The Seduction of His Wife (27 page)

He held his hand out to her. An invitation. A truce. Who knew what it was; he certainly didn’t. She looked from his hand to his eyes but did not step forward. He dropped his hand away.

“The hour is late,” she said. “We … that is to say,
you
should retire in your chamber this evening, while I retire in mine.”

Of course she wouldn’t invite him to her bed. Not tonight, maybe not tomorrow night. It was probably for the better. He was still acting an ass no matter that he thought through his words before he uttered them. He didn’t deserve to spend any time in her bed.

He inclined his head. “Until tomorrow.”

“Indeed.”

He wondered what she’d do if he kissed her senseless. He stepped forward, grasped her hand and pulled her into his arms. The supple feel of her breasts had him groaning with the contact. The warmth he felt where his hands wrapped and held onto her lower back had him tightening his hold. None of those stolen touches was as fulfilling as the soft give of her lips beneath his. Nor as satisfying as the dulcet moan she released into his mouth as her lips parted.

It was a shame that the kiss had to come to an end at all. He pulled his mouth away from hers and stared into her clear green gaze. Placing his hands on either side of her face, Richard kissed her forehead before leaving her.

Chapter 18

I weary of my lonely life. But it is an existence I’ve created all my own.

Abby was in the drawing room, writing out a letter, when Emma went downstairs for tea in the morning. It looked like she’d been writing for some hours, since the sides of her fingers were stained an indigo blue from the ink.

“Good morning.” She smiled at her sister’s back, since Abby didn’t immediately turn at her approach. “To whom do you pen a note? It looks to be a veritable novel.”

Her sister looked at her with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Then it quickly changed to surprise.

What was her sister up to?

“I’m afraid I can’t tell a tale to save my life. No great novels will be forthcoming from me.” Abby gathered up the pages and folded them before tucking them inside the pocket on her dress. “It’s a letter to a friend.”

If Emma didn’t know her sister better, she’d ask if the friend was a gentleman. Abby’d had her coming out on her nineteenth birthday when she was out of her mourning weeds for their father. It had only taken Abby six months to decide she did not want to be a part of the marriage mart. Her younger sister had declared all the men to be fortune hunters, and that she was the farthest thing from being an heiress, and therefore she would never marry.

That hadn’t stopped Emma and Grace from dragging their youngest sister back to Town every season in the hope that a gentleman would offer for marriage.

Whatever Abby was up to, she wouldn’t reveal anything until she was ready.

Emma took a seat on the green twill sofa and poured herself a cup of tea. “Will you sit with me?”

Abby picked up her teacup from the writing desk and plopped herself down in a chair across from her. “I’ve missed you since your husband’s been back. You seem preoccupied with him.”

“I hadn’t realized.” Was Abby resentful of the time Emma had been spending with her husband? She hoped not. “He’s discovered my passion for painting.”

Emma kept her voice even, as though it didn’t matter, even though it did matter a great deal. After a sleepless night, she couldn’t stop thinking what lengths her husband might go to find her buyer. At least Richard couldn’t intimidate the duke.

The clink of Abby’s cup hitting the saucer was the only sound to be had for a good minute. Emma waited for her sister to realize the full truth behind those words.

“You mean
the
paintings we are currently wagering on sitting for?”

“The very ones.”

“Oh, no, Emma.” Abby got up to set her cup on the tea trolley and then sat next to her on the sofa. “What has he said about them?”

“That he wishes to buy them all back.”

“He can’t. You don’t know where they are.” Her sister’s clear green eyes widened. “Or do you?”

She could not tell her sister a half-truth. Despite the fact that it would be better for Abby to know nothing, Emma said, “I know where half of them are. The other half is anyone’s guess.”

The one thing she would never reveal to her sisters was that Nathan had been the one to purchase the majority of them.

“He was quite put out with me yesterday. I can only hope the night has given him time to reconcile his opinion of me and my art.”

Abby took Emma’s hands in her own as a way of comfort. Emma appreciated the gesture. She felt a little off balance today, and the moral support of her sister would go far.

