Library

31. Epilogue

One month later…

Charlotte’s honeymoon had been perfect. Hugh’s family treated her as though she was a princess, and she and Hugh soaked up the sea breeze on their daily constitutionals. She especially loved to listen to the waves crash, and the seagulls call to each other. But her absolute favorite memory was of the nights and mornings spent making love to her doting husband.

Upon returning to Chesterhill Manor, she packed her belongings. Thankfully, her stepmother had been absent.

“Where is Lady Chesterhill?” Charlotte asked Papa.

“I confronted her about reading my personal records and her treatment of you and Alexander. She denies everything. Alas, I love her and want to believe her.” Papa frowned. “She became quite angry at me and has gone to stay with a dear friend.”

Charlotte would bet her sparkling hairpins that Lady Chesterhill was harassing Satan in hell, but she had no desire to upset Papa, especially since his health seemed slightly improved.

Since Lady Chesterhill was not in residence, Hugh left her with her father and brother and traveled on ahead to their new residence.

“You will be safe with the shrewish grimalkin gone, and it gives me a chance to finish preparing our home,” Hugh declared. “Poor Billy has been working for weeks while we enjoyed our honeymoon. I do so want everything to be perfect for you.”

Although she was forced to spend time away from Hugh, she relished Papa and Alexander’s company as she busily supervised the packing of her belongings. Still, she missed her husband with an ache that sometimes left her gasping for air.

Lucy squealed, bringing Charlotte to the present. “We are finally on Mare Street,” she said.

Excitement bubbling, Charlotte pressed her face against the carriage window. People bustled about as far as her eyes could see. Women in fashionable dresses carried packages, and vendors hawked a multitude of wares. They drove past a circle of children playing with marbles. On the next block, a group of men waved their hands about in front of a three-wheeled cart. A broken wheel lay a few feet away. As Charlotte’s carriage rumbled along, the living tableaux got smaller and smaller until it eventually disappeared. Now, she would never know if the men fixed their broken cart. Although, she would imagine that they did, and that the rest of their day was void of misfortune .

She turned her attention to the cobblestone sidewalk and the colorful facades of the storefronts and townhouses. Despite the crowds, the dusty street, and the chipped paint on many of the buildings, the city was much more exciting than the perfect illusion of boring Chesterhill Manor.

“We are here, my lady,” Lucy declared as Pepper howled happily. “I think he knows that Mr. Fletcher is near.”

Indeed. Charlotte also wanted to howl in celebration.

Once the carriage halted, Charlotte slid to the other side of her seat to see what Lucy pointed at.

The Fletcher’s Investigations and Bounty sign hung beside a first-story bay window. The building stretched three stories high, a rod iron balcony jutting from the second floor. The door of her new home opened, and Hugh stepped onto the stoop. He was always handsome, but his crisp, tan tailcoat and brown cravat were to die for. A waving Billy exited behind him.

When the door opened, Charlotte did not wait for assistance from her father’s footman. She flew from the carriage. Hugh descended the steps and met her on the cobblestones. She leaped into his arms, showering him with unladylike kisses.

What did it matter? She was Mrs. Fletcher, a wife greeting her husband on a busy London Street where no one would take notice of her. Or compare her to a sausage. Or gossip about her at a ball. Or destroy her embroidery.

“Good day, Lady Charlotte,” Billy said as he approached. “Cricket is doing well. She will be highly pleased to see you.”

Charlotte slid her gaze to Hugh with every intention of requesting to see the sweet girl.

“I shall take you to visit her tonight,” Hugh said .

How lucky was she that her husband knew her every wish even before she asked?

Lucy handed the birdcage and Snowball’s basket to Billy. She alighted the carriage holding Pepper’s leash. His tail wagging wildly, the pup lunged toward Hugh, who squatted so that Pepper could lick his cheek.

Once Hugh stood, he clasped Charlotte’s hand. “I have missed you. Come see our new home.”

They were almost to the steps when the two miscreants her father often hired for unfavorable chores exited, nearly running head-first into Hugh. Both she and Lucy gasped.

Charlotte stepped back. “What are they doing here?”

“Keepin’ an eye on you, Lady Charlotte,” the one with the mustache said.

Charlotte cringed.

Hugh glared at the men. “Stay three arm’s length away from my wife.” Then his gaze softened. “They helped get the house ready. They are returning to your father soon.”

“Nah, Fletcher. We keep telling ye we is staying here in London. Ye needs our help. Besides, his lordship paid us to stay put.” The tall man displayed an exceedingly toothy grin as he swung his arms wide. “We helped the lad paint yer new house, my lady. Both insides and outs.” “What do ye think?”

It was rather lovely.

“They wore more paint than they got on the walls,” Billy said. “And they could not hang paper if their lives depended on it.”

