by Kari Miller
“Nonsense! Did you hear what people are saying? Those wretched people are horrid!” Katherine was truly offended. “Why are you laughing!” she screeched out, unable to understand why she was the only offended one.
All the brothers stood in the room now and they either wore grins on their faces or were chuckling at her news.
“It’s ok Love, we don’t pay them any attention and neither should you.” Salvador assured her as he wrapped her in his arms.
Simon walked passed them and put his arms around Mary with a prideful and adoring look on his face.
“You’ve met Ed, Alex and Charles, please allow me to introduce you to Peter and this, Love, is Salvador, otherwise known as “The Devil”.”
Mary paled and Katherine gasped as everyone else chuckled.
“You really are the devil.” Katherine agitatedly stated.
“Indeed I am, at least to those I don’t like.” He responded with a grin.
“Pleased to meet you.” Peter said bowing over Mary’s hand.
“And I for one am in debt to you for taking this rake off the streets.” Salvador chuckled as he gave her a nod.
“Simon?” Mary uttered hesitantly.
“It’s alright Love, none of my brother’s bite and my sisters are the fairest of them all.”
She didn’t look too certain.
“Come, supper is ready.” He nudged her forward.
“Why do they call you Devil?” Katherine asked as Salvador led her to the dining room.
“Do you have to ask?” he grinned back at her.
Supper was succulent as always. Mary started to loosen up about half way through the meal and even laughed a little. They learned that she had left Ireland when she was twelve years old with her Mother and moved to London. Her Father was killed during the rebellion and her Mother had died when she was eighteen, three years prior. She didn’t reveal how her Mother passed and Katherine had a feeling that it was not polite conversation for dinner. She had fled to Oxford for another reason unexplained and had been living as a Mother’s helper since. She was a lady of high breeding but circumstances refused to allow her to live that life, until now.
Simon looked upon her like a fool in love, which Katherine found most endearing. She was far from beautiful but she had a look to her that surpassed pretty if you really looked at her. She was well curved but not fat and was a bit taller than herself.
Ed teased her about her freckles and Peter teased her about her blush. Of course the ladies came to her rescue and Mary started to understand the relationship of all of them.
Once she got past her shyness, Katherine thought she would fit in very well. She wasn’t sure what rumours she heard of Salvador but she never warmed up to him. Every time Katherine would question any of them about that, they would shrug their shoulders and insist that people would say what they wanted to but wouldn’t tell her exactly what was being said.
After dinner they all retired to the game room. The men played poker and pool while the women played dice.
They sat around the fire and had pleasant conversations with their nightcaps. Simon left to take Mary home. It wasn’t proper for her to spend the night until they were married, which was planned for when Katherine, Salvador, Ed and Peter returned from Camden. Ed was the best man.
Chapter 35 - A Journey to the Past
The following week was a frenzy of activity. Salvador had to make arrangements for his business and on top of that, they had received a shipment of goods that needed to be off loaded and transported to their warehouses.
He didn’t like Katherine worrying over their illegal dealings so he would slip off into the night when she was sleeping.
Pennington had remained in town and was determined to act as though nothing had happened. He knew he was being watched.
Ed made plans with his bar wench and Cedric was to provide her with the poison while they were out of town. On the night of the poisoning, Charles, Alex and Simon planned to be at a house party with their wives given by their lawyer and Cedric and his men were to be seen at Madam Marleau’s establishment.
Once the poison was given, the wench was to stay and confirm that it had taken root and then meet up with Captain Robert’s on the Enchantress and hide on the ship until they set for sail two days later. He would drop her, Benny and his family, as well as workers on the island with a load of timber and provisions.
Salvador was pleased with how everything was planned out.
They set out for Camden with a convoy of carriages. He shared his with his wife. Peter and Ed shared the carriage with Sarah and Jenna. Henry shared a carriage with Peter and Ed’s steward and another carriage carried their luggage.
Katherine had been so excited to leave that morning. He had to force her to sit down and eat her entire meal before they left.
She was dozing off now on the seat in front of him and he allowed the opportunity to rake her delectable figure with his eyes. Her belly was growing larger by the day, as well as her breasts and bottom. From behind, she still looked petite but as soon as she turned to the side you could most definitely see that she was with child. Even still she looked adorable and desirable. There was a glow to her that you couldn’t help but be in awe of. Peter teased her about how she would waddle like a duck when she was tired and she would scowl at him.
He certainly enjoyed seeing them tease and bicker at each other and he most certainly enjoyed raking his hands across every new curve of hers.
The other night, she was snuggled into his back and he felt the distinct kick of the baby in his lower back. He turned around and placed his hands on her belly hoping to feel it again, but it never came. He couldn’t be disappointed, he finally felt his own child moving in his wife’s belly.
Her mood swings lately were entertaining. She would go from happy to frustrated to happy again within a blink of an eye.
She would snap at him for his over protectiveness and then spend the next hour making up for it. Yes, his wife was certainly delightful.
