A Gypsy's Love 1 Jeffery and Halifa

By Sophia S. Sterling

The twelfth Earl of Scarborough, Lord Jeffery Lumley craves a girl he glimpsed in his youth and is plagued for years with a strange yearning to have her, this Gypsy maiden. How do you catch the wind and question it? That is how he saw her and their clan, as they appear always to vanish before he could gather his courage and wits to speak to her.
A curse or spell, whatever it was, he must learn how to free his heart and body to end this undeniable desire to have her. Time is drawing near, in which a wife and heir is needed to continue the official line of Earls and to stop his devious uncle from claiming his birthright as the head of their family. With Jeffery’s mind staggering, he marvels how this mysterious gypsy girl could hold him in perdition for so long. Frustrated and lusting after her wicked person, leaving him to ponder how to capture the wind.
Living through the loss of loved ones and seeing her life governed by others was something Halifa refused to settle for. So, devised to have her heart’s desire, but when it was within her reach, a foolish Earl wanted to capture her one prized, Freedom to place her in a new prison.
His.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sophia S. Sterling
• Release date: May 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9789769598201

Book preview

Outline

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

A Gypsy’s Love 11 – Alex & Mary (Synopsis)

Chapter 1 Edinburg

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Other Books

A

Gypsy’s Love

1

Jeffery & Halifa

Outline

The twelfth Earl of Scarborough, Lord Jeffery Lumley craves a girl he glimpsed in his youth and is plagued for years with a strange yearning to have her, this Gypsy maiden. How do you catch the wind and question it? That is how he saw her and their clan, as they appear always to vanish before he could gather his courage and wits to speak to her.

A curse or spell, whatever it was, he must learn how to free his heart and body to end this undeniable desire to have her. Time is drawing near, in which a wife and heir are needed to continue the official line of Earls and to stop his devious uncle from claiming his birthright as the head of their family. With Jeffery’s mind staggering, he marvels how this mysterious gypsy girl could hold him in perdition for so long. Frustrated and lusting after her wicked person, leaving him to ponder how to capture the wind.

Living through the loss of loved ones and seeing her life governed by others was something Halifa refused to settle for. So, devised to have her heart’s desire, but when it was within her reach, a foolish Earl wanted to capture her one prized, Freedom, to place her in a new prison.

His.

Chapter One

1815 Castle Lumley

His palms pressed to his flawless window, he saw ... There, there it was again, a glimmer, a slight deflection off the brilliant sun, now rising from its night rest, shimmering on some lauded object. It must be, they, they were there.

They have returned.

Following alongside his windows ... there, he saw it again. They were there. Lord Jeffery Lumley, the tenth Earl of Scarborough, wasted not a second as he dashed from his bedroom racing downstairs with a pray mumbling on his lips for ten, miserable years.

With his heart rapidly beating against his chest, Jeffery knew he could not take another year of torture dreaming of an apparition, which touched his body so fleetingly in his youth. It felt like an eternity his soul and corpse were this ill with itself. Yet with his rational intellect, it was but a moment of clarity, in what he wanted in life.

Running past his best friend, Lord Vincent Cardwell the eighth Duke of Kent, who was more like a loafing brother that practically lived at his house ever since they were boys, swinging from mischief to pleasures.

Save for a time when Vincent vanished one night, for a while, without a word to anyone, to show up with a notable change that stayed with him, even after all these years.

As Lord Vincent ascended the winding staircase with a tray loaded with his early morning breakfast of toast bread, soft boiled eggs, blue cheese, cherry jam, and haggis. Conveying his meal to his bedroom, as one of his idiosyncrasies.

Recalling one of Lord Cardwell tirades to Jeffery of helping oneself without a servant, berating him, Like a lazy prick for waking his tired staff to fetch him a glass of water, one night when they were relaxing in his study and yelled at him to get his blasted water, that was sitting right behind him.

It grated on Jeffery’s nerve to fetch his water, but he saw his friend's point and took it to heart ever since that outburst. Yet running past Vincent, Jeffery got a whiff of the boiled egg that made him want to gag, but he had a more important task before him, than heaving at his friend’s disgusting combination of a breakfast.

