CHAPTER 7

Madison moaned and hunkered as Chadwick’s lips moved away from her mouth.  Fierce arrogant male triumph blazed in his eyes at his ability to arouse this fiery lady who was always trying to put him to rights.  With surprising gentleness his fingers peeled the linen off her shoulder to reveal satin smooth flesh.  A flush rose above the neckline of her dress.  His lips hot with desire, hungry to taste her forced the material out of the way so it revealed a plump shapely breast.  Madison felt the gentle breeze cooling her hot exposed flesh.  The swaying branches and rustling leaves seemed to egg Chadwick on.  Her fingers clasped at his upper arms, even through his shirt, her fingers tingled at the well defined muscles.   Chadwick’s lips dropped lower.  His tongue laved over the supple mound, releasing a soft cry from her lips.  Her fingers dug into shoulders.   Chadwick felt it like liquid heat on his aroused flesh.   Even with her brown eyes tightly shut, Madison’s head arched upwards on the soft green grass.  Trembling fingers touched his face.  Electricity ripped through her at the feel of his hair roughened flesh beneath her fingers.

‘Chadwick---Chadwick,’ she pulled him closer, her arms tightening around his neck.

The sound of her impassioned voice brought him back to his senses.  By Heaven what was he thinking?  And why had the chit not stopped him?  Instead of protecting her virtue, her arms were entangled around his neck, neglecting propriety.  Disgustedly he ripped her hands away from his body, shoving her away.

‘Chadwick?’ Madison cried out in alarm.  What was going on?  First he took her into his arms and kissed her like he was enjoying it, and then he was discarding her as if she was somebody with leprosy.

‘Get up Lady Madison,’ Chadwick roughly pulled her up by her arm, his eyes dark , like he really despised her.  ‘You should know your place lady and not be rolling in the hay like an over eager courtesan!

Madison gasped.  His hurtful words were like the piercing of a razor sharp sword into her flesh.  Was it not he that had pulled her into his arms and kissed her first?  Shame and embarrassment filled her.   Not because of his cruel description, likening her to a courtesan, but more because he was the first, the only man to have dared to kiss her and to touch her as he had done just a few minutes ago.  She lowered her head blinking furiously at the stinging moistness that threatened to embarrass her further.  Hurriedly Madison turned to her mare that was keenly chewing on the fresh grass beneath the shady tree.   Before Chadwick could get to her, she mounted with ease and sped off, leaving Chadwick standing there.  Madison did not want this conceited, hurtful gentleman to know he had hurt her like no other had dared to before him.

Why is it that gentlemen secretly preferred women who exhibited social freedom in their bed chambers, yet in public they wanted to be seen with a respectable woman on their arm?  Madison ranted to herself silently.  When they declared for a lady, she had to be highly educated; able to quote poetry and play music; be able to have intelligent discussions on any subject and not bring disrepute to herself.

With her back to Chadwick, and the wind sweeping into her face, Madison angrily brushed at the single tear that fell to her cheek.  She rode furiously, her foot thrusting against the mare’s rump.  Even though she got to the street of her home quite quickly, for good measure she sprinted past her home.  She needed to pull herself together.  Her parents could not see her in the emotional state she was in at the moment.  Madison looked over her shoulder, Chadwick was not following her.  Feeling somewhat calmer, she headed back home.

     'Madison?’ Her mother called out.  ‘Where ever did you go without being chaperoned?’  Rachael looked at her daughter questioningly. 

here is Mr. Rochester?

She did not give Madison any opportunity to attempt to answer her. 

‘Did you fall of that mare?’ Rachael pulled strands of grass from her chestnut hair.   

Madison coloured somewhat embarrassedly.  ‘I told you Stanton that mare was too fast for Madison,’ she scolded her husband.

‘Calm down dear,’ Stanton dismissed his wife’s fear.  ‘Madison was more likely lying on the grass, looking up into the sky and daydreaming as usual.  Is that not so dear?’ Stanton smiled at his daughter endearingly.

‘Yes papa.  I was lying on the grass with my eyes closed.’ 

‘Where ever is Rochester?  I have not yet paid him for the mare.’

‘He has some errant to attend to,’ Madison lied.  ‘Perhaps he shall call tomorrow.’

‘So you like the mare dear?’ her father smiled?  ‘Are you keeping her then?’

‘Yes thank you papa.  I should like to keep her.’  Even if only for the reason that it connected her to Chadwick.  ‘I shall be up in my chamber mama.’

      Chadwick kicked furiously at the trunk of the nearest tree.

He was disgusted at himself for insulting the lady.  Hell he was the one that had ravished her!  He was the one that had lowered her onto the grass and had had his way with her.  He had never met or kissed another woman that excited him as she did.  She made his blood boil with desire.  She set his heart racing like a thoroughbred racehorse.  he was interested in marriage, she was the type of woman he wanted to grow old with.  Somebody who stood up to him, somebody who was confident and in touch with her passionate side, she would satisfy his needs he knew it.  So why did he hurl insults at her?  So much so that he had almost reduced the normally fiery, venom spitting chit to tears.  He had seen the hurt in her eyes just before she tried to hide it.  Why the hell did he reject her that way? 

 He knew he was disgusted with himself for desiring her?  He knew he wanted more than just stolen kisses from Madison.  But she was not interested in him.  She was not interested in a lowly gentleman without a title.  Even his wealth did not find favour with her.  No she had set her cap on that swine, Swain.  It was that low life louse that she wanted in her bed? 

       Madison lay on her bed, reliving her passionate encounter with Chadwick.  She could not believe the liberties she had allowed him to take.  It was bad enough that he kissed her, but she had allowed him so much more.  His lips had touched her shoulder and her neck and still further where Madison thought only her husband would be the first to see and touch__and taste.  Her flesh tingled at the remembrance of Chadwick’s tongue arousing her.  Her fingers curled wantonly wanting to touch him as he had touched her.   How far would they have gone had Chadwick not stopped?  She definitely had made no attempt whatsoever to restrain him.

        The following morning Madison decided to visit Sarah.  She needed to get out.  She needed to get her mind of Chadwick.  She had hardly slept the night before.  Her dreams where invaded by Chadwick.  In her dream he had carried her to his ancient castle by the seaside.  He had walked with her in his arms up an unending flight of stairs.  His eyes had been lowered to hers, full of promise.  He had laid her on a bed so huge, she had not imagined there could be such a one.  He had undressed her and kissed every part of her flesh and at that final moment when she had wanted their consummation, again Chadwick had rejected her throwing her off his bed and laughing down at her.  That was when she had woken from the in the early hours of the morning, and found herself covered in perspiration and could not sleep again.