Chapter 50
Freya
Freya and Luke swayed to the last song of the evening, a slow one where Luke encased Freya’s right hand in his left between their bodies at their chests. With her arm slung around his neck, Freya stroked his nape while Luke tightly wrapped his other arm around her waist, holding her close. She felt like she was being cuddled to the soft tones of Nina Simone.
“Come with me, Peaches, I want to show you something,” Luke said.
“Okay,” she answered softly without moving out of his hold.
“I promise you’ll like it,” he coaxed.
Freya tipped her head back to look at her husband. She was so happy they were married. It was like something had settled in her. She gave him a lazy smile and kissed his lips.
“All right. Let me say goodnight to my parents.”
Luke looked down at her and his face was handsome as he smiled and stared right into her soul. She didn’t care how deeply he looked at her, he could know anything he wanted.
Only family and close friends remained at the party, and as she scanned the tables, she noticed that they had been cleared and were now empty. Only one table remained occupied by her parents, Luke’s siblings, and their partners, who were seated and standing around.
Freya said goodnight to her parents and watched them walking arm in arm across Edward Hall lawns towards where they were staying for the night. She anticipated that they would remain awake with the other guests in the great room because it was still early.
Freya wanted the official celebrations to end at nine o’clock. She wanted to ensure she was well rested for the first night she spent with Luke as her husband and to avoid being hung over for her honeymoon the next day.
It was all in her folder.
Stan and Erica had adhered to her wishes without so much as an are you sure?
“You look so happy,” Erica said as she came forward and gave Freya a hug.
“It’s film worthy,” Heidi, Daisy, Archer, Jason and Nate said as one voice.
Erica looked over her shoulder and laughed. “That’s my line.”
Everyone laughed at her sentimental feelings about all love stories being made into movies.
“Thank you Erica and thank you for making my dream wedding come true.”
“I knew a few people who could help. Luke did the rest,” Erica said and leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“I thought Luke stayed out of it?” Freya said.
“Stayed out of what?” Luke said as he slipped his arms around Freya’s waist from behind.
Freya felt his lips at her temple.
“You organising everything Freya wanted,” Erica said.
“Ah. That was supposed to be a secret,” he said and then kissed Freya’s temple again.
“Well... It’s all going to be revealed soon enough, so it’s not like I’ve let out a state secret,” Erica said and laughed but also swiftly moved to the side of Archer.
Archer lifted his arm, brought it around her shoulder and brought her in tighter to his side.
“What’s going on here?” Freya said, twisting to look at Luke.
“Come on, let’s go,” Luke said, tugging on her hand.
“Bye everyone, see you in two weeks,” she said and waved.
Everyone called to offer well wishes and congratulations on the honeymoon, and then Luke swept her up into his arms. He strode across the lawns of Edward Hall and led her through the hidden gap in the trees, walking behind all their cottages.
“I had the best day, Luke. Thank you for whatever part you played, even though I thought you had no say at all.”
Luke chuckled and looked down at her upturned face. He gave her a quick peck on the forehead and then looked straight ahead to their cottage.
“Our home is right in the middle of everyone,” Freya commented.
“Yeah, it is. I never thought coming back here would make me the happiest man alive, but it has.”
Once they reached the back door, Luke put Freya on her feet, kissed her long and deep until she melted into his arms. Then he took his keys out of his pocket and let them into their home. All the lights were off and he led her in the dark, through the kitchen, then through to the hall and then to the stairs. Luke swept her up into his arms against and ascended the stairs while she kissed his neck and loosened his tie.
“Later, Peaches,” he murmured.
He took them to the end of the hall and nudged the already open door with his shoulder. He took three strides into the room and put her on her feet.
“Stay there,” he commanded.
“Why are we in the spare room full of boxes?” she asked, laughing as she stood watching Luke go back to the door.
