“What in the hell is going on?!” he boomed. He hadn’t knocked, or made his presence known. Rather he strode right up to Robert, acting as if it were his house.
“Lord Trenworth,” Robert said through gritted teeth. “What can I do for you?”
“Don’t give me that, Robert. You know exactly why I’m here. Now tell me, is what I hear fact, or merely the idle chatter of the local riff-raff that work for you?” It was the most Robert had ever heard the man say, yet he was still unclear about what he was referring to.
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to be more —”
“My daughter!” the Lord boomed. He was now standing right in Robert’s face, spittle flying from his mouth, “My sources at the docks tell me she has been working there all week. And what’s more, you knew about it!”
“Your sources?” How had Trenworth gotten word already? Did he really have spies installed at the docks?
“Do you really think I would get into business with someone of your background and reputation without ensuring that my name wasn’t in danger of being dragged through the mud?”
“You have spies working for me?” Robert clenched his jaw as his blood began to pump with amazing tenacity through his veins. He couldn’t remember a time he had been so angry.
“As usual, boy, the point is being missed entirely by you. It’s my daughter that is of concern to me right now. Has she been working down at the docks all week like a common whore?”
Robert took a deep breath, calming himself as best he could. As much as Trenworth was getting onto his last nerve, he was still one of Robert’s most important clients. He couldn’t do anything to risk hurting their relationship. “Like you, I have just found out that she has been working at the docks. As a secretary, balancing books and the like. Nothing as bad as your spies would have you believe —“
“My daughter!” he boomed. “Working like a common whore!”
“I told you, she was not —”
“You think I give a fig for what you have to say in her defense? I’m as likely to trust the word of the man I pay to milk my cows for me, as the likes of you, boy!”
“I’ll remind you, sir, that I am not some common whelp. I am a Viscount, a station that I earned through hard work, not chance or succession.” It was said in anger, but oddly, Robert didn’t regret it. In fact, he felt vindicated. Standing before him was the embodiment of everything he hated about the aristocracy. A chance to say what he had wanted to for as long as he could remember.
“What did you say?” Trenworth looked as if he couldn’t believe it. Surely, no one had ever spoken to him like that before.
Robert took a calming breath. “What I meant to say was that this isn’t as bad as it seems. Yes, your daughter has been working at the docks, without my knowledge. But there was no harm done. I will reprimand her, as is my right, and your name will be untarnished. I can assure you of that.”
“Untarnished? Pah!” he spat. “She hasn’t been fit to carry the family name since she was caught with that farm boy. I should have tossed her out years ago!”
Robert felt his fists curl. He felt his blood rise. He felt his face redden and his jaw clench. If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t have hesitated. His fist would have connected with the pompous Lord’s face as sure as his name was Tamway. But he didn’t. He held himself back. It was perhaps the hardest thing he had ever done.
“I’ll have you know, that your daughter is the purest, most gentle and perhaps the loveliest creature I have ever had the honor of being in the presence of. The fact that she comes from the same family line as the beast that stands before me is perplexing and bewildering. I count her lucky that she didn’t get so much as an ounce of your character. Even luckier that she was able to escape your clutches before it was too late, Aldway.”
Trenworth was visibly shaking, his handsome face going redder by the moment. “Is that what you think? Well do you want to know what I —”
“No, in fact, I don’t. If I never hear from you again I will count it as a blessing. I will die a happy man, singing to the heavens that I never heard from Lord Aldway of Trenworth again. I’m sure that I can speak for Lady Sophia of Tamway as well.”
Lord Trenworth seemed to be swaying on the spot, as if he had been struck across the face and was still registering the blow. After a moment, he pulled himself together, and with as much dignity as he could manage, turned and made for the door.
When he reached the door, he spun back to Robert. “You can consider our working contract terminated. I’ve already sent word to your man that this is to be the case. I’m sure your competitors will welcome the new business my name brings.”
“I thought as much.”
With that, Lord Trenworth left the Tamway manor.
The moment he left, Robert let out a sigh. His head was spinning with what had just happened. Not only had he just cost himself an absolute fortune, but he had insulted a very powerful man. One who could make life very difficult for him from now on. Where he given a few more moments to register it, he might have run from the building and begged forgiveness, but then he looked to the top of the stairs.
Standing there, looking down at Robert with tears in her eyes, was Sophia. They weren’t tears of sadness, but of joy. They streamed down her face, making her eyes glisten like crystals.
Robert offered her a soft smile and she returned it. He had never seen someone look so beautiful in his entire life.
Chapter 18
Robert began ascending the stairs without even realizing it. He was hopelessly drawn to Sophia, caught between a kind of ecstatic happiness at seeing her, grief at having caused her tears, and a lingering anger at Lord Trenworth’s words that played their own part in hurting her. He reached out for her the moment he’d surmounted the final step, cupping her face in his hands and using the pads of his thumbs to gently wipe away her tears.
“I’m so sorry, Sophia.” He whispered, concern causing his words to falter. “I didn’t intend to cause you pain.”
Sophia shook her head in his grasp, bringing her hands up to cover his and smiling up at him. “You haven’t. You’ve caused me great joy.”
