Page 71 of The Study of Seduction
“Well?” she asked. “Do the servants know?”
He gritted his teeth. “Yes. I sent them a letter at the same time I put the notice in the papers.”
Fine. He’d do things her way for a while. Spend time with her. Deal with incorporating a new wife into his estate. Try to control his runaway desire to bed her.
Court her.
He started. Hehadn’treally courted her, had he? He’d just rushed her into a marriage. And every time in the past that hehaddone something vaguely courtship-like, it had ended in a most pleasurable interlude. The night at the theater. Just now with the automaton. Each time, he was able to get a little further with her.
Interesting. Apparently women liked thoughtful gifts and compliments.Sheliked thoughtful gifts and compliments.
Very well, then that was what he would do. Court her properly. Take the lessons she’d given him for courting other women and apply them to her.
“I do hope your staff don’t mind having me as a mistress,” Clarissa said.
The hesitation in her voice firmed his resolve. He could do this. Make her comfortable with him. And perhaps not too long from now, she would be ready to reveal what made her so frightened of sharing his bed.
“I’m sure they will be delighted to have someone as accomplished as you running the household,” he said smoothly.
At least now he had a strategy to pursue.
The first thing Clarissa noticed when she entered the dining room two hours later was the rose lying across her plate. The second thing was Edwin, looking breathtaking in his black superfine and snowy cravat, standing at the other end of the table and watching her with the intensity that always made her shiver deliciously.
Guilt stabbed her anew. She hadn’t had a moment alone with him since their arrival. The staff had bombarded her with enthusiastic welcomes and then had ushered her up to dress for dinner in the suite of rooms meant to be hers. Amidst the chaos of unpacking and dressing, there’d been little time to dwell on her appalling behavior in the carriage.
But now, alone with him at dinner, she could no longer ignore it. Struggling for what to say, she took her seat and picked up the rose to sniff it. “How lovely.” She strove for a light tone. “Should I expect one of theseeveryevening at dinner?”
“That can be arranged.”
His unconscious echo of her words earlier that had sparked their intimate interlude renewed her guilt. She had overreacted. Badly. She had to stop acting like a frightened ninny with him. She already had him asking questions she wasn’t ready to answer.
Shewouldtell him everything eventually. Just as soon as she got her bearings in their marriage.
Coward.
“That’s a fetching gown,” he said conversationally.
The polite nicety startled her, especially coming from Edwin. But at least she knew how to play that game. “Thank you. It’s one of my favorites.” She settled her napkin in her lap. “You look rather splendid yourself this evening.”
She rather wished he didn’t. Because whenever he looked good enough to tempt her, it always seemed to end in disaster.
Well, notalways. The part in the carriage where he’d pleasured her had been incredible. It was her own stupid fault that things had deteriorated from there. And shehatedthat. She hated being weak and afraid.
The footman placed a bowl of soup in front of her. “This looks delicious,” she said, fearing that she sounded utterly inane.
“If there are any particular foods you would prefer, just tell Cook.” Edwin sipped some soup from his spoon. “I believe you’re already familiar with her abilities.”
“I should say so.” She picked up her spoon. “Your mother chose her well.”
“Mother was always very good at hiring servants.” He glanced at her. “And I’m sure you’ll be equally adept at it.”
His oddly soothing tone made her halt her spoon in midair. “I shall certainly try to be.”
“That’s all I ask. And with that in mind, I was thinking that tomorrow we might tour our dairy and then the orchards.”
“I’ve been in your dairy and your orchards more times than I can count.” Why was he behaving as if she hadn’t visited Stoke Towers nearly every day in her youth? “I’m not sure what more I could learn from a tour.”
A small frown knit his brow. “Very well, then we can call on the tenants so I may introduce you to them as my wife.”
