Stolen Kisses 7

“Are you sure they are headed towards Gretna Green?”

“Brother dear, where do lovers go to elope… especially lovers whose family is against their union?” Minhyuk asked his brother mockingly.

Jungshin’s scowl got deeper.

“You know I just wanted the best for her…” Jungshin whispered softly.

“I know…” Minhyuk replied with sincerity. “But she’s a lady now and more than capable to choose whose going to make her happy.”

“But for God's sakes she was sixteen when he told us he wanted to marry her! A mere babe! What was I supposed to do?”

Minhyuk put a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“You should have let her decide… we both know Yul, he’d always doted on her, protected her and if I can choose any gentleman of the ton for her, he’s the only one I deem worthy of our little sister.”

Jungshin released a sigh.

“I made a big mistake of everything then?”

“We both did. You for refusing him and I for letting you do it.” Minhyuk gave her brother a wry smile.

“But it doesn’t mean we can’t pummel him into doing our bidding right? He positively gave me a heart attack when I found our sister gone, and think of the scandal this would cause!”

“Oh, I won’t stop you,” Minhyuk drawled. “I would love to take a swing at him too. I still need to get even from that hit he gave me when we were fourteen. Left me a nasty cut on my li—ip. Bloody hell!” Minhyuk cursed as he tumbled forward.

Jungshin rapped the roof of the carriage to get the attention of his footman.

“What the bloody hell was that, Yonghwa?” Jungshin asked his footman, annoyance in his voice.

“My Lord, I think we found the Colonel’s carriage at an inn.”

“Tell Junghyun to hurry towards that inn.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Can I take a swing for this as well?” Minhyuk asked as he nursed his nose. “Damnation! It’s bleeding.”

-----

“Bloody Hell! What’s this entire ruckus about?” Yul cursed as pounding noises had awoken him. He angrily stood up and hastily pulled his breeches, very much ready to give the inn’s owner a piece of his mind.

“You better open this damn door before we break it down!”

Yul froze midway from putting on his shirt. That voice sounded much like Jungshin.

“Yul! Open this door!”

He was sure it was the duke. He hastily woke Jessica up. The duke seeing him and his very naked sister in bed just didn't bode well. All the scenarios flashing in his head ended with him dead or bloodied to pulp.

“Sica…”

“Hmmm… let me sleep some more… you worn me out…”

“Sica… no time for that. Your brothers, I believe, are short from breaking down the door.”

That sentence definitely jolted Jessica awake.

“My brothers?”

“Yul! Open the damn door!” Jessica’s brother yelled while pounding hard on the door.

“Oh dear!”

Jessica hastily got up quickly wearing her chemise then her gown. “Yul, help button me up!” Jessica commanded as she proceeded to put her hair up.

“Jessica I think we need to open the door before they break it down.”

“Hush! Leave it to me.”

“Yul! I’m giving you five bloody seconds before I break open this door. One! Two! Thr—”

“Oh, do be quiet!” Jessica yelled as she threw open the door and glared at her brothers.

Jungshin’s fisted hands stopped before it could rap on his little sister’s forehead. But before he could even speak, Jessica continued on her tirade.

“You know I loathe it when you wake me up during my slumber!”

The three gentlemen all just gawked at Jessica dressed messily, yelling about interrupting her beauty sleep that could somehow led to her instinction—a logic the three men could not really follow.

“Sica,” Jungshin started his voice a little sharper than he intended to, but his sister was being obtuse at the moment and he never liked it when she was, because no one, as in no one, could ever defeat or stop his sister’s rant.

“Yes, brother?” Jessica blinked innocently at her brother.

“Sica…” Jungshin growled this time.

“I think its best we talk inside.” Minhyuk ushered everyone inside the room. “We’ve made quite a spectacle already. I dare say there will be lots of gossip to be heard about tomorrow,” Minhyuk said amusingly, though the other three occupants didn’t find humor in the situation.

Once inside, Jungshin took in the surrounding and he didn’t need to add two and two together to realize what had transpired in that very room. He could spot Jessica’s slippers, one was by the foot of the bed, the other on the seat by the bar, there were pins scattered on the floor, the bed sheet wrinkled, his sister’s messy hair and Yul’s skewed shirt. Jungshin’s eyes narrowed at Yul, before surprising him with a punch.

“Damnation!”

“Jungshin!” Jessica yelled as she ran towards Yul and quickly fussed over him.

“Oh bloody hell! I guess I deserved it!” Yul said as he wiped the blood off the corner of his lips.

