Midnight Masquerade (33 page)

From beside her she felt Alastair nudge her shoulder slowly as he caressed her hand, “You have the power to change anything and everything in any of our homes Amelia, anything you want.”

Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes, “Since the moment you found out I was Andromeda, you have given and given. You have laid so much at my feet, gifted me with things beyond compare. Stop giving me things.”

“I want you to be happy.”

“I don’t need
things
to be happy Alastair…”

“I don’t know how to make you happy.” He whispered, his voice deep with concern. He squeezed her hand gently as he shut the hidden door.

Pulling him to her,
she tugged his jacket off his muscular shoulders and let it fall to the ground behind him. She pondered his words for a moment as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Tugging it loose from his pants, the last button of his shirt fell open exposing his broad chest, running her hands up his chiseled stomach she soaked in his heat, “Of course you know how to make me happy, you’ve been my friend for years. You know what I like, you know my temperament and dislikes. You know my favorite authors, and my penchant for sweets.
”

“
Amelia, I’m a spy. I’m trained to see, to remember. Knowing things you like is not the same as actually being able to make you happy the rest of our life.”

Shooting up an eyebrow, she looked deep into his blue eyes and saw his vulnerability, “Are you afraid I’ll dislike being your wife?”

His warm hands lowered down to cup her ass, “Yes. There are infinite responsibilities with my title and job, I am at the beck and call of our king. As my wife you’ll be in the spotlight of the ton, thrust up into the Grand Dame category. Being my wife will not be easy.”

“All of these things are not who you are Alastair, of course I understand amount of
time your obligations will draw
on my time with you. Did you think I was a brainless female who stayed at home all day? I too have obligations, I was born into this station,
I
have many things that draw on my time as well.
Furthermore the Ton doesn’t bother me one smidgen, again, I was born into this. I know well what I face, we have discussed this
before. I am well aware being the wife of the Golden Duke will not always be a fairytale, I am very realistic when I see my future with you.”

“What does that mean?” He snapped, taking her comment the wrong way.

Holding onto him tightly, she kissed his chest as she ignored his
attitude
, “You love me Alastair, I know you do,
I
can feel it when you look at me. I can feel it in your touch, you’ve let me see a side of you that you’ve kept hidden from me for years. I know you’ll make me happy simply because you love me, nothing more, nothing less. Even if we were poor, you’d find a way to keep me smiling, to make me laugh. All I want from you is to be your equal in life, I don’t need you to give me the power to make any changes I want. I want it to be something we discuss together, well, major issues anyway. I appreciate you giving me carte blanche, but I want to be a team with you. Long ago you told me that I didn’t know how to be on a team like you and my brothers. I want you to teach me, teach me how to operate like you do.”

Shaking his head, “I don’t want to change you Lia, you think with your beautiful heart first, I think with my head. We have a precious
balance;
I love your tenacious spirit and mouth.
”

“Do you really have to change me to teach me? I don’t think you do.” She offered, squeezing him tighter.

“No, not at all. I can teach you, I’ll just have to learn to anticipate your reactions to situations. The most crucial element of a team is knowing your
partners’
strengths and weaknesses, and anticipating the upcoming
sequence
of events given their personalities. Every team is unique, you will be a very welcome partner in my team.”

Pressing her breasts against his chest she softly kissed his chest, “Partner, see…that makes me happy.” Releasing him, she stayed pressed against his
hard body
as she easily unbuttoned his dark pants, slipping her hand into his dark curls she found her favorite object, his thick cock.

Growling, he spun her around and kicked up the hem of her purple traveling gown and had it up and over her hips in seconds. The man pulled it off her with expert precision, leaving her standing naked with her back to the man in only her slippers. Kicking out of each one, she looked over her shoulder at her shirtless god like man
and whispered, “Come make me happy in the tub, your wife has need of you Your Grace.”

Watching Amelia charm his entire staff in mere minutes this morning had been quite a show. They had came dow
nstairs this morning to the kitchens
and dinned with Mrs. Potts and Alfred, while many of the other staff came and went. Amelia was as brilliant as sunshine as she spoke kindly to each person she met.

It was easy to see how clearly happy his staff was with his choice, in fact Mrs. Potts had told him several times just this morning while they ate. His beautiful bride-to-be was glowing; last night had been an incredible start to their lives here at Castle Blackstone.

More than anything he appreciated her willingness to share her feelings, her wants and needs. He might be the leader of spies, but women were still confusing as hell, he appreciated any help possible when it came to Amelia. She had asked him to help teach her to be a partner, a teammate. The problem was, he needed to learn how to share that responsibility he had always held so close to the vest for years. He had always been the one in control, the leader. His men, Amelia’s brother and the thousands he commanded were used to taking
orders from him, Amelia was not, nor would she ever.

Hearing her beautiful voice singing deep in the stable, he smiled. Walking towards the angel who filled his award winning stables with the song of angels he saw the bright morning sunshine illuminate the stall in which she blessed.

