Page 46 of The Duchess and the Beast
Sebastian suddenly grinned, lightening the moment. “We should be there soon,” he began, his eyes flicking about nervously, “If I am correct in my estimations, that is… I am sure it is nearby.”
“Walking around in a few extra circles? I’m in no rush,” Virtue giggled.
He side-eyed her, aware that she was making fun. “We shall see if you are singing a similar tune when the storm comes.”
“Ah, but as said, I shall have you to protect me. And this big coat you are wearing—” She flapped the side of his coat. “Will make a perfect cover from the rain. A shame it will only be large enough to cover myself. You might have to get wet, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.”
There was a deep growl at the base of his throat, a not-so-silent rebuke at her comment. She was frustrating him, she knew, testing his limits so she might see what she could get away with. But she was beginning to understand her husband well by now, knowing that most of the time, the anger he wore like armor was aimed in his direction and not at her. As if he was warning himself not to get upset, as if the other side of him was trying to get out and he was growling at it to stay away.
She found it charming in a strange way, for it told her that he was trying his best. Just the fact that he’d agreed to this walk today, without his mask on for that matter, spoke to how far the two had come in this relationship.
Well, as to his not wearing the mask… that was a more tricky conversation to have than the stroll. He had gotten used to not wearing it inside the castle, but to be outside without it on... there was a good reason he was behaving so nervously.
“I don’t see why it matters?” he had complained to her, doing well to keep his anger in check when she asked him not to wear it before leaving.
“Precisely!” she had responded. “I don’t see why it matters.”
“That’s what I just said!” he had snapped at her.
But Virtue had stood her ground, knowing by now that was the best way to deal with his temper. “If it doesn’t matter, then there is no reason for you to wear it.”
“I enjoy wearing it,” he’d muttered lowly.
“That is not true, and you know it.” She then swept into him, taking his hand, feeling him stiffen and then relax at her touch. “It will just be you and I,” she had cooed softly. “And I prefer you without the mask.” She reached up and stroked his face, his scar. “Please... forme.”
In the end, she had won, as she knew she would. He was nervous. He was afraid, even. But as she was slowly starting to realize, he wanted to please her, to prove to her that there was more to him than what the mask implied. Slowly but surely, she was revealing his true character. Slowly but surely, he was changing before her eyes.
The day had dawned bright and sunny, mirroring their spirits as they’d set out, but now, nearly an hour into their walk, the sky had darkened with the promise of a storm. The once clear blue was now obscured by gathering clouds, and Sebastian was back to his previous, not-so-sure self.
“We must be close.” Above them, the distant rumble of thunder rolled.
“You are the guide,” she teased. “I am but a helpless villager lost in the woods.”
Lightning whipped in the distance, followed by another roll of thunder—this time sounding closer. And those clouds, they seemed to shudder in the sky as if straining against the weight of the impending downpour.
Virtue could feel her husband’s resolve wavering, though she knew well that his concern had little to do with the rain, despite his earlier insistence. This deep into the forest, there was a small chance they might come across a villager or two out for a walk, and the very notion of being seen in public without his mask struck a deeper fear within him—a fear he was not yet prepared to face.
Now, even she was beginning to consider turning back. She had witnessed Sebastian unravel and lose control a handful of times before. Never a pleasant experience, but one that she was becoming accustomed to and gradually dissuading to the point each occasion was scarcer than the last. Still, the thought of such an episode occurring here but incited by the actions of a villager sent a chill through her. Though the monster within him was often subdued, it was never truly vanquished.
As luck had it, a few moments later saw them breach the tree line as the forest gave way to a grassy knoll which arched several feet high into the sky. Sebastian pointed it out, laughing to himself as he pulled her toward it. From below, it appeared unremarkable, but as they climbed it, she saw the reason that he had been so eager to show her.
The view from above was breathtaking. The knoll stood over a canopy of trees, and the storm lent a dramatic tone to the sweeping vista that was revealed before Virtue’s eyes. Dark clouds roiled above, casting moving shadows over the land. Below, the once-emerald meadows took on a steel-gray hue, acres of tall white reeds swaying in the gusting wind. Over the hills, patches of heather and gorse clung stubbornly, lending a touch of color to their surroundings. The distant stream,now a torrent under the rain, surged through the valley, its edges frothy and white against the sodden earth. Lightning occasionally illuminated the sky, revealing fleeting glimpses of the rugged landscape’s wild, untamed beauty, while thunder rumbled like a warning over the moorlands and the castle in the distance. The entire panorama was alive with the fierce, raw power of nature, making the place feel like a world apart from any other.
“It’s… it’s otherworldly...” she gasped as she took it in, turning on the spot, eyes marveling at the sight.
“It is,” he agreed, not once looking at the view, admiring Virtue the whole while instead.
She beamed and turned her attention on him. He smiled for her and she held her hands out for him to take. He did just that and she pulled him closer, bodies touching, faces inches apart. Alone out here, not a soul for miles it seemed, suddenly, Virtue's mind wasn’t on the view anymore...
“Thank you,” she murmured in a soft whisper.
“Whatever for?” he grinned.
She responded with a kiss. Full on the lips. Wet and filled with passion. Sebastian released her hands, only to cradle her face in his own, holding her there as he devoured her. Darkness covered them from the encroaching clouds, but a single ray of light seemed to break through where they stood—alone in this world,just the two of them, happiness found in an otherwise somber landscape.
A familiar surge of excitement raced through Virtue. Blood running hot. Body trembling as that thrill built. Her hands roved across Sebastian’s steely body, his wet clothes clinging tightly to his muscular frame everywhere she touched.
Suddenly, a crack of lightning lit the sky above them and Virtue jumped, a startled cry escaping her lips. Sebastian took a step back, looking to the sky and scowling in frustration as rain began to fall. Light at first, but it did not take long before it intensified into a downpour.