Chapter 155
<Episode 8 Extra>
‘The chances of something being wrong with Yi are very slim. Let’s do everything we can on our end first, and if it still doesn’t work out, we can discuss it together.’
“……I was thinking about the baby room Mrs. Starr decorated. It was very cute. The Forget-me-not patterned wallpaper, the white cradle. And a mountain of dolls. She made them all herself.”
“Oliver said she put a lot of effort into it.”
“It really seemed that way. The newborn baby will surely be a baby specially loved by God. Because they will be born to such an affectionate mother.”
Laura spoke in a leisurely and light tone so that her husband would not know her true feelings. She tried not to let envy show in her voice, and maintained a nonchalant attitude as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.
She hadn't used it for a while, but her acting skills didn't seem to have deteriorated. Even Ian, who was sensitive to his wife's feelings, was fooled.
He couldn't even guess what was in Laura's heart, and he fell in love with his wife, who was happy with just stuffed animals and pretty wallpaper.
He pulled Laura's shoulder, kissed her cheek, rubbed his nose against the tip of Laura's nose, and chuckled.
“You were so excited to see the stuffed animals, my baby?”
Laura chuckled.
"Yes. I was excited."
He stroked Laura's cheek and kissed her on the cheek.
“Let’s go to town tomorrow. I’ll buy you a mountain of them.”
“One or two is fine, but what are you going to do with a mountain of them?”
“Decorate your study with them. And put them wherever your eyes linger. The bedroom, dining room, reception room, hall, gallery, garden, my office.”
“You keep saying ridiculous things…… um…….”
His lips, which had been tapping her cheek like warm spring rain, traced down Laura's neck. With it, the kiss became more intense.
His hand gently caressed the ribs above her waist. It was a sensitive area. Laura moaned faintly. An act of affection that should only be done in the bedroom was happening again in broad daylight. Even as her head was spinning, Laura thought she should stop.
The carriage windows were wide open and the curtains were all drawn. The carriage seat and the driver's seat were subtly close, so there was no way the driver wouldn't know if something happened.
Laura barely managed to keep her mind and grabbed his shoulder.
“Ian. It’s a carriage. Stop……. Not here…….”
He buried his nose in Laura's collarbone, rubbing his lips against her white skin, and muttered.
"Just a little. Just a little, Laura."
Even as he said that, his hands were running down Laura's body, caressing her knees.
Laura tried to push him away, but it was not enough. He was holding her waist tightly, and Laura couldn't take a firm stance when her husband coaxed and appeased her like this.
When she touched him, her body lost strength. When his lips touched and caressed her sensitive skin, Laura's head became dizzy and her judgment blurred.
Laura didn't want it as often as her husband did, but once it started, she became just as happy as he was.
Ian seemed to know this, and he gave his wife happiness every night, and sometimes came to give her happiness during work. The places where they became happy varied widely. Laura's study, the library, the conservatory, etc.
After it was over, Laura would feel so ashamed that she wanted to bang her head against the wall and vowed never to be swept away again, but as always, her resolve crumbled when Ian approached. Once they started making love, Laura wanted what Ian wanted just as much, and she could do nothing but cooperate.
Ian stroked his wife's slender thighs, covered in stockings, with his fingertips. It was a meltingly sweet touch that stealthily groped and then cleverly dug inside.
"Ah……."
Ian buried his face in Laura's breasts, which were bulging over her dress. Laura wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed the top of his head against her cheek.
But Laura, who had been caught up in the heat, inadvertently shifted her gaze to the outside of the window.
And she was shocked to death.
The carriage was running along a narrow path between turnip fields. It was currently May, and dozens of farmers and women were out in the fields, plowing the land and sowing seeds.
Laura, who had good eyesight, saw it clearly. Some of the farmers who were resting after putting down their hoes were looking at the carriage with surprised eyes. They were even poking the backs of their colleagues who were rolling cigarettes next to them and pointing at the carriage.
At that moment, Laura kicked Ian away in a hurry.
Ian, who was defenseless and harvesting the fruits of love, fell backward.
Ian, with a dazed face, got up from the plush seat of the carriage.
"What's wrong, Laura?"
Laura, in a state of panic from embarrassment and shame, closed the curtains with trembling hands. She straightened her disheveled appearance and glared at Ian.
"Why do you keep trying to do this outside the bedroom!"
