A Gypsy's Love 3 Vincent & Jessica

By Sophia S. Sterling

With utterly nothing, but free time on his hands, Lord Vincent Cardwell, the eighth Duke of Kent, had resolved to leave well enough alone concerning any matters of the heart. As he observed his best friend Lord Jeffery Lumley, the twelfth Earl of Scarborough and Jeffery’s cousin, Lord Alex Lumley pine for women was a sad and laughable case. Thinking that his two close companions would die forlorn and brooding, to see the reason behind their nauseating fixation come forth one after the other.
By their turn of event, Lord Cardwell was beyond amazed that his fate altered as theirs did. Undoubtedly, not far from his mind, Lord Cardwell had his heart tucked away for someone, he thought never to encounter ever again. Now years later, he is compelled to confront his fears of rejection or the possibility of hope of having HER.
Living in incognito for so many years was not an easy task. But residing with the new family she came to love, and trust gave Lady Jessica Mancini, peace of mind for her and her daughter. Although with that, one probability of her daughter’s father kin coming into their life and snatching her baby girl, was always a real prospect. And even more so, as Lady Mancini encounters an exasperating, peculiar, passionate individual from her youth. That made her almost capitulate to his will. Fearing the worst, Lady Mancini would do anything to safeguard her daughter from her father’s family. Even if it meant running away from the only family and man, she might ever love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sophia S. Sterling
• Release date: Aug 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9789769598232

Book preview

Other Books

A

Gypsy’s Love

3

"Vincent & Jessica"

Outline

With utterly nothing, but free time on his hands, Lord Vincent Cardwell, the eighth Duke of Kent, had resolved to leave well enough alone concerning any matters of the heart. As he observed his best friend Lord Jeffery Lumley, the twelfth Earl of Scarborough and Jeffery’s cousin, Lord Alex Lumley pine for women was a sad and laughable case. Thinking that his two close companions would die forlorn and brooding, to see the reason behind their nauseating fixation come forth one after the other.

By their turn of event, Lord Cardwell was beyond amazed that his fate altered as theirs did. Undoubtedly, not far from his mind, Lord Cardwell had his heart tucked away for someone, he thought never to encounter ever again. Now years later, he is compelled to confront his fears of rejection or the possibility of hope of having HER.

Living in incognito for so many years was not an easy task. But residing with the new family she came to love, and trust gave Lady Jessica Mancini, peace of mind for her and her daughter. Although with that, one probability of her daughter’s father's kin coming into their life and snatching her baby girl, was always a real prospect.

And even more so, as Lady Mancini encounters an exasperating, peculiar, and passionate individual from her youth. That made her almost capitulate to his will. Fearing the worst, Lady Mancini would do anything to safeguard her daughter from her father’s family. Even if it meant running away from the only family and man, she might ever love.

Chapter 1

1806 - Chester

We don’t need this little prick with...

He looks like money, he’s coming. Hans, the leader of their small band of misfits, declared to Jessica with the patience of a saint that he was not, walking away to his tent.

Glaring at Hans retreating form, made Jessica envision throwing one of her gleaming blades that Wei, Hans, right-hand man gave her as a birthday present in his stiff nether. But knew if she did, everyone would assuredly realize it was her that ended or injured the blighted fool's miserable life. For no one, dared argued with the gruff buffoon as she did.

Taking a deep breath, to watch around her home that had a bunch of old tents, scattered about a somewhat open field. Filled with such a mix of people and problems, Jessica wanted to, too...She had not a clue what she wanted at that moment.

But if her livid, anxious mind could take a moment, she would voice her will. Hans's latest find was an issue for her. The child would not relent, nor would he break as the others did.

As she did.

From the instant Hans and Wei took the boy, bound from his home and brought him thus far, Jessica knew he would be her nuisance to deal with.

At twenty, she recognized the gaze of a defiant beast. And the boy spoke it in spades. The child refused to say a word, but he would eat all that was given to him by the Cook. Which meant he was mental, to put it mildly. For no one ever ate all that was made by Hans Cook. And labeling the man a Cook was cursing the profession, but the boy ate it all and asked for more with his empty, raised bowl.

Jessica did not need this burden now. Her monthly was coming, and they would be moving within a fortnight or so. Also, she had no desire or will, to force a mite or anyone to take an active role in their camp.

She preferred to set it free so she could also be liberated from training any more ill-fated souls to follow Han’s directive. Nevertheless, knowing how Hans worked hard to capture this prize, he would see fruits from his or rather her labor.

