I’M FLOATING ON A CLOUD.
A lemon-scented cloud.
And I’m in love.
We’ve been enjoying our reception for several hours now. Alexander keeps getting pulled in the direction of old friends and family members who are all vying for his attention to wish him well on his marriage. I keep hugging my sisters and father or swatting at Alcott for his ridiculous jokes. The very idea that Alexander surprised me with bringing my entire family together with his to witness our joyous renewal of our vows was incredibly surprising. The man is revealing a sweet part of himself that I am quite fond of. I’ll reward him later this evening in a way that he’ll most certainly appreciate.
My mind drifts to wicked thoughts and that’s when I meet the heated stare of my husband. Even though we’ve spent most of the evening apart, our eyes always find the other’s. Each time, Alexander flashes me a grin or winks in a way that promises me pleasure the moment we’re alone. His looks are addicting, and I find myself blushing each time our gazes meet. This time, he must recognize the glint in my eyes because his jaw clenches in that angry way that I now know equates to pure, animalistic want.
“I love you,” he mouths from across the room.
My heart patters about at his words. Only spoken a few hours ago, his first proclamation of his love to me shattered what was left of the blackened part of my soul, and I felt as if I were whole again. For once in my life since Mother died, I felt as if she would be proud of me.
“I love you too,” I mouth back to him.
“Were you talking to me?” a deep voice questions.
Turning my head, I meet Alcott’s twinkling, brown eyes. “No, you loon. I was talking to my husband. You’re a mess. Don’t you have some other woman to bother?” I tease.
He slings an arm over my shoulder and brings his lips to my ear. “I’d like to bother your baby sister, Ella, but for some reason, I don’t think you’d like that.”
I shove him, and he stumbles away chuckling.
“Damn, woman, I was teasing. She’s far too innocent for the likes of me.” He winks at me.
I roll my eyes at him. “Far too innocent. Alcott, God would strike you down from Heaven if you were even to look at her in a lustful way. Stay away from her, pretty boy, or I’ll break your kneecaps.” I say this with a sickeningly sweet smile and a giggle, but we both know there is truth to my words.
“Yes, sister.” He bows dramatically before he saunters off toward Ella.
That man just goes looking for trouble.
Speaking of trouble . . .
I’m finally free of anyone’s conversation, so I clutch my dress and make my way through the crowd, toward the last place I saw my husband. When I arrive at the other side of the room and still don’t see him, I nearly give up. But then I hear his voice down the corridor.
Figuring he must be calling for me, I steal off down the hallway and hope we might be able to sneak away from these people and make love.
“Nicolette.” Alexander says her name in a deep growl on the other side of a door. Just the sound of her name sends unease crawling up my spine.
“Tell her it’s off. Tell her you want to be with me,” she says tearfully.
Rage blooms in my heart, and my palm curls around the handle as I prepare to enter the room and stake claim over my husband. But then he murmurs something I can’t hear and she begins shouting.
“I saw the way you appreciated my naked flesh earlier! If your brother hadn’t walked in, we’d have already made love countless times! It’s not too late, Alexander.”
Her words rip a hole in my heart. He saw her naked? They were going to make love?
I don’t understand.
“Edith?” Alcott questions beside me.
I whip my head in his direction, and tears well in my eyes. “You knew? Nicolette and Alexander? Together?”
He drops his eyes to the floor in shame, and the smile falls from his lips.
No!
“How could you let me go on and make a fool of myself?” I hiss. “I trusted you, Alcott!”
“Edith,” he rushes out, “it’s not what you think.”
So it is true.
He reaches for me, but I shove past him and run for the nearest door that will allow me my escape from the stifling home and give me fresh air. The moment I push through the door, I swallow in deep, cool breaths. Tonight, the cicadas are loud, but they can’t drown out the screams of despair inside my head.
I need to get away. Alexander doesn’t love me. He still clearly wants Nicolette. I’m nothing but a conquest to him. A trophy. A partner in his sham of a marriage.
My vision blurs with tears, but when I hear the soft neighing of a horse that’s strapped to someone’s coach, I know what I’ll do. I’ll escape while no one is paying any attention. There’s no way I can look at him while knowing he secretly prefers her over me.
All lies.
After rushing over to the horse, I quickly untie him from the post and climb up the steps to sit where the driver normally holds the reins. Because I grew up on the farm, I know how to drive a coach and immediately snatch the crop up.
