Chapter 1: The Birth of an Heir to the Dukedom
Lindbergh Hall, England 1767
It was the Duke of Newcastle's Birthday- his thirty-seventh. He had never, however, been in the habit of celebrating the occasion with a great show of guests at Lindbergh Hall.
It was also his sixteenth wedding anniversary. But though he would undoubtedly have celebrated the occasion with his duchess, it was doubtful that he would have invited guests to share it with them.
It was far more probable, he thought as he sat patiently for his valet to tie a perfect knot in his cravat, which they would have gone to the dovecote, where they had spent much of the Christmas holiday.
Nevertheless, there was a crowd of guests staying at the house- even more than there had been over Easter last year. And more guests were expected back at the house after the church service that they were all about to attend.
The occasion was neither the birthday nor the anniversary. The duke and duchess did not even expect to be the focus of attention.
James Edward Rex Hastings was the Marquess of Lindbergh and he was getting ready for his christening.
James Edward Rex Hastings the son of James Wulfric Christian Hastings and Catrìona Aileen Moira Hastings née MacGregor had that distinction
But one hour after the Duke of Newcastle's cravat had been successfully tied and the rest of his attire donned, and after the Duchess of Newcastle was properly clad in a new blue dress to match her eyes and a new bonnet to match both, the marquess seemed quite prepared to relinquish the center of attention to them.
He was sleeping.
He did awake with a start when water that was supposed to be tepid but which felt icy cold to him landed on his forehead and trickled back over his head. And for two or three minutes he gave a lusty expression to his wrath.
But the water was soon wiped away, and he was soon handed into the keeping of someone whose arms told him quite firmly that while he was unconditionally loved, he nevertheless must learn not to disgrace himself by bawling over nothing.
Rather than argue the point, Lord Lindbergh went back to sleep.
He had just been christened. He was wearing the glorious christening robe that all children of the Dukes of Newcastle had worn for generations past.
He had aunts and uncles galore to fuss over him, as well as two grandmothers, a grandfather, a great-uncle and a great-aunt, the handle of whose lorgnette got tangled up in the lace of his robe for one anxious moment. He also had cousins, most of whom demanded to be allowed to hold him after he had been carried back to the house in his papa's arms- much to the surprise and chagrin of his nurse. Almost the only ones who did nit make such a demand were the eldest, Sebastian, who considered such a thing beneath his male dignity, and the youngest, Alexander, son of Uncle Alleyne and Aunt Rachel, who was asleep in a crib in the nursery. All the cousins were denied permission except for Rebecca and Marianne, who were made to sit down first and hold out their arms just so in order to hold the Marquess of Lindbergh for ten minutes each.
There were many neighbors and acquaintances to coo over him. There was his seventeen year old sister Lady Elizabeth Catrìona Freyja Hastings who pampered him though she was to be married in a year to Braden de Warenne, the Duke of Bewcastle. There was his eleven year old sister Lady Moira Gillian Aisling who sang lullabies for him. There was his seven year old sister Lady Yvette Aileen Elfrid Hastings who dressed him up in her baby clothes.
His godfather was Lord Algernon Blakeney, who was the best friend of his father and a Baronet. His godmother was Lady Georgiana Spencer who his mother's best friend.
There was his mama to kiss his chubby little cheek and his papa to kiss the other after they had taken him up to the nursery so that he would not be bothered by the crowd.
He was not bothered. He was supremely indifferent, wrapped up in blankets and sleep as he was.
Nevertheless, he was beginning to distinguish the two voices that spoke over him as he settled into his crib. They were the two voices that he would have thought most dear to him if his mind had been capable of such reasoning at the tender age of six weeks and two days.
"Our little miracle," his adoring mama said foolishly and fondly.
"Our little ball of trouble," his doting papa said more firmly but just as fondly. "He was not just cross at church, Catrìona. He was furious. We are going to have our hands full with him, I do believe."
The Marquess of Lindbergh would have felt the backs of two fingers rub gently against his cheek if he had not been too far sunk in sleep.
