Magical Christmas

Leslie laughed out loud when she confided this concern to him, making her frown over the unexpected response.

"It means he's ready to bed you, Lady," then laughed his stomach out, imagining Nathan's desperate expression of holding back himself. He took Dr Lewis' order seriously and added the timeframe because he didn't want to hurt her. The wait must've felt like constipation to the highly sexual-driven Nathan. Yes, everybody knew how much he craved for her. His muscles had long recovered, there was barely a scar on his lips. But he had this strained expression whenever anyone asked about the night time activity.

"The Peace Settlement has worked; they managed to spend a whole day together in the study without debate nor fighting. Jack has been constantly checking in on them, and always find them in good terms now. So basically nothing is bugging him now," he updated her with a hint.

"Try asking him directly, Lady Gerard, perhaps he'd be open about it," he winked. She smiled thank you for the suggestion.

She did as suggested that night. Nathan turned grumpy again.

"But Patrick did hurt you a lot, I saw the redness that day," He blurted. She had been holding him on the bed. His back on her tummy and his head rested on her breasts. He was topless because the heater was on. She caressed him to soothe him down, feeling like she had two giant babies to attend to in this house.

"But I am okay, really. It was just the fatigue that knocked me out. Hey, I have no stitches, you guys do," she pointed out gently.

"I know, Honey, but he is really a dangerous man," he argued.

"He is your brother. He loves me. Try to understand the dilemma," she tried to soothe him down.

"Are you defending him?" his ego was pricked.

"Of course not. Honest, he only used half the length I barely felt it, he was afraid of hurting me too," she exaggerated.

"See, you are defending him," he sulked.

"Be good and listen to me now. He stands no chance in my heart. He loves me, yes, but you have given him a lesson to stop raping me. Besides, I only have one man... that I love... the most... gentle... giant... Nathan", she kissed his forehead, the bridge of his nose, lips, two sides of his chest, and then his tightened abs. It seduced him. The thin layer of her night gown provided him sheer view of her round breasts.

He almost jumped and raped her then and there, but he kept on reminding himself about her frail condition.

"Don't, Rebecca, it's been a long time," his jaws clenched. She found the answer now.

"Oh? Is that so?" maintaining an innocent voice, she moved away from his head to lay on one side, facing him, her breasts pressed against his arm beside him, her hands still stroking his abs.

"I will not be gentle," he warned, in what he hoped a calm voice. She climbed on top of him.

"Really, ... Nathan?" kissing his chest, her touches felt like a butterfly.

"Yes," his voice gruff, still clenching on his jaws.

"How... ungentle... would that be,... Nathan?" She continued with light kisses, his muscles tightened at each warm breath upon it.

"Stop it, Rebecca, I have needs, and you were hurt. By me, and then Patrick, that bastard," he turned his desire to a fury. Realizing the wrong turn of it, she tried to take over the wheel again. This time she sucked on a firm skin of his chest, using her mouth and tongue, felt him rippling underneath her.

"Well... then too bad, because I have desires myself too...," she hoped she had maintained a seductive voice, and with that, gritted her teeth on his skin. He groaned in low voice.

"And... if you can't satisfy it,... then... I shall... touch myself... I guess...," she traced again light kisses at each pause around his nipple.

Then taking his right hand, she led it to squeeze on her breast, " Like this,... perhaps...?" her hands on top of his right hand, pressing.

He almost fell off the bed. He had no idea where she learnt that, but she had turned into this hot seducer.

In one quick motion, he took her hands and rolled their bodies, until he was on top of her.

"It is dangerous to bait yourself on a man, Lady," his eyes had this glint of lust fire. But then he didn't anticipate her stirring, to roll them back to its original position, with her on top of him.

"Oh? I only need to know that your cold act was not because your love to me has been decreased, Lord Gerard," her unbroken spirit expressed in her furious eyes.

"I can not hurt you again, we must wait for 5 days," he spoke in gruff voice, trying to control his own lust.

"So, that means you don't love me as much anymore?" she pressed on the topic.

With a growl, he rolled them back, locking her underneath him, this time his manhood was pressed against the junction underneath her nightgown. "I do love you, Damnit. Never Ever forget that," he was frowning again, his eyes furious, and was definitely unhappy with her comment.

