“You don’t say!”
“I am ashamed to admit. In fact, if you could keep this to yourself, I would be spared a deep embarrassment. Even bringing it up with Emma if you could. Just so I may save a little face?” Matthew said with a smile that Donald couldn’t help but return.
“Of course, my friend. You were so gracious to answer my questions, it’s the least I can do. I must admit, though, I am surprised that your infatuation with Lady Henrietta was that strong.”
“You have no idea how deep my infatuations go, my friend,” Matthew said laughing and patting his friend on the shoulder.
Chapter 27
Emma had heard Matthew come back. She watched Donald try again and again before finally wrangling him away. Now they were alone together and Emma didn’t know what to do with herself.
She stood around the corner from the drawing room, heavily resisting the urge to go and listen at the door to what her two best friends were discussing. Not that she hadn’t ever eavesdropped before, sometimes it was a necessity in a young lady’s life, but she absolutely could not be caught listening in. And the room was positioned just so in the hallway that there was nowhere to run if they decided to leave the room.
So she resigned herself to exploring the Derbourg Estate to try and distract herself.
She had been here before, of course, they had all visited each other’s childhood homes as many times as could be allowed. But she found that it was always so easy to wander the halls and lose herself in the converted castle.
The floors of the ground floor were one of the things that intrigued her the most, as instead of the wood she found in most estate, the floors were made of hewn stone. The most interesting thing of all was that she found paths worn in the stone, having been rubbed away from years of foot traffic.
She had investigated these paths in her younger days, and still remembered them vividly. The one that was the most defined was the one that lead from the larder in the cellar up to the kitchen. There were a few others, of course, but many of them seemed to lead to nowhere of significance in the current estate, which lead Emma to theorize that they had been more relevant when the floors still led to places in the manor. Indeed there was one such stone worn path that Emma remembered led straight into a solid wall.
Staring intently at her feet as she walked, her attention also quite focused on the worn paths in the stone work, led her to walk right into the back of Lady Henrietta who let out a small gasp of surprise.
“Oh, my, sorry Henrietta, I was just… I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. Are you all right?”
Henrietta smiled and clutched at the front of her dress. “That’s all right Emma, you did nothing but gave me a fright. I’m afraid I was lost in thought as well.”
“Oh really? What had you so distracted?” Emma asked, hoping to draw attention away from her aimless wandering.
“I was thinking about your eventual marriage and my own sorts of suitors. Tell me, what do you think of Lord Thetmont?” Henrietta’s voice was innocent enough, but she couldn’t hide the obvious guilt from Emma.
“Do you really need to hear my opinion of Lord Thetmont? Shouldn’t my stance on him be expressly clear after all these years?” Emma asked without really answering the question. She didn’t know if she definitively could right now.
“I suppose to ask the question more precisely, I mean, what do you think of Lord Thetmont and me? In a sort of romantic persuasion.”
“Ah,” Emma had actually known what Henrietta had meant as she was dreading it. She was silent for a moment, still walking the hall and following the grooves in the stone with her eyes, only this time with Henrietta by her side.
“Do you feel romantically inclined to him?” Emma finally asked.
“I wouldn’t say romantically inclined,” Henrietta said slowly to avoid admitting it, “but marrying an Earl would certainly be something my family would approve of. And he seems to be a more than fine and upstanding gentleman. Comparable with Lord Stapleton, if I may be so bold.” Henrietta chuckled, as most did at the idea of comparing the drastically different gentlemen.
Emma was silent once more, contemplating still. “You might have an easier time if you choose a different subject of your affections,” she finally said, carefully while looking at Henrietta’s face to try and make it easier on her.
“Oh, has he expressed an interest in other types of ladies?” Henrietta asked dejectedly. “So many Lords prefer small partners, I doubt a lord will ever want a lady that could be taller than him.” She scuffed her foot in the stone at her premature rejection.
“Any lord should be grateful to have a figure such as you to stand by them as their wife. Why, you are practically the spitting image of Artemis,” Emma said with a wide smile, moving closer to make her friend’s height seem more drastic but in a positive light. “Like a powerful goddess.”
This brought a smile and a small chuckle to Henrietta’s face. Emma was glad, she hated it when her friend didn’t have the confidence she deserved to have.
Emma continued, “I believe he has expressed a specific interest in courting another.” She instantly regretted having said that.
“Oh, who is it?” Henrietta asked leaning forward, her desire for gossip quickly overpowering her lamentation of a lost possible romantic partner.
“I promised I wouldn’t say. He is a very private gentleman you know.” Emma quickly skirted forward, hoping to avoid Henrietta’s questioning eyes that were good at detecting truths in lies.