“Emma, if anything, he’s just shocked to find his very proper wife indulging in something completely out of character from what society might expect of you. You’ve presented such a pristine image of yourself over the years that no one would suspect such a thing.”

“I’m worried about what lengths he’ll go in finding the truth of my buyer’s identity.”

“I don’t see why you don’t tell him.” Abby put her arm over Emma’s shoulder. “Unless Richard has forbidden you to paint?”

“At first he said I was to cease, that I was to give him all the paintings of that nature. Then he decided it would be better for him to track them all down so no one knew my dirty little secret.” He hadn’t said quite that, but it had certainly been implied.

“I’m so sorry.”

Emma absently played with her locket. “He’s going to find out sooner or later.”

“I wish I had words of wisdom to offer you.”

“I think I just needed to tell someone. It’s unfair of him to come back into my life and pretend he hasn’t ignored me for a dozen years. Pretend he can have the final say in my day-to-day activities.” Emma let out a long exasperated sigh. “I have to warn my buyer.”

She didn’t want to reveal her contact for so many reasons. Her husband already thought the worst of her. Assumed the duke was a lover of hers. What a mess this was. What a worse mess it could become. It always seemed things got worse before they got better.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” Abby was already standing from the sofa, offering Emma a hand up. “It might help clear your mind.”

“Fresh air will probably do me good.” Emma joined her sister.

“We have another challenge for you today, Em. That is, if you are up to the task. I’ll understand if you aren’t.”

She had completely forgotten about the wager, with everything else going on in her life. It would help her focus on something other than her husband. She should indulge this one last time. Emma opened the French doors that led to the gardens. A wall of heat met their approach to the outdoors. It was only ten in the morning, and already the day was stifling hot.

“What is to be the challenge today?”

Abby mulled at her bottom lip. “A swim.”

“A swim?” Emma laughed and sat under the large oak that shaded a bench. “You can’t be serious. Where?”

“At the pond.” Abby pulled her thin shawl off and set it beside them. “Don’t look so worried. I shouldn’t have told you. I thought it would take your mind off your husband.”

“Cheer me up by announcing we’ll take a dip in the pond?” Emma shook her head. “I’ll freeze within a minute.”

“Since when do we leave you to do the tasks alone? Grace and I plan to join you. We’ll freeze together and laugh about it later.”

“But the pond? The last time we swam together, a snapping turtle bit me.” Emma shivered. She didn’t like any animals that made their homes in ponds.

“The pond is fairly shallow, and you can see the bottom. It’ll be fine. Besides, we haven’t had a decent swim since we were children.”

Yes, and all because of an ugly little turtle with a very sharp beak.

“It’ll be fun,” Abby insisted. “We’ll wait till the sun has had a chance to warm the water before we go. It’s the perfect day for it.”

Emma wiped a damp curl from her temple. She had to agree, it was the perfect day to cool off in some water. Maybe a swim wouldn’t be so bad. “I can’t believe I’m even considering this.”

Abby laughed as she fanned herself with her hand.

Emma stood from the bench and tugged Abby along with her, their arms linked. “We should go find Grace.”

*   *   *

“We’re going to freeze.” Emma wrapped her arms around herself. The very thought of dunking her toes in the pond had her teeth chattering even though she was wiping sweat away that had formed at her temples under the shade of her hat.

“I brought plenty of blankets to wrap ourselves in afterward,” Grace said. “It’ll be fun.”

Despite Abby’s earlier words, she’d not taken to the task with them. She’d had an urgent post to write to a friend. Emma was inclined to believe that perhaps the men would be joining them, as they had for the last two challenges.

“When do the men plan to make an appearance?” she asked.

Grace seemed startled by the question. “Whatever do you mean?”

“I’ve noticed with every task you and Abby set forth, my husband has been there to see me completely unlike myself. I wonder when he and Mr. Lioni will just so happen to be walking by today.”

“I don’t know. I haven’t ever invited Richard along for our excursions.”

Emma raised a brow at her sister, then went back to folding her skirts on the grass beside her. “I’m disinclined to believe you. It might remain that you haven’t invited Richard. Have you invited Mr. Lioni?”

Her sister blushed. A rare occurrence. Not unless she wanted to hide something.

