A Countess of Convenience (11 page)

"T'weren't me, my lord,” Annie said. “The countess—I mean the old countess—has been sending wagons loaded with fancy fixin's all week."

Lord Malvern turned toward Prudence. “Since the lodge is usually for men only, we keep it a good deal plainer than this.” He turned back to Annie. “You'd better send someone to help Clarence with our luggage."

"The others have all gone back, your lordship, but don't you worry, me and Clarence can manage.” She hurried toward the doorway.

Lord Malvern frowned after her. “Those two hardly seem able to handle that trunk of yours. Whatever was Mother thinking to leave us so understaffed?"

"Couldn't you help them?” Prudence said.

He looked startled by the suggestion. Then a large thump and grunt from outside sent him hurrying through the doorway. In a few moments, Clarence appeared, holding one end of her trunk and sputtering protests at Lord Malvern, who held the other. Delighted to see the stuffy aristocrat using his muscled shoulders for something other than filling out his jacket, Prudence rushed past them to help Annie gather the other small valises from the carriage.

The woman did not seem at all pleased by the assistance, but Prudence didn't care. There was no need for these two elderly people to injure themselves waiting on able-bodied youngsters like Malvern and herself. Besides, breaking the rules that separated masters and servants gave her a feeling of satisfaction.

She followed the men into a room off the main salon. The large, canopied bed reminded her why she had come to this place, and her surge of good feelings evaporated. Self-consciously she busied herself opening luggage and trying to unpack a few items. Annie worked so hard at preventing Prudence from actually unpacking anything herself that she finally gave up and just told Annie where she wanted things placed.

When she returned to the main room, she found the earl staring out a front window. “What are you looking at?” she asked as she approached him.

"Sometimes, at twilight, deer come into the clearing."

She stepped closer so she could see for herself. His arm encircled her waist and pulled her against his side. She had to fight an impulse to pull away by reminding herself that he was her husband and had full rights to her body. “I—I don't see anything,” she said in a thin voice.

He chuckled. “Neither do I. Would you like to go for a walk and familiarize yourself with the grounds?"

"Should I change into my walking boots?"

"No need. It's nearly dark, so we won't go far.” Taking her hand, he pulled her along after him.

There was nothing to see on two sides of the lodge but deep woods that threw most of the clearing into twilight shadows. A simply built stable stood in back of the building. They investigated and found the phaeton, and three horses. Lord Malvern chuckled as he went over to pat the nose of a large black stallion that whinnied a friendly greeting.

"By George, Mother thought of everything.” He pointed at another horse contentedly munching on oats. “Old Madge here will be perfect for your riding lessons."

He gestured for Prudence to come closer, and she reluctantly did so. Catching her hand, he lifted it toward Madge's nose. When Prudence resisted, he looked at her with a teasing smile. “A horse is just a big pony. If you weren't afraid of a pony there's no reason to fear a gentle creature like Madge."

"I am not afraid,” Prudence stated firmly and forced herself to stroke the velvety area between the horse's nostrils. The horse continued to munch oats with barely a glance at Prudence. Giggling at her own timidity, she stroked more forcefully, finally reaching up to the animal's forelock. Madge's only response was to twitch her ears.

Noticing Malvern's self-satisfied smile as he watched her, she pulled her hand away from the horse. “You see. I'm not afraid."

He nodded. “I'm glad. Riding through the countryside will give us a way to pass the time while we're here. No doubt that's why Mother sent the horses."

Prudence sniffed. “She's probably embarrassed that the new Countess of Malvern does not know how to ride properly, and wants you to teach me out here where no one will see."

Draping her arm over his, he said, “That too,” and led her from the stable.

The only other building in sight of the lodge was a neat cottage off to the right. “Who lives there?” Prudence asked.

"Clarence and Annie. They are the full-time custodians of the lodge. That's why I was surprised Mother didn't leave others to attend us. They really aren't house servants."

They walked back to the front entrance of the lodge in near darkness. Inside, a fire crackled in the fireplace, and the table was now covered with a snowy linen cloth and two place settings of china and silverware. Annie bustled into the room, carrying crystal wine glasses.

