“Apparently not,” he replied, experimentally tasting the orange. “But I’m willing to try.”
Ivy beamed in delight before tucking into her breakfast.
“Did your lady’s maid happen to mention how her evening went last night?” he asked in a quiet voice. “I’m fairly sure she took advantage of your most generous offer of the apartment,” he added, his brow arching.
Her eyes rounding, Ivy said, “Oh, dear. Did they disturb you whilst you were in the library?’
Shaking his head, Robert chuckled softly. “I did not hear them, if that’s what you’re asking.” He almost said something about how jealous he had felt knowing the servants were engaged in lovemaking while he would have liked to have been doing the same thing with his wife. Had he simply goneto bed when he bid Ivy good-night, he might have been doing the same thing.
“Well, I’m glad to hear it because Salisbury gave me the most wonderful news this morning when she was doing my hair.”
“Which is rather lovely,” Robert remarked, surprised when he saw a blush color her face.
“Oh, thank you for saying so,” she replied, her fingers stroking the lock of hair that hung down in front of one shoulder. “It’s probably too daring for London, but we’re in the country?—”
“You should have her style it like that more often,” he said, “Hang London.”
“Ritchfield,” she scolded, despite the grin she displayed. “Well, I’m glad you like it because I have decided I am going to take her back to London with me to be my lady’s maid.”
Robert furrowed a brow, sure there was more to it, but her comment reminded him of their conversation at dinner the night before. “So she accepted your offer of employment?”
“I made mention of it, and she seemed quite pleased with the prospect. But I haven’t made her a formal offer,” she explained.
“Mayhap you could bring her with you to York first.”
Ivy inhaled softly. “Perhaps,” she murmured. “I was going to see to the final arrangements for Watkins’ dismissal?—”
“I can see to it with a letter to your butler and my man of business,” he interrupted.
“I didn’t bring many gowns with me?—”
“We can have her pack up some more of your clothes and have them sent to the house in York,” he suggested. “Beforethe butler speaks with her.”
Ivy considered his words before she finally nodded. “All right,” she agreed before her eyes widened. “Oh, I’ll have to let Walker know, what withhisnew situation.”
“Your driver?”
Ivy’s eyes rounded. “Oh, I meant to tell you the good news. Mr. Walker and Miss Salisbury are to be married. He proposed last night.”
Seeing the joy on his wife’s face had Robert smirking even as his chest tightened. He hadn’t even been in her company for an entire day, and yet he was reminded of why he had fallen in love with her in the first place.
The red hair had certainly caught his eye back then—how could it not?—the tresses the color of flames and copper in the sun. Then there had been her generous bosom, her rising moons begging to be traced and touched above the neckline of her presentation gown.
But it had been the sheer delight in her green eyes that had truly captured his attention. Whilst every other young lady seemed petrified about the prospect of being presented to the queen, she had displayed happiness.
He had seen that same expression of delight whenever something pleased her, which had his gaze seeking hers from across ballrooms and parlors, Rotten Row and the theatre.
Even after they wed, he had felt challenged to come up with gestures that would elicit the same reaction from her. The gift of a tiny bauble or a compliment on her gown, a soft kiss at the nape of her neck or an open-mouthed kiss when he returned from Parliament.
Wishing to extend her happiness over her new lady’s maid’s announcement, he was about to leave the breakfast table, pull her up from her chair and kiss her senseless, but Graves appeared at the door.
“Pardon me, my lady, but you asked to be informed about the status of the greenery?”
“Yes, Graves. How goes it?”
“The servants have brought everything into the house, and the Yule log is in place on the hearth in the hall,” he stated. “Perkins has the work table set up in the hall and the trunk brought down from the attic. I believe we are ready to begin, my lady.”
Although he wasn’t so sure his kiss would have been as welcome as Graves’ announcement, Robert couldn’t be too upset when Ivy stood from her chair and displayed an expression of infectious delight.
