Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Freya
L uke came back to the cottage and found her curled up in bed, reading on her tablet. She tilted her head up as he walked through the open doorway with a holdall in his hand. One that she recognised as hers.
“Hey, Luke,” she said.
Not having spoken since he woke an hour ago, she hadn’t realised her throat was so sore.
“I left you a bottle of water on the side,” he said, nodding to the bedside table.
She tossed her phone on the carpeted floor and sat up, struggling on the memory foam mattress. The mattress was a foot-high, moulded to her body in such a way she never wanted to leave the bed. Eventually, with the covers tucked under her chin, she grabbed the bottle and twisted it off. She drank half the small bottle and placed it back on the table. Not moving a muscle, she watched as Luke toed off his shoes and put them in his walk-in closet. He came back out shirtless and in cut-off work-out shorts. She watched as he disappeared into the bathroom and heard the shower water hitting the tiles. When he came back out, he had a towel wrapped around his waist. The gulp she took reminded her that she had a sore throat from hell.
“Did you know that’s my side?” he asked, his head tilted with a warm grin.
“Should I scoot over to the other side?”
“No, I like you there. Let’s get you showered, and then we can get back into bed. I brought clothing, mainly warm stuff, in case we sit out in Archer’s back area. Hopefully, you’re warm enough in this bedroom.”
“I’d be warm enough in my own home,” she ventured.
The last thing she wanted to be was a burden.
“I know, but I couldn’t monitor you there.”
Luke tugged the covers away and then lifted her ankles, so she had to put her feet on the floor. She eyed him curiously as he took her hands and lifted her to standing.
“Arms up, Peaches,” he whispered, not looking her in the eye.
She raised her arms above her head, and he pulled her shirt off, leaving her in her panties.
“You’re stunning, Freya,” he said to her breasts and then lifted his head to look her in the eye.
His searing gaze, full of seriousness and affection, took her aback. “I am not worthy of you, but I’m going to try to be,” he said.
Before Freya could reply, he was kneeling, pulling her panties down to her ankles. She stepped out of them, and he took her shirt and underwear in one hand and her wrist in the other. Then, leading her into the bathroom, he pulled off his towel, draped it on the vanity unit and tossed her clothes in the laundry hamper. Then they were under the hot steaming shower.
“Are you okay with using my stuff, or do you want yours?” Luke asked.
Stunned that he thought of her, she immediately answered. “Yours is fine,” she said quietly.
Freya didn’t want to speak. Luke had never been this attentive, this quiet, this loving. She thought if she spoke too loudly, it would shatter the moment. She took the second sponge he’d hung up for her and lathered her body in suds watching Luke more than she was concentrating on her own hygiene. She washed her hair and then rinsed, getting out of the shower first.
“There’s a robe on the back of the door,” he said.
He joined her at the vanity unit and helped her with his robe. It fell to her feet and swamped her body. He tied the belt and then tucked his fingers under the lapels, so she was inches from him. She was mesmerised by his eyes searching her face. Was she a closed book because she wanted to tell him everything in her heart but lacked the words?
“How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been up an hour, and I already want a nap,” she said, slumping against his body.
“Let’s get you back to bed. I’ll bring up some lunch, and we can eat and talk, then I’ll let you sleep.”
“Don’t you have to get to work?”
“Nope, Archer is taking care of things with Jason so I can spend the day with you, make sure you’re okay. Don’t underestimate nearly drowning has on you. I’m sure you’ll feel a lot better by this evening, but I want to make sure.”
“All right,” Freya said .
She stood on tiptoe and kissed his jaw. “I like you taking care of me.”
“And I like taking care of you.”
Luke kissed her, taking it deep and wet for a few moments, then backed away, giving her a cheeky grin while he palmed himself. “Get changed if you need your clothes, and get into bed.”
Freya didn’t move as Luke grabbed a pair of black boxers off the side cabinet and then pulled on a black t-shirt. She couldn’t get over how fabulous his body was. She’d never seen him without clothes since they were kids. The tattoos were a surprise.
“I never knew you had body art,” she said. “You never mentioned it in your letters.”
“It was a phase where I really loved it and then got bored. I don’t regret the ones I have but I doubt I’d get any more.”
“They’re beautiful.”
“Stop saying nice words and get into bed.”
“Yes, bossy pants.”
Weariness swept over Freya as she crawled into bed. He pulled up the covers and then bent to kiss her temple.
“If you’re perkier later on, I have a surprise for you, but only if you perk up.”
“All right, I’ll try my best.”
“Peaches, if anything had happened to you….”
“It didn’t, Luke. I have a sore throat which is probably from working too many hours at the school. I’m tired, but then that’s expected after a shocking experience.”
“Okay. I’ll go get food, and then remind me to tell you all about Jonathan Cranford,” Luke said, walking away.
“Luke,” she snapped. “You can’t walk away and make me wait. ”
“Ah, awesome, perkier already. Roll from side to side so you warm up both sides of the bed,” he said, disappearing from view.
