Loving the Marquess (25 page)

“We’ll need to make sure the maids don’t bring any of those
flowers into the house,” he added.

Her brow cleared. “Oh, that would be terrible! I’ve already
identified many of the plants Lady Overlea didn’t know, but I’m still searching
for information on a few…”

Her voice trailed off and she turned and headed back into
the conservatory, intent on her task. He, too, was lost in thought. His whole
world had just shifted off-balance, but for the first time in what seemed like
forever he began to hope.

Louisa wasn’t sure she’d ever get
used to running such a large house. After going over her new duties, Lady
Overlea had handed over the job of looking after all the day-to-day details of
running Overlea Manor, telling her that the best way to adapt was to jump in
with both feet. Louisa knew she could rely on the dowager marchioness’s help if
she had questions, but she threw herself into the task with the hope she
wouldn’t prove to be a disappointment. Lady Overlea had accepted her and
Catherine into the family with open arms, and Louisa had grown fond of the
older woman in the short time she had known her.

She had just finished meeting with the housekeeper to go
over the menus for the week and was about to ascend the stairs to return to her
room when she found herself dragged back against a very male figure. She closed
her eyes and smiled as a wicked urge to provoke her husband came over her.

“Kerrick…”

She was spun around so quickly she almost lost her balance.
When she saw the look of outrage on her husband’s face, she couldn’t hold back
her laughter. Nicholas was still very sensitive about that ridiculous proposal
he’d made to her and his friend, and it was so easy to tease him about it.

It took her a few moments to notice Lord Kerrick standing a
few feet away, a look of horror on his face.

“Good God,” he said, “do you want your husband to call me
out? Don’t even jest about such a thing.”

She laughed again. “Well, you both deserve it.”

“I was as innocent as you. None of that was my idea.”

Nicholas watched their exchange in silence but finally broke
into their light banter. “I need to speak to my wife for a moment.”

His friend seemed only too willing to oblige. With a quick
bow, he turned and headed down the hall, leaving them alone.

Louisa wondered why Nicholas wanted to see her. He took her
by the hand and led her to the library, closing the door behind them. She
didn’t like the somber expression on his face. It reminded her too much of the
way he was when they were first married. Wanting desperately to see him smile
again, she moved closer and brought his head down for a kiss.

There was a tenderness to the way he moved his mouth against
hers that made her catch her breath. When he pulled away, he cupped her cheek
and ran his thumb over her lower lip. He stared at her intently.

“What is the matter?” she asked, beginning to worry.

“I would like you to decline the invitation to dine at my
aunt’s house.”

Knowing his feelings about his aunt and cousins, his request
didn’t surprise her. “Your grandmother is looking forward to it. She hopes it
will help to heal the rift in the family.”

“I don’t believe one dinner is going to accomplish that.
There is too much history there. The two branches of the family have never
gotten along.”

His words made her feel a pang of guilt. His brother’s marriage
to Mary would have healed that rift. They hadn’t yet been formally betrothed,
but she knew there had been an understanding. Everyone had expected Nicholas to
fulfill that understanding when James died.

“Your aunt doesn’t like me. She believes I ensnared you and
somehow tricked you into marrying me.”

He scowled and dropped his hand. “You can’t know that with
certainty.”

“I do,” she said, remembering that horrible meeting shortly
after they’d been married. “She made a point of telling me directly.”

His temper flared at that revelation. “Then there can be no
question of our attendance.”

“It is too late. I have already accepted the invitation.”

“Louisa, I cannot allow her to insult you to your face and
pretend all is well.”

She laid a hand on his arm, hoping to soothe his anger. “It
means so much to your grandmother. Not that your Aunt Elizabeth accept me, I
don’t believe Lady Overlea likes her any better than you or I do, but she does
want you to be reconciled with your cousins.”

Nicholas made a short, dismissive sound. “After what Edward
tried to do to you? That is already two out of three members of their family
who have insulted you. Should I stand back and allow Mary to do so as well?”

