Epilogue

EPILOGUE

T he streets were dark by the time they headed home.

Louise settled on the bench opposite Christian, aware that his eyes rarely left her as they traveled through the dark streets.

She still did not know how to feel about what he had said. She had spent the last few days convincing herself that he had no feelings for her and that she could never expect a connection to grow between them. Discovering that he returned her feelings filled her with elation and fear in equal measure.

Does he truly want me? Or did he just tell me what I wanted to hear?

They rode back home in relative silence as her doubts and worries spiraled through her mind. She watched Christian for most of the journey, just as he watched her.

When they pulled up outside the house, Christian alighted from the carriage first and then held out his hand to her. After she climbed down, he took a moment to pull Fenwick aside and murmur something to him before he turned to his mother, who was waiting for them in the entrance hall.

He took her hand and kissed her cheek. “I have some news, Mother. It may not be the most welcome.”

He took her into a side room, away from the morning room, which still smelled faintly of smoke.

The Dowager Duchess looked between them curiously as Christian told her of what had taken place between Marcus and Lady Northbridge.

The Dowager Duchess glanced at Louise. “Did you know about this?” she asked.

“I did not, Sabine. I learned the truth today. My father has treated my mother very poorly, and I believe she found comfort and solace with Marcus.”

The Dowager Duchess glanced between them in confusion, but her expression was more surprised than angry—much to Louise’s relief.

She can hardly disapprove, I suppose, given how she found love.

When Christian told her that he accepted his brother’s choice fully and that Marcus would soon be leaving London, she seemed to relax.

They spent some time with her after that, explaining what would need to be done to repair the ruined room and that the terrace would be boarded up and the doors locked until then.

The Dowager Duchess was appalled that the Earl was responsible for destroying part of a home she had lived in all her life, and Louise felt no guilt as she considered her father’s fate. He had treated many people she loved with contempt and scorn, and she would waste no more tears on him.

Eventually, they stepped out of the room, leaving the Dowager Duchess to her reading. Louise turned to head up to her chambers.

I still do not know what will become of my marriage despite everything that has happened between us today. I do not know what to do.

She stopped, however, when a gentle hand touched her wrist.

“Will you come to the gardens with me? There is something I wish to show you,” Christian said softly, and she could not find it in her heart to refuse.

He led her out to the part of the terrace that was not touched by the fire. In the dark, it all looked far less dreadful than the reality. Louise was glad not to have to look at the evidence of her father’s cruelty anymore.

Christian took her hand and walked them through the flowerbeds and rose bushes to the walled garden at the rear. She recalled what Marcus had told her about the secret garden at the country estate and wondered if she might recreate it here.

She stared at Christian’s strong back as he led her through the archway, the stars twinkling prettily above their heads.

The walls around them were high, and the area within was covered by a neat lawn that stretched to the extremities, where flowerbeds and pots lined the edges. There was a small fountain in the center that pattered merrily into a basin at its base, and the overall effect was very soothing after the tumult of the last few days.

Lighted torches placed around them at intervals cast a gentle glow over the ground, and Louise turned to Christian in confusion as he pulled her to him and lowered his head to hers, giving her a soft kiss.

“I know how much you love the gardens, and I have decided that we would spend more time in them,” he said, his voice filled with amusement.

“Is that so? And what are we going to do here?” she asked curiously as his hands moved over her waist.

“I intend to show you just how much I care for you in a place that you love dearly,” he murmured.

Louise looked around them, spotting a blanket and cushions laid out in a corner.

Christian led her to it before lowering himself to his knees, and after a brief hesitation, she did the same.

“I have always been honest with you, Louise. I meant what I said before, and I shall spend every day for the rest of my life proving it to you.”

“You mean your love for me?”

“Of course.”

Louise sighed as she lay down. The day had given way to a clear night sky above them, and there were no clouds to mar the view. It was chilly in the gardens, but she was glad of the darkness. It felt easier to process her feelings in the shadows.

“What is it, my love?” Christian asked.

The words made her stomach flutter.

“I do not know what it is you want from me,” she answered honestly.

“I want my wife, my Duchess. That is all. I never believed I would have a wife in my home, let alone one I looked forward to seeing every day.”

“We have been at each other’s throats since our wedding.”

Christian chuckled. “I would not say so. I have told you how I wish for things to be between us, and you have challenged me on every point,” he said playfully.

Louise sat up, rolling her eyes at him. “I have done no such thing.”

“Oh, yes?” he drawled. “When I told you that we would not share a bed, you simply lay in mine and gave me no choice.” He tucked that same wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “It was the best sleep I’ve ever had. I woke up quite confused by it all. I did not know how I felt, and I left before I had to confront it.”

“Are you suggesting that we share a bed every night?” she asked as he moved closer to her, his hand cupping her cheek.

“If you wish,” he whispered. “I would do anything you ask of me.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently.

She let out a soft sigh.

“You are so confusing, Your Grace,” she teased.

Christian chuckled. “As are you, Duchess.”

Louise looked into his eyes, searching them for the reassurance that she so desperately needed. They were warm and filled with affection, making her heart swell.

