Love Sneaked In (Montgomery Family Trilogy)

by Vikki Vaught

  “Matthew, I wish we could too. But I understand that we must take care of our obligations first before pleasure. Besides, I’m not sure I’m ready to make love in the daylight. I thought that that was an activity reserved for the night.”

  Laughing down at Helen, Matthew reveled in her innocence. “I promise you’ll enjoy making love in the daylight. The visual aspect adds an enticing element. Well, I must meet Wilcox. I’ll see you this afternoon for tea.”

  Matthew was having a difficult time paying attention to what Wilcox was telling him. His mind kept returning to the events of the night before and their walk along the beach that morning. Helen was every bit as passionate as he had thought she would be. It had been the most earth-shattering sexual experience he’d ever had. Oh, he’d had much more experienced partners before, but knowing that another man had never touched Helen was quite arousing. He couldn’t wait to introduce her to other delights of the flesh.

  Of course, it was more than just the sex—he was in love with her. That was what made it such an incredible experience. Now, if he could just figure out how to get her to fall in love with him. If he could find out why she didn’t want to fall in love, then he might be able to overcome her objections. It was promising to know that she cared about him, so surely that meant she could eventually come to love him over time.

  Matthew just needed to be patient and give her the time she needed. While he knew she desired him, he wanted her to fall in love with him as he had with her. He would make sure that they continued to spend time with each other and take his daughters out again. The more she saw him in a good light, the more likely she would be to fall in love with him.

  Matthew and Wilcox decided to go to the village to pick up something they needed at the blacksmith’s shop. When they approached the village, he saw Gregory and his friends coming out of the local tavern, and it was obvious that they were drunk. It looked as if they hadn’t even been to bed the night before. Matthew rode up to them and got off his horse.

  Tossing the reins to the groom from the inn, he said, “Watch my horse for me, and I’ll give you something for your trouble.” Then he turned to Wilcox. “I need to talk to my brother. Why don’t you go on to the blacksmith’s shop, and I’ll meet you there in a moment.” Wilcox nodded his head and went on down the street. Matthew turned to Gregory. “Did you even come home last night? From your appearance it looks like you haven’t been to bed.”

  Gregory laughed as he drunkenly replied, “You’re right big brother. I just won a monkey off some gentlemen at the tavern. We also indulged ourselves with some fine female company, if you know what I mean.”

  “Well, at least you came to no harm, but you need to be careful. You could have as easily lost a monkey instead, and you’ve already spent your allowance this quarter. Why don’t you go home and sleep it off? And try to stay out of trouble.” Matthew watched as his brother and his friends stumbled to their horses and left town.

  What was he going to do about Gregory?

  At this rate, Gregory was bound to get himself in serious trouble. The drinking and wenching didn’t bother Matthew as much as the gambling did. No wonder his father was so determined that he marry again and have an heir. It would be disastrous if something were to happen to him before he’d had time to have a son. Thank goodness Helen had finally let him make love to her. Hopefully she would get with child right away and have a son.

  He retrieved his horse, joined Wilcox, and continued their tour of the tenant farms. He was very proud of all that he’d been able to accomplish this past year. He was expecting to have an exceedingly good harvest this year, and many of the sheep would be producing offspring. The sheep shearing had been quite profitable and had helped to enrich his coffers this past spring.

  As they neared the next cottage, his tenant rushed toward him. “Milord, thank God ye ‘ave come. Some o’ me cattle are sick, and I’m afraid they might ‘ave somethin’ catchin’. Can ye please take a look at ‘em?”

  The cattle were definitely sick, but Matthew didn’t think they were contagious. It looked as if they had eaten something that had made them sick. Matthew sent Wilcox after the gamekeeper to see what needed to be done. They worked well into the night and finally it looked like they were going to be able to save them.

