Page 84 of Boy of Chaotic Making

Abruptly, she broke the kiss, grabbed his collar, and pushed him onto the bed.

He snorted. “Well then.”

“I,” she stated, pulling hairpins from her hair, “have waited averylong time for this, Mr. Fernsby. I do not see the point in dallying.”

A familiar mischievousness smoldered in his expression. “I’m sorry, was that dallying? I don’t think I received the schedule for tonight’s events.”

“You don’t need one.” She placed her hairpins on the side table and shook out her hair, delighted by the way Merritt’s gaze darkened when she did. She proceeded to undo the buttons on her dress, Merritt’s eyes glued to her every movement. It sent warm shivers up her spine.

This was really happening, wasn’t it?

She was utterly exultant at the fact.

Pulling down her sleeves, she asked, “Now, are you going to remove your trousers, or should I?”

Chapter 29

March 11, 1847, London, England

There was nothing better than waking up in the morning next to the man you loved, especially when he was in the nude.

Hulda rolled toward him and buried her face into the side of his neck, blotting out the sunrise pouring through the windows. She was usually up and about this time of day, but given that she hadn’t slept particularly well last night, she determined it would be all right to repose for another hour or so. Truthfully, the time shehadspent sleeping had been quite peaceful, merely fleeting, as Merritt had ensured thrice the loss of her maidenhood. As she adjusted beside him, she noted she would be somewhat sore today, but found she didn’t mind in the slightest.

And to her delight, two of her more sultry earlier visions had come to pass last night. She greatly anticipated experiencing the others firsthand.

Merritt groaned beside her and stretched, arching his back, before looping an arm around her, his hand instantly going for her posterior. “Morning,” he mumbled, eyes still closed.

Warmth bloomed in her chest and filled her to her toes. She brushed unruly hair from his face, then traced the line of his brow, down the length of his nose. It was all so surreal. She was a marriedwoman. This man was her husband. The sequence of events ... it was all so unexpected, but she’d learned to be surprised with Merritt.

“Morning,” she whispered, occupying herself with his face and his hair. He dozed off a bit longer, though Hulda found herself suddenly wide awake. She didn’t mind. She was simply ... happy.

When Merritt began to rouse again, she took the opportunity to slide from the sheets, which earned her a surly growl from Merritt. She located her glasses, cleaned up at the washbasin in the corner, and got dressed, leaving her hair down for now. By the time she got the Druids’ communion stone, Merritt was sitting up, blankets around his hips, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Hulda watched him a long moment, memorizing his every facet, feeling warmer and fuller with every passing second.

He caught her eye. “Is something funny?”

“Just admiring the view,” she offered, earning herself a grin. Refocusing, she activated the rune on the communion stone. “Sean? Owein? Is everything all right?”

The reply came quickly. “Hi!” bellowed a child’s voice, a boy, on the other end. “Yeah, we got mallow candies! And we’re roasting them over the fire!”

“Mallow candies?” Merritt asked.

“Pâte de guimauve,” Hulda provided. “Kegan?”

Merritt nodded.

“I’m very happy to hear that,” she said. “Is Owein—”

She heard him barking in the background, which answered that question. Everything was fine. She sighed in relief.

“He says he’ll be back on time. We’re leaving after the mallow candies,” Kegan said. “Bye!”

The rune flashed, and the magic cut off.

“Ah, the concision of children.” Hulda set the stone on a shelf where it would be easily heard if it activated again.

“Should we send word to Cyprus Hall?” Merritt asked.

“Perhaps. We did make it difficult for them to send word to us.” She dug into her bag, setting her hairbrush aside, and pulled out a small box wrapped with ribbon. Tied into the ribbon was a pen with a dragon carved along the top. She handed the bundle to Merritt. “Happy birthday.”

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