An Unsuitable Match (28 page)

‘That tickles,' she said.

‘Hmm, I shall have to remember that,' he replied. His strong hands slid down her waist and over her hips. He knelt before her, leaving a trail of kisses down her stomach. When he reached the small thatch of hair at the apex of her thighs he stopped.

‘Lie down on the blanket,' he said.

Desire thrummed throughout her body. She couldn't refuse him even if she wanted to. As she lay back, she heard the crunch of the dry pine needles under the blanket. Looking up, she saw the bright blue sky above the green treetops. The tall trees swaying overhead in the breeze disappeared as David rose above her, and once again took her mouth in a fiery kiss.

His hand slid up her leg and when he reached the opening of her sex, he slipped a finger inside. She pulled her lips from his and let out a deep groan of pleasure. David growled his satisfaction. It had only taken a matter of days for them to attain a deep understanding of each other's sexual needs.

A second finger slipped into her wet heat and Clarice lay back in David's arms as he skilfully brought her to a state of extreme arousal. When it came to knowing her body, he was a master.

‘Now,' she whispered, pushing his hand away.

‘Now what?' he teased.

‘Take me. Fill me,' she begged. All pretence of ladylike behaviour had been abandoned the moment David slipped the first of Clarice's buttons open. Because of him and all that they had shared she could be unfettered in her sexual demands. He had made her wanton, and she loved it.

He rolled over and sat up, giving her a wicked smile. ‘Come here,' he commanded.

He positioned her, legs spread wide open over him, so they were facing each other. Slowly she lowered herself down and he guided her to him. She whimpered with pleasure as he impaled her on his manhood.

This was a new and untried lovemaking position for them, but she quickly understood the benefits. As David slowly lifted his hips up and down, she laid her hands on either side of his shoulders and gripped him. They quickly developed an intoxicating rhythm: David thrusting into her, Clarice pulling herself down as she rode him.

‘I have dreamt of this for so long,' he said.

She threw her head back as the pace of their exchange increased.

Harder and faster David came to her, until finally every pleasure-heightened nerve in her body shattered and she screamed.

He whispered fiercely, ‘Say it!'

She struggled to breathe, let alone say the words as his never-ending pounding of her body kept her orgasm rolling on and on. With his hands gripped tightly to her hips, he increased the rate of his deep, penetrating strokes.

‘I pledge myself to you forever!' she cried. The roar of David's climax echoed throughout the woods.

He buried his face in her slick breasts and, wrapping his arms around her waist, held her to him. She closed her eyes.

If ever there was a moment that she could identify as being the definitive turning point in her life, this was it. Gone was the Clarice of old, the girl who had hidden herself from the world. In her place was a young woman sure of her future and of the man she loved.

‘I can't believe we just did that,' she said as she climbed off David's lap and leaned over to pick up her gown.

A large, heavy hand gave her backside a playful smack.

She whirled round, only to see a smiling David beckoning for her to come back. She crawled back to him and he pulled her onto his lap once more. Sitting facing one another, she took his face in her hands and kissed his still-heated lips.

‘What was that for?' she said.

He kissed her deeply before replying. ‘I hadn't given you permission to leave. As I recall, you have bound yourself to me now, and as your lord and master I will tell you when you may leave my bed.'

Clarice chuckled. ‘You have no idea what you have let yourself in for, Mr Radley.'

She silenced him with her mouth.

It was early afternoon before they finally left the woods. The basket full of freshly picked berries had cost Clarice a pair of expensive leather gloves. She looked down at the ripped and stained gloves and shrugged her shoulders. She would need to buy gloves more suited to the demands of country life if she was to be a successful lady of the manor.

A quick check of the rest of her clothes revealed nothing of the other activities that had taken place that afternoon in Temple Wood. Beside her David strolled, a look of supreme satisfaction on his face. He had promised her he would make her scream in the woods, and he had kept his word.

Twice.

