Read Online The Wedding Duel (The Dueling Pistols Series) by Katy Madison - Free Book Online
Authors: Katy Madison
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miss."
"It's enough for tonight."
"You cannot do this, miss. You know you should not."
"Wish my future husband a good night? He does not mean to come in. Do you, Keene?"
"I am here because I leave tomorrow after your father and I conclude our business. I am not sure that I shall be allowed to bid you farewell without him standing between us."
He was leaving? Disappointment settled in her stomach like an unpleasant meal. She swallowed. "What business?"
"The marriage settlement."
"I hope you are pleased with it."
An odd expression flitted across his face. "I am well satisfied."
Letty crossed the floor and tried to pull Sophie from the doorway and shut the door.
Sophie knew she couldn't ignore her high-strung maid for long or she would have hysterics and that would bring the whole house down on them.
Keene brushed inside the room and shut the door. "Stay, then, but don't make a sound."
He might as well ask for the moon.
Letty released her. Her whisper was strained. "Miss Sophie, you are in your nightgown."
"She needn't stay in it on my account." Keene's gaze flicked over the long flannel gown.
He reached for the sides of the gown and Sophie's heart pounded. She wasn't quite sure what he meant to do.
He fanned the folds of material out. "Quite a modest gown. You have enough material here to house half of Wellington's army."
"I shouldn't think you'd care to find any soldiers using my nightgown as a tent."
His eyes flicked to hers. "I daresay not. I should have to shoot any man I found under your nightgown."
The words were delivered with a mild, amused tone, but there was a hint of steel in his eyes.
Letty gave a choked sob.
"Not a sound." He didn't even bother to turn his head toward the maid.
Letty stuffed her fist in her mouth.
"You do not care for my nightclothes, sir?"
"Perhaps you have something a little less concealing in your trousseau?"
Sophie shook her head, mesmerized by his presence. The dim light from the single lamp on her dressing table caused his face to move in and out of shadow. "It's warm."
His grin caught at her heartstrings. Tingles danced over her skin. He dropped the sides of her gown and reached for her hand. "I should imagine it is." He lifted the lace-edged knuckle-length sleeve and raised her hand.
The warmth and pressure of his lips against her skin made her heart pound in an erratic tattoo.
"Must you leave tomorrow?"
"Yes, I must. Did your father tell you?"
Sophie shook her head.
Keene pressed his lips together and looked at her maid. "You can leave. I shall take no further advantage of your mistress."
"Miss, please, you'll be on bread and water again."
Keene rolled his eyes.
Knowing her papa, Sophie suspected the decision to leave wasn't entirely Keene's. "I want to hear why you're leaving. Did Papa say you must?"
"They don't tell you much, do they?"
No, they thought quite a bit should be kept from her. Unfortunately, they didn't reckon with her natural curiosity and inquisitiveness. Sophie was sure she knew much more than either of her parents suspected. She knew they thought Keene was a rake of the worst sort, and while her mother had discussed that with her, Sophie knew they would never in a million years discuss things like her marriage portion with her. Would Keene insist on keeping her in the dark, too?
"What disposition was made for me?"
"You will inherit your father's estate. For now, you have a dowry of three thousand pounds, or rather, I shall receive it."
"Thank you."
Keene blinked. "You didn't know that either?"
Sophie shook her head.
"I gave my assurances that your mother shall continue to live here as long as she wishes if your father predeceases her. I thought that is as you would want it. Of course, if you wish to stay here, you may."
Did he mean alone with her parents? After their marriage? She wanted to live in London with Keene. "I should wish to stay in your home."
Keene looked away.
"After we're married, of course."
What he was thinking?
"It's enough for tonight."
"You cannot do this, miss. You know you should not."
"Wish my future husband a good night? He does not mean to come in. Do you, Keene?"
"I am here because I leave tomorrow after your father and I conclude our business. I am not sure that I shall be allowed to bid you farewell without him standing between us."
He was leaving? Disappointment settled in her stomach like an unpleasant meal. She swallowed. "What business?"
"The marriage settlement."
"I hope you are pleased with it."
An odd expression flitted across his face. "I am well satisfied."
Letty crossed the floor and tried to pull Sophie from the doorway and shut the door.
Sophie knew she couldn't ignore her high-strung maid for long or she would have hysterics and that would bring the whole house down on them.
Keene brushed inside the room and shut the door. "Stay, then, but don't make a sound."
He might as well ask for the moon.
Letty released her. Her whisper was strained. "Miss Sophie, you are in your nightgown."
"She needn't stay in it on my account." Keene's gaze flicked over the long flannel gown.
He reached for the sides of the gown and Sophie's heart pounded. She wasn't quite sure what he meant to do.
He fanned the folds of material out. "Quite a modest gown. You have enough material here to house half of Wellington's army."
"I shouldn't think you'd care to find any soldiers using my nightgown as a tent."
His eyes flicked to hers. "I daresay not. I should have to shoot any man I found under your nightgown."
The words were delivered with a mild, amused tone, but there was a hint of steel in his eyes.
Letty gave a choked sob.
"Not a sound." He didn't even bother to turn his head toward the maid.
Letty stuffed her fist in her mouth.
"You do not care for my nightclothes, sir?"
"Perhaps you have something a little less concealing in your trousseau?"
Sophie shook her head, mesmerized by his presence. The dim light from the single lamp on her dressing table caused his face to move in and out of shadow. "It's warm."
His grin caught at her heartstrings. Tingles danced over her skin. He dropped the sides of her gown and reached for her hand. "I should imagine it is." He lifted the lace-edged knuckle-length sleeve and raised her hand.
The warmth and pressure of his lips against her skin made her heart pound in an erratic tattoo.
"Must you leave tomorrow?"
"Yes, I must. Did your father tell you?"
Sophie shook her head.
Keene pressed his lips together and looked at her maid. "You can leave. I shall take no further advantage of your mistress."
"Miss, please, you'll be on bread and water again."
Keene rolled his eyes.
Knowing her papa, Sophie suspected the decision to leave wasn't entirely Keene's. "I want to hear why you're leaving. Did Papa say you must?"
"They don't tell you much, do they?"
No, they thought quite a bit should be kept from her. Unfortunately, they didn't reckon with her natural curiosity and inquisitiveness. Sophie was sure she knew much more than either of her parents suspected. She knew they thought Keene was a rake of the worst sort, and while her mother had discussed that with her, Sophie knew they would never in a million years discuss things like her marriage portion with her. Would Keene insist on keeping her in the dark, too?
"What disposition was made for me?"
"You will inherit your father's estate. For now, you have a dowry of three thousand pounds, or rather, I shall receive it."
"Thank you."
Keene blinked. "You didn't know that either?"
Sophie shook her head.
"I gave my assurances that your mother shall continue to live here as long as she wishes if your father predeceases her. I thought that is as you would want it. Of course, if you wish to stay here, you may."
Did he mean alone with her parents? After their marriage? She wanted to live in London with Keene. "I should wish to stay in your home."
Keene looked away.
"After we're married, of course."
What he was thinking?
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