Courting Constance (Fountain of Love) (7 page)

Constance stood on her tiptoes to get closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tight.  How could she feel more for this man every time she touched him?  If she felt much more, she knew she’d explode.

He gathered her close and stroked her back through the dress she wore.  She’d been cold before his touch and now felt as if she were going to be burned alive.  His hands were better than any fire she’d ever stood before.

She didn’t know how long they kissed before she finally, pulled away.  “I need to get back to the house.  I need to get a little sleep before the babies start waking.”

He nodded, dipping his head to kiss her one last time.  “I’ll be here for tea tomorrow,” he reminded her as they walked back toward the house.

She rested her head against his shoulder.  “I can’t wait.”

Once they reached the house, he kissed her softly one last time before opening the front door for her.  “Tomorrow.”

She smiled, practically floating up the stairs.  Tomorrow she would see her love.  She only hoped he was able to make his decision quickly.

Chapter Six

The night was long as Lily had said it would be.  She would pace with one baby while Lily fed or paced with the other.  She got a grand total of four hours of sleep before the sun came up.  They put both babies down at the same time again at six, and Lily let out a tired groan.  “Let’s get some sleep.  They’ll sleep for a few hours now.”

Constance looked at Lily.  “We have got to get them on a night time sleep schedule!”

Lily nodded.  “This would have been fine in London when the parties last until all hours, but we’re in the country.  I barely see my husband right now.”  She walked toward the door.  “Sleep.  I’ve got Bernice watching for them.  She’ll let us know if one of us is needed.”

Constance nodded, going to her own room.  “I’ll see you soon then.”  She was more tired than she ever remembered being.  Of course, she’d worked all day and then worked all night as well, so it made sense she was tired.  She climbed into her bed, and her last thought was of Charles smiling at her.  She hoped he made the right choice for them both.

Tea that afternoon was lovely.  Charles and Kit were both there, but Charles made no move to see Constance alone.  When he first arrived, his face was hidden behind a dozen roses which he handed to Constance.  Her face showed her pleasure.  He was the only man who had ever brought her flowers. 

“Thank you.  They’re beautiful.”

“Just like you.”  He sat beside her on the sofa, not touching her, but giving her looks that told her he wished they could be alone together.  After tea, he asked, “What is your day off going to be?”

Constance looked at him for a moment.  “We haven’t discussed that yet.  We’ve been too busy with babies.”  She looked at Lily.

“What day did you have off when you worked at the seamstress?” Lily asked.

“Just Sundays.  We had a six day work week.”  She would be happy to work that again if that’s what Lily needed from her.

Lily seemed to think about it.  “How about we give you Wednesday afternoons as well.  That will make it so you have time to rest up from the endless hours of sleeplessness.”

Constance smiled.  “Will you be able to cope?”

Lily nodded.  “Oh yes, I’m going to take an afternoon off as well.  I’ll feed both girls and then go do whatever I want.”  She considered for a moment.  “I believe I’ll take Mondays.  I’ll need it after you have a full day off on Sundays.”

Constance smiled.  “Yes, you probably will.”

“We did really well working together last night, though.  I’m glad you’ve joined me here.”

“I am too.”  She turned to Charles.  “I have Sundays and Wednesday afternoons.”

He thought for a moment.  “Could I steal you after church on Sunday?  Just for a few hours?”

Lily frowned.  “Where do you plan to take her, Charles?”

“Just for a drive.  I want to talk to her without screaming babies interrupting.”

Constance stifled a laugh at Lily’s glare.  “Those screaming babies happen to be your nieces.”

“And they’re beautiful girls.”  He stood up.  “Today’s Friday, so I’ll be by for you on Sunday.  I’ll bring a picnic, so don’t eat.”

Constance nodded.  “I’ll be ready for you.”

After he was gone, Kit left to go to his study, and Constance was left alone with Lily.  Constance was surprised by just how many hours the babies slept during the day when they were up all night every night.  “Thank you for giving me time with him.”

Lily nodded.  “Just be careful.  I love my brother, but I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Constance was surprised.  “Why would I be hurt?”

“He’s working through his feelings about marrying you.  I can see it.  Father pounded into his head that he couldn’t’ marry anyone who was not the daughter of a titled gentleman.  Father was…interesting, and hard on all of us in different ways.”

“I see.  I think he’s softening.”

