Seducing the Beast (36 page)
Many would laugh, as would their children, and most, probably, would never believe it.Unless, of course, they once knew her as Maddie the Merciless, before she became Lady Madolyn Mallory, Countess of Swafford.
It struck her then, for the first time, that she would be not only his wife, but his Countess.Suddenly she lost her appetite.
But then he caught her eye and beamed from ear to ear.It was all she needed to reassure her.
* * * *
He came upon her standing at the gate the next morning, staring at the house. Drawing close, he kissed the top of her curly head and promised she could return to visit often. She nodded. Although she would miss this place, she’d grown to love Starling’s Roost too and the people in it. She would rather be with Griff and share his world, than live here without him. Her family would manage without her now.
Her new mission to love the Earl of Swafford, to protect him--and put him right, of course-- had begun.
“And my first son? How is he this morning?”
“Our
daughter
flourishes,” she replied curtly. “Furthermore, I thought we might name her Eustacia, in my cousin’s honor, since she’s the reason we met.” When she looked over her shoulder, the horror on his face was priceless. She laughed. “Oh Griff, I do love you,
ma bete
.”
He smiled, relieved.
As he approached, he had his hands behind his back. Now he presented her with a rose, its stem wrapped in silk. It was one of those wild, wayward dark crimson roses that grew up the flint wall surrounding her father’s property. The stems were thorny, discouraging the picking of those fragrant blooms, but Griff had never let a few sharp pricks get in his way.
“I wracked my brains to think of a wedding gift for my bride. What could I give a wench who turns up her pert nose at expensive gifts? So your father said I could take a cutting from the roses. Hopefully they will grow in Dorset soil as abundantly as they spread here, and you’ll have a little of your home with you.”
His thoughtfulness touched her deeply. She’d never expected a wedding gift. Until that moment, it had never occurred to her that he’d asked for no dowry. He’d accepted her as she was. She stammered awkwardly, taking the silk-wrapped rose from his hand, “I’ve nothing to give you in return.”
“Madolyn, you’re the only thing I need. You are more valuable to me, more precious, than any other gift in this world.”
She wasn’t certain she could handle this new and “improved” version of the man who’d once claimed she ruined his carefully ordered life. Must have had lessons before he came in search of her. She wouldn’t be surprised to find a few useful phrases inked along one of his arms.
“Are you quite well, old man?” she asked politely. “You’re not feverish?”
He grinned slowly, wickedly. “I’m bursting with health and vitality. As you will discover when I get you back where you belong…chattel.”
Ah yes, there he was, after all; the arrogant, insatiable beast she knew and loved. But there was serenity in his face today, a happiness and hope it had never held before, and she was glad to know she had much to do with the transformation. There were a great many years of loneliness to make up for.
“I love you,” he said. And when he gazed down into her eyes, she saw inside to where a new fire smoldered today. He was learning to let her in so she might tend it, finally.
Thankfully he’d not changed too much, however. Underneath that civilized, gentlemanly disguise, he was still her Beast. She wouldn’t want him any other way.
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I hope you enjoyed the ride with Maddie and Griff as much as I have. These characters will always have a special place in my heart, as they were some of the very first that ever slipped out of my pen. And yes, in those days, I scribbled everything by hand before I typed it up! Maddie’s story has changed over the years, but those friends who read the first incarnation will recognize her and Griff immediately. Even with everything changing around them, they’ve remained the same. They are, possibly, two of the most stubborn characters I’ve ever met, although Maddie’s little brother, John Sydney Carver, can give her a run for her money -- as you will see in
Once A Rogue
, the next book in this series. As for Maddie’s daughter, Cate -- well, perhaps the less said about her the better. I’ll let you read for yourself in
The Savage and the Stiff Upper Lip
. Suffice to say, Will Shakespeare had to get his inspiration for
The Taming of the Shrew
somewhere, didn’t he? I’d love to hear what you think of Maddie’s story, so please contact me through my website at www.jaynefresina.com. Thank you!
Jayne‘s Website:
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Book 1:
Seducing the Beast
Available in ebook from Lyrical Press
Book 2:
Once a Rogue
Coming soon from Lyrical Press
Where reality and fantasy collide
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