The Duke’s Stolen Bride (Stolen by the Duke #1)

Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

T he inn they rested at on their first night was indeed the same one they had come to on their wedding night, and as they were ushered inside, Evangeline fancied it was the same room they had been given, too.

Hugh’s brow quirked. “A bath, my lady?”

“Will you join me?” The brazen request was out of her lips before she could stop herself, but he merely chuckled.

“As my lady wishes.”

She did wish, very much, and she did her best to steal glimpses of him changing as she removed her dress, bedraggled and travel-worn. Despite all their times together, she felt as though she’d never had a proper opportunity to see the way he looked when he was naked—and the answer was glorious. All that smooth skin, pale where the sun never reached it, healthy with his body’s natural glow.

When he turned, he looked at her as though she was a goddess who had stepped down from the heavens.

“Evangeline,” he rasped.

She twirled. “Hugh.”

“I’ve missed you.”

“And I you.”

He came to her, catching her face in his hands and kissing her. Her breasts, sensitive and needy, brushed against his chest, and her nipples pearled.

How she wanted . At home, she could pretend this desire hadn’t existed in its real force, but that had been a lie to appease herself and her decision.

Because this—the force, the magnitude of this—could not be denied.

“I love you,” he murmured between kisses, leading her to the bath and stepping into the water.

She followed, the water warm around her ankles, and she let him guide her down. His hands were gentle as they swept over her bare skin, leaving trails of heat behind them.

“So beautiful,” he said, his voice hushed.

Evangeline pressed closer until it felt as though there was nothing between them but their beating hearts.

She loved him. He loved her. And this was the beginning of a life very different from the one she had thought—both when she left home to embark on this marriage, and when she had left Eldermoor Castle to return to London.

Tenderness. There was enough roughness in his palms for them to scrape across her skin as he spread her legs, but between them, his fingers were gentle. Soft. He whispered endearments in her ear as he slid a finger inside, then too, finding that place inside her that made her body light.

“I missed this,” she gasped.

“And me too.” He nipped her earlobe. “And more.”

Yes. More. Not necessarily for here, but for when they got home. Bent over his knee, his palm stinging her bare backside.

At the thought, she squeezed around his fingers, and he cursed, low under his breath.

“Tell me what you thought to make you react like that, pet.”

“You punishing me.” She reached out to touch him, gripping his length and sliding her hand up and down.

He was already so hard, so ready for her. The thought brought her closer to the edge.

“Now,” he said, and she didn’t even have to question what he meant—she already knew.

Her body was tightening around his, tighter, tighter, until she reached her peak. Not caring if anyone could hear, she moaned, releasing his erection and gripping the sides of the bath. But he removed his fingers, leaving her empty, needing more, and turned her so her back was against his chest.

In one smooth movement, he entered her, holding her hips to steady her as she called his name. Water sloshed around them, but she hardly noticed as her fingers now dug into his thigh.

Her climax faded and she panted, the sensation of being full almost more than she could take. But as he moved, she knew it was just enough, just as much as she could take and no more. The friction was delicious, stretching her to the very edge of her endurance. She saw stars.

“You feel so good,” Hugh grated from behind her. His fingers dug into her hips. “So good.”

Her head tipped back against his shoulder and one arm wound around her middle, fingers splayed just below her breasts, holding her to him. The other hand was at her hip, guiding her up and down, holding her steady above him as he thrust into her.

“I love you,” she said, unbidden, the words coming to her in a rush of emotion that burned brighter even than the pleasure.

Or perhaps the pleasure was what heightened the emotion behind the words. They were one and the same. The pleasure she was getting from this act of true intimacy was because of the emotion boiling in her chest.

She loved him. She would always love him. There was nothing more in her life than loving him.

He stiffened under her, and she realized although he had told her it several times, this was the first time she had responded in kind. The first time she had confessed aloud.

He cursed again, but the sound was full of affection, and he drew her even closer, his rhythm increasing.

“I love you,” he said, hand coming to up her breast.

The other hand on her hip moving between her legs, touching her there . She felt the inevitability of what he was bringing forward. She was a wire drawn tight, on the brink of snapping.

