It had been Alyssa’s wish to have a small, private ceremony, but she imagined that her cousin and his wife might have been a bit more considerate. As it was, the moment the brief service was at an end, they’d acted as though they had suffered a great chore and were relieved it was over.
“I’m sure London has its delights,” James had said in the carriage. “But I daresay, now that my duty is done, I’m ready to return home.” With that, he’d withdrawn a silver flask from his pocket and took a hearty drink.
“Oh, couldn’t we just take a quick peek on Bond Street?” Caroline had pleaded.
Alyssa recalled wanting to shout at them, to demand that they show a little respect toward her recent loss, for not only had she lost her precious aunt, the only mother figure that she’d ever known, but her entire livelihood had been ripped away. She was forced to leave everything familiar behind in London and return to the place that only brought back more dark memories.
But it was apparent that neither James nor Caroline were concerned with her despondency. Nearly the moment they’d arrived at Breyton Hall, Caroline had started in on her desire to see her in something other than those “terrible black weeds.” When Alyssa had refused, the nickname of “Little Mouse” had been bestowed upon her.
That was when she’d started spending most of her time out of doors, taking long, solemn walks and crying in solitude.
And then a miracle had happened. She had crested the top of a hill and seen the Abernathy carriage. When Travell had stepped out, her heart had leaped in her chest, for this was answer that she’d been praying for.
Or so she’d thought.
She sighed, and then rolled onto her back. The truth was she had been keeping her distance from Travell. She’d tried to tell herself that it was merely because she hadn’t wanted to compromise her reputation. But honestly, she’d just been waiting to see if he would declare his love for her as that was all she’d ever truly wanted from him.
Giving up any pretense at sleep, she threw the covers off, and shoved her arms into her dressing robe. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly one in the morning, but since she was wide awake, she decided to go to the kitchens, where perhaps a cool drink of water would help to tame her restless mind.
She was walking down the hall when she heard a strange thump coming from the earl’s bedchamber. Curious, she changed direction and headed for Lord Trenton’s room to make sure all was well. There was a chair outside the earl’s chamber, but the footman assigned to watch over him wasn’t there. Fearing that something truly was wrong, she knocked on the door. After a moment and there was no answer, she pushed it open and walked inside.
She paused just over the threshold, blinking at the sight before her. Lord Trenton was fully dressed in all his finery, complete with waistcoat and an impeccably tied cravat. Hearing her enter, he turned and grinned at her. “My girl! I was just coming to fetch you.”
Alyssa swallowed. It appeared she was to be Triana again. She offered a light curtsy and said, “Hello, Papa.” She tilted her head curiously. “Where are we going?”
He chuckled. “Why, to the ballroom, of course. It’s your debut!”
“Yes, of course.” She smiled, knowing that the dance that was supposed to have taken place never occurred. He had left instead.
“We mustn’t keep the guests waiting!” He started for the door, stopping suddenly when he noticed her state of undress. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
Alyssa had to think quickly. “I’m nervous, Papa. I’m… afraid I shall embarrass myself.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be nonsensical. We hired the best instructors for you.”
“I know,” she demurred, as she took a step forward. “But… perhaps we might practice before we go downstairs?” Surely, if she kept the earl preoccupied for the span of the waltz, it would give the footman time to return to his post.
He frowned slightly, and then sighed heavily. “I suppose there’s no harm in that.” He wagged a finger at her. “But you will put on your gown directly afterward. You know your mother doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
“Yes, Papa.”
As they got into position, the earl smiled at her as kind and understanding as any father might have done, and then began to hum a tune in his gentle baritone. Alyssa was actually a bit awkward as they begun, for it had been some time since she’d danced, but the steps eventually returned to her and soon, they were gliding across the earl’s spacious bedchamber as natural as if they had done it many times, instead of just this once.
Alyssa slowly began to relax and enjoy herself. Since her own father had died when she’d been a child, she hadn’t had the chance to experience this moment. For years she’d mourned his loss, but for this brief instant, she imagined that she was dancing with him, that she had the power to turn back the hands of time that had taken him from her too soon.
Tears stung the back of her eyes, but she forced them away. This wasn’t about her, but the earl and his effort to make amends to a daughter who had been spurned by the cruel twist of fate. Lord Trenton wasn’t her father, and she wasn’t Triana, but perhaps they needed these few, stolen minutes to fill the void that had left an emptiness in each of their lives.
When the dance finally came to a halt, the earl bowed and she curtsied as well as she could manage in a nightdress and dressing robe. “Thank you, Papa,” she whispered, a lump clogging her throat.
“I hope this will lay any reservations you have about dancing to rest,” he returned. “There will be gentleman lining up to the banks of the Thames to have the opportunity to partner you, my dear.”
Alyssa smiled, but as she turned to leave, she froze.
Travell’s tall figure was silhouetted in the doorframe.
***
Travell had finally started to get tired after spending the past two hours reading in the library. He thought he’d managed to exorcise Alyssa enough where he could sleep without thoughts of her tormenting him until dawn.
