Under The Moon And Stars

Chapter 19

Three Years Later

Evie stood in front of her full-length mirror getting ready for tonight's party. So much had changed in the last three years. Evie had managed to find balance and, if not happiness, at least contentment in her marriage. Alexander no longer lied to her about trips for business. If he was going out of town on business, he said as much. If he was visiting Sarah, he'd say that he was going to Brighton. It hurt in the beginning, but as time went on the love she'd once felt for Alexander had all but disappeared. What replaced it was a decent friendship based on history and their children. Although Evie had allowed Alexander into her bed a week after returning from Surrey three years prior, she'd never become pregnant again after Luke. It made her a little sad. She loved children and had wanted a large family. Luke was four now, and she supposed he was her last.

She'd continued to see Eric whenever she could justify a visit to Surrey without Alexander. Her time with Eric helped her tremendously. She always returned home in a good mood and surprisingly, desiring her husband. It was easier to be with Alexander knowing they were both having affairs.

Evie would be returning to Surrey the next day, although Alexander would be with her. She was disappointed because that meant there would be no sneaking off to see Eric. Still, her childhood home always brought her comfort, and she was looking forward to it. Her parents had decided to travel to Bath for a time and were taking the boys with them. Evie and Alexander would take the boys with them to Surrey, and they would stay there by themselves for a few days before returning to London. But first they had to attend a party.

Evie's stomach had butterflies in it and she wasn't sure why. Tonight's party was at Natti's home. He'd never hosted a party before, but his fiancé, Amanda, had insisted. She was a social butterfly while Natti was more private. Amanda was a nice girl, Evie supposed. She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. She and Natti had met when Natti invited her father to dinner at his home since he was away from his own. Amanda's father had mentioned he'd brought his daughter with him and Natti said to bring her as well. From what Evie understood, Amanda had flirted with Natti throughout dinner, but Natti hadn't taken her seriously. He thought Amanda too attractive to be interested in him. She also had a large dowry, so she didn't need to settle for Natti's money. Evie remembered being angry when Natti told her that. Natti was too hard on himself. Any girl with an ounce of sense would be attracted to Natti. What he lacked in looks, he more than made for with love, patience, and kindness.

Amanda must have seen this, because she surprised Natti by writing to him when she got home. Natti wrote her back and the correspondence kept up until she came back to London with her father a few months later. This time they were staying for a couple of months. Amanda had sought Natti out almost immediately upon returning and that was it. Natti began courting her and when it was time for them to return home, Natti proposed. Instead of leaving, Amanda's father extended his stay. They had a large family and Amanda's father wanted to have them all attend the wedding, so it was taking a bit for them to actually get down the aisle. Evie doubted it would be much longer.

Natti seemed happy and Evie wanted to be happy for him. After all, she'd wanted Natti to fall in love and get married. That's what she'd told him for years. So for the life of her, she couldn't understand why she wasn't happy. It wasn't fair to Natti who'd always been happy for her. She supposed she was simply projecting because her own marriage was in a state she'd never have imagined. But she would never tell Natti that the thought of him marrying made her sad. He didn't deserve to have her rain on his happiness. Therefore, she always smiled when she saw the two of them were together and pretended excitement she didn't feel. This was her problem, not his.

Evie continued to look in the mirror as she fixed an errant strand of hair. Alexander walked in through the connecting door. He smiled when he saw her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed the side of her head and said, "You look beautiful in red. That gown is perfect for you." He then cupped her breasts and kissed her neck. Evie sighed. "It needs to come off though, because I must have you right now," Alexander said huskily. Evie moaned. She still enjoyed sex with Alexander a great deal. He was right. There was fire between them, always had been. She'd realized over the years that she could love the sex even if not the man.

"Mmmmm, we don't have time for all that, Alexander. This dress has dozens of tiny buttons. It'll take too long."

"Then I guess you'll just have to keep it on." Alexander spun her around and kissed her hard. It was filled with passion and lust for her. Their tongues did a wild dance while Alexander pressed their bodies tightly together. When he let her go, it was to release his manhood from his pants. His rock-hard cock came springing out, obviously needing to be free from its confines. Alexander pulled Evie's skirt up to her hips before grabbing her thighs and lifting her to his waist. Evie gasped as he carried her over to the closed door and pressed her back to it. Evie held onto his neck kissing him passionately as he reached down and lined his cock up with her slit. Realizing what he needed she wrapped her legs around his waist and he drove into her.

Alexander took her hands from his neck and pressed them above her head while interlocking their fingers. He pulled out and kissed her just as he drove into her again. Evie was incredibly aroused. In the nine years they'd been married they'd never had sex standing up and Evie found it exhilarating. She tightened her hold around his waist and squeezed his hands. She sucked on his tongue and tightened her muscles around his cock. Alexander pulled away from her mouth, and she breathed in a large gulp of air.

