The base of her spine tingled, and her toes curled, and every single muscle in her body seemed to clench at once and then what followed was … ecstasy. Hot liquid pouring through her veins. Something … oh god, they didn’t make words for it. Because how could you ever tell someone about this?
“Oh god. Oh my god. I had … I had no idea,” Harriet panted out, when her mind returned. Her body hadn’t moved an inch since she’d reached her peak. She wasn’t sure how he’d found the energy to remove his hand, draw down her chemise, pull up the covers, and roll over. “No wonder men wear tight breeches.”
Alexander laughed lightly but said nothing. He was looking at her in a way she’d never seen before.
“Thank you” was all she could eke out before her eyes closed. Before she drifted off, she heard one last thing from him.
“Happy to be of service.”
She was asleep by the end of his sentence. He was awake for most of the night.
Chapter Thirteen
HAVING REALIZED SLEEP WAS NOT TO COME,ALEXANDER ROSE BEFOREsunrise and dressed. He gave instructions to a maid to wake Harriet in an hour. It was less than a half day’s ride to the border; the sooner they got there and were married the better. The rain continued, but it was light enough to ride out. He rode ahead to Gretna Green, informing his driver where to meet upon arrival. He had an errand to run.
Gretna Green was a small town, the first over the border to Scotland, and thus the most common destination for eloping couples. An enterprising man, understanding his town’s function, had opened a jewelry store only a few doors down from the blacksmith’s shop. Alexander entered to find an older gentleman puttering about, polishing the many rings on display. Heaven forbid someone in this town want a coral necklace for his wife or a simple bracelet for his daughter, Alexander mused.
“Good mornin’ to ye,” the man said, warmly. His burr wasn’t as thick as some of the Scottish people Alexander had known, no doubt the result of living so close to the border. “After a ring?”
“I am.”
“What sort?” At Alexander’s pause, the man smiled and then shuffled over to a large case. “What cooler ur ’er eyes?”
“Gray.” That Alexander knew the answer to.
“Och. Dinnae ken if I hev a gray stone.”
“Need it match her eyes?”Was that some kind of wedding-ring rule?
“Nae, just tha sort of poetic shite toffs like ye normally go fer.” Alexander let out a huff of laughter.
“I’ll just take the nicest ring you have.”
“Hold an a moment noo. Caitriona. Iona. Finella!” the man shouted, not even bothering to turn his head toward the back of the store. From a small door came, in short order, three young women, all with the same fair skin and generous splash of freckles. The first woman had deep, dark-brown hair, followed by a redhead holding a bucket of water who looked aggrieved to be there, and finally a younger girl with light brown, almost blonde hair who was reading a book. “Ma dochters,” the jeweler explained. “Any of them favor yer gal?”
Despite little resemblance—Harriet’s hair was darker, richer, warmer, her skin wasn’t as pale and was absent of freckles, and her eyes were lighter—Alexander nodded at the last girl, the one with the book. “What ring would you choose?”
“Me?” the girl asked, startled at being addressed directly.
“Yes. If you were to have a ring, any ring here, what would it be?” The girl glanced over at her father, who shrugged and nodded. The redhead sighed and headed through the door, back to whatever workshe’d been doing. The other sister crossed her arms and waited. The bookish girl rounded the counter and walked right over to a small display.
“That un,” she said, pointing to a simple emerald ring. It wasn’t the largest stone in the store, but it was undeniably beautiful.
“I’ll take it.”
All told, there was nothing extraordinary about their wedding. Thousands of couples had married across the border in a blacksmith’s shop and thousands more would after them. Perhaps the only thing of note was the slightly rumpled evening gown worn by the bride. Of course, the blacksmith took little notice of what couples wore, or what they were running from. That was their business. They were married within minutes with no fanfare. The groom gave the bride a kiss and a ring and the blacksmith struck the anvil, and they were on their way.
Both the kiss and the ring shocked the living daylights out of Harriet. Yes, they were part of the ceremony, she knew as much, even if she’d never attended a wedding before. But some part of her had assumed those customs wouldn’t apply to Lord Alexander Stirling.
She felt inclined to apologize to him, as ifshewere the one who had asked for their inclusion in the ceremony. “Oh, sir, you don’t understand, we aren’t having a real marriage. He needn’t kiss me, and he surely doesn’t have a ring,” she imagined replying when the blacksmith directed Alexander. Only hedidhave a ring. And he didn’t hesitate to kiss her at all. True, it was her third kiss in her entire lifeand likely his thirty thousandth; no doubt, he was beyond the point in life where a kiss couldmean something.
Still, it didn’tfeelperfunctory to Harriet. Or perhaps that was the very skill of a rake—to make each woman feel she was, if not the first, the only.
After they were pronounced husband and wife, Harriet tried to discern if she felt any different than she had before.You are now married to Lord Alexander. You are now Lady Alexander Stirling, she repeated to herself. But she felt nothing. She sneaked glances down at the exquisite ring he’d given her. She didn’t want him to think her a silly woman, captivated with jewels like a crow. It was the nicest gift anyone had ever given her.
Climbing back in the carriage after the hasty ceremony, Harriet was hit with a sudden wave of exhaustion. Alexander was silent, which was usual, and Harriet joined him, which was unusual; however, every time she tried to think of something, anything to say, the words died quickly in her throat. Alexander looked as weary as she felt. They’d stayed up late last night, but it was as if the wedding itself had dispirited both of them. The purpose of their journey was complete.
They were married.
