After being shown out of the Potters’ camp, David and the ladies walked in silence toward town. David’s mind was whirring with all that had happened that day. It was difficult to believe that everything had taken place in less than twenty-four hours. He was exhausted and could only imagine what his companions were feeling.
However, despite the mystery in front of them, the thought most occupying his mind was Sarah. With all the changes in their relationship recently, he was feeling differently toward her. In fact, he was beginning to think he may be in love with her. In love with his wife. It was an odd notion. The moment he heard he was going to have to marry Sarah, he had put the thought of a love match out of his head. What sort of miracle would it be to learn it had been something like love all along?
Upon reaching the carriage, right where he had arranged for it to wait, David helped the ladies into the vehicle. The bounce in their step earlier that day was conspicuously absent, as he had to practically lift them into the conveyance. He found climbing in after them was not particularly easy for him, either.
Knocking on the roof, David got the carriage moving toward Melinda’s home. The attic bed called his name louder and louder the closer they got to the crumbling cottage. The ten minute drive was all it took to lull the girls to sleep, and David felt horrible waking them once they had arrived.
Melinda stumbled off to her room with nary a good night, and David was left half carrying, half leading Sarah up the outside and attic stairs. Soon enough he was able to sit her up on the edge of the mattress and once again prepare her for bed. The good-night kiss he gave was only intended to be a quick peck, but David was surprised to feel Sarah respond almost as soon as his lips met hers. As if by magic, her arms slowly rose to encircle his neck, and David groaned, powerless to keep himself from laying her back against the soft bedding and covering her body with his.
When he lifted his head, Sarah’s eyes fluttered open. Gone was any sign of sleepiness. Instead her lambent gray eyes were hazy with passion.
“David,” she moaned, before pulling his head back down to hers. She kissed him with a searing intensity he had never experienced before, and David wasted no time ridding them both of their remaining clothes. Magically he accomplished the task without ever removing his mouth from hers.
As their tongues played the ancient game of seduction, David maneuvered himself above Sarah and gloriously sank into her molten hot depths. Sarah moaned against his mouth, and her hips instigated the rhythm he was more than ready to match as they rose to the heights of joyous release.
With his wife writhing beneath him in the throes of passion, David had the fleeting thought that nothing had ever felt so right as this. But soon all sense fled, and David became lost in the moment.
His hands couldn’t seem to touch enough of Sarah’s delicious curves and, as their movements became more frenetic, David rose to heights never before reached, and he knew that he never wanted to be with another woman other than his wife…ever. As he hung on to what little control he had, David waited for Sarah to make the now familiar sounds that indicated her ultimate readiness. With a few final glorious thrusts, David brought them both to completion.
They came together, and David reveled in the heat coming from his bride as she shuddered beneath him. As he moved off of Sarah, he wasted little time pulling her into the warmth of his arms. She snuggled deeper into his embrace and sighed the most contented sigh David had ever heard. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to find the most amazing lovemaking of his experience with his wife.
He suddenly realized just how lucky he was that Lady Lancaster and that busybody, Lymington, had walked in on Sarah and him so many weeks ago. Clearly God was watching out for him.
“I love you, Sarah,” David whispered absently. Then froze. Love? Certainly lust, but love? It couldn’t be. What on earth could he have been thinking saying such a thing aloud? How could he take it back without looking the rogue?
He waited in agony to hear Sarah’s response. How would he respond if she said she loved him, too? Which surely she would. Wouldn’t she? Damn, he no longer knew what he wanted to hear. He stopped his rambling thoughts to just listen.
A seemingly endless silence was followed by the faintest snore.
Tilting his head so that he could see his Sarah’s face, David realized that she was asleep and, judging by the evenness of her breathing, probably had been since the moment he pulled her into his arms.
It was all he could do not to laugh. It was ironic to think the woman who couldn’t keep a thought in her head quiet just missed out on hearing his racing thoughts spoken aloud, unbidden.
He could only hope that the next time he got up the courage to tell Sarah how he felt, he would be sure of his feelings and that she would be alert and aware enough to respond.
Chapter Seventeen
True men, whether young or old, cannot stand to see a woman cry.
—The Duke of Lancaster
The chirping of birds woke Sarah, and for a moment she just lay there reveling in the warmth and comfort of the bed. She felt remarkably well for some reason, and she thought back to the previous night. She barely remembered the ride home, much less the climb up to the attic; but everything after that she’d never forget.
David had made love to her again. Again! Perhaps if this kept up, he would suddenly realize he more than “cared” for her. She had been on the verge of telling him she loved him so many times over the last few days, but fear of his response kept her from verbalizing what he already knew, surely. She really needed him to tell her first. Only then would she feel safe returning the sentiment. Until then she would try to keep her feelings to herself. And try to keep her heart from breaking if he never said the words.
Hannah’s warning was just a whisper now, buzzing almost unheeded in the back of her mind. She was playing with danger, but she could no longer bring herself to care. Every day David proved himself to be a different, better man than the one who had trampled on all those ladies’ feelings.