Lily nodded.  “I could see that.  He’s starting to court you.”

“I like it.”

“Of course you do!”  Lily stood and stretched.  “I’m tired.  I’m going to get another quick nap while the babies are sleeping.  I know it’s silly, because it seems like I’ve slept all day, but I’m still so tired.”

“You just had two babies!  Of course, you’re tired.  Frankly, I am too.  I’ll open the door between my room and the nursery, and I’ll nap as well.  I don’t think we’re going to get much but sleeping done until the girls are a little older.”  Constance stood and the two women walked toward the stairs together. 

“I want to thank you again for dropping everything and coming to work for me.  I needed you.”

“It’s my pleasure.  I always knew that I wanted to either be a nurse or a governess.  I’ll get to do both here, and I love that idea.”

“If you had your preference, which would you choose?”

“Oh, governess most definitely.  I love walking and exploring.  I could combine my favorite thing with my work.  It would be glorious.”  Constance went into her bedroom and stood in the doorway.  “I’ll listen for the babies and get you if I need to.  Go to sleep.”

Lily nodded, her eyes drooping.  Constance was pleased to note that she did look better than she had the previous evening.  Having help agreed with her.

*****

By Sunday afternoon, Constance was nervous about her drive with Charles.  He’d sent small gifts to her every day that week.  One day, it was chocolates.  The next he’d sent flowers.  She loved that he sent small things, but reminded her he was thinking about her every day.

She dressed in the dress she’d just had made before leaving her job in the village and carefully fixed her hair.  When she was ready, she waited in the downstairs parlor with her hands folded on her lap to keep her from twisting her skirt. 

Lily came in and found her there, sitting beside her.  “You look nervous.”

Constance nodded.  “I am.  I’m not sure what he wants to talk to me about.  Is he going to tell me that he just can’t see marrying me, or is he going to say that he’s decided we should marry?  I just have no idea, so I’m sitting here trying to calm my thoughts.”

Lily smiled squeezing her hand.  “He’ll do the right thing.  He’s a good man, Constance.  I don’t say that lightly.”  She frowned thinking back.  “When my father first died, I wanted to go to the Continent myself and find Kit and drag him back here to marry me.  I knew my father had lied to both of us.  Charles made me agree to try to find a husband in London, but I got to say no.  I said no to them all.”

“Really?  He let you make the decision?”

Lily nodded.  “My father would have forced me to marry the first man with a title.  Charles is a good man.  I’m worried that with as hard as Father was on him, though, that he’ll have a hard time realizing it’s all right to marry someone Father wouldn’t have approved of.”

Constance looked down at her hands.  “I hate the idea that your father wouldn’t have approved of me.  What about your mother?”

Lily shrugged.
  “She died when I was born.  I thought for years that I’d killed her.  Everyone says that I’m just like her, so I know that she’d have chosen my life over her own.  I’d certainly have chosen Mabel and Millicent over my own life.”

“Do you think she’d have approved of me?”

“I think she’d have approved of any woman who would make Charles happy.  You will make Charles very happy.”

Constance let out a sigh of relief.  She wasn’t sure she could have said ‘yes’ without knowing at least one of his parents would have approved of her.  “Thank you for being so supportive of my relationship with your brother.  Most women would frown on their children’s nurse marrying their brother.”

“I’ve never been like most women.”  Lily looked up at a cleared throat.

“Lord Charles is here for Miss Constance.”  The butler seemed to disapprove, but Constance didn’t need his opinion.  She was happy with Lily’s. 

“Thank you.”  Constance got to her feet and walked toward the front door, pleased that he’d arrived on time.  She forced herself to walk slowly and remain calm.  Her whole life was hanging in the balance, and it was hard for her.

Charles was waiting outside the door and smiled when he saw her.  “I brought the phaeton.  I hope that’s all right?”

Constance looked at the fast buggy and nodded.  “I’ve seen them but never ridden in one.”

“They’re fast,” he told her with a smile.  He carefully helped her up onto the seat and moved around to climb up beside her.  “Cook made fried chicken for lunch.  Do you like fried chicken?”

Constance smiled and nodded.  She hadn’t had fried chicken since she was a child, but she’d always loved it.  “I’d like that.”

He didn’t say much as he drove, and she worried that he had decided they wouldn’t suit or that he didn’t want to marry her.  Finally he stopped beside the lake, but on the opposite side from the fountain.  He helped her down, and the two of them spread a blanket on the ground for their picnic.  Once they were seated, Constance dug into the picnic basket and spread food out for the two of them.

