“Not quite, love. And I find I am absolutely ravenous. I can’t wait.”
The inn they came to soon was a place where Nicholas was well known. He knew the proprietor well enough to tell the man exactly what he wanted. Now, he thought, if only luck would stick around for the rest of the night….
Chapter 31
REGGIE giggled as she made her way to the bed. Meg had left after giving her a thorough scolding as she helped her undress. Meg thought she was drunk. Well, of course she wasn’t. Eleanor was. That was funny, for Reggie had been obliged to help the older woman up to her room wherehermaid had scoldedher, too. The cheek of servants these days.
Eleanor had only consumed—what? a half-dozen glasses of that delicious wine the proprietor had been keeping just for them. He had told Nicholas that. Reggie drank just as much, and she was feeling quite wonderful, but she wasn’t foxed, no. Her tolerance was just greater than Eleanor’s.
She plopped down on the bed, swayed, then righted herself. This wasn’t her spacious room at Silverley, but it would do for one night. Halfway through the meal Nicholas had told them to take their time, saying he had been thoughtless in his haste, his excuse being that he wasn’t used to traveling with such a large entourage. He’d realized how inconsiderate it would be to arrive at Silverley so late and without notice, for all the servants would have to be roused from their beds to prepare rooms, see to the horses, unload the baggage, and so forth. He had decided they could arrive in the morning, and so he secured rooms for them at the inn.
Dinner was long and enjoyable, Nicholas putting himself out to make amends for the inconvenience he had caused them all. He was quite charming in fact and made his aunt laugh at his humorous anecdotes. Soon Reggie found herself laughing along with them. She hoped Meg and Tess and the other servants were enjoying themselves as much.
Reggie yawned and reached to extinguish the lamp on the bedside table. Her hand went right past it and she giggled. Before she could manage a second attempt, the door opened and Nicholas stepped into the room.
Reggie was more bemused than anything else when she saw him standing there. He didn’t apologize for his error. Was it an error? Why was he in her room?
“Did you want something, Nicholas?”
He smiled. A glance around the room showed him that one of her trunks had been brought up, but nothing of his had been unloaded from the coach. Harris had protested at the arrangements, especially when he was told he would be sleeping in the stable with the footmen to give truth to the story that the inn was too full to accommodate them all comfortably.
Reggie frowned when he began to remove his coat. “What—what are you doing?”
“Getting ready for bed,” he said casually.
“But—”
“Didn’t I tell you?” He frowned. “I was sure I mentioned it.”
She seemed confused. “What didn’t you mention?”
“Why, that there are only three rooms to be had here. My aunt and her maid have one. Your maid and the nurse have the other, with a safe bed made up there for Thomas. That left only this room.”
He sat down on the opposite side of the bed and removed his boots. Reggie’s eyes were wide as she stared at his broad back.
“You intend to sleep here?” This came out in a high-pitched voice. “Here?”
“Where else would I sleep?” He tried to sound wounded.
“But—”
She got no further than that, for he swung around to face her, disturbing her by his closeness.
“Is something wrong?” he asked. “We are married, you know. And I assure you, you can be perfectly safe in the same bed with me.”
Did he have to remind her that he didn’t desire her any longer?
“You don’t snore, do you?” she asked, just to be mean.
“Me? Certainly not.”
“Then I don’t suppose sharing a room foronenight will mattertoomuch. You will leave some clothes on, though, won’t you?”
“I cannot abide constriction.”
“Then I will turn the light off now, if you don’t mind,” she said.
“So I don’t shock you with my nakedness? By all means.”
