Chapter 7 #2
“I need to show you something. It’s important!” Tilly insisted as they walked, her grip on Edith’s arm surprisingly strong.
“What could be so important that you need to take me there immediately?” Edith pressed.
“You’ll see!”
Edith raised an eyebrow but didn’t pull away.
Tilly marched her into the room and pointed at Laurence, who was reading. He looked up at the pair and offered a small, questioning smile.
“What’s happening?”
“I’m not sure. Tilly said that she had to show me something—”
Click.
Edith’s eyes widened as she heard the door close. When she tried to open it, it only rattled in its frame. On the other side, she could hear Tilly giggling.
“Tilly! Open the door!” Edith called out.
Laurence rose from his seat. “What’s happening?” he asked, and also tried the door. “Tilly. Open. The. Door,” he growled.
“No!” Tilly laughed.
“Miss Tilly! Where did you find that key?” they heard Abigail ask.
“I’m not telling you!” Tilly cackled and sprinted away, her footsteps fading down the hall.
“Tilly!” Edith called out.
“Catch her!” Laurence shouted through the door.
“Where did she go?” they heard another servant ask.
“This way!” someone else, more distant, called.
A thunder of footsteps rushed past the room, and then there was only silence.
Edith rubbed her face in exasperation. “That girl…”
“How could you let her do that?” Laurence snapped.
“I didn’t let her do anything!”
“You should have known she had the key.”
“How could I have known when she hid it from me?” Edith growled.
“You’re her guardian. You need to instill discipline and—”
“Will you cease telling me how to raise her?” Edith snapped, taking a step closer. “You promised I could do as I saw fit with her, yet you seize every opportunity to dictate how I ought to act!”
“I—”
“And that says nothing about how you treat her.”
“What do you mean?” he asked defensively.
“You scold her for being a child, then you act affectionately or buy her a doll, and then you ignore her once again.”
“That is not—”
“Do you know how confusing that is for a child?”
“She needs to learn—”
“I will decide what she needs to learn!” Edith hissed.
Laurence grabbed her by the forearms. “Will you stop and listen to me?” he barked.
Edith opened and closed her mouth, frowning. Laurence took a deep breath and released her.
“I… am still learning,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “But my focus must be on the duchy. I cannot cater to her every will and whim, or there would be chaos.”
“That isn’t what I am asking of you,” Edith said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Children need care and consistency. If you cannot care for her, then at least be consistent.”
“Our agreement—”
“Did not include you caring for us. However, you also promised that she would no longer be scared. I can endure a loveless marriage, but I do not want Tilly to endure a loveless life,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself.
Something she couldn’t place flickered in his eyes, and he took a step forward. “Edith, I will protect you both. I promised you that,” he said softly.
“You’re not doing a good job at shielding her from your disdain,” she whispered. She saw the confusion in his eyes. “Just… never mind. I know you do not care for us.”
“Edith, that’s not—” he started.
She turned to walk away, but her shoe caught in the rug. She gasped, bracing herself as she fell.
Laurence’s arms wrapped around her in an instant, his eyes wide with concern. Edith stared at him, her heart hammering in her chest.
“Are you all right?” he asked gently.
“I—yes… thank you.”
His eyes softened, but he made no move to release her. Instead, he drew her close and gently righted her.
Edith realized that she did not mind being so close to him. Far from it; his embrace was strong, warm, and comforting.
He watched her cautiously, as if she were a wild animal that might bolt. Instead, she stayed in his arms.
She wasn’t running from him. She wasn’t looking at his scars. Laurence felt his mouth go dry as he looked at the beautiful woman in his arms. He leaned closer, testing whether she would panic, but to his surprise, that dusting of pink he adored seeing on her cheeks bloomed once more.
He did not like to admit that he enjoyed being able to make her blush. He wasn’t meant to care, and he knew that all too well.
Some baser instinct, a desire for something more than just a stranger for a wife, stirred inside him. Their noses were touching, like they had been that day in the carriage.
No matter what he did, he could not seem to scare this woman away.
Without another thought, he leaned in slowly, feeling her lips with his. His kiss was soft and searching. He wasn’t sure if it would change everything or nothing.
Edith responded, hungrily pressing her lips to his, lighting a fire inside him that suddenly burned so brightly it consumed time and space, fusing him to her.
He wanted more of her. There would never be enough affection, kisses, or caresses to satiate his desire.
His tongue brushed against the seam of her lips. He had never been a man who begged or pleaded. But at that moment, he knew that he would if it meant he could have more. More of her.
Edith gasped, and their lips quickly found an eager rhythm.
Holding and kissing his wife suddenly felt like the most natural thing in the world. It felt like he’d finally found home.
After several moments, they pulled back from each other. He moved to close the gap between them once again, his large hand tangling into her honey-blonde hair. It felt like silk against his fingers and smelled of roses and summer rain.
Wrapping his free arm around her waist, he pressed his tongue against her mouth, and she parted her lips. He groaned as their tongues touched, tasted, and explored.
Click.
Laurence pulled back quickly as the lock released and the door opened.
“There we go,” the housekeeper said, shaking her head.
What in God’s name just happened? What have I done?
“Finally,” he growled, trying to ignore his thundering heart and Edith’s taste on his lips.
He walked over to the open window overlooking the garden and leaned out. “Never do that again, Tilly.”
Edith watched him leave, too stunned to speak. He had kissed her, not once but twice. And with an unexpected passion that had made her weak with desire.
“Where is Tilly now?” Her voice trembled.
“Still running in circles around the staff in the gardens, I’d wager,” the housekeeper said with a dry chuckle.
Edith nodded. Her lips were still burning from Laurence’s kisses.
“Your Grace, are you quite all right?” the housekeeper asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Edith opened her mouth and then closed it again. She did not know.
“I—yes, I just… need some fresh air,” she lied, walking out of the room and toward the gardens.
Once safely behind the castle and away from prying eyes, she sank onto a bench and touched her lips.
Her heart thudded in her chest as the vivid scene replayed in her mind. His large hand wrapped around her waist. The scent of his cologne, like musk and dates. The taste of his full lips and the press of his tongue against hers.
She felt a groan growing in her throat and covered her face with her hands.
“Are you all right, Your Grace?”
Edith gasped and looked up. Tilly had materialized out of nowhere and was looking at her with utter innocence… still with the key in her hand.
“Give me that,” Edith said, taking the key. “You were very naughty, locking me and His Grace in that room.”
Tilly nodded solemnly, but her eyes sparkled, and her mouth twitched with suppressed mirth.
“Oh, you little—” Edith growled, and Tilly raced away.
What am I to do with this girl?