“I can’t believe you hit him!” Jessica glared at her oldest brother. “How could you?!” She glared one last time before turning her attention back on Yul. “Oh God, it’s bleeding!”

“I can’t believe it either…” Minhyuk agreed. “I was supposed to be the one to hit him, so I could get even.” His comment had earned him a glare from his sister as well.

“Sica… really I’m fine…” Yul tried to reassure Jessica, sensing that the said lady was in short of murdering her brothers.

“No! It’s not okay!” Jessica firmly uttered, directing her outburst towards her brothers, especially the duke. “No more fisticuffs or I will personally pummel each one of you! Do you understand?”

The three men sobered up knowing full well that anything that came from Jessica were never empty threats. Lady Jessica could be very violent after all. They had scars to prove it too.

“You know he deserved that hit and more…” Jungshin started but was quickly cut off by Jessica.

“Not anymore than you need one yourself,” Jessica haughtily retorted. “Who are you to send him away like that? He could have been killed!”

Jungshin winced at the accusation.

“Shhhh love. I’m fine, am I not?” Yul comforted Jessica by affectionately rubbing her back.

“I think I need a drink. Anyone else in favor of a drink?” Minhyuk made himself comfortable as he poured himself a glass of brandy from the decanter.

“Don’t think you’re safe!” Jessica narrowed her eyes at Minhyuk. “You didn’t do anything to stop him either!”

“Sica…” Yul took Jessica’s hand and led her to sit on the bed. “Let me take it from here, love.” He gave Jessica a sweet smile before directing his attention towards Jessica’s brothers, who also made themselves comfortable in the chairs by the bar area, a glass of brandy in hand.

“My Grace and Minhyuk—”

“Jungshin is fine, no need for formality with titles.”

Jessica saw the shadow of a smile from her brother’s lip.

“Junshin , Minhyuk, first I want to apologize. I was wrong to elope with your sister and I am well aware that eloping isn’t the solution. But I want you to also understand my position. You’ve rejected me once before and I accepted your reasons and tried to make something out of me, but alas, I failed yet again.” There was a sad smile on Yul’s lips.

“Yul—”

“It’s okay, love…” Yul reassured Jessica before continuing. “I told you three years ago that I love your sister and I intend to marry her. I did your bidding and tried to make something of me. In those three years I was away, only one thing kept me going and it’s the thought that when all that was over, I would have Jessica as my wife. But I failed and tried as I may to ignore her, my foolish heart wouldn’t let me, instead it kept gnawing at me to do something about it because in those three years that I was gone, there was only one thing I learned and that’s I love your sister more than you could ever know.”

“Oh Yul!” Jessica couldn’t help her tears from falling as she embraced the man beside her, making him topple that she ended up on top of him. “Oh Yul… I love you… I love you… I love you…” Jessica murmured as she showered him with kisses.

“Ahem!” The duke cleared his throat clearly uncomfortable at the display of affection but none-the-less happy for his sister.

The two broke apart and straightened themselves out. Jessica was blushing and Yul had a smug smile on his face.

“I know…” The duke began softly. “I know I’ve made a terrible mistake of sending you away. It was disconcerting and sad to see that the person I wanted to protect ended up getting hurt and its all because of me.”

“You can make it up brother, just agree to our match!” Jessica eagerly proposed, her face lit with excitement.

The duke gave an affirmative nod before standing up. A smile crossed his lips, making him look devastatingly handsome. “It hardly matters anyways. You would have wed him with or without our permission.”

“Oh Jungshin!” Jessica leaped and hugged her brother who was caught off guard at the affectionate gesture.

“Now that we all got this straightened out, can I ask a question?” Everyone’s attention darted towards Minhyuk. “Yul, it’s my sister’s idea to elope right?”

Yul broke out into a smile.

“A gentleman never tells a secret between lovers, especially when he wants to avoid the wrath of the said lover.”

Jugshin and Minhyuk laughed heartily at Yul’s answer, while Jessica buried herself against Yul’s chest hiding her embarrassment.

“I’ve always liked you!” Minhyuk said in between his laughter. “Welcome to the family and good luck! It was truly brave of you to want to marry my sister!”

“Minhyuk!” Jessica shrieked at her brother’s insolent comment.

“A task I’d be more than happy to do… no it’s not a task… but a privilege… a privilege to marry the woman I love,” Yul said with a knowing smile on his lips.

“Oh Yul!” Jessica gave Yul a not so innocent kiss not minding her brothers.

“Jessica!” her brothers both protested.

“I swear, I’ll be gray-haired before I could marry,” Jugshin commented as he prepared to leave.

“I, for one, am smarter then, brother dear, for I don’t intend to get leg shackled at all! And be all smitten like Yul over there.”

