The Dark Earl (44 page)
She could not wait for his mouth to claim hers. She opened her lips in sensual invitation and for a whole hour they lost themselves in the bliss of slow, melting kisses.
His manly scent made her senses reel. The feel of his powerful hands caressing her body aroused her until her pulse quickened and her blood ached hot and wild. When she felt his hard erection seeking against her soft belly, she wanted to scream. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she tried to stop herself from moaning with excitement.
He came over her in the dominant position and slowly thrust inside her. He felt her sheath close sleekly around his cock, and his breath swept her neck as his lips sought hers, and he drank from her honeyed mouth that was hot and sweet with desire.
“I love you, sweetheart. I love everything about you. I love the way you feel; I love your scent; I love your taste.” He began to move with a slow, tantalizing rhythm, wanting to draw out her pleasure and make it last. “When I see you flushed with passion, excitement stabs through me and makes me long to make you lose control.”
She gasped as his plunging heat made its relentless demands upon her to yield up everything to him. She loved his animal maleness. Everything about him was hard. His chest and shoulders, even his thighs, were corded with muscle. Tonight he took her to the edge, and she found it impossible to hold back physically. She matched his thrusts by arching her body, and his throbbing fullness inside her made her cry out with pleasure.
He became aware of a pulse point deep within. It fluttered erratically and her sheath tightened, inflaming him to unleash the fierce passion that would bring her to her final surrender. When he felt her climax begin, his thrusts slowed to an undulating rhythm. When he heard her shattering cry, he took his own release.
He gathered her close. “I’ve never felt this way before. I love you deeply from the bottom of my heart. I pledge my love to you now and forever.”
She reveled in his vows of adoration, and longed to believe that he loved her. She had long ago lost her heart to him, and now she willingly admitted that her body was his to command. But some small protective part of her being made her hold back the words.
She feared that declaring her undying love for Thomas at this moment would make her too vulnerable. He was dominant by nature, and if she told him how much she loved him, he would be in complete control of her.
I must be absolutely sure that he is in love with me.
I must be absolutely sure that he is in love with me.
He kissed her tenderly and she sighed and drifted off to sleep with her head tucked beneath his chin.
Hours later something woke her. She lay quietly, wondering what had disturbed her.
Suddenly she felt her husband’s legs begin to thrash and he shouted something.
“What is it?” she asked softly.
Thomas sat bolt upright. He threw back the covers and shouted, “Fire!”
Fear rushed over her. “Where is the fire?”
He jumped from the bed and ran to the window. “Everything’s ablaze.”
Harry rushed to his side, but all she saw outside was darkness. “Where is it?”
“Shugborough. I must save Shugborough!”
Harry grabbed his arms. “Thomas, we are in London.”
He stared at her until he realized where he was. “Thank God. It was my recurring nightmare.”
Harry lit the lamp, and she watched him walk back to the bed, pull back the curtains, and sit down.
“I’m sorry to frighten you. It was just a dream.”
“You said it was a recurring nightmare. You’ve obviously had it before.”
“No, no, they don’t happen often. I haven’t had the nightmare since we’ve been married,” he reassured her.
She could see that he was shaking. “Get back into bed.”
“No, it will come back.”
She heard the apprehension in his voice. It was the first time she had seen his vulnerability and her heart turned over in her breast. She went to him and cupped his face in her hands. “Darling, I will hold you—I won’t let it come back.”
His dark eyes stared up at her. He did not dare to show her his weakness.
“Thomas, if you love me, you will trust me enough to share the truth.” She turned down the lamp, got back into bed, and waited.
Finally, he slipped into bed and pulled up the covers.
When Harry enfolded him in her arms, he was still shaking. Gradually, as the warmth of her body seeped into his, his limbs grew still. “Tell me,” she whispered.
Eventually he spoke. “I have a deep-seated fear that Shugborough will be destroyed by fire. I try to suppress it, but it manifests itself in dreams.”
