Redeeming the Earl

by Jenn Langston

  The questions raced through her mind, making her ill. She trusted Charles, but what if the danger had come from someone else?

  Who was she supposed to be cautious of?

  Chapter 7

  Rebecca adjusted her veil as she stared into the mirror. It was finally happening. Since the end of her second Season, she’d never thought this day would arrive. Nerves crawled around in her stomach, making her lean forward on her elbows at the dressing table. Today she would become Charles’s fifth wife.

  “Don’t fret, my dear,” her mother said in a soothing voice. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Rebecca took a deep breath and turned to face her mother with a smile in place.

  “I still don’t know why your father is insisting you marry that man. And you. You really have done nothing to dissuade him from his course.”

  “Mother, today is my wedding day. Please don’t start this again. There is nothing we can do now.”

  Her mother crossed the room and wrapped her arms around herself. “There must be something. It can’t be too late.”

  Pulling herself to her feet in the heavy dress, Rebecca went to her mother’s side and patted her shoulder. There really was nothing she could say. No reassurance to offer. Although Rebecca knew Charles wasn’t a murderer, her mother didn’t want to hear about that. Nor did she want to talk about such and tarnish her memories of this special occasion.

  “I will miss you dreadfully, but you can be assured that I shall write and even visit upon occasion.”

  Her mother turned to her, anguish in her eyes. “Maybe you don’t have to marry him. If you just—”

  “What is this?” Her father demanded as he entered the room. “Rebecca is to wed the earl within the next half hour, and you wish to have her walk away?”

  “I don’t know,” her mother said, miserably.

  “Well, I do.” He paced the room, anger in his gait. “Have you thought of the scandal that would bring? What of her marriage prospects then? Finding one man to marry her was difficult enough. Do you believe finding another would be easy, especially if she cries off now?”

  Feeling his words like a slap in the face, Rebecca sat down on the nearest chair. Considering this was nothing new, she shouldn’t have felt the sting of his words, but she did. Opening her eyes wide and breathing through her mouth, she kept the tears at bay.

  “No, I—”

  “Enough, woman. You are done here. Go sit and look happy. Our only daughter is about to become a wife. Then she’ll be someone else’s problem.”

  Watching her mother walk away brought anger twisting through Rebecca. Her eyes narrowed at the man who sired her. For his benefit, she wished she could cry off. That would serve him right, but do nothing for her. After all, she wanted to marry Charles.

  She stood, overwhelmed with the desire to hurt him back. “Come Father. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you will not have to look at me any longer. Honestly, never having to see you again or hear your hatred makes marrying a murderer worth it. I wonder how you would feel if he did kill me. I suppose you wouldn’t even care.”

  Without waiting for a response, Rebecca glided from the room feeling much happier about her future. Never again would she have to sit by and listen to him speak to her like that. She just hoped Charles wouldn’t turn out to be the same.

  It was done. Charles was married again. To wife number five. Although the idea bothered him, having Rebecca by his side did nothing but fill him with joy. Simply watching her glide around the room while greeting guests made his chest swell. Her hostess skills couldn’t be questioned.

  “Well, she’s officially yours now,” Alex Doutree said, approaching him from behind.

  A smile tugged at Charles’s lips. “Yes, she is.”

  “You know, I really wish I didn’t like you.”

  “Really? Why is that?”

  “Because if anything happens to my sister, I’m going to have to kill you.”

  Charles’s gaze again sought his wife. She stood talking with his family. Although he knew his sister disapproved of him marrying again, he noticed her smiling. A genuine smile. An unknown feeling swept through him.

  “Well, Doutree, if something does happen to her, I think I might let you.”

  With that, he clapped the man on the shoulder, then made his way to his wife. The signatures had been placed, the luncheon had been eaten, and the well wishes received. It was time to go home.

  As he waited for Rebecca to be prepared for him, he paced at the bottom of the stairs. Never before had he been so anxious to get home. Again, he thought of the words from the Prince Regent. Would bedding her really bring him back to normal?

  “What are you doing prowling around in here?” Gloria asked as she sauntered toward him. “I recall you being more social at your previous weddings.”

  “Your memory is faulty. I would say I’ve acted much the same at each one.”

  She shook her head and leaned against the staircase railing next to him. “You can lie to anyone you want, except me.” Reaching out, she rubbed her hand down his arm. “What is bothering you?”

  “Gloria,” Rebecca called as she moved down the stairs. “How nice of you to come see us off.”

  Gloria snatched her hand away from him as if burned. Red touched her cheeks, and Charles wondered at her odd behavior. Was she embarrassed or angry? He could never tell with her. The woman had always confounded him, no matter how hard he tried to understand her.

  “I’ve never missed seeing Charles off before.” She shrugged, obviously having regained control of herself. “I wish you both luck.”

  As Gloria walked away, he turned his attention to Rebecca. “Are you ready to go?”

  She nodded and allowed him to escort her to the carriage while a few of their guests gathered for one last opportunity to offer advice.

