"What are you doing?" demanded Adam.
Allegra jumped. "Going to sleep. You've made my mind much easier now. Thank you again."
"Going to sleep?" Adam roared the words in an outraged tone, forgetting his nervousness, and strode over to the bedside. "What the hell do you mean, you're going to sleep?"
Allegra's eyes opened very wide, surprise and alarm reflected in them. "It's long after midnight, Adam. I promised to visit the foal again the morning. I thought I would sleep now."
"You're not going anywhere in the morning until I say you can," Adam declared. "And you're not going to get much sleep tonight." He sat down on the bed and reached across, grabbing Allegra's wrist in his big hand. "Do you understand me?"
"Adam, what's the matter? Did I do something wrong?" Allegra looked down at his hand in surprise, and he quickly relaxed his grip.
"No, you're not doing anything wrong. As a matter of fact, everything looks just about right. But if you think I'm going to go back to my room and let you get your beauty rest, you're sadly mistaken."
Allegra looked up into his face, understanding dawning in her eyes. "Oh, you mean...you want...do you think that's wise, Adam? Just a few days ago we were at each other's throats. Shouldn't we...well, wait a little while?" Her voice trailed off at the expression of stark desire that came over his face.
"No, I don't think that would be wise," he ground out. "I think I will be a raving madman if I have to wait for you much longer. Do you have any idea what you do to me?"
Allegra blinked. "Well, I always feel quite strange when I'm around you. Almost as though I can't catch my breath and the ground is falling away from my feet. Is that what you mean?"
"Something like that," muttered Adam. "Here, let me show you."
Chapter 11
A Mother's Work
Allegra stirred and rolled over, stretching her arms out on either side. It was morning, she thought lazily. And what a pleasant dream she had had the night before.
"Good morning."
Allegra's eyes flew open and she looked up into Adam's startling green eyes. He lay on his side, watching her, his naked chest lightly sprinkled with golden hair, the sheets just barely covering his slim hips, and she realized it hadn’t been just a dream.. He looked completely at home in her bed, as though he woke up there every morning, and she felt a brief flash of resentment at his obvious comfort with the situation. What if she hadn't satisfied him last night?
"Hello," she answered, blushing deeply.
"Don't be embarrassed," said Adam, reaching to embrace her, “last night was beautiful, just like you.”
Two hours later Adam and Allegra emerged from her bedroom two hours late for breakfast, washed and dressed, only the expression on their faces an indication of how they had spent their time since retiring for the night. The entered the dining room to find Emily waiting for them.
"Good morning, children," she said cheerfully. "You were abed late."
Allegra smiled. "I'm sorry, Mama. I...I slept late this morning."
Emily's shrewd eyes went from Allegra's face to Adam's and she smiled gently. "Did you make up your quarrel?"
"Yes, Mother, we did. You'll be glad to know that we have mended fences." Adam dropped a kiss on her cheek.
"Wonderful." Emily's eyes twinkled. "And now I'm sorry to tell you that I must return to town. I've received a missive from my friend Lady Broughton and it seems that she is in desperate need of my aid. Her daughter has fallen in love with a most unsuitable young man and she needs my advice and support. But I think the two of you should remain here for the rest of the week and enjoy the countryside as we had planned."
"But you can't go!" protested Allegra. "We'll be lonely without you."
Emily shook her head. "Two young people like you and Adam don't need an old lady about. And the company of lovebirds can be so dull. I will have a much better time in town solving Mary's problem. And the two of you will enjoy yourselves far more without me here to distract you."
Adam shook his head and grinned. "You're incorrigible, Mother. What makes you think we're love-birds?"
"I have eyes in my head don't I? And the servants have been whispering all morning." Emily smiled as Allegra gasped and colored. "Don’t be shocked, child. We're all very happy for you. But I think my presence here is unnecessary now. I've already ordered the carriage and will be on my way within the hour."
Adam got up and went to his mother, kneeling beside her chair and hugging her. "You are a terrible old busybody, Mother, and I love you very much. Thank you."
"Nonsense." Emily stood up and shook out her skirts. "I'll see the two of you in London next week." She smiled at them both, paused to stroke Allegra lightly on the cheek, and left the room, closing the door behind her.
"You aren't going to let her go, are you?" asked Allegra.
"She wants us to be alone," answered Adam. His eyes raked over his wife as she sat across the table from him. "And it seems to me that's a very good idea.
"Adam!” But Allegra was smiling.
"I'm thinking that we should go for a ride. We can find that pleasant spot by the stream that we were at yesterday and finish the business we started. What do you think?" Adam walked around the table to her side and held out his hand.
Allegra’s attention was caught. "Could we take some strawberries with us?"
Adam raised his eyebrows. "Buckets of them, if you want.”
Allegra stood and placed her hand in his. "What a marvelous idea, Adam. I would love to go for a ride."
When Emily's carriage rolled away from the main doors an hour later, she saw her son and daughter-in-law tearing across the fields on their horses, Adam in hot pursuit of Allegra, who was laughing joyously. She gave a tiny sigh of contentment. All was at last well at Gravesmere House.
