She smiled. “Hungry.”
“Then let’s have breakfast. We have a train tocatch.
“I can’t wait to show you Wolfram.” He kissed her briefly again and leapt out of bed, leaving her oddly lonely. “Care to use the bathroom first?”
She still felt shy. “No, you go first.”
He’d said their lovemaking would be better the second time. Her tiredness had vanished, and she was keen to try, but admitted she was sore and needed a bath. She admired his naked body as he crossed the bedroom toward thebathroom.
“That’s where our life together will really begin,” he said as he closed thedoor.
***
Nathaniel stood in the hotel’s ornate bathroom lathering soap over his chin. Poor girl, what kind of a future had he given her in a moment of weakness? He would never be able to give fully of himself or to give her what she needed. His lips firmed, and he finished shaving, bent to splash cold water onto his face then gazed at his reflection. His eyes darkened with regret. What had he done toher?
When he emerged from the bathroom, Laura had slipped on a negligee, a modest thing with dainty embroidery. She perched on the edge of the bed, a brave smile on her lips, all coltish bare legs as she put on her slippers, her red hair tumbling forward around her shoulders. She had given up so much for him. Compassion gripped him. He would do everything in his power to protecther.
Chapter Six
“This is your first time traveling by train?” Nathaniel asked, his gray eyes full of amusement.
Laura nodded, embarrassed by the sheltered life she’d led. Her parents had insisted she travel in the family carriage with her maid wherever she went.
“The journey to Penzance takes nine hours,” he said. “We’ll have to change at Plymouth.”
The train rumbled beneath her, the wheels click-clacking on the tracks. It seemed as if they’d already been traveling for days, having risen so early to go by carriage to Paddington Station. It would be close to five o’clock when they reached Penzance. Nathaniel’s carriage would then take them on toWolfram.
“I prefer train travel whenever I go to London for Parliament,” Nathaniel said. “There will be short periods when you will be alone at the abbey. I hope you won’t be lonely.”
“Of course not, I’ll be too busy,” Laura said in a firm tone, her ribcage tightening withunease.
She tugged at her collar. The train carriage was humid with the windows shut against the smoke. Every seat filled, even in the first-class compartment. It was difficult to talk to him with a crying baby and a demanding young child sitting opposite, so she couldn’t broach any private concerns.
“Rest your head against my shoulder,” Nathaniel said, taking herhand.
Laura settled closer. She watched the green fields, woodland and quaint market towns rush past the window. The speed was remarkable, and the noise! Horses danced away to the far corner of their paddock as the train roared past. The carriage rocked on the track, but at least it didn’t bump one about like a horse-drawnvehicle.
The novelty of traveling in a train had worn off by the time they reached Plymouth and changed trains. Finding the movement hypnotic, Laura closed hereyes.
***
“Wake up, Laura. We’ve arrived.”
Laura sat up so quickly her head spun. She rubbed her eyes. The train had pulled into the station. Nathaniel stood and began to pull down their bags from the shelfoverhead.
After he helped her down onto the platform, she turned to survey her new home, but a mist hung over Penzance. Laura could see little beyond the end of thestreet.
“There’s Ben Teg.” Nathaniel strode toward the road where a fair-haired young man jumped from a smart brougham and hurried to meetthem.
“Teg, this is your new mistress, Lady Lanyon.”
Teg touched his cap. “Dynnargh dhis, my lady.”
“Good afternoon, Teg,” Laura said, thinking she must learn some Cornish words. “Will this mist make it difficult for us to travel?”
“Not for a Cornish lad, Your Ladyship. I’ll get you safe and sound to theporth.”
Although she found Teg hard to understand, Laura liked his friendly, open face. “I imagine theporthmeans a harbor?” she asked Nathaniel in an undertone.
