Chapter 18

Chapter 18

It was very late that night when Vivianne found herself in her chamber, slowly brushing her hair. Usually, Aurelia would join her and they would exchange secrets, thoughts and wishes, but that night, her sister had retired earlier, leaving Vivianne to get ready for bed alone.

She gazed at her reflection in the looking glass, her fiery hair catching the flicker of the candles in a way to make it seem as if it were truly on fire. The room was tranquil, exactly what she needed at that moment. Her hair, which had been gathered earlier in the evening, now fell in loose, cascading waves around her shoulders. In her grip, she held a silver-backed brush, its handle smooth and cool against her fingertips.

As she brushed her hair, her movements were slow and deliberate. Each stroke was rhythmic and soothing, drawing her attention away from the tumult of her thoughts. The soft bristles glided through her tresses, easing out the tangles and smoothing each strand with tender care.

The repetitive motion was a balm for her frayed nerves, seeming to dispel the lingering echoes of the evening’s intense emotions and the confusion of her clandestine meeting with Edward. With every pass of the brush, her mind slowly began to quiet, the day’s anxieties giving way to a gentle calm.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror—a portrait of calm and introspection. Her usually vibrant eyes were softened by the candlelight, her expression one of peaceful reflection. The contrast between her quiet solitude and the earlier chaos of the evening provided a welcome reprieve.

But that reprieve was shattered by the sound of something hitting her window. It startled her to such an extent that she dropped the brush from her hand. The noise was unexpected, and for a moment, her mind raced with a myriad of possibilities.

She quickly moved to the window, her curiosity piqued but tinged with a hint of anxiety. The thought of Reginald crept into her mind. She wasn’t sure what he might want at this hour, but the idea of encountering him in such a clandestine manner filled her with apprehension.

Cautiously, she drew back the curtain just enough to peer outside. The night was dark, and the garden below was shrouded in shadow. Her breath caught as she saw a familiar figure standing beneath her window. It was not Reginald but Edward, his face partially obscured by the night but unmistakable.

Vivianne’s heart pounded, her emotions a whirlpool of surprise and confusion. Edward stood there, his expression earnest and searching as he glanced up at her window. The sight of him, so close yet so impossibly distant, stirred a cascade of feelings within her.

She hesitated, her instinct to confront him battling with the need for discretion. With her breath caught in her throat, she stayed hidden behind the curtain, mind racing to comprehend why Edward was here at such an hour. The intensity of their earlier interactions, the desire he had managed to keep at bay, seemed to pulse through the night air.

As she watched him, Edward’s gaze swept around, clearly searching for any sign of her. When his eyes finally met hers, he gave a small, tentative wave. The earnestness in his gaze was unmistakable, and it softened her resolve.

Taking a deep breath, Vivianne approached the window. She drew the curtain aside just enough to allow her to speak without drawing too much attention.

“Edward?” she whispered above the night’s stillness.

Instead of a response, he pointed at her to come down to him. Her eyes widened in shock.

“No!” she hissed in a whisper, shaking her head fervently. She added the shake of an index finger to assure him that what he was asking of her was ludicrous.

“Come down,” she heard him say, his words swallowed by the darkness around them. She could only hope that no one else was awake.

“It’s late,” she replied. She’d never realized how difficult it was to shout while attempting to remain quiet. It was a contradictory state that almost made her laugh at how insane it was. “Go home!”

“No!” It was his turn to shake his head. “Come down!” He was still whispering, but the wind seemed to bring his words to her, aiding his cause. “I need to see you… talk to you.”

“It’s dangerous,” she replied. “If someone sees you…”

“Then come down quickly and we’ll hide,” he said playfully.

She felt a pang of longing mixed with concern. She knew the risks of their clandestine meeting but was unable to deny the pull she felt toward him.

Vivianne looked at him, struggling with the implications of their secret encounter. The earlier intensity of their interaction seemed to hang in the air between them. “Alright,” she said softly. “But be quick. We don’t want to risk being discovered.”

Closing the window, Vivianne wrapped her robe around her, then slipped from her room with the utmost care. The house lay enshrouded in the stillness of the night, its windows dark and silent, promising to keep her secret. She moved with deliberate steps, each taken with a practiced ease born of necessity.

She moved through the shadowed corridors of the house, her heart racing with anticipation and a hint of apprehension. The cool night air greeted her as she gently opened the back door, stepping out into the garden. The moonlight illuminated her path, casting a soft glow on the dew-kissed grass.

Vivianne made her way toward the garden’s edge, where a small, private alcove lay hidden behind a wall of tall, dense hedges. It was there, away from the prying eyes of the household, that she knew Edward would be waiting. Her heart fluttered with excitement and nervousness as she approached.

When she reached the concealed alcove, her eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light, and she saw Edward standing by the stone wall, his silhouette outlined against the backdrop of the moonlit garden. He looked up at her arrival, his expression a mixture of relief and warmth.

