UNSEEN DELICACIES
Chapter One ... Lady Rosangela, Verity and Corpsey the wonder cat
"What's that look for?" Rosangela asked.
Verity merely shrugged, concealing her face from Lady Rosangela as she bent down and began to pet Corpsey. "All I'm saying is that you should give the Marquis a chance," Verity defended.
"A chance?" Rosangela repeated angrily, her blue eyes ablaze. "Tomorrow I am to be officially betrothed and in less than a week I will be Lord Coventry's wife!"
"Well, that gives you seven days to grow to like him." Verity replied with a devilish grin. But Rosangela only glared back.
'A week,' Corpsey thought, surveying the floor for fallen bits of pork rind. 'Seven days of feasting and then on to our new Lord's castle in Coventry to retire to a life of luxury. What more could a cat possibly ask for? What more could Rosangela want...' Corpsey jumped up onto the bed and stretched out once again.
"Don't you worry sweetheart," Rosangela whispered, gently pulling Corpsey closer, "I'll find a way to get us out of this, you just wait and see. We won't go to some big old castle in Coventry without a fight."
'Does this mean there won't be a banquet?' Corpsey wondered in dismay, but the fire in the hearth had been reduced to glowing embers and snuggling against the warm body of Lady Rosangela was far too much for any cat to resist. Corpsey slowly drifted off...
Chapter Three... Rosangela & Xavier - the first encounter
...A rut in the road caused the carriage to lurch violently and Lady Rosangela was flung backward, her hands grasping for the satin upholstery over her head. But again it was Xavier that saved the day, catching Rosangela up in his arms as the carriage careened over the rut, finally righting itself onto the pathway.
Gathered in a reckless embrace Rosangela held to Xavier , golden tassels twisted against the length of her fingers in one hand, dark brown locks of his hair in the other. In the midst of her own ill considerations of him, she discovered in fear that she relished the touch of this bold Marquis ... more than what the love of another man would readily grant forgiveness.
Rosangela lost the strength to ask that Xavier stop as his lips reached the curve of her neck. She felt his royal hands explore her bare legs beneath the cover of her gown. Beyond all sense of reason, his lips met with hers, eager for her unforeseen delicacies ...
Chapter Ten .. Love triumphs for Lady Rosangela & Xavier
...Rose petals lay scattered across the bed and the sweet scent overwhelmed them. Xavier slowly moved his hand, tracing the gentle slant of her shoulder, the delicate curve of her neck and the sweep of her jaw. Softly, Xavier brushed a lock of black hair from her forehead as he looked into her breath-taking blue eyes.
"We've already wasted so many nights," Xavier admitted, gathering Rosangela in his strong arms.
Rosangela gazed back, and in a whisper replied, "What is but one night in the history of England, my lord..."
Xavier finished the sentence, "...but another night stolen from our bed."
Rosangela could feel the beating of his heart and the warmth of his desire surround her. She reached up and tilted his head, bringing him closer, his mouth a breath away as she uttered the words that would keep Xavier with her, warmly by her side for the length of the night and forever...
"What's that look for?" Rosangela asked.
Verity merely shrugged, concealing her face from Lady Rosangela as she bent down and began to pet Corpsey. "All I'm saying is that you should give the Marquis a chance," Verity defended.
"A chance?" Rosangela repeated angrily, her blue eyes ablaze. "Tomorrow I am to be officially betrothed and in less than a week I will be Lord Coventry's wife!"
"Well, that gives you seven days to grow to like him." Verity replied with a devilish grin. But Rosangela only glared back.
'A week,' Corpsey thought, surveying the floor for fallen bits of pork rind. 'Seven days of feasting and then on to our new Lord's castle in Coventry to retire to a life of luxury. What more could a cat possibly ask for? What more could Rosangela want...' Corpsey jumped up onto the bed and stretched out once again.
"Don't you worry sweetheart," Rosangela whispered, gently pulling Corpsey closer, "I'll find a way to get us out of this, you just wait and see. We won't go to some big old castle in Coventry without a fight."
'Does this mean there won't be a banquet?' Corpsey wondered in dismay, but the fire in the hearth had been reduced to glowing embers and snuggling against the warm body of Lady Rosangela was far too much for any cat to resist. Corpsey slowly drifted off...
Chapter Three... Rosangela & Xavier - the first encounter
...A rut in the road caused the carriage to lurch violently and Lady Rosangela was flung backward, her hands grasping for the satin upholstery over her head. But again it was Xavier that saved the day, catching Rosangela up in his arms as the carriage careened over the rut, finally righting itself onto the pathway.
Gathered in a reckless embrace Rosangela held to Xavier , golden tassels twisted against the length of her fingers in one hand, dark brown locks of his hair in the other. In the midst of her own ill considerations of him, she discovered in fear that she relished the touch of this bold Marquis ... more than what the love of another man would readily grant forgiveness.
Rosangela lost the strength to ask that Xavier stop as his lips reached the curve of her neck. She felt his royal hands explore her bare legs beneath the cover of her gown. Beyond all sense of reason, his lips met with hers, eager for her unforeseen delicacies ...
Chapter Ten .. Love triumphs for Lady Rosangela & Xavier
...Rose petals lay scattered across the bed and the sweet scent overwhelmed them. Xavier slowly moved his hand, tracing the gentle slant of her shoulder, the delicate curve of her neck and the sweep of her jaw. Softly, Xavier brushed a lock of black hair from her forehead as he looked into her breath-taking blue eyes.
"We've already wasted so many nights," Xavier admitted, gathering Rosangela in his strong arms.
Rosangela gazed back, and in a whisper replied, "What is but one night in the history of England, my lord..."
Xavier finished the sentence, "...but another night stolen from our bed."
Rosangela could feel the beating of his heart and the warmth of his desire surround her. She reached up and tilted his head, bringing him closer, his mouth a breath away as she uttered the words that would keep Xavier with her, warmly by her side for the length of the night and forever...