The Great Estate

by Sherri Browning

  “She needs exercise, my lord. I was about to take her around the grounds. But if you prefer…”

  “In fact, I do plan to ride. Thank you, Grady. She might need a good run once I bring her back though. I’ll be keeping her to a canter. The countess is riding with me.”

  “My lady.” The stable master bowed.

  Sophia tried to maintain her imperious demeanor in case Mr. Grady looked on to bear witness to her attempting to mount the beast. She used to be a skilled rider, she reminded herself, but that was years ago, before her athletic skills dulled with age and lack of use.

  Fortunately, Gabriel remained strong. He gave her a healthy boost so that she barely had to drape a leg over the saddle and settle in. His hand lingered on her ankle for longer than a second before he swung up behind her. The stable master had gone back to his duties, paying them no attention.

  Her concern about riding in front of him proved valid almost as soon as they started moving. She could feel him against her. Before they’d gone a quarter mile, she wished the horse would move faster to end the torture of being so close to him without being able to turn and look at him.

  “We’re almost there,” he said as she shifted in the seat. “Just through the trees and over the hill.”

  “She is gentle, as promised,” Sophia noted. “But I wouldn’t mind if she picked up the pace.”

  He nudged the horse into a faster gait. “I’m glad to know that Grady has been exercising the horses in my absence. I’ll have to make it a point to get out with her more. I would love for you to join me. There’s no better way to survey the grounds than on horseback.”

  “Mr. Grant has been taking care of it. He loves to ride.”

  “He probably chooses Viking for his jaunts, or Brutus. I have an attachment to old Wilmadene that I can’t seem to shake in favor of the more fiery stallions.”

  “She’s very pretty.” Sophia reached out to stroke the horse’s black mane.

  “I took quite a fall from her right at the top of that ridge when she was just a filly.” He pointed over in the distance, past the apple orchards. “I was probably going too fast, not paying attention. The folly of youth.”

  “I can’t believe you were ever foolish, Gabriel. Not even in youth. I think you were born gravely serious.”

  “I’m sure I was quite serious about going fast. I think we might have been chasing some game, a doe or a rabbit. I can’t recall. Whatever it was got away. At least neither of us got hurt, with the exception of a few bruises. Here we are.” He led the horse to a clearing.

  “We could have walked,” she said, once they reached the narrow copse at the edge of the stream. “It’s not all that far.”

  “Over a mile. I don’t want to leave them all alone with the baby for too long.”

  “So you do have some concern for the little angel.” Sophia smiled, allowing him to help her down from the horse. Even after her feet were on the ground, his hands stayed around her slender waist. “He’s irresistible.”

  “Not unlike you. Do you recognize the place?” Reluctantly, he let her go and gestured at the surroundings. He led her away from the horse to a patch of grass along the water’s edge.

  She nodded. “You took me for a picnic here years ago and made me furious at you when you wouldn’t stop fishing. I’d thought it was our time to be alone.”

  “That had been the idea at the time. But the fish were biting, practically jumping up into my lap. You’re right though. It was a beautiful day, and you were a vision, sitting on the blanket in the grass, in your light blue dress with the sunlight streaming down on you.”

  “Until it started to rain.” She laughed. “But I’m surprised you remember what I was wearing.”

  “I remember wanting to throw my fishing pole into the water, to hang with it, and rip your dress off with my teeth. The only reason I started fishing in the first place was so that I wouldn’t frighten you off with how badly I wanted you.”

  “I was easily frightened. It was still so soon after losing Edward. Not that soon, I suppose, but the fear was hard to shake. I’m sorry I created so much tension between us, Gabriel. I wanted to be with you. I needed you. But I just kept pushing you away.”

  “I wanted you to need me, but you seemed so independent, like you never needed anything from me again as long as you had my title and my estate. I never even knew if you really loved me, or loved what I could provide you. When you could barely stand for me to touch you, I’d thought I’d found my answer.”

  “Love is so complicated. I think we’ve had a harder time than most. Maybe I was too young when we married, too naive, too easily influenced. I wish I’d been able to tell you how I felt without feeling ashamed of myself.”

  “Why would you be ashamed?” He reached for her hand.

  She turned red. “My mother put so many ideas into my head. Why do we listen to our parents?”

  “You’re asking me?”

  “Right. Your mother has a few wild ideas of her own. Alice had it easier, I suppose. She has always been rebellious. No matter what Mother told her, she would never have listened. But I’ve always been more prim, a straight arrow. It took me so long to shake my mother’s well-meant advice.”

  “You’ve finally grown into your own, Sophia.” He stroked her face with the side of his hand. “The woman you were always meant to be. To be honest, I never quite expected it myself. When we married, you were so young and impressionable. But look at you now.”

  “Yes?” She arched a brow.

  “You’re magnificent. I can’t get enough of you, darling. The woman you are takes my breath away.”

  “Show me.” She suddenly felt very daring, in keeping with his compliments.

  “I promised myself that I wouldn’t get carried away with you again out-of-doors. You deserve a proper courtship. Dinner, wine, a bed.”

