Intentions of the Earl (34 page)

Andrew threw his head back and let out a bark
of laughter. “That’s good, because if you weren’t, I was going to
have to excuse myself to go bathe in that pond out there.”

Brooke had no idea what he was talking about
and was about to ask when he rendered her speechless by laying her
back down and literally ripping off her drawers and stockings.

Her hands refused to be idle and freely
roamed his body. She dug her fingers into the hair on his chest,
twisting and twirling it. Then she moved them to feel the chorded
muscles in his shoulders and neck. Except that statue at the
museum, she had never seen or felt a man’s body before and this was
an experience she thought she could enjoy doing for the rest of her
life. But then he pulled away from her touch and stood up.

Her eyes traveled down his standing body and
noticed his hands were working at the strings of his tented
drawers. Then they dropped.

Her eyes were fixed on the part of Andrew
that had just been revealed like it was a novelty in a curiosity
shop.

Andrew’s mind must have been on something
else because he didn’t comment on her staring and joined her in the
bed.

“What exactly are you planning to do with
that?” she squeaked and pointed toward his waist as he positioned
himself over her.

“You’ll see,” was all he said before his
mouth was kissing hers again. His kisses were not as gentle and
tender as they been earlier. Instead, they were intense and with
purpose.

Brooke became mindless again and gave over to
his kisses, she only noticed something was between her thighs when
he pulled back from their kiss and whispered in her ear, “I’m
sorry, sweetheart, this will hurt a little.”

Her mind tried to put together what he was
saying, but didn’t have enough time before she felt something
prodding her where his fingers had been only a short while ago. He
pushed forward very slowly. She looked at his face and thought he
looked like he was the one in pain. His face was grim. His lips
clamped shut in a flat, tight line, causing white lines to form and
his blue eyes looked hard as they stared intently at her. Finally,
he gave one final push and she let out a cry of surprise.

His body stilled on top of her. “Are you all
right?”

She nodded and tightened her grip on his
shoulders, slightly digging her nails into his skin.

Andrew leaned down and sweetly placed a kiss
on her forehead. “Please know that I didn’t want to hurt you. If I
could have avoided it, I would have.”

“I know,” Brooke told him, wiggling her hips
a little to get more comfortable.

He groaned. Then he started moving on top of
her with slow, even strokes, moving as deep as she could take him
then almost completely withdrawing.

It felt rather uncomfortable at first, but
once her body adjusted to the size of him, she relaxed and started
to move with him until together they found a steady rhythm.

The pressure she’d felt earlier began to
quickly build up again, pushing her higher and higher with each
stroke. This time it only took a few minutes for her to find a
release that was even more intense than the one earlier.

After hers, Andrew pushed in once more and
with a harsh groan, reached his climax before collapsing.

Minutes later when Brooke was losing the
battle to stay awake, she felt Andrew’s lips move in against hair
as he whispered, “
That
, was the marital act.”

Chapter 26

Andrew was awakened in the morning by the sun
shinning in the thin little windows, lighting up the room where he
and Brooke lay together, tangled and naked.

Peeking down, he saw Brooke was sleeping and
decided to keep still so not to wake her. They’d made love a second
time the night before and he knew she had to be tired and sore.

Lying in bed gave him some time to think
about what he’d do next. When Willis suggested he mine his land,
he’d refused, but now that he had lost his estate he saw no other
option unless they were to continue to live like paupers for two
years until the rest of the debt was paid. But even after his
father’s debt was paid, they’d still have to live meagerly.

He would just have to borrow the money and
build the mines. But from where? Who would lend him any money? No
banker in his right mind would be willing to lend him money. He had
no friends or acquaintances who would lend him the money, except
Alex. Alex was the only one who he knew that had the money and
would lend it to him regardless of his monetary credit; but he may
not want to lend the money now after what Andrew had done to
Brooke. Even though Andrew had married her, Alex might be upset
Andrew took liberties before marriage and refused to do the right
thing at first.

