Angel of Ash (10 page)

Perhaps too tired Angel did not blush, smiling softly, as she hurriedly pinned her hair back up, glancing outside at the long driveway which they’d entered, large oak trees on either side of the carriage. “I cannot believe, my trip has finally ended,” she said excitedly, nearly bobbing up and down in her seat as she tried to ease the wrinkles from her clothing and smoothing her already smooth hair, which she’d expertly pinned up.

He rode her excitement, he to, staring outside, their heads nearly touching as they stared through the window of the door, the carriage slowly pulling in front of Asher’s brother in laws, large estate, it being well lit.

The doors were opened, Gabe’s butler seen through it as a young servant man hurriedly opened their door and placed the carriage steps down for the couple. “Are you ready?” Asher asked, turning toward the now nervous Love. “Worry not, Ms. Angel, my family is a lot nicer than I am.”

She stared with startled eyes at his words, and allowed him to escort her from the carriage, butterflies in her stomach and hoping that what he said was true. “I could only hope so, sir,” she returned smartly while allowing him to escort her up the stairs where they could already hear excited chatter as Hawthorne greeted the pair.

“
Mr. Davis, and this must be Ms. Barrett, welcome, ms, my lady will be most happy that you have arrived here safely,” the butler said, smiling as he escorted the two inside where a group of people were waiting.

“
Oh, my!” An excited voice exclaimed, and Angel glanced up to see an older woman walking towards them, small, with a beautifully rounded figure and dark silky hair in a golden face with dark brown eyes, an older, more darker equally beautiful version of Hunter, Angel thought instantly, recognizing that this woman was perhaps Hunter’s mother.

“
Ms. Barrett! Do, come in, and welcome, dear! Oh, thank God you have made it. I am Maria, Hunter’s mother,” the woman said, smiling warmly towards Angel and squeezing her hands warmly, before turning towards her son. “And I do hope my son has behaved perfectly respectable towards you,” she commented, staring at her son with narrowed eyes.

Asher did nothing more than smile, before kissing his mother on the cheek. “Of course, my love,” he said unabashedly while Angel reassured him he did as she so presumed.

“
And who is this?” A voice interrupted, a tall, ruddy English man, in his middle years but still powerfully built yet with a shock of thick silver hair and eyes that were the exact same color of Asher’s.

“
Ms. Barrett has finally arrived,” Hunter’s mother said, turning towards her husband. “Come, Ethan,” she said, before excitedly turning back towards Angel who watched with wide eyes. “Oh, dear forgive me, this is Lord Hawthorne, my husband and Hunter’s father, but do, you must hurry and come upstairs, Hunter awaits and is quite disagreeable because she has fretted over you much. We can deal with the polite decorum of introductions later, but now Hunter awaits.” She said.

Angel barely had time to curtsy towards Hunter’s father before Maria was pulling her toward the steps as the servants rushed back and forth hurriedly and
Angel overheard someone whisper of birthing pains beginning. With energy in her step she was close upon Maria’s heels, who kept up a running stream of conversation while Angel made one last turn back towards Asher, but already he had vanished, along with his father, from her sight.

Feeling oddly bereft, she turned back towards Maria following the small woman down one long hallway and then another before they finally entered a large, oak door, Maria sweeping into a sitting area which was empty, before knocking on another door on the opposite wall of the sitting area. “Hunter, Gabriel, it is I and I have a surprise,” Maria chimed happily, nearly bobbing up and down.

A masculine voice said responded and Elizabeth opened the door, ushering Angel into the brightly lit room.

“
Angel!” Hunter exclaimed who had been walking around the room since her birthing pains had begun even though her husband had tried vainly to get her to sit down and rest as she should.

Angel, smiled, widely, joy erupting in her heart as memories of their friendship which had withstood the test of time, tears and distance was met with altruistic clarity, the two women staring at each other with joy, before rushing to hug, laughing, crying and talking all at once.

“
You are safely here, thank God,” Hunter cried as Angel carefully hugged her back, her burgeoning stomach making it quite hard, however.

