by Vikki Vaught
Henry just laid there and held her while she slept. His poor darling had worn herself out from all the crying. He felt terrible about Brandon’s loss, and he knew he would not be able to survive if anything were to happen with Melody. While he wanted children, he would not want them at the cost of Melody’s life. He prayed that Melody did not become pregnant anytime soon.
Time passed, and Melody let go of her grief. Henry was relieved that she seemed to be back to normal. She was eating again, and he had even gotten her to laugh at one of his jokes. He knew she still was deeply saddened about Brandon’s loss, but she was making a valiant effort to be cheerful. The rest of January passed, and soon, it was almost February 10. Melody’s birthday was in two days. He had ordered her a beautiful diamond pendant necklace, and he hoped she would like it. He knew she would be happy with whatever he gave her, but he wanted to give her something special, something that showed her how much he loved her. The morning of Melody’s birthday, Henry told her he would probably be home early, and he hoped they could have a quiet evening alone. He made no mention of her birthday, because he wanted to surprise her that evening. He kissed her good-bye and left.
After he left the house, to go to the garrison, she wondered if he remembered it was her birthday. He did not say anything at all about it. She would be very disappointed if he had forgotten, and after all, she would be one and twenty and that seemed important to her. The mail came, and it was a package from her parents with a letter. She decided she would wait to open her present until Henry got home. She went to talk with Mrs. Holden about what she wanted her to fix for the evening meal, and then she decided to do some reading that afternoon.
At six o’clock, Melody began to worry. Henry had said that he thought he would be home early, and yet he was still not there. She went to the window and looked out, but she could see no sign of him. She was beginning to get a little concerned. Surely, he had not forgotten her birthday, but it was certainly beginning to appear that way. Melody was feeling chilled, so she went upstairs to get her shawl. As she was getting ready to go back downstairs, she heard the front door open. She hurried downstairs, knowing Henry had finally arrived. She went into the parlor, and there Henry stood with a big grin on his face and a dozen yellow roses.
“Happy birthday, darling! I would have been here sooner, but I had a hard time getting these yellow roses. Sorry, if I worried you. I bet you thought I had forgotten your birthday, didn’t you? Shame on you!” Henry laughed.
“Well, I was beginning to wonder as you had said you would be home early. Thank you for the roses, they’re so beautiful, but where did you find them at this time of the year?” she asked.
With a mischievous grin on his face, he said, “I had Mansfield search all of Canterbury until he found a greenhouse that had the roses. It took him a little longer than I expected. Come here, my lovely one, and give me a kiss.”
Melody went to him and kissed him on the cheek. Henry grabbed her up, pulled her into his arms and gave her a real kiss. She felt all a flutter from his passionate kiss, and she knew he was as aroused as she was because she felt his manhood probing her belly. Since Mrs. Holden would be in to announce dinner at any time, she slipped out of his arms and said, “Henry, I received a present from my parents today, and I waited until you got home to open it. Here it is … I’ve been dying to see what they sent.” Melody unwrapped the gift and opened the box. Inside was a lovely matched set of bed linens, monogrammed with their initials on them. Henry handed her his present, and her face lit up when she opened it. Melody was thrilled with the diamond pendant. “Henry, this is just beautiful. First, the gorgeous emeralds at Christmas, and now, diamonds. You’re spoiling me terribly, and I love every minute of it! Here, help me put it on!”
“Turn around so I can fasten it around your neck.” As he fastened it, he gave Melody a kiss on the nape of her neck. Then he pulled her close and started nibbling on her earlobe, which sent chills up her spine.
“Henry, stop! Mrs. Holden could walk in here any minute to announce dinner. Behave yourself.” Melody laughed. Henry looked up as Mrs. Holden entered the parlor to tell them that dinner was served.
