Half hoping that he would not hear the words, she performed her own act of courage, whispering, “I love you.”
For just a moment she feared that she had gone too far, too fast, that he would interpret her declaration as a demand and he would withdraw again. Instead he kissed her with exquisite tenderness before laying his head on her breast, his arms tight around her. She stroked his dark head, glad that there was enough light to see the peace and happiness on his face and to savor the trust between them.
Diana’s instinct urged her to tell him all about herself, about Yorkshire and how she had come to be there, about Geoffrey and why she had chosen to become a courtesan. Though she’d never lied to Gervase, she had certainly not told him the whole truth, and now she longed to put an end to all deception. But in spite of the closeness between them, she feared how he would accept the full story, and she could not bear to shatter this perfect moment.
The time for truth-telling slipped away in soft laughter, sweet embraces, and deep silence. Later Diana would be bitterly sorry that she had not followed her intuition to lay bare her past, but she could never have dreamed what a high price she would pay for her weakness.
Chapter Twelve
Gervase’s speculation proved correct: it was a great pleasure to spend a whole night with Diana. He was vaguely aware that through the night they shifted positions, fitting their bodies to each other in new ways. He awoke more contented than he could ever remember. He lay on his back, Diana burrowed under his arm, her own arm lying across his waist.
As he stirred, she moved in response, her drowsy hand moving down his body to rest more intimately. He grinned; this was a splendid way to wake up.
It was the shortest day of the year, the morning dawning late and pale. Since the door had been locked the night before, no maid would be coming in to build the fire, so Gervase reluctantly slid from the warm bed to perform that chore himself. Diana murmured a protest, coming more awake at his withdrawal. He brushed her hair back, amazed at how lovely she could look this early, her face free of artifice and her hair tangled. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right back.”
He suspected that he had an idiotic smile on his face, a smile that lasted through the time it took him to add coal to the remnants of the fire and ensure that it was burning strongly.
The room was bitingly cold, and when he returned to bed a sensible person would have kept away until he was warm again. Diana, however, rolled over and embraced him. “Mmm, you’re chilled.” As she bonelessly cuddled against him, she chuckled softly. “I just found something that isn’t cold.”
Laughing, he moved under the covers, his lips seeking her breast. “If you’ll cooperate, I should warm up very quickly.”
Making love in the morning had its own special lazy flavor as drowsy bodies came awake, the breath and blood quickening with passion. Gervase enjoyed watching as the pearly light brightened and Diana became more visible, her face exquisitely mirroring her responses.
Amazing how every time they came together, it was different and special. Perhaps his desire for her would never wane. It was a measure of how far he had come since the night before that the thought pleased, not alarmed him.
Afterward, as they lay twined together, Gervase said regretfully, “I must get up soon and return to my room.”
Diana laughed. “Do you think there’s a servant in the house who hasn’t guessed why I am here?”
He gave her a teasing smile. “They can guess, but they don’t know. Perhaps Edith is the target of my wicked ways.”
Her languorous eyes had a smile in their depths. “You prefer a woman old enough to be your mother?”
Something must have shown on his face, because he saw a flicker of question in her eyes, and she spoke on a different topic. “Does the secret passage run to your bedchamber?”
The room was warmer now and he pushed the covers down his chest. “This was called the mistress’s chamber. The master’s suite is at right angles to this room so the distance is quite short. Since the chambers are connected, it seems reasonable to come and go as unobtrusively as possible.”
She raised herself, resting her head on her hand and looking at him curiously. “Do you actually care what anybody thinks about what we are doing? It doesn’t seem in character for you.”
Gervase folded his hands behind his head and thought about it. “I don’t really give a damn what most people think. At the same time, privacy means a great deal to me. I suppose that is a contradiction.”
Her eyes twinkled at him. “If not precisely a contradiction, it’s a very fine distinction.”
With her exquisite face and tumbling chestnut hair, she looked as delicious as the first strawberry in spring. He leaned over for a quick kiss. “If I don’t leave now, it will be another hour before I do, and unfortunately I promised to inspect the barn of one of my tenants. Care to come with me?”
She subsided gracefully back under the covers until only her mischievous face showed. “Will I be sunk beneath reproach if I decline this morning?”
He laughed and swung his feet to the floor. “Slugabed.”
“Guilty as charged. It was a long journey,” then, with a wicked smile, “and I was not allowed much rest last night.”
“Very well. You’re forgiven this time.” He pulled his clothes on casually, since he would be changing to riding dress back in his room. “I should be exhausted since I was doing most of the work, but instead I’m full of energy.”
She extended one hand from the bed toward him. “If you still have an excess of energy when you return, why not stop by and see if I’m still here?”
He laughed and caught her hand, pressing a kiss in the palm before unlocking her door and returning to his own room. He was beginning to understand why people married. So great was his sense of well-being that even that thought didn’t disturb him.
* * *
