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Aurelia woke up slowly with a delicious sensation of warmth and protection. She opened her eyes to find Conrad awake observing her with a strange expression in his dark eyes. Next thing, she saw broad daylight coming from the window. And startled.
“Oh!” She rubbed her hand over her eyes. She should have been up hours ago!
Heavy rain spattered the window, the slit in the curtain revealing a grey, cold day. Not exactly ideal for outdoor work.
Conrad held her to the bed gently. “Stay.” He murmured in his grave voice. “Coleman can manage.”
Then he grazed his lips on the side of her brow, making it very, very difficult for her to leave her bed.
“I know, but the manor has so many…” His lips slid to her neck, and she sighed, falling deeper on her pillow.
“Just a little more.” He tempted. “You deserve it.” His hand hovered over her breast as he nibbled her shoulder.
His arguments were incontestable indeed. In between moans, she lost the battle to her senses.
From that night on, nights became feasts of sensuality. Conrad came to her in the dark, as their ritual begun, to last through the small hours. He initiated her in varied kinds of pleasure, extracting from her cries of delight. He stayed the night, holding her against his strong body, keeping her warm in the cocoon of his arms.
Apart from that, she skipped sleeping in, except that one time. She strived to maintain her focus and energy directed to the estate, even though Conrad proved to be a temptation almost impossible to resist. Sometimes, in the middle of work, she caught herself remembering the nights, an inadvertent smile coming to her lips. The nights brought steamy excitement that would remain in her recollections forever. The only thing she did was gather these memories for the rainy days. For they would come, she was sure of it.
During the day, he made an effort to go about his lands performing the tasks she could not oversee. He became more and more assiduous in their rural routine; so much so, the tenants started to respect and value his participation. Of course, she clung to the bookkeeping, which she would not relent a fraction. For now, he might be present and constantly diligent, though she forecast it would be short lived. She knew who he was. So, she would not relinquish control, for the life of her. These couple of weeks proved nothing. Nothing!
She avoided nurturing any hope or any trust in the future. Yet, coexistence became smooth these days–and nights, for that matter. They ate breakfast together, dinner in amenable conversation; sat in the drawing room going about the estate’s matters and visited neighbours for tea or dinner. She never witnessed him drinking or gambling. He spent most nights in when they did not go out as a couple. Be that as it may, her heart resisted, obdurate, as if wrapped in a massive iron case. She did not care! The proverbial better safe than sorry sprang to mind. She would not change it, not if she could help it.
Still, if she named happiness, this would be it. If this would be her only sample, so be it. She tried to live her days holding up for these little joys. They would help her survive in times to come, certainly.
With her head immersed in these thoughts, Aurelia startled when Mr Coleman spoke.
“Lady Strafford.” The sun near setting, they rode back to the manor. Mary, one of the tenant’s daughter stayed behind, at home.
“Yes, Mr Coleman.” She turned to him. A man in his forties - half-bald, married with a sturdy wife and father to five - he had a serene temperament.
At the manor’s porch, they dismounted. “My wife wanted me to ask you something.”
“Certainly, Mr Coleman.” She took out her gloves, glad to be able to air her callused fingers.
Coleman picked his hat and wrenched it in his hands, in shy nervousness. “She would like to invite you and Lord Strafford for tea.”
She smiled, relieved it was not something grave. “I would have to talk to Lord Strafford, but I would be honoured to accept her kind invitation.”
The steward breathed a tense grin and put on his hat again. “That’s very kind of you, my lady.” In an impulse, he caught her hands and bowed to kiss them.
His gesture surprised her, but she did not pull her hands. Mrs Coleman governed their cottage and family as an empress and Aurelia perceived the man was rather overwhelmed by his wife at times.
She looked at him as he straightened his back. “Let me give you an answer in the morrow, shall I?”
He nodded solicitous. “Thank you my lady.” With a goodbye, he turned, mounted and left.
Sighing with the fresh weather, Aurelia entered the manor.
From the study window, Conrad witnessed the scene with writhing contrariety. In his eyes, Coleman acted as an infatuated teenager. Jealousy burned sour in him. She never smiled at him as she did at the steward, with gentle kindness. And respect. Day in day out, they spent the working hours together, it being so for the time he, Conrad, travelled. It did not matter a damn fig if this proved to be a fair conception or not. For him, Aurelia was his and only his!
Conrad stood before the window, unseeing the white clouds play with the late afternoon sun. These last weeks had been… paradisiac. He counted the seconds for the night to come, so that he would be with her. Her company, in the bedroom and out of it, entranced him. She started smart conversations, she cared for the people, she revealed to be creative in finding solutions for the many daily problems encountered. In the night, when he sought her, she responded with feverous passion and a captivating receptiveness that just kept him coming for more. Who would have thought such a woman lived right under his roof? His body shared with her proved to be an unprecedented experience. He did not want to lose it. He did not want any man to assume he might take his chances on her. He wished her undivided attention to fall on him, and wanted her to accept him in her life, not only in her bed. She showed extreme guardedness, so withdrawn and suspicious. He had no idea of how to break int
o it.
The movement at the door interrupted his introspections. He turned to see the object of his musings go through the doorway distracted.
Her magnificent eyes looked at him. “Oh, sorry.” She backed away, ready to leave.