‘These will be wonderful in a pie. If I ask Cook, do you think she would make us one?' Clarice asked. She picked out several of the juicy blackberries and popped them into her mouth. When she licked the juice from her lips, David was tempted to take her back to the woods and continue her sexual education. The afternoon spent with Clarice in Temple Wood would forever remain in his memory.

He stopped and watched as she continued on for several paces. Eventually she realised that he was no longer walking beside her, and she stopped and turned round.

‘David?' she said as she walked back to his side.

He looked at her and forced a smile to his lips. Their happy afternoon was now at an end. He sent a silent prayer to the heavens that it would not be their last day together.

‘He's here,' he replied. The calm in his voice belied his racing heart.

From the top of the hill he could see the yard at Sharnbrook Grange. Beyond the barn, in the middle of the yard, stood a black carriage.

He did not need to see the Langham family crest emblazoned on the side to know Lord Langham had arrived; he felt it in his bones.

Clarice's bottom lip quivered and tears formed in her eyes.

He took her into his arms, watching over her head as the stablemaster unhitched the fine set of four horses from the front of the carriage.

‘Don't be afraid,' he said. He bent his head to kiss her, but she pulled out of his arms and brandished the basket at him.

‘Oh David, please let us run away to Scotland now! I can hide here until you find a horse to take us,' she begged.

He shook his head. Sharnbrook was his home, and he would not run away like a coward. His days of living in the shadows were over. It was time to face Henry Langham and claim Clarice's hand.

The panic in her eyes tore at his heart.

‘Clarice,' he said, reaching out to her once more.

‘No, no, he will say no! But I know what to do. If I throw all those damn lies he and Mama told me in his face he will have no choice!'

She threw the basket on the ground, picked up her skirts and raced down the hill. David caught up with her after a few strides and grabbed her by the arm. As she swung back to face him, he saw the tears streaming down her face.

‘Please, Clarice, you have to stop. You cannot do this; it will destroy us all.'

He quickly scanned the surroundings and his gaze fell on a tall, thin stone building set back from the rest of the farm buildings. He had barely noted the existence of the dovecote before.

He lessened his hold of her arm, but did not let go.

‘We must talk,' he said and led her toward the building.

The progress of their sexual relationship had kept them from making a plan to deal with her father. David was angry with himself. He had allowed his lust to rule his head. Lying sated with her in his arms at night, he had felt ready to take on the world.

But if Clarice marched into the house and confronted her father with the truth of her birth, who knew what would follow?

They reached the dovecote, and with a hard push of his shoulder he forced the door open. They stepped inside.

‘David?' Clarice whispered. Standing in semi-darkness, with only a shard of light from the half-open door, he found it difficult to read her face.

He thought for a moment, knowing he had to get the words right. She had to understand.

‘Why did you swear me to secrecy in the dell at Langham Hall if you plan to use the truth of your birth as our first line of attack?' he finally replied.

She shrugged her shoulders. ‘I don't know; I just can't bear the prospect of losing you.'

‘You won't, but we need to plan how we deal with your father. Circumstances have changed. After the past few days and especially since this afternoon, you and I are now one,' he replied.

‘You are going to tell him you have ruined me?' she replied.

He sighed. The moment she had got into the carriage and left for Sharnbrook Grange with him, she was as good as ruined in society's eyes. Her father would view it as such.

If Clarice confronted her father, he might reject her outright. A man cornered with his honour challenged was a dangerous beast.

‘Do not throw away the greatest gift your father has given you: his name. The earl recognised you as his legitimate flesh and blood. There is no stain on your birth, Clarice. And after all the scorn and censure I have had to deal with in my life, I will do everything in my power to ensure you remain his rightful progeny.'

He stared at her; a silent fear that she would not understand his reasoning gripped his heart. Finally, she nodded her agreement. He let out a loud sigh of relief and headed for the door.

As soon as Clarice stepped outside into the light she pointed a finger sharply in his direction. ‘But there is no negotiating on this point: if my father refuses to bless our union, we leave for Scotland tonight!'

