Lord Greyton's Fall From Grace (Lords of Avalon Novella Series) (12 page)

“I gave Lady Burrow my word, and I give it to you as well
.
My goal is to end this in three years
.
It could even be sooner
.
It could take five, but I want it done in three.”

Charlie nodded
.
“
You will write to me while I’m in Italy and tell me how she fares?”

Marrek nodded. “Of course.”

“
I wish to join you when you
take her to her mother’s house
after tea
.
Where is Creed
?
”
Charlie asked.

“
He is waiting
near
the carriage
.
It is imperative all but those here at Roseland
think him a
nd Ruan
footm
e
n, for
they
will be seen near Catherine here in Devon
fo
r the next several days
.
Creed
and I shall ride outside the carriage
.
You and Catherine shall be alone until we reach
her
childhood
home.”

“Charlie?” Catherine smiled
brightly
when she saw her
only
love
waiting
inside the carriage
.

“Yes, Catherine.” He extended his hand and helped her to be seated
.

Once the carriage turned onto the lane from the drive, Charlie moved to sit beside her
.
He took her hand in his.

“Catherine, no matter how long this takes, I will wait for you
.
I want to marry you when this is ended
.
I’ve always loved you, I’ve never stopped
.
I’ve never loved another.
” Charlie brought her small hand to his lips and kissed it.

He was so thankful Catherine had come to him for help with her situation
.
Now she was safe. They had reunited. Still only lovers, their future
now
held the promise of marriage
.
It’s what they both wanted now, just as they had three years ago.

Once she was safely surrounded by Marrek’s protective web in Bath, he and Catherine could have more than a
rushed
hour here
and
there which
was
all they had this past week
.
Marrek promised him he would arrange for them to meet for full day and possibly even two day trysts, as well as an hour or two here and there. It wasn’t much, but it was all they had
.

Catherine
’s eyes misted
.
She half smiled and half sobbed
.
“I love you too, Charlie
.
I’ve neve
r stopped.” She smiled brightly
, “I
will
marry you when this is finished
.
It’s all I ever wanted.”
She looked into his blue eyes and brushed an errant lock of his sandy hair from his forehead
.

“We’ll get through this
together, Catherine
.
St. Erth shall arrange for us to meet from time to time, not enough for my liking
I’ll
wager
, but I’ll take what time I can get with you, my darling.”

Their fingers entwined, the pair kissed until the carriage turned up the drive to Catherine’s childhood home.

Marrek and Charlie returned
to Roseland
in time to
join
the party playing
a game of bowls
on the lawn
.

After the game,
the participants cleaned up for dinner.
Owen led his lovely Grace to the dining room
on his arm
.
He could scarcely keep his eyes off Grace throughout their meal
.
It was very clear to him
Grace enjoyed
her day tremendously.
It looked and felt so right, her being
here with him
at
his home
.
He could hardly
wait
for the day he brought her to Roseland as his bride
.

After dinner, Charlie’s sister, Wednesday played the pianoforte while the rest of their party danced.
Owen danced with Grace the entire time.

Charlie’s family was
staying overnight
at Roseland
.
Owen ordered a carriage to take Grace hom
e near midnight
.
He purposely o
mitted a chaperone
.
None seemed to notice
, a
nd nothing would be said if they did
.
Th
e Inwoods were like family.

Alone in the carriage with Grace,
he moved to sit beside her
.
He took her hand in his and smiled down at her. “Did you enjoy your day, Grace.”

“Oh yes, Owen, I truly did!” She beamed at him
.
Grace had felt a part of something. A part of Owen’s family even. She treasured the experience.

“I can’t wait for the day you take your plac
e at Roseland as my wife, Grace,” h
e whispered huskily as he dipped
his head
to
taste
the delicate skin of her neck
.

“I am eager to become your wife
, Owen.” Grace’s hand moved to caress his cheek
.
She leaned forward to kiss him
.

Owen responded
to her kiss
hungrily
.
He had scarcely been able to make physical contact with her the entire day
.
They kissed and caressed one another until the carriage turned onto the lane leading to Radley.

“Grace, will you join us again tomorrow
?”