Bloody hell Jeffery, Vincent yelled as his best friend raced past him, almost relieving him of the breakfast picnic he had planned since he stayed overnight from being sloshed.

Taking a quick look at his childhood friend and neighbor, Lord Jeffery, Vince knew what the urgency was about.

Staring at his long-awaited morning feast and wanting to rush off after his friend, Vincent was torn. But refused to be careless as to waste his meal and time that he took to prepare. Carefully placing it on the hall table before he dashed off behind his friend.

Jeffery had little time to reach before they moved on as the spirit he deemed they were. Racing breathlessly into the dense woods he played in all his life, made him a tad mad as hell that he was still fixated on finding the solution to his aching problem.

Standing in a clearing, he looked around frantically for a sign, any motif to show that he was not crazy. That he indeed saw something and waited to hear ... a sound, or was it a tune or a humming? It was a minute echo, but Lord Jeffery would chase it until he found that one breathless specter, he wanted more than to see another day.

Waiting as a hush fell around him; Jeffery closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. There ... a snap, a faint breaking of a twig made him crouch down further with his eyes securely closed listening, anticipating and hoping he was not dreaming he saw ...

What in heaven’s name boy?

Lord Lumley’s eyes sprang open to see Vincent breathless coming at him making more clamor than a hunting hound. With his finger to his lips, Jeffery yanked Vincent to crouch beside him covering his mouth while struggling to free himself from his friend's moist, death grip.

Jeffery was beyond annoyed with his so-called mate right then. So much so, if he could make Vincent vanish with a thought, he would be gone. Yet alas, he could not, for if he could make one disappear, he would have rendered someone to appear at his will years ago.

That is why the Earl of Castle Lumley was in his nightclothes with his bedroom slippers damp, in the woods looking for a phantom.

With his eyes closed again, Jeffery felt he could sense what he was looking for. In his bones, he knew that it was close by. He also recognized he should stop regarding her as, it or a specter or phantom, he looked for and wanted more than his tomorrow, but he could not stop himself.

How can you label something that always seemed in your reach, but vanish when you thought you could capture it?

It was an apparition, but a beautiful spirit, as one could ever be that had his dreams in a state of unrest as well as his body and soul. Jeffery was never a church-going person, but after he glimpsed her and when his phantom gazed into his eyes, he started attending church frequently just to save his soul.

Marveling how can such simple happenstance, sustain his attention for so long?

Never speaking, but by a mere touch in the flesh for a second?

Yet that second stayed with him for so many years.

Jeffery knew sin can taint a soul, so can love. Yet his specter made him question his heart, to ask if it was love he felt, but his mind thought it could not be love.

Could it?

Ten years walking his lands, never going too far for too long and always near a window looking out for her.

Ten years of putting off his father’s wish and will for him to set up his own house and family. A decade of waiting and wanting. And the wanting never wane but grew. God, Jeffery thought this was hell on land in his home.

Feeling spit on his hand, he opened his eyes to look at his friend smiling at him. With his brow creased, he wiped his hand on his pajama bottom to close his eyes again to hear ... and he was off running after his phantom once more. Not waiting for his lax friend to follow, for Lord Cardwell knew his way home, thus left him behind.

Half closing his eyes praying for this to end, Jeffery wanted it to be concluded. God knew how much so, he needed to move on with whatever life the Lord had for him.

Running through his woods, Jeffery knew he heard humming in the air. She was around, and he was approaching her pulsating vibe. Coming upon a clearing again, he stopped to listen as a horse pranced about to heed where it was. With his ears armed like a wolf on its mark, he spun around to stand before his vision.

Shite, Jeffery whispered an arm away. He could have pulled her into his bosom and bond her into his remote chest.

Taking a step to his phantom, Jeffery did just that. He pulled her into a crushing embrace, and her form felt like heaven to his touch. She smelled like the earth washed after a downpour with the fragrance of nature’s perfume at its breast.