Sarah didn’t think she could turn off her rampant emotions now even if she tried. She only hoped Hannah would forgive her weakness.
Arching her back in a luxurious stretch, Sarah looked over at David.
He was still asleep and, with his tousled hair and gently parted lips, he looked positively childlike. He was on his side, and half of his body was uncovered. Sarah could just make out the swell of his right buttock peeking out from beneath the bedclothes.
Curious, she sat up slightly to look more closely at his partially exposed body. His skin glowed with honey-like tones, and much of it was covered in a fine smattering of gilded hair. His leg was flung over her lower extremities and felt possessive in nature, as if he was afraid she may try to get away from him in her sleep.
“Not very likely.” Sarah snorted lightly. If she could, she would remain in this bed with him forever.
Reaching up, Sarah couldn’t help but run her fingers through David’s hair. It was soft like a child’s, too, and, with the sun glinting on it, it looked like the most precious metal on earth.
David shifted slightly, leaning his head toward her hand, like a puppy begging for affection. Sarah giggled at the thought and obliged the notion by caressing his ear.
The new sensation woke David up more fully, and he opened his eyes. Sarah froze the moment his gaze met hers. She didn’t know if it was a trick of the light or if it could be love she saw in the depths?
A light knock on the door put an end to any further rumination, as both Sarah and David looked toward the door, aghast. Flinging back the blankets, Sarah pushed David’s leg off hers, and she reached for her chemise lying carelessly on the floor next to the bed. Pulling it on, she grabbed her robe from the back of the chair she had left it on the previous morning. She just managed to pull it close around her as she opened the door.
A dressed and alert Melinda stood in the hallway with a tray of food. Her smile faltered when Sarah only opened the door a crack.
“No, no,” Sarah assured the girl. “We are awake, but not quite fully dressed.”
Such an understatement, considering the still-naked man in her bed.
The thought made Sarah snicker, and Melinda looked at her strangely. And then, as if hit with a sudden dawning, Melinda blushed.
“I see,” she said with a grin, setting the tray on the ground. “I will leave this here for you. Will a half hour be enough time for you to, er, dress?”
Now it was Sarah’s turn to blush. Was her friend implying that they were going to, ah, commence lovemaking that very moment?
“Yes, yes, more than enough!” At the widening of Melinda’s eyes, Sarah added, “Ah, I mean, we have finished—”
“Sarah!” David exclaimed from the bed.
Hanging her head in defeat, Sarah waved Melinda off saying, “A half hour is perfect.”
Melinda was clearly amused, but she left without comment, for which Sarah was grateful.
Picking up the tray and bringing it into the room, Sarah shut the door behind her with her foot and leaned against it with a sigh. That had to have been the most uncomfortable conversation she had had in a long time.
When she opened her eyes, she found David watching her with a reproachful look.
“That was well done,” he said dryly.
“Wasn’t it, though?” Sarah replied with chagrin.
Chuckling, David reached for the tray in her hands. “If we weren’t married already, that performance surely would have sealed the deal.”
“Isn’t it a good thing then, that we have already crossed that bridge?” Sarah said with a grin.
“Quite. Now then, shall we eat? These scones look awfully delicious.”
Sarah watched as he broke off a piece and held it out to her. As she wrapped her lips around the morsel, she couldn’t help but wonder at the familiarity of the action. Suddenly shy, she began rambling.
“I suppose today we need to figure out how to get our hands on that poem. Isn’t it remarkable the direction this mission has turned? A hidden will? Who would have thought? The men of Blackwood sure are a funny lot, do you not agree—”
David’s hand on hers stopped her tirade, and she looked at him wonderingly.
“Are you all right, kitten?”
Sarah nodded. She was beginning to become very fond of this new endearment.
“Yes, sorry. I suppose this is all so new to me…”
“All what?”
“This,” Sarah replied, spreading her hands wide to encompass his nakedness, their eating breakfast in bed, his feeding her. “It is all so…romantic.”
“Something I think has been sorely lacking in your life. I intend to make up for the blindness of all the men of the ton. You are a jewel and should be treated as such.”
“You will not make me swoon, David Rochester,” Sarah insisted even as she fought the effects of a suddenly light head.
“Is that what you think I am doing?” David laughed. “I am just complimenting my wife. Something to which you will have to become accustomed.”
Popping the last piece of scone in his mouth, followed by a quick swig of tea, David unabashedly rose from the bed, loosening the last of the covers from his naked body. He walked, as if in no hurry, to where he had dropped his underclothes. Pulling them on leisurely, he then went on the hunt for his shirt and breeches.
Unable to drag her eyes from her husband, Sarah ate a scone absentmindedly. She even managed to drink the last of David’s tea without looking away. He was such a handsome man, and he cut a fine figure. She certainly was a lucky woman.
When David finished, she was still sitting on the edge of the bed where he had left her.
“Are you planning to get dressed?” he asked.
“What? Oh, yes. Of course.”
Prodded into action by her embarrassment at having been caught staring, Sarah jumped up and began to dress in the only frock she had left that wasn’t a mass of wrinkles. She really needed to begin disrobing herself at night. Flinging her garments any which way in the throes of passion may be amorous, but it was wreaking havoc on her clothes.
