The Locket [The Rotherham Hall Mysteries] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Clair de Lune

  “What is he about?How could he?” Her thoughts were in chaos. He stood behind her and, leaning over, took both her breasts in his hands and continued the sweet torment until she writhed and pressed her bottom into his groin in such a suggestive way that he chuckled.

  “Patience, my lady. It will be well worth the wait.”

  She did not want to be patient. She squirmed and wriggled her behind, feeling his hot, thick erection, wanting it inside her without delay. Finally, he took hold of her thick hair, which by now had come loose, fisted one hand into it, and held her. She found she enjoyed the bite of pain. With the other hand, he guided his cock in between her legs and teased her entrance with it, rubbing against her swollen labia and her clit and driving her wild.

  “Oh, please, please!” she cried, needing, wanting him inside her. She did not know how to ask or if she could ask.

  She had been taken in this position before, but never like this, never with her legs pressed together. She could not move. She was powerless and at his mercy. Then he pressed in, and she felt the hot length enter her inch by delicious inch and sighed with relief. “At last!” The sensation was very different with her legs together. He kept on pressing into her until she felt the crisp hairs at his groin against her folds and her bottom. He was long and thick, and she struggled to accommodate him. Then when she thought he was all the way in and expected he would begin to withdraw and pleasure her, he thrust his hips forward and his cock even further inside her, and she gasped. She felt the exquisite feeling of fullness, of heat, and then he began to move slowly in and out at first. He held her in place with his hand in her hair and his strong thighs on either side of her legs. She was helpless to resist as he picked up the pace and began to go faster and faster, and she began to pant and moan as the feelings began. The tension coiled as he wound her higher and higher until she thought she’d shatter, but he kept her almost at the peak by the judicious variation of his pace and the depth of the strokes of his cock until she was ready to curse and rave at him to go faster, deeper.

  “Please, please, oh please,” she begged, and he must have been waiting for her to say that, as he had pity. He rubbed his fingers firmly over her clit and pressed on it harder and harder until she felt an overwhelming release take hold of her. Her limbs shook, and she would have fallen forward as her grip on the chair back lessened, but he held her in place by her hair. As she screamed his name, his hips bucked, and he thrust deep into her once, twice, and then he stilled. She felt the rush of hot liquid as streams of hot semen filled her. He leaned over and rested his hand on the back of the chaise longue. She could hear he was out of breath, and he released her hair, so she slumped forward, and his softening cock slid from her.

  She was pleased that soon he recovered enough to help her to lie on the day-bed where, gathering her in his arms, he petted and caressed her. They lay together some while. She had her back to him and his strong arms about her. She could feel his heart beating wildly at first then gradually slowing. Her head was on his shoulder, and she dozed for a while. When she awoke, she was lying alone. Her bodice was fastened, and she was covered by a shawl. He was standing at the open window, looking out over the estate. He must have heard her stir because he turned back to her at once, saying,

  “Come, my dear, it is time to return home. Tidy your hair now. We must get back.” He held out his hands to help her to her feet, and, as she placed her fingers in his strong clasp, he lifted first one hand then the other and tenderly kissed the backs of her fingers, gazing lovingly into her eyes. Had she seen love in his eyes? She could not believe it was so. She had made love to two of the brothers, and if she examined her conscience she did not regret it. The experience had been different with both of them, but in one fundamental it had been the same. She had been loved as she had never been loved before, and if she now had to go back to London and face the loss of them, she would at least have that memory to cling to. She knew what making love was now, and if she could not have one of these brothers, she would be able perhaps later on to find a man who made love to her in the same way.

  She knew that would not be so, she was deluding herself, but what was she to do? When Rafael found out that she had lain with his brother, he would be disgusted, and he would no longer want her. She only hoped she would not come between the brothers and cause a rift. Heaven forbid she be the cause of their estrangement.

  She tidied her hair and replaced her hat and gloves and tried to regain her serenity as they rode back to the Hall and afternoon tea.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The next day Higgins, accompanied by Antonio, went to the appointed place at the appointed time. Rafael and Angel, with a pistol apiece, had gone out earlier and concealed themselves in the bushes and settled down to wait. About half an hour later, Higgins and Antonio, wearing some old clothes and with a cap on his head, slouching as Scoggins did, came down the road to the crossroads with Lady Alicia and, taking up a position leaning on a tree trunk, waited and waited and waited.

  No swell cove appeared. Only the odd farmer walked by and gave them scrutinising looks. After they had been there for an hour, Rafael came out of his hiding place and said, “It appears that we are not going to meet our man today.”

  They concluded that something or someone had betrayed them. They looked pointedly at Higgins. He was loud in his denial, and in truth it would have been difficult for him to have sent a message under guard as he had been. It was agreed they would have to try some other method, and they returned to Rotherham Hall in no pleasant frame of mind.

