A moment earlier, Maddy had stopped in the passageway outside the nursery. Detecting the murmur of voices, she’d hesitated to intrude upon a private conversation between Nathan and his sister-in-law. At least until Lady Sophia had said, A woman of her kind might have an unwelcome influence on my daughters.
The comment cut deeply into Maddy’s heart. It confirmed everything she had ever known about the snobbery of the upper class. A woman of her kind, indeed!
When Nathan did not respond, she knew she ought to retreat, to pretend she hadn’t been eavesdropping, if only by accident. But she would not tolerate such shabby treatment. If her own husband wouldn’t stand up for her, then she must do so herself.
Maddy stepped through the doorway of the nursery just as Nathan said, “I don’t believe you’ve stopped to consider—”
He fell silent as his gaze flashed to her, his green eyes intent. Her heart skipped a beat. He looked exceptionally attractive today in a blue-gray coat and white cravat that enhanced the sun-burnished angles of his face. Though he wore the elegant garb of a gentleman, there was always something uncivilized about him. Perhaps it was the boldness of his stare or the way he tied back his black hair with a leather thong.
Both he and Lady Sophia appeared startled by her abrupt appearance. They must be wondering what she’d overheard. Good, Maddy thought. They oughtn’t be talking about her behind her back.
She shaped her lips into a dazzling smile. “Oh, dear me, have I interrupted something?”
“Certainly not,” Nathan said. “I was just on my way out.”
“Well, I’m so glad to have found you, darling,” Maddy gushed, gliding to his side. “I’ve been looking all over the house. And Lady Sophia, how lovely to see you again.”
Turning her attention to the woman, Maddy felt an unwelcome twist of envy. David’s widow oozed refinement from her glossy brown curls to the fashionable cut of her gray gown. It made Maddy keenly aware of the old blue dress she’d donned after her fitting. The style was several years out of date, though recently she had added a bit of lace at the bodice and adjusted the sleeves to give it a more modish flair.
Nathan dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Speaking of lovely, you’re looking quite beautiful today.”
The gravelly sound of his voice flowed through her as a primal thrill. She accepted his compliment with a grain of salt; he was playing the role of devoted husband. Yet the masculine scent of him, redolent of sandalwood and leather, sparked vivid memories of the pleasure they’d shared the previous night, when she had buried her face in the crook of his neck while he’d moved inside her. Now, she blushed as a throb of desire heated the place where they’d been joined. Her flustered feeling intensified when he slipped his arm around her waist, his fingers idly rubbing the small of her back.
But he was gazing at his sister-in-law. “As I was saying, Sophia, I don’t believe you’ve stopped to consider. At this time next year, my child—Madelyn’s child—may be sharing this nursery with your daughters. They’ll be cousins. Won’t that be splendid?”
The idea of bearing his baby caused a quake inside Maddy. Before the auction, when she had been intending to enter into a temporary arrangement as a gentleman’s mistress, she had learned from one of the other actresses how to avoid pregnancy with a vinegar-soaked sponge. But Maddy had taken no such precautions the previous night.
Should she have?
No. She was a married woman now, and a child would be a boon to her bargain with Nathan. How wonderful to contemplate motherhood. Her heart melted at the notion of cradling his baby in her arms, a tiny boy with a thatch of black hair and miniature dimples …
“Splendid, indeed,” Lady Sophia said in a brittle tone.
Maddy came out of her reverie to see that the woman’s face had gone pale. And no wonder, for Nathan was the heir now. His child would take precedence over Lady Sophia’s daughters.
It had to be a bitter pill to swallow.
Maddy looked across the schoolroom at the two little girls. A nanny in a black gown sat with the older child, helping her as she drew on a slate. The younger one napped in the nursemaid’s ample arms.
The sight brought a smile to her lips. “Are those your daughters, my lady? How precious they are. Quite the prettiest children I’ve ever seen. You must be so proud of them.”
“Yes, thank you.” Lady Sophia hesitated, then pursed her lips and said with rigid politeness, “Would you care to meet them?”
Maddy would have liked that if not for the woman’s obvious reluctance. As infuriating as Lady Sophia might be, Maddy decided not to push herself where she wasn’t wanted. “Perhaps another time,” she demurred. “I wouldn’t dream of disturbing the sweet little darlings. And anyway, I must steal my husband away from you. He and I have an important matter to discuss.”
In the guise of devoted wife, she slipped her hand into the crook of Nathan’s arm, then tilted up her head and batted her lashes at him for good measure. One corner of his mouth twitched in a faint grin and his eyes warmed with appreciation. A wave of intense attraction washed through Maddy. To regain her equilibrium, she had to lower her gaze to the starched white folds of his cravat.
“Wait,” Lady Sophia said sharply as they turned to go. “Lord Rowley, did you not promise the earl that you’d find your own place of residence very soon?”
