The little girl, who Purity’s family had immediately accepted, had been allowed to attend the grown-up wedding feast, but as most four-year-olds do, she grew tweaguey and tired and had to be led away by her nanny with the promise of cake when she awakened.
Looking around the table at all her family and friends, Purity felt blessed. The Season had the expected outcome of her finding a husband. However, the man who now sat beside her was the most unexpected of all. If someone had suggested after the first time she’d encountered Matthew — as she now gave herself permission to think of him and even to call him — that he would be her life’s mate, she would have thought the notion outrageous. They seemed as different as chalk and cheese, or at least, their reputations were.
Yet from all the time they’d spent with one another, she knew they were surprisingly well-suited with a similar outlook on many things. And regarding passion, at that moment, they wereboth of a single mind entirely. She knew this for her husband’s hand had slid over to touch her leg, causing her to quiver.
When he moved it higher, stroking the top of her thigh, she nearly choked on her morsel of roast chicken.
Her husband!
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Matthew, although speaking with Lord Quinn, who had not tried to contain his amusement at seeing his friend and London’s famed Bachelor Baron finally leg-shackled, seemed to sense her attention was upon him. He turned to face her with a wicked grin that had Purity’s toes curling.
How could she not be focused on the man when his fingers rested practically in her lap?And directly below his hand, her body was throbbing at her core.
All at once, that tightly held bundle of nerves unraveled itself and joined a troop of butterflies in her stomach.
Pushing her half-eaten food away, she caught sight of the thick, gold band that Matthew had withdrawn from the left-hand corner of his right-hand waistcoat pocket during the service. The noise of him unwrapping it from a small sheaf of silver paper would stay in her memory forever as it sounded loud in the silent church. And then he’d slid it upon her finger.
She brought her glass of claret to her lips, hoping it would calm her.
Matthew leaned closer to whisper in her ear.
“Not too much, kitten. I want you fully alert when I tease you to begging and pleasure you all night.”
“All night?” she spluttered.
He laughed. “We’ll take naps in between.”
“In between what?” she asked.
“Swiving, of course.”
She closed her mouth to ponder how many times one could dothe actin a single night, glad that her new husband was experienced enough for both of them.
Finally, they travelled home in their carriage, alone at last without need of a chaperone. They’d decided against an immediate wedding trip, thinking after they settled in as a family, they would go to Scotland for an extended visit with Matthew’s relatives.
Finally at home, too early for bed, they sat in the drawing room on their new sofa.
“Well,” Purity said, on tenterhooks for what was to come.
“We did it,” Matthew commented, his leg jiggling and the fingers of one hand plucking distractedly at his trousers.
“Indeed,” she agreed. Then she jumped up, causing him to do the same. Yet as she went to the bell-pull in her new home, she gestured for him to sit. “You don’t have to do that every time now that we’re married.”
“Of course I do,” he said, remaining standing. “As my wife, I shall show you even more respect, not less.”
Nodding, she waited for the butler, a little surprised when the familiar Mr. Dunley didn’t enter.
“Tea, please, Mr. Jacobs,” she said. Yet as he bowed, she thought of the relaxing properties of wine. “And a glass of burgundy.”
Then she turned to her husband but didn’t ask him what he wanted. Instead, she added, “And brandy for his lordship, please.”
On second thought, she might like to try that, too. She could do whatever she wanted as a married woman on her first night in the house of which she would be mistress.
“And a glass of brandy for me, as well.”
“Yes, my lady.” Mr. Jacobs disappeared swiftly. He was probably worried she was going to ask for more beverages.
