Two Notorious Dukes Page 7

  ‘Because its a little too warm outside for me.’ She smiled sweetly at him and as he turned away, he moaned as he had his first erection since the night at the opera.

  ‘Damn!’ he said under his breath as he went to the kitchens. He saw Mrs. Simmons quickly and she bustled upstairs with the housemaids to get a room ready. Robert squeezed his penis very hard to try and get it to go down and eventually it did, but only as he heard the carriage pulling up outside.

  He got to the door at the same time as Mrs. Simmons and shooed her back to her task. He opened the door as Argyll stepped out of the coach.

  ‘Damn me, if you aren’t a sight for sore eyes!’ Argyll said cheerfully. ‘Is there brandy?’

  ‘Yes. But only after you have tea with your

  mother!’ Robert replied and was laughing and slapping

  Argyll on the back. ‘Damned if I haven’t missed you.

  How was the sport at Goring?’

  ‘The same as always, the coveys were

  overflowing, so I did some shooting, but that’s about

  all.’

  Argyll saw Elizabeth and bowed formally,

  greeting her correctly. ‘Good afternoon, Lady Elizabeth.’ Elizabeth gracefully inclined her head and said

  ‘Good afternoon, Your Grace,’ and promptly turned the

  page in her book and started to read again.

  Argyll raised an eyebrow at Robert. ‘How’s it

  been?’ he asked softly as they turned for the garden. ‘Fairly quiet. Elizabeth’s only had two

  nightmares.’ He said as they arrived on the terrace. ‘And

  Sarah is out walking with little Amelia.’

  ‘Johnny!’ Lady Verity said, all formality forgotten

  in her haste to get up and give him a crushing hug. ‘It’s

  so good to see you.’

  ‘Thank you, Mother. It’s good to finally be here.’ ‘When did he arrive?’ Robert asked softly. ‘The day you arrived here. I gave him a few wild

  goose chases, I think.’ He laughed. ‘I told him you could

  be in Leamington, so he could be halfway up the

  country by now!’

  ‘Well, he won’t be able to approach here, not

  without the children seeing him. I’ve got the estate

  workers clearing the ditches on every approach, so we’ll

  know if he comes.’

  ‘Unless he comes at night!’ Argyll muttered. Argyll ended up with a small room at the back,

  which was fine by him, his valet was installed in the

  servant’s quarters along with all the others.

  Robert’s shoulder started to ache fiercely as the

  day wore on and he knew it was going to rain. After an

  evening of pianoforte entertainment, which he actually

  enjoyed for a change as both Sarah and Elizabeth turned

  out to be fine pianists, the ladies retired and Argyll and Robert drank, talked and played cards, as men always

  do.

  ‘So are you going to tell me about Craanford?

  Robert asked after they had consumed half a bottle of

  brandy and were well into the cards.

  ‘I don’t know much about the family, but I know

  Alexander. He was at Cambridge when I was there.’

  Argyll shook his head. ‘We all liked to tup the ladies in

  the town. It was a sport for most of us, and the more

  you were talked about, the better you were, so the

  more in demand you became!’ he said blushing coyly. ‘Don’t tell me, every one talked about you!’

  Robert laughed.

  ‘I’m afraid so. I was third most popular of my

  year!’ Argyll boasted, ‘marginally pipped by Viscount

  Dean and both of us were hammered by the Earl of

  Rathbone.’ He shook his head. ‘The bastard tupped

  every girl in the brothel in one night. Has the stamina of

  a bull!’

  ‘But, what about Craanford?’ Robert asked

  again.

  ‘Craanford was bottom of the list. The ladies

  wouldn’t let him touch them after the first night.’ He

  shuddered dramatically. ‘Unfortunately I was in the next

  room with my favourite girl and I heard the screaming.

  Affronted I burst in the room, along with the chap from

  the room the other side, to find her tied face down on

  the bed and him whipping her with his riding crop.’