When he flipped the switch on, she had to shield her eyes for a moment and then she blinked at what she saw. There were her two wardrobes from her old house. The furniture from her spare room. She was so familiar with them and what they used to contain she gasped. She gasped because she caught sight of the world map on the wall. She had wrapped up the same world map in an old sheet to protect it from the pins falling out when it was moved. Now it held a prominent position on the wall. She knew what was in one wardrobe and set of drawers but not the other wardrobe.
Freya walked over to the wardrobe and pulled the doors open. All her boxes were in there from Luke’s travels all over the world. She then pulled open drawers and found his letters arranged, exactly like she’d had them. When Freya had moved into Sabrina Lodge with Luke, she hadn’t unpacked. She’d felt a little embarrassed that she’d gone to so much effort to colour code everything only for him to find it by accident. When she got caught, she felt like a stalker.
“I fixed this up over the last few days when you were staying at Edward Hall not touching me,” Luke said in a low voice directly behind her.
She felt the goosebumps ripple over her skin at his words.
She wanted to touch him right then, take her time, reacquaint her fingers with every inch of his body. They hadn’t had sex in a week, at her decree, and she was wet with the knowledge Luke would be inside her very soon.
“It’s exactly as I had it. What’s in the other wardrobe?” Freya asked, still staring at the map.
“Open it,” he said nodding to the piece of furniture.
Freya side stepped until she was in front of the wardrobe and opened the doors. She pulled open drawers, but they were empty. All of them.
“Turn around, Peaches,” he said into her ear.
For a split second she didn’t want to. What was he going to do that he hadn’t already? It was like she was meeting a new person. He was the same Luke as yesterday but now he was a Turner. Heir to the Turner fortune in his own right. She’d married a Turner. Her heart beat hard in her chest. She turned and lifted her chin, gradually meeting his gaze. She’d never seen his gaze so intense. She felt it between her legs first and then she felt her flush ripple over her skin.
“Left or right?” he asked.
Frowning, Freya stared at Luke.
“What?”
Luke jiggled his shoulders indicating he was holding his hands behind his back.
“Let hand or right hand?”
Freya laughed.
“Left,” she said, grinning at him.
She watched as Luke dipped his chin, brought he left hand around and then opened his palm. In the centre was a florin.
“Oh my God!”
Luke chuckled.
“Is that the florin from the cave?”
“Yeah. Wanna know what’s in my right hand?”
“Absolutely,” Freya said grinning. “Oh, hang on. Did you dive for this florin?”
“Not quite. I used a sand grabber to get to the sand.”
“That’s so cool. Okay, what’s in your right hand?”
Luke brought his right hand around and a showed her a pair of shoes.
“Luke,” she murmured. “Do you know what these are?”
“Beyond shoes, no. Erica said you’d like them and I really need you to change out of what you’re wearing and put these on. We’re bringing those fuck-me high heels with us and I can promise you those will be the only thing you’ll be wearing later.”
“I thought we were staying here?”
“Nope. Another surprise, my darling. Hold up your right hand.”
Freya did so immediately. She cradled the ridiculously expensive shoes in one arm while, to her astonishment Luke slipped on the ring she’d lost in the cave the day she nearly drowned and they went from friends to lovers.
“Please tell me you didn’t risk your life for this?” she whispered.
“I didn’t,” he whispered back. “I used a grabber to haul up all the florins and among them was the ring. It’s yours.”
“This is insane,” she said.
Looking up at his face she grinned.
“I know, right? Everything I did today was paid for by those florins. Finders keepers, Archer, Jason and Daisy said. So if there is more treasure to be found, it’s whoever finds it first, gets to keep it. Which means I can afford to keep you in sexy, kick ass shoes that make your legs look fucking fantastic in pencil skirts.”
“Really?” Freya squealed thinking of converting one of the rooms into a walk-in closet just for shoes.
“Yeah, but that won’t be a for a while if I get you pregnant. Anyway, we can talk about how each of those florins is worth a grand each later, in bed, when you’re naked.”
