Miss Winters Proposes

by Frances Fowlkes

  She had caught the eye of a man, all right. But certainly not a gentleman.

  Until Benjamin had offered her marriage after stumbling upon her scandal at a country house party while in search of a quiet corner to read. He had not intended to hear Amelia’s pleas for marriage, her revelation that she was, indeed, carrying Winters’s child.

  Winters, however moved he might have been, however much he may have truly desired Amelia, had refused her. She was, after all, of little consequence. A no one who no longer had a purpose in his grand scheme.

  Which had led Benjamin to accept the responsibilities Winters had refused.

  But Amelia, even with her poise and good looks, fell short in comparison to Juliet’s exotic beauty and unbridled passion.

  He set his hands on her shoulders, running them down the lengths of her arms, gently encircling her wrists with his hands. “You are beautiful, Juliet. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

  She peered up at him, her wide eyes searching his. “While I am flattered by your compliment, I am not blind. I am perfectly capable of seeing my reflection in the mirror. The same as Frederick sees mine.”

  “And you hold yourself to the standards of a man who has obviously lost his mind? Who presses his suit to further his own agenda?”

  Her fingers slipped to her elbows, exposing her full and perfect breasts.

  God, she was beautiful.

  And in need of convincing.

  “I don’t suppose so.” Her brow furrowed. “But I am not—”

  Benjamin pressed his finger into the swell of her lip. “I do not want to hear what you are not, Juliet, but rather what you are—like exquisite. Exotic. And exceptionally desirable.”

  She stared at him, her eyes further widening before her lids lowered into a sultry gaze—one no longer reflecting shame or even innocence, but heated longing and desire.

  The tip of her tongue flicked his finger, the small motion further inciting his hunger, fueling his need to have her beneath him. To see her writhing with unadulterated pleasure.

  He retracted his finger, only to have Juliet pull it into her mouth, her lips wrapping around his appendage, her teeth scraping along its length.

  Benjamin’s body tensed, his cock pulsing with the heat she stirred with her touch. He had never wanted anyone more than he wanted Juliet. And he had a mind to prove it.

  Pulling out his finger, he captured her lips with his own. With a light sigh, her lips parted, granting him an entrance he eagerly claimed. With his tongue, he greedily devoured. With his hands, he gently caressed. First her arms. Then her waist, her hips, her stomach, and finally her breasts, the soft mounds filling his grasp.

  Juliet broke their kiss. Her chest lifted in his hands, her head tilting back to reveal the seductive length of her neck. His hands left her breasts to support her back, his palms spreading against her shoulder blades. Partaking of her offering, he nipped at the creamy expanse of skin under her jaw.

  Her pulse raced beneath his lips, her breath coming in short little gasps that spurred his desire and deepened his need. With one last nip, he lifted his head and slid his hand below the curve of her bottom and lifted her into his arms.

  “Benjamin.” Surprise registered in her hooded eyes, before a dark wave of desire reclaimed them.

  He answered her with another kiss, lowering her on the layers of disheveled quilts strewn across her bed.

  “I want to consummate the marriage,” he whispered.

  “But we already have.” She wrapped her legs around his hips, the juncture between her thighs rubbing against the taut fabric stretched across his arousal. “Or have you forgotten?”

  As if he could clear his mind of the ecstasy wrought by her lovemaking. He could think of little else.

  He leaned forward and nibbled her earlobe. “Ah, but this time fear is not the driving factor behind our actions, but pleasure.”

  Juliet’s mouth widened into a smile. “Then, please, do not allow my inquisitiveness to get in the way of your objective.”

  “As you wish.”

  His hands left her to peel off his hastily thrown on shirt and breeches. Naked, he lowered himself over her, his palms resting on either side of her head. “Have I mentioned how beautiful you are, my dear?”

  Her pink lips beckoned him with their softness. “Only once.”

  “Then I shall have to say it again, lest you do not believe the sincerity of my compliment.” He took her lips between his and kissed her before adding, “You are beautiful, Juliet.”

