Page 73 of Undercover Duke
“WhatIstarted! You’re the one who misled her about your intentions.”
“Yes,” Vanessa said, slurring the word a little. “Exactly. You misled her . . . me . . .” She waved her hand at his mother. “What she said.”
“Shall I go on?” Joshua asked.
“Certainly,” the dowager duchess said. “But I think I’ll take Vanessa upstairs to bed. It’s late, and I’m sure she’s quite tired.”
“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Gwyn murmured to Thorn.
Sheridan glared at them both. When the dowager duchess helped Vanessa to a stand, he started to follow the two women. “I’ll go with you.”
“No, indeed,” his mother said. “You need to be here for this discussion. I, on the other hand, do not. I’ll just make sure Vanessa is settled into bed, and I’ll return.”
“All right,” he said warily.
The last thing Vanessa saw before she was led away by the dowager duchess was Sheridan staring after her with concern on his face. It helped to assuage a tiny bit of her hurt feelings.
She and his mother, who kept her arm about Vanessa’s waist, climbed the stairs in silence. As soon as they entered Vanessa’s bedchamber, however, her mother-in-law released her to pull back the bed coverlet. Vanessa swayed a bit, but mostly she just wanted desperately to sleep.
The dowager duchess’s sharp intake of breath as she stared down at the bed seemed to preclude that happening. “Oh, dear, I’ll have to find your maid. Where is Bridget, my dear?”
“Upstairs, I think? I dismissed her for the evening.” Vanessa frowned. “Didn’t expect my husband to have a family meeting on our wedding night.”
Her mother-in-law smiled. “And we’re all sorry about that. We didn’t expect him to do so, either. But I gather he came down to get food and encountered Thorn. You know men and their appetites.” She walked over to unknot the belt of Sheridan’s banyan, which Vanessa still wore. “I’ll have to call for your maid. There’s blood on the sheet—I’m sure you don’t want to sleep on that.”
“Blood?” Vanessa closed her eyes. They were so heavy.
“Your virgin’s blood, dear girl,” her mother-in-law said as she came behind her to slip the banyan off her shoulders.
“Oh. Right. Bridget told me ’bout that.” She’d also said if there wasn’t any blood, there would be a Great To-do. “That’s . . . good, right?”
“It’s fine. But it means we do need these sheets changed. Wait here a moment. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” The dowager duchess left to go out into the hall.
Vanessa was so tired. And the bed wasright there.Why couldn’t she get into it again? Something about blood? P’raps she was confused. She honestly couldn’t remember.
She just climbed into bed, put her head on the pillow, and promptly fell asleep.
Chapter Sixteen
As soon as Vanessa and Mother had gone, Joshua had suggested they might all want some refreshment. He’d called for a servant, who’d gone off to fetch tea, wine, and ale, along with some cut-up oranges and apples. Sheridan and the rest of the family had made small talk while that was set up.
But now that the servants had left, Joshua took one last gulp of brandy and set down his glass. “Where were we?”
Sheridan settled back in his chair, glass of wine in his hand. “You were giving us your report. And suggesting that I question the good citizens of Sanforth.”
“If you’ll be gone, I can do it,” Heywood said.
“Will Cass be all right with that?” Joshua asked.
“Of course,” Heywood said. “The only reason she’s not here at present is . . . well, she sleeps a great deal.”
“Of course she does,” Joshua said. “She’s due any day. Am I right?”
Heywood chuckled. “You are indeed.”
It struck Sheridan that Vanessa might end up carryinghischild soon. The thought of it gave him such pleasure he couldn’t even concentrate on what the others were saying. Of course, if she was so furious over his subterfuge that she refused to let him bed her again . . .
No, that wouldn’t happen. She had enjoyed their lovemaking. He was certain of it. She might be angry right now, but eventually she would see that what he’d done was for a good purpose.
