A stifled scream escaped her lips. It hurt, and at the same time, felt like just what she needed. The ache that she had throbbed with vanished away as the hurt did, and it suddenly became replaced with a new one. Then, his fingers started moving.
She twisted in his hands, under him, hoping to break free. It was everything, yet it was not enough. She needed more. More. “Nicholas, please.”
His pace increased, and as he entered her, her hips raised to meet each stroke, until she began to run out of breath and everything in her started to move towards pressure building in her. Then, she started to climb. Higher and higher with each stroke. Just when she thought she could not take anymore, Nicholas released her hands and lowered himself to her thighs. Then, he spread them far apart and began to nudge his face in between.
“Nicholas! What are you doing?” He ignored her. Even batted her hands away when she tried to pull his head away. Then, she felt his dampness against hers, and something came unhinged inside of her. Like a hungry man, he lapped at her juices, and when he was done, delved his tongue into her centre, replacing the finger that had been there, only a few seconds ago. Was this even possible? she wondered. Sensations pooled all over her body, sending twitches down to her feet, her fingertips, and her body began to shake.
“Nicholas!” That was the last coherent thought she had. Her world came crashing, and a blinding light exploded at the back of her head as she reached her peak and tipped over. She collapsed on her bed, her body too languid, too weakened. A sigh escaped her lips as she came to. It felt as though she had gone to the skies and back. This feeling, it was indescribable, wonderful! She felt sated. Gloriously sated. Just then, she felt his tongue against her insides, and she shivered.
“Too much,” she heard herself say. This time, he replied.
“My word still stands, Eleanor. Just say the word, and I will stop.”
Stop? What on earth? Why would she demand that he stopped when he was making her feel all these wonderful things? Then again, wasn’t it only right that he did? He was besotted by her, but that did not change the fact that he belonged to someone else. Her sister! Oh Eleanor! What have you gone and done again?
As she came to her senses, she shot up with a start, and he halted, jerking his head up in question, his hands on either of her sides. “Stop!” she was already scrambling away before he could say anything. She immediately sprung from the bed and put as much distance as she could between them.
“You should take your leave.” Her chest heaved heavily as she tried to recover her breath.
“Eleanor …”
“Not a word, Nicholas. We went too far this time. Please, I beg of you, leave!” She wrapped her arms around herself as if that would protect her from him. She struggled to cover herself up, but her clothing was torn. She reached for her covers and wrapped them around her body. As she saw his head drop, something tugged at her, but she resisted it. No more. She would be a slave to her emotions no more.
She got ready to argue with whatever reasoning he may offer, but none came. He only got to his feet, seemingly resigned. She looked away until he had righted himself. Then he began to head for the window. He stopped when he got halfway and half turned so that he could regard her.
“I am not sorry for that, Eleanor. I am only sorry that I will never be able to love you as much as I want to.”
Her heart broke, and she bit back a sob. If she had had doubts afore this, there were none now – she loved him, completely, fully. All her efforts had come to naught, as futile as filling a basket with water. She had gone and fallen in love with him, anyway. Nonetheless, she would shed no more tears. No more.
“Goodbye, Nicholas. Please, do not return.”
Nothing else was said between them, and only when she heard him land and begin to walk away did she run to her window to look at him. In the moonlit night, she could make out his silhouette as he hurriedly walked away. Only then, did she let a tear drop. A single pearl, and as it completed the journey from her eyes to her jaw, she wiped it away, and closed her windows.
“What’s done is done.”
She finally put off the gas lamp, and as it went out, she crushed the last bit of hope that she had held on to, until then.
Chapter 24
Isabelle Birmingham had always maintained that she was so much smarter than she was given credit for. She saw things, heard things that no one would ever imagine, and it was always so easy for her to surmise and arrive at an accurate conclusion. Often than not, her discovery left her in a state of astonishment. Many times, she had simply kept the new knowledge to herself and mused over it in time of boredom. There was an appeal to having a secret smile which no one knew the truth behind. However, this time, she knew that she had to do something.
