Chapter Four #3
There was something in his tone; an alarm bell went off in her head. “Did I somehow contribute to his turn of madness last night?”
He smiled faintly. “The song you sang… it belonged to them. It brought back memories he was unable to cope with. And the garden issue is nearly as bad as the song. My mother loved her garden.”
“I am so sorry,” she whispered miserably. “Had I only known.”
“Which is why I tell you now so that you will be aware. His behavior is not your fault, nor your responsibility, but we must all be careful what we say or do around him.”
She nodded resolutely. “I will, I swear it. And I will never sing that song again.”
“Aye, you will.” He was indecently close, feeling her body brush up against his torso.
Thoughts turned from his father’s condition to this woman he had so recently acquired.
“You will sing it for me when I ask it of you. But for the future, be forewarned that any little item, no matter how small, can turn my father from a rational man into a grieving lunatic.”
She could feel his heat; she hadn’t noticed it initially, but now it was nearly overwhelming. It made her cheeks grow hot. The way he was gazing at her made her knees feel liquid and weak.
“Will you help me?” she asked, her voice a husky whisper. “With your father, I mean. You must help me learn what I can and cannot say in his presence.”
“I will be more than happy to help you,” his voice was a low rumble; he was much more interested in staring at her soft lips than talking about his father. “The problem is that it is sometimes hard to know.”
“Then we shall all have to help one another.”
He smiled, faintly, and put a finger under her chin, tipping her face up to him. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her face.
“Did you know that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on?” he whispered.
She shook her head, her heart palpitating wildly. It was apparent that their conversation about his father was over and another, perhaps more overwhelming, subject was at hand. It was something that had been waiting to be broached since yesterday and it was clear that he would no longer delay.
Matthew’s lips were almost on her, but they just as quickly moved away.
They lingered just out of reach in a maddening tease.
He dipped his head towards her and she closed her eyes, waiting for the first taste of his mouth against hers.
She’d waited ten years for this moment and she was going to savor every wild sensation, every devilish joy.
But his lips missed her mouth and gently touched the tip of her nose, one cheek, and finally the other.
They moved across her forehead, brushing against her flesh, tenderly blazing a trail across her skin.
His hands were on her face; she could feel his great warm palms on either side of her head, his fingers in her hair as his thumbs gently caressed her neck.
She sighed raggedly, never having experienced anything so passionate in her entire life.
She had, in fact, never been kissed. Her introduction to it was more than she could have dreamed.
“My God, you are sweet,” he murmured, his lips against her chin.
Her reaction was to gasp, something between an actual word and a groan. She did not even know what that one word might be, only that it would be something encouraging. She’d never realized a man’s touch could be so consuming.
Just as she opened her eyes to look at him, he descended on her, his mouth covering hers so firmly that he shoved her back against the wall with his force.
Momentarily startled, she quickly regained her wits when she realized that she liked it very much.
Her hands moved to his arms, to his shoulders, and finally his neck.
Matthew licked her lips, inviting her to open her mouth for him, which she did so purely on instinct.
Quickly, he invaded her with his tongue.
It was shameful, thrilling, lustful. Though Alixandrea had never known a man’s touch, she fully acquainted herself with Matthew’s.
It was the most potent thing she could have ever imagined.
His tongue moved deep, licked her, played with her, until she was left gasping.
Then his mouth left hers and moved over her face again, exploring her with wild fervor.
She completely lost her self-control, a limp mass in his arms to do with as he pleased.
Matthew had her firmly in his massive arms, his mouth doing fiery things to her neck.
She could have stayed like that forever.
But it was not meant to be. They gradually became aware of another male voice in the hall, a familiar one to Matthew. He pulled himself away from her and peered around the side of the alcove to see Mark speaking with their father. He looked back at Alixandrea.
He started to speak but could only manage a weak chuckle. Then he shrugged. “You will forgive me, my lady,” he said huskily. “I rather lost myself.”
She smiled, her lips chapped from his attention. “And I let you.”
He lifted an eyebrow in concession. “After tonight, I will not have to apologize for taking liberties.”
