The Earl's Stolen Bride (Marriage by Deceit Book 4) (18 page)

Her mother shook her head.  “No, I don’t.”

After Alexander left, Dr. Westward turned to her mother.  “Am I right in assuming he’s had the croup, and it fluctuates from better to worse without warning?”

“Yes,” her mother replied, not hiding her surprise.  “In fact, he had a convulsion at the time we got Dr. Harvey to tend to him.  How did you know it was the croup?  You hardly even looked at him.”

“Unfortunately, I’ve seen other children with it.  The breathing, the slight hoarseness in his voice…  I could tell almost as soon as he talked to me what was going on.  He needs a stronger prescription than what he’s been getting.  The apothecary I recommend makes use of herbs others are reluctant to touch because they haven’t been tested enough, but I have noticed a great improvement in my other patients when they try it.  Would you like to try it for Alexander?”

Her mother looked over at Chloe, the question in her eyes asking if Chloe trusted him.  Since Melissa had recommended him, Chloe saw no reason not to take the prescription.  Melissa wouldn’t suggest someone she wouldn’t be comfortable using.  Chloe nodded.

Her mother turned back to Dr. Westward.  “I’ll take the prescription, Doctor.”

As he wrote it down, Chloe noticed fourteen-year-old Bethany and seven-year-old Gretchen peeking into the room.  Amused at their curiosity, she went to her sisters and guided them back into the hallway.

“It’s not nice to eavesdrop, and you know it,” she told them.

“I heard he took his shirt off at a ball,” Bethany whispered.  “Is that true?”

“Where did you hear that?” Chloe whispered in return, deciding it best to move them further away from the drawing room lest the physician hear her.

“Mother told Father about it,” she replied.

“Bethany, you’re much too curious for your own good.  Why can’t you mind your own business?  And why are you getting poor Gretchen involved in all of this?” She gestured to their youngest sister.

“We have nothing to do.”

“Well, go find something to do.” She shooed them toward the stairs.  “Go to your rooms and read a book.  Do something useful with your time.”

Though they grumbled, they hurried up the stairs.

“You can’t fault them for being curious,” Orlando said from behind her.

Turning around, she eyed her husband.  “Now you’re the one eavesdropping?”

He laughed and walked over to her.  Giving her a kiss, he said, “They’re children.  Anything they’re not supposed to hear is interesting.”

She sighed.  “There’s no reasoning with any of you.”

As she expected, he only laughed again.

Dr. Westward left the drawing room, followed by her mother.  “If his condition gets worse, send for me.”

“I will.  Thank you, Doctor,” she said.

He said good-bye to Chloe and Orlando then went with the footman to the front door.

Chloe looked expectantly at her mother once he was gone.  “What do you think?”

“For the scandalous sort, he seems to know what he’s doing,” she replied.

“He’s rather attractive, too,” Bethany called out from the top of the stairs.  “Is he married?”

Chloe glared at the two giggling girls.  “I told you to go to your rooms.”

The two scampered down the hall to their rooms, and Chloe shook her head in exasperation, more from Orlando’s soft chuckling than from Bethany’s comment.

“If the medicine works as well as Dr. Westward claims, I’ll say our association with him will be worth it,” her mother said.  “It’d be nice if we didn’t have to worry about Alexander so much.”

“Yes, it would.”

“Thank you for being here,” she told Chloe and Orlando.

“It’s the least we could do since we’re the reason Dr. Harvey won’t see Alexander anymore.”

Her mother hugged her and whispered, “The scandal was worth it, Chloe.  It’s good to see you happy.”

She could hardly find her voice.  Her mother had actually said a scandal was worthwhile?  “Thank you, Mother,” she finally managed once her shock wore off.

“You two go on and enjoy the rest of the day.  I have to go to the apothecary.”

“You don’t want us to come with you?”

“No.  You need to spend the rest of your day together.  I’m just glad you were willing to be here when Dr. Westward came to see Alexander.  Given his reputation, I had no idea what to expect.  Fortunately, he’s better than I expected.”

“I think he’ll be good for Alexander.”

“I do, too.  Now, go on.  I want to change before I go.”

Smiling at her mother, Chloe joined Orlando and left the house.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chloe was painting the horseshoe inkwell when Orlando came into the den the next afternoon, shutting the door behind him.

“I thought you went to White’s,” she said, glancing his way as she dipped her brush in the water.

“I did, but Toby wasn’t there.  I walked over to his townhouse and found out he’s getting ready to leave for his estate.  He said he’d planned to send word to me tomorrow.”

“When is he leaving?”

“In two days.  He wanted to go sooner, but his mother-in-law insists on having one more dinner with him and Regina first.” He chuckled and came over to her.  “He’s tempted to leave tonight, but Regina won’t have it.”

“It’s too bad her mother isn’t more like mine.  Mine has turned out to be surprisingly easy to deal with after that dinner at Dr. Harvey’s.  She hasn’t bothered me about meeting influential people ever since then.”

“I think she realized her daughter means more to her than Lady Cadwalader does.”

“I had no idea she felt that way.” Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes.  “It’s so silly.  I’ve been crying at the slightest thing ever since I found out I’m expecting a baby.”

“There’s nothing wrong with crying when you’re happy.”

Then, before she could reply, he scooped her up in his arms and gave her a kiss.

Giggling, she said, “I almost dropped these.” She held up the small board she’d been using to mix the paints on.

“Oh, my apologies.”

She thought he was going to put her back in the chair, but he sat on it first and settled her on his lap.  The only reason this worked was because the chair she’d chosen had no arms.  Otherwise, it would have been very uncomfortable.  On impulse, she set the small board on the table next to them and wrapped her arms around his neck then gave him a kiss.

“What was that for?” he asked.

She shrugged.  “Nothing really.  I just felt like doing it.”

“That was nice of you.”

“I thought so,” she teased.

“Will you give me another one?”

With a grin, she leaned forward and kissed him again.  He pulled her closer to him and returned her kiss, letting his lips linger on hers for a few seconds before he ended it.

“I have a wonderful idea,” he said.

“What is it?”

“I should paint you in this room.”

“But you already have a painting of me.”

“This one will be of you without any clothes on.” He nodded toward the settee.  “I think over there will be the perfect place.  I can do it late in the evening where I can use the candlelight to bring out your best features.”

“No.”

His eyes widened.  “No?”

Laughing, she said, “No.”

“That’s what you said last time.”

“And it’s what I’m saying this time.”

“But you have the kind of body that should be enjoyed by your husband.”

Chloe let out an exasperated sigh as she turned so she was straddling him, adjusting the skirt of her dress so she could be comfortable.  “No.  I’m not going to pose for you without any clothes on.  I’d die of embarrassment if anyone ever saw that kind of painting.”

“But you’re so beautiful.”

“And that beauty should only be for you.”

“I won’t have anyone look at it.  It’ll only be for me, and I’ll keep it well hidden.” When she shook her head, he added, “Isn’t there anything I can do or say to change your mind?”

“No, Orlando.  I love you.  I enjoy the fact that you take such pleasure in my beauty, but I can’t risk anyone else looking at it.”

He let out a mournful sigh.  She suspected he was going to press the issue, so she brought her mouth to his and silenced him with a kiss.  Fortunately, distracting him was easy, and soon, he was kissing her back, his tongue sparring with hers.  She deepened the kiss and wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing intimately against him.  His male hardness alerted her to the fact that his thoughts had quickly gone from painting her to lovemaking.

His brought his hands up to her breasts and caressed them, his thumbs teasing her nipples through the fabric of her dress.  She moved over his arousal to encourage him to keep going.  If he didn’t stop…if he didn’t think about what they were doing, he just might make love to her right here.  Then he’d no longer be afraid he’d hurt her, and if that happened, he’d take her anywhere he wanted.  She couldn’t help but think of the different positions they could enjoy as her tongue continued interlacing with his.

A low moan rose up in his throat, and he brought his hands to the back of her dress where he unfastened the buttons.  Good.  This was definitely a good sign.  She helped him lower the top of the dress so her breasts were exposed to him.

His mouth left hers, and he sprinkled a trail of kisses from her chin, down her neck, and finally settled on her breasts.  Groaning, she tightened her hold on his shoulders as she wiggled against his erection.  He was so hard.  So wonderfully, exquisitely hard.  So hard, in fact, her body responded to him, the familiar heated wetness pooling between her legs.  But his buttons were in the way, and that was going to be a problem.

Lifting the skirt of her dress, she quickly found his buttons and unfastened them, first working the ones on his trousers then his drawers.  Slipping her hand inside his clothes, she took his penis out.  Since he moaned in pleasure, she traced the tip of it then let her fingers travel down the length of him.  She proceeded to angle it at her entrance and lifted her hips.  But even with this accomplished, she wouldn’t be able to take him into her.  His clothes were still too confining.

She stood up and urged him to push his trousers and drawers to his feet.  At first, she thought he was going to stop her, that he was going to insist they finish this in bed or with her lying on the rug in front of the fireplace, so she resumed kissing him.  When he was kissing her in return, she took his erection in her hand and stroked it.  He’d once told her when she stroked him this way, it was hard for him to think of anything but how good it’d feel to be inside her, and hopefully, that would be the case now.

As it turned out, her plan worked.  He shoved his trousers and drawers down for her.  She thought to get on top of him at this point, but recalling one of the more wicked positions in the book, she lifted her dress and chemise, turned her back to him and sat back down, taking him into her as she did so.

He let out a gasp and gripped her hips.

“It feels good,” she whispered, her body already primed for release.

She didn’t know if it was the position she’d chosen or the way his penis rubbed her core, but it felt especially good.  Holding onto his knees, she moved her hips up and down his shaft.  She soon established a rhythm, leaning forward so that he was stroking the sensitive area deep in her core.

Letting out a moan, he guided her hips, aiding her along as she moved faster.  They worked together, and she lost track of everything but the moment, only aware of how wonderful he felt, aware that each time she descended on him, it brought her closer and closer to the peak.

Then, as she climaxed, she cried out his name as wave after wave of pleasure crashed into her.  It was so intense she could barely hear his own cry as his seed filled her.  She stilled and savored every moment of this bliss, delighting in the fact they were both experiencing this together.

They didn’t often climax at the same time, but maybe since they had, he would be more inclined to explore more ways of making love to her because he’d know, without a doubt, she received pleasure from this position.

Once her head cleared, she became aware of the way he was rubbing her back.  “You weren’t hurt when I first entered you?” he asked, out of breath.

“No,” she replied, also still breathing heavy.  “Everything felt good.”

“Good.”

She noted the relief in his tone and said, “We can do it any way we want, and it’ll be pleasurable, Orlando.  I love being in bed and lying beneath you, but from time to time, I’d like to do something else.”

“As long as it doesn’t hurt, we can.”

She got off of him then turned back around so she could face him, settling back on his lap.  “Everything we do is enjoyable.”

Smiling, he squeezed her hips playfully.  “I certainly enjoyed what we just did.”

“I did, too.  Immensely.  Orlando, there’s this book I’ve been reading.  It was written by a lady who is experienced in the art of lovemaking.”

“A book?”

She nodded.  “I didn’t get it until after I learned I was with child.  In this book, the author says making love in different positions and in different rooms can be very pleasurable for the lady.” She studied his expression.  “Are you upset?”

“Why would I be upset?”

“Well, I didn’t tell you about it before.”

“You’re telling me about it now, and, more importantly, you aren’t using your newfound knowledge with other gentlemen.  You’re using it with me.”

“I would never use it on anyone but you.” After a moment, she added, “If you’d like, you can read it, too.”

He kissed her.  “We should read it together.”

“We should.” She paused then ventured, “Are you sure you’re not upset I didn’t tell you about it before?”

“Of course not.  Besides, I didn’t make it easy for you to try new things.  I was so afraid I’d hurt you.”

“I know, and I love how much you want to make sure no harm ever comes to me.  You’re a wonderful husband, Orlando.”

“I’m just glad I’m your husband.” He brushed aside a lock of her hair and kissed her neck.  With a grin, he added, “Toby says I stole you.”

Amused, she giggled.  “Stole me?”

“Well, I did whisk you away from London so you could be my bride.”

“So I am your stolen bride then?”

“Yes, I suppose you are.”

“In that case, why don’t you steal me away upstairs?  I’ve grown rather bored of painting and would rather spend the rest of the day in bed with you.  We can read a certain book and do whatever comes to mind.”

“I’d like that.”

She kissed him again, letting her lips linger on his to give him a foretaste of things to come.

***

The next evening, Chloe and Orlando went to Helena’s for her small dinner party.  Everyone had just finished eating, and at the moment, Helena was talking to Camden while Orlando and Logan were debating whether they should play a game of chess or not.  Since everyone was preoccupied, Chloe felt it was safe to pull Melissa aside and talk to her, keeping her voice low enough so no one would overhear them.

“Thank you for sending me the book,” Chloe said.

“I wondered if you tried anything in it yet,” Melissa replied with a grin.  “Since you’re thanking me, I take it you and Orlando are benefiting from it?”

Despite the heat rising in her cheeks, Chloe nodded.  “We are.  I was enjoying what we were doing before, but it’s nice to know there are other ways to do something else with equal enjoyment.”

“You don’t need to explain anything to me.  I think the same thing.  It’s like us and our husbands.  I’m serious, and Logan finds humor in everything.  You’re quiet, and Orlando’s been talking all evening.  Helena’s confident, and Camden’s shy.  We’re all different, and I think things are better that way.  I used to think I wanted a husband who was more like me, but the more I’m with Logan, the more I realize our differences complete us as a couple.  I think the same thing is true with intimate moments.  You appreciate it more when things aren’t the same all the time.”

“Yes, that’s a suitable way of putting it.” Chloe looked at the others and chuckled.  “Do you think they’d be mortified if they knew what we were talking about?”

“I don’t know if Orlando would be, but Logan would want to join in.  He has no sense of propriety at all.”

Chloe thought over everything she knew about Melissa and Logan and decided no couple had ever been more mismatched.  But there was no doubt they were happy, and that was what mattered.

“When is your child due?” Melissa asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“In May.  I think it’ll be toward the end of it.”

“Mine’s due in early May, perhaps even late April.”

“That’s right.  We’ll be having a child around the same time.”

“Have you thought of any names yet?”

“Orlando and I have only discussed names in passing.  I thought it might be nice to name the child after him if we have a boy.  I haven’t even thought of a name for a girl.  He said we could name her after me, but I don’t care for that.  I can see naming a boy after his father.  The title would go to him.  I have no title to pass on to a girl.” She shrugged.  “Orlando said a title doesn’t matter, and he’s probably right.  We probably will give the child a new name all its own.”

“You’d think men would welcome the opportunity to pass on their name to a son.  I think Logan would be elated, but I’ve already decided on Mathias for a boy and Meredith for a girl.  My brother and I have names starting with an ‘M’, and I thought I’d pass on the tradition.”

“What does Logan think of those names?”