A Season To Remember

by Gayle Ava Stone, Jerrica Knight-Catania, Catherine

  She smiled and sighed as she leaned her head back against the poorly padded seat. It was all so very dramatic, like Romeo and Juliet. Forbidden love that stood the test of time. Well, at least until they killed themselves. But Penny liked to believe they’d found each other in the afterlife, and not in one of Dante’s circles of Hell. That was all just preposterous. No, Romeo and Juliet would find each other in some sort of heavenly paradise where they would happily live out eternity.

  The hack hit a bump in the road, bringing Penny back to reality. They really should have taken the time to prepare one of Flit’s more comfortable carriages. The thought of spending five or more days in this ratty old hack wasn’t terribly appealing.

  Another, larger bump made Flit’s head lift off the side of the carriage where he’d been resting it and smack hard into it again. He squinted and then slowly opened his eyes as he rubbed the wounded spot near his temple.

  Penny covered her mouth, trying not to laugh as she asked, “Are you all right?”

  Flit gave her a playful grimace. “Thankfully, yes. I’m glad you find my pain so very amusing.”

  “I’m sorry,” Penny said, rushing across the carriage to his side. “I don’t mean to laugh, it just…tickled me, I suppose, seeing your head lop about like that.”

  “Well, you will just have to make it up to me.” A devilish smile crossed his lips and sent a thrill through Penny.

  “And how do you suggest I do that?” she asked, loving their silly game.

  Without warning, Flit grabbed her about the waist and threw her over his lap, so she was lying down in his arms, looking up into his pale blue eyes. She could see amusement and lust all at once, but then his eyes shuttered closed as he lifted her to his lips.

  Penny threw her arms around his neck and pressed her breasts against his firm chest. Good heavens, how she ached for him. Her nipples strained against their bindings and something unfamiliar churned low in her belly.

  “Oh, God, Penny,” Flit moaned as he pulled back from the kiss. “You are…like no one I’ve ever known. You are both heaven and hell wrapped up in one sweet, tempting package. But by God, I will not take you on the floor of a hired hack.”

  “Well, then,” she replied, feeling bold, “we should probably stop at the very next inn we see.”

  Apparently, Flit liked this idea quite a bit. So much so that he practically threw Penny off of him and began banging furiously on the roof of the carriage. The driver slowed to a stop and waited for instruction.

  “We’re stopping at the next inn we see,” Flit called out, his hungry eyes locked on Penny.

  “Yes, my lord!” the driver called back. “Horses will be glad of that!”

  Flit smiled seductively as the carriage lurched forward again. “So will I.”

  Though it was rather early to ask for a room, they’d been travelling through the night and everyone needed a rest. After a hearty breakfast in the taproom, Drake took Penny by the elbow and led her up the stairs to their assigned chambers.

  “Wasn’t the innkeeper suspicious of us?” Penny asked as they approached the door.

  “I told them you were my sister,” Drake replied, laughing at how un-brotherly his thoughts of Penny were.

  “Oh. And they didn’t question you?”

  Drake shrugged. “If they did, they kept it to themselves.”

  He pushed the door open, revealing a small, but well-kept room. Thank God it was clean, although he had a feeling Penny wasn’t terribly afraid of getting dirty.

  Penny walked through the door, crossed the room, and then turned around to face him. She flapped her arms nervously at her side, like a caged bird. Perhaps he was rushing things.

  “Are you all right?” he asked once he’d closed the door quietly behind him.

  She blinked her hazel eyes at him and smiled. “Of course I’m all right,” she replied. “Appropriately nervous, I should think.”

  He supposed that was true. “We can wait,” he offered. “Until Scotland.”

  Penny shook her head. “We both know we can’t wait that long.”

  She was right about that. Accepting that as an invitation, Drake closed the distance between them, took Penny in his arms, and gently lowered her to the bed as his lips pressed to hers. His hands roamed her soft curves and she caressed his arms, sending shivers up and down his spine. Making him hard and desperate with lust. Their tongues mingled, their breathing turned rapid, desperate.

  Drake parted with her lips, eager to taste other parts of her. He started by kissing down her jaw line to her neck to just behind her ear, where he could still smell the faint scent of her rose perfume. She moaned and tilted her head back as he moved further down. When he reached her breasts—her overflowing, perfect breasts—he thanked the good Lord above for them. They barely fit in his hands as he cupped them from underneath. He’d been waiting to bury his head between them ever since they’d met, and now was his opportunity. Drake looked up at her, intending to show her how hungry he was for this, only to find she’d gone rather still and quiet.

  “Penny?” he said, his voice gruff through his ragged breathing. “Penny?”

  Her breasts rose and fell in a steady rhythm. The rhythm of someone who was fast asleep.

  Drake sat back on his haunches and let out a quiet chuckle. Never in his entire life had a woman fallen asleep on him in this situation. In spite of the fact he was aching with lust for her, he even found this endearing about her. She could have simply told him she was tired. Sweet, foolish girl.

  He picked himself up off of her and then covered her with the blanket that hung over the footboard. She mewled a bit as she turned onto her side and nestled into the pillow. Drake would let her sleep—they were in a rush, but it was still early in the morning. Her family wouldn’t be missing her quite yet, he hoped.

