Frigid Waters (Ladies of Loomcroft) (7 page)

“You do not speak of her, Carl.”  He growled.

The Earl of Riverton took on a stern voice.  “George, you do not speak to your brother in such a manner.  He is in more need of a Loomcroft girl than you are; his offer to share her is overly generous.  Do not make him regret it.”

Belladonna could hear George huffing.  “You do not speak of Belladonna that way in my home.”  His voice wasn't a growl, but it was full of menace.  “In fact, you do not ever speak of a lady in such a manner.  I recommend that you leave, gentlemen.”

His father sniffed.  “Of course we are not leaving.  This will be Carl's solitary chance to seduce the girl.  Lord knows it will be the only chance any man of the ton gets to wed her.”

Carl chuckled.  “Yes, but it will be worth the sacrifice.  The Loomcroft fortune is substantial.  Bedding such a rounded woman a few times to get an heir is worth the sacrifice in order to never have to worry about blunt again.”

Belladonna could hear George's chair scrape across the floor.  “I have warned you, brother.” 

“Sit down, George.”  His father hissed.  “Only fools get so worked up over a woman to look at his brother with so much ill will.”

Belladonna couldn't take much more herself.  The two men spoke as if she was a brood mare to be bred and sent out to pasture.  They spoke as if her dowry was all that mattered and she suspected that Carl would do everything in his power to get it.

A sour taste filled her mouth and her stomach dropped.  She wasn't safe in this house; not alone.  She would just tell them she was off the market and no matter what they did she wouldn't marry Carl.  That's what she would do.

Squaring her shoulders she gracefully entered the study.  She stood beside George and looked down her nose at the both his brother and father.  Belladonna steeled herself to put the two appalling men in their place.

Carl muttered under his breath, “Perhaps not so much a sacrifice.”

Her eyes widened.  Before she knew what left her mouth, she turned and spoke to George.  “Who are our guests, husband?”

Husband?  Where had that come from?  She wondered.  The smile on George's face almost broke her heart.  She hadn't meant it.  She didn't even know why she said it.

George pulled her close and kissed the side of her forehead.  “Let me introduce my brother, Carl, and my father, the Earl of Riverton.”

She nodded at each man, but she refused to greet them as was expected.  The Earl's eyes narrowed as he took in the pair.  “I see.” 

George nodded and smiled.  That wrapped up the situation nicely.  At least he had hoped so, but his brother kept looking at Belladonna with unmasked lust in his eyes.  “I am glad you do, father.  I hate to be rude, but I would appreciate it if you returned to London in the morning.  My wife and I would prefer some time to ourselves.”

The Earl pushed himself up out of a velvet red chair with a huff.  Carl left the settee more slowly.  He blatantly appraised Belladonna from head to toe.  “Brother, it is unwise to take to what is mine.”  He said softly.

The second the door latched closed Belladonna stared at the door and sighed heavily.  “I sincerely hope he was not referring to me; a man like that would drive me to become a revolveress.”

George pulled her into a sudden embrace.  “Lord help us all if you become good with a pistol.”

Before she could protest he took her mouth gently in his own.  There wasn't the overwhelming heat of their first kiss, but more a slow burn that could last an eternity.  He drank her in.

As he pulled away he caressed her cheek with his thumb.  “So, tell me, Bella.  Did I sleep thru our nuptials?”

She stepped away from him and paced slowly.  “I have no idea what came over me.  You must forgive for saying such a thing, Mr. Livery.”

He sighed.  “I will have a boon for your forgiveness.”

She walked over and sat herself down on the settee in order to stop her own pacing.  “As you know, I have nothing.  I am sure my father would be happy to give you whatever you want when we return to London.”

He walked over and sat down beside her.  He pulled her hand into his lap.  “I want nothing from your father.  I want your hand in marriage, but I fear that is too high a price for your fib.  I will settle for a promise.”

She stared at her hand as it tingled at his touch.  “What kind of promise?”  She asked neutrally.

He leveled his eyes with hers.  “You
never
use the tone you just used with me again, Bella.  You have thoughts and emotions and I would share them.  This countenance of indifference you wear as a shield, feel free to wear it.  Wear it with anyone you wish, anyone but me.”

Belladonna could feel her eyes fill with tears.  “I have only ever done what was expected of a lady of the ton.  Women are not to have opinions, they are to be silent on all things but what is proper.”

George chuckled.  “I think we have had this chat about propriety.  If you wish to be the epitome of propriety in public that is fine, but with me it would only be a farce.  You are the most enjoyably improper woman I have ever met.”

She stared at their hands for a moment.  “What if I chose the first option instead?”  She asked softly.

“In that case I have a vicar on the island who can marry us and we would simply wait for the license to arrive from London before returning.”  He said.

Belladonna studied his face, his lovely blue eyes with bits of green.  “You do not love me.”  She said softly.

George kissed her hand.  “No, I do not.  I am fond of you.  I want you.  That should be enough.  It can be enough.”

Her gaze wandered the room for a moment.  “My dowry is too large to get out of the ton unmarried, is it not?”

George shook his head.  “I would like to tell you otherwise, but you know that is true.”

