Epilogue #2
He put his hand around her waist, walking her to her chambers so she could freshen up as well. There was a lightness to his step that he could not at first identify.
Then, he realized that it was happiness he felt. He stopped at Helena’s door and twirled her in his arms, before swooping in to kiss her passionately, hand on her cheek, tongue in her mouth.
She kissed him back with just as much enthusiasm, if not more.
Heavens, she was the best thing he had ever tasted.
“Go on,” he said, stepping back. “I’ll see you in a moment.”
Dinner was a quiet but companionable affair. Amelia was inclined to prattle on about the Regent and how different he’d seemed from all the accounts she’d heard of him.
“He seemed to like you, Helena,” she said.
“He liked that I gave him the diadem,” Helena said drily.
To her surprise, Charlie laughed out loud. She flicked a glance at him and then looked at Silas with wide eyes. He gave a shrug and kept eating.
“They’ll leave us alone now?” Charlie asked.
Helena reached for his hand, squeezing hard. “Yes, they will.”
He nodded once. “Good.”
Helena watched him with soft eyes. Her brother had been through so much. She did not know if he would ever be fine, but she vowed to do everything she could to help him.
After dinner, Jeeves brought a large chocolate gateau with cream and coffee with brandy for dessert. They dug into it with gusto.
“Helena? You remember you promised me pralines if I was polite?” Amelia said, a bit of cream on her cheek.
Helena leaned forward and wiped it off with a smile. “Tomorrow, I promise. I thought we were tired today.”
Amelia yawned, even as she shook her head.
Helena grinned at her, patting her cheek affectionately. “Tomorrow. This gateau is enough for tonight.”
Silas also yawned. “Speaking of tired…”
Helena looked at him, “Time for bed?”
“Long past,” Silas agreed.
They finished dessert, and made sure Amelia and Charlie made their way to bed before going to find their own rest.
Patricia was waiting for her, lavender-scented bath already drawn, gently steaming in the firelight. She helped Helena out of her clothes and lowered her down into the water.
Helena sank into it with a sigh of relief, her eyes closed. She let Patricia rub her feet, and scrub her back, before she cleaned the rest of her body, dismissing Patricia.
“I’m just going to enjoy the warm water until it grows cold and then I’ll go to bed. You can go Patty.”
“All right then. Goodnight, Your Grace,” she curtsied and left with a smile.
Helena sighed, closing her eyes and letting the gentle lapping of the water soothe her tired bones. The soft candlelight made her somnolent and she hummed to herself in order to stay awake.
“Beautiful,” a low baritone said, and she smiled.
“You’re too quiet. Make some noise when you move,” she said without opening her eyes.
Silas laughed, splashing some water on her chest before rubbing her skin gently.
“Do you intend to steep in the tub all night?” His finger trailed down her torso and she tensed in reaction, butterflies erupting in her belly.
“No. I thought I’d wait for you here.”
He took her hand. “Well, I’m here now.” He helped her to her feet. She stood up, and looked him in the eye, unabashedly.
“Take me to bed,” she whispered.
“Your wish is my command.
He slowly took his robe off, and she saw that he was naked underneath. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, his eyes never leaving hers. He lay her down, gently and climbed onto the bed, straddling her.
“I await your command, my lady,” he said.
She reached up and wrapped her hand around his neck, pulling him down. “Kiss me.”
He swooped down and took her lips with his. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip before nipping at it then pulling it into his mouth and suckling.
She moaned at the pleasure of it, her body squirming beneath his. He kissed along her jaw, and blew in her ear. She shivered from her shoulders down to her toes.
“Make love to me,” she whispered.
“I am.” He stuck his tongue in her ear and she cried out, body arching off the bed.
“N-no need for that,” she said in a quivering voice, “I’m ready.”
He chuckled against her skin, licking a strip over her neck before trailing down to her breasts. He suckled her left nipple gently, while flicking at the right with his finger.
“Oh!” she sighed, bosom heaving.
Exchanging nipples, he suckled the right and played with the left with his finger.
“Silas,” she moaned pleadingly.
He moved to her belly, kissing down to her center. Her breath caught as he spread her legs. She gasped as his tongue flicked out, licking at every sensitive inch of her warm wetness.
