by Ella Quinn
“It is stored in the winter, but once it’s brought out, we cover them with oilcloths at night and when it rains.”
Adeline was so excited about her new life, she felt like bouncing on her toes. This house was perfect. Frits was perfect. Then she realized something or someone was missing. “Where is Maximus?”
Frits grimaced. “He decided he was not home until he rolled in cow and horse dung, so he’s having a bath.”
She had not thought about that aspect of the country and wrinkled her nose. “Eww.”
“Come. Let us drink our tea.” He laughed. “You’ll learn to sniff before you let him lean against you.”
Frits was glad Max had made himself unsuitable for Adeline’s company today. He had plans for her that did not include the dog. This was the first time since they were betrothed that he’d be completely alone with her. And even though they’d be wed in less than two days, they would be the longest days of his life if he couldn’t make her his.
Holding hands, they ambled along the path, and he pointed out a number of wild orchids and found, to his delight, she was familiar with all of them. Finally, they reached the stream and glade, dotted with wildflowers. At one end of the glade, a folly built like a cottage stood next to the stream.
“Oh, Frits.” Adeline started forward, then glanced back at him. “This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen!”
They strolled along the water and watched fish darting around the rocks until they reached the folly. “My great-grandfather built this for my great-grandmother to have a place to escape from their twelve children.”
He took out the key and opened the door to a small entry that opened up to one large room painted white and decorated with soft, chintz-covered furniture, including a wide daybed. French windows filled the wall overlooking the stream, and the folly was set just far enough back from the water for an excellent view. As he had instructed be done, the windows were open, and lacy curtains fluttered gently on the sides of the windows. The square table was set for two, and a picnic basket was set in the middle of the table.
Adeline went to the windows and stood. “She was a fortunate lady.”
Coming up behind her, he slid his arms around her waist and nuzzled her hair, breathing in the spicy scent of lavender and lemons. “Most of the follies on the property were built for wives. If you wish for one of your own, you may have it.”
He fluttered kisses along her jaw and felt her lips tilting up. “If they are all as well furnished as this one, I might not need my own.” She turned slowly in his arms. “We should make a survey of them.”
Frits liked her idea. He hadn’t visited most of them for years. “An excellent idea.”
He found her lips and she opened to him, meeting his tongue with hers. Adeline moaned, and his already erect cock hardened even more. “Be mine.”
She slid her small, perfect fingers up over his shirt and under his loose shooting coat, pushing the garment off his shoulders. “Yes.”
For the first time in the course of his plan, he wondered if she even knew what he meant. She had started on his simply tied cravat when he held her hands still. “Do you know what I am asking?”
Her cheeks flared red, but her eyes held only a little confusion. “I think I do. You wish to have marital relations, do you not?”
She was going to be the death of him. “Er, yes, but do you know what that entails?”
Her gaze cleared. “I know a little. Lady Merton and Eugénie were very helpful in that respect. But I have been assured that what I do not understand, you will teach me.”
Yes, yes, he would. He’d teach her everything. “That will be my absolute pleasure.”
She had managed to untie his cravat and threw it to the floor. “Kiss me again.”
If his shaking fingers were any indication, his years of practice getting women out of their clothing had left him unprepared for the reality of Adeline. The process was made even slower by his inability to refrain from kissing each inch of skin that was revealed. When he arrived at her breast, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven. Her full, creamy mounds were topped by rosy nipples waiting for him to feast on them. Palming one breast, he licked the other before drawing a tightly furled bud into his mouth. She tasted like herself, with a bit of honey added. There should be an ice in her flavor.
Adeline moaned and wriggled against him, pressing her bosom against his mouth. Then she tugged at his shirt and, obeying her command, he drew it over his head. “Clothes off.”
He pushed her garments over her hips and they fell to the floor with a soft whoosh. He pulled off his boots while she stepped out of her clothes and removed her half boots. She stared up at him, unsure of what to do next, and, he thought, a little nervous at being naked before him. He drank in the sight of her small waist and generous hips. Reaching out, he skimmed his hand over her body. It was softer than silk or rose petals. “You are beautiful.”
She blushed again, and he reminded himself to take this first time slowly.
“So are you.” Adeline could not take her eyes off Frits’s chest. Soft black curls covered his broad, muscular chest. Tiny, dark-rose nipples peeked out from the curls, and she wanted to taste them as he had tasted hers. She had been nervous at first, and was glad she had been told this might happen before her wedding night. Actually, she was happy this was not their wedding night. This was much more natural.
She placed her hands on his firm chest and rubbed her thumb over his nipple. Her sister-in-law was correct. She should take this time to explore her soon-to-be husband.
Moving her hand down, she savored the texture of his stomach until she reached the band of his breeches and stopped. “May I?”
He stood perfectly still, as if he had been frozen in place. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed. “Yes.”
She unbuttoned the placket, and his member sprang out, almost into her hand. Carefully, she reached out and touched it. It was as soft and hard as she’d been told.
Frits tensed. “In bed.” He voice was low and harsh. “Now.”
Adeline grinned to herself as he picked her up and carried her to the daybed, then captured her lips again. She broke the kiss and pressed her lips down his throat. “I love that you think I am beautiful.”