She had been watching the night sky four nights ago, unable to catch any sleep, when a movement below caught her eye. Curious, she had moved closer and had immediately realised what it was she was looking at. Her elder sister, Agnes was meeting with her lover, Alan. She had kept her eyes on them until they had disappeared into the garden, and she had waited for their return. Only, unlike before, Agnes had stepped out alone … more like, ran out. That had gotten her attention, especially when in the days that followed she hadn’t seen a glimpse of a smile on her sister’s face, at least not one that reached her eyes. While she ruminated on what could be done, the most incredulous thing happened. As she returned from her night walk yesterday, she sighted none other than Lord Nicholas Stamford, climbing down a window. She had not needed to look up to know whose window it was, but she did anyway, and she found her little sister, Eleanor, staring down at the Lord, longingly. She reckoned one did not have to be a genius to put things together, but it had taken her less than a minute, the moment she got over her shock. Agnes, wasn’t the only one having an affair. Eleanor was too, with the man who was to be married to her sister, nonetheless! Imagine that! She had hardly gotten any sleep last night, aware of the complication this presented.
Never in her wildest imagination would she have thought Eleanor capable of such, but it was what it was. She had seen it with her own eyes. That left her with one answer – Eleanor was truly in love with Nicholas, and if the Lord had risked his life, climbing up and down a window, she reckoned it was safe to say that the feelings were returned. Again, she quickly realised the reason for Eleanor’s sadness and isolation these past weeks. She had worried about her sister; now that she knew what ailed her, it was obvious that something had to be done. It hadn’t been a mere coincidence happening upon them. It had happened so that she would do something about this. She had never felt love but knew that two people who loved each other had to be together. It had taken a while, but the solution had come to her as dawn broke, and she had finally gone to sleep. Now, twelve hours later, as she stepped into the ball the Stamfords had put together to announce the engagement between their household and hers, she knew completely what had to be done. The only thing that was left was to seek help from her accomplice. She wished she did not have to, that it could be someone else but she knew it had to be Benjamin Witherspoon, her arch enemy, the man who made her blood boil just from being in his presence. Yet, he was Nicholas’s best friend, and if she hoped to accomplish her mission, she had to get him on her side.
The crowd was minimal, as only those who had to be here had been invited. The noise covered her ears, but she kept her eyes open and senses alert as she searched the crowd for Witherspoon. Thankfully, he found her.
“Hmm. Tamed hair. Why do I have a feeling that this particular hairdo was intentionally chosen to go with this dress. Held up so high with your backline dipped so low, revealing such beautiful, creamy, flesh … hum … I must confess, very few men would be able to concentrate on little else tonight, including myself.”
Choosing to ignore the shiver in her spine, upon the feel of his breath on her bare nape, and his words in her ears, she rolled her eyes and turned so that she would face him.
“Just the person I was loo
king for.”
His brow shot up as a smirk flickered across his lips. “I knew that you had gone through this trouble for me but hearing you say it … I’ll be damned if I said it wasn’t doing things to me.”
How did anyone ever grow an ego this big? Mayhap she was wrong and would be better off working on her own. She immediately recognised the flaw in that reasoning. She was a Lady, and there were some movements she would not be allowed to make on her own. Places she could not take chaperones to. She needed a man. Yet, that did not mean she had to make this easy for him.
“The only thing I want to do, Witherspoon, is deflate that ego of yours and mayhap, wake you up from that dream that has you believing I would lift my littlest finger for you. However, I find there is a thrill seeing you so delusional and going mad over me.”
He chuckled, and she mentally congratulated herself. The twinkle of amusement in his eyes told her she had dished out a good one and won this round.
“If that be the case, then I declare that we are both delusional.”
“Speak for yourself, My lord. My senses are in perfect health, thank you.”
The dancefloor cleared and began to fill up with couples. It was time for the first dance and an idea immediately struck her.
“Would you care for a dance, Witherspoon?”
His surprise was evident as he raised his brow and cocked his head to one side to regard her. When her face remained expressionless, his smile faltered. “You are serious?”
“I would say so. Seeing as I am not in the habit of saying things I do not mean,” came her cool response.
He was grinning again. “Now, who is mad?”
“Will you accept, or not?” She was not up for his teasing any longer. There was so much more at stake. This wasn’t about them.
“You do know that the gentleman asks the lady for a dance, do you not? However, seeing as you asked so sweetly, and we have never shared a dance, I accept.”
She said nothing, only gave him a tight smile as she offered her hand which he instantly took. Where he held her, she felt tingles, but said not a word. Silently, he led her to the dancefloor and as the music began to play, he bowed, she curtsied, and they stepped closer. It was a waltz so her right hand rested on his left shoulder as his left rested on the small of her back. Their other hands clasped, and they began to move to the music.
She had known what colour his eyes were before now. It was the blue of the sea under sunlight. A sharp contrast to her glowing embers. Yet, not any less beautiful. Her body hummed, but she ignored it. Her nerves were simply getting the best of her because she was forced to dance with this man whom she did not like one bit.
