Devastation: A Beauty and the Beast Novel (27 page)

I’d thought when Otta had exposed herself as
Rose the night of the feast that Otta wouldn’t return. Her presence
as Rose in the woods had firmed the belief that I wouldn’t see Otta
again. Yet, there she was.

“Are you all right?” Alec asked, reaching
around to steady me.

I plastered a smile on my face and met his
gaze. Determination and worry kept me from glancing in Otta’s
direction again as I nodded.

“I have a tray ready,” Kara said from the
butcher’s block, pulling Alec’s attention from me.

“Thank you,” he said. “I’ll carry it.”

I turned and left the kitchen without
waiting for him. My heart was pounding. Should I tell him? I’d kept
Sara’s secret and learned my lesson. Yet, Rose wasn’t doing
anything to hurt me. Nor had she caused any problems since the
announcement. Telling Alec she was here would anger him; and
undoubtedly, his temper would cause trouble.

Worrying my bottom lip, I hurried my steps
to the library. Father sat behind his desk, reading yet another
book. He looked up when I entered.

“Benella,” he said, standing. He came and
hugged me. “I’d hoped you and I might speak privately. You ran out
too quickly this morning.”

“I’m sorry about that, Father. Yes, we
should speak,” I said, thinking of Rose, “but Alec is just behind
me with our meal.”

“Afterward then?”

I agreed. Alec entered a moment later and
set the tray on the table before the fire. Father sat in his chair
and Alec next to me on the lounge.

“Without needing a celebratory feast, how
soon can we wed?” I asked as he passed our plates to us.

He glanced at me, then Father, then cleared
his throat.

“I will write Mr. Pactel today and inquire
when he might be available. Would you prefer the ceremony in his
home or here?”

“Here, please,” I said before testing the
soup. Hot and delicious, I took another quick bite.

“Is there a reason to rush?” my father
asked, sounding nervous and strained at the same time.

“No,” I said quickly with a glance at Alec.
“There is no reason to wait either.”

Father nodded and considered his soup.
Something weighed his mind, but he remained silent. Alec picked up
his soup and began to eat as Bryn’s words came back to me.

“Father, I’m not pregnant.”

Alec choked and sputtered on his soup. I
patted his back absently while meeting my father’s pained gaze.

“I swear. That is not the reason for a quick
wedding. I don’t care if others think that, but I don’t want you to
think it. I’ve settled my mind, so there is no reason to wait. I’ll
wed Alec but I want nothing to do with the pomp of Bryn’s wedding.
I want a simple dinner with those who mean the most to me. It takes
little to plan for that.”

I realized I still patted Alec, though he’d
stopped making noise. Turning to him, I found his face flushed.

“Are you all right? I should have warned
you, the soup is hot.”

He shook his head, cleared his throat, and
addressed my father.

“If you would prefer we wait—”

“No. Benella is right. She has never been
the type of girl to fawn over a dress,” here he smiled at me, “or
waste time. A quick wedding suits her, and I have no
objections.”

“I will write the letter and send Swiftly
with it today,” Alec said.

Once we finished our soup, he went to his
study to pen the letter, and I took the tray to the kitchen after a
promise to return.

Kara was washing the bowls when I set the
tray on the block.

“Would you like some help?” I asked.

“No. There’s not much to do besides this. I
already have a stew for dinner on the fire.”

“Kara, Lord Ruhall and I were just
discussing the wedding.”

She immediately stopped washing and turned
to me.

“Have you already decided how many guests?”
Nervous excitement laced her words, and I smiled.

“Yes. Only those who live in this house. As
I’m sure you’ve noticed, most people here have shunned me because
of—”

“It shouldn’t matter. You’re marrying a
lord. No one would say no.”

“Exactly. They would only attend to be seen,
to find favor or elevate their standing in the community. I’ve been
used enough. I don’t want that for my wedding day.”

Understanding lit her gaze.

“Of course not. What did you have in
mind?”

“The ceremony will be here with a dinner
afterward. Everyone here can attend. I’m fond of roast if you think
it manageable.”

“A wedding roast,” she said, nodding. I
could see she was already planning. “When?”

