Theo’s kisses had been shorter as if he wanted to hurry and focus on the other more interesting areas of her body. She now felt like an impatient girl for having been swept up in his sweet words and the overwhelming urgency of the situation.
But after taking care of her sisters and father for seven years and never being allowed to debut into society, she’d been starved for excitement and passion. She’d desperately wanted to get married, but her father would never have allowed a man to court her. So when she met Theo after befriending his sister Emilia, it had seemed like a dream come true. Here was a man who loved her enough to confront her father, to marry her even if Papa disapproved, and to take her away from the life of drudgery thatawaited her once her little sisters married, and she was left to care for her father in his dotage.
But that was her old life. Kate smiled at her sleeping husband, who lay beside her. They’d married a week ago in a chapel on St. James’s Street. Everything had been done in a secret rush, with only Kate’s aunt and a second witness from the church in attendance as witnesses.
Her papa had only been informed after the fact. There had been no time to invite him—she didn’t need his permission, nor did she fear his reaction, knowing that he might be cross at first, but also realizing that once he digested the fact that she’d married an earl, he’d be elated.
Aunt Jane had traveled back to Yorkshire directly after the wedding to break the news to her brother-in-law, but the journey up north was long, so Kate had written to her papa as soon as Oliver had secured the special license, knowing that once word got out that the Earl of Knox had secretly married again, the news would spread as fast as a row of thatched huts on fire. And it had.
But Kate didn’t care to know what people were saying. She and Oliver had cocooned themselves in his home, shutting out the rest of the world. Although she’d been hesitant at first, and they hadn’t had much time for courtship, Oliver now felt like her soulmate. They’d quickly developed a deep friendship, respect, and love for one another in and out of the bedroom.
At first, Kate had been worried about being intimate with her husband because of the baby. Could marital relations hurt her unborn child? But she needn’t have worried because Oliver had been the most gentle and considerate lover. And once that initial fear had passed, they couldn’t get enough of one another, spending their nights—and much of their days—making love.
Now, Oliver’s eyes fluttered open, and he smiled at his wife. Kate moved into his arms, pressing her naked body againsthis. He lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers, opening his mouth and kissing her deeply. She returned his kiss and let her hand travel over his muscular chest and down between his thighs. He groaned and lifted her onto his manhood. They moved their hips back and forth until waves of pleasure engulfed both of them, and they cried out from pleasure. Afterward, Kate lay on his chest with him still inside her, neither wanting to separate. They stayed that way for several minutes until Kate eventually rolled over.
“I’m starving,” she said.
Oliver laughed, threw off the blankets, and sat up. “I’ll tell Cook to prepare you a feast fit for a queen. What do you fancy? Eggs, kippers, and bacon? What about toast and marmalade? I could use a steaming cup of tea myself.”
“All of the above,” Kate said.
“Good. You get ready, and by the time you come downstairs, a feast will be waiting.”
“Aren’t we going to breakfast together?” Kate asked.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to leave you for a bit today and retreat to my study. I have some matters to attend to. And I expect you do, too.”
“What do you mean?” Kate pushed herself up on her elbows.
“We can’t stay holed up in this house forever. Your father will be expecting an invitation to visit, and we’ll have to make our appearance in society next week at Lady Ashworth’s ball. I expect you’ll want some new dresses, so you’ll need to summon the modiste.”
Kate groaned. “Can’t we spend another week alone before we start doing all of those things?”
“I’d like nothing better, my darling,” Oliver said, “but I’m afraid not.”
“Will you at least have a little breakfast with me before you retreat?” Kate asked.
Oliver looked at his wife and smiled. “Of course, I will. Today and every other day,” He leaned over to give her another kiss. She returned his kiss, wrapping her arms around his muscular back and pulling him down to her. His desire pressed against her soft flesh, and he groaned. “Perhaps my work can wait just a little longer,” he said, kissing her again.
Kate spent thenext week getting measured and choosing fabric for her new dresses. The modiste had promised to have one ready for Kate’s first public appearance with Oliver at Lady Ashworth’s ball, and she’d delivered a stunning royal blue satin empire dress with a square neckline, puffed sleeves, and a red sash covering the high waist. She finished the outfit with red silk slippers and a diamond-encrusted ruby necklace and earrings that Oliver had given to her as a wedding gift. Her chestnut curls had been pulled and twisted into a bun by her lady’s maid, who artfully arranged ringlets to frame her face.
“You look radiant, m’lady.”
“Thank you, Elspeth. It isn’t too difficult when you have so many wonderful people looking after you, doing your hair, and sewing beautiful dresses for you.” Kate studied herself in the oval full-length floor mirror, looking for signs of her being with child. She turned to the side and saw no visible bump. Her waist was still slim.
“I’d wager you’d look radiant even if you wore rags, m’lady. There’s just something that glows about your face.”
Kate swallowed. She wondered what her maid was hinting at. Had she guessed that she was with child? Kate had heard that women could sometimes sense these things about each other,but her lady’s maid had no children of her own, so Kate decided it was unlikely the woman could tell.
“But I suppose it’s because you’re so happy. His lordship is just the same. All the servants have noticed how much he’s changed since my old mistress died. We never thought he’d be happy again, and then you came along.”
“Yourold mistress?” Kate asked, suddenly curious as to why Oliver had retained his wife’s lady’s maid.
“Lord Knox didn’t have the heart to let me go. He’s an awfully generous master, he is, and he knew how loyal I was to Lady Knox, so he kept me on as a housemaid. It was a bit of a demotion for me, but he kept my wages the same, so I stayed, and I’m glad I did because now all is right in this household again.”
Just then Oliver entered the room, looking dashing in his three-piece navy suit with a red and navy patterned waistcoat over his white shirt.
“That will be all, thank you, Elspeth,” Kate said.
