by Lisa Campell
The children did as asked. Lavinia was left with Mrs. Dorset, while Mrs. Hardcastle took the children inside. Mrs. Dorset stepped forward and hugged her. "I am so glad that you are well."
Lavinia smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Dorset."
Mrs. Dorset beamed. "We were all worried here. We prayed for you every day, my dear." As though she was only seeing Colin now, she gasped. "Oh, Lord Grandview! Pardon my manners. Welcome. Thank you for your letter while Lavinia was ill." To Lavinia again, she said, "Thank you for the food. It was most kind of you to think of us, even while you were so ill."
Lavinia shook her head. "It is nothing, Madam."
The door to the inner room opened, and Mrs. Hardcastle walked in. She walked up to Lavinia and kissed both her cheeks. "Bless you, dear."
"Perhaps we will read to the children before we go?" Colin suggested.
"Read to the children?" Lavinia asked.
He nodded, stepping forward. "Yes. Yes. We could read them a poem?"
Lavinia's eyes brightened. "I would love to."
They all made their way into the large school room. The children were gathered there. They were chattering and playing. Lavinia watched them. It made her happy to see the children like this. She had not been this happy in her earlier years.
She sat at the center of the room, with Colin beside her. They picked one of the many books that had been arranged on the shelf, and they began to read, taking turns. The children were silent as they read. Lavinia giggled as she read some poems.
"Would thou look into my eyes and wonder what lies beneath?" she read.
"Or shall thee watch me walk away."
Her eyes locked with Colin's. Her cheeks felt hot as she blushed. She wondered what ran through his mind as he read that. She cleared her throat and they went on reading. She snuck glances at him at intervals, to see his reaction. He seemed quite comfortable reading the poem. He seemed calm about it.
She frowned. Did the words in the poems not touch his soul like it did hers?
She wanted to see some sort of a sign from him. A sign that he also felt flustered. And then she saw it. A small red flush appearing on his cheeks.
The ride home was silent. They had not spoken since they had read the poem to the children. She had been unable to look into his eyes after that. She did not want to make a fool of herself. Not when it had felt as though he had been speaking to her.
Once the horses came to a halt in front of the estate, she allowed Colin to help her down, then walked for the door.
She would face him tomorrow. Not today. Not when her emotions were at their peak.
"Lavinia," he called quietly when she stepped into the house, passing by Spratt, who was holding the door open for them.
She did not turn. "I am quite exhausted. I shall see you tomorrow?"
"Wait... there is something I need to tell you. It concerns —"
She sighed, fighting back tears. She began to make her way up the stairs. "Tomorrow, Colin. I am quite exhausted."
"My Lady," called Rebecca.
"Rebecca." She stopped walking.
"Dinner is served. Will you be eating —"
"Where are the Duchess and the Duke, do they await me for dinner?" she asked. She would have to retire after dinner then. She turned. To her surprise, Colin still stood there. He was standing at the bottom of the staircase, watching her. She felt heat rip through her. Her insides twisted in knots.
All she wished to do was pull her fingers through his beautiful hair, hold him close, and even, kiss him.
"They retired early, My Lady. "
She blinked and averted her gaze to Rebecca. "When did they return?"
"Not long ago."
She creased her brows. The Duchess and the Duke had also not eaten in the morning before they left in a hurry. Something seemed to be wrong. They had been behaving strangely since she awoke. She wondered if all was well.
"I shall retire now as well. The orphanage was excitement enough." With that said, she made her way up the stairs, not sparing another glance at Colin.
Once she was in the hallway, she breathed out in relief. She had finally escaped him. All she needed to do was sleep and perhaps in the morning all of these feelings would not feel like a force of nature inside of her.
Just as she was about to open the door to her bed chamber, she heard footsteps behind her. Her heart began to beat. She did not need to be told who it was, for she already knew. She turned, but gasped, when she found that Colin stood there, his gaze searching hers.
He seemed so dangerously close to her. Her heart pounded in her chest. He placed one hand against the wall beside her. Lavinia's eyes widened.
"Colin —"
"I love you, Lavinia," he said. His eyes staring into hers. It felt as though everything stopped. It felt as though the air had left her lungs. She could not believe her ears.
His gaze kept searching hers. She was short of words. Her emotions came to her rapidly. Her mind raced. He felt for her what she felt for him. He reciprocated her feelings. She swallowed hard. Her heart soared. She loved him as well. And she had been drowning in her own pain, for fear that he did not feel the same. She felt the need to jump in joy. To lie on the field behind the manor and let the sun kiss her skin, with him by her side.
When she had gathered enough courage to tell him how she felt, his once confident demeanor began to fade. "Lavinia if you do not —"
"Oh no —" She began saying, but stopped when she heard footsteps down the hallway.
