Page 54 of Beauty and the Rake
She shifted her eyes to him. “She also seems to have a calm disposition.”
“Just like her father,” he quipped with a grin.
Shaking her head, she stroked the babe’s cheek with a finger. “You’re anything but calm.”
“You really know how to hurt a man,” he replied, with a mock look of horror on his face.
“I’ll be glad once everything around her is settled.”
“It won’t be long. My attorney assured me everything was close to being resolved.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Everything needs to be settled now rather than later when Mary might get swept up in the proceedings.”
“I couldn’t agree more. She’s just a babe, a small child and doesn’t need to be used as a pawn in anything.”
Roxanne noticed the nanny hovering in the background, almost out of sight. She nodded at the woman. “Let’s allow Mary to stay on her schedule. It’s important at this young age. I’ll come visit again once I’ve settled in.”
Giving the older woman the child made her sad for a moment. It was an odd emotion, and she didn’t understand why she should be sad when in fact she should be grateful the babe would have only the best life had to offer.
As she and Graham reached the end of the corridor, he stopped, leaned over, and brushed her lips with his. “You’re going to be an amazing mother.”
“I don’t know how you can say that when I only spent ten minutes with her.”
“All of that’s about to change, but in those few minutes, I could see how much of yourself you had to give.”
“You don’t have to play the rake with me, Graham, with your flowery words. Just be yourself.”
He stopped in front of a closed oak door, placing his hand on the knob. “I can assure you I’m not. This is the real me.” The door opened and she passed him and into the chamber.
“This will be your bedchamber. You may do whatever you like to make it your own.”
She walked around the room, her fingers occasionally touching a piece of furniture or object. The room was done in lavender with shades of purple worked in as accent color. She couldn’t have chosen a better color. There was a closed door, which she immediately knew led to his domain.
Sensing her hesitation, he neared. “That leads to my chambers, but it is my desire that we share the bed, and you simply use the countess’s chambers for dressing.”
“I’ve never had that option before,” she whispered.
“Now you do.” He diverted her attention away from the door to the other side of the chamber. “There’s a dressing room along with a bathing chamber. I hope it meets with your approval. The house has the latest of everything, so when you want to bathe, you have hot water almost instantly.”
She walked through each room with a smile on her face. “This is more than adequate, Graham, and I can’t think of a thing I’d change right now.”
“When you decide you want to, let me know and I’ll hire the workmen.”
Roxanne lovingly placed her palm on his cheek. “Would you care to show me your bedchamber?”
“Yes,” he groaned. Taking her hand, he led her to the painted white door.
On the other side of the door was a large room done in shades of blue and gold. At one end of the room was a large, mahogany bed situated on a pedestal. It was quite regal, and Roxanne thought it fit Graham’s personality perfectly.
“Did you have this room re-done?”
“Yes. My father had had it done in dark, oppressive colors. It was almost depressing to come in here.”
“I can tell you had a hand in the job. It is very much you with the colors.”
“Thank you.” He reached for her hand once again.
There was a writing desk that sat at the far end of the room, near the hearth where a settee and chairs were placed. Masculine but not overly so.
