The Reluctant Bride (Regency Undone) (6 page)

‘Yes?’ Ralph queried mockingly.

‘Oh, you are no gentleman,’ she muttered angrily, flouncing off ahead of him as they approached the steps to the house.  ‘And it is obvious you have no regard at all for my feelings when you torment me so.’

‘Is that so?  Then perhaps I should not show you the little surprise I have purchased for you today, which would be a shame as it has taken me a deuced long time to track it down.’

Despite herself, Sophia stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him in bafflement.  ‘What surprise?  What are you talking about?’

‘Come with me,’ he said, reaching for her hand, ‘- and close your eyes.’

‘Don’t be silly Ralph.  Of course I’m not going to close my eyes.’

‘Then you don’t get to see it.  And I can promise you, you will be sad to miss it.’ 

She frowned up at him in irritation, but ridiculously she could feel a bubble of excitement in her stomach as she reluctantly closed her eyes and allowed him to lead her around the side of the house. 

‘You can open them now.’

She opened her eyes and gasped at the sight of the palomino horse standing patiently in front of her.

‘Bella!’
she gasped. 
‘Oh, Bella.’

Rushing forward she threw her arms around the beautiful mare’s neck, revelling in the feel of the soft nose gently nuzzling her hair.

‘But how …
when
…?’  She turned back to look at Ralph.

‘Your mama happened to mention to me how upset you were when your father was forced to sell all the horses.’  He shrugged, as if it was no big matter.  ‘I managed to trace who she’d been sold to and purchased her back for you.’

‘Oh, Ralph.’  She turned away from him, embarrassed to feel her eyes brimming with tears as she buried her face fiercely in the familiar warmth of Bella’s neck.  She had been a birthday gift for her sixteenth birthday and they had fallen mutually in love from the first time Sophia had ridden her new horse.  It had broken her heart when her father had sold her to a dealer and no amount of pleading had moved him.  

Yet her new husband, who had no real feelings for her other than irritation it often seemed, had obviously gone out of his way to discover who she’d been sold to and buy her back.  She didn’t comprehend it at all.

‘Thank you, Ralph,’ she said quietly, once she had composed herself and they were making their way back to the front of the house.  ‘I fear for once you have me at a great disadvantage.  I am lost for words.’

‘I knew it must happen one day,’ Ralph remarked with a quick grin, ‘but I must admit I was beginning to wonder when.  Tomorrow maybe we can go out for a ride together?’

    He escorted her up the wide steps but at the top he stopped.  ‘By the by, you never answered my question as to where you had been on your walk today.  I observe that you frequently seem to take yourself off unattended?’ 

She was feeling in such good sorts that she almost told him, the words on the tip of her tongue before she suppressed them.  She dare not.  Her visits were the one thing in this new life that gave her pleasure and she would not risk losing that. 

‘Oh, nowhere particular,’ she murmured evasively.  ‘I was just walking.’

She felt his grip firm on her arm as he turned her round to face him.  ‘I do not like to think you would tell me an untruth Sophia,’ he said quietly.   ‘Had you arranged to meet Edward?  Is that what you were doing?  I know you have feelings for him …’    

‘No,’ she said indignantly.  ‘I would not do such a thing’ 

She met his look evenly.  Ridiculously she felt she owed him the truth.  ‘Besides, if you must know, I ... I did not really have feelings for Edward.  I only told you that because I was so angry.’  She flushed beneath his scrutiny. 

‘You mean it was not true?’ He was looking at her intently.  ‘Why would you make up such a thing?’

 
Her colour deepened but her shrug was defensive. 
‘
You were so high and mighty the way you expected me to fall in with your plans.  I wanted to punish you.  And I hoped if you believed I cared for another you would not wish to ... be intimate with me.’

His look was openly amused but there was exasperation in his eyes as well.  ‘Sophia, any man would want to be intimate with you – regardless of whether or not you had feelings for another.  It was perhaps fortunate for you however, that I also felt pressurised into this marriage and was therefore in no hurry to force myself upon a woman who so obviously did not desire me to.  However, as we have already established, that is a situation that cannot continue indefinitely.  I find I am not of a mind to take a mistress and therefore I feel the sensible solution is to consummate this marriage and be done with it.’