  Argyll gave a cold laugh as he wiped his hand over his

  mouth. ‘She was already covered in blood and I’m afraid the other chap and I took him outside and gave the

  bastard a beating.’

  ‘He’d do the same to Elizabeth.’ Robert

  whispered and Argyll was surprised to see an expression

  of pain on Robert’s face.

  ‘I get the feeling you wouldn’t like that.’ Argyll

  said softly.

  ‘No I wouldn’t.’ Robert responded without

  thought and then looked up abruptly. ‘I wouldn’t like it

  to happen to any woman!’

  ‘Of course not.’ Argyll laid his cards down. ‘My

  hand I think?’

  Robert staggered to bed at about one o’clock in

  the morning. He carelessly stripped off his clothes and

  sank back into the pillows, with the sheet negligently

  draped over his lower body. He started to snore almost

  straight away.

  Elizabeth was lying in bed looking at the ceiling.

  She had been looking at this ceiling for two nights now,

  as she was finding sleep elusive in the suffocating heat.

  Why can’t I walk in the gardenshe thoughtor go naked

  to bed. Why must I always have to wear a smothering

  nightgown?And she was so angry about the unfairness

  of life; she clambered out of bed, stripped her

  nightgown over her head, pushed open the French door

  and stood on the balcony in the cool breeze. She could

  see the lightening flickering in the distance and with the

  wind in her face she knew a storm was coming. A part of

  her was scandalized that she would act so brazenly, but

  she really didn’t care right at that moment. The cool breeze was blissful on her sticky skin. She stretched every muscle as if she was just waking up and pirouetted like a ballerina. She heard a distinct shout and flew back into her room to rescue her nightgown, forcing it over her body she went back out onto the balcony and listened carefully, but all she heard was the

  rumble of thunder in the distance.

  To call it a balcony was probably wrong; it was

  more like an upper terrace that ran along the wing of

  the house and she went towards the front of the house.

  She could hear moaning and was surprised when it was

  coming from Robert’s room. She stood outside the

  French door and listened to him groaning and moaning.

  At first she wondered if he was tupping one of the

  house maids, but then he shouted again. ‘No! I can’t

  leave!’ and then nothing and then another shouted

  ‘NO!’ Elizabeth silently pushed the doors open and

  stepped into the room. She could see Robert tangled in

  his sheet, thrashing from side to side. There was a flash

  of lightening followed by a rumble of thunder. Elizabeth

  saw the lamp in the flash and went to the nightstand,

  struck the flint in the tinderbox and lit the lamp.

  Suddenly Robert was bathed in soft light and she took a

  deep breath when she saw the indentation in his

  shoulder. The thunder rumbled louder. ‘The barrage is

  starting!’ he shouted and then he screamed.
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br />   Elizabeth didn’t quite know what to do, so she

  called his name. ‘Robert, wake up. You’re dreaming.’

  She said and gently shook his shoulder. ‘Robert!’ she

  shook him harder and suddenly he was awake, sitting bolt upright, his face filled with terror and looking at her

  like she was a ghost.

  ‘You were dreaming.’ She said softly. ‘Are you

  alright now?’ she asked and gently stroked the hair off

  his forehead as another actinic flash of lightening

  brightened the room. The thunder rumbled even louder

  as the storm approached. Instinctively Robert reached

  for her and clutched her in his arms, pulling her astride

  his lap and burying his face in her bosom. At first

  Elizabeth was shocked and she cringed, but she realised

  there was no sexual intent; Robert was like a child,

  afraid of the storm, both in his dreams and outside the

  window. She wrapped her arms about his shoulders,

  stroked his head and rocked him, as if he was a child,

  murmuring as a mother would. She felt her breasts ache

  with the need to succour. The rain hammered on the

  roof, the lightening continued to flash and the thunder

  crashed over head, as if the heavens were going to fall

  on them. She felt his body relaxing and soon his arms

  fell to the bed as he returned to slumber. She carefully

  manoeuvred his heavy upper body back onto the

  mattress, and climbed slowly off the bed. She stood

  looking down on his calm face and she was amazed. It

  made her heart ache to realise that he’d held her in his

  arms and buried his face in her breast because he was

  afraid.Maybe Lady Verity is right and we can cure each

  other.She thought as she idly stroked her fingers over

  the indentation in his shoulder. She knew looking at it,

  that it was a gunshot wound, probably a musket, rather

  than a pistol. She jumped as she realised what she was doing and she scurried out onto the balcony, pulling the

  door to and running back to her own room.