"I hope so, Wulfric," his mama said even more foolishly than she had spoken before. "Finally, we have our son and heir after having three daughters." She said proudly. "Oh, I do hope so. And I hope he has brothers and sisters to fill our hands even fuller."
"Well," the Duke of Newcastle said, sounding haughty and even slightly bored, "if there is anything I can do to assist you in bringing your wish to fulfillment, my love, do let me know."
The Duchess of Newcastle laughed softly and kissed her husband.
The marquess did not even know what brothers and sisters were.
But he would…
Later that night after all the guests had gone back to their estates and all four Hastings children were in their beds, the Duke and Duchess went on to make their twin girls.
Wulfric picked up the sheepskin and tossed it over the bed before pulling back one corner with the bed sheets. When he turned back to her, she was standing where he had left her, watching him, though she had taken off her pelisse and thrown it over the back of the chair.
She was wearing a new delicate lace trimmed chemise in white with sleeve edges and neckline having a small white lace trim. The bottom of the chemise is adorned with a white flower trim that adds to the charm.
He took a step back from her and went down on one knee and removed her garters before rolling her stockings down her legs and off her feet.
He drew down the strap of her shift, uncovered one breast, and cupped it in his hand, as he kissed his way down to it. It was perfect- soft and heavy, yet firm and uplifted too. He parted his lips over the nipple, breathed in through his mouth and out again, and then suckled her.
"Come to bed," he said.
He undressed her completely after she lay down. A band of pink light from one of the windows slanted across the upper half of his body, blending into red across her legs and one hip. He sat on the edge of the bed to pull off his Hessian boots before standing again to remove the rest of his clothes. When he was naked he lay down beside her.
He set about arousing her with all the skill and patience of which he was capable, using his palms, his fingers, his lips, his tongue, and his teeth.
He moved onto her, and she opened to him, spreading her legs wide, lifting them from the bed, and twining them about his. He slid his hands beneath her, positioned himself, and entered her with one glad, slow thrust. At the same moment she tilted to him and drew him deeper with tightly clenched inner muscles.
Her eyes laughed dreamily into his and his eyes smiled dreamily into hers.
"Wulfric," she said. "You have a powerful name for someone that is a very powerful lord." She laughed softly and wickedly.
He lowered his head to the soft spot beneath one of her ears and growled. She laughed again, and her legs tightened about his and her inner muscles clenched about him again.
He loved her slowly and for a long time beneath the warm cocoon of the covers, while the fire crackled in the hearth. He loved her until they were both grasping for breath and their bodies slid damply and hotly together. He loved her until she moaned to his every thrust and strained up against him.
He brought them both to a swift and continuous pounding climax.
Sixteen years later in 1783, his father James Wulfric Christian Hastings died and Edward James Rex Hastings became the next Duke of Newcastle. Lady Yvette Aileen Elfrid Hastings married Niall Douglas Campbell, the Duke of Argyll. Lady Moira Gillian Aisling Hastings married John Richard Browne, 3rd Earl of Altamont. He had two younger sisters and three younger brothers. His first younger sister named Nicolette Edlyn Joy Hastings married Andre Guy Braden Vicomte de St. Cyr. They were guillotined on September 14th, 1792 with her in-laws but their children were rescued by the League of the Ivory Jasmine. His youngest sister Katelyn Misty Payton Hastings married Louis-Alexandre, duc de La Rochefoucauld d'Enville and was guillotined on September 14th, 1792 with him. His youngest sister and her husband did not have any children. His three younger brothers were triplets and they were only five years old when his father died. There names were Alexander James Braden Hastings, Brand Rannulf Joshua Hastings, and Alleyne Cameron Aidan Hastings. After becoming Duke at sixteen, Rex went on a tour of Europe. That is where he met his future wife, the heroine of this story, Désirée Sapna Bourbon. He met her in France when he was invited to her Debutante Ball on Saturday, April 5, 1787.