“Did you find a new friend love?” He asked, resting his arm upon the stall door peering in with a grin. Before him his lovely little Andromeda was combing the mane of a midnight black Morgan horse he had acquired over a year ago.

Smiling brightly, she stopped singing and
ran her hand down the well rounded neck of the beautiful horse she had saddled, “My brothers were not exaggerating
. Y
our stables house the most spectacular specimens I’ve ever seen!”

Grinning, “Yes, I’m looking at the finest in all the land right now.” Winking at her, he saw a blush creep across her lovely face. Her lips reddened from their intense lovemaking session last night, and then again this morning, just thinking about her naked made him stand at attention. He had found a woman who shared his sexual
stamina;
she was a goddess in the bed.
She had brought him to climax in his massive cooper tub, and then yet again before his fireplace last night.

This morning she woke him with her delightful mouth, living with her it seemed was an adventure he was beginning to settle into nicely. He knew his time alone with her was going to come to an end soon, her family and thei
r friends were currently on their way
to Castle Blackstone this very moment.  It wouldn’t take Gideon and Luke long to arrive in Scotland,
even with the little children, they could even arrive today if they pressed forward.

Suspecting some to arrive tonight, he wanted to enjoy his day with her as much as possible. They had already toured the interior of the castle this morning, her delightful reactions to his beloved home made him swell with pride.

“I’m assuming I can use this lovely stallion here for my ride today?” She asked, raising a brow as she eyed him from head to toe.

“He’s got a strong temperament, and excellently smooth ride. You have
chosen
wisely Amelia, he’ll be a good challenge for you.” He offered, internally a tad worried
she had chosen a horse with an overly strong disposition he chose to bat down his overprotectiveness of her.
She had an excellent seat, she could handle this horse.

“What is this handsome beast’s name?” She asked, leading the giant horse out of the stall.

“
Apollo
, he’s a two year old Morgan stud I bought last year. He is one of my favorites to ride while here in Scotland.”

“Well, if I stole your mount who shall you be riding this fine afternoon?” She asked sweetly, not once offering to let him have his horse back.

Crossing his arms, he pretended to debate his choices, as he did he footman brought his mount into view at the end of the long stable.

Nodding to the impressive beast, “That one right there my lovely horse stealing wife.”

Giggling she looked from him to the end of the stable and eyed his prized horse.

“Oh my.”

Chuckling at her reaction, he nudged her, “Don’t you go changing your mind now woman, you picked Apollo, you won’t be taking Zeus from me today,” under his breath he added, “or anytime soon.”

Elbowing him, “Hey, I heard that you codfish!”

Pretending he had no idea what she was talking about he took the reins from his man and nodded for her to follow him to the mounting blocks outside.

“Do all of your horses bear Greek names?” She asked happily as they walked their horses.

“Many do, but not all. I have a great love for the Greek myths, hence the reason I
gave you the name Andromeda that night at the masquerade. Well, that and your beauty marks form the constellation perfectly.”

“I will readily admit that your intelligence is very attractive to me, I love when you recite Shakespeare to me when you are plowing deep into me.” She whispered, reaching over and pinching his ass for good measure.

“Good god woman, you make me want to bend you over right here.” He whispered back, giving her a swift smack in her lush ass, sending her into a giggling fit.

“Maybe you’ll find us a nice spot in your forest to
bend
me over, but for now I’d like to ride my horse, I’ll ride you later.” She offered, blowing him a kiss as she gingerly skipped up the mounting block and sunk onto her saddle with the grace of a goddess.

“Promises
promises
my dear, we shall see if you are as brave as your mouth later.”
He teased, slipping his foot into his well worn stirrup and swinging his leg over his horses back with ease.

“Where are we venturing off to this afternoon?” She asked with delight as she adjusted her new riding habit around her. It was one he had made
especially
for her while
in London, happy she chose deep purple to wear,
it
suited her complexion and hair beautifully.

“I wanted to give you the basic layout of our property lines, thankfully for
you both
Gideon and Luke’s lands share borders with us, so if you were to add in their lands you have over three thousand acres to ride at any given time.”

Looking at him in awe, “You own two thousand acres here?”

Of course he should have known she’d know exactly how much land each of her brothers owned, nodding, “Yes Ma’am, and as soon as you swear before God to be my wife, you too shall own them.”

“Do we ever have to leave here? Can I just live right here for the rest of my days?” She
asked, winking at him as they slowly walked their stallions away from the stables into the manicured trail that lead out to the edge of the woods.

“You could, but you’d have to go weeks without seeing me if that were the case. There are times I’m required to be in London, otherwise I’d live here permanently.” He offered sincerely.

“Alastair, I know I can’t live here year-round, I was only teasing. I will reside wherever you are, at all times.” She promised softly, her deep grey eyes alight with love as her horse tested her skills.

Watching cautiously as Amelia reigned in the domineering horse with ease, he relaxed knowing she was fully capable of handling such a difficult mount, he should have known.

