by Cari Hislop
“A more constructive thought might be to imagine winning her forgiveness my Lord.”
“How am I going to do that? You heard what I said…she hates me. I can’t bear it…” He moaned out loud as his heart cursed him to hell.
“If I were you my Lord, I’d dress up in an old suit of armour, kneel before her and declare yourself the enemy of Lord Latham. Offer to impale the heartless swine for daring to injure the woman you love. Women like that sort of thing.”
“She’d tell me to fall on my sword.”
“No she wouldn’t, because you’re speaking as Latham’s enemy. She’d have to tell you to run him through.”
“And how would that improve the likelihood of my survival?”
“You go into the next room and stab something cursing Lord Latham…and then return declaring you’ve defeated her enemy and request a kiss for your pains. If she offers a kiss you know you’ve been forgiven…unless she slaps you.”
“I’m more likely to lose my good eye. It wouldn’t work; I’d feel like a ninny. Besides I can’t fit into any of my armour, it’s all too blasted small.”
“You don’t have to wear armour, just wear something Lord Latham wouldn’t wear. It worked for me.”
“For you? When?”
“It won me the heart and hand of a wealthy young widow after I fell foul of my intemperate tongue and accused her of bedding the vicar.”
“A footman can’t be married.”
“I’m not…” The footman’s polite mask slipped into one of dejection. “…she wanted more children. I couldn’t give her any. She had the marriage annulled by claiming I was impotent. I lost everything; my wife, my bed, my house, my business, my self respect…I’m sure Lady Latham wouldn’t be so cruel.”
“I certainly hope not! I’m sorry your wife was so awful.”
“She died in childbirth after marrying a penniless knight. I’m sure she enjoyed being addressed as my Lady for nine months, but I suspect she’d rather have stayed married to me and lived to be an old Mrs Davis. Is there anything else I can do for you my Lord?”
“No…I think my spirits are depressed enough for now thank you.”
Davis ignored the sarcastic tone and bowed regally before stepping back into his place a few steps behind the chair leaving Adam contemplating a vision of being rejected by the woman he loved and then being defamed as impotent to all and sundry. It was a nightmare he never wanted to live. Empathy for his servant was forgotten as he focused on winning his wife’s forgiveness. She wanted a letter; he’d write her a love letter.
Chapter 24
Opening her eyes, Eve heard her heart tapping the inside of her skull with a hammer.
She lay there staring up at the pink and white striped lined canopy hoping death would overtake her before having to face her angry husband. She couldn’t remember what she’d said, but it had left her heart reeling in fury. A tear spilled out of her left eye. She turned on her side to wipe it on her wet pillow and was distracted by an odd dark shape against the white. Blinking away her tears she stared at the folded piece of paper weighed down with… It was too dark to see properly. She snatched up the object and letter and ran to the shuttered window. Flinging them open, the gloomy winter light shimmered off a red enamelled apple locket, its single green leaf picked out with various shades of emeralds. Snapping it open she found a glass covered compartment containing a lock of black hair. Clutching his gift, she unfolded the letter.
My Heart,
I feel so ashamed. I wish I could use my aching head as an excuse for my thoughtless words, but you’re right; I’m a vain pompous idiot. It’s not a comfortable description, but perhaps if I’d forced myself to look into a few more mirrors over the years I’d be more acquainted with reality. I never cared what I looked like, until I had my face carved up. Whenever Mother found me upset after being snubbed by another girl who’d seen me without my eye patch she’d tell me that one day I’d fall in love and my beloved would think me beautiful. I should have known better than to believe her; she also used to tell me I’d be Prime Minister and I hate politics.
My own Eve, please forgive my thoughtless stupidity. Forgive me for not having the courage to court you. I was terrified my heart wouldn’t be given a chance. The creature in my chest hates me for hurting you. While I was being a monster, it was screaming at me to pull you into my arms and weep into your hair. If you were to put your head on my chest, I’m sure you could hear it cursing me.
I await your judgement. I’ve left a discreet footman outside your door. Whatever you desire, he shall inform me of your decision and I will honour it. It may be difficult to believe, but I love you more than my pride or vanity. I offer these worthless items in exchange for your heart.
Adam
Her heart broke into song as Eve rushed to the door and yanked it open, “Davis?” The footman leaning against the wall with folded arms jumped to attention. She started and stared at the beautiful profile strained with misery. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Approximately three hours my Lady.”
