“You can tell us, dear,” Cass said encouragingly. “We’re all married ladies here. You needn’t be embarrassed.”
Meg took three deep breaths. All morning she’d been contemplating the awfulness of what had—or, more correctly whathadn’t—happened last night. Nothing she could think of could make it less horrible. Would telling these ladies make it more shameful or would she feel better if she admitted it to someone?
“Go ahead, Meg,” Sarah prompted.
“Very well, but you all must solemnly swear not to tell another soul.”
Each lady in turn crossed their fingers over their heart.
Meg closed her eyes and counted three before blurting, “Hart didn’t touch me last night.”
Sarah gasped. “What?”
Cass gasped. “What?”
Jane cupped a hand behind her ear. “Pardon?”
“It’s true.” Meg felt more ashamed with each passing moment. “He didn’t touch me and he vowed he never would.”
“Oh my God. He’s an idiot!” Sarah declared, tossing her hands in the air.
“It’s certainly surprising,” Cass offered, her pretty face scrunching into a decided frown.
“I wonder what’s keeping the teacakes,” Jane murmured, looking about.
“Jane!” Cass scolded. “This is hardly the time to discuss teacakes.”
“Very well, I agree. It isquitesurprising,” Jane added.
“It’s humiliating,” Meg replied, covering her face with her hands. “My own husband won’t touch me. Our marriage is not legal.”
Finally Lucy spoke. “Is that all?” She pushed a dark curl behind her ear.
“Perhaps you didn’t hear me correctly,” Meg replied, pulling her hands away from her face and narrowing her eyes on the duchess. “My husband refuses to touch me.”
“Yes,” Lucy said. “I heard you and I asked if that was the worst that happened.”
Meg wanted to shake Lucy. “Yes, as a matter of fact it is.” She planted both fists on her hips.
“Good, then, because I hardly see that as an issue at all. The easiest thing in the world is to convince a young,healthy man to take a young, beautiful woman to bed,” Lucy said.
“What are you talking about?” Sarah asked.
“Yes, Lucy, what are you talking about?” Meg added.
“It’s quite simple,” Lucy replied with a sigh. “All you have to do is seduce your husband.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Seduce your husband. Seduce your husband.The words chased themselves in Meg’s mind that night as she waited in her bedchamber. Would Hart come to her? He’d had all day to think. Perhaps he’d changed his mind. Perhaps he’d realized that not consummating their marriage was madness. Perhaps he still hated her and blamed her for his being forced into an unwanted marriage.
He’d told her how much he detested scheming women. Annabelle had tried to snare him into marriage in the exact same way. No wonder he was angry with her. Meg hadn’t even been able to deny it when he’d asked her outright.
In her own way, however, she’d tried to tell him the truth, to explain how she’d come to be in the garden waiting for him. The man was stubborn as a mule. Not just any mule. An elderly, recalcitrant mule. He wouldn’t listen and he certainly wouldn’t believe her. She wasn’tabout to beg him to hear her out. She wasn’t about to try to convince him she’d planned to tell him she loved him that night. There was no possible way he’d believe that now. She had to think of another way to get through to him.
This morning the other ladies had all seemed to agree. Seduction was a fine idea. They all also seemed to think it would be a simple task.
“Let him know you’re willing. Show a bit of décolletage andvoilà,” Lucy had said.