"Is it truly a love that makes you do anything I ask you?" she frowned too.

"Anything to keep you safe and protected from harm," he wouldn't admit defeat just yet.

"Well then. Don't be selfish to me, and always share your lust only to me". He didn't know what to make of that.

"That's what I've been doing, isn't it?" he seemed confused, and lost track of what she wanted to tell him.

"I know gold when I see one. Any woman would bed you for it," she blurted out, unable to hold herself. If this rape incident snapped his feelings for her, then she was standing on shaky grounds, and his love could not be trusted anymore.

"You don't trust me?" Nathan asked in disbelief. Where is she actually goading him to?

"Trust is a unique thing, Nathan. Can you trust that I would not get raped by Patrick again?" his frown deepened, she was trying to make him realize something.

"We must always remember that we both care about each other, and is entitled to do anything to ensure noone breaches it," She made her point. His eyes browsed hers.

"Wait here, Rebecca." Abruptly, he sat up, and climbed down the bed. His long legs made it quick to the door; she had to jump and run to catch up with him.

"I said stay in bed, Becca, I'll be right there in a minute," he still walked off while repeating that order. She wouldn't give in. He was walking down the stairs, headed towards Patrick's bedroom. Afraid of the negative impact to her words, she ran faster behind him, in case she could stop any possible brawl. Jack must've heard the order too, because she could hear his footsteps climbing up the stairs behind her.

Nathan swung open the door to Patrick's bedroom, the traumatic place where he had violated her. The older brother was typing in front of his computer, wearing only a layer of T-Shirt and a pair of boxer, apparently ready for bed. He lifted his head and turned around to see who's coming in such a rush.

"She is going to be my wife, Patrick, you must accept that fact. And you must stay be my brother. Take it or leave it," his voice firm. Patrick's mouth gapped open, speechless.

"Of... Of course, Nathan. I've told you many times, and I've apologized too, sincerely of course," he seemed confused. Rebecca ran towards the room, trying to catch up with him.

"You maul my wife one more time, and you are no longer my brother. Now, answer me honestly just this once," Nathan pressed on while still walking closer to him in slow but steady steps, "Do you sincerely love her?"

That question was very straight forward. Patrick's eyes caught her running inside, the vision of his angel. The look in his eyes would not betray anyone.

"I love her with my heart and soul. If you are dead, Bro, I'd take her," he was being honest, still caressing her with his eyes.

"She will resist," Nathan didn't stop his steps, the gap was only half the room now. Her heart beat started racing. Oh God, please don't let there be more bloodshed for her.

"She must accept it, I'm the only brother and family you have. Who else would protect her?" Patrick's answer was unbending.

"No..." she whispered, trying to stop the potential brawl.

"If you really love her, Patrick, then while I'm still alive, you must leave it up to me. You must not hurt her, that's not love," Nathan pressed on his authority. "Of course, Nathan, that day I've realized my error at once, and I shall live my life with regrets because of that. That's what I've been telling you too," Patrick walked towards him.

"You have my consent, Patrick, just because you are my brother," Nathan's statement surprised both Rebecca and Patrick who reacted at the same time, "What?"

"Yes, to ask her hand in marriage if I'm dead. But that's just because you're my brother. Nobody else must have her," She grew furious hearing that. They were regarding her an object!

"I promise, Nathan," the gap was only half meter away now.

"And since you and Jack here are my witness now...," Nathan stopped his steps, looked at the man behind her who was now entering the door frame. Leslie, and Elario followed at the back. Well, it seemed the whole reinforcement group had been alerted by Jack to secure any potential brawl.

"Well, everybody, actually,...," he added when he saw the rest. Just about time, he thought. Patrick still stepped towards him, and was now within a kicking distance.

"That if I ever breach her trust, with any other female, you have my consent to murder me. Because then I would be wasting Patrick's pure love to her, and hers to me," Nathan's voice was firm and unbending.

"The state of my love to Rebecca must stay the same as today, and not lesser," He added. She stopped her steps, trying to catch her breath, and was not expecting these words altogether.

"I will make sure of that," Patrick's voice as firm as he was.

"Man to Man?" Nathan demanded.

"Man to Man," Patrick swore.

