curved
tenderly but the smile did little to alleviate the familiar arrogance radiating
from him. He was very sure of himself now, very confident.
"Seduction is not such a fearful thing, after all, is it, my sweet? You are
going to enjoy yourself and I think you have had sufficient time to realize
that."
Was this what it had been like for poor Amelia? A complete devastation of the
senses?
Unaware of what she was doing, Sophy touched her lower lip with the tip of her
finger. "Kisses such as the ones you just gave me are your idea of seduction, my
lord?"
He inclined his head, his eyes flaring with amusement. "I hope you enjoy them,
Sophy, because there will be many more such kisses to come. Beginning tonight.
Go on upstairs to bed, my dear. I will join you shortly. I am going to seduce
you into granting me a proper wedding night. Believe me, my love, you will thank
me tomorrow morning for putting an end to this entirely unnatural situation you
have created. And I will take great pleasure in accepting your gratitude."
Fury surged through Sophy, mingling with the other heady emotions that were
already coursing through her. She was suddenly so violently angry she could not
even speak. Instead, she jerked open the heavy mahogany doors and dashed across
the hall to the stairs.
She stormed into her bedchamber a few minutes later and startled her maid who
was busy turning down the bed.
"My lady! Is somethin' wrong?"
Sophy took a grip on her anger and her reeling senses. She was breathing much
too quickly. "No, no, Mary. Nothing is wrong. I took the stairs too quickly,
that's all. Please help me with my dress."
"Certainly, ma'am." Mary, a bright-eyed young girl in her late teens who was
thrilled with her recent promotion to the status of lady's maid, came forward to
assist her mistress in undressing. She handled the embroidered muslin gown with
reverent care.
"I think I would like a pot of tea before bedtime, Mary. Would you please have
one sent up?"
"At once, my lady."
"Oh, and Mary, have two cups put on the tray." Sophy took a deep breath. "The
Earl will be joining me.'
Mary's eyes widened with approval but she wisely held her tongue as she helped
Sophy into a chintz dressing gown. "I'll have the tea up here straight away,
ma'am. Oh, that reminds me. One of the housemaids is complainin' of her stomach.
She thinks it's somethin' she ate. She was wantin' to know if I'd ask your
advice."
"What? Oh, yes, of course." Sophy turned toward her chest of dried herbs and
quickly filled a small packet with a selection that included powdered licorice
and rhubarb. "Take these to her and tell her to mix two pinches of each into a
cup of tea. That should settle her stomach. If she is not any better by morning,
be sure to let me know."
"Thank you, ma'am. Alice will be ever so grateful. She suffers a lot from a
nervous stomach, I hear. By the by, Allan the footman says to tell you his sore
throat is much better thanks to that honey and brandy syrup you had Cook prepare
for him."
"Excellent, excellent, I'm glad to hear it," Sophy said impatiently. The last
thing she wanted to discuss tonight was Allan the footman's sore throat. "Now,
Mary, please hurry with that tea, will you?"
"Yes, ma'am." Mary scurried out of the room.
Sophy began to pace the floor, her soft slippers making no sound on the dark,
patterned carpet. She barely noticed the bit of lace trim that had come loose
from the lapel of her dressing gown and was dangling over one breast.
The overbearing, unspeakably arrogant man she had married thought he had only to
touch her and she would succumb to his expertise. He would badger her and pester
her and otherwise keep after her until he had his way with her. She knew that
now. Bedding her was obviously a matter of masculine pride to him.
Sophy was beginning to realize she would get no peace until Julian had proven
himself her master in the privacy of the bedchamber. There was little
tenderly but the smile did little to alleviate the familiar arrogance radiating
from him. He was very sure of himself now, very confident.
"Seduction is not such a fearful thing, after all, is it, my sweet? You are
going to enjoy yourself and I think you have had sufficient time to realize
that."
Was this what it had been like for poor Amelia? A complete devastation of the
senses?
Unaware of what she was doing, Sophy touched her lower lip with the tip of her
finger. "Kisses such as the ones you just gave me are your idea of seduction, my
lord?"
He inclined his head, his eyes flaring with amusement. "I hope you enjoy them,
Sophy, because there will be many more such kisses to come. Beginning tonight.
Go on upstairs to bed, my dear. I will join you shortly. I am going to seduce
you into granting me a proper wedding night. Believe me, my love, you will thank
me tomorrow morning for putting an end to this entirely unnatural situation you
have created. And I will take great pleasure in accepting your gratitude."
Fury surged through Sophy, mingling with the other heady emotions that were
already coursing through her. She was suddenly so violently angry she could not
even speak. Instead, she jerked open the heavy mahogany doors and dashed across
the hall to the stairs.
She stormed into her bedchamber a few minutes later and startled her maid who
was busy turning down the bed.
"My lady! Is somethin' wrong?"
Sophy took a grip on her anger and her reeling senses. She was breathing much
too quickly. "No, no, Mary. Nothing is wrong. I took the stairs too quickly,
that's all. Please help me with my dress."
"Certainly, ma'am." Mary, a bright-eyed young girl in her late teens who was
thrilled with her recent promotion to the status of lady's maid, came forward to
assist her mistress in undressing. She handled the embroidered muslin gown with
reverent care.
"I think I would like a pot of tea before bedtime, Mary. Would you please have
one sent up?"
"At once, my lady."
"Oh, and Mary, have two cups put on the tray." Sophy took a deep breath. "The
Earl will be joining me.'
Mary's eyes widened with approval but she wisely held her tongue as she helped
Sophy into a chintz dressing gown. "I'll have the tea up here straight away,
ma'am. Oh, that reminds me. One of the housemaids is complainin' of her stomach.
She thinks it's somethin' she ate. She was wantin' to know if I'd ask your
advice."
"What? Oh, yes, of course." Sophy turned toward her chest of dried herbs and
quickly filled a small packet with a selection that included powdered licorice
and rhubarb. "Take these to her and tell her to mix two pinches of each into a
cup of tea. That should settle her stomach. If she is not any better by morning,
be sure to let me know."
"Thank you, ma'am. Alice will be ever so grateful. She suffers a lot from a
nervous stomach, I hear. By the by, Allan the footman says to tell you his sore
throat is much better thanks to that honey and brandy syrup you had Cook prepare
for him."
"Excellent, excellent, I'm glad to hear it," Sophy said impatiently. The last
thing she wanted to discuss tonight was Allan the footman's sore throat. "Now,
Mary, please hurry with that tea, will you?"
"Yes, ma'am." Mary scurried out of the room.
Sophy began to pace the floor, her soft slippers making no sound on the dark,
patterned carpet. She barely noticed the bit of lace trim that had come loose
from the lapel of her dressing gown and was dangling over one breast.
The overbearing, unspeakably arrogant man she had married thought he had only to
touch her and she would succumb to his expertise. He would badger her and pester
her and otherwise keep after her until he had his way with her. She knew that
now. Bedding her was obviously a matter of masculine pride to him.
Sophy was beginning to realize she would get no peace until Julian had proven
himself her master in the privacy of the bedchamber. There was little
Similar Books