Her eyed widened. She pushed open the door to her bed chamber and pulled Colin inside with her. She shut the door and turned immediately, eyes wide, however, she lost her balance and almost fell forward. Colin moved in swiftly in an attempt to hold her, but he lost his balance as well and they both fell. Lavinia fell on top of him with a thud. This was followed by a knock on the door. Lavinia placed her hand over Colin's mouth. He furrowed his brows while she proceeded to respond.
"Yes?"
"Is everything alright, My Lady?" It was Rebecca.
"I am fine."
"Perhaps I should come in and help you prepare for the night?"
Lavinia’s eyed widened. "Leave me be, Rebecca."
"But, My Lady —"
"Rebecca," she said, trying to sound tired and partly asleep. "Goodnight."
Though she heard nothing from outside, she had a feeling Rebecca was still there. Colin made to move her hands away from his lips but she shook her head. Her cheeks reddened as she became fully aware of the position they were in.
After a while, Lavinia heard Rebecca's soft whisper, "Goodnight, My Lady."
Then footsteps followed. When they faded, she let go of him and rolled off him. But she did not rise. She simply stared at the ceiling. That had been so close for them both. They were silent for a while, until he spoke.
"Lavinia?" he murmured.
Her heartbeat sped up. She wanted him to know what she felt as well. She turned to him. He turned to her as well.
"Colin." She smiled. She raised her hand and began to trace his face. "I love you too."
He smiled very slowly and closed his eyes at her touch. Lavinia felt a ripple run through her. Her mind ran wild. She could not control her feelings anymore. Not when everything was out in the open.
She wanted to know the feel of his lips. She wanted to shiver beneath his touch. She wanted him. So, she leaned in very slowly, showing him what she wanted, and at the same time, waiting for him to make a move.
Colin closed the space between them and pressed his lips against hers. Lavinia moaned when their lips touched. It felt like magic.
Colin pulled her close to him, so that her body pressed against his. His lips savored hers, while his hands roamed her body. Her hands roamed as well, moved against his hair, his face. All this while their lips merged. Lavinia moaned. She felt hot inside. She realized then, that she wanted more.
As though he read her mind, he stopped. He looked into her eyes. "If we do not stop now, I fear we may go too far."<
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Lavinia sighed. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his. "I want more, Colin."
When she opened her eyes, his eyes were wide, and his lips were parted. Her heart pounded.
“I will marry you,” he said. “No matter what our parents say. I will never abandon you.”
“Then let tonight be our wedding-night,” she said. “For I am only yours.”
“And I am yours.”
Lavinia's cheeks reddened, but she met his gaze with her own. She smiled at him. Colin rose first, before he helped Lavinia up. He began to undress her. He freed her of the muslin dress, then unlaced her corset, so that she was left only in a chemise. He swallowed hard. Through this, she knew that he saw the outline of her breasts, her perked nipples, and the v that led to her center.
He kicked off his boots. He began to undress, while she made her way to the bed. When she turned around, he was behind her. His boots and his shirt gone, he was left in his breeches alone. His hands moved against her waist. She moaned at the gesture. Colin spun her around gently and pressed his lips against hers. His hands moved all the way down to her legs and wrapped them around his waist. When Lavinia felt his groin against her thigh, she gasped. Her cheeks flushed. Colin did not seem to notice. He kept kissing her. His lips pleasured her. They moved from her lips to the nape of her neck.
His touch made her knees go weak, and she held onto him tighter. He placed her gently on the bed and hovered over her while he pleasured her.
"Let me make love to you, beautiful Lavinia," he said.
She wrapped her legs around him, because she wished to feel his hard member against her thigh again.
He sighed against her ear.
He began to pull her chemise down. His lips kissed her skin.
"You are so beautiful," he said. His lips made their way down to her breasts. She groaned in pleasure as he teased her nipple with his tongue. Her center throbbed. She wrapped her arms around him.
"Yes..." she gasped, as his tongue worked wonders, pleasuring her. Making her insides throb. She could not hold back her cries of satisfaction. His mouth did to the other breast what he had done to the first.
Lavinia felt as though she would combust from all the pleasure. "Yes... do not stop, Colin. Ah..."
He went further, his lips trailed down her stomach as he tossed the chemise aside, leaving her in her naked glory before him. She arched her back, so that his lips could touch her perfectly. When he got to the cleft between her legs, she waited for him to touch her there with anticipation. . She was ready for him.
But he did not put himself inside her, instead, he moved his lips against her. Lavinia felt immeasurable pleasure at this. Her hands gripped both her sides as she kept moaning his name.
His lips savored her, his tongue moving against it so skillfully, so that all she felt was a fire within her.
Colin raised his head and looked up at her. She was shaking with pleasure. She kept moaning.
