Montgomery Family 01 - Lost Pleasures Found (25 page)

Henry looked anguished as he said, “God, why did this have to happen? Neither one of us deserved to have to go through this. I’m sure you gained comfort from talking with Brandon since he had recently lost Lily, but as I said before; I just wish you hadn’t married him. I hope you didn’t have too difficult of a time having Mary Elizabeth. I’m relieved that you had your mother with you for her birth.”

Brandon tried to crawl away, but Melody stopped him, and then replied, “I had an easy delivery, only six hours, and when I saw her, I saw you in her face. She had your red gold curls and your penetrating blue eyes. I thanked God everyday for giving me such a precious gift. I began to feel the pain of losing you lessen, once I had our daughter. She became my reason for living.”

Henry smiled over at her and said, “I’m glad you had her. I just wish I could have been there when she was born. It must have been extremely difficult to lose both your parents at once. I do realize you had quite a few terrible events happening close together.”

“My parents got influenza, and they died two weeks apart. My father died first and then my mother. The only thing that kept me going was our daughter. That was when I truly got scared, because as I told you before, I found out that all I had was five hundred pounds and a few pieces of furniture. I know now that I wasn’t thinking clearly. Of course, you wouldn’t have left me without resources. I should have realized it then, but unfortunately, I didn’t. When I moved into that cottage, I was very frightened because I had never lived alone before. Brandon was such a good friend to me. I hate to think what I would have done if I hadn’t had his help. When he came to me and asked me to marry him, my first reaction was a resounding no, but then I thought of my choices, and there were only two in my mind at the time. Either contact your family or marry Brandon. I really did fear your parents. I never told you how bad it really was living with them. I prayed about it and asked God to help me make the right decision. When I woke up the next morning, I knew that marrying Brandon was the right thing to do. Mary Elizabeth needed a father, and I admit it, I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life alone. We married quietly, and we immediately moved to Doncaster. Brandon left it up to me to tell him when I was ready to consummate the marriage. Truthfully, I never wanted to consummate the marriage, but I knew that it wouldn’t be fair to him. I had taken vows and would stand behind them. Brandon made it easy for me, because he wasn’t a very demanding man. Making love with him was pleasant, but nothing remotely like the passion we shared and still do, if the other day was an example. I found out I was with child shortly before Christmas. This time, I recognized the signs much faster. We had a good marriage. It was very peaceful, and I was content.” Henry knew he had to be understanding, but it tore him up when she talked about her marriage to Brandon.
Oh
god,
why
couldn’t
he
move
past
this!

Melody checked on the girls again, and they were still sleeping, so she continued, “When Brandon died, I found out again that I was in for hard financial times. All I had were some investments, and there was one thousand pounds in his account. I wondered again how I would make it. I didn’t deal well with his death. At first, I was very melancholy, and I wasn’t eating enough, but then I told myself that I had to go on for the sake of the children. It was shortly after that, that I became ill. Well, the rest you know, so that’s my story.”

“I’m glad we talked today. I don’t know about you, but I feel lighter. I feel as if much has been lifted from my shoulders. This is a start toward healing from all this. Well, it’s getting late, so we need to head back to the house.” As they gathered up the children, Mary Elizabeth and Angela woke up, and Brandon had fallen asleep again. They all got in the cart and rode home. Melody took the children up to the nursery, and Henry took the cart to the stables.

After that day, things were better between them. It was as if they silently agreed to avoid discussing what had happened, but it hung there, right under the surface, so they still didn’t grow as close as he knew Melody would have liked. He just was not ready to forgive her, and he knew she was incredibly sad over this.

A
T THE END of July, Henry had to go to London. He was making his first appearance in the House of Lords. He was expected to make a speech, so he had been working on it daily with Stallings, for the last week. Henry told Melody he would be gone for at least a fortnight. He also needed to meet with his solicitor about issues with some of his investments.

He traveled by coach, since he was taking Stallings and Mansfield with him. This made the trip longer, but they still made good time, because the weather was clear. Of course, Henry almost wished it were raining, because it had been so dry this year. They really needed rain badly.

Once they arrived at Sanderford House, Henry went to his rooms and freshened up. After he was dressed, he headed to White’s where he planned on meeting Weston and some of his other friends. When he arrived at his club, he immediately found Weston. “Have you been waiting long?”

Weston shook his head as he answered, “No, I just sat down a few minutes ago. How’s everything going? I got your letter telling me about Melody. Are you reconciled to the situation yet?”

“It’s been difficult. I’m overjoyed that I found her, but it’s tearing me up inside when I think of her with another man. I never thought I was a jealous man, but evidently I am. She’s being so accommodating that I almost wish she would get angry with me. I’ve been avoiding her and haven’t even spent much time with my daughter. Weston, Mary Elizabeth is beautiful, and she looks so much like Helen did as a child. I made the decision to spend more time with her and my daughter, but then I had to come here to make this damned speech. I tell you, I’m really dreading it. I’m not a politician … I’m a soldier.” Henry bowed his head in frustration.

