Chapter 63

EMILY was sighing as she was looking at the cleaning that she did. She knew that with her new status and social rank in polite society, she could not do this anymore. But it was so calming and time flew right away when she tried not to think about the surprise that Ian had for her.
What would it be? She wondered why Emily had never been surprised by anyone before. Okay, maybe that night when she kissed Ian and the young queen of Niapachad Island, Queen Arabella Dragomir, spotted them in the garden and made Emily run away from her mysterious lord.
Or rather Ian in his disguises.
The claps of hooves on the cobblestone road made Emily turn to look out the window. The griffin insignia on the side of the carriage indicated that Ian had returned from his meetings in the Stone Tower.
She squealed slightly as Emily was gripping her skirts before running out of one of the abandoned rooms of the townhouse that they occupied while in the capital.
Emily stopped in front of a giant mirror, rearranging her skirts and hair before greeting her husband. She was styling her clothes with the choker that she ordered from the modest that Becca got for hers.
It was frilly and lace but so fashionable that the Gossipers would not be asking why Emily was styling last season’s accessories.
But they are so pretty that the choker should be in style again, she mused before Emily was descending the stairs as Ian was removing his tall hat and gloves. She smiled as her husband was walking toward her at the end of the stairs before pulling her into his arms and kissing him.
The butler slipped away as if he was shy at the public display of his milord and milady. But Emily didn’t care about that. All she cared about was Ian was home and he had a surprise for her.
They kissed for a moment as Ian slipped his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her around and dwelling with her tongue. After their breathless kiss, Ian broke it as he was leaning his forehead against hers.
“Good evening to you, my love,” he said as Emily was licking her lower lips, his kiss still lingering on her mouth. She stared into his amber eyes and smiled.
“Good evening to you, my lord. How is your journey to the Stone Tower?” she asked before Ian tucked her hand in the crook of his arm as they walked to the receiving room. He chuckled.
“Well, it’s an hour's drive from the townhouse so I think it was okay,” he said before they entered the blue room that had been debuted as receiving of the townhouse.
All thanks to Emily for spending some time decorating it to please the eyes of the visitors. The drapes were ocean blue as the divan and the sitting sofas were in soft blue coverings. Ian smiled.
“So, have you decided to tell me yet?” Emily said as her husband turned to look at her before they were walking toward the window. Emily was arching her eyebrows at the gesture before Ian nodded his chin for her to look outside.
“Look over there. What do you see? If you say the right answer, then you will have your surprise, my love,” Ian whispered into her ear as Emily was trying so hard to figure out what her husband was referring to.
She narrowed her eyes in the direction that Ian was indicating but all she could see was the carriage that was waiting for someone. She noticed that the horses were shaking their manes as they neighed. Emily turned to look at her husband.
“All I saw was the carriage and the horses were restless. What are you trying to tell me, Ian?” she asked her husband before Ian was smiling at her. Then, he pulled Emily to the door as the butler was holding their outer coats and gloves. He bowed.
“The carriage is ready for your departure, my lord. The traveling trunks have been stored as you requested,” he said before Ian took the coat and put it around her shoulders. Emily was still clueless about what the surprise was that Ian was planning for her.
“Alright. That will be all,” Ian said as he took the other coat and gloves before he nodded at the butler. “I trust you will take care of the house while we’re gone,” Ian said as the butler bowed.
“Very good, my lord,” he said before Ian was pulling Emily by the hand to the front door. They walked through the parlor of the house before the servants were opening the door.
Ian nodded at them as he was putting on Emily’s gloves before his own. Then, they were walking toward the awaiting carriage that she had seen earlier.
“Ian, can we take a breath for a moment?” Emily said as she stopped her husband. Ian turned to look at her before she was gesturing at the carriage and the traveling trunks that had been secured on top of it.
“What’s all that? I thought you wanted to surprise me?” she asked him before Ian smiled.
“I am, and this is a surprise. We have to travel to get there,” he said before the footman was opening the carriage.
“In you go, my love,” Ian said as he helped Emily to get inside the carriage, offering his hand as Emily gripped her skirts and climbed in. Ian got in after her as the footman was closing the door and climbed on his seat.
Ian tapped the roof with his knuckle as the coachman was whipping the horses. Then, the carriage moved forward. Emily arched her eyebrows at him.
“Now, will you tell me where we are going?” Emily asked her husband as Ian was smirking. He just shrugged before taking her into his lap. Emily squealed.
“I will, but for now, I think we can let the servants have their time in the sunlight before we arrive at our final destination,” Ian said before he claimed her mouth, shutting Emily off from asking her next question.