  Once back in her room, she poured a little water

  into the basin and using a flannel, she wiped the sweat

  off her body. Then instead of replacing her nightdress,

  she climbed under the sheet and like Robert, she slept

  in the nude and it didn’t take her long to nod off.

  In the morning, Robert was distracted. ‘What’s wrong?’ Argyll asked softly after breakfast. Robert yanked him into the drawing room and looked about, but couldn’t see anybody

  ‘I had a very disturbing dream last night.’ Robert said frowning severely.

  ‘In what way disturbing?’ Argyll asked his interest piqued.

  ‘I dreamt that my mother was here last night!’ he said and shook his head ‘and it seemed so real.’

  ‘I’m not quite following you?’ Argyll said. ‘Why would you dream your mother was here? She never lived here, did she?’

  ‘No, she didn’t. I had the dream again.’ He looked keenly at Argyll, who nodded as he knew Robert dreamed about the siege of Copenhagen. ‘And then my mother was there telling me I was dreaming and comforting me and then when I woke up this morning the lamp was on and I know I blew it out when I went to bed.’

  ‘Well, if it was the ghost of your mother, why would she need a lamp?’ Argyll asked pointedly. ‘Somebody must have come to your room, maybe Sarah or one of the maids.’ Robert was already shaking his head. ‘You should check your balcony doors.’

  Elizabeth was stood outside the door listening, with a small smile.Should I tell him?She asked herself. Or should I leave him guessing!She walked slowly into the room and smiled as both men jumped up for her.

  ‘Your Graces.’ She addressed them formally. ‘If you would excuse us Lord Argyll, I really need to have a private word with Lord Bosworth.’

  Argyll smiled knowingly. ‘Of course, My Lady.’ He said equally as formally and sauntered out the door to find Sarah.

  ‘Please sit down, Your Grace.’ Elizabeth said as she walked to the window. She took a deep breath and sighed. ‘It was me.’ She said without preamble. ‘I could hear you calling when I was on the balcony.’ She turned to glance at him and was surprised to see a shocked expression on his face. She smiled kindly and turned away again. ‘I couldn’t sleep,’ she said in explanation. ‘It was far too hot, so I braved the balcony and I heard you moaning. I wasn’t sure whether or not you had company at first, but then you started shouting and I opened your window and came in. As the storm got worse, you became more distressed. So I lit the lamp and shook you awake.’ She smiled softly again. ‘At least I thought you were awake, but obviously you weren’t.’ She laughed coarsely then. ‘I suppose I should be glad that you weren’t. With your reputation I would have been tupped quite vigorously, as most men can’t ignore the woman in their arms for long.’ She looked at him again. ‘You grabbed me, dragged me onto your lap and buried your face in my bosom. I‘m ashamed to say it, but I rocked you back to sleep and then left.’ She sighed again. ‘So it wasn’t a dream exactly, you just weren’t quite awake enough to realise it was me.’

  Robert was dumbstruck. That it had been Lady Elizabeth was shocking anyway, but that she did it at all was astonishing. ‘Thank you, My Lady.’ He whispered.

  ‘Think nothing of it.’ She turned from the window and looked at him coldly. ‘I often wish there was a man who could frighten away my dreams. But unfortunately mine were caused by a man in the first place, so I have to be held by my maid when I wake up screaming in the night.’ She started for the door, but Robert stood suddenly and held out his hand.

  ‘I sincerely meant it, thank you.’ he said softly.

