Dinah woke up the next morning to Baldwin rubbing her back. She opened her eyes. She didn’t remember rolling onto her stomach in the middle of the night, and the position surprised her since she always made it a habit of sleeping on her back in case she woke up to a creature in the room.
Baldwin smiled at her then kissed her cheek. “I brought up the trays and got a fire started in the library.”
“What time is it?”
“Nine.”
She shifted onto her side, and her fingers brushed the handle of her knife that was under her pillow. She hurried to secure the knife so it wouldn’t fall out of its spot. Then she released it and sat up in the bed. “I’m used to waking up earlier than this.”
“There was a lot that happened yesterday. It’s no wonder you were tired.”
She nodded. In addition to yesterday, she also hadn’t slept much the night before. Thinking of that strange toothlike object, she was relieved Baldwin had slept in here with her. Even if the thing wasn’t a creature’s tooth like she’d originally thought, it still spooked her that she’d found it.
“Are you all right?” Baldwin asked in concern.
Pushing aside the memory, she said, “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? I thought I felt you shiver.”
“I’m a little cold,” she lied. If she told him about a creature, he’d leave, and if he left, she’d have to go back to being all alone. “I’ll be warm once I put on my clothes.”
“I can get those for you.” He got up from the bed and opened her armoire. “Tell me which gown you want.”
Feeling better, she got to her feet and opened the curtains. Since it was sunny, she didn’t need one of her heaviest gowns. She glanced at the armoire. “I think the blue gown will be ideal for today. Do you like the color blue?”
“Any color will look good on you. You’re a beautiful lady.”
Despite the chill in the room, his words, and the way his gaze swept over her body, made her skin warm. Her mind unwittingly went back to the pleasure he’d brought her while they were in bed. She wondered if they would do the same activity tonight.
He pulled the blue gown from the armoire and brought it to her. “I’m sure you wear something under this, but I don’t know what you need. My knowledge with ladies’ clothing doesn’t go beyond gowns and slippers.”
“Yes, I wear other things. They’re in the dresser.”
Before she could go to the dresser, he brought her into his arms and gave her a lingering kiss that made her melt against him. If she’d had any idea how wonderful having a husband would be, she would have asked Donald to bring her one sooner. Not only did Baldwin ease her loneliness, but he made her feel safe and wanted. She hadn’t felt such a sense of peace since she was seven.
When he ended the kiss, he gave her an apologetic smile. “I couldn’t resist kissing you. You’re like Aphrodite.”
“Who’s Aphrodite?”
“The most beautiful goddess in Greek mythology. Her Roman name was Venus.” He paused. “I thought you were acquainted with myths since you read books about creatures that have special attributes.”
Not wanting to think about the creatures, she said, “I haven’t read anything about Greek or Roman goddesses.”
“It doesn’t matter. They’re just tales to entertain.”
“Do you enjoy reading them?”
He shrugged. “The stories about Hercules are more interesting.”
“Hercules.” Recalling the name from the night before, she said, “He’s the one that was stronger than other men.”
“Yes. It’s all fun to read about. Fiction is a nice diversion from real life.”
If only he knew that there were some strange things out there that were real…
He kissed her again, this time making it quick. “I’ll let you get dressed. I don’t want your food to get cold. I’m going to return to the library and add more fire to the fireplace.”
She returned his smile and hurried to get dressed for the day.
When she reached the library, he was sitting at the table where the food and drink were set out. Unlike yesterday, she didn’t feel nervous. She hadn’t known what to say or how to act. The last thing she’d wanted to do was make him run to the other side of the manor. Now, she didn’t have that worry pestering her. She could relax and enjoy the morning.
“I notice you pulled back the drapes in the hallway and in this room,” she said as he stood up.
“I thought I’d help you around here.” He pulled the chair out for her and waited for her to sit before he went back to his side of the table. “I want to make sure I’m not a burden to you.”
Noting the chuckle in his voice, she smiled. “You’re not a burden. I like having you here.”
“And I like being here.” He gestured to the food. “Eggs and waffles. I think Donald had the cook make these because he knows they’re my favorite. I hope you like them.”
