Page 23 of Lady Farah Creates a Scandal (The Season of Secrets #2)

T he gentle lapping of waves against the hull provided a soothing soundtrack as Rockwell stood on the deck, his gaze fixed on the brilliant stars overhead.

Farah came up beside him, shivering slightly in the cool night air.

They had docked in time for dinner and it had been a pleasant evening.

During the meal, she was very aware of Lucien’s attentions, as was Rockwell.

“You seem pensive this evening, Rockwell,” she said. Perhaps Caitria was right in her assumption that Rockwell didn’t appreciate Lucien’s flirtation. “What occupies your thoughts under this vaulted night sky? Are you worried about the reception I may get when we return to London?”

Rockwell turned to her, his eyes alight with the passion that so drew Farah to him. But she quickly realized it wasn’t a passion for her alone. He was staring at the stars above.

“Just contemplating the vast mysteries that lie beyond the horizon, waiting to be unraveled by bold explorers. I wonder if man will ever explore the heavens.”

She tipped her head back. “I think sometimes it’s better not to know what is out there. I prefer to bask in the beauty and not question why. Then you can’t be disappointed.”

“Yet the world holds such wonders, Farah—uncharted lands, undiscovered peoples and creatures, unsolved riddles of science and nature. I must seek them out and quench this thirst for knowledge within me.”

“The stars have the power to make one evaluate life. I’m so unimportant in the world’s scheme.

We are on this earth for such a short time.

It’s humbling to realize that centuries ago, the Romans and Greeks stood and looked up to this sky and saw exactly what I’m seeing now.

The heavens haven’t changed for thousands of years. ”

He reached out and stroked a finger down her cheek.

“You and I are so different. You might be satisfied with simply reveling in the beauty of this world, but I see a puzzle. Man has evolved over time because men ask ‘why.’ If you were standing in front of a closed door, surely you’d be inquisitive enough to want to know what’s on the other side? ”

“I’d prefer to peer through the keyhole and not take the risk that something awful was on the other side.”

He gave a rich laugh that warmed her. “What made you into this timid mouse I wonder? I have to walk through that door.”

She shook her head slowly. “When I was ten, my mother died. A few days before her death, I’d snuck out to attend the country fair after I’d been forbidden to go.

Father was very ill by then, but mother was still awake.

My parents were worried about the lung disease spreading and my mother was scared I might get sick too.

When she and father died, I thought it was God punishing me for being defiant.

I thought my bad behavior killed her. So, I made a promise to be good and do everything I was told if God would spare my brother, who had also fallen ill.

I didn’t want to be alone. And when he survived, I knew I had to keep that promise.

It became second nature to be docile, and I let it happen… ”

He wiped the tear tracking down her face. “It’s about time that little girl faced her fears. You know that it wasn’t your fault. And you’ve become a beautiful, strong woman who knows her own mind.”

Warm spread through her. Farah’s brow furrowed as she studied his expression in the dim lantern light.

“You speak as if your very soul depends on these voyages of discovery, this endless wanderlust.” She paused, suddenly troubled.

“If I were to become your wife, you would be forever leaving me behind as you sailed over the horizon in pursuit of these mysteries, wouldn’t you? ”

Rockwell took her hands in his, his calloused fingers contrasting with her soft skin. “You know I won’t lie to you. You must understand, this need to wander is part of my very being. I could no more ignore it than I could halt the turning of the earth.”

“It’s your passion.”

His face split into a wide grin. “If you could only see the things I’ve seen, you’d understand. The jungles of the south Americas are like no other place on Earth. Towering trees and dense foliage teeming with life—monkeys scampering through the canopy, brilliant birds of paradise taking flight.”

Farah listened with rapt attention, imagining the exotic lands he described. “But surely the dangers are great as well? Venomous serpents and wild beasts?”

“Indeed.” Rockwell nodded. “On more than one occasion, I found myself face to face with a hungry enormous cat or bloody great python. But the thrill of discovery, of being one of a few to look upon those untamed lands, makes the risk worthwhile.”