  Chapter Eighteen

  After dinner, the ladies withdrew, leaving the men to their port. Lady Gwendoline went up to her room to consult with her maid over something or other, and the two girls were left to chatter on and on.

  Lady Alicia simply had to escape from those girls and their simpering and the speculation. They had noted Rafael’s interest in her, so they concentrated their attention on Angel and Antonio. Lady Alicia could not tolerate the way they spoke about the two men. All the girls wanted was the wealth and the position they could give them. She knew it was the fault of their upbringing under Lady Gwendoline’s aegis, but still she could not excuse them. There was never a thought for the men’s wishes, and no word of affection, just mercenary thoughts.

  She pleaded a headache and left the drawing room. As she approached the main staircase, she heard voices. Her aunt and her maid were coming down, and as she did not want to face them and have to repeat the lie, she took refuge in the shadows under the stairs. She was appalled at what she heard.

  “Then it is settled. The girls will each go to the bedchamber of one of the men. Not Rafael, as he is so obviously entertaining thoughts of my niece, and for all we know she may be sharing his bed already. If she has any sense, she will snare him as soon as may be. When they have had time to disrobe, you will go and raise the alarm at both rooms, running from one to the other as though seeking aid to find the girls, who are missing from their beds. That will bring the others out, and the girls will be discovered, and Angel and Antonio will be obliged to offer for them. Let us go and tell the girls how best to play their part in this. If Lady Alicia is with them, you will tell her that her maid was seeking her.”

  Lady Alicia was stunned that a mother could behave so, and with so little regard for the future happiness of her daughters. She knew she had to put an end to it and decided the best course of action was to confide in Rafael. She remembered the men had said they’d go and play billiards and went in search of the room.

  Chapter Nineteen

  She hurried along a corridor past door after door. One door was ajar. Hearing voices she glanced inside. The sight that met her eyes was mesmerising to say the least. All three brothers were there, coats off, waistcoats open, and sleeves rolled up. Their strong, muscular arms were powdered with dark, curling hair. She saw Angel and fleetingly wondered how she’d recognised him from this angle. He was bent at the waist, leaning over the table to line up a shot. His da
rk pantaloons were stretched taut over the mouth-watering globes of his bottom. She could not drag her gaze from the sight. Her mouth went dry as all the moisture in her body flooded her pussy.

  A deprecating cough dragged her back to reality.

  “Do pray enter, Lady Alicia.”

  Her eyes flew to Rafael’s in time to see the wordless communication that passed between him and Angel as the latter very slowly straightened up and turned to her. Then all three gentlemen bowed in unison, and she managed to curtsey.

  Rafael held out his hand, and she advanced slowly into the room. She felt like a rabbit mesmerised by the gaze of some large predator and unable to flee. She advanced further into the room and looked about her, trying to regain her wits. The whole room was redolent of male sweat, leather, and the bay rum they used. The combined scents made her senses reel.

  “To what do we owe the honour of this visit?”

  Rafael’s deep voice brought her back to the present with a start.

  “I, ah. I…” She found it difficult to breathe with all three in the room. No man had moved to crowd her, but she felt the dominant physical presence of all three of them and began to wonder how on earth she was to explain.

  “Can we help you with anything, my dear?”

  That was Antonio. She knew his voice. She turned to face him and gasped out,”You are in danger.”

  They all reacted at once, putting down their cues. Angel took her hand and guided her to a bench, and they all sat to listen to what she had to say. Succinctly she told them of what she had heard.

  “I am so sorry that, on my account, you have made the acquaintance of such a mercenary person. My nieces are really too young to know what they are about, and it is all due to faults of upbringing and education,” she hastened to say.

  They assured her that she had no blame in the matter and began to plan what they could do to upset the plot.

  “The girls must be prevented at all costs from entering our bedchambers.” Antonio suggested.

  “Not necessarily. If they do not gain entry tonight, they will try until they succeed, and you do not want to have to post a servant outside your door every night.” Lady Alicia saw his meaningful gaze move from one to the other and blushed as she thought of what he was implying.

  “However if you two are from home, and they go to your chambers and are found there the scandal will rebound upon them. You could not make assignations when you are not here. You will go now to the stables. I will procure clothing and with no fuss at all you will go and stay at the inn in the next town where you are known, and you will make sure that you are seen and recognised. We will allow them to have their show, and I will be there to see it.” Rafael stated.

  Lady Alicia was rather dubious. She had not wanted her nieces to find themselves embroiled in scandal but had to acquiesce.

  Chapter Twenty

  She was sitting brushing out her hair, already in her night-robe, when the scandal broke. She heard the maid run crying and calling out down the corridor, and doors opened as she passed. She thumped on Angel’s door and then on Antonio’s. Lady Gwendoline arrived like a stately ship in full sail demanding to know what was the matter.

  “Oh my lady, my lady Anna and Beatrice are missing and not in their rooms.”

