by Vikki Vaught
With determination in her voice, she said, “I don’t need to think about it. I know that I’m in love with Henry, and I feel he loves me. He hasn’t told me so, but all his actions tell me he does. I don’t think he would spend the time to come all the way here if he weren’t serious about his intentions. Father, please be happy for me and just listen to Henry when he comes. He’ll be here in a few days, and I want you and Mother to give him a chance to prove that he really cares for me. That’s all that I ask, all right?”
Her father patted her shoulder, and with love in his eyes, he said, “Of course, we will listen to your young man, and if he’s as wonderful as you say he is, I’m sure that we’ll like him.”
Finally, the day had arrived, and Melody could not wait for Henry to get there. She was so eager and excited. When Henry arrived, he was riding his horse, Jupiter. He looked so handsome that he took her breath away. Melody felt so nervous about seeing him again. What if she was wrong and had misjudged his intentions? She would be so devastated, if that were the case. It would also be embarrassing, because she had led her parents to believe that he loved her. Henry dismounted from his horse, and when he looked at Melody, all her doubts melted away. The look in Henry’s eyes said it all, because they were filled with love and tenderness. She was sure that he loved her! Melody’s hands began to shake, and her heart began to beat rapidly as Henry walked over to her, took her hand, and raised it to his lips. He placed a kiss in the center of her palm, and shivers ran up and down her spine.
“Melody, it’s wonderful to see you again. God, you are so beautiful! I’ve missed you so much. I came as soon as I could get away from my family. How have you been? Did you miss me?” he asked.
She looked at Henry’s face and smiled happily at him as she replied, “I’ve missed you desperately, and I’m pleased that you have arrived. Let’s go inside so I can introduce you to my parents. I’ve told them all about you, and they’re looking forward to meeting you.”
As they went into the house, they gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes. They went into the parlor so that Melody could introduce him to her parents. She was very nervous and excited, and she just hoped that her parents would like him! “Mother … Father, this is Lord Henry Montgomery. Remember, I told you he would be coming for a visit.”
Melody’s father stepped forward and offered Henry his hand as he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lord. Melody told us you were coming for a visit. How was the trip up here?
As Henry shook his hand, he said, “It was a pleasant trip, and for the most part, the weather cooperated. I only encountered rain one day, and it wasn’t a hard rain.”
“It was quite a long distance for you, wasn’t it? You’re from Surrey, correct?” Melody’s father asked.
“I’m from Cranleigh, Surrey, which is about thirty miles south of London. I appreciate you allowing to come for a visit,” he said.
Melody’s father smiled jovially at Melody and Henry as he said, “Have you found a place to stay while you’re in the area? We would be happy to offer you our hospitality, if you haven’t already found a place. Oh, by the way, you can call me Magnus, as we aren’t formal around here.”
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I would very much enjoy accepting your kind offer of hospitality. This will give us all a chance to get to know each other,” Henry answered.
“Good … Good!” Magnus replied. “Why don’t you go get your things and Melody can show you to your room.”
Henry had tied Jupiter up out front, so Melody showed him where he could put his horse. The stable was small, but clean. Henry put Jupiter in a stall and proceeded to take off his saddle, brush him down, and give him some oats. There was no one in the stable, but the two of them, so Henry took advantage of that. He pulled Melody into his arms and kissed her. His blood began to boil, and his heart was pounding, because he was so excited to be kissing her again. It seemed as if it had been so long. Melody was kissing him back with fervor, and he felt his desire rise. He tentatively placed his hand on her breast. This was the first time he had touched her like this, and it felt incredibly titillating. She let out a sigh, so he knew she was enjoying it as well. As he deepened the kiss, he pulled her tightly against him. The stall was full of soft hay, and he pulled her down so that they were lying together facing each other; he continued to kiss her. He kneaded her breasts and felt her nipples grow taut through her dress. Her heart was pounding in her chest; he could feel it under his hand. He pulled up the skirt of her gown and felt her smooth calf; his hand traveled further up to her plump thigh. It felt incredible to be touching her like this, and she was so responsive. Melody was making little sounds as he stroked her pretty legs. Soon, he knew that if he did not stop, he would lose all control, and Melody was so innocent that he did not want to take advantage of her first feelings of passion. After all, he loved her and planned to marry her, so he gently pulled his hands back and ended their kiss. “Hello, sweetheart does that show you how much I’ve missed you? It feels as if it’s been months, instead of weeks, since I held you in my arms!”
Melody blushed as she coyly looked at him and replied, “I couldn’t wait for you to get here so you could kiss me. My dreams have been filled with visions of us kissing and being in each other’s arms. I’ve been counting the days waiting for your arrival, Henry.”
They stood up, and Henry brushed some hay off her and grinned. She looked at him and smiled back as he said, “We had better return to the house before someone comes looking for us. The last thing I would want is for us to be caught in a compromising situation.” She led him back into the house and showed him where he would be staying.