‘Yes,' he conceded. Having now taken Clarice to his bed, setting the date for a wedding was foremost in his mind. His children would not wear the stain of illegitimacy.

He retrieved the basket and they headed down the hill toward the house. Reaching the bottom of the staircase, David stopped and pulled her to him.

‘I know this is
our
future, but Clarice, you must allow me to take the lead. I must deal with your father on my own terms.'

She nodded and took his hand. ‘Yes.'

In the main upstairs drawing room, they found Lady Alice seated in a comfortable chair by the fire. Earl Langham stood with his back to the door, looking out over the estate. He turned as David and Clarice entered the room. His gaze fell on their entwined hands and he gave a barely perceptible nod of his head.

‘Papa,' Clarice said. David let go of her hand and gave the earl a respectful bow.

‘Are you wed, Radley?' Earl Langham asked.

A spark of hope lit in David's heart. The earl had directed the question to him.

‘No, my Lord, but we do intend to marry. Clarice has accepted my proposal. We ask for your blessing,' he replied.

A snort was the only response.

Clarice came to her father and stood, hands clasped, before him. ‘I am sorry I disobeyed you, Papa, but we had to leave Norfolk.'

The earl nodded. ‘Yes, I must confess I was more than a little angry when I discovered you had left Langham Hall with Mr Radley, but I now understand the circumstances behind your flight. My steward gave me his version of events and they concur with Mr Radley's letter. Your grandmother apprised me of all the other pertinent details.'

‘All of them?' Clarice asked Lady Alice.

‘Yes,' she replied.

Lord Langham chuckled. David frowned. He had never seen the earl laugh before, and it unsettled him. Black-faced, raging anger he could counter, but humour? No.

‘I would never make light of your ordeal, my dear girl,' the earl explained. He opened his arms and Clarice walked into his embrace. ‘I was picturing how your grandmother looked with a cocked pistol in her hand. That blackguard Fox has no idea just how close he came to having a bullet in his head.'

Lady Alice rose to her feet and, leaning on her trusty walking stick, joined them. ‘I didn't really plan to kill the man; I was aiming to wing him.'

Perplexed, David looked from Lady Alice to Lord Langham.

‘I have been travelling from London to Norfolk to Bedford without stopping for the past few days. My back is stiff and I need to stretch my legs. Ladies, would you please excuse us? Mr Radley, a turn about your estate, if you don't mind,' said the earl.

Clarice shot David a hopeful glance.

‘After that I expect you to show me the best fare you have to offer and the finest wine from your cellar.'

David nodded. ‘Yes, of course.'

The earl brushed a kiss on Clarice's forehead. ‘Are you well? I have not slept for worry about you.'

She took hold of her father's hand and kissed it. ‘Yes, Papa, I am fine. The days spent at the Hall before Mr Fox's arrival were very beneficial to my state of mind. I spent some time with Mama and we talked.'

Her father gave her a quizzical look and David wondered just how much Clarice would tell her father when the time came. She had made peace with her mother, but more importantly, with herself. It showed in both her face and her manner. Lady Alice fumbled for a handkerchief and dabbed it against the corner of her eye.

The earl hugged his daughter tight.

David was at a loss as the touching family scene unfolded before him. His own family was a loud, expressive group of people, but to see emotion such as this in another
ton
family was an unusual experience.

‘We shall see the ladies at dinner. Now, Radley, if your man will be so good as to show me to my room, I should like to change out of my travel attire. I shall join you downstairs shortly. Rather keen to cast an eye over that flock of Southdowns I saw in your lower field,' the earl announced.

Lord Langham shared a private smile with Clarice before leaving David alone with Lady Alice and Clarice.

‘Oh, go on with the pair of you. Give my granddaughter a kiss, young man, and then go and fight for her,' Lady Alice said. She marched unaided from the room.

As the door closed behind her, Clarice came quickly to David and threw her arms around his waist, her uplifted face inviting his lips. He bent his head and gave her a tender yet chaste kiss. She harrumphed at his efforts and taking hold of the lapels of his jacket, pulled him in close.

