“And we are all happy for you, Miss Taylor,” Mrs. Yarborough declared. “Proud we are. And pleased that someone as fine as you will finally take our earl under her wing. He needs looking after, that one does. He’s a good man.”
“He is,” Clarissa echoed and found she meant the words. Her opinion of him was changing. Was it the books? The diary? Seeing him laugh with joy over his daughter’s happiness?
Or was it something deeper?
“I am fortunate,” Clarissa murmured, taking off the cream muslin and preparing to put on a forest green walking dress Mrs. Yarborough held out to her.
“To my thinking, he is the fortunate one. You will make a lovely countess, my dear,” Mrs. Warbler said.
The compliment made her blush. Although, she was actually pleased with this new direction for her life, and not just because she was going to marry. No, because she was going to marryMars. Mrs. Yarborough was right. He was the best of the Three Bucks, although she would never have admitted it to herself until this moment. She didn’t understand all that would be expected of her as his wife and countess but with her friends, she would manage.
In the end, Mrs. Warbler took over the fitting. She decided for Clarissa to take all four dresses. She also asked in that imperial tone of hers for any undergarments, gloves, and chapeaus Mrs. Yarborough might have on hand. Both Clarissa and the dressmaker were overwhelmed.
Mrs. Yarborough promised to return very early on the morrow with at least the cream muslin for her to wear and a marine blue day dress. The others she would finish altering by the following day. “And undergarments,” she added excitedly. “I have a petticoat I will barely have to rework.”
“Send all charges to Lord Marsden,” Mrs. Warbler said, as if she was enjoying herself. She smiled at Clarissa. “You will have to become accustomed to saying that.”
Clarissa didn’t know if she ever would, and yet she was secretly pleased to have such lovely clothes. She couldn’t remember when she’d had a new petticoat.
She returned to the nursery just as Hodner, the footman, brought his sister to meet her. Mars stayed for the interview as well. Beth Rucker was younger than Clarissa with a toddler she had been nursing. She assured them that it would not be a problem for her to take care of Dora and her own young one. She struck Clarissa as very honest and desperately in need of a position. Dora acted relieved to finally have a breast to suckle and hence, Mrs. Rucker was hired. Provisions were made to bring in a small bed for her daughter, Vivian, and another chest.
Clarissa ended up moving her things into the Green Room. She was uncomfortable with not helping with Dora—until she remembered Mrs. Yarborough’s admonishment to not feel guilty.
That evening, she had a quiet dinner with Mars, Mrs. Warbler, Jane, and Dora. They sat in the kitchen at the huge center table. She was relieved that Mars was not one for formality. It was also interesting that, now that he and Mrs. Warbler had set aside their animosity, they actually had quite a bit in common.
After Dora had been delivered to Mrs. Rucker to be put down for the night, the earl walked Clarissa to her bedroom.
“You haven’t asked about the license,” he said.
“I assumed if there was a problem you would let me know.”
He grinned. “You are right. It arrived this evening. Gibson has it.”
She nodded. They stood in front of her door. She placed her hand on the handle, but she didn’t turn it. Instead, she said, “You know you don’t need to marry me.” She couldn’t look at him as she spoke. The paneling on the door was easier to focus on than his face. What if she saw that he agreed with her? “Mrs. Rucker is here now and your need for me—”
He turned her face toward him, tilting her chin up. His expression seemed certain. “My need for you continues,” he said quietly. “Dora must have someone fierce to protect her. That is you. I sent a letter to my secretary Lowton to draw up paperwork, so if anything happens to me, you are Dora’s guardian with a generous allowance and privileges at Belvoir. We will sign it in London.”
“What would happen to you?” she asked, the import of his words setting off an alarm inside her.
His smile was calm, reassuring. “Nothing, Clarissa. Nothing will happen. You are here and all will be right.”
And then he did something miraculous. He kissed her.
It was not a dutiful peck on the check, but a true kiss. Herfirstkiss. The sort of kiss a man gives a woman that he—
Likes? That word seemed too tame for the erratic beating of her heart.
Loves?
There was a word! He’d raised its specter many times today with his kindness. And now a kiss? A meaningful one?
His lips were warm as they fit with hers. There was no hardness, just the delicious sensation of an invitation to something more.
Clarissa had always feared she wouldn’t know what to do when she had her first kiss. Instead, she discovered, she knew exactly how to respond. She reached for his jacket, gripping the material for balance, and rose up on tiptoes to make it easier for him. To her delight, the kiss deepened. His arms gathered her close. Her breasts flattening against him.
He was holding her now. She felt the hardness of him, a hardness forher. She’d never been this close to a man and she was curious—
Mars broke the kiss. She wasn’t ready to finish. She leaned forward, her eyes shut, not ready to stop. He gently pushed her away, keeping her at arm’s length. She opened her eyes.
