“Good morning,” Daphne said to the room at large. Anthony offered her a small smile, while Mrs. Hargreaves sniffed irritably in response.
Daphne had barely sat down however when the butler entered the room with a card. He dipped his head in Daphne’s direction.
“There is a gentleman come to call, miss, should I tell him that you are currently indisposed?”
“A gentleman?” Daphne gasped, her whole face lighting up. There was only one gentleman who would come to call on her after all, but her question was drowned out by her brother’s roar.
“What gentleman?” he bellowed.
The butler hesitated nervously and then cleared his throat. “It is Lord Coventry, sir.”
Anthony was out of his seat, barreling out of the door and into the hall before the butler had even finished speaking. Daphne gave a little cry of her brother’s name and hurried after him. She was unable to keep up with his quick, long strides, but she could hear him shouting. The whole house could hear him no doubt.
“…the hell out of my house, Coventry!” Daphne didn’t hear what Edward said in reply, but Anthony’s response was a loud: “stay away from my sister!” Daphne rounded the corner, and entered the hall where the two men were squaring off.
Edward looked so astonishingly handsome that Daphne’s breath caught in her throat and she paused for a moment just to drink in his profile. He must have felt her eyes on him however, because he turned and shot her a slow, smoldering smile, which was probably why Anthony then exploded with: “if you don’t get off my property NOW I’m getting my pistols!”
“NO!” Daphne shrieked hurrying forwards to where the men were standing. She literally threw herself between the pair of them. They both stared at her, Anthony, furiously, while Edward was looking mildly amused, even if his amusement was glinting out from under a layer of steely determination.
“It’s all right, Daff,” her husband said calmly. “If you want me to go-” he began slyly, smiling when Daphne immediately interrupted him.
“Oh no I-!” however she was interrupted by her brother.
“What?” he snarled. “Are you forgetting that we came here to escape from him-?”
“If you want to escape that’s fine, Anthony,” Edward growled smoothly. “It’s my wife I came to see after all.”
“Is that so?” Anthony snarled. “Well-”
“We shall be only too happy to allow the two of you some time together, Lord Coventry,” Mrs. Hargreaves’ voice suddenly cut off her son’s exclamation of rage.
Daphne wasn’t disposed to think too well of her mother at present, however even she had to be grateful for this interruption. She had been terrified that Edward and her brother really would come to blows. Anthony was too good a gentleman, and too good a son, to contradict his mother in public, but there was a muscle twitching his clenched jaw. A vein throbbing in his temple. Daphne thought it best if she and Edward made as swift an exit as possible.
“My lord,” Daphne breathed, giving Edward’s arm a firm tug. He looked a little annoyed that his battle of wits with Anthony had been cut short, but he followed his wife obediently, nodding his head respectfully at his mother-in-law as they passed by.
Chapter 28
Daphne led Edward into the drawing room, feeling oddly flustered once they were alone. “Would you care for tea or refreshments, my lord?” she asked automatically, pleased that she at least had something that she was meant to say, because she couldn’t for the life of her think of anything to ask Edward. Just being near him seemed to have addled her brain.
“No, thank you, I’m fine actually,” Edward replied.
“Oh,” Daphne frowned, realizing that she was rather hungry and thirsty herself, not having had anything for breakfast yet.
“But if you-” he began, only Daphne cut him off quickly, ladies weren’t really meant to eat after all.
“I’m quite all right, my lord,” she smiled brightly, at which she watched him raise an eyebrow.
“It’s Edward, as I’m sure you remember,” he breathed taking a step closer to Daphne, and making her skin hum with his simple presence. “And if I’ve called at a bad time, I really can-”
“Oh but you haven’t!” Daphne exclaimed. She reached out a hand automatically, and was a little embarrassed to find that she’d grabbed his arm. “I mean I-” she tried to draw away again, but Edward had covered her hand with his own and lifted it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles tenderly, and Daphne felt the swirling heat that was growing so familiar when Edward was around burst to life again within her womb. “Edward,” she sighed breathlessly.