"You guys heard that?" Nathan turned around, asking the others, his eyes decisive.

"Yeah, sure," the audience answered.

Patrick offered Nathan his hand. He responded to it with a tight grip and they both hugged, patted each other's backs.

"Surely you don't disregard my opinion? I'm Not an object, Lords." She was still furious about this point, but was relieved that nobody fought today.

Nathan turned around, allowing her to join in their embrace, his eyes stroked hers lovingly," I shall deal with you later, Lady Gerard." His handsome flicker would jolt any girl to a dreamy blush. But she wouldn't fall for that. Later, she noted.

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Chapter 15

There was no sex that night, but she was satisfied. Her goal of settling the dispute once and for all, had succeeded. Besides, Nathan spent the night caressing her to sleep in his warm cuddle. She was content of his love and loyalty declaration, because that was the only thing that mattered to her.

Today, she made all the fuss. She had seen the Grand Piano at the Sunny Room, and her curiosity was provoked. She intended to find the answers by tonight. When Nathan was on a Web Conference in the Study Room, she went downstairs to Patrick's Study. Instead of feeling awkward, they found it very easy to act naturally when they were together.

"I notice the Grand Piano at the Sunny Room, Patrick. Why is it at Nathan's quarter and not yours?"

He gave her the same gapping look that he had given Nathan last night. This pair has the same bluntness to make other people speechless, he thought.

"Well ... Both of us could play the piano, Rebecca. What's wrong with that?"

"Yes, but why Nathan's Sunny Room?"

"I have no explanation to that, my dear, I'm afraid it is Lord Gerard's own decision to put it there," he was referring to the old man.

"When was that?"

"He suddenly moved it there, when Nathan agreed to execute Father's plans on you. As to why he did that, nobody knows." Shaking his head, he wondered why she would be so curious.

"And why isn't Nathan following your path of working elsewhere? Did The Baron make him choose to inherit his business?"

"No, Nathan has always been closer to Father than I am. I'm more rebellious, I guess," He hoped she'd either drop the subject or make her point now.

"Was there some kind of agreement between them around the time he moved the piano?" She kept on pushing her questions. Realizing that he had another curious cat in the house, just as curious as Nathan was, he gave in.

"I don't think so, at least not that I know of. Nathan has always been with us throughout the planning. Besides, I always popped myself in when it comes to your matter. There was always the three off us whenever Father had to brief us about the plan. Father always kept things transparent to both me and Nathan."

She stayed quiet for a while, pondering about something in her mind.

"He is lonely. Nathan's Quarter is less reachable than yours. He is trying to keep it away. But there is something else. Something I missed about him," She kept on muttering to herself despite Patrick's frown, he couldn't understand a thing she was saying.

She had thought it awkward; the dust around the piano was thin. And she remembered seeing a photo of a woman on top of the white cover. Yes, the cover sheet was white. It didn't turn white from dust. It had probably been there for only 1 month. The dust made its way to the photo frame, but she could still recognize the jaw line and facial feature. It was Nathan's and Patrick's facial feature. She was their mother!

"I shall gather all employees to clean the room, Patrick, today. The storm has receded. And I want it clean by today," She was asking for his consent.

"Uh... Don't forget, Dr Lewis will be here, after the Maids arrive," He reminded.

"Oh but he can have his turn after the cleaning. Please, Patrick, Please say yes," Her beautiful green eyes had this sparkle again. He sighed in defeat. There was no use arguing with this lady once she had made up her mind.

"Alright, I'll call up reinforcement from town. Our usual Cleaning Service is open today. Can't promise they'd fit us in such short notice though."

"Oh, Thank You, Patrick, Thank You," she jumped and kissed him on the cheeks, then floated out the room to find Jack, leaving Patrick who was still frowning over her strange behaviour. She should be afraid of him after what happened 5 days ago. This Lady certainly had an unbroken spirit. What made her so airy today, anyway? Why would The Baron's feelings matter to her?

She pushed on Jack, Leslie, and Elario, to help her clean up the room. They thought she was bossy, but she explained that it was very important to Lord Gerard and Nathan. Feeling that it's not their place to probe deeper into the family matter, they obeyed the new mistress, although a knot of puzzlement hung in their minds.

