A Promise of More (15 page)

He would not stay with her tonight. The feelings that were swirling inside his chest indicated he was getting too close. It was time to put distance between them. He would, of course, let her help with the investigation. Doogie was her brother. But he didn’t want this relationship to deepen any further. Already his thoughts far too often dwelled on his wife, when he had an enemy to apprehend.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead and left the room to go to his cold bed.

Beatrice didn’t wake the next morning until one of the maids entered to start her bath. The girl curtsied before her. “His lordship thought you might like a bath drawn, my lady.”

She smiled at the girl. “That would be lovely, thank you. What is your name?”

“Sarah, my lady.” Sarah went to her wardrobe to fetch a robe, before approaching the bed. Beatrice slowly sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, and the maid helped her into the robe she held.

“What time is it, Sarah?”

The maid pointed to the clock on the mantelpiece and said, “Almost noon, my lady.”

Gosh, she had slept in. She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept this late. Her face heated. She did remember—it was yesterday, the day after Sebastian had made love to her.

She looked back at her bed. It was obvious she had slept alone last night. Sebastian must have slept in his own room. She couldn’t help the disappointment that seeped into her bones. He hadn’t wanted to stay with her. Perhaps their one night together wasn’t as special as she thought it was.

That didn’t bode well for her plan of seducing her husband into loving her. If he preferred to stay in his own bed, how was she to implement the strategy Serena had come up with? She shook her head and tried not to read too much into it. It could have been because he was as tired as she had been. They’d had a few stressful days.

Entering the bathing chamber, she was disappointed to see the door into his room was shut.

As she sank into the hot water, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Luxury. She’d had a bath on her wedding day, which seemed days and days and days ago, but was in reality only two days ago. Her life had changed so much since then she could hardly believe it.

For once, she allowed a small smidgen of happiness to invade her body.
Her husband
. She still couldn’t quite believe it: she had a husband, and her husband was someone as beautiful as Sebastian. If not for Doogie’s death, she’d count herself extremely lucky.

She blew out a breath and sank below the water. She no longer had to resent her husband. Joy surged. If anything, she very much wanted to like her husband. No, not like, love.

Something about Christian and Serena’s wedding had made a tolerable marriage intolerable. She no longer simply wanted security for herself and her family, she wanted more. She wanted what Christian and Serena had. A love match. Sebastian didn’t appear to be in love with anyone else. In fact, he despised love. So, even though his affections were not directed elsewhere, the task before her was monumental. He abhorred the very idea of love.

However, if anyone had told her three months ago she’d be Lady Coldhurst, she would have thought they were crazy.

“Would you like me to wash your hair for you?”

The patrician voice made her start and she looked up into the smiling face of Sebastian’s sister, Marisa. Marisa didn’t seem to be at all embarrassed by Beatrice’s nudity.

She sank deeper into the water. “I’m not sure that is appropriate.”

Marisa just sighed. “I do it for Helen all the time. Now that we are sisters, I’m hoping I can treat you exactly as I would Helen.”

Marisa’s smile was infectious. Beatrice couldn’t help but laugh at the girl’s forwardness. “My sisters are far too young to be my confidantes. I’d like very much for us to be sisters
and
friends.”

Marisa’s answering smile was exactly like Sebastian’s, and Beatrice’s stomach flipped.

“I’m sure we will be,” Marisa said. “Besides, you will need to look your best tonight. It is Lady Wickham’s ball, and it will be your first outing as Lady Coldhurst.”

Beatrice caught her breath. “So soon. I’m not sure I am ready to face the ridicule of the
ton
.”

“Of course you are. I’ve got a beautiful dress picked out for you to wear, because I have been through the clothes you arrived with and there really is nothing appropriate among them. They are a few seasons out of date.”

Beatrice’s face heated. “We didn’t have enough money for me to dress in the finest ball gowns, and given my age, there wasn’t much point. I was hardly a debutante. The marriage mart had all but dried up for me.”

Marisa humphed. “You are not
that
old. However, I do remember you seemed to go out of your way to make yourself as unappealing as possible.”

Marisa tipped Beatrice’s head back and poured water through her hair, then took the soap and started to wash it.

“There didn’t appear to be any point in making myself appealing,” Beatrice said. “With my nickname, and the fact that everyone knew I had no dowry, most men were not interested.”

“Well, that has all changed. You are Sebastian’s wife, Marchioness Coldhurst. I suspect that now you are married you might become a prime target for the more rakish fraternity. Just a wee warning about my brother: it would not pay to be overly flirtatious. My parents’ history has made him wary of any long-term relationship or the feelings that develop. He’s concerned he’ll behave exactly like my father.”

It was Beatrice’s turn to laugh. “I hardly think Sebastian would ever have cause to be jealous over me. I have never been the flirtatious type, nor have I ever caught the eye of any gentleman.”

