My Lord and Master (11 page)

And afterwards, as she reluctantly drew his manhood from her mouth, she couldn’t resist bathing his softening shaft in her kisses, so enamoured was she with this wonderful appendage that seemed almost to have a mind of its own.

“You’ve given me a lot to think about this evening, Angelica,” Lord Sutherland said solemnly, finally untying the blindfold, before rising to his feet and beginning to buckle his trousers once more. “Now, get some rest,” he added. “For who knows
what
tomorrow might bring ...”

And with that he left Angelica once more alone in her bedchamber, exhausted and happy.

The next morning, Angelica was gently awoken by the beams of light that came spilling in the through the windows of her room. She stretched with pleasure. For what could be finer than waking in her beautiful feather bed, in her very own room, on a sunlit morning?

Perhaps a visit from her Lord Sutherland?

Last night’s encounter had held a particular intensity for them both. Rather than feeling shame at revealing her darkest fantasies, Angelica was instead sure that this had created a new intimacy between them. She recalled his parting words to her:
for who knows what tomorrow might bring
.

And after their encounter last night, was it indeed so foolish of her to perhaps hope for a place at Lord Sutherland’s table? After admitting her jealousy of Lady Reedsdale, Angus had certainly not confirmed her fears. He did not state his intention to marry Annabel, rather that Angelica’s passions, her fantasies, had given him much to think about. Maybe it was not too much to hope, to be his whore in the bedroom, and also to take her place by his side for all of society to see ...

So, when she heard the door handle to her room turning, her heart leapt again, so sure was she that he had returned to her. But her hopes sank when she laid eyes upon Mary’s kindly face emerging into the room.

“Get dressed, Miss Angelica,” the maid instructed, “for you are going on a journey.”

“A journey?” Angelica asked. “A journey
where
?”

“Lord Sutherland has said you’re to visit your family again, to deliver something to them,” the maid explained.

“Oh, Ma and Pa!” Angelica cried happily. “I thought I was never to see them again!”

“Oh, don’t talk such nonsense, girl,” said Mary. “You’re not a prisoner here, after all.” And with that the maid pulled the covers back from Angelica’s bed. “Now come along, I’ve instructions to have you packed and dressed at once. The carriage is already waiting ...”

Packed
? Angelica thought to herself.
How long am I to be gone for?

But she allowed Mary to pack up her things and help her dress, and then, before she knew it, she was out in the grounds, standing by the large black carriage. Everything had happened so fast that Angelica did not even have time to savour this – this rare trip out of her room and into the gardens.

“Here,” Mary said, thrusting a plain white envelope into her hand. “You’re to give this to your father when you return. It’s sealed, so don’t even think of looking inside. Those are Lord Sutherland’s strict instructions. You understand, girl?”

Angelica nodded.

“Is Lord Sutherland coming to say goodbye?” she asked Mary timidly.

“What a question!” exclaimed Mary. “As it happens, Lord Sutherland is out of the house on business today, and is not expected back until late. But even so, why on earth would he come to wish
you
goodbye? You do have some strange notions in that head of yours, my girl!”

“Of course,” Angelica said quietly, casting a final sad glance at the large house that had become her home, before stepping up into the carriage and taking her place upon the cold wooden bench within, just before the door slammed closed and she felt the wheels begin to turn as the horses drew her off, down the path and back towards the village.

And even though Mary was right – why
should
Lord Sutherland come to wish her goodbye before her journey, particularly if he was engaged with important business – she still felt stung by his inattention. After his words last night, she was sure to see him today. But now, as the carriage sped down the drive and away from the house, she wondered when it might be that she would see him next.

Did he really mean all those things he said last night? My mother always warned me that men would say anything when inflamed with passion. Perhaps it was simply that. And in the cold light of day, does he regret last night?

She clutched the mysterious envelope tightly to her breast and closed her eyes, to stop them from welling with tears.

The journey was long and arduous, and Angelica’s mind tossed and turned, just as her body tossed and turned from the jolts of the carriage as it made its way across the countryside.

