Elleanor—Ellie—would never know his secret, so there was no rush. He reached the top step and stopped again. But there was a rush of a different kind. He wished to bed her, not out of duty but out of desire. He’d never desired Dinah, though he’d done his duty by her and made her happy in bed, or so she’d said. Instinct told him he’d never have to wonder if Ellie was pleased. He was quite sure she would let him know whether in bed or out.
His lips quirked at the thought, and he continued into the house. Maybe it was best that he had been delayed in his goal to have his robust wife. Now, he could seduce her properly.
He didn’t doubt that she found him pleasant to look upon, but as she was a virgin, he didn’t wish to scare her from what could be a mutually satisfying lifetime of sex. Now that his manic need to solidify their marriage had dissipated, he could perhaps accomplish a short courtship and win her heart as well as her hand.
“My lord?” Beacham stood waiting to take his coat.
Darius turned his back and shrugged out of it, allowing Beacham to hang it. “Follow me into my study.” Without waiting, he strode out of the entry, down the corridor, and into his study. He started toward where his desk used to be before changing direction. After stepping behind it, he opened a cabinet and pulled out the wedding gift he had planned to give his wife last week. His black mood had foiled those plans, but now it would mean even more. “Please have this wrapped up and brought to Lady Ferncroft when we finish dinner tomorrow evening.”
Beacham didn’t actually smile, but his face did relax. “Would you not like it presented tonight?”
“No.” Darius sat in his chair, still focused on his butler. “Tonight, she will be taking the children into the garden for an astronomy lesson. I want her to know this is specifically for her, not for them.”
Beacham nodded. “You wish to make her happy. I understand. I will have all done as you asked.”
“Thank you.”
As Beacham carried the gift out of the room, Darius allowed himself a smile. Already he could imagine Elean—Ellie’sjoy as she opened the package to find the double-refracting telescope. For the first time in years, he looked forward to giving a wife pleasure.
Chapter Nine
“Set it rightthere.” Ellie pointed to the far side of the baby Neptune fountain.
Beacham put down the new telescope. “Did you wish it facing this way?” He pointed toward the path that continued through the gardens.
“Yes.” She couldn’t wait to try it. Setting her lantern down on the edge of the dry fountain, she moved to where Beacham stood, locking in the legs of the stand. She still couldn’t believe Darius was so thoughtful as to gift it to her. “I’ve never owned one so powerful.” She sighed, still overcome with her husband’s kindness.
At dinner that very evening, after a wonderful discussion over the subjects that should be taught to further the children’s education, he’d had a footman bring it in. Though it had been wrapped in brown paper, she’d known immediately what it was and hopped up to press a kiss to her husband’s cheek. But as she’d done so, his distinct musk scent filled her nostrils and her whole body flushed with a different type of excitement. It had to be because of the book she’d been reading. She was barely halfway through it and already her dreams had woken her more than once, her breathing rapid and her heart beating faster than butterfly wings.
“There you are, my lady.”
She refocused her attention on Beacham and held back a smile, as he’d set the telescope pointing at the ground. “I thank you for your assistance. I know I could have had a footman carry it for me, but I would have worried.”
“I understand. May I assist you with anything else?”
“No. Thank you. I’ll just need it brought into the parlor when I’m done.”
“I will await your summons, then.” Beacham gave a short bow before heading back the way they’d come.
It was early yet, and she anticipated at least a couple of hours before the night air grew too cold. Luckily, winter was an excellent time for viewing stars, since it darkened so much earlier. The night before she’d only kept the children out a half an hour. It was just enough time to point out the easiest constellations to find.
But now, with such a strong telescope as Darius had purchased, she was quite sure she could even look upon Ceres! Moving to the instrument, she tilted it into the right position and locked it in place. She put her eye to it and looked. “Oh, my.” The stars appeared twice as large, and she moved her eye away to get her bearings in the night sky before looking through it once more.
Her heartbeat raced as she gazed upon the very distinct Pleiades. With her new telescope, she could clearly see hundreds of other stars beyond the usual seven, as well as wisps of the space cloud that she’d read about around them. The blue she’d seen in other telescopes was much stronger and brighter, making it easy finding the main stars as well as their parents, Atlas and Pleione. She could even make out the white at the center of the largest stars, like Alcyone and Maia. “So beautiful.”
In fact, the beauty of the stars quite overwhelmed her and she pulled back from the telescope to blink back her tears.
“May I offer you my handkerchief?”
Startled, she jumped, her hand hitting the telescope and sending it toppling.
Darius jumped forward and kept it from crashing to the ground. “I did not mean to startle you. I thought you heard me when I stepped on that dry stick.”
She pressed her hand to her chest, her emotions swirling, as she tried to catch her breath. “Whenever I view the heavens, I am there, not here, so I didn’t hear you.” She paused to gulp in more air. “Thank you for saving the telescope. I would have been heartbroken had I damaged your thoughtful gift.”
“I would simply have had it repaired. Here.” He held out his handkerchief.
Grateful, she took it, and patted at her watery eyes.
