“I love you, Roger.”
She let those words sink in. He asked in a soft voice, “How can you be so sure? I
never gave you cause to like me. If anything, I’ve probably done the opposite. I recently
said some very terrible things about you and your father and what’s worse, I did so in
public.”
“True enough, but there’s something new in your eyes, an understanding, a
perception of the feelings of others that I never saw before. I think I knew you were for
me when you defied Edward, and I was sure when you understood Edward had rejected me
without me spelling it out for you.” She impulsively grabbed his hand. “Roger, I know I’m
so very plain, but can you understand how lonely I’ve been? To see all my friends marry at
sixteen or seventeen while men either laugh at me or turn away in disgust. Can’t you see
the beauty beneath the surface or are you still too immature for that?”
“Perhaps if I were twenty-five and had a chance to taste life to the full, things
might be different. I’ll be eighteen this Saturday. I’m preparing to study for the law,
and my father is trying to force a marriage upon me while another man is bent on killing
me in a silly duel. I owe a scandalous amount of money, not from an investment that went
awry, but from playing cards and betting on horses. Don’t you think I lack the maturity to
support and treat a wife properly? How can I marry you when I’ve got grave doubts if I can
even consummate the marriage? I feel nothing for you at this point in time. I don’t know
what I’ll feel in six months or a year, but I did give my word to my father that I would
give you first consideration. I’m willing to spend some time with you, but I’m not making
any promises. I certainly don’t want to give you false hopes. To be honest with you, I’m
rather upset with my father for trying to force me into a marriage he knows I’m very
hesitant about. However, it’s not fair for me to take it out on you. It’s still a mystery
why you find me of such apparent value, considering my past deportment.”
She barely held back tears as she stared at him with so much longing in her eyes.
He reached out and pulled her to him, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. To his
surprise, it was pleasant to feel her warmth against him. “There, there, Kate, it’s all
right.”
He stroked her thick, lustrous brown hair until her silent weeping ceased.
Then she looked up at him expectantly. He gently wiped away a tear with his finger
before he spoke again with profound kindness. “The smallpox must have been horrible for
you, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. I was sick for weeks, and one of my brothers died from it.”
“I’m sorry, Kate. At least you’re immune from it now. It can never infect you
again. You could say those unsightly marks are your own badge of courage. You’ve endured
much, Kate, I grant you that.”
She couldn’t help herself, and she moved her lips to his.
A long, long moment passed as he slowly opened his mouth to hers. It was her first
kiss, and she didn’t know what to expect. He was quite unresponsive, except for the
movement of his lips against hers. Inwardly, Roger was surprised by the pleasure her
warmth brought him. For a brief moment, their tongues flicked together. It was a gentle
kiss, but for all that, it left Kate breathless and Roger a little surprised.
He broke the spell. “God’s wounds, a man isn’t even safe in church.”
Kate broke out in laughter, and soon he did also. She felt a bit better as he
helped her to her feet. “We’d better get back, Kate, or those wagging tongues will think
we’re having an orgy in here. I didn’t know you were a designing woman.”
As they approached the doorway, she asked, “Do you normally coax women to make the
first sortie? Hmmmmm?”
“I refuse to divulge any of my stock-and-trade secrets. Perhaps if I play hard to
get I can squeeze another five thousand out of your father. I mean, if I have to sacrifice
myself on the bitter cross of matrimony, shouldn’t I do it for ten thousand pounds, or
perhaps twenty thousand? Do you think he could afford it, Kate, if I put the heat on?”
She gave him a deploring and amused look. “Oh, Roger, you have such a wicked sense
of humor. You act like we’re buying a stud for horses for a top price. I don’t want your
love on that basis. You act like it’s a business transaction.”
“Well, isn’t it? He gets a grandson with a title and he doesn’t have to support you
for the next thirty years, and in return he pays up. It’s done all the time, even for the
good-looking girls from the most aristocratic families. It’s just a sign of the times we
live in.”
She giggled. “You really are incorrigible, you know. Well, I’m not giving up on
you. I heard about your mother’s outburst yesterday. Elaine told me.”
He grumbled. “Sister has a big mouth, that one. My mother has been under a lot of
strain lately. I said the wrong thing at the wrong time, and she blew up. It happens to
all of us one time or another. It will pass.”
There was still laughter in Kate’s voice. “By the way, we’ve all been invited to
Eleanor Fitzherbert’s home on Saturday night. Something about a birthday celebration for a
certain young baron to be.”
Roger asked, “My parents will be coming as well?”
“Oh yes, even Elaine. They’re making you a cake and bringing in musicians and
everything. So be sure you behave! We were informed yesterday, and Mary just forwarded the
news to your mother. I’m looking forward to seeing you get a little older.”
He looked into Kate’s grinning face and raised his eyebrows in mild mockery.
“Perhaps I should become a little wiser first.”
The words from an old song whispered through his brain. “If I’d known you were
coming, I’d have baked you a cake.”
For a few brief moments, a memory flashed through his brain. He and Glenda were in
a motel room, and it was his birthday. The saucy redhead had coated her cunt in whipped
cream, with a large strawberry sticking out of her love crack. She had on some very slinky
stockings and precious little else. A moment later, she was eagerly sucking down on his
rigid cock while he gorged himself on the sweet, rich cream and the juicy strawberry. The
sixty-nine had led to a wild, impassioned fucking that had lasted for hours. The memory of
the carnal festival brought a brief smile to Roger’s face. After all, that wild weekend
most probably had produced their third child, Alice. It was painful to think that the
little cherub would not be born for over two hundred years from this quiet moment.
They reached the house, and soon everyone was discussing the party. The women
talked about what they’d be wearing, and Roger spent his time trying to be polite. To his
relief, Belinda seemed to be back to her normally cordial, friendly self.
After the guests were gone, Elaine accosted him in the upstairs hallway. She
smirked, “So what did you two do out there in the ruins, Hmmmm? You were out there an
awfully long time.”
“Just some talking, sis. If I’m going to get stuck with her, I might as well
bargain for more money from the old skinflint. Don’t you think ten thousand pounds sounds
much better than a mere five thousand for such superb stud service? I think the extra
money will be quite consoling, don’t you?
Elaine chortled, “You’re so devious these days. What are you up to? Does Father
know you’re trying to raise the stakes, my greedy little brother?”
“Not yet. I have to manage that a bit more delicately. If I know father, he’s
already given his word to Will about the amount of the stud price and he won’t change it.
If that’s the case, I’ll have to play hard to get. If I make Kate salivate for a year,
she’ll bring some pressure to bear on daddy, I’ll wager. After all, five thousand pounds
is a paltry bargain price for such a high-spirited plaything as myself. After all, my
precious Elaine, I am of excellent quality, don’t you think?”
She could see the twinkle in his eyes, “Oh, you! You’re just jesting with me! You
never can be serious, can you?”
“Not on your life, sis. It’s against my religion.”
She walked away from him in mock disgust.
As Roger proceeded to the nearby outhouse to relieve himself, he quoted the future
Tennyson. “Elaine, the fair; Elaine, the lily maid of Astelot. He obviously never met this
Elaine!”
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