"Well, because I love you……."
"How can you not listen to me when you say you love me?"
"But you like it too."
Laura's face turned red. She couldn't deny that.
"You have to keep your promises. Just now at the Parsonage, and now……. How can you be so indifferent to our couple's reputation? You know that the eyes of the world are on the landowner family. It's not good for the family's future if we ruin our reputation."
Ian swept back his disheveled hair.
"Of course, I know that I sometimes embarrass you. But I don't do it in front of people. Of course, I sometimes hold your hand in front of others, but that's that. Have we ever been caught making love in front of anyone? Even when we were in the bookcase, we stopped before the servants found us."
Laura muttered with a tearful face.
"We were caught."
"……Huh?"
"The farmers in the field saw us."
Ian blinked.
"I saw it all. They looked at our carriage with faces as if an elephant had appeared. One farmer was so surprised that he even dropped the bag of turnip seeds he was holding. They saw us. Us…… in the carriage……."
Laura's face slowly turned red, and soon tears welled up in her eyes.
"Surely the whole town will whisper about what our couple did in the carriage. They'll curse us for being wicked and lewd. We won't be able to escape the rumors for at least five or six years. I can't even go to church anymore. I'm so…… ashamed!"
Laura covered her face with both hands. And she began to sob.
"Laura!"
Ian turned pale and grabbed Laura's shoulders. Laura tried to shake off his touch by shaking her body. He didn't care and pulled Laura's body into his arms.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't think people would see us…… Damn, I should have closed the curtains……"
"That's not the problem!"
Laura sobbed and beat her husband's chest with her two fists.
"What's not enough that you keep doing this outside in broad daylight when you're doing it until midnight every day! You idiot! I married a pervert!"
He grabbed Laura's wrist tightly.
"Stop it. Your hand will hurt more if you hit me with a ring on it."
Laura, unable to overcome her husband's strength, sobbed with her wrists held.
Ian waited for Laura to calm down. Soon Laura's sobs subsided and her rough breathing began to subside to a normal level.
Ian let go of her hand. And he took out a stiffly ironed gray handkerchief from his chest pocket and gently wiped Laura's wet face.
After wiping away the tears, he brought the handkerchief to Laura's nose.
"Here, blow."
Laura blew her nose without much resistance. Ian neatly cleaned around Laura's nose, folded the handkerchief neatly, put it in his chest pocket, and pulled Laura into his arms again.
"I'm sorry."
He kissed the top of Laura's head.
"I know. I know that I embarrass you. I want it too often, and I want it anywhere, so I know it's hard for you. Maybe it's because I thought you loved me, so you'd end up accepting everything. I won't do it anymore. I really mean it. I won't do it."
His large hand gently stroked Laura's small head. With that simple skinship, Laura's heart was soon calmed as if she had never been angry. And in its place was once again a solid and full love. A love that made her feel like she could split her chest with a stone knife and take out her heart for him.
Laura rubbed her wet eyes against the gray spring jacket with a faint cigar scent.
"I'm sorry too. For kicking you and getting angry."
"It's okay. It's nothing."
Laura's heart fluttered at her husband's affectionate whisper. She reached out and hugged Ian tightly.
"By the way, what about the rumors? The family crest is painted on the carriage, so they'll definitely know it's our couple……."
"Don't worry. People were probably surprised to see our new carriage. It's rare to see a carriage with gold leaf on the edges in this neighborhood. No one saw what was going on inside the carriage."
"……Really?"
"Of course, of course. No matter how good your eyesight is, it's impossible."
Laura was persuaded. Come to think of it, the distance between the farmers and the carriage seemed quite far. Besides, it wasn't like they had lit candles inside the carriage, so it would be difficult to know what was going on inside. His guess that they were surprised to see the luxury Four-wheeled carriage that was launched today felt reasonable enough.
Laura felt relieved. She snuggled in her husband's chest for a while, rubbing her cheek against him.
"Shall we walk back?"
Laura looked up at her husband. He tucked Laura's hair behind her ear and whispered.
"Around this time of year, wildflowers bloom all over Whitefield. It's like God's exhibition that encompasses all the shades of the world. It's perfect for a walk."
Laura noticed his intention. He was trying to cheer her up. Laura was already at ease, but she nodded, grateful for his consideration.
The two got out of the carriage. And after telling the coachman to go back first, they linked arms and started walking.
