So here we are in September already...and after my little hiatus from posting anything, I am hoping to stir some interest with this new fic. I was trying to come up with an idea for something, and dakotalady suggested perhaps I could revisit Lord Derek with some new adventures. Given the continued interest in Dark Passions, I agreed that it could be a good idea. So this is a sequel to that story, and while you don't have to read that one first, I'm sure that many of you that read my stories have done so once or twice anyway!

Story premise: Once again, we visit the historical romance genre, with a return to Lord Derek Shepherd, Duke of Gracewood, and his little love, Lady Meredith. This story picks up not long after the end of Dark Passions, and the tale takes them to London to begin with, to spend some time at the royal court with subsequent intrigue and romance along the way.

Rated: Mature...for the many erotic encounters between our favorite lord and lady.

Disclaimer: The usual, don't own Greys, or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for my own amusement, and hopefully yours.

Moonlight Passions

Chapter One
Rogue of Her Heart

Rain was beating along the mullioned windows of the manor, and a crack of thunder rumbled in the distance. As always in the midst of summer, the weather here in the country was unreliable, veering from sunny days to overcast gloom without warning. Meredith closed her eyes and tried to fall back to sleep, ignoring the inclement weather outside. Beside her in the big feather bed, Derek stirred as well, his arm pulling her close to him.

"You are awake..." she murmured, caught by his lean body over hers.

"I heard the thunder," he muttered, his lips at her throat. "It always brings back some fond memories..."

Meredith smiled up at him, running her fingers through the black hair that was still as thick and tempting as always, even if some strands of silver were beginning to appear. Indeed, storms had a way of stirring memories for her as well – after all, their first meeting had happened during a huge thunderstorm, where she had been lost and bedraggled, not an auspicious start to a relationship. Derek had rescued her, sweeping her onto the back of his horse, Satan, setting a chain of events into motion that neither of them had foreseen. At the time, Meredith had just been hired as the governess to his sister's children and he of course was the Duke of Gracewood; yet despite their differences in class and background, they had fallen in love and Derek was determined to marry her. After initial reluctance from Kate, Derek's sister, and Eleanor, the dowager Duchess, everything fell into place. Their subsequent marriage brought forth her long lost father, the Duke of Roxburghe, revealing that she truly was of noble lineage and he was able to openly acknowledge her as his daughter. Now she and Derek had four children of their own, who were all growing up quickly, and life was sweeter than she ever would have expected.

"Memories of rescuing me, as well as wanting to seduce me, my lord..." she laughed softly now, winding her arms around his neck.

"Ah, love...how could I resist you?" he asked, playing with the strands of her hair that were in disarray on the pillows. "You had my heart from the first moment I saw those eyes of yours. How could I help but desire you?" His body fit against her perfectly, his hips rocking against hers insistently.

"How indeed?" she breathed, caught up in the love between them that never seemed to diminish, even after the passing years, and the children she had given birth to. She used to wonder if this was the way of other couples, but for them it was right and natural. Everything they shared in moments of passion was too sweet not to be right, she decided a long time ago.

"Mmm...and you're just as sweet and lovely as you were then..." Derek focused on the pulse drumming at the base of her throat, his tongue sweeping over her creamy skin.

She stretched upwards, her body responding as always to his touch. "And you are just as much a rogue as always..."

"I am a loving husband and father...hardly a rogue any longer," he retorted, his hands finding all the curves of her body that were so familiar to him, belying his words.

"Oh, I agree, my lord...you are both a loving husband and father..." Meredith sighed happily, feeling his erection demanding attention between her legs. "And yet...also a sensual rogue in bed...just to pleasure me..."

Derek grinned wickedly at her, feeling the dampness of her folds parting for him. "I do live to pleasure you, my little love..." His mouth found hers then, demanding and hot, his tongue invading just as smoothly as his cock sliding into her wet warmth.

The thunder rolled even louder outside, and lightening flashed briefly, but Meredith was too caught up in the moment to pay attention. She was safe in his embrace, loving the feel of his skin against hers, the touch of his skilled hands on her body, and the seduction of his mouth on hers. She welcomed the sensation of his cock sliding into her, and the way he filled her to the hilt. The world was reduced to this moment, and the slow slide into ecstasy that he was taking them into.

"Take all of me, love..." he murmured, driving harder into her, revelling in the sweet feel of her around him. "You feel so good, so perfect..."

