The Dark Earl

by Virginia Henley

  “You just want to show off to the servants. You love being the center of attention.”

  “Of course I do! So let’s come to a compromise. I will walk on my own until I want to go upstairs. Then you can pick me up and carry me.”

  “You win, my beauty.” He put her feet to the ground. “I was just teasing you. I think you know just how thrilled I am that you can walk again.” He stepped back and allowed her to go into the house unaided.

  “Lady Harry, you are walking!” Rose ran to get Mrs. Stearn, and the rest of the staff followed the housekeeper to the reception hall to see with their own eyes.

  “It’s a miracle!” Mrs. Stearn declared. “We should celebrate this occasion. I shall cook something special for dinner. What do you fancy, Lady Harry?”

  The females of the household spent the next half hour focusing on the Countess of Lichfield, naming their favorite food, and planning the dinner menu.

  Finally, Thomas interrupted. “Harry, I know you’ve been looking forward to a ride through Cannock Chase. If we leave now, we can be back in time for this fancy dinner.”

  She looked at him with sparkling eyes. “Do you truly think I can manage to ride?”

  He bent his head to whisper in her ear. “I plan to take you up before me.”

  “That would be perfect. What are we waiting for?”

  Thomas lifted his wife into the saddle, and then mounted Nemesis behind her.

  “I love to watch you mount. When you throw your leg across your horse, you become one with it.”

  He bent his head and nipped her ear. “That sounds like a fantasy to me. What other secret fantasies do you have, my wild little wanton?”

  “The last time I was in Ireland, I dreamed that I was a black otter, and a sleek dark male began to chase me. He kept brushing his body against mine and we did a mating dance in the water.”

  “That sounds like me.” He slowed his mount as they entered the forest.

  “He lured me from the water to lie in the long grass, and then the otter transformed into you. Your kisses were more intoxicating than wine.”

  “Were we naked?”

  “Yes.”

  “You outrageous baggage—that was before we were married.”

  “It gets better.”

  He flexed the saddle muscles of his thighs as he felt her soft bum against his hardening erection.

  “You were transformed into a black centaur, and your gleaming silver eyes demanded that I follow you into the forest.”

  “Were you also a centaur?”

  “I was. I remember pawing the ground, impatient to follow you. We entered the forest and ran faster and faster on a wild hell-for-leather gallop. When we came to a clearing, I waited for you to claim me. Instead of mounting me, as I expected, you went down before me in homage.”

  “Sweetheart, in your innocent dreams I was the perfect gallant. Can you ever forgive me for disillusioning you?”

  “Thomas, I wouldn’t change anything about you. I love you exactly as you are. The terrible illness that brought me close to death gave me new perspective. I truly understand why you did what you did—you kept it from me because you love me.”

  He reined in and put a finger to his lips. “Did you hear that bark? There must be muntjac deer close by. There they go!”

  “Oh, the herd has babies. Look how tiny the fawns are,” Harry said in awe.

  “Let’s follow them.” They emerged from the trees into grassland, and as the deer loped through the lush pasture, they disturbed myriad flocks of game birds that filled the sky with beating wings and shrill cries.

  When they arrived at the marshland, they spotted two pairs of otters and a pair of muskrat. “They all have young. It’s so thrilling to see them.”

  “It’s breeding season. Let’s make plans to ride through the chase every week so we can watch their progress. I don’t think we should ride hell for leather today. I don’t want to take the chance of injuring the baby hares and rabbits that hide in the grass.”

  “Your love of cratures is such an endearing quality, it melts my heart.”

  “I have come to realize that we are very much alike, Harry. We are kindred spirits, as the poets say. We are lucky to have found each other. Not many married couples are so fortunate.”

  “Hell and Furies, your opinion of me has undergone an amazing transformation. Don’t you remember your accusations? You revel in audacity! You have no shame! You deliberately hurl yourself against my principles! You are impulsive and reckless, and need a firm hand to protect you from yourself!

  “I applied the firm hand and turned you into a paragon.” His hand came up and cupped her breast.

