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54: His gift
Last Updated:
2023-05-22 07:57:06Related chapters
Promised to the father, married to the son 55: Arriving
*Ben* As a husband, I of course have the right to sit beside my wife in the car, but I prefer sitting across from her because it affords me the opportunity to gaze on her more fully, to watch her more closely. Every now and then, the light from the streetlamps we pass reflects off the pearls. I bought them because I wanted to lavish her with gifts, wanting her to have everything she has ever desired. It's crushing me to realize how much I care for her. She looks gorgeous in the blue. Whenever she looks at me, there is always a sultriness to her gaze that causes my body to react as though she has stripped herself bare. But it's more than the sex that appeals to me. It's her generosity of spirit, the way she's uncomfortable accepting something as simple as pearls. Those who meet her tonight will be captivated. She can hold her own. Of that, I have no doubt. “It didn’t occur to me to ask if you dance,” I say. Her lips curl up into a soft smile. “I attended a country dance or two.
Last Updated : 2023-06-03Promised to the father, married to the son 56: Meeting the Duke and duchess
*Skye* During the entire journey down the interminable flight of stairs, I not only see but feel all the eyes coming to bear on me and fear someone will discern the truth and yell out, "Fake, liar, deceiver."But I hear only quiet murmurings, spot an eyebrow or two raised in curiosity. I straighten my spine, lift my chin. I've spent a good deal of my life playing a role. No reason to stop now.As I step onto the floor, Ben leads me over to the Duke and Duchess of Northingdon, who are greeting their guests. They are a handsome couple, the duke as dark-haired as my own husband, the duchess with hair a much more pleasant shade of red than my own. I have always felt mine is too fiery, too harsh… perhaps because my father thought it a sign that I was possessed by the devil."It's such a pleasure to meet you," the duchess says with a kind smile."I'm honored," I say, dipping into a deep curtsy."Where did you find such a treasure, Ben?" the duke asks."My father introduced us. I could not
Last Updated : 2023-06-26Promised to the father, married to the son 57: Jealous
*Ben* I am not jealous. I have always known that men would want to dance with her, and I have even encouraged her to dance with other partners. So this irrational need coursing through me to rip off limbs whenever a man takes her in his arms is not jealousy. I don't know what it is, other than dark and irritating. "Here, drink this," Tom orders. "You look as though you are on the verge of murdering someone." I glance over at the glass containing amber liquid, take it, and enjoy a long swallow. "Where did you find that?" "Card room. So who has earned your ire?" He asks. I don't know if the man has earned it. "Sheridan." "Ah, dancing with Skye, I see." He grins. And before Sheridan, it had been Avendale, who everyone knows is madly in love with his wife. No danger there of him seeking a dalliance with Skye, and even if he did, she would decline. If there is one thing regarding my wife of which I am absolutely convinced, it is her loyalty. "You made quite the splash with your arr
Last Updated : 2023-08-22Promised to the father, married to the son 68: The truth revealed
*Skye* As I step onto the terrace, I welcome the cool night air brushing over my skin. If I had known I would be dancing so much, I would have brought a second pair of shoes. I'm not certain how much longer the ones I'm wearing will last, the soles already worn incredibly thin. The terrace is remarkably absent of guests lingering about, most opting to walk through the gardens. The paths are lined with lights, which provide a soft glow that leaves the couples unidentifiable. I long for a walk but I don’t much feel like it without my husband to escort me. So I move off to the far side of the tiled veranda where the shadows are thicker and wrap my gloved fingers around the wrought-iron railing. Inhaling deeply, I can't help but feel that the night has been a success. The only thing that would have made it more enjoyable is if Ben had been my constant dance partner. No one else moves as smoothly as he does. With no one else do I feel as comfortable or as in tune. With no one else...
