Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

T he wench . The obstinate chit . She made everything impossible!

Stephen stalked through the halls of his house, his fists still clenched in frustration and his thoughts in a fury over how quickly and easily he lost control in the presence of his new bride.

Just like the first time they had met she was a thorn that worked her way under his skin until he could not help himself but respond to her.

It was not the way he liked to do things. In all his dealings he preferred to be, needed to be meticulous and thoughtful. Stephen planned and prepared, he considered all the possibilities and then he made his move. Even when he was acting fast, he had thought of the consequences but when he was around Elizabeth all that discipline flew away from him and he found himself just reacting .

With a huff of exasperation, he turned his path and made his way to Herbert’s chambers, knocking on the solid wood of the door and waiting for an answer before letting himself in. His younger brother was lying on a day bed with a book in hand and a cup of hot chocolate from the breakfast at his side.

Even though it was barely the evening, the breakfast having drawn out longer than Stephen had liked even with the Barnes being surprisingly eager to leave, Herbert was still recovering from the last duel and was in the habit of retiring early to rest.

Stephen drew up a chair and cast a careful look over his brother, checking him for paleness or hidden pain. It had been not quite as near a thing as Stephen had at first feared when the seconds had brought his brother back to the estate as pale as a sheet and bleeding profusely, but he was still sometimes caught in that moment of cold horror and needed to be assured that Herbert was still with them.

“What on earth are you doing here, old man?” Herbert asked, his usual quick grin on his face, dimpling his cheeks. “Are you not a bridegroom who should be with his bride?”

“I wanted to see that you were still well,” Stephen admitted, stealing Herbert’s drink and sipping the sweet frothy contents. “I see that Diana visited.”

“I like chocolate too, thank you,” Herbert said, taking it back with a deftness that Stephen was pleased to see. “But she did tell Perkins to bring some by to me when she heard that I was turning in.”

“I thought so. Any new pains? Any old ones?”

“I am fine, Stephen, you good old fellow do stop fretting,” Herbert leaned towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Come on now, let’s talk intrigue instead. I am getting deuced bored being confined to quarters here and not being able to get about like I’m used to.”

Herbert was far happier riding his horse, hunting or playing any number of games that he could get involved in than being around the house and Stephen knew that his convalescence was weighing on him. Therefore he did not scold or remonstrate over the new topic, but instead sighed.

“There is no intrigue to talk about. The matter is done, the peace is settled and we are now connected to the Barnes family by blood. It will take a lot more than the bad moods of Dudley Barnes to break that if Rosenburg’s attitude is anything to go by.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Herbert said darkly, running a hand down his side where the sword had caught him. “Young Barnes has enough bad moods to float a naval ship, I think.”

“Even if that is so, they have left and gone back to their own lodgings and hopefully we shall be rid of them for a while.”

“Yes, they did leave very early didn’t they? I thought they would linger a little to gloat, or to see what would happen next. I’ve always found the ladies to be very keen on gossip at least.” Herbert wrinkled his nose a little. “Also did you notice their attitudes throughout? We were all respectfully serious, as the occasion demanded -”

Stephen snorted a little at this as he had indeed seen his siblings debating who could take the first piece of the wedding cake and it had not been even a little serious.

“As I was saying ,” Herbert continued, grinning at him. “We were serious, but they were positively giddy. They had the look of people who have bet on a horse that has taken the cup, or someone who has sold a ringer for more than they could have expected to get for it. And no one, not even Dudley cast me an angry look. It was like their souls were too full of happiness for them to remember how much they hate us.”

“Love is a great bringer of peace,” Stephen said and Herbert had to dive his head under his blanket for a moment to regain his composure. “I assure you, I am aware of all the strangeness of their behavior and still today went better than I could have dared to hope. Rosenberg seems determined to keep the peace despite his son and nothing interrupted the ceremony as I was rather worried it might.”

“I held my breath when the minister asked if anyone knew why you two should not be joined,” Herbert admitted. “I was sure someone was going to leap up and protest. I thought about doing it myself, honestly I did. You should not have to throw away your happiness for the family.”

He frowned a little, it hadn’t been far from his mind either and he hadn’t dared glance at Herbert in case he should do something so ridiculously impulsive. “But it did not happen. And I have considered all possible ways that this might go wrong. I have planned for each possibility. I have this in hand, Herbert. Trust me. I will be fine.”