It was a comment that was ignored by the two lovers who were quite busy showing affection to each other.

“How about we grab a drink at the taproom downstairs? The Inn’s daughter was a sight to see…” Minhyuk drawled as he left the room.

“We’re heading home first thing in the morning, so please do be ready by then.” The duke hollered before scrambling out of the room.

                                     EPILOGUE:

Like they predicted, London was abuzz with rumors of the Colonel and the Duke of Verdovene’s sister’s elopement—rumors that were hastily quieted down with the announcement of their betrothal. Some matrons of the ton raised their eyebrows at the blatant attempt to quiet down the gossipmongers and the hastiness of the marriage between the two. While some, mostly debutantes were calling the whole affair romantic and were now all hopefuls to find someone like the Colonel to sweep them off of their feet. Especially, when the said Colonel made a public announcement that the hastiness of the marriage was due to his affection towards his affianced bride.

Two weeks after the announcement of their upcoming wedding on the morning papers, more than half of the ton were present to witness, what might be the biggest wedding of the season—the union of a devastatingly handsome war hero and the aloof but just as devastatingly pretty sister of a duke. Most watch in jealousy as the match seems to be a love match with the Colonel and Lady Jessica being positively smitten with each other. And then there were some gentlemen of the ton who looked on while shaking their head at the love-stricken look on the Colonel’s face.

The wedding ceremony went without a hitch but not without a shed of tear or two from the bride, who flung herself towards her groom, not minding the scandalized ton, as her groom finished his wedding vow. But what possibly would be the talk of the ton was the not so innocent kiss that the newly wed shared—a kiss that lasted until the archbishop cleared his throat not so subtly.

When the ceremony was over, the guest proceeded to the Marquis’s home for the wedding breakfast. A lively affair that had the newlyweds exhausted and longed for each other as their attention were always sought out by their guests. So once it was all over and the last of the guest was seen out, the two finally had time to breathe and let the fact that they were now married sunk in.

Along with the realization that they were now married, Jessica realized that it was just the two of them now and it’s herwedding night. She shivered involuntarily as the scenes from the inn float back in her mind, and a renewed anticipation wrapped her body at the thought of experiencing the delicious wickedness she felt then tonight or maybe even every night. Jessica unconsciously smiled at the wickedness of her thoughts.

“Hey there beautiful…” Jessica felt the familiar arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

“Hey there handsome…” The blonde girl smiled as she relaxed at the warmth she had missed all day.

“Are you ready love?”

Jessica smiled. “Been waiting for this all day.” And the little minx that she was, she even winked at Yul.

With the hastiness of their marriage the Colonel’s townhouse wasn’t prepared for its new mistress yet, so Jessica and Yul chose to spend their wedding night at the Kwon’s summer house by the river—the very same river they used to swim all the time when they were kids, the river who had witnessed the love blossom between the two.

“I can live here forever…” Jessica breathed in the fresh air as the two were lying down on a blanket by the riverbanks, their hands clasped together.

“I could too… this river has witnessed our love unfold, but we can’t possibly live here, especially once we have some little Yuls and Jessicas.” Yul turned to his side so that he’s looking at his wife’s side profile.

“A trifle thing really! But oh Yul! The thought of children… it’ll make my happiness complete!” Jessica turned to her side as well to face Yul before running her knuckles along his cheek.

“And mine too… my little minx,”

“Oh how could you make me cry again?” Jessica hurriedly wiped her tears away.

“I love you…” Yul kissed her tears away.

“Yul, that isn’t the right thing to say at this moment…I think I’m going to bawl soon…but oh dear… I love you too.”

Yul chuckled heartily. He can’t believe that Jessica was finally his. He cupped her face lovingly as he kissed her tears away before fully capturing her lips and kissing her senseless. It was a kiss that promised happiness and forever.

“Yul…” Jessica breathlessly said as they both pulled away from their kiss.

“Hmmm…” Yul murmured, as he was busy kissing Jessica’s neck.

“How about a swim? It’s been a while since we swam together…” Jessica seductively said.

“Oh dear God! You little minx will be the death of me.” But Yul didn’t put up much of a fight as he pulled himself and Jessica up. “You better be ready love…”

“Oh…I can assure you Colonel, I am quite ready for you…” As if to prove her point she was already struggling to unbutton her dress—a task that Yul was more than happy to help her with before he himself discarded his clothes.

Extended Epilogue

“Yul, will you quit pacing?” Jiyoung asked irritably. 

“I  can’t! You know I get nervous whenever this happens.” Yul  stopped  but  only so he could look at his brother and glare.

