Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

" B elieve me, I am well Vicky. I will go bloody insane if I stay in bed one more moment" Anthony grumbled.

" First, Language Anthony " Vicky scolded. Her charge was definitely not repentant because he rolled his eyes pushing his lips out in a masculine version of a pout. Victoria fought the urge to laugh at the silly picture he cut.

" It is for your own good. I do not want to have to redo your stitched because you burst them, overexerting yourself"

" Sorry Vicky. I am just really bored out of my mind. These dreary walls are beating at my mind. I wish for fresh air and to return to my normal activities" he said in a rueful voice.

" Soon enough My love" she said coming closer to hug his head to her bosom, caressing his face gently.

He closed his eyes holding on to her skirts breathing in her sweet scent that was Victoria. She had become his favorite scent in the world. She smelt of the outdoor and light. He would do anything to keep her with him anytime longer.

Looking up into her sweet face, he smiled, the charming smile that she admitted that broke her defenses.

" I would not be so bored, if you shared the bed with me. I promise to make it worth your while" he said with a suggestive smile.

Of course she did not doubt his ability to deliver on that promise. Even now her body tingled in several places recalling the pleasure he could elicit from her body with just motions of his long talented fingers. It was quite sad she could not agree, because that activity was one of such activities she didn't want him to engage in, in order to recover properly and fully.

Not that he complied, going by the way she had met him this morning attempting to dress himself to leave the house.

" We cannot Anthony" she said firmly. At his disappointed groan she continued as a smile curved her lips.

" Besides, the doctor will be here soon. So behave"

" I do not believe I take your meaning, your grace. I am always well behaved " Anthony retorted with mock seriousness that he ruined the next moment by chuckling in response to the incredulous look on her face.

Seeing this version of Anthony, happier, vulnerable and more open filled Victoria with delirious happiness. It seemed that the event of the past month had also taught him the important lesson about the fragility of human life. She thanked the good Lord everyday for the gift of this man and the grace of being able to spend more time with him laughing and playing.

She felt absolutely blessed and she prayed silently under her breath that nothing should ever happen to take away this joy. She felt it had to be illegal to be this happy.

Even with the fact that Theo had been transported to the Continent for his crime. She still could not completely shake the idea that something would happen to snatch it all away. She shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts and enjoy the feeling of her husband's strong arms wrapped around her waist,. At this moment one his hand was inching downward to cup her bottom

" Anthony " she scolded but he just flashed her a wicked smile and continued his exploration.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Victoria struggled out of his arms not willing to allow the person on the other side of the door see her in such a scandalous embrace with her husband.

After a few moments of tugging at his arms, he reluctantly released her with a defeated sigh.

" Enter" she called out, walking around to stand on the other side of Anthony's bed.

The door opened to admit Helen with Doctor Albert, their family doctor close at his heels.

" Good you are here Vicky. The physician is here to examine the duke " she said with a smile. Helen had nursed Anthony denying herself sleep and Victoria did not blame her.

The woman nearly had an apoplexy when they returned home with Anthony unconscious. Seeing as Anthony was her only surviving family. Her hovering was to be expected and tolerated

"Good day your grace" the physician greeted with a slight brow to Anthony then turning to Victoria he greeted, "Your Grace."

Victoria inclined her head slightly to acknowledge the greeting

"Good morning, Doctor Albert. I hope your visit today will be free of needles and leeches. I absolutely abhor those things," Anthony said with a tone of disgust.

"As do all of us, your grace. They are a necessary evil. But I do not think they would be necessary. Let me take a look at your wound shall I?" The physician replied with a smile.

Doctor Albert was an older man that could not have seen any less than six decades of life. He had been their family doctor for as long as he could remember. He was sort of a family member at this point.

With a resigned sigh, Anthony set about the task of unbuttoning his shirt sleeves, when he was done. The doctor bent over him, examining the wound, his glasses pulled low on the bridge of his nose.

"Your Grace" he said turning to Victoria, "has he been compliant with his bed rest?" he asked.

"Absolutely not," Victoria answered with a laugh.

"I am sitting right here, you know you can ask me."

"Well, I hate to say I do not trust you, but your wife's response confirmed it."

The man totally ignored deference when he spoke to him, but he guessed he had earned the privilege, having tended him as a child and saving his life when he had returned from the war a shadow of himself. He owed the man his life, so he couldn't complain.

"The wound looks remarkably well healed, especially going by how stubborn you can be. I guess I have your wife to thank." He said looking over at Victoria

"Thank you, your grace," he said to her.

"It was my absolute pleasure," she answered, a slight blush appearing on his cheek.

"I hate to inform you though, this particular wound would be a nasty scar"

"I am no stranger to scars," Anthony said in reply. Gesturing to the extensive scars on his face. "This would just be added to the collection. I dare say it just adds to my charm, don't you agree wife?" He asked turning to Victoria

"Indeed," she said with a guarded smile.

That gave Anthony pause because he could swear that she had just been happily teasing him

What had he said to cause a drastic change in her mood. He tried to think back to what had been said earlier in the conversation in order to decipher some reason for her foul mood.

The doctor cleared his throat rather loudly reminding him of the man's presence of the room.

"Well your grace. I am blessed to inform you that you can go back to your normal daily activities. The wound had healed quite well. I don't envisage any problems, provided that you do not put yourself in danger involving daggers and the like."

"I assure you there is no danger of that happening. Thank you. Doctor Albert. At the very least my wife will cease to coddle me like a child," he said with a teasing smile looking in his wife's direction hoping to wheedle a smile from her, when he saw the sad look on her face. His concern returned in full force.

