“No, I want to stay here with you and Mama.” He expelled a long breath and turned his cheek into his pillow, his eyelids falling shut.
“I think you will like Knutchester.” I didn’t wish to argue with him, and if I stayed, he’d still ask me questions. With a kiss on his forehead, I left the room, eager to seek out Eleanor. Had I not gone to Knutchester, I might never have befriended Flynn. He was the most important person to me outside of my family. While it was taboo to admit, I loved him. The intimacies we’d exchanged so many years ago had stayed with me for a lifetime and although there had been passion between us, I hadvowed my fidelity to Eleanor. We never spoke of it again after that night. I had a sense I wasn’t the last man Flynn shared intimacies with. I might have physically desired Flynn, but I was deeply in love with my wife, even to this day.
Late nights at Parliament kept me from home most nights. Unlike many couples of our station who slept in separate rooms, we shared a bedroom for Harry’s sake. He sometimes became agitated at night and often crawled into bed with us. Besides, I rather liked sharing a bed with her. When I returned, usually close to midnight, Eleanor was often asleep, or if she was awake, she was tending to our children. Anne had come out this season, adding chaos to the household. Between the social events and her imminent engagement to Nigel, she was absent more often than not. I missed being with them, but duty called.
The doors to the ballroom were open, music and the hum of voices drifting into the hallway. I entered, stopping just inside the door to look for my wife. Standing in the middle of the room, she was forever the gracious hostess. The blue-beaded gown accented her pale skin and rich red hair. Her earlier flirtation and the promise behind it made me eager to be by her side.
“Your grace,” a man said. Another woman and her daughter glanced at me, and I read the intent to talk to me in their stares before all eyes seemed to settle on me. Heat rushed under my collar, and my heart raced. I tugged at my necktie, a bead of sweat rolling down my back. The vicar and his wife, as well as an elderly neighbor and his daughter, crowded around me.
“Beg pardon, I must find her grace.” I spun on my heel, not able to leave fast enough. The hallway led to the card room, where I slipped inside for some most welcome quiet. I waved down a servant and requested a scotch. The ten tables set up for play were full of quiet conversation. Several people looked at me and smiled their greetings. I turned my back on the room andstared out the window to the garden. Moonlight peeked from between clouds.
“Your drink.” The servant stood behind me with a glass on a tray. I took the scotch and swallowed the dram in one gulp. The wine at dinner had put my mind in a pleasant place I wanted to return to. Like Harry, I often became overwhelmed in social situations, thus I tried to avoid crowded places.
“Please ask the duchess to join me,” I told the man.
If he thought my request odd, he said nothing and went to do my bidding. As a duke, I was used to having my orders complied with. It was a privilege and a curse to be blessed with my birthright. I continued to stare outside while waiting for my wife. My conversation with Harry continued to weigh on my mind. I loved my father, except I didn’t wish to be like him, consumed by the responsibilities of the title. Granted, I had staff to help, but most of the burden fell on me.
“Rex.” Eleanor placed a hand on my shoulder, concern in her regard.
I glanced behind me to ensure we weren’t overheard. “Do you recall the night we officially became engaged?”
She blushed, lowering her lashes for a brief second. “I do.”
“It is a lovely night. Shall we take a stroll?” I had uttered a similar invitation twenty years before, after her father had given me permission to marry her. Would she remember the night as vividly as I did?
A knowing smile curved her lips. “It looks like it might rain.”
“We are in England. It always looks like it might rain.” I took her hand and led her to the balcony door. We had been young and impulsive that night, and while there weren’t any Chinese lanterns to guide our path, the light spilling from the ballroom would provide adequate illumination. “I assure you it will not rain.”
Light laughter followed my comment. “That is what you said then, and if I recall, it rained.”
A set of stairs led to the garden, and I guided her down until our feet hit the gravel path. “A drop or two.”
“Or more. I didn’t mind. I was with you.” She leaned against my arm, the soft fragrance of her perfume adding to my need for her as I steered her in the direction of a small folly.
She had been courted by a dozen or so gentlemen during her coming out, Flynn being one of them. Of course, he had been courting several ladies, Mary among them. Ultimately, he chose Mary for his wife after Eleanor accepted my proposal.
Once we rounded the stone building, I halted, slipped my arm around her waist and drew her tight into my body. Her face upturned, she looked much like she had save for a few lines around her eyes and mouth. She was still the same stunning woman I fell in love with.
“Do you remember the other thing we did in the garden that night?”
“You kissed me, and I knew you were the one I wanted to be with forever.” Her eyes shimmered in the dim light.
I wiped the tear away from the corner of her eye with my thumb. Her response warmed like nothing else could. I dipped my fingers into her thick hair, the heat from her body in contrast to the coolness of the outside. Pulling back, I caught her mouth in a searing kiss, need sizzling inside my blood. I glided my hands down her sides to cup her bottom. My cock was at attention, aching to get lost in her warmth.
Eleanor broke the kiss with a breathy sigh. “Should we go to our room?” Very early on in our marriage, she’d made it known that she was not open to pushing the boundaries of traditional coupling.
Having relations outdoors might push against her boundaries. I didn’t want to waste a moment alone with her or risk being interrupted.
I had been a randy youth wanting to explore every inch of her body with my hands and mouth. She had declined to remove her gown. Thus, I hadn’t truly ever seen her entire body unclothed in twenty years. Her father had browbeaten her to always be the proper lady. Eleanor had been the dutiful daughter. While I wanted more at times, I respected her wishes. I kissed the underside of her chin, settling my lips on the place that incited her desires. “I’m afraid if we try, we’ll get waylaid again.”
“Surely you don’t intend to couple with me out here?” She remained in my embrace, her voice unsteady.
“I do, unless you are adamant.” I wanted her so badly I could barely think straight. “I want you, Eleanor. It has been a while for us.”
“Indeed it has.” With a nod, she released a soft sigh. “I am not adamant.”
My heart swelling, I moved her until her back rested against the marble. With shaking fingers, I opened the placard of my trousers and helped her lift her skirts. She stared at me with dewy eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Pulling her leg up to the side of my hip, I entered her hot center with one satisfying thrust of my cock.