Even when she was in the worst of moods and snapping at him he could only smile.
After Ed’s party, she ranted and raved at him for trying to protect her innocent ears. She tried to convince him that no matter how he earned his reputation, it wouldn’t change the way she loved him, but he still wouldn’t relent. He was firm that there were things about him she didn’t need to know and made it clear to her that all she needed to know was that he loved her and would never ever let anything bad happen to her again. She stomped her foot and stormed out of the room with her passionate anger, it didn’t take long for him to follow her and flip up her skirts.
Love making was sometimes complicated. He knew he needed to be gentler with her now that she was advancing, but sometimes he had a hard time holding back. They found new positions that pleased them both and regardless of her insecurities, he found her more desirable than ever.
Jenna was proving to be a perfect ally for when he was away. She would bully Katherine into resting and would cluck and nag until all her food was finished.
Salvador grinned as he remembered walking into their chamber and seeing Katherine threatening Jenna with one of her boots to leave her alone. He had made the mistake of taking Jenna’s side and then ducked just in time for the boot to fly past his head.
Alex had told him that Angel had succeeded in hitting him with her boots a few times. If he thought that Katherine was moody, he didn’t want to spend too much time with Angel. Alex laughed it off and infuriated her by smothering her with kisses whenever she threw a temper tantrum.
Watching Katherine’s head loll to the side, he switched seats and tucked her into him so she wouldn’t fall over.
Closing his eyes, he smiled as he remembered their last trip in the carriage from Camden and then started to plan this one.
~
Katherine woke to the most sensational feeling. She opened her eyes just in time to catch Salvador bending over her to meet her lips. They were both breathing heavy and s
he realized she was on his lap and her skirt was flipped up, his fingers were inside her and his thumb swirling around her juices.
She moaned into his mouth and felt his erection twitch from beneath her bum.
“Salvador” She whispered “This is a hell of a way to wake up…” She moaned out.
“Language, Love” He scolded her gently and then kissed her again as he fisted her hair.
He drank in her cries of passion as he pumped his fingers in and out of her.
“I want you to find your release like this” he whispered seductively into her neck as he kissed and nipped at her sensitive spots.
“But…” She started to protest.
He cut her off by rubbing his thumb against her bud.
“Ride my fingers.” He ordered her.
She was shy to do such a thing but the sensation he was causing in her was starting to over-ride her caution.
He pinched her nipple hard, causing her to cry out.
“Ride my fingers.” He commanded her again.
She thrust her hips to meet his thrusting fingers and moaned as he growled into her neck. Moments later she was convulsing around his fingers and crying out as his thumb relentlessly drew out her orgasm.
Holding onto his shoulders for support, she slumped onto him when it was over.
“My turn” he informed her in a menacing tone.
“Do you want to please me as I have pleased you?” he asked casually as he thumbed over her bud, causing her to flinch.
“Yes.” She moaned out when he swirled his finger in her juices.
“Do you know what I find most beautiful about your lips?” he asked in a seductive tone that almost sounded like a purr.
She shook her head as he continued to play with her.
“I find them most beautiful when they’re wrapped around my cock.” He continued to purr.
“I’d like to see that, right now.” He growled out to her before pressing his lips to hers and claiming them in a demanding kiss.
When he released her, she slid onto the seat beside him and then proceeded to unfasten his breeches.
He moaned when she released his heavy erection and then fisted her hair when she took him into her mouth.
“Yes Katherine! Suck it hard!” he gritted out as his hips thrust to meet her mouth.
She swirled her tongue around the crown of his cock and was rewarded by his moan. Bobbing her head back and forth, she drew him further and further into her mouth.
“Sweet Jesus!” He cried out when his cock hit the back of her throat and she swallowed.
“Suck it fast baby…yes…suck it…God yes!” he gritted out as his cock began to swell.
“Let me see you lick it.” He grunted.
She looked up at him and then took his cock in her hand and licked it from top to bottom, swirling her tongue into the slit of his crown for good effect.
“Do you like that?” he growled out to her.
“Yes.” She whispered as she kissed it.
“Good girl, now finish the job.” He commanded her as his fists tightened in her hair and his hips thrust forward to meet her mouth.
“Suck it baby…yes…suck it…suck it…open your legs, I want to play with your pussy.”
Katherine opened her legs for him and he reached down and thrust two fingers into her and pumped at the same time as she sucked him into her mouth. She moaned around his cock and he growled in response. His thumb swirled around her bud and she moaned again.
“Every time you moan I can feel it vibrate through my cock. Sing for me Love.” He cooed out through panted breath.
He pumped his fingers faster as she moaned with each thrust.
“Mmmmmm” she moaned out again when he pinched her bud and sent waves of lust through her body as the orgasm licked at her muscles.
“Keep your legs open” he growled out when she went to squeeze them shut. “I want to look at your beautiful pussy as I cum.”
