“I do,” she said in a whisper. “I am sorry I did not tell you so before, William, but I was scared. There is so much to be determined, and yet … I find my thoughts full of nothing but you. I have hoped that you felt something of the same, although I could not be sure—”
“Oh, Rosalind,” he said, his arms pulling her tighter to him. “I do not think I deserve you. I know what it means for you to say those words. I know what you have suffered in the past, how men have previously hurt you. To know that you can find room in your heart for me means more than I can explain.”
“If there is anything I have learned, William, from these past weeks, it is that love is complicated,” she said slowly, her eyes on the ground of the woods. “I have let so many other ideas, emotions, and thoughts go through my mind that I have not let my feelings guide me. What I had with Harold was nothing compared to what I have with you. You, William, are a good person. One who is kind, with a compassionate heart, but who has to deal with undeserved pain. Harold was … well, Harold was an ass. And the greatest difference? The greatest difference is love. I love you, William, with all of my heart, and whatever comes with that, so be it. I promise to love you when you are happy and to love you when you are in pain. I will be there beside you, helping you through whatever comes. All I ask, William, is that you forgive me. I was a fool, pushing you away as I was overcome by my own insecurities to the extent that I missed how much you needed me. That will never happen again. I will expect your respect, it’s true, but you need only to tell me what is wrong and we will deal with it together. I pushed you away, William, but I must ask you, will you … will you have me still?”
“Will I have you?” he laughed his low, throaty chuckle, and she could practically see the tension escape him. “How is that even a question? You are everything I could have ever wanted. What I realize now is that before you, I didn’t know what it meant to love. I thought I did, but that was not real love. That was a boy’s infatuation. You are a woman who has stolen my heart, when I did not even know it was available to give. I am sorry if I have ever hurt you, in any way. I was a fool for not seeing you for so many years, but if you take me on, I will see you every day for the rest of our lives.”
Her heart full at his words, she gazed up at him, feeling the smile stretch across her face.
“Marry me, Rosalind,” he said, imploring her with his eyes. “Make me happier than I deserve to be, for the rest of my days.”
“What of your family, William? They hate me,” she said, lowering her gaze to his chest, but looking up suddenly when he snorted.
“They no longer matter,” he said, shaking his head with a smile. “Only you do. My brother, he can make his own way now and his debts are his own. I have done enough for him. I will continue to look after my mother, but she is no longer welcome in my home. She can find a place for herself in London or perhaps — perhaps there is a cottage in the woods where she may make herself comfortable.”
“Oh, William,” Rosalind said with a laugh. “I am not sure that is a place for anyone to live, regardless of what they have done.”
“We’ll fix it up some,” he said with a shrug. “I can hardly bear to think of what may have happened to you if you had not escaped from Templeton. You, Rosalind,” he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, “are a truly remarkable woman. I know you do not share yourself with most, so I feel ever so lucky to have truly discovered what a gift you are.”
“I love you, William.”
“And I you.”
He leaned down then and kissed her, his lips full of both passion and promise as he drew her even closer, and her senses were filled with him, the taste of mint and brandy on his breath, his unique scent of masculinity that she could now recognize anywhere in her nostrils, the hard muscle beneath her fingers and the soft lips on hers.
Her fingers curled around his cravat, tugging it free from his shirt as she was desperate for more of the man that somehow, despite all that had tried to come between them was now suddenly, inexplicably — hers.
“Rosalind,” he said, breaking away from her, his breathing ragged as he placed his forehead upon hers. “That may not be a good idea.”
“Why ever not?”
“Because I want more of you — I want all of you. I have tasted your kiss but I want so much more, and if we begin down that path … it will be so difficult to stop.”
“You do not have to,” she said, reaching up on her tiptoes to trail a hand down the side of his strong jaw. “I am no innocent virgin, William. I am not a wanton, true, and would never give myself to a man who I did not intend to spend the rest of my life with. But the love I feel for you now is more than I ever felt for the man I was married to, and the expression of that will be so much truer, have so much more meaning. Please, William, show me what love truly feels like.”
He said nothing, but the look in his eyes imparted all that needed to be said. He claimed her lips once more, as her fingers worked at his cravat, now fully loosening it so she could slip her hands underneath to feel his chest upon her fingertips. He shook himself free of his jacket and bent to lay it on the soft grass underneath them. He swept her into his arms and gently laid her down upon it as he kneeled over top of her.
She pushed herself up to her knees, focusing on the man she loved illuminated by the moonlight behind him. She tugged his shirttails free and he threw the garment over his head himself. She felt her jaw fall open at the sight of his broad, muscular chest, which was dusted with a sprinkle of tight, bronze curls. She reached out a hand to feel them, and he groaned when she found his flat nipples.
When Rosalind heard the noise escape his lips, she felt slightly powerful in her ability to make him feel as she did. He reached around her, gently untying the back of her dress until it was free to slip off of her shoulders. He reached down for the hem of her gown, and she pulled back, suddenly shy at him seeing her. She knew she didn’t have much of a figure, didn’t possess the sensuous curves that most men appreciated.