Chapter 12
Love in the Library
Over the next days, Adam and Allegra spent all their time together, sharing the delights of a couple having just discovered one another. They retired to their bedroom shortly after dinner each night, rose late each morning, and found plenty of time for dalliance in between. They also learned to their delight that they shared other interests as well, and many happy hours were spent in the stables with the horses, on trips about the estate visiting tenants, or visits to the extensive gardens, where Allegra showed a rare interest in flowers and immediately placed all the gardeners under her spell. London, with its parties and gossip, Louisa, Lord Gresham, even Emily, seemed to be a lifetime away from that long-ago period before they had found each other.
But always, before too many hours had passed, Adam would catch Allegra's eye, and the familiar feeling of need would rise in each of them, and they would find their way to the nearest private place for a hasty coupling. Adam began to wonder if Allegra had some mysterious power over him, for his desire for her increased each time he had her, rather than waning as it usually did. Her pure sensuality and delight in their activity attracted him as no other woman had before. When he had time to ponder the idea it bothered him, but he always hastily dismissed the thought, reflecting that it was just as well that he wanted his wife, for she must be the mother of his children and his constant companion.
In the late afternoon of their last day at Gravesmere, they were together in the library, a stately room with beautiful carved oaken paneling. Sunlight splashed through the high windows, brushing the leather spines of the volumes and making the tiny motes of dust that floated in the air glisten like gold. Adam sat in a high-backed leather chair, one leg thrown casually over the wide arm, a volume open in his lap. His shirt was open at the neck, revealing a trace of golden hair, and he appeared to be completely relaxed and at ease. Allegra stood on the balcony that circled the room, her head turned up towards the wall of books towering over her, searching for a particular volume. "Adam, where is your Horace?" she asked plaintively.
Adam looked up, amused. "Horace? When did you learn to read Greek?"
Allegra turned towards him and leaned her arms on the
carved railing, smiling at him teasingly. "I've many talents you don't suspect."
Adam gazed up at her, transfixed by her appearance. He always thought of an angel when he saw her. Her hair glinted in the sunlight, her delicate hands fluttered on the dark wood, and her chest swelled gently above neckline of her gown. He put the book down in his lap.
"Come to me," he asked.
Allegra felt a tiny fluttering in the pit of her stomach as she moved to his side. She gently raised her hand and touched his cheek. He was so beautiful, she thought, so splendid. A week ago she hadn't imagined that they would ever be on speaking terms, much less lovers. And now he was hers. She sighed.
"Adam, I'm scared."
Adam raised his head, roused from his own thoughts. "What's wrong?"
Allegra hesitated. "I'm scared to go back to London tomorrow," she said.
Adam looked perplexed. "Why? Mother will be happy to see us."
Allegra sighed. "I know. I just...it's just that in London we were different people than we are now. I'm frightened that if we go back everything will change."
"What will change? I will still be your adoring husband, and you will still be my beautiful wife." Adam leaned forward and kissed her lingeringly.
"But everything here is so perfect," Allegra tried to explain. "We're happy together. In London there will be...other people. It won't be the same. Can't we stay longer?"
"I'd love to, darling, but people will talk. And I have business to attend to that shouldn't wait. Don't worry, I'll always have time for this." Adam allowed his hand to glide across her shoulder. But he privately understood her concerns; how could he share her with all of Society after this week together? His emotions for her were so strong that they frightened him. The thought of her smiling and dancing with other men made him feel ill.
Allegra gave a wan smile. "I know. I'm being silly, I suppose. It just seems that everything will change when we go back."
"I won't allow anything to change," promised Adam. "You can trust me."
"I know," said Allegra. "I do."
They clung together on the settee, lost in thought, as the rays of the setting sun caressed them.
Chapter 13
Ladies and Lies
They left Gravesmere early the next morning, and Allegra looked back regretfully over her shoulder as the carriage bowled down the drive. The old house slumbered in the hazy light, and she couldn't repress a pang of regret and a tiny shiver of fear. Despite Adam's reassurances the day before and a wonderful night spent in his arms, her doubts would not be dismissed. After all, everything that had come between them in the past was in London; her social life and many beaux, and Lady Manning. The thought of Adam's mistress distressed her. She knew that Louisa wouldn't take her dismissal easily. And the older woman had kept Adam in thrall for many months; how could Allegra compete with her after only a week of real closeness? He had never mentioned love to her, and while he had seemed to enjoy their time together, she still knew so little about him and his interests and needs.
She moved restlessly on the brocaded seat, and Adam gave her a shrewd glance. His own thoughts were less than enjoyable, as he remembered his doubts about Allegra's blossoming womanhood. Any man would feel blessed to have a wife as lovely as Allegra, but he somehow wished that perhaps she took less delight in their nights together. He shook his head. It was nonsense, of course. He had no reason to doubt Allegra; he was absolutely certain that she had been a virgin on their first night together. And while she had never spoken of love to him, she showed no signs of missing her beaux. He would simply have to make sure she was too busy to become interested in another man.
He reached across the space between the seats and grasped her about the waist, pulling her towards him in a tumble of silk. "Adam," she gasped, stifling a giggle. "What are you doing?"
"You looked lonely over there," he answered. "I thought you'd like some company."