He had taken to talking dirty to her when she went down on him lately and instead of being shocked or disgusted she found it arousing.
She licked at his cock as she took him into her throat and swallowed her saliva.
His hands fisted into the back of her hair and he held her head still as he started to thrust into her mouth.
“Yes…harder…ah…ah…here comes your reward…oh yeah…I want to feel you swallow it…that’s it…drink it up…”
When she had swallowed what he had to offer her, she placed a kiss at the tip of his crown and then a kiss on his rock hard stomach causing the muscles there to flex under her lips.
“You do realize that the only time I have a hard time being convinced you’re an innocent his when your sucking on my cock.” He chuckled out as he panted for breath.
She laughed and then kissed his crown again, making it twitch before wiping her bottom lip and straightening up to snuggle into him.
The rest of the carriage ride was uneventful. They stopped before the sun set and checked into an Inn along the way.
There weren’t enough rooms to accommodate everyone so Katherine and the brothers took two separate rooms, Jenna and Sarah slept with the tavern servants and the stewards, guards and Footmen slept in the carriages.
They all ate a half decent meal before Salvador and Katherine left Ed and Peter to go to bed.
The next morning, Katherine threw Peter a knowing smirk as one of the tavern wenches blushed and giggled while serving him breakfast.
Ed laughed and then winked over at another wench who was serving at another table.
The next few days went by rather slowly. It took them four days instead of three to reach the Rochester Estate because Salvador insisted on stopping more often to accommodate Katherine’s condition. She normally didn’t like to be singled out, but in this case she was grateful.
Chapter 36 - A Home that is Not a Home
When they reached the estate, Katherine stood there rooted to the ground after Salvador had helped her out of the carriage.
She stared up at the door and a flash of memories assaulted her, causing her to tremble.
“You don’t have to do this Love, you can tell me where the journals are and then we’ll go back home if you’d like.” Salvador said gently from beside her.
She shook her head no.
“I’m ok, I just wasn’t prepared.” She reassured him and then to prove her words she squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and started for the door.
A servant opened the door and greeted her and the rest of the travelling party as they approached.
She didn’t recognize him and was grateful for that. She nodded her head in greeting to him and then walked passed him into the hall.
She knew Salvador was whispering something to the servant but she paid no attention as she surveyed the place. Although it was in better shape than when she left, it was still the same.
The halls were still bare of pictures and furniture from when she had to auction them off to feed her and her father.
She wandered through the halls and in and out of the rooms, barely aware that she was being shadowed.
With every step she took, she was assaulted by memories, none of them good.
“Lady Rochester?” she heard a female voice from ahead of her.
She looked up and gasped when she saw her old maid.
“Claire?”
“It’s me! Oh dear child, we were so worried for you!” She cried out as she rushed towards her.
“Halt!” Salvador’s commanding tone boomed from behind her.
Claire froze in her tracks and looked over Katherine’s shoulder with fear in her eyes.
“I don’t know you so therefore you will not touch my wife.” He said coolly as he took his place beside her and placed a protective arm around her waist.
“It’s alright Salvador; Claire was my maid when I was growing up.” She said in a soothing tone, hoping to defuse her husband’s distrust.
“Even still.” He responded with finality
in his tone.
“Claire, this is my husband - Lord Salvador Cresta and this is Lord Peter and Lord Edward.”
Claire remained frozen in place with her mouth slightly opened.
“Claire?” Katherine prodded gently.
Claire finally shook herself out of her trance and curtsied for them.
“At your service.” She said politely, giving a wary eye to Salvador.
“Have our rooms been prepared?” Salvador asked.
“Yes my Lord, if you will follow me.”
With that, they were all led to their chambers.
Peter and Ed were shown to guest rooms while Salvador and Katherine were led to the master suite.
Katherine sucked in her breath before Claire opened the door. The last time she had been in this room was when her Father had died and she wasn’t certain she could go through with this.
Salvador placed a comforting hand on her back and then nodded to Claire to open the door.
Katherine couldn’t help but gasp when she peered in. All of the furniture had been changed, even the order they had been previously placed was new. If it weren’t for the structure of the room, she would have never had recognized it.
“Is this of your doing?” she asked Salvador as she wandered around the chamber.
“I hope it is to your liking, I didn’t know how you would feel staying here and wanted to make it as comfortable for you as possible.”
“Thank you” she whispered out.
Salvador started to make his way towards her before they were interrupted by an army of servants.
A copper tub was being brought in as well as pails of steaming water. It wasn’t as luxurious as what she was used to within her own residence, but it was welcomed all the same.
When the bath was filled and they were alone once more, Salvador came up behind her and started un-hitching the latches on her dress.
“Unfortunately this tub is not big enough for the two of us so we will have to make do with this.” He said as the last latch un-hitched and her dress pooled to the floor.
Next he removed her petticoats and stays. When she was naked, he lifted her into his arms and then lowered her into the steaming water.
