“Never mind,” he said, his eyes intense.He turned her so she faced away and then she felt his fingers begin to unravel her plait.The brushing touch against her nape caused a frisson of pleasure down her spine.Then he threaded his fingers in her hair and spread it loose across her shoulders.
His hands rested there, and feather kisses fell through hair against her shoulders.Then he parted her hair and his mouth was hot on her skin.Belatedly she realized his intent and stiffened.
He stopped his gentle torment and turned her.The cessation of the magic shocked her into a realization of what she had done, of what she had stopped.Something in her cried out in frustration.But she couldn’t … they couldn’t…
What should she do?
What would he do?
What would he think?
For a moment he seemed bemused, but then he thoughtfully drew a long strand of hair away from her eyes.“Tell me what the matter is.Is it those other women?”
She shook her head, a lump in her throat preventing speech.
“Then what?”
She was unwilling to put her thoughts into words, but his implacable silence demanded an answer.“I just … It is time to get up.”
He burst out laughing and it seemed genuine.“Eleanor, you can do better than that.And it isn’t a headache or tiredness.If you don’t want my lovemaking you must just tell me.Did I frighten you after all on our wedding night?”
Surprised, she said, “No.”
His eyebrows went up as he considered her obvious sincerity.“I was afraid I might have.I intended to be more moderate, but tiredness, too much wine, and your wonderful hair undid me.Very well.What is the problem?”
He would not leave her alone until it was out.“It is not that it upsets me, but it simply isn’t decent, Nicholas, in broad daylight.The maid could come in at any moment.”
She had her reward for honesty when she saw the tension leave his face.“It isn’t something nasty to be hidden in the dark, my dear,” he said gently, his finger tracing the line of her jaw.“I will enjoy teaching you that, I think.But not just yet.”
There was only kindness in his voice, but Eleanor was aware that, despite her good intentions, she had failed him once again.Her face must have shown it.
He gave a little groan and turned away from her.“Heavens, I must be making a mess of this.And it can only get worse.”
Eleanor bit her lip, lost.“You said it would get better.”
He turned suddenly back to her.“That’s not what I’m talking about.”She saw him collect himself.What a lot of trouble she was to him.
“My experience with women,” he said carefully, “has been considerable.You know that.But they have all been whores in one sense or another.It seems to me women are not that different, and I have been acting accordingly.I could be wrong, though.I probably am.What I’ve just said sounds damn rude, actually.You must be honest with me or I will go blundering along until there is no hope left for us.Do you understand?”
She nodded, though she was not sure she did understand.Then, spurred by noble motives and the remnants of arousal still in her she added, looking down at her hands, “None of this is your fault, Nicholas.None of it.You have been kind and thoughtful and I only want to be a good wife to you.Please do whatever you wish.”
It was fortunate she was not looking at his face at that moment.No trace of the anguish he felt was in his voice as he said, “At the moment, all I want to do is lie here and look at you.”
She turned to him in surprise.“I can’t think why.I am no beauty.”
He tweaked a strand of her hair, then curled it around his finger.“Who says so?Beauty is open to definition and is usually boring.If you heard that any of my guests here was beautiful,” he said with an unrepentant grin, “you were lied to.”
She smiled teasingly back at him.“Oh, not beautiful, they say, merely fascinating.”
He nodded.“That’s more like it.And you too are fascinating.”
“I?”
“I doubt I should build up your consequence in this way, but yes.Fascinating.You enslaved my brother in just a few weeks, and that is no mean achievement…”
“Not enough for him to wish to marry me,” she interjected without thinking.She immediately wished she could shrink away to nothing.
He raised his eyebrows.“I think I will ignore the implications of that—”
