Elizabeth stared down into her tea.
“What is it, dear?”
“I’m afraid I only understand a little myself. I’ve been on my own for a while now, and have no one to talk to.”
Abigail patted her hand maternally. “It’s ok, dear, really. Andrew is a good man, and would make a fine husband. But I’m worried about his rushing in. His brothers have been giving him a hard time about getting married, and I suspect he feels the pressure.”
Elizabeth sighed, “I’m in no place to discuss that. I’m still a bit overwhelmed by everything that’s happened to me in the last day. But he does seem like a good man, he rescued me after all. But I find it so strange that he would just bring me back here without even checking to see if I would be missed.”
Abigail nodded, “I suppose that does seem strange, yes. But he is not accustomed to asking for permission regarding much.”
Elizabeth laughed, “I’m starting to see that.”
She finished her breakfast and tea, and asked if she could explore the grounds. Abigail nodded but did warn her not to leave the fenced in area. The sweet housekeeper packed a small bundle for Elizabeth to take with her, and she tucked it under one arm as she headed out the main door.
She turned right and headed into the enormous vegetable garden. It seemed that they had plants and produce of every conceivable type. The sun warmed her back soothingly and she was tempted to dig in the dirt and unearth some of the treasures. She reached the back side of the garden and realized that the fence continued so she walked along it as far as it would take her.
She was not accustomed to having any free time such as this, and she treasured being able to walk freely without a chore ahead. She did not mind having to care for her home by herself and parts of it she rather enjoyed. She was almost positive she could not ever become a ‘lady of leisure’ as her mother used to phrase it. But a little free time would be nice. She could practice her sewing or her reading, or just take lovely walks in the sunshine.
She turned right again when the fence cut over at a sharp angle, and she walked along the backside of the house. She could see the stable in the distance and thought she could hear pleasant background noise in that vicinity. The back of the house was simply a huge stone wall but it still looked intimidating and impenetrable.
As she neared the stable, several of the men headed out on horseback and headed to the gate but she did not pay them much attention. They did not appear to be in a hurry or alarmed in any way, so they must just be out for a ride.
As Elizabeth slowly pushed open the stable door, she heard a man’s voice and a boy’s voice conversing quietly.
“Hello?” she called out. She was certainly in no position to be sneaking up on someone who lived in the estate.
“Hope? Hello? Who’s there?” The young boy answered first.
“My name is Elizabeth,” she replied.
“Hello there!” The man’s voice boomed back and she instantly recognized it as Andrew’s.
His shadow loomed large in silhouette and she took a step back as he appeared suddenly.
“Can we help you?” he seemed to be asking in a friendly manner, not accusatory.
“Just taking a walk, looking around. I suspect I have lunch from Abigail here,” she showed them the cloth bundle under her arm.
“Well, let’s see what we have then. Why don’t you head up to the house and check on everything? We’ll be along later.”
Andrew dismissed the younger boy kindly and he scampered off in search of his own lunch.
He pulled her down to a patch of clean hay, and they spread the contents of the cloth out as a picnic. The stable smelled sweetly of hay and pungently of manure, but it was not a distasteful mix.
It was a simple lunch of apples, bread, and more ham. They enjoyed their lunch peacefully, interrupted only by the occasional horse pawing at the hay in their stall. As they finished their apples, Andrew flipped the cores into the feed troughs as a treat for the animals.
“Have you enjoyed your stay here? What did you walk around and see today?”
“Oh, not much. I found the kitchen this morning and I just had to see the vegetable garden. I love tending to my own but I have no idea what some of those plants are out there.”
Andrew laughed, “I can give you a private tour sometime.”
“That would be lovely.”
“How about a private tour of the stable?”
“Certainly.”
Elizabeth wrapped the cloth back up and slipped it into a pocket of the dress. Andrew led her by the elbow through the stable, winding through the stalls and other areas until they ended up in front of a large ladder that pointed upwards.
“How about up there?” he pointed with a half-smile.
“Oh, um, okay. What’s up there?”
“Let’s go see,” he winked.
He helped her up the first few steps of the ladder and followed closely behind. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from commenting on the sway of her hips as she climbed.
Up in the loft, it smelled only of fresh clean hay because the floor was covered with it. In one corner was a folded blanket. Andrew headed straight for the blanket and laid it out over the hay.
“Have a seat,” he patted the ground.
She curled up as politely as she could and tried to avoid eye contact.
“I’ve gotten myself in trouble up here before,” he remarked with a wicked grin.
In her innocence, Elizabeth simply asked, “Really? How so?”
Andrew smirked down at her and winked, “I’m happy to show you.”
Chapter Eight
Elizabeth blinked at him wide-eyed. It suddenly occurred to her what sort of trouble a young man might get into when hidden up in a hay loft.
“Oh, I, um, well, you, ahem…”
Andrew slid closer and rested his hand on her shoulder, “Come here…”
And he kissed her again, that same toe-curling spine-tingling tummy-twisting kind as last night. Elizabeth gasped softly but did not pull away. Andrew’s large hands fit neatly at her waist and she could not stop her hands from sliding up over his muscular arms.