She looked at them with surprise and stopped uncertainly. “I was just bringing these glasses in. Didn't know ye'd be back from yer walk."

Malvern waved her on. “That's all right, Annie. Go on about your work. But we've just had a large meal at the manor and won't be in need of food for a while."

Placing the glasses on the table, she turned toward them and began her strange ritual of talking, walking and bobbing short curtsies all at the same time. “I know, yer lordship. Yer mother said ye'd be wanting a late supper and sent the fixin's fer a cold one.” She stopped near the door to the kitchen. “She said we could retire to our cottage after layin’ things out. If that's all right with you, of course."

Malvern nodded and smiled. “That's an excellent idea, Annie. In fact, just leave the food in the kitchen and we'll help ourselves whenever we get hungry."

Annie bobbed another curtsy and reached for the door.

Alarmed, Prudence called out, “But, come back later. I don't have a maid with me and will need help with my—at bedtime."

Before Annie could respond, Malvern said, “No need to stay up for that, Annie. I can help her ladyship at bedtime."

"I won't mind coming back, my lord,” Annie said.

"Nonsense. I'm sure you're not used to the late hours we keep, and our being here is causing you extra work, so return to your cottage and get your much-deserved rest. Her ladyship and I will get along famously on our own."

Annie shot Prudence a questioning look. Knowing Lord Malvern was correct about the old woman needing her rest, Prudence felt compelled to smile and nod weakly, even though the thought of him helping her undress jangled her nerves.

With a nod and another little bobble, Annie left the room.

"What shall we do this evening?” Prudence looked about the room for a cue on how she might entertain the earl until suppertime.

She spied book shelves near the fireplace and hurried over to study the titles. Malvern came up behind and hovered over her shoulder. “Do you see anything here that might interest you?” she asked.

"Yes.” His hands lightly fell on her shoulders and he leaned down until his lips brushed against her ear. “I'm very interested in getting to know my new wife."

She tried to turn so she could face him and put some distance between her ear and his lips, but her full skirt against his legs and the steady pressure of his hands made movement difficult. Craning her neck, she looked back at him. “Then let's go over to the sofa where we can talk more comfortably."

He smiled as though he knew a humorous secret. “That's a good idea. I'd love to get out of this cursed collar. It's been choking me all day.” Leading her toward the sofa with one hand, he began to pull at his neck cloth with the other.

Soon he'd removed cloth and collar and dropped them in a chair. After seating her on the sofa, he removed his jacket, draped it over the arm of the chair and sprawled beside her with a sigh of relief.

Having never seen him so casually dressed, Prudence giggled nervously as she continued to sit primly on the edge of the sofa.

"Can't you relax a bit, Prudence?"

She had to look over her shoulder to face him. “I'm quite comfortable, thank you."

"You don't look comfortable. In fact you look quite ill at ease."

What did he expect? She was alone with a strange man. Of course, this stranger was her husband, and they would be sleeping in the same bed tonight. Sooner or later, she had to overcome her shyness around him. She tried to slide back and emulate his relaxed posture but bulging petticoats and unyielding stays prevented her from doing more than leaning her shoulders against the sofa back.

A throaty chuckle sounded from her companion. “I forgot the constraints a lady's clothing places on her. Why don't we go into the bedroom and find something more comfortable for you to wear?"

Prudence sprang back to an upright position. “It's much too early for that."

He moved so he could place his arm around her waist and breathe heavily against her cheek. “It's never too early to be comfortable, Prudence."

Panic built in her chest. “I don't have anything comfortable except my night clothes. I can't sit around all evening in those."

He rubbed his cheek against hers and she felt the faint roughness of the beard that had grown since his morning shave. “We're both on edge, waiting for what's to come. Why don't we go ahead and get rid of all this tension."

She looked at him with horror. “Now? I thought we would do it at bedtime."

He smiled lazily as he pulled her around to face him. “Thanks to my mother's clever planning, we're here all alone. We can do anything anytime we want to.” His lips covered hers before she could protest.

