Henry was as gentle, patient, and loving with her as Grace had expected. As he continued kissing her, each kiss becoming more insistent with the press of their lips, he slowly undressed her, taking his time to move his lips down her body, making it come alive until she was desperate for more. Following the instincts of her body without the shame and vulnerability she had felt previously, the love and safety she felt when she was with Henry allowed her to drop her inhibitions and give herself over, surrendering to the overwhelming sensations.
When they were finally joined, Grace couldn’t remember ever feeling so close or connected to anyone as she felt with Henry in that moment. She had never experienced the marriage bed as pleasurable before, but this was different, this was making love. The sense of pleasure continued to build until a wave of ecstasy crashed over her, leaving her boneless in Henry’s arms. Henry shuddered and collapsed next to her, rolling to her side to not crush her, though she welcomed the feel of his weight, like a blanket protecting her.
Collecting her breath and returning to her body, Grace looked at Henry, her husband in all ways now, before resting her head on his shoulder.
“Are you alright?” he asked her, stroking her hair.
“I’m perfect,” she answered him. “Thank you for choosing me, Henry.”
“Thank you for choosing me back,” he said quietly, before kissing the top of her head. Relaxing under his gentle ministrations, Grace found herself slowly drifting into sleep.
CHAPTER30
Waking early the next morning, Henry buried his nose in Grace’s hair and breathed in the sweet, floral scent of roses that would forever remind him of his wife, and his growing love and admiration for her. He felt like he was in a dream and recalled how precious last evening had been. He was glad she had fully opened up about her marriage, and deeply honored that she had trusted him enough to share her body with him. With further insight into her insecurities, the fact she felt enough support from him to stand up for herself yesterday was the best feeling in the world. He loved watching her blossom as her confidence was restored.
He knew Grace would not be whole overnight—It was a process that would take time. She had been so consistently undermined that it would take more than the five months since her husband had died, and the revelation of his attractions, for her to reverse the years of self-doubt she had felt. He vowed to stand by and support her as she continued to rediscover herself, finding joy again.
Thinking about what her trust had allowed to unfold last night, Henry grinned remembering how much he had enjoyed discovering her. He was more than eager to repeat the experience, and he hoped Grace would be as well, but he was willing to be patient as she explored this new aspect of their relationship. While he had been with other women over the years, none of his experiences had equaled the emotional impact he had felt in joining with Grace. Being with her had felt different, and he knew it was due to his deepening affection.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was much too early for it to be Smyth, causing him concern. Hearing another knock, he climbed out of bed trying not to disturb Grace, pulling on a dressing gown before hurrying to the door.
“Yes?” he said to a footman waiting there, after quietly opening the door.
“I’m sorry to disturb you so early, Your Grace, but an urgent message for you has just been delivered.” The footman passed Henry a letter before leaving with a bow. Closing the door and turning toward the window for light, Henry opened the letter.
“What is it?” Grace asked sleepily, the light from the parted drapes stirring her awake.
Henry scanned the contents of the letter and uttered an obscenity under his breath. “There’s been a fire at the estate up north. I’ll need to ride up there right away and assess the damage.” He looked up at her and wanted to curse fate for making him leave her so quickly after reaching a deeper level of their relationship.
Moving to her bedside, he kneeled and cupped Grace’s face. “I don’t want to leave you, especially not today. How are you feeling after last night?”
She blushed and lowered her eyes. “I am well. I enjoyed our time together,” she admitted bashfully. “But don’t let me keep you. I can help you get ready to travel.”
“I hate to leave you alone after yesterday’s tension. Do you feel comfortable with the household staff?” He knew she could stand on her own two feet and did not need him to back her up, but he wanted to make sure she felt able to move forward without him there to support her.
“I’ll be fine. The only one who was upset was Standish, and he’s too much of a professional to let it hinder is work moving forward.” Henry leaned in and kissed her, soft and long, before standing to get ready for his journey.
The next few hours were a whirlwind of preparations before Henry and Smyth set out. Grace and the staff had hurried to get everything he would need together for a trip of undetermined length. Finally, everything loaded into the carriage that would follow him on horseback, departure could no longer be delayed. Grace approached his mount and fed him an apple before scratching the horse’s nose.
“Take good care of him for me,” she whispered to the horse, who snickered in agreement.
“I’ll be fine, I promise,” he said, sidling up behind her. “I’ll return to you as soon as I can.” Turning around and throwing herself into his arms, Grace squeezed him tightly before letting him go. The embrace being much too quick for Henry, he reached out and brought her back against him, pressing a scorching kiss to her lips before loosening his hold. Pulling back and panting, he rested his forehead against hers. “Take care while I’m gone,” he said. With a proper goodbye in place, he mounted his horse, and rode down the drive, heart aching at leaving.
A few hours later, Henry pulled off the main road and turned toward the estate where his Aunt Hester was currently staying. Earlier that morning, he had decided he would ask his aunt to return to Highland Manor while he was away to be an extra support and company for Grace. Arriving at the main house, he was anxious to hear what his aunt’s thoughts were regarding his marriage.
At the door, once Henry had explained who he was, he was led immediately to a morning room where his aunt was busy composing letters. As he was announced, she looked up in shock.
“Well this is a most welcome surprise,” Aunt Hester said at the sight of Henry as she rose to kiss him. “What brings you here? And what on earth were you thinking becoming married so hastily, and without my guidance?”
Henry stood, mouth agape, never anticipating such a response.
“Well? What do you have to say for yourself for behaving in such a brash manor?” she asked, shaking her head in exasperation. “I assume she’s either a title or fortune hunter for everything to have happened so quickly. How were you so foolish as to fall for such a trap? You should know what an attractive target you became when you ascended to the title.”
Henry was astounded. “I would think very carefully what you say next about my wife, Aunt Hester,” he cautioned her. “Grace is a wonderful woman, and I assure you she did not trap me into anything.”
Aunt Hester sniffed, ready to move onto other topics of conversation having said her piece. “Not that it’s not wonderful to see you, but what are you doing here so unexpectedly?”
“There’s been a fire at the northern estate. I’m on my way there now to look into the damage, but I had thought to stop here and ask if you would be willing to return to the manor to support Grace. Now I’m questioning if that’s a good idea.” Completely frustrated by his aunt’s attitude regarding his marriage, he could feel his brow furrowing. She knew nothing about Grace and was making unfair assumptions.