  Elizabeth looked down at his proffered hand and then back up into his face. It was square cut and devilishly handsome, with eyes as blue as the azure summer sky, accentuated by fine arching eyebrows, a straight nose and very kissable lips over a chiselled jaw line and chin. There was a small dimple in his chin and she had the strangest urge to put her finger on it. She studied his eyes, but they were expressionless still. She carefully placed her hand in his and watched with a cracking heart as he lifted her hand to his lips. She felt the blood rush furiously up her cheeks and managed to mumble. ‘Think nothing of it,’ again before she eased her hand away from his lips and walked stiffly out of the room.

  As she vanished out of the door, Robert groaned and squeezed his throbbing manhood. ‘Damn!’ he muttered. ‘If only I’d realised!’

  ‘Don’t even think about it!’ Lady Verity said as she stood up from the armchair she’d been concealed in. ‘I know all you’d like to do is tup her, but she can’t have that, she’s not ready and any attempt at sex will scare her to death!’

  Robert looked suitably chastised, being caught by the Duchess. She walked over to him, patted him on the shoulder and said softly. ‘Be patient with her and she’ll be yours.’ She said calmly.

  Robert looked at her sharply and said harshly. ‘I don’t want a wife; she would only be a burden.’ And as he walked away he muttered. ‘One that will die!’ He went out through the French door and ran down to the lake.

  He sat on the dock, stripped off his boots and stockings to dangle his feet in the water.Do I want a wife?He asked himself.There’s no denying I need an heir and perhaps it’s better to marry somebody you like, rather than have to take some venal wench that’s only interested in the money and title. Then you wouldn’t have to sit in your bath chair and watch her shag all the young bucks, wondering if the child is yours, until you die.He sat and thought about Elizabeth and how he felt that first sight of her at the Opera. Again his manhood stood at attention and Robert idly massaged it. He remembered how beautiful she looked in the sunshine and the flames in her hair and he had a s
udden urge to see her hair spread out on a white pillow. He recalled how much fire there was in her eyes and the steel in her personality. He snorted with laughter as he realised it was typical of Elizabeth’s bravery for her to just go into a strange man’s room, to wake him from a nightmare. She had so much love to give, he realised, as he thought about her with the estate’s children that first afternoon and how she treated them all like her own. He shocked himself then, as he pictured Elizabeth with his baby in her arms and found it a very pleasing prospect.But do I love her?He asked himself harshly.You’ve all the proof in the world that marriage without love is a disaster. There are so many unhappy wives out there, because there is no love between them and their husbands. Abigail Beresford is the same. She wants to be fucked. That’s all she wants, but then she tells you she’s in love with you and pregnant to boot! Was it a revelation for her? It was certainly one for me and I’m glad I was breaking it off at that point! But I don’t trust that her child is mine or that she really loves me, she fucks too many men.He sighed deeply, still swishing his feet in the water.You have two choices, Robbie? You either woo and marry Elizabeth or accept a young debutant in a few years time and watch her tupping the young bucks from your bath chair!And with that he stood up and dived into the lake.

  Elizabeth watched him from the balcony outside her bedroom, she thought about the thrill that ran through her body as he kissed her hand and remembered how she’d felt as he held her in the night. His arms clamped across her back.He must be a very adept lover.She thought and smiled softly.Could I really live my life completely without sex?She asked herself.I already feel only half a woman; could this man be the one that makes me whole again?She sighed deeply,or will he run a mile.She looked away after he’d dived in the water and then she walked away.Maybe you should master the sex, before you complicate every body’s lives with matrimony!

  Johnny Argyll found Sarah in the stables as she was preparing her grey mare ready for a ride.

  ‘Would you like some company? He asked softly and made her jump.

  ‘Your Grace!’ she said and turned to face him. He found it endearing to watch the colour flush up her cheeks.

  ‘I promise I won’t kiss you again.’ He said laughing and she laughed with him and visibly relaxed. She turned back to her saddle and cinched the girth firmly.