  She laughed, feeling carefree. “The outdoors seems to be working for us lately. No distractions. We have soft grass.”

  “You keep on surprising me. A moment.” He walked back to the horse, fetched a blanket from a pack at the saddle’s side, and returned to spread it on the grass. He reached for her hand. “My lady.”

  She took his hand and sat down.

  “Long gone is the timid young bride.” He stretched out next to her. “The woman I married might not have let me do this. Certainly not outside of a bedroom.”

  With an assured hand, he gripped the hem of her skirt and slid it up, exposing her legs in her short pantalets. When she didn’t protest, he positioned himself between her knees and looked up at her with that wicked smile.

  What did he mean to do? She might have grown bolder with age, but she still couldn’t voice the words to ask. He slipped his hands up her thighs, inside the pantalets, and began dropping light kisses on her delicate flesh, first on one leg, and then the next.

  “I love the dimples behind your knees,” he said, kissing each one before continuing upward.

  Her breath caught in her throat. Did he mean to…

  His hand found its way in between the garment’s slit. She fell back to the blanket, unable to contain her moan. He caressed her with long, lingering strokes, sliding a finger inside her, out, and in again until he dipped his head and found her taut pearl with his tongue. He kissed her most intimately where she’d never imagined being kissed.

  “Gabriel!” She called his name. She might have screamed. She might have called him a god. She couldn’t be held accountable for what she did once wave after wave of pleasure began washing over her, a wild tide in a raging storm. At last, as she struggled to regain awareness, she met his gaze. He sat propped up on his elbow at her side.

  “Now that is what happens when you embrace your freedom,” he said. “Prim no more.”

  “I’ve wasted so much time,” she said, dazed as she stared up through the leaves of the tree overhead. �
��We could have been doing that all along?”

  He laughed, placing a warm hand on her stomach. “All along. But we’ve still plenty of time, I hope.”

  “Make love to me, Gabriel. Let’s not stop there. Your mother can handle Teddy for now. She loves him as much as I do.”

  “You’ve forgotten your urgency to rush back?” His hand roamed over her body, pausing to trace a nipple through her clothes.

  “I’ve nearly forgotten my own name, you scoundrel. Don’t make me beg. I haven’t had nearly enough of you.”

  “At your service, my lady.” He began to undo his trousers. “I won’t stop until you’re fully satisfied.”

  Eighteen

  “Allow me.” She reached for him. It was she who longed to satisfy her husband. There were things she wanted to do to him that she had never been bold enough to attempt, but now was the time. If they were to be together and to be whole again, she had to have the courage to show him what she wanted.

  She urged his trousers down his hips and freed him to her perusal.

  “Men really are works of art,” she mused, taking his hardness in her hand. “You’re quite beautiful, did you know?”

  “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he answered, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, the simple intimacy of the gesture stirring a new wave of warmth inside her.

  With her finger, she traced the solid length of him. “Spectacularly functional design, the way you grow to fill me. We fit together so perfectly.”

  “As God intended. Perhaps it is our duty to make more frequent use of our skills.”

  She laughed. “In that case, I need to improve my technique. I hope you don’t mind my taking some liberties in order to learn more.”

  He was about to answer when she cupped the precious weight of him. His words turned to a groan low in his throat. She smoothed her hand up his shaft, and down again, before dipping her head to taste him, circling her tongue around the tip. His hands tangled in her hair as she took her time to explore the new sensation of taking him into her mouth, to the back of her throat and forward again, his saline essence on her tongue.

  “Mercy, woman, I can’t take much more.” He pulled away.

  “But I’m enjoying myself. Immensely.” She smiled up at him.

  He shook his head. “Another time, perhaps, we can elaborate on your instruction. I need to be inside you now.”

  She didn’t argue. Her body pulsed with new sensations, a yearning stronger than she’d ever felt for him. He urged them to the blanket, rolling atop her and spreading her legs around him. It wasn’t even enough when he buried himself inside her, deep, and they began to move together.

  “No.” She gripped his wrists. “From behind. Like you tried once before.”

  He hesitated. “But you stopped me.”

  “I wasn’t ready,” she said, turning. “But let’s try it now. I have a sudden taste for adventure.”

  His brown eyes widened, gold flecks glinting. Wordlessly, he pulled her to him, nestling against her backside a moment before filling her so much deeper than ever. He cupped her breasts as they moved in rhythm, each thrust driving her more out of her mind with growing need until she arched against him, overwhelmed with the powerful sensation of her own climax.

  “That was…” She lost her words and collapsed to the blanket, struggling to catch her breath. There were no words fit to describe it. She was caught up in awe and wonder.

  He fell next to her, stroking the hair from her eyes before nestling against her. “It was, my love. It was.”

  * * *

  They lingered for some time longer than intended after making love, resting together under the sweet chestnut tree, the gurgling of the brook lulling them to a near slumber.

  “I didn’t realize how tired I was,” Sophia said. “Though I shouldn’t be surprised, after staying up all night with a baby.”

  “What if we make another child? So soon.” He placed his hand on her stomach. “He could be growing even now.”

