Lord Rose Reid and the Lost Lady

by Em Taylor

  And with that he tapped on the roof and the driver slowed and stopped. He jumped out of the carriage and she watched as he hurried to the carriage behind that was conveying the maid and the valet. When he got there and opened the door, there were more wild gesticulations on the part of Jason. Then a red-faced Maggie came exited the carriage, while Jason leaned in and picked up the box which had been procured as a makeshift travelling cot for Oscar. Jason followed the maid to the carriage and Maggie climbed in.

  “What is happening?” Sophia asked.

  “It looks as if I got there just in time before Maggie here ended up increasing. I shall be having words with my valet about appropriate behaviour in a travelling coach.” Sophia cocked an eyebrow. Maggie climbed into the coach and Jason slid Oscar in his makeshift bed onto the backward facing seat. “I shall travel in the rear coach.”

  He moved to close the door but Sophia put out a hand and made a grab for him. He had no choice but to help her down onto the ground.

  “My lady, what the devil…?”

  “We must talk. Let us walk back a few steps.”

  “You should be in the warm carriage.”

  Sophia snorted. “My Lord, everywhere is cold, including the carriage. And you are a hypocrite.”

  “How so?”

  She grabbed his hand which was unusually gloveless considering he was outside and lifted it to his nose.

  “Before we started to argue, you had that on my…”

  His scowl slowly eased into a smile. “I did.” He sucked his middle finger into his mouth. “Still tastes of you.”

  Sophia rolled her eyes. “That was not my point, my lord.”

  “Mmm, you should not remind a gentleman his hand tastes of a woman’s…”

  “My lord! My point is, you are going to chastise your valet and have just embarrassed my maid, for doing exactly what you were doing in the carriage.”

  He had put his finger back in his mouth but now released it with a little pop and his lips remained pursed as he thought about her words.

  “It is entirely different.”

  “In what way.”

  “Maggie is an innocent.”

  “You do not know that.”

  “She is unwed.”

  “It does not mean she is a virgin.”

  “Well no, but…”

  “But what?”

  “Men expect women to be virgins. She might be one. She should not waste it.”

  She raised a hand to his cheek and smiled sadly. “Oh Jason. That’s aristocratic gentlemen who want to marry a virgin. The rest of mankind don’t care. They do not mind if their women have made a mistake or enjoyed the bed of another man. They do not mind if their women are widows or even divorced. It is only men like you who are obsessed with blood on the sheets the morning after your wedding. Fear not, you shall get your debutante.”

  Then Sophia turned and headed back to the carriage, ignoring his calls for her to come back. It was a bit difficult getting back into the carriage without the step or a gentleman to help her, but it was next to a verge covered in snow and Maggie helped her up. She closed the door quickly and banged on the roof. She had nothing left to say on the matter of marriage. She would not marry Lord Rose-Reid. He wanted what all aristocrats wanted. She just had to hope she was not with child.

  Chapter 15

  The carriage drew up to the large mansion house and Jason was jumping out before it had fully stopped so he could hand down Lady Sophia. He knew his mother would be just behind the closed door waiting to greet them. She would have seen the carriages approaching from the drawing room on the first floor, all the way up the long drive.

  The driver put the step in place and opened the door.

  Jason placed his gloved hand inside.

  “My lady?”

  “My lord.”

  And then her smaller hand lay in his and she was stepping down from the carriage.

  “Good journey?” she enquired.

  “Tolerable. And you?”

  “Tolerable. Oscar woke for a feed and change.”

  “I thought I smelled his unique aroma as the door opened.”

  “Stop insulting Lord Rutherford, my lord.”

  Jason chuckled. “I would never insult him. He outranks me, my lady.”

  “Can I bring him in?”

  “Please do.”

  He turned and took the baby from Maggie. “I apologise for earlier, Maggie. It was not well done of me to embarrass you like that.”

  “I… I… shouldn’t have…”

  “Nonsense. I hope you and Dickson are happy.”