He waited until she had everything spread out just right before taking her hand in his.  “I’ve done a lot of thinking over the past few days.  I talked to Kit about the possibility of marrying you.  Lily has made it clear she wants to see us marry.  I’ve weighed all the different options, and I’ve decided that the whole thing boils down to one thing and one thing only.”

Constance watched his face as he spoke, but he gave nothing away.  “What’s that?”

“I want to marry you.  I can’t imagine being married or spending my life with anyone else.”  He shrugged.  “You complete me.”

Constance felt a slow tear roll down her cheek at his words.  “I feel the same way.”

He took her hand and brought it to his lips.  “Constance Smythe, will you marry me, and make me the happiest man alive?”

Constance nodded once.  “Oh, yes!”  She flung herself into his arms and held tight to him.  “I can’t imagine marrying anyone else.”

Charles just held her for a moment, his hands stroking up and down her back.  “It takes three weeks unless I get a special license.  My sister is going to need at least three weeks to find a good nurse, so, we’ll marry three weeks from today, if you are all right with that.”

“On a Sunday?” she asked.  Weren’t marriages always held on Saturdays?

He shrugged.  “I’m bucking tradition in every other way.  I can buck tradition with the day I marry as well.”

She sighed happily, her face buried in his shoulder.  “Three weeks from today sounds perfect.”  She pulled away, the fear showing on her face.  “Do you want a big wedding?”

“Absolutely not.  We’ll do something small with just family.”  He could see that she didn’t want to be introduced to Society with a huge wedding.  How could he blame her?

“May I invite Alice?”

“You may invite anyone you’d like,” he told her.  “I don’t care who is there as long as you leave the church as my wife.”

She smiled happily.  “That’s all I want as well.”

Chapter 7

The time leading up to their wedding went quickly.  Constance found she spent all her time with Lily, either planning the wedding or helping with the babies.  Lily had always treated Constance as an equal, so nothing changed there, but the other servants in Lily’s big house changed how they treated her dramatically. 

Mrs. Jackson and the other women in the seamstress shop worked to make her the most spectacular gown she could have imagined, and Lily paid for it with a smile.  “I can’t let you pay for my wedding gown!”

Lily shook her head.  “I didn’t get a pretty wedding gown, because I didn’t’ know I was getting married.  I get to choose and pay for one in my life.”

Constance frowned.  You don’t think you’ll choose and pay for your daughters’ gowns?”

“Not in this decade I won’t.”  Lily wasn’t taking any kind of argument from her new friend. 

One of the older girls from the orphanage had taken on the job of nurse for the twins, and Constance was thrilled that she was going to work out.  She didn’t bother to ask why Lily hadn’t just asked Anne to do the job to begin with, because she knew the answer.  Lily had wanted to throw Charles and Constance together as much as possible.

Charles stopped by the day before the wedding and took Constance for a short walk.  “Is everything ready?” he asked.

She nodded.  “It’s been hard to make all the preparations, but I think we’re finally finished.”

He slipped his arm around her waist as they walked, pulling her up against him.  “I can’t wait.”

She looked up at him.  “You’re that ready to be married?”

“I’m that ready to be married to you.”  He walked to a small gazebo hidden from the house by a small copse of oak trees.  He walked in and sat down pulling her down beside him. 

She immediately went into his arms, raising her lips for his kiss.  They hadn’t had time to see a great deal of one another during their short engagement, but their time together had become more and more passionate.  Her arms wrapped around his back and she held him close, her hands moving under his jacket so she could touch him through the fine linen of his shirt. 

His tongue moved into her mouth to tangle with hers, while his hands pulled her even closer against him.  “I need you,” he whispered against her lips.

She let out a low moan as his hand cupped her breast through her gown.  It was the first time he’d been bold enough to touch her there, and she liked it more than she cared to admit.  “Tomorrow night,” she whispered.

He groaned.  “I don’t want to wait any longer.”

She pulled back and looked into his eyes.  “It’s only one more night.  Our wedding night should be…special.”

He dropped his forehead against hers.  “If you were any other woman in the world, I’d be pushing you, but I know you feel as strongly as I do.  Tomorrow night there had better not be any arguments.”  He was more than a little frustrated, having slept in his lonely bed dreaming of their wedding night for the past three weeks.