"Oh baby, that's it. You feel amazing. Oh yes! Squeeze me just like that," he cried. Alexander plunged into her pushing himself deep inside. Evie could hear the sounds of her lower body slamming into the door with each of Alexander's thrusts. The door would shake and the knob would rattle with each push. Alexander kissed her neck and Evie began grunting in pleasure. It was so incredibly erotic to be taken this way, to be pounded into with abandonment while she tried desperately to hang on.

"Uhhhh...Uhhh...Ohhhh," Evie was overwhelmed with lust. She needed her climax, to find that all-consuming pleasure that would overwhelm and satisfy her. "Harder, Alexander. Harder. Give me all of it! Oh Yes!" Alexander released her hands and grabbed her hips. He pulled her towards him each time he pushed. The knocking on the door was getting louder, and no doubt could be heard by anyone who passed by her room. Alexander slammed into her over and over again. He was groaning, building towards his own release. Evie was almost there. Just a little more. If she could just tighten her inner muscles a bit then...

Evie screamed as the waves of pleasure hit her, crashing over every inch of her body. Her shrieks of pleasure resounded throughout the room. Her entire body tightened and she pulled his head towards her own. He kissed her hard, plunging his tongue into her mouth in order to swallow her cries, before releasing his own. Alexander soon followed her into bliss, pumping his seed deep inside her as he cried out. Their mingled shouts and moans increased the pleasure they felt, and when they finally did come back down to earth they both smiled in satisfaction. "Bloody hell, Evangeline," Alexander moaned in her ear.

Alexander let her down slowly and told her to keep ahold of her skirt before stepping away. He tucked himself back into his pants before turning around. He walked over to her water basin and wet the cloth lying beside it. He cleaned her up and Evie dropped her skirt. She walked back to the mirror to assess the damage and was delighted to see that her dress and hair were both still perfect. Her face was flushed and her lips swollen but that would take care of itself before they arrived at Natti's.

Alexander kissed her again. "That was incredible. Are you ready to go my beautiful wife?" Evie nodded. She grabbed her cloak and they headed out choosing not to acknowledge the smirks of amusement that some of their staff wore on their faces.

When they arrived Natti and Amanda greeted them. Well, Natti did. Amanda greeted Alexander but just glanced and nodded at Evie. Amanda had always been standoffish with Evie. Maybe that's why it was difficult for Evie to fully embrace this union. She tried to see things from Amanda's perspective. Maybe Amanda loved Natti so much that other women made her nervous? Whatever it was, she made no attempt to be friends despite Evie's earlier attempts. Evie used to invite Amanda to do things with her. Luncheon, shopping; she even tried including her in the weekly tea she still had with Eleanore and Cathy every Wednesday. Amanda never accepted a single invitation. Eventually Evie took the hint and quit asking.

She and Alexander moved out of the foyer to join the rest of the party. They chatted with other people together for a while but eventually found themselves in separate conversations. Evie was chatting with Eleanore and Cathy making plans for when she returned from Surrey. Spring was upon them and they all wanted some new dresses for the warmer weather. They made plans to go to the local dressmaker when Evie returned from Surrey in just over a week. John Cole, Cathy's husband, came over to interrupt and ask if Evie had seen Alexander. "I have a business lead I want to go over with him," he'd said.

Evie looked around but didn't see Alexander. "I'm not sure where's he's gone," she said. "But I'll go look for him."

Evie excused herself to go in search of her husband. She knew Natti's home well and was comfortable exploring. She checked the foyer where they'd come in but nobody was there now. She checked the dining room where a meal was to be served in a bit but only servants were in there. She checked the parlor and the library. Nobody there either. She thought she would check outside in the back where Natti had his garden and maze. But as she headed to the back door, she passed Natti's office where she heard noises. The door was shut so she couldn't make out who they belonged to but could tell the voices were human. She opened the door and found her husband.

He didn't notice her as he was too busy plowing into the woman he had bent over Natti's desk. Evie was in complete shock. This couldn't be happening again. He'd promised. Sarah was the only other woman in his life. More lies apparently. Because the woman he was currently plundering was not Sarah. Amanda held onto the desk as Alexander pulled her hips to meet his frantic thrusts. "Oh Alexander," Amanda cried. "Oh yes. Take me, I need it. I need you. Give it to me." Amanda was smiling with her eyes closed. Her head was thrown back and the ecstasy she was feeling was clear on her face.

Evie stood frozen in horror. Not only because Alexander was cheating, but also because it was with Natti's fiancé. As furious as she was with Alexander, she was equally furious with Amanda. How could she do this to Natti? What was wrong with her? She was so lucky that Natti had chosen her, and here she was with Evie's philandering husband. Alexander wasn't half the man Natti was. His cheating was proof enough of that.

Once the shock wore off, Evie took one step inside planning to put a stop to it, when suddenly a hand covered her mouth while an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her out of the room. Once she was out, Natti let go of her and quietly shut the door. Evie stared at him wide eyed. "Natti, what..."

