She stood in front of the mirror on the washstand, bent over, and twisted her hair into a long rope. Afterwards she straightened and wrapped her hair around itself then took the hairpins she had set on a shelf and stabbed them into the coiled mass.
“Why are you doing that?” Reese asked coming up behind her, shirtless. He wrapped two arms around her and tugged her backwards against him, his large hand on her soft stomach and the other caressed her hip. He dropped kisses along her neck. “You know I love to see it fanned out on the pillow.”
“I know, but it is so wretchedly hot tonight, I cannot stand to have it down.”
“If you’re so uncomfortable, perhaps you should get rid of this as well.” He grabbed the hem of his shirt she still wore as a nightgown and quickly lifted it over her head.
“Reese!” She spun around, hands fisted on her curvy hips.
“Every time I see you, you take my breath away.”
“You are forgiven,” she said with a smirk.
“Oh, well,” he said turning away from her.
“Where do you think you are going?”
“Well, since I’m forgiven, I didn’t figure there was any need to continue on with this.” He turned around to look at her when he reached the foot of the bed. “Of course if you oof.” Before he knew what had happened, arms, legs, and a very voluptuous body were flying through the air tackling him to the mattress.
Circe straddled him, her head thrown back in laughter. She felt so carefree around Reese, and it was definitely this man she could credit with this feeling, not Barbados.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said as he ran his calloused palms up her thighs.
“And you are so very handsome,” she countered.
“I have an idea.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Hop up and put on your dress and boots.”
“First you want me undressed and now you want me dressed. Will you make up your mind?”
“Trust me.”
“All right.”
Once they were dressed she followed him out of the house and to the stables. He saddled one of the horses and climbed on its back then held out a hand to her. She readily placed her hand in his, put her foot in the stirrup, and was sitting in front of him with a minimal amount of effort. He pulled her close and turned the horse down the drive. As they approached the beach, she stiffened.
“We’re not going there, so just relax.”
She nodded her head in agreement, but still found it difficult. “Reese, I have been thinking about something, but…”
“But what?”
“Well, I do not want to start a quarrel with you. It is just an idea I have had.”
“What is it?”
She could hear the tenseness and resignation in his voice as he prepared himself to listen to her thoughts. “Your passion seems to be history. What if you could teach?”
“We’ve been over this. No one in England is going to want me to teach their sons.”
“I think you are wrong. Reese, I was raised by a very forward thinking woman. She made certain I was educated in all of the subjects a young man would be. I was taught science, arithmetic, grammar, history, and several languages. I was also taught everything a woman needed to be successful—dancing, embroidery, painting, and music.”
“Your mother is a very unique woman.”
“Indeed, but she wanted me to be prepared for any circumstance. She feared that because of the choices she and my father made, I would be forced to become a governess or companion of some sort.”
“Even though your father is a duke?”
“Yes.”
“Yet she never thought the solution could be to marry your father?”
“No.”
“Did that ever bother you?”
“All the time, but now I realize she had her reasons. In her defense, their marriage still would not have legitimized me. Father did his best to protect me. I had a few friends over the years until their parents found out who they were associating with and then that was the end of it.”
“So, what is it exactly that your brain is working out?” Reese asked in an attempt to get her mind off herself.
“There are plenty of children, boys and girls alike, that are brought up in scandalous situations. Children that are illegitimate offspring to the peerage. Those children are not readily accepted into other schools, and the ones lucky enough to be accepted by the schools are often picked on and tormented until they leave. Reese, what if we went back to England and opened a school for those children, both girls and boys?”
He was quiet for so long that she craned her neck around to study him. Circe could tell from the look on his face that he was taking the concept apart and studying it from every angle. She sat there, silent and anxious, awaiting to hear his thoughts. Her stomach churned nervously, fearful he might say something negative. She had been thinking about this a lot lately, perhaps more than she should, and had already begun to consider all the ways they could better the lives of these children. Perhaps a foundation of some sort could be set up for those students to attend whose parents refused to claim them.
“Circe,” Reese said a little loud, and squeezing her to get her attention.
“What?”
“I was saying that the idea has merit.”
“It does?”
“Yes.”
“You do not think it is simple-minded of me?”
“No. I think you have a good heart and want to take care of people. I also think that, as you say, a school of this nature could be very beneficial to children that come from the backgrounds you spoke of. My only concern is the type of education they are provided.”
“Oh?” she asked, curious to hear what he had to add.
“I think we need to focus less on a classical education and more on how to get them to be able to make money to support themselves.”
“Yes, but some positions will require a classical education like being a governess or tutor.”
“You’re absolutely correct. Perhaps we can start out with a few different programs and add a new one every other year depending on how full the coffers are.”
“You have not said how you feel about it, though.”
“I’m a little excited at the prospect.”
