Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

S eraphina hurried down the stairs, her hair flowing down her back since she did not wish to keep Peggy waiting longer.

It's still a bit early for tea is it not? she thought resentfully to herself, but then remembered that she had not specified a time to the dowager viscountess.

Serves me right. If anyone can inconvenience you by accident it is her.

She pinned her smile to her face as she walked into the parlor, where she found the dowager viscountess staring out of the window, sulking.

Seraphina immediately apologized for her tardiness, "Good morning, Lady Stanton. I apologize for the delay; I was not expecting you so early."

The other lady gave her a strained smile. "That's quite all right. I did not mind waiting. Your husband kept me company."

Seraphina was surprised to hear that, considering the disdain with which Gerard spoke of Lady Stanton.

"How lovely," she said, gesturing for the other woman to have a seat.

Seraphina sat down in the armchair just as the door opened and tea was served.

With a sigh, she prepared to entertain the widow for a few hours, wondering how soon she might make some excuse and get rid of her.

She bitterly regretted not inviting Rosalind as well. At least her friend might have alleviated some of the strain she felt between them.

She had long thought that Lady Stanton did not like her, so she had no idea why she persisted in being in her proximity.

"Your husband seems very unbothered by you and Ruebridge. Did he not see the papers?"

Seraphina frowned, wondering why Peggy would bring that up. "There is nothing to be bothered about."

Peggy gave her a sidelong glance and a confidential smile. "Is that what you told him?"

"No, that is the truth."

Peggy reached out her hand to her, "My dear, there's no need to lie to me. We're friends. I will keep your secrets."

Seraphina laughed as she answered, "There are no secrets to keep. I do not know why you think there are. If it is that silly article, please know that everything written in there was a lie."

"Everything? Why would they invent a story out of thin air, especially with the libel laws being what they are?"

Seraphina shrugged. "I don't know. Perhaps they knew that it would be more of a bother to sue them. It would just bring more attention to the nonsense. And you know how the ton likes to gossip."

Peggy sighed in sympathy, even though she was one of the people who loved to gossip.

"I suppose you're right," she said, "people can be awful gossips."

Seraphina bit her cheek so as not to laugh. It wasn't Peggy's fault that she did not see the irony of her words.

Seraphina picked up her cup and took a sip of tea, as primly and properly as she knew how.

She really could not wait for this visit to be over and done with.

Gerard went to dinner feeling quite satisfied with his accomplishments for the day.

The barrels from Scotland had duly been acquired and put on a ship. Payment had gone through without a hitch. He was quite pleased and excited for the whiskey that would be made in those barrels.

He felt quite sure that his late Uncle James, the former duke, would be pleased with the progress he had made on turning the wheat from his fields into future profits.

As he was passing the library he saw a figure sitting by the fireplace and paused, peering inside. "Uncle Erasmus? Will you not be joining us for dinner?"

His uncle shook his head and patted his stomach. "I had tea not an hour ago and I will be meeting Lord York at the club later on. I suspect we shall have some supper there, so I don't want to eat again."

"Ah. Well, extend my warmest greetings to him, won't you?"

Erasmus smiled. "Of course I will."

He turned back to his newspaper and Gerard continued on his way.

Remembering that Seraphina had a visitor for tea, he hoped that she too was not too full to join him at the dinner table. He smiled with relief as he saw her seated in her place to his right at the dinner table, her hair all done up, and wearing a demure yellow gown.

"Good evening Your Grace."

She gave him a smile. "Good evening. Do come here and have a seat. I've been waiting to talk to you."

He stepped forward and sat down. "What about, my dear?"

Seraphina sighed. "Peggy. I mean Lady Stanton. What did she say to you earlier?"

Gerard laughed, shaking his head. "I do not want to speak ill of your friends. Let us just say that I do not wish to see her again."

Seraphina stared at him, and he waited to see if she would ask more but finally, she just nodded.

"Very well then. I actually also do not wish to be associated with her either, so you need not worry about seeing her in the house again."

Just then the soup dish was brought in, and they turned their attention to the food. The topic was changed to pleasanter things and Gerard could not say that he was displeased about that.

"I should like to visit Irondale sometime soon," Seraphina said.

Gerard raised an eyebrow. "What of your sister? What of the season?"

She smiled, "Well, just that she informed me the other day that she expects a proposal from Mr. Larson. Well, no, she did not say that she expects a proposal, due to superstitious reasons, but that seems to be the direction they're heading."

"That's good news. I am happy that she has achieved her aims."

"Yes, it is good to see a love match obtained so easily," she sounded wistful.

Gerard cleared his throat seeking to change the subject. He was not very comfortable speaking of love and other mawkish subjects. He much preferred to deal with tangibles.

"Well, if you are set on going to Irondale, perhaps we can do that once Mr. Larson has come up to scratch."