Her hips jerked and she moaned, spreading her legs wider, wanting him to possess her.
“Silas, please.”
He grinned, sliding up her body to kiss her mouth, his arms holding her tight. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he slid easily into her.
She gave a long moan, breathing in his clean, sandalwood scent. Clutching at his buttocks, she pulled him deeper into her, unable to get enough of him.
Taking his cue from her, he began to thrust in earnest, the force of which had her moving up the bed. She cried out in delight, her hands spread wide as she arched her back and undulated her hips, helping him to go deeper inside of her.
“Silas,” she groaned.
He kissed her throat, growling as he held onto her shoulders and drove into her with passionate force.
“Oh, yes. Please,” she moaned.
He did as she asked, pushing her almost to the headboard but he placed his hand out in time to prevent her hitting her head.
“Helena,” he moaned her name as his hips stuttered, face red and veins standing out with the effort of his actions.
They kissed, hard and long, as their bodies danced in synchronous joy. He pulled back, burying his head in her neck, his breath warm on her skin as he drove her to ever increasing bliss with every thrust, every swirl of his hips, every press of his body into hers.
She wrapped her arms and legs tighter around him, groaning as she gave herself over to the pleasure of his lovemaking, her vision going white as climax took her over.
She collapsed onto the bed as he emptied his seed into her. Afterwards he held onto her tight, panting gently into her shoulder. Helena could not help the smile on her face as she squirmed a bit, at the wetness between her legs.
Suddenly, she gasped. “Oh, I am late,” she exclaimed.
Silas lifted his head from her shoulder, gazing at her quizzically, “Late for what?”
“My courses are late. Very late,” she said in wonder.
He sat up, staring at her in shock. “Are you sure?”
“Well, I’m sure that I’m late.”
“Oh,” he said, wonder in his eyes. His hand snaked onto her belly, rubbing gently. “Do you think that right now… in here…” He stared at her belly, as if he might see it growing if he looked long enough.
She sat up as well. “Now that I think about it, I have been feeling quite sick lately, especially in the morning. I’ve cast up my accounts at least three days this week.”
She could see how fast he was breathing. “God… I didn’t think it would happen this fast.”
“We’re not yet completely sure, Silas.”
“Yes, we will summon a physician to examine you in the morning.” He palmed her cheek, looking in her eyes.
“But… now that I look at you…” he shook his head, “I must say that you’ve been looking even more lovely than usual lately.
Your skin is aglow.” He rubbed her cheek, gazing lovingly at her. “Everything about you is… lit up.”
She blushed, looking away from him. “Now you’re being facetious,” she said.
“I am not, my beautiful wife. You are… luminescent.”
“Or you are seeing what you want to see.”
He smiled. “Time will tell, I suppose.”
She nodded, reaching forward to press her lips to his. “Indeed, it will.”
She kissed him harder, pushing him backward onto the bed and straddling him as they both giggled.
She pulled up to look him in the eye. “But you’re happy? Would it be good news?”
He cupped her face, staring intently into her eyes. “It would be the best news I have ever received. I know Amelia will be ecstatic too. She loves babies. And I assume your brother will be delighted not to be the youngest one around anymore. He despises being coddled.”
“But we’ll wait to tell them, won’t we? Until we’re sure?”
“Of course.” He rubbed his hands up and down her sides. “We’ll do whatever you want.”
He kissed her shoulder and enveloped her in his embrace. She snuggled into him, smiling to herself.
“I am terrified,” she whispered. “But I’m also filled with so much joy I hardly know what to do with it.”
He laughed softly. “Yes.”
She looked up at him. “You feel it too?”
He gently rubbed her back. “That. And more. We must get you the very best care, and I’ll look after you as best I can.”
“I know you will.” She said softly, laying her head against his chest. “Thank you.”
They lay in silence, Helena’s head on Silas’s chest. The fire crackled in the fireplace as light rain pattered against the window. It was peaceful and Helena was pleasantly tired. Slowly, she felt all her muscles relax and her eyes flutter closed.
Silas’s voice broke into her somnolence. “Darling?”
“Yes, husband?”
“I love you.”
She smiled. “I love you too, Silas,” she whispered.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek as she slowly drifted off into peaceful sleep.
The End?