“How long have you had these dreams?”
He remained silent.
“Don’t you remember?”
When he didn’t answer, her arms tightened.
“I remember exactly.”
She waited patiently, willing him to confide in her.
Finally, he told her. “It began when I was seventeen. It was right after my father burned down his sporting estate, Ranton Abbey, for the insurance money.”
She was shocked beyond belief at Lichfield’s perfidy, but she remained silent, and in a low, confiding voice he told her everything that happened that day. When he was done, he slid his arms around her and they held each other close.
Harry was finally convinced that her husband loved her enough to trust her, and the last barrier was swept away. “Thomas, I love you with all my heart.”
Chapter Twenty-three
“I
shall be glad when February is over. I’ve never known such rain.” The Duchess of Abercorn greeted her two married daughters, and led the way into the drawing room, where Jane was eagerly awaiting her sisters.
shall be glad when February is over. I’ve never known such rain.” The Duchess of Abercorn greeted her two married daughters, and led the way into the drawing room, where Jane was eagerly awaiting her sisters.
“Harry, you are absolutely blooming,” Jane declared. “You were so thin and pale at Christmastime, I was worried about you.”
Louisa glanced at her daughters. “In my experience, the best beauty tonic is love.”
Harry laughed. “I take a spoonful every night when I go to bed.” She winked mischievously. “Sometimes I take two.”
Jane blushed, her mother laughed, and Trixy, not to be outdone, said, “I’m the one who is
blooming
! I’m absolutely sure. My breasts have enlarged so much, I’m having a new wardrobe made.”
blooming
! I’m absolutely sure. My breasts have enlarged so much, I’m having a new wardrobe made.”
“I’m very happy for you, Beatrix.” Harry hugged her sister.
“Congratulations, darling. D’Arcy must be proud as Punch. When is it to be?”
“I’m not exactly sure—sometime in the month of August, I believe.”
The duchess opened her planning book and wrote it down. “I invited you to afternoon tea to discuss our plans. Your father and I intend to go to Ireland early this year. We will need more than a month, because we want to visit Rachel and James at Kilkenny before we go to Barons Court. We plan to be away for March and April, so we can be back at the beginning of May for Jane’s Season.” Louisa gave her daughters a speaking look. “There will be no rushed weddings this time.” She turned to Trixy. “August will be the perfect time for the arrival of my first grandchild.”
“I miss Rachel.” Harry set down her teacup. “Jane, ask her to come to your debut ball. Talk her into coming back with you for a visit.”
Her mother gave Harry a speculative look. “You could come to Ireland with us.”
“Thank you for the lovely invitation, but Thomas and I are looking forward to Shugborough in April. Spring can’t come fast enough for me.”
“D’Arcy and I are dining with the Marlboroughs tonight at Spencer House. That must be close by your house, Harry.”
“It’s not far. Spencer House is closer to Green Park.”
“George Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, is on his third wife. He’s a grasping sort of man,” the duchess said. “His father gambled and left terrible debts, so it’s no wonder he’s avaricious. I heard he charges for shooting parties at Blenheim Palace. I hope he doesn’t have his eye on D’Arcy’s coffers.”
“Marlborough is the lord lieutenant for Oxfordshire. That’s how he and D’Arcy know each other. I’d best be off. I have to go through my wardrobe and find a gown that still fits me.” Trixy kissed her mother and sisters and bade them good-bye.
“Speaking of wardrobes, the children are growing like weeds. I have to go through their clothes before we go to Ireland. I know they’ll need lots of bigger things.”
“That’s good,” Harry declared. “Leave whatever they have outgrown in a neat pile and Rose and I will take it round to Soho.”
“How is Rose doing? Did she learn the ropes of becoming a lady’s maid?”
Harry laughed. “She doesn’t have a lot to do. I do the dressing and Thomas takes care of the undressing.”