Weston straightened his cravat and flicked an imaginary piece of lint from the shoulder of his dark blue superfine dress coat as he said, “Everything will work out. You just need to give it time. After all, you have been apart for three years. From what you told me, Melody had to face quite a few challenges, and you told me that your parents treated her badly. I can understand why she didn’t want to go to them. Melody was devastated over your death. I spoke with her at the funeral, and she could barely talk; she was so distraught. As far as the speech goes, you’ll do fine. I remember when I had to deliver mine. It’s tough on the nerves. When do you go in front of Parliament?”

With an expression of exasperation on his face, as he adjusted his blue embroidered waistcoat, he replied, “The day after tomorrow. Stallings has been invaluable. I see why my father thought so highly of him.” Henry looked up and saw Hayden crossing the room. This was the first time that he had seen him since his return.

Hayden rushed over when he saw Henry and clapped him on the shoulder as he exclaimed, “God, it’s good to see you! I still can’t believe you’re alive. I saw you fall, and when I was finally able to get back to you, I thought it was you. Of course, it was hard to tell, because the poor man’s face was shot all the hell. He had the same color of hair and the same build as you. Old friend, if I had had any idea that it wasn’t you, I would have said so. Did you ever find out who that poor bastard was?”

Henry shook his head, as he answered, “So far, we haven’t had any luck. It turns out, there are quite a few men missing that fit the description. I’m glad to see that you made it back in one piece. Were you injured at all?”

Hayden grinned, and then laughed as he replied, “You know me; I’ve always been a lucky bastard. I didn’t get a scratch on me. Can’t say that for Bronson. You heard that he lost his arm, right?”

“Yes, remember his sister married my brother, Nelson. She’s having a terrible time accepting Nelson’s death. Walks around like a ghost, most of the time. I’m hoping that Melody can help her.” Henry turned back to Weston and asked, “Are you ready to go to dinner?” He then looked over at Hayden and asked, “Hayden if you don’t have any plans, can you join us?”

“I have to be at Lady Martin’s ball at nine o’clock, so I can, as long as I get there in time. I promised my mother I would be there. Now that I’m my uncle’s heir, she has is it in her head that it’s time for me to get married! It’s the last thing I want to do, but I thought I would humor her a bit and show up tonight to get her off my back. If she thinks I’m looking, she’ll leave me alone,” Hayden answered.

Weston spoke up and said, “I’m thinking about taking a wife and setting up my nursery. My sisters will be coming out this next season, so a wife would come in handy. I was planning to go to Lady Martin’s ball, but I won’t get there until ten o’clock. Henry, do you want to come along? It’s time you got back into society.”

Henry rolled his eyes, but then he said, “I know you’re right, but I’m dreading all the stares and the questions. You have to admit, not many men come back from the dead! I guess this ball will be as good as any to face the ton.”

They all went to dinner and then on to Lady Martin’s. It was ten o’clock before they got there, so the receiving line had already dissolved. It was not as awful as he had expected. Now that he was a duke, most of the people were too busy acting as if he were someone special and offering him their condolences to ask many questions about where he had been for the last three years. After he made himself known to his host, he spent the rest of the evening in the card room and ended up winning several hundred pounds from Weston. Henry left to go home around midnight.

His speech went better than he expected
.
Thank
God
for
Stallings!
That
man
was
brilliant.
His meeting with his solicitor was another story. He partly blamed the man, because he should have made more of an attempt to get in touch with Melody when he supposedly died. His solicitor apologized profusely and agreed with Henry. He should have gone up north to see her personally instead of leaving it alone when he did not receive a response from his letters.

He fell into a pattern: mornings he would go to Gentlemen Jackson’s and go a few rounds with Weston, and then they would take lunch at their club. He spent the afternoon at Parliament and then on to some kind of function in the evening.

Henry missed Melody. He knew they were never going to get back together if he stayed gone all the time. Only a few more days, then Parliament would rest, and he could leave for Sanderford Park. He was determined to get through the issue he had with Melody, and he could only do it if he was able to spend time with her. A little wooing might not be a bad idea. Even if he had not completely forgiven her, they could still resume sexual relations. After all, they were married, he did still love her, and he felt that she still loved him.

Once Parliament was over for the summer, Henry made one last stop before he left London. He went to his favorite jeweler Gerard’s and picked out a beautiful strand of matched pearls for Melody. He could just see her wearing them. Of course, he’d rather see them on her when she was naked. He was still having dreams about making love to her, and he was damned tired of waking up with an erection as hard as stone almost every morning.

The trip was grueling, because they were finally getting some rain, but, of course, they did not need a torrential downpour either. This heavy of a rain could damage the crops. Henry made it home in time for tea and found everyone in the drawing room. He noticed that Mary was there and almost looked cheerful as she was having an animated conversation with Melody when he walked in.

Melody looked up and asked, “Henry, when did you get back? I wasn’t expecting you for a few more days.”

Henry went over to her, leaned down, and kissed her on the cheek. “I was able to get all my business handled faster than I had anticipated. How are the children? Have you been on anymore picnics?”