“There is no thinking about it. From the second I saw you, I knew you were the most beautiful woman in the world. You captured me with your eyes.” He took the pins from her hair and watched it fall. “As I said, beautiful.” Then he grabbed the reins again, pressing openmouthed kisses over her chest until he reached her breasts.
When he drew her nipple into his mouth, heat and need once again flooded her mons. She wanted more. She wanted him. Adeline’s hips lifted, and she writhed against him, searching for surcease, and he placed the palm of his hand between her legs and rubbed.
The tension grew when he placed one finger in her sheath. “Let go, my love.”
His mouth was on her breast again, and suddenly there were too many sensations. She gasped, sucking in air, and suddenly the tension broke, shattering her to the winds. Before the tremors stopped, he plunged into her. The pain was sharp as he stretched her, and she could not stop from crying out.
Frits ceased, his forehead resting against hers. “How painful is it?”
“It hurt, but it’s better now.” The feeling of being stretched started to fade. “Try moving again.”
“Wrap your legs around me. That might help.”
She did as he’d suggested and he moved slowly. Soon the tension was building again, and waves of pleasure crashed through and around her.
“Adeline!” he called her name as he plunged one last time before collapsing off to the side and bringing her with him. He pulled up the blanket from the end of the bed and covered them. “Are you well?”
“Yes.” She was overcome with a sense of peace and belonging she had never felt before. Making love had been everything she had been told it would be and more. It was no wonder no one was able to capture the f
eelings in words. “I am better than well. I could spend the rest of my life here with you, making love.”
“We shall never leave.” He kissed her temple, and held her closer. “The vicar will have to come here to marry us.”
Laughter burbled through her at the image. “That would be a sight.”
“Our mothers and friends . . .” He laughed too. “I don’t think my mother would mind nearly as much as your mother would.”
“Oh, dear. Can you imagine her face?” She wondered if her mother and father had anticipated their vows. It seemed a great many betrothed couples had.
Frits went on with a list of people who would have to come to them for the ceremony and celebration. “Maximus, of course, and—”
“Not Humphries.” Adeline was in whoops, and tears flooded her eyes. “I do not wish him to see me in bed.”
“I don’t wish any man other than me to see you in bed.” Frits kissed her hard. “Are you hungry or thirsty? There is food and drink in the basket.”
She was, rather. “Now that you mention it.”
After making sure she was well covered against a chill, he padded to the table and brought the basket back. “Let’s see what we have.” He opened the lid. “Ham, the one I told you about, our estate cheese, roasted chicken, our cook’s seed cake, bread, pickled vegetables, probably my grandmother’s recipe, and wine.”
“I think whoever packed the basket thought we would be here for a long time.” She flashed Frits a grin. “I wonder if they are expecting us for dinner?”
“I can assure you that they are. My mother mentioned it to me.” He glanced at the daybed and shook his head. “I think we’re better off using the table.”
Adeline agreed. “Hand me my chemise.”
He’d rather that she remained naked, but he did as she asked. Eating while unclothed would come later. He took the basket back to the table, and they unpacked it.
He was elated when Adeline declared the ham and the cheese the best she’d ever tasted. “I understand why the ham is so prized. We make cheese as well, but it is not as sharp as this. It is excellent.”
“I still need to decide if we should breed our cows with the Friesian.” He’d put off making the decision while he was courting her.
Placing her elbows on the table, she linked her hands and put her chin in the middle. “You are concerned it will affect the milk for the cheese?”
“Yes. It’s not only the cheese, but the butter and cream as well.”
Raising her head, she drank some wine. “If only you could taste the milk and the products produced from it before making a decision.”
“Holland isn’t far.” Frits let his words hang there. He was certain that she was as much of a homebody as he was. Still, a short trip across wouldn’t be too much trouble.
“No,” she said slowly. “It is not.” He was right. Adeline was no more eager to make the journey than he. “Then again, it would be good for the barony to find out if the breeds are compatible. You might decide that they are not, but you want the milk on its own.”
“In that case, we will go. I have cousins in Holland I haven’t seen for years. Maybe we can visit them as well.”
“That will be interesting. I thought Frits was German, but it is Dutch?”
“Yes. My grandmother—the one living in the Dower House—is from Holland.” He smiled at her. “She will probably be at dinner this evening.”
“I wonder what time it is.” He’d seen Adeline glancing around. But there was no timepiece here. He hadn’t even brought his pocket watch.
“I’ll look.” He rose from the table and walked out to the shallow terrace. “It’s going on six.”
“We must be going.” She touched her head. “Help me find my hairpins.”
“I like your hair down.” She shot him a glare. “Very well. I’ll find your pins.” Frits started searching. It was amazing how far they could go. “They won’t start dinner without us. My valet will tell them to set it back.” Adeline was on her hands and knees, looking under the bed. The view of her round bottom had him getting hard again, and he sighed.
“What time is dinner?” she asked.
“Today, it’s at seven. Usually it is at six. You may change the time to suit yourself.”