Seraphina gave him a look. "Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you."

"Do not thank me. I should have taken you with me and introduced you after the wedding. I was remiss, and I do apologize for that."

That brought a smile to her face. "You are forgiven."

Seraphina opened the doors to the balcony and stepped out into the cool night, looking down at the carriages passing by on the street.

Pedestrian traffic was almost nonexistent at this time of the night but occasionally a lone gentleman could be seen passing by cane in hand, a drunken lilt to their step as they made their way home.

She breathed in the night air, the smell of horse dung manure, ammoniac tint of urine, interspersed with smoke emanating from chimneys give the London night its own distinctive flavor.

There were many things she loved about London, but the thought of breathing fresh country air filled her with excitement.

She had been too long in the city. Her father had lost their country home years ago in a wager gone wrong. But she still remembered the freedom that came with being in the country. Being able to forage for food—fruit trees ripe for the picking, small animals one could hunt.

They were never hungry in the country.

She could not wait to see how Irondale was.

Mr. Larson had better propose soon.

Warm hands slid around her waist, and she leaned back into Gerard.

"What are you thinking of?" he asked.

She huffed. "Nothing really. Just taking in the night air and thinking how much fresher it must be on Irondale."

He laughed in her ear, and then took a large whiff of the air.

"You're right about that." He let go of her waist and took her hand. "Come inside where it's warm."

She grinned at him. "You just want to lure me to your bed."

He nodded his eyes seriously. "And what if I do?"

Her breath hitched as the laughter fell from her face as desire made her flesh go liquid. He pulled her to him and their lips met in a hard and passionate kiss. His arms were like a vice around her waist, their bodies flush against each other.

She let him plunder her mouth as he would, melting eagerly into him. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, laying her down on it without breaking the kiss.

They writhed about together on the bed, bodies tangling together like strings. Her hands traced his form, frantic and wanting, before pulling helplessly at this shirt so she could touch his bare skin.

He was no less eager, pulling her gown up and out of the way so he could dig into her soft wetness, groaning as he stimulated her flesh, preparing her for his invasion.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, undulating with pleasure as he pleasured her with his fingers, their lips still wrangling together with equal passion.

She reached a hand between them, pulling at the ties holding his breeches together before getting a hand on his silky, smooth hardness. He moaned into her mouth, and encouraged, she squeezed his girth in awe that all of him ever fit inside of her.

"Seraphina," he whispered against her lips, depositing butterfly kisses on her chin, his voice hoarse and thick with desire.

She canted her hips against him. "Do it, please. Do it now."

He groaned as he positioned his member, and then pushed into her, splitting her like a peach and burying himself inside of her to the root.

They both cried out and he took her legs at the knee and lifted them up to her shoulders. With no pause, he slammed into her, again and again, positioning his hips so he could get as deep as possible.

She lay beneath him, clinging to his broad shoulders, already shiny with sweat, and let him plunder her as he pleased, her body ringing with reaction.

She could feel him at the tips of her fingers. No part of her remained unaffected by the eager, relentless, overwhelming pounding as he took complete possession of her. She gave herself over to the pleasure, determined to enjoy every minute.

Her nipples peaked and she rubbed her finger atop them, increasing the sensation and sensitivity. Grabbing his head, she pulled him down, offering him her breast to suck.

As his hot mouth closed over her breast, she moaned out loud, and his tempo increased, heating her up even more with the friction. Then he suddenly slowed down, suckling and lavishing her nipple as he played with the other with his finger.

His hips undulated slowly, his body withdrawing from inside of her slowly before sliding back in, at the same pace.

It was excruciatingly, insidiously, and rapturously titillating; as if a slow fire had been lit within her and was spreading slowly through every part of her, getting hotter by the minute.

She wanted to scream, to cry out, to somehow release the buildup of passion she was feeling but she couldn't. Not until it burst out of her in a savage explosion of ecstasy, pouring in liquid warmth from between her legs, in breathless sound from her mouth, in heaving bosom and trembling muscles, vision whited out.

She collapsed onto the bed, panting hard, sweat dripping from her brow and perfectly sated. He continued to pump into her, his hands on the bed, supporting his weight as his rhythm grew erratic, breath hot as he panted, his face red, veins standing out, eyes closed.

He gave a cry as his hips canted, shaking and shuddering, emptying his seed into her. She convulsed, hips lifting up, muscles contracting in response, wanting to milk him dry.

Crying out, her head thrown back, arms flung wide, she gave herself over to the ecstasy of it all.

Calling out his name as he grunted, his head dropping slowly to rest on her shoulder, his face buried in her neck.

They lay quiet, the only sound in the room was the crackle of the fire, flames dancing on the walls and throwing their shadows up onto it in sharp relief, making them look like the beast with two backs.

She smiled with content, her eyes fluttering closed as she drifted off to sleep.