“I’m not certain, yet. Lord Ruhall is
sending a note to the Head as we speak. Soon though, I hope. I
would prefer not to wait.”

“I will let Mr. Crow know,” she said.
“Please tell me as soon as you’ve set the date.”

I left her in the kitchen to plan and
returned to the study. Alec was already gone and Father was
waiting.

“I admit I was surprised when Lord Ruhall
announced your engagement at the feast,” Father said, as I sat
beside him. “You’d given me the impression you were still opposed
to the idea.”

“At the time of his announcement, I was.”
His brows rose. “However, since then, I’ve realized several things.
He truly does care for me. He doesn’t always show it well, but it’s
there. I trust him completely, and I can’t see myself with anyone
else.”

“Do you love him?”

“Yes, I do. It’s frightening and makes me
feel sick with worry at times; but it also warms me. When he’s
near, I feel safe and loved.”

Father smiled and hugged me.

“Good,” he said close to my ear. “I’m glad
something pleasant is coming from everything that’s happened.”

“Something very pleasant,” I said, pulling
away. “But there is a reason to hurry this wedding.”

“Oh?”

“Otta is Rose, Aryana, whoever. She’s here,
and she’s watching.”

His mouth dropped open.

“My hope is the sooner we’re wed, the sooner
she will leave.”

“Have you told Alec?”

I shook my head.

“Can you imagine his temper and what he
might do? I think it best to keep this to myself or he’ll find
himself re-enchanted.”

Father nodded slowly.

“Then, we will see what the Head has to
say.”

* * * *

Swiftly returned by dinner with the Head’s
answer. Alec and I would marry in seven days. Alec called the staff
together to make the announcement and to invite them to join us in
celebrating our union. A few displayed shock. I wasn’t sure what
reaction Otta gave as I kept my gaze purposefully averted from
hers.

Egrit’s reaction, however, was hard to
avoid. She rushed to me, her arms spread wide to wrap me in a
breath defying hug. The excited squeal she let loose while she was
pressed to my ear nearly deafened me.

“I’m so happy for you,” she breathed before
she let me go. She beamed at me, a wide and almost crazed smile,
before Tam gently pulled her away.

Mr. Crow hushed the gathering and turned to
me.

“Do you have any special instructions?”

I thought for a moment then shook my
head.

He gave a slight nod and motioned for
everyone to return to their duties. Alec wrapped his hand around
mine and led me back to the library. Father was already gone for
the evening.

“Will you read to me?” Alec asked, already
moving to select a book.

I smiled and sat on the lounge, pretending
that a swarm of butterflies hadn’t invaded my insides. Alec brought
me a book then moved to close the library door.

“Why are you closing the door?” I asked
warily. He’d never closed it before.

He chuckled.

“Look at the book.”

I glanced at it and found no title on the
leather cover. Opening it, I discovered why. A fiery blush claimed
my face as I stared at the sketched image of a naked woman in the
arms of a man. My eyes devoured the caption, “The many ways to
please a woman.”

“I can’t read this.” I turned a few pages
and found the amount of descriptive instruction equal to the
images.

Alec sat beside me, and I jumped.

“And that is why you should read it,” he
said. “Your only experience with this has been unpleasant.”

I opened my mouth to argue, and he silenced
me with a finger over my lips.

“Because of your experiences, you’re afraid
of something that can be quite pleasant. I don’t trust Bryn to
instruct you as your mother might have, and I surmise your father
would prefer to ignore the subject completely. I thought if you
read this, you might not be so nervous on our wedding night.”

He lowered his hand, and I glanced at the
book once more with a frown.

“Not aloud, though,” I said, looking up to
silently plead with him.

He sighed and nodded.

“To yourself might be wise. But promise
you’ll come to me with questions.”

“Yes. I swear.”

I couldn’t relax and read until he went to
his study. Then, for the next hour, I found the answers to
questions I hadn’t known to ask and a few that Aryana had refused
to answer. Before long, the room—and my face—grew too warm to
continue. Closing the book gently, I stared into the flames and
considered what I’d learned.

