The girls came to visit me while he was gone. They never said it, but my guess was that they were there at the behest of Jasper. They played devil’s advocate, alternating between comforting me and sympathizing with Jasper.
“It’s not fair,” I would say, and they would respond that of course it wasn’t, but Jasper was only looking out for my best interests. After a while, I was sick of us going around in circles, and changed the subject to something simple like the recent snow or Hazel’s wedding. Still, though, the girls wanted to continue talking about the upcoming trip. They were oddly excited, though that was probably because neither of them were pregnant.
“It’ll be fun,” Hazel said. “Think of it like a vacation.”
“I’m a duchess,” I sighed. “My whole life feels like a vacation.”
“It’s an escape.”
“What do I have to escape from? I’m happy here.”
“From Seth,” Annabelle pointed out, and that shut me up quickly.
Through all of this, the councilmen were always on guard, always in pairs in eight–hour shifts. True to Jasper’s word, they stayed out of my way and out of sight, patrolling the grounds and trudging through the snow. I did feel bad for them, so when it was time for the shift change, I made sure Daisy had tea and biscuits for them. For my part, I stayed in my room. I saw them periodically from up there, circling the house and the gardens.
Really, if someone else were watching, it would be easy enough for them to wait until the pair was on the other side of the house before making a dash inside, but I didn’t critique their methods. Even with Jasper gone, I doubted anyone would try to make an attack. Seth was evil and sociopathic, but he wasn’t stupid. He had to suspect that Jasper would be going to the council after Adam survived. If he was smart, and he was, he would be miles away by now, perhaps in another country. He wouldn’t be sticking around where he could be easily found.
Jasper came home early after only four days, and I had to admit that eased my fear slightly. He promised we’d all leave the following day, and hopefully, they would make good enough time that we’d be back with plenty of time before the baby arrived.
When he returned home, I met him in the entry. He hesitated at first when he saw me, but I greeted him warmly and he began to relax. I still wasn’t happy about our trip, but Jasper was the alpha, and he would get his way even if that meant he dragged me from the house kicking and screaming. Frankly, that sounded exhausting, and so out of simplicity and to keep the peace, I had decided over the last several days to comply. The sooner timeline helped as well.
“It’s good to see you,” Jasper said, wrapping me in a hug.
“You too,” I told him. “Was your trip to London successful?”
“Yes, and I’ve secured a hiding place for you, about a day’s journey north. We’ll leave in the morning.”
“I’d better get packing,” I sighed.
“You haven’t packed yet?”
I shook my head. I should have done it while he was gone, but it was the small part of my resistance I still had left.
Jasper went to his study and I went upstairs to pack my bags. Three weeks was a long time to be away, and I would need a lot of clothes. Bridget helped me. She had done her packing several days before. Like the other girls, she was excited, although I’m sure that had more to do with Conor coming with us.
We filled the bags with everything we could think of: dresses, nightgowns, undergarments, shoes, soaps, towels. I had no idea what sort of accommodations the castle would have. We were going in blind.
After my bags were stuffed, Bridget hesitated.
“I can tell you want to say something, so just say it,” I prodded her.
“Perhaps...perhaps you should bring a few things for the baby. Just in case.”
The thought made my heart beat faster, but I knew she was right. With all my luck, I would bring nothing and that’s when the baby would make his way into the world. It may have sounded superstitious, but I almost believed that bringing the baby clothes would mean the baby wouldn’t arrive while we were gone. I stole away into the nursery and picked out the necessities, some clothes and blankets and diapers.
There was one more thing I needed, and that was entertainment. Yes, I’d be there with Hazel and Annabelle and Bridget, and I enjoyed their company, but I always required time to myself as well. I went down to the library and did some math quickly in my head. On average, I finished a book in three days. If we stayed three weeks, I would need seven books. I picked out six, and added Jane Eyre into my bag as well. Perhaps I wouldn’t actually read it, but having it there would be comforting.
