He twirled her around the floor, his hand moving distractingly higher. What was Lewis doing? Was this some new manner of seduction, some new pleasure that she had not anticipated?
“And you continue to lie,” he said. “You have so much to learn about being my wife and a duchess, but I can see that some of this behavior is the result of my own folly. I have been too indulgent with you.”
Bridget’s eyes darted around them, noting that a few of the confused servants continued to dance, while others stood awkwardly at the edge of the foyer. Perhaps it was their presence which kept her husband from giving her the pleasure she so desired.
Bridget bit the inside of her cheek. The thought of other people seeing her come undone should have filled her with sensations of embarrassment, but instead, she found that the thought sent a jolt straight to her core. Heat pooled there, persistent and longing.
“You have not been indulgent,” she argued. “You have been strict and unkind. I would even venture to say that you do not like me at all.”
“More lies,” he said calmly.
“The only lies I hear are the ones that you seem intent on telling yourself,” Bridget retorted.
The song ended, but they remained pressed closely together. His hand tightened almost imperceptibly on her own, as though he anticipated that she might bolt away from him. Bridget silently considered the possibility, as frustration grew within her and threatened to boil over. The accursed man had not only found her out but had turned this into a game, which she was losing badly.
“Bridget,” he said, voice low and sultry.
His hand drifted upwards, a single finger caressing the base of her neck and drifting into a few delicate curls. Her breath hitched, and her heart hammered against her ribs. Would he kiss her? Bridget’s eyes darted to his lips. Lewis was near enough to kiss her.
“Your little plan will not work,” Lewis said. “I will not break first.”
“You will,” she rasped.
He shook his head. “I have patience, but you do not. My dear, you are young and impetuous. I will sooner see you coaxed into appropriate behavior than you will see me forced into further indulgence.”
Bridget searched his face, despairing when he met her with a harsh gaze. “You cannot mean that.”
“I can, and I do,” he whispered. “You have experienced true pleasure, my wife, and I shall give you no more until you prove yourself worthy of it. And you will inevitably learn to behave.”
Her chest tightened. “You do not know everything.”
“No,” he said. “But I understand you well enough. You are a young and impulsive woman, and if you are not managed carefully, you will pursue pleasure at any cost. You will destroy yourself.”
She shivered, which had nothing to do with the temperature and everything to do with his words. “You do not know me.”
“Keep lying,” he said.
Lewis stepped away, and Bridget’s body ached with want of his touch. She barely managed to keep a little cry of longing from escaping, as her husband turned to the orchestra and waved a dismissive hand. “That will be quite enough. Thank you.”
“I assume you will wish for the staff to return to their work,” the butler said stiffly. “Your Grace.”
“Yes,” Lewis said. “There is too much to be done today for flights of fancy such as this.”
Bridget scowled. “It was enjoyable,” she said between clenched teeth. “And as the Duchess of Wheelton, I believe that we need a little more joy in our lives.”
“Perhaps you will find some joy from answering the morning’s correspondence and managing the household,” Lewis said, smirking. “Like a proper duchess would do.”
Bridget curled her hands into her skirts. She understood too well the implication that he was making, and her body tensed from it. The man could have had the courtesy to be a little more tactful with his criticisms.
“And what will you be doing this morning?” Bridget asked.
“Managing the Dukedom,” he replied tartly. “As expected for a man of my position. This unexpected distraction has already thrown my morning into disarray, from which I must recover.”
“Right.”
A single waltz had thrown his morning into disarray. The urge to scream rose within Bridget. He finally showed a little frustration, but it was because he feltinconvenienced!
“I hope you find your tasks fulfilling,” Bridget said.
