appropriate raises for your services.”
His jaw dropped. “Your Grace?”
“Do you have a problem with accepting the money rightfully yours?”
“No, no I don’t.”
“You can see according to the household balance that I have more than enough.”
“Yes.”
Jason waited for the steward to continue since he opened his mouth to say something, but then he closed his mouth and took another good look at the paper in his hand. “I must be going,” Jason said. “I trust you’ll relay this to the servants.”
The steward’s shock gave way to a hearty chuckle. “Yes, Your Grace. Of course.”
“Good.”
Feeling much better to right yet another wrong in his past, Jason followed the steward out of his bedchamber so he could be with Anna.
Chapter Fourteen
When the inn at Gretna Green came into view, Jason turned from the carriage window and saw Anna peering out her window. “It’s too late to change your mind,” he told her in a playful tone. “We came all the way to Scotland.” He took her hand in his and squeezed it. “You have to marry me now.”
With an amused smile, she said, “I don’t recall suggesting we turn around and go back home.”
“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t consider that an option.”
“I wouldn’t think of it.”
“Good.” He pressed his lips to her cheek. “I promise I’ll be good to you.”
“I know you’ll be,” she whispered and squeezed his hand.
The carriage came to a stop at the inn, and they went in to secure their room. Though his stomach growled and it was the dinner hour, he didn’t feel like waiting to get married.
He turned to Anna as she laid her belongings on the small vanity in their room. “I’ll see what I can do about getting a priest.”
She placed her brush by the mirror and glanced at him. “You don’t want to eat first?”
“The priest might be busy. I want to make sure we get married tonight.”
“Once you set your mind to something, there’s no stopping you.”
“With a lady like you, can you blame me for being impatient?”
Though she sighed, a smile hinted at her lips. “You’re far too charming for my own good.”
Secretly pleased, he said, “I’ll be back as soon as I secure an appointment.”
“I imagine you won’t rest until you do.”
“Of course not.” He went over to her and kissed her. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time.”
Before she could comment, he hurried out of the room. After he went to the innkeeper and found out where one of the priests lived, he left the inn. On his way down a path, someone called out the name Alastair. He didn’t think anything of it until the person got more insistent. Wondering who was calling out the name, he stopped and turned to the person. To his surprise, the gentleman was heading straight for him.
Jason waited for him to catch up to him. “Is there something I can help you with, sir?”
“Sir?” The gentleman laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “You and I were friends since we were children, and you address me so formally?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He laughed again. “Oh, Alastair, you always did have a sense of humor. Good thing, too, considering the lot you were given in this life. But never mind all that. You look good. I take it they were gracious enough to let you go. Or did you escape?”
Jason didn’t know what to make of the gentleman’s strange ramblings, but he knew they were meant for someone else. “I’m not Alastair. I’m Jason Merrill, the Duke of Watkins.”
The gentleman stopped laughing and studied him. “But the resemblance…” He motioned to his face and then the rest of him. “You don’t recognize me? I’m Don. You know, the ‘fire eater’?”
Jason shifted uneasily from one foot to another, not sure what to make of the nonsense the gentleman was saying. “I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t know what else to tell you. Perhaps Alastair is at home.”
“No, Alastair doesn’t live here.” He scratched his head and examined him again. “You’re really not Alastair?”
He shook his head. No, he wasn’t Alastair, and the fact that this stranger assumed he was perplexed him. “Maybe you’ll see him again. At least, I hope you will.” Obviously, it was important to this gentleman that he did. “I must be on my way.”
His face fallen, he nodded. “I’m sorry, Your Grace.”
“Think nothing of it.”
He turned to take a step away from the gentleman when the gentleman said, “It’s ironic. That’s something Alastair used to say.”
Unsure of how to respond, Jason shrugged and continued on his way to the priest’s residence. He didn’t know what to think of the strange encounter except that there was someone out there who looked just like him. Whatever the situation, it didn’t concern him. His thoughts returned to Anna, and he forgot all about the gentleman.
***
Anna stood by Jason an hour later. When she’d married the first time, there had been a large group of people who watched. The unmarried ladies were envious that she managed to snag a duke. Even she had been in awe that she would be a duchess as soon as the wedding was done. Back then the title was so important to her and her family and friends. What a silly thing a title was. It didn’t lend itself to happiness or safety. It was meaningless when one woke up trapped like an animal in a cage, when one day passed slowly into the next, when death was the only means of escape.