  “Or she. I’m prepared for the possibility. He or she will have a lovely big brother to help them along. I always wanted an older brother.”

  “Talk to Marcus. I’m sure he could relieve you of the notion.”

  She laughed but sobered almost as quickly. “Teddy is ours, Gabriel. No matter where he comes from, he’s ours now.”

  “All ours. Your strength and compassion in handling the situation with Jane surprised me. I knew you were kind and thoughtful, but I had no idea you could be so generous and strong. You dealt with her fairly, and with so much concern for her welfare as well as Teddy’s.”

  “Never doubt that I’m strong enough to handle anything that comes my way. Anything.”

  He sat up. “I guess that means it’s time for my surprise.”

  “I’d forgotten there was a surprise.” She sat up next to him. “What is it?”

  He rose, walked to the saddle to get the papers, and returned. “Sophia, my dearest, I want you to have all that you see around you.”

  “And here I am.” She failed to understand.

  He handed her the papers. “It’s the deed to this particular parcel of land, in your name. I’m giving you acres of Thornbrook Park to be yours alone, to do with what you wish.”

  “What I wish?” She looked the documents over. “Dear God, Gabriel, why would you break up the estate? It’s already mine as much as it is yours. I don’t need a piece with just my name on it.”

  “You don’t understand.” He sat back down next to her. “I wanted you to have something special. Other than you, there’s nothing dearer to me than Thornbrook Park.”

  “But it’s all ours as it is.” She laughed. “I was counting on jewelry.”

  “I always get you jewelry.”

  “I know. I thought perhaps another aquamarine? Maybe a ring with a stone as big as a robin’s egg? You usually have impeccable taste when it comes to choosing just the right thing.”

  “But this is land, darling. A part of Thornbrook Park. It’s all yours, no matter what happens. You could build a pavilion or a cottage. You could grow flowers. Anything.”

  “You know I would never choose to break up the estate. It would be madness. And what do you mean, no matter what happens?” She moved an inch away from him. “How cryptic. What do you expect will happen?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “This is why I shouldn’t talk. I always get myself in a muddle.”

  “Is this to be my security should things not work out between us? I’m afraid I am at a loss to comprehend.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. Please, darling.” He reached for her hand. “I wanted to show you that I had respect for your decisions and the way you’ve handled the estate in my absence.”

  “By breaking off a chunk?” She shook her head, still not understanding him. “Did it never occur to you that jewelry is security for women? It’s dazzling to the eye, yes, but so much more. Should the worst happen, I have millions. All of those gifts you’ve given me through the years delight me, yes. I love to wear them. But also, I’m financially protected through them. I can sell them to support myself, if need be.”

  He nodded. “I guess I never thought of it that way.”

  “Women think of it, believe me. When our guests come and admire my diamonds, they are also admiring the security you’ve provided me. And they’re all gifts from you, given out of love. Should you choose to leave me, I walk away with my gifts.”

  “But I’ve no intention of leaving you, Sophia. You must know that, after all we’ve been to each other.” He laced hands with hers. “You’re my whole world.”

  “Thornbrook Park is your world.”

  “Exactly. So by giving you a part of it…”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know what to think. An hour ago, I thought it was love. It’s so easy to confus
e lust with love. You love my body, but do you really love me?”

  “You weren’t questioning my love an hour ago.”

  “I didn’t know my name an hour ago. I love what you do to me; that’s undeniable. I’m in danger of becoming addicted to you like a drug. But is that love? When you wanted to put a second desk in your office, you made me think that you understood that I’m every bit as capable as you. But perhaps you were placating me. Perhaps you never understood at all. I don’t need a piece of Thornbrook Park to call my own. I need all of it, with you.”

  He stood. He was surprised to find that he didn’t keel over, dead on the spot. His world collapsed around him, but he kept breathing, his body going on even while his heart felt like it was drying up and turning to ash in his chest. A day that had started out so promising had gone so terribly wrong, so fast.

  “It’s what I want as well. It’s all I meant to show you by giving you a gift of land. I’m sorry that you misunderstood my intent.”

  “I’m sorry too. If we still can’t make our intentions clear to each other, what does it say about our future?”

  “Perhaps it says something serious, or perhaps it’s nothing more than that everyone makes mistakes. I can’t tell you what to think. I know that much at least by now. Come on, darling. It’s time I got you home.”

  * * *

  The dynamic between them had shifted so rapidly that she still couldn’t figure out how it had happened. One minute, everything was brilliant and clear, a little rosy around the edges. The next, storm clouds rolled in and made her whole world dark. The worst part was that she’d brought the clouds. If only she’d understood his intention when he’d presented her with the land.

  She rode in front of him, neither of them saying a word. When they got to the stables, she didn’t wait for his hand but got down from the horse on her own and began walking back to the house. His boots crunched the gravel, keeping her aware of his proximity even when they remained so far apart. Worlds apart. After becoming so close. She wanted to take it all back, turn and take his hand, welcome his gift to her, as odd as it had seemed when he presented it.