XXVI. A Desperate Lord-2

"I want him to marry," said the old man. "Why would I be angry that he finally had the courage to take a wife?" "But you are furious about Lady Gedge?" Harold droned. "Well, yes! He attacked a woman!" "I did not attack her, father." "I meant you attacked a gossipmonger!" "I did not attack her," Harold insisted. "You humiliated her." Harold sighed. "Very well. But I am not going to apologize." "Good," the Lord of Devonshire said with finality. "Next time, stay away from her kind, do you hear me?" "Of course." Albert Everard nodded with satisfaction and turned to Alice. "I am sorry you had to witness that, my dear. Welcome to Devonshire." Alice forced a smile. "Thank you, my lord." "When do you plan to leave for Tiny Town?" he asked, gesturing to the settee. They two of them followed the man and returned to their seats. "The soonest you give us your blessing," Harold replied with a teasing tone. "My blessing is the last thing you need." Albert waved his hand to disregard his son's statement. "You can leave now if you are in haste." "We leave on the morrow," Harold said. "Alice and I need rest." His father stared at his battered face. "I can see that you do." The man sighed and rang for a servant. "Please escort Lady Alice to a bedchamber." "The west wing, if you may," Harold said with a smile. His father rolled his eyes and waited until Alice had left the room. He stood and went to Harold, his large form casting a large shadow over him as he bent and whispered, "Son, her mother might be a believer of the curse." "Yes, I know." "Do you plan to leave very early?" "Yes." "Good. We do not know how fast her carriage can take her to Tiny Town should she decide to intervene." ***** After Alice had settled, Harold invited her for a walk around the plantations. "Should I even bother to guess whose clothes are you wearing?" Alice smiled. "The young man who owned this shirt and trousers must not have had any adventure in his youth." He scoffed. "Pardon?" Alice looked down at her clothes. "I do not see any sign that they had been patched at some point." He grabbed clasped her hand in his and wickedly said, "That is because I spent most of my time out of them, darling." Her eyes narrowed at him. "As much as I do understand that you had lovers before me, Harry, I would hate to find you in any state of undress unless it is within our home and in my presence or that of your valet." Harold chuckled, squeezing her hand. "I would dare not, love." "You have had enough lovers." "Alice, I understand what you mean. You will kill me if I ever find another." She nodded in satisfaction. "I am relieved that we understand each other very well." He paused and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "As I am. Now, do pray tell how you find my old man." "He is manageable." "Ha! He would hang us both if you ever say that word in his face." "I also thought he was charming earlier, but I did not say it out loud for I know he would hate it." "Yes, he would." "Then what does he like?" "More heirs." Alice chuckled. They finally reached the stables where their horses were already waiting to take them to the plantations. "We ought to work on that the soonest we can." ***** Later that evening, Alice was not surprised when her door slowly opened and Harold crept in wearing naught but his nightwear. "Do not tell me you are still ravenous after that sumptuous meal," Alice whispered, moving the under covers to allow him more space beside her. He huffed as he slipped into bed beside her and gathered her in his arms. "We are not going to start on an heir tonight, darling," he whispered back against her forehead. "But tomorrow... tomorrow you would have to prepare." Alice pressed closer, wrapping her arm around his waist and tilting her head in search for his lips. The intention of a light kiss turned into something hungry and demanding for them both. She was pushed on her back with him on top of her and between her legs, in no time. His mouth traveled along her jaw and down her neck while his hands slid lower. Harold groaned when he realized something. "What is it?" Alice asked innocently. He raised his head from her left breast. "You are wearing my old nightwear." "Not very convenient for you?" she asked with a chuckle. "And you took a bath." "The soap was fantastic." "You smell wonderful." She nodded. "I do smell the same all over." He rose on both arms with a calculating look on his face. "You are trying to assess whether or not you will strip me naked or wait until the morrow," Alice concluded with amusement. He ground his hips against hers to prove to her the difficult decision he had to make. "Perhaps you should not have come here tonight after all," Alice said, wrapping her legs around him. "I do have no reason to stop," he said, bending his head to kiss her nose. "As do I," she added in agreement, running her hands down the small of his back. "And no one surely has any intention to barge into your chamber. Not in this household, no." "Very well," Alice retorted, pulling her nightshirt lower to her waist, "we can always start on that heir tonight." Harold nodded. His face was still swollen, but the desire in his emerald green eyes burned bright. "There is a fair chance that we will fail on that regard tonight." "Precisely, my lord," she said, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips at her last word as his hand cupped one breast. "And we can try again on the morrow." He bent his head and teased one breast. "In the carriage." "Yes," she murmured, closing her eyes. "Before the wedding." Alice gulped and nodded as his hands unwound her legs from around his hips and pulled the rest of her clothing lower. "And after the wedding," he whispered in her ear before claiming her mouth for a hungry onslaught. After a short struggle with the fabrics that separated them, he guided himself into her and paused to look into her eyes, his emerald green ones glimmering with unshed tears. "And more after that," he murmured. Alice nodded as a tear ran down her temple. She understood what he meant. And it meant everything.