“Hiya!” I shout as I whip at the horse to go faster.
He thrusts into action and takes off away from the estate. I clutch one side of the seat to keep from falling out and keep my eye on the path ahead. As we bounce along, the moonlight reflects upon the grass and lights the way. Even though my eyes are swollen from my crying, I can see well enough to guide the horse away from the trees.
God, I’m such a stupid woman. I fell for him hook, line, and sinker.
We’ve been bouncing along for several minutes, full speed ahead, when I hear shouting. Flicking my gaze over my shoulder, I see that the lights from the party at the house are barely twinkling—they’re so far away now.
“Edith!”
A shadow on a horse barreling for me materializes from the darkness.
“Hiya!” I swat at the horse again to make him go faster.
Even though the horse is going as quickly as he can, the coach we’re pulling is slowing him down. I soon hear the thuds of another horse galloping behind us.
“Leave me alone!” I scream.
“Never!” Alexander.
“Go away!”
“Edith, I love you!” he yells back. This time, he’s so close.
When I look over, I see that Alexander, on his horse, is trotting at the same speed as I am. His hair is wild with the wind, and my fingers twitch to smooth it down for him.
“You love her! Not me!” I sob.
“Stop the coach, woman!”
I shake my head and make futile attempts for the horse go faster. Eventually, I give up and drop the reins.
“You broke my heart,” I bite out tearfully as my horse slows.
“Edith, it isn’t what you think. The woman has an obsession. She keeps throwing herself at me. There’s only one woman I love. That woman is you.”
As the coach comes to a stop, all that can be heard again are the cicadas and the soft sounds of breathing from the horses. Then my breath hitches when I warm hand slides over mine. I turn and see that Alexander is no longer on his horse—he’s standing beside me.
“Come here. I need to hold you,” he murmurs as he squeezes my hand.
A resigned sigh rushes from me, and I give him one nod. The truth is that I want to believe his words. And I do want him to hold me.
He doesn’t wait for me to change my mind, tugging me right out of my seat and into his arms. Relief floods me as my arms wrap around his neck and his circle my waist. He stumbles back with me in his grip a few steps before letting me slide down his body to my feet. Finally, his palms find my cheeks, and his thumbs graze over my cheekbones.
“I love you, Edith. You have to believe me,” he begs. “She means nothing to me. But you? You’re my whole fucking world.”
I stare into his dark orbs and find only truth.
I find love.
“But she said . . .” I trail off.
“She lies. She’s delusional. Yes, she threw herself at me. No, I did not accept her advances. I. Love. You.”
I allow his words to wiggle their way into my heart, which was quickly hardening. They soften the edges, and I relax.
“I love you too. I can’t lose you, Alexander. You filled a part of me that was incomplete. Without you, I’m nothing,” I admit.
His brow furrows, and his lips press into a firm line. “Don’t be foolish, Edith. You’re a diamond. A fucking jewel—so very precious. You’re my everything. Don’t ever call yourself nothing. Ever.”
My whimper of relief is silenced when his lips crash to mine. I urgently kiss him back. The next thing I know, we’ve fallen into the thick grass with a thud and he rolls me beneath him.
“My God, Edith. I thought I’d lost you,” he groans as he works his body between my legs. His thickness presses against me through our clothes, and I moan out in bliss.
“I’m here,” I gasp. “I’m here.”
“Forever,” he reminds me with a growl as he pushes harder. I may come simply from the friction of our bodies.
“I’m sorry, Alexander. I panicked. Everything seemed too good to be true. I couldn’t have handled the humiliation if you didn’t want me anymore,” I tell him.
His mouth finds my neck, and he sucks the flesh hard enough to leave a mark. “I would die by my own hand before I ever lost you for good.”
The very thought of him dying guts me. I need him to be closer to me. “Make love to me. Now, Alexander.”
He doesn’t reward me with an answer, but his hands do find his trousers. The moment he’s freed himself, he pushes my knickers down my legs. When he lowers himself over me, he doesn’t give me any warning before he slams himself into me.
“Ah!” I scream out into the night air.
My body is already wet for him, and the way he stretches me is almost too much to bear. Then his lips find mine again, and he pounds into me hard enough that I know the grass is staining the back of my beautiful dress.