“For goodness sake, come sit down…”
The face turned towards her revealing the thin black ribbon circling his head was indeed an eye patch. Staring up into a single green eye Eve felt strangely light-headed, as her mouth fell open in amazement. The jagged scars pointing toward the black patch weren’t enough on their own to obliterate the man’s beauty. With the dead eye covered she could see his face; this beautiful man had lost his heart to her? “My Lady…you look pale, let me help you back to bed.” Her heart jumped up and shouted, ‘Oh yes, help us into bed…and take off those silly clothes; let’s play Adam and Eve…Adam…Adam…Adam…’
“Oh shut up!”
“My Lady?” The beautiful face went taut with distress.
“No not you…it’s my…never mind!” Her face felt as red as his latest gift. She grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him inside and firmly closed the door, but she was finding it difficult to catch her breath. Running past him, she dredged her shawl from her bedclothes and wrapped it around her shoulders as if the man wasn’t her husband; as if he hadn’t already seen her practically naked. She cleared her throat as she turned back to face him and blushed again; she was alone in her chamber with a beautiful man who wanted to worship her with kisses. She silently cursed her cheeks as they flushed again as she remembered the feel of those sculptured lips on her skin. She unconsciously licked her own lips as her knees trembled.
She was trying to wade through a sudden mental fog when he said, “What shall I tell his Lordship?”
Had the man lost his mind? “His Lordship?”
Her husband was still standing at attention as if he were a footman. “Lord Latham, what do you wish me to tell him? Do you desire an…ann…an annul…”
“No!”
The sharp little word caused the man’s shoulders to visibly relax. His single eye widened in delight and his lips struggled to smother a smile. “Shall I tell him you accept his apology for being a vain pompous bore my Lady?”
“Tell him I’m sorry for hurting his feelings and shouting at him like a fishwife. He must be gravely disappointed in his Countess.”
The man regally bowed silently accepting her apology. “Forgive my impertinence, but I rather suspect he feels quite the opposite. Is there anything else I might do for you my Lady?”
Eve’s eyes gleamed with mischief as her admiring eyes escaped from his lower limbs encase in tight silk back to his face. “Inform His Lordship that it’s a good thing he didn’t send you with his love letters to woo me; I’d have fallen in love with his footman. I daresay he hasn’t noticed your beautiful legs.” The man looked at his legs and then blinked at her in shock. “How is Lord Latham? He looked rather unhealthy at table.”
“I believe he’s improving by the minute my Lady.”
“Good!” She stepped closer as his arms fled behind his back. She stood on her tip toes and leaned towards him as she whispered, “C
an I count on you to be discreet?”
“As discreet as death my Lady.”
“Make it clear to my husband I have no wish for an annulment and ask him if I may come to him…”
The green eye widened with disbelief. “Shall I tell him you wish to…talk?”
“No, I wish him to…” Eve flushed bright red again as she cleared her throat and stared at his beautiful shoulders swayed on her tiptoes. “I’d like him to…” Why was it so hard to say a three letter word? Sighing, she cleared her throat again as her heart started humming a tune that made her want to dance.
“Show you the gardens?”
“No…”
“Order luncheon?”
“No…”
“Read you Genesis chapters three and four?”
“No…I wish him to…to bed me.” There she’d said it. She stared at his cravat feeling faint as her face threatened to burst into flames. He wasn’t saying anything. Eve twisted her shawl with nervous fingers as her heart continued to hum a waltz. “He doesn’t have to if…if he doesn’t wish.”
“My Lady…” The gentle words drew her eyes back to his face like a magnate where the bright green eye looked hazy as if he’d just downed another six bottles of wine. “When shall I tell His Lordship to expect you?”
The hoarse whisper caused Eve’s cheeks to burn hotter as her eyes bashfully fell to his waistcoat giving her heart an opportunity to admire his chest. “In fifteen minutes?”
“Very good my Lady…” He bowed and turned towards the door to the hall.
“Wait! Would you show me how to unlock my secret door to his room? I tried to visit him this morning, but he’d already gone to breakfast. The chamber maid was cleaning his excesses; it was very embarrassing.”
