The Duke and The Governess (34 page)

‘I love you.’ John murmured as they approached the top of the aisle. She looked up at him and smiled.

‘I love you too.’ She said happily.

John looked evenly at the congregation and said in a very firm voice. ‘I hope you all pay your debts at White’s!’
He laughed. ‘I’d hate to see a fine club close it’s doors because of your
supposed
penury!’

‘I didn’t see your name in the book, Dean?’ somebody shouted accusingly.

‘Well, besides the fact that I had insider information that you didn’t have, I placed my bet at Boodle’s a month ago at odds of a 1000 – 1 that the Duke would marry before the end of the year!’

‘That’s cheating!’ Somebody called.

‘Nonsense!’ John snapped. ‘It’s called speculation! A month ago I had no idea I would be marrying Lady Jessica!’ He smiled down at his bride. ‘So now we can stop talking about filthy money and you are welcome back at the Ducal residence in Grosvenor Square.’

Elizabeth ran out of the pew and proudly led them down the aisle, throwing the remaining
petals as she went. As they stepped out into the late summer sunshine, Jessica smiled at the Ducal coach. This was not a landau with either folding hoods or removable panels, this was a full travelling coach, complete with pullout bed, proper receptacles for hot bricks, a decanter shelf complete with port and brandy, heavy velvet curtains and very deep, plush upholstery. On the outside was the driving bench across the front with a bench across the back for the footmen and at least two luggage racks. It was a very large coach and was pulled by six matching greys. The whole coach was covered in ivory ribbons, left as streamers from each bow and the obligatory plumes on the horses, but this time they were red. The Duke’s livery was much more elaborate than the Earl’s, scarlet and gold, like royal livery without the royal standard. The Warwick coat of arms was emblazoned on everything, the horses had brocade blankets with it, the footmen had it on their backs and it was on the door of the coach.

A footman stood at the door waiting to assist the Duchess into the interior and Jessica was a little self conscious when he said. ‘Your Grace,’ and bowed his head. John lifted Elizabeth in and climbed in after.

‘Well, pigeon,’ John said brightly, ‘what do want to call her?’ he looked at Jessica.

‘Can I call you mummy?’ Elizabeth asked
querulously, almost as if she was afraid.

‘You can call me whatever you wish.’ Jessica said with a soft smile.

‘Then I shall call you mummy, because you’ll be the only mummy I have ever had!’

Jessica gasped and slapped her fingers over her mouth to stop herself from crying out in surprise and delight. ‘Thank you, Elizabeth.’ She whispered.

Elizabeth jumped o
f
f her seat and climbed into Jessica’s lap. She looked keenly at her father, ‘I think we’re going to be very happy.’ She said brightly, ‘and when my brothers and sisters arrive, we’ll just be more happy!’

‘I think I’m the luckiest man in the world.’ John said and engulf his wife and daughter in a tight hug.

Epilogue

Charlecote
Hall
, Warwickshire
,
May 1813.

Jessica was sat in the rocker as her son suckled on her breast. She gently stroked the soft, dark down on his head and checked the cradle cap rash that was just appearing. ‘We’ll have to get nanny to have a look at that.’ She murmured. Lord Andrew John Farrington, the
Marquis
of Stoneleigh moaned and slurped as he took his fill from her left breast. He’d already finished the right and soon he would need winding.

‘Hello Mummy!’ Elizabeth shouted as she ran through the door from the breakfast room. She barrelled straight up to Jessica’s knee and stopped dead. ‘How is Andrew this morning?’

‘Feeding.’ Jessica said and watched as her son ejected her nipple. ‘It would appear that breakfast is over.’ She said brightly to her step-daughter as she slipped her nightrail closed. ‘Do you want to help me change him?’ she asked as she sat the baby on her knee, manoeuvred the large towel up against his chin and patted his back to shift his wind.

‘Oooh! Can I?’ Elizabeth squealed as Miss Stanforth, the new governess, came to find her.

