The Irish Duke

by Virginia Henley

  Tara stretched her wings, flapped them a couple of times, and flew up to the branch where the male raven sat. “I told you she could fly,” Lu whispered.

  After the birds sat together for a minute or two, the male flew up and circled about the tree, cawing loudly. “All she needs is confidence,” James murmured.

  Again, Louisa held her breath, willing her young raven to fly.

  Suddenly Tara took off into the wind and joined her companion. They flew in a wide circle over the tree. “Oh, how brave she is!” Lu cried.

  Her young bird flew onto a tree branch then flew to the ground beside Louisa. “No, no, Tara, you mustn’t come back to me. I want you to be free.” Lu was so disappointed she wanted to cry. She looked at James hoping he could make it right.

  “Have faith and a little patience, sweetheart.”

  Just when Lu thought it was hopeless, her young raven began to caw and joined the male in his flight. She and James stood with their faces turned to the sky as the pair of ravens flew higher and higher. “He gave her confidence to be free. It’s a miracle!”

  James slipped his arm around her. “Every crature needs a mate. We all crave love.”

  When they returned to the house, Louisa was delighted that she had once again received two letters—one from her mother and the other from Georgy. “I shall read them right away so I can reply to them before dinner. I have lots of things to write about.”

  Her mother’s letter was filled with news about Lu’s brothers:

  Henry has passed his first year at Oxford and Cosmo is looking forward to joining him in the autumn. Alexander is still keen on becoming a doctor, though I warrant a young man who is not yet eleven may easily change his mind in the coming years.

  Edward is still in the Mediterranean and tells us he is about to get a promotion to lieutenant commander. Last week I received a letter from Charles. He seems to be fascinated with India and its people.

  Wriothesley and Eliza are expecting their first child, and they are hoping for a boy.

  Your father is well—I believe the time in Scotland was good for his health, and since Jack has taken over the management of Woburn, your father has more time to rest and relax. I am looking forward to seeing you and James, and of course Barons Court. I shall be there in less than a month! My darling Louisa, I think of you every day.

  Lu smiled as she read her sister’s letter. It was all about Georgy:

  Through mother’s dear friend, Edward Ellice, I have met a gentleman, Charles Romilly, who has quite taken my fancy. He is both tall and broad, and extremely handsome to boot. He has no title and is only a clerk of the Crown, so marriage is out of the question. But I have to admit that I am in lust with the man. I don’t really want to leave London for our upcoming visit to Ireland, but who knows? Perhaps my absence will make him all the keener for my company when I return.

  Lu sat down at her writing table. Her mother’s letter was easy to answer. Georgy’s, on the other hand, posed a problem. She wondered if she should admonish her to be careful, or scold her for her discrimination over titled suitors. The latter might be hard to swallow, coming from the Marchioness of Abercorn. In the end she did neither. Instead she urged her to come to Ireland and told her that she missed her.

  After dinner, Louisa remembered the unpacked crate of paintings in the gallery. “I never did see what art you bought in England. I’d like to see them and have them hung before mother visits.”

  She watched James open the wooden crate. “How many are there?”

  “Only two, but the subjects are extremely lifelike.” He lifted them from their packing and handed one to Louisa.

  Her eyes went wide in surprise. “Edwin Landseer painted this.”

  “Yes, he painted both of them. I saw his work at Woburn. I loved the portrait he painted of you with your horse. So I visited his studio in London and purchased these two. I particularly like this one titled Shoeing. And how could I resist Arab Tent portraying the white Arabian mare and her colt?”

  “Oh, James, the colt looks just like Sultan! Edwin truly is a genius.” She blushed. “When he was painting my portrait, I developed a girlish infatuation for Edwin. Not long after, my feelings changed completely.”

  James laughed indulgently. “It’s amazing how one week we can develop a fatal attraction for someone, and before you know it, the appeal vanishes into thin air.”

  Ah, that happened to you, I warrant. Lu was immediately ashamed of her thought. “You have very good taste in art. These two paintings should be hung side by side.”