“Daphne?” he purred in response, smiling wickedly at her as he stroked his fingers over the back of her hand, twisting it gently so that he could brush his lips over the racing pulse that was fluttering under her delicate skin. “I missed you,” he whispered, drawing her closer.
“Edward, no,” she murmured, but offered no real resistance as she was enfolded in his arms.
“Why not?” he breathed, bending low, his breath whispering against Daphne’s lips in anticipation of the kiss that promised to come. “You’re mine you know,” he said softly, his voice a velvety growl. “I made you mine,” he rasped, closing the last inch of space that separated their lips, claiming her mouth in an exquisitely searing kiss that made Daphne’s heart sing.
“You shouldn’t do this to me,” she gasped, her words becoming almost lost in the heat of their kiss.
“What am I doing?” Edward demanded, letting his hands wander. They moved to cup Daphne’s pert little bottom, dragging her flush against his body as he continued to plunder her mouth.
“This,” she panted, as it were obvious. Her blood was humming and her body was crying out in need. “You-you make me forget,” she puffed, looping her arms around his neck.
“Forget what?” he whispered, nibbling at her earlobe.
“Everything,” she sighed, her knees giving way as she sagged against her husband, only staying on her feet because he bore her weight. He was so strong, so solid and hard, and crushed up against her soft curves that Daphne couldn’t suppress the lustful tremor that shivered down the length of her body. “Everything but us,” she whimpered.
“That doesn’t sound so terrible,” he chuckled.
“No,” Daphne was forced to agree, although she couldn’t quite remember what she was agreeing to. She simply wanted to feel Edward’s mouth upon her own again. She reached to try and guide him back to her, only he resisted, to her frustration.
“Except it might be if your mother walked in,” he mused, lips quirking at the look of alarm that flashed across Daphne’s face. “Or your brother,” he added wryly. “Probably worse if it was your brother in fact,” he chuckled, as Daphne slipped out of his arms and began frantically patting down her dress. “I meant it you know,” he said gruffly. “You are mine. They couldn’t stop me from taking you.”
Daphne gasped, feeling shaky and disorientated, and very much like she wanted to throw herself into Edward’s arms and beg him to take her away with him. She managed to restrain herself however.
“W-why did you come to call this morning, Edward?” she asked, rather bluntly, rudely even, but it was what she was wondering. He had knocked her completely out of sync and she seemed to have misplaced her manners.
“Shouldn’t I have?” he frowned, withdrawing into himself suddenly.
“Oh no! I didn’t mean that!” Daphne said hastily. “I just-I meant-oh I don’t know what I meant!” she sighed at herself in exasperation, which drew a small smile from her husband.
“You know, if it’s all getting too much for you here, you can always come home with me,” he purred. “To stay.”
“Edward!” Daphne whimpered, looking up at him with pleading eyes. She couldn’t go there, not yet. Her husband sighed heavily, but he didn’t press.
“I actually came to see these paintings of yours,” he said.
“Really?” Daphne blushed prettily. “They’re not r
eally very good,” she said quickly.
“I doubt that!” Edward was swift to interject.
“And they’re all upstairs,” she continued, but she was flushing a darker shade of pink at Edward’s praise, even if it was unfounded. He simply nodded at this new piece of information and looked ready to follow her wherever she led. “In my-in my room,” she explained.
“All right,” Edward nodded.
“My bedroom, Edward!” she said, exasperated. “I hardly think that you can come with me there!”
“I should hope,” Edward began, his voice a low dangerous drawl, “that I am the only man who can come with you there.”
Daphne’s face went absolutely crimson. “I-!” she stammered. “I-”
“Yes?” Edward murmured helpfully, but his grin was positively wolfish. “I suppose you could bring them down here for me to see?” Daphne nodded silently, not trusting Edward’s new logic at all. “But then where would the fun be in that?” he whispered huskily.
