Intrigued (18 page)

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Authors: Bertrice Small

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Historical, #General

BOOK: Intrigued
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“Another story, for another time,” he said.
Autumn nodded with a smile.
“When you told me your mother had outlived three husbands and a royal lover; that both your grandmothers had two husbands, and one of them also a royal lover, and had been in a Turk’s harem; that your great-grandmother had had six husbands and several lovers; you were teasing me,
cherie,
were you not?” he asked her.
“No,” Autumn replied briefly.
“I shall ask your mama,” he said.
“You are free to do so, monseigneur, but I do not lie,” Autumn responded. “The truth I have spoken is so fantastic that I will permit you to question it, but be warned, Sebastian: You will only question my veracity once with my permission. Should you ever mistrust me again, I shall leave you, even if we are married. Now, you know all about me. I would know all about you.”
“I was born and raised at Chermont,” he said. “I have never left the region. My sister is a nun and my parents are dead. I am a very dull fellow, Autumn. You should know this if we marry. My passion is for my lands, for my wine, and now for you. I will never deceive you, and I will spoil you as no woman has ever been spoiled. I will adore the children you give me. Can you live such a quiet life?”
“I have lived so quietly all my life. My home, Glenkirk, is in the southeastern Highlands. I occasionally traveled with my mother to England in the summers, but I have never been to London or even Edinburgh. I have been sheltered and kept from worldly society. I do hope that once we have several children, you will take me to court. The king said he is going to build a wonderful palace at Versailles. I would like to see that, Sebastian. Will you take me to court one day?”
“You will have to marry me if I am to take you to court,” he told her. “Are you saying you will marry me?”
“Of course I am going to marry you,” Autumn said. “Why am I allowing you to court me? Why did I send de Belfort and Guy away? Do you think me some vixen to tease and taunt you?
Men!
Why do you never understand?”
“Then we are betrothed?” he asked her.
“Well, not until you have given me a ring,” she replied. “Your intentions must certainly be public, monseigneur.”
“And when you have your ring will you set a wedding date?” he demanded of her.
“I thought late summer,” she murmured dreamily.
“If I do not kill you before then,
cherie,”
he replied through gritted teeth.
“You must not kill me; at least not until you have made love to me,” Autumn responded. “Remember, you once told me I should not die a virgin.” She encouraged her horse into a canter. “Come along, Sebastian! We must return to Belle Fleurs and tell Mama that everything has now been settled between us.”
He began to laugh. He couldn’t help it. She was unlike any girl he had ever met, and she was probably going to drive him mad; but he would have no other wife. He kicked his horse and followed after her.
Chapter
8
T
he round emerald was leaf green in color. It was surrounded by rich, round turquoises and round-cut, blue-white diamonds. The stones were set in Irish red-gold. It was the most beautiful ring Autumn had ever seen. Even Jasmine, whose collection of jewelry was famed, was impressed with the ring’s beauty and nodded her approval.
“The stones match your eye colors,” Sebastian told Autumn as he slipped the ring on her slender finger. “I had it made especially for you,
cherie.”
Then he kissed the hand that wore the ring. “Now, we are formally betrothed, and my intentions are most public,
n’est-ce pas?”
She smiled up at him, and there were tears in her eyes. “Thank you,” she managed to say to him.
“I shall leave you two to yourselves,” Jasmine said quietly. “You will stay the night, Sebastian?”
“I will, madame.”
“Adali will show you your room then, when you are ready,” she said and, curtsying to them, Jasmine left the hall.
“Shall I keep watch, my princess?” the elderly major domo asked.
“Tell him where he is to sleep, and say Autumn will show him later. They need to be alone, Adali. I think we both remember why.”
Adali nodded. “So long ago, and so far away,” he replied. “That I should live to see your children and their children has been the greatest blessing of my life, my princess. How many have gone? Yet Rohana, Toramalli, and I remain to serve you.”
“Which is a blessing for me, old friend,” Jasmine told him. “I am going to bed now. Do what you must, and then seek yours.”
Adali reentered the hall, smiling at the sight of Autumn and Sebastian, their heads together, speaking in low tones. “Mademoiselle,” he began, “I am becoming too old to keep the hours of young lovers who are courting. The marquis will have the blue room on the other side of your mama’s. Will you show him when you are ready, so I may put these old bones into my featherbed?”
“Of course, Adali,” Autumn said, trying not to show too much delight.
“Bonsoir,
and sleep well.”
Adali bowed politely to the young couple and departed the hall.
“Are they not worried that I might seduce you?” Sebastian teased her and kissed the tip of her nose.
“I think they are hoping
I
seduce
you,”
she teased back. “That way I cannot change my mind and we
must
marry.”
“Do you want to be seduced?” he asked, nuzzling her dark, perfumed hair.