  When they entered their bedchamber, Lu was in a restless mood. She undressed and donned a black silk nightgown. “For some reason I feel like dancing tonight. When I lose myself onstage, it frees my mind to soar about and ponder things so that I see them more clearly. I wish you could play for me.”

  “But I can. It would give me the greatest pleasure to play the piano for you. Especially if you perform your Spanish shawl dance.” He rolled his eyes.

  “A command performance done especially for the Marquis of Abercorn. Your wish is my command, Your Lordship.” She opened the wardrobe and pulled out her fringed crimson shawl. She wrapped it around her bare shoulders and together they went to the chamber where her new stage had been built.

  The melody James began to play was hauntingly beautiful. Lu had never heard it before, but she had no trouble dancing to it, and it fit her mood perfectly. Her thoughts took flight. Ireland was a magical place, and she enjoyed it more every day. She was happy that she had married an Irishman who was teaching her about his country.

  Louisa thought about their lakes and streams that were teeming with new life. Millions of hatchlings darted through the water. Families of otters chased about playing endless games. Skulks of foxes and setts of badgers had produced litters of young and seemed to be thriving. Their Arabian Jasmine watched her new colt Sultan dash about the meadow; then he would cuddle close and the mare would suckle him. Whenever Lu saw them together, her heart was touched with yearning.

  As she swayed about the stage, swirling her shawl, she thought about Wriothesley and Eliza having their first child, and for the first time she felt envious. Her thoughts moved on to the ravens. Lu knew she could have tamed Tara and kept her as a pet, but that would be wrong. Tara showed great courage when she learned to fly and joined the male raven in a flight to freedom and happiness. Every crature needs a mate. We all crave love. She suddenly knew the truth of her husband’s words, and she realized that she had found her mate and he proved every day that he loved her.

  As James watched Louisa dance, he became mesmerized by her lithe, graceful movements. When she danced she had an ethereal quality that touched his heart. Her dark, delicate beauty cried out for him to possess her body and soul. He stopped playing and sat transfixed as the glow of the lamps alternately concealed and revealed the curves of her tempting body through the transparent black silk.

  James walked a deliberate path to his wife. He swept her up into his arms and carried her upstairs to his bed.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “I was thinking about the ravens and how they stay together for life. I’m glad she found a mate.” Lu shivered as he removed her nightgown.

  James picked her up and lifted her into bed. “He found her.”

  “She found the courage to fly with him.” She watched him slide into bed. “I wish I had the courage to fly with you, James.”

  He cupped her cheek gently. “You have courage, my love.”

  She lowered her lashes. “Not enough.”

  “Look at me, Lu. You have more than enough. You were fearless enough to dance at Covent Garden. You were brave enough to take on your sister’s trouble and put her well-being before your own. Surely you are daring enough to let me consummate our marriage?”

  “I do want you to make love to me . . . it’s just that . . .”

  He brushed the tendrils back from her temple. “You are apprehensive about having a child,” he finished.

>   “Yes,” she whispered.

  “I’m sure you are not alone. I warrant you will make the best mother in the world. But first things first . . . I have to make you a wife before I make you a mother. Are you brave enough to yield to me, Lady Lu?”

  She smiled seductively. “I am sorely tempted.”

  He drew down the covers and began to make love to her with his eyes, lingering on every secret, intimate part of her body. He savored the sense of spicy anticipation as he felt excitement stir in him. He relished the tightening of his balls and shaft, the heat stealing across his loins, and the potent sensation as his cock thickened and hardened. He dipped his head to taste her lips, and he heard her sigh when he took his lips away.

  Louisa wondered if it was the wine she drank at dinner that made her feel so bold. No, it’s this devilishly attractive Irishman whose eyes are stained black with passion. She cast him small, tempting glances from the corner of her eye and licked her lips provocatively with the tip of her tongue. She gasped with pleasure as he threaded his fingers through the curls on her mons, dipped in a finger, and then tasted it.

