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«I haven’t been plotting or planning anything.» She gasped as

his teeth settled over the bruise he’d made on her throat and he

bit down hard. God, she shouldn’t be aroused by such a

deliberately possessive gesture, but she was.

«I don’t believe you. And by the way, Captain Gray only fucks

men. He’s hardly a suitable paramour for you and I’d never

believe he was having you.»

«I know what he is and what he likes. Am I not allowed to

have friends?»

«Not without my permission.» He licked the bruise his teeth

had made, probing the slight indentations with the tip of his

tongue.

«That is hardly fair.»

«Marriage isn’t fair. You know that.»

«I thought you would approve of Captain Gray. He knows all

your secrets and now some of mine.»

«That you like to be fucked in public?» She shuddered and he

slid his arm low around her hips bringing her body into close

contact with his. «That you like to be spanked?»

«Yes.»

He spread his fingers wide over her hip bone. «And what if I

don’t want anyone else to know what my wife does or doesn’t

like?»

«Surely it’s too late for that? David knows and you said that

anyone could walk in on us at the pleasure house.»

The door behind them opened and Minshom stepped back

and resumed his seat, leaving Jane feeling suddenly cold. Madame

and one of the girls appeared carrying a pale blue gown over her

arm.

«Here we are, Lady Minshom. It is almost complete, so you

may try it on and then I’ll set one of my girls to finish it for

tonight.»

«Thank you, Madame.» Jane managed a smile although it was

hard with Blaize sitting there, judging her, assessing her. She

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closed her eyes as the dress was slipped over her head with a slick

whisper of silk.

«I still need to sew the hem and the bodice seams and then it

will be perfect.»

Jane opened her eyes and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

She looked most unlike herself, almost dainty and elegant.

«It is beautiful, Madame.» She cleared her throat. «I haven’t

owned such a lovely garment for years.»

Madame spoke through a mouthful of pins as she continued

to mold the dress more tightly to Jane’s figure. «It is true, I am a

very talented woman and you are lucky to have acquired my

services.»

Blaize moved restlessly on the couch and she caught his eye in

the mirror. «Do you like it, my lord?»

«It is very nice, although I’d appreciate a lower décolletage.»

Madame tuned to look at him and Jane wanted to laugh.

«Lady Minshom isn’t your mistress, sir, she is your wife.»

«A fact that I am well aware of, Madame, never doubt it.» He

got to his feet and consulted his watch. «If you could have the

finished garment at my house by nine this evening I would be

most grateful.»

Madame nodded and began to ease Jane out of the altered

gown. «Nine it is, sir.»

«You shouldn’t ever trust me.» He stared at her, his expression

hard. «I will certainly let you down.» His half-smile was bleak.

«You of all people should know that.» He tipped his hat to her

and turned for the door. «Good afternoon, Jane.»

For a startled moment, before her senses returned in a furious

rush, she just stood there like a fool and watched him leave. Then

she opened the door and ran after him.

«I have no clothes. How am I supposed to get home?»

He paused at the main entrance to the shop and swept her a

beautiful bow. «I have no idea, my lady. Perhaps Madame

Wallace can find you another dress to wear? I’m sure she has

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something in your size, seeing as she is obviously still making

your clothes for you.»

Goodness gracious, so he had noticed Madame’s little

revelation about Emily. «Perhaps I’ll walk home in my corset and

petticoats.»

«I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s just about to rain.»

«I’ve never minded a spot of rain.» She held his gaze and

hoped he could see the fury emanating from hers. «I live in the

countryside.»

He bowed again. «Then good luck. I’ll see you at dinner, if

you don’t drown in a pothole.» He closed the door behind him

with a definite snap and disappeared into the street. Jane took a

deep breath, suddenly aware of the interested eyes on her and

dove back into the fitting room. She sat there for a few minutes

until she was sure she was in control of her temper and then

went to find Madame Wallace. She was in the main work room

surrounded by bolts of fabric, trimmings of every description and

a hoard of chattering young girls.

«Madame, would it be possible for you to lend me one of the

uniforms your employees wear?»

Madame looked up from the blue silk dress she was still

pinning into place and frowned at Jane. «Why on earth would

you want to do that?»

«To make a point to my husband who is behaving

insufferably.»

«Ah, he is the reason why all your bills are going through Lady

Millhaven’s account, then?»

«He is, and now he has left me here with nothing to wear

home.»

Madame’s lips twitched as if she was fighting a smile. Jane

tried to look stern. «I’d bring it back, of course.»

«I’m sure you will, otherwise I’ll put it on your bill.»

Jane looked hopeful as Madame continued to study her. Then

she sighed. «Oh, all right then.» She clapped her hands and the

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workroom went silent. «Marie-Claude, go and find your spare

uniform and help Lady Minshom into it. Daisy, go and call her

ladyship a hackney cab.»

Jane curtsied low and smiled at Madame Wallace. «Thank

you.»

Madame snorted and rolled out a bolt of orange-flowered

muslin on one of the big cutting tables. «Your husband strikes

me as a man who needs to be put in his place.»

«That’s right, Madame, he does.» Jane retreated to the door

when she saw Marie-Claude reappear and beckon to her. «I look

forward to seeing you again and thank you for all my dresses.»

«Good-bye, Lady Minshom.»

Realizing she had been dismissed, Jane allowed herself to be

laced and buttoned into the clean pink-striped gown, declined the

apron and headed for the door. She was looking forward to

sitting down to eat her dinner with Blaize immensely. You look

like a servant.»