  Her hands ran down his back, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. Lifting her head, Juliet claimed his mouth, while her hands sought his arousal.

  He bucked at her touch, her hands stroking his arousal and making his bottom clench. She was a temptress, a goddess come to test the very limits of his sanity before he went wild with a hunger that only she could sate.

  “I take it this is…pleasurable?” she asked. Her lips lifted into a wicked grin.

  “That is an understatement.” He closed his eyes and groaned. She touched the sensitive tip of his cock, her fingers working magic on his lower extremities. Should she continue to tease and taunt him, he would not last long, He pushed off the bed and stood, taking in the glorious sight before him, his wife, with her copper triangle of curls between legs bending under his inspection.

  Her skin flushed red, her arms instinctively crossing over her. He gently straightened her legs, spreading them apart to slip his fingers into the wet folds between them.

  Juliet’s back arched. A soft mewing sound escaped her lips. Benjamin touched his other hand to the soft nub of her womanhood, his fingers rubbing over the tender pink flesh.

  “What are you…?” Her words trailed into a low moan. Her hips lifted, her bottom rising off the bed.

  He grasped his arousal and plunged into her, her slick heat sheathing him. With every thrust and rock of his hips, words escaped him. The world slipped away as his need was met, his desire filled, his heart opened to Juliet and her idiosyncrasies.

  “Benjamin.” Her body tensed and she let out a moan of pleasure. Pulling her against him, he met her climax, his muscles taut as he released his seed and his heart, dispelling any thoughts he may have had on Juliet’s impending departure—from both his bed and his life.

  …

  Juliet lay sprawled over the tousled bed sheets, the heat of her husband’s naked body keeping her warm against the early morning chill. Benjamin’s hand brushed over her thigh, the languid touch stoking the heat low in her abdomen.

  Cleo whined, her pale head rising over the edge of the padded mattress, her wet tongue lapping at Benjamin’s dangling arm. With a small sigh, Juliet dug her palms into the bed and pushed her chest upright, her gaze catching that of her contended husband. “I must depart. Cleo requires nourishment.”

  Benjamin wrapped his arms around her, pulling her bare breasts against the hard planes of his chest. “As do I. You’ve worked me to near starvation.”

  “Then we should make ourselves decent and head toward the kitchens. I do not want to be accused of mistreating my husband on the very first day of our marriage.” The corner of her mouth twitched, despite the heat rushing to her cheeks.

  His grip tightened, his mouth lowering to the top of her head. He spoke into her hair, her tangled tresses muffling his voice. “Can you not have food brought to the room?”

  She giggled, the heat in her cheeks rising. “Not if I wish to have working staff in my absence. They’ll forget my father’s needs entirely, their wagging tongues too busy whispering about your indecent presence in my chambers.”

  “I’m not entirely indecent,” Benjamin said. He coiled one of her curls around his finger. “You make an excellent covering.”

  Juliet burst into laughter, her sides near aching with the revelry. “Be that as it may, I still have a very persistent hound to feed and exercise this morning.”

  “Will they not receive exercise enough on the road to Darlington?” he ask
ed, combing his fingers through her hair.

  She lifted her head and shrugged. “I suppose. But they still need to be nourished.” She traced her finger over the pink circle of his nipple. His hand shot out and gripped her wrist.

  “For a woman so intent on leaving, you do a fine job of supporting a case to the contrary.”

  “I promise to be quick.” Juliet lowered her lips and kissed the hand wrapped around her.

  “With me or the dog?”

  She nipped his finger. “With the dog, you brute. Father and I are the only two who feed the kennel. It encourages bonding between us and the hounds.”

  “It also encourages discomfort as I sit in a state of arousal awaiting your return.”

  “Benjamin,” she scolded, her cheeks likely the color of claret. Cleo whined and paced alongside the bed, her nails clicking over the floorboards. “The sooner I leave, the quicker my return.”

  A knock on the door had Juliet’s hands scrambling for the linens and a modicum of modesty. Benjamin stilled, his dark eyes staring at the door.