The tall man growled at Billy, who seemed unfazed since he was cooing his hello to Snowball.

“Stilts, Curly, unpack the carriage,” Hugh said. “And no dawdling. ”

“We never dawdle,” said the man with the mustache. “We don’t ever get any respect, and we work ourselves to the bones for you toffs.”

Hugh harrumphed. “I am hardly a toff.”

“If ye looks like a toff, talks like a toff, and smells like a toff, ye’s a toff,” Curly said.

Hugh sighed. “Tonight. A round of ale at The Red Dog Tavern on me.”

“Why thank ye, guv’nor,” the man who must be Stilts said. “For a toff, ye’s a generous man.”

Hugh stabbed his finger at the men. “But stay out of trouble.”

“Trouble? Us?” Curly placed his hand on his heart.

Hugh turned his back to the dastardly duo and rolled his eyes. “Thank you for delivering the ladies,” he called to the driver and the footman. “Once you help Curly and Stilts unload the carriage, come in and have a cup of coffee while the horses rest. Everything has been laid out in the kitchen.”

Hugh placed his hand on the small of Charlotte’s back, and they entered their new abode. Lucy, Billy, and the animals followed.

Papered in various shades of creams, tans, and browns, the foyer was quite elegant. As Hugh led them to the first room on the left, they passed by a few of his hats hanging on ornate brass hooks.

“My office.” He held out his hand, inviting her to enter.

Charlotte stepped into the room. Lucy, Billy, and the animals followed.

Although the city’s fog blocked the amount of sunlight coming through the bay window, lanterns bathed the masculine room in a warm glow. Twinkling light dappled across an enormous mahogany desk where an inkpot, a ledger, a lantern, and a stack of newspapers were neatly arranged. Hugh took the birdcage from Lucy and placed it on a high, wooden pedestal. The cage suited the earthy-toned room.

Charlotte pictured Hugh sitting behind his desk, his brow furrowed in concentration, his shirtsleeves rolled up, the corded muscles in his forearms flexing as he took notes on his cases. Her life was too perfect for words.

“’Tis wonderful, Hugh,” she said.

“Mr. Fletcher already has two clients besides Lord Chesterhill,” Billy said.

“Oh?” Charlotte asked.

Hugh nodded. “I have another promising lead on your father’s search. We will discuss business later. For now, let us continue the tour.”

They followed Hugh down the hallway to the scullery. A long table and benches took up the center of the room. Half a dozen coffee cups and a plate of biscuits had been arranged and were ready to be consumed. The well-stocked larder was off to the left side.

“Our part-time cook, Mrs. Lista, left for the day,” Hugh said. “She thought you might enjoy a light repast after your journey. She will be back tomorrow morning and work out her schedule.”

What a relief because Charlotte had no idea how to cook.

“I shall be happy to help Mrs. Lista,” Lucy said. “I enjoy cooking.”

Poor Lucy would be quite busy attending to Charlotte, helping with the animals, and assisting the cook. However, she seemed happy, claiming she was up to her tasks.

“Come see my chamber,” Billy said.

Moments later, the boy proudly presented his small, cozy room .

“’Tis even nicer than the one I had at Chesterhill Manor.” He plopped onto his bed and bounced a few times. “My mattress is so cushy. I ain’t never slept so good, my lady.”

A beaming Hugh winked at Charlotte.

“That is splendid,” she said, happy that she and Hugh could provide a comfortable home for the hardworking lad.

They ascended the steep stairwell, papered in the same rich colors as the foyer. Passing by the second-floor landing, they climbed to the third floor.

Lucy gasped as she entered her purple chamber. Two of the walls had been covered with hand-painted lilac paper. The ceiling sloped low over her bed, creating a cozy sleeping nook. Hugh, thoughtful man that he was, had purchased both a dressing table and a sewing table.

They left a wide-eyed Lucy to explore her attic, and Billy went to check on Lord Chesterhill’s driver and footman, adding that he would “...ensure the other two fools haven’t lost the ladies’ belongings on the way into the house.”

Hugh and Charlotte descended the stairs to their second-floor living area, where Charlotte dreamily strolled through her robin’s egg blue parlor.

“I had it painted and papered but left the decorating to you,” Hugh said.

“You chose the perfect color,” she assured him. She would purchase a settee and a half-dozen plush chairs. Plenty of pin money would be left for glass vases and a china clock for the fireplace mantel.

The dining room sat beside the parlor, its only furnishing being a table and the six chairs surrounding it.

Hugh winced. “We ran out of time, so we did not yet paint the walls.”

“I am amazed by all you have accomplished. Everything is perfectly lovely,” Charlotte said.

“Although I failed at my first task, your father paid me well.” He winced. “There was also your dowry, which I accepted and used to purchase much of what you see. And Billy is to be commended for much of the work.”