  By the time Matthew arrived home that night, it was well past midnight. He found Helen asleep on the couch in their sitting room. He went to his room, called for his valet, Jennings, and took a bath. Once he had washed all the dirt and mud off, he sent Jennings to bed and went back into the sitting room. Helen was still sleeping soundly. He knelt down beside her and just watched her. She looked so beautiful as she lay there asleep. Her skin looked as soft as a rose petal, and her cheeks were delicately pink. He realized he was so fortunate that he’d met her and that she’d been willing to marry him.

  Matthew longed to break through the shell she had formed around her heart. If he could just find out why Helen didn’t want a love match, then maybe that would help him win her heart. He gently picked her up and carried her to his bed.

  When he laid her down, Helen opened her eyes and smiled at him. “I tried to stay awake for you. I got your message about the cattle. Were you able to save them?”

  “Yes, we were. Now we just have to figure out what they ate. It appears that they ingested some type of poison, but we don’t know where they got it. I’m just glad for the quick thinking on the part of Wilcox and the gamekeeper. Without them, the cattle would have died. But enough about that. I want a hug from my sweet wife, unless you’re too tired. If you are, we can just sleep.”

  Matthew hoped she wasn’t too tired, but if she was, he would have to beat down his arousal, because he still wanted to sleep with her. That was odd, because he never liked sleeping with any of the other women he’d had sex with. He’d always felt anxious to leave once he had finished having sex. It must be because he loved Helen, where with those other women it had just been about lust. No love had ever entered into it.

  Helen stretched as she lazily smiled at Matthew. “No, I’m not too tired. That’s why I tried to wait up for you, but I must have fallen asleep. Of course I’m wide awake now.”

  Oh God, she was so beautiful.

  He could see the desire smoldering in her eyes.

  Lying down beside her, Matthew pulled her into his arms, and began kissing her. He quickly dispensed with her night rail and his robe. Soon they were lying skin to skin, and he felt his shaft swell and grow even harder, if that were possible. Nibbling down her neck, he took one of her nipples into his mouth and suckled it, as he took his other hand and circled the areola of her other luscious breast.

  Helen was soon writhing as he kissed his way down her belly. Licking her naval, he looked up at her through heavy lidded eyes and met her passion-filled gaze. He continued to kiss down her belly to the apex where her gorgeous red-gold curls were. Gently, he parted her slender thighs and settled his shoulders between them, as he began to lick her little bud of desire. Helen started to pull away, but he held her firmly in place.

  “I promise you’ll like this. Just relax.” Soon, Helen was sighing, writhing, and twisting, trying to get closer to his decadent tongue. Sliding his finger inside her as he continued to lick her little nubbin, he felt her muscles contract and knew she was soaring into bliss, her eyes were closed in ecstasy. When he saw his, he grinned, then climbed up her luscious body and thrust into her tight sheath. Soon he knew she was spinning toward another shattering climax. He thrust deeper and faster as she writhed beneath him. Throwing back his head, he let out a shout as he found his own release. Falling to the side, he pulled her into his arms, tenderly kissed her forehead, and fell asleep.

  Chapter 12

  Early August 1820

  When Helen woke up the next morning, she lay there watching Matthew as he slept. He was truly a beautiful man. She loved the way his hair always looked tousled, even after his valet had tried to smooth it down. There was one curl that just wouldn’t stay in
place. She thought she could never get tired of looking at him. As she continued her enamored appraisal, a disturbing realization hit her.

  She was falling in love with him.

  The way she felt about him was so much stronger than what she’d ever felt for Hanford. She now knew what she’d felt for him was merely infatuation.

  Now what did she do?

  Oh dear, she didn’t want to get hurt again.

  Helen had told Matthew she didn’t want a love match, and he’d told her that he didn’t want one either. She thought she had guarded her heart against love, but Matthew had silently sneaked in when she wasn’t watching. They were certainly enjoying each other sexually, but she wanted his whole heart.

  What could she do to get him to fall in love with her?

