]Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, Gabriella came slowly awake to the heady fragrance of orchids. In her sleepy state she thought perhaps she was dreaming of a warm tropical island with beautiful orchids surrounding her. However, when she opened her eyes slowly to reality, she found her naked body sprinkled with the flowering blossoms of pure white orchids. There was one snowy orchid blossom adorning her womanhood and another tucked behind her ear. Lily-white orchids nuzzled the valley of her breasts down to her navel and she could feel more of the tender blossoms tickling the bottoms of her toes.
"Drummond," she murmured in awed delight as she rose to a sitting position on the bed with snow colored orchids floating around her, kissing her flesh with velvet petals as they fell to snuggle around her like a satin blanket.
"Oh my," she whispered, so touched that her voice was small as she spread her fingertips out to tickle the delicate petals, while her gaze assured her that she was quite alone in the room. Drummond was gone.
"And, he has left me the most beautiful present," Gabriella sighed, allowing the feelings of cherishment and splendor to wash over her. It was sensual pampering at its most intimate and Drummond was an expert in the craft. He had taken what could have been a difficult moment for her, awakening to the harsh light of day. After such exotic intimacies of the night and he had found a way to soothe her natural shyness over such new activities. It was then that she found the note buried in the orchids and she picked it up to read aloud.
"My love, you cannot know how deeply I enjoyed flowering your exquisite body with my orchids. Each touch of the petals on my fingertips reminded me of your tender flesh. I shall ever after regard your secret place that sings to my tongue as my orchid."
"Oh my," Gabriella breathed, fanning her face before she continued.
"I have taken the liberty of choosing your wardrobe this morning. It is my fondest wish that you enjoy all that I have purchased for you. My personal attention throbs in anticipation of viewing you in my selections. With this in mind, I respectfully request that you join me for a light repast after your morning toilet. Further, I inform you that the gentlemen, Archangels have requested our presence at an impromptu racing event. It appears Lord Radford and Lord Brynmore are endeavoring to decide which breed of stallion is superior. I may mention that the gentlemen, Archangels are with us through the weekend."
Gabriella folded the letter carefully. Actually, she considered it was a study in nonchalance—right before she giggled and bounced off the bed exclaiming, "Carpe diem," as she went excitedly in search of Drummond's presents. When she entered the dressing room, she saw the dress immediately where it was laid out across the chaise lounge, and where she ended on her knees before it.
The dress was black velvet and it displayed the relief of a stand-up, white-lace collar that ended near where her collarbone would be, to then fall into a daring diamond-shaped bodice. Gabriella could see that the black velvet bodice would cling dramatically to the inner slopes of her breasts. Also resting on top of the dress were two red satin jewelry boxes, in which she found a teardrop diamond necklace in a length that would nestle her cleavage and a finely wrought diamond anklet.
All of the gifts spoke of heady sensuality and Gabriella shivered in anticipation of wearing it all for Drummond. Only he would know that she wore no underclothing, only he would know that his diamonds circled her ankle, and only he would know that his passion pearl abraded her intimately with each movement. It was all of it, every bit of it, akin to a never before realized dream come alive and now that she knew the reality of the dream, she would have wished for it her entire life.
"I did wish for it," she murmured, spreading her fingers over the black velvet material. "Only, I never realized just how much I missed by the betrayal."
That was what she always called it in her mind, ‘the betrayal,' her father's and her husband's. However, it had been so many years ago, and she had tried so hard to forget ... and forgive, even believing that she had done so, until now, faced with all that she might have had in her life, but lost all those years ago.
"But, I must not think of that now," she exclaimed as she stood and went to the armoire to throw open its doors. There she found the inner closet filled with new dresses, shoes, cloaks, and a chocolate colored mink wrap that fell to the tops of her toes when she wrapped it around herself.
"Carpe diem," Gabriella whispered. "I must think only of my joy for the moment and not dwell in the past. The past is gone and I shall find another secret to give Drummond, because he cares for me after all these years. Even without knowing the truth about what really happened to our love so long ago."
It was best. She need not redeem herself in Drummond's eyes. He cared for the woman she was now with as much passion as he had in their youth. Perhaps in years to come, if they found their comfort together as she knew they must, she would tell him then of her secret ... of the betrayal. Then, they could laugh together about all they did have and find relief that the betrayal had not doomed them forever.
Gabriella nibbled her bottom lip in concentration and spoke hesitantly aloud, her conviction. "I will gladly be Drummond's mistress." Then, she twirled in a pirouette with the mink flaring about her ankles, as she exclaimed again more firmly. "I will seize my joy no matter what the circumstances!"