He was correct, of course. She would give anything not to
have to attend that dinner. She knew it would be a painful affair and expected
there would be much antagonism directed at her. It meant so much to Lady
Overlea, however, that Louisa had to try for her sake.

“I don’t think Mary is capable of such hateful behavior. She
seems very mild mannered.”

“She is meek, yes. Not at all,” he said, pulling her body
flush against his, “like my wife.”

He leaned down and nuzzled her neck. He trailed a line of
kisses to her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

“Perhaps,” he said softly, his tongue tracing the shell of
her ear, “we can send everyone without us and stay behind. We’ll have dinner
brought up to our room and have a little mini-honeymoon.”

Louisa was tempted. Her husband knew far too well how to
touch her and make her forget everything else.

“We can’t,” she said, her voice breathy from the desire he
was stirring in her. “What will we say? That we are both feeling unwell?
Everyone will know we are lying.”

His hand cupped her breast and she arched into the caress.
He dragged his mouth down to the edge of her bodice and rained kisses over the
exposed skin. “We’re still on our honeymoon. And frankly, I don’t care if my
aunt and cousins don’t understand that.”

She pulled back from his grasp, struggling to right her
breathing. “Nicholas, we can’t.”

His expression held more than a hint of steel. “I say we
can.”

She would have to try a different approach. “Can you imagine
the expression on Edward’s face when he is forced to play host to us?”

Nicholas’s eyes lit up at that. “It might be amusing to see
him squirm.” He considered a moment before continuing. “Fine. We’ll go, but you
must promise to remain at my side.”

“Nothing can happen there, Nicholas. Not with a house full
of people.”

He had an odd expression on his face when he replied. “You’d
be surprised what can be done right under one’s nose.”

It was obvious he was thinking of something in particular.
She was about to question him, but he changed the subject.

“I want to take you riding.”

A thrill of anticipation went through her. Her first trip to
Overlea Manor, when she’d ridden there to ask for Nicholas’s help, had been the
first time in years that she’d been on a horse. Her love of riding had been
reawakened, but she’d been too preoccupied with her dilemma at the time to enjoy
it.

“I don’t think I packed my habit.” She’d been in a daze
during the days leading up to the wedding and after all the fittings Lady
Overlea had arranged for her with a small army of seamstresses, she’d decided
to leave behind most of her out-of-fashion clothing.

“Grandmother is usually quite thorough. I’d be very
surprised if she didn’t arrange for at least one new riding habit when she was
having your trousseau made.”

Of course, she thought, her excitement growing. “I’ll ask my
maid. She seems to know my wardrobe better than I do.”

He seemed quite pleased with her enthusiasm. “I’ll meet you
at the stables.”

Louisa reached up to give him a quick kiss, but he caught
her before she could pull away and deepened it.

“Perhaps we should postpone the riding,” he said, his breath
mingling with hers. “I can think of a few things we could do instead that would
probably be more fun.”

Louisa pulled away, laughing. “Oh no, you offered and got my
hopes up. I’m not going to let you change your mind.”

He released her with obvious reluctance and she hurried to
her rooms to change. Nicholas was right, of course. Her maid pulled a beautiful
riding habit of deep red and black from her wardrobe and helped her to dress.

She hurried, but by the time she reached the stables Nicholas
was already waiting for her. He smiled when he saw her and pushed away from the
wall he’d been leaning against.

“I knew Grandmother wouldn’t fail us.”

She smoothed her hand over the rich wool fabric of her
skirt. “It is lovely.”

Nicholas reached for her hand and led her into the stables.
She was surprised to see just how many horses the building contained but then
shook her head at her own folly. Of course the Marquess of Overlea would have a
large stable. As well as horses for riding, they also needed horses for their
carriages.

A groom was saddling Nicholas’s horse for their ride, but
her eyes were drawn to the pure white mare that stood off to the side, already
tacked up.