Robert leaned in to kiss his wife. He only meant it as a brief, comforting gesture, but the moment their lips touched, all the restrained love, desire, and passion of the past weeks flamed to life inside him. He vaguely thought of backing away, ending the kiss before he got carried away, but then Sophia leaned into him, wrapping her arms up and around his neck, pulling him closer and pressing her soft, supple body against him with a need that mirrored his own.
He had no recollection of actively moving toward the bedroom, but as they sank onto the bed, the only thing Robert was certain of was that this was exactly where he ought to be and should have been for weeks. His heart was racing, his lips searched hungrily along her jaw and neck, rummaging for the spot he knew would make her gasp. Once he found it, he lingered, delighting in the way Sophia gripped at his arms, panting softly. His arms and hands were conflicted between ripping Sophia’s clothes to shreds or holding her as close as possible.
Sophia made the decision for him, pushing him away. Robert forced himself to move away from her. He’d moved too fast, he’d upset her. How could he ever hope to be a good husband if every action he took was the wrong one? He put space between them, his desire-fogged mind searching for the appropriate words to apologize, but before he got the chance to open his mouth Sophia began to tug at his shirt tucked into his waistband. Surprised, Robert looked to see Sophia frantically working to undo the buttons. With a smile, he moved toward her just enough to coax another heated kiss as she worked.
She had the shirt open in no time, and Robert couldn’t restrain a moan as he felt the searing heat of her palms move up his abdomen and along his chest, delicate fingers splayed out wide. She made use of his distraction to let her kisses wander down his neck, along his shoulder and across his chest. When she reached the limits of her range of movement, she wrapped her hands
around his lower ribs, nudging him to move up and expose more of his torso to her hungry lips.
This was new for Robert, he’d never known a woman to so eagerly take the lead, and certainly didn’t expect it from an innocent like his wife. The sheer unexpectedness of it sent his heart pounding nearly out of his chest and left him breathless. His body ached for her, his manhood straining against his trousers. Sophia’s thoughts seemed to follow his own. In the next moment he felt her fingers at his waistband again, this time searching to unfasten his trousers. Laughing, Robert caught her wrist and sat back on his heels, tugging her up to a seated position.
“My dear little vixen,” he teased, seeing uncertainty and disappointment begin to cloud over the fevered glint in her eyes. He reached out his free hand to cup her flushed cheek, moving to kiss the other and whisper in her ear. “You’ll have what you’re after,” he moved her hand at his waist down, pressing her palm firmly against his aching shaft and causing both of them to inhale sharply. He had to concentrate diligently to finish his thought as she began to gently stroke him, “But if you want it to last long enough to note, we’d best slow down a bit.”
Taking both of Sophia’s hands, he had her raise them up, resting her wrists on her head as Robert moved behind her on the bed to unfasten her bodice. With that task done, he reached inside to cup her breasts as he kissed the back of her neck. Sophia moaned and arched into his palms. Robert moved back around and Sophia helped him remove the bodice. She was about to shimmy away to unfasten her skirt, but Robert stalled her. She looked at him in confusion, and without taking his gaze from hers he slid one hand under the top edge of her corset to lift and massage her breast. Her nipple quickly went taut against the cotton of her chemise and her eyelids fluttered shut. Robert’s mouth continued the work his hand had started, suckling through the fabric until Sophia’s breathing became erratic and she gripped at his hair.
Robert’s resolve to slow things down was beginning to crumble. With an impatient growl, he stood up from the bed, bringing Sophia with him. They tore at each other’s clothes until there was finally only the heat of their passion between them, then lay back down on the bed, Robert quickly covering Sophia’s body with his own. She immediately wrapped her legs around his hips, causing Robert to grip the sheets and duck his head into the crook of her neck in agony. He could feel just how slick and ready she was. He couldn’t keep his hips from grinding against hers, but he knew he had to at least enter slowly, she was too new to this.
Taking a breath, Robert positioned himself at her opening. He pressed forward firmly, watching Sophia for any sign of discomfort. She gasped and arched her back, but the small sounds she made indicated only pleasure. He pressed deeper, the need to bury himself completely almost overwhelming him. When at last Sophia had taken him in completely he meant to pause, let her relax, but she immediately began to move against him, hips rising, and pulling him close for a kiss. Robert couldn’t deny either of them any longer.
He began to move in long strokes, devouring her with his kiss until their breathing became too erratic. Hands roved, stroking, kneading, grasping. The tempo of their movements built with the tensions in them. At some point, Robert left all thought of gentleness behind and surged fiercely against Sophia. When she cried out he immediately slowed, completely aghast that he could have mishandled her in such a way, but she pulled him closer, opening up even further for him and taking hold of his hips to intensify his movements as her own hips rocked to meet him.
Robert had never felt a need so pure, so desperate, or so engaging. He lost himself completely in the feel of Sophia’s body. They moved as one soul reaching for the divine. When, in the last frenzied moments, the world shattered around them, Robert was sure he’d found heaven on earth.