“Edward,” Daphne whimpered. “Someone will see us…”
“No one will see us,” he countered easily, sensing that she was about to admit defeat-and she was; she just couldn’t keep fighting him, not on something as silly as this at least.
“I suppose if we’re quick, and use the servants stairs from the kitchen-”
“I have a better idea,” Edward said, beaming. He held out his hand to his wife, and then led her out of the room and back out into the corridor, looking around quickly before darting into Anthony’s study, which was, highly fortunately, empty.
“How did you know-!” Daphne spluttered, only able to imagine the rage her brother would have been in if they’d barged into his sanctuary unannounced and found him sitting at his desk!
“I saw him storming about the gardens while I was trying to convince you what a good idea this was,” he said, before Daphne had even finished her question.
“Oh,” she said, (sounding rather silly, Daphne thought to herself.) “But why are we in here anyway?” she mused, puzzled. Edward shot her a slow conspiratorial smile.
“Did Anthony never show you?”
“Show me what?” Daphne frowned, watching Edward as he walked over to a large, (and rather ugly, Daphne had always thought) tapestry that hung on one of the walls, covering it from floor to ceiling. He lifted it up, and to Daphne’s complete amazement revealed a hidden passageway.
“Anthony and I found it when we were children,” he grinned, and then a fleeting shadow of sadness pushed that happy memory away.
“I can’t believe you never told me! I can’t believe I didn’t know about it!” Daphne exclaimed, hurrying over to have a better look. “Where does it go?” she asked eagerly, rather excited at being let in on this secret.
“Up to the master’s suite, and if you go down it leads out into the gardens,” he informed her, his smile returning.
“I wonder what it was for?” Daphne breathed quietly, looking into the dark space and shivering, forbidden liaisons perhaps, a means of escape, but from what?
“Anthony and I once delved into your family history a little,” Edward shrugged. “Seems you great-great-grandfather was something of a Parliamentarian. He was rather vocal too before the Restoration. I don’t think that went over too well with the local Royalists.”
“It didn’t go over too well with your family you mean?” Daphne poked her tongue out playfully. She had heard stories when she was a little girl of some divide between the families. Happily everything had been resolved when the daughter of the offending great-great-grandfather had married into the Royal family, catching herself a minor Royal to wed.
“Well, all history aside, shall we go?” Edward prompted. He grinned. “I don’t especially want Anthony to catch us in here when he’s tired of storming around the grounds.”
“Excellent point!” Daphne gasped. She hesitated though, not especially wanting to dive into the pitch-blackness either.
“Here,” Edward took her hand, “I think I remember it well enough to lead you.”
“In the dark?” Daphne squeaked.
“My lady!” Edward feigned a look of hurt. “One would think you didn’t trust me!”
Daphne smiled sweetly, but she refrained from actually providing her husband with an answer – something that she saw him frown about. He didn’t say anything about it however, merely tugged on her arm and led her into the dark space behind the tapestry.
It was extremely narrow in the passage, and very claustrophobic. Daphne felt that Edward had to twist his body slightly to accommodate the broad width of his shoulders. She clung to him tightly, unable to see anything as he led her slowly up a steep, uneven flight of stairs, brushing cobwebs out of the way as they walked.
“How much further is it?” she whispered, coughing slightly on the dry, dusty air and tripping over her feet as she stumbled after Edward.
“Not much,” he whispered back. No sooner had he spoke than Daphne saw a crack of light coming down the passage from up ahead. She sighed with relief and let Edward hurry her along.
They emerged in the master’s room - what was now Anthony’s room - from behind a similar tapestry to the one downstairs.
“I can’t believe no one ever told me about this!” Daphne said, still in state of vague disbelief, and, if she was honest with herself, hurt.
She was annoyed with her brother for keeping such a delicious secret from her for so many years! Not, she had to admit, that it would have done her very much good, but still, it was the principle of the thing!
