Then he was moving all of the fabric up and aside so that he could kiss her there, making her moan with the pleasure he was providing her, and very quickly reaching that peak that she loved.
When he pulled away from her and rearranged her dress, he smiled at her, seeing how much more relaxed she was now.
She made to move toward him but he held back.
"Later, my lovely wife. I must find my father and talk to him. Come down with me," he said to her with a teasing in his voice, as he held out his hands to her and helped her up, making her kiss him again.
"Do not try and tempt me any further, Alessandra!" he laughed at her as he led her out the door.
* * * * *
"I was disturbed in reading your note, Edward. Who is this man and why do you believe he might come here?" Edward's father asked when the two of them were alone in the steward's room.
"He is a man Alessandra had feelings for before we met her. He has appeared several times now, and since she told him in Bath that she did not want to see or talk to him, he has been writing love letters to her, trying to tempt her away from me."
Edward saw distaste on his father's face as he tried to comprehend what his son was telling him.
"He was the cause of Alessandra not receiving her mother's correspondence - he had been pretending to send them but instead was not, in the hope that Alessandra would get so worried that she would go back to her village, and he would be able to see her."
"It is a shocking business, my son. But do you really think that he would dare come here?"
"I don't know - I hope not, but he did seem particularly determined in his quest, when he spoke to me," he quietly said to his father, who had a look of increasing concern on his face.
"Very well. You and I will start visiting tenants tomorrow and make sure everyone is vigilant across the estate. But in the meantime, do you agree it is best to keep this from Alessandra and your mother?"
Edward nodded. "I do, Father. I don't think any good could come from either of them being worried about this."
His father nodded. "Very well then. Let us not speak of it. Perhaps this man may not know where you are living anyhow, and all this worry will be for nothing." He paused and looked at his son, realising how much he had grown as a man since his marriage. "I am very proud of you Edward. I hope you know that."
Edward was taken aback at such a declaration. They had always had a good relationship but his father was not generally one to talk about his feelings.
"And I am glad you convinced me to take heed of your mother's wishes about Alessandra as a choice for you. I don't think we could ask for a better daughter."
Now Edward was worried.
"Father, are you alright? Why are you speaking like this?"
His father smiled sadly.
"Yes, I am well, Edward. I will now do some paperwork. You go back to your wife. She missed you terribly when you were away…"
"I can help you with the paperwork…"
"No. Edward, leave me now. Tomorrow we shall resume regular duties around our visits to the estate tenants."
Edward knew his father well enough to know when he was dismissed, so he left the room and started to head toward the drawing room. As he walked, he passed view of the glass room and saw his wife in there, sitting peacefully and alone. For a few minutes he stood and just looked at her, before he entered quietly but with enough sound to make sure that she heard him, without being startled, and she turned to him and smiled.
He approached and sat beside her on what now seemed to have become her own little bench on the property. Taking her hand he looked into her eyes and they smiled at each other before she lay her head on his shoulder. He sat quietly, waiting to see if she wished to speak, but she sat silent.
"You are very quiet," he whispered softly. "What is on your mind, my lovely wife?"
Alessandra took a deep breath before seeming to find the words to answer.
"The weather is warm most days now and I wish to be outside more, but I don't want to risk riding Misty in case something happens. If I fall or do any damage."
Edward felt her impatience at sitting still so much now.
"I agree that it might not be good for you to ride, but what about just walking?"
She looked up in surprise, as if she had not even considered going for a long walk.
"But where could I walk to?"
"Oh well, I would not wish you to walk anywhere, well not alone anyway, however I know of a very nice path that sneaks around behind the manor and leads to a magical place indeed, and I would be very happy for us to walk there if you like," he replied, making it all sound like a dream. "It is quite a walk though, to get to the destination, but if you feel up to it, we could start walking there, and we can come back whenever you feel tired."
Instantly Alessandra brightened and gave Edward a magnificent smile.
"Do you mean it?" she asked and he nodded with a happy smile on his face now. "Oh, but do you have to help your father today?"
"No, tomorrow I am going to spend the day out with him, visiting tenants. The rest of today I am all yours," he replied indulgently, feeling the tiredness of his journey now and considering that a long walk might be just what he needed himself to stay awake for the rest of the afternoon. "Let us go and see Cook, and see what food we can pack up in a small bag to take with us and then we shall head off."
* * * * *
Half an hour later Alessandra found herself being led through one of the back gardens behind the manor, and then on to another garden behind that one. Having not seen this second one before, she was already surprised and thought that perhaps that was their destination, but still Edward walked, through the rear wall gate of the second garden also, and then they were out in a bushy area with tall trees and shade.
"Oh!" Alessandra exclaimed as she realised she was about to visit an entirely new area of the estate. "How pretty, Edward!"