  “I much prefer being reckless to being a paragon. Let’s go and wade in the stream.”

  “Done!” He dismounted, raised his arms, and lifted her down to him. Before he let her go, he warned, “I think it would be prudent to walk slowly.”

  She pushed him playfully and danced away from him. “I don’t know how to be prudent. It isn’t in my nature!” She kicked off her shoes, raised her skirts, and peeled off her stockings. She stepped into the stream and laughed as the water swirled about her knees.

  Thomas removed his shoes and rolled up his pants. “Wait for me. I want to play.”

  He joined her in the stream, and hand in hand, they waded about, laughing like children as frogs jumped out of their way and hatchlings swam between their toes.

  When they tired of their game, they climbed out and lay in the sun on the bank of the stream. They kissed away the rest of the afternoon, reveling in their solitude. When at last they reluctantly knew it was time to join the rest of the world, he lifted her into the saddle and swung up behind her.

  On the ride back he held her possessively, and the feel of his hard cock against her bum was so arousing to both of them that by the time they entered Shugborough, all they could think of was the wide, inviting bed that awaited them.

  The delicious smell of food that assailed their nostrils brought them out of their sensual reverie, and they looked at each other with comical dismay as they realized they would have to sit through the special dinner that had been planned.

  His dark eyes brimmed with laughter. “I want all of you to join us in the dining room for dinner. This is your celebration as much as ours.”

  The meal began with mushroom bisque, laced with wine and cream.

  “This is heavenly, Mrs. Stearn. You must teach me how to make this.” Harry was perfectly sincere. She licked her spoon with relish, trying not to think of licking the cleft in her husband’s chin.

  Next came a spring artichoke salad, and the spiny leaves of the olive green flower reminded Harry of the exciting feel of her husband’s abrasive jaw before he shaved.

  “Artichokes are an aphrodisiac,” Mrs. Stearn confided.

  Thomas and Harry glanced at each other, and could not mask their amusement at the irony of their cook’s words. Harry winked at Mrs. Stearn. “I’ll tell you if they work.”

  “You have no shame,” Thomas said solemnly.

  The main course was lamb chops with mint sauce, roasted potatoes, and new green peas fresh from the garden.

  The lovers caressed each other with their eyes, no longer able to hide their longing.

  When Dorothy, the kitchen maid, carried in a luscious trifle, Thomas got to his feet. “I want all of you to stay and enjoy yourselves, but I beg you to excuse us. It is Lady Harry’s bedtime.”

  As Thomas swung his wife into his arms, Riley stood up and raised his glass. “Three cheers for Lady Harry!”

  As everyone cheered and whooped with laughter, Harry threw them a kiss.

  “Thank you so much. You know I love being the center of attention.”

  Thomas kicked the bedchamber door closed with his foot. “Only the thought of the reward to come enabled me to climb two flights of stairs with this erection.”

  He sat her down on the edge of the bed and knelt before her to remove her shoes and stockings. “I have a d
ilemma. I cannot possibly give your legs their nightly massage. My need is too great.”

  “Mine too,” she gasped. “Hurry with the undressing.”

  Their fingers touched and became entangled as she helped him remove her clothes. Then by mutual consent, they made short work of his garments.

  They needed no foreplay. It seemed an eternity since they had last made love and she hungered for his hard body. When he came over her, she arched up to meet his thrusts. As her tight sheath stretched to accommodate his great size, the pleasure became too intense to sustain for long. He gripped her with his thighs and plunged deeply. Their release came hard and fast, and at exactly the same moment.

  They lay entwined, catching their breath, each wishing it had lasted longer. “I was in an indecent hurry,” he confessed. “How do your legs feel?”

  “Weak as wet linen.”

  “I couldn’t massage them before, but I can now, sweetheart.”

  With his strong hands rubbing her limbs, Harry was becoming aroused again before he was finished. Thomas lay down beside her and with the backs of his fingers brushed her shoulders, her throat, and her cheeks as lightly as thistledown. His gesture was so infinitely tender, her eyes flooded with tears.

