His Reluctant Lady Page 11
“The lady has a sense of humor after all,” Christopher teased and winked at her.
He slipped out of the room and she removed her hand from her mouth, knowing it was now safe to laugh.
***
“Isn’t it enough that I will see Lord Clement at Lord Pennella’s ball?”
Agatha pulled on her horse’s reins and looked at her sister as they rode up to Rotten Row in Hyde Park. “The fact that he’s eager to see you today is a good indication that he’s considering you for marriage. He’s an earl, Sophie. A rich one.”
Sophie groaned. “So you keep saying.”
“And I’ll keep saying it until you stop complaining.” When she saw her sister’s face fall, she sighed. “I’m not trying to be mean. I just want to make sure you don’t make a mistake. It’s important to use your head when picking the person you’ll marry.”
Though she didn’t reply, Agatha sensed she wanted to protest.
“Ah, the lovely Lady Richfield and her dear sister!”
Agatha didn’t even need to look at Christopher to know it was him. She mouthed the words ‘be nice to Perry’ then turned her attention to the two gentlemen who approached them on their horses.
“I hope we’re not intruding,” Perry said. “My ward assured me we were invited, but I try not to assume anything. If we’re inconveniencing you, then we can take our leave.”
Though Agatha noted the relieved expression on her sister’s face, she quickly motioned for the gentlemen to join them. “Your ward is correct. You were invited.”
“Perhaps you and Miss Garrison would like to ride on ahead,” Christopher told Perry.
Sophie shot Agatha a look that indicated she didn’t want to talk to Perry without someone else to chime in during the course of their conversation, but Agatha knew part of the deal she’d made with Christopher included giving him time to be alone with her, or at least as alone as possible. And he’d already taken too many liberties by coming to her townhouse on a regular basis.
“A delightful idea.” Agatha smiled at her sister. “Why don’t you tell Lord Clement about the last book you read?”
“I’d love to hear about it,” Perry told Sophie.
She had to hand it to Sophie. Even though she didn’t want to, she urged her horse forward and started talking about it.
Relieved, Agatha joined Christopher, following Perry and Sophie at a distance that allowed them to have their own private conversation.
“I can’t wait until we’re married,” Christopher said, leading his horse a little closer to her.
“Considering you refuse to take a mistress as I suggested, I can see why.”
“You do me a disservice, Agatha. My not taking a mistress is a high compliment. Besides, that’s not why I’m eager to marry you.”
She arched an eyebrow and glanced at him. “Oh?”
“Well, all right. That’s part of it. But after we’re married, I don’t have to find a reason to see you. I’ll get to do so whenever I wish.”
“You already find a reason to see me whenever you wish.”
“No, not really.”
“You come to my townhouse often enough.”
“It’s not the same as if I were living in the same home with you. Believe me, I get to see far more of my guardian than I want to. We don’t even have to try to see each other and we end up doing so.”
“Maybe that’s because you haven’t discovered any secret passageways in his townhouse or estate.”
He laughed. “Secret passageways? That sounds like something right out of a gothic horror novel.”
She stiffened for a moment but reminded herself to relax in case she gave her other secret away. Forcing a casual tone to her voice, she asked, “Do you read such novels?”
“Actually, I do. Do you?” he asked.
“Certainly not,” she replied, her face growing warm. Before he could detect her lie, she asked, “Is your guardian looking forward to seeing you marry?”
“He is, actually. Disappointed?”
She shrugged. “No. Should I be?”
“Well, since he is still ruling over me, he could forbid it until I’m old enough so I don’t need his permission.”
“He must have forgotten. I should do him a favor and remind him you’re too young.”
His jaw dropped but when he caught the slight grin on her face, he smiled. “You are most definitely my other half. You impress me.”
“I didn’t think anything worried you. Are you really so afraid something or someone might stop us from getting married?”
“I’d do whatever scandalous behavior I’d have to in order to make sure no one prevents you from becoming my wife.”
Interest piqued, she studied his expression. “You would?”
“As trite as it might sound, there’s no one who’ll be better matched for me than you.”
She turned her gaze to the path ahead of them, hardly noticing the way her sister yawned as Perry talked. Her mind went to the story she was writing. What if her hero did something scandalous so the heroine had to marry him? Then he’d be able to whisk the heroine off to his mansion where the suspense could really develop.
“Agatha?”
Forcing her mind off her story, she looked at Christopher. “Yes?”
“Please tell me I’m not boring you already. I was hoping we’d be married for at least a year before you grew bored of me.”
Somehow she doubted he’d ever be boring. Irritating perhaps, but never boring. “I don’t think there’s any danger you’ll lose me to boredom,” she assured him.
“Then I’ll fare better than my cousin. You thought I was joking when I called him Lord Lackluster, but you can see what effect he has on others.”
Curious, her gaze followed the direction he pointed at, and she saw Sophie yawn again. She winced. “She should know better.”
“It can’t be helped. It’s just the way he is. My sympathies go to her.”
“And who would you rather be around? Lord Ironfist or Lord Lackluster?”
He grimaced. “Neither.”
“But if you had to choose…?”