But I don’t care.
If I could find a way to bottle this moment up and live in it, I would.
“Harder,” I beg him.
“I want to stay like this forever,” he growls, voicing my exact thoughts.
We grunt and pant and fuck like two wild animals until we’re both unraveling in each other’s arms. It feels like an eternity of bliss whereas in reality it is probably only a few passionate moments. Finally, Alexander breaks the seductive trance we’ve been suspended in when he comes deep inside me and collapses on top of me.
“You’re perfection, sweet wife,” he murmurs against my neck. “This is where we belong. Together.”
When he lifts up to look down on me, I smile at him. “I love you, Alexander Dumont. You’re mine.”
“And you’re mine, Countess. I’ll love you until I’m ashes in the dirt. Then I’ll love you even more.”
His words flood my soul, and I close my eyes. “Take me home, husband. I’m ready to begin our forever.”
He thickens as he begins a slow thrusting inside me and his lips hover over mine. “Edith, our forever has already begun. It began the moment I locked eyes with you.”
And we lock eyes again, just like the first time.
We sneak back into the party, and Alexander guides me toward our wing. We’re nearly there when Jasper shouts for us.
“Alexander!” he says grimly. “It’s your mother.”
“What about her? Where is she?” Alexander demands.
He motions for us to follow him, and Alexander all but drags me toward his parents’ bedroom. When we walk in, several men are around her, fussing about.
I cry out once I see her sprawled out on the bed. “What’s wrong?” I shriek as I run toward her side.
Her face is pale, but she’s awake. “Oh, darling, I didn’t mean to ruin your party. Go be with your guests.”
I shake my head at her and squeeze her hand. “No. I’ll stay here with you.”
“So, what do you think, Dr. Egnater?” Alfred, his voice thick with tension, questions. Dr. Egnater clears his throat and scratches his beard. “I’ve seen a case similar to this in London when I was there on holiday last winter. They determined that it was called dropsy—a heart condition, if you will.”
I gasp and burst into tears. “How will you fix her, Doctor?”
He chuckles, and Alexander growls angrily. “Oh, dear, if it is indeed dropsy, it isn’t life threatening. Now, the antidote is a little hard to come by. They treat this condition with foxglove leaves. We’ll need to send for someone to get not just the leaves, but the plant. I would suggest you plant some here on the estate so you’ll always have access to them.”
“I’ll leave in the morning to acquire the plants,” Alcott says firmly from one corner of the room. I didn’t realize he was there until this moment.
“So, she’s going to be okay?” I ask.
Dr. Egnater smiles warmly at us. “Yes. Once we have the plants, she can begin her treatments. She’ll always suffer from the condition in her heart, but now that we’ve identified the source of her faintness and weakness, we can take measures to prevent those episodes. I’m afraid, though, she will need to live a life free of exertion.”
“Oh, bollocks. I think I’ll be just fine,” Ma finally rushes out in exasperation. Her voice is weak and shaky.
“Mother, please. Listen to the doctor. He knows what’s best for you. Besides, we need you to be well so you can be here for your many grandchildren with which we plan on bestowing you. Edith and I plan on making this a reality very soon,” Alexander tells her firmly.
His words cause her ashen face to alight with joy. “Grandchildren.” She beams. “Alcott, hurry back with those wretched foxglove leaves.”
“And this one,” Alexander murmurs against the shell of my ear as he drags his thumb over a freckle on my shoulder, “I shall name Gertrude.”
I erupt into a fit of giggles. “Gertrude? Are you mad? And why is it you see fit to name all of my freckles?”
His teeth nibble on my ear, and I stifle a moan.
“Because they’re all beautiful and have a life all they’re own. They should have names.”
I smile at his words. We’re relaxing in the hot bath together, and the bubbles have long diminished. When his hand slides over my belly, I squirm as it begins teasing its way down south.
“Mmm,” I whimper when his finger grazes over my clitoris.
When his cock becomes stiff against my back, I suddenly want him very badly. However, I still need answers from him before I will allow myself to completely let go.
“Alexander?” I ask as he begins massaging me in an achingly slow pattern between my legs.
“Yes, beautiful?”
“How come it took six months for you to see me?” Tears sting my eyes at my question, but it has often plagued me.
“Come here,” he growls, halting his motion.
