Page 44 of Long Live the Baron
She had perused the several floors of Ridley House and could now confirm that every room was filled with imposing furniture, tired and ugly drapes, worn carpeting, and faded wallpaper which was peeling from the wall in some of the lesser-used spaces. Not to mention a litany of ominous creaks, creeping shadows, and a parade of stern-faced portraits in heavy gilded frames that made her nerves twitch and sent her imagination down brooding paths. She had not found any recent paintings of her husband or the duchess in any of the rooms, and she was fairly certain that the youngest painting was several decades old.
It was appropriate to assert that their home needed some attention, and she was going to take charge.
Opening and closing doors, she eventually found the dining room, but it was empty.
Fumbling around the hall, she found her way to the library, which was the only door displaying any light. Entering, she quickly located Brendan at the library table, surrounded by piles of books. Walking over, she noticed they appeared to be accounts.
“What are you doing?”
Brendan flinched in surprise, straightening up. “I am not precisely sure. These are the household account books, and I thought I might get familiar with … well … anything. I know nothing about how the Filminster barony is managed, so I have made a list of questions to pursue. This was the first afternoon I have not been consumed with other matters.”
Lily pulled a face, then took up a seat at the table. “We are both rather new at this, are we not? I just explored the house to get some notion of the state of it. The entire residence has been unused, except for the small drawing room, breakfast room, and your bedroom …” Lily blushed, realizing what she had just alluded to. Her habit of speaking without thinking really needed to be tempered.
Brendan cocked his head, grinning quizzically. “Did you enter my room, Lily Ridley?”
Hearing him say her new name in his husky voice sent a frisson of pleasure chasing through her body, even as she lowered her gaze down at her fingers. “I may have.”
“Hmm … You did, or you did not. Which is it?”
“I did! I wanted to see what it looked like. I went in every room, except the study, of course. And I think I found your old room, too!”
Brendan reached over, using his finger to tilt her chin up so she looked him in the eyes. He gently brushed his thumb over her lower lip. “I want to explore your room, too.”
Lily gazed into his brandy-colored eyes, fascinated by the specks of brown and gold, and her breathing slowed as she thought about inviting her new husband into her room. Lily licked her lips nervously, drawing Brendan’s gaze to her mouth. He exhaled slowly before releasing her to sit back.
“We should eat some dinner, I suppose.”
She nodded, but Lily’s mind was on their fiery kiss from earlier and how soon she might expect another.
CHAPTER12
“Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.”
Sun Tzu, L’Art de la Guerre (The Art of War)
* * *
They ate their dinner in the breakfast room, which he favored over the austere dining room down the hall. It surprised Brendan to find he was enjoying Lily’s company. He had never spent any great length of time with a woman—other than his mother and sister, in his youth—wherein he was not pursuing them for the purposes of seduction.
The widows he had spent his time with had been sensual creatures, and eventually he had grown weary of them when the lust had worn off and left nothing but ennui in its wake. He had reached that stage with Lady Slight, he recollected. The widow’s charms had been fading after he realized she was a rather thoughtless harpy who spoke only of other members of the peerage, fashion, and social gatherings. There had been no substance to their conversations, which had made him eager to leave once they had spent their passions.
Lily was different. He discovered that she was fun to talk to, had an intelligent mind for conversation, and was kind and optimistic. Her tendency to babble, which had seemed so intimidating at first, turned out to have depth. She was genuinely interested in many things and chattered as her thoughts flittered about.
Watching her over the dinner table, her face lively with good humor in the candlelight, while she spoke about what she had found exploring their home, was more captivating than any interaction he had had in recent times. She seemed to relax in his company, and her conversation turned out to have more weight than one initially might think when assailed by a wall of words.
Brendan recalled their passionate kiss from earlier that day, while she told him of the improvements that were needed, and thought about how delightful it would be to school such an enthusiastic woman in the art of lovemaking. Would she be as bright and interested in bed as she was in conversation? She certainly had responded with eagerness to their kiss.
Suddenly, it did not seem too terrible to enjoy a wedding night with his virginal bride.
He noticed she had stopped talking and was staring at him.
“I … am sorry. What did you say?”
Lily frowned slightly, clearly believing he was woolgathering while she talked. Which he had been, he supposed. About her.
“I asked if you would like dessert?”
Brendan felt his lips spread into a reluctant grin. Reaching over the table, he covered her ungloved hand with his.
