She paused, stirring sugar into her tea. “Perhaps you do, too?”
A glint warmed his eyes. “I hope not.”
Of course he would know. He must have slept with dozens of women. She tried not to think about that and whether she, as a complete novice, would disappoint him. Beyond the animals on the home farm, she didn’t have a clear picture of what men and women did together. While the dream had been vague, the mood still hovered, keeping her aroused and curious.
Ash reached for his coffee cup. “I rode over to the cottage an hour ago and made sure everything was all right.”
“Was it?”
He nodded. “They are in very good spirits and planning to go to London in the future. Diana intends to consult a London doctor.”
Pleased, Thea smiled. “That is good news.”
Ash smiled back at her. “Indeed it is.”
“I can’t wait for you to tell your grandfather the news. He will be so pleased.”
“He will. We’ll spend a night at Meadows, then go on to London. Farnborough might be at his Yorkshire estate, but he can’t stay there forever. It’s my hunch that he’s joined his cohorts in the city.”
“Will they stick by him once they hear Diana is alive?”
“They might already have given up on him. In any event, they will find themselves dealing with the law.”
She thought of that repulsive man, Ross, who had accosted her at the ball. “I’m glad.” She disliked missing out on Farnborough’s capture. “I imagine Grandmama has many invitations to functions for us to attend. I can ask if anyone’s seen him.”
“I’d rather you didn’t get involved, sweetheart.” His amused smile told her he’d read her mind. And that he did that so easily rankled. “In any case, you will be caught up with your sister’s wedding preparations.”
Thea frowned. So, he would embark on this dangerous pursuit while she attended her sister’s pre-wedding parties. Cathy wouldn’t care if she was there or not. She was annoyed Thea had become engaged to a future earl when Crispin Braithwaite would never rise above viscount. As if any of that mattered. Thea would be happy if Ash wasn’t a lord. She sighed. The next few weeks would be grindingly dull, while she had to endure fittings for the unattractive bridesmaid dress Cathy had chosen for her.
Thea didn’t expect to hear until Farnborough was apprehended. But what if the devil had set a trap and lay in wait for Ash? Being left out made everything so much harder to bear. She shivered and bit her lip.
“My, why such concern, my sweet?”
“You will be careful.”
Ash slowly shook his head. “Thea, you must not concern yourself about me.”
“Of course I will…I must. You are my fiancé, are you not? And he’s a cold-hearted monster, Ash. I know.”
He frowned. “I wish profoundly that you hadn’t suffered at his hands. But you must leave me to deal with him.”
Her gaze caught his searching for a sign of some kind of compromise. “I know how strong and capable you are, Ash, but…”
“Sweetheart,” he merely murmured and reached for her hand across the table. He gave it a squeeze before releasing it.
“I expect I will be too busy in London to give you a thought,” she said airily, wanting to wound him a little.
“Good.” He raised an eyebrow. He didn’t believe her, of course.
Once they were married, she expected he would leave her often to tackle some dangerous mission. And it would be very hard to stay behind, waiting for his safe return. She simply must learn to deal with it. Was she right about Reade and Cartwright? Did they work for Whitehall, too? Might Jo and Letty suffer the same fears? She looked forward to seeing them again and hoped they could become close friends.
Ash pushed his plate aside and folded his arms, studying her. He was entirely too attractive, she thought, vexed. It would be so hard to deny him anything. She was prepared to be a good wife and do as he wished, but she also wanted more from him. He desired her; a woman knew these things. But whatever made him cautious and careful around her must end. She wanted a passionate marriage and the freedom to express herself.
Ash eyed her with concern as she put down her teacup. “I sometimes wonder what is going on in that head of yours, Thea.” He laughed and pushed back his chair. “Perhaps it’s better I don’t know. I’ll settle the bill and order the coach brought around.”
Two hours later, Thea sat upright on the seat while the coach bowled along the road to St. Albans.
“You’re very quiet.” Ash moved to sit beside her. “Why don’t you rest? We have a long journey ahead.”