She sighed.  “I do want you, Charles.”  Every time she touched him, her body came alive.  She loved being with him, and she wasn’t going to hide it.

“I guess I can wait another thirty-six hours,” he growled.

She giggled.  “You wouldn’t have really made love to me for the first time in your sister’s gazebo.”

“You know, sometimes I think you know me better than any person ever has.  At times like this, I know you don’t, though.  I would take you anywhere at this point.  I wouldn’t care if we were in a church.”

She nipped at his chin, using her teeth against his skin.  “I’d want to let you.”  He stood, gripping her hands and pulling her to her feet.  “Where are we going?” she asked as he strode in the opposite direction from his sister’s house.

“I’m going to find a church!”

The laughter bubbled up out of her throat, and she realized she’d laughed more since she met this man than she had in the years since her parents died.  She’d almost forgotten how good it felt to laugh.   “You’re silly.  Get me back to Lily’s before dinner,” she said.

He grabbed her by her waist and spun her in a circle.  “You’re really going to make me wait, aren’t you?”

“Of course, I am!”  Constance shook her head at him for expecting anything else from her.

He caught her to him, giving her one last desperately hungry kiss.  “I can wait until tomorrow.  Just barely.”

The walk back to his sister’s house was made in silence.  She felt like she was doing something wrong by not giving in, but she desperately wanted to remember her wedding night as a special time with him.  He kissed her quickly and left with a wave.  “I’ll see you at the church.”

Constance leaned against the wall on the front of the house for a moment.  “I’ll be there.”

*****

Constance sat at the dressing table in
Marsgate Manor, brushing her hair.  Charles had very reluctantly agreed to give her five minutes alone to dress for bed, and she was doing her best to hurry.  Lily had given her a wedding gift just that morning that she’d whispered to Constance was for the wedding night.

Constance had just opened it and found a beautiful pale blue nightgown, cut very low in the front with a slit in the side that went all the way up her thigh.  She’d blushed when she saw it, but
she’d put it on, recognizing that Charles would love it.

She finished brushing her hair, and put the brush down with trembling hands.  She wanted Charles, but she was still nervous.  What would it be like to do
that
with him?  Lily had talked to her about what would occur, and she had assured her that it would be wonderful.  “When you love a man, you enjoy his attentions in bed.”

Constance had been a little embarrassed to talk about it, but Lily had been so open, she’d asked several questions.  Now the time was at hand, and she wished she’d asked dozens more.  Was she supposed to wait for him under the covers, or should she wait at her dressing table?  Or should she wait standing in front of the window?  She had no idea what the right thing to do was, and she wanted to please her husband.  How could she please him?

Charles knocked once briefly on the door and opened it wide, his eyes scanning the room for his wife.  Wife.  He loved that word as it related to Constance.  No one had seemed shocked about him marrying her.  They’d all acted as if it were normal for an earl to marry a girl from a dress shop.  She had yet to be introduced to Society, but he had no worries there.  He didn’t spend enough time in London for anyone’s opinions to matter.

Finally he spotted her next to the open window.  She was wearing a nightgown with nothing over it, and his heart skipped a beat.  She was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her, standing quietly waiting for him to join her.  He strode quickly across the room to her.  He hadn’t undressed, because she was in his room. 

The room usually given to the countess was right next door, but he didn’t even want her to know there was an option of not sharing his bed all night every night.  He wanted to hold her against him and make love to her every chance he got.  She was his wife.  Wives were meant to be close.  He doubted she’d ever realize that she was meant to have a room separate from his.

He walked to her slowly, savoring the moment.  He was certain Lily must have helped his sweet bride find her nightgown, because he knew Constance would have covered herself from head to toe given the chance.  He knew she was willing,
but she was so nervous about the whole thing, he knew there would have to be a great deal of coaxing involved.

As he stepped to within arm
's distance of her, he simply looked at her, drinking in his fill.  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

She smiled nervously.  “Thank you.”

He reached out and stroked his hand down her arm, not making any other moves, but getting her used to his touch against her bare skin.  She’d felt his hands through her dress many times, but never against her bare skin.  “The wedding was nice.  You and Lily did a good job planning it.”

She swallowed hard looking up at him.  When he did nothing but continue to stroke her arm, she took the two steps that brought her flush up against him, wrapping her arms tightly around him.  “I’m glad you’re my husband now.”