“
And you, Hunter,” Angel said, pulling away to look at the voluptuous Hunter who looked ready to give birth at any minute. “Or should I say, my lady, you look so wonderful!” She cried

Hunter’s tears had already started, while Angel sniffed happily, as she noticed Hunter’s husband and mother leave the room, giving the pair much needed privacy. “Don’t you dare call me, my lady; I am and will always be Hunter. Oh, my, Angel, you look so beautiful, so wonderful, we can both say we have become ladies these past two years, can we not?” Hunter said, pulling Angel towards a small settee as the two sat down.

“
Now, tell me all about your father, I would wish to hear the news once again.”

But Angel shook her head. “Hunter, you are about to give birth, soon, I see,” Angel said as Hunter flinched slightly, another birthing pain making it hard for her to breathe or even move. “Very soon,” Angel amended, smiling softly. “We shall have time enough to speak after the child is born, but now, I shall bring your husband back in the room to allow you to rest.”
And even though Hunter wanted to argue she knew it was for the best. “Yes, bring that dratted man in who got me into this predicament. Oh, Angel,” Hunter said, hugging her once more. “I am so glad you are here with me, especially during this time, I have missed you so much. Let us promise, never to go more than two years without visiting one another, alright?” Hunter asked.

Long moment before she was able to speak once more. “I hope this will hurry up so that I may have my child in my hands. Dratted women’s role. Why can’t the man be the one to go through this, yes, Gabe sit and groan in pain while I rub his shoulders and pat his back.”
The image thoroughly caused both women to laugh in merriment before once again, regaining her composure; Hunter smiled, turning towards Angel. “Forgive me, Angel, for sending Asher to you; he was the last brother I would wish upon any unsuspecting female. He is an utter rake and with a mean streak. But tell me, I pray, was he respectful or did he thoroughly aggravate you as he does to me, so many times?”

Angel paused, she thought of their shared kiss and then of Asher’s belligerent mood. “He was a gentleman, through and through, Hunter. Do not worry, I am here now and I shall stay for the next three months. I pray you Godspeed during your birth.”
Hunter nodded, smiling as the two young women hugged once more. “I just cannot wait for you to fall in love and marry and to have your first child; you deserve that more than anyone I know.”

“
No matter,” she said, patting Hunter’s hand before standing up. “I shall speak to your husband and from the way he worriedly watched you he shall be here within five seconds, perhaps less.”

“
Alright, yes, bring that man to me, I so need my shoulders rubbed,” she bravely said, grimacing however as pain erupted in her stomach. “Oh, do hurry Angel and tell him I believe it is time for the doctor, and my mother, I want my mama.”

Angel would have laughed at Hunter’s petulant comment, but she was too busy rushing to the door and opening it, where Hunter’s husband, Gabriel, waited for her immediately outside she did not have the time to indulge in her humor.

“
She believes it is time, sir,” Angel started, “She wishes for the doctor and her mother…and you,” Angel said, watching as Gabe’s eyes widened before he rushed in, she barely having enough time to scoot out his way where he was closely followed by what she thought to be the doctor, nurse and her mother, before the door was soundly closed behind the trio.

“
Ms. Barrett?” A masculine voice said, as Angel turned, noticing for the first time the many men in the room, there were six in all, including Hunter’s father and Asher, the rest unknown to Angel, but whom she rightly presumed were Hunter’s brothers.

“
Please, sir, do call me Angel,” Angel said, walking towards Lord Hawthorne, who smiled, yet looking slightly stressed. It would be his first grandchild.

“
Of course,” he said, holding her hand lightly in his and staring down at her with beautiful feline colored eyes, he was quite handsome and had passed upon his looks to all of his children. “There shall be no more formalities as I introduce you to the rest of Hunter’s brothers,” he said, before turning towards the one nearest him.

“
This is Caleb,” he said, the oldest and heir, who just over thirty would cause any female’s heart to race in trepidation at being chosen as the next duchess. Caleb bowed respectfully over her hand before straightening up and smiling deeply, his cheeks missing the dimples which Asher had in abundance.