“A grand each? I saw hundreds sink into the sand.”
“Peaches. Shoes,” he said stabbing the sole with his finger.
Freya bent down but couldn’t get far with the fitted bodice. She whimpered and tried again. Then warm hands found her ankles and then the ankle strap. All Freya could see was the top of Luke’s head while he was on his knees taking her shoes off. When she’d stepped out, he looked up at her with the stupidest of grins that made him look adorable. He nodded to the shoes cradled in her arm and she handed them down so he could help her into them under her skirts of frothiness.
“I could get used to this,” she murmured while pushing her fingers through his hair.
When he stood he took her into his arms, pressed his lips to hers, then pulled back an inch.
“Good.”
She stepped to the side and then caught a glimpse of the other wall. On it were pins and threads. They were attached to a map she did not buy or bring from her house.
“What’s that?” she asked.
Luke looked over his shoulder.
“This is our honeymoon route,” he said.
Luke chuckled as she shoved him aside to walk towards the wall on the other side of the spare room which took ten paces. She looked on in awe at the perfectly placed pins sticking straight out from the map like they’d been measured at the perfect angle. All the pins were pale purple, and the string was brilliant white. As she counted the countries and the route, there was no way they’d make all those places in two weeks.
“How are we going to visit all these places in two weeks?” she asked the map.
Luke came to her again, to her side, dropped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. She liked it there so much she never wanted to move away.
“Well, here’s the thing. I hope you’re not mad and we don’t have our first argument before we consummated our marriage….”
“What did you do?” she asked the map.
“I brokered a deal.”
“Who with?”
“Dudley Morris.”
“Oh God, what do I owe that man now?”
“Nothing, he’s retired, remember. Gwendolyn Hoskins is the new head teacher.”
“That’s right, so what is the deal?”
“You won’t be returning to school until October half term finishes, so roughly the end of October.”
“How did you manage that?” she shrieked, grinning from ear to ear.
She’d sell her soul to go away with Luke for two months.
“I explained to Dudley that perhaps we would give you an extended leave of absence due to the extra hours you’ve been working for the last two years.”
“That’s it?”
“Not quite. I also told him that if he wanted to remain in the board of governors after his retirement and have any say in the future of Copper Island High School he would put the permissions in place before he retired. I was not shocked to hear, he’d done it immediately. So, we are going to travel for six or seven weeks, get to know each other better with no drama circling overhead. What I would also like, if you can swing it, is to get pregnant with my children so I can come back smug.”
She looked at his profile and laughed. “Children?”
“Yeah. Triplets would be awesome then I can best them all.”
“Your siblings?”
“Yep.”
Freya let out a long laugh and wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed.
“I’m not sure there are triplets in either of our lineage but we’ll give it a go.”
“That’s my girl. Right, we gotta get moving,” Luke said.
“Okay, do I get to know where we’re going this time of night? There are no ferries, planes or helicopters at this hour.”
“Another surprise,” he said and kissed her nose.
“I quite like your surprises.”
“So you’re not mad I arranged time off from your teaching job?”
“No, honey. It’s true that since you’ve been back you’ve either been dealing with your aunt, learning a new job, then learning another new job while setting up a thriving business with your siblings as well as trying to make amends with the townsfolk. Plus all your studies. It’s been a lot. I cannot wait to spend six or seven weeks with you.”
“I love you,” Luke said.
“I love you too, now, what do I need to get?”
“Nothing. Just you.”
She looked around.
“What about packing cases? It’s a lot longer than two weeks now and different destinations.”
“All taken care of. I can’t take credit for that, Erica, Heidi and Daisy sorted your wardrobe. Mine too as they were not impressed with my miniscule variety of clothes.”
Freya giggled and slipped her hand into his. If their wedding day was anything to go by, then whatever he had planned she was up for. So long as he was there.