  Helen decided that she would write Melody and ask her for help. Melody would be overjoyed that she’d fallen in love with Matthew. What she needed to do in the meantime was win his affection and friendship. They had already started doing that on their morning rides. It would help if he saw how well she was getting along with his children, and she needed to concentrate on getting this house redecorated. She needed to make herself indispensable to him. Surely, he would fall in love with her, if she did all these things.

  The next week Helen got busy with redecorating the house. She ordered fabric from the draper in Plymouth. She found wallpaper that would lighten up all the rooms. She hired extra help so the work could be done quickly.

  For the drawing room, Helen had the walls painted a pale silvery blue and had new drapes made in a deep gray blue. She had the furniture reupholstered in a paisley print with the right shades of blue and gray and just a touch of mauve. The Persian carpet in the music room was in good shape, and it had the right colors in it, so she had it put down in the drawing room.

  The dining room Helen did in soft shades of pale yellow with accents of green. She particularly liked the way the dining room turned out. There was just something about those colors that made the room warm and inviting.

  For her room, she found peach and cream flocked wallpaper. She had the drapes made out of muslin that matched the wallpaper, and it helped to give the room a light and airy look. The new counterpane was a deep peach with ecru lace trim around the edge. The bed skirt was a striped fabric with several shades of peach and cream.

  In the sitting room, Helen placed two deeply cushioned chairs in front of the fireplace, and this winter she pictured the two of them spending quiet evenings by the fire. She did have to buy a new oriental carpet, because the one that was already there wouldn’t go at all.

  Then Helen went to the nursery and had it painted a soft shade of yellow. The furniture was a dark wood, so to help brighten up the nursery, she had it painted white and had curtains made of a deeper shade of yellow with small white flowers woven into the fabric. For the girls’ bedroom, she painted it a delicate pink with deeper rose curtains at the mullioned windows.

  Helen found a local artist and had him paint a fairy castle in a rose garden across one wall. Christina and Catherine got so excited when they saw the mural that they ran to her and hugged her tightly. By the end of the week, the house was coming along nicely, and she would start on the rest of the rooms next week.

  On Sunday, they went to the parish church and Helen took the children with them. Since their behavior had improved so much, she felt they would do fine. Christina and Catherine were actually excited, because they had never been to church before. Margaret came along, but Gregory and his friends decided to stay home, since they’d been out late the night before. It felt so right to be in church with Matthew. It was the first time they had attended mass since their wedding. Helen had always loved going to church, and it was an even richer experience, sharing it with Matthew.

  As they were waiting to speak to the vicar, Helen turned to Matthew. “I’d like to invite Vicar Winslow and his wife to dinner tomorrow night. Would that be all right with you?”

  “I think that would be an excellent idea. Please do.”

  When it was their turn to speak with the vicar, Helen said, “Vicar Winslow, I enjoyed your sermon today. I’d like to invite you and your wife to dinner tomorrow night at seven o’clock. Would that be convenient for you?”

  Vicar Winslow looked over at his wife and she nodded. “Thank you for asking us. That would be delightful. We look forward to it.” Matthew smiled approvingly at her and it pleased her that he liked the idea of having the vicar and his wife over.

  Once they returned home from church, she talked Matthew into taking the girls to the beach again, and they had a lovely time. They played in the water for at least an hour, and then they built another sand castle. The wind started to pick up, and it looked like there was a storm brewing out over the sea, so they packed up everything and hurried up to the house. The rain started just as they got back. The girls were asleep on their feet, so they carried them up to the nursery and turned them over to Katie.

  Helen and Matthew walked down to their sitting room, and as they entered she said, “Well, that was a close call. I was sure we were going to be rained on. That was so much fun. Did you notice how much better behaved Christina and Catherine are? I’m so glad I found Miss Wilson. She has done an astonishing job with them. They’re both very bright children, and they have learned their letters and numbers much quicker than I would have thought possible.”

  Matthew sat down next to her on the sofa. “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for my daughters. They’re like different children, since you came here. You’re a wonderful mother, but I knew you would be.”