 “Yul… you really need to stop… you’re giving everyone a damn head ache!”  Jiyoung slapped the pacing man affectionately before  handing him a glass of whiskey.

“Drink this, you old chap. It’ll help calm your nerves.”  

 He did not need to be told twice as he downed all its contents in one go.  

 “Still  no  news?”  Minhyuk,  who  just  arrived  upon  hearing  the  news,  slid 

himself into the room.

 “No, and if I don’t get any news in the next five minutes, I’m heading over  there.” Yul poured himself another glass of whiskey.   

 “Colonel,  easy  on  the  spirit,  you  don’t  want  to  be  passing  out  before  you  could even hear any news,” Minhyuk drawled as he took the drink from Yul  and drink it himself.  Jiyoung  could  sense  the  frustration  of  his  brother.  H e  stood  up  and  put  a hand on Yul’s shoulder. “There’s nothing to worry about. Sandara’s with her  and Dr. Kim is doing her ve-

“I can’t wait anymore! I’m going in there,” Yul said as he strode off the room, not listening to anything the others said.   

 “—ry best,” Jiyoung finished but Yul was already out the door.  

 “You’d think by now he’d learned his lesson…” Minhyuk amusingly stated. 

 “Anyone else care for another drink?”  

 “I’d like to have another drink,” said Sooyoung, who miraculously appeared in this story. 

Jessica's  eyes  widened,  then  her  nostrils  flared  as   she  dragged  in  a  deep breath. “Where is my stupid husband? This is his entire fault! Ahhhh!” 

“Please, milady, just one more…”  Jessica gritted her teeth. “By God, I swear, I will  never ever go to that river  again! Ahhhhh!”    

 “Milady, I can see it now, just one more push…” 

 “This is the fifth time you—ahhhhh!—said that! Ahhhhhhhh!” 

Yul  reached  Jessica’s  bedroom  door  just  in  time  to  hear  the  sound  twisted from Jessica and ended on a note of relief. 

 Uwaaahhh wahhhh wahhh 

 “My lady, it’s a boy!” 

 Jessica smiled tiredly. 

“Oh Jessica! Look at him! He looks so handsome!” Sandara exclaimed as she peered over Dr. Kim’s shoulder to see the baby. 

“Let me see him,” Jessica said softly as she was fighting off the tiredness that was overcoming her body. 

“Are they fine?” Yul pushed open the door and strode inside, his purposeful steps headed towards Jessica.   

“Colonel, you shouldn’t barge in here like that.” Dr. Kim reprimanded as she placed the baby on Jessica’s arm. He ignored Dr. Kim’s words as he sat on the bed next to Jessica.  

 “How are you, Love?” Yul asked softly, so different  from the brooding and frustrated  Yul  of  earlier.  He  wiped  the  sweat  off  Jessica’s  forehead  before giving her an affectionate peck on the top of her head.  

“Tired,  but  happy  tired.”  Jessica  smiled  lovingly  at  Yul  before  turning  her attention to the baby in her arms. “He’s a handsome fellow, isn’t he?”  

 “Yes, Love. Indeed, he is,” Yul answered, his voice  thick with emotion. “Hi there  little  fellow.”  Yul  cooed  to  his  sleeping  son.  “I’m  your  papa  and  this pretty  lady  next  to  me  is  your  mama  and  later,  I  reckon  you’ll  meet  your sisters.”  

As  if  he  understood  what  Yul  just  told  him,  he  snuggled  closer  to  Jessica’s warmth while yawning. 

“Kyungsan…I  want  to  call  him  Kyungsan,”  Jessica  softly  murmured  as tiredness from her ordeal engulfed her.  

“Kyungsan…I  like  that.”  Yul  smiled  as  he  took  the  baby  from  Jessica, sensing that she’s getting sleepy.    

“Kyungsan, you’re  a lucky fellow for I promise you, you will be loved a lot and  spoiled  rotten.”  Another  yawn  from  the  sleeping  bundle  was  given  to Yul as if understanding what Yul had just told him.    

“Yes, Papa. I’m a lucky fellow,” replied the baby. The people around him ran away upon hearing his voice. 

 “Can  we  go  see  mama  now?” a little girl who resembled  Yul a lot but mirrored Jessica’s eyes asked her nursemaid.   

“Yes,  can  we?”  Another  little  girl,  the  same  height as her but has chubby cheeks and smiling eyes reiterated her twin’s query.  

 “Papa  will  come  fetch  us  when  we  are  allowed  to  see  mama  and  the  new baby.” The tallest of the four little girls answered in annoyance, quite used to this routine already. After all, she was the eldest. 