“Well, lucky Rose.” Her mother winked suggestively. “And lucky you!”
As Harry was about to leave, her father arrived home.
“I’m highly flattered you came home early, darling.” Louisa kissed her husband.
“I have portentous news. Because of the war losses, Aberdeen was forced to set up a parliamentary inquiry of his policies, and his failure to appoint Lord Palmerston as secretary at war. Today he lost a confidence vote in the Commons and had to resign as prime minister.”
“I believe Uncle Johnny and Palmerston were working in tandem against Aberdeen,” Harry declared.
“Yes, John is coming to dinner tonight. He’s backing Palmerston for prime minister, but I’m afraid there is a fly in the ointment. Prince Albert informed me an hour ago that Victoria doesn’t care for Palmerston and doesn’t want to ask him to be her PM.”
“Well, you and John must do your best to get it settled before the month is out. I don’t want it to interfere with our trip to Ireland,” Louisa said firmly.
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Uncle John became prime minister again?” Harry said.
When Thomas came home, he told her the news.
“I was visiting Mother when Father arrived. I warrant he wasn’t too unhappy to learn that Aberdeen had to resign. You were right, Thomas. That day when I visited Parliament, you told me that Uncle John and Lord Palmerston were trying to bring Aberdeen down.”
“Palmerston has ambitions to be the next prime minister.”
“How do you know him so well?”
“I’ve known him for many years.”
“Father said the queen doesn’t care for him. What do you know about him?”
Thomas hesitated. “This is confidential, Harry. Members of Parliament have a gentleman’s agreement not to divulge secrets about each other’s private lives. Palmerston is an inveterate gambler. I met him years ago when he frequented Ranton, my father’s sporting estate.”
“That explains why Victoria doesn’t care for him.”
“I doubt she knows. These things are kept private.”
I warrant she knows more than you think. Women thrive on gossip.
“Mother says they are going to Ireland for March and April, so before I forget, will you invite Will Montagu for dinner one night next week? I promised Jane an evening with an eligible bachelor, and it goes without saying that Jane assumes I meant the
braw Scots laddie
.”
braw Scots laddie
.”
“I shall willingly aid and abet you in your matchmaking. I wouldn’t mind having Will for a brother-in-law.”
On Friday evening, Trixy arrived early to take Harry to the women’s meeting in Langham Place. When Thomas greeted Trixy and kissed her brow, she never mentioned the baby to him, so Harry kept her mouth closed.
“Harry, you wouldn’t believe it, but last night at Spencer House, the subject of centaurs came up and Jane Frances, the young Duchess of Marlborough, said they had a pair at Blenheim Palace.”
“Oh, what a coincidence.” Harry looked at Thomas. “I wonder if they could be the ones from Shugborough.”
“It’s a possibility.” His brows drew together. “I know Marlborough. I’ll check into it.” He kissed Harry. “Don’t wait up for me, darling.”
When the two sisters left the house, it had started to rain again and they hurried into the carriage. Before they got to Piccadilly, Trixy experienced a wave of nausea.
“Oh dear, I feel sick again. I felt wretched this morning, but it passed off.”
“Having a baby and nausea go hand in hand, Trixy. You need something to settle your stomach. There’s an apothecary shop in Shepherd Market. We’ll stop and I’ll get you something.”
Harry signaled the driver and told him to go left to Shepherd Market instead of right to Regent Street. When the carriage stopped, she hurried across to the apothecary shop. Farther down the street, she noticed a striking woman leave a house and climb into a carriage. For a fleeting moment, Harry thought it looked like Thomas’s carriage. She dismissed the notion.
In the rain all black carriages look alike.
A trickle of rain ran down inside her collar, and she hurried into the shop. A few minutes later she was back with Trixy.
In the rain all black carriages look alike.
A trickle of rain ran down inside her collar, and she hurried into the shop. A few minutes later she was back with Trixy.
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