But that was before he’d walked past his father’s chamber and saw her waltzing in his room.
He’d stopped instantly, entranced by the look of serene contentment on her face as Lord Trenton hummed the light tune of a waltz. She looked like an angel in her flowing white gown, her long dark hair trailing down her back like a raven’s wing.
He swallowed heavily, the sight touching something deep in his chest. It was obvious his father had suffered another one of his episodes, as he was fully dressed in the middle of the night. But instead of reaching out for assistance, Alyssa had allowed herself to be drawn into the earl’s world of disorientation yet again. He tried to imagine any other lady of his acquaintance who would willingly spend time with a madman and came up empty-handed.
“My lord!” The footman that Travell had assigned to watch over his father’s room at night came rushing forward with a deep bow. “Forgive me. I had to… use the privy.”
“It’s quite all right, Matthews,” Travell returned. “There’s no harm done.”
He turned back to the room to find Alyssa staring at him. After a moment’s hesitation, she walked toward him. Without saying a word, she explained. “I was on my way downstairs when I heard a noise and came to investigate…” She glanced at the footman and her cheeks reddened slightly. “I wanted to make sure nothing was amiss.” She lowered her voice slightly. “He thought he was escorting Triana to her debut ball.”
Travell nodded and then turned back to Matthews. “If you would see that my father returns to bed, I’ll escort Lady Alyssa back to her chamber.”
“Yes, my lord.” The servant walked into the earl’s room and shut the door behind him.
Travell offered his arm to her and after a brief pause she accepted it. “You know that it’s dangerous to be alone with Lord Trenton. After the day he attacked you—” He broke off, unable to even finish the sentence, for the anger he’d felt instantly resurfaced.
“I was perfectly fine,” she attempted to reassure him.
“But his mind could change at any time. He can’t be trusted.”
She didn’t reply until they reached her door. There, she turned to face him and he was surprised to see the glimmer of tears in her enchanting green eyes. “I didn’t feel as if I was in any danger.” She swallowed visibly. “Honestly, dancing with the earl was wonderful. It made me remember how much I’ve missed with my own father.”
Travell had never even considered that she was still mourning the former baron’s loss, but after the recent death of Lady Alwan, it was no wonder the past was coming back to haunt her.
He couldn’t resist lifting a hand to brush her cheek, his thumb wiping away the single tear that had escaped. “Alyssa…” he whispered, and then dared to lower his head.
She didn’t resist or push him away when he kissed her, but opened herself to him, like one of her roses in full bloom. The hand on her cheek slid around to the back of her head, where it disappeared beneath the mass of dark curls, his other arm wrapping around her waist to draw her closer.
He teased and tempted her, enjoying the taste of her lips. He was still dressed in his evening clothes, although he’d discarded his cravat long ago. It was enough to remind him of his boundaries, and that he hadn’t removed Alyssa from Breyton Hall with the intention of seducing her, but saving her from a place that caused only further torment.
But as she responded to him so sweetly, he had to wonder if he’d made the right choice, for her presence under his roof night after night would surely drive him insane. Even knowing that they were standing in plain sight, where his sister or one of the servants could easily come upon them, it wasn’t enough for him to pull away and urge her to shut the door and lock it firmly behind her.
Only when he thought his actions might hurt her further did he find the fortitude to draw back. He opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head.
“Don’t say it. Don’t tell me that you have to spare my reputation or some such nonsense.” She clutched his lapels, her brilliant eyes almost pleading. “Allow me this moment. Give me one night with you.”
He closed his eyes. Dear God, she was going to snap the narrow thread of control that he was clinging to. “Alyssa, you don’t know what you’re saying—”
“Yes, I do.” She sighed heavily. “You were right, Travell.” He opened his eyes and returned his gaze to her, surprised by her confession. “I have found it difficult to trust in anyone for fear they would be taken away from me. But I don’t want to be afraid anymore. I want to put my trust in someone.” She lifted her chin slightly. “I want to trust you, because I’m so tired of being alone.”
Travell’s heart was beating fast after her admission. A spark of hope flared in his chest, but still, his honor wouldn’t allow him to move past this point. “You don’t have to invite me into your bed to do that, Alyssa. I’ll always be here for you.”
“I know that.” She moved closer to him, the light scent of roses and enticing female surrounded him like the sweetest perfume. “I’m asking you to stay, not out of any sort of desperation, but because I want you to.”
That slight thread was quickly starting to unravel. “If we do this,” he said slowly, hoping that his eyes conveyed how serious he was. “There’s no turning back. I don’t want to hear any more talk of going to America. You’ll be mine. Forever.” He paused to allow that to sink in. “So be very careful of what you’re agreeing to.”
He was still as he watched doubt waver in her gaze, but only for a moment.
Without turning away from him, she grasped his hand and opened her door. She backed into her chamber and pulled him along with her. Standing in the middle of the floor, she slowly untied her dressing robe and allowed it to fall to the floor in a whisper of material.