“A little?”
“Perhaps more than a little. It is something I know, unlike working this plantation.”
“Reese, you took a risk and that is so much more than most people will ever do with their lives.”
“And what did it get me?”
“Me,” she answered coquettishly.
“So it did,” he said and kissed her neck. During their conversation, he had guided the horse off the path and towards the ocean. He helped her down and tethered the horse to a palm tree. “Come with me.” He took her hand and led her over some boulders. What lay before them had her catching her breath.
“Reese, this is…is so beautiful. I wish I could find a better word to use. Beautiful just seems so lackluster for all this.”
“I know what you mean,” he said. “It reminded me of you, a beauty defying description.”
She looked at him and simply smiled, unable to make her voice work. Then she looked back in front of her. Before them was a beautiful lagoon that looked silvery in the moonlight. It was fed by a tall, but not overly powerful waterfall. There was an abundance of pink, purple, and yellow flowers that added the perfect pop of color among the green foliage. Circe was still looking around taking it all in when she heard a splash and felt warm droplets spatter her from head to toe. She looked beside her to see Reese’s clothes and boots piled in a heap.
“Reese, you are not…”
“Wearing any clothes. Yes, love, I know.”
“What if someone comes upon us?”
“I really don’t think that will happen. Besides haven’t you ever wanted to be adventurous?”
“No. I have always wanted to bring as little attention to myself as possible.”
&
nbsp; “Well, it’s time to change that way of thinking,” Reese said.
“What are you doing?” she queried, backing up as he swam close to the edge, then stood and waded towards her.
“Coming to get you, clothes and all, unless of course you decide to join me on your own.”
“You would not dare,” she said, sounding much braver than she was.
“Oh, you don’t think so?”
“All right. All right,” she giggled helplessly as he charged at her. She quickly undid the buttons of her dress, toed off her boots, and waded into the warm water wearing nothing more than a smile. She was making her way to him when her foot slipped on a sloping, moss-covered rock. Circe let loose an inelegant squeal as she unceremoniously fell into the lagoon. She sputtered for air as she fought her way to the surface. Just as she was about to go under a second time, a firm arm wrapped itself around her waist and hauled her upward. She pushed the wet strands of hair out of her eyes and turned a murderous glare on her husband as she felt the reverberations of his chuckles through her own body. “You think it is funny that I nearly drowned?” she gasped.
“You were far from drowning, sweetheart,” he said, continuing to laugh. “Do you not know how to swim?”
“Yes, I do, but that rock caught me unawares. I lost my balance and well…”
“Sweetheart, if you can’t swim, just tell me. I’d love to teach you how.”
“Let go of me, you oaf.”
“As you wish,” he said as he let go of her and took a step back. To his surprise, she skimmed the water as she made her way across the lagoon to the waterfall. He watched her, mesmerized, as she carefully climbed the boulders at the base of the falls and perched on them. Her hair strategically covered her breasts, just giving him the barest hint of their fullness and her legs hid her other charms from his view.
“Are you coming over here?” she called to him
Instead of answering her, he dove beneath the surface and cleaved his way to her. Circe watched him emerge from the water and climb the boulders to stand in front of her, his face even with hers. She held her breath as he leaned forward and placed his palms on the boulder on either side of her hips.
“What are you going to do once I’m here?” he asked huskily.
“This,” she kissed him deeply and passionately.
“You look like a sea nymph come to land just to entice me.”
“Oh, Reese,” she sighed against his lips.
“Come here,” he said pulling away from her. He stepped around her and continued to climb the boulders.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
She saw him disappear through the curtain of the waterfall. She stood there, nude, worrying her lip, when his hand reached back through, gripped hers, and pulled her through the waterfall too. Circe looked around to see that they were in an alcove and the waterfall protected them from the world.
“Thank you for bringing me here. The water feels wonderful to my sore and tired body, and this is amazing,” she said with something akin to awe as she studied the alcove and played with the waterfall.
“No, this is amazing,” Reese countered. He turned, lifted her, and pressed her back against the damp smoothness of the rock wall.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and hooked her feet together at the base of his back. She met his gaze and gave him a mischievous smile before she kissed him again. There was no need for preparation for she was ready for him in every way imaginable and told him so. Their breath mingled together as their bodies joined as one.
“You take my breath away,” she gasped as he rocked into her.
“And you mine,” he replied. Then neither said anything as they took each other to that glorious precipice and beyond.
It was extremely late when they arrived home and climbed into bed, pleasantly exhausted, and fell asleep in one another’s arms.
Chapter 27
“I am not ready for this.”
“You are. You look beautiful and it is almost as if that dress was made for you.”
“Are you certain?” Circe asked, plucking at the navy material with her white glove covered fingers.
“Positive.”