‘Yes. Miss Stanforth can wait to start your lessons for a few minutes.’ Jessica said and smiled at the Governess. ‘Go to that cupboard and get the new nappy out.’ Jessica pointed and Elizabeth opened the cupboard and arrived with the new towelling. Andrew let rip with a huge belch and smiled for his mother. ‘There’s a clever boy!’ she said and slid off the chair onto her knees. Between them, Andrew had his nappy changed and the only thing Elizabeth was not allowed to do was stick her brother with the pin. Jessica wrapped him up again in his soft lisle cover. ‘Now, we’re going to wake Daddy, after his debauched night and you are going into lessons!’ Jessica stood and lifted her son from the floor and cradled him gently in her arms. She stroked her palm over Elizabeth’s golden curls.

‘Very well.’ She said like a proper little duchess. She sighed deeply and walked elegantly towards the waiting governess. ‘I’m ready now, Miss Stanforth.’

Jessica was still in her nightrail and housecoat, but that didn’t stop her from walking back to the Ducal apartments with her baby son in her arms. She quietly opened the door to the Duke’s bed chamber and stood at the end of the bed and just admired her husband’s physique.

He was flat on his back, sheets down to his waist and his hairy chest bared to the world.

Jessica felt like stroking her palms over his chest and sucking his nipples, but she wasn’t permitted to have sex for another two weeks. She smiled down at him as she remembered the panic he’d got in as she went into labour and her first contractions took her by storm. She had felt uncomfortable all day and put it down to wind. She’d been out in the garden picking some
spring
flowers for the small parlour she and Elizabeth sat in for tea. She felt the first spasms and walked slowly across the lawn, until she collapsed as her water’s broke and John only became aware there was a problem when she screamed with the first heavy contraction. He had come running from the stables where he was teaching Elizabeth to ride her new pony, scooped her off the lawn and ran into the house shouting for Butcher to send for the surgeon. She remembered how haggard he’d looked after she’d been in labour for twelve hours and had finally pushed out a healthy boy who raised the rafters with his cry of life. He’d rushed into the room and had stared at her, rather than the bundle of rags in the midwife’s hands. He was unshaved, his cravat was missing and his shirt was open to the sternum. He stood in the doorway, almost hanging onto the door frame as he searched her face for signs of distress. She smiled sleepily and held out her hand. She watched him as he sobbed and almost ran across the room to take her hand and perch on the side of the huge ducal bed, before he scooped her into his arms and held her so tight she felt her bones flex. He smelled of cigar smoke, brandy and that indefinable aroma of a petrified male. ‘I’m fine.’ She murmured, ‘but I think you should say hello to your son.’ And he slowly released her and watched as the midwife laid the incredibly small baby in his arms. ‘Meet the Marquis of Stoneleigh, Your Grace.’

Andrew gurgled and his little fist grasped the collar of her housecoat. She looked down and smiled. ‘Shall we wake Daddy up, then?’ she asked her son. She sniggered and moved to the side of the bed, laid the baby down and unwrapped him. She lifted him in just his nappy and laid him carefully face down on his father’s chest.

Andrew turned his face sideways and gurgled again, but he clutched the hairs on John’s chest and pulled. John mumbled something and as Andrew’s other hand had found John’s nipple, he pulled again, John moaned, automatically putting his hand onto the baby’s backside and shuffled him into a more comfortable position. Jessica watched fascinated, as his growing erection tented the sheet.

John was aware of the weight on his chest. He slowly opened his eyes and looked down at his son. ‘Hello, son. Where’s your mother?’ he asked softly. Andrew was so small still, at only two weeks old, that John’s hands engulfed him. He gently pulled his little hands away from his chest and lifted him up to his face to kiss his cheek. He jerked the baby upwards and then dipped him back to his face to kiss him again.

‘You’ll make him sick if you’re not careful.’ Jessica said from the end of the bed. ‘He’s just had breakfast.’

‘Well, I wouldn’t want that in my face.’ John said to his son and laid him back on his chest. He gently patted his back with his fingers and smiled at his wife.

‘Good morning, my love.’

‘Good morning. Did you have a debauched party last night?’

‘I did. Anthony kept my brandy glass full all night and made sure that I went to your bed when it was time to retire.’

‘Did Edward enjoy his wedding day?’

