Page 50 of Counting on a Countess
She was silent for a moment. Likely tallying up the different ways he could please Tamsyn.
“Excuse me, my lord,” the maid finally said, “if I just tell you those things, that’s cheating.”
“Cheating?” He stood. “This is marriage. There is nofairorunfair.”
“Begging your pardon, my lord, but seeing as I’ve been married before and you haven’t, let me tell you that there’s most certainlyfairandunfairin marriage. And the fact that you don’t know that means you reallydohave to learn the rules.”
Tamping down frustration, Kit took a step toward her. “I can make it worth your while.”
Her brows climbed up. “Firstly, my lord, I don’t accept bribes. Secondly, even if I did, you’d have to get the money from my mistress.”
He ground his teeth together. He had no cash on him since he hadn’t made it to the bank to receive his allowance. Grabbing his silver comb, he growled, “Pawn this or keep it for yourself.”
But the stubborn woman shook her head. “I’m not taking anything from you, my lord. If you want to know something about my mistress, you’re going to have to ask her yourself.”
“But... but...” He rubbed at his jaw. “I don’t even know where to start.”
She gave him an enigmatic smile. “You fought Bonaparte himself. I’m sure finding out your wife’s favorite color will be simple by comparison. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my lord, I need to prepare her for dinner. I only just heard from a footman that you’re dining at home tonight,” she said pointedly.
Lowering himself into a chair by the fire, Kit managed a grunt to let her know they were done. He stared at the flames, watching them shift and dance with alchemical grace.
Whyshould this vex him as much as it did? He couldn’t understand himself. He’d never had a shortage of female company and knew precisely what to say to a woman when he desired her. But this was different. Even knowing her on such short acquaintance, he could see that Tamsyn was singular.
He sifted through what he knew of her and the labyrinth of their current circumstances. There was so much to take into consideration. He was her husband, yet theirs was no ordinary marriage. Nothing about them was ordinary.
In the middle of this thicket, Kit was going to have to learn who she was. What she loved. What she despised. Her girlish fancies and the deepest dreams of her woman’s heart.
He’d never had a bigger challenge.
Chapter 13
The enormous dining room felt far more intimate to Tamsyn when taking a meal with Kit. He insisted that, rather than sitting at opposite ends of the long table, they actually sitbesideeach other.
“This way I don’t have to shout at you like a sergeant barking orders,” he said with a cheerful air as waited for her to take her seat.
“I don’t obey orders very well,” she answered pertly.
He raised a brow as he sat. “Disobedient, eh? You know what we do with willful countesses.”
“Actually,” she replied, propping her chin on her hand, “I don’t know.”
Shaking out his napkin, he said, “Neither do I. But,” he added, smiling wickedly, “I’m certain I can devise a suitable punishment.”
Her stomach fluttered as she held his gaze. “Have to catch me first.”
“Daring words, my lady.” His eyes heated. “I look forward to the chase.”
Oh, dear.
She sipped her wine as she struggled for a level head. A flirtatious Kit ought to be considered a weapon.
In his evening clothes, he was all things masculine and dangerous. The dark indigo of his coat brought out the blue in his eyes, and the immaculate tailoring fit snugly to his lean, muscular body. She could stare for hours at the clean lines of his jaw highlighted against the white of his neckcloth.
He watched her with a hooded look as she helped herself to the artichokes in cream sauce and then the roast lemon capons.
“Difficult to concentrate on this excellent food with you observing me like a patrolman,” she murmured.
“Forgive me.” He didn’t take his eyes off her, however. “I am congratulating myself.”