Over the next few days, they spent every waking moment together. Whenever they were alone, they would kiss, but Henry was careful to not let things get out of hand. He liked Melody’s parents, and her mother reminded him of Melody. She was just as sweet natured and kind as his darling Melody was. Henry knew he was ready to have a talk with her father. He was sure she was in love with him and would say yes when he asked her to marry him. The study door was open, so he knocked on the doorframe and asked, “Sir, could I have a few minutes of your time?”
Magnus gave Henry a knowing look, motioned him into the room as he replied, “What can I do for you?”
“Sir, I would like to ask you for Melody’s hand in marriage. I love your daughter very much … and I believe that she feels the same way about me. I have the financial resources to take care of her and any children we may have. My maternal grandmother left me her estate, and I have an income of two thousand pounds a year, plus numerous investments to supplement my income. I promise that I’ll take care of her and love her for the rest of her life. Do I have your permission to pay my addresses to your daughter?” Henry was concerned about the expression on Magnus’s face. He hoped he was not going to tell him no. Oh god, surely not. He loved her desperately, and he knew Melody would never disobey her parents. He would just have to convince her father that he would always take care of her.
Magnus looked intently at him, as he said, “Henry, please take a seat. I appreciate you speaking with me regarding your intentions. I’ve been waiting for you to say something. I can see that you and Melody care about each other a great deal. My only concern is about your military career and that you live so far away. Melody told me you’re on an extended leave, but that you haven’t sold your commission. Do you plan to stay in the military? I’m not sure that Melody would do well following the drum, and I feel she wouldn’t want to be left behind while you went away.”
Henry looked determinedly at Magnus as he answered, “I do plan to sell my commission, sir, and soon. I just want to wait until most of my troops are settled and have decided what they want to do, now that the war is over. I have spent six years with many of my men, and I don’t want to leave them until I’ve helped them get back to their lives. This shouldn’t take more than six months. My regiment is close to my home in Surrey, and Melody can live with my family while I
finish up with my men. But once I do that, we’ll be coming back up here. The estate my grandmother left me is close to Doncaster, and of course, Doncaster Stables is in Yorkshire. I’ll be managing the stables for my father, so we won’t be too far away. I would like to marry Melody soon, sir.”
Magnus sighed deeply and with resignation in his voice, he replied, “All right, Henry. You have my permission to ask Melody to marry you. You just make sure that you take good care of my little girl. She’s all that her mother and I have, and we want her to be happy and safe.”
What a relief! He had said yes. He could not wait to ask Melody. “Thank you, sir. I promise I’ll take good care of her, and I’ll keep her happy and safe. May I go speak with Melody now?”
“Go on,” he said. “I’m sure that she’s waiting for you to tell her why you wanted to talk to me.”
Henry hurried from the room and headed out into the garden, where he knew Melody was. He walked outside and saw her sitting in the arbor. The sunlight cast a glow all around her, which formed a golden halo around her head. She glowed with innocence, and his heart swelled with love for her. She appeared lovelier to him than she ever had before. He walked up to her and sat down beside her. He knew she was waiting for him to tell her what he had talked to her father about. “Melody, I have just spoken with your father, and I have something to ask you.” Henry got down on his knee and took Melody’s hand in his. He looked into her face with love shining in his eyes. As he held her hand, he could feel her trembling, and he said, “Melody, I hold you in great esteem. In fact … , I have fallen in love with you … I hope that you feel the same way about me. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife? I’ll always love you and take care of you. Please … say that you’ll be my wife!”
With tears in her eyes, she answered, “Yes … oh yes … I’ll marry you. I love you very much … It would be a great honor to be your wife.”
Henry helped Melody to her feet and put his arms around her, pulled her close, and kissed her. He could hear Melody catch her breath, and he knew she was overcome because he could see the emotion in her lovely face. He had asked her to marry him, and it was the happiest moment of his life. Henry deepened their kiss and gently pulled her close. He did not want to scare her, so he concentrated on keeping his desires in check, but it was very difficult, because it felt so wonderful to have her in his arms. As he released her, he gave a slight groan. Melody opened her eyes and gave Henry one of her beautiful smiles. The joy was shining brightly in her lovely eyes.
“Your father gave me permission to marry you, and I hope we can marry soon. Please tell me you don’t want a long engagement, because I don’t think I can wait very long for you to be my wife!” Henry said as he gazed into her eyes.
With tears of joy rolling down her pretty face, she said, “I would marry you today, if that were possible. However, I think it will take at least three weeks, since it takes that long for the banns to be read. I don’t care about a big wedding. I just want to be your wife!”
Melody and her mother hurriedly put together the plans for a small wedding. The wedding date was set for Saturday, October 22, which was only three weeks away.
While Henry and Melody were talking about whom to invite to the wedding, he said, “I just want you to be my wife as soon as possible. Whoever you want to be there is fine with me. Since my family will probably give us some kind of reception later, it isn’t necessary for them to be here. I don’t want anything to delay our marriage, and waiting for them to travel all the way up here would take too long. They would bring an entire entourage with them, so it would probably take them several weeks to even start the trip. The only person I want at our wedding is my friend Weston. He can travel fast and be here in plenty of time for our wedding.”
