An Undeniable Passion Ch. 22

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opels
opels
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Finally he stood and sat beside her again. She was still staring at the spot where he had been kneeling. He took her wineglass from her hand and took a sip. "Well my dear, that was a stunning display of readiness."

When she didn't reply he glanced at her. She was still staring at where he had been kneeling. Suddenly concerned he shook her gently by the shoulders. "Virginia are you alright? Say something."

She slowly turned to him, her eyes still dazed. She looked at him, blinking rapidly. She stood and walked slowly over to the billiards table. Idly rolling a ball, she said quietly, "I guess you were right."

He refilled their glasses and walked over to her. Handing her glass to her he said, "I'm sorry, my dear. I didn't think it would have such an effect on you."

She put down her glass untouched. "I'm suddenly very tired. I think I'll go to bed. Goodnight," she murmured, heading towards the door.

He put his hand on her shoulder, turning her towards him. He saw the tears shimmering in her eyes even though she kept them lowered. He put a finger under her chin, trying to tip her face up to him, but she twisted her head away. "V, please..." he said quietly. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I know," she said in choked voice. "You didn't mean any of it." She turned and ran from the room and up the stairs.

She closed and locked the door behind her and then flung herself on the bed, weeping into the blankets. She wanted to believe that he had meant it but had known that he didn't. He was only mocking her. Why did she always set herself up for these things? It was her own fault. She knew better than to goad him, every time she did he ended up winning. He always won and she always lost.

Drake took a large swallow of wine and sank down onto the couch. He hadn't let on, but as he had knelt before her, his heart had been pounding and it took every ounce of his self control to keep his voice even. He had been elated that she was so stunned she couldn't even speak. He had been expecting her to laugh at him and call him a fool. But he had seen it in her eyes, seen that spark of hope that he was being serious. The next time he would be, when she was ready for him, when she finally admitted that she loved him.

She woke hours later and peered up at the windows and saw that it was still dark out. She rose slowly and took off the dress that she had cried herself to sleep in and pulled a night gown over her head before climbing under the blankets. She drifted back into an uneasy sleep tormented by nightmarish dreams of weddings where the groom kept changing between Drake and Thomas.

Awaking the next morning, she thanked the heavens that she didn't look anywhere near as bad as she felt. Her head was pounding and that train was running through her head again, but not as a loud as before. She pulled on a house coat and walked downstairs. The servants she had hired for the day were already busy preparing breakfast. Billy had slept at Drake's house the night before and Elizabeth had slept in Billy's room. Elizabeth and her parents were just sitting down to breakfast when she arrived.

The wedding was set for later in the afternoon, so they had a long leisurely breakfast. Mr. Robbins went to Drake's house to see how they were getting along over there, while Mrs. Robbins went to the kitchen to check on progress there.

Virginia and Elizabeth were upstairs in Virginia's room, laying out the wedding dress. "It's a beautiful dress, Elizabeth," she said.

"Thank you so much for helping me with it. It never would have looked so pretty without your help."

Elizabeth slipped behind a screen and began to change her clothes. She put on pretty new underclothes and came out with her corset loosely laced. Her mother arrived then and began pulling it tight. "Dear, there is something I must talk to you about," the older woman said.

"What is it mother?" she asked, holding onto one of the posts of Virginia's bed.

"Well, it's about tonight, when you and Billy are together for the first time," she said briskly.

Elizabeth lowered her eyes and blushed guiltily. Her mother of course had no idea that she and Billy had already been to bed together and took the blush to be one of shyness and continued. "You may be scared but just try to relax. The first time may not be very good but it will get better. I even learned to enjoy it," she said with a giggle. She gave the corset ties a final tug and then tied them off. Just then, a loud crash was heard from the kitchen. "My dear, I better go see what that was about." She bustled out of the room.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Elizabeth began to laugh. Virginia looked at her with surprise. "Oh Virginia, that was most amusing!" Sobering she said, "But I have a confession to make."

Virginia spoke before she could continue. "I know, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth looked at her with wide eyes. "How do you know? Billy didn't..." she trailed off.

"Oh heavens no," she laughed. "I sleep right across the hall! And you and Billy aren't very discreet," she laughingly admonished.

