Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

R afe took in their disheveled appearance with a bemused expression. Their hair had come loose and tumbled down to their waists, their hems bore telltale mud stains, and neither Grace nor Emma wore shoes. In the distance, Julia spotted Mrs. Tilby hovering with a look of resigned disapproval.

"Ah," Julia said dryly. "We have been tattled on."

Rafe's lips twitched. "Mrs. Tilby expressed her concern about the girls taking their lessons outdoors."

"We love the outdoors!" Grace cried, her voice full of excitement. "Please, Papa, can we stay?"

"Of course, we can stay," Julia said, meeting Rafe's gaze with a playful challenge. "Your papa didn't come to scold us but to join our lessons."

Rafe raised his eyebrows. "I did?"

"Yes," Julia said with a grin. "We're going to catch frogs today."

"Catch frogs?" Rafe echoed, casting her a glance of disbelief.

Emma smiled up at him, her eyes bright. "Yes, Papa! We will learn to catch them without hurting them. It will help us with our problem-solving skills and teach us to be gentle."

Rafe cleared his throat. "I must admit, I've long had a … certain hesitation when it comes to frogs."

The girls giggled, clearly amused by the idea. Julia smiled at him, powerful emotions clutching her heart.

"My papa is not afraid of anything," Grace declared staunchly, looking at Rafe with adoration in her eyes.

Julia smiled at the exchange, then clapped her hands. "Well, shall we go and find some frogs, then?"

With eager nods from the girls, the group made their way into the woods, following a narrow path that wound through the trees. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. The air was filled with the sounds of birdsong and the rustling of leaves as they ventured deeper into the woods.

Before long, they reached a small clearing where the grass grew thick and lush. Julia dropped to her belly in the grass, her eyes scanning the area for any signs of frogs. The girls, delighted by her enthusiasm, immediately followed suit, their faces inches from the ground as they searched for their elusive quarry.

Julia glanced over her shoulder and grinned. Rafe stood back, watching with a mixture of amusement and admiration. She winked at him, and he chuckled. She lifted her chin, beckoning him closer. Unable to resist, he joined them on the ground, much to the girls' delight.

"There is one!" Emma whispered excitedly, pointing to a small frog hidden among the blades of grass.

Julia carefully reached out, cupping her hands around the tiny creature. She gently lifted it, showing it to the girls, who stared in wide-eyed wonder.

"See? No harm done," she said softly before releasing the frog back into the grass. "Do you know what classification of living things a frog belongs to?"

Grace's eyes widened, and she nodded. "Amphibians."

Emma gasped, clearly impressed with her sister.

"That is wonderful, Grace. The word originates from the Greek word amphibia, which means living a double life. Why do you think they used this origination to name this class."

"I think because the frog has two lives," Emma said, "one in the water and one on the land."

"Perfect," Julia said. "We have small and large frogs that can move over ten times their body length in a single hop. Look at his eyes. Do you see how it bulges? The bulging eyes of frogs allow them to see in many directions—above, below, in front, and to the sides, all simultaneously."

The girls gasped their awe, and as the lesson continued, clapped their hands in excitement whenever a piece of knowledge delighted them, their laughter filling the clearing. They continued their search, finding a few more frogs as they made their way toward a nearby brook.

When they reached the brook, Julia jumped into the shallow water, splashing the girls as she landed. Grace and Emma shrieked with delight and quickly followed her into the water, their giggles echoing through the trees.

Rafe sat on a boulder and watched them, a warm smile spreading across his face.

"Will you not join us, my lord?" Julia called.

He stood and waded into the brook to join them. There was a look in his eyes with which she was unfamiliar, but something inside her heart responded with a violent ache. As if he couldn't help himself, Rafe reached for Julia, pulling her close and pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

He lifted his head, raking his fingers through his hair. "I do not know what came over me," he said.

Then he kissed her again, his mouth lingering a bit longer. Julia leaned back and splashed him, quite aware that she blushed.

The girls gasped, their eyes wide. "Papa!" they cried in unison.

Rafe laughed, the sound deep and warm. He grabbed both girls without hesitation and kissed their cheeks, much to their delight.

"Now we are all kissed," Julia said with a laugh.

The girls giggled, clearly pleased with this turn of events. They spent the next hour playing in the brook, catching frogs, and splashing each other until they were all thoroughly soaked and breathless with laughter.

As they returned to the manor, their clothes wet and their spirits high, Julia felt profound contentment and a longing for her sisters and brothers. This method of teaching was how their parents had taught them in Penporth before her father died.

