Page 30 of A Marriage of Necessity

Chapter Eight

The following morning, Anne found her way into the conservatory. The building was set off from the house in a secluded corner of the gardens. The paned glass structure rested on a foundation of waist-high stones. She entered the building and knew she was home. A light rain began to patter on the glass. Anne looked up at the gray clouds that inched across the sky. Even on an overcast day like today, she could remain here for hours. She strolled through the aisles, marveling at the variety of flowers, ferns and dwarfed trees. She found roses, thistle, and even heather. Anne paused to brush her finger against the petals of a lavender sweet pea and caught sight of a chaise lounge, table and chairs in the far corner. This was even better than she’d expected.

She stepped around a fig tree, then an apricot and plum, and continued to the chaise. A modest hearth was located nearby. Too bad she hadn’t brought a book. Rain pattered a little harder on the glass. She looked up at the sky. The clouds had darkened. Next time she would bring a book. For now, she would start a fire and spend a little time with her thoughts.

With a sigh, Anne knelt at the hearth. She got a low fire burning, then sat on the chaise and stared up at the black clouds. What kind of family had she married into? The earl was clearly a bitter and power-hungry man. His wife. Anne shuddered. Lady Buchanen was far too familiar with her stepson. Were she and Kennedy having an affair? Kennedy seemed to want to avoid her, and Anne had detected no affinity on his part for her. Had she made advances toward him? Anne could well believe it.

Kennedy didn’t fit with them. Yesterday, when he told Louisa that he didn’t mind buying dresses for her, and that he would gladly take them to the ball, he’d spoken like a real brother. The way he had hugged Anne to him and grabbed Louisa when the carriage wheel broke had caught her off guard. He was a man of action, and he cared about them—in some way, at any rate.

She wasn’t certain what to make of the fact that he hadn’t come to her room last night. True, the night had been more eventful than expected. Still, shouldn’t a husband want to bed his wife? Despite his father’s demands that they have a child immediately, perhaps Kennedy didn’t want her. She recalled their wedding night. He had seemed… enthusiastic, until, that is, she’d learned he thought she was loose. Would the man never get it through his head that she cared about her honor? Whatever the case, she had to demand her wifely rights. It simply wasn’t right that a marriage wasn’t consummated. Her mother would be aghast if she learned they were not yet truly married.

She started from her thoughts at a sudden gust of air that swept through the conservatory. She straightened and realized the door had been opened. The door slammed closed and she jumped to her feet. An instant later, she glimpsed Kennedy amongst the foliage. He neared and his gaze met hers. He wore a dark coat with no tie and his collar lay open, revealing tanned flesh.

He neared her and said, “What the devil are you doing out here?” Then he saw the fire and nodded. “I can see this is already a favorite spot of yours.”

Anne smiled. “Even on a day like today, it’s a very pleasant room to be in.”

He took off his dripping coat and shook the water from it. “My mother used to spend a lot of time here.” He hung the coat over the back of a chair. “It’s raining hard. I imagine we can wait just a little while to see if the rain will let up before returning to the house.”

A tremor rippled through her. Stuck alone with him in a room with nowhere to go?

“If you have work to do, you needn’t worry about keeping me company,” she said. “I don’t mind being alone.”

He pinned her with his gaze. “Is my company so terrible that you can’t bear to be alone with me for a short while?”

“Oh no, that is not at all what I meant.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I always end up saying the wrong thing.”

Amusement glittered in his eyes. “You wouldn’t, per chance, be speaking of a similar effect to that which Louisa mentioned yesterday about her friend Robert always saying the wrong thing about her?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Hardly. That would imply some sort of affection, and I know how much you abhor such feelings from your wife.”

To her surprise, he laughed. “You prove my point. You have some, if only a little, affection for me.”

“Affection? How can I have affection for you? I hardly know you.”

He grinned. “I’m a charming fellow.”

Damn his soul, he was. But she wasn’t about to admit that. “I feel certain you have charmed many a lady, my lord.”

“The only lady I’m interested in charming is you.”

She blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“I believe you understand me,” he said.

“Well, of course, I understand you. That is, I know what you said. As to your meaning, that could be anything.”

“Come now, Anne, my meaning really can’t be just anything.”

The way he said ‘anything’ left little doubt as to what he meant. Heaven help her, it had gotten awfully warm in the room.

“They will probably begin to worry about us back at the house,” she said. “Perhaps we should return.”

He crossed to where she stood and stopped inches away.“I don’t think they will worry about us overly much.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her against him.

She immediately detected his hard length against her abdomen. “Oh dear,” she breathed.”

“Oh dear, indeed,” he said, and covered her mouth with his.