“Well, you know about it now,” Edward shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable at finding himself in Anthony’s chambers, and not just because her brother might barge in at any moment, Daphne suspected. It did feel like an invasion of sorts. “Come on,” he said, tugging her hand again. He’d never let go.
“How do you know where we’re going?” Daphne mused, surprised when they were out in the corridor that Edward knew exactly the right twists and turns to take that would lead to her room.
Edward glanced over his shoulder and cast Daphne a sheepish smile. “You forget who it was that was with your brother when he was sneaking frogs and toads into your bed,” he said with a boyish grin, which earned him a swift smack on the arm from his wife, but she was giggling.
“Oh! You wicked boy!” she laughed, just as they reached the door to her bedroom. Edward opened it up and tugged her inside.
“I’d much rather be a wicked man,” he purred, and then claimed her mouth in a kiss that demonstrated his desire.
And perhaps she too was a very wicked woman, Daphne considered dimly, giving herself up to the skill of her husband’s lips, and teeth, and tongue, because she wanted this, she was mad for him… Very little had been resolved between them, but her body still hungered after Edward.
“How wicked would you like me to be, Daff?” he murmured, cupping her bottom and dragging her flush against his body.
“Y-you were wicked yesterday,” she panted, as her own hands dragged heavily over his back.
“True, very true,” Edward said, and suddenly pulled back. Daphne whimpered in protest, and then flushed when she realized what she’d done. “And you wanted more from me than that, that’s what you said?” he breathed raggedly.
Had she said that? Daphne couldn’t seem to remember. It sounded like something she would have said when she was angry with Edward. Only now she was achy and needy again, and it was so hard to think when he was touching her, sliding his fingers over parts of her body that no other man had ever had the right to feel.
“What do you want, Daff?” Edward whispered, his breath hot against her ear as he nuzzled at her neck. “What do you want from me?” he pressed.
“Everything,” Daphne gasped, arching her neck back to give Edward access to the sensitive curve of her throat. He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, not sparing an inch of her exposed skin from his tender ministrations, until she was wholly breathless and as weak as a kitten in his arms.
“I want to give you everything, Daphne,” he murmured, the words humming through her body. “Everything. It’s all yours,” he whispered, laying one last kiss against her swollen lips before pulling away.
Chapter 29
Daphne gasped and tried to follow after him, but Edward had stood up straight, and his mouth was now beyond her reach. She didn’t understand. She could feel how badly he wanted her.
“Edward?” she mewled, coiling her fingers around his tie and attempting to drag him back down to her level. He came - but only to dot a kiss on the end of her nose.
“You were going to show me your paintings,” he panted heavily, and Daphne could read the self-imposed restraint in his light eyes.
“Later?” she breathed, her voice a sultry whisper.
“As much as I might want you right now-” Edward groaned, tilting his hips so she could feel exactly how much he wanted her “-and I really, really want you, Daff,” he grunted, as if there could be any mistake. “We have a slight history of being caught out in situations like this.”
“No one will catch us,” she pressed, deciding that she no longer cared if Edward thought her completely wanton. She had already given him proof of that.
“Daphne!” he moaned, taking a step back, and holding her at arms length. “Please don’t test me,” he begged, his voice cracking with desire of his own. “I can’t risk it.”
“Yesterday you did!” she whimpered, feeling confused and rejected.
“Yesterday we were at our own house,” Edward argued, and Daphne tried to suppress the little thrill that tingled all the way through her body to the tips of her very fingers and toes. “If someone had caught us yesterday it wouldn’t have mattered-”
“Wouldn’t have mattered?” Daphne choked, but Edward carried on as though she hadn’t said a word.
“-but if we were caught here, your brother would kill me, Daff, or I’d be forced to kill him.”
Daphne gave a tiny nod of agreement and defeat. “It’s not fair,” she muttered, not meaning for Edward to hear. He did however.
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