He heard it too and muffled a groan against her throat. Straightening, he held her close as Florette’s voice came from the passageway.
“Milady, I cannot wait any longer to press your dinner gown.”
Diantha looked up apologetically. “She really does need to start now if I’m going to be ready in time for dinner. It has a great many flounces. And she’ll need time to arrange my hair.”
Kieran raised his voice. “We shall be dining in our suite this evening. Lady Rossburn can wear what she’s got on.”
“Oui, milord. Shall I inform Davison of the change in plans?” A hint of laughter hid behind the question.
“That would be most thoughtful of you.” He grinned as Diantha frowned at his high-handedness. She lightly pushed at his chest.
“I shall require you to do my hair before dinner, Florette.”
“Oui, milady. I shall return later.”
Kieran’s mouth covered hers before she couldreply. A few minutes later, however, he lifted his head with a smothered curse.
“The kitchen doesn’t know we’re dining in here.” After a last hard kiss, he rearranged his neckcloth with the help of the mirror over the tiny washstand. “I think it would be best if we occupied ourselves separately before dinner.” Seeing her disappointed expression, he arched a wicked eyebrow. “Savor the anticipation.”
Diantha wasn’t sure if he meant the meal or something else.
After his departure, she tried to write in her journal but could not formulate coherent sentences. Finally, she gave up and dozed in her berth until Florette bustled in.
In the dressing room, the normally placid maid hummed under her breath as she brushed out the rich brown hair and pinned it up again. She took especial care tonight, even taking part of it down and repinning it until she was satisfied. Supposing she enjoyed having extra time to fuss over the hairstyle, Diantha sat patiently under her ministrations.
When the maid finished, she regarded her reflection with some surprise. Instead of following the latest fashion plates, the maid had smoothed her hair back into loose waves that looked as if they would fall out of their own accord. When she quizzed her, Florette just shrugged.
“I thought something different would do for tonight.” A small smile played about the older woman’s mouth as she turned to gather up unused hairpins.
Hoping the mass would stay in place, she entered the dining room where Kieran waited for her.His look of admiration as he took in her appearance reassured her, although her confidence faltered when the steward opened a bottle of champagne. She had not touched a drop of alcohol since her miserable wedding day.
As if guessing her thoughts, Kieran poured out a glass and handed it to her. “Don’t be afraid to drink it. You won’t get a hangover from one or two glasses of wine.” She accepted it and took a cautious sip. “Have you ever had champagne before?”
She shook her head and he lifted his glass. “To firsts, then.” She took another drink from her glass, enjoying the tickle of bubbles over her tongue.
A knock announced the arrival of the steward with dinner. The ship’s kitchen lacked the capacity to serve multicourse meals, but the quality for firstclass passengers equaled that of the finest hotels. Starting with barley soup, they worked their way through roast pork, stuffing, and haricots.
The presence of the stewards required their conversation to be general in nature, but Diantha sensed a difference in her husband from their previous dinners in their suite. He focused on her more closely, and his speech lost its formality as he described his travels in Italy. It almost seemed to her that he regarded her as more of a person this evening.
He even teased her about having a sweet tooth when the steward placed dishes of pale custard speckled with nutmeg in front of them. Naturally he would never behave so intimately while dining with others, but she found herself worrying less about his disapproval. When she stood to withdraw to her own room, she repressed a sigh of regret.Doubtless he would now visit the saloon for his evening brandy.
Florette waited for her, ready to help her out of her dress. When she saw what the maid had laid out, she emitted a small shriek. “Where on earth did that come from?”
The maid lifted up a short-sleeved confection with a bodice consisting largely of lace. “It was in your trunk, milady.”
“My mother would never order something like this.” She looked over her shoulder, half expecting Mama to enter the room in a blaze of outrage.
“Well, whoever did, it is quite charming. If milady will hold still, I will unbutton your gown.” With Florette’s assistance, she donned the scanty nightgown. It looked even more shameless on. Her aureoles were visible through the fine lace bodice, and the wide neck nearly bared her shoulders. The only thing keeping it in place was a line of three ribbon ties. It had a matching robe of sorts, made of more nearly transparent lace.
She scurried into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin as soon as Florette bid her good night. Even her berth seemed different tonight. Then she realized why. The maid had pulled out the extension to double its width. She had not noticed earlier thanks to her distraction over her indecent nightwear.
A light tap sounded on the connecting door to Kieran’s room. “Diantha? May I enter?”
As her tongue suddenly glued itself to the roof of her mouth, it was fortunate he let himself in. His appearance undid her composure further, for he wore the wine-colored robe and a pair of pyjama trousers,as he had on their wedding night. The corner of his mouth quirked up as she stared at him, clutching the sheets in a death-grip under her chin.
“Surely you’re not surprised after our earlier encounter?”
“I suppose I shouldn’t be.” She licked dry lips. “But you could have been more specific about your intentions at dinner.”
