Protection (13 page)

“Will that allow enough time to prepare?” Margaret asked.

“
More
than enough,” Nathaniel insisted. “We can be wed right after the final sitting of
Parliament.”

“Very well, Marsden. Six weeks it is.”

Rebecca sputtered, but Lisa breathed a sigh. She could only imagine the amount of
work required for such a spectacle, but dragging it out wouldn’t make it any easier.
As for time alone with Nathaniel, it would be at an even greater premium.

Chapter 12

Opportunity

The journey to Penelope’s town house was made in relative quiet after the noise and
excitement of the ball. Feeling a tad overwhelmed, Lisa battled not to succumb to
melancholy, her father picking up on her mood. As the carriage came to a halt, he
caught her eye.

“Rather than keep the horses standing whilst I escort Penelope inside, I thought I’d
instruct the driver to take you once around the park and then return for me.”

“Papa?” Lisa queried in time with Nathaniel’s startled, “Sir?”

“After the events of this evening, I thought the two of you might appreciate a little
time alone, though I am trusting you to be good.” He eyed Nathaniel severely. “Well,
reasonably
good,” he added before closing the door to the dimly lit carriage.

“This wasn’t my idea,” Lisa said hurriedly.

“I didn’t think it was, but I’m glad of the opportunity.”

“You are?”

“Yes.” Nathaniel edged closer. “I’ve been wanting to get you alone, but I wasn’t sure
how to manage it.”

Lisa’s heart began to pound. “How long will it take us to drive around the park?”

“About fifteen minutes, maybe a little longer if Ben drives slowly. Time enough.”

For what?

Before she could ask, the carriage lurched forward, and Nathaniel used the momentum
to lift her onto his lap.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, making sure the rear window was covered so the
groom couldn’t see them.

“Congratulating my betrothed
for her triumphant debut and apologising for my boorish behaviour.”

“If you’re referring to the comments you made during our rendezvous at the ball, you’ve
already said sorry.”

“I meant before that,” Nathaniel said, and Lisa’s heart fell.

“Oh, Nathaniel. No more apologies, please. I know you regret your treatment of me
when you thought I was a commoner, and for horribly offending me with your actions—”

“But you weren’t offended—well, not by
everything
I did.”

Lisa stilled. “No, I wasn’t.”

“I assumed you must have felt pressured to comply with my demands and only pretended
to enjoy my attentions—”

“Because a true lady would never willingly engage in or appreciate such activities.”
She tried to climb off his lap, but Nathaniel held her in place. “I told you I didn’t
think I had what it takes to be your marchioness.” She reluctantly met his gaze. “I’m
trying to be what you want—”

“But I’m an idiot who keeps sending you mixed messages.”

Lisa blinked. “Well . . . yes
.
”

“You’re the same girl I fell in love with at Worthington, and I’m sorry if I’ve given
you the impression I want you to change.”

“You are?”

“Very.” Nathaniel ran his fingers gently along the exposed curve of her shoulder.
“I realise you must have been offended by at least some
of the things we did, so I promise I won’t ask anything of you that is
overly
forward.”

Lisa opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut, wary of pushing her luck.
After a moment, she ventured a query.

“You won’t think badly of me if I act in a
somewhat
uninhibited manner once we’re wed?”

“I’ll be grateful beyond measure.”

Lisa breathed a sigh, and Nathaniel’s gaze dropped to her lips. But when he tried
to close the distance between them, she placed her hand on his chest.

“What brought about your change of heart?” she asked.

“Mostly it was being eaten alive with jealousy watching you dance with other men.”
He closed his eyes for a moment. “The only way I could endure it was by reminding
myself you are to be
my
wife and will share
my
bed. Feeling you in my arms as we danced, I kept recalling the way you looked when
we made love. It was then I knew I’d been a fool. Your responses could not all
have been feigned.”

Lisa wondered what he would think if he knew none
of them had been.

“You said ‘mostly’?”

“Hugh played a part in helping me come to my senses. I told him I was worried you
were unhappy, that I could feel you withdrawing from me, and I didn’t know why.”

“What did he say?”

“That if I had half a brain, I would beg you not to change in your demeanour towards
me as he’d never seen me happier than during those weeks we spent together at Worthington.”

“I made you happy?” Lisa knew as much, but it was nice to hear the words.

“
Very
happy. I’m just sorry if I’ve been making you miserable. Will you allow me to make
amends?”

“Certainly.” For the second time that night, she melted into his embrace, as his lips
burning a path from just below her ear to her fashionably exposed décolletage. Lisa
had thought the style scandalous when she’d first been fitted for the gown, but she
would have all her dresses fashioned in this manner if Nathaniel would take advantage
of them in such a way.

“What do you think Papa meant by ‘reasonably
good’?” she asked, her breath coming in shallow pants.

“I have a keen idea.” Nathaniel’s lips teased her bared flesh before he raised his
head and whispered against her mouth, “But not much time to make up for my previous
neglect.”

The horses’ hooves made a clip-clopping noise as they pulled the carriage at a steady
trot around the park, and Lisa considered asking Ben if he would slow to a walk. As
Nathaniel’s kisses became increasingly heated, she readjusted her position. Between
her tight stays and the voluminous layers of fine linen petticoats beneath her beautiful
gown, it wasn’t particularly comfortable sitting perched on his lap. Nor would it
be an easy matter for him to gain access to what lay beneath. Smiling against his
mouth, Lisa was confident he would find a way.

Fulfilling her prediction, Nathaniel’s lips drifted from their worship of her mouth
to nibble a path along her jaw. At the same time, his fingers captured her ankle beneath
the hem of her gown. Circling her ankle with his thumb and forefinger, his hand then
smoothed along her leg, pushing the layers of fabric out of the way. When he reached
the lace-trimmed edge of her silk stocking, his fingers stroked the bare skin above.
Passion and pleasure mingled, pulsing through her in a shuddering wave.