Her thoughts seemed stuck, unable to move on from last night’s exchange. He said he needed to hear her most secret fantasy, as if it were some kind of test. And with no further word from him, she had no idea whether or not she had
passed
it.

As the carriage rolled onwards, ever nearer to Angelica’s village, the curiosity and frustration grew inside her until it was almost too much for our young heroine to bear. And before she even fully realised what she was doing, she’d torn open the mysterious envelope and pulled out its contents – a single sheet of crisp white paper, and in elegant jet-black handwriting was written the following:
 

Her worst fears confirmed, Angelica read the letter through the tears that were now crowding her eyes, the words swimming on the page, her poor heart pounding as the words sunk in.

But somehow, even though her world had just ended, the carriage trundled on oblivious. Angelica flung herself onto the bench, her body shaking from the violence of her sobs, as she realised that she would never see Lord Sutherland again.

“Angelica, my sweet! I don’t know what fancy ways they taught you in that big house, but you must know that you can’t waste all day in bed here. Your father needs your help at the market stall this morning.”

Angelica groaned and turned onto her other side in the cramped little bed she’d slept in since her early childhood, and to which she’d fled, still sobbing, the very moment the carriage had pulled up outside her parents’ cottage. But she knew her mother was right. She had not been raised to idleness, and she must now return to the simple village ways. After all, there’s no point crying over spilt milk, now is there?  

“I’ll be ready soon, Mother,” she murmured, her heart as heavy as lead, her throat sore from sobbing, her whole body weighed down with sadness.

Angelica had hardly eaten anything these past three days since returning home. She had taken no more than a few ladles of thin broth, and her already slender frame was becoming alarmingly thin. Yet still she felt too sick to eat – sick with an all-consuming hunger, not for food, but for
him
, that strange and maddening Lord who had changed her so completely, who had allowed her to blossom like an exotic flower, and discover such things within herself that had been laying dormant all along, dark sensual pleasures, the likes of which she had never even dreamed about, and then tossed her away again as if she were so much rubbish.

Angelica sighed, lifting herself slowly out of bed, and pulling on one of the old, ill-fitting, and threadbare dresses from her meagre wardrobe. She did not even bother to brush her locks this morning, after all, what was the point now? It was not as if she cared what the uncouth louts of the village thought of her looks – and the only man whose opinion mattered to her had cast her aside forever.

Slipping on her worn leather shoes, Angelica turned and headed down the staircase to the front room, where she found her father already dressed and ready for a hard day’s labour at the market.

And the two were about to begin carrying out his wares to load up the cart, when Angelica heard a strange rumbling sound, coming from outside the cottage.

For a moment her heart leapt, as she imagined it was the sound of Lord Sutherland’s carriage – he had returned to say that he had made a mistake, and was hiring her back this instant!

But no, she must let go of such foolish fantasies now.

Even so, the rumbling sound – growing ever louder –
did
seem awfully similar to the sound of carriage wheels on the rough dirt track of road that ran right past their cottage.

And sure enough, soon Angelica could hear the clop of hooves, too.

“Do you hear that, father?” she said. “It sounds like a carriage. If somebody in our village has bought something so fine, then things must have changed a great deal in the short time I’ve been away!”

“You’ve sure got some daft ideas in your head girl,” her father said gruffly.

But still, Angelica dashed to the front door, flinging it open and running out into the early morning, the sun bathing the lane with a bright, dewy glow. She looked onwards, up the hill, and there it was in the distance, the very same black horse-drawn carriage that had driven her here, just a few days previously!

Angelica clutched her hands excitedly to her breast, holding her breath, feeling as if she might swoon.

But a sharp pang of nerves shot through her, too, as she wondered just what in the world he could want from her now.

She remained fixed, stood there outside her parents’ cottage, as the carriage rumbled ever closer, and when it finally drew to a halt, right before her, Angelica truly felt she might faint with anticipation.