“What is tonight?”
“Our wedding at Vespers.”
This was the first she’d heard. Her eyebrows lifted. “And you think to tell me now?” she said. “There is so much to do. I do not know if I shall have enough time to.…”
He put his finger on her lips to quiet her, which only served to inflame him again and he stole a long, hot kiss before continuing.
“Have no fear,” he whispered. “Lady Caroline is making all of the arrangements and a rider will be sent to Stratford to summon the priest. All you need do is attend.”
She did not want to sound ungrateful. “I appreciate that you have already asked Lady Caroline to make the arrangements, but I would like to do it myself.”
“Unnecessary. You will rest until tonight. I shall not have you so exhausted that you can hardly stand through the ceremony.”
He meant well, she could see that. But the fact remained that she very much wanted to make her own preparations.
“Please, my lord, I am not trying to be difficult,” she explained carefully.
“But you must understand something; I have been waiting for this marriage for ten years. I have planned in my mind a thousand times over what it would look like, what I would wear, and the first meal I would serve you. It means a great deal to me to be able to do this for us. You know so little of me. I must take this opportunity to impress you as a wife should.”
Matthew was coming to realize one thing very quickly; he could not refuse her anything.
It was a frightening thought, but in truth, he did not much care.
He’d spent so many years loathing the very idea of her that he felt guilty, especially when she had turned out to be such a lovely creature.
Now there wasn’t anything he would not do to make her happy. He wanted her to be happy.
“Very well,” he said. “If it pleases you, then you have my permission.”
She smiled brightly. “Thank you, my lord.”
“Matthew.”
“My lord Matthew.”
He lifted an eyebrow at her and she giggled. “Come along,” he took her by the elbow and led her from the alcove.
Mark and his father were in serious conversation by the time they reached them. The dogs flocked around Alixandrea once again but she shooed them away. Mark glanced up at his brother.
“There you are,” he said. “I was just telling Father about our impending plans for London. He assures me that he’ll be quite able to make the journey.”
Alixandrea looked up at Matthew, silent questions in her eyes. Plans for London? Matthew’s focus, however, remained on his father and brother.
“Did you find John?” he asked steadily.
Mark nodded. “Aye,” he said. “He was right where we thought he’d be, in the stables with his new charger. Do you know that he’s taken to sleeping next to it? I swear he’d marry that beast if he thought he could get away with it.”
“Are he and Luke with the men?”
“Aye.”
“Then we shall speak again tomorrow morning of our departure for London. Preparations should be well underway by then.” Matthew focused on his father, sitting small and forlorn at the table.
He made sure he caught his attention as he spoke.
“The lady and I are to be wed tonight at Vespers. Father, I shall require your assistance.”
Adam’s red-rimmed eyes focused on him. “What is it?”
“I need you and Mark to ride to Stratford and summon the priest. It is important.”
Adam nodded, a gesture somewhere between resignation and refusal. Mark slapped his father lightly on the shoulder.
“Come, Father,” he said. “We’ve a long day ahead of us. We’d better summon the priest before Matthew changes his mind.”
“I shall not change my mind.”
Mark looked at his brother, a smile on his lips. “Oh? So you have accepted your fate, have you? Thank God. No more long nights of listening to you lament your dark future.”
“My future has never looked so bright,” Matthew took the lady’s elbow, firmly, so that she would know it was the truth. “Come along, love. Let us get away from this imbecile.”
Mark snorted as Alixandrea allowed him to lead her from the room.
Not strangely, the dogs, which had been hovering near her the entire time she had been in the hall, followed.
They were all wagging their tails furiously at her.
It was hard not to notice; there were at least seven of them, four or five large ones and a couple of smaller.
Matthew had to shove one of the bigger ones out of his way.
“Are these dogs always so solicitous?” Alixandrea asked.
Matthew shook his head. “Not at all,” he looked around. “They must like you.”
“Well, I do not like them,” she looked at them rather fearfully. “Which brings about another point, my lo… I mean, Matthew.”
He grinned as she caught herself. “What is that?”