“No,” Autumn told him. “I want our wedding night to be a perfect memory, monseigneur, but if you choose to instruct me now in some of the niceties of love, I should not object.”
“Yet you were bold enough to touch me once,” he said, curious to know what had emboldened her.
“My campanions as a child were mostly boys from our village,” she explained. “Remember, I am the baby of the family, and all my siblings but for my eldest Leslie brother, Patrick, had left Glenkirk by the time I was brought from Ireland. As we grew older and my playmates began to gain an interest in the lasses, they began to compare their organs. It never concerned them if I was there, although they never dared to approach me, being the lord’s daughter. But I was frankly curious. They would jest with each other, and sometimes even with me, I think to see what I would say, and if I might be shocked. Then my brother Patrick found out. He beat several of the lads for their impertinence. Then, after having given me a talking-to regarding the male organ, he sent me to Mama to learn the rest. When Papa heard of it, he was at first outraged, but Mama showed him the humor in the situation. That is why I touched you. Mama explained that a woman’s touch can both soothe and excite. I wanted to soothe you because you were being so kind.”
“Have you ever
soothed
any other gentlemen, Autumn?” He wanted an answer, partly out of curiosity, partly because he was jealous.
“Gracious, no!” she exclaimed. “Mama also explained such a touch was only for one’s betrothed husband or husband. You surely do not think I go about handling manhoods with no discrimination, Sebastian!” Then she giggled. “I should have been wed long since if I did that, and not necessarily to a man I loved.”
He laughed, unable to help himself. She was such a mixture of intelligence and innocence. He realized that only her isolated upbringing had kept her safe from an earlier seduction. Had she been brought to a licentious royal court, she would been easy prey for libidinous and salacious courtiers with an appetite for fresh young flesh. “I see,” he said with great understatement. He took her little hand and, turning it over, kissed the palm. “I like it when you soothe me, Autumn.”
A shiver ran up her spine and then back down again. “Perhaps we should retire,” she said nervously.
“Perhaps not,” he said softly, and arose from the oak settle where they had been sitting. “Let us sit before the fire,” and he drew her up to stand with him. “That is a fine, thick sheepskin,
ma petite.”
He maneuvered them down to the floor. “There, is that not nicer, and warmer too? Spring nights are yet chill. It’s almost as if winter cannot let go. Underneath, however, one senses warmer weather, but a fire is nice in the evenings.”
“I saw my parents sit before a fire this way once,” Autumn replied. She had also seen a great deal more until Adali, on his cat’s feet, had clapped a hand over her open mouth and carried her off to her nursemaid, chuckling as he did so. Would Sebastian make love to her that way? she wondered silently.
They sat in silence, watching the flames dance and dart. The fire was red, orange, and golden, with the occasional blue flame. It crackled and growled softly to itself as it burned. Autumn noticed that the fireplace was flanked by stone angels with beautifully carved faces. She wondered why she hadn’t espied it before, but then she had never viewed the fireplace from this particular angle before. His arm slid suddenly about her, and her first instinct was to stiffen, but then she relaxed and lay her dark head against his shoulder. For the moment words seemed unnecessary.
One arm about her, Sebastian reached out with his other hand and caressed the curve of her slender neck. The hand moved slowly and delicately about the curve of her jawline, his fingers brushing lightly across her full lips. Those lips, almost involuntarily, kissed at his fingertips. Grasping her chin gently, he turned her head slightly and kissed her, tenderly at first, the kiss deepening as he felt her returning his passion with her own, shyly, then more boldly.
Autumn sighed with the pleasure his lips were so generously bringing to hers. The pressure of his mouth seemed to almost communicate his desires to her. She felt her lips parting slightly, as did his, their perfumed breaths mingling, adding to their growing arousal of each other. His tongue, to her surprise, if not shock, suddenly pushed through into her mouth to touch her tongue with a fervent and heated caress. She jumped at the first contact; but then, realizing the wave of enjoyment sweeping over her, followed his lead, caressing his tongue in return.
Her lack of fear, her obvious enjoyment, all worked to set his senses reeling. Their lips had yet to unlock. Now his hand moved to undo her bodice, slipping it quickly off and laying it aside. Autumn said nothing, and her eyes were tightly closed. He kissed her eyelids in a gesture of reassurance; then his fingers undid the ribbons that held her chemise closed. His big hand slid beneath the fabric to fondle a small but decidedly shapely breast. He was almost trembling with his excitement and the overwhelming love he was feeling for this exquisite girl.
Autumn purred as the hand fondled her. Her head rubbed against his shoulder. Her torso arched against him, straining against his arm. She could hear her heart thumping in her ears. She quivered with open anticipation as his hand caressed her gently, teasing at her nipple with the ball of his thumb. Their lips parted, and Autumn drew in a deep breath. Then she sighed gustily.
