Richard heard the beautiful music and felt all of his muscles relax. As he stepped into his house, the tension of dealing with ten wild young boys and attempting to teach them proper manners slipped from his shoulders.
The scent from the bouquet of lavender and roses, which graced the hall table, added to his sense of well-being as he stopped and listened.
The recently waxed wood floor reflected the sunlight that streamed in through a window overhead. Richard placed his hat on the table next to the flowers, and couldn’t resist running his fingers delicately over one of the feathery fronds of the lavender, releasing even more of its lovely scent.
There was not a more beautiful sound in the world to Richard than Beethoven’s fourteenth sonata. The soft lilting melody, which used to remind Richard of Julia, now brought a picture of Teresa to his mind’s eye. He could almost see her swaying to the beautiful music she created, her eyes half closed, her long black eyelashes delicately resting on her pale white cheeks.
He let the music lead him down the well-lit hallway to its source, but then paused with his hand on the handle of the music room door.
The ghosts that had haunted him were gone. In his heart, he knew it was Teresa who had banished them. There was now only brightness and light where once there were shadows. She had swept clean his morbid thoughts and made him want to live. It was she who had brought light and love into his life once again.
Love.
He did love her. He knew this now.
But he had promised that theirs would be a marriage in name only and that he would grant her an annulment when she found someone who loved her.
But he loved her. He couldn’t allow her to have their marriage annulled. He would not allow it!
He was suddenly filled with anger at the thought of anyone else holding his sweet Teresa; of loving her as fiercely as he did.
Richard squared his shoulders and threw open the door. It flew open so hard it banged against the opposite wall.
“Teresa, I cannot keep to our agreement.”
His wife was so startled by the sudden intrusion that she jumped to her feet. The delicate gilt chair she had been sitting on fell backwards with a loud crash.
“Richard! What is wrong? What are you talking about?”
He strode into the room, grabbing hold of her hands. “I mean that I cannot honor my word, my promise to you. If you ask for it, I will refuse to grant you an annulment from this marriage. I love you and I want you to be my wife now and forever. Tell me that you have not fallen in love.”
Teresa smiled up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. “But I have.” She paused.
Richard was certain his heart had stopped, as his mind raced around all of the men she knew.
Who was it? Millhaven? Corstairs?
Pain sliced through him. He could not bear to lose her again.
“I love you, Richard. I told you so,” Teresa said, looking up at him through her long black eyelashes.
His heart started pounding once again in his chest, now nearly bursting with joy.
And that look! She was looking at him with that seductive look that she had learned from her mother.
He couldn’t resist her open invitation. He leaned forward, slowly lowering his head to hers. He drank in her beautiful lavender scent as he kissed her sweet, pink lips, pressing her soft body to his. She gasped as he squeezed a little too tight.
“Richard, are you sure about this?” she managed to ask when he loosened his grip.
“I have never been so certain of anything.” He couldn’t resist tasting her sweet lips once more.
But then he felt her stiffening, ever so slightly, in his arms. He pulled back and looked into the dark pools of her eyes.
“And Julia?” she asked.
Filled with his love for Teresa, he cradled her face with his hands. “Julia is gone, my love. You make me want to live. With you I can truly be myself once more. You have made me whole.”
This time it was Teresa who moved first, pulling his head down to hers. He could feel her love flow into him through her lips.
He could barely restrain himself. He needed to touch her, to kiss and feel every inch of her beautiful, slender body. His desire for her was becoming palpable, and he could feel hers building for him in the way she pressed herself against him.
He could not wait even a moment longer, he had to show Teresa exactly how much he loved her. Richard swung her up into his arms. “Come live with me, Teresa, and be my wife.”