The meal was lovely: baked chicken in a fricassee sauce with parsley new potatoes and carrots. For dessert, Mrs. Holden had baked a cake and decorated it for Melody’s birthday. Melody appreciated all the effort Mrs. Holden had gone to for her birthday meal, so she said, “Thank you, Mrs. Holden. Everything was delicious, and the cake is gorgeous. In fact, it’s so pretty I hate to cut it.”
“Oh Lord milady, go on with yourself. Go ahead and cut it. It has cherry filling inside, just the way you like it. I know how you love cherries!” Mrs. Holden said. Melody cut the cake and handed a piece to Henry, and then she cut a piece for Mrs. Holden and one for herself. The cake was scrumptious.
After dinner, they went upstairs to their room. Earlier that evening, Melody had told Millie that she would not need her. Henry turned her around, unbuttoned her gown, and pushed it past her hips, and then it fell to the floor. Then he loosened her corset and stays, and they fell to the floor too. Before long, Henry had removed all her clothes, and she was completely naked. As he gazed at her, her cheeks grew flushed as she noticed how his eyes glowed with passion. He stepped back and took off his clothes, and once he was naked, he picked Melody up and carried her to the bed. “Have I told you how much I love you lately?” he asked as he allowed his eyes to roam down her luscious body. “You’re such a pretty woman. When I see you in all your naked glory, I know you’re all I’ll ever want in a woman. I love the way your luscious breasts fill my hands. Your delectable belly was made for kisses, and these lovely thighs are in my dreams when I’m away from you.”
Melody loved it when Henry said things like this to her, because it made her feel as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world. He pulled her close and started kissing her passionately. He trailed kisses down her neck, lowered his head, and took her nipple in his mouth. As he suckled her, Melody felt her passion rise. Her breathing grew rapid, and the place between her legs began to pulse. Henry continued to kiss her all over, and then he lowered his body so he was between her thighs. He put her legs over his shoulders and began to lick her core. Melody went wild; her head was moving back and forth on the pillow as she felt her passions explode. She felt waves of glittering sensations roll over her. He moved up and kissed her deeply; she could taste herself in his kiss, and it excited her. He slid inside her tight sheath and began to stoke in and out, and his movements became faster and deeper. Melody felt her passion burgeoning and growing ever stronger, and then she was soaring higher than ever before, just as Henry threw his head back and groaned as he reached his release at the same time. He fell to the side and pulled Melody to him.
He sighed contentedly as he said, “I can never get enough of you, my love. You have started a fire in me that won’t go out. I love you.”
“Henry, I love you too. Is it always this wonderful?” she asked.
“I’ve never felt like this with anyone else,” he said. “I think it’s because with you, my emotions are engaged, where before, it was just physical lust. My love for you just keeps getting stronger everyday that we’re with each other.”
With love glowing in her eyes, she said, “I feel the same way, Henry. I never thought the marriage bed could be so fulfilling. I’m so fortunate to have found you, and I couldn’t bear to lose you.”
Henry pulled her close, and said, “Sweetheart, you’ll never lose me. I’ll always be here, forever and beyond.” They just lay there holding each other and enjoying being together until they finally drifted off to sleep.
The next week, they decided to invite some of Henry’s fellow officers over to the house. This would be Melody’s first opportunity to be a hostess, and she was extremely nervous. Mrs. Holden was so helpful, and they soon had a delightful menu planned for the dinner. She also planned for them to have cards to entertain their guests. On the evening of the party, the guests began to arr
ive. Captain Hayden was the first to arrive, and he had Lieutenant Bronson with him and Bronson’s sister, Mary.
Melody turned to Mary and said, “Good evening. I’m so pleased you were able to attend. Have you been enjoying your time here with your brother?”
“Oh yes. I was ever so pleased when I was able to come back for another visit. I enjoy Canterbury so much, and it’s such a historic city. Is Lord Wyndham going to be attending tonight?” Mary asked as she shyly lowered her head.
“He was unable to take the time to come. Does this mean that you have been thinking about him, Mary?” Melody asked.