But her second marriage wouldn’t be like that. Jason, who’d come out of nowhere, had something more important to offer her than a title. With him there would be love and security. She had no doubt about that. So it was with gratitude she promised herself to him. This would be the first day of the rest of her life. What was once lost had been found. She’d be
en given a reason to enjoy life again, and she decided that she would embrace all of it. Appleton was right. There was so much sorrow in life; it was foolish to deny a chance to be happy when the chance came along.
After they were married, Jason said he wanted to get something for her. Despite her curiosity, she resisted the urge to follow him and returned to their room so she could get ready for bed. She felt a flutter in her stomach at the knowledge it was time to be intimate with him. She spent more time than necessary brushing her hair at the vanity table and recalling their exchange of vows. It couldn’t have been better. Even without all the splendor, it was better than her first wedding. Her lips curled up into a smile. What could be more wonderful than the joy at knowing she was safe with her husband?
The door to the room opened, and Jason entered it, hiding something behind his back. She took in his mischievous grin and put the brush on the table.
“What are you hiding?” she asked, trying to see what was behind his back.
He laughed and turned so that her effort was in vain. “I’ll show you if you give me a kiss.”
Amused, she approached him, aware that her shift caressed her body as she walked forward.
His gaze traveled down the length of her. “You’re beautiful.”
Ignoring the nervous thrill that shot through her, she stepped up to him and kissed him, aware that her breasts lightly brushed his chest. She cleared her throat. “Will you show me now?”
“Show you what?” he asked.
“What’s behind your back?”
He blinked and chuckled. “Oh. Right. I almost forgot.” He took the roses from behind his back and presented them to her. “I got these for you from a merchant.”
“They’re lovely,” she whispered and touched the soft pink and red petals. “Thank you.”
“She told me if you hang them upside down, they’ll dry out and you can keep them forever.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.”
She kissed him again, and this time he brought her into his arms and deepened the kiss. The roses still in hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. He groaned and let his hands fall down her back and to the curve of her rear end. He parted his lips, and she responded in kind, inviting him into her mouth. His tongue caressed hers, claiming her mouth. A swell of excitement coursed through her. It was such a wonderful feeling to be desired so passionately.
He pulled away from her and took the roses so he could place them in the vase on the table. When he turned back to her, she decided to beat him to it and remove his clothes for him. She found she enjoyed the process, peeling off layer after layer, slowly exposing more of him. Where such boldness was coming from, she didn’t know. She wouldn’t have believed herself capable of being this way before, but with Jason, it was easy to forgo her inhibitions. She wanted to be intimate with him, for his body to claim hers, to be consumed by his love.
He didn’t deny her the exploration she craved. If anything, he encouraged it. He shrugged off his clothes to help her and guided her hands from his shoulders to his stomach. She hesitated along the scars that reminded her of the night she and Appleton found him in the forest.
It was a double-edged sword to be angry with whoever hurt him while being grateful they left him for her and Appleton to find so she could be with him now. She blinked back her tears in case he assumed she didn’t want to be here with him. The truth was she wanted to be here. There was nowhere else she’d rather be, nothing else she’d rather be doing. Even the joy of music failed in comparison to this moment.
Jason brought his hands to her shoulders and gently massaged them. His lips went to her neck and she moaned. She tilted her head to the side while her hands traveled further down his body. She wrapped her hands around his erection, noting its strength. The area between her legs ached for him. Even if she hadn’t enjoyed her time with her first husband, she’d discovered that she was capable of pleasure and wanted to experience it with him. She ran her hands down his length and brought them back up. He softly moaned and squeezed her shoulders.
She let go of him and pulled the shift over her head. Before she had time to toss it to the floor, he was cupping her breasts and studying them. She would have chuckled at his impatience had he not brushed her nipples with his thumbs, an action which made her knees grow weak.
“Let’s go to bed,” she whispered, her voice raspy.