Marisa picked up a bucket and rinsed her hair until it was clear of soap. “By the time Helen and I have finished dressing you, and my maid has done your hair, you will be a completely new woman. Even Sebastian will struggle to recognize you.”

“I don’t want Sebastian not to recognize me. We have come to an arrangement that is to my liking.”

“Let me guess, he has given you the ‘Let’s be friends and respect each other’ speech.”

“How on earth do you know that?”

“Because he gave the same speech to Lady Christina, the widow who has been chasing after him for quite some time. He hoped those words would put her off, but I don’t think they have. In fact, I don’t think your marriage will either. She is looking for another amusement and she has her eye on Sebastian.”

The idea of Sebastian taking a mistress or a lover made her stomach cramp and cold waves of fury swamp her. She might not have her husband’s love yet, but she didn’t want him to be with anyone else. If she was to make Sebastian fall in love with her, she couldn’t have a rival. He could not be allowed to form any sort of attachment with any other woman.

“And will Lady Christina be at the ball tonight?”

Marisa nodded and handed her a towel as Beatrice made to step out of the tub.

“I’m sure she will, because she knows Sebastian will be there. That is another reason why it is vitally important you are looking your best tonight. Don’t worry. I will look after you. Between the two of us, we shall keep Sebastian so engaged he won’t have any time to be sidetracked by that viper.”

Sebastian awoke the next morning hard as rock. Frustration made a bad bedfellow. He now regretted his decision to sleep alone last night. He lay back and pictured Beatrice’s soft curves and let out a groan. He could be kissing, fondling, and sliding into her tight heat right this minute.

Upon those thoughts, his hand drifted to his groin and he wrapped his fist around his straining member and stroked. His eyes closed and he let himself become immersed in memories of Beatrice in the throes of passion. Her passion-filled cries, her whimpers, the way her body moved with his … it didn’t take long for him to explode.

Panting, he sank back into the soft bed, his heart racing with the force of his release. Christ, he was in a bad way. He couldn’t comprehend how just the thought of his wife drove him so quickly over the edge.

Worse, he seemed to desire not just her body; he wanted her company more than he should. As he’d carried her in his arms last night, the soft curves under his hands, her intoxicating scent in his nostrils, he’d been hard-pressed to leave her be.

The idea that Beatrice now lay in a bed in the room adjacent to his had his body still strumming. However, he would teach himself restraint. He didn’t want her to become too embedded in his life, nor did he wish to feel this whirlpool of sensations. Heightened emotions should play no part in a stable marriage.

A short time later, Beatrice and Sebastian found themselves in a carriage heading toward Harley Street. She longed to cross to his side of the carriage and cuddle close, breathing in the raw vitality that surrounded him. He was devastatingly handsome this morning, his burgundy coat setting off his dark, seductive looks. She licked her lips and tried to pull herself together. After only a few days, her wits appeared to be scattered to the winds when she was in Sebastian’s presence.

“Do you really think he is going to remember something that happened five months ago?”

Sebastian looked across at Beatrice and gave an encouraging smile. “We can
only ask. We could give him a little incentive to see how much he remembers, but then he may not tell us the truth. The way we ask the questions could decide how he answers. It would be better if you left the talking to me.”

“He’s been our family physician since I was born. I think he’ll talk to me,” she replied, affronted at his attitude.

“True, but he may wish to protect you and think it unwise to reveal the truth.”

She couldn’t argue with his logic.

They were on the way to visit Doogie’s physician, the doctor who’d been present at the duel. Beatrice knew him well, and Sebastian worried that her presence might put the man off. He shifted restlessly in the carriage.

This morning Beatrice had been strangely quiet, at least in his opinion. She had been absent-minded, distracted, and it bothered him.
What was she thinking?
He shouldn’t really care what she thought. Their marriage wasn’t supposed to mean living in each other’s pockets. But yes, desire was there, as it was every time he looked at her. Even now his body hummed with the idea of making their journey to Harley Street more enjoyable.

Sebastian realized he was staring, and he inwardly quashed the compulsion to reach for her. He had seen beautiful women before; hell, he’d slept with many of them. He didn’t know what it was about Beatrice that set his body on edge.

“You are awfully quiet this morning.”

Beatrice lifted her head and looked across at him. “I’ve got a lot on my mind. Now that we are back in town, I’d really like to go and visit my mother. Just to ensure that she, and the children, are all right, and to show that you haven’t abused me in any way.”

At his raised eyebrow she shrugged her shoulders.

“You’re the enemy. Mother is probably imagining all kinds of horrors. I’d like to update them on that score. They will feel less guilty at my sacrifice.”

Anger rippled through him. Sacrifice? If anyone had sacrificed anything, it was him. He’d married her, for Christ’s sake. He kept his temper in check.