‘I still can’t believe he married Wilhelmina Bantock.’ John said in awe. ‘Although I have to admit, he made her take her spectacles off for me and I see exactly what you meant. Very pretty.’

‘Of course. You didn’t see them the day they met. It was a chance meeting, just like I told you, but poor Wilhelmina was just standing up as Edward brushed past her and knocked her glasses flying.’ She smiled beatifically. ‘He picked them up, made some sort of witty comment and the words dried up in his throat as he looked at her blinking at him in the sun.’ She sighed dramatically. ‘It was almost love at first sight.’ Jessica had been slowly moving around the bed until she stood over her husband.

‘Just like me and you then!’ John said as he lifted his son off his chest and laid him between the pillows, where he wouldn’t roll off the bed. He snared Jessica’s wrist and yanked her onto his chest and kissed her so deeply that she moaned and her hand smoothed over his pectoral muscle. He flipped her over his hip and laid her head on the mattress and kissed her again, deeply and slowly he traced his lips down her throat, gently opening her house coat and night gown, exposing her tender breasts for his appraisal. ‘So beautiful.’ He murmured as he gently took a nipple between his lips and stroked the point of his tongue over it.

‘We’re not supposed to do this.’ She murmured and slowly he took his lips away without sucking, which required incredible restraint on his part.

‘Do what?’ he murmured and kissed her again as his hands slid down her back to cup her buttocks.

‘Are you frustrated, my love?’ she asked as her lips became free again.

‘Yes,’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘I’m burning for you.’

‘Then I should give you some satisfaction.’ She said as she pushed him back onto the mattress and smiled wickedly as her tongue circled his nipple.

As she rained kisses down his body he mumbled, ‘are you going to do this in front of your son?’

Jessica pulled the sheet down to reveal his excessively erect penis and looked at the baby in between the pillows. ‘He’s asleep.’ She said and dropped her lips onto the head of his shaft and sucked firmly. John bucked like a bronco, but couldn’t move away from her as she was wedged between his legs. She stroked her palms over his belly, groin and hips until she brought one back to his throbbing organ and clasped her fingers around it. Slowly and gently she brought him to an orgasm of massive proportions and as his manhood spurted his seed all over his belly, his hips arched off the bed and he cried out in ecstasy.

Jessica was frustrated that they couldn’t make love properly, but at least she could give him some relief. She was concerned that he would accidentally fall into a prepared trap by some woman like Lady Greyston and be unable to resist, because he was sexually frustrated. She laid her face on his hip and slowly stroked her palm over his softening manhood. ‘Does that feel better?’ she murmured.

‘I’ll say!’ he sighed deeply, ‘but don’t for one second runaway with the idea that I won’t make you scream all night long when the doctor says I can make love to you.’

She giggled and placed her lips on the very base of his penis, nestling his testicles with her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled as his shaft extended and she looked up the length of his stunning body to see his eyes flash with desire again. ‘It’ll be just like our wedding night, no doubt.’ She said with a smile.

‘Yes!’ he said with a yelp as her mouth encompassed his entire shaft. He breathed deeply for a second or two to get control of himself and then he smiled at her. ‘Yes, I intend to have you over every surface in this room, one way or another.’

She removed her mouth by sucking him like a lollipop, right to the end and then she licked her lips lasciviously and smiled at him. ‘Does that mean I’ll get a cold backside on the glass again?’

John had a vivid recall of her, naked and sat on his cock, as he pressed her back to the window in the London residence and the consequent embarrassment she felt when the maid commented on the smeared glass.

He moaned as her fingers clenched the girth of his manhood firmly. ‘Not if the curtains are drawn, this time.’ He gulped out as her hand moved again. ‘Are you going to do this to me all day?’ He asked, ‘because I’ll tell you now, that if you do,’ he gasped as her tongue flicked over the head of his penis, ‘I won’t be able to stop myself from ripping your clothes off and taking you on the rug in front of the fire!’ he groaned loudly and all talk was suspended as she worked his shaft firmly, sucking on the head as her hand vigorously massaged the length of his cock until he was begging for relief and she gave one brief suck and he felt the exquisite rush of his orgasm before he bucked his manhood free and writhe on his side as he spilled over the sheet.