She had to find a way to get him out of his bedchamber. If he languished in here for his entire visit, she’d never persuade him to fall back in love with Cleves Court.
“I don’t bother with things that do me good.”
Thea blinked in confusion as his words landed with a dull thud in the center of her chest. What did he mean by that? Everything about it felt wrong—
“There’s no fresh air in London, and I see no reason to start inhaling it now. It will only confuse my lungs. In any case, I’m content with where I am.”
Yes, hewascontent, wasn’t he? Thea’s eyes narrowed as she studied him, lounging in his cozy chair in his banyan, with his plate of sweets at his elbow. All he needed was a pile of tasseled pillows, and he’d look just like a Turkish pasha.
He was rather too content.
If he were deprived of his tarts, his whiskey and his bath, he’d be far less so, wouldn’t he? He might become so discontented, in fact, he’d venture out of his bedchamber in search of his pleasures—
“What are you plotting, Miss Sheridan?”
Thea jerked her attention back to him. “Why, nothing at all, my lord.”
“You forget how well I know you. I recognize that tiny smirk at the corner of your lips.” A slow grin crossed his face. “But perhaps you’re only imagining me in my bath?”
“No!” Heat surged into Thea’s cheeks. She hadn’t been imagining him in his bath at all, but—blast the man—nowshe was.
“Because a visit could be arranged.” He took in her red cheeks and the infuriating grin widened. “No need to blush, Miss Sheridan. I’m not suggesting you get into the bath with me. Unless you wish it, of course.”
“I don’t wish it!” Dear God, it felt as if her entire body had burst into flames.
“How disappointing. But as I said, there’s no need join me in the bath. You can rub the wet cloth over my shoulders and back just as easily from outside the tub. Have you ever had someone wash and rinse your back for you, Miss Sheridan? It’s quite soothing.”
Thea bit her lip before she could ask if his marchioness usually rubbed his naked back for him. Why should she care what he did in his bath? He might have a dozen marchionesses rub and wash and rinse him, and it wouldn’t make the least bit of difference to her. Not the least bit at all.
Don’t think about his bare shoulders and back.
“Though now I think on it,soothingisn’t the right word.” His voice had lowered to a husky rasp, and he swept his gaze over her, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief, and something else—something hotter. “Perhapsstirringis a better word, orarouse—”
“Stop it, Ethan!” Oh, no. She’d blurted that out like an embarrassed schoolgirl. Had he noticed how breathless she was? Heat raced down her throat and over her chest. “What I meant to say is, I haven’t the least interest in your bathing habits, Lord Devon.”
“No? Pity.” He stretched his long legs in front of him and settled back in his chair with a contented sigh, as if he hadn’t just said the wordarouseto her in that low, husky voice. “I’ll have those tarts now.”
Alas, there would be no tarts for Lord Devon. No bath, either, and certainly norubbing.
Thea took a deep breath and managed to collect her scattered wits. “If that’s all, my lord?”
“Yes, but do let me know if you change your mind about the bath.”
Thea didn’t stay to answer, but fled the room and hurried down the stairs and back to the kitchen, where she’d left Henry, George, and Martha cutting Christmas decorations out of gold paper. “Get your outdoor things on, children. We’re off on an adventure.”
Martha climbed down from her chair at once. “Are we? What kind of adventure?”
“Why, we’re to search for evergreens and mistletoe to finish decorating the entryway. We haven’t nearly enough yet.”
Henry gave her a dark look and stuck his lip out. “I thought we weren’t going to have any more Christmas doings, on account ofthat lord.”
“Nonsense, Henry. We always celebrate the twelve days of Christmas at Cleves Court.”
“We won’t next year.” George kicked at the leg of Henry’s chair, a mutinous expression on his face. “That lord’s going to toss everyone out, and close this house down forever. I heard ’im say so.”
Thea blew out a breath.Dash it all. Children always seemed to find out everything. “Lord Devon is not going to close down this house, George. I won’t allow it.”
“But ’e’s a lord, innit he? No one can stop a lord from doing what ’e wants. Them lordships always gets their way in everything.”
