Authors: Janelle Taylor
He grinned roguishly and murmured, “Because it’s mine. I take it our son’s name is Michael Farrington after my father?” he speculated aloud, but she failed to grasp the meaning of his words in her distress. He should have realized she was a real lady!
“No, I named him Joshua Stephen Farrington for some inexplicable reason,” she absently responded, wondering how to solve this crisis and retain her father’s love and respect. Abruptly his previous words hit home. She looked up into his smoldering sapphire eyes and asked, “What did you say? What mad revenge is this?”
He chuckled as he emphasized his next words, “My real name is Stephen…Spencer…Farrington. But you, my devious and lovely wife, may call me Spence. Now that you know the truth, surely you won’t betray your own husband to the hangman?”
Flabbergasted, she stammered, “You…mean… you really are…Spencer Farrington? The Spencer Farrington? Will’s grandson?” That book in Joshua’s cabin…“S.S.F.”!
Lusty laughter reached her ears as his virile body shook with amusement. “That certainly explains our first meeting, Alexandria Hampton Farrington. The property line between our estates goes right down the
middle of our secret paradise. I was home visiting Will for a few days when I met an enchanting nymph at my secluded pond. I’m sorry I caused such a scene upon my return home, but surely you can imagine my shock and anger at finding myself married to Lady Hampton when the only woman I wanted to marry was an elusive siren named Angelique, if I ever managed to locate her again,” he teased.
Baffled, she debated, “Then why did you agree to our mock marriage? Why didn’t you tell me your name at the hotel? Was it done by proxy so I wouldn’t guess the truth? I would have married you anyway. I had no idea you were the same man.”
It was his turn to show confusion. “If you explain how we came to be married, then we can both comprehend this strange occurrence. I didn’t learn your name until today.”
Alex gradually related the facts as she knew them. She couldn’t believe her uncle’s audacity when he told her his side. “No wonder you were so upset! Why would he do such a deceitful and daring thing?”
“Because he is close friends with both Spencer and Steele. He put two and two together and solved the problem himself by marrying you to the father of your child. No doubt he intended to tell me everything, but I’ve been at sea since our last encounter. I’m sorry for all I put you through, love. If you had stayed around as promised, his trickery wouldn’t have been necessary,” he alluded.
“What do you mean?” she questioned.
“I left you to prepare a hasty marriage for us. I
planned to reveal myself that night and marry you. I had decided to take you to my Virginia plantation to wait for me. It’s been hell without you.”
“What a stupid fool I was!” she berated herself.
“I really can’t blame you, love. I should have told you how much I loved you and needed you before I rushed out to get the minister. I suppose I was a little too proud and stubborn to admit how much you meant to me. I’m still a bit confused by this proxy marriage between us. I thought you told me your marriage was all arranged. When I saw Henry that same day, he didn’t mention it and he surely didn’t act angry with me. Why didn’t he tell me about you and the wedding?”
Ashamed, she lowered her head as she revealed her desperate ruse. He grinned and jested, “Found yourself ensnared in your own trap, love? I could have strangled you for deserting me again.”
“I’m sorry, Josh. I didn’t know you or trust you. I honestly didn’t know I was pregnant that day. I was afraid and…”
He placed his finger to her lips. “It’s all right now, love. Everything worked out perfectly in the end. You best work on calling me Spence now. God, how I feared I had lost you forever. All I’ve thought about is you and the baby. You’re mine, woman; accept it.”
“Should we change our son’s name?” she suddenly questioned.
He smiled and shook his head. “Joshua was my brother. He was killed in an accident when he was twelve. One of the King’s favorite archers shot him
while hunting. Since my name’s really Stephen, it would seem natural to name our son after the two of us.”
“I’m sorry, Spence. I didn’t know. Do you realize that’s the first personal thing you’ve ever told me about yourself?” she stated in wonder. “I still can’t believe this; Spencer and Steele the same man?”
“We’ll have years to discover each other’s secrets,” he hinted playfully, allowing the months of anguish and anger to slip away.
A frightened look replaced her joyful one. “What’s wrong, love?” he asked, dreading to hear her reservations about him.
“I was just thinking about Captain Steele. I would die if I lost you now, Spence. Please don’t sail the
Black Mist
anymore.”