The Cleaner Service came before they reached the first hour of working. She was glad that Patrick had fulfilled his promise. Elario was soon replaced by the Maids who arrived the same time as The Cleaning Service did. They worked hard the whole day, trying to scrub the floor, the walls, windows, and the ceiling. Plenty of cleansing agent and disinfectant was used, as well as two sets of vacuum cleaner. She personally observed the details of cleansing the piano. The keys were even repaired. Patrick had butted in, shoving his face into the room, to see what he could do to help. He was definitely on leave, and had nothing else to do.

Finally, after a whole day of cleansing, the room was spotless. She wasn't satisfied with just that, however. Pulling on Patrick's hand, she dragged him to the Greenhouse, begging him to show her the aromatherapy side job he had been working on.

Patrick showed her as briefly as he could. She was very rushed; something had fueled up her complicated brain to meet a deadline. Half running, she made him and Jack matched up with her steps, carrying bottles of the nice smelling products, and some tools. She installed a scent of Lavender all around the room; it was the fragrance she chose the first time. The drawers and glass-covered shelves were all filled in with cotton rolls of essential oil. Very effective yet pleasant moth repellent, just as Patrick had explained earlier in the Greenhouse.

Patrick did not even bother to question her causes, because he was intrigued to find out together with Nathan tonight. More intriguingly, she even told the Maids and others to keep this a secret from Nathan, at least until he had seen the room with her.

The men did not understand her intention yet, but after dinner, they heard her trying to allure Nathan to see the room. She even insisted him going there first before his briefing with Leslie about a certain shipping matter. Curiosity made them follow the pair upstairs to Sunny Room. The moment he saw the room, his eyes couldn't blink. The smell of Lavender greeted them. He saw the clean shiny place bearing a photo of Marie on the piano, at the center of the room, providing her the most gracious spot. Rebecca had made this room The Baron's. Clearly, she wanted to be accepted by The Baron, and asked Nathan to comment about the room.

"It's nice. I believe Father would like it". The acknowledgement made her beam with pride.

She had owed the men an explanation, for dragging them all to clean this room so suddenly. Fulfilling this promise, she explained to them in quick sentences, almost stumbling her words at once because she couldn't wait to share her opinion.

She remembered vividly the smell of Lavender in her Cottage. The Baron must've been to the village too, sometime when Marie was alive. She was holding onto a bouquet of Lavender in the photo. The only photo of her, which he had put on top of the sheets, covering the piano. The day Nathan informed him that Rebecca would die to avenge Marie, was the day he thought he could let go of her. So he was saying goodbye to her at this very spot. That's why the photo was not put somewhere else more covered, under the sheets, for example.

"Aha! I knew that's what he was doing here. I was looking for him everywhere and couldn't find him. My poor legs were swinging around. Then he came down from Nathan's quarter, strange because he had never been there in years, and Nathan was not at home that time," Elario blurted out his reaction, finishing it with Italian words that they couldn't understand, but it was definitely some words about love and romance.

Nathan stayed quiet for a while in front of the piano, staring at the photo, his face bore a frown. Patrick approached him. The brothers stood side by side, looking at the photo. They were deeply immersed in their own thoughts. So the others said their goodnights and gave the heirs and heiress of Gerard some private time.

"He won't be here today," Nathan said, touching on Marie's face on the photo frame. "No, if I remember well, you said he is going to be here next week," Patrick added.

"You think he'll like it?" Her large eyes looked at them hopefully.

"He loves Marie very much," Patrick stated out the fact. "Yes, our mother was everything that mattered to him. But he must accept the fact that I am marrying you," Nathan added.

"He loves her so much that he stays single all his life, and even came to France once in a while, to check on her, that's when he found you," as she said this, her hand was already in Nathan's arm, but her gaze was turned to Patrick.

Patrick and her exchanged looks. Nathan lifted up his face, noticing them.

"He might have the Man to Man promise too," she added.

"Yes, he and Stephen were like brothers, they were the best of friends," Nathan added, still hadn't gained her attention which was directed to Patrick.

"Patrick, I want you to know that I am so happy to be loved by you, and your brother. It is the best blessing I ever have. But I don't want you staying single and miserable all your life, you have to move on."

"About that, Honey, we can discuss it later," Nathan interjected.