With her eyes closed, Jessica could identify every object that was positioned in their camp. To her left lay the Cook’s tent with all his ill victuals waiting to slowly poison everyone. Besides the cook, was Ember the wrangler and his pets; horses, donkeys, zebras, and too many animals that could shit as fast as they could eat.

And to Jessica’s right were Delilah and her Girls embellishing, shaving, and sharpening their utensils for their journey in a few weeks. Next to the girl's pavilions, were Mauk and his group that made all feel protected within the camp, if a whole village came after them with pitchforks and blazing sticks. Just a look of Mauk’s and his four men would send even a raging wild boar, scurrying back to its bushy hole.

Then there were Jessica’s marquees, the one place Hans seemed pleased to dump the boy onto her lap. Hans knew the Cook, Ember or Mauk would be ideal for housing the little boy brat, seeing that they were all men. But no, Hans wanted her to beguile and break the pup in a week to be ready for their show. Jessica shook her head and wondered if Hans was dafter now with age, to think she knew magic.

Turning back to look at Hans's tent before she walked off, Jessica cursed like the seadogs they traveled with six months ago, crossing from China, heading to the slow river to cool off. Not a soul tried to stop her as she marched by, all the flurry of the camp's activity. To plop her dry bottom on damp grass and gazed at the soothingly flowing stream as it calmed her a bit, but not much. It would take . . .

Is the boy too much trouble for you?

Jessica was so lost in her deep grouse, that she did not hear when Scarlett came and sat behind her. Out of all of Delilah's girls, Scarlett was the only one she could stomach to have near her.

Shaking her head, Jessica answered, taking a deep breath, to fall back on the lush green earth, to look up at the brilliant blue sky, with its few white clouds as they rolled by. Everyone that was in Hans clique had a story. They came with one and created more along the way.

As Jessica did.

Yet Scarlett was different from any of the jaded girls that were under Delilah's tutelage. Scarlett still held a sort of unfettered innocence that lingered about her, and Jessica wondered, how long that would last.

Sighing, Jessica answered her, He eats and stares at me.

How?

She knew Scarlett was naïve in some aspects, but she could ask some foolish questions. However, she would never disrespect the girl.

With his eyes. How else? Jessica replied as Scarlett remained silent for a while, and she was most grateful for that. However, thinking more of the simple query, she realized that Scarlett saw something more, and wanted to be truthful in her responses to the girl, but held her tongue.

The way his gaze feast on you, would make me blush, Scarlett replied.

By her words, Jessica knew the girl spoke the truth, undoubtedly blushing from his gaze when she left him for the morning. As the woman servicemen and her retort was the gospel truth. Since the boy stayed in her tent, Jessica found herself more outdoors than usual. The boy’s stare made her heart skip, and her palms damp as with other parts of her anatomy, which she would not share with anyone.

Frowning more from the unassuming probe, it was the same declaration the Cook said when he dropped off his meal last night. In fact, Cook said, The boy could eat more than his food. And when Jessica did look at the Cook, then the boy, the child was staring at her, which made her feel peculiar.

In all honesty, since the lad came into her camp, he made things change without doing much. Hans had the boy chained to the hard ground, in the same sleepwear they took him from his home. And for almost a week, Jessica made no headways with the child.

Rubbing her eyes, she wondered about the boy, seeing no one told her a lick about him. She knew nothing of his age and name. All that Hans would divulge were, The boy had money. But by looking at the youth, he appeared to be around fourteen to sixteen, which was a child to her.

At twenty, Jessica was almost as tall as all the other girls in the camp. For Deliah hand-picked all her girls to be willowy with arcs and bumps in all the right places for their customers. Jessica was not all slim and trim as they were, but with breast enough to fit in Hans's large hands.

Once, when he was drunk, the man would say, He wanted to feel clean breasts. But Hans was never drunk enough to bed her.

Much to her disappointment.

Jessica believed she was in love with the man, that took her from her home five years ago. Being a little wild when she was young, she would steal away in the night to her father’s winery and spend the night drinking alone. It started as a farce to see if anyone would miss her, which they did not. So continued for a year, slipping away to have a bottle or two, to stumbled back into her bed and sleep it off.

But one night before she could take a sip, Jessica saw two shadows slipped in and disappear into the darkness. Knowing that she was sober, she sat back and watched as the silhouettes rematerialized with two crates of her father’s best wine on their shoulders, and exited as fast as they came. Curious, Jessica followed, still holding her bottle for dear life, thinking this was a whodunit she could solve and maybe get some attention or recognition for it.

But alas, looking back, it was the best decision she ever made in her life. As it turned out, Jessica followed Hans to their camp and fell asleep watching the flurry of their traveling band, and was taken into his company with open arms.

