Authors: Violet Walker
A
fter a small wedding ceremony, the Marquess of Norfolk and his new Marchioness made their way back to Norfolk. As his mother had already told him, Eleanor did bring a lot of dowry with her. But this was totally immaterial to him. Her betrayal was still afresh in his mind.
It was almost an eight hour journey from London to Norfolk. And for the first five hours, the newlyweds didn’t utter a single word. The way Adam was behaving, Eleanor was sure that her doubts hadn’t been unfounded. They sat at an arm’s length from each other in the carriage and after five hours of looking outside the window, Eleanor finally fell asleep.
As much as he wanted to loathe her, Adam couldn’t bring himself to do that. When he looked at her child-like innocent face as she slept peacefully in the carriage, an emotion unknown twisted his heart. She looked resplendent in her cream wedding gown. He wanted to hold her as she slept, wanted to kiss those luscious lips that seemed so inviting. He wanted to touch her to feel the softness of her porcelain clear skin. But his ego and hurt stopped him from doing anything foolish. As the carriage lurched to a stop, Adam looked outside. They were finally at his manor in Norfolk. He gently touched Eleanor’s shoulder to wake her up.
“Wake up, Eleanor. We’ve reached Norfolk.”
“Hmmm… We’re already there? Goodness, for how long have I been sleeping?”
“Three hours.” After this curt reply, Adam got out of the carriage and then held his hand out to her. She took his hand and gently alighted the carriage.
The Sonhurst Mansion was huge and imposing, but in a beautiful sort of way. She could see the staff lined up at the entrance- all eager faced to meet their new marchioness.
“Let me introduce Lady Eleanor Sonhurst, the new Marchioness of Norfolk”, said Adam to his staff.
Lady Eleanor SONHURST….it sounded like music to Eleanor’s ears.
Adam introduced her to the entire staff - Mr. Robert, the butler, Donna and Ruby, the chamber maids, Mrs. Hopkins, the house keeper, Mr. Timothy, the head chef, Tabetha and Charlotte, the kitchen maids and so on.
At least the staff is pleased to welcome her to her new home, thought Eleanor.
It had been a long day and Eleanor was terribly tired. Adam had abandoned her as soon as she entered the house and Donna had led her to her chamber. Two servants had been entrusted the task of bringing her belongings to her room and they too had almost finished their job. She asked Donna to prepare a hot bath for her. She desperately needed to relax her aching muscles.
After the bath, Eleanor now wondered if she should just go to sleep or wait for Adam. It was their wedding night, after all. More than anything, she wanted to clear the misunderstanding between them. She wanted to tell him that she had not intentionally trapped him into marriage.
But she had no idea where his room was. It was such a huge castle that she was sure to get lost if she started looking for him. Donna had also retired for the day or she would have asked her.
Eleanor wore the nightgown Eliza had specially selected for her wedding night. She blushed scarlet when she looked at herself in the mirror wearing the sheer piece of fabric. It revealed more than it concealed. But Eleanor was almost sure that Adam would not come to her in the night and so she decided to go to bed wearing it.
As soon as she laid her head on the pillow, she heard a soft click. A door to the far left of the room opened slowly. She had been too tired to study the entire chamber properly and had no idea there was a door to the left. She got a bit alarmed and was about to scream when she noticed that it was none other than Adam who was entering the room. So, this must be the connecting door between their chambers, she realized. She could see in the dim light that Adam wasn’t wearing a shirt. Her heart started galloping in anticipation of what was to come.
No matter how much Adam wanted to convince his mind otherwise, it was true that he was looking forward to this night. He repeatedly told himself that he was consummating this marriage for the sole purpose of producing an heir, but deep inside he knew that he wanted Eleanor, badly. Her blue eyes had haunted him for many nights and he had tossed and turned in bed longing for her.
Adam stopped near her queen size bed and called out to her.
“Are you awake, Eleanor?” he asked softly.
“Yes, my lord”, she murmured.
“You can call me by my given name Eleanor. There’s no need for such formalities now.”
“Alright, my Lord...I mean Adam.”
“That’s better.”
Eleanor was almost out of bed when she realized that she was wearing nothing but that damned nightdress. She immediately sat back and clutched the covers to her chest, but not before Adam had got a sneak peek of what she was wearing. She could see an immediate change in his eyes- from a guarded expression to plain lust!
“Oh! So I see that you’ve prepared yourself well for the night. Were you so sure that I’d visit you or do you usually wear such ummm… exotic clothes at night?”
Eleanor was mortified. She didn’t know what to say.
“No…I mean yes. I mean I don’t wear such ridiculous dresses at all. Eliza chose this one for me and the rest of my nightdresses are still packed and this was the only one that was out and so I wore it. Besides, I had no idea you’d be coming to me after you near about abandoned me this evening”, she blurted out.
“I must say your friend has very good taste”, said Adam, completely ignoring that she had just accused him of abandoning her.