His tongue traced the soft outline of her mouth and she parted her lips to the subtle intrusion. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own as her hands splayed out against the back of his neck, holding his mouth against hers.
“Andrew…” she breathed softly.
“What is it my beautiful girl?”
“I’ve never…”
“I know,” he murmured back.
His lips slid from her mouth across her jawline to her neck. Tiny shivers and shudders ran through her body with each kiss, each lick, each nibble. He explored the taste of her skin and the heat of her body until she was gasping for self-control.
He carefully and gently laid her backwards on the blanket and propped himself up next to her. His fingers tickled her skin as he traced the outline of the dress bodice, admiring the upward swell of her breasts.
He had been a reckless youth and had shared the company of several young woman, some of whom had a certain reputation. But none of them intrigued him or turned him on like this innocent young woman in the hay loft. Her breasts swelled enticingly from the top of her dress, her slender middle narrowed at the waist, and her hips seemed to curve out lusciously. Her blonde hair was in a simply low ponytail and her blue eyes were darkening with every touch. His hand drifted from the bodice to her waist until his fingers were splayed out along her hip. As he explored her body, his lips found hers again.
Elizabeth felt like she had been in the sun too long, her body felt flush and warm but her hands tingled like they were cold. She was beyond nervous to have a grown man touch her this way but the tingling in her lower belly did not want him to stop.
He wrapped one hand around her back and started to loosen the ties of her dress. She gasped and tried to sit up, but was stopped by his firm hand on her tummy.
“Just relax,” he murmured softly.
&nb
sp; The dress loosened on her body and he started to slide it down over her shoulders, kissing and licking each inch of skin as it slipped into view.
“Andrew…”
“What is it?”
“I don’t understand…”
“What don’t you understand?”
The dress was now at her waist, and her breasts were fully exposed except for the valley in between which was covered with Andrew’s face. His beard tickled and she tried not to giggle.
“I don’t understand how this feels,” she tried to explain.
“Tell me then, how does it feel?”
“All warm and tingly,” she said with an giggle of embarrassment.
He chuckled softly, “That’s how it’s supposed to feel.”
She smiled up at him as he slid the dress off her completely, and covered her naked body with his. His body felt warm and solid on top of her, and she was starting to feel the shame and anxiety dissolve under his touch.
She felt his hands disappear and fidget around between their bodies, and she gasped as he slid his trousers down and tossed his shirt aside. Her fingers danced across his bare chest and she marveled at the firmness of his muscles and the softness of the curly hairs.
He squirmed as her touch tickled him and he pinned both of her hands above her head on the ground. Elizabeth gasped again and he reassured her with another of those kisses that seemed to melt her entire insides.
She could feel something hot and stiff pressing against her lower belly and she squinted her eyes against what she knew was coming next.
“It will only hurt momentarily,” he whispered in her ear, “then it should get very warm and tingly.”
She nodded and he pressed himself against her opening. It felt warm and slippery against his cock and he grunted softly. It had been too long since he had lain with a woman and he was almost certain he had never taken someone’s womanhood before.
He inched himself inside, groaning at how smooth and slippery and tight she felt around him. She winced as he pressed onward, and he stopped to let her body accommodate his generous girth.
Andrew slowly pulled back out and slid back in. Her breathing had started back up and he brushed a stray piece of hay from her hair.
His motions started to speed up and his rhythm fell into a quick pattern, and Elizabeth felt her body starting to relax into it. His rough fingers rasped against her delicate skin and she arched her back, pressed her breasts up into his touch. He rolled and pinched her taut nipples as her breathing increased.
“Andrew…” she sighed quietly.
“Elizabeth, you feel perfect,” he replied against her throat.
His hips were still speeding up and she gripped the blanket beneath her as the tingling grew stronger. It felt like a rainstorm was brewing inside of her and she wrapped her legs around his waist as an anchor. The thunder and rain burst inside and she whimpered as the tingling hit a fevered pitch, and she moaned his name against his shoulder. He grunted loudly and thrust hard into her, and she felt the heated fluid splash into her body. He collapsed on top of her and panted for air.
“Oh my,” she breathed softly.
“Something like that,” Andrew chuckled.
After catching their breath and letting their bodies cool off, they dressed quietly as the dusk fell around the estate. They strolled back to the main house together quietly, his hand sitting comfortably on her lower back.
Chapter Nine
As the months wore on, Elizabeth became less and less homesick for her tiny house and her pitiful vegetable garden. Abigail and Hope had become like family to her, and Andrew was a regular visitor to her bedroom in the quiet evenings.
He would sneak over after everyone had retired for the night, and oftentimes he would have to clap a hand over her mouth to muffle her moans and whimpers as they pleasured each other. He had introduced her to the pleasures of a man, and it turns out she was as insatiable as he was.
She had even taking to teasing him in the dining hall when they were surrounded by the other family members, tickling his inner thigh under the table and letting her bare toes dance up his legs. He was not ashamed and relished the taunting, knowing that she was more than willing to follow it up with true passion later in the evening.
