9781618858467ASinfulEducationPimentel (12 page)

Emotion
burned her cheeks and suddenly the room felt hotter than purgatory itself.
Do not swoon, you foolish girl. The earl
needs you!
“How could I have known such a dreadful fact? Surely, you do not
think I would know such things just because I slept under the same roof as the
duke? A man only acts out of desperation when threatened. What information does
Charles hold over his grace?”

Lord
Wycliffe set his spoon down and grimaced. “I should not be the one to tell you
this, but you have every right to know. The duke never had intentions of
keeping you. He is only marrying you for your dowry, and once he had soiled
you, his intent was to send you to work in a brothel for an Italian man.”

Emily
shivered, suddenly painfully aware that she had been shown a small mercy when
Lord Wycliffe took her the other morning. Her mother could not possibly know,
or she would not have arranged such a pact with the devil himself.
Or would she?

Emily would
rather take her own life before marrying the devious man. She noticed Wycliffe
tapping his fingers on the table. “There is more?”

He nodded.
“Unfortunately, Lady Emily, there is. Part of the reason why it has taken us so
long to make these arrangements is we are conducting our own investigation, in
addition to what the duke had planned on doing with you, there may be a
possibility he has done the same to other women. He had also threatened his
previous duchess the same way as well.”

Emily pushed
her chair back, unable to hold her tears. “This really is all too much to take
in, Lord Wycliffe. The man is a monster, plain and simple, and my mother nearly
married me to him. I will never speak to her again.”

“Well, my
dear, with any luck you will not have to speak to her again. If we can get you
two to Scotland at the soonest possible date, then there should be no reason
for you ever to see her again, if that is what you desire. Try and eat
something then get some rest. If you need anything, just call for myself or
Horace. When the time comes for the two of you to leave, I imagine you might
have to skip a meal or two, and you will need all the strength you can get.”

“I am really
too upset, Lord Wycliffe. I think I might just lie down for a bit. Would you
mind having Horace set aside a small dish for me please?”

“Of course.
Go and rest, and I will see if there is any news from London or your brother.”

Emily
wandered down the hall, terrified their future. If the duke truly had done some
despicable things, he would surely not let this rest. He would hunt them down,
murder Avonlea, and most likely marry her anyway. She would never let that
happen. She would rather elope with Lord Avonlea and hide away somewhere far on
the continent.

Not a really
pleasant or ladylike thought, though if it meant that was the only way she
could be with her beloved, then so be it. In the meanwhile, his grace needed to
be stopped, no matter the cost.

She paced
the room frantically. If she had paced any faster, her feet would have made
grooves into the floorboards.
What are we
to do?
They could not run for the rest of their lives.

Shouting
from the front part of the lodge alarmed her.
Charles!
What joy it was to hear his voice again.

“Where is
Emily? We must leave at once. There is a chance I might have been spotted.”

She ran out
the door and right into his arms. For what seemed an eternity, she gazed into
the bright, blue depths, certain of his love for her. The man would not fail
her.

“We must go
at once.”

“Lead the
way, my love. I do not wish to wait another moment without you.”

“Wycliffe,
fetch her trunk right away. Horace, thank you for your help. Without either of
you, none of this would have been possible.”

“Do not get
your knickers in a twist, Avonlea. Give me but a moment, and I will drive the
carriage. Be warned, we will not be stopping until well after nightfall,”
Wycliffe said.

It is finally happening.
We are going to Gretna Green, and I would not want him any other way.

Chapter Ten

Emily leaned
into his arms, slowly digesting the journey they were embarking on, and
desperately hoping the next few days passed quickly. She found herself
completely immersed in listening to Charles breathe, their hearts hammering
away in their chests from all the excitement. Soon, she would be Lady Avonlea,
and who would have thought Charles would make her the luckiest debutante
around.

The carriage
rocked along the road at a backbreaking pace, as if demons chased them down the
great road. It was a good thing she had not eaten before they left, or she
would have tossed her crumpets along the way.

He stroked
her hair and hummed a merry tune, which soon faded into nothingness. She fell
asleep on his lap, knowing the moment they stopped for the night, she would be
lucky if he let her sleep at all.

The next
thing she heard was his voice. “Wake up, love, we are at a staging inn for the
next few hours.”

“Are there
enough rooms for all of us, then?” She yawned and climbed out after him.

“Yes.
Wycliffe has already gone in and arranged everything. Tricky thing is that we
will have to leave before dawn. I have not much time to make up for our
seperation
.”

“My love, I would
not worry your head about such things. In a day or so, we will have a lifetime
to catch up.”

“Come then,
right this way.”

She took his
arm, and he led her into the quaint and quiet inn. They were met by the owner,
who attended to them in his nightcap and sleeping gown. He walked up the stairs
and stopped at the door. “Will you
be needing
anything
else, Mr. and
Mrs
…”

“Brown. The
name is Brown, and we won’t require anything else this evening. Thank you
kindly for taking us in at such an ungodly hour.” Charles added.

