Speak Its Name: A Trilogy (25 page)

“Beautifully done, Chaloner,” he said, pretending to point to a monument as we passed it, “you are obviously a natural at this. You will lose a little of my aunt’s affection, of course, but have gone a long way in winning the heart of my cousin. Just be careful with it.”

I felt the familiar irritation he had caused before our mad interlude. If he had not pushed me quite so far, I would not now be in danger of hurting those feelings of hers that he was so solicitous of. I had many questions, and not one of them could be asked in our mixed company.

It was no distance to Prior Park, less than two miles, and the road was less bumpy than I would have liked, but there was a little neighbourly friction between Adam’s leg and my own. The sun made a watery appearance and by the time we arrived at the park and I helped the ladies out of the carriage, the weather seemed to smile on us, and some sun had filtered through the ever-present clouds.

The ladies walked ahead of us down the incline towards the lakes and the Palladian bridge and Adam caught my arm to slow me a little, his fingers rubbing sensuously behind my elbow. “You have hardly smiled once in half an hour’s time, I swear.”

“The grass is slick,” I said, not looking at him, “I am concerned for the ladies’ stability.”

“You should worry more for mine,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “I nearly walked to your house last night to throw stones up at your window like a lust-driven poet.”

I laughed at that vision, imagining my father demanding an explanation in the middle of the night. He joined me in my laughter, and I felt my groin warm for him. “That’s better, you are less forbidding when you smile.”

“Forbidding or not, you are hardly put off by it.”

“I could have been, when I see the same scowl on your father’s face as on his youngest son...”

“My father needs to hear your wit,” I said dryly. “He seems to think that your lack of uniform leaves you without weapons.”

He grinned at that and we reached the bridge and caught up with the ladies, who were looking out over the lake.

I found myself beside Miss Clynes. “Are you often in Bath?”

“Every year since I came out,” she said. “I trust you do not regret abducting me from the town.”

“There was no question of it not being done,” I said. “Miss Pelham wished it so and therefore I obey. I see nothing to regret.”

She was silent for a moment as she took her parasol down as the sun went behind a cloud. “I am surprised, sir, that you appear not to know me.” She cast a slightly furtive look at Miss Pelham who was now walking towards the far end of the bridge with Adam. “I imagined that you would.”

“I hope I would not listen to conversations about a lady,” I lied.

“It was a scandal that never truly happened,” she said, “so perhaps it is less discussed. But if you don’t know, you should.”

“Please do not say anything to me that would distress you.”

She laughed. “I have passed that particular emotion a long time ago, Major Chaloner. As I say, it was something that never happened but it has affected my friendships, which I regret. Two years ago, fresh from school I formed an... unsuitable attachment and I had planned to elope, but I was intercepted before I even reached our assignation.”

“Please,” I said, unnerved and embarrassed by her frankness, “you don’t need to speak of it.”

“I merely tell you so that you are forearmed in case Lady Pelham blames you for the excursion.”

“I would hardly let Miss Pelham take the blame.”

She inclined her head. “Then I shall talk no more on a subject that has little merit,” she said. “I heard you laughing with Mr. Heyward, and you impress me. I have rarely heard him laugh out loud with anyone except Emily before.”

“If truth be told, it is often more
at
than
with
.” I coloured a little to think that we may have been further overheard. “I am an amusement to him, I have found.”

“I comprehend you perfectly. I have spent a lot of time at Wenson House in times past, and Adam takes much personal entertainment from the world.”

“Miss Clynes, you wrong me, as usual,” Adam said, returning with Miss Pelham on his arm. “And I would be grateful if you would not scare our new friend away, he looks positively ready to bolt. Your reputation has terrified him beyond words, I’m sure.”

This brought a shocked reprimand from Miss Pelham, who drew Miss Clynes away from us both. “Adam Heyward, if I could tell Mamma what you just said...”

“But you won’t, of course.”