Stepping back, Jeffery got a quick glimpse of her eyes and fell categorically in love with her literally. Before him, was his wife as she turned and walked away.

Staring at her, Jeffery was speechless his dream allowed him to touch, far less hold her, and wanted to do it again.

And to never let her go.

He found you Halifa. An amused female voice proclaimed, somewhere in the woods as Jeffery smiled at the woman of his dreams.

Her name was Halifa. Whispering, Haliy, Lord Lumley echoed languorously as he watched her walk away from him. Please ... he wanted to say something more to keep her from leaving.

And he speaks too. Another feminine laughter declared.

Jeffery stood and looked on as she continued to walk away without a backward glance at him. His mind was saying to go back where he came from, but his heart was telling him to press on for his life was walking away.

Thus, he followed his heart.

Watching her form, Jeffery was not sure if she was a spirit that possessed his soul or a real living person that breathe, shit, and ate like him. To have him solely warped around her finger and not know or care. With that thought revolving in his head, he pressed on, pursuing her.

Closely, Jeffery followed as he observed the back of his enigma. His beauty was virtually as tall as he was, with a woman’s body that was formed for him. With curves and an ass that swayed in her bohemian skirt with her every step.

Her hair was a mix of black and brown, thick, long, and wavy to her back, almost reaching her swaying backside. Jeffery loved looking at her back and wanted her so painfully. But the woman’s visage, God he whispered, was like looking at an angel, the small glimpse he got.

Needing to govern his thinking as he planned to claim her, and by the naughty grin on his face, if his apparition saw what was rising behind her, she would make a hasty retreat from him. But his manly pride was pierced a bit, that she seemed unaffected by the sight of him or the knowledge he was a peer, and a man of means before her.

Watching her persistent forward motion, Jeffery wondered why he put such feelings on this woman. For years, he questioned that very idea. Was it his loneliness or the empty heart that was fed up with all the different skirts that lifted for him?

He was tired of all the questions and lack of resolutions that were not forthcoming. So ready his heart to face said queries.

Haliy maybe we can take a tour of his home? someone smartly suggested.

Jeffery watched to see if she would stop and take the bait by whoever made such a brilliant suggestion, but she continued to walk on. Making Jeffery think she did not care for his wealth or home that was one of many, large estate that was within a mile radius.

Lord Lumley was not vain nor puffed up to think his home could contend with some, but he was most proud that it is his and was in his family for generations. Even though it was sequestered from his family, but was returned to its rightful owner.

It housed enough rooms to accommodate her lot of wandering nomads and more, but one of his most cherished niches was his late mother’s music room. However, with the loss of his mother, it became yet another room. Thus, Jeffery placed all his attention on his stables and the beasts that were like kith and kin to him.

Maybe he can invite us to see his private lake, Haliy? another wise proposal.

Jeffery’s gaze stalked his prey as her steps never faltered. The young Earl thought his dream woman was a stubborn one with her back unbending, walking without pause.

I would love to show you my stables, and she stopped. Jeffery could not hide the smile that was spreading across his face, with her lack of movement, and walked around her to prevent another step away from him.

This was his chance to see her, to genuinely study his strange craving. Her back held nothing to her front. Jeffery needed to take a deep breath as he watched his obsession for years, up close and personal. She was almost the color of his father's most exotic fixation, chocolate or of a lighter shade like pure honey. Making him wondered if she would taste the color?

With her thick eyebrow, light grey eyes that were piercing his soul, thick long lashes, button nose, and her lips. Groaning inwardly, Lord Lumley stared at her full lips that were meant to be kissed, sucked, and wrapped around his ... begging for his attention.

Sighing, Jeffery wanted to take a step to her, but he knew he was on perilous grounds with his thoughts.

His dream woman was as flighty as a hummingbird, and he did not want to see her take flight from him, not now nor ever.

Taking a deep breath, closing his eyes, Jeffery waited to see if his gentle suggestion to come to his home would be met with the reply he wanted. With his fingers crossed behind his back, he continued to gaze at her.

