No Other Love (17 page)

“He cares for me,” she began, trying to put her feelings into words, explaining them to Edward even as she acknowledged them to herself. “He promises to make me happy. Perhaps that’s love, perhaps his love will grow over time. But I love him, more than I thought possible. He’s a good man, Edward.”

She could see how the responsibility of looking out for her weighed upon him, and knew also that he would be glad to see her taken care of, if only he could be sure Luke would do so.

“You know I care nothing for class distinctions, but there is no changing the fact that you were a servant in his father’s house. People will make things difficult for you.”

This she couldn’t argue, as she had the very same worry. Moreover, she couldn’t even allow Luke to meet her aunt before she told him the truth. When that would be, she had no idea.

“No doubt you’re right, but we’re prepared to deal with the consequences.”

“I don’t envy the struggle ahead of you, Rose, but I’ll speak to your Mr. Fletcher tomorrow. As stand-in for your father, I must see for myself what he’s about. If he’s all you say he is, I’ll gladly give my blessing.”

Rose squeezed Edward’s hand, relieved he would hear Luke out but still anxious about the day to come.

The two of them stood and Rose kissed his grizzled cheek before dashing up the stairs to tell her oldest friend the news.

Vivian met Rose at the doorway to her bedchamber. She wore only her nightgown and her hair was in a braid down her back, ready for sleep.

“What’s happened, Rose? Are you all right?”

“Yes, better than I’ve been in a long while. Come, let’s get into your bed and I’ll tell you all about it. I feel dead on my feet, and yet I’m not sure I’ll ever sleep again.”

Once in bed beside Vivian, the covers drawn up to her chin, she told her friend of the day’s events. Vivian was appalled at the accusations against Rose, and terribly impressed with her showdown with Mrs. Fletcher. But when Rose described her ordeal in Mr. Byrne’s carriage, Vivian was beside herself. By the time Rose had finished her tale, complete with swooning kisses, marriage proposal, and the ride into town sitting astride a horse with Luke behind her, Vivian was dumbfounded.

“But when will you tell him who you are?”

“Every moment I’m with him, I want to tell him everything. But I can’t bring myself to do it yet. It’s a terrible mess. But I love him, Vivian. Maybe if I give it some time, whatever we have will be strong enough to withstand the truth.”

“I’m very happy for you, Rose. But I do worry. Everything seems so tenuous, as if it could all go terribly wrong.”

Rose was surprised to hear such a dire assessment from her normally optimistic and supportive friend, and yet she couldn’t deny the truth of it.

“It’s possible that things might go very badly, but I’m willing to take the risk.”

“But that’s just it. Though it’s you I care for most of all, you’re not the only one who stands to get hurt. Mr. Fletcher is the one who will one day find himself wed to a wife who lied to him.”

For a moment Rose couldn’t speak. All this time she’d been thinking only of the risk to herself or her family, but she wasn’t the only one with something at stake. Did she have the right to risk Luke’s happiness too?

“I know I should tell him, but I can’t risk losing him,” she said, full of both anguish and resolve. “I have to believe we can all live with the consequences, whatever they are.”

“And I will be there for you, whatever they are.” Vivian whispered.

Long after Vivian fell asleep, Rose lay awake. She was so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open, and yet there was too much to think about, too much to feel.

She had always hoped to find the kind of love her parents shared, but until she met Luke she hadn’t realized how powerful pure attraction could be. It burned through her childish views of love and devotion, a force all its own. Luke’s desire for her was strong enough for him to go against all that he’d planned, all that made sense in his world. Could such feeling turn to love one day? And if it didn’t, how long before it burned itself out?

Among all her doubts, one thing was certain. She must prove that Byrne killed her father as soon as possible. There was no future beyond that.

Rose sat at Vivian’s desk the next morning, a blank piece of paper in front of her as she wondered how to tell Aunt Olivia the news. She had said next to nothing about Luke in her letters, and she was now faced with having to explain her reasons for marrying into the family of her father’s murderer.