  “We are. He’s very kind, my lord.”

  “So it appeared.”

  He laid Oscar in his mother’s arms and offered her his sleeve. Sophia took it and Jason drew in a breath before guiding her to the opening door.

  “Mr Ross, it is a pleasure to see you again.”

  “My lord. My lady.”

  “This is Lady Rutherford. I should like a guest chamber made up for her near the nursery and a wet nurse, if one can be arranged, for the baby. Is that possible?”

  “Linda Green in the village is looking for work. She just finished up wet nursing Lady Fellowes babe. I shall send a messenger straight away.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Jason, darling.”

  “Mama. This is Lady Rutherford. Lady Rutherford, Lady Ashgate.”

  Sophia curtsied, and his mama nodded her head in some vague attempt at deference.

  “My son said in his letter when he wrote asking me to send a carriage and drivers, you were shot at. Who is shooting at you?”

  “My husband’s nephew.”

  His mother’s eyes narrowed. “The late Lord Rutherford’s nephew? Why?”

  “If my son dies, Mr Benson inherits the title, the lands and the money.”

  “I see. So this is the reason my son and your maid were shot. Protecting you and your son.”

  “Mama!” Jason glowered at his mother but the woman carried on. “My son is not your protector.”

  “Lady Rutherford went to Lord Whitsnow for protection. It was I who offered to protect her and bring her here.”

  “I apologise, my lady. I had no idea Lord Rose-Reid was in danger, else I should never have agreed to accompany him here.”

  “He could have died. Then what would have happened to the estate?”

  “Jerome would have taken over. Is that not why you had a spare?” He arched an eyebrow, daring her to contradict.

  “Your brother is not a spare. He is another of my children, Jason and when you have sons of your own, you shall understand.”

  Damn, she never did what he expected.

  “Well, with luck that shall not be too far in the future.”

  It was his mother’s turn to raise her eyebrows in surprise. “I thought you were licking your wounds over Lady Caroline. You have found another young lady? Did you not spend Christmas in Cumberland.”

  “I did and I am over Lady Caroline’s lack of moral fibre.”

  “That is not very gentlemanly, Lord Rose-Reid,” Sophia chastised quietly.

  “You were not the one cuckolded while she carried out an affair with an Indian gentleman, then ran off and married him.”

  “Oh!”

  “Quite. And I do wish you would just call me Reid. All my friends do.”

  “I am not your friend.”

  His gaze dropped to her bosom, partly hidden by the babe in her arms, but he could see enough of the swell under her warm pelisse to start hardening his cock. “No, you are most definitely not a friend.”

  “Ahem.”

  Dash it all. He had forgotten his mother. How on earth had one look at Sophia made him lose his common sense?

  “Mama, I shall take Lady Rutherford to the nursery. Perhaps you could think of a maid who would be good enough to act as a nurse for the baby until Mr Ross can fetch Linda Green from the village.”

  “I shall. And where will you and Lady Rutherford be?”

>   “We shall come down to the drawing room presently for tea.”

  “Fine.” Though she did not look fine. She looked annoyed-at Sophia. He was going to have to have a discussion in private with his dear Mama and set her straight on a few things.

  They had just settled Oscar into his cradle when a light tap sounded at the door.

  “Millie. Come in. Did the Countess send you up to look after young Lord Rutherford?”

  “Aye milord, she did.”

  “He is a good baby most of the time. He fed in the coach and I changed his clout about half an hour ago. So he should sleep for a while yet.”

  “Aye milady. Umm, I appreciate he has his own title and all, but do you want me to call him Lord Rutherford? I mean with him being a babe and all.”

  Sophia giggled. A high melodic trill that went straight to Jason’s cock.

  “Heaven’s no. I do not think we should have him grow up to be too much of an aristocratic rascal. His name is Oscar. Please call him that.”

  “I shall, milady.”

