He tightened his arms and clenched his jaw. “I admitted to lying to you. I never admitted to cheating.”
She glared at him. “Parsing words as usual. Lying to one’s wife. What a charming trait. Regardless, as you said, let’s change the subject. What are these rules you want to set?”
Shaking off his frustration, Sebastian forced himself to take a deep breath. His wife could drive him mad more quickly than anyone. In more ways than one. But arguing with her was pointless. “First, I believe we should set a limit on the rules.”
Eyeing him warily, she nodded. “That seems reasonable. Let’s say…three each?”
He nodded too. “Very well. Ladies first.” He gave her a tight smile.
Veronica tapped her fingers against the top of the periodical again for a few moments before speaking. Her eyes flared with obvious enlightenment as she decided what she would say. “My first rule is that I don’t have to pretend to like you when Grandpapa is not present.”
Sebastian couldn’t stop his bark of laugher. He shook his head. “Heaven forbid. Fine. Then my first rule is you don’t have to pretend to like me, but you cannot be rude to me, or ignore me.”
“Fine,” she allowed. She leaned back against the emerald velvet squabs, a smile on her face, clearly warming to the subject. “My second rule is no kissing…on the lips.”
Sebastian frowned. “That’s preposterous. I’m going to take you to bed. How can we not kiss?”
She shrugged and arched a brow again. “I don’t know, and I don’t care, but that’s my rule.” She glared at him, daring him to defy her stipulation.
His nostrils flared. Damn it. Perhaps he shouldn’t have agreed to three rules. He was already regretting it. “My second rule is that you cannot have any other rules limiting what we do in bed…within reason, of course. Let’s say…anything we’ve done before is fair game.” He arched a brow, and met her gaze, daring her to recall the many times when he’d had her begging for more and gasping his name.
Pink exploded on her cheeks, and she jerked her head to the side to stare out the window. He could tell she was smoldering inside. “Fine, then I reserve my third rule for some time before the fortnight is out.”
He eyed her carefully. What was she planning? It couldn’t possibly be worse than ‘no kissing,’ could it? On second thought, he didn’t want to know. But he’d already agreed to the idea of setting three rules each. He couldn’t go back on his word. “Then I reserve the same,” he said. At least he might counteract her last rule with one of his own.
“Fine,” Veronica replied before settling back into her seat and burying her face in the periodical once more. She tugged up the fur on her lap, ostensibly to ward off the chill in the air.
Arms still firmly crossed over his chest, Sebastian turned his head and stared out the window at the barren December landscape. How in the hell had his once-promising marriage turned into this?
Veronica wistfully perused the latest fashions. It was ridiculous to care about such things when she hadn’t been in Society for so long, but she did so love beautiful clothing. Though she’d barely been able to concentrate on the periodical what with Sebastian sitting not a stone’s throw away from her, the familiar scent of his cologne teasing her nostrils and reminding her of a half a score of memories she desperately wanted to erase from her mind.
Every rotation of the coach’s wheels carried them closer and closer to Whitmore Manor…closer and closer to their bedchamber at Whitmore Manor. The thought made Veronica both anxious and (if she was being honest) excited. She agreed to Sebastian’s outrageous condition for three reasons. First, she wasn’t exactly in the best position to negotiate since she was the one asking him for a favor. She’d do anything to make Grandpapa’s last days on earth happy ones…and it wasn’t exactly as if it would be a chore. Sebastian was, ahem, gorgeous, after all. And why shouldn’t she enjoy herself in bed with the rogue for a bit when she was destined to return to her lonely life in the country afterward? Second, it wasn’t as if she’d be in any danger of falling back in love with the scoundrel. She’d long ago stopped caring what he was doing, stopped wondering who he was with. She was well and truly over him, and no silly agreement would change that. Third, and most importantly, the moment Sebastian made his request, she’d been overwhelmed by…well, hope was the only word for it. This would be her only chance for a baby. She’d be a fool not to take it. If it gave him what he wanted too, an heir, so be it.
“We should talk,” Sebastian’s voice nearly startled her.
She lowered her periodical and blinked at him. “Talk? About what?”
He shrugged. “You know? What’s been going on in our lives…in case your grandfather asks a question we cannot answer.”
Veronica frowned. “Hmm. You’re probably right.”
“I’m certain it pained you to admit that,” Sebastian replied with a haughty grin.
She rolled her eyes. “Given that I don’t care to hear about your conquests with women,” she said, trying to keep her lip from curling. “What else have you been up to?”
“Parliament mostly,” he replied, obviously ignoring her jab. “And social obligations. Most of them excruciatingly boring. What have you been up to? How are you keeping busy in the country? Done any painting?”
Veronica’s chest went tight. Painting? She’d loved to paint when she was a girl. She’d told him that…once, a long time ago. It seemed like a lifetime. She hadn’t painted in years, however, and for some reason it made her wistful knowing that he remembered. She’d barely mentioned it. “I don’t have any paints,” she answered honestly, doing her best to keep all emotion from her voice.
He frowned. “Gardening much?” he asked next, a sly smile on his lips.
She arched a brow at him. She definitely recalled the times she’d told him in no uncertain terms that she didn’t understand why anyone would want to root around in the heat and mud all day with bugs crawling about. Jessica adored gardening, but it was not for Veronica and never would be.
“Oh, yes, I spend loads of time gardening,” she replied, returning his smile.
“What then? I hope you’ve found something you enjoy.” The sincerity in his voice made her throat go dry.
She nodded hesitantly. “I…I read to the children at the schoolhouse in the village twice a week.”