  Upon hearing this Lady Gwendoline clutched her hands and elevated them to her bosom. Lady Alicia thought it was like a play.

  “Where oh where are my girls? What has become of them? Who has lead them astray?”

  The doors to Antonio and Angel’s rooms opened and the girls peeped out. Lady Gwendoline’s bosom swelled alarmingly.

  “Antonio and Angel de la Torre, come out. You have corrupted my daughters and now will have to do the gentlemanly thing. They are ruined. Ruined!” She fell, wailing piteously, into the waiting arms of her maid.

  Slow and deliberate clapping was heard, and she and everyone else turned to see Rafael standing there fully clothed, his eyes blazing with fury.

  “An excellent performance, madame, but you have made a grave miscalculation. My brothers are not in the house. They left earlier on important matters of business and are even now asleep in their beds in the Sun inn. What your daughters are doing in my brothers’ bedchambers I for one would like to have explained to me.”

  He looked magnificent, Lady Alicia thought, and she was pleased to see that the plot had been foiled. She wondered what would happen on the morrow as he said,

  “We will all retire now, but I will discuss this further with all parties concerned tomorrow.”

  She could see he was angry, and she lingered when the others withdrew, all talking sixteen to the dozen to their bedchambers. She heard Lady Gwendoline scolding her daughters and was sure it would be because they had not brought off the deception rather than for any other cause.

  She was alone in the corridor with Rafael, and he whispered, “Do not lock your door. I will be with you when it is all quiet.”

  She meant to protest, she ought to have protested, but the words died on her lips as, lifting her hands to his lips, he kissed the backs of her fingers. He kissed first one hand then the other. Her nipples pebbled to hard, aching little points responding to the promise in his voice, and between her thighs she was wet, swollen, and ready. She could deny this masterful man nothing.

  “Later,” he said in a low voice, and she shivered in anticipation.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The next day after breakfast, a painful scene took place in the library. All the ladies were assembled. Rafael sat behind the large oak desk. Antonio and Angel were not present. They had not returned from their pressing matter of business, and he wanted to leave no doubt at all in anyone’s mind of that fact.

  “Lady Gwendoline, Anna, Beatrice. You must see it is clearly inappropriate for you to remain as guests under my roof.”

  He held up one strong hand to stop the protest that had formed on Lady Gwendoline’s lips.

  “You will hear me out, Madam, and then if you have anything to say I will listen. You will pack and remove yourselves from my home immediately. Lady Alicia will remain.”

  All eyes turned to her, and he saw that hers reflected their astonishment. That he should request, nay, order her to remain was significant to all present, as he had intended it to be.

  “My niece can hardly remain here with nobody to chaperone her.” Lady Gwendoline hurried into speech.

  “No. Indeed, to this end I have sent to my parents’ house to request that my cousin, at present residing with them, be requested to come here and stay for as long as Lady Alicia remains here. She has been the object of several attacks and I wish to get to the bottom of the matter. She will be safe here. Lady Gwendoline, you have my word on that. One more thing.” He looked at all three of the other ladies. “If one word of scandal, about Lady Alicia’s residing under my roof, reaches my ears I shall know to whom it can be attributed, and your part in last night’s fiasco will be made public. I think that after that you will find the number of houses to which you have admittance will be severely reduced. If you wish your daughters to make good alliances, I trust you will take my advice.”

  Lady Gwendoline looked furious but had to acquiesce. The power and influence the de la Torre family held in the haut ton was well known. It was only partly through their links with the Duke of Wellington. They were extremely wealthy and connected with the best families.

  “And now ladies, please take your leave of Lady Alicia. I shall expect you gone when we return to the house.”

  The three ladies embraced Alicia. They were not able to say any of what they wished to say under the gaze of Rafael’s eyes, which was just as he had intended. He was not going to have them queering his pitch with her.

  When they had left, he took her arm and said, “I thought that you might like to see the stables and then perhaps the stud if we have the time before luncheon.”

  He noticed she was trembling. No doubt because of the scene that had just taken place, and he was more than ever glad
he had conducted the business in that way. His aim had been to spare her their recriminations, and in that he had succeeded.

  They left the house by the back door into the courtyard and, crossing it, approached the stable block. Inside it was cool and dim, but lots of activity was taking place. They strolled about, and Rafael explained the breeding programme and the working of the stables. He introduced her to Jacobs, the head groom, a middle-aged man with greying hair and a weatherbeaten countenance.

  “Jacobs has been with us since he was a boy. His father was the head groom and trained his son well.”

  Jacobs, a man of few words, reddened at the words of praise from his employer, touched his cap, and went back to overseeing the grooms. They were all preparing to take the horses out for morning exercise in the long paddock set aside for the purpose, and soon the stables would be deserted. Rafael turned her, and they set off toward the door leading to the courtyard. As they reached the last stall he opened the door and pulled her inside.