I turned to look at him, surprised by the hint of anger in his voice. “What?”
He shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment. “I implore you, please don’t cut your hair.”
I couldn’t understand why he’d care. “I wear it up all the time anyway. What does it matter?”
“It would be a crime to cut your hair. And it matters because I’ll be able to see it when we’re alone together.”
My heart did a little flip at the low timbre of his voice. Clifton had said that ours would be a real marriage, but I hadn’t dared to hope he might like anything about my physical appearance. It seemed I was wrong.
I tilted my head. “Do you think that’s why Aunt Matilda wanted me to cut it? Because it’s…” I hesitated, almost scared to call it pretty. I’d never really given it much thought before today. I’d resisted my aunt’s suggestion mainly as a small act of rebellion.
“Your hair is devastating, Diana.”
My breath caught. “But it doesn’t matter. I always wear it up.”
“Yes, and while you are never to wear it as tightly as you did while living with the Tuttlefords, I very much enjoy the idea of watching you take it down every evening.”
Now it was my stomach that turned over. “Every evening?”
He shrugged. “Probably.”
I placed the brush on the dressing table. He watched me in the mirror, his eyes narrowed. “I won’t apologize.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want you to.” His words had given me a lightness of spirit I’d never expected to feel again. “How long do you think it will take to drive by post chaise to Scotland?”
“I was told anywhere between one and two days, depending on whether there are fresh horses available at each inn along the way.”
I licked my lower lip, a nervous habit my aunt had tried to drill out of me. I noticed the way he stared at my mouth and shivered. “So we will be married in two days.”
He nodded.
I gathered my courage and took a step closer. “Do you think, my lord, that perhaps you could show me what it is like to kiss a man?”
His eyes dipped to my mouth. When he met my gaze again, they weren’t as bright a blue as normal. They were darker, and I was surprised to see heat reflected there.
He reached out, and I placed my hand in his, allowing him to tug me closer. “You’ve never kissed anyone?”
I shook my head. “I was only 16 when Mama passed away. There was one boy who I thought might have been interested, but he never tried to kiss me. And after living with my guardians…” I shrugged. “I know I’m not the prettiest woman. I’m not as beautiful as Victoria or Caroline. But I never thought of myself as ugly until I went to live with my aunt and uncle.”
He tugged me closer until I fell against him. He placed his hands on my waist, holding me against his hard chest. I hesitated only a moment before reaching up to clasp his shoulders.
“The Tuttlefords behavior has been criminal,” he said, his voice low and husky. “They have done everything in their power to hide you away. Frankly, I’m surprised they even brought you to London. Why bother when they’ve done everything possible to ensure no one truly saw you?”
I’d wondered the same thing. “I don’t know. I overheard Aunt Matilda say something about solicitors. And I think she was worried about what my father’s business manager would say. But her concern makes no sense to me. When they were given guardianship of me, they were given the authority to do whatever they deemed to be in my best interest until I reached my age of majority.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, I thought I caught a fleeting moment of doubt. The expression was so quick I thought I was mistaken.
“I don’t want to talk about the Tuttlefords right now.”
He lowered his head, and I found myself rising onto the tips of my toes to get closer to him.
“Tell me if you want me to stop,” he said.
With a shake of my head, I brought my hands to the back of his head and threaded my fingers through his hair. “Please don’t stop.”
He chuckled, then he kissed me. It was soft at first, pleasant. I let out a soft breath and allowed him to take the lead.
This was nice, having him surround me. My heart was racing as the smell and taste of him filled me.
