Chapter 21
Time seemed to both slow down and flash by as the young couple reveled in their newly obtained unity.
The hunting cottage, tucked into the back corner of Waverley, provided Alaina and Christopher privacy; privacy to explore, to learn, and to just be.
Almost as if the weather predicted the first week’s activities, the sky was gray and the environment was wet, inhospitable to do anything out of doors.
Alaina and Christopher took advantage of this time to explore the benefits of the large four-poster bed in the main bedroom, as well as what unique and evocative opportunities could be found around every corner or at least in every room, revisiting the study a few times to relive and even reinvent memories.
On the settee, this time better equipped with a blanket to keep away the chill that followed, Alaina and Christopher shared themselves in body and in spirit, whiling away the hours talking after lovemaking.
Many nights ended with Alaina and Christopher sharing a bath in front of the fireplace, their evening repast of simple rations, easiest for them to prepare without household help, lying mostly unfinished on a table beside the tub.
Time not spent exploring the more intimate moments of marriage was spent in quiet domesticity.
Christopher cared for the horse at regular intervals, Alaina tidying while he did so, and each of them contributed to making or preparing food, hands wandering in the process.
Hopes and dreams for the future were shared in whispers, with giggles or a serious mien.
Both Alaina and Christopher were ever surprised and warmed by the depth, intellect, and vision of their other half, and yet also unsurprised by these qualities in their choice of partner.
When the rain cleared later in the week, Alaina and Christopher took a ride in the same phaeton they had used to traverse the path to the hunting lodge.
It was a meandering journey to explore the outskirts of the estate, in part to enjoy the weather, and in part to better familiarize Alaina with the grounds.
To Alaina’s surprise, they headed on the path away from the hunting lodge, deeper into the woods that surrounded it.
“Are we still on Rochester land?” Alaina questioned as they rounded another bend in the gravel path.
“Yes, my dear. Never fear I shall wander us into danger,” Christopher smiled, soaking in both the bursts of sun through the dense canopy and his wife’s nearness, her arm gently tucked inside his elbow as he steered the conveyance, her thigh pressed up against his own.
They rode along a few minutes more before the trees began to thin and Alaina could see a field ahead.
Christopher spoke almost as if he anticipated what her question would be.
“Alaina, my love, this might be my favorite part of the estate, although you have made a compelling case to move the hunting cabin to the top. There is little else I have seen to rival this, and we are here at the perfect time of day.”
As Christopher spoke those words, the sunlight broke through the trees and Alaina beheld a wonderful sight.
Lines of trees seemed to go on for miles, a fence to the right of the path surrounding what Alaina could guess was an orchard.
So early in the season it was not the scent of ripe fruit that greeted them, but one of flowers and promise.
“Apples, I presume?” Alaina smiled.
“Apples,” Christopher stated plainly, a boyish grin gracing his chiseled face. “I guess it is nothing so spectacular, but I used to come and spend much of my time here; it was peaceful, I guess, with shade enough to read under, and a ready snack depending on the time of year.”
Alaina giggled and snuggled closer to her husband as he slowed the conveyance beside a gate to the orchard.
Christopher regretfully disengaged himself from Alaina only for enough time as was required to step down and turn.
Alaina followed quickly behind, making her way to the edge of the bench of the phaeton, where Christopher plucked her down by the waist as if she weighed nothing, setting her down in front of him so their bodies touched.
They both seemed captivated by the other, their eyes locked and smiles shared.
Alaina’s clean scent of roses drifted to Christopher, and he was reminded of an earlier encounter.
“You know, when I handed you down from the carriage at Graham’s estate, I could barely imagine anything so wonderful as this moment.
I will admit though that you interrupted my thoughts, when you tested my reflexes that day. ”
“I tested you? I fear you caught me off guard. Kissing me and then never mentioning it again, immediately going back to the brooding bachelor. I dissected every comment, every closeness, every touch. I felt I may go mad,” Alaina said, the teasing tone in her voice lightening her statement.