  “Thank you. I’ve already grown quite fond of your daughters. I’m glad you liked the idea of inviting Vicar Winslow and his wife to dinner tomorrow night. They seem like a nice couple and close to our age, don’t you think? She looks vaguely familiar to me for some reason. I wonder if I’ve ever met her before.”

  Picking up Helen’s hand, Matthew began to play with her fingers. “I’m glad you invited them. They do seem like a nice couple and I agree she does look to be close to your age. I want you to have friends here, because I know you had quite a few in London.”

  “I do want to get to know some of the women here. I also think it’s important to get to know the vicar. I used to help our vicar in Cranleigh, and I want to do that here also.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way,” then with a look of gratitude on his handsome face, Matthew said, “I’ve wanted to tell you, what you have accomplished with the house is just short of being miraculous. I worry that you’re doing too much. I know you haven’t been getting much sleep lately. I hope you don’t mind that I can’t keep my hands off you.”

  Helen laughed and coyly looked at him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have a secret. I’ve been taking a nap every day for an hour right after tea, so that I’ll be able to stay awake for you at night. I’m glad you’re pleased with my decorating endeavors. I’m going to start on the rest of the house next week. Would it be all right if I redecorated your room? Just let me know what your preferences are, and I’ll make sure that I keep those in mind when I decorate it.”

  “I’d love to have you decorate my room. It’s much too dark for my tastes. The furniture is in good shape so there’s no need to replace it. Oh, and I would say that I would join you for your nap, but that would defeat the purpose of you taking it!”

  Laughing, Helen said, “You’re right about that. Oh, I just remembered, we have the Marquess of Ralston’s ball to go to on Wednesday night. How well do you know them?”

  “Actually, I went to school with him. He was a few years older than I was, and he wasn’t the marquess then. Over all, we got on quite well. He actually tried to protect Bradley and me from some of the bullies in school. I also know he’s very well thought of by all of our peers and is active in Parliament. I’ve only met his wife a few times, but she seems to be a lovely person.”

  “Well, I look forward to meeting both of them. Do you have any plans for this
afternoon? I think I’ll just stay here in our sitting room and do a bit of reading.”

  “I’m meeting with Wilcox, and we’re going out to the Wilkerson’s farm,” Matthew said, while continuing to toy with her hand. “He broke his leg recently, and I want to see if he needs anything. His wife is with child, and she isn’t able to do any of the heavy work, so I thought I’d get him some extra help while he’s laid up.”

  Helen was pleased that Matthew was such a conscientious landowner. He truly cared for his tenants and that just made her love him even more. “Do you want me to come with you? We could get Cook to put together a basket for them and take it with us. I want to be actively involved with your tenants, so I’d like to go with you, if you wouldn’t mind.”

  “Are you sure you want to come out in the rain? We can take the carriage so that you don’t get too wet. If you’re coming, I’ll let Wilcox know that he doesn’t need to go after all.”

  “A little rain won’t hurt me. I’ll go to the kitchen and get Cook to prepare the basket and meet you out front in fifteen minutes.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Wilkerson were overwhelmed by the basket of food and Matthew’s offer to find extra workers to help out until Mr. Wilkerson was back on his feet again. Mrs. Wilkerson offered them tea, and because Helen realized it was important for Mrs. Wilkerson to offer them her hospitality, she agreed. Helen went with her into the kitchen to help her prepare it.

  Noticing how immaculate the kitchen was, Helen said, “Mrs. Wilkerson, I like your kitchen. I love those pretty curtains at your window. Did you make them yourself?”

  As Mrs. Wilkerson prepared the tea, she answered, “Yes milady. I made all the curtains in th’ house. I’ve always liked t’ sew. Me mother, God rest her soul, taught me ever’thin’ I know.”

  “Mrs. Wilkerson, when’s your baby due? I hope you have someone to help you when your time comes. I just love babies and hope to have one of my own soon. Do you have any other children?”