“No,” she shouted.
Freya heard his chuckle and grinned.
“It’s not awkward at all having sex with my best friend,” she muttered.
Freya ate beef stew and crusty bread and then immediately fell asleep. She wanted to hear how Luke knew who Jonathan Cranford was. She might have knocked her head, but she didn’t recognise the name. She didn’t hear anything further than Luke telling her he went to the head teacher to call in sick for her.
“Time to wake up, Peaches,” Luke cooed into her neck.
She’d been half awake for ten minutes, but with Luke’s body pressed against her back while she slept on her side, she didn’t want to move anywhere.
“Who is Jonathan Cranford?” she asked.
Luke chuckled and kissed her neck. “Are your eyes open yet?”
“No, doesn’t mean my brain isn’t switched on. It feels like I’m missing a bit of information.”
“That’s because you are, and I forgot you were asleep when I found out and weren’t at the powwow this morning.”
Shifting onto her back and then onto her other side, she opened her eyes to Luke peering down at her. “Hey,” she said shyly.
“Hey,” he whispered back and pressed his lips to hers.
“This isn’t weird, is it?” she asked, praying for a no.
“No, it’s like we’ve always been this close.”
“Good.”
“While you were sleeping yesterday evening, I stayed awake and went onto the ancestry website. Dearest Aunt Cynthia had two children.”
“Sod off,” Freya said and shifted to sitting up crossed-legged.
Luke nodded and felt her forehead. “Getting better and better. The surprise might still be on.”
“I want the surprise, and I don’t even know what it is, but I really want to know about Cynthia’s kids.”
“The first child was stillborn, and there is no record of much else. The second is alive. Born in 1983, making him or her older than Archer.”
“That makes him or her the Turner heir.”
Luke snapped his fingers and pointed at her, seemingly impressed. “Exactly. So all of what we’re trying to achieve here could be taken away as soon as Cynthia dies.”
“Oh, Luke, how do you feel about that?”
“Before the water incident, I was already lost as to what to do with my life, but then you happened, and I was thrilled beyond words you feel the same way about me as I do you.”
Freya reached out her hand and cupped his cheek. “But?”
“I still don’t have a job I enjoy, and I don’t know if investing all our energies into Edward Hall is going to be a waste of time. Cynthia could live as long as Grandfather, and he was a hundred and three when he died.”
“Luke, if you decide to leave the island, you’ve got to know I’m coming with you this time. I’ll buy a substantial amount of barely there lingerie to persuade you to stay because Sabrina is the bomb, but I’ll follow you anywhere in the world.”
“You mean that?”
“With all of my heart. If you’re desperately unhappy staying, even if it’s resolved that Edward Hall is safe, I’ll move away with you. We’re a team now.”
“I need to get you a ring, Peaches and book Reverend Sprite,” he vowed.
“You need to propose first, honey.”
“That too.”
He dropped his face out of her view, and all she saw was the top of his head. She leaned in and kissed his crown, and left her lips there.
“Who is Jonathan Cranford?”
She moved back before he lifted his head. Luke grabbed her hips and lifted her onto his lap, then he fell back and brought the covers up.
“All right, story time. I searched through the records and found Cynthia Turner had two descendants, but I don’t know any more until I get the birth certificates. It shows Jonathan Cranford as the father. There is no record of them marrying, not under British law, but maybe that was deliberate, so her father never knew. I can’t imagine Dad cared, but their father was mean as a snake, and so was their grandfather.”
He shifted them to get more comfortable, hitched her leg by the back of her knee, and draped it over him.
“I was already pissed off by this news and had a plan today to go to your boss, tell him you’re unwell, then go and see Cynthia and have it out with her. But the conversation I had with Mr Morris was shocking. He knew who Jonathan Cranford was.”
“No,” Freya said.
“Yes, and he hates him, having never met him. Wanna know why?”
“Yeah.”
“Jonathan Cranford was set to be the new maths teacher at your school, except he was exiled from the island like this is the 1300s. Your now head teacher was only a few years into his teaching career and had to take Jonathan’s classes as there wasn’t enough time to hire a replacement. He ended up doing it so long, he lost his wife, and she took his kids away to the mainland.”
“Holy hell. Who kicked him off the island?”
“My grandfather.”
“Why?”
“This is the shocker because he fell in love with Cynthia, and the match wasn’t approved.”
“Oh no,” Freya said. “But she stayed with him, anyway.”
“I’m not sure how. She was always at Turner Hall when we were growing up. She hated my mum. They were always fighting. But then I was young when mum left, so maybe that was in my head. Archer and Jason have always maintained the same view.”
“I can’t imagine anyone liking Cynthia. I know she’s your aunt, but she doesn’t come across as warm and fuzzy. If your dad was away for three weeks at a time, it would have been the two of them in that big house.”
“True.”