“Why don’t you come out of your bed and show me how exquisite her choice is!”
E
leanor reluctantly let go of the covers and stood up. She didn’t know what to do or what to say. She had no idea what happened in the marital bed. Her mother had never talked to her on the issue and the little bit information she had gathered from Eliza, she wasn’t sure if it was true at all! After all, what did Eliza know about such matters? It wasn’t as if she was married herself!
As Adam got a full view of what Eleanor was wearing, he could not resist himself. With that scrap of clothing on her and her hair let loose and flowing, she looked like some Greek goddess. He moved closer and gently pulled her into his arms. When she looked up at him, he could see her blue eyes go big and round. He could look into those eyes forever.
Forever? No, he didn’t want forever! His brain asked him to get done with her and then run away as far as possible. But his heart refused to obey. It wanted to savor each of these precious moments.
“I am sorry Adam but I don’t know much about all this. I am a little scared”, she laughed nervously.
Jesus! Was she really this innocent or was this just a pretense? He chose not to think about it and lowered his head to taste her full lips.
”Eleanor, my dear, you taste so sweet!” murmured Adam. He kissed her a little hard this time and as she sighed, he found the opportunity to thrust his tongue in her mouth. And he got his taste of Heaven.
Eleanor didn’t know a simple kiss could arouse so many emotions in her. As Adam pulled her even closer and deepened the kiss, she started feeling dizzy with pleasure. She moved her hands along his hard chest and finally reached up to his neck. Her husband was every inch a male, hard and masculine. She could feel his muscles flex under her touch. He was enjoying this intimacy as much as she was.
Adam finally scooped her in his arms and moved towards the door from where he came in.
“Where are we going, Adam?”
“Darling, your bed is too small to do the things that I’ve planned for the night”, he replied teasingly.
Eleanor felt herself blush at his words.
“And I assure you there is nothing to be scared of. I will be gentle, I promise” Adam said softly.
He lowered her on to his huge bed and lay down beside her. After removing her flimsy nightdress, he kissed every inch of her body. Her body seemed to come alive beneath his touch. Adam hadn’t expected her to be so responsive and her sighs of pleasure aroused him even more.
At last when he could take it no more, he thrust himself into her already wet womanhood. He felt her stiffen at once and heard a low cry of pain. He stopped immediately and said soothing words in her ears to calm her.
“Try to relax, my dear. I promise to stop if it hurts you.”
God, she was so tight. It took all his willpower to stop.
Eleanor never knew that lovemaking could be so enjoyable. Adam was worshipping her body and that filled her heart with pleasure. The sensations of his kissing aroused a sweet ache between her legs. She wanted something more, but what, she couldn’t understand.
At last when he pushed himself between her legs, she felt a stab of pain. But soon that pain was replaced with a pleasure so great that she seemed to be floating in the air. She never wanted this to stop. As he continued thrusting inside her, Eleanor felt a strange pressure build up. And when it reached its peak, she cried out his name and experienced the height of pleasure.
When Adam saw Eleanor climax, he swore he hadn’t ever seen a more beautiful sight. With her face flushed and lips swollen from his kisses, she looked good enough to eat! After a few more moments, Adam reached his own climax.
“Your job is now complete” shouted his brain. And this time around, he could not ignore the voice. He had consummated his marriage and most probably, given his seed to Eleanor. There was nothing else left to do. He looked at Eleanor sleeping peacefully and quietly slipped out of the bed. After getting dressed, he looked at her once more and then quietly moved out of the room to spend the rest of the night in his study.
N
ext morning, Eleanor woke up to a vacant bed. She tried recalling if Adam had slept with her but couldn’t remember anything. She covered herself in one of the blankets and moved back to her room. Maybe Adam had a pressing matter to attend. Yes, that could be a possibility. She tried to cheer herself up with the thought and started getting ready for the day.
After an hour or so, Donna arrived with a tray of breakfast for her.
“Where is Lord Sonhurst? Will he not join me for breakfast?”
“My lady, Lord Sonhurst left early this morning. He said that he’d be gone for a week or two.”
“But where did he go?”
“My lady, I have no idea. He didn’t tell any of us and we are in no position to ask. We thought you might be knowing.”
Eleanor felt her heart sink. Why would Adam suddenly leave like this without telling her anything? Especially after what they shared last night.
Eleanor decided that he may have left due to some urgent matter and refused to give his absence much thought. This was her new home and she would devote most of her time in getting to know the manor and its inhabitants. That would keep her occupied in the coming days.
Two weeks had passed and there was still no news of Lord Sonhurst. Meanwhile, Eleanor had got herself acquainted with almost everyone at the manor and had become quite popular among the staff too. Mrs. Hopkins adored her and often spent her evenings telling her stories of Adam’s childhood. Eleanor could make even the most poker faced man like Mr. Robert, laugh!
One morning, while Eleanor was helping Tabetha bake a special cinnamon cake, Mr. Robert announced the arrival of Lady Elizabeth and Lord Collin. She immediately went to greet her guests.