Meredith met his thrusts, consumed by the love between them, as her climax crested quickly. Their cries of passion filled the air, as they rocked together, linked in the moment of blissful release. The rain outside kept up the steady patter, but the thunder was decreasing, only a soft rumble in the distance as they slowly returned to reality.

"I love to wake up with you like this," he breathed, lifting up on his elbows over her. "And I love you..."

"Rogue of my heart, I will always love waking up with you like this..." she laughed softly. "I just fear the children will be waking soon..." Her eyes went to the clock on the mantel, realizing that indeed they would be awake shortly, if not already from the thunder.

"Then I am glad you were able to give me some attention." Derek kissed her again, not quite ready to give up the intimate moment they shared. While he adored his children, he needed these moments with Meredith even more. She was the light of his life and nothing would change that.

Before she could respond, there was a soft tap at the door, and then they heard it swing open . "My apologies for disturbing you both..." Rose called out, and Meredith smiled. The little maid had been with Meredith from early on, and even though she was married herself she still insisted on keeping most of her duties now that her own children were growing quickly. Disturbing the Duke and his wife in their bedchamber was almost forbidden, and she was the only one that could get away with such an act. At the moment, Rose managed to keep her gaze away from the bed, even though the four poster bed had swags of brocade curtains that hid most of the view. "There is a messenger at the front gate, bearing a letter with the royal seal. Hodges sent me to tell you."

"What?" Derek sat up, and raked a hand through his hair, as he took in her words. "Did the messenger tell Hodges anything?"

"No my lord...the lad would speak with you only."

"Very well...make sure he gets some food in the kitchen, and I will be there as quickly as possible," he sighed. "Thank you Rose..."

"Very good my lord...lady...` She bobbed her head and backed away from the door, closing it behind her. Not a good way to start the day, interrupting what was surely an intimate moment, but it had to be done. As she hurried away downstairs again, she smiled to herself, though. For the Duke and his wife, to be so in love and still desiring each other was a good thing to see for sure. Their loving marriage was legendary amongst the staff at Gracewood.

"What do you suppose this means?" Meredith asked, as Derek dropped a quick kiss on her cheek.

"I'm not sure, love, but I hope it doesn't involve going to London," he murmured, easing away from her reluctantly. Since their marriage, they had managed to keep away from the intrigue of court life. They preferred to stay in the country at Gracewood, where the children were able to run around the gardens at will, playing with the dogs and build secret forts in the forest. They had a brief time in London before the birth of the twins, for an audience with the King and his wife, but other than that there had been no need to attend court.

Meredith found her dressing gown from the foot of the bed and wrapped it around her body as she stood up. Rose would be back to help her dress soon enough, but for the moment she was content to share a last embrace with her husband. "Maybe there's some royal gala event and this is an invitation...?"

"Perhaps you're right," he agreed, dressing quickly in the black trousers and open white shirt he favored while in the country. He caught Meredith by the waist and pulled her against him, inhaling the scent of her hair that was uniquely hers. "Time to start the day, love..."

"I think your day began already, in quite a passionate fashion…." she teased him, tapping his cheek lightly.

"In a very good way," he agreed, kissing her softly. "I love you, Meredith..."

"I love you, too darling..."

Derek left Meredith in their bedchamber, and hurried along the quiet corridor. So far the children were not scampering about, but it wouldn't be long before their day began as well. He smoothed his unruly hair into place, trying to think of possible reasons for a missive from London. He wouldn't be against a visit to the city, after all, his mother was still there, along with Meredith's father, along with their friends, Marcus and Isobel Sloan. But spending time at court was not something he enjoyed, too many fools to deal with and intrigue that he didn't care about. He had his share of that before he met Meredith.

In the kitchen, the cook was already working on breakfast, and his stomach grumbled at the aromas of food. He could hear Rose chattering with her, and when she spotted him, she jumped to her feet. "Your Grace...the messenger is waiting for you over there..." She indicated the enclosed back portico, safe from rain that still drizzled down in spurts. "I'll go tend to Lady Meredith now." Dipping a quick curtsey, she hurried away.

The cook handed Derek a cup of coffee that he accepted gratefully, before going to find the messenger. "Good morning, lad...you have something for me."

"Yes, Your Grace..." He handed over a folded message from his pouch. "I was told to wait for a reply."

Derek took the parchment and considered it for a moment without opening the seal, as he sipped his coffee. "Very well. You can wait here." Damn, it must be serious to require an immediate reply, he realized. The day that had started off so well was starting to turn out not so well. He turned and headed for the study, to read it in peace and quiet. Already he could hear the running footsteps of the children as they chased each other along the corridor, along with Meredith's light laughter as she attempted to get them ready for breakfast.