And what is in your stables that should make us want to visit it? his future wife asked.

Holding his breath again, the Earl of Castle Lumley knew that sweet sensual voice, and it was to the point, and in reply to her question.

The best horse flesh this side of Northern England. Jeffery declared with unwavering pride in his simple statement. For he knew this group was forever eyeing his horses whenever they were around from their peripatetic.

It was the only reason he ever knew they were near his home. As his estate was substantial and wide open, Jeffery, nor his father Lord Andrew would prevent any from traveling through their lands. Nor did they thwart any hungry soul looking for a meal, as some in his magnanimous convene did.

With that known fact, Jeffery and his father never needed to hunt, for both father and son thought it cruel and a waste of time. Together with, all those who passed through their lands looking for game, hunt enough, and left for their household that the staff by no means required to search for game. And never in all his years, did Jeffery see wildlife, nor the stock of their lake run even an ounce low.

Returning from his reverie of travelers through his lands, Jeffery’s ponies seemed to detect Halifa’s clique presence. His blessed horse was the reason he had this fixation on Halifa.

When he was seventeen dallying about under a shaded, old Oak tree at midday, enjoying the tranquil river that ran through his lands. Jeffery heard his horse Winter, stomping his feet and whickering as if he was speaking.

Upon opening his eyes, he saw someone touching his formidable black stallion that never allowed anyone, absolutely no one near him, save his master. With his stomach rolling with the gall of the jackanapes, stroking Winter’s neck, Jeffery knew it was a horse thief.

And the blasted fool would dare steal his prized horse in broad daylight.

Wanting to bash the fool’s head in, Jeffery found a rock and was almost upon him, when the horse theft walked away, swaying their hips that had him hypnotized.

Gawking, Jeffery could not believe it was a man.

No.

A man could never get a rise from him. And so rushed off to grab the enchanted horse theft when he was hit behind his head and dropped to the ground like a pound cake his mother tried to make, that cracked the kitchen floor.

With his face smacked on the dirt, Jeffery was roughly turned with the midday sun blinding him. Hallucinating, Lord Lumley thought he saw an angel kneeled over him, but it was indeed a woman by the outline of her breast in her man’s shirt was a dead giveaway.

Jeffery must have said something, as she bent close to his mouth and whispered an impressive line, to make her smile then passed out. That was the beginning of ten years of looking for her, of self-inflicted celibacy.

He had no recognition of who it was nor did he saw her face, but he heard her hushed voice if it was possible and her quiet smile. The smile that had Jeffery wrapped up for years in a dream, to what the whole body would be like to have in his hold, or to have her be his absolute.

He was never a forlorn person, nor a lost-in-love kind of youth as he was familiar with the opposite sex from early on. As Earl of Castle Lumley, Jeffery knew what his body wanted and how to go about getting it.

There was indeed not a doubt in his mind that as a peer, he could not have anything he wanted. Jeffery knew he was wealthy, titled, and blessedly handsome.

At fifteen, mama’s, grandmamas, aunties, and so on were lined up to have him as husband to whatever single girl that was easy to pass off on him. Save for his horse robber. She had him tied up in knots, not knowing how to lose his manhood freely to frolic as he once did.

Thus, Lord Lumley was trapped to wait for her to show up to free him from her cruel prison. His first meeting of her was his initial lockdown, and knew he needed to be free for the wife he must wed and the children he will have to procreate, to carry on his title.

Chapter Two

Jeffery stood waiting to see what she would do, his obsession. As he looked at her, he saw movement at the corner of his eyes. From the woods, they came out like spirits surrounding him. He was flanked by two pixies, one with thick black curls with a pale complexion, while the other had her hair cut short by her ear, with his Halifa’s hue.

And behind Haliy, was a tall man with broad shoulders that expanded with his every breath, and deadly eyes that could have sent shivers through his spine, if he was fearful. As yet another man popped out of nowhere and looked at Jeffery with a warning of murder plastered in his eyes and ricocheted off his body.