She rewarded him with a furious expression, and I was grateful at that point that it began to rain a little, for I would have had to say something I might have regretted. There were black clouds sweeping across from the west, and I felt we were in for a downpour. We moved under the protection of the bridge whilst we waited for the driver to appear with the barouche, but after a few minutes there was no sign of him.

“I will have to go and find him,” I said and strode off, ignoring the ladies’ cries of concern for my welfare. I was half way up the slope when I realised that Adam was behind me. “Damn you, Heyward, you were supposed to stay with the ladies!”

“Really? I must have missed the dispatch—did you give out those orders, Major?” His cane slipped on the wet grass and I caught him by the elbow before he went down. The rain began in earnest, grey sheets which made our progress all but impossible as the slope turned to a river. I was minded for a moment to march him back down to the bridge but the gothic temple was nearer, so I half pulled, half supported him through the growing murk until we reached it and were under shelter. He was laughing, and his hair was stuck in delightful Romanesque curls to his forehead.

I was furious with him. “You left them alone down there!”

“Geoffrey, my dear fellow, this isn’t Spain. Two young ladies in an English park under a covered bridge are as likely to come to harm as if they were in the arcade in Bath. They will be dryer than we two, and this affords them the opportunity of some much missed gossip which I assure you they will be indulging in as we speak. You, I am quite certain, are first in the categories for discussion.” He shook his head, like a dog, and his curls sprang away from his face. “Don’t deny them this time together, Geoff. They’ve been a long time apart. Don’t deny it to us, too.”

The rain worsened, making it almost impossible to see the bottom of the hill. I peered out, hopeful in case I might see the barouche arriving at the bridge but could make out nothing with certainty. Then Adam was behind me, his arms snaking around my waist, and in the shelter and privacy of the temple, I turned and kissed him. His face was wet and cold but his mouth was warm, and he clung hard to me, his fingers digging hard into my hips before encircling me and cupping my arse. I could feel the familiar prickle and heat as my passion rose, and only once did I make some half-hearted demurral that this was hardly the time, nor the place, but my words were almost habit; we would never have the time and the place—and we must take them when we found them.

I pushed him back into the shadows of the shallow temple, biting at my gloves and throwing them aside. As before, he was acquiescent to my hurry; unbuttoning himself as he saw me do the same whilst we both attempted to kiss as if we would never have the chance again in this life. I was hard when he touched me, and he was growing so as I pulled his manhood out into the cold and rubbed it vigorously, and I found myself groaning into his mouth as he throbbed under my rough palm.

His breeches slid down his thighs, leaving his arse open to the elements and my free hand sought his buttocks. He staggered a little and I turned, sat myself down on the bench against the wall and gasped as the ice-cold marble hit my fundament. Then I pulled him down backwards onto my lap. He opened his legs and my cock was welcomed into his cleft. In spite of the cool and the rain, I found myself sweating. He pushed back against me.

“Now, Geoffrey.”

“Not here,” I muttered, fighting the urge to bury myself in him.

“What are you waiting for?” He was tossing himself, his head leaning back against my shoulder. My lips were close against his ear. “A scented boudoir with rose petals? Spit and have done.”

He thrust back and forth as if he were swiving a maid himself and the friction he caused made me bite down on his shoulder and brought me such feelings of delight that I forgot all else. I did what he said, oiled my pole as best I could. It was leaking from the end and I took the tip and rubbed it against his hole.

“It’s impossible,” I said, as I pushed a little.

“Not at all,” he said. He breathed out, widened his legs still further and to my amazement I slid inside him. I felt the head push through, gripped in a way that was almost painful. I found I was shaking; my whole body seemed to shudder with pleasure.

“Oh, God.” I said. “Oh GOD.” I couldn’t thrust in the position I was in, so I did the only thing I could think of to do. I took him by his hips and pulled him back still further until I was so fully a part of him that I could not see that I had a prick at all. He was breathing shallowly, almost hissing through his teeth,

He rocked back and forth, which was exquisite agony, so I took hold of him again and pushed him forward a little, then slid him back, then I could not control myself—and to my shame my cock fired off as if I were a schoolboy, and all I could do was cling to him as he brought himself to completion.