  His lips grazed her eyelashes, tasting her tears; then he captured her lips in the gentlest kiss he’d ever given her. Every inch of her body anticipated the caress of his hands and his mouth. She watched his dark, handsome face and her breath caught in her throat as he reverently showed her how much he loved her.

  She traced his lips with her fingertips and he kissed them gently. When his hands caressed her breasts, he used a delicate touch, as if they were made of precious porcelain.

  He drew her beneath him. “I love you so much,” he whispered. “Yield to me, darling.”

  She opened her silken thighs, and he sheathed himself gently, sweetly. She had never imagined making love could be so poignant and beautiful. His mouth never left hers. Their warm lips fused over and over until her mouth tingled from an abundance of kisses. His lovemaking was tender and unhurried, and with closed eyes, she drifted on soft, billowy clouds, smiling dreamily as he filled her with his love. Her pleasure grew intense until she thought she might faint. Then at just the right moment, they melted into each other.

  Harry sighed. “I love you with all my heart, Thomas Nathaniel.”

  During the first week of May, Harry’s parents and her sister arrived. Thomas had sent word to Ireland that Harry was deathly ill, then sent another letter as soon as her health improved to ease their alarm. The moment they returned from Ireland, they rushed to Shugborough.

  Abercorn brought the treasured books from Barons Court and, as he had promised, one of his prized Arabian mares for his daughter.

  Harry was greatly relieved that the fire damage in the kitchen had been skillfully repaired and that the two suites of bedroom furniture had arrived from Althorp in Northampton before her family arrived.

  Harry gave her mother and Jane the grand tour of Shugborough. “I know it is wretched of me, but I don’t look forward to returning to London for your debutante ball. I long to stay at Shugborough for the entire summer.”

  “I am so relieved to see you recovered,” Jane declared. “I think you should stay here for an extended honeymoon.”

  “Jane is right, darling,” her mother agreed. “Besides, I think she is looking forward to being the center of attention. You and Trixy did have a way of stealing Jane’s thunder.”

  “But surely Trixy will attend your ball?”

  Jane laughed. “Yes, she will. The beauteous Countess of Durham is in London to see her doctor. But I’m afraid Trixy won’t be doing much dancing.”

  “She’s as big as a pig full of figs,” Lady Lu confided. “We are delighted that she is blooming with health, but there is no denying that she is truly swollen with child!”

  “And what about Rachel?” Harry asked.

  “I’ve brought you her letters, Harry. She and James will be in London in a few days, and as soon as they’ve attended my debutante ball, they are planning on visiting you here at Shugborough. She’s put it all in her letters.”

  “That’s wonderful. I knew she married the right man to make her happy.”

  Thomas and Abercorn were in the stables, introducing the young Arabian mare to Nemesis. “I think your suggestion of breeding these two is excellent. The best time to have him cover her is June. Daylight stimulates estrus, so she should be in heat by then,” Abercorn advised.

  Thomas ran an appreciative hand along the Arabian’s glossy neck. “Yes, June would be good. Then she’ll foal next May, when there’s plenty of grass to help her milk supply.”

  Abercorn put his hand on his son-in-law’s shoulder. “I deeply appreciate you nursing Harriet through her dreaded bout of cholera. We could have easily lost her if you hadn’t taken over and tended her day and night.”

  “She had a bad time of it. It truly was touch and go for many days.

  She became paralyzed and lost the use of her legs. I’ve never been so deathly worried in my life.”

  “Bringing her to Shugborough has done her a world of good.”

  “Yes, I agree. Would you mind terribly if we didn’t come back to London right away? Harry is longing to stay the entire summer.”

  “I think that’s a splendid idea. Stay and breed your horses and enjoy your estate. You’ve done an amazing job restoring Shugborough’s treasures and furnishings. I know that money has been a problem for some time.”

  “I promised Harry that I would swallow my pride and ask you for financial advice.”

  “Nothing would please me more, my boy. There’s money to be made in English manufacturing. We produce the best-quality goods in the entire world at the moment.”

