The Folly (12 page)

Chapter
1
9

Elizabeth sat down on the marble bench inside the folly looking moodily
out
over the lake.  She hadn’t painted in days and she had no desire to do anything other than brood.  She had
been
avoiding Jeremy for the past two days
,
and could see the confusion in his eyes when she refused to go for a ride with him
,
then pleaded a headache during lunch to
avoid
being alone with him, since Henry had gone out on estate business.  She was torn and confused
,
and more miserable than she had ever been
since their kiss in the chapel
.
He promised not to leave, but she would sure
ly
drive him away if she continued in this manner. 
Was there no end to this torment?  She wanted him to stay, but she needed him to
go
.  She
’
d find no peace as long as he was at
Flynn Manor
, so close, yet completely
out-of-
bounds. 

Elizabeth
’s thoughts were
interrupted
by the sight of Jeremy striding toward the folly across the lawn.  He looked angry, his mouth set in a determined line
,
and she wondered if he knew she was there.  Was he coming to tell her he was leaving
,
or
to
demand an explanation for
her behavior
?  She rose from her seat, not wanting to look up at him when he got there.  Jeremy finally reached the folly and walked in through
the
opening in the columns
. 

“Jeremy…”
Elizabeth
began, but she never got to finish what she was going to say.  Jeremy pulled her roughly to him
,
and kissed her with all the passion he
’
d been repressing for the past few weeks.  His lips were demanding her surrender
,
and evoking emotions she’d never experienced before.  Her body
yielded
before her mind did
,
and she found herself pressing
herself
to him and wrapping her arms around his neck
;
pulling him closer and returning the kiss.   Jeremy was devouring her
, but
she didn’t want him to stop.  She felt
suddenly weightless
,
and if he would have let her go
at that moment
, she would have slid to the ground, her quivering legs unable to hold her upright.  She finally pulled away and looked up at him.  Jeremy’s
dark
eyes were stormy
, his gaze intense on her face
. 
Elizabeth
stepped out of his arms and
slid
down onto the bench, finding the act of
standing
too much at the moment.

             
Jeremy sank to his knees in front of
Elizabeth
, taking her
shaking
hands in his.  “
Elizabeth
,
i
f you want me to go, I
’
ll leave today and never return, but if you want me to stay, you must understand that you will be mine and I
’
ll share you with no man, not even your
husband.  It’s all or nothing.
”  He looked up at her, his eyes full of yearning and Elizabeth ben
t
down and kissed him gently. 

             
“
I choose all. 
I
’
ll do whatever it takes regardless of the consequences.  It’s not like it would be the first scandal in the family,
”
she said, giving him a shaky smile.

             
“
Lizzie,
I want you to have some time to think
things through
.  I
need
you to be sure
,
since
there will be no going back for either of us.  Things will need to be decided and there will be consequences.  I just want you to be certain this is what you
truly
want.”

             
Elizabeth
nodded.  “
It is what I want
.
  It’s what I wanted from the moment I saw you, but I
’
ll do as you ask and sleep on it.”  Elizabeth reached out and caressed Jeremy’s face, running her thumb over his lower lip.  She didn’t need to think.  She’d thought of nothing else for weeks
,
and if he asked her right now, she would go off with him without a backward glance.  Jeremy laid his head in Elizabeth’s lap, wrapping his arms around her legs. 

             
“I wish we could leave right now, but I need you to be sure.  You
’
ll be walking out on your marriage and destroying your reputation.  Life
,
as you know it
,
will never be the same.  Think carefully, Elizabeth.”  He looked up at her, his gaze anxious.

             
“You
’
ll be giving up a lot too.  You will be forfeiting your birthright.  Are you ready to do that?  Henry will never let you inherit the estate if you betray him.” Elizabeth ran her fingers through Jeremy’s thick hair, wanting nothing more than to touch him.  She could feel his warm hands through the thin fabric of her dress
,
and longed for him
to kiss her again.

             
“I
’
ll give up my inheritance in a heartbeat if it means being with you.”  He rose to his feet and pulled her into an embrace.  This time his kiss was tender and lingering.  “Think it over
,
and meet me here at the same time tomorrow.  I can
’t
trust myself to be around you today.”  With that Jeremy kissed the palm of her hand and walked out of the folly.

