Suddenly his bride’s face went pale. “L-london?” she whispered, taking a step back from him.
He knelt down in front of her, taking her hand in his. “Little Mari, you do not need to be afraid of the big city. I will be with you and nothing will ever happen to you when I am there to protect you. There are so many wonderful sights around London that I would like to show you.”
“Of course, Papa. That would be lovely.” As quickly as her expression had gone dark, it brightened, though he did not believe she was completely sincere with him. He knew so littleabout her background and a dozen questions tempted him, but he held back. They had only been married a few hours. The time for uncovering her past would come. He simply needed to be patient.
Chapter Nine
The sun was setting and Mari’s tummy fluttered knowing that tonight she would be sharing Theo’s bed. As his wife.
She’d been anxious ever since Papa had mentioned a visit to London. It was a completely kind and thoughtful offer to take her to an exhibition in London in order to see monkeys. How she had longed to attend one of the many events happening in the city, but alas, her time had been spent… well, it had not allowed for any leisure activities. Sometimes she promised herself that when she had the opportunity, she would explore the city, but when the time came, she was simply too tired to leave her little room on the third floor of the townhouse which had once been her home and soon turned into her worst nightmare.
But, that was all in the past now. She was a duchess.
Dinner with Theo in the grand dining room of Willowmere had helped to relieve some of her nerves. She gave her new husband all the credit for that because he had kept up a steady stream of conversation that put her at ease, telling stories of his life growing up at Willowmere Estate and the adventures and shenanigans he had had as a little boy. It was hard to imagine the handsome, broad-shouldered man sitting next to her as achild, but when his blue eyes lit up at the recollections, she could almost see it.
She wondered if their children would have the same escapades in the grand home. Her heart fluttered anew thinking of providing a loving home for children. Children she would bear for Theo.
When the meal was over, Theo took her on a short tour of the gardens in the twilight and it was even more romantic than any of the romance novels that Poppy had snuck out of Nurse Lister’s private study.
“The gardens here are beautiful,” she said, gazing around, enjoying the view as well as the sensation of her hand tucked tightly into the crook of her husband’s arm. “I did not think any gardens could be more beautiful than those at Talcott House, but these put them to shame.”
He stopped in the middle of a garden path and turned to face her, gently removing her hand from his arm and holding it between both of his. The warmth of his hands moved through her like a delicious wave of happiness.
“Thank you, darling girl. But no matter their size, the gardens at Talcott House will always hold a special place in my heart because that is where I met you.”
Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at him. “That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” she whispered.
“Well, my sweet bride, you should be prepared because I intend to say nice things to you every day.”
Then he drew her close and kissed her. Softly at first, but it soon built until the intensity had her grasping at the lapels of his coat and pushing her body as tightly to his as she could. When the kiss ended, he tipped her face up until their gazes met. His blue eyes darkened with heat. “It is time I make you mine, Marigold.”
How he had managed to get her into his bedchamber without stopping along the way to tear her clothes off and plunge into her, Theo had no idea, but he considered it no small miracle and a feat of self-control when he finally shut, and locked, the door to his private sanctuary.
Drawing in several deep breaths, he forced himself to put aside his own mad desires and focus on what was important—initiating his bride into the pleasures of the marital bed.
Taking his bride’s hand in his, he walked over and sat on the bed, drawing her to stand between his knees.
“You’re trembling, sweet Mari,” he said, rubbing his thumb over the top of her hand.
“I am nervous,” she said, staring past his shoulder and not meeting his eyes.
“Thank you for telling me that,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “That is exactly what I was talking about in your nursery. Let me help you. Can you trust me to do that?”
His breath caught as he waited for her answer. As a duke, he was accustomed to an immediate yes to every request.
“Yes, Papa,” she said slowly, returning her gaze to him. “I can trust you to do that.”
“That makes me very happy, Mari,” he said, drawing her into his arms and claiming her mouth in a kiss. All day he had been kissing her, each time a little more intensely. Finally, he pressed his tongue against the seam of her lips and probed the inside of her mouth. She let out a small gasp but then clung to him, her tongue shyly entwining with his.
As they kissed, he ran his hands down the length of her spine until he felt some of the tension in her shoulders dissipate. Thenhe worked the buttons at the back of her gown until it was open down to her waist.
The kiss ended and when he pulled away Mari’s lips were rosy from his kisses. She looked up at him and blushed. When she glanced down and saw that the front of her dress was loosened due to the buttons at the back being opened, her eyes went wide and she pressed her hands to her chest, holding the garment in place.
“Come, little Mari,” Theo said, drawing her hands away from her gown. “We are husband and wife, Papa and little girl. We shall share everything together, including our bodies.”
She gaped at him for a long moment before saying, “I-I do not know what to do.”
“I promise to treat you with care. Do you trust me?”