“He came to visit me here, shortly after the holidays, and I found him to be very good company,” she said. “It’s such a shame that he lost his wife. We have much in common, since both of us have lost someone we deeply loved. I would have enjoyed seeing him again.”
The rest of their guests arrived, so Melody went to greet them. Soon Mrs. Worth announced dinner. The food was excellent, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Melody led the ladies into the parlor so the men could enjoy their port.
Mrs. Cunningham, the wife of Henry’s commanding officer, was a delightful woman, and soon they were talking as if they had been friends for a long time. When the men joined the ladies, they all sat down to play whist. This was the first time she had played cards with Henry and found out they played very well together. He was an excellent whist player, and they won the set. The evening turned out well, and Melody was glad they had decided to have the party.
After all their guests left, Henry gave Melody a hug and told her how proud he was of her. The party had been delightful, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, so it had been a success. She was relieved to know that everything had gone so well.
They went up to bed, and, after they tenderly made love, fell fast asleep.
CHAPTER 10
March 1815
HENRY ARRIVED AT the garrison, and obviously, something was going on. It was total chaos. He could not find any of his men and none of his officers. Finally, he saw Hayden up ahead, and he hurried over to him and asked, “What is going on? It’s obvious that something momentous has happened. Where are all my men?”
Hayden shook his head and said, “Napoleon has escaped from Elba. We just got the dispatch from Wellington thirty minutes ago. We’re meeting in an hour.”
“When did Napoleon escape?” Henry asked with concern written all over his face. “How could this happen, and what are we going to do about it?”
“From what was in the dispatch, he escaped on February 26, and no one knows how it all went down. We should learn more in the meeting,” Hayden said.
Henry went into the meeting to find out what was going to happen. Bonaparte had somehow made it past the British and arrived in France on March 1. He proceeded to gather his followers around him, and then he headed toward Paris. They were to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, just as soon as word arrived from Wellington. Wellington was leaving the Congress of Vienna and traveling to Brussels.
Henry arrived home at eight o’clock, and Melody could tell by his grave expression that something must have happened that had Henry very worried. “Henry, you’re worrying me. You seem to be greatly concerned about something. What’s going on?” she asked.
Henry looked at her and said, “Bonaparte has escaped from Elba, and I’ll be receiving orders to join Wellington soon. I need to get you back to Sanderford Park, so I know you’ll be safe. Can you be ready to leave tomorrow morning?”
Trying to hide the concern in her voice, she replied, “Of course, whatever you feel is best. I’ve enjoyed being here with you, but I know you’ll be very preoccupied and don’t need to be worried about me. I’ll have Millie start packing right away.”
Millie got everything packed that she would need to take back with her. Mansfield would pack up the rest and send the other part of their belongings later. She went back downstairs, and they had supper. Henry was very quiet all through dinner. She was so frightened because she knew Henry would eventually be going into combat again. She knew she had to be strong and not let Henry see how frightened she really was. They retired to bed, and Henry passionately made love to her, taking her to heights she had never reached before. They held each other until they fell asleep.
The next morning, they set off for Sanderford Park at dawn. Henry was still quiet, but he tried to talk about inconsequential things to reduce the tension in the carriage. When they arrived at Sanderford Park, Melody was exhausted. They had traveled practically nonstop to get there. Henry helped her out of the carriage, and they walked up the steps together. Simpson met them at the door.
“My lord, it is a pleasure to see you again, but we were not expecting you. However, your rooms are ready. Would you like to go and freshen up? Everyone is in the drawing room. Have you had dinner yet? I can have Cook prepare a light repast for you, if needed,” Simpson said.
“Melody, why don’t you go up to our rooms, while I bring his grace up to date on what is happening?” He turned to Simpson and said, “Food would be very much appreciated, because we have traveled practically nonstop to get here, so anything will be helpful.”
Simpson told Henry that he would have Cook prepare the food and send it up to their suite.
Melody covered her mouth to hide her yawn, then said, “Since I’m so tired from the trip, I’ll go up and rest until you can join me later.”