After twisting in his arms, I straddle his hips and lower myself down onto his cock. But once we’re connected, neither of us moves. His dark eyebrows are narrowed as he studies my face.
“My dear wife, you are sadly mistaken.”
I scrunch my nose in confusion. While he took on many lovers—and I did too—I felt as if I had been just a neighbor to him who met him for dinner and nothing more. I could have died suddenly and he wouldn’t have taken notice.
“You see, Edith, I always noticed you. Each morning, I knew you loved cinnamon and honey in your tea. I made sure to pay the inn tenfold to make sure those ingredients were always in stock and they weren’t to offer them to the other guests. Whenever I would catch scent of the enchanting combination, it meant you were near. I would inhale it and it filled my soul—with you.”
He presses a kiss to my lips. “And when I’d see you bring a lover to your room, I would nearly go mad with confusion. Even though it was our agreement, it didn’t feel right. I despised every man that looked at you. But the ones that touched you—shared a bed with you—I wanted them gone. It didn’t make sense at the time but now I understand. You were mine and I didn’t want them to have you.”
I frown. “I heard you with your own lovers. You didn’t seem at all distracted by the fact I had my own.”
His palms grab my arse, and he begins urging me up and down his shaft. It’s easily drawing me away from our conversation, and the water splashes out of the tub and onto the floor.
“You misunderstand, dear. I wished they were you. My cheeks endured their fair share of abuse when I insisted upon calling them by your name. I was maddened by the idea that you were next door with someone other than me.”
I ponder his words and, for a moment, lose myself to the way he feels inside me, the water adding a beautiful element to our lovemaking.
“I also,” he grumbles, “know that you hate venison. Your favorite vegetable is potatoes. And that, if someone were to bring you a dessert at this moment, you’d climb off me and choose it over me.”
I giggle because it’s pretty much true. I love my sweet treats. Luckily for Alexander, he’s my most favorite sweet treat.
I smile. “I never told you any of that.”
He flashes me a sheepish grin. “I know, but I observed every detail that is you from the very first moment I saw you.”
I ride him a little faster, and our conversation is lost to our moans and grunts. Once we’ve both come and I’ve curled myself against his chest, he speaks again while stroking my wet hair.
“Darling, I know that, when you bathe alone, you sing a beautiful song I’ve never heard before, but it’s my favorite. And I know that, when you see an animal, your face lights up and your soul rejoices at the opportunity to connect with the creature. I also know that, when you have a bad dream, you pace around at night to soothe the unease in your mind. I know that, even though you agreed to forge forward with a seemingly wicked plan with me, there was a twinkle of hope in your eyes that matched mine—a twinkle that hoped we truly would find happiness in one another.”
I close my eyes and let his words blanket me. When I didn’t think he was watching me, he was. It warms me to my core to know that his level of interest in me has always matched mine with him.
His fingers trail down my back, and I shiver in his arms.
“I know that you belong only with me, wife. I love only you, Edith.”
“I love only you, Alexander,” I sigh, contented.
“Father gifted me with a large sum of money last night,” he says quietly.
I kiss his chest. “That’s nice.”
He chuckles. “It was for us to build a home of our own.”
Jerking back, I stare down at him. “What? I don’t want a home of our home. This is our home.”
His hands slide into my hair, and he pulls me toward him. Then our lips meet for a chaste kiss before he speaks again.
“My thoughts exactly, darling. I’m going to lend it to Alcott instead. This will always be our home. I want our children to grow up here and run wild in the same fields Alcott and I used to play in. We should grow old in this home—together.”
The idea of growing old with this man fills me with joy.
“Are you still going to make love to me when we’re wrinkly and old?” I laugh.
His face spreads into a mischievous grin. “We’ll be the talk of the town because, beautiful, a day won’t go by when I won’t be inside you. Even when we’re old and grey. I hope you have thick skin, because we might become the joke everyone speaks of.”
I feel him harden inside me again, so I begin riding him slowly. “We’re partners, Alexander. Remember? Now, get me out of this cold bath and fuck me, old man.”
His hands pop me on the arse, and I cry out. Then he lifts us out of the cool water and climbs out of the tub. We don’t even make it out of the washroom before he has me smashed against the wall and he’s driving into me.
“Will it always be like this?” I moan as he takes me.
He grunts and nips the flesh of my neck near my ear. “No, Edith. It will only get better.”