AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“When did you find this place?” she asked.
“I was eight, and my friend, Simon Bentley and I went riding and got lost when the groom was not paying attention.” He chuckled, remembering Simon for the first time without the intense sadness he always felt before. “I learned how to swim here, and we introduced Albert to the place. We used to pretend there was a sea serpent in the water and we were brave knights on a quest to vanquish it.”
She laughed. “And did you vanquish it?”
“Yes, but his remains opened a doorway to another world.” He ate the remainder of her sandwich.
“What sort of world was it?”
“A very magical one.” His voice adopted a wistful note. “Simon loved it more than any of us.”
Her vivid blue eyes regarded him curiously. “And where is Simon now?”
Matthew was quiet for a moment, and her hand found his. She appeared to have already guessed it but he told her anyway. “He died in the peninsula war.”
“I am sorry, Matthew,” she said softly, raising his hand to place a very soft kiss on the back. He held her cheek and she leaned into his palm.
“Tell me,” he began softly a moment later, “where did you nurture your adventurous spirit when you were younger?”
Diana sucked in her pretty lips as if she was reluctant to tell him, and his brows furrowed. He knew nigh on nothing about her, and most times, he found it challenging to guess her thoughts.
She answered at last. “In a drawing-room training to become a proper lady.”
“Why do I think you felt like a prisoner?”
When she raised her eyes to his, he was struck by the vulnerability he saw lurking behind her gaze. “I did,” she confessed. “My parents did not want me to play outside with the neighbors’ children, and because I wanted to please them, I spent my time outside the school room in either the drawing-room or the library.”
“And you had no siblings,” he stated.
“No.” She shook her head. “I was quite lonely.”
Matthew’s heart ached for her. “Do you have friends?”
“I…no, I did not until I met Emma.”
He knew she was choosing what to tell him with great care, and although that made him even more curious, he wanted to believe she would trust him and allow him to know her with time. Still, he could not help asking, “Where are your parents?”
“They are traveling the Continent. It is why I am staying with my aunt.” She picked up a raspberry and held it up to his mouth. She was trying to draw his attention from the questions he was asking but he indulged her, eating it from her hand and slowly taking her fingers into his mouth.
Her tempting bosom rose and fell with her quickened breathing, and the flush of her skin was nearly enough to make him lay her on her back to give her more pleasure. However, Matthew continued to unravel the mystery surrounding her.
“Why did they leave you behind?” he asked.
“So I can find a husband,” she responded, feeding him another berry.
He gently took her wrist, held her eyes, and ate it. When he swallowed, he trailed his tongue along her wrist and up her arm. “Are you seeking a husband?” he whispered when he reached her neck.
“No.”
Matthew pulled back, bemused. “No?”
“I mean, I am but I have yet to find anyone.”
“Not even this man?” he asked, referring to himself.
Her gaze clouded. “Matthew…”
“I did not mean to make you uncomfortable.” He pulled her close and pressed his lips to her temple. Diana’s jaw tightened. He would know fear anywhere, and he had just seen it in her eyes before she quickly concealed it. Whatever it was, he was going to uncover it.
