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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

A nna tried not to squirm as she awaited her husband’s arrival at the location she had specially prepared for them.

She had stumbled upon this spot during her first days as Duchess of Morland, in awe of the genius architecture that had gone into creating such a wonderful, breathtaking space.

Anna had also been horrified to discover that this room, in all its splendor, had been relegated to a common store room, and she immediately ordered that something be done about it.

It was cleared swiftly, but she had yet to find a use for it until now.

To say she was eager for Julian’s presence would be quite the understatement, as her very bones seemed to quake as she waited, hoping that tonight would go as planned.

After what felt like an eternity, the door opened, and Julian walked in, looking very sharp in the clothes he had changed into. His eyes met hers almost instantly, and she rose to her feet quickly to greet him, barely able to contain her excitement.

However, she had to postpone whatever talks she intended to keep the busy with, because Julian had taken quick strides to where she stood, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her deeply.

Surprised, Anna gasped, which only gave him the permission he needed to explore her mouth, their tongues mingling in a fierce battle.

It did not take much to render her lightheaded, and she clung to him, her hands sliding up his chest to lace her fingers together behind his neck.

Julian’s hands pulled her closer by her hips, one of them leaving to trace her curves – something he had done so many times, but she still couldn’t get used to.

Anna inhaled, vaguely aware of the heat emitting from his body, filled with a sudden need to revel in it, to lose herself in his musky scent.

A moan escaped her when Julian sank his teeth into her lower lip, shivering as his tongue swiped over the spot.

Desperate for some sort of leverage, she pressed her fingers into his scalp, giddy when she was able to pull a similar sound from him.

She could gradually feel her senses preparing to suspend their presence for the rest of the evening.

Then Julian leaned back, humming in satisfaction at the dazed look in her eyes, his gaze lowering to study the rest of her, and he let out a pained growl.

“What were you thinking, wearing this dress and expecting me to sit through a meal rather than rip it off your body?” he asked as his hands came to rest on her hips again.

“I was hoping you’d settle down with me for a meal first and then we could do whatever pleases you afterwards,” Anna replied, sounding a little winded.

“You think too highly of me. I might not be able to concentrate on much, other than you in this dress. My goodness, you look stunning.” He exhaled, looking torn between stepping back to get a better look at her or keeping her beneath his touch for a little longer.

Anna’s face filled with heat at the way his eyes continued to rake up and down her form.

The dress was certainly a choice, thanks to its low neckline that showed off her ample bosom, the red fabric shimmering beneath the soft glow of candlelight.

It was pulled in at the waist, in a way that looked almost too tightly, showing off her curves, and then it smoothly dropped to the floor, swaying each time she moved.

She had wanted to give her husband a feast for the eyes and mouth. She had requested that the cook prepare all his favorite dishes, and she dolled herself up because she was now all too aware of how much he liked looking at her.

“Thank you, dear husband.” She smiled innocently, not surprised that he remained attached to her, holding onto her hands as though he feared that if he let go, she would vanish. “We must sit down and eat, darling. Otherwise, the food will get cold.”

Julian squinted at her, tilting his head a little to the side.

“Is there a special occasion I’ve forgotten about?”

Anna shook her head, gently tugging him in the direction of their set table. “No, dearest. I merely wished for a chance alone together, in a romantic setting. Do you not like it?”

She had arranged for a table to be set nicely, with candles and flowers, hoping to set the mood as intimate and endearing.

They had gotten really close over the last few days, but Anna felt as though they did not know enough about each other still.

She wanted to learn everything there was to know about her husband – his dreams, his fears, his likes and dislikes.

It worried her sometimes that she might only be aware of him at a surface level.

“Oh, my love,” Julian sighed, reaching out to caress her cheek gently. “I love anything and everything you do. And to think you organized all this just for us… I do like it. A lot. I just… I haven’t been in this room in a while. It used to be my mother’s favorite room in the house.”