By the time the first snow fell, Elizabeth was just starting to show. Abigail urged her to consider a quick wedding before the baby was too visible, and the mother-to-be had to gently remind Abigail that there had been no proposal since that first night at the estate.
That evening, at dinner, Andrew actually looked nervous. Elizabeth found it amusing since she had never seen him nervous before. He was fidgety with his food, and even snapped at Abigail when she spilled a little of the ale.
“Andrew, whatever is the matter?” She laid her hand on his arm and tried to soothe him.
“Dammit woman, leave me alone. I just want to ask you to marry me and I’m afraid you’ll say no.”
He looked over at her, horrified at his own outburst. She stared back at him open-mouthed and burst into giggles.
“That’s just the proposal a girl always dreams of!”
The other men at the table joined in the laughter.
“Knock it off!” Andrew seemed genuinely upset.
“Look, I wanted to do this right and in front of the family, especially since you are going to be extending our family in the near future.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks flushed and the men crowed their surprise and appreciation.
“And the answer is yes, I will be a part of the crazy, glorious, wonderful family with you.”
Andrew beamed at his bride-to-be and rested a gentle hand on her expanding belly.
THE END
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Surrendering to the Scots
A Scottish Romance Collection
By: Midnight Moon Publishing
Seized by the Highlander
Chapter One
Elizabeth’s crinoline skirts rustled as they swept against the blades of grass that peeked through the cobblestone path. The shops seemed more crowded than normal as she made her way from one to the next. It was her maidservant’s day off but there were still things that the household needed. Her husband, Henry, would not be pleased if his whiskey was not available at the end of the day, and the cook needed a few things for dinner. Elizabeth would not want to be home if Henry were deprived of his food or his beverage. Her cheek still smarted from upsetting him the night before, by not refilling his mug quickly enough.
She smiled at the shopkeeper as he wrapped up the cheese, pickles and sweet jam. Apparently Henry’s reputation preceded him, and with a small nod, the shopkeeper also added a bottle of whiskey to the brown paper package before tying up the white twine.
He offered to add the purchases to the family’s shop credit and she agreed. Henry never allowed her to carry any money and the shops all seemed to place good faith on his abilities to pay the bills.
With the package tucked into the wicker basket she carried in the crook of her elbow, she wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and headed back into the streets. The summer was waning and the air carried the autumn chill. She welcomed the relief from the heat of the earlier months, but knew she should start preparing the house for winter.
She made a mental list of tasks as she made her way back to the estate. The wind tickled at the nape of her neck and tried to steal loose tendrils from her coifed blonde curls. The walk was not short, but she enjoyed the chance to get out of her drafty old stone estate. It seemed to trap the heat in July and the cold in January, and never felt quite comfortable at any time of year. And while the shopping could have been done by the servants, she liked having an excuse to wander about town. She knew better than to spend too much money at any of the stores, but it was a pleasant afternoon to window shop. Henry constantly chided her for not taking the carriage into town, but she almost always took the trip by foot.
Henry was well-known in the area
as the region’s largest landowner so most of the shopkeepers were overly attentive to her needs. They would fetch her a cup of tea, provide her a chair to rest, and even wrap packages extra carefully when she did decide to buy something.
When she arrived home, the cook whisked the package away from her and set a pot of tea on the stove to heat.
“Would you like something to eat ma’am?” the cook offered.
“Yes, Olivia, that would be lovely. I know that dinner is not far off, but I’m not certain I will make it that long.” She smiled gently at the older woman and settled into a chair at the servants’ table in the kitchen. Her blue eyes twinkled since she knew that she would shortly be enjoying some of the sharp cheddar cheese that she had just purchased.
“Ma’am, I am happy to bring it to your room if you like.”
“No, I should prefer to sit here in the warm kitchen with your company, if that’s alright.”
Olivia smiled and nodded. “But of course, Ma’am.”
She poured the tea into an elegant china mug and cut off pieces of homemade bread and the fresh cheese as a snack. While Elizabeth sipped and nibbled, they discussed the changes in the weather as Olivia started to prepare their dinner.
Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia watched the delicate young woman and shook her head slightly. She could not understand Elizabeth’s choice to marry her boss. He was a gray-haired, flabby, pig-headed drunkard who constantly yelled at everyone in the household. And Elizabeth seemed to take the brunt of it. They had been married almost two years now, and despite his every effort to force her, she had yet to produce an heir for his estate.
Olivia smirked to herself as an errant thought crept through her head. Perhaps Elizabeth’s body was rejecting Henry in a way that she could not. The cook was certain that it had been an arranged marriage. Elizabeth’s father had been the banker in town, and thusly had his choice of suitors when Elizabeth came of age. The wealthiest landowner in the area was an obvious choice on paper, and it was not allowed for the young lady to question the agreement that had been made. They had both been brought up in the proper British environments, and the arrangement did make sense on paper.
Possessed By The Duke (Regency Romance) Page 3