  “My lord,” a voice sounded through the dense wood. “A message has arrived from Darlington Hall. From a Mr. Meadowcroft, sir.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Send the note under the door.” Benjamin left her to retrieve the folded piece of foolscap before Cleo could sink her teeth into the rough paper. Her husband poured over the contents of the missive, his thick brows furrowing.

  “What is it?”

  “Mr. and Mrs. James Meadowcroft and their children are eagerly awaiting our visit at Darlington.”

  Juliet pulled the bed sheet tight around her chest. “Are you well acquainted with the Meadowcrofts?”

  He lifted his eyes, his troubled gaze capturing hers. “I am. Mrs. Eleanor Meadowcroft is my twin sister.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Having never had a sibling, Frederick being the closest semblance of one, and him two decades older than her, Juliet was uncertain of what awaited them at Darlington Hall.

  If she were to take into account the silent, and somewhat awkward, ride to Benjamin’s ancestral home, along with his sudden shift into an irritable, sullen, and overall cantankerous ogre, she’d wager something akin to a gorgon was set to meet them. Complete with talons, leatherlike wings, and a mane of venomous snakes.

  Which led her to believe perhaps the absence of a sibling was not the curse she had always thought it to be, but a blessing in disguise.

  Then again, his sister was most likely the victim of ill-timing and not the horrible mythical creature Benjamin’s rigid posture and agitated facial features suggested. Likely, she was a warm extension of his family, a veritable paragon of hospitality and friendliness.

  Unless, of course, his foul mood had less to do with his sister and more to do with Juliet. Perhaps he did not want her meeting his family for fear she might develop a friendship or grow an attachment to people dear to his heart. To people he did not want to hurt upon her impending departure. A connection to his family would only make things more difficult.

  For him…and her.

  Juliet rushed to keep stride with Benjamin as they raced through Darlington’s halls. The house itself had changed little since her proposal, the impressive manor house, with its gilded moldings, decorated plaster ceilings, and sparkling crystal chandeliers was still a model of English pride and architecture. Tasteful portraits of Benjamin’s predecessors lined the walls, likely bearing the same striking features as her husband, if she had a chance to slow down and assess them.

  Benjamin’s pace, however, was not in keeping with a leisurely stroll, but a clipped walk. He turned around a corner, his staccato footsteps echoing in the expanse of the grand foyer—and into the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Meadowcroft.

  “James. Eleanor.” Benjamin bowed, catching his breath. He turned and motioned for Juliet to stand beside him. “This is Lady Juliet Colwyn, my wife. Juliet, Mr. James Meadowcroft, and my sister, Mrs. Eleanor Meadowcroft.”

  “Eleanor, please.” The young, and swollen with child, woman grabbed Juliet’s hands. “It is such a pleasure to meet you. And quite the relief. We were beginning to believe my brother’s declaration he would remain a bachelor indefinitely. I cannot tell you how very glad we are you have proven him wrong.”

  Juliet’s cheeks warmed. “Well, I…you’re welcome?”

  Eleanor’s face split wide with a grin. “You must tell me all about the wedding. I am so very sorry we missed it. The ghastly roads prevented the carriage from making any progress, its use necessary due to my condition.” She ran a hand over the bump at her abdomen. “Of course, had we more warning, we could have made our way sooner.” She slipped Benjamin an agitated glare before returning her gaze to Juliet. “You must divulge your secrets, my dear. I am simply dying to know the story behind your nuptials.”

  Gorgon, indeed.

  Raven dark tresses, expertly arranged and pinned were hardly comparative to writhing, hissing snakes. Nor were the pair of warm, friendly brown eyes anything like the cold set of Medusa that could turn mortals into stone. From her winsome smile to her most gracious welcome, Mrs. Eleanor Meadowcroft was the paramount of hospitality. And, as Juliet had suspected, absolutely nothing like the gorgon she had first imagined.

  Which made lying to her all the more difficult.

  “You wish to know the details of our story?” Juliet asked. She wove her fingers together in an effort to stop their trembling.

