Always True to Her (Emerson Book 2) (24 page)

A DELETED SCENE FROM ALWAYS TRUE TO HER

The romance between Victor and Maude is one of my
favorite relationships. I wrote this scene in an earlier draft, but couldn’t
really justify including it in the book. So, here it is as an extra. This
took place when James and Irene were at the dower house and Anna was sick:

Victor Stemple collapsed onto his wife, completely
spent. He was careful not to squash her, though the way she was holding on to
him with her legs wrapped around his and her arms clutching his back, it was
all but impossible to create any distance between them.

She was breathing heavily and still in a daze. He
wasn’t sure she’d understand him even if he told her to let him go.

And why would he want to?

He would forever be grateful for the day he and the
Earl of Ridgeway stopped at Lord Clayton’s home just before Christmas, which is
where Victor had met his wife to be. He never would have dreamed that someone
like Maude would fall in love with him. Could see past the scars that ravaged
half his face and torso.

But she had. And he thanked God for it every day.

Even now, he hesitated baring his scarred skin to
her, but she would have none of it. She’d prepared a special salve for him to
help regain his mobility and she faithfully applied it twice a day. At night,
those massages ended in their making love. Introducing her to the pleasures of
the marriage bed had been a delight. One that was mutually advantageous to
them both. He’d begun a leisurely exploration of her body on the first night
they’d made love and he was continuing the voyage each night.

He would never tire of finding new ways to give her
pleasure.

He finally had the presence of mind to roll over, so
that she lay on top of him. Their bed in the butler’s quarters was comfortable
but not too large. It necessitated that they were always touching, regardless
of their relative positions.

It was the perfect bed.

“Are you happy, my love?” he asked, as he kissed the
top of her head.

She grinned and looked up at him. “I daresay no one
has ever been happier. What of you, dearest?”

“I wouldn’t think you’d have to ask that question.
My life changed forever when you walked in here that wonderful night and begged
me to make love to you.”

Maude swatted at him playfully, even as she blushed
a deep red visible even in the candlelight. “You must stop reminding me of my
wantonness.”

“Your ‘wantonness’ – both then and all the nights
since – is one of the things I love most about you. And there are any number
of things I love about you.”

“I wouldn’t have had to come in here if you’d simply
declared yourself.”

“You know I couldn’t have done that,” he said
softly. “I never imagined you could be mine.”

“Then you were foolish,” she said, as she reached up
to kiss his lips. They were thusly engaged for a few moments, until she
resumed her position with her head on his chest. “Do you really think Lord
James will return to America with Anna?”

“I hope not. I know it would make the family sad.
And I don’t believe it would make him and Anna happy, either.”

“Perhaps Miss Wallace can convince him to stay.”

“She is in an awkward position, as the sister of the
scoundrel who stole from his lordship.”

“Aye, but she’s also in love with him, as he is with
her.”

“Why are you so sure of that?”

“Oh, Victor, sometimes you are hopelessly naïve. A
lady wouldn’t risk her reputation for her brother’s business affairs.”

“I’m not sure I follow your reasoning.”

“Victor Stemple, the sooner you learn that I am always
right in affairs of the heart, the happier we will be.”

“I cannot argue with that.”

“Nor should you. It’s obvious he’s in love with her
because of the way he looks at her. And if you need more proof – which you
shouldn’t – Lord James is very protective of Anna. He’d never allow anyone
near her if he didn’t trust that person.”

“He does appear to be a man in love. A subject I
know something about, having succumbed myself and watched the earl do the
same. But why are you so certain Miss Wallace will be able to keep him in
England?”

“Because, my heart, you should never underestimate a
woman in love.”

With that, Maude pressed herself against him. He
took the hint quickly and they once more lost themselves in each other.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

As always, my heartfelt thanks to the amazing
Melanie Friedman at Bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com for being the first to
believe in me and for giving me the encouragement to keep going. She has been
incredibly helpful in bringing the Emersons and the Kellingtons to life.
Janice Minsberg doesn’t even like romance novels, but she always reads mine and
makes them better. And a big thanks for the ongoing support from Amal Chaaban,
Anabel Vazquez, Terree Nelson Lyman and Linda Thurmond DeCristofaro.

Jennifer Omner at Allpublications.com did another
amazing cover and makes this so much fun.

As always, thank you to my mom, who made me a reader
and a writer. She has given me a lifetime of love and encouragement.

I hope you liked the second installment of the
Emerson series. Win’s story is next and, if you read the sneak peek, you know
you’ll see some familiar faces in her book in addition to the Emersons.

Thank you to all of you for being so supportive.
Please take the time to pursue your own dreams. They are within reach. You
just have to keep moving forward.

Copyright © 2014, by Maureen Driscoll

Cover design by Jennifer Omner, Allpublications.com

Author photo by JBC Images, JBCimages.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the
Author, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

It is also a violation of copyright law to place any
copyrighted document on a file sharing service without express permission from
the author.

This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to
persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales are strictly
coincidental.