Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

S imon brought his horse to a stop in front of Redbeck house in the pouring rain. His body had never felt as exhausted as it had when he trudged up to the house and banged on the front doors.

It only took a moment before the wood swung open to reveal a distinguished butler.

“I didn’t think we’d be expecting another visitor today, not in this dreadful weather,” he muttered under his breath as Simon pushed past.

Ignoring the man’s words, Simon leaned against the hallway table, grateful for a moment of rest in a dry room.

“Would you be as kind as to tell me if the Duchess of Sunderley is here? If she is, I would like an audience at her earliest convenience.” He fought against the exhaustion flowing through his body.

“May I ask who is calling, Lord…” The butler lifted an eyebrow and looked and eyed the puddles at Simon’s feet.

Using the last remnants of his strength, Simon dragged himself up and locked his gaze on the man. “You may tell her that her husband, the Duke of Sunderley, is here to call on her.”

The man’s eyes widened in shock as he instantly sprang into action. “Of course, Your Grace! I will fetch a towel and dry clothes at once!”

He sprinted down the hall before Simon could stop him.

Swearing under his breath, Simon shook his eyes. All he needed was for someone to show him where his wife was. A frown creased his brow as he strained his ears to listen. The faint sound of chattering with regular intervals of music could be heard from somewhere in the house.

Not wanting to wait for the over-enthusiastic and apologetic butler to return, the Duke trudged through the house with his muddy boots.

The sound of a piano filtered through a shut door, letting him know that there was life on the other side.

The music instantly came to a stop amidst shocked gasps when Simon opened the door.

Trudging across the carpet, Simon locked eyes on Octavia and pointed at her.

“I need to talk to you, and before you deny me your company, I have travelled through rain and sleet to get here; I am not taking no for an answer.”

Octavia opened and shut her mouth as she gaped at Simon.

“Octavia Wakefield, I have come all this way to let you know that I have come to a very important decision in my life. It’s about time that I stopped living in the past and got rid of the foolish notion that I can somehow get vengeance on my parents by not living my life. I want to live my life with you by my side.”

Lifting her hand to her throat as she gasped, Octavia suddenly began to cry as tears streamed down her face.

“Now I know that I have done nothing at all to win your love, nor have I done anything to gain your trust. What I am asking of you is truly unfair and downright arrogant of me in the face of my recent behavior, but if you will have me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you see that I love you.”

The room fell deathly silently as somebody else gasped. He’d been so hell-bent on finding her that Simon hadn’t even noticed who she was with. Moments seemed to pass as Octavia stared down at him with tears in her eyes.

“Will you put me out of my misery and answer a weary traveller?” His chest rose and fell with every breath as the legs in his muscles threatened to give in.

“Well, that certainly was quite a speech; I’m just not sure how to answer a man who is drenched in mud from head to toe. It kind of makes a woman wonder if she should spend the rest of her life with him.” The playful smile that curved her lips set his heart on fire as he almost collapsed from relief.

Falling to his hands, he shook his head with laughter. The exhaustion of the day was beginning to wear on him when Octavia lifted his face in her hands.

“Yes, Simon, I will stay by your side. And in case you were wondering, I love you too. Not that you said it in so many words, but I assume that is what you meant with your little stunt.” Her smile brightened as tears fell down her cheeks.

Feeling overcome by an urgent desire for her love, Simon leaned in and kissed her with all of the pent-up emotions he’d felt for weeks.

Octavia responded in kind as her lips parted with a gentle sigh of satisfaction.

He couldn’t believe how lucky he felt to hear those words coming from her lips.

“Well, it would seem we have been privy to a great love story this evening.” An older woman’s voice drew Simon away from the kiss as he opened his eyes.

Blushing deeply, Octavia turned to their audience. “Lady Haxford, Isolde, may I present my husband, the Duke of Sunderley.” She leaned away from him and lowered her voice to a whisper. “He isn’t usually this wet.”

Simon burst into a fit of laughter before regaining his composure.

“I am sorry for the intrusion this evening, My Lady, but as you could see, there were a few pressing matters that simply couldn’t wait until morning.” His heart swelled with pride as he looked at Octavia and reached for her hand.

“Indeed, I’m only sorry that my poor carpet had to take the brunt of your most admirable declaration.” She looked past Simon and raised her eyebrows at the puddle of muddy water on her tan carpet.

“I will have a new one sent from London as soon as I can.” Simon offered apologetically.

Shaking her head as she chuckled, Lady Haxford waved the offer away. “I was only teasing. To tell you the truth, I’ve never really liked the carpet. It was given to me by my late mother-in-law, and I have been looking for an excuse to get rid of it for years. You have made more than one woman’s dreams come true this evening, Your Grace.”

She winked teasingly at Simon.

