Lord of the Abbey (46 page)

Lyon grinned, “If I had an audience, I’d make certain they got an earful.”

“
I believe that. Yes,
you would
do that.” Micah nodded his head. Rolled his eyes.

“
You’re telling me Wincanton, you didn’t listen to a bit of what was going on in there?” Trevan challenged Micah with a knowing grin.

“
I tried not to. Oh, hell, Trevan! Enough. Let’s just say Harry is a very fortunate man.”

“
Indeed he is!” Trevan laughed, his blue eyes twinkling merrily. “A toast to Harry and his lovely wife! She’ll be breeding soon, I guarantee it.”

They drank to their friends.

“
Now, back to business. Let’s get our plan down on paper.” Micah grimaced as he rubbed his throbbing thigh. He accepted another glass of brandy from Trevan. Lyon’s glass was refilled as well.

“
Rowena, you’re still awake.” Harry smiled as he entered their bedchamber. He carried a bottle of wine and two crystal glasses.

“
Of course I am. I did not want to sleep through our wedding night.” Rowena flashed her husband a sultry smile. She set
The History of the Dulacs of Glastonbury
on the table beside the bed.

“
Wine?”

“
Yes.” Harry poured them each a glass. “I thought you might prefer it over brandy.” He handed one to his wife.

“
It was brandy that started this whole thing wasn’t it?” Rowena laughed.

“
That started the kissing.” Harry set down his glass, removed his coat, waistcoat and shirt. “But it started when I first set eyes on you at the Grange.” He sat on the edge of the bed, removed his shoes, then his trousers. He slid into bed beside Rowena after retrieving his glass of wine.

“
Oh?” Rowena took a small sip of her wine. Then, remembering the effects of the brandy the night of her first kiss with Harry, she took a longer sip. She turned and set her glass on the table near her side of the bed. Her hand on the thick poster of the massive Jacobite bed, she rose up on her knees and removed her nightgown. She let it float to the floor.

“
Stay right there, my love, don’t move,” Harry rasped huskily, and was behind her in an instant, also on his knees. He placed her free hand on the dark wood next to her other. His hand moved to her soft folds. She was already moist. He pushed her hair over her shoulders to reveal her bare back. His lips moved along her shoulders, then worked down her spine, then on to the curve of her bottom while his fingers massaged her from the inside. He brought her to a climax quickly, then still on his knees behind her, he entered her, thrust deep inside her, his hands grasping her hips, keeping her tight against him.

Instinctively, Rowena arched, her hands tightening on the thick poster. It did not take her long to figure out she could hold on to the poster while sliding her sheath freely up and down his shaft. It did not take Harry long to realize he if he reached around her, placed his hands above hers, he could thrust his cock deep into her while she was pinned between he and the smooth, dark wood of the old bed.

Neither one seemed to care that the antique bed, though solid, did creak and groan some during their prolonged and titillating bout of uninhibited and perfectly acceptable wedding night sex. Nor did they care that when their release came, that they both cried out from the sheer force of such ecstasy.

“
Oh love, can we keep your magnificent bed? Move it to our bedchamber at the Grange? And the bedchamber there needs to be redecorated by the way it’s quite ghastly in my opinion. If we can’t take this bed to the Grange, then I’ll find another very similar,” Harry pleaded against her ear after they tried out the poster on his side of the bed some hours later. His chest still heaved. Their bodies were slick with sweat.

“
Yes. I must insist we do. I am very attached to this bed.” Rowena gasped as she allowed Harry to guide her back onto the sheets and into his arms.

“
As am I. More wine, my love?”

Rowena nodded her head, “Mmm. Yes, I’m quite parched.”

She sat halfway up as he brought his glass to her lips. She took a long sip. As he removed the glass to return it to the table, a drop fell onto her breast, slid down the full, creamy mound.

Harry drained the glass then dipped his head to lick the trail of wine from his wife’s breast. He paused to lightly bite at her nipple as well. Returning the empty glass, he then gathered his wife into his arms and drew the covers over them. He whispered, “Let’s sleep a little love. Then we can try out the posters at the foot of the bed. There may be other uses for those. We may find we like one side of the bed better than the other.”

“
Mmm. We will try it later.” She yawned, cuddled against him. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she fell asleep with, Harry thought, a very contented smile upon her face.

Outside in the hall, his chair before their door, Trevan Chynoweth sat in the chair grinning from ear to ear. Trevan was never going to let Harry forget about this.
Ever!

No one knocked upon the door at dawn, for it was perfectly acceptable for a man to remain abed with his wife, especially his newly wedded one.

When Rowena woke, it was to the wondrous feel of her husband’s hand upon her one breast and the fingers of his other between her thighs stroking her. “Harry.” She felt his finger slip into her wetness. Before she even opened her eyes, his cock slid into her. His hand moved to her hip, she arched back, her bottom pressing against him so she might take him deeper. “Mmm.”

His tongue traced the outline of her ear, his lips placed small kisses to her neck, along her hairline, captured her lobe, moved to the delicate curve where her neck met her shoulder.

“
Good morning, wife,” he murmured huskily as he continued to taste her.

“
Good morning, husband,” her voice was silky with passion.

They continued the slow, deep rhythm for a long stretch of time, neither wanting to break the gentleness, the intimacy of the moment.

It was continuous ecstasy, the flames of passion rising high then lowering to a heady simmer. Rising again, nearing the point where they might burst into flame then pulling back again. They both reveled in the sweet ecstasy, hovering on the edge of oblivion.

