That was what he needed to hear. For the first time since everything went wrong yesterday, he could finally relax. Not caring what anyone else thought anymore, he leaned in to give Isa a proper kiss.
Lost as she was in Edward’s scorching kiss, it took Isa a moment to sense that something had changed. She pulled back from him and belatedly realized that everyone else had left the room.
“When did everybody leave?” Edward asked.
Isa shook her head, pleased that they had left, since there was something she needed to say to him. “Yesterday wasn’t entirely your fault. In fact, I shoulder most of the blame. I’m sorry I didn’t find a way to tell you who I was sooner, but I was so afraid of losing you. I swear I was going to tell you last night, but then George arrived, and after I demanded you pay me to reveal the location of the painting and then agreed to take your money for posing as your fiancée, I figured there was no way you could ever trust me again.”
“And yet, I do.”
She bit back a grin, then glanced down and lifted one of his hands. “What have you done? You’ll have scars.”
“It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters as long as I have you with me.”
“I have a salve that will help, but…oh. It’s at the inn in Nunefield. I can bring it back tomorrow.”
“No,” he said rather loudly. “I don’t want you to leave me again. I will send someone to the inn to bring your things back.”
“Or I can ask George to move our belongings back here, if that’s all right.”
“Of course it is. I told you, I don’t ever want you to leave me again.” His eyes widened, and he jumped up and ran for the door. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere. There’s something I need to get.”
And then he was gone.
Isa busied herself searching for another book to read. They hadn’t finished The Count of Monte Cristo yet, so maybe they could read it together. Or better yet, Edward could read it to her. She could listen to the deep, vibrating tones of his voice for hours.
Edward rushed back into the room, grabbed her hand, and towed her over to stand in front of the fireplace. Then he knelt in front of her and removed a box from his pocket before opening it and taking something out.
“I want you to have this as a symbol of my love.” He slipped a gold ring set with pink diamonds on her finger.
“I know it’s not the tiara, but since it’s not very practical to wear every day, I thought you might like this smaller reminder of what brought us together.”
“Oh, Edward. It’s beautiful. And to tell you the truth, the tiara is quite heavy. This is perfect.”
She pushed him back onto the settee and fell on top of him. The tiara slid to the side, and he carefully lifted it from her head and set it on the table. The bristle on his neck tickled her lips as she kissed her way up to his mouth. “Did you forget to shave today?”
“No, but I may have missed a few spots. I downed an entire decanter of brandy last night, so I was still a bit drunk this morning.”
“So you did miss me?”
“More than you’ll ever know.”
She leaned down to kiss him again, and after a few moments he tried to roll her over. “No. I think I’d like to stay on top this time.”
“You would?”
“Umm-hmm.”
“I’m not going to say no to that.”
Isa giggled. “Your great-great-grandmother’s descriptions in the diary were so vivid. I’ve been curious.”
She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him toward her. He took the hint and sat up, and she slowly slid off his coat, running her hands over the muscles of his chest and arms before unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it over his head. When he tried to touch her, though, she slapped his hand.
“Not yet. It’s my turn now.”
He raised a brow. “It is?”
“Yes. You may only touch me when I say you can touch me.” She slid slowly to the side and stood, then turned her back to him. “You may unlace my gown and stays.”
He flew over to lock the door then loosened her gown almost immediately, but he took his time with her stays, untying them one at a time and pressing his warm lips against her chemise, which was an exercise in frustration and burning desire. His lips almost, but not quite, touching her skin aroused her more than she thought possible.
“My turn again.”
“You’re a cruel woman.”
“Hmm. I wonder if there is something I can do to change your mind.” Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, “Take off your pants.”
He willingly obliged, and she pushed him back onto the settee, then lifted her skirts and straddled him.
“Have I mentioned that I love you?” he asked.
“You’re welcome to keep saying it.”
“So am I allowed to touch you now?”
“That depends. What did you have in mind?”
“Hmm. Perhaps something like this?” He slid a finger under the loosened bodice of her gown and chemise and stroked her nipple.
“Yes,” she panted, then rubbed herself over his manhood. He squeezed her nipple and she pushed harder against him. Then he suddenly twisted his hips and somehow slid himself inside her.
She leaned over him and placed her hands on his chest, then began to move up and down the length of him. He groaned and closed his eyes, and she moved faster, adjusting slightly so he touched her most sensitive place. When he squeezed her nipple again, she exploded in sensation, and after a few more thrusts, he joined her in his release.
Drained of energy, she lowered herself onto his chest and snuggled her face against his neck. “I had no idea it could work that way until I came across that passage in the diary. I had planned to tease you until you couldn’t stand it anymore, but you were too impatient.”
“Why you little… Actually, you did a pretty good job of torturing me, but I have many more surprises in store for you. For example, we have yet to experiment in the tub.”
“In the tub? We’ll have to try that tomorrow. I’m too tired now.”
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but we can’t stay here all night. Especially not in our current state of undress.”
“Do I really have to move again?”
“I’m afraid so. Unless you want my parents to find us like this.”
She shot up so fast it probably looked like he had thrown her.
“Hurry, lace me back up.”
“I believe I ought to put my pants on first.” Which he did, then he helped her put herself back together before donning his shirt and coat.
“What do we do now? George will be expecting me to go back to the inn with him.”
“No. I told you I want you here with me at Walsley. I’ll speak with George and make the arrangements.” He plunked himself down on the settee and pulled her onto his lap.
“I’ll stay wherever you want me to as long as you’re there.”
“Speaking of where I’ll be,” he said, “how do you feel about Hampshire?”
“I’ve never been there. Why?”
“Kenworth Hall is just outside of Hampshire, near a charming little village. Since we’re going to be married soon, and I imagine it would be a bit crowded and awkward for us to stay here, we should probably go visit. I expect we’ll have a lot of work to do to make it habitable.”