I was ready to leave in a literal sense. I had my bags packed and my traveling clothes chosen. Mentally, however, I wasn’t prepared. I walked the halls of Wolf’s Peak. I was only going to be gone three weeks, but I was going to miss this place.
The first few weeks, months even, that I had spent at Wolf’s Peak, I hadn’t liked it. It was far too large for my taste, with hallways that twisted and weaved around the house like a maze. Many of the corridors were dark and dusty. The ceilings were so high I felt constantly dwarfed and overwhelmed. The only place I had taken an immediate liking to was the library. The home was beautiful, but unlike anything I had ever lived in, and for a long time I had been uncomfortable. Now, though, I had grown used to it. I loved the stone glass above the windows, the archway doors, the turrets and endless rooms.
I bade goodbye to the library and went to my next favorite place, the back courtyard. Granted, I had rarely stepped foot out here since the snow had begun to fall, but in the summer and fall it had always been immensely peaceful. I steeled myself against the soft but cold wind and stepped through the snow to the railing to overlook the gardens. Everything was covered in snow now, and the fountain had been turned off for months, but it was still beautiful. All the pine trees were sprinkled with the white powder, and beyond the gardens, the lake lay iced over. It was a completely different kind of beauty than summer or fall, but it was beauty nonetheless, and I was going to miss it.
I heard a noise behind me and turned to see Jasper. I knew he was capable of moving so silently that I wouldn’t hear him; the noise was simply for my benefit so that I wouldn’t be startled when he came up alongside me.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked me.
“Saying goodbye,” I said.
He wrapped an arm around me and I leaned into his warmth. “It’s only for three weeks, Christine. It’s not forever.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m feeling sentimental.”
He reached around and placed his free hand on my belly. “It’s the baby.”
I chuckled. “Perhaps you’re right.”
“Come on,” he said, looking doubt at me. “Let’s go inside.”
He led me back into the warm house and up the stairs into the bedroom, where we stood in front of the roaring fire.
“You should get to bed,” he said. “We’ve got a busy and early day tomorrow.”
“Yes, we do,” I said, but I hesitated.
Jasper leaned down, his lips meeting mine in a soft, urgent kiss. I reached my hands up to cup his face, pulling him closer to me.
“Christine,” he whispered.
“Yes?”
“Your hands are freezing.”
I giggled. “Are they?” I placed my hands against my skin. “Oh! They’re like ice!”
He took my hands in his. “Perhaps I can warm them up,” he said.
Jasper kissed me again, sliding my hands up under his shirt. I pressed my palms against his hard, hot chest. He wrapped his arms around my lower back, pulling me into him. Unexpectedly, he lifted me up, and I let out a small squeal of surprise. He carried me over to the bed and laid me down gently. He rested beside me, and supporting his head on his hand, leaned down and kissed me again, deeply. Blood was pounding through my veins, and I wasn’t so cold anymore.
Jasper sat up and pulled his jacket off, then unbuttoned his shirt.
I crawled over to him, sitting on his lap, and kissed him, tongue roaming into his mouth. His lips left mine as he planted soft kisses down my neck to my collarbone.
The next few minutes were a blur of shucking clothes as our attire landed in a heap beside the bed. I pulled him close to me, my bare skin against his, feeling his heat and hardness as he pressed against me. He nibbled my ear gently, then met my mouth for several minutes of deep, unbreaking kisses. Then he worked his way back down to my chest to my extremely sensitive breasts.
He took one in his hand, massaging gently, before taking the other in his mouth. He sucked lightly, the sensation making me ache between my legs. He rolled the other nipple between his fingers, pinching it, the shock sending waves of pleasure through my body. As he teased and licked and sucked my nipples, I wasn’t sure how long I would last. It seemed that at any moment I would be seeing stars.
Jasper always seemed to know the right moment to pull away. He positioned himself at my entrance, the tip pressing against me. I wanted him so badly. I needed him; I needed his closeness.
