Page 37 of Moonstone Angel

“I am no simpering fool to be trodden upon at will. I hope never to see them again, and I shall never forget what they tried to do to me. But you have punished them already by cutting off their allowance and forcing their husbands to send them not merely out of London but to some place where there is nosocietyof any sort. On top of it, your grandmother intends to cut them out of any inheritance they would have received from her.”

“She spoke to you about it?”

Cara nodded. “She wanted to leave their share to me, but I really do not want it or need it now that I am your wife and apparently one of the wealthiest women in Cornwall. You know my cousin, Spencer Angel, is head clerk at the local bank. I do not think the ink was dry on the hefty deposit into my account before he ran to tell me. But as for your grandmother’s personal assets, we are going to select worthy charities. Orphans, injured soldiers returning from war. The sick. The elderly. There are plenty who suffer.”

“I trust you and my grandmother to make the best choices.” He set aside the letter and hoisted her onto his lap. “Now that we’ve taken care of business, I cannot think of what else to do.”

She glanced down at their positions. “Seems to me, you know exactly what you wish to do, and that is to ravish me. But we cannot do it here.”

He groaned. “And you do not want me to take you upstairs. Where shall I take you, my love?”

“There’s always the beach.”

“Ah, yes. I’m still brushing sand off my arse after last night’s moonlit orgy.”

She buried her face against his neck and gave a snorting laugh. “That’s because you rolled off the blanket. We need a bigger blanket.”

“Are you willing again tonight?”

“I can be persuaded if it is with you. It will probably be our last chance before the weather turns too cold. We’ll be leaving for London next week anyway.”

He sighed. “I shall behave myself until nightfall then.”

*

As the sunsank below the horizon, he led Cara down to the beach and made love to her on a blanket in the sand, beneath a bright, silver moon and a shower of stars. There was a nip to the air now, so he drew her close and warmed her with his body. They drifted off to sleep to the sound of waves lapping the shore. “I love you, Cara.”

“Love you, too,” she replied before they dozed off in each other’s arms. “This is my best summer ever.”

“Mine, too, my Moonstone angel. Mine, too.”

The End