  “Come, Oscar is in good hands. He opened the door to the main stairway and waited for Sophia to press a kiss to her son’s head and tell him to be good before he followed her out. He then led her to his own bedroom. He knew he should not. It was utterly wrong, but he needed her. He needed to hold her just for a few minutes.

  Once inside, she stared at the dark wood four-poster bed, with its dark blue and gold top cover. He watched as her gaze widened and her breast heaved.

  “You have not removed your pelisse yet. We can leave it here until your own room is ready. I apologise. My butler was remiss.”

  “Uh, I did not think. He would have offered to take it had I removed it, I am sure.”

  He undid the three buttons as her gaze remained transfixed on the bed. The beds they had shared at the inns had been comfortable enough but simply functional. Now she would be in his bed. He pushed her pelisse off her shoulders and moved his head into her line of sight.

  “Sophia, what is the matter?”

  “It seems so terribly real now.”

  “What does?”

  Her gaze met his eyes. “Our… whatever this is. Relationship? Affair?”

  “Sophia, what are you trying to say, because I tell you now, I am not giving you up.” He took her hand and held it to the placket of his breeches. Her fingers curled around his length automatically. “Your laughter upstairs had this effect on me. I want you every minute of the day. As I said before, with every other woman, I spend on her belly, I get up and dressed and am sated for a few days. With you I have just recovered and I am ready to take you again. I want you constantly and I want to spend myself inside you.” She was stroking him through the buckskin of his breeches and it was driving him to distraction. He manoeuvred her against the door of his bed chamber and locked it before hitching up her skirts.

  “Jason. Your mother will think I have been tumbled.”

  “I shall get a maid to make you presentable before going down for tea. God, Sophia let me do this. We can be quick.”

  “How quick?”

  He chuckled against her neck as he found her damp curls with his fingers and made her gasp as his fingers began to stroke her pearl. “You are already wet for me, my darling. I can make this very quick.”

  “Jason, are you sure?”

  “I am, but I would never force you, my love.”

  She tweaked the buttons on the fall of his breeches and without undoing the waist buttons, she caught his hard cock in her hand and began to stroke. He did not mind. He pushed two fingers inside her and clamped his mouth over hers. He had to give her an orgasm before he went inside her. He would release hard and fast once he felt her slick walls around his cock.

  “Jason, you seem to be… oh!”

  “I need to be inside you, but you must release first. I shall not have you unsatisfied.”

  “I do not mind, oh!”

  “Do you want me to use my tongue?”

  “I… no… kiss me, please.”

  He did and she kissed him back, with fervour. She was still stroking him hard and trying to angle him against her needy flesh, nudging his hand out of the way. He suspected, untutored and as innocent as she was, she had no idea what she was actually doing but was merely acting on instinct. He moved his hands behind her thighs and lifted her against the door, his cock now moving hard against her pearl as her hand rubbed him against her. She groaned in appreciation and let go of him to run her hands through his hair.

  “You like when I rub my cock against your cunny.”

  “Jason!” she chastised, but there was no heat in her words.

  “I need you to release, my darling.”

  “I need you inside me. I will if you are inside me.”

  “If you release when I am inside you, there is a good chance I shall release inside you.”

  “Please Jason. I am breast feeding.”

  “You play a dangerous game, Lady Rutherford.” But she sighed as he pushed into her. He held her gaze as he pumped into her, caring not at the thuds her backside made on the closed door. She bit her lip in concentration as her orgasm approached and he allowed her to drop slightly in his grip to change the angle.

  “Oh God, it’s happening.”

  He pressed his lips to hers and held his position as her internal walls squeezed around him. The hold she had on his hair was almost painful and then he thrust until the tingle in the base of his spine told him his own orgasm approached. He withdrew, let her feet down to the floor and stroked himself. His surprise was palpable when Sophia dropped to her knees and wrapped her lips around the tip of his cock and swallowed his seed as he released it. He groaned loudly, skewering his fingers through her hair, which was still tied in a knot at the nape of her neck. She licked him clean and soon he sagged on to the floor. She allowed him to slip from her fingers before she insinuated herself onto his lap. He hugged her to him.

