Page 76 of From Duke Till Dawn
“We owe it to our nation to insist women wear skirts,” she decided. “Which is to the betterment of men, since unencumbered females would easily run roughshod over males. Britain would belong to us within a fortnight. Come to think of it,” she added, tapping a finger on her chin, “perhaps womenoughtto forgo skirts. I have a lot of ideas about how to run this country.”
“Starting with...?” He pushed away from the door and crossed to her. Taking the brush from her hand, he ran it slowly through her tresses.
Her eyes closed and she hummed in pleasure. “I’d rule that only handsome, strapping men could serve as ladies’ maids, to start.”
“Watch the birthrate soar as a result,” he said drily.
“Oh, but if I was in charge, I’d make it one of my priorities that natural philosophers must invent better means of contraception. The whole country would thank me.”
“If you think no work would get accomplished when women forgo skirts,” he noted, “imagine the idleness if sex didn’t result in babies. We’d be vulnerable to foreign invasion because the soldiers would all be shagging themselves into unconsciousness.”
“Then I’d share the secret with the world,” she proclaimed loftily. “No more unwanted children and all the rogering your heart could desire.”
A tap sounded at the door. “Your food, Your Grace,” said a muffled voice.
Cassandra took the brush back from Alex. “That was fast.”
“Never underestimate the power of a hungry duke.” He strode to open the door.
Three servants entered. They kept their gazes lowered as they set up a table with numerous covered dishes, then hurried away.
After pulling up chairs, Alex and Cassandra attacked the meal. There were sweet and savory pies, slices of roast beef, hot bread, wedges of cheese, and a bowl of fruit. He and Cassandra traded bites and ate with their hands. He couldn’t remember a meal ever tasting better.
She gnawed on a pheasant leg contemplatively. “I’m certain Becky won’t come through with the information about Martin.”
“There are always more options to be pursued,” he countered.
She looked dubious. “The longer it takes to find him, the better the chances of him slipping away. And the more time runs out for me.” Setting the bone aside, she exhaled. “Emigration’s a possibility. Set sail for faraway shores.”
Panic rose up in a cold spike. He worked to keep his words light, his manner casual. “I could hire a Bow Street Runner or someone to conduct the investigation privately.”
She frowned as she contemplated this prospect. “An investigation takes time.”
“If you’re worried about where to stay,” he said, gazing at the wine in his glass, “you needn’t concern yourself. There’s more than enough room here. Until Hughes is found,” he added quickly.
“Protecting your investment?” she asked, an edge in her voice.
“I don’t see why my motivation should concern you,” he countered levelly.
“Because it does,” she answered tightly.
Suddenly, their pleasant mood evaporated like so much steam. They both picked at the remainder of their food, neither meeting the other’s gaze.
Despite the distance between them, he couldn’t deny the gratification and pleasure it gave him to have her here, in his bedchamber, in his clothing, being fed from his kitchens. Her life had been a difficult one, and if he could give her a few moments of luxury and indulgence, he would. He’d give her anything she wanted.
All the emotions he’d felt for her in Cheltenham were back, stronger than ever. They filled him like light, warm and glowing. Everything was different. Money was immaterial, and he only needed her close. As close as she would allow for as long as she would permit.
He opened his mouth to speak, to tell her of his feelings. No words came out. Alex silently cursed himself. He should just tell her.
He’d never been at a loss for words in Parliament. Men often congratulated him after a speech, praising his eloquence and perseverance. “You could charm a lizard out of its scales,” Lord Kendall once said after a particularly rousing demand for more funding for the poor.
Yet as he gazed at Cassandra, sitting opposite him with her chin down and her brow creased, he couldn’t find the right words to say what he felt, and silence gripped them both.
Chapter 16
Fighting melancholy, Alex was determined to make the rest of the day take a turn for the better. After the food had been cleared, he ordered two baths—one in each of their rooms. Half-clothed, she slipped from his bedchamber to bathe in privacy.
As he washed, he tried to push away thoughts of the immediate future and the distant future, as well. Over and over, Alex wondered what would happen if Martin Hughes wasn’t found and what he would do when Cassandra disappeared from his life a second time. Would it be any easier, knowing her departure was coming? Or would it be more painful this time, seeing the inevitable and being unable to stop it from happening?