Well, sort of with open arms.

After passing by her family home one year later, Jessica thought to stop by and see if she was missed, and sadly, it was not the case. For the servants that were there, could not remember her face, nor knew the name of the missing daughter of the great Lord Francis Mancini, the Queen’s trusted winemaker. Instead, Jessica was given hard, stale bread and sour milk and sent off by the servants saying, The household went off on vacation and won't be back for some months.

Imagine that, their last daughter missing for over a year and her family went off on vacation for a few months. Looking back, she did not miss the people who were supposed to be her blood kin, save her little brother Hercules.

No, Jessica yearned the absence of pleasing the fodder, that was cooked by someone who knew how to fill a hungry stomach and not make it sick, by the smell or sight of what was to be eaten. And that was all.

Being in Hans's camp, made Jessica feel alive, but more so when Hans shared his feelings with her. Yet with all the adventure of Hans and his wayfaring band, Jessica could not hide her feelings for their leader, as Delilah advised her in the early part of her first year, Do not fall for the man.

And Jessica did within a month of being around Hans.

Their leader did nothing to make you think he was in love or cared for anyone. Most of the time, Hans was rude, coarse, loud, and callous in his treatment of the ladies, but that was how he was with everyone. He was exhaustive in his horrid managing of every soul in his faction.

Although Jessica did not know what power Hans dispelled to capture her feelings so painlessly, it was maddening at times. For all his wrongs, he made many rights that were such a contradiction. Jessica knew she would have killed, maimed, or left years ago of her free will after doing some damage to someone if it was not for Hans.

With her back damp from the morning dew, Jessica could not believe she lingered after all those years. In remaining, she freely gave Hans some power over her, savoring with the hope that his feelings would return to her someday.

Why do you wander off so easily? Scarlett asked, leading her only friend back to the present.

I don’t know. Jessica sighed countering, Maybe it’s better to wander off in thought than to remain in reality.

Hum.

Closing her eyes for a second, Jessica recalled why she sought some solitude.

The boy.

He’s a handsome one. The lad. Scarlett said blushing from her own words.

Aye, he’s handsome trouble. Do you want him? Jessica asked, sitting up to see Scarlett now was beside her with a secret seductive smile on her face.

And what would I do with him? Delilah’s girl enquired, plucking on a flower, brushing it on her lips.

Father, the girl was translucent as the wind sometimes. Anything, I replied.

And Hans would have my …

You could train him, Jessica sprang to her knees with her eyes large with an idea twinkling behind her gaze.

Train him to do what, sleep with men? Scarlett asked, shaking her head. I think not.

Not with men, Jessica said frowning at Scarlett’s idea of the boy sleeping with men. No, if Hans uses women to warm a bloke’s bed, why not use the boy to warm a lady’s bed.

Scarlett studied Jessica for a moment, scratching her neck to then allow a facile frown to mar her polished cream skin.

Jessica hated to envy anything, but sometimes wished she looked like Delilah’s girls in complexion. With their pale skin, that had men drooling over them, together with their beauty. Colorful eyes and bosom that were ripe and immense that always jiggled with every step they took.

Yet with Jessica's exotic guise, of her tan tone, large eyes with long lashes that forever fell in her eyes, a pert nose that her baby brother would kiss before he fell asleep, and lips that were a bit too thick for her liking. Taking a deep breath, Jessica should be ashamed to begrudge, the women in their camp, who were more friends than foe.

Together it was a blessing she would never be considered handsome, to arouse desires from most men, but wished she could have with one. With her beauty aside, the men in their camp treated her more of a sturdy workhorse, diminishing what little allure she had away. Nevertheless, Jessica was taught a thing or two about men and their passions.

In the past, Hans and some of his men would bark and make her hop to do their bidding, but that lasted for a few months. When she came into her knowledge of being a woman, she recognized men were a bunch of pushovers if you knew how to mold them. And with that expertise, Jessica became the governess to all that came through the camp by their will or not.

Hence, she was told to accomplish yet another task with the boy, who seemed to raise her hackles more than anyone she ever met thus far. The young English boy was not much to look at. The top of his head reached Jessica’s chin, and only by his short straight, light brown hair did it reach her lips.

His oval face housed, a set of pink heart-shaped lips and a rare proboscis, that looked nothing like his English pedigree. And with a strange dent under his lips, that made her want to touch incessantly when his eyes were closed. If he were taller with somebody mass, Jessica would have said he was somewhat handsome. But no, he was just odd, which made her feel queer around the child.