“Excellent. I should hate for us to be bored.”
“That is something I am certain we will never be.”
Epilogue
London, England
1847
Isa rushed to hug her sister-in-law, whom she hadn’t seen in months since she and Edward had just returned to town after enjoying an extended honeymoon in Hampshire. While they were in London, they had plans to order new furniture and fabric to have new draperies made for Kenworth Place.
“I thought you’d never arrive,” Louisa scolded. “Mother is occupied with managing Father to make sure he does not interfere with the museum staff, and Thornbrook is late, as usual.”
&
nbsp; Isa raised a brow. “Who invited Thornbrook?”
“I did.” She shrugged. “He’s always wonderfully entertaining, which is just the sort of person we need at this type of stuffy affair.”
“Have you two shared a kiss yet that was not the result of a bet?”
Louisa shook her head. “Of course not. We’re just friends. Acquaintances, really. Remember I wrote you about how I arranged for him to meet Lady Anne? He danced with her twice at the Richmond Ball and took her for a ride in his curricle.”
“And that doesn’t bother you, to see him showering his attention on another lady?”
“Of course not, Isa. I don’t have any romantic feelings toward Thornbrook.”
“More’s the pity,” Thornbrook said as he stopped next to them. “Lady Kenworth, you are looking positively radiant.” He turned to her sister-in-law. “And Lady Louisa, you are as prickly as always, but I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
She rolled her eyes and earned a grin from him. “You won’t be having me at all.”
Isabella knew for certain that Thornbrook was pining over Louisa, and she was fairly certain that Louisa felt the same way about him, but she could not get her to admit it. Of course, it didn’t help that both Louisa’s parents and her brother refused to believe that there was anything between them.
Edward winked at her from across the room and joined her as soon as he was able to escape from Lady Phoebe. He kissed Isa’s cheek, and thankfully refrained from touching her stomach, which he had been doing nearly nonstop since she had informed him that they were expecting their first child.
The moment it had been made public that the tiara was going to be on display in a new exhibit at the British Museum, they all had been bombarded by acquaintances who had written to request that the duke secure an invitation for them to attend the unveiling. The queen was supposed to make an appearance.
At long last, the museum curator waved to His Grace, which meant the presentation would begin soon. Edward took her arm, and they followed behind the duke and duchess, with Louisa and Thornbrook rounding out their party.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Duke of Boulstridge, who is going to share with us the story of a rather remarkable tiara that he has agreed to loan to the museum.”
The duke glossed over the role of Her Grace’s great-grandmother, who after all had received the tiara from a man who was not her husband, and instead focused on the efforts of his family to find the tiara, ending with Edward’s daring plunge into the well.
It had required an inordinate amount of discussion before Her Grace and Isa were able to convince the men that displaying the tiara at the museum was a good idea. It was much too heavy to wear comfortably, and after having been hidden for so long, it seemed a shame to leave it to gather dust in a cabinet at Walsley. The queen and several other minor royals had also contributed to the exhibit, and Isa was looking forward to seeing the entire display. That was, if the curator would stop talking and open the doors so they could enter.
Isa rubbed her stomach, and Edward glanced at her nervously. If he didn’t learn to relax, it was going to be a long six months or so until the baby arrived.
Finally the doors to the exhibit opened, and Louisa clasped her arm and dragged her toward the first display. “This is a gorgeous piece,” she said, pointing to an emerald necklace that had belonged to the Duchess of York.
They continued their path around the room, glancing at each of the displays. “Look at that diamond and ruby diadem.” Louisa leaned in to get a closer look.
“If you say yes, I will give you jewels like that to make you feel like my queen.” Louisa hurried off to the next display, and Isa tried to act as if she had not just overheard what Thornbrook had said. It certainly sounded like he had proposed to Louisa.
Edward waved to her, and she moved toward him to give them some privacy.
He tucked her against his side and they both looked at the tiara sparkling from its case. “Just think. If that tiara didn’t exist, my mother and father would never have met, and we never would have married. In fact, I wouldn’t have existed at all.”
“That is a depressing thought, indeed.” She squeezed his arm, unwilling to even contemplate what her life would be like without him.
Murmurs swept through the crowd, and soon they were hearing whispers that the queen had arrived. Never in her wildest dreams had Isa imaged that she might one day meet the queen. She reviewed the protocol in her head one more time.
“Darling, there’s no need for you to be nervous about meeting her,” Edward whispered in her ear. “If you can handle being related to my family, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
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Acknowledgments
I am extremely grateful for my very forgiving family. I’m also grateful for cell phones—so they can call me when I lose track of time and forget to pick them up—and microwaves—so they can make their own food during deadlines.
My sincerest thanks to my editor, Robin Haseltine. We did it!
To the entire Entangled Publishing team for everything you do.
Rebecca Thomas, thank you for your friendship and for always being there to talk me down or administer a swift kick in the rear when I need it.
Last but never least, my sincerest thanks to my readers. The thought of you anxiously awaiting the next story keeps me going through the difficult parts.
About the Author
Ally has worked as a horse trainer, director of marketing and development, freelance proofreader, and a children’s librarian, among other things. None of them were as awesome as writing romance novels (though the librarian gig came closest). She lives in Texas and is convinced her house is shrinking, possibly because she shares it with three kids, four dogs, a cat, a rabbit, and assorted reptiles. Oh, and her husband.
Ally likes to curse in Russian because very few people know what she’s saying, and spends most of what would be her spare time letting dogs in and out of the house and shuttling kids around. She has many stories in her head looking for an opportunity to escape onto paper. She writes historical romance set in Regency England and Imperial Russia.
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How to Bewitch an Earl Page 17