His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1)
Page 14
He removed his clothes and stood naked in front of her. Elizabeth blushed, too embarrassed to look at all of him. Her eyes fixed on his chest and she studied every muscle on his bronze chest. The entire span seemed to be covered with scars. And tonight one more was added on his shoulder, she thought with bitterness.
William covered her lips with a kiss. Elizabeth wound her arms around his neck and answered the kiss, her embarrassment instantly forgotten.
Her breasts rubbed against his naked chest, something hard pressing against her thigh. Suddenly, the familiar heat between her thighs returned, her breasts got heavy, and her nipples hardened. Her breathing became deep and broken.
William’s fingers touched her nipples, making her moan with pleasure. A hoarse chuckle escaped William. He kissed her neck, her collarbone, and before she knew it, her chemise fell to her feet. But at that moment she did not think about it. She could not think at all.
All that mattered was William; his hands, his kisses, his body.
William lifted her into his arms and gently placed her in the centre of the bed. He stretched out on top of her, gently moving her legs apart with his knee.
It was strange, but Elizabeth enjoyed the sensation of William’s naked body on top of hers. His hips were resting between hers and she guessed what was to follow.
“Please,” she whispered with dry lips. “Do it. I can bear this torture no longer.” She looked into his eyes, glowing with passion. “Can you make it less painful?”
“Yes, lass.” He whispered and kissed her hard with such passion, that she shivered and lost herself in the kiss. Still, it wasn’t enough. Her body was aching for more, but she could not tell what she needed.
He suddenly lifted his hips and thrust into her. A sharp pain cut through her body, making her scream into the kiss. She wanted to push him away, but William would not let her go.
He stopped, his cock inside of her, his hips pressed against hers, and broke the kiss.
“I am sorry, lass, but I had to do it this way. I wanted the pain to pass as quick as possible.” He kissed the tears from her eyes, whispering soothing words to her ear.
Slowly, he started moving again. This time there was no pain, just as he had said. Only pleasure. He thrust inside her again and again, bringing her to the peak of passion.
She had never experienced anything like that before and it made her totally lose her mind. The pressure was building inside of her and it needed a release.
It came upon them in a rush. She found her release first and instinctively squeezed him tight and arched against him. William made a final hard thrust and fell on top of her, unable to move. They stayed like that, their arms wrapped around each other, their bodies sweaty and hot, until they fell asleep.
***
Elizabeth awakened slowly and full of joy. The sun was already high, and its bright beams lit William’s chamber with golden light. She opened her eyes and smiled at a new day, which promised to be sunny. The storm was over, and nothing remained of the chaos that ruled outside only a few hours ago. Slowly, memories of the night returned to her, making her blush and smile happily at the same time.
“William,” she whispered and turned to the side to look at him, but his side of the bed was empty. He was gone.
She leaned back on the cushions and looked into space. She wished William was there, but she knew him well by now. At that moment William would be searching for the traitor who’d allowed Humphrey into the castle.
A soft knock at the door broke into her thoughts. Not waiting for her answer, the door opened and Hildred entered, her smile wide.
From the way the maid looked at her, it was clear that she knew what had happened between the lady and the lord. Was it possible to keep any secrets in this castle at all?
“My lady,” she giggled, walking closer, and unable to hide embarrassment, “Sir William asked for you to go to the great hall as soon as you awakened.”
Elizabeth’s heart beat faster every time she heard his name or thought of him. What was going on with her? She didn’t know, and it scared her. Still, she wanted to see William, so she gladly accepted his invitation. Hildred brought her a blue dress, one of those that Cecilie loaned her, and helped her put it on.
Half an hour later, when Elizabeth was finally dressed and her hair was beautifully combed, she took a last look in the mirror. She was beautiful and William would not be able to resist her charms. She smiled at her reflection and went downstairs.
When she entered the great hall, all she could see was William. He was standing in the middle of the hall, talking to a short thin man, but his eyes were fixed on the entry from which Elizabeth would enter.
When Elizabeth stepped into the great hall, William instantly saw her. He stopped the man with a wave of his hand and ran to greet Elizabeth.
When William reached her, he pulled her into his arms, and landed a soft kiss on her lips. His eyes were radiant, and a happy smile played on his lips. Elizabeth could not help but smile back. William’s attitude toward her had changed for the better and it made Elizabeth happy.
“Elizabeth,” William said, releasing her from his embrace, taking her hand and walking to the man. “This is Henry Lambert. He is a merchant.”
Elizabeth greeted the man and gave William a puzzled look.
“Mister Lambert has brought fabrics and jewellery, as I want my future wife to be dressed to the highest standard I can afford.”
At first, Elizabeth could not believe her own ears. Her gaze moved from one man to another, trying to understand whether it was a joke or not. But it wasn’t.
“Thank you,” she whispered, blinking back tears of gratitude. “How many dresses can I have?”
“As many as my future baroness desires.”
