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Her parents arrived early the next day, bubbling with excitement as she settled them into the cottage and almost being squeezed to death with overzealous hugs and kisses.
Her room was looking a lot barer since she had packed up a lot of personal things and moved them to the manor. Rob had encouraged her to start transitioning her things up there, to slowly get used to the idea the cottage was no longer her main home and that his was. It had felt weird at first, moving her things to his, putting some of her clothes hanging in the space he had cleared for her in his wardrobe. The addition of a few trinkets and pictures on his shelves had made her realise how right he was about the room; it was undeniably male. Dark wood and cool blue tones, masculine, modern furniture and a wall of technology. She couldn’t just add to the room her soft girly things and make it look more unisex. Her things just stood out even more harshly against the male décor and the space more of a squeeze now two people cohabited. With only a handful of her clothes from here, his wardrobe already looked maxed out. She hadn’t even shown him the space her shoes needed as most were hidden under her bed at the cottage and would most likely have given him heart failure.
Her mother held her captive for more than an hour, she wanted details and stories, to bask in the nearness of the beautiful ring and hear all the wonders of the party planned for tonight. She had missed her. Rose’s brothers would unfortunately not be attending, not that she had thought they would. One lived in New Zealand for a start and could travel for a wedding but not for a party. The other was in the forces; an RAF officer and had not been able to get any leave on such short notice, but she had spoken to both on skype; promises made to make sure they both got here for the wedding and Rose knew they would come, she wanted them to meet Rob properly and not via internet calls.
She drove back to the house with her dress and shoes firmly zipped inside a clothes protector, her bags of more items and makeup safely stowed on her passenger seat as she made the short journey which was now almost second nature.
Rob met her inside as he was heading out to meet a client and told her to take everything upstairs.
‘Put your stuff in my mother’s old room baby, our room of choice for tonight, for old times sakes.’ Rob winked and pecked her on the cheek as he relieved her of her cases.
‘Hmmmm... Sounds good to me.’ She smiled coquettishly at him and led the way to the stairs.
‘Nice big tub in there for some clean fun later, if you’re game?’
Rose immediately smiled at his obvious intentions, heat creeping up her cheeks and a quick glance back at that wicked look.
‘I don’t think clean is the right word for what you have planned.’ She giggled and climbed the stairs, dodging staff with feather dusters and canvas sheets.
‘Me? I’m an innocent boy with no filthy intentions at all.’ Rob mock gasped and winked at her. ‘Besides, up here, away from the rest of the house... Good for sneaking off mid party and requires no sound proofing.’ Rose could only grin and curb the urge to roll her eyes at him.
He kissed her goodbye when he dropped her bags in the bedroom and promised to be back soon, leaving with a light smack on her butt which made her yelp. He had already been up at some point, his clothes and shoes were draped casually over the plush comforter, some aftershave and male products on the vanity, cufflinks and his bow tie neatly beside them.
Rose added her clothes to the bed, unzipping the bag and hanging up the pale gold coloured gown. Its lace sleeves and fitted bodice completely see through, figure hugging and floor length with an open back coming to a V at the base of her back. She pulled out the satin camisole dress that went underneath. Strappy and cut in the back to match the lace with small clips that would conceal the join of the two dresses, keeping them in place as one. She had found it in a vintage boutique with Abby and fallen in love, long before she knew she would be having an engagement party and it somehow felt right. She had found pale gold satin heels with diamante straps, crossed delicately over her toes and ankles, to go with it more recently on an internet scourge for the perfect pair.
It was too early to start getting ready, but Abby had arranged for a hairdresser to come by soon and get them looking fabulous. Rose had turned down the offer of a makeup artist, feeling that her own skills with her own makeup would make her feel less showy and dolled up, nervous that tonight was not just about enjoying herself but really about being introduced to the public as the future lady Munro. Having people taking their pictures and asking them questions so people could nosey and read all about the romantic fairy-tale story. She supposed to outsiders looking in, it was spectacular.
Handsome rich Laird who inherited his title early on. Love at first sight with some big city dwelling artist, pulled to the cottage of her dead aunt. It had it all. Romance. Money. A dramatic love story and damaged woman clawing them apart, if only they knew the turmoil behind closed doors. She couldn’t blame them really, she would have read about it too if it hadn’t been her life.
Rose pushed Morag out of her mind’s eye as the thought crept in again, as it had done many times over the last few days and swallowed down the surge of trepidation once more. Morag added the drama to their love story, and lately the lack of it had been unnerving both of them. No one knew where or what Morag was doing but she couldn’t stay hidden for much longer.
* * *
The hours went by so quickly, Rose felt like she could barely catch her breath. Her long soak in the beautiful tub had been drawn out with Rob’s return, joining her and making it less of a clean soak than she had intended. They had left the floor drenched and soapy and ended up trailing water and suds across the threshold into the open room and the bedroom rug. He really was incorrigible. Her moans and cries muffled purposely, aware that Abby’s room was closer up here and she could not get the words ‘sound proofing’ out of her mind.