She steeled herself, moving her hand to his cravat and slowly loosening the ties she had secured earlier that day. Christian’s eyes darkened instantly as she drew it away from his neck.

“My Duchess, you are full of surprises,” he purred.

“I believe I shall tie your cravat every day,” she declared. “It is the only way it will remain straight.”

“My valet will be most pleased to hear it, I am sure,” Christian said as he gently pulled her into his lap.

Her skirts hindered her movements a little, but eventually, she was straddling him beneath the stars, the garden silent around them.

“Is this what you want?” Christian asked as he looked up at her uncertainly. “I did not bring you out here for this. I merely wished to spend time with you.”

Louise smiled, a rush of affection washing over her as she brushed the hair from his face. “I do want this, just as I did before.”

Christian’s smile was broad and happy. “Then I shall prove to you this instant how much I care for you, and you will no longer be able to doubt it.”

He pulled her down and kissed her gently, pressing her against him. They kissed for what felt like hours in the darkness and privacy of the gardens, and Louise’s heart sang at being so protected and cared for all at once.

Eventually, Christian lowered her to the blanket, kissing down her neck as he laid her on the cushions. His hands delved beneath the folds of her dress to unfasten her stays.

She was already quivering with need as his thumbs curled around the hem of her underclothes and slowly pulled them down her legs, before tossing them to the side with a wry smile.

“I believe I shall take you among the flowers more often, Louise,” he murmured. “You are always beautiful, but the moonlight reveals your true nature, I think.”

He leaned forward, taking her mouth again as his hand slid beneath her skirts, drawing a tantalizing path up her inner thigh until his fingers found her wet heat. She groaned, suddenly desperate to feel him again.

Louise spread her legs, and he let out a low groan, trailing kisses down her neck and slowly pushing the tip of his finger inside her. He stroked her, and she felt the pleasure pulsing in her core.

I never would have thought that this feeling could be so addictive. I could spend hours with him like this and never leave this place.

She shuddered as he slid his finger further inside her, even as he moved up her body again and covered her mouth with his own. He curled his finger upward and pumped it until she was crying out with abandon into the night.

Louise writhed beneath him as he pulled at her bodice, peeling the tight fabric off her breasts so that he could suck on her erect nipples, groaning all the while as he made her come alive with pleasure.

“Sit up,” he commanded.

She rose on her knees as he pushed down his breeches, and she straddled him again while he stroked his manhood.

“I would have you like this, my Duchess. I want you to control everything, and I will prove to you how you command my every feeling.”

She felt his hard length pressing against her as they both paused to stare at one another.

“Go gently,” he said tenderly. “I do not wish to hurt you.”

Louise did as he said as he positioned himself beneath her, and she slowly sank down onto him. She threw her head back, her eyes closed as she took deep breaths. His length slid into her deeper and deeper, giving way to intense pleasure.

When she looked back at him, his eyes were closed, his jaw slack with pleasure as their hips finally connected. It was an entirely different experience to making love in a bed, and Louise sighed in contentment as she felt the familiar pleasurable ache.

“I love you,” Christian said, solemn and sincere in the darkness.

Louise felt the tears well up in her eyes as he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her reverently.

“I love you, too,” she murmured.

Then, with a wicked smile, she rose slowly. Christian swore, and his hands wrapped around her waist as she began to rock against him.

“My God, you will drive me mad,” he groaned as his hips began to meet her halfway, sinking himself into her.

Louise moaned loudly as the pleasure multiplied to an impossible degree.

They moved as one, rising and falling together like the steady waves of the ocean, until Christian lifted her off him, laid her down on the blanket, and began to pound into her. He kept one hand in her hair, cradling her head as he looked deep into her eyes.

“Ah,” he groaned suddenly. “You’re testing my limits, Duchess.”

He began pulling out of her, but she pulled him back in swiftly, her hands on his shoulders, holding him tightly. He looked at her in confusion, and she shook her head.

“I do not want you to withdraw,” she whispered.

“But… are you certain?” he asked, his eyes softening even as he struggled to hold back his release.

“More than certain,” she said.

He groaned, pounding into her again, each movement becoming more erratic than the last until she threw her head back in ecstasy and screamed her release.

A few seconds later, Christian stilled above her, his eyes closing in bliss as he spilled his seed inside her. Louise let out a contented sigh as he collapsed on top of her.

After a few minutes, as they came down from their high, Christian slowly pulled out of her and drew her into his arms, hugging her tightly to his chest and kissing the crown of her head with a contented sigh of his own.

“What made you change your mind?” he asked.

Louise wrapped her arm around his waist and closed her eyes as she rested her head on his chest.

“I was a fool to think that a child would hold me back,” she said lightly. “I shall publish my encyclopedia no matter what happens. I want everything with you.” She looked up at him. “Nothing in this world can hold me back.”

The look in Christian’s eyes was one of quiet awe as a smile slowly spread across his face, and he kissed her again before lying back on the pillows.

“That’s my Fire Queen,” he murmured.

Louise chuckled, hugging him tighter as the moon came out from behind a cloud and bathed their little garden with an ethereal glow.

The End?