Last Updated : 2023-08-23Promised to the father, married to the son 69: His anger
*Ben* I can't stomach the thought of being in the residence with her. I consider going to the club, but I can't abide the notion of inflicting my foul mood on others or dealing with the possibility of running into Beaumont. I might truly kill the man if our paths ever again cross. So I sequester myself in the library, with the door locked so no one can disturb me, and drink straight from a bottle of whiskey as though I'm a barbarian. Everything makes sense now. Why she answered my father's advert. Why she refuses to speak of the past. Why her family wants nothing to do with her. She had been a married man's mistress. I sling the bottle toward the fireplace, taking no solace as it shatters in the hearth, glass flying, whiskey splashing. I should be grateful there are no flames to catch the liquid alight, but at the moment, I'm hard-pressed to be thankful for anything. I stalk to the liquor cabinet, retrieve another bottle, and down half the whiskey before coming up for air. Damn h
Last Updated : 2023-08-28Promised to the father, married to the son His pain
*Skye* He has chosen to ride his motorbike rather than travel in the car with me. Whenever we round a curve, I look out the window and see him driving ahead, such a lonely figure, the sight of which causes an ache in my chest. Although even from this distance, I can sense the anger roiling off him. He sits so stiffly in the saddle. Even when the dark clouds roll in and the rain starts, he doesn’t seek shelter within the confines of the vehicle. I should have welcomed his absence. Instead, I mourn it. Reaching into the wicker basket that the cook had presented to me before leaving, I remove a block of cheese, take a bite, and slowly chew. There has to be some way to make this situation right. I don’t expect him to ever forgive me, I’m not certain I will ever forgive myself. At the time, I had no choice, no options… or at least not any that I could see. In hindsight... A light fluttering just below my waist causes everything within me to still. I dare not breathe, but simply wait for i
Last Updated : 2023-09-05Promised to the father, married to the son Her whole story
*Skye* I lie on my side beneath the covers, staring at the pale moonlight filtering in through the windows. My life has been a series of escapes, of running away, each one leading to something worse than what had come before. Reading the gossip Magazines, I never considered the rich to be very noble. The men are womanizers; the ladies are silly chits who care only about gowns, money, and dance partners. None of them have real troubles or concerns. Through Montie, I havd learned they are a selfish lot concerned only with their own wants and needs. The other mistresses I have known saw the upper crust of society as a means to an end. Nice residence, fancy clothes, fine jewelry. And if it means giving up one's good name and reputation, they think it worth it for all they gain to be spoiled and pampered, even if it means indulging the whims of a specific gentleman anytime day or night. To be his bird in a gilded cage, to sing when prompted, to keep silent otherwise. Mistresses mistaken
Last Updated : 2023-09-17Promised to the father, married to the son A missing wife
*Ben* I awaken with my head feeling as heavy as my heart. I rather wish that I hadn't asked Skye about her history with Beaumont because I have a strong need to go find him and pummel the man to within an inch of his life. I have catched glimpses of her innocence when she kills spiders, falls into the arms of a waiting servants, and laughs, dancing her fingers over the piano keys. I wish I had known her before Beaumont tore away her guilelessness, although I recognize that I would have considered her too pure for the likes of me, giving her little thought because she would have been likable and the last thing I wanted was a woman I could fancy. How ironic then that I ended up with one I could love. I shouldn't have come to her, should have resisted, but where she is concerned, I had no resistance from the moment I opened the door to her. I curse her for bringing a loneliness to my life that I had never before experienced. I never had any trouble sleeping alone, and now I despise
Last Updated : 2023-09-24
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Promised to the father, married to the son Epilogue
*Skye* Standing on the landing at the top of the stairs with my husband behind me, his arms circling me just below my breasts, and Marsden beside me, I couldn't be more pleased. "What do you think, Father?" I ask."Beautiful, my dear. It’s just as it was the last time that Linnie and I held a Christmas ball here. Of course, we had an abundance of guests then."I saved the tidying of the ballroom for last, and this is my gift to Marsden. Every room in the manor is now absent cobwebs and dust; every room has been set to rights."Will you host a ball here?" he asks."We thought in the new year, if you've no objections.""You're the lady of the manor. It’s your decision.""If you're not comfortable with so many people.""It'll be good to see old friends. Will you dance with me now?"I smile at him. "We don't have an orchestra."He pats his chest. "The music is here. You don't mind, do you, son?""Not as long as I get the last dance.""Will you dance with me, Papa?" Maddie asks from her
Promised to the father, married to the son Maddie
*Skye* We stayed in New York until the end of the Season. No rumors about my past circulated. Occasionally, I caught a glimpse of Beaumont, but he kept his distance. It seems to me that he always looks rather sad. I do hope that happiness is in his future. But happiness is certainly in my present. I am glad to be back at the country estate. Sitting on the terrace with Marsden, sipping my afternoon tea while he drinks scotch, I don't know why I ever thought this place was desolate. "I love it here," I say on a sigh. "It's not for everyone," he tells me. I look over at him. "It's for me, though." And it will be for my children. Here, they will know only happiness. They might climb trees, but it won't be because they are afraid of receiving an unjust punishment. I know my husband will be returning soon. He is spending less time at the mines these days. He still goes down into them, he can't seem to refrain from accepting the challenge of it. But he doesn't go as often, or so he tell
Promised to the father, married to the son Together again
*Ben* As soon as the car takes off, I drag her onto my lap, latching my mouth onto the soft skin at her throat, suckling, nipping, journeying up and down the long column, while she moans, drops her head back, gasps short breaths. "If you ever leave me again, without so much as a word of warning..." "What will you do? Spank me? Lock me in my room? There is little point in running away if you warn the person ahead of time or leave a message stating where you are." Threading my fingers through her hair, I bring her head level with mine, holding her gaze. "Never leave me again." "I did it for you. To spare you." "The agony of losing you nearly killed me." Something I'd never admit to another soul, but to her, I suddenly feel that I can admit anything. "How did you find me?" "Not as easily or as quickly as I should have. I went to see your parents." Her eyes widen. Wanting to drink in the whiskey, I wish it wasn't dark, that we weren't ensconced in shadows. "I told you I was dead t
Promised to the father, married to the son Finding her
*Skye* I hated parting with the pearls, but I didn't have any other choice. Unfortunately, they didn't bring in as much money as I had hoped, but it was enough for me to feel confident going to my solicitor, knowing that I could pay his fee. Turns out, he didn't charge me for his advice, as there was nothing he could do for me. "I can't divorce him," I say, pacing in front of the fireplace in my temporary bedchamber. "I thought infidelity was a justifiable reason for getting a divorce," Sophie says. "Yes, but I can't divorce him because I committed adultery. Only he can divorce me for my transgressions." "You can divorce him if he commits adultery, so let's say he did." Shaking my head, I stop pacing. "No. I won't have some woman he might wish to marry questioning his faithfulness. He is loyal. Besides, it's not enough for him to be an adulterer. He must desert me for two years. Yet I don't have to desert him. There are different laws applied to men than to women, which makes it
Promised to the father, married to the son Has he seen her?