He smiled at her, letting memories of his childhood flow over him, remembering the days where he would run around the estate in complete freedom, left to explore the area sometimes for hours on end with his childhood tutor trying to keep watch over him from not far away.
"Are you alright to keep walking?" he asked her and she nodded.
"Yes, I feel fine."
"We don't have to go the full way today. If you tire, let me know immediately and we can turn back and come back another day."
Alessandra held his hand tightly and suddenly felt more alive than she had in recent weeks, so relished the feeling it inspired in her.
"I did not know that you ever walked anywhere," she said, surprised at this different side of her husband, and he laughed softly.
"I don't tend to walk anywhere now but when I was young I spent many hours exploring out here. I must be honest and tell you that I had forgotten about it until you spoke earlier about getting out in the fresh air."
"I know nothing about your childhood, Edward. Tell me about it," Alessandra said and for the next half an hour, as they trekked forward through the bush and forest area, Edward talked to her, telling her story after story of different things that had happened, that he remembered fondly.
She was so caught up in his conversation and the pictures it promoted in her head, that when he stopped talking she almost didn't notice.
Edward quietened as he knew they were close to where he wanted to take her, and he started to watch her face so he could see her expression as he walked her a little bit further. As they got closer the sound of water could be heard and was becoming louder, and finally Alessandra seemed to hear it.
"What is that?" she asked with the look he had seen on her face so often, being that of a scholar on a journey of learning.
He led her further still and their eyes adjusted to the light as they slowly emerged from the darkness of the forest. Ahead of her Alessandra could see a grassy area with sunshine streaming onto it, and off to the right side of that, a small body of water with a tall waterfall flowing into it
.
Edward watched her face and saw on it what he had hoped to - the sense of having been transformed from such darkness of the forest area, into a small but beautiful piece of paradise bathed in sunshine.
Alessandra looked at him and smiled broadly before letting go of his hand and walking forward until she was standing in the middle of the grass area with sun rays shining directly onto her. She held her face up to the light and closed her eyes, listening to the water flowing behind her, and felt like she had woken up from sleep in a new dream.
Edward gained joy from watching her, and waited before he approached her, letting her enjoy her pleasure. Then he saw her open her eyes, look at him again, and hold her hand out as indication for him to join her.
He walked forward and put his arms around her to hold her, and she clung to him like they were going to be apart. When he pulled away from her, he could see she had started to silently cry.
"Is this making you sad?" he asked, curious, and she smiled through the tears.
"No, I am just so very happy, Edward. I love you so much."
Then she kissed him passionately and he indulged in it, this time welcoming it.
* * * * *
He pulled a blanket out of the satchel he had brought with him, laid it down on the grass and encouraged her to sit down and rest. She did so gladly and lay back on her back to let the sunshine flow over her, while Edward sat beside her and contently looked down at her, enjoying seeing the happiness on her face.
After a few minutes of seeing her lying there with her eyes shut, he saw her look up at him and reach out her hand to touch his face, guiding him down to kiss her. He lay down fully beside her, and they kissed for a long time, as they had done before they had married, with no move toward anything more.
"Can we make love here?" she asked, making him laugh as he once again remembered how shy she had been when she had first come to the estate.
"Perhaps, but not today, Alessandra. I do not want to risk you getting a chill, and the weather is not as warm yet as it will get," he said stroking her cheek softly. "In summer perhaps."
Alessandra made a face like a child might make at being told they could not have pudding after their meal.
"In summer I shall be too large to make love."
He smiled at her indulgently.
"Then after this child is born, we shall take our time and plan the timing of conception a little better so that you are not with child in summer. Let us declare that to be our baby making time from now on, rather than pregnancy time."
She laughed at him.
"You are so wise, Edward," she said with humour in her voice before becoming serious. "But Edward, will you want us to have children straight after each other?"
"Do you mean will I want you to become pregnant as soon as a child is born?" he asked and she nodded. "No! I shall want you to have a proper amount of time to rest and enjoy what you want to. And we shall have a new child in our lives. Let us take time to enjoy with them also."
"But when I am more pregnant than this we will not be able to…" she started to say but then felt incredibly shy all of a sudden. "You will be … hungry … by the time the child is born."
He laughed at her wording but kissed her to reassure her.
"You and I are happy even without joining, are we not? We will still share pleasure, just not always like that."
"How then?" she asked and he knew she was working her magic on making him heated.
"You know."
"You may need to show me, so I can be sure," she said and he swallowed hard and kissed her before moving so he could tentatively touch inside her dress, running his fingers up her leg.