The only other person he knew who would have
access to that sort of money was Brooke. Her dowry was five
thousand pounds, which was enough money to not only get the mines
up and running, but also let them start to live the lifestyle
Brooke was accustomed to. But he’d told her father he would not use
one shilling from her dowry. He was not the kind to live off his
wife’s generosity; her money would be set up in a trust for their
children or given to her as pin money. Anyway, the idea of
borrowing money from one’s wife was laughable.

He didn’t realize he’d actually expressed a
laugh until his wife’s sleepy face turned up to look at his.

She didn’t say anything, but raised her
eyebrow the way he did. Married only one day and she had already
picked up some of his habits, he thought with a smile.

“I was just thinking about some things you
don’t need to worry about,” he said, pushing some of her thick hair
away from her face.

“I’m not a featherbrain, Andrew,” she
countered and leaned to kiss him. “What were you thinking
about?”

She was right, she wasn’t a featherbrain, but
he didn’t want to burden her with this. “Just thinking about our
future, and what we’re going to eat and wear,” he said lightly,
hoping she’d think he meant the present.

“I’m certain Mrs. Cleansweep will bring us
breakfast if you ring,” she said. Then her face went white, and she
looked at the ground. “Oh no, what am I to wear?” she
exclaimed.

“What you’re wearing now seems to fit you
well,” Andrew said honestly.

She cast him her best attempt at a sharp
look. “As much as you’d like it, I cannot spend the whole day
naked. The only clothes I brought here are destroyed,” she said,
pointing to the floor.

His eyes followed her pointing finger. Next
to the bed was a pile of discarded clothes. Her gown lay at the
bottom in a crushed and wrinkled mess. Her chemise was on top, with
both straps broken. Andrew cast her an apologetic look. Next to
that was her linen binding and pillow shams. Surely there was
something down there she could put on for a while.

“Don’t you dare suggest I put on that
crumpled gown. And I'm not going to try to fashion some sort of
outfit out of the other clothes, so don't even suggest it.”

Andrew raised his hands in mock innocence. “I
would never even think such a thought,” he said with a wry
smile.

He rose from the bed and covered her with the
sheet. “Wait here, I have something.” He came back a few minutes
later wearing trousers and a shirt, holding a red dressing robe in
hand. “You can wear this. I’ll run downstairs to order breakfast
and dash a note off to Alex asking him to have your clothes sent
right away. Well, maybe not right away,” he amended with a
wink.

He tossed the dressing robe on her bed beside
her and left the room. When he shut the door he heard a peal of
giggles from her and couldn’t help a broad, proud smile.

Walking down the hall, he spotted Mrs.
Cleansweep dusting a wall sconce. “Can you bring breakfast to my
wife’s room right away?”

“Yes, my lord,” she answered and scurried off
to do her task.

Andrew went down the staircase and in the
direction of his study, not bothering to talk to Stevens who was
trying to no avail to get Andrew’s attention. “Whatever it is,
Stevens, I trust you can manage it. I need to do a quick errand
then I am back upstairs to spend the day with my wife,” he said in
a superior tone that he used to dismiss his servants when they were
being bothersome.

As soon as he entered his study he wished
that for once Stevens had been an insolent servant who insisted on
fighting with his employer.

What awaited him in his study was not what
he’d expected to see, but was probably what Steven’s meant when he
kept claiming there was a “sticky situation” afoot.

On the settee by the fireplace was his
mother, and not ten feet away, sitting behind his desk, was the
Duke of Gateway.

“Good morning, mother,” he said stiffly,
ignoring Gateway altogether.

“Good morning, Andrew. Where is your bride?”
she asked crisply, hurt marring her normally gentle features.

Andrew supposed she was upset for him not
introducing them sooner, or for him marrying without telling her
about it. There hadn’t exactly been time the day before to
introduce them; and he hadn’t send word for her to join the wedding
party because he didn’t want her to undergo any unfair
scrutiny.

“Yes, where is your bride?” Gateway drawled.
“I’m rather surprised to see you so early, or has she already
proven to be uninteresting.”

The dowager countess shot the duke a shapr
look, but that was nothing compared to Andrew’s reaction.