“Not tonight I can’t,” she grumbled, and Frits had a hard time holding in his laughter.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Early the next morning, Adeline accompanied Frits to meet Gertrude. He had told Adeline that the heifer was five years old, but she acted more like a much younger cow. That must be because she had not been bred. The head cow looked at poor Gertrude aghast as she frolicked with the calves. “When will Mr. Fitzwalter come for her?”
“We’ll have to take her over. If we don’t, she might not get there. She’s very canny. But to answer your question, I am not sure. He is still in Town, hoping to wed Miss Tice.”
“If Miss Tice and Miss Martindale do what their sisters did, they will have a double wedding.” Meaning twice as many mothers involved in the decisions. Then again, their mothers had been through this before.
He shrugged. “I suppose I will hear from him when everything is settled.”
By midmorning, her father had arrived with Will, Eugénie, and the baby. Papa grumbled that Will had refused to allow him to stop by Whitehall on the way out of London.
That afternoon, Henrietta and Georgie arrived with all the news of the past day. Adeline discovered that the rooms she was in were all connected to those of her friends, and they had been given a parlor as well. Yet the day was so nice, they gathered on the terrace for tea, and Frits joined them.
After exclaiming over the gardens and the house, they settled down for a comfortable coze. “The most important thing that happened,” Georgie said, “is that Lord Turner and Mr. Fitzwalter refused to wait until the end of July to marry.”
“That is, when St George’s has a time available,” Henrietta interpolated.
Georgie nodded. “Then Lord Fitzwalter became involved and demanded that the wedding be held at his estate.”
“That sounds like him,” Frits mumbled. “Did he actually go to Town, or did he write a letter?”
“He wrote a letter.” Henrietta frowned, showing them what she thought of such cowardice.
“Well, naturally, the world was coming to an end,” Georgie continued. “Mrs. Tice and Mrs. Martindale told everyone their girls were inconsolable. And I believe her. When I saw the ladies, they both had puffy eyes, as if they had been weeping.”
“But Mr. Fitzwalter saved the plans.” Henrietta picked up the story. “Apparently, there is a village that belongs partly to the Turners and partly to the Fitzwalters.”
“There is a market town.” Frits nodded thoughtfully. “Years ago, there was a boundary dispute and a line was drawn down the middle of the village. The church is on both sides of the properties, which has worked out to the church’s benefit over the years. The situation has benefited the town as well, due to the ongoing competition between the families to ensure that their side of the town is the most prosperous.”
“The weddings will be held there,” Georgie said. “Lady Turner, Lord Turner’s mother, will host the ladies before the wedding, which will take place in three weeks.”
“Is it one wedding or two, if they are marrying at the same time?” Frits mused.
“You have as much of an answer as I do,” Adeline said and her friends shrugged and shook their heads. “What is important is that the problem was solved.”
A few hours later, Exeter and Dorie arrived, and Adeline had never seen her friend happier.
“Oh, Adeline.” Her friend reached the top of the steps and hugged her. “I am so glad we could be here. Married life is wonderful!” She turned to Frits, and Adeline held her breath. “Lord Littleton. I wish you happy. You and Adeline are perfect for each other.”
“Thank you.” He bowed. “I see you have found your perfect mate as well.”
“Yes.” Dorie gazed lov
ingly at Exeter. “I have.”
That evening, after dinner, the gentlemen brought their brandy and port and joined the ladies on the terrace.
Frits’s mother strolled out holding a paper. “I have heard from Lady Normanby. Anglesey left for the Continent. He is required to write their solicitor at least once a quarter to prove he is still alive. Other than that, they do not expect to see him again.”
“I thought he was going to try to behave as he should?” Mama asked.
Sitting next to Adeline, Frits took her hand and squeezed it gently.
Lady Littleton shrugged. “She does not explain other than to say that Lady Holloway went with him.”
Creswell stepped out onto the terrace. “Viscount Turley has arrived. He will be down shortly.”
“Thank you, Creswell.” Frits heaved a sigh of relief. “I wasn’t sure he was going to make it.”
Adeline was relieved as well. Turley was standing up with Frits. She had asked Georgie to attend her.
When Turley joined them, he explained that he’d stopped at an inn and eaten. “Littleton dines at such an ungodly early hour, I knew I’d miss dinner.”
Frits raised his quizzing glass and aimed it at his friend. “However, knowing you were going to be late arriving, we dined at seven this evening.”
A stricken look appeared on his face. “I am sorry. I should have asked.”
From inside the house, the clock struck ten. Mama rose. “I’m for my bed. Adeline, you should come as well. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”
All the other ladies agreed it was time to seek their couches as well.
“Gentlemen, do not be late,” Lady Littleton admonished as she went into the house.
Adeline and her friends reconvened in the parlor, where they found two open bottles of wine and four glasses. She poured one for each of them.
“Where will the wedding be held?” Georgie asked as she helped pass the glasses around.
“Here in the chapel. It is not used much any longer, but it is easier for the tenants to get here than to the town. After the ceremony, there will be a wedding breakfast set out on the lawn. It is tradition that the lord and lady join in as well.” She sipped her wine. “I had wanted to start meeting the tenants before the wedding, but there was not enough time.”