“Viv,” he whispered, his voice low and tender. “You came.”

“You refused to go away,” she teased, but he pulled her into an embrace, kissing her immediately.

She wasn’t expecting that, but she welcomed it nonetheless. His lips met hers with a fervor that sent shivers down her spine. The kiss was not gentle; it was passionate and urgent, conveying all the pent up emotions that neither of them could express in mere words. Vivianne responded instinctively, her arms winding around his neck as she pressed closer.

The world outside seemed to fade away, leaving only the sensation of their mouths moving together, the heat of their bodies, and the shared urgency of the moment. The kiss deepened, growing more intense, and Vivianne felt herself melt against him, heart racing in sync with the rhythm of their connection.

His lips trailed a wet line down her neck, gently opening her robe to expose her collarbone. He continued to kiss her as she arched her back, closing her eyes. She could feel his body pressing her against the wall, his hand pooling the hem of her nightgown around her waist. His touch inflamed her, and all she could do was bite her lip in an effort to remain silent.

His kisses traveled up her neck, to her ear, where she heard his whispers. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you…” he murmured in a husky voice. “You calmed me down…”

His words flickered between the pauses of kisses, and she didn’t know what she liked better, the words or the kisses. She wanted both.

“You were there for me… you made me feel good… I want to make you feel good now, Viv…”

Upon those words, she felt overwhelmed by desire—and guilt. She couldn’t lie to him any longer. She had to be honest, because they were no longer within the confines of their original agreement. Certain lines had been crossed, and that demanded the truth from them both.

“Wait…” she said, breathing heavily, gently pushing him away but still keeping him close enough for their lips to almost touch.

“What is it?” he asked, his eyes deep and dark, almost unfathomable.

“I… I have a confession to make,” she said through gasps.

“What is it?” he asked, and she felt his hot breath on her lips, drinking him in.

“Your cousin was right,” she confessed, knowing that she might regret it. “My family truly is in a dire financial state because of my father’s debts, and that is what your cousin was referencing earlier this evening… I just don’t know how he knows, because Father is adamant we keep it a secret, and I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you about this before, but I—”

He chuckled, interrupting her flow of thought. His reaction stunned her, as she stared at him incredulously. She could have imagined any sort of reaction but that one.

“I am fine with that,” he told her simply, caressing her cheek with his hand. “It’s not as if you were trying to trap me. You simply accepted my plan. It was all my idea. Why would I hold this against you?”

She was so surprised by his words that she barely realized he was kissing her again. Only when fiery heat unfurled somewhere deep inside of her did she realize that they weren’t talking anymore. They were kissing. And not only that. Without any warning, he knelt down before her, lifting her thigh onto his shoulder.

She gasped silently, pressing her hand to her lips. “Edward!” she hissed through clenched teeth, trying to remain quiet. “What are you doing?”

“Shhh,” she heard in response.

That was when she felt the flick of his tongue on her most intimate, bare flesh. She inhaled deeply, looking down. His mouth was on her, open, taking her into himself, with his dark curls tousled as he looked up at her. It was the most carnal thing she had ever seen, more carnal than anything she could have imagined.

She swallowed heavily as she watched him, her hand gripping a handful of his hair, keeping him in place. He ran his tongue over her swollen bud, creating an explosion of sensation inside of her. He murmured as he did so, as if he were eating the most decadent of desserts.

“Do you like this?” she heard him ask.

All she could do was moan in response. How could she not like it?

“Don’t stop…” she begged, closing her eyes only for a moment, then opening them again. She wanted to watch him pleasure her.

“I won’t.” He smiled against her wet heat, sliding his tongue into her.

It was a sensation that took her by surprise, completely overwhelming her with delight, with ecstasy. She felt him suck her into his mouth, bringing her to the edge so swiftly. His tongue was everywhere… on her, inside of her, licking, kissing, tormenting her, until a completely unknown sensation hit her without any warning. She felt as if she would come undone, her fingers clutching at his hair, her body trembling.

Tremors passed through her in surges, caught in the merciless grip of ecstasy. Finally, her body untensed, and his lips let go of her. Strangely, although she had just been satiated, she mourned the absence of his mouth on her, greedily wishing for more.

When he stood up to face her again, his lips glistened in the moonlight. He was grinning. Then he kissed her, allowing her to taste herself. It was the most wicked thing anyone had ever done to her, and yet again, she wanted more of it… so much more.

“Tonight was all about you,” she heard him say, although her ears were still drumming. “But don’t you dare think that this is all the pleasure I could give you. There is so much more, Viv, and I want to show it all to you.”

He leaned closer and kissed her tenderly on the lips, just a peck, before turning around silently and disappearing whatever way he had come. As Vivianne made her way back to the house, her steps were lighter, her heart was beating differently somehow, if such a thing was even possible.

Something had shifted, that she couldn’t pretend that she didn’t have feelings for him. But she hoped she would still be able to think with a clear head, come what may.