Lessons of Love (18 page)

“
He doesn
’
t beat you
? Mama said he was dangerous.”

“
Of course he doesn
’
t beat me. Do I look unhappy? He
’
s wonderful
. His kisses ...”
All three girls fell into a fit of giggles at
Jolie
’
s whisp
ered words.

“
How on earth did you end up married to him,
Jolie
?”

“
Yes
Jolie
, do tell us. Proper ladies never marry in such haste unless it
’
s to save their reputation. Why did your
daddy have t
o married you off so quickly?”

Jolie
drew in her breath and turned to face Emily Wellington. The girl was mean and had a horrible gossiping tongue. “
Don
’
t be absurd Emily. My husband met me when he was at our home for dinner on business
,
and h
e begged my daddy for my hand
in marriage that very night.”

“
Why didn
’
t you send out invitations if it was planned? You never said a word
about your upcoming nuptials. M
ama says you must have been compromised. I think the two of you were caught alone, and
he did somethin
g to you. The man looks evil!”

“
Emily Wellington, you take that back. You don
’
t know any such thing. My husband wished to wed me quickly
,
and he wanted a private ceremony, probably so he could be spared from the likes of you and your vicious
rumors. Don
’
t you da
re spread your dreadful lies.”

“
Is something wrong, little one?”
Cole
had walked up behind
Jolie
during her tirade. He was pleased to hear his little hellion defending him.
Cole
slipped an arm possessively around her waist and held her
close, not caring about
the propriety of his actions.

“
Good morning, ladies. I couldn
’
t help overhearing your conversation. My wife is telling you the truth. I fell in love with her the moment I set eyes on her two weeks ago
,
and wanted to wed her as quic
kly as I could. We were married as soon as the legalities were worked out. There will be a celebration ball in three weeks hence. We shall have the official cele
bration of our marriage then.”

All three women
stared at the imposing figure
Cole
made as he he
ld his wife. Emily sniffed and put her nose in the air
,
but Louisa and Sophie simply looked at him in awe.

“
Have you had a chance to look at any gowns, love? The seamstress has a room ready for you.”
Cole
bent down and brushed a kiss across her temple cau
sin
g Sophie and Louisa to giggle.

“
No
Cole
, I was talking. I didn
’
t have a chance.”

“
No matter. We shall have her begin to measure you for your new wardrobe, and I will pick something out. We must get you out of that stuffy gown as soon as possible. Come
a
long, sweet. Goodbye ladies.”

“
Jolie
, can you have tea with us?”

“
Would you mind terribly if I monopolized your time today love? We have much to do
,
and I want to treat you to a special lunch. It
’
s my first day in the city with my lovely bride and I want t
o have plenty of time to spoil you.”
Louisa and Sophie giggled again and Emily turned and strode away in a huff.
Jolie
turned in
Cole
’
s arms and gazed up at her husband, mesmerized by his f
athomless blue eyes and charm.

“
That
’
s fine,
Cole
. I love being spo
iled.
We can have tea another time.”

“
Ladies you are welcome in our home anytime. I look forward to seeing you again. Come along,
Jolie
.”
Cole
led
Jolie
through the seamstress
’
shop and all eyes turned upon them once more. It was hard not to stare at the s
triking couple. The glow of happiness radiated from
Jolie
’
s face while
Cole
’
s held one
of possessiveness and desire.

Cole
led her to the back room and shut the door. It was small and filled with bolts of shimmering taffeta, silks, and satins in a multitude
of colors.
Cole
spun her around and went to work on the row of buttons down her back.
Jolie
tried to step away but he reached out and pulled her close, growling in her ear. “
Do not deny me the pleasure of undressing you my sweet, even if I won
’
t be able
t
o enjoy your sumptuous body.”

“
Cole
, it isn
’
t proper for you
to be in here!”

“
Jolie
I don
’
t care much for proprieties. I would have t
hought you knew that by now.”

“
I thought you wished to develop a place of good standing in society. Bedding me
here won
’
t h
elp you do that.”

“
Hush wife, I don
’
t plan on bedding you, just enjoying the act of undressing you. Perhaps you don
’
t want the seamstress to see how ready your body is for your husband
’
s pleasures.”
Cole
pulled her close and began the task of unfastening h
er buttons once again. She squirmed in his arms and he looked down at her dangerously. “
Jolie
, thi
s is not open for discussion.”