  “Marry me, Sophia. Let me release inside you whenever I want.”

  “Is that the only reason you wish to marry me, my lord? It is a terrible reason.”

  He chuckled. “No. I love you.”

  “You cannot love me after such a short time.”

  “You have no feelings for me?”

  She lifted her head and stared at him, her bottom lip between her teeth. “You know I have feelings for you. But Jason, how do I know these feelings are real? It could be an infatuation brought on by being at such close quarters and by your kindness?”

  “I thought I was a brute.”

  She sighed and laid her head against his chest. “A brute who makes me forget reason. And there is Oscar to consider.”

  “What about Oscar?”

  “He is my son.” She sat up frowning, obviously working herself up to high dudgeon. He chuckled again.

  “Oh is that what the small human being who seems to be permanently hanging from your breast is? I did wonder.”

  Her frown deepened then she punched him on the arm before growling as she tried to rise to her feet.”

  “You are a beast, my lord.”

  “No, my lady. I am a gentleman who loves you to distraction and is growing to love your son. I said, ‘what about Oscar?’ because I see no problem with him. He shall live with us, I shall teach him to be a gentleman. He shall attend Eton and Oxford and he shall take his seat in the House of Lords when he reaches his majority. And with luck he shall have brothers and sisters to tease and taunt and who shall annoy him back.”

  “But can you accept him when he is not your son?”

  “What is there to accept, Sophia? He is a child who needs a father. I can be that father. Of course, he cannot have my name. He must keep his own title and his own inheritance. And your brother must remain his guardian in that respect. I shall have no one suggest I am marrying you to usurp the child. I shall provide for you and our children and Oscar while he is a minor. His own estate can pay for his education. I have no concerns on that score.”

  “You have th
ought this through.”

  “No, not really, but it has crossed my mind.”

  “I need to think.”

  He hauled himself to his feet and scowled. “I do not understand what there is to think about. That boy needs a male in his life and you need protection from scoundrels like Benson.”

  “I know. Good lord, Jason, I know this but I just need to know I am doing the right thing for all three of us. And you are rushing into this without thinking of your title.”

  “My title is safe. If you deliver me a son, he shall inherit.”

  “And if I do not?”

  “Then my brother and his progeny shall inherit.” He shrugged. “It would have been that way whether you had Oscar or not.”

  “Does having Oscar not reduce my chances of bearing you a son?”

  “Not as far as I know. I think it is pure chance whether you have a boy or a girl.”

  “Oh.”

  “I will love whatever children you bear me.”

  He walked up behind her and snuck his arms around her waist, but she was lifting up the looking glass and her sigh of dismay tore at him.

  “I look truly tumbled.”

  “You were truly tumbled. I feel very satisfied, ma’am.”

  “I cannot go to your drawing room for tea looking like this.”

  He chuckled then led her out the door and to the room he knew his mother would have organised for her. There was Maggie and another maid. Maggie should really not be up and about, but he knew the maid would be worried for her mistress’s wellbeing in a strange house. Esther, another maid was with her.

  “Esther, would you go to my sister’s room and see if there are any gowns there which will fit Lady Rutherford. I do not know anything about shape or…”

  “Lady Joanna’s gowns should fit fine if we use a fichu, my lord. Your sister is quite buxom.”

  “I cannot say I ever noticed.”

  The maid looked as though she was struggling to conceal a laugh.

  “One would hope not, or we should have to rename you Lord Byron,” quipped Sophia.

  Jason rolled his eyes.

  “Can you get Lady Rutherford something to wear? Maggie, can you help Lady Rutherford wash and fix her hair? I’ll call down for my valet and I shall come to collect you in half an hour. Is that acceptable, Lady Rutherford?”