They held each other’s eyes as they moved around the dancefloor, the contact only breaking as he spun her. The moment she was back in his arms, it continued.
“Why were you searching for me, Isabelle?”
She was brought back to the matter at hand but did not miss the way he had said her name like only he said it. “I need your help in solving a matter of the heart. I am afraid if we do not act quickly, there shall be a scandal, for I believe neither party could live in such misery for too long.”
“Isabelle, is this a confession? I mean, I am flattered, but you must know I do not deal with matters of the heart.”
Typical of him to think this was about him. “I know many women have told you this Benjamin, but you would never hear it from me. It would do you a lot of good to accept that. Why do you always insist, anyway? Why is it so hard for you to believe that there is a lady who is unaffected by your charm?” She thought she saw a look flicker in his eyes, but it was gone before she could discern what it was.
“So you admit I am charming. And I am aware that there are plenty of ladies who are not terribly interested in me. I only refuse to believe that you aren’t. The eyes do not lie, Isabelle, and I know what I see in yours.”
Hopeless! He was completely hopeless! She gave an exasperated sigh as she stepped away from him and stepped back. “I was talking about the people dearest to us. My sisters and your brother, Nicholas.”
“What have they got to do with us?”
“Everything. Has Nicholas spoken with you regarding the marriage? Does he want this?”
He must have sensed the seriousness in her voice for his teasing was completely gone when he spoke.
“Well, he doesn’t look like he doesn’t want this. Although, he says this is his father’s wish. By now, it is no secret that the Duke suffers from a very terrible ailment.”
She did not know this, but it was nice to know. It answered some questions. “So, you mean to say Nicholas does not really have a choice other than to go ahead with this wedding?”
“I would say. He seems to be smitten, though. I have seen him look at the Lady Agnes with fondness.”
Isabelle had seen him too and had assumed that he had really been looking at Agnes. Now, she knew better. “He hasn’t been looking at Agnes. He has been looking at my younger sister, Eleanor. She is the one who has got him smitten.”
Benjamin’s steps faltered, and because he was leading the dance, she stumbled but managed to only trample on his feet before she regained her composure. Thankfully, the dance came to an end, and as soon as they finished their greetings, Benjamin dragged her hands and led her out of the ballroom. Both said nothing until they entered a bedchamber. Something instantly told her this belonged to Benjamin. Though, neither him nor Nicholas lived here anymore, she had a feeling Witherspoon had had a room here, and still did. He released her hands and walked off to open the windows. Upon his return, he showed her to a seat, but she chose to remain standing. A lamp burned brightly so lighting was no issue.
“Nicholas is besotted by Eleanor, and not his fiancée, Agnes?”
“Yes. What’s more, I have reasons to believe that the feelings are mutual, on Eleanor’s part – that is.”
Benjamin’s eyes widened upon hearing this. He swept a hand through his hair and began to pace as he swore in French. He was a well-travelled and well-read man. That came as no surprise. His apology awed her, though. It proved once again that as exasperating as he could be, he was also a gentleman who did not take to swearing in front of a lady.
“You are certain of this?”
“I wouldn’t be here, otherwise.”
“Who else knows?”
“The parties involved, and the two of us, I believe. I happened upon this discovery by chance, myself.” A pause. “Would you stop pacing, please? I find it quite unsettling.”
He halted instantly. “I apologise. I am only thinking of what this means. Nicholas is not the kind of man to play with the feelings of women, how much more, sisters. If he is involved with both sisters, then it means he is truly besotted.”
“I believe I have just said so. That is not all of it. Agnes too has a lover. He is a merchant, and they have been having a secret affair for years now. It is why she has refused to get married for this long. Now, her hands have been forced, and she has to marry Nicholas. Do you see? They are both in love with other people. If this marriage happens, they shall both be miserable. More than that, I am afraid one of them will commit a blunder and will get found out! Just the other day, I saw Nicholas climbing out of Eleanor’s windows. Imagine that! It is going to cause a terrible scandal if he ever attempts it and gets caught.”
Benjamin reeled back upon hearing that. His eyes bulged out of their sockets, and Isabelle stifled a laugh. No doubt he was in shock on hearing about his friend’s exploit. He seemed to recover quickly, though.
“Climbing out a window? Bloody hell! He has gone mad! Yes. On that, you are very correct, something has to be done. Still, I am yet to see how this concerns us. What are we do to do? Nicholas would not go against his father’s wishes.”
Isabelle rolled her eyes. Many times, she wondered if this young Duke was as sensible as he portrayed himself to be.
A Scandalous Love for the Enticing Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 18