“I did,” he said. “However, all the best homes are likely to have been let for the season. So who knows, perhaps we’ll stay right here for some time to come. Good day.”
With that, he whisked Madelyn out of the nursery and down the narrow passageway. Their footsteps echoed on the uncarpeted floorboards. Despite the weighty matter pressing on her mind, Maddy needed to keep all of his subterfuge straight. There were things he hadn’t made clear to her yet.
“You aren’t intending to look for a town house at all, are you?” she asked. “Your plan has always been to remain here.”
“How astute of you. To remove my disreputable bride from Gilmore House would defeat my purpose.”
“And you haven’t told anyone that you’re planning to leave England for good at the end of the season?”
“Not a living soul beyond you, Madelyn. It’s our little secret.”
His cavalier smile shouldn’t bother her. Their eventual parting suited her plans, as well as his. With the generous stipend he’d promised her, she could move into her own house after he was gone. If she’d conceived his child by that time, she would have sufficient funds to hire a staff of servants and still fulfill her dream of opening a dress shop.
Yet one key part of her purpose in marrying him was already in jeopardy. All because of his grandmother’s shocking decree.
As a figure of notoriety, you will not be invited to the best houses. You will not be invited to many parties. And you most certainly will not be meeting any dukes at all!
Anxiety twisted in Maddy. If she couldn’t mingle with the aristocracy, then how was she to meet the Duke of Houghton? How was she to confront the haughty man who had shunned her mother for eloping with an actor?
Although Lady Gilmore had consented to teach her, the dowager believed that no matter how much Maddy studied and practiced, a common actress could never become a true lady and the ton would never accept her. No amount of cajoling from Maddy had swayed the old woman from that conviction.
Yet Maddy wasn’t ready to give up.
As she and Nathan started down a flight of stairs, she glanced up at him. “We need to speak in private,” she said. “Someplace where no one else can overhear.”
“How intriguing. I’d never turn down a tryst with a beautiful woman.”
In the midst of her worries, she warmed to him. That was the second time today he’d complimented her. It was gallant of him, for she wore a shabby gown and felt frazzled from the long hours being poked and fitted by the dressmaker. She wondered how many women he’d charmed with such flattery, how many more he would seduce in the future, for once Nathan went abroad again she doubted he would honor their wedding vows.
The notion vaguely disturbed her. Surely vows made before God were not meant to be broken.
But at least her husband seemed in a better humor today. Most likely because he had won the battle with his father over the issue of annulling the marriage. Last night’s consummation had ensured that.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, they started down the long, empty corridor where the bedchambers were located. Her room might be a quiet place to talk. Unless Gertie and Mrs. Dobbs hadn’t yet cleared away all the sewing supplies …
She swung toward Nathan. “Oh, I nearly forgot! Thank you for the bolts of silk. I can’t tell you how very much I appreciate them.”
“If you can’t tell me, then you may show me.”
His hand at the small of her back, he abruptly steered her to the first doorway, turned the latch, and escorted her inside, closing the door behind them. The spacious room appeared to be an unused bedchamber. The tall draperies were drawn, shutting out the mid-afternoon sun and rendering the space dim and shadowed. She had a glimpse of a four-poster bed and chairs shrouded in protective cloth.
Then Nathan pulled her into his arms and passionately kissed her. After an initial shyness, she succumbed to the clamoring sensations within her and returned the kiss. The hot pressure of his mouth felt heavenly and the excitement of his unexpected sensual assault awakened her desires. But when he slid his fingers inside her bodice to caress her bosom, she was brought to an awareness of his intentions.
She drew back, breathless, to push at his shoulders. “Do stop. I told you, I need to speak to you. It’s very important!”
“Ah, but lovemaking is so much more fun than talking.”
He tried to nuzzle her throat, and she ducked, slipping out from the circle of his arms and backing away until her spine met one of the bedposts. She collected the unraveled threads of her thoughts. “You will hear me out, Nathan. Your grandmother told me today that I’m to be stuck in this house for the entire season. It doesn’t matter if I transform myself into a fine lady. I still won’t receive invitations to the best parties.”
He sauntered toward her. “Balls are hot and overcrowded affairs, full of preening snobs. You won’t be missing much.”
Her heartbeat quickened at his rakish smile and she retreated farther into the bedchamber. “But that was part of our bargain,” she said, glancing back to avoid stumbling into the furniture. “We were to attend fancy parties, to mingle with the nobility. You promised that as your wife, I would enter society.”
He arched a dark eyebrow as he prowled after her. “Did I? I don’t recall saying that.”
“It was implied, then. It was a big part of my reason for marrying you.”
“And here I was hoping it was your lust for my manly form.”
