She’d fought her conscience the entire ride about her worthiness versus Luke’s happiness and reputation. Then again when she’d spied the magnificence of this home. She could afford a nice enough house for herself, perhaps even a small castle, but this represented the longevity and breadth of Luke’s inheritance.
Now, after North’s words, she wasn’t sure her conscience was strong enough to fight father and son as well as her heart.
Luke’s arms wrapped around her, and she gave herself up to the pleasure and comfort of being held by him, despite feeling odd about it in his father’s house. She’d lived the last fortnight wondering whether that would ever happen again.
When he tried to lead her back to the settee, she dug her heels in and clung to him, not yet ready to let him go. She wasn’tready to argue with him about a betrothal, afraid she’d succumb to temptation and agree.
After long moments of her heart beating against his, his breath warm on her ear, she found the strength to release him.
“Thank you for coming. Will you sit with me a spell and we can talk, please?” he asked, holding her hands.
“I’m rather weary. Might we speak later, perhaps? I should like to return to the inn and rest and change for supper.”
“No, please stay here. I mean, yes, you can rest, but allow me to send a servant for your things and please use one of our guest rooms for however long you’re willing to stay.”
She nodded, grateful he’d suggested it. They needed to have a difficult conversation, and she wanted to be ready to pack up and go if needed after that. She also wanted him and his father to be clear on what they were offering. It would be interesting to see how North’s widow responded to her at supper the following night.
Joining father and son for their repast that evening, Belle remained quiet, listening to the men talk of the earldom, plans to ride to the tenant farms, and other area news.
She excused herself to bed after the meal, citing travel fatigue. Luke narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing.
Dismissing the maid as soon as her stays were loosened, she changed to her nightrail and wrapper and sat by the fire to brush her hair. Physical desire for Luke warred with the strangeness of contemplating a romp with him with North in the same house. North’s dismissal of her concerns about her reputation and her past and his blessing on their marriage kept interfering with her resolve to resist Luke.
Within an hour, a tap at the door came. At her invitation, Luke poked his head in, scanning the room. He stepped inside and whispered the door shut behind him.
“Might you be avoiding me?” he asked with a smile.
“A little. I wanted to give you and your father time to talk further or think things through.” She set the brush down. “Also, I don’t know what to say to you, Luke.”
“Say you missed me. You have my father’s blessing and my adoration. What more do you need?” He crossed to sit in the chair next to hers, leaning forward to hold her hand.
“I missed you, but that changes nothing.”
“How about this? You were right about my father’s intentions being better than they appeared. I am relieved to see a path forward for us. What else needs changing?”
He was pushing her, making her feel cornered. Both men had ignored her argument about his reputation. Charlotte’s mantra echoed in her head, but she could not bring herself to quite believe it. The following night’s dinner would prove them wrong, after all.
“Hmm. No answer? I’ll take that as an opportunity to woo you here, away from the prying eyes of the Ton. Now”—he held a finger to his lips when she drew breath to speak—“let us concentrate on moretimelytasks.” He drew off his cravat and began unbuttoning his shirt.
“Luke! We are in your father’s house.”
“So? Who is to say the lovely widow isn’t creeping down the hall right now?” He shrugged then paused in peeling his shirt off, frowning. “Unless that is what upsets you?”
“No, of course not. But don’t you feel strange?”
“I feel anticipation. I’ve shagged with my father in the house before. But I’ve never made love to the woman I want to marry with him nearby. The idea istitillating.” He discarded his shirt.
The days and weeks of celibacy after his departure had felt longer than the months of retirement before his stay. His words warmed her heart, but his bare chest warmed other parts of her, the emphasis on thet’s finally registering. Her skin grew sensitive, her clothes chafing, and her pulse beat in her throatand between her legs from the mere look of him. As he’d said, there was no reason to miss him when he was right in front of her, no matter what the future brought.
Tasty. She licked her lips.
When he chuckled, she realized she’d said it out loud.
Leading him to the bed, she gave him a gentle shove. Discarding her wrapper, she said, “I believe ’tis my turn to seduce you, my lord. Lie back and let me enjoy mytreat.”
“I’m all yours.”
She ignored his serious tone to enjoy the fun for the night. Tomorrow’s supper would be soon enough for him to see other’s reactions to her presence at an earl’s table.