She felt the moment he came undone beneath her, pushing inside her and holding himself there. Even so, he kept up the movement of her fingers, and at the sound of his low groan, her own control unraveled.

This time, the pleasure came in a rush that drowned out the rest of the world. And when she came back into herself, Hugh was holding her tight, the water settling into stillness around their bodies. He was still inside her.

“I want nothing more than to have the liberty to do that for the rest of my life,” he said, kissing her cheek.

She nuzzled closer, suddenly so exhausted she could have slept against him there and then. His skin was so warm, his arms so safe around her.

She wanted for nothing, so long as she had him.

* * *

The remainder of the journey passed in a similar fashion. All day, while in the carriage, they talked, and at night they made love. At every juncture, Hugh ensured that Evangeline was confident of the affection he held for her.

This was a new sensation for him, but as with everything else in his life, he was determined to overcome it. And so, by the time they arrived at Eldermoor Castle, he was reasonably confident that this was the pattern by which they would live the rest of their lives.

Margaret and Lily were waiting for them, Hugh having sent a note ahead to say that they were on their way, and a grand dinner had been prepared to welcome them back.

Hugh took Evangeline’s hand as they walked into his hallway. “Evangeline,” he said, keeping his tone formal. “May I have the honor of presenting my sister, Lily.”

Evangeline glanced at him, appreciation shining in her eyes at the official introduction—something he ought to have done months ago—and curtsied.

“Lily,” she said. “I’m happy to finally meet you. I hope we will be friends.”

“I have no doubt of it.” Lily took Evangeline’s hand and tucked it in her arm. “Come on through. I have countless stories to tell you about Hugh, you know. Knowing him, he has only told you the best stories that make him out to be some sort of saint, but you must know that when he was thirteen, he stole one of our father’s horses and rode it into the local village.”

“Truly?” Evangeline sent him a sparkling look over her shoulder, and though perhaps he should have been accustomed to the fact that there was nothing between them now, it still felt like a privilege to be the recipient of that look.

“I thought they would get along,” Margaret said, watching them both fondly. “There’s so much alike between them. They both have the same spirit.”

“I’m outnumbered in my own home,” he said, but he said it fondly. “But I also hope they will get along. That was what I always wanted—for Lily to find a friend in my wife. And when she eventually marries, as I hope one day she will, I hope the bond will continue.”

“Have you heard from George?”

“I have yet to receive the news that he has left the country, but I have Duncan watching him, and I’m certain it’ll happen soon, or he knows I will take every last thing he owns from him.”

And it would be a pleasure to do that, but Hugh knew he had to leave enough for the man to flee. The last thing he needed was for Sandhurst to remain in the country.

So long as he was still around, people would talk, and the scandal would still be in the public consciousness. Hugh needed him gone .

“Now is not the time to talk about such things,” he said. “I don’t want to give him more time than absolutely necessary. He’s almost gone, and we can finally—finally—live our lives.”

Margaret smiled. “I hope so.”

* * *

Evangeline sat beside Lily as the younger girl regaled her with tales of Hugh from when he was younger. There were plenty of stories—him dressing up in old suits of armor, sneaking away to swim in the ocean, or even just sneaking to the village so he could drink with his old friend.

Duncan, Evangeline learned, had been on the scene longer than anyone else.

“So, you see,” Lily finished as they finally moved on to desserts. “He may pretend that he is a big strong man, but he is just as determined to have fun as the rest of us—perhaps more.”

“Perhaps,” he said wryly from the top of the table. “Lily, stop filling Evangeline’s ears with such nonsense.”

Evangeline grinned. “It’s not nonsense if it’s true.”

“It happened so long ago that it hardly warrants discussion now.”

“Truly?” Lily demanded. “Or do you still sneak away with Duncan to the village?”

Hugh pressed his lips together, and that was enough of a concession. Lily burst into a peal of laughter, and Evangeline couldn’t help laughing at him, too.

How had this become her life? She hoped it would never change.

“I love this old castle,” Lily said wistfully. “When I was younger, I used to think there were secret passages leading everywhere, but there’s nothing but thick stone. Still, I think I will always have a soft spot for it here.”