He kissed her for a minute, long enough for her to want to drop to the floor there and then with him, but too soon, Luke pulled away, grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room. He stopped her in the hallway, flipped off the switch, and then closed the door.
“We’re going to fill the second wardrobe with our memories, our family’s memories of adventures.”
Hands again linked he tugged her along the corridor and she noticed her divine purple high heels were dangling from his other hand. He took them down the staircase, switching off lights as they went, got to the back door, and opened it wide.
Bailey was waiting for them with a lit torch that would be better suited to seventeenth century cave exploration.
“Mrs Turner,” Bailey said and gave a short head bow.
“Hey, Bailey,” Freya answered.
Bailey turned his attention to Luke.
“This way, Mr Turner, Mrs Turner,” he said.
Luke locked up the cottage and then passed his keys to Bailey.
“Maggie and Bailey are going to keep an eye on the place. Take care of your lavender pots,” Luke told her.
“Thank you, Bailey and thank Maggie too,” Freya said.
They were on the move, trailing behind Bailey who moved spritely across the lawns. Luke held Freya’s hand tightly. His fingers pulsed around hers like he was nervous. She didn’t know why he would be nervous. She was married to the man of her dreams, living next door to her best friends. He’d given her siblings she never had growing up, and the best wedding day she could ever wish for. It paled compared to the folder she’d spent years cobbling together. Freya didn’t mention his nervousness or his sweating palms. She held on tight as she walked across the grass in her gorgeous shoes which cost a single florin. She needed to send a message to Erica when she got to her phone.
Her phone. Her purse.
Freya halted, dragging Luke back a few steps as he’d carried on.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning.
“I forgot my purse at the wedding reception. I was so excited about getting to the next part, I forgot to pick it up.”
Luke laughed.
“It was collected and is where we’re going next. I promise.”
Bailey hadn’t waited for them. So they ran hand in hand to where Bailey had progressed which was at the top of the path at the far side of the lawns that led down to the beach.
“Where are we going?” Freya asked, now tucked to his side as they followed Bailey down the narrow path.
“You’ll see soon enough,” he replied.
When they got to the sand at the bottom of the pathway, Freya went to kick off her shoes.
“Keep them on, Peaches. It’s too dark to see what we might step on. I don’t want you cutting your feet on a crustacean scuttling about,” he said.
Freya plastered herself to Luke like he was a life raft.
“I don’t think we’ve ever been on this beach at night,” she said, rubber necking her way to where she was being led.
She paid no attention to her destination and spent a lot of her time staring at the ground she couldn’t see.
“We’re here. Look up,” Luke said gently giving her waist a squeeze.
Freya lifted her head and looked straight ahead. She could see shadows of people and murmurings. The true extent of what was happening only became apparent to Freya when he used his torch to touch the person nearest to him, and then the person across from him. Two rows of people carried torches, lighting them one by one until her family, her newlywed family, and a few friends came into view. Luke tugged her hand.
“This is beautiful,” she whispered.
“I liked the lantern torches. It reminded me of our treasure hunting and getting into scrapes. Now we get to do it as a married couple. Come, they’re waiting for us.”
“Waiting for what? They’re lined up to the water’s edge,” Freya said, straining to see more than she could by squinting her eyes.
Luke pulled her along as they trudged through the loose sand and then on to firmer, damp sand. Freya then smiled wide as she saw Maggie on her right and Bailey on her left of the two columns of people. As a group they raised their lantern torches to pave the way. Ahead she could see one more person with a lantern torch stuck onto a funnel at the front of a small speed boat.
All the men lined up ahead of Bailey and all the women lined up ahead of Maggie and they all had beaming smiles, still in their wedding finery.
“Oh god, I might cry with happiness,” Freya said through the lump in her throat.
“Come on, let’s walk through,” he said.
Freya and Luke automatically held hands, their other hands stretched out at the waist and as they passed their family and friends. They too stuck their hands out and gave low high fives as they passed. Freya whispered her thank yous to Maggie, Daisy, Heidi, Erica and her mum. Freya glanced to the other side to see her dad wipe away a tear on his cheek.