***
William had never realized what pleasure it could bring to make a woman happy. Merely buying fabrics made Elizabeth radiant with happiness. She was almost jumping with joy, impatient to see the fabrics. All the women he had ever met had been so used to luxury, that almost nothing could surprise them. But this woman behaved like a little girl who was about to get her first gown.
The door to the great hall flew open with a bang.
“William,” he turned around and saw James. His always cheerful face was serious. Something wasn’t right. “You need to see this. Follow me.”
William turned to Elizabeth and met her worried stare. “Today is your day, lass.” he smiled and caressed her cheek. “Go with Lambert and choose any fabrics and jewellery you like. I will be back soon.”
He left Elizabeth with the merchant and followed James. In several large steps the brothers crossed the courtyard and reached the watchtower.
When William entered it, he cursed. In the middle of a small room, on the floor, three guards lay slain. Their swords had not been drawn. William looked around and then moved his gaze to James.
“Nothing is broken. They did not even fight back. Looks like they have allowed themselves to be killed. Why didn’t they raise the alarm?” he wondered, confused.
“Because they were killed by another guard, not by an enemy.”
William’s eyes narrowed. “What makes you think so?”
“I checked the gates last night. They were closed,” James answered. “The worst thing is that when I ran after Humphrey last night, I also came here. The gates were closed, and the guards said that they hadn’t seen anything.” He paused for a moment, looking into their faces. “I’m sure there were four of them.” He muttered, “But this morning, when I came here, the gates were open, and the guards were dead. I suspect that one of them let Humphrey in and out of the castle.”
“They knew too much, and the fourth man killed them to make sure that we would not get any information,” William continued the thought.
“I bet Humphrey was hiding somewhere nearby when I came home last night. Still, that fourth man had to be the one who killed them. I doubt they would be so stupid as to let Humphrey slaughter them all.”
“Or dead.”
***
Hot summer sun warmed Jane’s skin, a light breeze played in her hair, as she sat by an open window. Such sunny weather was rare in the country, but Jane preferred to stay inside and watch the world from the windows of the solar. Going out and meeting her husband was the last thing she wanted to do. It was enough that he came to her every night and tried to do his duty. Jane thought about it with revulsion.
Her married life had turned into a nightmare. When she had offered to marry an earl, she had expected to become a wealthy lady, to go to court, gain status as a countess. In her fantasies she even had a wealthy handsome lover, William, at court. But they were just dreams. The reality turned out to be much worse than the worst of her nightmares.
Instead of getting what she had dreamt of, she got a greedy husband, who had control of the money that her late husband had left her in addition to his own. The man had not spent a penny on her. She had only the clothing she brought with her. Harmton made it clear that he was not spending money on her. At all.
Laughter burst from the great hall and broke the silence. Jane tensed and looked at the door, listening. No more sounds followed. Jane relaxed and looked back out the window.
Her husband had been drinking almost every day. When drunk, he turned into a vicious beast, who could hit her just for being nearby.
How could Elizabeth live with such a beast? Now Jane understood why the girl had run away.
Suddenly, she heard rapidly approaching hoofbeats. Intrigued, she looked out of the window to the courtyard below.
To her surprise, it was Humphrey. His frowning face meant nothing good. He looked around, waiting impatiently for a groom. When the boy approached, Humphrey dismounted and told him off loud enough for everyone in the bailey to hear. Humphrey almost roared at the poor boy. When Humphrey finished, he threw the reins to the groom and rushed to the great hall.
Jane jumped up, impatient to know what had happened. Her husband would never tell her, so she had to find out herself.
She crept to the door, opened it as quiet as she could, and looked outside. The stairs were empty – she was free to go.
She shut the heavy door behind her and went downstairs on tiptoes, staying close to the wall.
When she reached the door to the great hall, she stopped. The door was half open and Jane did not dare move. Any sound she made could give her presence away. She stayed behind the door, leaning against the cool stone wall, listening.
“Humphrey,” she heard Harmton’s drunk voice very close to her. “Look at yourself.” A short burst of laughter followed. “You look like you have just returned from a war.”
Heavy steps echoed within the great hall, as Humphrey made his way to the table. “Ale,” he shouted and sat down. “You could say so,” he answered the earl in a tired voice, this time much quieter.
A servant brought him ale and Humphrey emptied the goblet at once.
“What did you find out?” Harmton asked impatiently.
“I managed to get into Backleigh castle unnoticed. It happened to be easier than I expected. But when I tried to take Elizabeth away, the bastard stopped me.”
Lord Harmton spit, cursing. “The fool spoils all my plans for Elizabeth. I need her back.” His heavy fist landed on the table, making Jane jump in her hiding place. “If we have to kill William to get Elizabeth, then we need to do so.”
Jane frowned, shaking with anger. How dared William protect Elizabeth? He loved Jane and she knew she was the only woman he cared about.
“You will pay for it,” she said through clenched teeth. “He is mine.”
“Come,” he said to Humphrey, breaking into Jane’s thoughts, “we need more drink.”