“You like being touched,” he said quietly.
She opened her eyes and looked into his.
“Oui,”
was all she said. Then she closed her eyes again, relaxing against him.
He shifted her slightly and, lowering his head, his mouth closed over her nipple. He sucked hard upon it, his arm tight about her.
Autumn’s eyes flew open again, surprise filling them. The tug of his mouth was incredible, engendering feelings within her that she had never known existed. She wasn’t even certain she understood them! There was something masterful about him. Yet she quickly realized that he was at her mercy even as she was at his. The tingle of excitement she felt between her legs was absolutely brand new and utterly revealing. She wanted a name for it. She thought she knew that name. “Is this lust?” she asked ingenuously.
He lifted his head from her breast. His eyes were practically glazed with his open desire.
“Oui,”
he said softly. Then his head dropped again to her nipple. He suckled. He licked. He nipped ever so gently, then licked again. His hand squeezed her breast, forcing the flesh upwards so he might put more of it in his mouth. He groaned at the obvious pleasure he was receiving.
Her slender fingers tangled themselves in his thick, dark hair. “Show me what else there is,” she demanded of him. “I want to know!”
In answer he lay her back onto the sheepskin. She could see the fire blazing, just above her head, it seemed. His fingers tore at her chemise, ripping it open to bare her torso to his hot silver eyes. He began to kiss the flesh in an almost frantic manner. His mouth seemed to score her flesh wherever it touched. His dark head moved lower, lower, until finally he stopped; and as suddenly began to lick her skin with long, sweeping strokes of his tongue.
“Ahhh,” she sighed, feeling a shiver, which was a mixture of both excitement and chill where his tongue had touched. Then she felt his hand pushing up her skirts, fondling the curve of her calf, sliding up, up, until his fingers were brushing at the inside of her thigh.
“You do not wear
les caleçons?”
he said, not certain whether to be surprised or shocked.
“Only when I ride, beneath my breeches,” she murmured. “I did not grow up with them, and drawers are difficult to get to when one needs the necessary and is wearing twelve petticoats.”
He removed his hand from beneath her skirts. She was really too inexperienced for what he had in mind.
Not tonight.
But one night soon, he thought.
“Why have you stopped?” she asked him, genuinely curious.
He kissed her lips lightly, and began to retie her half-torn chemise, shaking his head at the rip he had inflicted upon the material. “How will you explain this to your serving woman?” he wondered aloud.
“I shall dispose of it so she does not see it,” Autumn said. “Why did you stop, Sebastian? I was very much enjoying your attentions.”
“Because,” he half-lied, standing and pulling her up with him, “I did not think I could control myself where you are concerned,
cherie.
You are far more tempting than I had anticipated, Autumn. Had we gone further, I do not think I could have stopped.” He picked up her bodice and helped her into it, fastening the laces and jeweled buttons for her.
“Perhaps I did not want you to stop,” she said.
He stood up and pulled her up after him. “You are an innocent,
cherie.
You will have to trust me for now to make such decisions.”
“You will be a
very
French husband,
n’est-ce pas?”
she teased him; and then, standing on her toes, she kissed him a quick kiss.
“Oui,”
he agreed with a laugh, “and you, not being a good French wife, will drive me to distraction, eh?”
“Oui,”
she acknowledged with a smile. “Come, monseigneur, if you are not going to continue your seduction of me, then I might as well show you to your chamber. You are next to Mama. I am on the other side of her. Think of how close we are before you sleep.” Then she led him upstairs, pointed to a door, and was gone.
With a rueful smile, Sebastian d’Oleron entered his bedchamber. A small fire burned in a corner fireplace. A taper flickered by the bedside, and upon the bed his nightshirt had been laid out. On a small chest at the bed’s foot, a basin of water and a cloth sat awaiting him. Undressing, he washed himself as best he could and lifting, up the night garment, put it on. As he slipped it over his head and down his long, lean frame, he saw that beneath it was a small slip of neatly folded parchment. Picking it up, he opened it and read, “I will be at Chermont tomorrow.” It was signed “d’Albert.”
“Merde!”
he swore softly. Why now? Why when he was in the midst of a budding courtship with Autumn? What possible excuse was he going to use to leave Belle Fleurs for even a short time? And it would not necessarily be a short time, since d’Albert was involved. Still, he had no other choice, Sebastian d’Oleron thought to himself as he climbed into his bed. He would have to think of an excuse even if it angered Autumn. Just a few more months, and the king would be installed upon his throne for good and all. Then they could all take their ease.
He awoke just before first light, as was his habit. He dressed quickly and left his chamber. There was no one in the Great Hall, but in the stableyard he met Red Hugh.

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