Anna’s heart sank, taking her smile with it as she began to worry that perhaps she had upset him by putting up this elaborate scene in a place that likely held some not-so-nice memories.

But just as her lips parted with an apology on her tongue, Julian steered them in the direction of the table, pulling out a chair for her to sit in.

“I look forward to a lovely evening in your presence, my dear.” He told her softly, placing a tender kiss at the top of her head before he took his seat next to her.

“You don’t mind it? That I chose this room?” she queried, uncertainly.

The room was a large conservatory, with half of its ceiling and roof made of clear glass that allowed for a magnificent viewing of the stars in the sky.

Anna had fallen in love with the space the moment she set foot in it, and had swiftly worked to restore it to a level of glory she felt would honor what it might have looked like previously.

There had been potted plants that had long since given up any hope of living, that were swiftly done away with and replaced by species that would thrive better indoors, and she decluttered the area, sparingly leaving behind a bookshelf of classic romance stories and poetry, and some furniture.

She wished to craft a calm space that could be used for anything, with the hope that she could spend some time with her husband someday. To think that such a day had arrived after all left her feeling somewhat winded, giddy with anticipation, even with the worry that underlined it all in her heart.

“I don’t. It looks different – your handiwork, I assume – and because of that, I don’t feel as uneasy as I might’ve been if things were the same.

She… mother spent all her time in here, reading.

She would wait for Father in here, while he was out and about like the lout he was.

I’m sorry – that is not what I should discuss on such a lovely night as this.

You prepared such a wonderful evening for us, and I shouldn’t ruin it with talks of the past.” Julian smiled apologetically.

Anna quickly shook her head and reached for his hand.

“I prepared this night in a bid for us to spend some time getting to know each other. I know that you love me, but sometimes I wish I understood you more. I want to be able to take care of you, wholly, and to do that, I need to be aware of the sort of feelings that might cause you discomfort, so I can provide you with ease.” She told him softly.

Julian smiled at her, raising her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it.

“I’m not sure what I have done to deserve you, but I am blessed to have you.”

“What a silly thing to say, husband,” Anna chastised without heat. “Is it not obvious that we belong together? You are certainly as deserving of me as I am of you. We were created with the other in mind. I would not rather not be with anyone else, other than you.”

Julian chuckled, shaking his head a little.

“You really are the jewel of my life. Forgive me, my dear, but I am going to continue to think that you are an angel who was sent to save me. It is going to take some time for me to feel otherwise.”

“Take all the time that you need,” she assured him.

Finally, they dug into their meal, consisting of hearty foods that were somehow still warm, despite their distractions.

Julian had a soft expression on his face while he ate, as though he was being buried in utter comfort.

Anna had never seen him look so relaxed, her confidence rising with every bite.

When they moved to dessert – a decadent cake that had been soaked in rum and covered in fruit syrup – Julian suddenly said,

“My mother would have loved you.”

His words startled Anna, who had just taken in a bite of cake and had barely chewed. She quickly held up a hand, motioning to him to wait as she took a sip of her wine while she worked through the tasty morsel, glaring playfully at her husband as he laughed.

“R-Really? Why do you think so?”

Julian shrugged, pushing crumbs around his plate with his fork.

“I think a daughter would have suited her better than Seth and I did. She loved us, I think, but not enough to stand up for herself. Not enough to believe that she was still worth much, even if her husband did not value her. I thought that if we had a sister, perhaps one who took her looks, she might’ve felt more inclined to care about her, and not my father.

She hid in here a lot when Father was away, and at first, she would ensure that Seth and I were well and comfortable before she slipped into her solitude.

But I think that eventually, she couldn’t stand to look at us, because we looked too much like our father, and yet, we were not him.

Only a reminder of the one thing she wanted but couldn’t have. ”

Her husband did not sound sad or forlorn. Just… accepting of the situation that his life had consisted of. And it hurt Anna, because he had deserved so much more as a child who was simply learning how to find his place in the world.