“Are you ready to let that horse stretch his legs?” He asked, knowing she loved to run her horses.

Nodding, she lightly kicked the
horse’s
flank and tore off towards the wo
odland trail ahead of them. The sound of her laughter filled the air as the sun broke through the stormy clouds as he raced after her with a wide smile on his face.

Letting her cho
o
se their path, she navigated the trails wonderfully as she weaved all over the back of his property for hours. Occasionally stopping to point out something of interest the two had ridden peacefully throughout the Scottish countryside without getting rained on.

Seeing her pull her horse back, her face flush from the wind, “How close is town? I’m starving and I know the Black Swan Inn serves the best stew around.”

Pointing east, “From here, twenty minutes into center square tops. The Black Swan also happens to stock a favorite drink of mine, shall we?”

“Yes, lets!” Nodding for him to lead the way he
pushed his stallion ahead in a full gallop as his lady chased after him. Hungry and in need of a drink, her suggestion to visit town was an excellent idea. The entire town knew her family, Amelia was a familiar with the area and the people.

Eagerly anticipating the rest of their day, he knew soon her family would arrive and with their arrival the Somerset boys would bring word of their suspects. He was greatly anticipating Gideon and Luke’s information briefing when the ladies were occupied with catching up.

Riding side by side into town he pondered how much information he should share with Amelia, he didn’t want to alarm her with the details yet he felt he should include her in the investigation. She wanted to learn how to function as a team, and so far he had kept her out of knowing the facts.

Slowing down as they entered the busy little town, the sun was high in the sky as he watched Amelia wave to those she recognized and call out salutations. He saw a unique quality in his future wife, one that he didn’t know he required until he had chosen her. Amelia had the quality to fit in no matter where she went, be it a
risk
è
masquerade or high tea, this woman was accepted everywhere she went. She was not aloof or snobbish like so many of her peers, she had the beauty that could bring an emperor to his knees, but was not vain. Her intelligence was keen, her charm and charisma exuded from her like a ray of sunshine. She could make you smile and laugh, and recently he found out she could even make
him
blush.

Amelia was a mixing bowl of personality and wit, he knew she had a temper about her, one he had only witness a few times since he’d known her yet it only made him more attracted to the goddess. She was fire and ice, exactly what his restless soul needed. She was indeed his perfect mate.

Riding up to the Black Swan they dismounted their horses and handed them over to the stable hands who were waiting for them, taking Amelia’s hand he kissed her knuckles, “I’m famished, shall we see what Mrs. Avalon has for us today?”

“Oh I’ve missed her cooking!” Amelia said excitedly as they walked into the quaint inn. 

“Well blessed be, look who just walked through my door Gus! Would you look at that,
our little Amelia and the Duke
of Blackstone
!
”

Looking across the inn, he saw none other than Mrs. Avalon walking towards them with her arms open.

Letting go of his hand, Amelia ran towards the town elder with a smile, “Mrs. Avalon, I’ve missed you! Tell me, how is Mr. Avalon? Is his knee better? How is your back doing?”

Watching Amelia, he
stood back and watched the two. From the corner of his eye he saw Mr. Avalon standing behind the bar nodding him over as he poured a glass of amber liquid.

“Greetings Mr. Avalon!” He offered as he approached.

“Welcome home Your Grace, always good to see you come back home, have a drink with me young man those two will talk forever.”

“Don’t mind if I do, appreciate it.” Taking the glass he took a nice drink
of smooth scotch and sighed s
he sat down across from the white haired owner.

“Now, tell an old man like myself how you come to be unescorted with Lady Amelia, her brothers never let her out of their sight.” Mr. Avalon asked with a smirk.

“Ah, well that one is easy my old friend. She’s to be my duchess in a matter of days, they’ve willingly pushed her off on me I’m afraid.” Chuckling, he saw Amelia look over her shoulder at them and wink. Too far away to hear each others conversations
he took another drink and spun around to give his full attention to Mr. Avalon.

“Well I’ll be, congratulations Your Grace!” The cheerful barkeep offered, topping off his glass once again.

Nodding, “Thank you, it’s taken me long enough to find her…been under my damn nose this entire time.”

“Ah, that’s the way of love I’m afraid. Always surprising you, keeping you on your toes as it were, that one right there will be a handful you mark my words, lass has a heart of gold and a temper of a dragon. Once saw her draw a pistol on a traveler who hit one of my maids, quite a show I tell you!”

Rolling his eyes, “Lord, why doesn’t that shock me?”

Laughing, Mr. Avalon reached across the bar and thumped him on the shoulder, “Ah, that’s because you know her well enough to believe it! Piss and vinegar that one, she’ll make a brilliant duchess regardless.”

“That she will.” He agreed, feeling her approach he pulled back the neighboring stool.

“Good morrow Mr. Avalon, I’ll drink whatever Alastair is having if you don’t mind.” She asked, taking up the seat beside him scooting it closer.