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13

Jane stopped sipping her soup and smiled agreeably at

Minshom.

«I know.»

He drank the rest of his wine and refilled his own glass before

the footman stationed behind him could do it for him. «Why is

that?»

«Because you left me at the modiste’s with nothing to wear?»

In truth, she looked remarkably charming in the simple

striped muslin, far too young to be a wife of ten years and a

mother. Minshom quashed that thought before he started to

soften toward her. His father always said that women were sent

by the devil to tempt men into evil, and sometimes when faced

with Jane at her most Machiavellian, he almost agreed with him.

«Why didn’t you pick something more appropriate to your

station?»

Jane opened her eyes wide at him. «Oh my goodness, you

sound almost as prim as my grandfather. What would’ve been the

fun in choosing something you approved of, when this gown was

offered to me instead?»

«I doubt it was offered to you. You probably had to beg and

wheedle it out of that old harridan.»

«Madame Wallace is a saint.»

He regarded her silently for a long moment before motioning

to the footman positioned around the room to leave.

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«You delight in disobeying me, don’t you?» He hoped she

could hear the snap in his words, the warning of worse to come.

«I don’t quite see it like that, my lord.»

«Of course you don’t, but you are my wife and you owe me

your obedience in all matters, is that not so?»

«If you say so, you must be right.»

He put down his glass and leaned toward her. «You pretend to

agree with me and yet do exactly what you want regardless.»

Her smile disappeared. «What else am I to do when you give

me no choice by behaving so appallingly?»

«My behavior has nothing to do with you. Yours, however,

reflects on me and I don’t wish my wife to become the

laughingstock of the ton.»

«Why, because you prefer to occupy that position yourself?»

His hand shot out and he grabbed her wrist, bore it down to

the table, felt the delicate bones flex and yield beneath his hard

fingers. «You will go upstairs and change into the dress I have

provided for you. You will not substitute another gown, leave

your slippers or your petticoats off and you will dress your hair in

an appropriate manner. Do you understand me?»

She looked down at her wrist. «I understand you very well.

You don’t have to maul me.»

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. «You

like it when I touch you.»

«Not like this.»

He bit down on the fleshy mound beneath her thumb and felt

her quiver. «Liar. You loved being held down, being tied up,

being fucked...» He released her and sat back, aware of the blood

surging through his cock and the lavender scent of her skin now

clinging to his lips. «Go and get ready. I’ll meet you in the

drawing room in an hour.»

«And if I choose not to accompany you and plead a

headache?»

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He held her gaze. «I’ll come and find you, and by God, I’ll

dress you myself.»

Jane rose to her feet, her cheeks as pink as her dress. «I don’t

appreciate being manipulated, Blaize.»

«Neither do I, and since you’ve done nothing but manipulate

me since you arrived, perhaps it’s time to turn the tables.»

She stormed out of the room, head held high and her back as

straight as the queen’s. Minshom let her go and lit a cigar, settled

down to a glass of brandy and his solitude. Whether she intended

it or not, Jane certainly kept him amused. Sometimes her

ingenuity in getting around him made him furious, and other

times it made him want to laugh. The laughter was dangerous; he

couldn’t afford to fall under her spell again and give her what she

truly wanted, another child.

His faint smile died and he took more brandy. A tap on the

door made him glance up. Robert appeared with a fresh bottle of

brandy, which he set on the sideboard. Then he bowed and

retreated for the door.

«Where are you off to, Robert?»

«Back to the kitchen, my lord, to eat my dinner.»

«I thought you’d left to set up house with Captain Gray.»

Robert stared at some distant point over Minshom’s shoulder

and refused to meet his gaze. «No, my lord.»

«Then where have you been all day?»

«It was my afternoon off.»

«But you chose to return.»

«Yes, sir, I told you I would.»

«Captain Gray didn’t want you after all, then?»

Robert swallowed hard, «I didn’t go to him, sir.»

«Then where did you go?»

Robert finally looked at him. «I believe that is my business, sir,

not yours.»

Minshom stared at him for a long moment, aware of a sense

of relief, of finally being able to breathe again. It was the same

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feeling he’d had when Jane arrived unharmed and full of plans at

the dining table. Was he stupid enough to care about them after

all? Were all the lessons his father had taught him worth nothing?

«I want you to accompany me tonight.»

«If you wish, sir.» Robert bowed. «Is Lady Minshom coming

too?»

«I believe that’s my business, not yours.» Minshom

deliberately parroted Robert’s words back at him. «After you’ve

helped me dress, get yourself ready and meet me by the carriage.»

«Yes, sir.»

Minshom got to his feet, wondering if Jane was actually

getting dressed or had already escaped from her bedroom

window simply to annoy him. «Go and check that Lady

Minshom is in her rooms before you come to me.»

«Yes, sir.»

Robert went out and closed the door behind him. Minshom

hated it when Robert retreated into his servile mode. He took

another slug of his brandy and finished smoking his cigar.

Keeping them both waiting was important, keeping them off

guard essential if he wanted to remain in control. And he would

need all his control this evening as he guided his wife through the

intricacies of a ton ball.

«Am I late?» Jane smiled graciously at her husband as she

descended into the hall.

«No. Open your cloak.»

It seemed Blaize had forgotten how to be charming again, at

least to her. Jane spread the folds of her black velvet cloak wide.

«I’m wearing the right dress and I even found a pair of slippers to

match. Will I do?»

Blaize studied her from head to toe. «I suppose so.»

Jane sighed. «High praise indeed when I went to so much

trouble to look nice for you.»