He didn’t argue as she took him by the hand and led him to the bed. Together they settled on it, and he gathered her into his embrace and kissed her, his lips no longer gentle but determined. He rolled on top of her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist aware that the male part of him was nestled at her entrance. But he didn’t enter her as she thought he would. He moved his hips, his erection stroking her sensitive nub, and she gasped from the stimulation. Enjoying the way he was teasing her, she rocked her hips with him.
He lowered his head and kissed her neck, flicking his tongue along the path to her ear, making her squirm in delight. She felt moisture build between her legs as he continued to stroke her nub with his arousal. She could so easily take him into her, but he broke the intimate contact in favor of getting on his knees so he could get a good look at her body. He took his time in studying her, first with his hands and then with his mouth. He explored her breasts, circling her nipples with his thumbs before he brushed them with his tongue. She groaned and murmured his name. His response was to bring one of his hands between her legs and insert two fingers into her so he could stroke her core.
It wasn’t long before she realized the pleasure mounting deep inside her meant that she’d climax soon, but she wanted him to be inside her when she did. She quickly removed his fingers and rolled him onto his back. He helped her straddle him before he entered her. She moved above him, her sensitive nub rubbing against his body. Looking down at him, she saw him open his eyes and smile at her. Smiling in return, she closed her eyes and gave into the urge to pursue her climax. Nothing else mattered at this moment except that they’d both find satisfaction in this act. And it wasn’t long before she reached the peak, her body clenching around him as he stiffened beneath her and released his seed. She gasped and remained still, lightly groaning as wave after wave of pleasure consumed her.
When they both descended back to Earth, she collapsed in his arms. Out of breath, they remained silent, and she listened to the soothing beating of his heart.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
She lifted her head so she could look at him. “For what?”
“For marrying me again. Now I have this memory to look back on and enjoy.”
“I do, too.”
With a smile, she kissed him, and it wasn’t long before they were making love again.
Chapter Fifteen
As Anna and Jason returned home in the carriage, she narrowed her eyes when she realized Lord Mason was talking to the footman. She couldn’t be sure, but it appeared as if they were having an argument. The footman shook his head and threw his hands up in the air in a manner that indicated he’d had enough of their discussion before he hurried into the manor.
She expected Lord Mason to leave, but he didn’t. He turned in time to see the carriage and headed for the front entrance. Her grip tightened on the reticule resting in her lap.
“What’s wrong?” Jason asked, peering out the window to see what caught her attention.
“It’s Lord Mason,” she grumbled. Leave it to him to ruin her good mood.
“He is my brother. I suppose he’s coming by because we’re family?”
“Maybe.” She wasn’t sure. Something about his frequent visits made her uneasy. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a word with him.”
“You think he’s intruding?”
Wondering how much she could tell him without arousing his suspicions, she decided to say, “Before you became ill, he made it a habit of stopping by two or three times a year. Then suddenly, he started coming by once a week.”
“That often?”
“When you were sick, I thought…” She paused, not sure if it was necessary to tell him more or not.
“You thought what?” he pressed.
She sighed, not sure if it made a difference or not but decided it didn’t do any harm to tell him. “I thought he was waiting for you to die so he could take your place.”
Jason frowned. “You mean, he was eager to see me die?”
“A title avails a gentleman much, and the better the title, the more it’s desired.”
“I understand.”
Noting the hurt in his voice, she slid her arm around his and kissed his cheek. “That’s the way Lord Mason is. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. It has nothing to do with you.”
He sighed. “I’m not surprised. He’s done nothing to make me think he’s my friend.”
“He hasn’t?”
“No.”
She wondered if he’d disclose more than that, but the carriage came to a stop. She released his arm and got ready to confront Lord Mason. She’d had enough of him. Appleton understood the situation and would help her. Now that she had Jason, Lord Mason had no power over her.
The coachmen helped them down, and Lord Mason waited for them near the carriage door. “I understand congratulations are in order,” Lord Mason said, his hands behind his back. “A second wedding. I suppose it was necessary, given the circumstances.”
His gaze darted to Anna who froze in place next to Jason. Lord Mason knew her secret. No, he couldn’t know. Not for sure. She and Appleton were careful the night they buried her first husband. So he didn’t know. But he suspected. And that made him more dangerous than he’d ever been. Whatever she did from this point forward, she must not raise his suspicions further.
Jason turned to him. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”
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