“I will not have a husband who will have mistresses.”  Belladonna said with certainty.

George's eyes lingered at the bodice of her dress for ten to twenty seconds before meeting her eyes.  “I will never need a mistress with you, Bella.”

Warm embarrassment crept thru her cheeks and across her pale chest above the cut of her dress.  Belladonna leaned over and kissed him softly on mouth.  “I will be your wife, George.” 

He heard her, but he didn't hear her.  George envisioned a long, drawn out battle to get her to be his wife.  A sense of peace settled in his very soul.  When the nectar sweet kiss stopped he stood.  “I...I'll go get the preacher.”

She leaned into the back of the settee.  The action pushed her large breasts up high in her bodice.  “So soon?”

George cleared his throat.  “Yes, the sooner the better.  We'll be wed this afternoon.”

He was almost to the door.  “George?”

He hesitated and turned.  “Yes, Bella?”

Her cheeks put roses to shame.  “Please send someone else to get the vicar.”  Belladonna felt safe with George, but with his father and brother likely still lingering in the house she didn't want to be apart from him.

A slow smile crept across his face.  “As you wish, Bella.”

###

The ceremony was nothing more than the vicar and four of the servants signing the paper.  There were no parties, no bans, and no questions.  Belladonna almost enjoyed it more than she would have if they had gone thru the normal phases of betrothal. 

As the sun set they made their ways up to their connected rooms.  Belladonna had a quick bath and slipped on the night clothes that had been laid out for her.  She then slipped a robe on top of those to cover herself.

Her stomach was filled with butterflies as she knocked on the door that connected their rooms.  George opened it slowly.  “I did not expect you this soon, Bella.  Do your rooms please you?”

She looked around the room decorated with elaborate furniture made out of mahogany.  “I've had five step mothers.  I know where I am suppose to be on the wedding night.”

George frowned.  “You do not sound happy, Bella.”

“Is there a way to do this without creating a child?”  She said a bit higher than she intended.  She really did not want children.  From the moment she signed the marriage certificate her mind was beginning to wonder how they would manage to avoid the ill fate of parenthood.

George rubbed her shoulders with his hands and looked in her eyes.  “I will do everything in my power to ensure there is not a child.”

She nodded, but his hands had not left her shoulders.  He slipped his hands under the neckline of the robe and started pushing it down her shoulders.  Instinctively she gripped he front to hold it up.  “It is alright.”  He whispered.

Her cheeks burned and she could not meet his eyes as she she said, “The night rail is very thin.”

George laughed.  “Our head housekeeper here is French.  Tell me, Bella...”  He barely touched her as he ran his fingers along the sagging neckline of the robe.  “How thin is it?”  George ran his finger along her breasts and circled the small bumps he could feel thru the layers of clothing.  “Can I see the colors of these?”

“George...”  Bella started to scold.  Her protest was buried in a passionate kiss that made her toes curl.  While his mouth covered hers he pushed the robe from her shoulders and it fell to the ground.  His hand gently cupped her breasts.  He lightly squeezed and released at regular intervals as his thumb circles the buds of breasts.

When he broke their kiss he laid butterfly kisses down her throat.  Finally he got to her cloth covered breasts.  He wanted the taste of her skin, but George didn't have the patience to wait.  He took one of her buds between his teeth thru the cloth and pulled on it once.  A soft moan escaped her throat.  With a smile he let go.

“George...do not....”  Belladonna started.

“Raise your arms.”  He said in a low voice.  She did as he asked and he pulled the dressing gown over her head.  Embarrassment set in and she start to cover herself.  “Do not do that.”  He ordered.

She couldn't meet his eyes.  “George, I...I know I am not beautiful.  Perhaps we could put out the candles.”

He met her eyes for only a moment before he bent down and took one of her breasts in his mouth.  He circled it's nub with his tongue and sucked hard.  Her other breast lay in his hand where he massaged it.

Belladonna could not take the sensation.  He had to lay her hands on his shoulders to keep from collapsing.  Just when she thought there was no way the feel of his mouth could make her feel anymore he pulled back and dropped to his knees.

“You are everything that a man wants, my Bella.”  He gently made her widen her stance.  Her breath caught the moment his tongue touched her womanhood.  He buried his face in the curls of her sex.

“Oh, my...”  She could not help but grip his hair for balance.  “George...George please...I do not know how long I can stand whilst you do that.”

He pulled back with a smile.  Then he lifted her around the waist and held her against him.  Instinctively her legs wrapped around his middle for support.  She was just high enough that he lazily rolled his tongue across her breasts as he walked.

He dropped her on the bed.  Her legs were closed as he looked down at her.  “Come now, I was just getting a taste of the strawberries.  I will not be satisfied until you give me a taste of cream.”

Belladonna was confused by the reference.  Her hair was strawberry blond, but what cream did he speak of?  “Do you need some type of food?  Should we call the maid?”  She asked him.

He just laughed as he pushed her legs apart.  He buried his face into her folds and his tongue played with her.  The more he tasted of her, the more she felt.  The pressure building inside her was almost more than she could bear and certainly nothing like she ever felt.