The man
grumbled and left. Avonlea opened the door with his boot, and after a few
moments of scanning the hall, he lifted her into his arms. The very action made
her want to squeal with joy, but given the time they arrived, she had to
contain her happiness. Within a few strides, his lordship dumped her on the
bed. He turned his back on her to lock the door then removed his jacket and shirt.

Emily could
not help but admire the statuesque body he donned and could not fathom how many
other women may have spent their time admiring it as well. A jealous streak
flashed through her unlike any other time before.

“Love, what
are you thinking about?”

She shrugged
and ignored his question, unlacing her boots.

“No, love.
Let me do the honors. Tonight, I want to spend whatever hours we have
worshipping you. Every inch of that delectable body of yours, until you cry out
my name. You would like that, would you not?”

“I would, my
lord. But surely, you do not want to pull off these boots? I can do that
myself.”

“No,
darling, I will tend to that. By morning, you will be completely ravished, from
the tip of your head, all the way down to your princess toes. I meant what I
said about pleasuring you thoroughly.”

Emily’s
cheeks burned with embarrassment. It was not as if he had not seen her body,
and it was not as if she had not seen or touched him before. He knelt before
her, unlaced her boots and removed her stockings. He caressed her feet and rubbed
her toes for a while until he slid his hands up her legs. His tenderness made
him appealing, next to his sense of honor. Though, considering they were not
even married yet, they were about to embark on a new scandal.

“
Mmm
, how I have missed these legs.” His hands kept traveling
up, until his fingers slid beneath the fabric shielding her sex. His touch made
her delirious. “You are wet with anticipation, love. I like that. Now, let us
remove the barrier, as you have no need for them now.”

He tore the material,
which shocked her thoroughly. Then, the earl rose and held out his hands to
her. “Up, love. Now, we are going to rid you of those clothes, so I will be
able to delight you without further delay.”

His fingers
made quick work of undoing her dress and stays, until all went tumbling into a
pool on the floor. “Aphrodite’s beauty pales to yours.”

Emily
gravitated into his arms. With her chin tipped up and his head lowering, their
lips met. The first sweep of his tongue brought back the memory of her slipping
into his room at her brother’s house, and tonight he was all hers.

* * * *

Avonlea was
ready to combust at any given moment, and the inn would go along with it if
they did not slow things down. But Lord have mercy on his black soul. He would
take her this night, before their scandalous, makeshift wedding, and before
returning to London. The prospect of having her in his bed from this evening
forward truly was a blessing in many guises.

He plundered
her mouth while he slid his palm along the curves of her backside. Heaven
awaited him. Emily was finally his, and she held his heart. Love was a
demmed
ailment. Not only was he in love, he loved being in
love with her. A secret he would have to keep from his companions.

His hands
followed along the contours of her bottom. He longed to take her from behind
and hoped once they were settled, they could explore other positions of
copulation.

“I can see you
are enjoying the attention as it is meant, love. Tell me, is there anything
more beautiful than this moment?”

“No, but a
hot bath might be a close second.”

He was
shocked at her admission and could not help but laugh. “I suppose that answer
will have to do.” He kissed her again, this time harder, as he caressed her. No
matter what he did, his hands and mouth always ended up on her breasts. He
loved them, and he wanted to taste them again. He slid down her body and slipped
a nipple into his mouth, while he shifted his other hand to her mound.

She moaned
at his touch and nips. The sound drove him wild, his cock threatening to burst
from his breeches. He had to stop, much to his dismay, to remove them. Ten, he
straddled her and lowered his lips to hers to indulge in her sweetness. She
mimicked every swipe of his tongue and moaned into his mouth. His heart
quickened in anticipation of finalizing their union. “Are you ready, my love?”

She mumbled
something in the haze that was lust. He slipped his hand down her body to
prepare her, only to plunge into her slow and deep.

“Allow your
body to adjust to my size, love.” He observed the wariness in her face and how
her body tensed the moment he entered her. “I promise I won’t move a muscle
until you are ready. Here, perhaps this will help.” He teased her folds until
her nub was swollen with desire. He continued to rub and pinch with trembling
fingers until her breath was ragged.

How he
wished his mouth could finish her off, but at that moment, her body tensed, and
her soft cry echoed in the room around him. He continued his invasion until he
was all the way in.

Merciful heavens.
She was tight, and his
need to pump vigorously into her raged through his blood. He was ravenous. She
made him feel like never before. Her eyes fluttered, and she gripped onto his
forearms. “That is it, love, enjoy it. The first time isn’t what it will always
be like. You will find the more we do this, the more pleasurable it will be.”

“Thank you.”

Her eyes welled
with tears, so he stilled, waiting a moment before he continued to thrust. “Try
not to move, sweeting…” But she shifted ever so slightly, and he began to pump
into her again. The smell of her sex mixed with his sweat drove him mindless, until
his own release exploded. His body vibrated and hummed with the aftershock. He
swiped Emily’s runaway tear with his finger. “Are you all right, my love?”