“Do not hide,” he whispered. “I want to see you — all of you.”
He gently dispensed of her dress, before pulling her chemise overhead. She felt the warm night air caress her, and she closed her eyes for a moment, unsure of what William would think. When she finally opened them, she found he was looking at her in wonder, a slight smile seemingly tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“You are absolutely beautiful,” he whispered, and she felt tears in her eyes.
This was not her first time, true, but it certainly felt like it. Never before had her heart beat with such anticipation. Never before had she nearly lost her breath due to the beauty that was before her and for all the emotion she felt within her. Never before had she experienced such wonder, such emotion that she knew was fully returned.
He kissed her, and she moaned and reached her arms up around him as he trailed heat down the side of her neck with the gentle flutter of his lips. His head continued down, until he found the peak of one of her breasts, taking it into his mouth and suckling. Her hips bucked toward him, and he gently lowered her back down to the ground and his hand moved between her legs, finding her center with deft fingers.
She ran her hands through his hair, and he shifted his attention from one breast to the other. He slipped a finger inside her, and she felt a growing sensation deep within her, unlike anything she had ever felt before.
“William….” she murmured, and he lifted his head to look at her, though his fingers continued their ministrations.
“Are you all right?”
“I am … I am more than … oh, William…”
“Yes?” he asked, his voice hoarse as he was seemingly struggling to maintain control. Unsure of what she was doing, but compelled to do so all the same, Rosalind reached down between them, and instinctively began stroking her hand over the swell of the front of his trousers. He groaned and shifted away from her, and she momentarily felt the loss of his presence before she realized he was simply dispensing of the fab
ric that remained between them. He threw his pants into the growing pile of clothing, and her hand found his manhood. She explored the length of him, running his fingers over him before taking him in her fist, up and down, back and forth. William’s head fell back and he arched into her, before his voice rasped out, “Rosalind, darling, that feels better than you know, but you need to stop — now.”
She felt her desire growing at his words, at what she was able to do to him, and he shifted away from her, bracing himself atop her on his elbows. She brushed a drop of sweat away from his brow and reached her legs up to circle him. When he thrust deep inside of her, she threw her head back. He flexed his hips and began to move. It felt more perfect, more right than anything ever had before. He stroked long and deep, and Rosalind arched her hips up toward him, aching for something, though she wasn’t entirely sure what. She had never before felt such an ache within her. She looked up at William, and his brow remained furrowed, as if in deep concentration. He thrust again and again and reached down a hand to stroke her.
“Come for me, love,” he said, and suddenly everything shattered in an explosion that she couldn’t have explained if she had tried.
27
William had never known it could feel like this — he had never known what it meant when the physical expression of love joined with the actual sentiment.
As he felt Rosalind find her release, he no longer held himself back, and he let go himself, feeling unparalleled satisfaction.
Finally, he collapsed on top of her, holding just enough of his weight off of her so as not to crush her.
“Oh, William,” she finally said, her breath still coming quickly. “That was … exquisite. I didn’t know that it could be like that.”
He pushed himself up on his palms and stared deeply into her eyes. The light through the trees cast shadows upon her face, but he could still see the sea green looking up at him, catching him and pulling him into their depths.
He felt her arms go round his back, and her fingernails stroked his sweat-dampened skin. He turned onto his side, bringing her with him so that her head was resting in the crook of his arm.
“Indeed it was,” he said. His heart broke slightly at the thought of her being with another man, one who didn’t take her own pleasure into account. He tried to push the thought from his mind, not wanting to ruin this moment with the idea of another with her, as difficult as it was. She was his now, and he would make sure she felt his love for the rest of their lives.
“I love you, Rosalind,” he said, raising her hand to his mouth and kissing her wrist. She was so delicate, and yet he knew the strength within her, and he wanted to make sure she never forgot it either.
“And I you,” she whispered.
He wasn’t sure how long they lay there together under the moon and the stars, which shone down upon them with the music of nature all around. He smiled at the croak of the frogs, the wind whispering through the grass, and the chirp of the crickets. He reached over to their pile of clothing and found her gown, laying it overtop of them, though the night air was warm and comforting.
“Do you think we could stay out here all night?” she asked sleepily, and he smiled at her question.
“We could, I suppose,” he said. “We could scandalize everyone and come in just in time to greet the guests for their final breakfast before they leave. It wouldn’t much bother me, would it you?”
She laughed. “I’m not sure. Probably.”
“I know,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead. “Which is why we will go in shortly.”
“William … you do know I may never be the hostess a man like you needs as a wife?”
“Rosalind,” he said firmly, “It matters naught to me what type of hostess you are. Will we attend the odd social function? Yes. But you can be whoever you want there. I expect nothing of you. And if we have guests and you choose to hide away in the library with a book, then so be it. I can entertain guests. But I cannot find another woman who would make me as happy as you, who I would so desire for a wife. And therefore everything else is secondary.”