"Mmmm, I would." Allegra nestled her head into his broad shoulder and took a deep, steadying breath. The changes in her life had been so abrupt that she simply wasn't ready for them, she told herself. Surely Adam had shown how fond he was of her over the past week? And if he didn't love her, at least he found her satisfactory in bed, and perhaps affection would grow from that. She flushed slightly as Adam's arm tightened around her. Everything would be fine, she thought. London was no different than any other place.
Several long hours later the carriage pulled up in front of Gravesmere's townhouse. The liveried footman climbed down from the box and went to open the door for his master. The curtains were drawn over the windows, and he thought he heard the sound of nervous laughter. He cleared his throat and rapped cautiously.
"Your Grace?”
"Just a moment." The duke's voice sounded as though something was amusing him greatly, and several seconds passed before the door swung open from the inside. Adam, his hair slightly ruffled, swung down from the carriage with a jaunty step. "It's all right, Charles," he said. "I'll attend to Her Grace."
He turned and gently lifted Allegra down, holding her a moment longer than was necessarily. The silks of her skirt were slightly crumpled, but she held herself proudly as she cast a roguish glance up at her husband. "I can't believe we've arrived so soon. The trip took no time at all."
"Indeed. Travelling together relieves some of the boredom."
Allegra dimpled. "I used to prefer to ride, but I think that this trip has convinced me of the superiority of the carriage as a form of transportation."
Adam took her hand firmly in his. "You're insatiable."
Allegra nodded. "And you, Adam? You're not?"
Adam laughed and led her up the stairs to the front door. "Behave yourself. My mother awaits us."
"And I do look forward to seeing her. I've missed her, despite your excellent company. And she'll be so happy to see that we're getting along so well." She stepped into the dim light of the hall and began to remove the pins from her hat.
"I will indeed. I was almost afraid that after I left the two of you would begin quarreling again."
Allegra swung around to see Emily awaiting them at the foot of the stairs, wreathed in smiles. She gave a glad cry and ran to her mother-in-law, hugging her close. "Have you missed us?" she demanded.
Emily looked over her daughter-in-law's head into Adam's eyes. What she saw there seemed to reassure her, and she nodded. "Of course I have, darling. But I'm very happy that you and Adam seem to have come to terms with each other. Come upstairs now and tell me all about your honeymoon."
"Of course!" Allegra turned to Adam, who still stood near the door. "Will you come with us?"
Adam hesitated. "In a moment. I need to go to my study and check some business matters. Can you do without me for a little while?"
Allegra laughed. "Of course. Your mother and I will have a comfortable chat and you may join us when you will. Come along, Mama. I need you to fill me in on all the gossip I missed in my absence."
"Goodness!" exclaimed Emily. "All of it? That would take hours!"
Adam watched as his mother and wife turned and went up the stairs to the morning room, a smile on his lips. He watched the gentle sway of Allegra's hips under her silk skirt, and the proud way she held her head. She was lovely, and quite irresistible. It was almost alarming how she filled his thoughts.
He sighed as he turned and strode down the hall to his study. He pushed open the door and took a deep breath. The room was his sanctuary, a place he would go when he wished to be alone and think things out by himself. But now he had a difficult task ahead of him, and he wasn't looking forward to it. He sat down behind the large oaken desk, sinking into the soft leather chair. A number of letters that had been delivered during his absence rested on the desktop, and he sorted through them impatiently. He paused as he lifted one addressed to him in a flowery, feminine handwriting that was very familiar. The faint scent of lilacs wafted from the paper, and he set it down quickly, unopened. Louisa.
He tried without succes
s to bring a picture of her to his mind. He knew her hair was dark and her eyes violet, but when he tried to recall her face all he could see was a laughing angel, her red-gold hair sparkling in the sunlight above her naked white shoulders. He bit out a curse. It was unnatural the way Allegra had crept into his thoughts, seeming to dominate them at all times. Nonetheless, he had promised to rid himself of Louisa, and he was aware that he no longer desired her at all. Whatever his feelings had been for her, they had gone little deeper than the physical, he now realized.
He drew a piece of paper towards himself and picked up his pen, dipping it thoughtfully in the inkwell. "Dear Louisa," he began, and then sat a moment, staring at the page. She would surely be distraught when she received this. Louisa depended on him for so much, and he had promised not to abandon her. Hadn't she told him over and over again how much she loved him? A sense of guilt came over him, and then he pushed it aside. He would make sure she wanted for nothing, that she had enough money to keep her in luxury for the rest of her life. She had always known that he was married, after all.
He raised the pen again, and then hesitated as he tried to form sentences. Perhaps it would be best to tell her in person. He didn't relish the tears he was sure would follow, but he owed it to her to tell her face-to-face. But then he thought of the scene she might create, and hesitated. On rare occasions he had witnessed Louisa's temper, and while it had never been directed against him, it had been very unpleasant. Perhaps a note would be best.
As he hesitated, the pen hovering over the paper, there came a knock at the door. The butler stuck his head around the corner of the door.
A Most Unusual Situation: A Traditional Version Georgian Romance (The Gravesmeres Book 1) Page 12
