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* * *
The Berkley’s brass door knocker sounded loudly as Dilly rounded the corner of the kitchen. She handed the tray of cold coffee and biscuits to Cook who looked at the untouched biscuits she had baked fresh that morning and clucked her tongue.
“Those two children, for they are little more than that, and don’t be telling me how he is the lord of the manor and all, for he is still a youth and neither one of them has eaten right for days! Whot’s to do?” Cook fretted as she took the tray and dropped it on the wooden center chopping block table.
Dilly didn’t respond as she ran off to get the front door. She opened it wide and smiled brightly as she stood aside to allow Sir Edward to enter.
“Hallo, Dilly,” he said warmly.
Dilly smiled in spite of her shyness. She met his gaze for the flash of a moment and appeared happy to tell him, “Hello sir. Miss will be that glad…Oi mean…his lordship would be, if he were here, that he would. But Oi’m certain Miss Berkley would be pleased to receive ye as she has just been moping around, Oi suppose on account of the rain and such.”
“Thank you, Dilly,” he said and winked at her. “Is she in the library? I fancy I know the way.”
Dilly giggled and hurried off and Sir Edward made his way to the library door, and opened it ever so slightly. He stood for a moment looking at Star and it was as though everything inside of him, from his brain right down to the nerve endings in his toes lit up. A warm and glowing amber light, seemed to surround her and that glow pulled him toward her.
She didn’t hear him as he approached though he thought she must for his heart pounded loudly, unrelentingly in his chest. He saw that she was deep in thought and wondered what was wrong. He could sense something was wrong. Had such a bond already struck up between them? Did she feel it as well?
She was a beauty and in her simple summer muslin gown of green, with her flaxen colored hair sweeping perfectly around her piquant face. He was mesmerized by its waves as they cascaded just to her neck. He was aware that the sight of her, took his breath away. He had always laughed to hear this said and now he knew just what it actually meant. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t speak.
He found himself sucking in air, as he tried to fill his lungs, but all he could do was stand very still and admire and remember the feel of her in his arms. Her skin so like silk, her heavenly thighs and that tempting honey box hidden between. He wanted her all at once and didn’t know how he was going to keep his hands off her. He had to because he adored her and wanted everything to be perfect for her.
He loved everything about her—everything!
Jules had told him he wanted her to grow her hair long, but he didn’t at all agree. He found he liked it clipped, as the style suited her. He loved the way strands of its white gold curled around her delicate ears, strayed across her forehead.
She turned then and her dark eyes found his eyes and filled his soul with a sensation he had never dreamt possible to feel from just a look, ah, but that look.
She went toward him in a rush of feeling. Her voice was scarcely audible as she said, “Edward…oh Edward.”
He took her up in his arms in one sweeping embrace and before his lips brushed her own he whispered, “I have been waiting for this moment…oh by all that is good and right, I can’t tell you how wonderful you feel to me.”
His mouth covered hers and all he could think was her kisses were as delicious as they had been the first time he had brushed her lips with his. He knew in that moment that she would always taste delicious, audacious, and completely irresistible.
The sound of her voice was like a sweet melody he wanted to hear over and over and he knew he would never tire of it. The touch of her body was magic against his own and filled him with need.
He came away from her kiss and she said, “Edward, you should run from me as fast as you can.”
Surprised, he leaned away from her to study her face. “What has occurred and don’t tell me nothing, something has for you to say such a thing to me.”
“I…we…I…”
He took her hand and led her to the sofa, “I think you and I must talk, for you know, you must know, how I feel.”
* * *
All the pent up worry, and doubts vanished when Star turned and saw him standing there with a look on his face that gave her hope to think perhaps…just perhaps and then just as quickly, she told herself, she wasn’t worthy such a man!
She went to him in a rush of emotion. The feel of his arms took her to a place where she was safe, forever safe and filled her with the desire to stay right where she was, in his embrace. His kiss opened up her doubts with an explosion of love, a love she was certain she would never feel ever again for any other man. She had told him to run from her and a good part of her wanted him to do just that, though it would break her heart. She wanted him safe from the ruin she and her brother were falling into.
She loved him, so then, she could not allow him to lower himself by aligning his name with hers…if that was what he meant to do and from the look on his face and the sound in his voice, she thought he was approaching that point.
He took her to the sofa and wrapped her up in his arms and repeated, “Talk. Tell me everything.”
“I don’t know where to start…” she felt her voice begin to tremble and said instead, “First, tell me did you enjoy your day, yesterday? Did you visit with friends? Jules said something about he rather thought that was where you had gone off to…some friends you both know in Hastings.”
“You are prattling. I do wish, with all my heart, that you could find it in your heart to trust me. Star, my dear heart…don’t you trust me?”
“I do, oh, I so do,” she said desperately. “Things, however, are in such a muddle.” She turned from him and pushed out of his hold.