“Have a wonderful time darling girl,” he said.
“Thanks Dad,” she replied.
Through her happy tears she kissed her mum’s cheek and gave her a cuddle while her mum wrapped one arm around her and raised the lantern high.
“I can’t wait to get your letters, my lovely. Tell me about all the places you visit. I want a postcard from everywhere,” she whispered into her ear.
“I will, Mum.”
Sniffing, she looked at Luke. Who gracefully swept her up bridal style, toed off his shoes and then walked into the water up to his shins and lifted her over the side of the boat. Keith was in the boat waiting for them. When she sat on the bench seat, she held out her hand for Luke to take so he could get in too. Archer came forward and dropped Luke’s shoes into the boat. Freya saw that all the men were barefoot and rolled their trousers up, where the women lifted their dresses and came into the water. Only Heidi let her dress dip into the sea not caring a jot she was getting soaked with the tide coming in.
“I’m going to miss you so much. This will be the longest we’ve ever been apart,” Heidi called out.
Freya burst into tears and waved at the assembled group.
“See you soon,” she called out as Keith started up the boat’s engine and then they were on the move.
The lantern torches shrunk as they moved away. Then she saw them move as her family and friends walked along the beach and then up the pathway. She could still see the tiny dots move as they sped away.
“Are we going on this boat the whole way?” Freya asked.
Luke chuckled and brought her near.
“No, Peaches. We are going on a bigger boat with a crew. Keith’s just dropping us off. All our luggage is on board along with your purse. As soon as we’re on the vessel, we’re setting sail.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. That all right with you?”
“Absolutely.”
Keith manoeuvred the boat so Freya and Luke could get on the yacht and then he gave them a salute and sped away.
The captain welcomed them aboard.
Luke spoke a few words to the captain after he introduced Freya. She could see this wasn’t the first time they had met by their relaxed conversation.
Freya wasn’t listening. Instead, she sipped the flute of champagne she had been offered as soon as she boarded and roamed around the deck. In the far distance she could see Turner Hall’s rooftops looming above the tree line. Noting the far end and seeing no lights on, she wondered if Cynthia was off the island or had gone to bed early. She hoped it was the former, thinking about the well-being of her new family.
She felt Luke before he touched her and turned just as he was approaching.
“You like the yacht?” he asked.
“It’s unreal and I’ve only seen this part of the deck.”
“I’ll give you a tour tomorrow. Let’s go down to our cabin.”
“Luke, this yacht is insane. It’s huge.”
“Yeah, it is. I chartered this yacht for us, but it’s big enough for twelve people. If you’re up for it, I thought perhaps the final week my brothers and sister, with Erica, Heidi and Nate, could come out and join us. A week off for them before the winter sets in. They’ll bring the kids too.”
“I’d love that,” Freya said.
They were walking and talking as Luke took her down a level from where they’d boarded. The plush beige carpet was like floating on air as she walked. Luke still had her wedding shoes in his hand and passed them to her when he got to the cabin door.
“I cannot wait to get in here so you can tell me what my surprise is that was so significant my brothers marched their wives off to an early night.”
Freya fidgeted on the spot thinking that she’d made more of her surprise than she needed to. Based on what she’d learned Luke had done for her for the wedding day her surprised seemed silly and self indulgent.
“Take your flats off, darling wife,” he said as he sank to his knees and helped her take off her gorgeous shoes.
Freya used his shoulders to balance as she put one foot in a purple velvet stiletto and then the other foot in the other shoe. Luke promptly stood, wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her flush with his body.
“Is your pussy bejewelled?”
Damn, maybe she should have sparkled up, Luke was so excited at his guess.
Freya gave an eek face and then planted her forehead on his chest.
“Is that what you wanted?” she asked, her voice muffled.