He smiled. “In view of my new and delightful situation, I think Steele has mysteriously retired. I missed the birth of our first child, but I don’t plan to miss the next one. I want to spend every minute with you and our son. This match is perfect and permanent.”
Her eyes softened and watered. “I love you, Spencer Farrington. I have sorely missed you. We’ll never be torn apart again, my love.” Was her dream by the pond coming true?
“If you had told me the truth after our first reunion, I’d had fought heaven and hell to keep you. After all, Henry, your father, and Captain Steele do work for the same side. I wish I had known then the message was from Henry Cowling, or at least known
your name. We certainly ripped at each other, didn’t we, and all for nothing. To think I actually refused to meet you on two separate occasions!”
“You work for the same side? I don’t follow…”
“Contrary to gossip and what you thought, Captain Steele was a secret agent for President Madison himself, love. I only used the cover of a privateer and a pirate to carry out my assignments. That’s why I never sank any ship or killed anyone without it being unavoidable. All I was after were the coded messages being passed between English spies and soldiers, of which I erroneously assumed you were one because of that infamous slip. Can you forgive me, love?”
“My father knows who you are?” she exclaimed in panic.
“He does now. I told him while you were sleeping peacefully a while ago.”
“Can you trust him to keep silent?” she fretted anxiously.
“Without a doubt. Once the war’s over, he’s moving to America. But all that can be discussed later. Right now, I only want to kiss my wife to make certain she’s real and mine.”
“Wife!” she shrieked as if this was the first time she comprehended that fact. “We are married!”
“That does make things easier for us. Now, you won’t have to divorce your husband to marry me. We’ve wasted a whole year, Alex.”
His mouth came down upon hers. Her arms slipped around his waist. Shutting out the whole world, they clung together and savored this heady moment. He
pressed her cheek to his drumming heart and held her close. “Sweet Angel, how I’ve missed you.”
“Is it safe to come out now?” her father teased.
As if caught in some wanton predicament, she jerked away from Spence and flushed. Spence chuckled. “Aren’t you forgetting something, Mrs. Farrington?”
When she looked up into his sparkling eyes, he teased, “We are married, love. It is all right to show your husband some affection after such a long and lonely separation.”
She laughed and hugged him tightly. The baby began to cry for his next meal. Alex turned and lifted him into her arms. “Would you care to inspect your first son, my love?”
Spencer trailed his fingers over the soft flesh of his arms and face, then touched the dark hair upon his head. “He favors you, Spence. How lucky can I be? Two handsome and irresistible men to love.”
As Spencer took his hand and gazed at it in awe and pride, the baby grasped his forefinger and held it. “Does that mean he likes me or knows who I am?” he inquired, laughing.
“Neither, my love, it’s instinctive. But he will soon,” she promised. “I better go and feed him. Your son can thunder as loud as you when denied his wishes,” she impishly taunted.
He stood up and helped her to her feet. “I’ll return as soon as he’s fed and put down for his nap.”
“I’m coming to watch. I’ve missed too much as it is,” he declared.
Before she could argue, he took her elbow and headed for the steps. “We’ll talk later, Charles. We all have some things to work out,” he stated meaningfully.
Knowing they needed time alone, Charles returned to his work, whistling merrily after telling the staff to prepare a fabulous feast for dinner tonight. Taking the initiative, he sent word of Spencer’s arrival and the family celebration planned for that night to William Farrington—who would respond and head that way the moment the letter reached him.
In the nursery, Alex dismissed Martha who kept staring belligerently at Spencer as she made her exit. “I take it she doesn’t like my replacing her?”
“I’m afraid you made a terrible first impression on her; she overheard most of your violent argument with Papa after your arrival. Plus, she’s annoyed with me for going riding earlier today. I visited the pond for the first time since…” She blushed at her confession.
He laughed and kissed her forehead. “I see you found me as haunting as I found you, love. We’ve really resisted this perfect match, haven’t we?”
“Yes, we did. But never again,” she vowed, her gaze leaving her task a moment to look at him. Once the baby was diapered and dressed for bed, she went to the rocker and sat down. “You’ll have to wait until later to spend some time with your son, Spence. If we want any peace and privacy, we best not interfere with his rigid schedule.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed, his gaze glued on
the two people he loved above his own life. As she unbuttoned her dress, she suddenly halted and flushed like a timid bride on her wedding night. “Why are you staring at me like that?” she nervously asked.