  Penny opened her eyes and blinked several times at the wood-paneled wall before her. Where was she? She mentally retraced her steps—Flit’s townhome, the carriage ride, breakfast—

  Oh, good heavens! She sat up with a start, remembering her last conscious moments, and then dropped her flushed face into her hands.

  Poor Flit. He must have thought she’d done it on purpose. But truly she hadn’t. She’d wanted to…well, she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do, but she’d really liked where things had been headed before she’d fallen asleep.

  How long had she been sleeping, anyhow? The sun was just coming up as they ate breakfast this morning, but rain now poured from the sky, making it impossible for her to tell what time of day it was. One thing was for certain, though—they couldn’t stay here for very long. They needed to get to Scotland as soon as possible before Devlin came chasing after them. And chase he would. That much was for certain. He’d been bound and determined to keep Penny and Flit apart—he wouldn’t let a little sojourn north stop him from achieving that desire.

  The door opened quietly and Flit peeked his head into the room. When he saw Penny sitting on the bed, he smiled wide and moved inside. “You’re awake.” He placed a short stack of foolscap on the tiny desk next to the quill and ink.

  Penny’s cheeks grew warm. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

  Flit sat down on the bed next to her and kissed her forehead. “It was a long night. And we have years ahead of us. Don’t be sorry, my sweet.”

  What qualms could Devlin possibly have about Penny marrying this man? He was the most gentle of all men—far more so than Devlin!—and he was quite the best looking man Penny had ever laid eyes upon. She could have simply melted into those sky blue eyes.

  “What is the foolscap for?” she asked, eager to change the subject.

  “For you,” he replied. “Send a letter to your sisters. Let them know you’re safe.”

  “Oh.” She hadn’t even thought about how they might worry. She’d only thought of Devlin and how angry he’d be to find her gone. Surely he would know where she was headed, and with whom. But what if he didn’t? “Yes, I s
uppose that is a good idea.”

  She rose from the bed and moved to the desk to begin writing her short missive.

  Dearest Calista and Miranda,

  By now you should have discovered my absence. I am very sorry to have run out as I did, but it was time I stopped letting everyone else determine my entire life—my entire future—for me. I am a grown woman now, and I know which course I want my life to take. Please know that I am safe, and I shall return home once Devlin has calmed down some, for I’m certain he is furious over all this.

  I love you both with all my heart, and I promise to try to return home in time for your nuptials.

  With all my love,

  Penny

  Penny stared at the letter, rereading it over and over, wondering if she’d taken the proper course in writing it. Though they could be horribly overbearing, she loved her sisters with all her heart. She didn’t wish to make them feel guilty for simply being concerned siblings.

  “Are you finished?” Flit asked from across the room.

  Penny shook her head. “Not quite.” Then she crumpled up the letter and tossed it to the floor. She dipped the quill in the ink and wrote on a fresh piece of foolscap:

  Dearest Calista and Miranda,

  I am safe and shall return home in time for your nuptials. I love you both with all my heart.

  Love,

  Penny

  P.S. Please make sure to look after Wilhelmina—she will surely be lonely in my absence.

  “There!” she declared as she dotted the end of the sentence. “Now it’s ready.”

  She handed it over to Flit, who looked at the paper briefly, and then looked back up at her.

  “Lovely penmanship,” he said, “but are you certain this is all you want to say?”

  “Positive.” She stood from the chair. “Now, shouldn’t we be on our way?”

  The next few days proved to be the most uncomfortable and the most exhausting of Penny’s entire life. She wanted so desperately to pick up where she and Flit had left off in that first inn room along the way, but by the time they’d had dinner at the end of every day, neither one of them could keep their eyes open.

  But finally, on a Tuesday afternoon almost five days after they’d left London, their driver announced they’d arrived in Scotland.

  Flit gave instructions to find the nearest inn or blacksmith shop, and within thirty minutes, the hack came to a stop in the yard of a quaint little inn. Neither of them moved—they both sat there quietly, staring at the other.

  “Are you certain this is what you want?” Flit finally asked.

  Penny raised her brows. “Well, this would be a fine time to change my mind, wouldn’t it? After we’ve come all this way, traveling at top speed in this uncomfortable conveyance.” She scooted forward on the seat and took Flit’s hands in hers. “I know we hardly know each other,” she began, “but I’ve never been so certain of anything in my entire life.”

  The smile that she knew and loved so much spread Flit’s lips apart and lit his eyes with what could only be described as love and adoration.

  “Come then,” he said, pulling her cloak closed at the front. “Let’s get this over with so I can finally have my way with you.”

  Penny blushed and gave a chastising “Flit!” though she was laughing all the while.

  The cold Scottish wind slapped her in the face when the door of the hack opened. Goodness, she hadn’t prepared for this. She hadn’t brought her heaviest cloak, nor had she packed any of her thick wool dresses. The simple cotton ones had been easier to travel with, but she might freeze to death as a result of her lack of foresight.

  Flit must have realized this when he heard her teeth begin to chatter, for he put his arm around her and pulled her close to him as they ran hurriedly into the inn.

