Besides, he was about to spend the night in the same room with her. Surely that should make him happy.Then why was he dreading going back upstairs?
He knew why — given all that had transpired recently, he did not want her to believe him incapable of behaving like a true gentleman. And being alone with her, given how much he had longed to tup her for weeks, the temptation would be great to behave badly.
When their dinner was at an end, he asked, “Shall we see if they have decent brandy?”
She shook her head.
“Would you like to play at cards?” he suggested, thinking of ways to put off retiring.
“No, thank you.”
“What about that walk you desired?”
Miranda rose to her feet. “I confess I am exhausted. As we shall rise early, I wonder at your reluctance to go to sleep.”
Reluctance to go to bedwas more accurate, but he jumped to his feet and escorted her upstairs.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Closing the door behind them, Philip surveyed the size of their accommodations. The room seemed to have shrunk greatly, especially as she was removing her spencer. Then she sat upon the bed to take off her ankle-high shoes.
“Shall I step outside while you undress?” he offered.
Her glance fell sharply upon him. “I have taken off everything I intend to.” Then she rose again. Walking in her stocking feet to the washstand, she used the cold water and cheap cake of soap to wash her hands and face.
The only clue she wasn’t as calm as she appeared was when she began to feel around the area with her eyes closed having forgotten to take note of the drying cloth.
Quickly, he stepped forward and yanked the small piece of clean cotton from the hook, pressing it into her hands.
“Thank you,” she mumbled into the cloth, then patted her face dry. “That feels a little better. I brought tooth-powder, too.”
Philip watched while she retrieved a toothbrush and tooth-powders from her small leather satchel, as if this were an entirely normal occurrence to be performing one’s ablutions in the company of a stranger. With clean water from the pitcher poured over the bristles, she dipped her toothbrush into the tin case of powder before using it to freshen her mouth.
He knew he oughtn’t to be staring, but he’d never seen another person doing these things, at least not a soft female, only a few fellow officers in the confines of a tent. His heart squeezed to see her in such a personal moment.
“Frankly, I am rather surprised at your willingness to stay in this room with me,” he blurted.
She shook her toothbrush with a few quick flicks of her wrist and put it away, leaving the powder tin on the small washstand.
“You may use the tooth-powder if you have none of your own. I wouldn’t want a husband to lose his teeth because I wouldn’t share.”
Miranda was making light again. And the more normally she behaved, even generous with her silly tooth-powder, the more attractive she became. If she’d been in a great and terrible snit while raging over her fate, then he would have felt resentment and even despised her just a little.
Instead, he wished to strip her down before sweeping her onto the bed and under his body, so he could pleasure her until she cried out his name. He was puzzled at how much he still wanted to do that when she’d caused the very chain of events he’d been trying to avoid with Miss Waltham.
In any case, he would refrain from touching her until she invited him. And by her sleeping fully dressed except for her shoes, she was definitely not offering an invitation.
Lying down as close to the edge of the bed as seemed possible without her tumbling off, she settled her head upon the pillow, arms crossed over her middle, and stared at the ceiling, eyes open.
Philip couldn’t help it. He laughed.
Without sitting up, she asked, “And what do you find funny about our situation?”
“Nothing, I assure you. But I beg you to make yourself more comfortable. I promise not to pounce like a cat upon a mouse.”
“I am perfectly comfortable,” she said, wriggling around slightly.
Sighing, he went about his own ministrations, undressing to his small clothes, washing his face, and brushing his teeth, all the while feeling her gaze upon him. When he lifted the counterpane and slid under, she tensed.