When the flames began to burn hotter and stronger, Rowena shuddered, gasped, panted with her need for release.

Harry prolonged her release, kept her on the precipice, teetering on the edge, drawing her pleasure out until he felt himself ready to come. Then, his breath quickening, his muscles tightening, he moved one finger to her clitoris, worked it for scarcely a few seconds and sent them both crashing into the oblivion of blinding, hot ecstasy.

She cried out. He roared.

Harry entered the library, anxious to find out what plan his friends formulated the previous night.

“
Well, well. It’s the bridegroom. Up a wee bit late this morning, are we?” Trevan Chynoweth’s eyes twinkled merrily. He flashed Harry a broad grin.

Harry thought about ignoring the comment, but decided not to. Trevan and Lyon would just keep on until they received a reaction. “I didn’t get much sleep, Trevan. It was my wedding night.” Harry arched his brow meaningfully.

“
Did you have a good time?” Lyon asked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Trevan clapped Harry on the back. “He did. He had a magnificent time from the sound of it!”

Harry glared at them both. He wouldn’t say another word.

Trevan grinned. “Harry, it certainly sounded like you enjoyed yourself.”

Lyon snickered. Once again he lounged on the chaise. He was able to walk now with the help of a cane.

Micah was ignoring everything and continued to work on deciphering his scroll.

“
I came to in find out what our plan of attack shall be regarding Dalworth and Davitt,” Harry changed the subject.

Elveston, Newt and Wyldhurst entered the library, followed by Tristan and Gabriel.

“
Come sit at the table Harry, we’ve several ideas,” Trevan invited. “The first bit of news I have for you is we found the exit for the tunnel near the Tor.”

“
You found the exit for the Stonedown tunnel? That’s good I suppose, safer for Stonedown if it were caved in, but good that we now know the location,” Harry said.

“
It comes out in a copse of trees just this side of the Tor. There was a huge boulder, along with dirt and grass atop the trap door, which is why it wouldn’t open from inside the tunnel. The boulder was no doubt the remnant of a broken standing stone,” Trevan announced.

Harry watched as his friends exchanged careful glances. “Tell me the plan, Trevan,” Harry demanded calmly.

“
We know George Whitely is willing to work with us. What if we told George to leak the location of the tunnel to both Davitt and Dalworth. And he could give them some proof that we know nothing about it. They will surely use that route to come into Stonedown. They’ve come to no success entering the house yet, so they might jump at a chance like this.”

Harry held up his hand. Shook his head vehemently. “That means everyone in this house would be in danger, Trevan.”

“
But with more than twenty men inside, Harry, we should be able to hold our own.”

“
Should
be able to hold our own? Not good enough. Dalworth wants to harm my wife, and it sounds like Davitt is equally as insane.”

“
Which is why we need to set a trap. Bring them to us when we are prepared. Remember our discussion last night, Harry? Using your wife as bait we could easily bring in Dalworth. If Davitt doesn’t make a move, with Dalworth eliminated, we could then move the treasures from Stonedown to our safe houses, and hopefully remove the entire threat to you here, at Stonedown.”

“
No,” Harry flatly refused.

“
She will be safe, Harry,” Trevan added, “We will be ready.”

“
No.”

“
Then we’ll remain on the defensive and wait. And that’s dangerous because we will be taken off guard. The rest of us can’t stay here forever, Harry. We have lives and families and responsibilities. And Dalworth may go off half-cocked and storm our castle, but Davitt won’t take a chance until he makes an opportunity for himself, and he will eventually. He is not above killing either. His men could have killed Lyon, your sister or Micah.”

Micah rose from the table. He leaned on a cane lent to him by Sir John. “Walk with me, Harry.”

Harry breathed deeply and nodded. They headed toward the gallery.

“
Harry, Trevan is right. This might go on forever this way. Eventually it would come down to you and me, maybe Lyon and a few of the others against them. They will continue to hire more men. No one is ready to quit yet, but we need to do something to bring this to a head, so we can face it and be done with it.”

“
I know, I know. I don’t want my wife or her aunt or the other ladies harmed, who include my
mother and sister
! Setting a trap and killing them before they entered Stonedown is one thing. Letting them come inside the house is yet another. I decided I don’t want to use Rowena as bait. You saw how frightened she becomes at just the mention of Dalworth’s name.
I can’t put her through that!
”

“
If we get rid of Dalworth, she won’t ever be frightened of him again. You’re Lady is tougher than you give her credit for, Harry.”

“
I said it last night. I’ll say it again, I should just kill him.”

“
Then you could go to prison, Harry, or hang. Don’t forget, Dalworth is a peer of the realm just like us. He is protected by the law.”

“
Fine. Then tell me what you are suggesting, Micah. I know Rowena is your friend, and I know you care for her as such. I trust your decision in this. I am unable to make one. My emotions are too involved. Tell me what you think we should do.”

“
Formulate a fool-proof plan to draw in Dalworth and then ask Rowena what she wants to do. She has a right to make a choice. If she doesn’t think she can do it, then we’ll find another way. I think leaking the existence of the tunnel leading to Stonedown is a very good idea. It is almost an open invitation. Or we can wait for the Faire and the Ball, but a lot can go wrong with crowds of people involved. In all honesty we can’t guarantee anyone’s safety then. There is always the chance they will use the Faire or Ball to initiate an attack of their own because of the additional crowd. Other innocent people could be hurt.”