Heads turned to the door as it burst open, revealing an out-of-breath butler who clung to the wall for dear life.

“I have found a towel and a clean change of clothes, Your Grace; I am sorry that it took me so long.” Glancing at the puddle on the carpet, the poor man nearly fainted as his face paled. “Oh dear, I will fetch another towel.”

Pushing herself up by her cane, Lady Haxford stood and addressed her butler.

“Never mind that now; I think you had better draw a bath for the Duke and prepare his chambers. We have a full house this evening, and here I thought that nothing else exciting could happen to an old woman like me.”

“Yes, yes of course.” The butler stood with great difficulty and ambled from the room.

Turning back to the rest of the room, Lady Haxford addressed Octavia and Simon before nodding to Isolde to follow her. “You do not have to tell me when I am not wanted. I think we had better leave these two alone.” She winked at them both before leaving the room.

Swallowing hard, Isolde came forward and bowed her head. “I think I owe you an apology, Your Grace. I understand that I have caused you a great deal of difficulties.”

She kept her eyes on his boots and wrung her hands in front of her like a child being scolded.

Reaching out, Octavia took her cousin’s hand and made her look up. “There will be plenty of time to discuss all of that in the morning.” She nodded toward the door, echoing their host’s sentiment for privacy.

Curtsying awkwardly, Isolde left and shut the door behind her.

“Where were we?” Simon felt his heart melting when he looked into her eyes.

“Oh, shut up and kiss me like you meant what you said.” Octavia pressed her lips against his before he could respond.

Bringing his hands up her back, her drew her closer and parted her lips with his tongue.

Pulling her comb through her hair, Octavia examined her reflection in the dresser mirror. Her eyes were bright, and her smile even broader.

I love him.

Her heart soared from the realization as happy tears filled her eyes. They hadn’t even covered the topic of children, but Octavia just knew that everything would work itself out in the end.

She still couldn’t believe that Simon of all people had made such a romantic declaration in front of others. Perhaps it was true what people said, love could change a man and make him act in unexpected ways.

Simon loves me.

The thought still seemed surreal to her as she lifted her hand to her lips and felt the lingering effects of his kiss.

Her attention was suddenly drawn to the door when someone knocked.

“Who is it?” she asked in a low voice as her pulse raced.

She had hoped that Simon would come to her, yet she understood how exhausted he must have been from the journey. She still couldn’t believe how far he had travelled through rain and sleet, just to tell her that he loved her.

“A lonely traveler seeking your company,” Simon called back in a hushed voice.

Feeling as if her heart would burst from joy, Octavia tiptoed across the floor and opened the door.

Simon smiled at her, his hair slicked back against his head and wearing a fresh pair of breeches and a white cotton shirt.

“What are you doing up this late? You should be resting.” Her heart raced when his eyes ran down her body, taking in her curves through the small robe that her cousin had given to her.

His eyes travelled up her body and caressed her skin before locking on her gaze.

“How could I sleep without having a taste of my beautiful wife?” He placed his hand on the door and backed her up before closing them both in her chambers.

“Simon, you must be so tired.” She gasped in pleasure as he dipped his head and kissed her neck while reaching for her hands.

“I will never be too tired to make love to my wife,” he growled against her skin, dragging his teeth over her neck and pausing beneath her ear.

A light layer of bumps spread over her skin as he moved his hands up her sides, feeling the shape of her body through her garment.

All thoughts of sleep left her body when he cupped her breasts through the thin fabric of her robe and played with her nipples.

“It would seem as if you have forgotten your undergarments this evening, Your Grace,” he whispered playfully in her ear before reaching around her waist and untying the sash of her robe.

Feeling her breath quicken, Octavia smiled and shut her eyes when he continued to kiss a path over her jawline.

“How could I think of dressing in undergarments when my husband was in the very next room?” Her voice was soft and breathy when he ran his hands over her shoulders and dropped the fabric to the ground.

The heat from the crackling fire kissed her skin when Simon lowered his head and took one of her nipples into his mouth. Hot sensations of pleasure travelled up her body, making her shiver with desire.

Using his free hand to play with her other breast, he continued to tease her with his tongue until she moaned for more. He took his time to drag his tongue over her nipple, kissing a path between her breasts as he switched sides.

“Simon, I need you…” She tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer before pushing him back.

Looking up at her with a wolfish grin, he flicked his tongue over her hard nipple.

“Your wish is my command, Your Grace.”

Coming up straight, he took her hand and led her over to the bed, guiding her onto his body as he lay back.

Unsure of what he wanted, she allowed him to take the lead, positioning her knees on either side of his hips. Gasping in pleasure, she leaned back and felt him entering her, experiencing the new sensations.

“Like this,” Simon gasped almost breathlessly, gripping her hips and guiding her movements in gentle rolling motions.

