Chapter 25
María was very curious over what might have caused Elizabeth’s most recent change of heart. She was happy that her beloved niña had decided to leave the convent for good because the convent just wasn’t the place for her. She deserved to find a good, worthy man, marry him and have lots of babies that she could spoil.
She’d heard all her life that Buffy was to marry Angel De Alcazar as soon as he came back from Europe and although she wasn’t sure that their match was such a good idea, especially considering whom the boy’s mother was, it wasn’t her place to say anything. She also knew how hurt her baby had been when she’d discovered that the man she thought she loved didn’t want to marry her, so it hadn’t been that surprising when the girl went away to the convent; considering her girl’s stubborn streak and her pride, it would have been surprising if she’d stayed, no matter how much her mother begged or tried to manipulate her.
Which was precisely why she’d been so astounded when from one day to the other and especially after finding out that her own sister was going to marry Angel De Alcazar, Elizabeth decided not to go back to the convent. Add to that the girl had been noticeably happier this week than she’d seen her in what seemed like forever, so much so that not even Aimée’s crueler remarks seemed to bother her; and that was more than enough to make María worry. ‘What could have happened to make mi niña change that much?’ she wondered as she walked down the hall to her charge’s room. It was time for her to find out what was happening.
* ~ * ~ *
Buffy’s room
Buffy had never felt anything like this, her skin seemed to tingle everywhere she felt his hands or his lips. And she could only pray that he never stopped kissing her. Just thinking that he might be leaving soon, this time for longer, made her cling to him tighter, made her kisses fiercer and more passionate. She was yielding to him and to whatever he wanted to do to her completely.
Spike didn’t want to stop kissing her, touching her. Her body felt so wonderfully right pressed to his. They were so close that he could feel every sigh, every moan, every shiver as it coursed through her body and just knowing that he was responsible for that, that she probably hadn’t felt like this for anybody else, inflamed his blood even further with lust, his cock swelled against his breeches making them almost unbearably uncomfortable as he tried to get closer to her.
He wasn’t surprised by how much he wanted her, he was only human after all and she was so incredibly soft, warm and pliant in his arms. But he was surprised by the wave of tenderness and protectiveness that crashed upon him when he remembered how innocent his love was. It made him realize that he had to stop, that it wouldn’t do to take her like this, no matter how tempted he might be to say to hell with everything. He had to do things right for once in his life. There’d be time for the pleasures of the flesh later, when she became his wife before God and the world, and there was no doubt in his mind that she would be, no matter who or what he had to go through in order to accomplish it.
He winced as he forced himself to stop kissing her, pulling away from the bliss of her body pressed to his as he kneeled once more on the floor. He kept his hold on her, with his arms around her waist, while he hid his face on her lap, panting as he tried to rein in his body’s natural impulses.
Buffy opened her eyes slowly, thoroughly confused when William’s lips left hers, only to find his head reclined in her lap. Why had he stopped? Did she do anything wrong? Her breath hitched and her eyes filled with tears, thinking that maybe she shouldn’t have acted like she did. ‘Surely he thinks I’m a-a…trollop now and doesn’t want to marry me anymore,’ she thought, feeling her heart breaking, until he raised his head from her lap and she could see the love shining deeply in the blue ocean of his eyes, along with something else that she didn’t quite recognize.
Spike had heard her sharp intake of breath and had somehow sensed her distress, quickly imagining that she might be making some erroneous assumptions after his sudden retreat, so he raised his head, trying to convey with his eyes all that she made him feel, all the love, desire, longing, adoration, protectiveness and tenderness that she incited in him and then lifted his hands up to cradle her face, tenderly caressing it as he spoke to her.
“I love you, sweetheart, more than I could ever express with words. It might be sudden and some might say it’s too soon, but I know I do, same as I know that I want to marry you as soon as I come back from my trip. I know we’ll probably have to face a few obstacles… your mother might not be too keen on me as her son-in-law—” He chuckled. “But make no mistake about it, love; you’ll be my wife, even if I have to steal you away.”
“B-but…” She began deciding once and for all to ask him about Aimée. “What about—” she trailed, as suddenly her room’s door opened to reveal her very angry nanny. “María!” she cried startled, putting her hand over her chest and getting up off the settee so quickly that Spike lost his balance and fell backwards.
“Ow!”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, honey,” Buffy said as she solicitously helped him up. “Let me…”
María cleared her throat, while she pierced them with her brown eyes. “Have you forgotten that I’m still here? I want an explanation, niña, and I want it right this minute or do you want me to call your mother?”
Buffy blanched. “N-no, María. There’s no need. I’ll tell you everything you want to know, I promise, just don’t tell her, yet.”
Knowing very well how Joyce Summers could be and seeing how scared her niña was, María relented. “All right. Tell me who this young man is, although by his aspect I can imagine he is the person you saw on the garden a little while ago.”
“Yes, hmm, this is William…er…Giles.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Spike turned on his charm fully, trying to win this woman over to their side.
“For you? It might be; for me? Well, I’m not too sure of that, yet.” She raised her eyebrow at him in clear doubt, before turning to Elizabeth once more. “Now, what are you doing with a man in your room, niña? Not to mention a known pirate!”
“It’s just that…he’s been away for a week on a trip and he just came back today and I missed him so much and he asked me to marry him and look at my ring, isn’t it pretty?” Buffy said, almost without breathing at all until she finished, extending her hand at her nanny.
María, meanwhile, had finally given William a good look, paling visibly when she noticed his marked resemblance to a person that she’d known many years ago.
“No, it can’t be…it can’t!”
tbc
I know, I know. It was a tad evil to leave it there, but it truly felt like the right place. I'll try to update by Thursday or Friday. Don't think it'd be earlier because I have to go with my daughters to a concert tomorrow and then on Wednesday we celebrate Mother's Day here in Guatemala. So, if there are any moms reading, Happy Mother's Day!
*hugs*
Mari