Travell kicked the door shut.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ever since Alyssa was old enough to know what appealed to her with the opposite sex, she had known Travell was the only one for her. It hadn’t taken her long to appreciate his charming grin and the twinkle in those ocean blue eyes that changed as frequently as the tide when his mood varied. For so long she had prayed that he might feel the same way she did, but in the short time they’d been together at Rosewood, with different burdens of their own to bear, something had shifted dramatically. It was as if the stars had finally aligned and fate was starting to smile down on her. She wasn’t sure why she’d held back this long, unless he’d been right, and she’d just been scared of being alone, for Travell was all she’d ever wanted.
While she knew she ought to feel shame or embarrassment as she started to untie the ribbon holding her nightdress together, the only thing rushing through her veins was the feeling that nothing else had ever felt more… right.
Travell’s nostrils flared as the material slackened, revealing the valley between her breasts, but when she would have shrugged out of it, he put his hands on her shoulders and shook his head. “Not yet.”
She shivered, for his voice was so perfectly raspy with desire, his eyes swirling with the anticipation of what was to come. She might be innocent, but she wasn’t completely naïve about what to expect for she’d already had a delightful taste in the conservatory. Not only that, but she’d heard the whispers long before she’d officially entered polite society. Lady Alwan’s sewing circle had been a place for gossip of a scandalous nature and many of the older women had often twittered about a man’s phallus, as well as discussing its many uses. Of course, if Aunt Pearl had any idea that Alyssa had eavesdropped on their conversations, crouched down in the hallway when she should have been napping in her room, the lady would have been horrified.
Alyssa had always heard that a man’s member had a mind of its own. She had always imagined Travell’s phallus would be rather impressive, and the few times he’d ground his erection against her, she no longer had any doubt.
As she glanced down between them, she wondered what would happen if she slowly lowered her hand and rubbed the length of the bulge in his trousers…
She bit her lip and did just that, only to have him capture her wrist and draw her away.
She stilled at the abruptness of his move. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you—”
“Hurt me?” He laughed, although there was a definite strain to the sound. “Far from it, but if I allow you to touch me before I’ve had a chance to pleasure you, I’m afraid this will all be over way too quickly.”
She frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”
This time he groaned outright. “I’ll spill my seed, and then it will…” Here, he paused.
“Deflate?” she prompted.
He winced. “Of a sort, although I wouldn’t have chosen to put it quite that way,” he muttered. He pulled her against him — his body still hard and firm. “I don’t even want to know how you learned so much about male anatomy. In truth, I’d prefer that we talk about something else. Or rather,” his voice deepened, “nothing at all.”
He kissed her passionately, the kind of kiss that caused her thighs to quiver and her entire body to erupt in flames. Any further thought of his phallus and her aunt’s sewing circle evaporated like dust in the wind, her only focus on each nerve ending that had suddenly come alive with sensation.
His thumb brushed the tip of her hardened nipple through the thin cotton of her nightdress and she moaned against his mouth. When he offered the same attention to her other breast, she drew in a sharp breath and clutched his shoulders. When he cupped their fullness in his hands and began to knead gently, she had to pull away to draw more air into her lungs. He took advantage of this to kiss his way along her neck, nipping and sucking gently as he moved down along her collarbone.
When he sank to his knees before her, she stared at his dark head as he slowly began to lift her gown, his fingers brushing the back of her legs as he lifted it higher and higher, until she was fully exposed to him from the waist down.
He cupped her bottom in his hands and said, “Open your legs.”
&nbs
p; She did as he asked, although she couldn’t imagine what he could be doing on his knees —
“Oh… my… .Travell… .” She gasped, threading her fingers through his hair as he kissed her there. She had never heard of this sort of thing discussed before, but surely, as wonderful as it felt to have his mouth on her most intimate place, she couldn’t imagine why every woman wasn’t singing the praises of this sort of bliss.
Her knees grew weak as he continued to caress her, but when he made the first swipe of his tongue, she raised up on her toes. After that, his ministrations became more fervent until she threw her head back and closed her eyes in complete abandon, and then she soared among the stars.
Alyssa was still floating on a cloud when he got to his feet and lifted her into his arms. She was as limp as a rag doll as he carried her over to the bed and gently laid her down. “You’re magnificent,” he breathed, and then removed her gown with one deft movement.
He instantly bent down and captured her breasts in his palms, kissing and caressing each of them until she was writing with need once again.
“Travell, please…” She didn’t even know what she was begging for, but he seemed to understand, for he kissed her lightly and then moved away. But when she started to panic, believing that he was leaving her, he merely started to divest himself of his clothes.
His waistcoat was tossed aside first, and then his shirt, which he grasped from the back and drew over his head, exposing a rippling array of muscles that ran up his arms and across his broad, hairy chest. She started to pant when he unbuttoned his trousers and kicked off his shoes. When his manhood was revealed, her gaze widened, for she had to admit that his phallus was, indeed, quite impressive.
Alyssa's Autumn Affair Page 19