It didn’t take her long to get the hang of things as the feeling of his erection moving inside of her drove her wild. The moment that passed between them as their eyes locked in a loaded embrace caused her heart to race beyond the feeling she was already creating in her core.

Thunder struck in the distance as the rain beat down on the roof, muffling the sounds of their moans as Octavia gave into the desires of her flesh. Her panting grew louder as Simon began to thrust with his hips, guiding her forward as she rolled her hips in circular motions.

“Oh, Octavia…” Simon’s eyes rolled back on his head as he fell against the pillows and allowed her to take control.

Shutting her eyes, Octavia leaned back with her hands on his knees, doing what felt natural as her own pleasure coursed through her body, making her moan.

The passionate sounds of their lovemaking filled the air as Simon reached up and played with her nipples. The sensations alone were enough to push her over the edge as her breasts bounced in his palms, creating a rubbing effect against her nipples.

Panting with pleasure, Octavia began to move faster, letting her hips move in time with Simon’s thrusts. The visceral response she felt throughout her body caused her to moan even louder as the tension built in her core.

She was about to move aside as she felt her climax nearing when Simon suddenly gripped her thighs and held her in place.

Confusion filled her mind for the briefest of seconds as Simon’s face contorted with pleasure, his legs stiffening as he called out her name. “Octavia!”

Nature took its course as her pleasure reached its apex, making her body tremble with pleasure before collapsing on top of her husband.

Their breathing seemed to synchronize as they both came down from the clouds.

“That was different.” She turned her head to the side and listened to the steady beating of his heart.

Placing his hands on her upper arms, Simon pulled her to the side and positioned his body against hers as he turned to face her.

“Did you like it?” He pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

Nodding as she bit her lips, Octavia smiled. “It was different, but it felt better; it was more complete in a way. Why didn’t you pull away like you usually do when we finish?”

Avoiding her gaze for a moment, Simon allowed his lips to curve into a smile that melted her heart.

“Let me put it this way. If what I was doing before prevented the possibility of children to a certain degree, what we did now will almost certainly ensure it.”

Octavia’s eyes widened in shock when she realized what he was saying.

Touching the tip of her nose, Simon grew more serious as he looked into her eyes.

“I know that you were willing to sacrifice a very big part of your future to be by my side. This little gesture was my way of showing you that I am willing to sacrifice everything and more in return.”

Feeling a sudden rush of affection for the man she had married, Octavia pressed her lips against his. The kiss was tender at first and soft at first as their lips brushed against one another. Things quickly grew heated when Simon used his tongue to part her lips, searching the depths of her mouth with the heat of this tongue.

It wasn’t until she gasped for breath that he drew back and let her breathe.

“I hope you will accept me now, even after my deplorable behavior in the past.” He placed his index finger under her chin and lifted her face to his.

Snuggling against his body, Octavia made herself comfortable, listening to the sounds of pouring rain outside their window. A deep feeling of contentment washed over her, and her heart beat in time with his.

“I never needed you to go back on your vow, an ‘I love you’ would have sufficed. But I am overjoyed by the fact that you are willing to sire an heir with me.” She turned her face toward his and smiled when he placed a kiss on her forehead.

Placing his cheek against her head, he held her close to his body and breathed in the scent of her hair.

“You know, I think you’ll make an amazing father. Our children will be lucky to have you.”

She frowned and looked up when a single tear fell on her head.

“Did I say something wrong?” She noticed the tears in his eyes and felt her heart melted all over again.

“No.” Simon shook his head and attempted to hide his tears. “On the contrary, you have made me the happiest man in the world with your words. For the longest time, I have feared that siring an heir would ruin that child’s life. Yet, you have shown me that life can mean so much more if we open ourselves to the possibilities of living without fear.”

Feeling her breath move effortlessly through her body, she smiled down at him. “You are a good man, Simon Wakefield; never forget that.”

Catching her off guard, Simon flipped her onto her back and pinned her wrists beside her head. “And you, Octavia Wakefield, love of my life, must never forget that there are still many lessons on life that I can teach you.”

Stifling a giggle, she bit her lips and looked up at him. “And what might those lessons be, Your Grace?” The love she saw in his eyes reflected the steady beating of her heart. She finally felt at peace in the world, even if she wasn’t at home.

Glancing down her body, he allowed his gaze to linger on her breasts.

“Well, now that I have shown you how one can sire an heir, I think I should make it perfectly clear how one does not.” His smile turned to a cheeky grin as he kissed a path down her body, stopping at her breasts as he took his time to kiss her nipples.

“I think I could get used to these lessons of yours as long as you promise to always tell me how much you love me after.” She sank back on the pillows and shut her eyes, reveling in the sensations his tongue was creating.

“Always, I can never stop loving you,” he whispered against her breast before kissing a path down her body.