“Will I find out soon then? Is he going to become public about it?” she huffed, trying to pry as much information from Emma as she could.
“I honestly couldn’t say.” She had merely been twisting the truth to spare her friend’s feelings, but like all partial truths, all it did was lead to a road paved in outright lies. Lies that Emma felt terrible about.
* * *
Emma found Donald later, standing in his room in front of the window and enjoying the late summer sunset before they headed down to dinner. Emma knew she was going to meet with him and had been longing for an opportunity for a little more privacy. Surely one little moment in his chambers would be acceptable. Though in her heart Emma knew it wasn’t, and part of that was what excited her.
“My sweetest,” Donald said and trailed the back of his hand down her cheek before letting his lips gently brush her forehead. “Just when I was thinking a Derbourg sunset was the most beautiful thing on earth, you have shown up to prove me wrong,” he said while smiling playfully at her.
Donald’s arms wrapped around her tightly. She knew Donald was a man of consideration and restraint but she could feel his need pressed hot up against her thigh, even through her dress. She was both intimidated and excited by her estimate of his size.
They kissed, and once again Donald’s mouth began to trail downward. This time Emma had no reason or desire to slow him. She felt his lips exploring the flesh at the base of her neck leading down to her chest. She was breathing hard and fast now, the fabric of her dress suddenly hot and constraining,
She wanted him to pull her out of these clothes, to yank herself free of the corset and have him touch her hot exposed skin. Donald’s fingertips brushed the inside of her dress, teasing her ever so gently. She let out a mixture of a gasp and a moan. Her skin was on fire and she pushed herself toward his touch.
Donald, loosed her from her dress. He was gentle when he pulled her free from her clothes, but Emma could feel an eagerness to him. An earnestness to his touch that excited her.
She knew the proper thing to feel when she was exposed to another should be embarrassment, even shame. But she didn’t feel any of those things. Instead she felt hot, fresh excitement surged through her as she let herself be laid bare to her betrothed.
He lifted her over to his bed, removing his own shirt. She ran her hands over the fine hair of his chest, reveling the first time she touched something more than his hand. She didn’t have much time to relish it, though, si
nce he moved in to kiss and nibble at her exposed chest.
Please don’t stop…
No one had ever done this for her, touched her breast in such a provocative way. She was sure Donald could feel her heart thudding in her chest like a scared rabbit. But she wasn’t scared. She was excited. She wanted more. So much more. More than he could give her tonight, she knew.
She continued to allow her hands to explore him as he did her. Her hands found their way down to his pants and though they were still on she could feel the pulsing heat of his manhood through them. She hesitated for a moment but then she gripped him and gave a squeeze. She smiled at the gasp that came from his lips.
“Emma,” he whispered in her ear as his hips pushed against her hand with a needy groan. Emma grew hotter, her emotions swirling faster and more muddled in her heart and her head. She knew they must stop before things got too far. But she didn’t want to. And she knew Donald didn’t either.
With each passing moment their bodies became more intertwined. And though Emma was uncertain of herself, she was glad Donald didn’t cross the threshold of their wedding night nuptials. But their kisses and touches stoked a fire in Emma that burned from the inside. She never craved anything more, wanted anything more than to let Donald have her. She needed to be quenched.
That was when she felt it. Felt Donald give into temptation and felt herself give over to it all in one blissful swoop.
Donald’s hand, his fingers, had found their way under her skirts. While he couldn’t, with ease, reach the bare flesh of her womanhood, she could still feel his strong fingertips probe and explore her through the silks of her underclothes.
She gasped.
This was the first time she had ever been touched by a man like this. She didn’t think she could ever feel so much pleasure, and Donald was doing this with his finger tips alone.
She felt her hips start to rock back and forth as something built up inside her. Something mounting and exhilarating and nothing like any sensation she had ever experienced. But it still felt natural, felt right.
Especially when it’s with Donald.
Suddenly every muscle in her body tightened and pleasure rolled over her in wave after wave as she gasped and gripped tightly against Donald until it, unfortunately, passed.
Eventually Emma laid panting and exhausted, curled up with him as she felt herself drifting. She knew she shouldn’t let herself fall asleep here in Donald’s bed but she couldn’t help letting herself simply lay there. She felt so safe and so warm against his hard broad body. Eventually she simply fell asleep.
Chapter 28
As Donald dressed and tucked Emma in his bed to allow her to recover he let out a pained groan. He was starting to have another headache come on, and it felt as though it was going to be a big one.
The Marquess of Stapleton was having a very difficult time. Between discussion of debt, scandal, and hidden love, the first day of Donald’s return to Derbourg was proving to be an unpleasant one with one very pleasant surprise.
He was greatly excited by the time they got to spend together now. He wanted to do more, so much more. Thankfully he didn’t have very long to wait.