She looked at her with wide eyes. "Oh, what you must think of me!"

Smiling at her, she replied, "No, of course not. You love each other and it's perfectly natural to want to express it that way."

She impulsively gave Virginia a hug. "Thank you. I was feeling terribly guilty about it, but hearing it put that way, I feel so much better."

Wanting to change the subject, she said cheerfully, "I'll go find the girl who is supposed to do your hair." She slipped from the room and as she descended the stairs, she thought back over her words, 'You're in love and it's only natural to want to express it that way'. Is that what it meant when she and Drake wound up in bed together? She shook her head. Of course not, it's only lust she thought to herself. Lust and misguided passion.

While Elizabeth was having her hair done, Virginia and Mrs. Robbins took the cart and rode out to the out-building. Billy and Elizabeth were going to spend their wedding night there and it had to look romantic. They hauled flowers and candles and fresh linens into the house. Drake had thankfully kept it very clean so they only had to decorate.

The men helped them carry in their bundles and the women set to work. It didn't take very long and the house was soon transformed. "At night it will look magical," Virginia sighed, rigging a large sheet of lace over the bed as a canopy. She then scattered rose petals over the coverlet. There were bouquets of flowers sitting on the dressers along with several candelabras. She gave the bedroom one final look and then turned to the door. Drake was leaning against the door frame staring at her with a warm glow in his eyes. She started when she saw him and their eyes met. They stared at each other for a moment, both recalling the hours they had spent in his bed only a couple of nights ago, before he lowered his eyes and stood aside so she could pass. "It looks magical now," he said to her in a low voice, as she walked past him.

The two women arrived back at the house and found Elizabeth patiently waiting for them in Virginia's room. Her hair had been done up beautifully. All that was left was for her to get dressed. She stepped into the gown and it was soon laced up. As she turned to look at herself in the mirror, her mother placed the veil atop her head. The two women gasped at how beautiful she looked. Mrs. Robbins pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. "You look so beautiful!" she sniffed. "Just like an angel."

They went downstairs to the carriage that was waiting to take them to the church. Billy and Drake had gone on ahead of them and were waiting there. Elizabeth was nervous and excited during the short trip. They pulled up out front and Elizabeth slowly got out of the cab. Virginia and Mrs. Robbins made sure her dress didn't drag on the ground as they made their way inside.

Virginia stood inside the front doors with Elizabeth holding her hands. "You're alright?" she asked.

Elizabeth's eyes were shining and her cheeks were flushed pink. She licked her lips nervously and nodded. "Yes, yes I'm alright."

"Ready?"

Clutching her bouquet she again nodded.

They nodded to the usher and he opened the inside doors to the church. The organ began to play and Virginia stepped forward to make her way down the aisle. She saw Billy and Drake standing up at the front. Her eyes went to Drake's and held. This is how it would be if it were us being married, she thought. She felt a familiar chill race down her spine and tore her eyes away from his. She took her place on the other side of the priest from the two men and looked back towards the double doors she had just come through. The music changed and everyone turned back to look as well.

Elizabeth on her father's arm, stood in the doorway. Virginia glanced over at Billy and saw him staring at his bride in awe. She smiled and turned back to watch Elizabeth come down the aisle. She reached the front and after her father had sat down, Virginia turned and again Drake caught her gaze. This time she couldn't tear her eyes away. She was drawn into the warm depths as the priest began to address the gathering. Before she knew it, Elizabeth was handing her bouquet to her to hold. She stared at it for a moment before remembering where she was and taking it. She passed the remainder of the ceremony avoiding Drake's eyes, but still able to feel them on her.

Billy and Elizabeth were married and began walking out of the church together. Drake approached her and took her arm to walk her out. She hesitated slightly before linking her arm with his. He placed his hand over hers and she felt her heart flutter.

Guests were already arriving when they returned to the house. The next hour passed in a blur of greeting guests and making sure that everything was going smoothly. She finally had a chance to sit and was releasing a sigh of relief when Drake sat next to her. He handed her a glass of wine and she sipped from it gratefully. "You look beautiful," he said to her.

"Thank you," she replied, her eyes scanning the crowd. She smiled happily when she saw Thomas and Doris arrive. "Excuse me," she murmured to Drake.