“But  Yoona,  I  want  to  see  mama  and  the  baby  too.  Will  they  be  as  cute  as Kryssie and Sulli?”  

 “Of course not! Kryssie and Sulli are the cutest!” Krystal protested with Sulli nodding along

 “Yup!  Papa  said  so!”  Sulli  added  haughtily  as  if  her  papa’s  words  were  the law.  

 “But papa said I was his princess!” Seohyun protested. 

Yoona who was two years older than Seohyun and three years older than the twins  heaved  a  sigh  of  frustration.  She  realized  being  the  eldest  was  quite hard and frustrating.  

 “Hyunnie,  you’re  four  and  a  half  and  older  than  the  two,  so  please  just  let them be.”  

 “But Yoong…” 

“I’ll let you play with me and my friends if you just agree with the twins and not argue,” Yoona bribed her little sister.

“Really?” Seohyun’s eyes lit up at the prospect of playing with the older girls.  

“Yes, but you can’t tell Kryssie and Sulli okay?”  Seohyun nodded happily.

“So,   Hyunnie,   have   you   decided?”   Sulli   asked   her   sister   with   growing impatience.  Seohyun slowly nod her head.

“I think papa is right. You two are the cutest,”  Seohyun  said  with  a  serious  face  as  if  she  just  found  the  answer  to  a debilitating problem. 

“Of course! Papa’s always right.”  

 “Who’s always right?” Yul popped his head inside the nursery.   

“Papa!” All four girls greeted their father as they ran towards him. Sulli almost tripped. 

“Is mama okay?” Yoona asked. 

“How about the baby? Is it a boy or a girl?” Seohyun asked. 

 “Can we see?” Krystal asked as she raised her hands up to be carried.    

“Can we see?” Sulli copied her sister who was older by three minutes, raising her hands as well, wanting to be carried.    

 “Whoa, girls! Just one question at a time,” Yul chastised, though you can see it was with mirth and affection.

“First, your mama is fine,” Yul answered as he picked Krystal up. “And you girls need to welcome your little brother.”  

 Yul  patted  Seohyun’s  head  affectionately  before  he  pi cked  Sulli  up  and carried her as well. “And your mama just woke up from her rest and terribly misses her little princesses.”     

 “Oh, we miss mama too!”  Yoona and Seohyun said in unison  as they followed Yul out of the nursery room.    

 “Miss mama!” The twins followed suit as they snuggled closely to Yul. 

“But   girls,   be   very   quiet,   your   baby   brother   is   sleeping   soundly.”   Yul cautioned the girls before opening the door to their mother’s bedchamber.  Jessica smiled as soon as she saw her husband and her little girls.  

“Hi, girls.”    

 “Mama!” Krystal and Sulli squirmed out of Yul’s hold as they wanted to go to Jessica.

“Mama misses Kryssie,” she gave Krystal a kiss on her cheek, “and my lilttle Sulli,”  she  also  gave  her  youngest  daughter  a  kiss  on  her  cheek,  “and  of  course my Hyunnie and my Yoona. Mama misses you all terribly.” With the mention of their names, the other two girls made themselves comfortable on  their parents' bed and gave their mama a kiss on her cheek.  

 “And my princesses, I want you to meet your little brother, Kyungsan.” Yul walked  carefully,  afraid  that he  would  wake  up  his  son  before  sitting  down on the bed so that his sisters could see him. 

“He’s handsome,” Yoona whispered.  

 “Of course! He takes after me,” Yul boasted, which earned a giggle from his daughters.    

“Yes, papa is handsome,” Krystal said as she sat closer to her papa so that she could peer over the baby.   

“He’s like an angel,” Seohyun murmured.    

“I think Hyunnie, you're right.” There was a frown on Sulli’s face. “He is the 

cutest of all England.”    

“I think you’re right,” Krystal agreed, a frown marring her face as well. 

Everyone broke out into laughter at Sulli’s and Krystal’s statement, much to the  twins’  confusion  as  Kyungsan  just  continued  to  slumber  peacefully, surrounded with the love and the laughter of his new family. 

Their love story started with a kiss stolen by Lady Jessica, a kiss that belied both their feelings of affection. Then three years later, and yet again another kiss  was  stolen,  this  time  a  kiss  that  prove  that  they  were  meant  for  each other. Which was followed by many more kisses, stolen or not, that had led both  Colonel  Yul  and  Lady  Jessica  into  a  bliss  that  was only possible with each other.  

A life of love and happiness was made possible and it was all because of those bravely stolen kisses.