“I do. I eat them often.”
As he poured tea into their cups, he said, “I will say that you have a lovely view of the sky from up here. I’m used to eating on the lower floor. It’s easy to miss just how blue the sky is when you’re looking at grass and trees.”
She could barely remember eating on the lower floor. She knew she had as a child, but all she could remember was a large dining table with all of her family. And that was just a snippet of memory. She didn’t recall what they’d been talking about. All she knew was that people were laughing and having a good time.
Perhaps she and Baldwin might laugh and have a good time, too. Dinner had been pleasant, and this morning was enjoyable. It was nice to eat with someone. It made the meal taste better for some reason.
After they ate, they took their trays down to the door, and then they went back up the stairs.
“Do you ever do anything in any of the other rooms up here?” Baldwin asked once they were on the second floor. He stopped by one of the rooms in the hall and peered into it.
“I have no need for this room,” she said. “All that’s in there is an old bed and furniture.”
He scanned the room and nodded. “I suppose you’re right. You have a bedchamber already. Why would you need another one?”
“And you have your bedchamber. That’s right next to mine.”
“I’d rather be in the bedchamber next to yours than all the way down here. Though,” he added with a sly grin, “it was better to be in your bedchamber.”
“I liked having you in my bedchamber. Had I known it was permissible to have you in there, I would have told Donald it wasn’t necessary to clean up a bedchamber just for you.”
“Husbands and wives have their own bedchambers.”
“They do?”
He took her hand and led her down the hall. “Yes, but I think that’s because so many marry for money or social advantage instead of love. If a husband and wife aren’t happy together, it’s best if they have their own bedchambers. But we happen to be happy together, and that makes it better for us to be in the same bedchamber.”
“Does that mean you’ll come to my bed again?”
“Yes, but only if you want me there.”
“I do want you there.” Not only did she hope he would touch and kiss her again, but she felt safer when he was near.
He squeezed her hand. “I think this is going to be a wonderful marriage.”
Heartbeat picking up, she squeezed his hand in return and joined him as he went to the library.
***
Shortly after noon, Dinah sat with Baldwin on the settee he had brought over to the large window in the hallway so they could enjoy the warm sunlight.
“It’s a beautiful view,” Dinah said. “This is my favorite place to look outside.”
He drew her closer to his side and kissed her. “It is nice. You can see for miles from here. London is in that direction.”
“It is?” She followed the direction he pointed to.
“You can’t see it from here. It’s too far, but it’s there.”
“How far is London?”
“It’s three days away.”
“Do you like being in London?”
He nodded. “I do, but I like being with you more. I’ve been to three countries outside of England, and they all have something that makes them worth visiting, but if you don’t have someone to be with, it can get lonely.”
“But aren’t there a lot of people in London?”
“There are. You could get lost in the marketplace if you wanted to, and it’s easy to disappear if you’re at a ball.”
“Disappear?”
He chuckled. “I don’t mean you can actually disappear. I mean that you feel like you could. There are so many people who are busy either trying to find someone to marry, looking for a good business deal, or wanting to learn the latest gossip that you can feel invisible at times.”
She tried to imagine how many people must be at a ball for that to be possible. She hadn’t gone downstairs in years, but she recalled how large the ballroom was. When she was six or seven, she had run around that room when it was too wet or cold to go outside. One time, a maid had asked her governess why she permitted it, and the governess had told her that she paid better attention to her lessons if she wasn’t restless from sitting all the time.
Dinah wondered what happened to the governess after she came to live in this side of the manor. She’d never seen the lady again. Did she go to London? Or did she go to another country?
“I’m not lonely with you,” Baldwin said, bringing her attention back to him.
She took her gaze off of the land so she could look at him. Since he had chosen to express the sentiment first, she figured it wouldn’t hurt to be honest about her feelings. “I was lonely, too. Before you came here. It’s nice to have you here.”
“I like being here.”
He gave her a smile that made her feel warm all over. She wondered if this was what love felt like. She’d read about the emotion in books, and she’d learned that the love a gentleman and lady experienced was different from the love people experienced for family and friends.
