She was once again blushing, but he could not revel in her embarrassment this time. What an utter waste of a man she had been married to if he would not cherish her and show her affection. He now understood the significance of her final request. If her husband had never kissed her, he could only imagine what an uncomfortable place their marriage bed must have been.
“I know it probably sounds strange that a widow of five and twenty would not know how to kiss,” she said quietly, “but I’m glad you were my first.”
His heart swelled at her admission. Composing himself, he took her face between his hands and looked her straight in the eyes so there would be no misunderstanding what he meant to convey to her. “Darling, I’m sorry you had to give so much of your life over to a man who clearly did not deserve you. If he did not show you affection, that is because of his own problems and is no reflection of you.” He could see the insecurity in her eyes, so he continued, “There is nothing wrong with you, do you hear me? You are grace and beauty personified and I am lucky you have agreed to be mine—I mean my wife,” he said, quickly correcting himself and seeing her smile at his fumble. “I am beyond honored that I was the first man to give you a kiss,” he continued. “It is only the first of many,” he promised, “and I’d be even more honored to be the last person you kiss.”
Her eyes welled with tears, and she surprised him once again when she replied, “Will you please kiss me again now?”
CHAPTER21
Grace was overwhelmed with sensation and didn’t know how to respond. All she knew was that Henry’s kiss was warm and gentle, and it was making her body awaken in ways she had never experienced. At her request, he immediately wrapped his arms back around her and crashed his lips onto hers. Just as before when he had carried her, she felt completely safe and cared for in his arms, allowing her to lose herself in the sensations his kiss was stirring. He moved his lips against hers with more force than before, though not aggressively, and sparks of pleasure shot down her spine.
When she felt his tongue trace her lips, she was not completely surprised. One of the girls at Lady Evelyn’s had kissed a few of her neighbor boys before starting at the school and explained how they would stroke their tongues into her mouth. At the new sensation, Grace opened slowly and was stunned at how good it felt when his tongue touched her own.
A small sound escaped her before she could prevent it, and instinctively she responded by tentatively moving her own tongue against his. Henry groaned into her mouth, deepening the kiss even further. Just when she felt she might faint if she did not get more air, he eased the kiss and separated his lips from her own. Trying to catch his breath, he leaned his forehead against hers and let out puffs of air from his nostrils as he regained his composure. Overwhelmed with feeling, she leaned her head against his strong chest and buried her head into the place where his shoulder met his neck, breathing him in.
He held her tight and kissed her temple. “Thank you for trusting me,” he whispered into her ear, his voice gravelly. “I’m glad that you trust me enough to let me have your kisses.”
She pulled away from his embrace and tried valiantly not to blush but failed utterly. While she still did not want to rush intimacy with him, she was grateful to realize that sharing relations with him might not be such an ordeal. She had never enjoyed coupling with her late husband, but blessedly he only came to her infrequently. The way her body had felt alive when Henry kissed her was a new, pleasurable feeling. It was the reason she had been bold enough to ask him for a second kiss.
“I do trust you,” she reassured him, finally looking at him now that they had pulled apart, “and I am grateful you are willing to give me time and let intimacy grow between us.” He smiled at her, his eyes brighter than normal, like the sun breaking through the clouds and glittering off the gray waves of the North sea. His hair was slightly mussed from when he had leaned into her, and this time she did not stop herself from reaching up and brushing it off his forehead, smoothing it back into place.
“I suppose we had better go and inform our friends that we are to be married,” he said after a minute. “Then we’ll need to make some decisions about when the wedding should be.” Standing, he held his hand out to her and she took it. Drawing her to his side, he kept hold of her hand as he led her back down the path toward the house.
Passing a group of late-blooming peonies, he stopped and snapped one off, handing it to her. “For you. I believe you said it was one of your favorites.” It was a small gesture, but he had no idea how much it meant to her. No one had shown her such thoughtfulness since her beloved father had died. Not realizing the effect of his gift, Henry tucked her hand into his arm and continued down the path as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Grace turned her head away from him and wiped the tears from her eyes before he could notice, keeping the sweetness of the moment for herself.