Alec thought I feared our wedding night. I
didn’t fear it because I knew he wasn’t the baker or Tennen. Yet, I
hadn’t looked forward to it, either. The book had me reconsidering.
The author expounded on the need to tease a woman’s body before
introducing one’s manhood. The ridiculous term, even in my head,
made me wince.

“Are you finished?”

Alec’s voice startled me, and I squeaked and
turned. He stood just behind me, looking down at me. I quickly
stood, clutching the book.

“For tonight. I’d like to keep it, if that’s
all right.”

He nodded and offered his arm.

“Shall we retire?”

I set my hand upon his arm and let him lead
me from the room.

That night, he only waited until I slid
beneath the covers to join me. He pulled me back against his chest
and set his arm about my waist as he usually did.

“Thank you,” he said softly.

“For what?”

“For staying. For agreeing to be my wife.
For saving me from a life of depravity, deceit, and
devastation.”

But had I saved him? I couldn’t be sure
until we wed and Rose left us in peace.

* * * *

I woke with my head on Alec’s chest and my
leg over his thighs. He wore a nightshirt and linen shorts.
Regardless of his proper sleep attire, embarrassment would have
flooded me, had it not been for the hand currently kneading my
breast.

His touch was light yet, I still felt a
thread of concern. Was he preparing me for more as the book had
suggested?

I lifted my head to meet his gaze.

“Good morning,” he whispered, continuing his
gentle massage.

“Good morning. Shouldn’t you be gone
already?”

“There’s too much to keep me here,” he
said.

Suddenly, he rolled so I was under him.
Before I could panic, he ducked his head and closed his mouth over
my nipple. I gasped in shock then pleasure as he suckled gently,
sending waves of need rolling over me. Threading my fingers through
his hair, I held him and tried to remember to breathe.

He lifted his head and grinned down at
me.

“May I do that again tomorrow morning?”

That was all he wanted to do? I eagerly
nodded.

“You can do it again now, if you’d
like.”

He chuckled.

“I think not. We’ll be missed if we linger
too long.”

With disappointment, I watched him flip back
the covers and leave the bed. He didn’t turn back to look at me as
he strode across the room and left me alone with my racing
pulse.

I washed and dressed; and, by the time I
finished, my pulse had returned to normal.

I opened the door to my room and found Alec
waiting for me in the hall just as he had so long ago. His
attendance touched something inside me and banished the remaining
threads of doubt regarding our future together. I smiled at him and
accepted his arm.

We spent the day together playing games in
the library. Father joined us for a few of the games but mostly
left us to our own amusement. Once Father retired after dinner, I
again picked up the book and read until the room grew too warm.
Alec escorted me to bed without comment.

Though he joined me and snuggled me
predictably, my pulse still leapt at the memory of what had
transpired that morning and what he’d promised would occur again.
With a smile of anticipation, I closed my eyes.

He woke me with insistent kisses on my
cheek, jaw, and neck. As soon as my eyes fluttered open, he kissed
his way lower. My shirt already lay open for him, and I arched,
reveling at the sensation of his exploring lips. His mouth closed
over the same breast as the day before. The pleasant heat spread to
my stomach and lower.

When he lifted his head, I gave him a sleepy
smile.

“Good morning,” he whispered.

“It is,” I agreed.

He placed a kiss on the valley between my
breasts then sat up. I wanted to pull him back down and beg him to
continue for just a while longer. I considered doing just that,
until he lifted a tray from beside the bed and turned to me.

“Please tell me Egrit did not bring that,” I
said with worry.

He laughed, his amused grin making him
impossibly handsome.

“I went to the kitchen and brought this
myself.”

“In your nightshirt?”

He laughed loudly, and I clapped a hand over
his mouth to muffle the sound. He licked my palm, pulled my hand
away, and kissed my knuckles.

“Don’t worry. I put on pants.” He leaned
back and picked up a piece of dried apple from the tray and fed it
to me.

“Phillip mentioned we have a fair store of
meat and lard but are low on everything else. Mrs. Wimbly did the
purchasing when she was here, traveling to Konrall for flour and
occasionally visiting the Water for produce. However, Mr. Crow
wasn’t sure if you wanted Kara to attempt it or if you wanted to
make the purchases yourself during your next trip to the
Water.”