Humphrey stood up at once, but the earl’s attempts to get up failed. He fell back onto the bench with a curse.
“Can’t you see your lord needs help?” he cried, and several servants rushed to the rescue. He groaned loudly as they helped him to his feet.
Jane was listening to it all with disgust. She hated he husband when he was that drunk. She hated even more when he came to her chamber in such condition.
Soon, the two men left, but Jane did not dare leave her hiding place until their steps quieted. When she could hear them no longer, she left her shelter and entered the great hall.
Suddenly, a movement behind her took her aback.
“’Tis a bad habit for a lady to eavesdrop,” Edward’s voice made her heart freeze with fear.
Slowly, she turned around and saw him sitting by the hearth, watching her with a complacent smile.
All this time he had been there, sitting quietly. What a fool she had been to assume that there were only Harmton and Humphrey.
“I did not,” she tried to excuse herself, but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
Edward stood up and approached her.
“Tis matters not to me. You are so beautiful,” he whispered, looking into her eyes. Gently, he caressed her cheek with such a gentle touch, that she almost moaned with pleasure, shivers running down her spine.
He was so close, the smell of his male body aroused her even more than his touch. Her breath was getting heavier, her chest rising and falling.
To her pleasure Edward’s eyes darkened with passion. She desired him. She desperately needed him to love her, not simply bed her like his father did.
Edward touched her lips with a finger and Jane closed her eyes, a moan of pleasure escaping her. This man could arouse her with a simple touch.
Suddenly, Edward pushed her back into the staircase and shut the door behind them.
He pushed Jane against the wall, his strong arms fixing her hips against his groin. Oh yes, he desired her as much as she desired him. His arousal was the proof.
Jane wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling closer to him. Suddenly, Edward covered her mouth with a passionate kiss, and Jane lost herself in a sensual fog. His demanding tongue burst into her mouth, and Jane answered it with the passion she was capable of.
His hands were all over her body, caressing and squeezing her. Her head was spinning with pleasure.
A sound of heavy steps in the great hall brought them back to reality. They stopped the kiss but did not break their embrace.
“Edward,” Earl Harmton’s drunk voice sounded very close to them. “Where the hell are you?”
Reluctantly, Edward released Jane. “Quietly go back to where you were,” he whispered.
Jane obeyed and started walking up the stairs, her heart beating fast with both fear and desire. She had to disappear before her husband found Edward. Jane did not want her husband to know about what had just happened between her and his son. When she was high enough on the stairs, Edward opened the door and left with his father.
***
It was already late that night, when William finally returned to his chamber. When he entered, the fire in the hearth had almost died down and it was too dark to see anything. William walked to his bed and started undressing. Worn out, all he wanted was to get into bed and have a warm woman in his embrace. Not just any woman. Elizabeth. But his bed was empty, and Elizabeth had left for bed much earlier. What the hell? If William desired Elizabeth, he would get her. William stormed out of the door, crossed the solar in several long strides, and burst into Elizabeth’s chamber.
In the dim light of a dying fire he saw Elizabeth, peacefully sleeping in her bed. Slowly, he walked to the bed, kneeled before it, and covered Elizabeth’s sleeping face with soft kisses. To his pleasure she opened her eyes and smiled at him.
“What are you doing here, William?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
“I came to take you to my bed, lass.”
Elizabeth opened her eyes wide in surprise and the sleepiness was instantly gone. “Why? You have already bedded me. Humphrey will not want me now. Why should you bed me agai
n?”
If Elizabeth was an experienced woman William would be seriously hurt by these words. No woman had ever refused him. Slowly, William pulled the duvet off Elizabeth and kissed her forehead. “You are my woman now, Elizabeth. And your place is in my bed.”
“But I don’t want it,” Elizabeth was fully awake now, pulling the duvet back to cover herself. “I don’t want to become your mistress. You are obsessed with revenge against Jane, but I don’t want to be your weapon.”
William smiled at her. “’Tis not like that. It may have started out that way, but I want you because I care for you, not because I want revenge. I like being around you, holding you in my arms. I need you, Elizabeth. Besides, as soon as I get the king’s approval, I will marry you and no one will be able to call you my mistress.”
A soft smile touched her lips, and he could tell that she was giving in. He had won this battle. William gently lifted Elizabeth in his arms and carried her out of the chamber.
“Remember,” he whispered in her ear, “I want to see you in my bed. Every night.”
“Yes, my lord,” she smiled obediently.
Chapter Nine
A clash of metal on metal, distant at first but getting louder and closer every minute, brought Elizabeth out of her dream. She opened her eyes, instantly alarmed.
It was early morning and the castle, usually peaceful at this time, was filled with dozens of armed men. Elizabeth could hear them through the closed shutters.
Worried, Elizabeth looked toward William, but he was gone.
“To the walls,” she heard a loud command from the yard. William. He was there.
Not wasting another minute, Elizabeth got up and walked to open the window. In the dim light of torches, she saw men running to the outer ward, fully armed.