It would have been so much easier if she could see Olivia in person, but what if Luke offered to go with her, or visit while she was there? Given the problems with the line in the Berkshires, it was possible he would be out there again soon, and she would be forced into more lies.

Bending her head to the task, she began to relate how unfailingly kind and protective Luke had been. Pouring out her heart, she confessed how she felt about him, so much more than she had ever felt for Will. She would want for nothing. Most importantly, she trusted him with her life.

There was no way to know if she could convince her aunt she was making the right decision. Most likely Aunt Olivia would still be worried sick. But Rose couldn’t help that. She could only hope that one day soon her aunt would understand. Hopefully by that time so would Luke.

Later that afternoon Rose nervously paced the upstairs hall as she strained to hear the sound of Luke’s approach. Suppose he didn’t come? Suppose he’d changed his mind?

“He’ll be here, Rose. It’s not yet three o’clock,” Vivian said calmly from where she sat embroidering in a chair.

“He’s probably used to rich women in fine clothes and I still look like a servant. I must have worn this dress hundreds of times,” Rose said in dismay, looking down at her blue dress. The hem was fraying and the high waistline was several years out of fashion.

“You’re as beautiful as ever. If I didn’t love you so much I’d be green with envy.”

Rose smiled at her friend’s reassurances, though she wasn’t convinced. A moment later they both started at the clatter of approaching hoof beats. Grabbing Vivian’s hand, she listened anxiously as a knock sounded at the door. Sally answered and Luke’s deep voice floated up as he was let in and led into the parlor.

“He came,” Rose said with relief.

“Yes, dear, he did.”

For the better part of the next hour, Rose waited anxiously upstairs, trying and failing to concentrate on the stockings she was darning. What if Edward didn’t see what she saw? What if he didn’t approve of the marriage after all?

“I wonder what they can be talking about all this time.”

Vivian looked up from her embroidery.

“I’m sure Father is just getting to know him. I shouldn’t worry if I were you.”

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Sally came upstairs to tell Rose she was wanted in the parlor. Heart beating frantically, her stomach in knots, she headed down the stairs. At the door to the parlor she paused, gathering her courage, but Luke saw her immediately. Standing up, he looked at her with an intensity that shook her, his eyes never leaving hers as she entered the room.

Edward came to her and took her hands in his, smiling warmly.

“It looks as if Luke and I both want the same thing, your happiness. You have my blessing. I feel sure your father would have given it as well. However, I do have one stipulation that I have already discussed with Mr. Fletcher. Your relationship to date has been most unusual. Because of this, I must insist that you announce your engagement immediately, and set the date of the wedding for a month from now. That will give Mr. Fletcher time to court your properly. You deserve it, and it will benefit you both to spend time together before your marriage.”

One month. Everything had happened so quickly, she had given no thought to when they would marry. Now she found herself relieved to have more time to get to know Luke before the wedding.

“Yes, of course,” she agreed, trying to sound calm and sensible.

Edward shook Luke’s hand, kissed Rose on the cheek and then left them alone together, letting the door close behind him. All at once Rose felt terribly shy. To think he would soon be her husband, and she now had permission to see him openly. It was such a turnaround from their surreptitious meetings. All those days wanting just to catch a glimpse of him, and here she was, promised to him forever.

He moved to stand before her and cupped her face in his hands. “I can’t believe I get to have you,” he said quietly, a rough note in his voice. “I’ve spent so long trying to live without you, I hardly know what to do.”

Rose could only smile, too overwhelmed herself to reply.

“God knows how I’ll keep my hands off you for an entire month,” he said, pulling her closer.

“Sometimes kissing you is all I can think about,” Rose confessed.

“My dear, that is a dangerous way to talk when we’re alone in a room together. I plan to kiss you, never doubt that. But I meant something a bit different. I meant that I would like to put my hands on you in the way that a husband may do with his wife. And that is all
I
think about. When we kiss as we did last night, I find it difficult to stop when I ought to.”

“Then we must not indulge in those sorts of kisses until we are married. A month is not so very long.”