“Oh, I suppose Lackluster. At least he doesn’t make me clean chamber pots or muck out stalls.”
She burst out laughing, something that she couldn’t remember ever doing, but it was something that felt surprisingly good.
“You have a wonderful laugh,” he told her. “You ought to laugh like that more often.”
“Yes,” she softly replied, almost too shy to admit it. “Maybe I should.”
Chapter Fourteen
The wedding came much too soon, and Agatha found herself surrounded by close family and friends at the breakfast afterwards. The one good thing that came from it was that Perry and Sophie got a chance to talk. Perhaps when Sophie wasn’t being forced to ride a horse, she might enjoy talking to him.
Though Perry should have sat next to Christopher, she arranged it so that Perry could sit between Sophie and their aunt instead. Not surprising, Christopher leaned toward Agatha and whispered his thanks for her scheme because it allowed him to sit next to Ethan. She caught the curious expression on Ethan’s face, and she looked in the direction of her sister and Perry. Understanding the silent message, he nodded and settled back to talk to Christopher.
There was no way she could get out of sitting next to Christopher since she was the bride and he was the groom, but that evening, she’d have to be in bed with him so having to be close to him during breakfast was the least of her concerns. As much as she prided herself on being a strong lady, there were times when she was aware that she only gave the appearance of being strong. And this was one of them. She glanced at the guests and prayed no one else detected the uncertainty within her.
“Are you feeling all right?”
Startled, she turned her attention to Christopher who motioned to the food she’d barely touched on her plate.
“Are you feeling all right?” he asked, his eyes filled with concern.
It was on the tip of her tongue to feign an illness. Doing so might provide her a reprieve from tonight, but that reprieve would only be temporary. Tomorrow would come and he’d undoubtedly want to consummate the marriage then. And there was nothing she could do to dissuade him. Sooner or later, it was bound to happen.
Her first husband hadn’t wanted to be with her but had come to her bed because he needed the heir. It would have been more palatable if he hadn’t had to be with his mistress first so she could get him worked up enough for the event. Even worse, he felt the need to explain all this to her as he slipped into her bed then proceeded to call her by his mistress’ name while he thrust his thing into her. Afterwards, he shoved her aside and left the room, muttering how glad he was to get it done so he could return to his mistress. Even today, she thought he did it out of spite because he had to marry her, thanks to a gambling debt he acquired with her father.
She pressed her hand over her stomach and stared at the food on her plate. She had no appetite this morning. She really didn’t know what to expect. Christopher didn’t strike her as a vengeful gentleman. He wasn’t stiff or cold, nor had her father arranged their marriage in the way he had with her first husband. Christopher wanted this marriage, had even schemed his way into getting her to agree to marry him. Maybe the marital bed would be something she could endure without any pain. She couldn’t believe Claire or Catherine would lie about enjoying their intimate times with their husbands, though they had to be the exception. She couldn’t believe most ladies could say the same thing about their intimate moments.
“Agatha?”
She jerked, once again aware that Christopher was trying to get her attention. “What?”
“What’s wrong?” he whispered, his eyebrows furrowed. “You’re pale.”
She wished he wasn’t so observant. The last thing she felt like doing was dwelling on the past. “I just don’t feel like eating. I’m not used to getting up so early.” There. Maybe that would appease him, and it wasn’t too far from the truth. She was used to writing late into the night and sleeping until mid-morning, sometimes even until noon.
“Would you like to leave?” he asked. “You can retire to your bedchamber and rest.”
“No,” she quickly protested. She knew better than to think he’d leave her alone if she went to bed. She’d rather be fighting her nausea than be alone with him in her bedchamber. “I’m just a little tired. Perhaps a nice stroll will wake me up.”
“All right, but if it doesn’t, I want you to get some rest.”
“I’ll rest tonight, if you’ll allow it,” she mumbled, not sure she wanted him to hear her but hoping he might pick up on the hint.
“Well, we’ve been here long enough. I suppose we can take our leave.” He scanned the room. “It looks like everyone else is ready to leave.” A momentary wave of apprehension came over her but he added, “Perhaps after we change into clothes more fitting for a walk, we can go to Hyde Park? It’ll be nice to spend some time there without having to chaperone Perry so he doesn’t put Sophie to sleep.”
Relaxing, she smiled at his joke. “You’re much too hard on your cousin,” she reprimanded. “I’m sure he’s not boring his friends.”
“But those friends happen to also be boring, so what good does that do?”
Despite her better judgment, she chuckled. She really shouldn’t encourage him to tell jokes at his cousin’s expense.
He held his hand to her and she accepted, feeling better after laughing. If nothing else could be said for her new husband, he did have a way of making her feel more at ease when she wasn’t sure about something. Hopefully, that trait would follow him into the bedchamber.
After they took their leave, he sat close to her in the carriage, holding her hand and kissing her. He was eager for the evening, there was no denying that.
Ending the kiss, he squeezed her hand. “What’s troubling you? Are you afraid I’ll restrict your freedoms?”
“Well…”
“You have nothing to worry about. Gerard Addison may continue spreading gossip to the Tittletattle and you can keep doing whatever else it is that you do. I don’t mind knowing your other secrets, should you care to divulge them to me.”
