“Eliza! Wake up!”
His blue eyes grew wide and then he instantly jumped from the bed, grabbed his dressing gown and practically ran from her room and it was all that she could do not to laugh at the sight of his naked bum. It was a very nice one too. She’d not had a chance to see it last night.
At more pounding on her door, Eliza jumped from her bed, quickly shut the door to the sitting room, then unlocked the door to allow Stella inside.
“Why are you still abed?” she demanded. “It is not at all like you to sleep so late.”
She blinked. “Late. What time is it?”
“Nearly nine in the morning. Did you stay awake late waiting for Lord Garretson to return?”
Before Eliza could come up with an excuse, Stella continued. “It is best that we do not wonder or ask. Sometimes when gentlemen disappear in the evenings and do not come back until very late, it is best that we do not know what they are doing.”
“Such as?”
“Even though you have not been a sheltered miss, and are a spinster of a certain age, there are still matters best not discussed.”
“I am assuming you are not suggesting that he was drinking or gambling, but with a mistress.”
“Such matters are not discussed,” Stella insisted again.
Eliza almost wanted to laugh because Stella was certainly correct in what Lucian had been doing last evening, though, not with a mistress or at a brothel.
She frowned. Was she now a mistress?
No. She was a lover. A mistress implied a contractual agreement from which the woman financially benefited. A lover is for mutual pleasure and enjoyment without any commitment.
“Well, now that I know you are well, I will not worry,” Stella said.
“Why would you worry?”
“To tell you the truth, when you slept so late, then your door was locked, and you did not answer, I feared…And the door to the sitting room is locked as well, and I feared…I feared that the man who had been sending you notes managed to find a way into the house.”
“I am sorry to have worried you,” Eliza finally said, knowing that she would continue to keep her chamber door locked in hopes that Lucian might find his way into her bed again.
Oh, she hoped that he did. Last night had been absolutely wonderful and she wanted to experience it all over again. She had no idea that a body could feel so much pleasure and come alive the way that it had. So many new and wonderful sensations. She could not wait for this evening and hoped that Lucian wished to join with her again. But, if he did not come to her chamber, then she would definitely go to his.
“Eliza?”
She blinked and looked at Stella. “What?”
“Is all well?”
Her face heated. “Yes,” she finally answered. “I will prepare for the day and be downstairs shortly.”
“Ring if you need me,” Stella said before she left Eliza alone.
Thank goodness she did not have a maid who insisted on dressing and undressing her and Eliza could never understand why other women needed a servant for such, unless a corset, heaven forbid, had to be worn, or if there were buttons at the back of a dress.
After she closed the door behind Stella, she then locked her door to the sitting room. Even though Lucian had seen her naked last night that did not mean she would be at all comfortable if he decided to return while she was preparing for the day.
Goodness, he had seen her naked!
Eliza’s face grew hot with embarrassment until she realized that if he had not liked how she looked, he would not have carried her to his bed and did all those wonderful things to her.
With a sigh she pulled a pale green day dress from the wardrobe and hoped that once had not been enough for Lucian.
Anxious to see Lucian and how he might react to her this morning, and a bit nervous at seeing him after what they had done, she quickly dressed and made her way to the breakfast room.