‘More effort, Mr Radley,' she whispered, mimicking her father's tone.

Her mouth opened and David swept his tongue inside. As the kiss deepened, he felt her hand slide to his backside and give it an unsubtle pinch. Her breasts, pressed hard against him, caused his mind to drift slowly to a different place. When she groaned in his arms, he felt himself harden.

Taking her hands, he removed them from his clothing and stepped back.

‘I think you forget I am about to go and face your father. I cannot see how my arriving in an aroused state is going to further our cause,' he said.

She smiled. ‘I just thought you might want a small reminder of what is at stake.'

He shot her a disapproving look, then gave her a kiss on the forehead.

‘Let's hope this audience is more successful than the one you had with him in London,' Clarice said.

David raised his eyebrows. It couldn't possibly be any worse. ‘He gave me short shrift then,' he replied, straightening his jacket lapels.

‘Well, you have achieved more than that already today. He invited you to walk with him; few men are accorded such an honour,' Clarice said. The look on her face showed she was not in jest.

He nodded, resolute. No matter the outcome of his meeting with Lord Langham, today would be the day he finally claimed Clarice.

‘Just in case things do go awry, you should ensure your travel trunks are fully packed and you have suitable clothes ready. We might have to leave for Scotland in a hurry if your father's answer is no. Strathmore Castle is over a day's ride from Edinburgh and we may need to hole up there for a few weeks until he accepts that we are wed. I want you to have all your things with you if we do have to make a dash for the border.'

‘Good luck,' Clarice said as David stepped out of the drawing room and headed downstairs to meet her father.

‘Luck I think I can muster; I just hope it won't require a miracle,' David muttered as he raced down the stairs.

The men did not return before dinner.

‘Three hours; how can you possibly look at sheep for three hours?' Clarice exclaimed. She was in the drawing room sharing a pre-dinner sherry with Lady Alice, but there was no sign of either her father or David.

Lady Alice smiled. ‘But they
are
talking. If your father wanted you to leave, he would have marched in here long ago and demanded we pack. Remember that even after your father received David's letter, he travelled first to Norfolk to check with his steward rather than come directly to Sharnbrook. I think you give Mr Radley too little credit, my dear; your father obviously thought you were in safe hands.'

Clarice looked at her grandmother. Lady Alice had raised an important point. Lord Langham was not behaving like a man who thought his daughter was consorting with the devil. Could there really be hope for a future with David?

She fiddled with the black onyx pendant hanging on the gold chain around her neck, winding the chain around her fingers. She no longer made any pretence of hiding her allegiance to David.

‘You will break that if you keep twisting it so,' Lady Alice said.

As the door of the drawing room opened, Clarice leapt to her feet. Her father strode into the room, followed by David, both elegantly attired in full evening dress. They were deep in conversation regarding the value of the flock and how best to maximise returns on David's investment.

Lord Langham crossed the room and greeted his mother with a kiss on the hand. As he did, Clarice shot an expectant look in David's direction. He lifted a hand in a gentle wave and gave her a slight smile.

At least it isn't no.

‘So how was your afternoon, Papa?' she asked.

The earl smiled. Clarice's eagerness to know how things were progressing with David was written all over her face, but her father was giving nothing away.

‘Good. Quite a decent flock Mr Radley is putting together, though as I have informed him
and
his steward he needs a second ram if he is to get his breeding program properly under way. That one he has unfortunately spent a good deal of money on looks a mite skittish. And not to put too fine a point on it, but one cannot have a ram that is not up to the task.'

Lady Alice roared with laughter and clapped her hands. ‘Absolutely!'

Clarice looked once more to David, but his social mask was firmly in place. His black evening suit was a study in perfection: the white linen shirt crisply pressed, its cravat immaculately tied and finished with a gold pin. He could easily be waiting to step into the ballroom of any London social event, rather than a small dining occasion in a provincial home.