The Duchess’ Replacement (Unrelenting Lords #2)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

S arah stretched out and let out a groan. She had never eaten so many little sandwiches before. Nora was right, Mrs. Bates made the most delicious food.

Everything about this day was perfect. The summer sun was high in the sky but underneath the branches of the willow tree the breeze off of the lake brought much needed cool air.

Charles, Nora, and Sarah laid in compatible silence, digesting their food and listening to the sounds of nature around them.

Each of them were laying on a section of the wide spread blanket, remnants of their lunch littered in between them.

Sarah turned her head to look at Charles. He was on his back, with his hands resting underneath his head. His eyes were closed and he looked so relaxed. Sarah’s heart squeezed at the sight. She couldn’t remember a time, if ever, when he looked this peaceful.

He was always on edge, waiting for something to happen. To see him in such a serene state made her somewhat emotional.

Smiling to herself she turned her head and found a pair of wide green eyes staring back at her.

“Oh. Nora! You scared me.” Sarah chuckled.

“I think I want to go pick some flowers over there.” Nora said as she sat up and pointed across the lake.

Sarah joined her by sitting up. “I don’t see why that would be a problem.”

Nora leaned over and nodded her head towards her brother.

Sarah looked at her in confusion before she realized Nora’s intention. “Oh. Right.” Sarah leaned over and poked Charles in the stomach.

“Ow!” Charles scowled as he rubbed his stomach, his eyes remaining closed. “Has anyone ever told you, you have pointy fingers?” Charles grumbled.

Sarah looked at her finger. “What an odd thing to say. Aren’t all fingers pointy?”

Nora snorted. Both women looked at their fingers then at each other as a fit of giggles overtook them.

Charles groaned. “Will you stop that noise? I was just about to drift off into a peaceful sleep.”

Sarah poked him again. “Your sister has a question for you.”

Charles opened one eye. “What is it?”

Sarah looked back to Nora, only to find her looking at her dress, that forsaken bottom lip in her mouth.

“I, um, was hoping I could pick some flowers over on the other side of the lake.” Nora mumbled.

Charles’s other eye opened and he rolled to his side.

“The other side of the lake, hmm?” He rose an eye brow in her direction.

Nora nodded. “Yes, because that side has full sun and the flowers I like are over there. Please? I promise I won’t go far. You’ll always be able to see me.” Nora pleaded.

Sarah couldn’t see why it would be a problem for the girl to go, other than the fact the other side of the lake was the closest to town.

More information filled in the blanks in Sarah’s head. Something happened in the town to cause such disdain between Charles and the townspeople. Sarah looked between Charles and Nora, perhaps it had to do with Nora or his mother’s death.

Charles was very protective of her, but what could she have to do with the town? She was very young when she was sent to live with his mother’s cousin.

Sarah sighed. The more she put pieces she fit together, the more pieces she found.

“Let her go, Charles.” Sarah said and looked to Nora. “You promise to stay where we can see you?”

Nora shook her head profusely. “Oh, of course!”

Sarah looked back to Charles who was looking towards the town. The boys had since left and it was back to being a serene, quiet afternoon.

Charles dipped his head. “Don’t go too far and don’t stay out in the sun too long.”

Nora squealed as she lunged towards her brother to give him a hug. “Thank you, Charles!” She reached out and hugged Sarah next. “I’m going to pick you the most beautiful bouquet of flowers. Just you wait!”

Nora hopped up and began to run to the far side of the lake.

“You know, if you keep defying me the list of your punishments will just get longer.” He countered.

Sarah’s head snapped to Charles who was now on his side, resting his head on his hand. He was the epitome of a carefree Duke and it looked good on him.

Sarah rolled her eyes. “I did not defy you. I only suggested you let her go.”

Charles shrugged and pursed his lips. “Not how I see it, darling.”

A wide smile broke free before Sarah could stop it. She shook her head and lifted a shoulder. “Promises, promises. I remember I was supposed to receive such discipline last night.”

Charles licked his lips. “What did I tell you last night? You can’t be punished if you are hurt. I was kissing you better.”

Sarah smirked. “I don’t recall being hurt there, Your Grace.”

Charles’s eyes flashed at her remark.

She couldn’t believe the words left her mouth, but he had a way of making her feel as if she could not only play the game but keep up. As the middle child, she always felt like she was one step behind Eleanor and in a different league than Beatrice.

With Charles, she felt like she fit. Well, she felt like this when he allowed her. The wall of control was still between them but after last night and now with this lunch, she felt as if they were taking his boundary down brick by brick.

Charles sat up and moved closer to Sarah. He looked around to see where Nora was before returning his hot gaze to hers.

Sarah sighed. She could stare into his green eyes forever, if he let her. She supposed most wouldn’t consider him handsome in the classic sense. His nose was a bit crooked, his expressive eyebrows were thick and he had full, luscious lips that Sarah was currently staring at.

