Regency Rumours/A Scandalous Mistress/Dishonour And Desire (59 page)

His mouth tasted the sweetness of her skin, nudging the frill downwards until it dropped onto her lap, allowing him access to the full curve beneath the breast, the darker ring around its peak, the proud inviting nipple like a small ripe hazelnut, and the soft slope above. ‘Peerless woman,’ he rumbled, deep with passion, ‘did
you or did you not promise me obedience in all things and at all times?’

Her fingers smoothed his bare shoulder. ‘Yes, husband. I believe I did say something to that effect, foolishly, once.’

‘Then will you leave these matters until a more convenient time, wife? Or shall I be obliged to claim a husband’s rights while you’re still negotiating?’

‘Er … yes,’ she whispered as he pushed the lace off her other shoulder.

‘Yes to which?’ he murmured, lapping at her skin.

‘Just yes, my love. Yes to anything.’

Swinging easily to his feet, he placed his hands beneath her back and knees, lifting her into his arms, pausing as his eyes travelled from breasts to face and back again. ‘That’s another thing I love about you,’ he said. ‘Your wonderfully quixotic change of mind. You used not to have the knack of it.’

‘It must be something in the air,’ she sighed, dropping her head into the angle of his neck.

O
nly a month later, Sir Chase and Lady Boston gave the first of their musical evenings for charity, which soon became so successful that each month was a sellout, guests coming from miles around to stay with friends in the area.

Signor Cantoni had far more to do in his new role than ever he could have foreseen, and his popularity was well-deserved. He and the beautiful Mara formed a close bond which was a delight to see, quiet, unobtrusive, utterly devoted, a perfect friendship that never went quite as far as marriage, though everyone had hopes.

To Caterina, Mara became a special kind of friend, more than a servant but never a rival in any sense. Nor did Mara ever discover Caterina’s relationship to her son, never having discovered the full name of his father. Jack himself grew to be a fine lad who, by the age of four, was showing a musical talent that Caterina and Sir Chase did all they could to encourage.

Stephen Chester and his rapidly expanding family moved back up to Chester Hall in Buxton, but Caterina
and her husband had little to do with them, or Harry, for she realised that, after all she knew about them, the distance between them was about right.

Sara and her adoring Constantine were regular visitors to Boston Hall, and also to Number 18 Paradise Road in the other Richmond, when the Bostons were at home there. It was one of Caterina’s joys that she was able to restore the elegant house to its former serenity as it had been when she and Aunt Amelie had lived there. Readers may be interested to know that Numbers 18-24 Paradise Road in Richmond, Surrey, is now the UK headquarters of Harlequin, Mills & Boon, publishers of this story.

Seton, Lord Rayne, went slightly downhill for a while until he discovered another wonderful woman, though it may be more accurate to say that she discovered him. That story will have to be looked into more closely, perhaps.

But Caterina
did
produce those children who loved, as infants, to bang drums and pipe pipes and then to sit with Signor Cantoni for fun on the piano. Duets, trios, quartets and even a children’s orchestra then became part of the charity concert programme, comprising the talented sons and daughters of the Richmond set.