"You see, your proposal was everything I was waiting for all that summer. My father told me a couple of days before the Viscount made his proposal, but I delayed my answer as long as I could. I am glad I did, and don't ever doubt it. Were you really nervous before me that day?" she said as she put her hands on the side of his face.
His face softened as he heard her talk. His anger was decreasing as lock his eyes into hers.
"I was. Nothing scares me, but the thought of you rejecting me was unbearable," he said as he leaned in for a kiss.
"From now on, no more secret. You'll put the oil on the scar and make sure it goes away. Tell me, Martin, did he touch you?"
"No, Martin did not touch me. Other men did either punch me; either carved the letter on my thigh. I can assure you Martin was a gentleman, well, considering the context."
"I doubt it. Let me show you what a gentleman is."
He grabbed her in his arms and lifted her easily from the chair she was sitting on. He laid her down on the bed. His hands roamed on her body as he kissed her deeply. Her hand undid his jacket's buttons and his belts, which felt heavily on the floor.
He lifted her shift as he ran his hand on her leg. He broke the kiss to wince at the scar. She sat down and looked at her thigh. The scar was less red than it was yesterday, so she was hopeful it would fade quite soon.
"William, do you know what I think?"
"What, dear?"
"From my point of view, this scar looks like a W, like William," he said as he laughed.
"Lily, you always see the positive side of things. How do you do it?"
"I don't know." She took a deep breath."Since we are in a "no more secret" night, there is something I want to ask you. We've been apart for years, longer apart than together actually. And sometime, I can't help but wonder if…" she didn't know how to formulate her thoughts, but the question was burning her lips. "I know you have needs, but did you fulfill them with other ladies?"
His jaw dropped, how could he doubt his love for her? Of course, he had been tempted but none of those colonial women were worth of his time.
"No, never. Why do you think I was so excited when you wrote me about coming here? You are the only one I want, every day and night, for the rest of my life. Tell me how much time you spent with Viscount Evans, back in London."
"Well, not much, I saw him at social events only. You know he got married with my friends Elizabeth before you came here. They have 2 children already, twin boys, and a third one on the way," as she finished her sentence, she lowered her eyes and swallowed hard. She thought she had grieved the child she lost, but she felt emotional tonight. He took her into his arms and caressed her hair.
"You know we are going to have a our own soon, right? It cannot go any other way, with the amount of practice we've been having since your arrival here."
"Hmm."
"I never regretted having taken this post here, in the colonies, but one time. When I learned you lost the baby, the only thing I could think of was your wellbeing."
She looked down, holding back her tears. They haven't talk about it since it happened two years ago, only through letters. She knew miscarriage happened to a lot of women, but she was devastated when it happened to her. The timing would have been perfect for that child. She would have something to spend her time on since her husband, father and brothers were all gone to the colonies. She never felt more alone in the weeks and even months that followed. When the first thought of joining her husband came to her mind, she carefully wrote him, anxious he might not want her to. But his reply was not explicitly saying no, so she took it as a yes after a few exchanges. Of course, those letters back and forth took months to settle, and when she made up her mind, she had to take care of many things; buying her passage, making sure their house would be looked after back in London.
A single tear run down her cheek, William brushed it with his thumb. He held Charlotte in his arms, caressing her back in a comforting way. She buried her head in his neck as she sobbed silently. Her body was physically tired; the stress of the kidnapping was dropping down, but the heartbreaking memory was too much for her.