*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
The farm animals arrived on Roman's and Della's farm just a day or two after they wed each other. Della had been the happiest she had been since she first met Lord Reigns and they were very much in love with each other. They celebrated their love every night since they wed and nearly every morning. Reigns couldn't remember a time he had been as happy as he was with Della. She was his moon while he was her stars. They were all each other had as they hid away from the wrath of Dr. Rollins. Della stood at the doorway of the barn as she watched Roman trying to milk one of their cows. She had to keep herself from laughing as he tried to milk it but was getting frustrated by the lack of milk it was producing. "Damn it," he said as he kicked over the bucket. "Why won't you milk," he said as the cow grunted. "We need milk from you," he said coaxing it but the cow was growing agitated and continued to grunt at Roman. Della tightened her lips into a smile trying to hold back the laughter. "Why do you make this so difficult," he said as he stood up. "I will be back," he said before he turned around and saw Della standing there with her lips tight together with a smile and holding back a laugh. "I'm sorry, this cow just isn't producing milk," he said. "I've tried since early this morning and nothing," he said.
"Roman," she said, "You're not going to get milk from that cow," she said trying to hold back laughter as she looked at him with her deep blue eyes.
"I was going to come back later to try again," he said. "Maybe later she will give me some milk all the other cows cooperated and gave us milk but this beast," he said. "This beast is stubborn. Maybe we should get rid of it. It's not doing its job." Della couldn't hold back her laughter anymore and burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked. "It's a stupid cow."
"No," she said shaking her head through her laughter. "The cow will do its job when the time is right but right now it is not its job to produce milk."
"What do you mean?" he asked. "It's a cow," he said.
"It's a bull," she responded. "Bulls don't give milk only the female cows do. You probably upset the bull."
"Are you serious?" he asked.
"Truly," she replied. "That is a male. They don't produce milk. He will do his job mating with the females to produce calves for us but he will not give you milk," she said.
"Oh," he said looking defeated. "I just thought," he said.
"You're okay," she said with a smile as she walked toward her husband to comfort him. "You're learning," she said. "Now you know bulls don't give milk."
"I know that now," he said wrapping his arms around his wife's waist pulling her closer to him. "I'm sorry," he said before he kissed her lips softly.
"It's all right, Love, you're learning and you have me to teach you," she said with a smile as she brushed a piece of hair out of his face tucking it behind his ear. "I love you."
"I love you too," he said with a soft smile before breaking their embrace.
"What all needs to be done?" she asked.
"Cows have been milked, eggs gathered from the chickens or the hens. I fed the hogs and herded the sheep. I just need some help with the hay."
"Okay," she said with a smile. "Let's go haul some hay."
"You know I enjoy this farming life but when we get to America we're going to go a different route in life. I hope that by the time we get to America you'll be a mother and we can start a family. I would love to make a way of life for our family in America."
"If God chooses to bless us with a child," she smiled at her husband. "You've certainly put in enough effort to have one." Roman smiled at his wife and kissed her lips softly before they walked to the stables to haul the hay and split it apart for the animals. Roman couldn't complain about the farm life. He could have lived a life of luxury with Amelia as an Earl and had people work for him; Della's dad included but he chose to live a life of happiness with Della. He could take her to his residence in England, proceed to bring her into his society but he knew she would never be truly accepted by his people and she would always be a farmer's daughter. She would never be happy with that life so he made the sacrifice for life's happiness by throwing away his title and his wealth to make the one woman he truly loves happy. He promised to spend his life doing so. Every time she laughed it made him smile, the sound of her soft velvety voice made his heart melt, the words I love you on her lips meant everything to him. He was rich in his life with Della. His wealth comes from their happiness.
After their morning of milking cows, taking care of the animals and hauling hay Roman and Della sat on a blanket underneath the cool but warm sun enjoying a lunch their servant had made for them enjoying the beautiful blue skies and the cool breeze. "It's a nice day considering the time of year," said Roman before he took a bite of his bread.
"It's a very nice day," she responded. "Have you heard any word on Adelle? I worry about her so often. I feel this is my fault because I left Seth. If I hadn't left Seth Adelle wouldn't have become his target."
"Seth is a sick man," answered Roman. "It would have happened eventually. Did you know Seth was wed before he wed you?" he asked.
"I was unaware," she said puzzled. "You mean I was not his first wife?"
"You were his second wife," he said.
"What happened with his first wife," she asked.
"No one is certain of what happened to his first wife many say she killed herself and some believe he killed her."
"I would believe he killed her but I also believe she could have killed herself. Seth has that effect on women. He seemed so sweet when he was my mother's physician but when we arrived at our residence he changed. He was not the man I married. He turned cynical and possesses a dark soul. He hit me and raped me," she said with tears in her eyes. "I can't even imagine what he's doing to Adelle. Is she safe, Roman?"