“You never have to leave so long as I’m here,” Evangeline said, taking her hand and squeezing it. “I hope we can learn to exist very well here. After all, Hugh is so often busy with his work that I have very little to do, so it might be fun to spend that time together.”

“Soon,” Hugh said significantly, “you’ll be able to appear in public again.”

“I don’t mind staying here.”

“I mind.” There was a finality to Hugh’s tone. “I don’t mean you have to accompany me everywhere, and you may have a few more years before your Season, but you should take advantage of everything the world has to offer you. London is an excellent place.”

“And here I was thinking you despised it,” Evangeline teased.

“No place is better than home, I grant you. But there are certain advantages to London you may not find here.” He turned his gaze to her, and she felt a little as though she were melting under it. “Such as its Society, on occasion.”

“You are disgustingly in love,” Lily said, wrinkling her nose. “Excuse me while I retire.”

“Will you walk with me tomorrow?” Evangeline called after her.

“Of course.” Lily turned at the doorway. “You won’t be able to get rid of me.”

Margaret smiled after Lily fondly. “It seems as though my work here is done.”

“You can stay as long as you would like,” Evangeline said.

“Of course.”

“No. Lily has her company; Evangeline is a true lady of the north. There is nothing more for me to achieve here.”

“We’ll miss you,” Evangeline said impulsively.

“Aye, maybe you will,” Margaret said. “But it’s time I went back to my home and my life and left you to live yours.”

Hugh raised his glass. “To the future.”

Evangeline couldn’t help but smile as she repeated the gesture. “To the future.”

* * *

Evangeline slid her arm through Lily’s as the two girls wandered around the gardens, which were dying down as autumn progressed. Below, the sea thrashed against the shore.

“I’m glad you returned,” Lily said. “When you left, I thought there was a chance that you might not.”

“There was a chance,” Evangeline said. “I wasn’t intending to return—or at least not for a long time.” She paused as she thought about how heartbroken she had been. “I thought if we were to be separate in our lives, we might as well be separate in our locations, too. And his hiding things from me made me feel separate from his life.”

“The idiot,” Lily said, and it would have been impossible not to hear the genuine affection in her voice. “He ought to have told you long ago.”

“So I told him, and so he agrees. We’ve moved past it.”

“Good. He’s happier with you here. Happier than I’ve ever seen him, in fact.”

Evangeline gave a little, secret smile. “I hope so. I know I’m happier now than I’ve ever been. But…” She reached out to take Lily’s hand, her smile dropping. “I have to say how sorry I am that George ever treated you the way he did. You have to know that I would never have agreed to marry him if I had any inkling that he had done something like this. It’s so unbelievably cruel, and?—”

Lily squeezed her hand. “I know. It was never your fault.”

“I feel a little responsible. If he hadn’t wished to marry me?—”

“If it hadn’t been you, it would have been someone else. He never wanted me, and he would never have stayed married to me if he thought he could get away with it.” Her smile was sad. “You were just another victim in his nefarious plans.”

A victim. Evangeline had never thought of herself as a victim. After all, she had never loved him—she had agreed to marry him because her parents had insisted, and they had been friends in their youth.

“I never loved him,” she said, keeping her voice as gentle as she could. “I need you to know that. As awful as it feels, it could be so much worse.”

“You mean like me?” Lily tilted her head, but she was smiling, too. “I never loved him, either. I thought I did when he first charmed me because he was the first gentleman who made me feel as though I was desirable, but it was only ever infatuation—and that ended pretty soon after he was forced to marry me.”

“I’m glad,” Evangeline said vehemently. “He doesn’t deserve your love. And you deserve to find someone better than him who can make you happy.”

“I deserve to have someone who treats me as more than a distraction.” Lily nodded emphatically. “He was not a good man, but that doesn’t mean I hold you accountable for his crimes.”

“Still. I’m sorry. I wish he had never done that to you.”

“So do I, but we will find our way through.” Lily smiled, shaking off whatever melancholy the memories had inspired. “Shall we pick some flowers for the dining room table?”

This , Evangeline thought. This is the life I always wanted .

As with all good things, it came to an end too soon.