His animation was infectious as the moon danced over his handsome features. “From my earliest days, I’ve felt a yearning to explore the unknown, to traverse the blank spaces on the maps. With each new journey, I’m plagued by more questions that can only be answered by further exploration.”

Turning to face her, his expression took on a wistful aspect.

“The world is so vast, so filled with mysteries, awaiting an intrepid soul. I fear I’ll never be able to satiate this driving need to discover what lies over the next ridge, across the next ocean.

It’s an insatiable hunger. It’s what I was born to do. ”

“It’s like a calling?” When he nodded, Farah’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as realization blossomed.

As much as she adored the daring explorer before her, marrying him meant a life of long separations, as he indulged his thirst for adventure while she remained at home.

Was that the life she truly desired? She wavered, her heart and mind engaged in a fierce debate over the sacrifices such a union would demand.

Could she go with him? Once children came that would not be ideal. But worse still, he’d never suggested it. Why?

“Would you consider taking a wife with you on your travels.”

It was as if she’d asked him to sell his soul to the devil. His jaw firmed. “No. I’d never allow that.”

“Why?”

He seemed to have gone to another place.

He looked back out at sea. “It’s too dangerous.

Remember Mrs. Ahearn’s talk of my fiancé Charlotte?

” She nodded. “She died in my arms on my ship. I’ll not suffer that again.

” His words were so final, she had nothing more to ask.

But her heart sank. He had to love her enough to stay or she would always be left behind.

To make this man love her more than his driving need to conquer the world seemed a daunting task.

She looked up at the beauty and wonder of the stars.

Then looked at Rockwell. Like the stars, he took her breath away.

She wondered, when he looked at her, what did he see?

Whatever it was, it wasn’t enough to entice him away from his mistress, the sea.

She took a deep breath. “Perhaps I should turn to Lucien should a scandal erupt upon our return. Like you say, we are so different. A marriage between us wouldn’t work. We don’t work.”

He ran his finger over her palm. “There is one place we are very compatible.”

She shivered under his light touch, noticing he hadn’t blinked an eye at her suggestion.

Memories of what they’d shared in bed flashed in her head.

Not with Lucien. She couldn’t picture giving herself to Lucien in the same way.

“But is that enough?” The question was really for her, but Rockwell answered.

Rockwell turned her into his arms and drew her into the shadows. He leaned toward her and there was a wealth of restraint in his touch as he plied her mouth with soft, seductive kisses, nipping gently at her bottom lip, teasing her with light little pecks to the corner of her lips.

Even his touch surprised her. A soft hand on her cheek and another on her shoulder as he held her motionless for his tender assault. It was as if he cherished every moment with her.

She should stop him. This would not help either of them.

He coaxed her lips open. His tongue flicked to touch hers, then entered.

The invasive intimacy sent deep, visceral thrills down to her hips. It served as a stark reminder of how susceptible she was to this man’s tender touch, to Rockwell’s seduction.

He covered her face with soft caresses from his lips.

She was glad for the brace of his arm holding her in place, keeping her from leaning into him.

Her body was traitorous, yearning for something that wasn’t good for her.

This man knew how to strum her body, knew how to make her feel things she should only feel for a man who loved her.

And it was only a kiss.

He drew back, holding her gaze as he used his thumb to nudge her lips apart. Her blood quickened as she watched him, and without hesitation, she moved her tongue forward, sliding it against the tip of his thumb.

Her breasts rose and fell rapidly while his eyes glinted with heat.

He bent her over his arm and placed little kisses down her slender, exposed neck, making her breathing grow shallower and faster. He gently tugged at the low bodice of her gown until her breasts popped free, all the while kissing the skin of the breasts he exposed. She did not protest or struggle.

He stopped his kisses as one turgid, dark pink nipple was uncovered and it was he who suddenly could not breathe. He stared for several moments before blowing gently on it. She shivered in his arms. He could no more stop his mouth from tasting than he could stop breathing.