Page 23 of The Earl Takes All
“My, my. You behaved quite wildly.”
The heat warmed her face. “You’re mocking me.”
“No.” A corner of his mouth hitched up ever so slightly. “Well, maybe just a tad. Surely you did something a bit more daring than not changing your clothes.”
She took a bite of her tart. “I readMadame Bovary.”
He stared at her as though he didn’t know who she was. “Did you enjoy it?”
“Would you think less of me if I did?”
He laughed, a deep rich sound that seemed to echo through her soul. Reaching out, he skimmed his thumb along the corner of her mouth. When he brought his hand back, she saw the small dab of strawberry jam that Mrs.Potts used on the tarts when she had no fresh fruit. Holding her gaze, he closed his lips around the edge of his thumb. “I would not.”
Her stomach tightened with his actions as much as with his words. “Have you read it?”
“I have.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“I found it... provocative.”
“Have you read all the books and magazines in Edward’s room?”
He narrowed his eyes again. “How do you know about the things in Edward’s room?”
“I was bored one afternoon. The maids had left the door open, and I thought if I just stepped inside that I might gain a better sense of him. I simply wanted us to get along.”
“That’s how you knew about the liquor kept in the room.”
She nodded. “He kept it hidden away in a small cabinet. I know I should have respected his privacy—”
“The room is in your residence. He didn’t own it. You had every right to enter the bedchamber. To be quite honest, I suspect he would have taken immense satisfaction in knowing he’d shocked you.”
“But he didn’t. I expected to find liquor about. I half expected a woman secreted in the wardrobe to be awaiting his return.”
He grinned. “Did you, now?”
“He seemed to have a bevy of followers, but then so did you. It still amazes me that you put all that aside for me.”
He turned his attention back to the window. “It was not as challenging as I expected it to be.” Swinging his gaze back to her, he pinned her to the spot. When had he acquired the ability to hold her captive with little more than his eyes? “His reading preferences didn’t make you want to take him to task?”
Slowly, she shook her head. She could admit the truth because this was Albert, and they were always honest with each other. “Just as you stated withMadame Bovary,I found everything quite provocative.”
“You read them all?”
“I had a considerable amount of time alone. I had to fill the hours with something.”
His eyes filled with remorse. “I’d not considered, when I decided on this journey, that you would be lonely.”
“I wasn’t lonely, not really. I missed you terribly, but at the same time, I felt as though I came into my own. I made all my decisions without your counsel. I gained confidence.”
“I never noticed you lacking in confidence.”
“Sometimes I had doubts, but I didn’t say anything, as I didn’t want to appear weak. You’re so strong. You deserve a wife who is your measure.”
He studied her as though she were an odd specimen of insect he’d discovered beneath a rock. “You humble me.”
Once again he turned his attention to life beyond the window, as though she had made him uncomfortable with her confession. “The sun has begun its retreat. We should probably be away.”