She had so little to go by in her own life. She loved her brother, of course. He was all she had left of her family, and he’d taken care of her since she was eight. But she didn’t really know him. He would come and see her every time he visited the estate, even though she didn’t see him as often as she would have preferred. She hoped Baldwin wouldn’t do the same.
“Will you stay with me?” She almost continued the question by asking if he would choose to return to London when Donald left again, but she was afraid to in case he hadn’t considered the option.
To her relief, he wrapped his hand around hers and said, “Of course, I’m going to stay with you. You’re my wife. We’re going to be together forever.”
“Good. I’m tired of being alone all the time.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “If you’re tired of being alone, why don’t you leave this side of the manor?”
If he knew about the creatures, he wouldn’t have asked the question. But he didn’t know, and because of that, she couldn’t blame him for not understanding why she voluntarily kept herself closed off from the outside world.
She considered telling him, but what if he decided to leave? While he was willing to stay right now, he thought everything was safe. And it was safe. At least, it was when she was diligent in making sure nothing had gotten in. She still couldn’t be sure that the thing she’d found in the bedchamber hadn’t been a tooth. Yes, it could have been something else, or it was possible it’d been there before she even came here. It wasn’t like she made it a habit of cleaning rooms she didn’t occupy.
Finally, she settled for saying, “I like it here. It’s where I feel comfortable.”
“All right. Then we’ll stay here.” He leaned toward her and kissed her.
Relieved, she returned his kiss.
“I hope I didn’t come at a bad time,” came her brother’s voice.
Surprised, she ended the kiss and glanced over at Donald. Behind him, two maids were bringing two trays of food.
She and Baldwin got up from the settee and went to her brother.
“I thought I’d see how things are going between you two,” Donald said.
“They’re wonderful,” Baldwin replied. “Dinah’s just as lovely as you said she’d be.”
Pleased, Dinah’s heart gave a light flutter.
“Good,” Donald said. “I watched you in London, and you seemed like a good match for my sister.”
“You were watching me while we were in London?” Baldwin asked, his smile faltering a bit.
“At White’s,” Donald replied. “I was watching all of the bachelors there. I think most fathers and brothers pay attention to bachelors when their daughters and sisters reach a marriageable age.”
Baldwin relaxed. “Of course,” he said. “I didn’t think of that. Plenty of fathers and brothers arrange for gentlemen to meet their daughters and sisters.” He turned his gaze to her. “Most of the time, it’s done at balls. White’s is a gentleman’s club, and for the most part, we concern ourselves with games, business, and idle chatter.”
“It’s also a good way to see what a gentleman is like when he’s not trying to impress a lady,” Donald added. “Before you two have lunch, I was wondering if I could have a word with my sister?”
“Certainly.” Baldwin gave her arm a light squeeze. “I’ll wait for you in the library.”
Dinah nodded then followed Donald over to the window she and Baldwin had been at just moments before.
“You two are getting along much better than I expected,” Donald commented.
“That’s good, isn’t it?” she asked, unsure of where he was going with this.
“It is.” He paused. “As long as you’re careful about what you’re telling him. You haven’t mentioned anything that might scare him away from here, have you?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Of course not! I didn’t say anything about the creatures.”
“Good. You should keep it that way. He seems to be genuinely happy with the match. Even though I was careful in choosing him, it was impossible to know how things would go until I brought him here to meet you.”
“I’m doing all I can to make him happy. Are you worried I’ll ruin things?” Was that why he wanted to know if she’d mentioned the creatures?
“I know you wouldn’t intentionally do anything to dissuade him from living here. You’ve always been good about following my instructions. It’s just that I can’t be here all the time to protect you in case you accidentally mention something you shouldn’t. If I was here, I could think of something to distract him.” He leaned toward her and whispered, “It’s very important you’re careful in your speech.”
“I have been.” She wished there was some way to prove it, but all she could do was give him her word.
He reached out and touched her arm in a comforting gesture. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I apologize. I have no intention of taking him away from here.”
She exhaled. “I’ve been careful, and I’ll continue to be careful. You can trust me.”
With a smile, he released her arm. “All right. I’ll trust you.” He glanced at the library. “I wish to have a word with Baldwin alone. Do you mind?”