Reese reached over and placed his own glove covered hand on hers in an attempt to calm her movements. They sat next to one another in a coach he had rented from the inn where they had secured a room for the night.
Upon arriving in Bridgetown, they had gone shopping for Circe and had luckily found a dress that had been made for another woman but had yet to be picked up. Reese had used his charm, but had still paid the dressmaker far over the dress’s worth in order to purchase it for his bride. The seamstress would have to make another dress for her client, but she had been well-compensated for the loss. They had spent the day seeing sights in and around Bridgetown while they waited for the alterations to be done on the dress.
He slowly tugged her left glove off her fingers and down her arm bringing her back to the present.
“Reese, what are you doing? Do you realize gloves are one of the hardest garments to put on? They are so bloody tight—”
“Tsk, tsk,” he teased. “Your language is becoming atrocious and not at all ladylike.”
“Perhaps that is what I get for being married to a scandalous rake. What is that?” she asked when she felt his signet ring being removed and something cool, round, and metallic being slipped on in its place.
“While you were being fitted for the dress, I did a bit of shopping as well.” He slid the ring securely to the base of her finger, then brushed a kiss over it as if securing it there with his love. Then he moved to her lips and kissed her with a kiss so full of passion and love that he quite literally left them both breathless. “This is your wedding ring.”
“But I had your signet ring. I did not need—”
“Perhaps, you don’t thinks so,” he interrupted her before she could complete the thought, “but I do. I never meant for that signet ring to be permanent. I wanted to give you something that matched your beauty and I want everyone to know that you’re mine.”
“You sound quite covetous.”
“When it comes to you, I most definitely am,” he readily agreed and kissed her once more.
When they broke apart, she held her hand up to the faint light coming in through the window. There was a filigree design on the ring itself that mimicked leaves and vines and three sapphires were embedded in the top. “Reese, it truly is beautiful.”
“Just like you.”
“Thank you,” she sighed and cupped his cheek to draw him close for another kiss. They reluctantly pulled away from one another when the carriage lurched to a stop. Circe was frantically fighting with her glove when a footman opened the door.
“Allow me,” Reese said, and easily smoothed her glove back into place.
“How do you do that?” she hissed.
“What?”
“Make everything seem so easy.”
“I am just blessed that way,” he murmured with a cocky grin.
She could not help but smile back at him as he moved past her and descended from the carriage first. He and the footman both offered her assistance. They joined a small group of people entering the house of Barbados’ governor, Sir George Beckwith. When it came to be their turn, Reese handed over the invitation to the butler and whispered something in the man’s ear causing curiosity to spark in Circe.
“Lord and Lady Taggart,” he announced to the crowd as if supremely bored.
Circe clenched Reese’s bicep as a hush fell over the crowd, and all eyes seemed to turn towards them. “Why did you do that? The invitation was only for you,” she hissed without hardly moving her lips. She gave the crowd a weak smile.
“Relax, they are just stunned by your beauty,” Reese whispered to her and patted her hand.
“I highly doubt that,” Circe replied, but her weak smile blossomed into one that was lovely and meant just for him.
“Stop that, or I’ll h
ave to find somewhere private for us.”
“We would not want to offend our host, would we?” she asked teasingly.
A willowy looking older man with whitish hair wearing regimentals approached them. Both Circe and Reese straightened as if they were facing a court martial hearing rather than a friendly gathering.
“Lord Taggart, I am Sir George Beckwith, Governor of Barbados. Welcome to my home.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency. May I present my wife? Lady Circe Taggart.”
“My lady,” the man took her hand and bowed over it. “I had no idea you had married, Taggart.”
“Yes, well, it happened quite suddenly, and I couldn’t be happier.” Reese bestowed his bride with a smile that was easy enough to interpret for anyone who was watching.
“Ah, so it is a love match, is it?” Beckwith queried in front of the onlookers.
“Indeed, it is,” Reese readily agreed.
“Well, I suppose if that’s what you’re interested in, more power to you. I, for one, am happy with my circumstances the way they are,” Beckwith said.
“Some do prefer a bachelor’s existence. I thought I was one of those men until I met my beautiful wife.”
“Hmph. Well, I can tell you are still newly married. That will wear off, I’m certain. Please, go in and mingle with my other guests. We are awaiting just one or two more.”
“Yes, Your Excellency,” Reese said and guided Circe away from their host. The crowd seemed to move away from them as a whole, as if they would become filthy just by touching them.
“This is going to be such a lovely dinner,” Circe said sarcastically, just loud enough for Reese to hear.
Reese was thinking up various excuses so that they could leave early without seeming altogether rude when the next guest being announced caused him to step closer to Circe in a protective gesture.
“She should be in mourning,” Circe hissed, not caring that it sounded ridiculous because she, too, should be honoring her uncle’s memory.
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