She looked pleased that he had asked about the children. Melody smiled as she answered, “The children are fine, and we went on one yesterday. Good thing, we didn’t plan it for today. Isn’t this rain horrible? I know that we needed it, but did we have to get it all in one day? I imagine that it made the trip miserable.”

Henry sat down as his mother handed him his cup of tea. “The rain did cause the trip to take longer. I just hope it doesn’t hurt the crops.” Henry drank his tea and ate a full plate of sandwiches. Then he asked Melody to come with him to the nursery so that he could see the children.

When they arrived at the nursery, the children had just gotten up from their naps. Brandon was a little cranky, as he was cutting some new teeth. Henry went over and kneeled down in front of his daughter. She looked at him warily, and it was apparent that she was still not sure if she liked him.

Henry asked her what she was doing and she said, “An … ge … wa and me take cawe of ouw babies. Mine has cowld.”

Henry took out his handkerchief and proceeded to wipe the doll’s nose. Mary Elizabeth started to giggle. When she looked at Henry, she seemed more relaxed with him. The girls asked him if he would read to them, so Henry pulled a book of fairy tales out and read it to them. Mary Elizabeth came over and leaned against him so she could see the pictures in the book. This was the first time his daughter had voluntarily touched him, and it was an incredible feeling. He looked over at Melody, and she had tears in her lovely eyes.

After they left the nursery, they went to their sitting room and entered together, and then Henry said, “Now that we’re alone, may I have a kiss?”

She went over to Henry, rose up on her tiptoes, and kissed him. He put his arms around her and pulled her tight against him. He did not try to deepen the kiss. He left it up to Melody to take the lead. She ran her tongue across his lips, so he parted them, and Melody slipped her tongue into his mouth. She tentatively stroked the roof of his mouth and ran her tongue over his teeth. Henry groaned and deepened the kiss. He was becoming highly aroused; his erection pressed hard against Melody’s belly. She put her arms around his waist and pulled him closer.

Henry looked down at her and said, “Melody, you do realize where this is headed, don’t you? Are you sure, you want to make love? If you don’t want to, I’ll understand, but we need to stop what we’re doing right now, if you aren’t ready.”

Melody coyly replied, “Henry, I want us to make love. I’ve missed you very much, and I’m so glad that you have returned.”

Henry went over, locked the door, and then he came back and turned Melody around so he could unbutton her gown. With every button he released, he kissed his way down her back. When he got all the buttons unfastened, he pushed her gown over her hips, and it fell to the floor. He removed her corset and chemise, so all she had on were her stockings, garters, and slippers. He kneeled down and removed her slippers. Slowly, he rolled down her stockings and slipped them off her feet. He stood up behind her and pulled her close. As he was kissing the nape of her neck, his hand kneaded her breast. He gently squeezed her nipple, and it immediately grew taut. He lazily drew a circle around the areola. Melody was breathing fast as he turned her around and went down on his knees. He placed kisses on her belly and dipped his tongue in her naval. Then he nibbled kisses all the way down to the apex of her thighs, where her beautiful golden curls lay. He gently nudged her thighs apart and started licking and suckling her core. He felt Melody tremble as he kept licking and suckling, and he could tell that her passions were spiraling out of control.

“Henry, my knees … are shaking, and I feel as if there is a spring … coiling tighter … and tighter. Oh god, I’m … flying! Ah … Ah …” she sighed. Melody’s knees did give away, and Henry lowered her to the floor. He pulled her on top of him, and she straddled his hips. His shaft was jutting up against her belly. He raised her and then lowered her onto the bulging head of his erection. She started moving, and soon she picked up his rhythm. Henry surged up and started lifting Melody up by her hips as their movements became more frenzied. Henry touched Melody’s sweet little bud of desire. She tightened around him, and as she reached her peak, he let go and filled her sweet passage with his hot seed. Melody collapsed on top of him, and he hugged her close. They lay there, not moving for quite some time as their breathing returned to normal and their heartbeat slowed. Melody sighed and said, “Do you realize that both times we’ve made love since your return, it hasn’t been in a bed?”

As Henry gently drew circles on her back, he replied, “Both times we’ve made love, were spontaneous. I hadn’t planned on making love today, but I’m thrilled it happened. If we can get close in the marriage bed, then that may help me move past you giving your body to Brandon.”

Melody stood up, took a deep breath, and she got an extremely angry expression on her face. Her eyes were flashing; her cheeks were flushed, and she started pointing her finger, then cried, “I’m getting very tired of having to defend my actions. Henry, I thought you were dead. I felt I had to move on with my life. Did you want me to spend the rest of my life mourning you? Your daughter needed a father, and I’ll admit it, I wanted a husband! I didn’t like being alone. I thought I couldn’t financially support our daughter and myself. I know you think I should have come back here when my parents died, but I knew what it would be like. Even if your parents had let me keep my daughter, they would have controlled my life. They would have made my life a living hell, and you know it. I would have always felt as if I wasn’t good enough for this family. You have seen how your mother treats me now. She’s barely said anything to me, and she has never visited her granddaughter. You know that I’m right. You’re just being stubborn about it! I’m going to take a bath, so you need to leave!”