Read Online The Pursuit of Pleasure by Elizabeth Essex - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Essex
Ads: Link
ma’am.” Mrs. Tupper led the way to a door at the end of the main hallway. “The other chambers are all very spacious, but none so much as this special room.”
“Lovely,” Lizzie said as she approached the entrance.
Nothing could have prepared her for what awaited on the other side of the door. The rest of the house, with its broom-swept, vacant rooms, had given no hint of the astonishing splendor beyond. The ceiling rose up in the center of the room to form a beautiful, sky-colored dome. Lizzie tipped her head back, rotating slowly as she gazed above in mute admiration.
“You may not be able to see them now, but there are little gold stars painted across the sky. They glow in candlelight.” Jamie’s voice came from the doorway. “That’s why I didn’t put in a tester bed—it would have blocked my view.”
But, she noticed with a curious feeling uncomfortably close to alarm, there was indeed a bed, the only piece of furniture in the house, covered in clean cotton sheets and an embroidered, soft blue coverlet of watered silk. A large bed. Jamie’s large bed, where he lay and gazed at stars.
“It’s why I bought the house really, not the roses.”
No, the roses were God’s extravagance while this was man’s. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself across the bed and stare in giddy wonder, but for the first time in ages, an awkward consciousness held her back.
Jamie had lain here. Maybe even last night as he awaited their wedding.
Had he been alone, naked in his bed, looking up at the stars and thinking of her? The skin on her chest and neck began to singe and her fingers tingled with the remembrance of the smooth skin of his chest beneath her hand. She squeezed her gloves into a ball, shook the uncomfortable, heated image out of her mind, and moved on to examine the rest of the room.
The rim of the dome and the divided panels on the walls were all decorated with a delicate, intricate white plasterwork in the style of Robert Adam, which stood out like lace against the soft green painted walls. Corner cabinets, rimmed with white molding and inlaid with a swirling design of mother of pearl, were built into the walls. The effect was both restrained and ornate. Jamie had been right to buy the house for this chamber. It was simply enchanting.
“This will do quite nicely.” What extraordinary fortune, that a house she had gotten quite by chance should be everything she could have desired. She was giddy with happiness and relief. That was it exactly—relief. As if she’d been holding her breath for years and years, waiting and looking for something to happen. For this to happen. Finally.
“You may make up the room for me and have my things put away here when they arrive, Mrs. Tupper.”
“You’re not staying!” Jamie smiled and frowned at the same time. “Lizzie, you can’t. I’ve bespoken rooms for us at the Red Harte.” He sounded rather like her father, when he was working himself into an argument. So she did the only thing she could do. The thing she always did. She turned and walked away.
“Mr. and Mrs. Tupper don’t even stay here. They live in the steward’s cottage down the lane. The house is completely shut up at night. I’ve only stayed here a few weeks, but you can’t possibly stay here alone. I simply won’t allow it.”
He regretted the words before they were even out of his mouth. It was absolutely, unequivocally the wrong thing to say to Lizzie. Especially after the travesty of a morning they had endured. And after everything he knew of her, he had still managed to say the one thing guaranteed to send her sailing off into the wind, quietly, ruthlessly determined to have her own way.
But clearly, he was just as used to having his own way. Undoubtedly more so. He’d had years of training with entire ships, lieutenants, masters, and men who jumped to do his bidding at the snap of his fingers. He’d grown more than accustomed—he’d grown to rely upon it.
Damn his
“Lovely,” Lizzie said as she approached the entrance.
Nothing could have prepared her for what awaited on the other side of the door. The rest of the house, with its broom-swept, vacant rooms, had given no hint of the astonishing splendor beyond. The ceiling rose up in the center of the room to form a beautiful, sky-colored dome. Lizzie tipped her head back, rotating slowly as she gazed above in mute admiration.
“You may not be able to see them now, but there are little gold stars painted across the sky. They glow in candlelight.” Jamie’s voice came from the doorway. “That’s why I didn’t put in a tester bed—it would have blocked my view.”
But, she noticed with a curious feeling uncomfortably close to alarm, there was indeed a bed, the only piece of furniture in the house, covered in clean cotton sheets and an embroidered, soft blue coverlet of watered silk. A large bed. Jamie’s large bed, where he lay and gazed at stars.
“It’s why I bought the house really, not the roses.”
No, the roses were God’s extravagance while this was man’s. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself across the bed and stare in giddy wonder, but for the first time in ages, an awkward consciousness held her back.
Jamie had lain here. Maybe even last night as he awaited their wedding.
Had he been alone, naked in his bed, looking up at the stars and thinking of her? The skin on her chest and neck began to singe and her fingers tingled with the remembrance of the smooth skin of his chest beneath her hand. She squeezed her gloves into a ball, shook the uncomfortable, heated image out of her mind, and moved on to examine the rest of the room.
The rim of the dome and the divided panels on the walls were all decorated with a delicate, intricate white plasterwork in the style of Robert Adam, which stood out like lace against the soft green painted walls. Corner cabinets, rimmed with white molding and inlaid with a swirling design of mother of pearl, were built into the walls. The effect was both restrained and ornate. Jamie had been right to buy the house for this chamber. It was simply enchanting.
“This will do quite nicely.” What extraordinary fortune, that a house she had gotten quite by chance should be everything she could have desired. She was giddy with happiness and relief. That was it exactly—relief. As if she’d been holding her breath for years and years, waiting and looking for something to happen. For this to happen. Finally.
“You may make up the room for me and have my things put away here when they arrive, Mrs. Tupper.”
“You’re not staying!” Jamie smiled and frowned at the same time. “Lizzie, you can’t. I’ve bespoken rooms for us at the Red Harte.” He sounded rather like her father, when he was working himself into an argument. So she did the only thing she could do. The thing she always did. She turned and walked away.
“Mr. and Mrs. Tupper don’t even stay here. They live in the steward’s cottage down the lane. The house is completely shut up at night. I’ve only stayed here a few weeks, but you can’t possibly stay here alone. I simply won’t allow it.”
He regretted the words before they were even out of his mouth. It was absolutely, unequivocally the wrong thing to say to Lizzie. Especially after the travesty of a morning they had endured. And after everything he knew of her, he had still managed to say the one thing guaranteed to send her sailing off into the wind, quietly, ruthlessly determined to have her own way.
But clearly, he was just as used to having his own way. Undoubtedly more so. He’d had years of training with entire ships, lieutenants, masters, and men who jumped to do his bidding at the snap of his fingers. He’d grown more than accustomed—he’d grown to rely upon it.
Damn his
Similar Books