“I am.”

“Then why
the tears? Have I hurt you in any way? If so, for that I am sorry. I tried to
be as gentle as I could.”

“It was not
you, my lord. This…us…it was rather beautiful, and I hope I met your
expectations?”

So, she is worried she did not perform
accordingly? My sweet, sweet, love
. If she only knew how perfect she really
was. He had to be the luckiest gent alive. Regardless of how spirited she was, together
they would make fine music, in or out of the bedroom.

Charles pushed
away from her and crossed the room to fetch the water basin and washcloth. When
he returned to the bed, Emily had already covered herself with the sheet. “My
lord, I can do that myself.”

“Now, now,
love, do not be shy. We are about to be married, and we have already
consummated our union, so allow me the privilege of wiping you clean. I would
be honored if you would permit me to care for you in every regard.”

She blushed
furiously and gave a worrisome smile as she tossed back the bedding. Tonight
would be the first night of many more to come, and hopefully, she would bless
their home with many children.

How he
wished his parents could see him now. His mother would beat him with her fan
for the order of how they went about things, and his pa would probably pat him
on the back for a job well done.
Well,
with the exception of stealing the duke’s betrothed
. That actually may have
angered him. In fact, he would not be surprised if the man was rolling in his
grave.

* * * *

“Wake up,
love. We must leave now.” Avonlea tapped her nose.

Memories of
their night together warmed her. She did not know how loving a man could be, how
beautiful. And that man was about to become her husband. Every passing second
was beginning to feel like a dream. “What time is it, my love?”

“Early
enough to make it to the blacksmith before we are apprehended.”

“What do you
speak of?”

“Your
brother sent a servant on horseback, checking all the inns along the way for
us. Apparently, the duke is on the lookout for us, and he has also employed the
assistance of the chief prosecutor. It is only a matter of time before we are
caught. So, we must make haste.”

Emily jumped
out of bed, throwing on her gown haphazardly. “What do you suppose will happen
if we are caught, Avonlea? Do you think they will imprison you? Lord, I hope
they do not. I could be with child as we speak.” The very thought frightened
her. Her, a mother. A child without a father.
Good God! What have we done?

He only
smiled at her. “Do not worry about that, love. We will have time to sort these matters
out. But once we are married, you will travel alone to London. Wycliffe will leave
you in your brother’s care, and I will travel separately. We would not want to
be found out only moments upon our arrival. We need time to orchestrate our
announcement.”

Indeed. Her
mother would surely swoon, and the duke would go on a murderous rampage.

They quietly
descended the stairs in avoidance of waking the other patrons and slipped into
the darkness inconspicuously. He held the carriage door open for her while
Wycliffe tended to the horses. “Hop in, love, and get some rest. I will ride
with Wycliffe in the front for a bit. We have need to discuss some alternative
plans, if things go awry.”

Emily
pouted. She was hoping she would rest in his arms again, but it would seem fate
made her wait until they were married.

Realistically,
by this time tomorrow, she would be back in this carriage, traveling alone to
London. She shuddered to think who would be waiting for her at her brother’s
home. Surely, by now, he knew they would be married. Her family, once again,
would be marred by scandal. And her mama would disown her and Nathaniel for his
betrayal.

Her mama’s
only regret in life was she did not marry into great wealth. While Papa had
done the honorable thing in protecting his best friend’s wife by marrying her,
knowing full well she would never love him the way she did of her first husband,
everyone knew her mother did not think much of the
marquess
.

She aspired
greatly to be elevated in society, and Father had refused to give in to any of
the ton’s games and gossips. In some ways, she was glad her papa was no longer
around. He would be disgraced with the way her mother carried about.

In fact, he
would have shipped her to the Americas for an extended stay. That would have
learned her.

Emily
wrapped her arms around his neck, taking a moment to kiss him. Within a few
hours, they would be married and back on the road, homeward bound. “I think I
shall close my eyes for a bit longer, Charles.”

“A most
excellent idea, my dear.
Do not worry
, all will turn
out.”

She sank
into her seat, leaned against the side, and closed her eyes.
Soon, I will be Lady Avonlea. Soon.

Later that
day, they stood side-by-side, ready to take their vows.

“Are you
sure, you are here of your own will, lass? I will not marry you if you are both
not consenting,” the blacksmith advised, arms crossed. His stance and tone
making it quite clear he has had trouble before.

Emily
glanced over at her beloved and then back to the imposing man before them. The
blacksmith’s long red hair and sharp blue eyes penetrated her soul.
Those eyes have lain upon how many couples?
How many vows have been exchanged in this same spot?

While many
would oppose these drastic measures at proving their point, necessity drove them
to these lengths. “I assure you, sir, I am here of my own volition. In fact, I
am more than happy to be wedding this man.”

“In that
case, let us get the both of you ready.” He turned to Lord Avonlea. “Do you
have a ring?”