Locking Muffin in the bedroom after walking and feeding him and making sure he had everything he needed had taken only minutes. Calls to her parents to arrange the finer meeting details for later that night and seating plans. She had eaten a light meal to carry her through to the evening buffet while Rob was taking a last-minute conference call downstairs and Rose just felt like the day was spinning away too fast.
The hairdresser had insisted on using one of the large empty rooms downstairs to fix the girls hair in stylish up do’s; Rose opting for an elegant knot, low down at the back of her head with her hair curled prior so it looked less neat and smooth. Some loose tendrils curled lightly and hanging free and it was all held securely with a vintage clasp Abby had found at a junk shop the week before. Rose’s make up was in keeping with the romantic vintage style and her reflection in the mirror calmed some of her nerves, even without her outfit on, she looked beautiful.
She pulled on her dress in front of the bedroom mirror as Rob came in, already in his tuxedo and bow tie and looking devilishly handsome, like a sexy James bond in a modern remake of Octopussy. She smiled appreciatively at him in the mirror, catching his eye and the way his eyes skimmed her body with unconcealed lust.
‘You look stunning baby. Most gorgeous woman I have ever laid eyes on.’ Rob came up behind her, zipping up her dress the last of the way and ran fingertips across her exposed skin above the low back.
Rose’s body tingled in response, closing her eyes to enjoy the feel of his hands on her.
‘Guess I look like I go with you then, you look incredibly hot.’ She giggled and opened her eyes, once again locking gaze on his reflection and the smile beaming back at her.
‘Have a standard to upkeep.’ He laughed and slid something out of his inner jacket pocket, holding out a small silver wrapped box in front of her with a smile and a nudge.
‘You did say if it mattered that much!’ His voice tickled her neck, her skin coming alive at the proximity of him and excitement at the appearance of the gift, sending her stomach into butterflies.
‘Rob! I told you... No gifts.’ She laughed, turning and kissing him before wiping her subtle shade of lipstick from his mouth with her fingertips, finally taking the box from his hand. She moved past him to the nearby table and laid it down, so she could use both hands to open the latch and open it carefully. Removing the lid, then the expensive paper and revealing a flat smaller velvet box encased inside the larger one, she glanced up at him in anticipation, feeling like pretty woman and unable to stop smiling.
He was watching her carefully, eagerly, awaiting her reaction and saying nothing at all. She withdrew the smaller box, pushing everything else aside and clicked it open to reveal a beautiful set of earrings and necklace in the same vintage style and stones as her engagement ring. An obvious antique and stunningly delicate and beautiful. She gasped and traced the pieces with her manicured finger, admiring the detailed cut and almost perfect colour match of the stones to her ring.
‘Oh my god Rob, it’s breathtakingly beautiful.’ She exhaled, letting him take the box and remove the necklace, turning her back to the mirror so he could close it around her neck and let it nestle against her clavicle. Rose could only gawp at it in the mirror, completely in awe of such beauty and overcome with emotion.
‘Beautiful jewellery for a beautiful bride to be.’ He whispered, kissing her below the ear and moving off to retrieve the earrings. She turned back, taking the earrings, which were more like delicate short studs and put them carefully in her ears as her eyes filled with moisture, unable to stop looking at them in the mirror.
‘You like?’ He watched her, a smile creeping over his face at her obvious reaction. She was admiring them, touching them gently. He could tell without even asking, the blush of happiness on her cheeks, the gratitude in her eyes and the smile covering her face.
‘Yes. There so beautiful and elegant. Perfect... So unique, and a perfect match for my ring...Where ever did you get them?’ She turned to him with a dazzling grin before returning to admire them lovingly.
‘Believe it or not, I came upon them by chance. When I headed out this morning to pick up a necklace at Brookstone’s, the antique place, I had already chosen for you. This had just been brought in, sold on from an estate that had no surviving inheritors left. I saw it and immediately knew it was meant for you.’ Rob was back behind her, hands on her shoulders and jaw against her head.
‘That’s kind of sad.’ She glanced down forlornly, playing with the delicate pendant on her chest and angled it up to look at it closely.
‘That’s what happens when you don’t fall in love and have any children to leave it all too.’ He answered, watching her and once again letting his eyes skim the length of her appreciatively.
‘Not much chance of it ending up back in that situation anytime soon then.’ Rose smiled up at his reflection once more, catching the way he was looking at her and blushing furiously. Despite the intimate ways she knew him, sometimes it still made her act like a flustered teen when she caught open desire on that far too perfect face.
‘Something to treasure and pass down to a daughter for a change.’ He winked.
‘Daughter?’ She laughed playfully and frowned his way.
‘Ok, girlfriend of one of our many sons.’ He corrected, remembering a previous conversation about only having sons and brushed back a strand of her hair across her neck tenderly.
‘Start our own tradition, passing on our own little piece of beauty.’ Rose gazed at the necklace once more, warmed by the sentiment of that thought.
‘Exactly.’ Rob patted her butt. ‘Ready to make a grand entrance?’ He turned her slowly to him.
‘No. But I’m sure you will look after me.’ She slipped her arm into his strong familiar muscular one, feeling him tighten against her hand protectively.
‘Always baby, always!’