“Besides, there is no way you imagined this very moment.”
Christopher turned his head to the sky in laughter, thankful for his life, and the quick wit of his wife, before settling his eyes back on Alaina’s face, seeing the love he felt reflected back at him. “You are quite right, my dear, but maybe a moment just like this one. I love you.”
And with that he softly kissed Alaina, their bodies melting together as they stood in each other’s arms, time standing still.
When Christopher pulled back, it was with a pang of regret, but that was soon overshadowed by his excitement.
Ignoring the knot in his belly, he clasped Alaina’s hand in his own and pulled her through the gate of the orchard, excited to share his thoughts, his joy, and his life with her.
The sun was setting over the field when Alaina and Christopher made their way back to the hunting cottage, both content and at ease with the world.
Christopher had shown Alaina the sprawling apple orchard, explaining the different varieties, which trees gave the best shade, and even showing her where he had fallen from one tree in search of the best apple, sure he had broken some bone when he had not.
Alaina reveled in the opportunity to learn all there was to know about her husband, his joys, his memories, and even his hurts.
Christopher opened up about his childhood, his father who was almost never home, and how difficult it was when his mother, so happy and full of life, had turned so closed and melancholy after a rift had opened between his uncle and his father.
Then Christopher’s heart had broken even further when his mother died years later, putting his father into a constant state of drunken moroseness.
After that, he saw little of anyone until Eton, where he met Graham and ultimately became a member of his family.
A common theme was Christopher’s value of family and disappointment in his own.
His parents had been absent much of his life, both emotionally and physically.
Christopher’s connection to his cousin had been severed by some rift between his father and uncle.
The relationship with Charles had only healed in recent years, since both patriarchs had passed away.
Where some people may have become bitter from experience, this seemed to make Christopher acutely aware of his own friends, some of whom were practically family, and their needs.
Alaina, by comparison, had little to lament in her life, save for the embarrassment she experienced early in her first season in society and some unkind remarks or insinuations, much of which her parents had shielded her from.
Nonetheless, both listened to the other’s hopes and fears, and goals and regrets, with equal empathy; they knew that better knowledge of each spouse was required for a happy union and future life full of joy.
Alaina sighed contentedly, the day beautiful and wonderful, with the man she loved. She snuggled closer to Christopher, safely ensconced under his arm as they made their way up the winding path through the trees.
As they approached the back of the hunting cabin, darkness was descending, and Alaina was immediately unsettled by the sight of what had been her and Christopher’s safe haven the last few days.
One of the windows on the second floor stood ajar, the slight breeze causing an eerie creaking of its hinges as if to warn the couple away.
By the stables, Alaina saw that the earth had been disturbed by something resembling horse hooves, but the jumble of markings made it impossible to determine how many horses, or riders for that matter.
The chestnut mare pulling the phaeton nickered as they approached and Alaina realized, distracted as she had been, that she had hardly noticed Christopher alert at her side. It seemed he was equally unsettled.
In silence, Christopher pulled the phaeton alongside the large stables, but not inside, and turned to Alaina with a finger to his lips, his stern expression almost lost in the receding light.
Christopher climbed out and helped Alaina down, looping the reins of the horse quickly around a nearby fencepost, to allow for a quick getaway should they need one.
Coming around the stone pathway leading to the front door, Alaina followed closely and quietly behind Christopher.
She glanced around his broad-shouldered torso as they walked, finding the door to the cottage carelessly ajar.
Alaina shivered as they slowly approached the open portal.
Christopher motioned for her to stay put while he retreated inside, gone only a few moments before reappearing through that same portal. Alaina jumped, unaware until that moment of how afraid she was that someone other than Christopher would walk out, or that he would be hurt.
“Let’s go.” Christopher firmly clasped Alaina’s hand, waiting for her feet to catch up to his as they quickly made their way back to their conveyance.