"Your lessons are not over for the day," Julia said, laughing at their eager nods. "Mrs. Tilby will help you girls tidy, and we will meet in the smaller drawing room for luncheon. After our luncheon, I will give you pianoforte lessons. I shall tidy myself and meet you both shortly."

The girls ran off, and Julia gasped when Rafe grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the stairs. Given the lustful gleam in his eyes, she knew why he climbed the stairs so rapidly.

"You would not dare," she spluttered, trying to pull her hand from his. "I have my duties to attend, my lord, and you have yours."

She laughed when he swung her into his arms at the top of the stairs and walked her to his bedchamber. Once inside, he closed the door and slammed his mouth against hers, kissing her with deep passion.

"By God, I cannot get enough of you," he said raggedly.

The lustful desperation in his voice caught her by surprise, and then the knowledge of her feminine power flooded through her. It was shocking how swiftly molten heat rushed through Julia, and she hurriedly helped him strip off his wet clothes. He trailed his fingers up the length of her leg. Then he explored farther, letting his hand drift up the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. His diabolical fingers slipped between the juncture of her thighs and speared deep inside her sex.

Julia cried out into his kiss, and her hands tightened around his nape. They did not reach the bed, tumbling onto the lush Aubusson carpet. Somehow, they kept kissing, with deep, lingering glides of their tongues and short nips that allowed them to breathe. He nudged her thighs wide with his and surged his cock deep inside her.

She sobbed against his mouth, lifting her legs high to hook around his back. Their loving was fast and passionate, and soon, she was clawing his back and unraveling. Rafe swallowed the wild cry with a kiss, and his deep groan reverberated inside her as he also found his pleasure.

It took a few seconds before he rolled off her onto his back. Julia giggled, then slapped her hand over her mouth to contain the sound. He slipped his hand beneath her and lifted her so most of her was atop his body.

"You were wonderful with the girls," he said after a few beats. "They had an entire lesson and loved every minute of it."

Julia laced her fingers with his and stared at their clasped hands, a lump in her throat. "That was how my papa taught me. I … I was the youngest of twelve children and hated lessons."

"Twelve children is rather amazing."

"Hmm," she said, laughing. "I now realize the passion my father and mother must have owned for each other."

"Why did you hate the lessons?"

"I just hated being indoors. My mama said it was because everyone doted on me, and I was spoilt." Julia chuckled. "Perhaps there was some truth to her words. Papa would take me on many adventures in the woods, teaching me about birds and frogs, making fire, and telling the north from the south. Papa loved to travel and would tell me such tales of the cities he visited."

"He sounds like a good man," Rafe said. "I can hear the echoes of longing and grief in your voice."

"Papa died when I was not yet ten years. My eldest brother Colin, my sister Lizzy, Fanny, and James all took turns taking me outside and teaching me after papa died. I think … I think it was their way of keeping his memory alive."

"How did your brother become the Earl of Celdon?"

"He was a distant cousin, perhaps thrice removed. He inherited it when I was fourteen years old, and … it seemed like overnight, our lives changed." Julia shifted so she could see his face. "Will you tell me about your first wife?"

"Anna?"

"Yes."

A quick frown settled on his brow as he seemed to retreat within himself. "I met Anna when I was only twenty and she was nineteen, enjoying her first season. At first, I did not notice her, but my mother arranged for us to be introduced. She was very sweet, beautiful, shy, but honest, kind, and charming. I courted her for three months before I made an offer, and she accepted."

"Were you and Anna happy?"

"Yes. I had only inherited the earldom three years before we met, but I understood my duties and responsibilities. When she got pregnant, Anna was radiant. She spoke about her hopes and dreams for our children every day. She only saw them for a few minutes, but I have never seen her happier in those few minutes. Anna kissed their foreheads, said she was exhausted, closed her eyes and never woke."

Sorrow clutched Julia's throat. "Oh, Rafe, I am so sorry. Anna's family must have been devastated."

"They are still trying to heal," he said, slipping his arms around her waist and pressing his palms flat on Julia's belly.

Her heartbeat quickened, and she realized he was thinking she, too, would one day have their child. It felt like the air had been snatched from Julia's lungs. Their gazes collided, and with a sense of shock, she noticed nothing warm in his eyes, only a cool reserve. She lowered her lashes and rolled from his body.

"Will you join us for luncheon?"

"Not today. I have estate matters to attend to."

She nodded without looking at him, wondering why her heart felt suddenly and unexpectedly heavy.