Page 14 of Seducing the Marquess (Lords and Ladies in Love 1)

She lowered her eyes. “Whatever you say, my lord.” He could swear her lips twitched with humor.

Devon bent and scooped her into his arms. She wiggled around until she was pressed up against him, then laid her head on his chest. “Have you a headache, also, my dear?”

She shook her head. “No.” More wiggle. “I think all of this excitement has my nerves overwrought.”

Eugenia was light as a feather and soft as the finest down-filled pillow. The scent of whatever it was she used in her bath drifted up to him. He made his way down the path, ignoring the few glances cast in his direction. She continued to move about, and when she shifted so her plush bottom nudged against his middle, he thought he might drop her.

He hustled her into their carriage and tried his best to be solicitous while desperately trying to ignore her nearness. He almost swallowed his tongue when she once again pulled up her skirt, this time well above her knee, and extended her leg. She moved her foot in a circle examining it. “I think it is better now.”

If it had been anyone except Eugenia, he would have sworn the entire episode had been intentional.

Once they were in the house, and he had assisted her to her bedchamber and into the hands of her maid, he made his way to the library where he tugged off his much-too-constricting cravat and poured himself a very large glass of brandy.

Chapter Four

“A husband makes such a nice substitute for an indisposed lady’s maid.”

Secrets of the Bedchamber, p. 111

A week after the trip to Vauxhall Gardens, Eugenia sat on her bed, flipping through the pages of the book, making notes about Devon in the margins—even though as a child she’d had her hand slapped many times for writing in books. She needed new ideas. Devon still made his three weekly visits to her bedchamber, and although she tried to be a little bit more involved in the process, she could feel him holding back, almost as if he was afraid to allow her more participation.

She was frustrated, and at the same time worried that her plan would not come to fruition before he found another mistress. He’d been out to his clubs, but she noticed he returned earlier and spent more nights in the library when they had no social engagements.

She put the book aside, pleasantly surprised, when Sally entered her room to deliver a message that Devon wished her to join him in the library. She quickly checked her image in the mirror and left the room.

Devon stood as she entered the library, a warming smile on his face. “I thought perhaps you might like a bit of sherry before bed.”

Eugenia beamed. “Yes, I would enjoy that, my lord.”

He poured a small amount of sherry into a glass, and handed it to her. They settled next to each other on the settee, watching the flames from the fireplace, him sipping on brandy.

Devon placed his arm on the back of the settee and shifted his body toward her. “Lord Wentworth stopped me at White’s the other day and mentioned a house party at Wentworth Manor sometime soon. I checked with my secretary, and he had no information.”

“Oh, dear. I must have forgotten to pass the invitation along. It is this weekend. In fact, Lady Wentworth asked if we could come on Wednesday so I can assist her with planning for the ball at the end of the house party.”

“Doesn’t she have staff to do that?”

Eugenia laughed. “That is just like a man. You think because there are servants to do the actual work, that the hostess merely sits and watches.”

He regarded her with mirthful eyes. “I bow to your superior knowledge on such matters, my dear.” To her surprise, he lifted her hand and kissed it. A flush rose up to her cheeks, and her heart gave an extra thump. Why did this man affect her so?

“Unfortunately,” he continued, “I will be unable to arrive before Friday. Parliamentary business to which I need attend.”

Eugenia studied him, a slight twinge in her stomach. Was it, indeed, Parliamentary business, or interviewing-a-new-mistress business? Did one interview a mistress? Exactly how would that take place? Was removal of clothes part of the process?

She must stop this; she was making herself loony. “That would be fine, my lord. I will send the carriage back for you after I arr

ive at Wentworth Manor.”

“An excellent solution.”

Devon stood and poured another brandy. “Would you like more sherry, Eugenia?”

What she wanted to do was grab the brandy bottle and take a long pull on it. Perhaps that would give her the nerve she needed to seduce her husband. Instead she rose gracefully. “I think not. It grows late, and I must begin supervising Sally in the packing tomorrow. I believe I will retire.”

Giving her a perfunctory kiss on her cheek, he said, “Good night.”

Since it was Tuesday, there would be no visit to her bed tonight. As she trudged upstairs she felt as though they’d been married for many years. Where was the fire and passion she’d read about in her book? Did he find her so overwhelmingly undesirable that he would not break from his schedule—even though he no longer had a mistress?