“
Why must you embarrass me?”
She pushed away and
Cole
spun her around and caught the front of her dress bodice in his hand. He
jerked downward effectively tearing it in two.
Jolie
gasped, outraged
,
and opened her mouth to berate him but
Cole
quickly silenc
ed her with a demanding kiss.

His lips were hungry and his tongue was quick as lightning as it slipped into her mouth and danc
ed across hers, engaging it in battle and stealing her breath away.
Jolie
’
s body immediately remembered the passion he
’
d stirred in her loins on their way into the city and she pressed into him, needing his strong body to touch her and love her.
Cole
broke
the kiss and set her from him.

“
I will give you what you need later little one. I want no more complaints about my presence in this room while you are being fitted for gowns. One more word and I shall take you over my knee here and now. I don
’
t think you
want that snooty Emily Wellington to hear me spanking your sweet little bottom. Now take off that rag. I am going to select a few dresses from the ones out front and shall return soon. I plan on enjoying watching you as you try to hide your passion from t
h
e seamstress. Be a good girl
Jolie
, and I shall reward you later.”
Cole
pulled her close for one more searing kiss and left
Jolie
standing weak kneed and dazed in her torn gown. She watched him go, starry eyed with passion. God
,
what that man could do to h
er with a simple kiss.

Ten

It had been three weeks since
Cole
had taken
Jolie
into the city to buy her a new wardrobe, and life at the plantation had taken on somewhat of a routine.
Jolie
and Celia were now free to move about grounds of their home
as they pleased, and
Cole
even bought
Jolie
a little mare to ride, steadfast in his certainty that she would never leave him.
Jolie
spent blissful nights in her husband
’
s arms and spent her days with Celia, chatting, doing needlepoint, or simply walking in
the beautiful gardens. Both women were beginning to feel safe in their new home partially because
Cole
had sent Gregor north on a business venture and because the rest of the men begrudgingly treated the women with respect, each knowing
Cole
would have th
eir heads if they were to so much as cast a menacing glance
at either of them.

Celia was dedicated to
Jolie
, and
Jolie
to Celia. The two had become fast friends regardless of their race difference. The fact that racial class should separate them had never
been a factor in their friendship. They were the only women in what had been a prison for so many and they found solace and strength in each other. Neither feared
Cole
anymore, and both were adjusting to their new lives. Celia acted as
Jolie
’
s chambermaid
in a very limited sense. She helped
Jolie
dress, and she styled her hair, but she in no way waited on her hand and foot.
Jolie
never would have allowed that. They were friends, plain and simple, and
Jolie
desperat
ely wanted Celia to be happy.

Cole
went th
rough with his original plan with Jonathan, and the man was now Celia
’
s protector. Surprisingly enough, the other men weren
’
t particularly bothered by his actions. They understood
Cole
’
s need to establish himself as a proper businessman in New Orleans
’
soc
iety, even if they didn
’
t care for
Cole
’
s sharp tongued wife. The more respectable he appeared, the less suspicion would be cast his way
when women in area disappeared.

The men didn
’
t truly feel that Celia needed protecting, but understood that women were
high
strung sensitive creatures.
Celia had to be made to feel safe or the boss
’
s wife would be upset, so eyebrows and sharp words weren
’
t raised about Jonathan
’
s new position. No one wanted
Cole
to be angry
,
so the men took his actions in stride and didn
’
t
take Jonathan
’
s assignment personally. How Gregor would react when he returned was another matter, but that was for
Cole
to deal with.

The men had originally grumbled when
Cole
informed them there would be no new women for a while, but they followed his o
rders. They knew
Cole
was working hard to establish the plantation and return it to working order. The illusion of decency took time. He went into New Orleans almost daily to handle one business matter or another, and on the rare occasion that he had to st
ay overnight, his wife was by his side. This fact was well noted by the gossiping tongues of New Orleans. They whispered how scandalous it was for a man to show the world he needed his wife in his bed. One simply didn
’
t take ones wife to a hotel unless th
e
y were traveling.
Jolie
’
s glow of happiness was also well noted. How could she be happy when her husband flaunted the fact that he b
edded her? It was scandalous.