She followed his gaze. “What do you want to talk to him about?”
“I won’t suggest he leave. You have no need to worry about that. I only wanted to see if there’s anything I can bring over here to make him more comfortable. It’s possible he might have forgotten something yesterday when we brought his things over here.”
“And you don’t want me to be in the room when you do that?”
“There are times when it’s best for a lady to be absent from a conversation. This is one of those times.”
“But all you want to do is ask him if he forgot something. I don’t see the harm in me being in the room.”
“You asked me to trust you, and I was gracious enough to do so. Will you trust me now when I tell you this is better discussed without you there?”
Face warm, she nodded and stayed by the window while he went to the library. She pushed aside the wave of unease that swept through her. She had always trusted him. She didn’t know why he even asked the question. Was there something wrong in her wanting to be in the library with him and Baldwin while they talked? Was talk about forgetting something really that personal that a lady shouldn’t be privy to it?
Taking a deep breath to settle her nerves, she turned to the window. Baldwin had said he liked being here with her. Her brother had said he wasn’t going to ask him to leave. She had nothing to worry about. They were only going to have a simple conversation that had nothing to do with her.
For the first time in her life, she hoped Donald would quickly be on his way to the other side of the manor.
***
“I’ll be leaving in a few moments so you and my sister can be alone,” Donald said as he walked over to Baldwin. “I don’t want to get in the way of a good match. I’m very pleased things are going well between you two. I had hoped for it, but I didn’t expect it.”
“Dinah’s a lovely lady. I can’t think of any ladies in London who come even close to her,” Baldwin replied.
“She isn’t spoiled by the world like they are,” Donald said. “All of the shopping—the gowns, the jewelry, the fancy accessories—makes them more concerned with things than they should be.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I do suppose there is a tendency for people to get more enjoyment out of what they possess when they’re surrounded by shops.”
“You don’t need to be polite,” Donald said. “It’s ladies who do most of the shopping. That’s why owners will allow them to put things on their husband’s account without the husband even being there.”
“I’ve come across gentlemen who’ve been excessive with their shopping, too.”
“Yes, but the ladies do it more.” Donald chuckled. “But that’s not what I came here to talk about. Is there anything we forgot to bring over yesterday?”
“No, I have everything I need.”
“If you think of anything, don’t hesitate to say something.”
“All right. I won’t.”
Donald glanced at the maids who had finished setting out the meals. “Dinah’s anxious to get you all to herself, so I’ll keep the visit short. I’ll stop by tomorrow at lunch.”
Baldwin nodded, and Donald left with the maids.
When Dinah came into the room, she seemed relieved. “You’ll be staying here, won’t you?” she asked.
Surprised by the question, he said, “I thought I already told you I was going to stay here. Remember, we’re married. We’re going to be together forever.”
She ran over to him and hugged him, holding him tighter than necessary. He rubbed her back. Why was she so worried he was going to leave her?
Something about her reaction to his assurance didn’t match up with what Donald had told him about her. If she had chosen to be alone for all of these years, then why did she seem desperate for companionship? Was it possible Donald didn’t know her as much as he thought he did? Maybe she had longed for someone to be here with her all this time, but Donald didn’t realize it.
She kissed his cheek, and looking happy, she took his hand and led him over to the table. “I didn’t realize the cook made fish today. He usually makes roasted chicken on Fridays.” She smiled. “Fish gets cold if you don’t eat it right away. Have you ever had cold fish?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Then you know it tastes better when it’s hot.”
He didn’t care if the fish was hot or not. He was too busy trying to figure out why Donald’s view of Dinah didn’t seem to match up with what he was witnessing.
She sat down and glanced up in surprise when he remained standing. “Is something wrong?”
Her worried expression prompted him to put the matter to rest. It was probably not important. Donald might be her brother, but he didn’t spend a lot of time with her. How could he know her all that well when he was in London a lot? Baldwin was probably making an issue out of nothing.
He sat across from her and smiled. “No, nothing’s wrong. I’m with you, and that makes everything perfect.”
Her face lit up, and she gave him such a wide smile that he forgot what had been bothering him.