  Eleanor’s eyes lit. “Of course. Now, I know he did not steal you away at Almack’s, as he has not set foot in a ballroom in years. Did he meet you through common acquaintances? Or woo you with treats from Fanny’s Confectionery? Her candy is simply sinful. I daresay if James had not whisked me away my first season, I would have married the first man who had offered me a handful of her salted caramels.”

  Glancing toward her husband for some sort of assistance, Juliet shook her head. She couldn’t very well tell the woman the truth. “No, he—”

  “Then by song, perhaps? My brother has a delightful baritone when he chooses to use it, which, if I might say so, is far too infrequent.”

  “Eleanor, please, you flatter me.” Benjamin lifted Juliet’s hand to rest on his forearm. “Perhaps we can continue this discussion later after—”

  “You sing, my lord?” Juliet glanced up at the man beside her. She had never even heard him hum.

  “No.”

  Eleanor clicked her tongue. “Come now. Excluding your fair wife, we have all borne witness to your talent. You needn’t be modest, Benjamin.”

  “I am not being—”

  “If it wasn’t by song, then mayhap by letter? My brother is also quite skillful with the pen. I believe he has written a poem or two.”

  Juliet’s sensible husband wrote poetry?

  She stared at the viscount, her gaze sweeping over the side of his shaven face, his angled jaw making her pulse race as she recalled where it had pressed against her only a few hours earlier. He was a poet? Who wrote the food of love?

  She fully believed it possible. The past few days he had been nothing but a romantic, sweeping her off her proverbial feet with his charming words of affection. But that he should record them with pen and paper… Juliet caught Benjamin’s irritated gaze. “No, his lordship did not write his offer.”

  Eleanor nodded. “’Tis probably for the best. Writing of his affection is not nearly as expeditious as stating it out loud.” She unlaced her fingers and tapped them against her chin. “If not by pen, I confess I’m at a loss. Precisely how did my twin brother propose?”

  The entryway fell silent, Eleanor staring expectedly in Juliet’s direction. Yes, the proposal. The one where she blackmailed her husband into offering for her.

  But offer for her, he had. Juliet simply had to omit the extenuating circumstances that had forced his hand. The truth could yet be told, albeit a restricted and slightly skewed version…

  Benjamin placed his hand atop hers, sending her stomach fluttering. “As much as we would like
to divulge the details of our courtship, I am quite anxious to see how Artemis is faring after our trip. She is with the staff, but I fear they are not familiar with the feeding rituals that were established during her time at Hollington. I must tend to her meal.”

  “But you only just arrived, and we have yet to become acquainted with your new wife. Why don’t we sit and have tea? We can rest over some conversation before you retreat into the kitchens.”

  His sister’s lids fluttered over misted and pleading eyes. The woman was near begging…much like Juliet had done a few weeks prior in this very house to the very same man. What sort of past lay between the two that Benjamin shouldered such an indifference to his twin?

  One Juliet was bent on discovering. Eleanor had her questions. And so did Juliet.

  She stared up at her disgruntled spouse. “That would be lovely, would it not, my lord?” She placed her hand over his, pulling him away from the staircase and toward his sister. “I am certain Mr. and Mrs. Meadowcroft would be quite entertained to hear about our common interest in hounds.”

  Benjamin’s grip clenched around her arm.

  And Eleanor’s smile brightened to the same intensity of a summer sun.

  “Of course. I wish to know all about this interest. Are you a hound aficionado, Lady Colwyn?”

  Juliet followed Eleanor down the hall and into a salon filled with dark mahogany furnishings and a contrasting white marble fireplace. “I am. My father’s kennel boasts England’s finest examples of English pointers. Perhaps you have heard of his line?”

  Eleanor shook her head whilst motioning for Juliet to take a seat. “I am afraid I am ignorant of anything related to hunting and dogs, and indeed any animal beyond a horse. It is Benjamin who fancies himself the expert on the breed. Why, for a brief period, we were all concerned he would marry Artemis and proclaim her the viscountess, so loyal was his devotion.”