Chapter 3
The weather this winter had been strangely fickle. Heavy snowfall had been relentless since the beginning of the year, only for an unusually warm spell to take over last week. The lingering snow on the estate grounds had melted away completely, leaving a sense of regret; to a Northerner, a winter without snow felt somehow empty and wrong.
Had it snowed last night? That was the first thing on Jared’s mind the moment he woke today.
Even so, he didn’t hurry to open his eyes, wanting to savor the afterglow of sleep. He didn’t want to leave the warmth of the cozy blankets. Beneath the thick duvet of the matrimonial bed, their shared body heat always pooled together, making him want to linger forever on cold days like this.
And so, eyes still closed, he rolled over and reached his arm out to the left.
As expected, his hand found a woman’s body, but something felt different. His palm brushed against the texture of a chemise. Last night, Rosalyn had fallen asleep naked, just as he had. They had both been completely exhausted, drifting off while leaning against each other. For her to be dressed meant she had woken up before him.
Jared opened his eyes halfway and met the gaze of his wife, who was already watching him.
“Good morning.”
A low voice tickled his ear.
As if she had been waiting for this moment, Rosalyn smiled. The bedroom was cozy and dim, with the heavy curtains drawn as usual.
“When did you wake up?”
“A little while ago.”
“Mmm.” Jared let out a languid breath and closed his eyes again. He wrapped an arm around her waist and tucked himself closer into her embrace. He had slept enough, yet he didn’t want to get up. He wanted to indulge in a bit more laziness.
“I have good news.”
“What is it?”
“It snowed last night.”
The whispering voice of the woman was pleasant to hear. So was the touch of her hand stroking his ruffled hair. Jared was content with the feel of the chemise against his face, her body heat, and her soft scent. This was exactly why he never wanted to leave the bed.
“That is good news.”
“It didn’t pile up too high. And there’s no wind.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s a perfect day for a ride.”
Rosalyn laughed softly, and Jared followed suit with a silent chuckle.
They had agreed to go riding together this morning. It was the end of the month, and reports with looming deadlines were piling up, so he needed to manage his time efficiently. He had a dinner engagement at the club tonight, and he planned to stop by the department store before that. To enjoy a leisurely time on horseback, it was better to start the day’s work as soon as possible.
That being said,
“Nnh…”
He decided to delay breakfast just a little longer.
His hand found her breast through the thin chemise before he hiked up the hem of her skirt. As he slid his hand inside, her warm, smooth skin pressed against his palm. Stroking upward from her thigh to her waist, Jared buried his face deeper into her chest.
“Did you call for Mrs. Weber?”
“No, not yet…”
“Good.”
He skillfully undressed her even as he praised her. Rosalyn didn’t push him away, though she didn’t respond with much vigor either. Jared knew it was because she was mentally calculating his schedule.
“We don’t have much time today,” she murmured.
“We do.”
Answering firmly, he pulled the chemise over her head. The loose nightgown came off easily, and the two were once again equally naked. Jared’s eyes traced the pale curves of her breasts with satisfaction.
“We have plenty of time.”
He pressed his lips against the marks he had left the night before. The afternoon schedule could be pushed back. Who would dare complain if he delayed signing a few reports by a day or two? Jared decided to handle the more urgent and important matter first.
“We’ll take our time with breakfast.”
Rosalyn let out a small, breathless laugh that sounded like a sigh. A low moan followed, and he pulled her closer as if to bind her body to his. No matter how much snow piled up outside, it was always warm in here. Soon, it would turn hot enough to break a sweat.
This was why, every morning—especially in the heart of winter like today—Jared found it utterly impossible to leave this place.
By the time they stepped outside after a late breakfast, it was already close to noon. The snow had fallen quite heavily, covering everything in sight. The branches of the shrubs bowed under the weight of the wet snow. It was a blue, cold, and perfectly clear winter day.
“Look at the sky. It’s so blue.”
Rosalyn pointed toward the heavens with a bright smile. Jared watched her parted lips and the white puffs of her breath scattering in the air.
Indeed, the sky was sapphire and there wasn’t a breath of wind. White snow lay deep over the estate grounds and the coniferous forest in the distance. It was the most beautiful winter scenery Windberg had to offer.
“It is a good day for a ride,” Jared replied, echoing her words as he drew the cold, clean air deep into his lungs.
