Page 26 of Unmasking the Silver Heiress
She laughed, turning the full way around to face him, and leaning back against the window sill. "Winchester to London to Bath, and even up to Yorkshire are the extent of my life's travels. None of those places have a coast."
He gave an incredulous little breath of laughter, shaking his head. "I cannot imagine it. I will have to bring you closer soon, and perhaps when it is warm again, you might swim in it."
"Oh, I cannot swim," she said hurriedly. "I would sink to the bottom like a stone anchor and you'd have to find a new wife."
He did not respond immediately, his eyes scanning hers with an unreadable look on his face. "Well," he said softly. "We can't have that, now can we?"
She blushed, realizing the silliness of what she'd just said. She opened her mouth, intending to diffuse the awkwardness of the comment, but found herself suddenly pulled close to her husband, engulfed in his delicious scent.
His lips descended onto hers in a quick and decisive motion, though they landed with unspeakable softness and warmth. He held her with one arm around her waist and his other hand cupped against her cheek, and he kissed her as though he truly wanted to.
Nell had never been kissed before, of course, but she thought that one could very likely tell the difference between a reluctant kiss and a sincere one. In her estimation, this was a sweet sort of kiss, not the demanding, passionate sort in books and giggling gossip, but perhaps one born more of affection than urgent need.
Perhaps he had come tolikeher. Surely that was better than simply desiring her, wasn’t it? She couldn’t work out just now why that might be, but she knew that for the moment, it was all perfectly thrilling, regardless.
She allowed herself to release the startled tension in her limbs, to lean forward and soften her lips against his in what she hoped was a show of acceptance and pleasure at the gesture. She let her thoughts scatter into ambiguous sensation, reveling in the way this felt.
He pulled back before she could properly lose herself in the swirling of strange and alarming sensations that had begun to stir within her. He was still wearing that bemused expression, though he did not look displeased.
They stared at one another for a long beat of silence, Nell wide-eyed and Nathaniel contemplative.
"I shall leave you to your rest, Mrs. Atlas," he said finally, with a little bow of formality.
"Oh," was all she managed, and no other words even came to mind until he had already shut the door behind him.
* * *
She had been so completelycertain that she would get no rest at all after that kiss. It was no wonder she felt so disoriented when she woke, over an hour later, still sprawled on her back in the luxurious feather bed. She had been contemplating the patterns of plaster on the ceiling, her body still warm and tingling from her first kiss. She did not even remember closing her eyes.
When she flung back the makeshift curtain for a second time, the sun had progressed well past its apex, and while still bright and whole, had sunk to somewhere behind the house. From the bedroom at this hour, nothing was visible of direct sun, save for the glints of golden refraction in the expanse of the ocean in the distance. She closed her eyes, imagining that she could smell the salt in the air from where she stood, and imagining further that her husband had returned to claim yet another kiss from her by this window.
Even though neither thing became a reality, she was still smiling when she opened her eyes again.
The room was just as sparse as it had been before she'd dozed off, though someone had come in to light the fire while she'd slept. She eyed the bell pull next to the bed and wondered if it was functional still, and even so, if it would ring rooms that servants had already settled into.
She felt more refreshed than she would have expected, and found that there was a spring in her footsteps as she made her way from the room and down the stairs to the foyer. Workmen were resting on the lawn, some of them napping in the tall grass and others having a spot of food. The door stood open, allowing in a stream of crisp autumn air, which wove its way through the ground floor as though it were perfectly at home.
She did not see Nathaniel among the workers without, nor did there seem to be anyone milling about within the house. She turned on the spot, craning her neck down the twin hallways that diverged from the center of the room, each weaving its way beneath a different staircase. It was anyone's guess which way the kitchens were, which she imagined were the access point to the servants' quarters.
"Ah, you're awake!" called a cheerful male voice from behind her. "I trust you had a pleasant rest?"
Nell turned back with what she hoped was a smile that appeared gracious rather than relieved at the sight of Kit Cooper approaching the front doors. "I am fully restored," she said. "This house is wonderful, but I am terrified to go exploring lest I get permanently lost!"
"It is a beautiful home," Kit replied with a shrug, "or at least it has the potential to be. I imagine you are looking for Nate."
"I was, yes. He mentioned that it was only a short ride into the city center, and I thought I might pick up a few things from Dover and familiarize myself with the setting. If I knew where my maid had gotten off to, I'd likely take her along as well."
"Well, Nate took the carriage into town to pick up some lumber and mortar for our repairs, but if you don't mind riding horseback, I would be happy to accompany you into the city."
"Horseback would be preferred, after the last few weeks," she said with genuine relief. "I would be most grateful for the company. Are you certain you aren't needed here?"
"Oh, I'm certain I am." Kit laughed. "That's why I'd love to have an excuse not to be. Besides, it will give me a chance to get to know my new cousin. I'll get us saddled up and we'll be off."
"Splendid," Nell replied with a clap of her hands. "I shan't be a minute."
She had never been much inclined to dramatics or hyperbole, but she thought that perhaps this day had been the best she'd ever had. The thought gave her a lightness that sped her way to collect her coat and hurry off onto the next adventure.
Chapter 14
