Chapter 4
“Goodness, my lady, who could be pounding upon the door?”
Estelle glanced at Mattie, her lady’s maid, as she whirled from the window, startled as well by the racket.
She’d only just changed out of her traveling dress into a sprigged day gown, her upswept hair loosed to tumble down her back, and had thought to lie down for a nap as Linette had suggested. Yet Estelle wasn’ttired at all. How could she be after seeing Valentin again? She felt so abuzz with excitement that she could scarcely gather her thoughts.
She waved for Mattie, a young woman no older than herself with dark brown hair and a burst of freckles across her nose and cheeks, to answer the door. Estelle drew closer, too, though she remained to one side and couldn’t see who stood there.
“I’d like tosee Miss Easton. Will you please wake her?”
Valentin! All thought of walking in a ladylike fashion to the door fled her mind as she darted forward, her heart racing.
“I’m here! Not sleeping at all!” She stared at him and Valentin at her, while Mattie glanced wide-eyed from one to the other as if she didn’t know quite what to make of this unexpected exchange.
“Forgive me, Miss Easton—Estelle.Would you care to accompany me to view the gardens? With your maid, of course. More guests arrive today and we may not have another opportunity before the coronation for the two of us—”
“I’d love to accompany you!” Estelle didn’t wait another second, but took his proffered arm as they proceeded down the hall. Meanwhile the maid grabbed a shawl from the half-unpacked trunk and uttered a smallshriek in her haste to catch up with them.
***
“Did you hear that, Adam?” Sitting up in the huge four-poster bed, Linette tried to listen for a moment but her husband merely drew her back down beside him to gently nuzzle her neck.
“It’s a castle, my love. Full of commotion no matter the walls are thick. Perhaps Estelle and her maid shared a laugh together. They’re right next door, andyou saw how excited she was to be here.”
“It wasn’t a laugh,” Linette insisted, though Adam was going out of his way to distract her with a kiss just behind her ear. “More like a startled shriek, though I can’t imagine why—oh, Adam.”
She closed her eyes, her husband drawing her closer to press a tender trail down the side of her neck to the sensitive hollow at her throat. As a physician, hismastery of anatomy—heranatomy—never ceased to thrill her. She laughed softly, which made him lift his head to stare at her.
“Have I told you today how beautiful you are?” he murmured, which made her nod and thread her fingers through his dark brown hair.
“Moments ago, husband.”
“Ah, then, so I did. Have I told you today that your happiness means more to me than anything in this world?”
Linettesaw that he’d grown serious, though he gazed at her with such love as to take her breath away. “Yes, this morning when we awoke…as you’ve done every morning since we wed. Adam, you’re so wonderful to me! If only I could give you a child—”
“Shh, love.”
Adam silenced her with a kiss so sweet that she knew without him saying so that he’d be content if they forever remained just the two of them.Yet in her heart she longed so for a healthy baby. She hadn’t told anyone in her family, but they had already lost two pregnancies. Even with all of his skill, Adam had been unable to do anything to prevent it. She knew as well that deep down, he blamed himself somehow…
“Let’s rest now, Linette.” Adam had raised his head and shifted his weight to once more lie beside her, drawing her into theshelter of his arm. “You remember it wasn’t my wish that we make this journey so soon after our loss at Easter.”
“I know, but how could we deny Estelle seeing Valentin again? Did you see how she looked at him? How he looked at her? Do you think it’s possible they could have fallen in love simply by thinking about each other for so long?”
“You captured my heart after only one kiss. Anything ispossible…except, it seems, you closing your eyes for a nap. Perhaps we might think of another way to occupy ourselves…”
Linette smiled against his lips that had found hers again, and wound her arms around his neck to kiss him eagerly, hungrily.Nap? She didn’t recall saying anything about sleeping away the afternoon!
***
“Oh, my, it’s so beautiful here! Look at all the roses!”
Breathlessfrom hastening with Valentin through hallways and sumptuous rooms to reach the gardens, Estelle thought to let go of his hand but he held her fast.
Her heart had skipped a beat when he’d first entwined his fingers with hers, she imagined because they were rushing so, but perhaps that hadn’t been the reason at all.
He gazed now at her flushed face, her cheeks bright pink, she was certain of it.