“If I didn’t keep any secrets, then how would I keep you wondering what I’m doing when you’re not around?”
He grinned. “I’d expect nothing more than for you to do whatever you can to keep the mystery alive in our marriage. That’s what I love most about you.”
“We hardly know each other.”
“On the contrary, we’ve spent a lot of time together, especially over the past week. I’d say we know more about each other than other couples do when they marry.”
She couldn’t argue his point, though what she’d really meant was that what he knew about her seemed to be more superficial things. Sure, he knew one of her secrets, but he didn’t know her, though she couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t like she’d been willing to open herself to him. Something like that was easier said than done.
“I look forward to learning everything there is to know about you,” Christopher whispered then kissed her hand. “I’ll even be content to let you keep a couple secrets to yourself. I have no intention of being a burden to you. All I want is for you to be happy with me.”
She studied his expression, trying to determine whether he was being sincere or trying to push through her carefully guarded wall. He was a hard gentleman to figure out. Even if she wanted nothing more than to believe him, she hesitated to do so.
The carriage came to a stop and he gave her another quick kiss. “Do you still want to go for a stroll in Hyde Park?”
“Yes, I would,” she admitted. “Then I’d like to spend a couple of hours alone in the drawing room.”
“Working on that secret of yours?”
She nodded, wondering if he’d try to coax her to the bed instead.
To her surprise, he said, “You may spend as much time in your drawing room as you need.”
She hesitated then asked, “You mean it?”
“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.”
The footman opened the door and Christopher motioned to it. “After you, my lady.”
With a smile, she accepted, thinking her walk with him just might be pleasant after all.
***
“Will there be anything else, my lady?”
Agatha shook her head and dismissed her lady’s maid. Once she was alone, she rose to her feet and, lifting her head in resignation, went to the door connecting her bedchamber with Christopher’s and knocked on it, using more force than necessary. She gritted her teeth. How she resented this whole thing. But the sooner she got Christopher in here, the sooner he’d leave. Then she could go to sleep and forget the whole thing. She crossed her arms and waited, wondering when he’d answer the door.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he opened the door and leaned against the doorframe, a wide smile on his face. “Are you eager for me, my love?”
She rolled her eyes. “Hardly. I just want to get it over with.” Turning from him, she trudged to her bed and slipped the robe off her shoulders, baring her naked body before him.
“Well, I can’t say that’s the kind of response I was hoping for, but I assure you that you’ll enjoy yourself.”
“Sure, I will… Once you’re back in your bedchamber.” She pulled back her sheets and settled on the bed. “You won’t get a child if you stand over there all night.”
Undaunted by her lack of enthusiasm, he shut the door behind him and headed toward her. “I’m surprised you didn’t wear a drab old nightshirt.”
“What’s the point? You’d only remove it.”
“Indeed, I would have.” His gaze traced her body. “You’re absolutely lovely, Agatha, but I sense lovemaking can feel just a bit wicked if you keep some clothes on.”
“If you want wicked, you’ll have to get a mistress. I’m a wife. There will be nothing wicked about what we’re going to do.”
“Always so quick with a retort,” he replied, amusement in his voice. “That’s what I love most about you.” Pressing his hands on either side of her, he leaned forward, his lips mere inches from hers. “You are a lady of great passion. I promise you that you’ll find enjoyment tonight, and in the future, you’ll be eager for lovemaking. I don’t need a mistress. Not with a lady who possesses the kind of fire you do.”
She chuckled. “You poor misguided man. There is no such thing as enjoyment in this act for me.”
He climbed into bed and turned to face her. She fully expected him to grope her, but he shrugged out of his robe then pulled the blankets over them.
Her eyebrows furrowed. “Why are you covering us?”
“Because tonight isn’t going to be a quick, emotionless act. You’re my wife. I’m your husband. This isn’t about getting a child. I have no title, nor will I be inheriting one from my cousin. I have you and that’s all I need.” He inched closer to her, careful not to touch her. Lowering his voice, he said, “Today we were united in marriage. You’re now a part of me, and I’m a part of you. I wouldn’t treat myself with little regard so I won’t treat you that way either.”
He inclined his head to hers and brushed her lips with his. After a moment, his mouth touched hers again, his kiss soft, not demanding. Tentative, she responded to him. He remained gentle as he proceeded to kiss her. She waited for him to get aggressive, but he didn’t. Instead, he kept things slow. At first, it unnerved her. Whoever heard of a husband doing such a thing? Didn’t all gentlemen just want to get to it and enter their wives as soon as possible?
When he ended the kiss, she was sure he would move on top of her and do what he came here for, but he proceeded to kiss her cheeks and her forehead. Then his lips returned to hers, and this time she found herself relaxing. He was spending considerable time kissing her and she couldn’t help but wonder why. What was in it for him? It seemed to her that the only person who was benefiting from this was her. Even when he parted his lips and traced her lower lip with his tongue, she thought it was rather pleasant. She accepted him into her mouth, and he cupped the side of her face with his hand before he deepened the kiss.