Chapter 13
The baby was crying. He turned to see Sophia at the cradle lifting him and bringing him back to the bed.
“Shh! Are you hungry my beautiful boy? Shh! Do not cry. You will wake the nasty man.”
So, she was still vexed with him. That was a shame. He could see by the small sliver of moonlight coming through the curtains that she was still naked. His cock started to harden at the very sight. Vexed or not, she was beautiful and he was aroused at the thought of being inside her. If truth be told, the idea of spending his life with her was not entirely unappealing.
There was nothing shameful about marrying a widow, even if she did have a son who would be the viscount of another estate. He could work with Beattie to do their best for the boy, making sure he was properly educated and learned how to run the estate. There was no reason not to pop up to Cumberland every-so-often, so the lad knew it and the servants knew him.
But he was jumping ahead. Sophia was very vexed with him.
A loud sucking sound told him Oscar had latched on and was happily feeding. He could start talking now, but Oscar needed to feed and it was better for the child that Sophia not get upset and pass on her upset to him. So instead he lay and watched her. She was obviously thinking, as her facial expression changed every-so-often from frowning annoyance, to damp eyes as if she was about to cry, to pursed lips as if she was considering a conundrum. Then her gaze would rake up his body and she would sigh loudly.
“Oscar, what have I done? I fear I have fallen in love with a man who puts duty above happiness. I cannot do that. I have to be happy. I see Emily and the life she is leading and she is so deliriously happy with Gideon and… so help me, I want that too. Not a man who marries me because he has to.”
She was in love with him? Well that was something. Not what he was expecting. Of course, convincing her to marry him now might be difficult if she thought he was asking her out of mere duty, especially if she ended up with child. While he knew it was less likely while she was breastfeeding, he did wonder how fertile the woman was, given that her husband had not seemed to be very successful in the bedchamber. If he had only managed to consummate the marriage properly a few times and she had fallen pregnant one of those times, then she may be very fertile.
The sucking sound had stopped and Sophia made a disgruntled noise.
“Oh Oscar! You are a scamp. Waking your mama up to feed, then falling asleep almost immediately I put you on my breast. Does this mean you were not hungry and just looking for attention? Hmpf.”
“Leave him between us. Perhaps he was cold,” Jason suggested in the sleepiest voice he could muster.
“How long have you been awake?”
“I just woke to hear you saying that he had woken you up but seemed not to be hungry. I must admit, I am a little chilly myself. Perhaps there is another blanket in here.”
“There is a blanket box at the window.”
“Ah. I shall get it.”
“Thank you.”
“You shouldn’t have to move Oscar more than necessary. Will you let me get you a wet nurse when we get to my father’s estate?”
“In order that I shall not leak over you?”
“No. In order that you are not disturbed at night.”
“That is part of motherhood.”
“Mayhap but you are a lady. There are other options. What is the point of money if you do not take the easier option?”
“Are we going to have another argument, my lord?”
“No. You can choose to have a wet nurse or not. He is your son. I cannot interfere.”
“What if he was your son?”
He brought the blanket over and shrugged. “It is your body, Sophia. I can tell you how I feel but ultimately the decision has to be yours.”
“And if I was married to you?”
He shook his head. “The decision would still be yours.”
“Would I not have promised to obey you?”
“I want a wife, not a horse. I have as many animals to do my bidding as I wish. God gave you a brain. I do not need a biddable little miss. I want an equal. A helpmeet as it were.”
“You do not want me. I am not a virgin. I already have a child. You should take your pick from the debutantes.”
“I do not want a bloody simpering debutante.”
He was aware his voice had risen and Oscar opened his eyes, made a little noise as if he was about to cry, then settled back against his mama’s breast and dozed back off to sleep.
“You upset my son.”
“He has gone back to sleep.”
“Luckily for you, or you would have to have gotten him back to sleep.”
“He likes me.”
“I cannot fathom why.”
“You like me too, even though you are vexed with me.”
“Mayhap.”
“You would if I put my fingers between your thighs and gave you pleasure.”
“What about Oscar?”
“I can put him back in his cradle.”
“I thought you said he was cold.”
“I said he might be cold. I woke up cold, but I think you had stolen the covers.”
“I see. I am to blame.”
“You are. But I forgive you. Give Oscar to me.”
“No. I shall put him in his cradle. Better not to disturb him more than necessary.”
And he watched as she got out of bed and laid her bundle back in the cradle, kissed his head and murmured her little prayer over him.
She was soon back in bed and he urged her against his side.
“Are you terribly vexed with me?”
“Yes.”
“I said a terrible thing about your husband. I am very sorry.”
“I thought you said we could do it in that position.”
“We could. And it can be terribly exciting, but not all the time. Sometimes it is better to be more intimate.”
“I preferred how we did it. I like being in your arms.”
“I like having you in my arms.”
“This is very complicated. What will we do when we get to your father’s house? How will you explain my presence to your father? We can hardly share a bed there.”
Jason sighed. He should have told her this before setting off.
“You need not worry about my father.”
“Why not?” Her hand had moved down and she had found his cock, which was hard. Her fingers were exploring it. Though he wanted to turn her over and sink into her, it was time to tell her about his odd family.
“My father is unwell. I think… well I believe my father may have the same ailment as the King.”
Sophia leaned up onto her elbow. “Rumours abound that the King is mad.”