It didn’t bother her that people wouldn’t consider him striking by classic standards. He was breathtaking to her. Regardless, she was never much for following society’s rules.

He placed an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him as he laid her back. Charles leaned over her, searching her eyes.

What she would give to get a glimpse into his mind. He looked at her as if he was cataloguing her every feature.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are?”

Sarah moved her head slowly to the left then the right, without breaking eye contact.

“I remember when I first saw the dusting of freckles on your face. I wanted to kiss every one of them.” His words ignited a fire within her that the summer sun’s rays couldn’t match.

She arched into him, running her hands up his muscular arms and around to his back. She loved how her hands couldn’t touch around the breadth of his body. He towered over her, blocking out the sun. Instead of being scared by his size, she found security in it. Not only did she feel safe, but deliciously feminine.

Sarah looked up to him from underneath her lashes. “Is this part of the punishment, Your Grace? If so, I feel like you need too work on your disciplinarian measures.”

Charles took a deep breath and settled in between her thighs. “You test my patience, Sarah. I thought I was getting an obedient wife when I took you.”

Sarah licked her lips. “As memory serves me, you have yet to take me.”

Cheers went off in Sarah’s head. She continued to shock herself with the ease in which she spoke to him in regards to their intimacy. And by the look on Charles’s face, she wasn’t the only one surprised at her remark.

“I think you’re the only one I have ever met to render me speechless.” He said with a chuckle.

“Then perhaps I need to be praised instead of punished?” She furrowed her brow. “What would that look like, I wonder?”

A growl ripped from Charles’s lips before they crashed against hers. Their tongues lapped each other while she pulled him closer to her. He remained balancing on his arms that now laid on either side of her head. She wanted him closer.

He broke the kiss. “Do you want me to crush you?”

“I would die happy if you did.” She replied.

A laugh broke free. “That mouth. I don’t know whether to punish or praise you.”

His eyes were shining with mirth and a calmness had settled around him. She wanted nothing more than to live in the ease of this moment forever.

“You could kiss me. That’ll quiet me.” She said with a smirk.

Charles tilted his head. “It will be my pleasure.”

Sarah sighed into his mouth as his lips caressed hers.

The peace of the moment was interrupted by the sound of running footsteps approaching them.

She turned her head to the side to break away from the kiss. A girl was running towards them.

“Nora!” She yelled.

Charles’s eyes flew open as he turned his head to see his sister running towards them with her hands in front of her face.

“Nora?” He called to her as he scrambled off of Sarah.

They both stood up. Sarah’s body hummed with satisfaction at seeing Charles needing to adjust himself as he stood.

Her mood quickly soured when she realized Nora looked like she was crying.

Sarah took off towards Nora. “Nora! What is it?”

Nora stumbled into Sarah’s arms. Tears marked her face as sobs wracked her body.

The sun had winked out behind her.

Charles.

He pulled Nora from Sarah’s arms. “What happened? Are you all right?”

The poor girl couldn’t get any words out. She just clung to her brother’s hulking frame as she cried.

Sarah heard snickering coming from the lake. She looked and she saw the boys from before standing in a circle looking in their direction. Derision and sneers colored their expressions

Sarah cocked her head at the sight. What happened to cause them to look at Nora that way?

Sarah turned her body back towards Charles and his sister when she was pushed out of the way by a meaty arm.

“You!” Charles shouted at the three young boys as he began to move towards them.

Sarah instantly threw her arm out and luckily caught his as he passed her.

“Stop! Charles, no!” She yelled.

She dug her heels into the ground, her efforts barely affecting her husband’s strength.

She looked at the boys frozen in their spots. “What are you doing?” She yelled to them. “Run!”

Still pulling on Charles to get him to stop Sarah looked over her shoulder to a horrified Nora. “Go back to the house, Nora. Now!”

Nora took off running.

Sarah struggled to keep a hold of her husband. “Charles!” She pulled as hard as she could. He turned.

“What?” He bellowed.

“Your sister needs you!” She pleaded.

Charles thankfully stopped to look past Sarah to see his sister running towards the house. He glanced back at the boys who were slowly backing up.

“Not until I talk to those boys.” He grounded out.

At the sound of his voice the boys took off in a sprint.

“It isn’t worth chasing them, Charles.” Sarah said through breaths as she rubbed her arms , sore, from the exertion it took to slow her husband down.

Charles snarled. “They don’t deserve to run.”

Sarah sighed and risked touching her husband.

He recoiled at her touch and her heart sank. Pushing her own pride aside she held her hands behind her back. “I understand that, but right now your sister is more important than finding those boys.”

She reached out her hand. “Come. Let’s go back to the house and find out what happened. Perhaps it is just boys being boys or some sort of misunderstanding.”

Charles huffed and walked past her outstretched hand.

Sarah told herself the cold breeze came from the lake and not her husband, but she knew otherwise.