‘And we must of course do the sensible thing,’ Sophia retorted, nettled.  ‘Regardless of
my
wishes.’ 

Ralph’s look softened.  ‘I can understand a certain apprehension on your part, a fear maybe of the unknown, but was what we did this morning so terrible?’

‘No …’  She returned his look uncertainly, then rallied, ‘but I am not so naïve as you might think and I have heard things about the act which convinces me it is not something a lady would enjoy.’ 

‘Oh, Sophia ...’ Ralph confused her by taking her hands in his.  ‘I can see the sooner we get this ordeal over for you the better.   There is nothing to be fearful of.  Do you not know I would not harm a hair on your head?’

She stiffened, unwilling to be seduced by the warmth in his voice. It was all
pretence
she reminded herself fiercely – he did not care for her.   Once she had given in to him his duty would be done and he could return to his carefree life in London - and she would continue here alone.  More isolated than ever.

Before she could withdraw her hands Ralph released them himself, as if uneasy at the unexpected truce between them.  But his fingers continued to rest lightly beneath her elbow as he escorted her into the house. 

CHAPTER SIX

As she prepared for dinner that evening Sophia’s thoughts were occupied by all that had occurred that day – and what possibly was going to occur that night.  Despite herself her pulse quickened and she frowned irritably at her weakness.  She needed to marshal her thoughts sensibly together; to remind herself of her aversion to her husband and keep that one thought uppermost in her mind.  Why had her convictions suddenly become blurred?  Because of the way he’d made her feel earlier today in this bedroom?  Because of the fact he’d shown another more thoughtful side to his character by buying Bella for her?  Neither of those things altered anything significant in their relationship and yet she could banish neither of them from her mind.  A subtle shift in her emotions had occurred today, and it disconcerted her.  It left her feeling that perhaps it was not such a dreadful thing after all to be the wife of the Earl of Avalon.  And that way of thinking she was sure could only lead to unhappiness.

A tap on the door from her maid interrupted her thoughts. 

‘His Lordship asked me to inform you that your guest has arrived My Lady.’

Sophia picked up her comb and teased a wayward strand of hair back in place.  ‘Thank you, Millie.  Please tell his Lordship that I will be down presently.’    

Downstairs in the drawing room Ralph and his cousin Guy were waiting for her.

 ‘Good evening Sophia,’ Guy greeted her.

‘Good evening, Guy.  Is Charlotte not with you?’

Guy’s expression closed over.  ‘No.  Sadly she had made other plans for this evening and asked me to convey her apologies.’ 

Sophia smiled.  ‘No matter,’ she said lightly.  ‘It is always a pleasure to see you at any rate.’ 

Which was not
exactly
true.  Guy was a sombre character who always appeared as if he detested life - and though he may have reason enough to, it irritated Sophia immensely. 

However, tonight she was surprised to realise she felt differently about him – almost as if she had come out of a long period of mourning herself and was now viewing the world through different eyes.   It suddenly struck her that Guy’s sobriety was borne of unhappiness and she did not like to see people unhappy.

Thus she made a concerted effort to be entertaining and draw him out over the course of the evening, and she was rewarded by not one but several reluctant smiles as he responded to her light hearted banter.  Several times she caught his thoughtful gaze moving from her to Ralph and though her husband said nothing she could tell he was pleased at her efforts.  It occurred to her that perhaps he might put her lightness of spirit down to their activities earlier on, which was something she did
not
want - at least she did not think she did. 

Her feelings for him had become so confused and blurred at the edges; she wanted to still hate him for orchestrating a marriage she had not desired, yet when she remembered the touch of his hands on her body... the ease of the way they had talked this afternoon ... she feared very much that she might be in danger of finding her husband
attractive
.  She stifled a little choke at the realisation.

Ralph’s gaze locked on her, his look deep and brooding but with a glint to his eye that transported her immediately back to their shared liaison in her bedroom.   ‘Are you alright Sophia?’ he enquired politely.

‘Y ... yes.  But I feel perhaps it is time for me to retire and leave you gentlemen to your brandy.  If you will excuse me ...?’

‘You must come over to Sheldon Hall next time,’ Guy said, rising and kissing the back of her hand.  ‘Rest assured I will not keep your husband too long before I depart.’

