AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sam laughed out loud. “You are not Hades.”
“And you, I imagine, are more beautiful than her. And you brought prosperity and fertility to my estates. I just wish I could give you the kingdom you deserve. Not these ruins and a surly husband. A version of hell, wouldn’t you say?”
Sam turned to her side and studied him with a frown. “I don’t equate living with you to hell.”
John grimaced, still watching the stars. “That’s because we don’t spend a lot of time together. I promise you, you would feel differently if I were around more. The war… it changes you. Not that I ever was particularly gentle.”
“You are gentle,” Sam protested. She laid her head on John’s shoulder and hugged him.
John gave a huff of laughter. “You must be the only person in the world to ever think that.”
“What about Lady Clydesdale? I thought that you were in love.” She heard the bitter jealousy in her own voice.
John nodded. “We were… but it was a long time ago. I was but a child.”
“What about your other relatives? Do you have anyone else?” Sam felt oddly disgruntled that John was all alone in this world, except for her and his estate. Certainly, there was someone else. Coming from a large family, she couldn’t understand not having the full support of your relatives.
John heaved a sigh. “My brother, Josh, died young. But the eldest, Jeremy, had a family. He was a lot older than me, over a decade older. And he was married and moved to a different estate while I was still at school. I know he had plenty of daughters, but I never saw them.”
“What became of them after he died?” Sam asked, stroking his arm.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Sam’s hand froze mid-motion.
“By the time I became a baron, the property they lived on had been gambled away by my father. I don’t know where they went after that.”
“And you never tried to find them?” Sam sat up, looking at John with a frown between her brows.
“I never knew them.”
Sam raised a brow.
“What would you have me do, find them and invite them to our estate?”
“Yes! They are your family. You don’t know what conditions they are living in. If their property was gambled away, they probably had nowhere to go.”
John grimaced uncomfortably. “I never thought of that.”
“Well, obviously.” She huffed.
“You’re right. I shall ask my solicitor to find them first thing in the morning.”
“Good.” Sam nodded and lay back down on the blankets. “Are you certain there are no more of your wayward family members we need to hunt down?”
“I am certain,” John said with a chuckle and lay down beside her. “I hadn’t talked to Jeremy since I was about seven years old. I never saw his family. I never gave them a thought. They were never real for me.”
“Weren’t you ever lonely living like that?”
John chuckled again. “Not everybody’s families are as tight-knit as yours. But yes, I suppose I was lonely. I never told you this, not entirely in any case. But when I received your letter, I gave up hope for ever returning home. To tell you the truth, I didn’t have anything to come back to.” He paused, and she felt cold even though she was wrapped snugly in her husband’s arms. “My father never held any affection for me. My brothers followed suit. My mother was the only one who seemed to care about me, but she died when I was young. I told you about Julie and how heartbroken I was after my communication with her was cut…”
He kissed her lightly on the cheek. “I was angry, bitter at first. But after a while, all emotions were just jumbled inside to the point of numbness. I stopped caring about anything. I went out on campaigns like suicide missions. With nothing to dream about, nothing to lose. And then I received your letter.” He smiled at the memory. Sam was watching him, transfixed.
“You signed your letter ‘Your Angel.’ But you have no idea how on point you were. You saved me. After that, you became my northern star. My constant. Every time I would grow desperate, I’d lose a friend, or get injured… Sometimes I’d be delirious with fever, lying in the hospital, and all I had to do was look at one of your letters, and I’d have this feeling of peace. Something to guide me home.”
“I love you.” Sam didn’t know how the words escaped her lips. She didn’t mean to say it; she wasn’t even consciously thinking it. The words just slipped out from the bottom of her soul and landed on her lips.
John dipped his head and kissed her. Sam took his head in both her hands and answered his kisses, fervently, desperately. She felt extremely vulnerable after telling him she loved him. And since he hadn’t said it in return, she wanted to feel that love in his passion. As though John could feel her need, he clasped her closer to him, slanting his mouth over hers, drinking her in, licking at the corners of her mouth. His roaming hands were hot everywhere on her body. He turned slowly and gently laid her on her back and settled on top of her.