  Once inside, he leaned his head back on the cushion. He expected to hear of Rebecca’s thoughts on their wedding, but instead the short ride to his townhouse proved awkward and uncomfortable. She didn’t speak or look at him, and he couldn’t think of one thing to say to her.

  Part of him wanted to explain how happy he was to be married to her. How saying those vows had reverberated through his body in a way that was unlike ever before. How he was the luckiest man in the world that fate would reserve her for him.

  But he remained silent.

  Unfortunately the unease continued through dinner. Now he stood, pacing in his bedchamber as nerves assaulted him. Had her discomfort been because she knew what he would do to her tonight? He didn’t want to make things uncomfortable for her, but this was necessary.

  He thrust his hand through his hair and held onto the strands. He couldn’t lie to himself. The necessity wasn’t driving him right now. The duty to the earldom sat far away from his mind at this moment.

  Taking a cleansing breath, he marched to the door adjoining their chambers. He refused to wait any longer. Normally, he gave his new wife enough time to become completely prepared for bed, but he’d reached his level of patience.

  As he grasped the brass knob, he allowed the cool metal to calm him. He’d done this many times before, and Rebecca deserved more than an impatient man stalking to her bed.

  When he stepped through the door, she jumped. She stood before her dressing table, holding a brush in her hand. Her luscious blond hair cascaded over her shoulders and halfway down her chest. The sight of her in such a state of undress made him wish he’d kept his breeches on under his dressing gown. He had no wish to frighten her with his raging body.

  “Hello, my lord.” Her voice emerged much higher than he had ever heard it before.

  He inclined his head. “My lady.”

  She didn’t move, merely wrung her hands on that hairbrush, keeping her eyes loc
ked on his. The fear he saw made him regret not remaining in his bedchamber until she waited in her bed.

  “Would you like some assistance with that?”

  Her glance down at the item in her hands made him wonder if she’d forgotten she held it. He needed to ease her. What happened to the outspoken woman he’d come to know?

  Walking over to his wife, he turned her around as he took the brush from her fingers. While he pulled it through her hair, she closed her eyes. The sight of the golden strands shimmering in the candlelight mesmerized him.

  “You don’t need to worry about what’s going to happen tonight,” he assured. “I will guide you through it.”

  She spun around. “I know. I trust you.”

  Before he could respond, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. The sensation of her body pressed against his, combined with her demanding lips, made his mind go blank.

  He pulled her in closer as his mouth devoured hers. All the feelings he’d been suppressing came out all at once and took away his sanity. His hands itched to pull the fabric from her body as he caressed her back.

  Gathering her into his arms, he carried her to the bed, and set her down in the center. She looked small against the pillows, but not scared. Her parted lips and half-lidded eyes brought an acute aching in his groin.

  After taking a few deep breaths to calm his overheated body, he crawled on the bed and sat beside her legs. His hand shook as he placed it on her knee. He didn’t want to do this the usual way, the desire to see her naked overwhelmed him, but it wouldn’t be fair to her.

  “I’m going to make this as easy for you as possible.” He gulped as she began to sit up. “I intend to tell you exactly what I’m going to do.”

  “Does that mean no more kissing?”

  She stuck her bottom lip out slightly, and it begged to be sucked on. How could he stand this if she continued to push him? Remaining rigid, he breathed through his mouth in an attempt to control himself.

  When Rebecca launched herself into his arms, he didn’t hesitate to catch her lips with his. Her sensual mouth tantalized him, stoking the fire within him. Desperate for more, he pushed her back against the mattress and wedged himself between her legs without breaking the kiss.

  As if guided by pure instinct, his hand found her breast. She arched her back and groaned as he stroked the soft flesh through her nightdress. Overcome by sensations he’d never experienced before, he couldn’t take his mouth off her. Instead, he trailed kisses along her face and neck.

  His body burned, making him feel like an untried boy again. He needed to stop. To think about Rebecca. What did she think about his loss of control? Would she dislike him in the morning for this? That thought felt like a bucket of freezing water had been tossed on him. And instantly he drew back.

  She lay there, breathing heavily with swollen lips and legs on either side of him. He closed his eyes to block out the vision. He’d never desired a woman more.

  “This is nothing like I was told,” she said between breaths.

  “Don’t think about it.” His voice was harsher than he intended, but he didn’t want her to dwell on anything she’d heard.

  Without opening his eyes, he put his hands on her legs and slowly slid the material upward, trying not to concentrate on the smooth skin beneath his fingertips or what he was uncovering.

  Opening his eyes, he focused on her face. Fear marred her beautiful features, and it struck him deep in the chest. He didn’t want her afraid.

  “I’m going to touch you now. It might be a little uncomfortable, but I must prepare your body to accept mine.”

  His voice came out emotionless, unlike the calm tone he preferred to use, but he couldn’t help it. All his efforts were being expended on keeping himself from entering her too soon.