Ralph escorted her to the door.  ‘I will join you in a little while,’ he murmured for her ears only.  ‘Keep the bed warm for me...’

Sophia’s cheeks were crimson as she fled.

****

She was still wide awake when she heard Ralph’s footsteps on the stairs some time later, despite her attempts not to be.  She held her breath as the door creaked open and he softly entered the room.  Her heart was pounding.  She sensed him moving nearer the bed and felt a peculiar tingling between her thighs just at the thought of him joining her there…

‘That will not work you know,’ he chuckled slipping in beside her.  She was lying with her back to him and he reached out to draw her tightly into the curve of his hard body.

‘I know you are awake...’

His warm breath tickled the back of her ear causing a strange tremor to shiver down her neck.  She tensed, waiting for his next move. 

It never came.

‘Goodnight Sophia...’ he said softly.  She could hear the smile in his voice.  ‘Sleep well...’

And within a very few minutes she felt the tension ease from his body as he drifted comfortably behind her into a relaxed state of sleep. 

Which was all very well for him,
she thought crossly, as for a long while
she
lay there trying to quell her rampant nerves. 

Should she try to draw away from him?  But she was frightened she might disturb him – and of what he might do if she did. 

And anyway, as her own body began to relax she realised she quite liked the feel of his arms around her, keeping her warm.

****

When Sophia awoke next it was morning.  She felt luxuriously comfortable despite a gnawing restlessness in her stomach that she couldn’t comprehend.   Gradually she became aware of the solid chest on which her head was lying, the strong muscular arms enfolding her as if they would never let her go.  It felt good here.  Safe.  

But then she realised that it was not safe at all - for the chest she was lying on was bare and there was a large hand lazily encircling her hip which was the reason for that strange gnawing ache deep inside her.  Her eyes flew open.  

‘Oh!  You have no clothes on,’
she exclaimed, her eyes staring at his torso in shock.  He chuckled, taking advantage of her movement to cup her breast with his hand.   She could feel his erection pressing into her and a sensation not dissimilar to an electric shock prickled between her legs. 

‘It may surprise you to know,’ he murmured lazily, his lips dipping to graze her nipple through her gown, ‘that when a man and woman make love they are usually naked.’

Colour suffused her cheeks.  ‘But ... but we are not about to make love Ralph ... not yet ...’

‘Not unless you want to, I agree…’ he murmured,  ‘but ...’  he nipped her already stiffened nipple with his teeth, his hand snaking beneath the hem of her gown to slide its way warmly up her thigh.  ‘Something tells me it may not be as long as you think before we do ...’

She gasped as his fingers suddenly twisted in the delicate curls of her mound, tugging gently until a fierce heat began to throb through her.   Before she could decide if she should be objecting more strongly, they dipped to the slick gap between her lips, searching for and finding the little pink nub … teasing it until it began to swell beneath his ministrations. 

‘Oh…’ 

A strange weakness invaded her limbs.   She was powerless to object to anything.  It no longer felt an intrusion that his fingers invaded her most private of places; it felt wonderful - and she didn’t want him to stop.

When she arched involuntarily towards him he groaned, moving his lips to her mouth so that he could take his taste of her.  Gently at first, and then more searchingly, his tongue probed - his skilful fingers continuing to stroke her dampness until she was gasping incoherently against his lips. 

Her hands had somehow found their way to his shoulders - strong broad shoulders that rippled with smooth muscle.  She found herself gripping them tightly; revelling in the naked feel of him - so many sensations taking over she had no choice but to follow wherever they might lead.

‘Touch me,’ he rasped against her mouth,
‘Lower…
’

Could she?  A judder ran through her as he swirled his fingers in ever increasing circles, each one drawing such an exquisite sense of pleasure from her that all she could think was that she wanted
more
.  Wicked wants consumed her.  She wanted to kiss his warm skin, explore it with her hands, feel his body on top of hers pressing her hard into the mattress - all unfamiliar, shocking needs that surely she should be resisting; yet she could deny him nothing as she allowed her fingers to drift lower, exploring the hard muscles of his back almost reverently.  He shuddered in response and she sensed he was barely in control of his emotions.  Yet it did not frighten her -  it
excited
her. And those wonderful sensations she’d experienced yesterday were building up in her again. 
Maybe
this time
…