"I cannot tell," he said, "he has too many guards on her. She will have trouble escaping from his reigns," he said. "It's the sad truth. My men can't get to her to rescue her because he keeps her locked away and surrounded by guards."
"Do you think your men could ever rescue her?" she asked.
"I'm not certain but we are going to do everything in our power to rescue Adelle it's going to take some work and planning but we will free her from Seth and then I will take care of Seth myself for everything he put you through and put your sister through."
"What are you going to do to Seth?" she asked looking at him with her deep blue eyes full of curiosity.
"I'm going to take his head with my sword," he answered with a smile. "The pirates will take care of the rest of him."
"Wonderful," said Della with a smile. "What do you think America will be like?" she asked.
"More freedom," he answered. "Many people left England years ago for religious freedom and to live life freely without the pressure of the crown. I would love a little bit of freedom from the crown. Freedom to worship whichever God I wish and practice whichever religion I believe in, I don't wish to be Catholic. I want to find a new religion in America. I still believe in God but I wish to believe in him another way. America is supposed to be the country of opportunity and growth. There's still land that has yet been discovered by people. We are going to start a whole new life in America with your family and maybe my mother. There will be no titles, new names, new life we can be who we want to be without hiding from anyone," he said making Della smile.
"Why would you give up your wealth for me, why would you walk away from a title for a Farmer's Daughter?" she asked. "You're risking a lot to be wed to me."
"There's a risk in love but it can be worth taking. I will give up whatever I need to give up as long as I can call you my wife. When we get to America we will make our marriage true and official. NO one will know I was married and you were married. Life will be brand new in America," he said. "I would rather be poor and be your husband than be wealthy and the husband of another woman. You bring me more happiness than anyone else could ever do. I love you, Della and loving you throwing everything else away is worth every risk. I wouldn't trade my life with you for anything," he said with a smile.
"I wouldn't trade my life with you," she said with a smile. "Roman, you're the best thing that ever happened to me."
"As are you," he said with a smile.
"Tell me about the balls and masquerades," she said taking his hand into hers as they sat together on the blanket after finishing their lunch together. "I want to know why they are so special."
"Balls are used for social events. Men dress in their best attire and wear their wigs while women wear the most beautiful gowns. They dance with men and some women use a ball to choose their suitor. Masquerades are my favorite," he said with a smile. "You never know who's behind the mask. It's a mystery. It's like you learn to love someone based on their inner beauty rather than their outer beauty. I'm not one for outer beauty. I prefer to see a woman's soul instead of her face. You can tell how beautiful a woman is by her soul not by her face, how she dresses or who her father is. You know if our eyes saw souls instead of bodies how different our ideals of beauty would be? The world's beauty would be much different."
"That's beautiful," she said with a smile as she rested her head on his firm chest. He kissed her hair softly. "My sun and stars," she said with a smile. "You have a beautiful soul as you saw past my ragged appearance, beneath my skin and saw something in me that made you fall in love with me."
"Moon of my life," he smiled. "Your soul is much more beautiful than mine. It was not into my ears you whispered but into my heart, it was not my lips you kissed but my soul. You're the most beautiful woman inside and out. I would not have been able to fall in love with someone else the way I have fallen in love with you. When I married Amelia I knew it would never last. She didn't ignite the fire in my soul that you have ignited in me. She didn't take my breath away when I kissed her and she didn't make me feel alive nor did she make me feel happy. You have ignited something within since the moment I saw you working out in that field. I'll never forget your beautiful eyes the moment you first looked at me. I'll never forget the way your mouth curved into your smile when you first spoke to me. Every moment of the day I met you plays in my mind over and over. I wish to grow old with you and spend the rest of my life happy with you."
"Forever and always, My sun and stars."
"Forever and always, Moon of my life," he said before he leaned down and kissed her lips softly. He placed his hand on her stomach and said, "when do you wish to start a family?"
"Whenever God chooses to bless us with a child," she said with a smile placing her hand over his. "Do you wish for issue?"
"I wish for a lot of children," he said with a smile. "You will make a great mother."
"Like I have said to you, you have certainly put enough effort into starting a family. I wish for a lot of children. I want a large family much like mine. I loved having a lot of brothers and sisters. We were all very close. I want that for our children."
"I have no other siblings. My father has a bastard but I never spoke to him or have bothered with him. I have wished to have a brother my entire life maybe even a sister. I wished for a sibling but other than my bastard brother I had none. It was a lonely life. I would never do that to my children. I wish for many."
"Me too," she smiled. "We're going to have a beautiful life together."
"I promise you nothing less," he said with a smile before he kissed her lips once more. "And we're going to save your sister from Seth and reunite both of you with your family before we all travel to America for a new and beautiful life together."
*A/N: What did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading.