One True Love (12 page)

He smiled as he thought of the surprise he had for his wife.
His wife
. He whispered the words and was thrilled with the sound. Just a few days ago he wondered if he would ever marry, or if he was destined to stay a bachelor. He knew he was a rare one, wanting something most men tried to avoid, or at least put off until they had no other choice. He was not the heir. He did not have to marry. He
wanted
to marry. He wanted children, a house full, and a large family like his own parents.

His father was a living, breathing, example; a nobleman who shocked the
ton
by actually participating in his children's upbringing. He spent time with his children in the nursery, taught each of them to swim and to fish, helped them with their reading and numbers, and made a point of spending private time with each child.

He knew how fortunate he was to have a loving father and mother. He had friends in Society who could not say as much. Most children of the aristocracy were raised by servants and only saw their parents a few times a year when they wanted to parade their heir and offsprings in front of members of the
ton
. He would be a good father to his children, and he had no doubt Cassie would make a wonderful and loving mother.

As they approached Rosehill Manor, William gently shook his bride to awaken her. "Cassie. Cassie, wake up sweetings. We are home." She lifted her head, yawned and wiped the sleep away from her eyes. At that moment his heart flipped over. He thought of all of the mornings he would be able to watch her awaken, and suddenly his future beamed bright as daylight.

"Home?" She stretched and sat up and looked out the window before letting out a tiny gasp. She put her hand to her lovely lips. "Oh my."

"I hope you find it as breathtaking as I do." Her eyes widened as they entered through the iron gate opened by two footmen. The carriage climbed to the top of the hill.

"I never imagined. I did not realize how impressive your home would be."

"
Our
home,
my lady
." He gave her mouth a little kiss and watched as her eyes grew round, and change from light green to a smoky emerald.

Desire welled up then spiraled downward into a place from which he might never return. He drug his finger along Cassie's cheek then stroked her lips with his thumb, before trailing down her long white neck, then dipping to touch between her breasts. She caught her breath and lowered her eyes to where his finger lazily traced a line across her swelling bosom. He swept his hand around the nape of her neck and gently pulled her toward him.

Cassie's mouth opened and yielded to his kisses. He flicked his tongue across her lips and into her mouth and drank deeply as if she were the finest and most costly wine imaginable. He tasted her depths and her warmth, both perfect company for a cold winter night. Groaning, he pulled away and rolled his neck from side to side before he become carried away with his innocent wife in a carriage when their marriage bed awaited them.

"We have arrived," William whispered. The carriage rolled to a stop and the footman opened the door. He stepped down and held out his hand. First came his bride's milky white hand, then her slippered foot, and last her lovely face emerged from the carriage. She looked up in appreciation at her new home.

"Rosehill Manor is magnificent, my lord."

"Call me William."

Cassie gave him a quizzical look before responding. "Very well,
William
."

He took her arm and led her towards the steps leading to the front doors. When they came to the bottom step he swept her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way. She let out a tiny gasp, then wrapped her arms around his neck. At the perfect moment, Scott opened the door to allow his master to carry the new mistress of Rosehill Manor over the threshold.

"Welcome home my lord, my lady."

William set Cassie down and allowed her body to slide down his, ending chest to chest. He held her to him while he spoke, "I imagine you will want to rest before dinner. I will show you to your bedchamber."

"I am rather tired." She agreed and looked up at him while biting her trembling lower lip, questioning him with her eyes.

He took his new wife's hand and led her up the stairs and down the long hallway to the west wing of the house. They came to a private parlor with two doors; one leading to her bedchamber, and one leading to his. A connecting door joined the two rooms. It was an opening he planned to cross this night, but for now he would give her time to adjust to her surroundings, and get some rest.

William opened the door to Cassie's room, and startled the maid out of her slumber. She popped out of the chair positioned next to the warm fire and dropped to a curtsy. "My lord, my lady."

"Katie, this is my wife, Lady William Prescott. She will be your new mistress. You are to attend to her every need. Cassie, this is Katie, your lady's maid. My mother selected her for you."

"A lady's maid?" She seemed a bit confused at first and looked at him as if he must have recently bumped his head. The realization that she was now the wife of a nobleman, and not just a vicar's daughter, must have dawned on her. She screwed up her face a bit, then relaxed and nodded towards Katie. "I am pleased to meet you."

William kissed his wife's cheek and left her in Katie's care. "I will see you at dinner. Try to get some rest." He turned and left while aching for the night to come.

***

Cassie sat and stared at the emerald and diamond wedding ring for so long her eyes began to glaze over from the sparkling blur. The day was a surreal dream and she was on the edge of awakening. She spent her wedding going through the motions, moving from one action to another with little conscious thought. Did she really speak vows promising to love, honor, and obey this man as her husband before God and her family?

She remembered eating, drinking, laughing, and dancing. Why did it feel as if the events of the day came from a fictional book? It was all so real, and she had a difficult time coming to terms with it. Over the last two days, she had not had time to think, to digest her new lot in life, or to consider her future. The days were filled by the imposing Prescott women, and her nights were filled by one imposing Prescott man.

Now this man was her husband. This man would come to her room tonight and demand his husbandly rights. The man who kissed her senseless in the carriage and made her body ache for more.

Her future plans went topsy-turvy in such a short time. She had her life figured out for weeks now, ever since Mr. Parker proposed. By now, she was supposed to be Mrs. Parker, the future Lady Winnington, not Lady William. She tried to decide how she felt about that and struggled between what she thought should be while being honest with herself. None of it mattered now, not while sitting in her new room, in her new home, with her new name.

She wiped away the escaping moisture from her eyes and looked at her new surroundings. The room was to her liking, decorated in striped peaches and cream walls, billowing ivory curtains framed in velvet peach, and centered with an elegant four-poster mahogany bed.

Cassie sat on a small sofa grouped with chairs and tables in the corner of the room. Who would have thought of such a thing? A writing desk faced away from the window, and a dressing table complete with mirror sat on the opposite side of the room. Despite the large interior the room was comfortable.

Her lady's maid –something else she would have to become accustomed to, Katie helped her out of her traveling gown and into a day gown, then brought her a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits before she left her to her own devices. The quiet suited her perfectly. She refilled her tea cup, and noticed that the china was Sevres. The quality of expensive furnishing, plush carpet, and fine linens in the sumptuous room spoke of elegance and plenty of blunt.

Cassie's father had negotiated the marriage agreement. She trusted him in this way, knew he would see she was cared for. However, she was surprised to learn her pin money in a quarter year would amount to more than her father's salary in a decade. Her new husband not only provided for her, but settled a large amount on her parents to ensure their comfortable retirement. In addition, he added a significant amount of money to Jocelyn's small dowry. Her father told her about these generous arrangements only yesterday evening. Lord William offered more to her family than Mr. Parker even considered.

Cassie knew the Prescotts were one of the wealthiest, most powerful families in all of England, but until now, she had no idea the extent of their wealth. She still did not know exactly, but for the second son to possess such wealth certainly said something about the family. This was an unusual fate for a simple vicar's daughter, and one she willingly accepted when she said yes to Lord William.

The plush bed coverings beckoned her. She stifled a yawn and decided a nap was in order. She removed her dress and crawled onto the deep mattress then let her tired body sink into its' softness. Her muscles relaxed and she sighed as she pulled the blankets up to her chin and sank into a blissful sleep.

***

Sometime later a hand shook Cassie awake. She blinked a few times before it registered whose face stood before her. It was Katie.

"My lady, it is time to dress for dinner. I picked out the lovely green silk gown for your first dinner at Rosehill Manor."

"No! I mean, I am sorry, but I cannot wear that gown. Please get rid of it." If Jocelyn were here she would throttle her for packing that gown. She did not need reminders of her broken betrothal with Mr. Parker.

"But it is so beautiful...I don't understand." Katie looked at Cassie as if she were mad.

"Yes, it is beautiful, but I do not want it. Please, take it away."

"If you wish, my lady, but which one of the few gowns do you want to wear?" Katie appeared dismayed. As the daughter of a vicar, Cassie had little need for an extensive wardrobe, but now that she was a married woman with more pin money than she knew what to do with, she would need to purchase a few more gowns.

"The blue one will do." Cassie got up and washed her face, cleaned her teeth with tooth powder, then dressed in the cerulean blue gown. Katie arranged her hair in a lovely coiffure. Her new maid did wonders with her unruly curls, which now framed her face like a work of art.

Rested and refreshed, Cassie almost felt as if she could face her new husband.
William.
She could see his handsome face in her mind, feel his lips on hers, his hands touching her and making her feel the strangest of things. She trembled knowing what lay ahead. Desperate, she pushed her wayward thoughts away and refused to examine her feelings about her wifely duties, or her fears.

Cassie had some idea about what went on between a man and a woman. The expected pain; the possible pleasure. Considering her experiences with William up to this point, she thought perhaps there would be more pleasure than pain, but that thought did not stop her from trembling.

She took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm her nerves, then followed Katie into the dining room. Katie explained there were two dining rooms: one smaller and more intimate for family, and another for entertaining. Lord William preferred to dine in the smaller of the two. An ornate mahogany dining table centered in the room seated six. A matching buffet table set against the far wall below a tapestry depicting a scene of the King's court during medieval times. A fireplace burned at the end of the room which added a warm glow to the already lit wall sconces and chandelier.

Lord William stood when she entered the room. She noticed her place was set next to her husband rather than at the end of the table. The warmth from the room and the thoughts of intimacy made her dizzy. She hid her shaking hands behind her back and pasted a smile across her face.

"My lord."

William held out a chair for her. She was careful to ease herself down rather than flop. Her mother would be quite proud of her ladylike posture.

"Did you rest well? Did you find your bedchamber comfortable?" he asked.

"Yes, my room is lovelier than I could ever imagine."

The footman set the first course before them, a bowl of soup, and an arrangement of meats, served on blue and white patterned Sevres china. The elegantly dressed table was unlike her usual meals at the vicarage, where simple and plain were preferred. Her mother's finest china and crystal were reserved for holidays and special occasions. The luxury overwhelmed her. "Do you always dine in this fashion?"