He nodded at me and I nodded back, signaling that I was ready. Gently, slowly, he pushed inside of me, filling me until I was ready to burst. Every time I looked at his erection I wondered how it would fit, and every time he filled me until I almost cried out. The sensation was overwhelming and fulfilling, and as he slid out of me, all I wanted was to have it back again.
His thrusts were slow but deep. He moved gently with me, almost as careful as he had the first night we’d made love. Perhaps it was owing to my pregnancy, but I didn’t mind. Slow and deep was what I needed tonight, as if he had read my mind.
The pleasure from his thrusts became too much, and soon the pleasure overcame me. Seconds later Jasper followed, nearly collapsing. When he caught his breath, he leaned over and kissed me deeply, and I pulled him closer, not wanting to let him go.
We fell asleep by the light of the fire, wrapped in each other’s arms.
Jasper woke before me, and woke me with soft kisses to my forehead. I rubbed at my eyes and yawned, stretching out my arms while at the same time realizing I was still naked.
“What?” I mumbled.
“It’s time to get up,” he said.
“But it’s dark outside,” I said, trying to bury my head under my pillow.
“The sun will be up soon,” he said. “And it’s important that we leave at the first sight of daylight. The faster and farther we can travel today, the sooner we can be home.”
“All right,” I muttered.
Jasper gave me one more kiss before leaving to get himself ready. I rang for Bridget and she came to help me get dressed, trying to suppress her yawns.
“It’s too early for this,” she muttered.
“I know,” I sighed. Hopefully I’d be able to get some sleep in the carriage. Otherwise, I was apt to be quite cranky by the time we reached the castle.
After I was dressed, Bridget and I went downstairs to get some breakfast. It was so early that my stomach wasn’t ready for food, but I ate as much as I could anyway. I didn’t know how much I would eat for the rest of the day.
Everyone arrived within the next hour, and as Jasper said, the sun was beginning to rise. Mr. Potter had gathered my and Jasper’s luggage, and Bridget had fetched hers as well, along with the food that the cook had packed for us. At least we wouldn’t be starving on this trip. I peeked inside the hamper to see pork pies, cheese, and bread. Perfect for traveling.
Before we left, Jasper addressed everyone.
“All right, I want to go over everything,” he said. “Christine, Annabelle, Daniel, Hazel, Bridget, Conor, and Adam will be going north.”
I was surprised. I hadn’t known Adam would be coming along, but it was probably easier for him to travel a day than for him to travel several, and I was sure he wouldn’t have wanted to be left behind. It would make Hazel happy, and we’d have an extra wolf with us in case anything happened.
“The rest of us will be headed east. When you reach the castle, I’ve arranged for a message to be sent. Likewise, when we return and are a day out, we’ll let you know so we can all arrive at Wolf’s Peak at roughly the same time. We estimate our trip to the elders to take two to three weeks, depending on how accommodating they are. Does everyone understand?”
We all murmured our agreement.
“Wonderful,” Jasper said. “Now, let’s get going.”
We left the house, Jasper locking the doors behind us. The men helped us up into the carriage before loading into their own. We were off as I cradled my belly, praying that we would be safe.
Chapter Sixteen
I shifted in my seat. The carriage was spacious enough for the seven of us, but I was still uncomfortable after sitting for a while. I sat on the same side as Bridget and Annabelle, wedged between the two of them while Annabelle tried to appease Daniel. Luckily, she’d thought ahead, and had a bag full of toys for him. He sat between his mother’s feet and played with a toy that rattled, only pausing periodically to look up at his mum and babble. After we had been traveling for a few hours, he climbed up onto Annabelle’s lap and napped in her arms.
For my part, I was probably equally as tired. My eyes kept drifting shut, and I was stifling yawn after yawn. Finally, I pulled my blanket up to my shoulders and curled up against the back of the seat. The rocking of the carriage was soothing, but I seemed to be struggling to drift off. I never seemed to get comfortable, and despite the blanket, I was cold. I shifted in my seat over and over, trying to figure out how to conserve the most warmth and also find a position I could sleep in. After an hour of tossing and turning, Bridget turned to me.