Since his encounter with her years ago, Jeffery found his instinct was honed to the point of when he felt someone’s gaze was feasting on him or warning him to stay the fuck away. He also learned not to give away his emotions by masking his feelings.

Jeffery was English after all, and as a boy at Eton, he received the nickname Stone, for no one knew how to decipher his actions by gazing at his visage.

We mean no harm or offense. We’re just passing through your lands. The mountain of a man declared.

Jeffery looked at the mammoth of a man that spoke so calmly, to gaze at the other who said nothing, but the words were spoken in silence, which meant, To stay the fuck away from her!

One of the pixies with short hair ran up and held Halifa’s hand swinging it. He looks so harmless. Can’t we see his horses?

Turning his attention back to Halifa, Jeffery’s eyes were glued on her, as she was the only one that can change the course of his existence by a mere answer of ...

Tomorrow.

And his Halifa walked off holding the Pixie’s hand, while the other ran up and took her hand practically skipping.

With his mind reeling and heart panting, he grasped that the men were watching him with guarded eyes, as they fell into step around his girl, as another female his Halifa’s age, walked and took one of the pixie’s hands in hers.

Jeffery just stared at his enthrallment as she floated away. All his focus was on that one person who has been for most of his adult life a landmark for whom he was now.

So that’s her?

Jeffery heard, almost jumping from not hearing his friend walk up behind him. That was how captivated he was in watching her leave.

Not wanting to show his shock, at being snuck up on by his inquisitive best friend, the young Lord took a deep soothing breath. To turn with a smile on his face and walked towards his home to make plans for her arrival.

If he knew anything, they would make an early run and he must have everything in perfect order to dazzle her, but his chatterbox of a friend was rattling on about something.

Considering their clique, he realized she was not like the rest of the bohemians that passed near his home or what he had encountered. His beauty had an ember in her eyes that held her apart from all her kind.

With a frown on his face, Jeffery felt ashamed to put her in a box because of how she lived. He never thought of himself as prejudice against any one race, but his way of thinking made him a little ashamed, and he would have to amend it before she came to visit his home.

As the Earl and heir to his family holdings, Jeffery had every intention to woo her for whatever time there was to make her his wife. Just seeing her, Lord Lumley knew he had to have her, come what may.

She belonged to him.

No one save Vincent knew his genuine feelings towards Halifa. Vincent saw how he was mooning over her for a decade, and as his friend, Lord Cardwell knew his entire intention lay with her becoming his bride once he had her alone.

With a smile back on his face, Jeffery knew capturing her was essential for the life he dreamt of.

She would no longer have to wander around like her people the Gypsies, but he would give her a home with children that she would take care of. And most importantly, she would have him. For the Earl of Castle Lumley was, after all, a handsome and affluent gentleman.

Slapping Vincent on his back, Jeffery had a lot to do and jogged off to make his arrangements to woo his future wife.

***

Halifa walked with Finny and Nicest between her and Jessica, swinging their hands as they hummed utterly oblivious to the undercurrent that they just passed through. If only she could be so innocent again.

With Benny and Ean at her back looking ahead and not at her, she knew when they passed the camp entrance, everyone will feel that buzz around her. Her family knew all about him and will hurl all sorts of inquiries at her, like if she sought out the English Earl herself.

Hum!

Halifa just wanted to pass next to his lands and not think of him. She hoped she could have done it this time as she did year after year with him looking for her as a brigand that was never found, until now.

Whenever she learned they were making a trip back to Scarborough, near his lands, Halifa would sometimes pray she could remain where they left or go somewhere else until they were ready to move on. Yet every time they travel to this spot, they stayed the longest and wondered why? They, her family knew how she felt about him, and all she got was, It’s the richest spot to stay until whenever.

In all her travels throughout Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa, this was not the wealthiest location in her book. It was safe, and yes she had to admit the money they generated while there, made them live in comfort for months together with the effortless hunting. However, Tamiya, her aunt knew how she felt going near him, near the Earl’s lands. And it made no sense to argue, for they would still pass through and stay as he would continue his search for her.

Try as she