 
             
Elizabeth sank back down onto the bench
, her legs still a little unsteady, but not quite as unsteady as her heart.  She didn’t need time to think.  She knew that she would give up everything to be with Jeremy.  She knew there would be serious
repercussions
, but she didn’t care.  She would rather live with him in poverty and shame
,
than spend another day in luxury and security with Henry.  She knew that he would be terribly hurt by their betrayal, but as far as she was concerned
,
there was no choice.  The mere thought of a life without Jeremy left her feeling desolate.  She would have love
;
even if it killed her.

Chapter
20

             
Elizabeth
didn’t see Jeremy for the rest of the day
,
and wondered where he
’
d gone, but she was glad
to be away from him
.  She wouldn
’
t have been able to keep up appearances after that kiss.  She simply wasn’t that good of an actress.  She prayed that Henry would not come to her at night
,
and
feigned
a headache, skipping dinner to prevent his visit.  She couldn’t have borne it when her body burned for Jeremy.  Thankfully, Henry didn
’
t
trouble her
,
and Elizabeth fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, exhausted by her anxiety. 

             
Jeremy was already at the folly by the time she arrived
, pacing anxiously within the confines of the small space. 

             
“Yes,” she said simply, walking into his arms. 
H
e gave her a thorough kiss
,
before taking her arm and casually strolling toward the sea.  They bid a good day to the gardener, who was used to seeing them walk together
,
and tried to speak of the weather until they were finally out of hearing distance. 
As it happened, the weather was glorious
,
and no one would have been surprised to see them taking a stroll.   A gentle
b
reeze ruffled Jeremy’s hair
,
as he
gave
Elizabeth
his hand
to help her
down the narrow path. 
She thought they would just take a walk along the beach, but Jeremy didn’t stop when they reached the shore
,
and kept walking in the direction of the flat boulder that loomed in the distance, jutting out into the foaming water.

             
“Where are we going?” 

             
“You’ll see.”  Jeremy held Elizabeth by the hand as they made their way down the beach and around an outcropping of rock.  She
’
d never been to
this
part of the beach before
,
and she looked up at the massive stone face of the cliff, paying little attention to the narrow crevice hidden by foliage and
tangled
roots.  Jeremy lifted her onto a stone shelf and parted the branches
,
pulling her into the dark tunnel of the cave. 
Elizabeth
followed him through the narrow space
, holding on to his hand until the path opened up into a large chamber.  There
was just enough light to see where they were going, but it was very dim
,
and
Elizabeth
prayed there would be no bats or anything
else that might have
sharp teeth.

             
“
Wait
here for a moment.” 
Elizabeth could see his silhouette in the shadows, striking a flint several times before
the flickering light of a candle illuminated the space.  Jeremy lit a few more
candles
;
their orange
tongues sending shifting shadows along the sloped ceiling and rough stone of the walls.  There were no bats
,
and the cave looked strangely clean. 
Elizabeth
looked around.  The floor in the corner
was
covered with a thick
layer
of straw
covered by a blanket
,
and
a basket covered
tightly
against any critters
that
might have been curious enough to want to investigate its contents
sat in the corner
.  Jeremy opened the basket and drew out a bottle of wine and two pewter cups.

             
“
This is the smuggler’s cave I told you about where Simon and I had our picnics
.
  I did a little housekeeping yesterday
,
” he
said sheepishly, handing
Elizabeth
a cup of wine
and
draining his in one gulp. 
She could see that he was nervous
,
and it made her own nervousness
dissipate
slightly
.

“It’s not ideal, but at least it’s private.”  Jeremy put down the bottle and took the cup out of
Elizabeth
’s trembling hands.  He came up behind her, bending down to kiss her neck
,
and sending shivers
of pleasure
down her spine. 
His lips felt warm and tender on her hot skin
,
as his
hands deftly opened the tiny buttons at the back of her gown
, pushing
down the dress
and
leaving her in her corset and petticoats. 
Elizabeth stepped out of the dress pooled at her feet and leaned against
Jeremy
. 
He turned her around and kissed her hard, his hand cupping her breast through the thin fabric of her shift.  She hardly noticed as he unlaced her corset and pulled down her petticoats
, leaving her
wearing only her silk stockings and a
shift
.  S
he felt self-conscious and
exposed
.  Jeremy’s eyes never left hers as he took off his coat and waistcoat and threw them on top of the pile, pulling off his boots and taking off his linen shirt. 