  A kind-faced man stood at the desk just inside, and smiled brightly as they entered.

  “From London, are ye?” he asked.

  Were they so obviously English?

  Flit nodded his head. “We are. We’ve come to get married.”

  The Scottish man winked at Penny. “Of course ye have. I’d o’ run off with ‘er too.”

  “Oh, no,” Penny corrected. “I ran off with him.”

  The innkeeper laughed heartily at Penny’s admission. “Well then, a lucky man ‘e is! Come along. I’ll summon my daughters ta help with the ceremony. Then I’ll put ye up in a nice little room.”

  Penny smiled and turned to Flit. “That sounds lovely, doesn’t it?”

  Flit nodded. “The loveliest.”

  The ceremony was quick and simple. The innkeeper’s three daughters—Flora, Fiona, and Freya—not only acted as witnesses, but they also hummed softly in the background as Flit and Penny recited their vows.

  Penny had always imagined a large wedding at St. George’s, with her sisters attending her and every row filled with everyone she’d ever known and loved. Yet somehow, as she stood next to Flit in this tiny room, with four complete strangers looking on, she thought it was more perfect, more wonderful, than she ever could have imagined. It was intimate and romantic and a little daring—far better than a predictable London wedding.

  Not that there was anything wrong with a predictable London wedding. She was certainly looking forward to seeing her sisters walk down the aisle of St. George’s. But the dream she’d once had had changed. Now this was her dream.

  Penny was positively glowing by the end of the ceremony. She could hardly believe that the man standing before her was hers. Forever. She’d only known him a few days, for goodness sake! Yet she knew for certain that a lifetime of happiness lay ahead for both of them.

  As they emerged from the marriage room, the innkeeper handed a small brass key to Flit, and said, “Yer things have already been delivered to yer room.” And then, with a wink and smile, he left them alone.

  Flit turned to Penny, a serious look in his blue eyes. “Are you happy, Penny?”

  Penny couldn’t help but laugh. “What a silly question. Can’t you see it on my face? In my eyes? Perhaps you don’t know me well enough yet, but yes, Flit…this is absolutely the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life.”

  “Me too,” Flit said, kissing her forehead tenderly. “However, I think it’s time you start calling me Drake.”

  “I’ll call you whatever you wish,” she replied. “But why?”

  “Flit is what my friends call me. It’s not what I want to hear when you call out my name in a fit of passion.”

  Heat rushed to Penny’s cheeks, and a sly smile spread Drake’s lips wide.

  “Are you ready for what is to come?” he asked.

  Penny swallowed over the lump that had formed in her throat. Not the kind one got when one was about to cry—the other kind. The nervous kind.

  She nodded.

  “Well, thank God for that.” Drake took her by the hand and practically dragged her through the inn toward the stairs. “I can’t wait another second to have you.”

  Drake had his new wife three times that day, pausing only for a brief meal at suppertime. To say that making love to Penny was heavenly would have been a vast understatement. She might have been young and inexperienced, but she more than made up for it with her enthusiasm and wild passion.

  But however much he loved having his way with her, he thought it possible that he loved the moments afterward even more. The moments where they lay sated in one another’s arms, once their hearts had stopped racing and the cool air that hung in the room sent her burrowing into his side.

  He thought how different this was from any other lover he’d ever taken. Even Clarisse’s mother, whom he’d fancied himself in love with at one time, hadn’t elicited such thoughts from him. He felt like a dreamy, silly schoolgirl, the way he mooned over this woman. His wife.

  However, as he sat across from her in the carriage now, the panic was starting to settle in. He hadn’t told her about Clarisse yet. There had been plenty of opportunities before their marriage, but he’d been worried that
she might order him to turn the carriage around and take her back home. And after the wedding, well…they’d been rather busy.

  They were at least halfway back to Flitwick Hall, if not further. Being that it was in the north of England, they didn’t have nearly as far to travel to their destination. Drake had tried more than once to bring up the topic of his daughter, but it seemed that every time he did, someone or something interrupted him.

  He shook his head. There was no excuse for it. No excuse other than his cowardice.

  Drake sat up straight, ready to broach the subject, when he noticed that Penny’s eyelids were drooping heavily. They opened slightly, then shuttered further closed, opened again, and then closed completely.

  Damn!

  Well, there was nothing for it. She might decide to flog him to death for keeping this from her, but it seemed her discovery of Clarisse would more than likely coincide with their first meeting.

  Penny startled awake when the hack came to an abrupt stop, pitching her forward in her seat. She hadn’t even realized she’d fallen asleep, though it wasn’t surprising. Drake had kept her up all hours last night. Poor Devlin didn’t stand a chance of breaking them up now that they’d consummated their marriage three times in the twenty-four hours following their nuptials.

  She couldn’t help but smile when she met Drake’s eyes.

  “Did you have a nice nap?” he asked, though there was something different about him. He seemed more serious than usual.

  “I did,” she replied. “It was much needed, thanks to you.”

  Drake looked away and cleared his throat, attempting a half-hearted chuckle. “Well, you’ll get to sleep in a proper bed tonight.” He pointed out the window. “We’re here.”