Colin began to unbutton his breeches. She sat up and moved close to him. When he tossed his breeches aside, she said to him, "I want you inside me."
He leaned in and kissed her neck, while he lay her down softly. When she was comfortable, he positioned himself between her legs, and entered her.
The searing pain she felt as he moved inside her for the first time, ripped through her, so that she gasped his name. "Colin."
With all the passion she felt, she not expected such pain. She held on to him. He did not move inside her. He simply kissed her cheek. "It won't hurt anymore, my love."
“I trust you,” she said, looking into his eyes. Colin nodded. He began to move inside her. He moved with ease, now. Slowly, and skillfully, so that her pain was long forgotten, and was now replaced by pleasure.
"Oh, Colin…" She moaned as he flexed his hips.
Lavinia soon climaxed again, a large ripple surging inside of her. She gasped, at the same time Colin moaned. Lavinia held Colin, as he stopped moving. They both clung to each other. There was a kind of solace she felt, when he was so close to her. She leaned her head against his chest as he lay down beside her. She felt happier in that moment, than she had been for a long time.
Chapter Nineteen
Colin's eyes fluttered open. His hands covered his eyes when he felt the sun against his skin. He stirred and tried to move his right arm, only that he discovered that someone laid there. His lips stretched into a smile as the events of the night before flooded back into his memory.
Lavinia. Her hair fell across his body, and her face was pressed to his chest. He could feel her body against his. He closed his eyes and held her close. He had experienced something so magical with her. As she snuggled into him, he realized that he had wanted this, for a very long time. He wanted to wake up to her by his side. All he wanted was her in his life.
He was glad that he had told her how he felt. He had not known that she felt the same way.
"Why do you look at me so?" she murmured. Her eyes were still closed. Colin chuckled. He wondered how she could tell that he was looking at her. He pressed his lips against her forehead, and she snuggled into him.
"Lavinia," he muttered.
"Good morning," she giggled. She finally opened her eyes.
Colin sighed. He had never felt so happy before. "Good morning."
She looked so beautiful in the morning light. Her skin was pale, her eyes were bright, and her smile was beautiful. He yearned for her. He wanted to feel himself inside her again, just as he had been the night before.
He felt as she began to trace her fingers around his chest. He closed his eyes and enjoyed her touch. "I love you," he heard her whisper.
He smiled. "I love you."
"You never finished the painting of me," she said.
Colin opened his eyes. "It is almost done."
She grinned. "I am well aware, so when do you intend to finish it?"
He chuckled. "Would you permit me to continue now?"
Lavinia sighed. She held on to him even tighter. "Stay with me like this."
He was more than glad to. His eyes roamed the room. He realized that the uncompleted painting of her was still by the mirror, where he had left it days ago. It seemed that she really liked the painting. He decided that he would be done with it as soon as possible.
He shifted, so that he was facing her. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. She moaned. His hands left her sides, so that they went on and traced her breasts. She groaned at his touch. He felt his groin harden. Oh, how he wanted her. He did not stop kissing her. His hands did not leave her breasts. He proceeded to kiss her breasts, to suckle them, so he could hear her sounds of pleasure once again. His fingers left her breasts, just as his lips took over, and they wandered downward. Her moans increased. But even as it did, she gripped his hands, her panting was fast.
"Colin..." she called weakly. "It is unsafe now. Anyone could hear us. Morning has come."
He bit his lips. She was right. But he did not care what anyone had to say. She was his. He looked up at her. His eyes pierced hers. Hers were clouded with passion and desire, as her body shook from his touch. "You are mine, Lavinia. And after what has transpired between us," he murmured, then moved his fingers inside of her, gently. She gasped. He went on. "I want us to be wed."
He saw her freeze. She was quiet for a while, but for her panting.
"Colin?" she called.
He looked down at her. "Yes?"
"What happens now?" she asked. "What do we do now? Do we tell my mother and your father how we feel about each other? Or what? What happens?"
He breathed out. He was in love with Lavinia, and he had envisioned his future with her. He wanted her as the mother to his children, his wife, his partner for life. He wanted to marry her. He did not care what anyone else had to say. He did not care how it may seem to anyone outside. All he wanted in his life was to be with her.
He sighed. "We will have to prepare for the day, and we will inform them of how we feel about each other. We sh
all tell them how in love we are."
"And what if they do not accept us?"
Colin sighed. "I do not care what they say, my love. The only thing I am certain of is what I feel for you. It matters not to me what anyone has to say about it."
He saw her cheeks redden. He wanted to make love to her again, right there, right at that moment, under the sun. As though suddenly realizing that the sun was up, he gasped. "The sun. Rebecca will soon be here —"
Just as he said this, there was a knock on the door. Lavinia's eyes widened. He made to rise, but she held on to him.
