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She giggled and he nipped an arse cheek with finger and thumb.
“I’ll miss giving this a good hiding too,” he said, smiling from ear to ear. “I doubt you will.”
She stroked her palm down his flushed cheek and met his gaze. “It might surprise you to know, I shall miss it too. What we had was special, Master. I shall cherish it always.”
He resumed his thrusts, delving deeper with each one, until she signalled with a fierce clench of her thighs that she needed him to finish.
He squeezed her bottom hard, stroked her with one thrust and came. She shivered, fearing she had missed the chance to snatch her climax, but to her delight, the delay merely heralded a potent orgasm. He smothered her cries with his hand.
“Why, lass. You’ll scare the birds off.” He lowered his arm and gathered her to his chest. Her skirts dropped to the ground and once more she was modest in appearance.
While Mary grazed on the grass, Dara curled herself into Matthew’s embrace and stayed a while there until he nudged her.
“Up, Dara. Tis midday already.”
She rode one more mile by his side. The distant windows of Willowby Hall glinted in the sunlight.
Matthew handed her the reins. “I’ll not watch you go.”
They had agreed he would simply walk away and not look back, and neither would she.
“Goodbye, Matthew.” She fought off the tears; they wouldn’t stay away for much longer.
“Farewell, sweet Dara.” He paused, as if he wanted to say something, but the words failed him.
He struck Mary’s rump and the horse broke into a canter. Even if she had wanted to, Dara couldn’t look back. She had to cling onto the mane while she wept for him.
By the time she reached the gates of Willowby Hall, her tears had dried and she had regained her composure.
She had a few days to reacquaint herself with the house and staff, make up stories about her cousin, and ensure the tasks left by her husband were completed to a good standard, then he would be home and she would play the role of wife to the best of her abilities. What else could she do?
Chapter Twelve
Her fate was sealed the moment she crossed the threshold of the gates. Servants came running; there were shouts, almost pandemonium.
“My lord, my lord, she’s back!” The cry went up.
Standing among the marble statues of the hallway, she dropped her saddlebag and nearly wept. He had returned early. Her ruse was destroyed in an instant.
Henry, Lord Coleman, strode across the tiles to meet her, his dogs yapping at his heels. But instead of welcoming her with an embrace, which she partly wished for in the hope their future together would not be entirely miserable, he glared at her, his fist clenched around his walking stick.
“Where have you been, wife?” he demanded, his eyes searing with anger. “I have been back five days, your whereabouts a mystery. I sent a rider to your cousin’s house and the reply came yesterday. She has not seen you in over a year. The letters you wrote to Estelle are a fabrication. Don’t deny it.”
She was too stunned to speak.
“Well?” he bellowed. Towering over her, he lifted a loose leaf from her hair, which had tucked itself under her bonnet. “Playing in the fields? With whom?”
She finally plucked up the courage to speak. “I shall not say. You left me, husband. I have merely kept myself busy for the duration in a distant city; I preferred to stay anonymous, nobody need know and the letters were to simply keep Estelle happy.”
“Which city? With whom?” He snapped his fingers in her face. “I see the lie in your eyes, madam. You will tell me. No lady lives alone. You need maids and money.”
She pressed her lips together. How much she had changed in so short a space of time. Money and maids were of little consequence compared to the loss of her lover. However, with her scheme unravelling, she felt the danger immediately; his cold voice chilled her bones.
He stepped back and signalled to the butler. “Take Lady Coleman to her bedroom and lock her in. Estelle—”
“My lord—”
“See that she has nothing. The boredom will drive her to speak. Bring her to me in a few hours and I’ll hear her pitiful confession.” He stormed off, the dogs chasing after him.