He smiled, holding her by her shoulders and looking down at her.  “Not as happy as I am.”  He kissed her quickly, pressing a small trail of kisses from her lips across to her neck and down her shoulder.  “I love touching your skin.  It’s so soft.”

She moved her hands over his back.  “You know, you didn’t have to come to me in your suit.  Even I know the clothes have to come off for this.”

He chuckled.  “Well, look who’s eager now!”

She blushed.  “I am eager.  We married, and it’s perfectly acceptable.  It’s my duty even.”

His nose wrinkled at the term duty.  “Your duty?”  He held her by the shoulders and looked down into her eyes.  “Is that how you see this?”

“Not at all.  I know a lot of women do, though.  I see this as making love with my husband, something I’ve been waiting to do since the day I met him.”  She kissed his chin.  “Since I first saw him galloping across the countryside years ago.”

“Galloping across the countryside?  You mean over near the stream?”  He stared at her with surprise.  He’d always assumed orphans had watched him there, but instead it had been his little wife.  “I always knew someone was watching me when I rode there.”

“You didn’t seem to.  You never slowed down or stopped.”  She helped him take his jacket off his shoulders.  “I used to sit by that stream and watch you ride.  It made my time with Lady Graves so much more bearable.”

He stroked her hair, which he was seeing down for the first time.  It was past her waist, and he couldn’t help but be intrigued by it.  “Why didn’t you tell me before that was you?”

“I didn’t know you’d even realized anyone was there.”  She slowly unbuttoned his shirt while they talked.  He seemed not to realize that she was methodically removing all his clothing, and she was thankful for that.  Once it was unbuttoned, she untucked it from his pants. 

He stepped back and kicked off his shoes, before moving to sit on the side of the bed, pulling her toward him to stand between his spread thighs.  He pressed his face against her silk covered breasts and she moaned softly in surprise.  He moved his hands around to her bottom, and pulled her more toward him, his hands starting a slow exploration of everything they could reach.

She took a step back and pulled the nightgown over her head, dropping it to the floor.  She knew he hadn’t expected her to do anything nearly so brazen, so she was quite proud of herself when she finished. 

He stood and unfastened the buttons on the front of his trousers before dropping them to the floor, leaving them to face each other in their nudity. 

Constance did her best not to blush, and she refused to look below his shoulders.  She’d seen a naked baby once, but she’d never seen a grown man naked, and she wasn’t about to start now.  She stepped toward him again, pressing herself up against his nakedness, surprised at how good it felt to feel him against her.

Charles took deep gulping breaths to try to calm his raging desire.  He didn’t want to hurt her, and she was being so brazen, he was becoming aroused much faster than he’d expected.  He carefully maneuvered her so her back was to the bed and lowered her gently down, moving to lie on his side.  “I need you,” he whispered against her neck.

She turned her head to him, stroking his bare shoulders and the sinewy muscles there.  “You feel good.”

“So do you.”  His lips kissed a trail from her shoulder down to her breast, carefully taking her nipple between his lips and pulling it into his mouth. 

She gasped, grasping his shoulders more tightly.  She had never imagined he’d suckle at her breasts the way a babe did.  The motions sent a spark of fire flying through her body and into her most secret place.  She felt her legs part slightly of their own accord, and his hand moved between her spread thighs, straight to her core.

Constance wasn’t certain if his hand was supposed to touch her there, and if it was all right, but she didn’t argue.  Instead she ran her fingers through his dark hair, touching him with loving fingers.  “I want you,” she whispered to him.

His hand traced the tight nub he found between her secret folds before slowly inserting one finger inside her.  “You’re so tight.  I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you.”

“The first time always hurts for a woman,” she told him.  She didn’t add that it was his sister who had imparted that small piece of wisdom to her.

“Not as much as it will if I take you now.”  He carefully moved two fingers inside her, imitating the motions that he would be making later with his fingers.  “I want it to be as easy for you as it can be.”

Constance smiled.  “That’s one of the things I love so much about you.  You put my needs first.”

Charles lifted his head, looking down into her eyes.  “You love me?”

She shook her head with a smile.  “What did you think this was all about?  I wouldn’t marry a man I don’t love.”  She didn’t expect to hear the words back, because she knew they were more rare with his class, but she was determined not to care.  She loved him, and she couldn’t hide it from him any longer.