He watched her walk across the ballroom to greet them. Jealousy rose in him as he watched Thomas wrap his arm around her and kiss her on the cheek. He had to expose him to Virginia for the fraud that he was. But he had to be careful and patient. His chance would come.

Dinner was announced and the guests began to find their places at the table. The wedding party were all seated together so Thomas was not able to sit with Virginia. Drake, of course, was seated next to her. Mr. Robbins sat at the head of the table and he was at Virginia's elbow. Billy and Elizabeth were seated across from her.

They chatted pleasantly through dinner, but Virginia had a hard time concentrating on the conversation. Drake's thigh kept pressing against hers under the table and whenever he used his napkin and then replaced it on his lap, his hand would brush her leg. She knew he was doing it on purpose but she couldn't ask him to stop without drawing attention to herself so she just tried to ignore it.

Drake knew he was behaving badly but he couldn't resist. He knew he was unsettling her by the way she kept losing track of the conversation. With amusement, he watched as she desperately tried to ignore his attentions but was unable to. Half way through the meal he decided to give her a respite and pulled his leg away and stopped touching her. After a few minutes, when she realized that he was done tormenting her, she said, her voice barely above a breath, "Thank you."

Drake was about to put a forkful of food into his mouth, when he suddenly felt a gentle touch on his thigh. The grilled pheasant tumbled off his fork as fingers softly traced lazy circles on his leg. He knew it was Virginia and he glanced at her. Her hand was indeed under the table but she was casually asking Elizabeth about her planned honeymoon to England. They were discussing where they were going to go and Virginia was giving advice on shopping in London. Drake could hardly believe she was doing this. She glanced at him and he saw the mischievous twinkle in her eye. She's doing it to get even, he thought. He re-pierced his piece of pheasant and sat back chewing it, enjoying the sensation of her fingers on him.

She chanced another glance at Drake and saw the self-satisfied look on his face. Her plan was to unnerve him, not to make him happy. She dipped her fingers down to the inside of his thigh and began tracing circles there and happily watched him choke on a sip of wine. Innocently she asked, "What do you think Drake? What should they see in England?"

He cleared his throat and desperately tried to think of something, anything, but her fingers on his inner thigh. He reached down to retrieve his napkin, wiping a drop of wine from his chin, and gripped her wrist in the process. He removed her hand from his leg and now able to think suggested they take a short trip up to Scotland and see the castles in the area. He held her tightly as she tried to pull her hand away. They began to discuss this option and he placed her hand back where it had been. He chuckled softly at her light gasp.

After dinner, dancing was announced. Billy and Elizabeth had the first dance of course and then Drake and Virginia and Mr. and Mrs. Robbins joined them for the second. "Did you enjoy your dinner, Miss Templeton?" he asked her with a gleam in his eye.

"Yes, I did, and you?" she asked him sweetly.

"Yes, the pheasant was particularly enjoyable," he said with a smile.

"Oh did you like it?"

"Very much so. You could say it tickled my fancy," he said suggestively. "However you seemed distracted during the first part of the meal. Was something bothering you?" he asked innocently.

"You know very well what was distracting me," she whispered at him, giving up the game.

"The fact that you retaliated only indicated to me that you didn't mind so much," he whispered back. When she didn't reply he chuckled softly. "You can't resist me, can you? You'll use any excuse to touch me."

"What I would love to do right now is slap you. I spotted you as a rogue the day I met you and I haven't been proven wrong yet," she hissed at him.

"Roguishly handsome, I believe, is what your good friend Violet called me."

"That's her opinion of you, not mine," she retorted.

She had been avoiding his gaze during their dance and he commented on it. "Why won't you look at me V? Let me see those lovely green eyes."

"No, I'd rather not," she replied. She didn't trust herself to look at him, knowing how easily she could embarrass herself while dancing with him.

He again chuckled at her. "Well, later, when the whole room isn't watching us, will you dance with me again?"

"Perhaps," she answered airily. "Unless of course, Thomas manages to claim all my dances."

He gripped her hand tightly, and the muscles at his jaw clenched. He didn't say another word though, and it was her turn to chuckle at him.