“How are you doing, my darling?” inquired Lady Elizabeth.
“I am very well, thank you”, replied Eleanor but the sadness in her eyes said it all.
“Do not lie to me, dear. I am just like your mother. I know what you have been through these past days. Robert and Mrs. Hopkins keep me updated on the happenings in this house. I know that Adam left you here all alone right the next day after your marriage. I do not know what this boy has in mind! Lord Collin and I have called him back immediately to discuss why he is behaving in such a strange manner. He should be here any moment now!”
As if on cue, Adam entered the room. Eleanor couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face upon seeing him. But he barely acknowledged her presence.
“Good morning, everyone. I see, there is a very important meeting going on here in my absence”, Adam said bitterly.
“Watch your tone, young man. You have no right to speak to us this way”, warned Lady Elizabeth.
”Right, mother? To tell you the truth, I have every right to do anything I want in this house. This is MY house, if you don’t remember!” he spat.
“Adam, I know that for some reason, you hate me. I do not know what I have done to earn your wrath but anyways, it is not about me this time. This woman here, she’s your wife! How can you subject her to such cruelty? Leaving her all alone in a strange house….”
“Mother, you’ve rightly pointed out that she’s MY wife. But you forget that she is my wife because YOU wanted her to be my wife, not ME! For all I know, she could turn out to be exactly like you! Selfish, manipulative, unfaithful….”
“Shut your filthy mouth, Adam” roared Lord Collin. “It is your mother you are talking about!”
“I know very well that she’s my mother! And I also know that of late, she’s become the object of your affections, Lord Collin.”
Lady Elizabeth’s face turned ashen.
“Jesus! How bitter you’ve become, Adam! Elizabeth, I’ll not remain silent today. Can’t you see that your son is ruining his life because of the half-truths that he’s been subjected to?” cried Lord Collin.
“Let me tell him the truth today”, he continued. “Adam, it is true that your father fell in love with your mother and married her despite her poor connections. But another truth is that your mother DID NOT love your father! In fact she was in love with her neighbor’s son, Phillip. But when your father saw her, he wanted her at all costs. He bribed her greedy father and forcefully married Elizabeth. And that is not all. When Elizabeth could not forget her first love, he got Phillip killed!”
Adam could not believe his ears. “No, my father could not have done such a thing. He was a kind man.”
“Yes, your father was a good man, God rest his soul. But this once, he got completely blinded with love. He loved Elizabeth madly but he could not force her to love him back. He realized his mistake later on, but it had been too late by then. That was the time when he isolated himself from the world and repented for his mistakes.”
It all started to make sense now. His mother’s indifference, her hatred towards his father, his father’s drowning himself in alcohol….. Good lord! It can’t be true!
“But…but I myself saw Mother flirting with gentlemen on various occasions.”
“Yes, you are right Adam. I am no saint. I did all that on purpose because I wanted your father to feel the pain I had been through. I swear to God that I had never been unfaithful towards him. I wanted to hurt him, that’s all!” cried Lady Elizabeth.
Eleanor was listening to all of this, stunned. Now she knew that Adam didn’t want to marry her because Lady Elizabeth wanted her to be her daughter-in-law. And he hated his mother too much to get married to a girl of her choice.
“I love you, Adam and I always want the best for you. I know that I have never been with you in your difficult times, but I always made sure that Mrs. Hopkins was there to attend you. I was in depression for a long time and often forgot to eat myself. How could I trust myself with taking care of a young child?” Lady Elizabeth said in a soft voice. There were tears rolling down her eyes.
“Oh Mother! How badly I have treated you all these years and you never told me the truth! I am ashamed of myself, Mother, I am ashamed of myself,” cried Adam.
“No, dear. It is not your fault. I didn’t tell you all this because you loved your father too much and looked up to him. I didn’t want to tarnish his image in your eyes. And yes, your father was a good man. He did realize his mistakes and even agreed to give me a divorce, but I had already forgiven him by then.”
“Adam, your mother has given love a second chance. Yes, you were right about the both of us. We do intend to get married soon but before that, we want you to start a happy married life,” said Lord Collin.
“Eleanor is a very good girl. In fact, I hear that she’s already won the hearts of everyone here,” Lady Elizabeth smiled at Eleanor.
Adam looked at Eleanor and his heart skipped a beat. He had missed her too much.
“I owe Eleanor an apology too. I have been nothing but a brute to her!”
“Oh Adam, please don’t blame yourself. I completely understand. I would have done the same thing had I been in your place.” Eleanor said with a smile.
“I love you, sweetheart. In fact, I fell in love with you that very night when I saw you standing in the moonlight on that terrace.”
“I love you too, my heartless rake!”
Lady Elizabeth and Lord Collin excused themselves from the room smiling as Adam and Eleanor shared a passionate kiss. Eleanor’s heartless rake’s heart had been at the right place all along. He had just rediscovered it now!
THE END