“It’s a lifetime, but you’re worth the wait,” he replied, smiling his devilish smile as he drew her closer. “How shall I kiss you? Like this?” he asked, pressing his lips to the back of her hand.

“Yes, that’s perfectly acceptable,” she replied, smiling her approval.

“Is this to your liking?” he inquired politely, dropping a chaste kiss on her cheek.

“Yes, that is most proper for a fiancé, though not in public,” she responded archly, though she could not keep a smile from touching the corners of her mouth. She liked this teasing, light-hearted side of him and was now thoroughly enjoying herself.

She looked up at him expectantly, and his voice was rough and low when next he spoke. “How does my lady like this?” Rose’s eyes fluttered closed as he bent to her, and she gasped, beyond speech, when he lightly kissed each eyelid, his lips soft as a butterfly. Kissing first one corner of her mouth, then the other, he brushed his lips over hers as if he had all the time in the world. So sweet was the seduction, a little moan escaped her.

Luke’s nonchalance vanished.

Sweeping her into his arms, he carried her to the loveseat, where he sat down with her in his lap. Rose’s eyes widened in surprise at being held so intimately. Curious, she moved tentatively over the evidence of his desire, and he groaned deep down in his throat, his eyes closing as a deep flush stained his cheekbones. Pleased with the reaction she drew from him and the answering pull she felt in her own body, she moved again. He opened his eyes and looked at her intently for a moment, as if trying to make up his mind.

Then he kissed her.

Though they had kissed before, this time was different. Now they were betrothed. There was no shame, no fear.

At first his lips were light and caressing, feathering over hers, his tongue coming out to tease her before retreating again. Rose delighted in this new side of kissing. Relaxing into him on a sigh, she dared to mimic him, teasing him with her own demanding kisses.

But though the kiss started out light and playful, soon she was restless for more. Kissing him back without reservation, she molded her body to his, wanting to be closer and closer still. Cradled in his arms, she felt his need match hers, felt the power he held in check.

In the back of her mind she knew that one of them must pull back, and yet she could no more do so than she could will her heart to stop beating. His mouth skimmed over her throat, his hand covered her breast. Rose’s breath caught and she froze as he caressed her nipple with his thumb, his eyes intent on her.

Fire shot through her veins until she was saturated with desire, undone by her craving for him. His hard chest pressed against her tender breasts, the roughness of his jaw abraded her neck with delicious friction as he kissed his way down her throat until she throbbed at the juncture of her thighs. Her fingers tangled in his hair as his mouth again devoured her, his hands restless on her back and hips.

From down the hall she heard Vivian and Edward talking and slowly came to her senses. With a low cry she struggled off of him, desperately trying to right her hair and clothing.

Luke smiled tenderly at her and smoothed her hair away from her face. Leaning down, he picked a pin up off of the floor and deftly secured a wayward lock. Somehow that gesture was as intimate as the kisses they’d shared, and she trembled anew at the decision she’d made.

Regaining her composure as Edward and Vivian continued past the parlor and up the stairs, Rose allowed Luke to pull her close. There they sat side by side as her heartbeat gradually returned to normal. Too soon Luke sighed and sat forward, taking her hand in his.

“I’m afraid I must be off, much as I’d rather stay here with you. May I take you to a play tomorrow night?”

“That would be lovely.”

“Excellent. I’ll come for you at seven o’clock.”

Edward was there to see him out, and he and Rose stood at the door, watching as Luke rode away. Edward turned to her with what seemed a knowing look but said nothing, only gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

“All right, my dear?” he asked.

“All is right,” she answered with a smile, fervently hoping all would indeed be right, someday.

***

Leaving Rose, Luke stopped at the shop of the most sought-after dressmaker in Boston, as he didn’t intend for Rose to worry for one moment about her clothes. The seamstress raised not an eyebrow when he requested an entire wardrobe be created for his fiancée, from morning dresses to riding habits to ball gowns. After being assured she would get Rose’s measurements straight away, Luke stopped next at the jeweler’s.

Only after he was done there did he stop for supper at his club, so it was late evening when he returned to Cider Hill. He found his father reading in the library.