He eased into the comfortable chair behind the large oak desk, and broke the seal on the outside of the folded paper. Another page was folded inside, smaller with cramped script across it. Well, Meredith was partly right; the larger note was an invitation to the Royal Gala Autumnal Equinox Ball, to be held on September 21 at the palace.

But the smaller page was hurriedly handwritten, a personal appeal from the King himself, requesting both Derek and Meredith come to court as soon as possible. The Queen was in need of a mature lady-in-waiting to assist with training the younger girls, thus the need for Meredith. Derek raised his eyebrows – obviously his wife had made quite an impression on the Queen at their one and only meeting. And as for Derek, the King wanted him to advise on the state of the royal stables, while Meredith worked with the Queen. Perhaps there was more to it than that but Derek couldn't decide what from the short note.

"Damnation…" Derek swore, flinging the papers aside in frustration. There was no way they could refuse this and the last thing he wanted was to spend the winter in London.

There was a soft rap at the door, and then Meredith peered around the heavy wooden panel. "Derek…? Are you coming for breakfast?" She noticed the look of aggravation on his face, and she hurried over to him, the soft teal silk gown swishing around her legs as she walked. "What is it?"

"We've been summoned…" he sighed, indicating the notes.

"That sounds rather ominous," Meredith observed, scanning the pages quickly. "Oh dear lord…she wants me as the lady-in-waiting? But…what does this mean?"

Derek hooked his arm around her waist to pull her onto his lap. While he craved to just hide in the study with her like this, wrapped up together, it wasn't to be. "It means, little love, we will be off to London before the end of the fortnight…"

"But...what about the children? We can't leave them for long..." Meredith murmured. "I do not believe that life at court would be good for them...?"

"While on one hand, I agree with you, on the other, it could be a learning opportunity," he said thoughtfully. "If all goes well, perhaps we could be home by Christmas."

"Well, we can take the governess along, and your mother would be willing to have them with her if need be..." Meredith mused. "So long as it is not too long away from Gracewood, it can be great adventure for them."

"You're right," Derek agreed, realizing this would work out one way or another. He nuzzled her throat, loving that she could make a bad situation seem better. "So we should talk to Rose and the rest of the servants to start packing. Life will be different for awhile, love..."

"So long as we're together, that's all that matters."

Derek pulled her closer again to kiss her, holding her pliant body next to him and giving in briefly to the temptation of her mouth. For a moment, they were lost in the passion between them, before they heard the door open again. This time, it wasn't Rose interrupting, it was Michael, their eldest child, peering around the door. Meredith disentangled herself from Derek somewhat, as he ran across the floor towards them. The children were accustomed to their parent's open displays of affection – nothing scandalous, but enough that they were aware of the love between their parents.

"Michael, is everything all right?" Derek kept hold of Meredith with his arm around her waist, as their son joined them.

"Yes, Papa...are you coming to eat? Cook is making special cheese biscuits and I'm hungry!"

"Well, we won't be long," Meredith smiled, ruffling his dark curls. His hair was getting long and it was time to cut the thick locks that were an exact match to Derek's. One more thing to remember before leaving for London, she mused.

"All right. Will you be kissing some more?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.

"I hope so," Derek laughed. "Now hurry along and don't fight with your sisters too much. If you behave, I will take you out for a ride on your new pony."

That was enough of a bribe for Michael to assure them he would behave, and he left them alone again. Meredith sighed and leaned against Derek's shoulder. "He is growing so fast, Derek."

"He is, love," Derek agreed.

"It seems like he was just a baby not so long ago. Remember how he went out to get the Christmas tree with you that year when the twins were just born?"

"Yes, and so sleepy after that." Derek chuckled. "He loves to ride now that he's older. I believe he will be an excellent horseman." He stroked her hair softly, as they sat quietly for a moment. "Best we join them, love..."

"Yes, the responsibilities await us."

"Just one more kiss, and then I will write a reply to this note and join you for breakfast." Derek captured her lips again before she could protest, and it was more than just one kiss as always, and a few more minutes before they tore themselves apart to attend to their respective pursuits.

Well...what do you think? Are you interested in reading more? Does the sinfully handsome Lord Derek still hold the same appeal? I have to admit, I'm a little anxious about this - it seems that most new fics on this site are about Calzona, and interest in MerDer has dropped. So please please leave a review if you want more so I know whether or not to keep going.