Two days after Henry proposed, Melody took him around the village, introducing him to all her dear friends. As they walked and held hands, Melody’s heart was bursting with pride and joy. Henry was so courteous to everyone, and all the villagers went out of their way to welcome him. When they arrived at Brandon’s house, she said, “Remember when I told you about my friend Brandon? This is where he and his wife, Lily, live. I want you to meet them. I know you’re going to like both of them tremendously.”
Melody and Henry walked up the path and knocked on the door. A pretty young woman, who was obviously with child, answered the door, and when she saw Melody, she gave her a hug and said, “We were wondering when you would bring your friend for a visit.” She looked back behind her and said, “Brandon, please come here. Melody and her friend have come for a visit.”
A tall, thin young man with light brown hair and gray eyes came to the door, and when he saw Melody, he grinned and said, “It’s about time you came over here! We understand that congratulations are in order. Please come in. We’re happy you’ve stopped by. I’m Brandon, by the way, and this is my wife, Lily.” Brandon opened the door wide, and they went into their parlor. “Please take a seat. Lily, why don’t you get some tea for our guests?”
Melody laughed and said, “Brandon, wait! I haven’t even introduced you to Henry. Brandon, Lily, this is my fiancé Lord Henry Montgomery. I’ve told Henry all about both of you. Lily, please don’t go to any trouble for us. We just had luncheon, so we don’t need any tea. Let’s just sit here and talk.”
Lily smiled, took a seat by Brandon, and said, “It wouldn’t have been a bother, Melody. We’re just glad you finally brought Lord Montgomery over to meet us.” Lily looked over at Henry and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lord. Melody has told us all about you. I know Brandon offered you congratulations, but I want to tell you how pleased we are that Melody has found you. I hope you’ll be as blessed in your marriage as Brandon and I have been.”
Henry gazed at Melody with joy in his bright blue eyes as he replied, “I know we’ll be happy. I’m the most fortunate of men that Melody has agreed to marry me. I’m glad to finally meet both of you. Please, call me Henry. Any friend of Melody’s is a friend of mine.”
They stayed for about thirty minutes, and by the time they were ready to take their leave, Henry was laughing and joking with Brandon as if they had been friends for years. This pleased Melody so much since Brandon and Lily were so special to her.
As they walked back to the vicarage, Melody and Henry held hands, and she asked, “What did you think of Brandon and Lily? Aren’t they wonderful?”
Henry pulled her close to his side and said, “I enjoyed meeting both of them. I can see why you like them. They’re very friendly people. How long have they been married? They both seem very young, Melody.”
As they continued down the path, Melody said, “They’ve only been married for eight months. Brandon is one and twenty, and Lily is nineteen. Brandon met Lily when she was sixteen and immediately fell in love with her. Of course, Brandon had to finish school before they could marry. He’s the schoolmaster at the local village school. Brandon has always wanted to teach, for as long as I can remember. I’m so pleased you liked them.”
“Darling, as much as I enjoyed meeting them, I’d rather take advantage of this time we have alone to kiss you!” Henry took her into his arms and kissed her passionately, and Melody ardently returned his kiss. Soon they were both breathing heavily, and Henry’s hands were roaming down her back. He cupped her bottom and pulled her closer to him. Melody could feel his manhood against her belly, and she felt a fierce wash of pleasure stronger than she had ever felt before. Henry slipped his hand inside Melody’s dress and gently squeezed her nipple. Desire wove its spell, and soon, Melody was trembling from excitement.
Henry released her lips and murmured, “Oh my darling, I want you so badly, but we must stop. I love you too much for your first time to be hurried. As much as it pains me, I want to wait for our wedding night.”
Melody smiled up at Henry and said, “I love you Henry, I know that when we finally make love, it will be beyond my wildest imagination. I’m glad you stopped before we got too carried away. Anyone
could have come along this path and seen us. We need to get back because it’s almost time for tea.”
CHAPTER 5
October 1814
THE DAYS STARTED to fly by, and before Melody realized it, her wedding day had arrived. Melody chose to wear an ecru gown with Belgian lace on the bodice and flounced around the bottom. Once she was dressed, she looked in her cheval mirror and admired how well the silk fabric gently draped her body. The style was very becoming to her and showed off her voluptuous figure. There were tears in her mother’s eyes as Melody turned around and faced her. When Melody saw her tears, she said, “Oh, Mother, please don’t cry on my wedding day. I truly love Henry, and I know we’re going to have a wonderful life.”
Melody’s mother smiled as she replied, “I know you are, darling. I’m just a little overwhelmed seeing you all grown up and ready to start your new life. I promise they’re happy tears. You have grown up to be a wonderful daughter. Your father and I are so very proud of the woman you have become. Now, we need to go downstairs. It’s time to leave for the church.”
The small church was simply gorgeous. Her mother had decorated the church with gold chrysanthemums and yellow mums. There must have been a hundred candles lit all around the church. White and gold tulle bows decorated the pews. As Melody stood at the entrance and listened to the music swell, she looked up at the altar and saw Henry standing there with her father and Lord Weston. As Melody walked up the aisle toward Henry, her knees were shaking, and her hands were trembling so badly that she could barely hold her flower bouquet.