“
Angel, I am glad to finally have a face, and such a pretty one at that, to finally go with the name Hunter has spoken of so fondly. How do you do, my lady?” He asked, politely, an interested gleam in his eyes.
“Well, sir, thank you,” she said, curtseying.

Ethan turned next to Asher, who had a decanter of brandy in his hand. “And, of course, you know Asher, the second oldest. I ascertain that he has been nothing except the epitome of respectfulness during your trip to the estate.” Ethan looked at Asher with a half raised eye brow, the similarities between them deep. “Am I not right?” He asked.

“
Oh, of course,” Angel said, interrupting, as Asher half lifted his decanter towards her in greeting. “Asher kept the trip here, quite interesting,” she returned, feeling heat, which she hoped no one would notice, once again engulf her face, before continuing with the introductions herself, turning next to Hunter’s twin brothers.

“
And Luke and Michael,” Lord Hawthorne said, as they both bowed over her hand, mirror images of each other. “And I believe, you are Luke,” she said, directing her comment towards one brother.

“
You are right, of course, how did you know?” Luke asked, she was a beautiful woman, lithe with a curvaceous figure and beautiful features.

“
Oh, Hunter tells me that you have the birthmark which Sir Michael seems to be missing,” she said, turning towards Michael, who also bowed over her hand.

“
You are correct, my lady,” Michael said. “And here, is David, our youngest,” he said as Angel turned towards David, a smidgen shorter than the twins, six feet tall, with ruddy cheeks like his father and dimples as deep as his brother, Asher. He smiled, even though his mouth seemed to be wan, and bowed low over her hand.

“
Ms. Barrett,” he said, all seriousness, much like his older brothers and which Michael and Luke seem to lack.

“
Please, sir, do call me, Angel” she replied, out of all the brothers, he looked most like Asher, in fact, if it wasn’t for the difference of age, and David’s eyes were more hazel than green, unlike Asher, the two could also rival for twins.

“
And do call me, David,” he said, before standing up and Angel did not miss the wince that marred his perfect, handsome features for one brief second.

“
Your brother tells me you have recently recovered from a bout with influenza, how do you do?” She asked, truly concerned over his health.

“
Well, my lady,” he said, while she watched him doubtfully, he appeared thinner than he should have his cheeks more prominent and hollow than the others, who were all in robust health, all of the men broadly muscular and tall. “As well as I should, my lady,” he said, smiling softly. “But I do believe the couch is beckoning me,” he said allowing himself to grimace self mockingly at his show of weakness.

“
Yes, I do believe I hear it also, sir, here, let me be your escort,” she returned, taking his elbow and helping him to the nearest couch which he gratefully sat upon.

“
Thank you,” David said, smiling at her, mesmerized by her beauty. Hunter had said many times that Angel was truly one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen, but no one had truly believed her until they had all seen her face with their own eyes.

She seemed to be a new specimen of humanity, her blood lines containing different ethnicities which all added something alluring to her face.

He was mesmerized as all the brothers were but it was Asher, the one who ignored her, who seemed most entranced by her spell.

As she sat beside David and his other brothers and father sat next to and around her, Asher could only watch from his retreat besides the window as they openly flirted with her, smiling, cuckolded by her exotic beauty and sweet nature. Asher watched in disgust as Angel openly asked, once again, after David’s health, the little bastard, and then in return, spoke to each of the brothers in a warm and caring manner.

They could all go to hell, Asher thought to himself, as he drank the last of his whiskey, before heavily thumping it on the table beside him which they ignored and angrily turned towards the window towards the darkness of the sky.

Good thing that Angel was there, however, she seemed to make light of the situation of Hunter’s birth, easing the tension in the room as the brothers and father waited for their beloved sister and daughter to birth the child in health. No later than ten agonized moans later, did Asher gulp down another decanter of brandy, far from being in his right mind as he thought about the pain in which his sister was going through and how much he hated Gabe right now for putting her in such agony.