“Yes they do and I met Prinny at Brighton a couple of years ago. After a few too many ports, I described my father’s condition and he said it sounded awfully familiar. Prinny was in his cups too. Of course, nearly everything to do with the King’s illness is hush-hush, but we discussed it quite openly that night between the two of us. Anyway, my father does not run the estate and is looked after by an army of servants in the East Wing of the house.”
“So you run the estate?”
“Ah, no. My mother cannot have people thinking the Earl is ill and have me doing his business for him. That would never do. She runs the estate. I have tried on many occasions to help and to impose my will on the woman but… well, wait until you meet her. She is not for having anything imposed on her and certainly not by a mere babe in arms like me.”
Sophia snorted. “You are a grown man.”
“Not to my mother I am not. I am surprised she took me off leading strings. I have even consulted lawyers to try to get her to release the reins and let me do the work, since I did go to school and university to learn estate management, but until my father dies or is declared insane, there is nothing I can do. I cannot break my mother’s heart by going against her wishes and having Father declared insane, even though he is.”
“I see. Is he dangerous?”
“Only to himself. He is like a babe. He wanders about without clothing on, in the snow without boots and a coat—that sort of thing.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“As for mother, well she has no room to talk about who is in my bed. The estate steward warms her bed most nights.”
“And you know?”
“Hard not to know. He sounds like a raging bull when he releases and my mother squeals like a stuck pig. Thankfully it is a large house and I have moved rooms, so I no longer have to hear them.”
“Well that is an interesting story. So you will just introduce me as your mistress then?”
“No. I will introduce you as Lady Rutherford, under my protection as Benson is trying to kill you. Then I shall place you in a room near the nursery, which is thankfully near to my room. Then I shall visit you at night.”
“So we shall lie to your mother.”
“No, not lie. Just not reveal the whole truth. I have never told my mother about any of the other ladies whose beds I have occupied.”
“Have there been many?”
He bent his head then and kissed her, pushing his hand between them and rubbing his fingers through her damp folds. When he withdrew he spoke. “None as lovely as you.”
“You speak words of flattery, my lord, but I suspect you say that to all the ladies.”
“No, Sophia, I do not. You are the only one I want. Normally I release and I put on my clothes and am sated for a few days. With you, I am sated for a few minutes and then I want you again. I cannot stop thinking about you.”
“I… it is only because we have had to see each other every day because of the snow, Jason.”
“No. You underestimate yourself. How Rutherford could have looked at you and not got an instantly hard cock is beyond me.”
“He never saw me naked.”
“I do not have to see you naked to get hard. I just need to see the shape of your derriere through your gown and I want to tumble you.”
“You do?”
“I want to hoist up your skirts and plunge myself into you from behind.”
“The way Octavius did?”
“Sometimes. Or turn you around and take you against a wall or a door.”
“Jason!”
“Have I shocked you?”
“A little. I do not think I would like Octavius’s position right now. My breasts are too heavy with milk.”
“Hmm, no, but there are other ways. Turn away from me. You are more than wet enough.”
She turned onto her side, her back to him and he insinuated his thigh between her legs, opening her legs, then took himself in hand and pushed into her from behind.
“Oh Jason.”
“Are you well?”
“Yes. I just did not expect…”
He started to move as he slid his hand to her front and found her pearl to massage. Her murmurs of pleasure told him she was indeed well. He thrust slowly, wanting this to last and Sophia dropped her arm back, caressing his head and scalp. He kissed her the sides of her breasts. He peppered kisses to her shoulder, arm and belly. When Sophia started to thrust in a faster rhythm, he knew she was getting closer to her release. He worked her pearl harder. When her internal muscles clamped around him, he had to withdraw and pinch the tip of his cock to prevent his own release, then he moved her onto her back and captured her mouth. He plunged into her, his tongue and cock working in sync. But he was so aware of his need to withdraw. When Sophia moaned again he withdrew too early. He stroked himself while using his thumb on her pearl. She thrust against his caress as he gripped his cock hard and stroked it as if his very life depended on it.
He hadn’t realised he had been holding his breath until his seed shot out of him, landing on Sophia and he let his breath out in a whoosh.
He gathered Sophia’s hips to his mouth and sucked and laved at her pearl while his fingers drove into her wet channel. He needed to give her another release. She tugged at his hair but he was mindless. She tasted so good and he had released before she did. He flicked his tongue hard against the tasty little nubbin and sucked it into his mouth, able to tell from the way she writhed on the bed that she was close.
When at last her body went stiff and wetness flooded his fingers, he stroked her a few more times before crawling up her body and kissing her softly on the lips.
She chuckled as she pulled out of the kiss.
“Jason, I did not expect that. I do not think it is Oscar who is always keeping me awake now.”
“Well, do not be thinking of getting some buxom old wet nurse to take care of my needs. I only want you.”
“I shall consider it.”
He chuckled and rolled off her grabbing the linen from the bedside table and wiping both their bellies, opening her legs and cleaning between them.
“Let us sleep. We can talk more in the morning or when sir wakes you back up.”
“You have demoted my son a few ranks, my lord.”
“I do apologise, my lady.”
She snuggled into his chest. “I would only allow you to demote my son in rank.”
He ran his hand through her tangled hair. He could tell by the little snort she made she was already asleep.
“I would never demote your son. Already I love him as much as I love you.”
Then Jason laid his head on the pillows to sleep the sleep of a well contented man.