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Richard shook his head and caressed her cheek with his finger. “No. But I was rather impatient to have you all to myself. As soon as we pass the threshold, I am taking you right there in the hall.”

Jo laughed. “In front of the butler?”

Richard shrugged. “Nobody will get in my way.”

Jo raised a brow, then ran her finger down his chest. “Why wait?”

Richard blinked. The drive to his townhouse wouldn’t be long. In fact, in a few minutes, they would be nearing the front steps of his house. But Jo’s finger dipped lower, and she started undoing the falls of his breeches.

Richard caught her hand and shook his head. “Darling,” he said as he looked into her laughing eyes. “I love you. And I want you very much. I would gladly just toss your skirts right here.” He paused as he let go of her hand and buttoned his breeches, which now tented over his hardened cock. “But you deserve our first time to be in our marriage bed. As my viscountess.”

Just then, the carriage lurched to a stop. The door opened and Richard helped Jo out. He led her slowly up the steps.

The moment they reached the doors, they opened, as if by magic—in truth, by his faithful butler.

The servants collected in a line, grinning from ear to ear, watching Richard lead his bride farther into the hall. Jo looked up at him, her gaze panicked.

Richard covered her hand with his and squeezed as he addressed the household staff. “Let me introduce to you my bride, my viscountess, and your mistress—Lady Gage.”

The housekeeper, Mrs. Whiston, introduced all the servants, and Jo’s smile became tighter and tighter with every name she probably couldn’t remember.

Richard leaned closer to her and whispered, “Do not fret, my darling, you’ll have a lifetime to remember their names.”

She looked up at him gratefully, but vulnerability shone in her eyes. Richard couldn’t understand what she felt at that moment, but as soon as the introductions were finished, he was glad to escort his bride to their bedroom.

* * *

Panic gripped Jo’s throat in a tight embrace.

She was a viscountess.

And as such, she was expected to know what to do as a new mistress. But she didn’t. Hell, she couldn’t even remember the names of the servants! She’d just met them and already she was failing.

What had she expected would happen?

She didn’t know. For some odd reason, the domestic life of a viscountess, all her duties and responsibilities, were not in the forefront of her mind. Until now.

Her hands shook as Richard led her into his bedchamber. Their bedchamber?

Richard paused at the door and looked at her queerly. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Jo shook her head, but it was a lie.

Richard gave her a reassuring smile and opened the door. “Welcome to your chamber, my lady,” he said.

Jo slowly stepped inside, and her eyes widened with shock. She’d been to this townhouse before. She’d spent the night here when she’d brought Selena for her procedure. But the room she’d spent the night in was not nearly as spectacular as this one. The bed alone was half the size of that guest room! And the size of the room was at least five times bigger than that of her old room at Mrs. Digby’s.

And it was beautiful. Oh, how beautiful the room was. Luxuriously decorated in red and gold colors, it looked like a royal bedchamber.

Jo walked farther inside the room and twirled. “This is mine?”

Richard grinned, his shoulder propped against the doorjamb. “Yes. It is yours.”

Jo bit her lip. “Where is your room?”

He walked into her chamber, traversed the length of the room, and opened the door on the other side of her bed. “Here,” he said as he held the door open wide.

Jo hurried over to his side and peeked into his room. It was even bigger, if only slightly. But it had a masculine tone to it. And it smelled like Richard’s cologne.