What a darling lad Billy was.

She considered the space. The cityscape kept the sun from shining through the window, giving the room a rather dank appearance. But she would fix that. “What do you think of a yellow dining room?”

“That sounds delightfully cheery and befitting for a Firefly,” he said. “Now, on to our bedroom.”

Awe-inspiring was the best way to describe their shared chamber. The walls had been painted a light peach. The bed was the largest she had ever seen. Even bigger than Papa’s. A gauzy cream-colored linen formed a canopy over the sleeping area. Peach and cream-colored fabrics festooned over the base of her dressing table. Two nightstands with matching lanterns, large glass globes attached, sat on either side of the bed. A cherry wardrobe was along one wall, and a matching dresser along the other. The fireplace had been scrubbed until there was no indication it had ever been used.

Joining Pepper, Charlotte spun in the center of the room.

“I have saved the best for last,” Hugh said.

How could it get better than this chamber?

Hugh placed Snowball’s basket beneath the window and removed Pepper’s leash. The pup jumped onto the bed, turned in a circle, and settled down with a sigh.

Hugh opened the door to an adjoining gray, empty room, and Charlotte’s heart sank. She did not want her own room. She wanted to share the lovely one with Hugh. Oh, maybe it would be fun to decorate it. But still, she wanted to spend every night sleeping beside her husband. Mayhap women of her class had their own chambers, but she had traded that life to be with the man she loved.

Hopefully, her honesty would not hurt his feelings. “Hugh, I dare say, I would be quite content to share a chamber with you.”

Looking nonplussed, Hugh blinked, then chuckled. “This is to be the nursery.”

A nursery meant children. Their children . Charlotte brought both hands to her mouth. “Oh, Hugh. I love it. I love everything. We shall be so happy here.”

“Shall we get started?” he asked.

As much as she wanted to prepare her home for a family, she was tired from her trip.

“Hmm? Mayhap tomorrow. I must take it all in and decide what color the nursery shall be,” she said.

He pulled her close, and in that gravelly timber that drove her wild, he whispered, “I meant, shall we get started making baby glowworms?”

Hugh had spent all afternoon trying to get his wife naked and lure her into their big bed. Unfortunately, needy animals, an excited lady’s maid, and a pair of a pain in the arse scalawags thwarted every one of his attempts.

’Twas late when he shucked his clothes and crawled beneath the counterpane, alone except for one fluffy puppy. He waited for Charlotte to return from her visit with Lucy. He was highly pleased with Lucy’s reaction to her chamber, the house, and her new life in London. And he was thrilled that Charlotte had a loyal companion, but damn, he wanted his wife to himself after spending days apart.

After waiting for an eternity, he retrieved his book from his nightstand, tilted it toward the lantern, leaned against the headboard, and read. He had just become absorbed in Guy Mannering ; or The Astrologer, when Charlotte tiptoed into the room. Pepper lifted his head and barked.

Charlotte toed off her slippers and removed her dressing gown. She laid it on the end of the bed and curled into the space between Hugh and Pepper.

“You are still awake,” she said,

“Uh-huh,” he murmured. Feigning that he was a patient man, he placed the volume on the nightstand and folded his hands in his lap.

“Lucy and I were discussing ideas for the parlor and the nursery,” she said.

And he was busy staring at her rosy nipples poking through the thin night dress.

“We have decided on a purple nursery. What do you think?”

To hell with patience. “I think you should remove your clothing and join me beneath these covers.”

“Oh, Hugh.” She playfully slapped his shoulder as a disgusted Pepper sneezed and leaped from the bed.

Hugh growled as he pulled her to him. “I have been waiting all blasted day to be alone with you.”

“And I, you.” She slid beneath the counterpane. In one swift movement, she straddled him, her cunny finding his cock. “I learned this on page fifteen,” she confessed as she took her time sheathing him in her tight pussy.

Hell’s teeth. He loved page fifteen. Even better, his wife was already wet for him. He rested his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes. “I love you, Charlotte. I have from the very first moment, I saw you.”

“I love you too, Hugh. From the second you stepped out from behind that tree in that disguise.” She lifted her hips ever so slightly, then gently lowered herself until he was so deep they were one. He placed his hands on her hips and helped guide her in and out, but the speed and intensity were all Charlotte.

Their foreheads remained touching, and their gazes stayed locked, as she leisurely rode him. The lantern light played off her golden hair. She was positively seraphic. This was his wife. This was comfort. This was peace. This was luck. He was home.

Her head flew back, and her back arched.

“That’s it. Come for me, Firefly,” he whispered, overcome with solicitude. His fingers dug into her hips as he slammed her onto his cock.

Once. Twice. Thrice. Her walls pulsed, and then they soared. Together. Just as they would every night, henceforth until forever.

The End.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.