“Grace.” Emma reached out for her sister, settling a hand on either shoulder to stop Grace from turning away from her. “Tell me you haven’t fallen for Mr. Lioni.”

Grace looked away.

“Oh, no, Grace. He won’t stay on forever. Why would you do this to yourself?”

“I don’t know. It just happened. Dante is different from other men.” Green eyes met green eyes.

“You’re on a first-name basis with him?” Emma’s jaw dropped. “Tell me you haven’t…”

The look her sister gave her was one of pure guilt, like being caught stealing cookies from the kitchen. Emma released her hold on Grace and covered her own mouth, too late to stop the gasp of shock that escaped.

Grace crossed her arms over her bosom. “Emma, I’m a grown woman. Don’t you dare reprimand me in matters of the heart. We enjoy each other’s company. We—”

“Then why do you argue as though you have to?”

“I won’t be judged by you, Emma. I could never live as you have. Alone in this monstrous house.” Grace threw out her arms to encompass the land around them. “Without any callers, without a care whether or not you have the company of a man. I don’t understand how you live that way.”

“You should be ashamed of yourself. How dare you compare my situation to yours.” Emma pulled the hat from her head and tossed it toward their neatly folded clothes. “Abby doesn’t know, does she?”

“It’s not as if I plan to tell the whole world I’ve taken a lover.”

Emma pinched her eyes shut and rubbed at them. It wasn’t fair to judge her sister. They were in the privacy of Mansfield Hall.

Grace stood and walked to the edge of the water. Her hair was piled high on her head so it wouldn’t get wet. Emma had done the same. They both sported their unmentionables and short camisoles. All their other clothes were stacked on the grassy bank for when they came out of the water.

“I wasn’t going to say anything. But I don’t want you to think poorly of me…”

“It’s not that. I just worry.”

Grace turned to her as she stepped into the water. “You needn’t. Dante and I planned to make an announcement of our betrothal over dinner tonight. We’re to be married soon.”

Emma stumbled on a rock. She caught herself before she fell into the water. Her sister caught her arm.

“I know it seems sudden. But I fear I’ve fallen in love.”

Emma stared back at Grace. Was Grace afraid that her sisters would reject the idea? Think her foolish? This was a great deal different from a simple affair. “I will stand beside you in your decision. I won’t judge the suddenness of your betrothal. I hope you realize other people will assume you are marrying because you’re with child.”

“I don’t care what they think.” Grace turned away, focusing on the water in front of them instead of meeting her gaze. “Once they see us together they will know it is a love match.”

Was it possible to fall in love with someone inside of two weeks? Emma had once thought herself in love with Richard. But that had been different. She had been just a girl then. She hadn’t known any better, didn’t really understand the concept of love when she’d hung on Richard’s every word during their courtship. Now that she was more mature and knew herself better, she wasn’t so sure that what she felt for her husband was love. A need for companionship did not equate to love in her books.

“I’m happy for you, Grace.” She hugged her sister. “What exactly does marrying immediately mean? Will you go somewhere to marry within the next week?”

“No. We’ll have the banns read. I’ve convinced him to stay in London.”

Grace walked farther out into the water. Emma followed, going so far as her knees. It wasn’t as cold as she thought it would be. The heat of the day had helped to warm the water considerably.

“I’m sorry I got upset,” Emma apologized. “I’ve not been myself this week. I’m going to miss you if you move to Italy.”

“And I’ll miss you. But we’ll still see each other. I think we’ll only spend half our time there, and half here.” Grace gave her a small smile. “Please don’t tell Abby I told you. She’ll be displeased that you knew before her.”

“I won’t say a word.”

“The water isn’t too bad. It’s tepid,” Grace said. That would probably change the deeper they waded in.

“What is the purpose of this challenge, Grace? You never did explain that to me. We used to do this all the time when we were children.”

Grace leaned back and swam a few hand spans out into the water. “Join me, and I’ll tell you.”

Sinking into the water up to her waist, Emma then submerged her body beneath the surface and swam toward her sister. “Grace, despite the fact that the water is lukewarm, I’m starting to shiver. You don’t plan to stay in here long, do you?”