He watched her face as she stared back at him, and he let his finger move to that place she had discovered with him on their first night as husband and wife. He did not move for anything else, just moved his finger over her, pleasuring her as he kissed her, until he felt and heard her release.
Alessandra felt the climax and indulged in it. No matter how far through the pregnancy she was moving, her desire for him felt like it kept growing, not lessening. She looked at him now as he removed his hand and gently put her skirt back the way it had been. Now it was twice on this day he had pleasured her, and she was eager to return the feeling so she kissed him passionately until he groaned in his arousal from it.
She touched him through his clothing and heard his groan change, become deeper, and she tried to rearrange him so she could access him.
"Alessandra, what…" he started to ask and then she succeeded in subtly positioning the two of them, gaining full access to him, and touching him firstly with her hand and then her mouth. "Oh my love…"
Edward did not try to argue with her now, instead concentrating on the intense feelings he was having, and it was not long before he was in his climax also. Immediately afterward he relished the feelings going through his body, and stayed like that for several minutes before turning his attention to Alessandra, and seeing the smile on her face, he returned the smile with a slight laugh in his voice.
"I see you now know how we shall survive quite nicely even without joining," he teased her and they laughed together as he made himself presentable once again. "I think I had better get our food out now, to give you the energy to return home."
She laughed loudly at him.
"I haven't done anything active, Edward!"
They sat up, close to one another, both appreciating what a special moment it was, and continued their laughter and conversation as they ate.
They did not know that nearby in the dark of the forest, two eyes were on them.
* * * * *
Having seen Alessandra and Edward from a distance as they had embarked through the bushy area, Tom had taken the opportunity to follow them and watch them. The way they walked together, hand in hand, and laughed together. The way she looked up into her husband's eyes, and enjoyed the way he looked back at her. And then, seeing them lie down together and the things they did to each other, and the level of pleasure they both seemed to get from that, even without intercourse. It invoked feelings in him that he found confusing. He knew that everything that Edward had with Alessandra, he wanted. He wanted her love, yes, but he wanted mostly her appreciation for sexual pleasure, and her body.
Even looking at them now from his current position, after they had done those things to each other, they still smiled and laughed together. It was nothing like what he had with his wife. She did not welcome his touch. She did not like to be kissed. And the only time she laughed was when someone said something cruel about someone else. At some level he knew that what he was doing - following them and watching them - was not right. But he could no longer help it. She was his object of affection and he would have her.
* * * * *
"Come, my beautiful wife," Edward said, standing and helping Alessandra up. "We should head back to the manor as it will start to get colder soon. This area only has sunshine like this at the peak of the day when the sun is high, and only in spring and summer. All other times it is not so pretty, and it can get very cold, being so close to the waterfall and forest."
"Can we come back?" she asked and he gained great joy from her enthusiasm.
"Of course. For the next few days, though, I need to put some time in to the estate with Father … as much as I would certainly like to only spend time with you like this, it is important that you and I know everything we need to when the estate passes to us."
Alessandra nodded, understanding the seriousness of what he was saying. He was right in subtly suggesting that the two of them did not work as much as they should, and vowed to herself that she, too, would start making working with Edward's mother a priority. The estate was, after all, something that would be passed to their children, and their children's children, so certainly deserved their love and respect.
They packed up and started their slow walk back through the forest and gardens, completely unaware that they had not had any privacy at all on their journey out.
Chapter Forty
When Edward finally felt it was a polite time to remove himself from the company of his parents and go to bed, he was pleased that Alessandra wished to have an early night also. He did not expect anything of traditional pleasure, but even as tired as he was, he took his time enjoying completely undressing her and climbing into bed with her.
Aware of how much he had done to please her this day, even though he had not slept the whole night before, Alessandra cuddled into him and remained still and quiet as she felt him finally find the sleep that his body needed, and she found herself joyous simply to have him next to her once again, finding comfort in just having his warmth beside her.
* * * * *
The next morning Edward woke to find Alessandra lying beside him still, but awake and watching him with a smile on her face.
"What a beautiful sight," he said to her, smiling in a way that turned her heart, before he moved closer and pulled her tightly to him. "And what a lovely thing to feel," he continued with joy in his eyes as he touched her ever-increasing belly.
Once again Alessandra cuddled into him, not eager to get on with the day.
"So quiet first thing in the morning, my love?" Edward asked her, wondering what joyous journeys his wife's mind was going on this time.
Alessandra remained quiet and he pulled away from her to look at her closely, but she only had a look of contentment on her face.
"I am fine, Edward. I am just happy to have you here with me."
He kissed her deeply but then remembered his responsibilities.
"I must get up and go and see Father. We have to travel around the estate today, talking to our tenants, and that will take most of the day. Are you sure you are alright?"
She nodded and kissed him.
Alessandra Page 14