Nathan made a quick grab for her arm. His fingers brushed her sleeve, and with a gasp, she scrambled for refuge behind a chair. The faint smile on his face aroused her passion. He could easily overpower her, she knew he could, but he relished toying with her as a tiger stalks its prey.
How she yearned for him to catch her. She longed for his mouth on hers again, his touch on her body. But not yet. Not until she’d convinced him to help her.
As he came closer, she held up her hand. “Please stop chasing me, Nathan, and think for a moment. How am I to be an embarrassment to your father if I’m kept out of the public eye? It’s to your advantage to make certain that I’m included in all the invitations. So that I’m seen everywhere, even at the most exclusive parties.”
Halting, he stared at her through the shadows of the bedchamber. From his hard, calculating expression, Maddy knew she’d finally reached him. “I’ll take care of the matter,” he said after a moment. “You needn’t fret about it.”
“But what will you do? How will you manage it? Your grandmother says that you have a terrible reputation. If you’re not invited to parties, then I won’t be, either—Oh!”
He lunged, and this time, he caught her by the waist and brought her flush against his hard form. His smile gleamed through the gloom, his dimples in attractive display. “I said I’ll take care of it. You’ll dance at as many parties as you like. Trust me.”
With that, he sank into an overstuffed chair and brought her down onto his lap. Maddy found herself sprawled over him, her bosom crushed to his chest. She looped her arms around his neck to steady herself. But Nathan wasn’t done. He reached beneath her skirts and nudged her legs apart so that she straddled him. “Ah, that’s better.”
His hard length pressed against her aching center, with only the cloth of his trousers and her lace-edged underdrawers as a barrier. “Nathan!” Scandalized, she glanced over her shoulder at the closed door across the dim-lit bedchamber. “What if someone walks in here?”
“Never mind that. Let’s live dangerously.”
Their lips joined in a deep kiss, and a sense of wicked adventure enhanced her enjoyment. His hands were still beneath her skirts, stroking her bare thighs above her garters before delving between her legs. His fingers found the slit in her undergarments and caressed her with great delicacy, his thumb gliding through her wetness, stimulating exquisitely sensitive flesh. Craving release, she moaned into his mouth.
She almost wept when he took his hand away to open the buttons of his trousers. But the knowledge of his intention filled her with fire. Feverishly, she braced her hands on his shoulders and raised herself as he fitted himself into her. She sank down, sighing with pleasure as he filled her, shuddering with the perfection of their union.
Succumbing to an instinctive urge, she swiveled her hips and relished the ripples of heat that eddied through every part of her body. Nathan sucked in a breath through his teeth. Beneath her skirts, his hands gripped her thighs and she moved again, awash in the glory of pleasuring him as well as herself. It was her turn today to direct the action, and she embraced the role with great relish, sliding up and down his shaft until she could scarcely bear any more of the divine friction.
She pressed her forehead to his. “Nathan, please…”
Reaching between them, he stroked the place of their joining. At once, a bolt of hot bliss shot through her and she cried out from the onrush of ecstasy. Hazily she was aware of him giving a quick upward thrust of his hips as he, too, shuddered in the frenzy of release.
Utterly spent, she melted against him, her head resting on his shoulder until her heart slowed and she could catch a breath again. Never in her life had she felt so happy as this moment, cradled in his arms. How had she ever lived without this pleasure?
“That was heaven,” she said on a sigh, kissing his jaw. “No wonder you have such a bad reputation. It comes from carousing with women.”
His eyelashes half lowered, he regarded her. “Jealous?”
She was, just a little, but that defied logic. Whatever he’d done in the past shouldn’t concern her. “Certainly not! It’s only that I heard from your grandmother that you’d misbehaved quite a lot in your youth. I confess to speculating as to why.”
He idly caressed her bottom. “Misbehaving is fun. You should know that by now.”
“Mmm.” For a moment, she couldn’t string two thoughts together. The languor of release had cast her mind adrift. “I wonder if that’s all. I wonder if perhaps you were deliberately trying to rile your father, even back then.”
His hand ceased its delicious play. He leaned back to give her a sharp stare. “You will not mention him when we’re together like this. Not ever. We will speak of nothing consequential at all. Is that clear?”
The hard flare in his eyes jolted her back to reality, as did his harsh tone. She had not meant to anger him. The comment had tumbled out in an unguarded moment. How foolish of her to reference the Earl of Gilmore at such a time.
Though his outburst stung, Maddy subdued her curiosity. She had no right to probe into Nathan’s private past. They weren’t devoted partners, building a long life together. They each had their own purposes, their own secrets.
It would be best to keep their relationship light and playful. After all, he’d be departing from her life in a few months’ time. Until then, she might as well revel in sensual passion.
She curved her lips into a provocative smile, letting her fingers trace the hard angles of his jaw. “As you wish, my lord. There shall be nothing between us but pleasure.”