“Are you all right, ma’am?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” I sighed. “I can’t find a comfortable position to sleep in, and I’m exhausted.”
“You can rest your head on my shoulder, if you like,” she said.
I smiled. “Thanks.”
I moved down a little bit so I could lean against Bridget. Warmth radiated through her coat as I curled up next to her.
“Oh, you’re so warm,” I muttered.
“I’ve been told I run a little hot,” she said. “Came in handy on those cold nights on the streets.”
I drifted off to sleep. The carriage would stop periodically so we could stretch our legs, although with the layers of snow on the ground, we weren’t outside long. We had packed enough food for lunch and tea, but there wasn’t quite enough for dinner. I didn’t mind stopping to eat.
We wandered into an inn a few hours away from our destination to eat. It was nice to get out and walk around somewhere warm and covered by a roof. Despite my fatigue, while we waited for our food I walked laps around the room, trying to stretch out my legs.
All too soon we had eaten and climbed back into the carriage. As the carriage resumed its journey, I nodded off again, still curled up against Bridget. I didn’t wake up again until the carriage began to slow and the roads became bumpier, jostling me from my sleep. I yawned and stretched before looking out the window.
“What’s going on?” I asked, voice laden with fatigue.
“I think we’re here,” Bridget said, turning her body to look out the window. I sat up so she had a better view.
She was right. We pulled up to a large, stone castle covered in snow. From the outside, it looked to be about as large as Wolf’s Peak, although based on the architecture it was much older. The outside was made up of both square and round watchtowers interspersed with wide archways, thick like a fortress. Certainly, Jasper had chosen this place on purpose. We pulled up to the heavy wooden front doors, and I gazed up at the massive building.
Conor and Adam disembarked first, climbing out of the carriage. They held their hands out, helping the rest of us down, and it didn’t escape my eye that Bridget’s hand lingered in Conor’s.
I stuffed my hands in my muff to keep them warm as the men unloaded our luggage. Daniel had fallen asleep on his mum’s shoulder, and she adjusted her arms to ho
ld him more comfortably. We waited outside, huddling together as Conor went up and knocked on the door. Even from our spot on the steps, we heard the knocker ring through the house.
We lingered, waiting for someone to come to the door. Finally, the double doors swung open. The warm air rushed out at us.
“Why, hello!” A woman answered the door, older, with gray hair piled high up on her head. Her face was round and her eyes sparkled with cheer.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “Didn’t hear you pull up! The snow does so muffle the sounds out here.”
She stared at us for a moment before she put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, how rude of me! Come in! Please, come in!”
She stepped aside so we could enter the castle. The entry was remarkable, the room made up with the same gray stones as the outside. An impossibly large red rug was spread across the stone floor, and above it, a stunning chandelier twinkled in the candlelight. A large stone staircase was split at both sides of the room and met up above us. Hallways led from both sides of the stairs and underneath the staircase, under archways, leading to the rest of the castle.
“Welcome to Ashford Castle,” the woman said. “I’m Mrs. Henstridge, I’m the housekeeper here. My husband is the butler; he would have met you at the door, but he was fixing the fire in the dining room. I do apologize.”
“It’s not a problem,” I assured her.
Her eyes fell on my round belly, unhidden by my heavy wool coat.
“Oh, look at you,” she smiled. “You must be the duchess. Pleasure to have you here, my lady.”
A man entered from one of the hallways under the stairs and came to rest beside Mrs. Henstridge. His height was almost equal to hers, and he too had gray hair, though his was thinning on the top. His slender figure seemed to offset his wife’s more robust one.
“Hello,” he said, his voice soft. “I’m Mr. Henstridge.”
The Wolf's Bait (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 2) Page 12