* * *
Moira was overjoyed when they shared the news with her and Fitz. “Oh, I am so happy for you!” she exclaimed through tears while throwing her arms around Grace. Fitz, though calmer, had a large grin on his face while he shook Henry’s hand and clapped him on the shoulder. Moira insisted on opening a bottle of champaign, though it was not quite midday yet, and assured Grace that the other guests could fend for themselves for a while as she celebrated with the new couple. Soon Henry’s other two best friends entered the drawing room, and he shared the news with them. While the two men were surprised, both immediately congratulated him and then turned toward Grace to get to know her better.
She had met the gentlemen at the opening dinner a few days prior, but so much had transpired at the house party that she really had not spent time with either of them. Henry stepped forward for further introductions.
“Grace, I know you have been at a few meals and dances with these two yahoos, but let me introduce you more formally.” Gesturing toward a man who could almost have passed for his brother in looks, albeit taller and broader in stature, Henry said, “This is Captain Reid Claybourn. Reid was the commanding officer who led my unit most of the time while I was fighting on the continent, and he is now an MP for Dorset, and the heir apparent to the Earldom of Weston.”
“For my sins,” the captain muttered under his breath, seemingly displeased at the idea of one day being the earl. He came forward to take Grace’s hand and bowed. On closer inspection, she recognized that while his coloring was close to Henry’s, his hair was a shade darker, and his eyes were a deep brown rather than Henry’s gray.
“It is a pleasure to meet you in a more personal nature, my lady, and I look forward to getting to know you. Being good friends with Henry, I’m afraid I will now be a bit of a fixture in your life as well.” Grace laughed at his sentiment and was pleased by his easy nature.
“And this,” Henry continued, “is Mr. Sidney Bright, a friend from my school days whom I met through dear Fitz. His family resides on the neighboring estate to Geffen House.” A tall, thinner, yet still well-built, man stepped forward. She had sat next to him at dinner that first evening, but as Mr. Stanhope had monopolized most of her attention, she felt she was truly seeing him for the first time.
Sidney had a mischievous smile on his face that highlighted his unusual coloring. His hair was a blend between blond and red that made it impossible to call him either one or the other. His blue eyes were intensified by a face liberally covered in freckles, making him appear younger than his age of mid-thirties, Grace assumed, as he was a school companion of Henry’s. Instantly, she could tell by his smirk the man was a lot of fun but could also be trouble.
“I would offer you good luck,” he said, stepping forward and grasping her hand, “you’ll need it when dealing with that grump.” He smiled teasingly as Henry reached out and swatted him on the back of the head. “Oof, suppose I deserved that,” he said, continuing to grin. “But truly, congratulations. You could not have decided on a more noble or trustworthy man.”
Grace smiled at both of them and realized that the room was now filled with the group Henry had spoken of earlier, the ones whom he chose and would do anything for. It was obvious that they all cared for and chose him in return, just as he had desired. She felt honored that he already felt enough for her to consider her one of them. While yesterday’s incident with Mr. Stanhope was still unsettling, she began to understand it through Henry’s eyes, and saw it in a different light.
Passing around champaign, Moira turned the conversation toward the wedding. “Of course, we must have the ceremony here,” she said excitedly, eyes bright. “I assume you want to do it quickly, so we can do it the day after the house party concludes and the other guests have departed.”
Henry looked at Grace while nodding. “That works for me, assuming I can get a special license,” he answered. “Grace, are you alright with moving so fast?”
“Yes,” she reassured him. “I will be quite happy not to return to the new Earl of Camden’s residence.” The thought made her smile. She began to feel the tightness in her shoulders ease for the first time in years as it sunk in that she would never need to rely on that horrid man or her own unfeeling cousin again.
“Is there anyone else you would like to be here?” Moira asked. “Invitations would need to be sent out right away. Sidney, Reid, you are able to stay a day or two longer, are you not? Oh, and we must see if Angeline would be able to come,” Moira rattled on, not waiting for answers to her questions.
At the woman’s name, Sidney’s head popped up from the plate of sandwiches that had been brought in. “Angie? How is she?” he asked. “I’ve not seen her in a while, will she want to attend?” He seemed genuinely concerned.
Grace leaned toward Henry and asked in a low level only he would be able to hear, “Who is Angeline?”
“Angeline is Fitz’s sister,” Henry answered. “She lost her husband quite suddenly and tragically about a little over a year ago. Since then, she has not come out for many social events, even those with only family and close friends. I hope she will come, she’s a lovely person,” Henry explained while offering her a soft, sad smile.