*Beaumont* I've never had as much luck playing cards as I'm having this evening at the Twin Dragons. From the moment I sat down half an hour earlier, I've taken every hand. This latest one will be no exception. Fortune is smiling so brightly on me. "I need a word." Christ, I nearly jump out of my skin at the low rasp near my ear. I recognize the owner's tone as one that doesn't bode well. I snap my head around, my gaze slamming into Killian Archer's, the hazel eyes indicating a high price will be paid for any disobedience. But I'm known for my stubbornness. "I'm otherwise occupied." Do I have to sound as though my heart is lodged in my throat? Archer grabs my cards, tosses them down. "He's out." "See here." I swing back around to glare at him. There is a tenseness, a danger, to him that has no doubt led to his surviving his treks into the wilds. Not even the king of the jungle would want to tangle with a man who looks as though he'd take great delight in devouring his prey for
Promised to the father, married to the son Her parents
*Ben* I've ridden my motorbike like a madman all through the day and into the evening in order to catch up with the bus. When I finally do reach it, I discover she's disembarked in the first village at which it has stopped. Naturally, by the time I return there, she is nowhere to be found. So where the bloody hell has she gone? She isn't going to return to the country estate. Of that, I'm fairly certain. In no mood to explain the situation to my father, I've sent the cars and servants back to New York while I carry on to her childhood home. I think it's unlikely that she would seek out her parents for help, but I'm hopeful they can shed some light on where she might seek refuge. Having attended a couple of balls at Beaumont's country estate, I'm familiar with the area and seek out the parsonage near the church. After knocking on the door, I glance around, my chest tightening as I study the towering oak that brushes up against a window on the uppermost level. I imagine Skye bold, b
Promised to the father, married to the son Seaking shelter
*Skye* It's the very worst place I could come, but I have nowhere else to go. Knocking on the servants' door, I hold my breath, striving not to think about what might have gone through Ben's head other than a great deal of pain considering how much he'd imbibed when he awoke this morning to find me gone. Would he have even cared or would he have thought good riddance? A servant opens the door, blinks at me, furrows his brow, and I know he's trying to place me. "I'm here to see Miss Sophie." "What is the nature of your business?" "It's personal." In my bag, I have several calling cards that Ben had given me when we arrived in New York, in the event I made morning calls. He had such faith in me garnering the love and respect of Society, of being welcomed, of being accepted as his wife. Instead, I've merely managed to ruin his life. And I'll ruin it further if I hand over a calling card and anyone discovers that Mrs. Archer is very familiar with Mistress Row. "Just inform her that
Promised to the father, married to the son A missing wife
*Ben* I awaken with my head feeling as heavy as my heart. I rather wish that I hadn't asked Skye about her history with Beaumont because I have a strong need to go find him and pummel the man to within an inch of his life. I have catched glimpses of her innocence when she kills spiders, falls into the arms of a waiting servants, and laughs, dancing her fingers over the piano keys. I wish I had known her before Beaumont tore away her guilelessness, although I recognize that I would have considered her too pure for the likes of me, giving her little thought because she would have been likable and the last thing I wanted was a woman I could fancy. How ironic then that I ended up with one I could love. I shouldn't have come to her, should have resisted, but where she is concerned, I had no resistance from the moment I opened the door to her. I curse her for bringing a loneliness to my life that I had never before experienced. I never had any trouble sleeping alone, and now I despise
Promised to the father, married to the son Her whole story
*Skye* I lie on my side beneath the covers, staring at the pale moonlight filtering in through the windows. My life has been a series of escapes, of running away, each one leading to something worse than what had come before. Reading the gossip Magazines, I never considered the rich to be very noble. The men are womanizers; the ladies are silly chits who care only about gowns, money, and dance partners. None of them have real troubles or concerns. Through Montie, I havd learned they are a selfish lot concerned only with their own wants and needs. The other mistresses I have known saw the upper crust of society as a means to an end. Nice residence, fancy clothes, fine jewelry. And if it means giving up one's good name and reputation, they think it worth it for all they gain to be spoiled and pampered, even if it means indulging the whims of a specific gentleman anytime day or night. To be his bird in a gilded cage, to sing when prompted, to keep silent otherwise. Mistresses mistaken