Henry went to the drawing room, entered, and found all the family gathered there.
His grace stood up as Henry entered the room and asked, “Henry what are you doing here? Have you finally decided to sell your commission and take up your responsibilities to the family?”
Henry looked at them with great sadness in his eyes as he said, “I have some very grave news. Bonaparte has escaped from Elba, and I’ll be going back to the continent to join the Duke of Wellington. I’ve brought Melody back, and I hope I can count on you to welcome her and treat her with respect. She’s going to have a difficult time dealing with me leaving, so she’ll need your support.”
The duke stood up, began to pace, then said, “Well, I do not understand why you feel like you have to go. You have already given the army well over six years of your life. So, at this point, I think it is irresponsible of you, but that should not surprise me because you have been that way your entire life. You have been a disappointment to me since you were a young child. We will take your wife in, but we will not mollycoddle her. She will just have to adjust on her own. Maybe she could go back to her family, since you do not know how long it will be before you return, or if you will return. You have been lucky so far. However, this could be the death of you, Henry.”
“I don’t have the time to take Melody to her parents, because I’ve got to be back at the garrison tomorrow. Please just be polite. That’s all I ask,” Henry said.
The duke sighed and said, “Oh, all right. I guess we can put up with her again. She at least helps to keep your sisters entertained.”
Henry turned to his mother and asked, “Your grace, I would appreciate your support. This will be a very trying time for my wife, and she’ll need all the help she can get. Mother, can I count on you to be nice to Melody?”
“I will be polite, but I refuse to do more than that. Why do you not send her to her parents?” she asked. “She would probably be happier, and I would not have to see her.”
Helen asked, “Where’s Melody? You know you can count on us to be there for her. All she has to do is ask. We’ll do our best to keep her from worrying about what you’ll be doing, and taking care of Melody will help us also.”
Henry looked at Helen, grateful for her kind words as he said, “Melody is in her room resting. We’ve had a tiring journey, so I told her to lie down until some food could be brought up.”
Helen, in exasperation, said, “This is just awful. I can’t believe that terrible man has escaped! What is going to happen? Are we going to be at war again?”
“We hav
e no choice, for that lunatic has to be stopped and this time for good. Please help Melody adjust to me being gone. I would really appreciate it. Well, I’ll take my leave now. I’ll be leaving first thing in the morning, so I won’t see you again. Please know that I love all of you and I’ll miss you tremendously. Just pray that we recapture Bonaparte quickly.” Henry slowly turned and left the room.
Henry went up to their suite and found Melody asleep on the couch in the sitting room. She looked so sweet and incredibly lovely lying there. How could he leave her? This time he would have so much more to lose, if something were to happen to him. God, he loved her so much. He wished that he could take her to her parents. His mother was right about that: she would be much happier there. She stretched, opened her eyes, looked up, and smiled, then said, “My goodness, I fell fast asleep. I don’t know why I’m so tired tonight. It must be all the changes, what with moving back here and you leaving. When do you have to be back?”
“I have to leave tomorrow morning … I wish I had more time; I would take you to your parents instead of leaving you here,” he said. “I know my parents don’t treat you well, but Helen is glad you’re back, and I know I can count on Nelson to take care of you while I’m gone. I’ll try to get back before I have to leave for the continent, but I can’t promise I’ll be able to make it back. Let’s put all of this out of our minds and try to enjoy this evening. Dinner should be arriving shortly, and then we can go to bed after we eat.”
The footman arrived with the food, and Henry had him leave it on the table. When dinner was over and everything cleared away, he sat down on the couch and motioned for Melody to join him. She sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, and they sat that way for a long time. Then Henry carried her to bed and made love to her with an intensity that had not been there before. He massaged her back and then had her roll over so that he could massage her front. He spent a long time just stroking her breasts and belly. When he took her, he made sure she reached her satisfaction before he took his own. They lay there in each other’s arms, not talking, but not sleeping either. Before they were ready, it was time for Henry to leave.