  Sliding his hand over her womanhood, he slipped one finger inside her. As expected, her body stiffened. The small sign that she needed him helped him focus on his task, so he began mimicking the motion he would soon make with his body.

  Rebecca turned her face to the side and squeezed her eyes shut. Guilt swamped him. It hurt him to see she didn’t even want to look at him. Was he hurting her that badly? Should he stop?

  He couldn’t. They had to consummate the marriage.

  Suddenly she thrust her head to the other side and moaned. He froze. What was happening? Her eyes opened, and she stared right at him. Captivated by the blue ocean swimming in her gaze, he began moving again. Her lips popped open as her eyes fluttered shut. Was she enjoying this?

  Encouraged by the idea he could do the impossible, he increased his pace, reveling in each movement of her body and noise from her mouth. Then the ultimate reward arrived when she screamed and came apart before his eyes. Dear God, he had done it. He brought a woman to pleasure.

  His body throbbed, swelling to a point he’d never reached before. Pain. Pure, sweet, wonderful pain made him feel as though he were going to explode.

  When she opened her eyes and offered him a satisfied smile, he lost it. After tossing aside his dressing gown, he fell on top of her and captured her lips. She met him just as eagerly as her hand secured behind his neck.

  Unable to hold himself back any longer, he positioned himself at her entrance and slowly moved inside. Inch by torturous inch. Meeting up with her barrier, he pulled out and moved back. He repeated this until he felt Rebecca completely relax underneath him.

  Reluctantly, he dragged his lips from hers. “I . . . This is going to hurt,” he forced out in a voice he’d never heard before.

  Surging forward, he filled her completely. His mind cleared. Nothing had ever felt better. As if their entire time together had been leading up to this moment. For the first time in his life, he felt complete.

  Rebecca began to squirm, so he moved within her as he again took her lips. He couldn’t get enough of her. As he pumped into her wildly, another miracle happened. His wife tossed her head back and screamed her pleasure a second time. The convulsions of her body around him pushed him over the edge.

  Fire exploded behind his eyes as he spilled his seed inside her. Time no longer existed as he floated above the Heavens. When he finally returned to earth, he collapsed on top of her.

  Although he knew he was crushing her, he wasn’t ready to break their connection. The experience had been beyond anything he’d had before.

  Forcing himself off her, he looked down into Rebecca’s wide eyes. He’d lied to her. In the past, he’d been able to keep a constant conversation going to ease his wife, but this time he failed.

  Jumping from the bed, he snatched up his robe, threw it over his shoulders, and fled from the room.

  Regardless of how amazing the encounter had been, he couldn’t lose himself like that again. Next time would be different. Now that he had passed his physical desire for her, he would return back to his normal self. He just needed someone to tell that to his still raging body.

  Rebecca stretched and greeted the lovely morning sunlight with a smile. Today she woke up as a married woman. No more would she have to worry about her father or her future. And Charles . . . He was so much more than she had dreamed.

  Forcing her limbs to move into action, she went behind the dressing screen to cleanse herself with the water she’d seen left there the night before. Apparently her husband, or her maid, anticipated her needs. Having someone else look out for her came as an entirely different feeling.

  After she rang for her maid, it wasn’t more than a few seconds before Anna appeared at the door.

  “Good morning, my lady. I hope you slept well.”

  “I did, thank you. And since we are going to be together for a long time, please call me Rebecca.”

  Anna gave her a big smile. “I’m honored.”

  As Anna began to fix her hair, Rebecca couldn’t stop h
er eyes from wandering toward the door adjoining her bedchamber to her husband’s. Would he come in here now? Should she have called the maid or waited for him? The uncertainty made her wring her hands.

  Part of her wanted him to come to her, while the other worried about how to react to him. After the deeds they’d done last night, she wasn’t sure how to behave around him. The thought of his hands on her would bring her pleasure all day. She shivered.

  “Don’t worry, my . . . I mean, Rebecca. He will not come in here.”

  Turning around, Rebecca faced the girl. How would she know that? Had Charles left? His abrupt departure from her bedchamber last night had been disconcerting, but she hadn’t thought it provided a reason for concern. Had she done something wrong?

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I’ve been serving as lady’s made to the Countess of Dunmore since the current earl’s first wife, and I will do the same for you. I’ve only been in London for a week now, awaiting your marriage.” Anna gently turned Rebecca’s head and continued on her hair. “You will discover your husband enjoys a set routine.”

  “Routine?” Although the idea sounded like something he would desire, she couldn’t believe he would actually stick with something so methodic. She enjoyed a little impulsiveness from time to time.

  “Yes. He has done the exact same thing with all four women before you. This habit should make it much easier for you to plan your day and arrange your activities.”

  Rebecca nodded as she fiddled with the tie of her dressing gown. Was that all she meant to him? Another one of his wives to be treated no different from the others.

  Crushing the silk in her grasp, she vowed not to be. He would see her as her own person. She spent her past being nothing but a burden to the men in her life, and she refused to spend her future the same way.