“So she had two children by him. I wonder where the second child is? What about Jonathan? Is he still alive?”
“There are no death records, so we have to assume he’s still alive although it shows he’s younger than her, by a few years, four, I think it said.”
“I bet back in the 70s, dating a man four years younger would’ve been scandalous. This island seems to be twenty years behind the rest of the world, making it 1950s mentality.”
“Agreed. So we have a few more puzzle pieces, but I think they’re from a different puzzle. ”
“When are you going to confront Cynthia?”
“Tomorrow. I think you’re okay with the surprise this evening. It doesn’t mean you have to go to work tomorrow if you don’t feel up to it. I got the impression that Mr Morris’s anger is at the Turners and guilt by association. You got caught up in it. You’ve covered most of their sick leave. It’s about time they covered yours.”
“I’ll see how I feel in the morning.”
“Okay. Are you hungry?”
“Not really, but I might be later.”
“Great. Let’s go on a little surprise and then we can go to Jason’s place for dinner. Everyone is meeting there, and he’s cooking.”
“Sounds fabulous. What should I wear?”
“Something warm. It’s all coming off for the surprise, anyway. But the warm clothing will be good for dinner as they like to eat alfresco, and it may be late Spring, but it can still get chilly.”
“You’re so sweet when you’re looking after me.”
“You’re worth looking after, Peaches.”
He kissed her stupid and then let her roll out of bed to get changed.
They walked across the lawns behind the cottages and past the end. It wasn’t long before Freya was led to a secluded area. Large multi-wick candles were lit inside lanterns around a natural steaming pool. The pool itself was lit as well. It looked pretty as a brochure, but her feet were rooted to the spot.
“We’re getting back on the horse, Peaches. It’s something my dad always said to all of us. Face your fears head-on. This is as much for me as it is for you. Although I think I get the bonus of seeing you wet and naked again. ”
“Luke,” she said, her bottom lip wobbling. “I can’t get back in the water.”
“I’ll help you. This pool isn’t deep. I’ve put underwater lights in there. Heidi came and lit the candles when you were getting changed. I really think we should do this. I know anyone can drown in a puddle, but standing in that water would only come up to your hips.”
“Won’t it be cold?”
“That’s the surprise,” he said.
“I thought this secret pool was the surprise.”
“Nope.”
Luke let go of her hand and went over to a tree. He picked up a set of screens and positioned them around the small pool to give them privacy. He left one of the concertina doors open. Cocooning the pool brought a sudden darkness to the area and, with it, seclusion.
“I’ll be with you the entire time. I will not let you go. Come on,” Luke said, tugging on her hand.
She let him lead her as she hummed deeply with foreboding until she reached the edge. There was definitely steam coming off the water. The rock edge was not unlike the cave she’d been florin hunting in. The bowl of the pool looked pearlescent.
“All right, as long as you don’t leave me alone, not for a minute.”
“I promise. I’ll get in first and then help you in, but you need to get naked to get the full experience.”
“Okay, I trust you.”
Luke’s face faltered for a second then he grinned wide. He pulled off his clothes and draped them over a rock beside the pool. He then dropped into the water to demonstrate the water only came halfway up his thighs. She pulled down the zipper of her hoodie and put it on top of Luke’s clothes. When she saw his nipples harden and he shivered, she hurried with the rest and stood at the pool’s side. Luke came right up to her, kissed her midriff, and then wrapped his arms around her legs under her bottom. With one lift, he took her off the ledge and lowered her into the pool.
“You’re so strong,” she whispered, draping her arms over his shoulders.
“For you,” he said. “Put your legs around me.”
She lifted her thighs, and Luke put his hands under her bottom, his fingers slipping between her cheeks. Then he carefully sat down and submerged them to their necks.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, clinging on to him for dear life. “It’s so warm in here. How did you manage it?”
“It’s nature, Peaches. This is a natural mineral spring. The heat is coming from the earth. Pretty cool right?”
“It is. Have you always known about it?”
“I remember Dad saying something about it. But it was Archer’s suggestion to bring you here. I thought we could use the pool at Turner Hall, but he said if I wasn’t comfortable, then it would be better if only I saw it.”
“You have a great brother.”
“The other one isn’t bad. He has comfort food waiting for you when we get back. It’s already ready in the slow cooker, just in case you weren’t ready for this. Heidi told me what to pack and got this place ready. Erica wanted to help too, but Archer has forbidden her to walk on uneven ground.”
“You have awesome brothers and their wives.”
“I’m hoping I’ll have an awesome wife soon too.”
Before she could reply, Luke lifted her up and then down on his cock until he was fully buried. She let out a long sigh and rested her forehead on his shoulder. It didn’t take long before they were softly calling out their climax. Luke beat her to it, but with a little help, she got there too. If ever there was a way to associate water with something good, it would be having sex with Luke in a natural spa.
“I love you, Luke Turner.”
“I’ve always loved you, Freya Riley.”