The boy is indeed handsome and looks fit, but do you think he knows how to use what’s between his legs? Scarlett sighed, scratching her chin with a suggestive smile on her lips. I would love to have a friendly go at him. Blushing at her last words, knowing fully well that the boy did appear handsome to her. Yes, he was the shortest person in the camp, looked a tad too soft and pampered to know how to do any hard work they would throw at him.

In all her years at her craft, duplicity was the best-kept secret while she serviced all those gents. Whispering in their dirty ear, that they were strapping, handsome, and such, yet Scarlett could never sincerely be dishonest to Jessica.

However, she would sooner not share to her companion, her sneaking about Jessica’s tent, to get a better look at the English boy. A little too curious, the girls wanted to know more of their new guest, and so Scarlett opted to find more info on him, so crept into Jessica’s tent and saw him asleep.

Lying on the floor looking peaceful, while drooling, Scarlett scrutinized his form and found him lacking, save for his cock. His body mass was lame at best, but his face, Scarlett, and the other girls knew a beautiful thing when they saw it, and he was indeed a fetching one. With his pale oval face, straight light brown hair, thick eyebrow and long eyelashes that must veil intense eyes, and a straight nose with a dent under his kissable lips

Smiling, Scarlett saw a handsome but short, little fellow, that was packing even though he was limp under his nightshirt that he had on, when they brought him into the camp. Never shy in regards to men, Scarlett kowtowed to have a better view and saw a marvel on the little boy indeed, a hairy, long thick prick for such a stunted youth.

Grinning, Scarlett whispered, Sweet, as she heard Jessica bickering again with Hans, close to her tent. Watching marveled, as the young English cock rose to stand tall and hard for all it was worth. And it was much more than some men ever had undeniably.

Jessica, Jessica, someone hollered, cutting Scarlett out of her muse from days gone by.

Lord, what now? Jessica mumbled as she spied Hans looking angry, strolling towards her. Standing with her hands on her hips, she just stared at Hans as he came up to her.

Why aren’t you training the boy? Hans asked, annoyed as he paid a visit to see how the progress of the lad and Jessica was fairing, to observe the boy asleep and snoring away. He saw that the child had no issues with food and rest. For a week, it appeared all the boy did was gape at everyone, when he thought no one was looking at him, but his gaze was mainly focused on Jessica when she was in his eyesight. And as a man, Hans knew where the boy’s thought was wandering off to.

Anyone with eyes could see it under his nightshirt, playing peek-a-boo. Yet, Hans could not blame the boy. The foolish girl was blind at times, but God bless her visionless eyes, she could do her job in a shake of anything he would ask her to do.

Hans honestly did not know why he wanted to tutor the boy to take part in his camp. It would be painless and judicious to ransom him off for some quick cash, but something held him back from doing that.

Standing in front of Jessica, staring at her furrow brows, glaring at him always made Hans wondered what it would feel like, to bend her over and have his way with her. The blasted girl was more than a handful since she came to live with them. Many days he wanted to return her to her family but stopped in his tracks when he thought of never seeing her cynical smile or her delight at a simple con performed.

Five years later and Lady Jessica Mancini had his heart in knots. He was too old and well practice in the art of deception to fall in love with her. Nonetheless, Hans recognized he was and indeed too late to stop his idiotic heart. For his very soul was beyond corrupt to mingle with her sweet spirit, even though her eyes were always feasting on his body.

It was pure verity, Hans was handsome, more so now as age crept up to him, enhancing his already far reach physique. But of late, when his eyes wander to Lady Mancini, he felt the need to set up shop with a woman and child under a sturdy roof and not a tent.

Stop staring and speak. What? Jessica growled as she took a deep breath waiting for his complaint to continue as the flipping man of late meandered off to god, knows where when in a lively exchange.

I want to see the boy perform by the end of this week, Hans said, grinding his jaw. If you’re here and he’s in there sleeping, how the hell could he learn to do anything, Hans asked taking an enduring breath to squeeze his balls to remain unruffled, and not seize the pit of a woman and do something naughty and passionate to her.

While no one would dear speak to him thus, Hans could not stop the trouble he stole, or more followed him home. Craving her perfect body that was not perfect as Deliah and her girls, Jessica tortured him many nights. As a man of twenty-eight, he had his share of a tumble with her people. And if it was not the first-hand experience of knowing Jessica was from a noble bloodline, she could have passed as a genuine gypsy woman.

Still staring at her, Hans knew how to make the female masses beg for his attention and give him whatever he wanted. He was a professor on their sex, from his lustrous brother Erick. But Hans never wanted to be like his big brother, using women to reap evil karma as life wrought by.

Thus, Hans resolved for willing and wise women who knew what he wanted