“No, darling wife, I’m guessing. I don’t care what it is. What I care about is that you thought of me and our wedding night when you did whatever you did.”
“Maybe you should have a feel first then have a look. Oh god, I feel so nervous now I’ve amped it up and made the other women do it too.”
“If my brothers and Nate went crazy over it, I will too. Now come on, let’s go in and pull up your skirts so I can see.”
He pushed open the door to their state room. Freya walked in and looked around.
The double bed was to her right and ahead was a curved wall. The drawn curtains prevented her from seeing the view. Side tables with lamps turned on. A sitting area with a love seat and glass coffee table.
“There’s a bathroom on the other side of the bed,” Luke said quietly as he closed the door.
“I’m fine right here.”
“Okay. Show me.”
“Feel, Luke. Let me know if you think it’s awful. Then I’ll show you.”
Luke gazed at her with a smirk. He dropped to his knees and found her ankles. Then his hands moved up her calves. She was staring down at the top of his head and then took a breath in when his eyes met hers.
They smouldered and scorched her insides.
“How far am I going, darling wife?”
“Is that my new name?”
“Just a different one. I like using it.”
“Okay.”
“Answer the question.”
“Bossy.”
“Mrs Turner,” he clipped but still with a smirk.
“All the way up, then pull my underwear down, then go all the way up again. No looking, just feeling.”
Another chuckle and he followed her commands. When his hands reached up to her thighs he grunt, he stood.
“Lift up your fucking skirts, Peaches. Now.”
A nervous chuckled caught in her throat then came out as a barked laugh.
“Luke,” she whispered.
“Not going to ask again. I’ll do it myself.”
Instead of following his orders, she went to the concealed zip at her torso, pulled it down and then shrugged each shoulder until the upper part of her dress was at her waist. Luke stepped back and clasped a hand over his mouth when she shook her hips and the dress fell to the floor.
Freya stood before him naked with a pair of shoes that cost thousands. They were expensive because they were custom made that allowed her to wear them all day and not get painful feet. She sent silent good wishes to Erica.
“Jesus fuck, how did I get so lucky.”
“You don’t think it’s slutty?” Freya asked quietly.
“Are you kidding? I don’t think I’ve ever been this hard seeing you naked. You’re pussy lips are so smooth when they’re bare.”
“I was thinking if we’re going to be skin to skin with no barriers, then let there be no barriers at all. I love rocking on your cock until you slide inside me and I wanted to feel that bare.”
“Fucking hell.”
“I wonder what it will be like with a bit of stubble?” Freya said.
Luke misunderstood, and he demonstrated this when he asked, “How long until it grows back?”
“I meant your stubble.”
Then Luke was back on his knees, with his knuckles tracing her pussy lips. Then his face was between her thighs and his hands on her arse.
“I want you like this all the time, Peaches,” he said.
“Okay,” Freya replied to the ceiling as her head fell back when he swiped at her.
As Cynthia Turner nursed an untouched martini, sitting on the terrace of her home in Lake Como she mused about what she could have done differently to have a happier life. At which point in her life could she have made a different decision and her brother would still be alive to see his children marry, his grandchildren come into the world. Which decision would have made it possible that she could live with her beloved Jonathan and Benny and watch him get married and have children of his own?
There wasn’t a single action that she could think of that would have changed her fate. Apart from not being born at all.
One thing she was sure about. She would live out the rest of her life at her home in Italy and never step foot on Copper Island again. Until she died and then was laid to rest next to Jonathan and Benny.
That was the only request she put in the letter to Archer. A pact so to speak. She would never return until she was dead. If she had learned anything about Archer Turner, she knew he would agree to the request.
Thank you for reading The Turner Series. I’ve mentioned before I wanted to write a female villain. I wanted to write about four people who would not succumb to the villainy she set and rise above it despite their childhoods. I wanted to write a character where the reader was torn about whether to feel sorry for her or loathe her.
Thank you for reading all of it.