Elizabeth
gasped when she saw his chest.  There was a livid scar across his ribs where he must have been slashed with a sword
,
and she could see the
red
, puckered scar tissue
on
his
shoulder
. 
There were several more faded scars scattered across his torso and she touched them
gently, looking up at him.

             
“I
’
m sorry if that frightens you. 
Those are my souvenirs of war
.” 
Elizabeth
kissed his shoulder
,
then bent down and kissed the angry scar across his ribs.  Jeremy sucked in his breath as her lips touched him and he
picked
her up, laying her on top of the blanket.

**

             
Jeremy could feel
Elizabeth’s
nervousness
as he touched her. 
It was obvious to him that s
he had never been made love to, just taken
,
and it made him angry.  No woman should be treated like that, especially one as young and beautiful as Elizabeth.  She was skittish as a colt
,
and he needed to
calm
her and earn her trust.  Jeremy continued to kiss
Elizabeth
,
until she began to relax and kiss him back
with more abandon.  He
pulled down one side of her shift, exposing a perfect breast.  She gasped in surprise as he licked her nipple with the tip of his tongue, teasing it until it rose against his lips. 
She closed her eyes and moaned softly as his warm lips closed over the nipple, sucking gently. 
His hand cupped her other breast
,
as
he ran his thumb over the nipple,
feeling it respond. 

He watched Elizabeth’s face, but her mouth still looked tense
;
her fists clenched next to her.  Jeremy slid his hand up her thigh, feeling her clamp her legs together around his hand.  He didn
’
t persist, just whispered softly to her
, caressing
her until she relaxed enough to allow him to try again.  He stroked her, sliding his fingers inside only when she seemed ready
,
and watched her look change from one of alarm to one of pleasure.  He was in no rush.  He wanted her to be ready and want him, not just allow him to make love to her.  She had been used enough.  His own satisfaction was secondary.  All h
e
wanted was to make her happy. 

Jeremy slid
down
between her legs,
lifting them
on
to
his shoulders
,
and
ignoring
her gasp of shock.  He had never gone down
on a
woman before, finding it somewhat repulsive, but this was different.  The women he had been with had not been lovers, they were sexual partners.  He wanted to please
Elizabeth
and as
he used his tongue to make her writhe and moan
;
he felt aroused by her taste and smell. 

             
Jeremy felt
Elizabeth’s
thighs quiver
, her body
ready for him.  He moved back up and slid easily into her, moving slowly and deliberately until she began to move with him, raising her hips to meet hi
s
in her need.  He couldn’t hold back any longer
as
he thrust harder and faster, spilling himself into her as she arched her back taking him in deeper. 
Jeremy laid his head on
Elizabeth’s
shoulder, allowing his heart rate
to
get back to normal. 
He hadn’t realized how nervous he
’
d been.  Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him, silent and
immobile.

             
“
Elizabeth
, are you all right?”  He looked up at her to see tears coursing down her face.  “
Have
I hurt you?”

             
She shook her head mutely
, wiping
the tears from her cheeks.  Jeremy shifted his weight off her and cupped her cheek, wiping a tear with his thumb.  “What is it?  Are you sorry?”  He was terrified that she would say she was, but it was a possibility. 
Elizabeth
shook her head again.

             
“I
’
m not sorry.  I never knew it could be like this.  I could have lived my whole life and never known.  Is it always this way?”

             
“Not always.  Loving the person makes it more intense, as I have just found out.”

             
“So, if we were married, it would always be like this?  You would never just do it and leave?”

             
“Sweetheart, I would never do anything you didn’t want me to, but I promise you,
I would never just use you and leave
.  It
makes me happy
to give you pleasure.”  He saw
Elizabeth
blush in the candlelight.

             
“You know that thing you did?”  She looked down and then back up again.  “Do women do it too?”

             
“To other women?” he asked, teasing her.  “Sure, sometimes.”

             
“No, I mean do women do that to men?” 
Her cheeks were hot with embarrassment
,
and he tried not to laugh. 

             
“Yes, some women do, but it’s not mandatory.  You don’t
have
to do anything you don’t want to.”  

             
“I want to give you pleasure too,” she whispered. 
She slid down the length of Jeremy’s body, taking him in her mouth.  He closed his eyes in
ecstasy
, surrendering himself to Elizabeth.  This was her declaration of love
,
and he accepted it joyfully, letting her show him her devotion.