He leaned up on his elbow so she could see the seriousness on his face. “Do you understand? No more talk of you being unworthy, because that is so far from the truth.”
She nodded. “Understood, my lord.”
He laughed then and eased himself back down. He was fortunate to know her, let alone to have her. He vowed he would spend the rest of his days making sure she was fully aware of that.
It was shortly before dawn when Rosalind and William snuck back into the house. Rosalind felt it was as though an air of joy surrounded them. She almost didn’t want to acknowledge it, for fear that it would disappear. She had never known such happiness, such peace, such contentment, and she was fearful that it wouldn’t last.
And yet when she woke after an hour of sleep, it was still there, a feeling that had settled deep within her heart. Could it be? She thought to herself. Was this a true, lasting happiness?
When she joined the party for breakfast, she found that Alfred and Lady Southam were conspicuously absent. William had asked her the night before if she wanted their betrothal announced to the party, and she had shaken her head. She would prefer to tell people on their own, and not have a grand announcement. He had agreed, telling her he would do as she wished, and she was pleased he had acknowledged her sentiments, though she couldn’t help but meet his eye time and again as he looked down the table toward her.
Fortunately, much of the attention was kept from them and directed toward Lord Templeton and Lady Hester. They seemed wary of one another, although there did seem to be something of an understanding between them, Rosalind noted. Who knew? Perhaps they would find happiness with one another or at the very least an understanding that they would never have found with any other. And if they were both bent on making their spouse unhappy, well then, it was best they do so for one another than to an otherwise unsuspecting soul. She knew she should feel guilty about forcing the two of them together — she knew William did. And yet, after all that Hester had done to Olivia, all that she had said to her, Rosalind couldn’t help but feel slightly pleased about the whole thing.
“Isn’t it lovely?” Anne leaned over and whispered to her with a grin. She was well aware of how Hester had tried to come between her brother and his wife. “I know he is part of your husband’s family, Rosalind, but I hope the man is truly awful to her!”
Rosalind tried not to laugh at Anne’s vehemence. The girl was not one to cross, that was for certain.
William thanked everyone for joining them, wishing them all safe travels and adieu. As the guests began filtering out of the room, Tillie drew Rosalind to the side.
“Am I to suppose from the way you and Lord Southam were practically eating one another for breakfast that all has been resolved between the two of you?” Her eyebrow quirked upward in a way that made Rosalind laugh.
“I suppose you could say that,” she said, feeling warmth creep up her cheeks.
“I am glad,” the Duchess responded. “I had a suspicion that all would work out well for you. No great love story is without its perils. For it is the only way one can truly appreciate the resulting happiness.”
“I suppose you are right, Tillie,” said Rosalind, then surprised herself as well as the Duchess when she reached her arms out in an embrace. “I am so happy to have gotten to know you. I hope we can renew our acquaintance soon.”
“Absolutely,” said Tillie with a wide grin. “I would love that. Until then.”
She nodded her head and sailed out of the room, with Rosalind smiling after her. What a week it had been, she thought, then suddenly she felt strong arms encircle her waist, and William nuzzled her neck.
“I suppose I best get to securing a marriage license, should I not?” he asked, his voice low and husky.
“I suppose you should,” she said, turning in his arms to reach her hands around his neck. “Oh William, could you ever have imagined that after everything we’v
e been through, this is where we would end up?”
“I have quite the imagination, so I have to say that yes, I could see it,” he said with a teasing grin, and she swatted him before growing serious.
“I have no dowry to offer you,” she said. “Will that matter?”
“Not at all,” he said, encircling her in his arms. “I have business prospects that I believe will soon come to fruition, and I also will no longer be supporting my brother. Roberts informed me that Alfred has already departed, apparently now finally concerned that his actions may come to light. I promise you, Rosalind, he will never set foot in this house again.”
“Thank you for that, William,” she said. “Though he is still your brother. While I do not entirely feel safe with him about, perhaps you shouldn’t completely be estranged from him. He will always be part of your family.”
“You are kinder than any woman I have ever known,” he said, planting a kiss on her lips. “We shall see what comes. Perhaps if Alfred proves himself in time, I can somewhat forgive him, although I shall never, ever forget what he has done. Now, come, I have something for you. Consider it an early wedding gift.”
She raised her eyebrows as she looked up at him, but nodded in agreement as he led her out the door and across the yard.
As they approached the stable, she smiled, knowing, hoping for what they were here.
Friday greeted them when they entered the door of the stable, yapping excitedly as he led them over to his family. She knelt beside the puppies, who seemed to have already grown in just a few short days. She ran her hands over them, the four who played together, and the fifth who lay on her own, contentedly snuggled into her mother’s side.
“I am not sure if they will end up going back to the neighbor’s or staying here,” William said. “They all have their run of the land of course. But I thought, perhaps, there might be one you’d like to keep as your own. I was going to pick one for you, but I thought it might be best to see which one you’d prefer.”
Loved by the Viscount Page 18