Chapter 19
Now that she thought about it, Sophia was probably more nervous today than she had been on her wedding day. She had to work to calm herself as she inspected her dress in the bedroom mirror, making sure she looked her best. She breathed in quick and shallow huffs, her face was flushed from excitement. It was as if she were meeting her true love for the first time... again.
She wore a simple dress, a light blue affair that she’d chosen because she knew it flattered her. She was going on an outing with Robert and wanted to look perfect. She felt as if she were trying to seduce her husband, a thought that made her blush and hold back a giggle as she looked over her reflection for a third and final time. It was the first time she and Robert would spend the day together in over two weeks. In a way they were starting over, and that’s what Sophia claimed as the cause for her jitters.
The excursion was her idea. As she’d rushed home from the docks yesterday she was sure her life was over. She knew for a fact that when Robert came home he would yell, shout, scream and ultimately divorce her. It was less than she deserved for what she’d done, and all she could do was mentally prepare herself for the inevitable.
The shouting never came though. When she’d finally relented and opened the bedroom door for Robert he was no longer in the hall, but Sophia heard shouting in the front entry of the manor. She’d recognized her father’s voice and her heart sank, knowing that her judgment would be even harsher with the two of them, her father and husband, turning on her together. She lingered at the end of the hall, trying to collect herself, listening. To her amazement, she heard Robert arguing with her father, rather than agreeing with him.
She’d never heard anyone speak against her father before, and most certainly not in her defense. The realization had made her a bit light-headed. When Robert made his final announcement that Sophia was more deserving than her father had indicated, her jaw dropped in disbelief. As her father stormed out the door, Sophia felt a wave of relief and gratitude wash over her. She hadn’t even realized she was crying until Robert ran up the stairs to wipe the tears away.
Sophia knew that her life had changed for the better. She saw her husband in a different light. She’d always found him handsome and charming; when they married she’d assumed she loved him, and knew that over time that love would grow, but now his actions had inspired a new level of respect for him that Sophia hadn’t had before.
Today they would start over, remind each other of what could have been and what was, even if only for a day. Hopefully, by the end of the day, their love would be stronger than ever, and they could start to get on with the rest of their lives. As for the docks, Sophia decided that if she found happiness at home, maybe she could survive without the thrill that working at the docks provided. That was just a distraction after all. At least, she hoped that was all it was.
“Have you always been so beautiful?” Robert asked as Sophia appeared at the top of the stairs. He said it without a hint of sarcasm or implication. He seemed completely in earnest.
“Of course,” Sophia quipped back, unable to help herself.
“Ah, more the fool for me not having noticed.” He smiled up at her from the base of the stairs, holding his hand out for her to take as she made her way toward him. Like her, he had dressed with care. A simple suit, light grey to match her blue. His hair was combed neatly and as she approached him to kiss his cheek, Sophia noted the light scent of an earthy cologne with hints of bay and cedar.
“Well, better late than never.” She pecked him on the cheek as she reached him, feeling odd in the way she had done it. It was almost as if they were meeting for the first time. She liked it.
Sophia thought of this day as their reintroduction to a life in tandem, it was the first time that she and Robert were going out in public together. Up until today, they had exclusively stayed within the estate, barring the trip to the docks. When Robert announced that he was taking her into London for the day, she was thrilled.
They began their excursion with tea. So simple and yet so perfect. It allowed them to sit and talk to one another, to discuss their thoughts and feelings and delve into one another’s personal life in a way that they hadn’t before.
The location was one
that Sophia couldn’t have expected. She had grown up in society’s upper ranks, used to elegant and ostentatious establishments. Robert took her to someplace completely different. It was in East London, an area she would never have dreamt of walking into. The tea house was dim and simply furnished. The patrons were middle-class at best. They smoked indoors, they swore, one lady even had a screaming child with her, which she didn’t hesitate to spank for his fussing. Sophia had never seen anything like it.
“What do you think?” Robert asked as they took a seat in the corner. There was a window beside their table, with a view of the back alley. It was a literal blank space that begged the question of why there was a window there at all.
“I love it.” Sophia beamed, taking in the sights and sounds like a child who had found a new play area. It was brave of Robert to bring her here but spoke volumes to the way he wanted her to start seeing him. He wanted her to like him for him, not for what he pretended to be in front of others.
“I used to come here with my mother when I was a child. Long before we had money, or more than a bed between us.”
“Oh? You’re from near here?”
“Hackney. Murder Mile was what we used to call the street. The real name I couldn’t tell you.”
Sophia suddenly realized that she knew very little of her husband’s upbringing, if anything at all. She knew that he was new money, and that he bought his title. As to his actual heritage, where he came from and where his parents were now, she hadn’t a clue. She wouldn’t have been surprised to find out that even Robert’s friend Hugh didn’t know.
“And your mother...?”
“Still hanging on,” he said simply. “I bought her a place in northern London when I had the money. Before that she lived with my father... until he died of course. That was around the time I met Hugh actually, pure coincidence that. I’m sure he thought I was going to rob him rather than befriend him.” He chuckled and shook his head, as if remembering the moment. Sophia could see in Robert a kind of boyish charm, a sense of ease and relaxation in this environment that she couldn’t recall ever seeing in their more formal encounters.
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