Thomas did indeed whisk her away as soon as the dance was over and he kept her away from Drake for the next couple of hours. It wasn't very difficult as all the single ladies at the party flocked to him and he danced each dance with a different one. He seemed to have forgotten all about her but was actually watching her very carefully. He saw her slip out the door to the foyer at one point while Thomas was engaged in a conversation with another man. Guessing where she was going he looked up and sure enough he saw her dart through the french doors to the upper terrace. He watched Thomas end his conversation and look for her. Drake saw his eyes coming around to him and he turned and looked at the french doors leading to the lower terrace. He stared at them for a moment and then glanced at Thomas. His ruse worked. Thomas was heading towards them. This was the chance he was waiting for and he quickly followed him outside.

Thomas was about to come back inside, not having found Virginia on the terrace when Drake came through the doors. He felt obliged to linger and exchange a few words with the man, even though it was quite clear that they didn't like each other.

"Ogilvy, I've been wondering something," he said, loudly enough for Virginia on the upper terrace to hear him.

"Yes?" Thomas replied, trying to sound casual.

Drake lit a cigar and spoke almost conversationally. "You were out here during the last party while Virginia and I were on the balcony and I know you heard our entire ... conversation ... yet you've done nothing about it."

Nervously, he replied, "I have no claim over Virginia. She can do as she pleases."

Drake feigned surprise. "Are you not courting her?"

"Yes, but until I ask her to marry me, she is a free woman."

He looked pointedly at the older man. "So, even though you know what has happened between her and I, you don't care?"

"Until she is my wife, no."

"That's rather cold of you," Drake accused.

"Virginia is a very fine woman. I'm willing to overlook her past indiscretions. Actually those indiscretions are very reassuring. It's nice to know that I'll have a passionate wife."

Drake looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Yes, she is a very fine woman and a very wealthy one too."

Thomas tried to sound casual. "I didn't realize that she's wealthy. I understand her cousin Billy recently came into an inheritance or some such thing."

He chuckled darkly. "or some such thing," he said mockingly.

Thomas stared at him confused.

He studied the glowing end of his cigar. "She didn't tell you where their sudden fortunes came from?"

Thomas was still striving to sound casual, but an eager gleam in his eyes betrayed him. "No, where?"

"Why in the attic of course. There's a king's ransom up there. Rather, several kings."

Thomas tipped his head back and stared at the upper windows. In an awestruck whisper he said, "It is up there. I knew it!"

Drake looked at him with surprise.

Thomas, with a mocking laugh said, "Yes, Stratford, you guessed right. I'm after that fortune. My fortunes have dwindled in recent years and that's the only reason why I'm courting her."

Anger sparked in Drake's eyes. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell her?"

Thomas scoffed at him. "Go ahead. She won't believe you. She told me herself she thinks you're untrustworthy."

Concealing his anger, Drake casually shrugged. "Doesn't much matter. She doesn't trust you enough to show you how to get up to the attic. I, however, do know."

Thomas stared at him in disbelief. "You?" He then smiled knowingly. "Ah yes. Little Billy seems to think quite highly of you, doesn't he? I'll wager he showed you, not her. No matter. Once we're married, this house will be mine and so will she. I'll demand she show me."

Drake began to laugh. "I see you haven't yet seen her willful side. You can demand all you want. If she doesn't want to do something, she won't."

Thomas replied in an imperious tone. "She'll be my wife, my property. If she disobeys me I have the right to beat her She'll tell me."

The laughter died on Drake' lips and his face hardened at Thomas' words. He pulled himself up to his full height, a murderous look in his eyes. "If you ever lay one hand on her, so help me, I'll kill you with my bare hands," he growled menacingly.

Thomas, trying not to cower managed to say, "You will have no right to interfere with our marriage."

"Where Virginia is concerned, I'm used to overstepping my rights. I don't intend to stop simply because of you." He then turned on his heel and stormed inside.

Virginia stood on the balcony, hardly able to believe what she had just heard. She rushed through the french doors and down the hallway to her room, taking several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She had a ballroom full of guests to attend to, she had no time to attempt to make sense of what had happened. She was heading back down the stairs when she saw Drake coming up them. He stopped when he saw her.

opels
opels
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