  “Honey pot,” he murmured.

  She slipped her arms about his neck and offered him her lips. His hungry mouth was hot, fierce, and demanding, and she closed her eyes and gave herself up to him to assert his mastery over her in any way he wished. For the first time ever she welcomed the act of domination and submission.

  His hands roamed over her body, caressing, exploring, and teasing until he had set up a fever of need. He fused his mouth to hers and she opened her lips to receive his tongue. It ravaged her mouth until she moaned from its thrusts.

  She felt an emptiness inside her that needed filling in exactly the same way he filled her mouth. She reached for him with fevered fingers then gasped as she felt the engorged size of him.

  Her gasp brought him to his senses and he schooled himself to be gentle with her this first time. He wanted her eager for him the rest of their lives and knew this consummation could not be savage but must bring her pleasure. He gathered all her softness in his powerful arms, imprisoning her beneath the hard length of his body. Her thighs parted, inviting his thick male shaft to seek succor inside her. His hands slid down to cup her buttocks and he rubbed her against his hardness. When he heard her moan with need, he positioned the velvet tip against her cleft and, with one thrust, penetrated her hymen.

  Louisa bit her lip to stifle her cry, and miraculously, though the pain was sharp, it was short- lived. After the initial stab, it was replaced by a sensation of fullness, and as James held still so she could get used to his size, she could feel his heartbeat deep inside her. The whispered love words he poured over her made her melt inside.

  “My sweet, wrap your legs around my back.”

  Louisa slowly slid her thighs around his hips and crossed her ankles, imprisoning him tightly. She pressed her lips against his throat and felt his throbbing pulse beat. When he began to thrust, her body began to undulate to the sensual rhythm. As her desire spiraled higher and higher, she dug her nails into his shoulder, and finally surrendered everything with a passionate sob.

  When James felt her climax, he withdrew quickly and thrust against her soft belly until he spent. With a cry he scattered his seed across her silken skin.

  I surrendered everything to him, and I am glad. At long last I am a wife and a real woman. His lovemaking had empowered her, and her self-esteem soared. Consummation had conquered all her fears and her heart overflowed with love for her dark, devilishly attractive husband.

  Lu awoke when the curtains were drawn back to let in the sunshine. James had brought their breakfast on a tray and she sat up in bed and smiled shyly.

  Her hair was wildly dishevelled and James thought she had never looked more beautiful than she did on this glorious morning. “Lady Abercorn, you truly take my breath away.”

  I can finally lay claim to that title. “It smells good. What did you bring?”

  “Food fit for a marchioness, of course.” He set the tray before her and began the acknowledgment of last night’s lovemaking with a kiss that told her he remembered every detail. It also evoked tonight’s possibilities. His dark eyes told her that she lingered in his consciousness. James knew that without the epilogue, the cycle of making love was incomplete.

  When Lu lifted the silver cover of a small dish, instead of food she found a small velvet box. She opened it eagerly and found a pair of emerald and diamond earrings. “Oh, James, how can I thank you? I simply adore emeralds!”

  “I’ll think of a way. I chose emeralds to match your lovely eyes. They will also go splendidly with your diamond necklace from the Russell collection.”

  Lu sighed with happiness as she put on the earrings. “I’m the luckiest lady alive.”

  James sat down on the bed and lifted the breakfast covers. “Let’s eat before it gets cold. I’ve ordered a slipper bath for you, so you won’t have to leave our chamber to bathe this morning.”

  His words brought a smile to her lips. “You have no ulterior motive, of course.”

  “I always have an ulterior motive, Lady Lu. I’ve had a fantasy for years about watching you bathe. I’ve decided this morning is the perfect time to indulge it.”

  As she ate her crispy rashers of Irish bacon, she said, “Tell me about this fantasy.”