In front of the Main Building, a groom stood waiting with two horses. Of the two, the brown mare was Rosalyn’s favorite. Jared knew the horse’s name was ‘Joy’ and that she was the gentlest of all the horses in the stable. Even so, he still felt a pointless sense of anxiety whenever his wife mounted a horse.
Only after seeing Rosalyn settled in the saddle did he take his own reins from the groom. The black stallion was the one he had ridden every time he visited Maxville back when he was a young lord; though the horse was middle-aged now, he was still healthy and experienced.
There were many other fine horses in the stables, but Jared didn’t know them intimately yet. He would get to know them one by one from now on.
The two turned their horses north, riding side by side. They hadn’t set a destination, but they naturally guided their mounts in the same direction at a slow pace. Near the Main Building, the servants had cleared the snow, revealing the smooth paving stones.
“I imagine hunting while galloping across a snowy field like this would feel quite special,” she remarked.
“Shall we go together next week?”
“I’ll pass. I’d much rather stay home and play with our son.”
Rosalyn declined without hesitation, offering a beaming smile. Jared shrugged and returned her smile.
In a few days, he would be leaving for a hunting trip. The three-day reindeer hunt was an annual event for the men of the Fairfield family, and starting this year, Jared had agreed to join at the invitation of Viscount Andover. It would be his first hunting trip involving camping since his older brothers passed away.
“Is reindeer your favorite game?”
“The trophies are magnificent. But the most thrilling is hunting bear.”
“I heard bears sometimes attack the hunters.”
“One must take risks for the joy of success to be greater. That’s the charm of hunting beasts.”
“I’d prefer if you didn’t risk your life for a mere hobby. Ari isn’t ready to be the next Duke yet.”
“The boy will be fine. He has a dependable Dowager Duchess by his side.”
“Don’t say such horrible things, Jared.”
Rosalyn scolded him, looking aghast. Seeing her serious face, Jared laughed softly. They held their reins side by side, guiding their horses slowly to match each other’s pace.
The two horses came to a halt just as they moved completely away from the Main Building, leaving the cleared paving stones behind and stepping into the pristine white snow.
There were no footprints or tire tracks on the snow that had fallen overnight. Every path had vanished beneath the thick white blanket. Neither the yellowed, frozen grass nor the elegantly curving driveway was visible. Ahead of them lay only a pure white field—a silver plain sparkling in the sunlight.
“Where do you plan to go?”
Rosalyn asked. Jared turned his head to look at her. The midday sun shone brightly on her face, momentarily dazzling him. Her gray eyes looked like transparent silver, much like the snowy field.
“Where do you want to go?”
Jared asked, his gaze fixed on those eyes. He watched her eyes blink slowly as she looked at him, her nose and cheeks flushed red from the cold, and her unadorned pink lips. He watched as a smile slowly spread across those lips.
“For now… shall we head toward the birch trees?”
Only the two of them knew the meaning behind that mysterious smile.
Jared steered his horse to the right, drawing closer to ‘Joy.’ Holding the reins of the gentle mare, the woman looked up at him. It wasn’t difficult at all to lean over and kiss her.
Cold lips met. Only after their lips had grown sufficiently warm did Jared lift his head. Such a bold display of affection in broad daylight was unrefined, but there were no eyes around to see them anyway.
Even if someone did see, what of it? Jared didn’t care, but Rosalyn glanced around briefly before whispering to him with a look of embarrassment.
“There are people over there.”
Jared kept his eyes on her face, which was a mix of amusement and fluster, before glancing in that direction himself. A distance away, a group of people could be seen clearing snow with particular vigor. Had they seen? Even if they had, so what?
“Do you think they saw?”
“Who knows.”
He murmured toward her face, then suddenly said with a mischievous look,
“Shall we run away?”
Without warning, he gave his horse’s flanks a light kick, and it began to gallop. His horse entered the snowfield first, and hers followed close behind.
The two horses galloped across the pathless snow. They headed toward the forest, but they weren’t in a hurry to reach it. They veered off course and circled around as if playing a game. Faint sounds of bright laughter could be heard.
Only after leaving a chaotic trail of hoofprints behind did the two disappear into the forest. Under the clear blue sky, Maxville returned to silence, leaving only the messy tracks on the snow.
—The End—