Just as he was getting ready to settle in for the night without waking her, she woke up, looking up at him adoringly.
* * *
He stopped what he was doing and looked down at her. “Did I hurt you, my love?”
Emma blushed and turned away to hide the mixture of pink and red on her cheeks. “Donald, my darling, you are going to make me faint with embarrassment,” she chided, but jokingly so. “You seem at ease,” she noted, wanting to relax the situation before she became too flustered, “Did your talk with Matthew go well?”
Donald nodded. “It did, although I must be curious about why he kept it a secret from me.”
Emma was relieved Matthew had told him, so now there were no more secrets. Though she was confused at Donald’s response. “Isn’t it obvious why he would keep it to himself?”
“Obvious? I don’t try and speculate on Matthew’s wiles but I don’t think it’s obvious. I would presume he would want to be up front with it.”
“Don’t you think it would complicate matters just a bit, Donald?” She was fully confused right now, to the point where she felt hot tears pricking her eyes.
“Complicate things? I suppose. But I would think that it would be appealing to you,” Donald asked, now seeming a bit confused himself at her emotional response.
“Appealing?!” Now Emma was truly aghast. “Why would I ever want something like that?!” Her voice was rising now, causing Donald to take a step forward to comfort her.
“My dear, I am confused. Why would it be so horrible for Matthew and Lady Henrietta to court one another? I am surprised you volunteered advice as readily as Matthew said you did if you are so convinced that they would be an unfortunate coupling,” Donald said while struggling to understand.
“He told you about him wanting to marry...Henrietta?” she asked, her voice cracked with emotion and confusion.
“Yes, that was what he said he talked to you about. About asking for instructions in the best way to go about courting her,” Donald explained.
Her heightened emotions caused her heart to hammer in her throat. The room spun around Emma and swung like a pendulum beneath her feet. She fell forward and was caught in the familiar strength of Donald’s arms as the world faded to black around her.
* * *
Helt was standing in the doorway, his face clouded with concern.
“She’s all right, Helt, just the emotions of the wedding weighing on her,” Donald assured him, attributing the frightful mood to concern for Emma.
“I am glad to hear it, My Lord, but I am here in regards to a different matter. There is a man here to meet you. He arrived only moments ago and insists that he speaks with you promptly and as soon as possible.”
Donald blinked in confusion. “A man? Is it one of my father’s tenants?”
“I don’t believe so, My Lord. From the look of his dress I would say he is likely an experienced sailor,” Helt reasoned.
A sailor? But there isn’t a port for miles.
“Where is he now?” Donald asked.
“He requested that he speak to you and you alone. He hasn’t left the stables.”
“Then I suppose I shall speak with him,” Donald said hesitantly, in case there was an obvious reason he shouldn’t that the weirdness of the situation clouded from him. But Helt said nothing.
* * *
Donald made his way to the Derbourg Estate stables. Different from typical stables as they were, attached to the house. The old manor walls had been remodeled and converted to house the horses and carriages of any guests.
It was here that Donald tracked down the man who came so desperately to speak with him. He wasn’t hard to find. Even if the stable hands weren’t so quick to point him out where he was, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He wasn’t surprised that Helt was able to deduce that he was a sailor, he was dressed in the traditional clothing of the occupation, although it appeared to be soaked through with sweat.
“You look familiar. Where have we met before?” Donald would have normally been a little more polite, but he was rather put off by the sudden appearance of this man and with his headache thrumming away at full blast his patience was wearing fast.
“Aye, My Lord, we have met before. Though we weren’t directly introduced. I am Geylen, the first mate on The Bright Side,” he said with a hurried bow.
Donald studied him intensely. “The first mate...I am guessing something is drastically wrong. Something that the Captain couldn’t send me a message about and thought it right to interrupt my wedding plans.” His voice was terse, but he eased back enough not to cow the messenger into submission. He did desperately need to hear what this man had to say.
“Truth be told, My Lord, Captain Todd doesn’t know I am here,” Geylen admitted. “And I am sorry that I interrupted such an important occasion. But
you did correctly assume one thing, something is wrong. That is why I came.”
“Well then, why have you only summoned me then and not Lord Thetmont?” Donald asked, wanting to get to the meat of the matter as soon as possible.
“Lord Thetmont is here as well?” the first mate asked, suddenly much more nervous.
“He is probably the most important guest at my wedding aside from me and the bride.”
“We need to go,” the man said briskly, looking around for a stable boy before Donald could even respond.
“Go? Now? But you haven’t even told me what’s wrong.” Donald said, put off by this commoner and his vague urgency.
Unleashed Desires 0f A Noble Lady (Steamy Historical Regency) Page 19