Soon Sarah had herself put to rights and just in time, too, as she could hear Melinda’s footsteps in the hall. Hopefully, between the three of them, they could figure out a way to lay their hands on that poem. It was of paramount importance.
David opened the door just as Melinda reached it. Sarah could hear her greet him cheerfully, and it seemed whatever awkwardness Sarah might have expected was nonexistent. Determined to behave with equal maturity, she waved Melinda into the room with a smile.
“Thanks for the scones and tea. They were delicious.”
“My pleasure. I am glad you enjoyed them. The recipe was my mother’s or so I have been told. It is one of my favorites, in any case.”
“For good reason,” David agreed. “I certainly enjoyed my scone more than usual.”
He winked at Sarah knowingly, and she felt her face grow hot again. Shaking her head, she wondered if she would ever get used to his teasing.
Unaware of the underlying currents in the room, Melinda surprised them immensely by saying, “I found some friends of yours at the inn this morning.”
“Friends of ours?” Sarah replied. “Here, in Chelmsford?”
David looked equally shocked.
“Yes, they are on their way up the back steps now.”
Sarah and David looked curiously at the doorway. Who could it be?
Seconds later Hannah, Rose, and Emily came traipsing into the room.
“Hello!” Hannah announced cheerfully. “My, isn’t this cozy?”
Hannah looked around the room, and when her eyes got to the bed, still disheveled, Sarah saw a telltale frown appear on her friend’s face. A look in her direction was all it took for Sarah to know for sure that Hannah was concerned. Sarah felt herself blush.
Turning away, she greeted Rose and Emily.
“Rose, Emily. Hello!” Sarah began. “Not to sound ungrateful, but what are you doing here?”
Rose suddenly became very interested in Melinda’s scones, and Emily looked guiltily at Hannah.
Before any of the ladies could say a word, Sarah thought she knew what was afoot. Hannah had been worried about Sarah being so far from home and alone with David. Perhaps she thought she could shield Sarah’s heart by showing up here with reinforcements, but Sarah was afraid it was too late for that. She had no idea how to tell Hannah that what was once a simple infatuation with a boy she barely knew was now very likely love for the man he had become.
“Well,” Hannah said lightly, “we thought you might need some help with the earl.”
“You don’t think Sarah and I are capable of handling this?” David said with more than a tinge of annoyance.
“Of course we think you are capable,” Rose rushed to say, Emily nodding vigorously beside her. “But with you so far from London, we couldn’t be sure you would find the local assistance you needed. And Sarah has been there for us so many times during other missions, we felt useless back at home.”
David must have sensed sincerity from Rose, because he visibly relaxed.
“I see. Well, the thought is appreciated, but Melinda here has been invaluable.”
“I took the liberty of letting your friends know what we have been up to,” Melinda said. “I thought they could help.”
Sarah looked at David. He was being awfully touchy about their unexpected arrivals. She wondered what was going on in his head.
“Extra minds couldn’t hurt, could they, David?” Sarah asked. And David could clearly read on her face that she wanted him to say yes. If it had just been Rose and Emily, he would have no issue, but it was obvious that Hannah had come to check up on them…on him. She had warned him early on not to hurt Sarah. She had told him in no uncertain terms that she knew he did not love Sarah, nor would he ever, and if he did anything to convince her friend otherwise he would j
ust be setting Sarah up for pain and heartache.
David had quickly acceded Hannah’s point. He had felt her completely in the right. Sarah was as much family to him as his sister was. There was no chance of his ever loving her; not in the way a husband loves a wife.
But things had changed. He hadn’t planned on having relations with Sarah. He hadn’t planned on liking and admiring Sarah. He hadn’t planned on anything that had occurred on this trip. And as such, he was no longer sure his sister was correct. Unbelievably, David was beginning to think he could love Sarah. Someday, in his own way.
But how could he convince Hannah of his newfound feelings? How could he persuade her that he would never hurt Sarah, when his history told an entirely different story?
However, he couldn’t tell Sarah all that was running through his mind, and no other reason to object presented itself.
“Of course, dear. We would be happy to have the help,” David said with a tight smile.
“Very good,” Hannah said, giving her brother a knowing look. He ignored her. She might think she knew what was going on, but she was wrong, and he was going to have to find some way to prove it to her.
“Melinda was telling us about the poem,” Emily said, deftly steering the conversation to exactly the right topic.
“Yes,” Rose agreed. “Any ideas on how to find it?”
“To be honest, no,” David said, frowning. “I can only imagine that Blackwood would be keeping it close.”
“He would be a fool not to,” Sarah concurred.
“That alone makes this task nearly impossible.”
“Then we will just have to be clever. Surely, all of us can outwit Blackwood,” David posited.
“Melinda,” Sarah said thoughtfully, “has your brother mentioned anything suspicious he may have seen? You have already told us about a list the earl was making. And the figurines. Could any of that have something to do with the clues the late earl left?”
Enticing Her Unexpected Bridegroom Page 14