Page 15 of His Scandalous Lessons
“Perhaps I should warn you that the gentlemen Caro has invited will be on their best behavior. Little plain speaking.” At the disappearance of her smile, he leaned closer, “The key is to get them to let down their guard.”
A scratch at the door interrupted their lesson. “Sir?” The butler. “Her Grace has asked that I inform you of dinner in two hours, should you like to prepare yourself.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Richard lifted Anne’s chin. “Until next lesson.”
He didn’t miss how her hands lingered on his shoulders.
Chapter 8
In the following days, Anne found she enjoyed Richard’s company. He was witty and attentive, and their lessons became the best parts of her day. He taught her how to speak during meals in a way that was both polite and intriguing, and that did not smother her personality. He taught her how to dance and let her natural charm shine through. He parried in conversation as deftly as a swordplay. Anne admired the way he could change topics so easily that she often forgot she was meant to be performing.
Though she paid him handsomely in information, his lessons were more than worth the price.
“What are you looking for in a husband?” he asked while on their walk. “Aside from a title.”
Ravenhill, the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Hastings, covered miles of countryside and comprised of woodland, hills, rivers, and even a lake. Now that Richard knew Anne enjoyed daily walks, he took her out for lessons while exploring the many paths on the Ravenhill property.
Anne picked her way around a thorny rosebush. “The title would be negotiable if I could marry quickly without a special license. Unless you know any decent unmarried MPs who are seeking a wife?” When he shook his head, she sighed. “I thought not. I want someone kind and respectful. That’s all.”
Richard raised an eyebrow. “That’s all?”
What else was there? “All right, you tell me. What doyouthink I should have in a husband?”
“Someone who makes you laugh, perhaps. Someone who listens to you. Someone who—”
Before he could finish, the skies opened and rain poured down on them both. Anne laughed. “I suppose we’ll have to end our walk early,” she shouted over the downpour.
Richard grinned and grasped her hand. “Come. There’s a gazebo on the other side of the hill. We’re going to have to run through a meadow for it. Ready?”
By the time they made it to the gazebo, Anne and Richard were drenched. They dripped onto the wood floor as they took shelter beneath the arched roof. The only sound between them was the patter of rain, their heavy breathing.
Anne smiled, leaning against one of the columns to stare out at the trees. “I missed this about the country.”
“Doesn’t it rain enough in London?”
“It’s not the same.” She shut her eyes. “The noise there drowns out the raindrops as they fall from the trees. That’s what I miss. The silence.” She opened her eyes to find Richard staring at her with those beautiful, luminous blue eyes. She’d thought them so bright before, but now they matched the stormy sky. “What?”
He reached for her hesitantly, as if waiting for her to say no. When she didn’t, he gently touched her curls. “Your hair came undone.” What was that voice, so low and husky? How did it heat her blood so?
“It’s always been a problem to tame. It—”
“It’s beautiful.” His hand cupped the back of her head now. “God, look at you. That’s what you should find in a husband.”
“What's that?” she whispered. She didn’t understand. Not his look, or his words, or his touch. Or how she felt. What was this fire inside her? What did it mean?
“A man who could be in a room full of people and only see you.” His thumb dipped to brush her lower lip. “A man who burns for you alone. And if he doesn’t, then he’s a fool.”
“Richard...” Anne swallowed. “You promised you would be honest with me.”
She heard his breath, the shakiness of it. “Yes. Yes, I did.”
“I don’t understand what I’m feeling. Like I’m...I want to touch you. And other things.” She flushed. Other things she couldn’t explain. Like how she wanted to press her lips to his skin. Lick the rain off it. Feel him, all of him.
Richard made a sound low in his throat. “Desire, sweetheart. That’s desire.”
“I’ve never had a man touch me gently,” she told him. “I don’t know how a husband should touch a wife. Will you show me?”