  “Thank you. Come to the library after dinner. You provide the advice and I’ll supply the home-brewed ale.”

  When the two men returned to the house, Abercorn made a suggestion. “You know, I think it advisable if you stay at Shugborough for the entire summer, Harry. London is an unhealthy place at the best of times, and contagions are rife in the hot weather.”

  “Thomas has likely been painting you graphic pictures of my illness. But thanks to him, I am completely recovered. My reasons for wanting to stay at Shugborough for the summer are totally selfish, so I thank you for indulging me, Father.”

  Abercorn winked at his daughter. “We all have selfish reasons for doing things. For instance, the reason I came rushing to Shugborough the moment we returned from Ireland, quite apart from seeing how you were, Harry, was to make sure Riley and my best carriage are returned to London. I can’t manage without them.”

  “Hell and Furies, Father, I was hoping to keep them,” Harry teased. “Next thing, you’ll be wanting Rose back at Hampden House!”

  “This has been the most wonderful summer of my life!” Thomas was driving Harry back to Shugborough from a day of shopping in Stafford. She had bought material for new curtains in the kitchen, and some lovely Staffordshire pottery for the new stillroom they had built. Then they had enjoyed dinner at the posting inn.

  As they drove through the gates and the lights from the house came into view, Harry said, “I don’t know which season is my favorite. Spring was delightful with all the daffodils in bloom, and Cannock Chase filled with newly born wildlife, but the summer months also have been splendid. I have truly enjoyed the warm, lazy days and my walled garden overflowing with jasmine and honeysuckle.” She sighed happily. “I can’t believe it is August. Where has the time gone?”

  “It has been the happiest summer of my life, because I’ve spent it here with you.”

  “Let’s do it again next year. What is to stop us from coming in the spring and staying until autumn? We could possibly even do some entertaining. Perhaps by next year, our honeymoon will be over and we can bear to let others into our lives.”

  “I very much doubt our honeymoon will be over.”

  She glanced at him as they drove up to the
stables. “You have an enigmatic look on your face, as if you know something that I am unaware of.”

  Thomas smiled. “I do have a surprise for you, but I intend to keep my secret just a little longer.”

  “You take inordinate pleasure in keeping secrets, you dark devil.”

  As they walked from the stables to the house, Harry pointed with delight. “Do you see the glow flies in the darkness?”

  “Did you know that when their luminescent glow goes on and off, the fiery signal is a mating invitation?”

  “Oh, how lovely. I never thought about it, but I warrant you are right.”

  When they went into the house, Harry saw that there was a letter from her mother on the table in the entrance hall. “Good! We have news from London. I’ll take it with me and read it upstairs.”

  She paused when she got to the foot of the staircase. She could now climb stairs faster than anyone at Shugborough, but it was far more pleasurable to have Thomas carry her, especially when it was bedtime.

  Harry undressed quickly and slipped on her nightgown. Then she sat on the edge of the bed and opened her letter.

  “Oh, Thomas, you’ll never guess. Trixy and D’Arcy have twin sons! Bless her heart, no wonder her tummy was so huge. Mother and babies are doing very well.”

  “That’s wonderful. I’m very happy for them. But when you have babies, I hope they come one at a time. I’d die of worry if you were having twins, Harry.”

  “There’s more amazing news. Jane is engaged to Will Montagu! My sister has been in love with the braw Scot for years.”

  Thomas grinned. “Your mother will be over the moon. She’s always wanted Will Montagu for a son-in-law.”

  “Jane will be the Countess of Dalkeith and the future Duchess of Buccleuch. Mother always insisted that one of us should marry Will so that she could visit Montagu House on a regular basis and descend its glorious staircase with the dramatic flair it deserves.”

  Harry was distracted from her letter the moment Thomas began to undress. If truth were told, it was the highlight of her day to see the lithe body of her naked husband. Tonight, for some reason, he removed his trousers and left on his shirt. Her eyes followed his fingers as he began to undo the buttons. Then he deliberately turned his back before he took off the linen shirt.