“Yes, Owen, I w
ould love to
!”
Grace smiled up at him
.
She wanted to spend every possible minute with Owen before he left for Italy.

“I will pick you up at ten tomorrow morning.” Owen grinned.

The
ir party was smaller the next morning
.
Lord and Lady Burrow were not in attendance and Lord St. Erth was taking care of some business matter
s
before returning to Cornwall
the next day
.
Mrs. Bell and Meg we
re absent as well
.
T
he Inwoods, the Darringtons,
and
Grace
were joined by
Matthias Halfknight
, Lord Sinclair
and his five year old daughter, Rachel
.

Owen was finding it more difficult with each passing day
not to touch Grace the way he
longed
to
.
Even their kisses, increasing in passion, could not put out the fire that raged within him at times.
So when Matthias, Charlie, and his sisters lingered in Roseland’s garden with little Rachel, Owen pulled Grace onward
.
They entered
Lady’s W
ood
.
Owen pulled her fa
rther into the
trees
.

“What’s the hurry, Owen?” Grace asked him curiously.

“You remember the Summer House?”

Grace had forgotten, but she did remember the Summer House
.
They used to play near it and in it when they were children
.
“I do.”

“
I’m taking you there, Grace
.
We’ll have a
few minutes of
privacy, and I can kiss you as I’ve longed to do all morning.”

Shivers of anticipation raced through her
.

When they stepped onto the porch of the Summer House, Owen pushed open the door and pulled her inside and against his hard chest
.
His arms closed around her and his mouth sought and found hers.
Grace moaned softly
as he kissed her deeply
.
They kissed for long minutes, their hands roaming over one another
.
Owen’s lips left hers and trailed down her neck, to her collarbone and
continued downward,
stopp
ing
at the upper swell of her breasts showing above the creamy lace trimming the décolleté of her light green gown
.
Owens hands gently cupped the undersides of her breasts as he
place
d
warm, lingering kisses on
the exposed swells
.
He longed
to untie her bodice and taste her
breasts, but there wasn’t time.
T
here was never time
!
He lifted his head and smiled
d
own at his love
.
“We must get back, our presence will be missed.” He
said with a sigh
.

Grace was still so overcome by the sensation of Owen cupping
and
kissing the exposed parts of her breast
s
, she could only nod
at first
.
She managed a whispered,
“
I
f we must.”

Owen placed a tender kiss to her lips
.
“I am afraid we should
.”
Though he longed to lay her on the daybed,
remove her clothing
and bury himself deep inside her
.

He shook his head
slightly to clear his mind of such thoughts
.
He would be leaving for Italy in five days
.
H
e could not treat Grace thus
and leave
her for three months
.
Owen
pl
a
ced his lady’s hand on his arm and led her outside
.
They walked back down the woodland path toward the gardens, where they rejoined their party.

Once again, near midnight, Owen escorted his love home in the carriage
.
His ha
nds immediately went to her beautiful breasts that fit his hands perfectly
.
He co
uld not help himself
.
He kissed
her possessively and passionately, leaving them both flushed and breathless as he bid her goodnight
.

“I will see you at one o’clock tomorrow, Grace?”

“Yes, Owen, one is fine.”

Owen called at one for the next two days
.
They spent
fifteen to twenty
minutes alone on the woodland path, kissing, hugging and caressing while Jenny waited on the bench
in the garden
.
Owen joined Grace and her father
for tea
both
day
s
, an
d stayed for dinner the second.

The following day,
Grace seemed nervous as
she strolled by his side through
Radley’s garden
.
Her maid took her place on the bench
in the rear of the garden
.

Owen led his lady love
past the blue hydrangeas
onto the woodland path
.
He watched as Grace turned to view her maid just before they reached the bend in the path. “What is it, Grace you seem distracted?”

“Owen, my maid Jenny needs two hours today
.
I
t seems sh
e
quarreled with
her young man and she must see him
.
She said she must have two hours to reach her destination, see him, and return
.
I do not know if it
was a
wise
decision
, but she seemed so very desperate
.
I allowed her to go
, w
hich is why I had the basket prepared
, for our, ah, picnic
.” Grace indicated the basket Owen carried
for her
.
“I hope you do not mind spending two hours with me today
.”