  “Very well. I walk into a chamber and find you reclining naked in a marble slipper bath. In your languid, sensual pose your lush breasts seem to float upon the water. Your long black eyelashes cast delicate shadows upon your cheekbones, and your full lips form a pouting moue inviting my kisses. Your black silken hair cascades over the edge of the tub to the carpet, inviting my fingers to tangle in it and lift it to my face. I feel my cock engorge and throb with desire.”

  She licked her lips. “And when did you begin having this fantasy?”

  “The day your brother Charles brought me to Woburn on my summer holidays from Oxford.”

  Lu’s eyes widened. “If you’ve been having a naked fantasy about me for two years, it is high time we indulged it.” She glanced across the breakfast tray and saw the bulge between his legs. “I warrant you’ve been throbbing long enough.”

  “After your . . . our bath, what would you like to do today?”

  “I’ve decided to make some rose-scented candles. The wild roses are blooming everywhere . . . wild Irish roses.”

  James smiled into her eyes. “Sure, and may there be a road before you and it bordered with roses, the likes of which have never been smelled or seen before, for the warm fine color and the great sweetness that is on them.”

  “That’s lovely. I hereby decree that you must quote me poetry every morning.”

  “I promise. If you’re occupying yourself making candles today, I’ll ride out to the mill with the leasing contract I’ve signed. When the Herdman brothers have affixed their signatures, I’ll take it into Omagh and give it to Rowan Maloney for safekeeping.”

  There was a knock on the door. “Oh, I warrant that’s the bath. James, hurry and finish breakfast, so we can proceed with the next delicious course.”

  Three hours later, Lu waved to her husband as he rode from Barons Court and she took her basket into the park to cut the wild roses. Her heart was brimful of joy and her heart overflowed with love for her husband. She was so glad she had overcome her reluctance to allow James to make love to her. The Irish devil has made me happier than I’ve ever been in my life.

  Lu took her roses to the stillroom and hummed a lilting tune as she separated the fragrant petals from their stems. Her song halted as she pricked her thumb with a rose thorn. “Damnation!” She stuck it in her mouth to suck away the blood.

  In the silence she could faintly hear female voices. They sounded angry, and she could tell they were having an argument. Her curiosity was piqued; the household was a calm and peaceful one, and the staff seemed a contented lot. She left the stillroom and walked toward the voices. She stopped outside open French windows when she saw the
housekeeper, Mrs. Connelly, scolding a female who had her back to Louisa.

  “You shouldn’t have come to Barons Court! Have you no shame?”

  “James promised that Barons Court would always be my sanctuary.”

  “You mustn’t call him James. He is Lord Abercorn.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous! He asked me to call him James. We are on extremely intimate terms. He pays my rent and takes me out to dinner, among other things. Why on earth would I call him Lord Abercorn, and why wouldn’t I come home when I need him?”

  Lu stepped inside. A cold finger of apprehension touched her. “Kitty, is that you?”

  The young woman turned, and Louisa’s eyes widened as she saw that she was heavy with child. “Kitty, what are you doing here?” Please God, no!

  “Jane . . . I could ask the same of you. Barons Court is my home. Kate Connelly is my mother. Kitty Kelly is just my stage name.”

  “Kitty! This lady is the Marchioness of Abercorn,” the housekeeper admonished.

  Kitty’s hands went to her hips defiantly. “So, your name isn’t Jane after all. You must be Lady Louisa, the noble daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Bedford. Imagine you dancing at Covent Garden!”

  “I’m sorry, Lady Abercorn. My daughter doesn’t know her place.”

  “On the contrary, I do know my place, and my bloody place is here!” Kitty raised her chin. “Where is your husband, my lady? I need to talk with him.”

  Lu had such a painful lump in her throat she could hardly speak. “Lord Abercorn is out on business.”

  Kate Connelly could not hide her humiliation. “When did this happen?”

  “When I was here at Christmas, of course!” Kitty said defiantly.

  She and James were here together in December. He never told me Kate Connelly was Kitty’s mother. Her knees felt like wet linen. Don’t be naive, Louisa. Why would he tell you his mistress is his housekeeper’s daughter?