He bowed and silently led her to the hidden door to his room. She watched his face while he fingered a part of the carved door post. “You must look at my hand my Lady!” Her eyes jerked away from his face to his beautiful fingers and absently noted the mechanism. “I’ll inform his lordship…my Lady.” He bowed again and slipped into the secret passage and closed the door. Eve moaned as her heart stopped humming and started wailing in deprivation at his departure. “You’ll see him in ten minutes. I need to brush my teeth and comb my hair and perform my ablutions. We’re not going to roll into his bed smelling like a laundry maid.” Her heart fell into a sulk until she noticed the time; in a few short minutes she’d be in his arms. Her heart started humming the waltz with anticipation making Eve smile as she combed her hair and made herself presentable. Looking in her dressing table mirror it seemed almost sacrilege to believe that a man as beautiful as her husband could be hideous or in love with her. As the clock chimed a quarter to the hour she threw down her comb and pulled her pink silk dressing gown over bare skin. Shivering with nerves she buttoned it closed and walked to the secret door with a stomach full of butterflies.
Chapter 25
Adam’s green silk dressing gown swished against his skin as he paced his room. Every few minutes he’d stop and look at the clock and then lean over to examine his reflection in his dressing mirror to make sure his eye patch was in place. She appeared to like his face when his blind eye was covered. She admitted to liking his legs; his eye rolled back towards the clock as his body begged her to hurry. His heart led the choir, calling for her in an eternal rhythmic chant. As the clock chimed a quarter to the hour he jumped as his secret door slid open and she stepped barefoot into his room.
“I don’t know how to close it.” She stared bashfully at his naked feet as he crossed the room and reached over her to press the button to ensure their privacy. “You have black hair on your toes.”
The wonder in her voice made Adam shake with silent laughter as he reached out and took a handful of golden brown hair and brought it to his lips before letting it run through his fingers back to its owner. “And you have the most glorious hair on your head. The first time I saw you my heart said, ‘touch it…touch it…touch it!”
She glanced at his face making his chest ache with pleasure. “I’m really nervous.”
His dream of making love to his Eve in the light was suddenly not as important as her comfort. “Shall I close the shutters? It’ll make the room nearly pitch black. Shall I be your demon-lover?”
He watched her cheeks flush and her eyes stare at his neck. “No.”
The small word made his heart moan with pleasure. “Shall we talk?”
“Your throat…may I see the scar?”
“If you wish…” He gulped down his own nerves as her hands undid the top button of his dressing gown and folded back the fabric to reveal his whole throat. He’d never willingly allowed anyone to look at it.
He closed his eyes as her light finger traced the puckered scar with tenderness. “He nearly killed you.”
“Nearly…thankfully I lived to…” His eye flew open as his throat constricted. His wife’s fingers slowly continued to undo his buttons. “Eve…” Her name rasped through his teeth as his heart pressed tightly against his ribs to welcome the soft feminine cheek resting against his skin. Wrapping his arms around her he caressed the soft giving silk and rested his nose against golden brown hair.
“I’m glad he didn’t kill you.” The words were spoken against his chest as her curious fingers rested nearby caressing his purring heart.
“So am I!” He punctuated the words with a kiss on her head.
“Adam?”
“Eve?”
“After you kissed me…”
“Which kiss?”
“Your first kiss.”
Adam eye lit up. “Ah, that was a kiss! My heart wailed all night in furious rage at being denied more. It’s wailing again…”
“The morning after I felt odd…”
His eye widened in horror. “I made you ill?”
“No, I heard something.”
“What did you hear?”
“I heard someone calling your name.”
Adam relaxed with a laugh, “We share a house with nearly a hundred people, someone’s bound to be calling…”
“I thought someone was following me, calling for you, but there was no one there. The voice called for Adam and…demanded your nearness.”
“Beloved, are you telling me you’re mad?”
“No, it was my heart Adam, calling for you. It demands the most embarrassing things; I had to tell it to shut up earlier, but it’s never silent. It’s been whimpering for you all morning. That’s why I went to the dining room…I needed to see you…”
Adam stared into adoring eyes as his chest caught fire. The internal flames spread through his whole body and tried to erupt from his eyes. He sniffed back the irritating moisture. “Eve…” He groaned in sweet triumph and accepted her upturned lips like a starving man unsure where to start an unexpected feast. Ten minutes later he came to his senses to find his arms inside his wife’s unbuttoned robe as he obeyed his heart’s demand to hold her close as he searched her eyes. Yes, it was there, adoration. She made no complaint as he held her tighter. “If you knew how wretched I felt when I woke up alone this morning. Davis said I stank and you held me. I thought I’d dreamt I’d gone to heaven; I didn’t know that you had. I’m glad I didn’t shoot myself this morning. I thought you’d never want to look at me again. I’m so sorry I was a beast in the dining room. I wanted to pick you up and…what are you doing Sweetheart?”