The door to the carriage flew open, and then there he was: Lord Sutherland, just as handsome, just as tall, just as striking as Angelica remembered him.

“Angus,” she whispered.

And she trembled as she felt his burning gaze once more alight upon her, as if it were a flame, consuming her whole.

Without a word, he stepped from the carriage. His face was so serious. What had he come here to tell her?

“Angelica,” he began solemnly, standing before her, his handsome features bathed in the early morning light. “You must be rather puzzled to find yourself back home again so quickly, and without explanation.”

Angelica simply nodded, too frightened to speak in case she broke the spell and her Lord vanished into thin air.

“It is time for me to explain,” he continued. “You are a bright girl. And no doubt you have surmised that you are not the first young lady to be employed by me in such a capacity. It is an arrangement that I am used to. It suits me. But I am afraid, dear Angelica, that you have unexpectedly caused me to reconsider this arrangement. The previous occupants of your position did not complete their tasks with such ... how shall I put this ...
relish
. In fact, one or two lasted no more than a few hours before fleeing in tears. So I was taken aback to register our mutual pleasure. You see, Angelica, it was obvious from the very first moment I touched you, that your desires were as dark as mine.”

Angelica stood enraptured as he spoke, almost unable to believe that this moment was real, and not just the product of one of her many foolish daydreams.

“So, you see,” he continued, his eyes burning, “it became imperative to me to end our arrangement, and begin another. One with a more equal footing, as befits a lady such as yourself.”

“Why did you send me away?” Angelica whispered.

“Don’t you see?” he implored. “I am an honest businessman. And I could not enter into the contract I wish with you while you were still my employee. I had to send you away to terminate your contract, Angelica, so that I could stand before you today not as a master before his servant ... but simply as a gentleman before his lady.”

“I don’t understand,” breathed Angelica.

“Oh, you dear sweet girl,” he said, a strange vulnerability flashing across his features as he took her slender hands in his own. “I’m asking you to marry me.”

Angelica could hardly believe her ears. But inside, her body responded with joy, her heart swelling with love, and her eyes brimming with tears of happiness. Never before had she felt like this – never had she dreamed that such incredible happiness could be hers.

“Of course, Angus, of course I’ll be your wife!” she proclaimed, feeling like she might burst, throwing herself into his arms and kissing him madly, her frail body trembling as he held her so tight, so tight it seemed as if he might never let her go again.

And when he did, finally, Angelica realised that they now had an audience, too. For there standing in the doorway to the cottage, watching on perplexed, were her mother and father.

“Whatever in the world is happening, my dear?” Mother asked, her mouth agape.

And as Angelica spoke, it took all her strength to keep the smile from her lips and give the occasion the seriousness it deserved, as she said, “Well, Mother, Father ... I’ve got some rather exciting news to tell you ...”

 And as she spoke this news aloud, her fingers remained intertwined with Lord Sutherland’s, and what’s more, she felt him give her hand a reassuring squeeze, as if to say:
Do not worry, my love, from now on I will be here for you always.   

Once more, Lord Sutherland’s carriage whisked Angelica away from the village, towards the mansion that was to be her home. But this time, the man sitting next to her was not a stranger, was not her master, but instead her fiancé.

“Oh, Angus, I couldn’t be happier,” Angelica sighed.

“Me neither, my dear,” replied her betrothed.

“Only, there’s still one thing I don’t understand.”

“Yes, my love?”

“Why couldn’t you tell me that you had to send me away? I was so upset when I opened that letter, why I cried for days and days!”

Lord Sutherland raised an inquisitive eyebrow at his bride to be.

“Did I not strictly
forbid
you from opening that letter?” Lord Sutherland enquired, his brow darkening.

“Oh, Angus, my love,” Angelica begged, somewhat flustered. “I’m so sorry, please forgive me ...”

A wicked smile flashed across Lord Sutherland’s handsome face.

“Disobeying me so soon? I’m afraid I shall have to punish you ...”