Andrew leapt across his desk to where Gateway
was sitting, grabbed him by the lapels and with more force than
necessary, threw him to the floor. “Don’t you ever speak of her in
such a way again,” he thundered.

Gateway’s face went red, but his hands came
up and grabbed Andrew’s arms and brought him down to the floor with
him. “I broke your nose once, Townson, don’t think I won’t do it
again,” he roared.

“That was many years ago, and it wasn’t a
fair fight, you caught me unawares, the coward’s way,” Andrew
spat.

They both rolled around on the floor of
Andrew’s study, punching and trying to strangle each other. One
second one would have the advantage and be on top, then a second
later the positions were reversed.

“Stop! Both of you, behave yourselves,”
Andrew’s mother yelled. “This is ridiculous you are two grown men
and you’re acting like petulant children. What’s worse is there is
no reason for it. Benjamin, apologize for insulting his wife.”

“I will not apologize, I have no reason to.
The remarks I made were fair, everyone knows his wife is a light
skirt,” Gateway said. A satisfied look came over his face when
Andrew’s face turned murderous.

“You only have a grudge against her because
she rejected you,” Andrew said sourly as he punched Gateway square
in the jaw.

“Is that what she told you?” Gateway scoffed
as he rubbed his jaw. “I’ll have you know I wouldn’t have her if
she served herself to me naked on a platter.”

Andrew rose up off the ground while Gateway
tried to sooth his hurting jaw. “I want you out. Now!”

“No,” Gateway said, as he rose to his feet
and held up his fists, preparing for round two. “We made a bargain
and you didn't hold your end. I demand satisfaction.”

“Bargain? Satisfaction?” the dowager countess
said, her brow furrowing in confusion. “What is he talking about,
Andrew?”

“Nothing, Mother,” Andrew said tersely.

“It’s not nothing,” Gateway snapped. “We had
a deal and if I remember correctly, the deal did not involve you
marrying her. In fact, you were specifically not to marry her. Or
did you forget that part of the agreement?” he asked
accusingly.

“No, I didn't forget,” Andrew replied flatly.
“However, there was nothing in the agreement that said you would
demand satisfaction if I failed to pull it off. If I remember
correctly, you're the one who wanted to end the agreement a few
days ago when you thought she would throw me over due to some old
gossip. Why is it fine for you to end the agreement but not me?”
Andrew asked with a sneer.

“Because I was going to call it off and find
someone who could handle it. As it turns out, that is exactly what
I should have done,” Gateway shot back.

“What agreement?” the dowager demanded in a
voice that was so loud it shook the wall hangings. “I want to know
exactly what’s going on right this instant.”

Andrew and Gateway exchanged looks that were
so sharp that if they had been daggers, they’d both be dead. Andrew
thought he should be the one to tell his mother what was going on.
He couldn’t trust Gateway to tell the truth, and why should he? She
wasn’t his mother, or any relation for that matter.

“Now, Andrew. Tell all of us about this
agreement,” said a voice behind him, cutting him off before he
could speak.

He turned around very slowly, hoping his mind
was playing tricks on him, but it wasn’t and his heart dipped to
his toes. Behind him, standing in the doorway of his study, was his
wife. She wore only his red dressing robe and stood still as a
statue.

Andrew knew everyone was looking at her, but
Brooke didn’t act like she knew or cared she was now the center of
attention.

“Brooke,” he said, coming to her side.

She wrenched her arm away from him. “What
agreement, Andrew?” Her voice so icy it could freeze a pot of
boiling water on the spot.

“Tell her, Townson,” Gateway urged. “Tell her
all about your plan to have her shamed right out of England and
sent packing back to America on the fastest vessel.”

Andrew ignored Gateway, he’d take care of him
later. Right now he needed to talk to Brooke. “Brooke,” Andrew
started again.

“It all makes sense now,” she snapped,
halting his words. She pulled further away from him. She was
clutching his dressing robe so tightly her knuckles turned white
and he thought the seams around the sleeves were going to pop. “It
makes sense why you showed up at my house not knowing me or my
sisters. When we caught you, you made up some lie about seeing us
across the room at some ball you probably didn’t even attend.”