His mother must have noted their need for privacy because the next moment she offered to take the doctor downstairs to offer him some of the dessert cake the cook had made

The man made a show of refusing the offer, but everyone _ Anthony included - knew the physician had a terrible weakness for sweets. It was particularly funny because the man's daily routine in his line of work in life included preaching to people on the evils of consuming sweets.

He was a prime example of 'Do as I say not as I do' but then he guessed even doctors were human too and therefore were not immune to human weaknesses. He wasn't one to judge a man for his weaknesses, since his greatest one stood in the room with him.

The moment he heard the click of the door closing behind their visitors. He rose and walked around to the other side of the bed to stand beside Victoria.

She was making a studious effort of avoiding his gaze. That behavior alone solidified his suspicion that something was truly wrong. He had married a bold outspoken woman who was not prone to bashfulness. The fact that she now exhibited that attribute struck him as quite odd

"Victoria," he called as gently as possible, "what is wrong?"

"Nothing of import," she said in a small voice her hands busy straightening the bed clothes that were already perfectly laid. It was obvious she was doing it to calm some nervousness within her. Stretching out an arm he placed his hand on hers, stilling her movement

When she stopped, he used his other hand to lift her chin so she was forced to look at him

"Look at me, Vicky. I am your husband. You can tell me anything. Any problem at all. We could solve it together," he said in a reassuring tone.

Instead of calming her. Anthony watched with growing horror as tears gathered in her eyes before spilling over, trailing down her Perfect cheek.

"I am so sorry, Anthony that I had caused you pain. You already have so many scars and now because of me, you have even more. I am sorry for putting you in harm's way." She with a hitched sob.

The sound caused a sharp ache in his heart. Reaching out he cleaned up her tears with his fingers, caressing her face tenderly

"Vicky. I thought we have spoken about this. You mean the world to me and I would do almost anything to have you hale and hearty beside me because I cannot imagine living in the world without you in it. I have always viewed my scars as symbols for mockery for society but then I met a certain brown eyed lady," he said, smiling when that elicited a smile from Victoria accompanied by a tiny sneeze. Could she be anymore adorable? He wondered.

"This lady led me to believe that they are symbols of honor and overtime I came to believe it too and value them but this scar on my shoulder is by far the most precious and meaningful to me because forever it will remind me of the day I had fought for the safety of the love of my life and how we had emerged victorious. This should bring us joy not sorrow".

"Besides," he said, using one arm to draw her into his embrace and dropping his voice to a seductive growl he whispered. "I can think of better ways to spend our free time together. I have missed you," he said nuzzling the skin of her neck rousing the lust that lived just beneath their skin.

With his arm, he guided her backwards until the back of her thighs met the bed, pushing her to sit on the bed. The fires of desire burning in his eyes as he subjected her to his slow perusal

"Anthony," she said with a shaky laugh. "We have so much to do, I have to meet with the cook...." Her excuses were cut off when he simply bent his head over hers and proceeded to devour her mouth with single minded mission. The feel of his delicious lips laying waste to all her plans.

By the time, he pulled away to catch his breath, they were both panting and she was clutching his shirt in passion

When she noticed that, she released him.

He stepped back to pull his shirt over his head granting her the view of the play of rippling muscles under his skin that was only slightly marred by the pinkish skin at his shoulder that was from his healing stabbed wound. It didn't in anyway detract from his overall magnetism. Even now her fingers itched to trace the giant slab of muscles that was his chest.

As she watched, his hands went to his trousers, loosening the belt and peeled the material off his skin to reveal his rampant arousal. The man was simply magnificent and at first she was content to watch, admiring his magnificent body but over time she ached to run the tip of her finger along his skin. To feel the strength she could see leashed underneath his skin. The man put The sculpture of David she had seen one time, to shame.

Seeming to sense the urgency building within her. He stepped forward to take her mouth in another one of his drugging kisses, this time she didn't try to dissuade him, instead she encouraged him, twining her arms around his neck. Sinking her hand in the silky texture of his hair to pull him even closer. She traced his biceps with her hands moaning at the contrast between silky skin stretched over pure steel. Wriggling her hands between their bodies, she found his nipple plucking at it and was gratified by the pleased groan that escaped from Anthony's lips.

"Enough," he groaned catching her hand in his. "I run the danger of embarrassing myself if you continue. You are truly potent, love," he said his voice hoarse.

He pushed her gently so she was lying on the bed, then crawling over her, he took her lips in a drugging kiss. Breaking the kiss to trace the length of her body until he got to the junction of her thighs, stroking her and teasing get until she opened them allowing him access.

He caressed her through the thin cloth of her drawers, she writhed and whimpered with pleasure. When he pulled off the drawers allowing him to touch her bare center. Victoria let out a keen of pleasure

"Quiet, kitten. I am sure you wouldn't want to draw the attention of the family to what we are doing," he said in a silky whisper beside her ear.

Victoria slapped her palm over her mouth to muffle her moans while he strummed her hidden pearl driving her to insanity.

"Please..." she begged. "Please."

"What do you want. Tell me," he groaned, his breath coming in short pants.

" I want you!" she cried out.

Anthony lined himself with her entrance, sliding in slowly. The both of them groaning out their pleasure. Anthony waited a little for her to adjust to his possession before he started thrusting slowly then slowly increasing the tempo pounding into her as they chased their pleasure until the pressure broke and Victoria was crying out her pleasure into the pillow, Anthony joining her with a sharp masculine growl of pleasure..

Anthony remained collapsed over her for some moments after, only managing to push himself to lie beside her drawing her into his arms.

"That was amazing," he said, placing a kiss on her bare shoulder.

"Indeed," Victoria agreed, already filling the pull of sleep that usually followed such satisfactory encounters with her husband.

Just before sleep pulled her under, she realized that Anthony had in fact seduced her into forgetting her need to prevent him exerting himself. She didn't want to think about what it said about her, that she was not worried.