Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes luminous. “Sleep well,” she said tremulously. “And thank you for keeping my company.”
“Sleep well, Georgianna,” he murmured, restraining the need to lift her against the door, wrap her legs around his waist, and kiss her until she was wet with hunger.
She whirled around, opened her door, and slipped inside. Daniel released a harsh breath, went into his room, stripped from the damp clothes, and tumbled into the bed naked. Sleep eluded him, and sounds rustled from the room next door, stoking his imagination with visions of his wife undressing. He rose and padded over to the connecting door. Daniel gripped the knob, tempted beyond measure to open the door.
And then what? The look in her eyes just now had been anxious. He shut his eyes, recalling the set of her soft mouth and just the barest hint of one of her dimples when she smiled, the bold want in her eyes that seemed to surprise her, and the way she had tasted when they kissed. Despite the awareness shimmering between them, his wife was not ready to resume intimacy. Pushing out a breath, he released the knob and went back to bed, knowing for the first time since his arrival he would not tumble into exhausted sleep.
Nay, it would be a long, tortuous night of wanting Georgianna Heyford.
…
Georgianna had anticipated that having a gentleman living with them would have set her sisters out of sorts and would see her fielding several questions daily. However, Anna and Sarah had taken the news of a marriage with great aplomb, bowled over by the notion that a gentleman would now be living under their roof for an extended period and that he had lost the memory of his entire life.
They were young enough to only feel a sense of excitement and had asked no questions, simply accepting that Georgianna said she had married someone in a whirlwind courtship in the few days away from Crandell, and he might leave soon to seek greater opportunities.
Georgianna’s and Lizzie’s faces were pressed to the windows in the kitchen as they watched the earl going about his chores for the eighth day. It surprised Georgianna that he did so with little complaint, even awakening earlier than the rest of the household. The earl would diligently work about the yard, cleaning the barns and the fowl pen, shearing the overgrown bushes, weeding the garden, and now fixing the outhouse so they might be better prepared to store vegetables and fruit. He would work from dawn to dusk before stumbling to the house for supper, then to his bed and to fall into a deep sleep.
Georgianna would gently open the connecting door to their chambers and peek to see if he was well. His fever did not return, nor did he seem to suffer from any nightmares. There were a couple of nights when he would awake before dawn, his pacing rousing her from her sleep. However, he did not disturb her, nor did he test the connecting door. Except for that night on the swing a couple days ago, they’d had no chance to speak alone. Nor did he try to kiss her again. This awareness filled her with an odd sense of relief and disappointment. And that disappointment once again warned her to be careful. Sitting with him on the swing, sharing her intimate fears, had felt too easy and welcoming.
A shout of laughter pulled Georgianna from her musings, and she wondered what the earl said to enchant Sarah so.
Lizzie sighed and said fretfully, “The girls are determined to skip their lessons and join the earl in whatever task he is doing. It is rather unseemly. They are not growing up to be ladies.”
“They are young,” Georgianna said, moving from the windows. The notion that she was failing her younger sisters pressed against her heart. “Once I secure a few more jobs, I will start setting aside money for a governess to see to their education and comportment.”
Lizzie worried her lower lip. “It will be rather expensive, Georgie.”
“I will do it,” she vowed softly. “Given that the earl gave me some money, I will put aside the funds earned from Mrs. Ford’s garden party this weekend for their education. Once we have enough money to pay a governess for a full year, I will seek someone reputable and with suitable references from the papers.”
Lizzie nodded and excused herself to work on her book. Georgianna set about preparing lunch for the household. She busied herself preparing boeuf bourguignon, thinking the earl would prefer that to the plain beef stew she had been cooking since his arrival. Yesterday she had ventured into town, putting the money he had given her to good use. Their pantry was stocked for the month, and she had purchased new boots and bonnets for Anna and Sarah. Georgianna had also bought several bolts of cloth, hoping to make them a few dresses for the upcoming summer. Lizzie was superb at needlework and should be able to complete the designs Georgianna had drawn.
She lost herself in her work, cooking and writing down ideas for new recipes she wanted to try for the garden party in her notebook. Her ultimate goal was to publish a book showcasing her recipes, with the promise that once the instructions were followed, every household would be able to create the same tasty, exquisite dishes she made. The door to the kitchen shoved open, and she snapped her head up, the pencil clattering from her fingers.
“My lo…husband!” She almost groaned at her slip. “Is all well?”
“Come quick,” he growled. “There is a bloody fight, a quite vicious one, too, and we need more hands to part them.”
Dropping the notebook, she rushed forward. “Goodness. Who is fighting?”
“Hetty and Midge.”
Georgianna skittered to a stop. “The piglet and the hen are fighting?”
Halfway to rushing back outside, the earl glanced over his shoulder with a scowl. “Aye. The stubborn little buggers.”
“I…ah…and I am needed to part this fight?” Georgianna began to laugh, and a wry smile curved his mouth.
“I am sorry,” she gasped, pressing the flat of her palm over her heart. “This is…”
Daniel’s grin widened, and her heart did a somersault. Goodness, her mouth had gone dry, a frisson of awareness climbed down her spine, and fluttering went off low in her belly.Drat. She really was terribly attracted to him.You are far too handsome and appealing, Georgianna silently moaned.
“Ridiculous,” he murmured. “It is, but it is also very important to Anna that we save her piglet.”
“Good heavens, theheniswinning?”
His shoulders shook with laughter, which rolled from him rich and warm. The sound of it did fluttery things to her heart, and way down in Georgianna’s stomach, she felt an unknown ache. Aware of the increase in her heartbeat, she glanced away from him, directing too much attention to untying her apron. In her unsteadiness, she nudged the book from the counter, and it clattered to the floor. She stooped, her head almost butting against the earl’s.Oh!She’d not heard him move.
“I’ve got it,” he murmured, plucking up her notebook.