“I do believe you’ve returned to your excessive modesty, my love. This is all new to me and I want to share each moment. Do you mind?”
“It’s still fairly new to me, Spence, but you can stay.” She placed the baby near her right breast this time. Relishing this nourishment and contact, his small mouth attached itself to his mother’s body.
“Your son is just as greedy as his father. The way he eats, he’ll be your size in no time,” she commented, then giggled.
“What’s so funny?” he inquired, touched by the scene before him.
“It tickles sometimes. I dread to think of him sprouting teeth and using them on me.”
He laughed heartily. “Maybe I could give him some lessons in how to use them gently. After all, we do seem to have the same parts.”
“Spencer Farrington! How dare you speak so crudely before our innocent son,” she playfully chided him. “While you’re giving him lessons, please teach him to use his ‘parts’ wisely and selectively.”
“Just like his old man,” he cheerfully concluded, coming to kneel down beside the rocker and fluff the baby’s hair.
His gaze fused with hers. He traced his finger over her breast and up her throat to pass over her lips. He pulled her over and kissed her pervasively. Alex
tingled and warmed; her whole being flamed with desire for him. He had always had this same effect upon her.
She pulled back, resting her spinning head against the rocker. “If you distract me like that again, I might drop our son,” she hinted in a strained voice, laced with hunger.
His own body enflamed with the urgent need to be joined with hers, he leaned over and allowed his warm tongue to make moist circles around her left breast. “Perhaps I should discover why my son enjoys this so much,” he huskily murmured, closing his mouth over the protruding nipple.
She shuddered and moaned. Her breath caught in her throat; she tensed and burned. “Please, Spencer, don’t torture me like this. It’s been so long and I need you so much,” she whispered raggedly.
Their gazes met and fused once more. “Too long, Alex. Much too long…” Was he truly in the same room with his love?
He stood up and walked to her door. He locked it and leaned against it, torturously waiting for her to finish. She tore her gaze from his with great effort. The baby was asleep. She entered the nursery and placed him in the bed instead of the cradle in her bedroom, opening the hall door so Martha could tend him if he awakened.
She returned to her room and locked the door behind her. As if some unspoken signal was given, they slowly walked toward each other, this moment long overdue and eagerly anticipated. Stopping only inches apart, neither spoke nor moved. They simply
stared into each other’s eyes. The first to finally move, his hands came out to capture her face between them.
Before his head came down to fuse their lips, he said tenderly, “I love you, Alex, so much it frightens me.”
Savoring this moment, he kissed her time and time again. When he pulled back briefly to look at her, she smiled and seductively stated, “I need you too much to be modest, Spence.”
She eased his riding coat off his powerful shoulders and let it drop to the floor behind him. Her trembling fingers struggled with the buttons upon his shirt; it, too, floated soundlessly to the floor. She pressed her exposed bosom against his hard and hairy chest. Her arms went around him; her hands explored the rippling, smooth muscles upon his broad back. Tremors washed over her.
“Oh, God, that feels so wonderful,” she sighed in unleashed passion. “A day or a night hasn’t passed that I haven’t dreamed of this moment. I want you so much it hurts, Spencer. Please make love to me before I die of need,” she pleaded hoarsely, her mouth sought his and claimed it.
He spread intoxicating kisses over her face and throat. When his lips teased at her breasts once more, Alex could not suppress the cry of intense anguish which ravaged her smoldering body. He pushed her away to practically tear her clothes and the rest of his from their bodies.
He picked her up and carried her to the bed. The covers already turned aside for the nap she had missed during all the excitement, he placed her there and lay
beside her. She instantly turned to him and pulled him tightly against her.
Aquiver with a fierce yearning, she could hardly bear his continued assault upon her senses. Tantilizing every inch of her body, she begged for their union. When he nibbled at her ears and breasts as his hand sought to drive her mindless with blissful ecstasy, she followed his lead and gently seized his erect and throbbing manhood. He moaned against her mouth as she intensified his passion with her exploratory journey there. Never before, no matter how impassioned, had she dared to touch him in this most intimate and tempting manner.