“Oh, she’s lovely,” she said, dropping her husband’s hand
and approaching the mare. “You’re beautiful, aren’t you,” she murmured softly
to the mare as she ran a hand along her muzzle. “What is her name?”

“Athena,” Nicholas said.

“She is as beautiful as a goddess.” She turned her head to
look at Nicholas, who was watching her with a satisfied smile.

“I’m glad you like her. She’s yours.”

“Oh no,” she protested. “You don’t have to do that. I’d be
content to visit her and ride her from time to time.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “You don’t have to be so
practical all the time, Louisa. And you no longer have to share everything.
Besides, I bought her for you.”

Her eyes widened at that. “You bought her for me? When?”

He shrugged, the movement casual. “Before the wedding. I saw
her when I was in London and thought of you.”

A glow of happiness spread through her. Even while he was
concocting his idiotic plan to throw her and Lord Kerrick together, he’d been
thinking of her and had bought her a present.

“Thank you,” she said, overcome with emotion.

Their eyes locked and they shared a moment of silent
understanding. One corner of his mouth turned up as though in acknowledgement
of how nonsensical his behavior had been.

 He gave her a cursory bow. “Shall we?”

She nodded and together they led their mounts from the
stable. Once outside, he helped her onto her horse before mounting Zeus. He
turned toward the village and Louisa followed.

“Where are we going?”

“I thought I would introduce you to some of my tenants.”

“I already know most of them.”

“Yes, but they know you as Louisa Evans. They would have
heard about our marriage and I’m sure they are very curious to see you in your
role as the Marchioness of Overlea.”

She winced. “I’m not sure I can be more than Louisa Evans. I
don’t know how a marchioness should behave and I fear that if I tried, I would
appear ridiculous.”

They were riding abreast and Nicholas leaned close to her
when he replied. “I’ll share a little secret with you. I don’t feel comfortable
acting as the marquess. I never paid much attention to the lectures to which
Father subjected James and me. I was supposed to, of course, since I was the
spare, but I never imagined I would one day become the marquess.”

“We are quite the pair, are we not?” she said, aiming for a
note of levity to lighten the suddenly somber mood.

“We shall have to define our own roles. In the end, no one
will dare criticize us. Not to our faces, at any rate. Besides, I am sure you
will keep me grounded if I start to think too highly of myself.”

She laughed. “I will consider it my first priority.”

They rode in silence the rest of the way. There were only a
few tenants she didn’t already know, and she was nervous about how they would
view her in her new role as marchioness. She needn’t have worried, however.
Aside from a few curious glances at her midsection from some who wondered if
the marquess had married her to avoid a scandal, everyone seemed genuinely
happy for them. It would appear that despite her husband’s reputation as a
rake, the people on his estate genuinely liked him. If anything, they seemed
relieved he had finally settled down. That sentiment increased when they
learned of his plans to make improvements to many of their cottages in the
spring.

It was a long afternoon. Louisa had never before visited so
many people in one day and she was drained when it was time to return home. She
was glad, however, that she’d gone out with Nicholas. It had given her the
opportunity to see a new side of him. He took his responsibility to his tenants
seriously and wanted to make sure they were well cared for. His genuine concern
made her realize he would be a great father. That thought was followed by a
wave of sadness when she thought that he might not be around to see a child of
his grow.

She laid a hand on her abdomen, wondering if she could be
carrying his child even now. It was still too early to tell, but she hoped that
she was.

She had lagged behind him. Nicholas stopped and waited for
her to catch up. He frowned when he saw her sadness.

“What is the matter?”

She attempted a smile, not wanting to bring up the subject
of his illness. She knew it was a weak attempt at best.

“I’m just tired,” she said. “It has been a long afternoon
and it has been many years since I have ridden such a distance. It does not
help that you kept me up half the night.”

A wolfish grin crossed his face. “You had better take a nap
when we return, then, for I feel you might be in for another sleepless night.”