He had more than the matter in hand, in fact, he thought as he remembered the satin-soft warmth of Elizabeth’s skin under his fingers. Why could he not get her out of his mind?

“But Stephen,” Herbert said, concern on his face and Stephen stood up.

“Enough, Herbert. I have told you that I have the matter in hand. You must trust me on this.”

They looked at each other for a moment and slowly Herbert nodded, which Stephen was pleased to see. He knew how much his brother had been bothered by the arranged marriage and how he hated that this was the price of peace, but if things were ever going to work he would have the trust of his family to make them work.

“Now, I shall leave you to your rest and to your chocolate. Do try not to spill it on the sheets.”

Herbert laughed, and Stephen left, glad he could leave his brother in a happy mood. Of course now the candles were being lit in the hall and he was forced to think about the fact that it was nighttime. It was nighttime on his wedding day. There was a bed that he was obligated to be in, and he couldn’t ignore it any more. In fact, there were parts of him that were very interested in not ignoring it.

Even as he arrived at the door to Elizabeth’s chambers, Stephen was still not sure what he intended to do. He had thought about it (oh he had thought about it) but he had not been able to make up his mind even when his only knowledge of her had been that brief interlude in the drawing room.

Now he had her skin’s touch still on his own like a ghost seducing him.

She was a beautiful woman, her curves and the sweet, luscious softness of her lips and the way her eyes stared up at him and he could imagine them veiled by her hair, messy and wild and underneath him as he – well.

It was his duty to visit her on their wedding night. His duty, nothing more, nothing less.

And though she might be his wife, she was also his enemy, she was in his home, and she might as easily be a viper as a woman. It was impossible to know. His blood might be heated, his body might warm to her but every instinct he had said not to let her near him when he was vulnerable.

There was a lot vulnerable about making love to a woman, a lot that the wrong woman could take advantage of.

He pushed open the door to her chamber, not bothering to knock. He might surprise her in some - activity - perhaps. While he didn’t necessarily expect to find her making a poisoned drink or hiding daggers around her room, it was possible that she might be doing something that might allow him to understand her true nature.

It was a fine room, one that befitted her new rank and position. They did not share chambers of course, and it was not only because he was carefully avoiding giving her the opportunity to stab him in his sleep. Even with a Barnes woman he had to admit that being on enemy grounds like she was, would be a scary and lonely experience and giving her a little space that was hers was the least that he could do.

His wife was on the bed, draped in a sedate white nightgown that made her look smaller and more soft, voluptuous in the candle-light. Her expression was startled but her cheeks flushed as he walked in, a soft pink glow that spread from her neck up her face.

He smiled to see it and she immediately frowned at him and leaned forwards to gather the things she had been pouring over, a few books, a hair set, a collection of baubles that barely needed hiding. As she leaned forwards a little of the neck of her nightgown fluttered open and he saw the white swell of her breasts veiled beneath.

God but he wanted her .

“Is this my welcome?” he said, taking a cold tone. “My, Elizabeth, one might almost suspect that you weren’t expecting me.”

“I am so sorry, Your Grace,” she said, putting her things into a case at the side of the bed and not even looking at him. “In our conversation before, you completely failed to mention what time I should expect you to come.”

“Should a bride not be constantly expecting her bridegroom on their wedding night?” He stalked to the side of the bed, closer to her, closer to her warmth and the heat that he could feel between them. “Perhaps, wife, you should try to pretend a little interest in our marriage.”

Stephen was aware that he was being unfair. She had performed well throughout the day, though she had seemed listless and quiet at the breakfast. But he needed to see more of the real her, he needed to see anything about her that he could use to convince himself that she wasn’t worth his attention.

Perhaps then he could get back to his usual duties and get her out of his head.

“Oh no, have I not been cheerful enough?” she said, her voice acidic. “I shall attempt to rectify that at once and give you at least three more smiles an hour.”

Why did she always act as though their conversations were a challenge that she was trying to win? It was infuriating and it was even more infuriating that it made him want to grab her in his arms and crush her mouth to his in an attempt to silence her.

“You could start with one.”

“I don’t want to wear out my cheeks so late in the day,” she said, quickly. “You shall have to wait until the morrow.”

“Were you paying attention to the Minister this morning, wife?” Stephen said, placing a hand at the top of the bed frame so he could lean closer to her, his eyes on her face, on the softness of her skin, on her lips parted and glistening. “Did you or did you not promise to love honor and obey me?”