The clothing that had made it impossible for Prudence to relax her sitting posture also made it difficult for her to hold her body away from his. Slight pressure from his encircling arms soon had her chest pressed against Malvern's. His tongue outlined her lips, and his hand massaged her upper back.

Something, undoubtedly the tight laces of her corset, made it difficult for her to breathe. As the room began to blur, she turned her mouth away from his and gasped.

Malvern pushed her away and studied her face. “We've got to get you out of those stays."

He stood and pulled her to her feet. With one arm around her waist, he led her into the bedroom. Prudence jumped when the door snapped shut behind her.

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"Let's see to these buttons,” Malvern said as he moved behind Prudence. With the speed a lady's maid would have envied, he undid the row of tiny buttons running down the back of her bodice and pushed the fabric aside, exposing the ivory flesh of her upper back.

Now he could touch her elegant neck. Holding the tops of her shoulders, he leaned forward and dropped light kisses from the base of her neck upward until a dangling curl tickled his nose.

"I've never seen your hair down. Take it down."

She didn't move, and he realized the bodice still hung across the front of her body and dangled from her arms.

"Oops.” He laughed as he stepped in front of her. “I'm not doing my job properly, am I?” He tugged the bodice sleeves away from her arms and tossed the garment aside. She looked nervous and unsure. Her newly liberated arms hung stiffly at her sides as if she wanted to raise them to cover her partially exposed breasts.

What was she shy about? It wasn't like she'd never bared herself to a man before. But she'd probably thought herself in love with that man, and she really didn't know Malvern, so it was only natural for her to be a bit nervous. And after all, even mistresses wanted to be romanced.

He embraced her, pulled her body against his, and knowing she'd liked his kisses before, sought her lips. She relaxed into his chest, and soon returned his kisses. When he entered her mouth with his tongue, she softly moaned.

Feeling the hard stays of her corset, he reluctantly tore his lips from her. “You're so alluring I keep forgetting my duties as your maid.” He attacked the hooks that held her skirt in place and then the tapes of her petticoats, and as a small mountain of material collected around her legs, she lifted her arms and began to remove the pins for her hair.

He hurriedly removed the corset, and when it was gone, and her hair rained down around her shoulders, the corkscrew curls reduced to small golden waves, her beauty caused his breath to catch in his throat.

He felt as if he'd been waiting for this moment for four years instead of four weeks. Grabbing her around the waist, he lifted her out of the mound of clothing and stood her beside the bed. Her breasts, now free and looking softer and fuller than he'd ever seen them, bobbled gently against her chemise.

He grabbed that flimsy cloth and started to pull at it, but she covered his hands. “Wait,” she said breathlessly. “Do I have to take off everything?"

What was she trying to pull now? “Absolutely."

"But what about you?"

He grinned, relieved to know she was anxious to see his body. “Oh, I guess it's only fair that I'm as exposed as you are. You take care of the chemise, and I'll get rid of my clothing."

He quickly disrobed while trying to watch as she, like a practiced tease, inched the chemise up. When she lifted it above her breasts, he almost fell as he hopped on one foot while removing the shoe from the other but keeping his gaze on her.

When she was completely nude, she dropped the chemise and sat lightly on the edge of the bed, gazing down and then up again as curiosity seemed to overcome modesty. He was pleased to see her eyes widen a bit when she saw his very upright manhood. He'd been told he was well endowed, and her reaction seemed to say that whatever she had seen before did not come up to his standards.

He jumped over the mound of clothing and stood before her, studying her lush curves. “You're more beautiful than I imagined."

My God, she looked like she was blushing. Surely this wasn't the first time someone had complimented her body. He cupped both breasts in his hands, lifted them and lightly stroked the nipples with his thumbs.

She gasped.

"Do you like that?"

She nodded as her nipples hardened into rose-colored pebbles. He grinned at this evidence of the fiery nature he had wished for.

His body now pulsed with need. He grasped her around the waist and lifted her until she folded her legs back and knelt on the bed. Bracing one of his knees against the side of the bed, he wedged the other between her thighs.