“I want to make love to you so badly.” Nathaniel groaned, the sound rumbling close
to her ear. Sitting back, he met her gaze, his eyes dark with desire. “A part of me
thinks I’m an utter fool for not taking you up on your offer to sneak out of your
room, but I made your father a promise I intend keeping, and I didn’t want you to
think I don’t respect you. It’s bad enough I took advantage of your innocence the
way I did.”

“That’s in the past.” Lisa smoothed away the furrows on his brow. “All’s well that
ends, or is
soon
to end, incredibly well.”

Nathaniel took hold of her hand, turning his head to press his lips to her palm.

“Not an end, a beginning,” he whispered before his mouth found hers in a kiss that
was both passionate, loving, and yet somehow reverent.

Coming to a sudden decision, Lisa pulled away and took a deep breath, an action that
drew Nathaniel’s gaze back to her cleavage. Her resolve almost faltered as the hunger
in his eyes sparked a deep longing in her own heart. But then she realised it was,
indeed, her
heart
that ached for communion with Nathaniel even more intensely than her body desired
fulfilment. After lifting his chin with her forefinger until his rueful gaze met hers,
she made an unexpected request. “Would you mind too terribly if we waited?”

“To make love?” His brows rose, and she nodded. “I wasn’t intending to go that far.
There really isn’t time, and I don’t imagine that’s what your father had in mind when
he granted us this opportunity to be alone. I was just hoping to make up for my contradictory
behaviour by bringing you
comfort
.”

“Comfort?” Lisa almost changed her mind.

“Yes, but I agree we should wait to make love until after we’re married. It’s the
right thing to do and will be a fresh start for us both.”

“That’s what I thought also.” She tried to sound confident in her decision but couldn’t
help a moment’s regret. Some
comfort
would have been appreciated.

“Having said that.” Nathaniel tilted his head. “It doesn’t seem fair—or particularly
honourable—of me to stir your passions and then leave you unfulfilled. Are you sure
you wouldn’t like me to finish what I started?”

Lisa’s breath hitched, but a quick glance out the window showed they were more than
halfway around the park. “I fear we’ve run out of time, and I doubt we’ll be given
another opportunity before the wedding.” She tried to hide her disappointment. As
far as compromises went, Nathaniel’s generous offer was one she could have lived with
quite easily. “Not to worry. Six weeks isn’t a terribly long time to wait.”

Nathaniel didn’t respond straight away, but his cheekbones took on a reddish tint.

“What is it?”

“I could explain to you how to find your own release,” he whispered.

Lisa’s face heated. “That won’t be necessary,” she murmured, unable to meet his gaze.

“Because you’d rather wait?”

“Well, yes, but also because I already . . . er . . . fathomed the, er . . . mechanics
of it for myself.”

Nathaniel’s head jerked back, and Lisa regretted mentioning the discovery she’d made
following another particularly vivid dream.

“I only tried it the once,” she rushed to add. “It was pleasant enough but nowhere
near as wonderful as when you, I mean when we, I mean . . . oh, Nathaniel. Do you
think too
badly of me?”

“Of course not.” He carefully schooled his features, but she could tell he was upset.
“So you’re saying you have no need of my assistance now that you can take care of
the problem by yourself?”

“No!” She clutched at the lapels of his evening jacket. “I’m merely saying I understand
the process, but to be perfectly honest, it left me feeling a little, well . . .
lonely
. I’d rather wait until we can be together as man and wife.”

“So we wait.” Nathaniel brushed a kiss across her forehead, his relief palpable.

“Until our wedding night.”

“Which is only six weeks away.”

“Only six weeks.” She suppressed a smile at his grim determination. “Besides,” she
added, looking coyly up at him through her eyelashes, “there is something to be said
for letting the anticipation build.”

Nathaniel chuckled. “Indeed there is. As well as making it considerably easier to
meet your father’s eye when he rejoins us.”

Groaning, Lisa covered her face with her hands, not having given that eventuality
its due thought.

“But he’ll think we’ve been doing more than we have.”

“Don’t worry.” Nathaniel pulled her close. “Your father only wants your happiness.
I’m sure he doesn’t begrudge us a few passionate kisses.”

“Of course . . . kisses.”

The tension drained from Lisa’s body, and she settled as comfortably as she could
into Nathaniel’s embrace. “I suppose you’re right.” She yawned, the excitement of
the long day, and her relief at having matters more settled between them, taking their
toll. Things would be well once they were wed. They’d find their footing, put off
the shackles of society’s expectations, and return to being just Nathaniel and Lisa . . .
friends . . . lovers. Although hopefully without the guilt and confusion.

“Why don’t you rest?” he suggested, drawing her head to nestle against his shoulder.
She thought it unlikely, but the next thing she knew, the rhythmic sounds of horseshoes
striking cobblestones had been replaced by silence.

“Sweetheart, it’s time to awaken.”

Opening her eyes, Lisa found Nathaniel’s handsome face mere inches from her own.

“We’re home.” He smiled softly. “I’d happily carry you inside, but I fear we would
scandalise my father’s staff.”

“We can’t have that,” she murmured.

“You did very well tonight, Anneliese,” her father said when they exited the carriage,
Lisa leaning on Nathaniel’s arm. “Your mother would have been proud to see you triumph
in front of the highest echelon of society. Not that she paid them much mind.”

“I wish she could have met Nathaniel.” Lisa smiled wistfully at the thought.

“I’m sure I would have admired her greatly,” he said as they came to a halt at the
foot of the curving stairway.

“Well, son.” Nathaniel’s eyebrows rose at her father’s unexpected use of the term.
“I can guarantee she would have loved you.”