Natti cut her off and said, "Not here." He took her hand and led her out the back, over the terrace and into the maze. Evie knew it well. She had memorized it just as she'd memorized the one in Surrey. It was a favorite place for her children to play, and Natti had authorized his household to allow her and the children access whenever they wished.

He drew her in and finally took her down a path that Evie knew was a dead end. It would allow them privacy, however, which is why Natti went that way. Once they were hidden in the shadows Natti let go of her hand and took her into his arms. "I'm so sorry Evie. I'm sorry you found out that way. I should have told you about them, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt you. I convinced myself that you were better off not knowing. Now I see how stupid that was."

Evie pulled away in shock. "Wait, you knew Natti?"

Natti nodded. "Yes, I knew. I caught them together two weeks ago at the Brents' party. I wasn't feeling well, and I went to find Amanda so I could escort her home. I found her with Alexander in the library, together."

"Did you say anything," Evie asked? "Do they know you caught them?"

Natti shook his head. "No. I was so shocked I just walked out. A moment later, I decided to walk back in, put a stop to it and call off the wedding."

"Why didn't you," asked Evie.

Natti sighed. "Because I didn't want you to get hurt. If I canceled the wedding, there was a very good chance you'd find out why. And that would hurt you. I didn't want you to know that Alexander was having an affair. I wanted to spare you the pain. I also didn't want to create a scandal that could hurt your sons."

"So what were you going to do? Marry her despite knowing she's unfaithful and undeserving of you?" Evie looked at him with both wonder and sadness.

"Yes. If that could protect you and the boys, then I was willing to go through with it. It seems rather silly now though. Apparently, they don't have any intention of being careful."

Evie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Natti was prepared to marry that witch just to keep her and the boys safe from pain and scandal. There wasn't a more wonderful man on this earth. She was certain of that. Her silence gave Natti the wrong impression of what she was feeling. "I am so sorry Evie. I hope you can forgive me for my stupidity but I'm also sorry that Alexander can't see how perfect his life is and would do this to you."

"Oh Natti," Evie leaned in to hug him once again. "Please don't feel bad for me." She looked up and knew it was time to tell him the truth. "I'm furious with Alexander. But I'm not heartbroken." Natti looked at her puzzled, and Evie gave him a sad smile. "Three years ago I caught Alexander with another woman. As you said, he's not careful. Anyway, I saw him and when confronted, he told me that she was a woman he had met and fallen in love with long before meeting me. He has another family with her. That was when he broke my heart. He promised she was the only other woman in his life and there would be no others. It hurt. I can't say that I love him anymore, but I have managed to move on and make our marriage work. That is until now. I can't believe he would do this again. And with your fiancé of all people. You don't deserve that, Natti. I'll handle Alexander, but if the only reason you are still engaged to Amanda is because you want to protect me, then don't. Do what will make you happy Natti."

"My heart is broken, Evie, but It's broken for you. I can't believe Alexander is that damn stupid and selfish!" He took a deep breath before continuing. "You've been living with this for three years. Why didn't you tell me? You deserved so much better Evie. You still do."

"I'm sorry for not telling you Natti. I wanted to but the truth is there was nothing you or anyone could do. I'm stuck in this marriage no matter what Alexander does. Telling you would only have made you angry and cause you to worry about me. I adore you, Natti, you know that. I would never cause you pain and worry on my behalf when I could prevent it." Evie paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "This is not the marriage I wanted and hoped for. But it's the one I have. I'll find a way to live with it. But you don't have to Natti. You can still get out. Call it off with Amanda while you still can. Before you're trapped."

"I'm going to call off the engagement. Truth be told, I can hardly stand looking at her. But will you and the boys be alright, if somehow the truth gets out? I'm not going to tell anyone except Amanda the reason for it and I doubt she'll say anything because her reputation will be ruined. But gossip gets around London quickly. There's no guarantee that rumors won't get out there."

"If they do, then they do. I'm not protecting Alexander anymore. And my sons are still too young to really be affected by it. Call it off Natti. Call it off so you can still look for the one who was truly made for you." Natti looked at her, the moon and the stars bright in the sky. He looked at her with tenderness and adoration. She wanted to stay here with Natti forever. To forget Alexander and Amanda and live forever with the dearest person in the world. But instead, she took his hand and said, "We should be getting back. We both have things to take care of tonight."

Natti nodded and they walked out of the maze and back to the house. Right before going inside however, Natti stopped her and looked into her eyes. "I want you to know one thing. I always worry about you Evie. Even when I don't have a reason to. You are entitled to your privacy and secrets, of course. But you don't need to carry your burdens on your own. I'll always help carry them for you."

"Oh Natti," she sighed. "Don't you see we both do that? You didn't tell me about Alexander and Amanda because you didn't want me to get hurt. You were even going through with the wedding for the same reason. You and I, we'll always do whatever's necessary to protect each other."