He pulled himself from me without a word, and there was a terrible silence between us as we cleaned ourselves up and arranged our clothing. I could only imagine what he must think of me, although it could not have been worse than how I thought of myself. As he was fiddling with the buttons on his breeches, I left him; I strode out into the rain and ran up the wet slope to where the carriage waited. My face was red with embarrassment, and I imagined the rain fairly sizzled when it hit my cheeks.

I was sure that Adam had had lovers before me, and I could imagine
one
at least, with his urbane grace and devilish smile whose rod would not erupt at the first touch of another’s skin. I could not see that my clumsy efforts would ever be required again. I felt as grey as the sky and my heart felt heavy in my chest.

The driver had already raised the canopy and within minutes, we collected both Adam from the temple, where he emerged looking hardly dishevelled, and the ladies from under the covered bridge.

How different was our mood for the journey back. Adam did not look at me or speak to me, and even the sweet touch of his leg was taken from me as he sat as far from me as he could, staring into space as if the world had offended him. I escorted Miss Clynes to her door and we rode the remainder of the journey in an icy silence.

Miss Pelham looked cold and pale, and not a little concerned at the change in atmosphere between us, but as I handed her out of the carriage, she said, “You will come in, Major?” The front door had opened, but Adam had paused at the doorway, as if he was going to turn and speak.

“I’m afraid not,” I said, partly to her, and partly to his back. “My father will be expecting me, and I have taken up too much of your time as it is. Perhaps tomorrow?”

Adam moved into the house without a word, and it took all my strength to stop myself from following him.

“Of course,” she said, with a curtsey. “You are always welcome.”

I stood on the pavement for a second, staring at the house as if it had wronged me, before getting into the carriage and finishing that day in the blackest mood I’d had for many years.

Return to TOC

In which Heyward makes his feelings plain and I am forced to be a reluctant Samaritan.

There was nothing for it but to proceed with my father’s plan, no matter that my more private life was almost out of control. From the bristling eyebrows over the breakfast table the next morning, I was left with no doubt as to his growing impatience.

When I stood up, excusing myself, he reached into his pocket and removed a small case which he slid across the table to me.

“Take this,” he said, and make some use of it.”

I opened the little box to find a ring of elegant beauty; a slim band of rose-pink gold with a single diamond with the same tinge.

“Was this my mother’s?”

“No, it blasted well isn’t,” he said, going as red as my jacket. “It was
my
mother’s. Get out of my sight, boy and bring me back a daughter-in-law.” I fled, but with dignity.

The reluctant suitor (and the spurned lover) made his way to the Pelham house after breakfast and was ushered into the drawing room where Lady Pelham greeted me.

“I should be extremely angry with you, Major,” she said as we settled down. “I heard what naughty thing you did.”

For one second I went cold, until I realised that what I had done to Adam would hardly be considered
naughty
, and wasn’t something to be brought into any conversation. I must have showed my confusion as she continued, patting my arm.

“I don’t consider you to be at blame; my daughter can be extremely wilful, and for some reason she will not shake off the most unfortunate of acquaintances.”

“It was at my insistence that Miss Clynes joined the party,” I said, “Miss Pelham was aware of your prohibition, I am sure. I can only apologise...”

She gave me a small smile as she sipped her drink. “Please, Major Chaloner, I know my daughter. She would go out yesterday in spite of the fact that I said it would rain, and now she is suffering the consequences. Both she and Adam have dreadful colds, and Adam has such a weak chest that I am fearful that it may turn to influenza, or something much worse.”

My emotion at that moment was so violent that all I could was to stand up and face the fireplace. Was every plan I had destined to bring ruin on others? “I am to blame for this,” I said, “and I take the full responsibility. Is he—I mean—is Miss Pelham and your nephew... Are they being tended to? My father has a physician that he relies on utterly here in Bath. Allow me to fetch him. It is the very least that I can do.”

“They have seen a doctor this morning, and he says that it is next-to-nothing, merely a chill, but what do they know?”