“I promised many things,” she said, pertly, her eyes on his. She was staring at him with a gaze that he couldn’t understand. “I am trying to master them one at a time. We’ll start with the honoring first. I honor you, husband. I honor you far too much to keep you awake any longer. Perhaps you should retire. You must be tired.”

“I am no more tired than you are honoring me,” he said, baring his teeth in a dangerous smile. “What are all these strange things that you were looking at?”

“They are personal,” she said, her tone short.

“Are there secrets between husband and wife?”

“I’m sure that you have your own, so in the spirit of gracefulness you must allow me mine.”

She was slippery like an eel and far too pleased with herself for this last, Stephen thought. As though she had bested him, as though anyone could best him.

“I never promised I was a graceful man, wife. I promised, in fact, to worship you with my body and to endow you with my worldly goods, not to be graceful and not to allow you secrets.”

There was a little silence as they considered each other. Stephen did not find any indication that his new bride was minding having them so close to each other. In fact she was turned towards him, her whole attitude like she was being drawn towards him whether she realized it or not. She was like a flower turning towards the sun.

“Is that what you want, Elizabeth?” he asked, dropping his voice to a husky growl. “Do you want my body to worship you?”

Her flush rose higher and Stephen saw the way her gaze dropped to his lips for a moment, her own mouth slightly open as her tongue peeked out and wet her lips. It was more than any man could be expected to bear.

Elizabeth wet her lips, her breathing rough and unsteady in her own ears. She didn’t know what she had expected to come of her husband’s sudden appearance or his barbed words but he was so close, leaning over her, his tall muscular frame bracketed against the bed frame and his attention raking over her body as though he could see through her slip and was drinking her in.

She took a short, ragged breath, her mouth opening a little and then his arms were around her, strong and firm and his mouth was on her own. It was hungry, fierce, his lips claiming hers and leaving her barely able to breathe. His mouth moved, his hand was in her hair and she tipped her head back, desperate to taste more of him, all other thoughts fleeing from her mind.

The fire that had burned between them from the beginning of the day, from the moment when he had first pressed her up against a wall and whispered in her ear was ablaze at last. Elizabeth could not form a single thought. She was captivated by him, helpless in the face of his desire, aflame at his touch.

They fell back on the bed, the covers rumpling under her fingers as Stephen pressed his body down in top of her, holding himself up with one hand and sliding dangerous fingers up the tender skin of her side towards where her breasts were heaving with every shaking breath.

His lips were on her neck, setting her nerves afire and she could only take him in in glimpses, her eyes fluttering closed. He was touching her, and she needed more, she needed him to explore her, kiss her, undress her even. She wanted -

She wanted.

A soft desperate moan escaped her as he swirled his tongue against a spot just underneath her chin and she felt rather than heard his answering chuckle.

All the fire in her veins turned to ice so quickly that it hurt. He was laughing at her. At her, the silly little virgin wife who was so quick and easy that all she needed was a kiss to be desperate for his touch. Of course he was laughing! She must be a thing of ridicule to him, something to be made fun of with his family, something to mock and pity!

Elizabeth pulled back but there was not far to go so she pushed at his chest until she could get enough space between them for her hand to fly and lay a blow across his cheek. He stopped, startled, no more mirth in his eyes as he stared at her, both their chests heaving.

“You may be a duke, sir,” she said, keeping her voice steady with all the effort she could muster. “And you may be richer than Croesus. And you may even be my husband, but there are things that are out of your reach to order or to buy no matter how much you might wish otherwise. I am one of them.”

The Duke stepped back, his entire expression going so cold so quickly that she was forced to remember the dangerous manner he had wrapped around him like a cloak when Dudley had dared challenge him. He could not be the kind of man one could strike with impunity but as he stared at her with those cold, thoughtful eyes she could not allow a moment of weakness to slip through her determination.

“Ah, Elizabeth,” he said finally, touching his cheek with one languid hand. “Your hands are shaking.”

His gaze was a little less cold, and she opened her mouth to retort, worried that he was about to laugh at her again but he was too quick.

“I will never force anything upon you, you may be sure of that. I am sorry indeed that I misjudged and you were not pleased with our interlude, but I promise you, my wife,” and here his voice was warm and molten and made her shiver for something other than fear. “I will not touch you again until you beg me to do so.”

It was so outlandish a suggestion, so wild a thought that Elizabeth could not corral her words together in time to protest before the door had closed, leaving her alone and flustered and wondering.