Page 47 of Seducing the Marquess (Lords and Ladies in Love 1)

Chapter Fourteen

“Plans gone awry might turn into interesting opportunities.”

Secrets of the Bedchamber, p. 36

Devon watched Eugenia climb the stairs, weariness in her every movement. He had the fierce desire to call her back, invite her to sit with him and enjoy a drink before retiring. But his suspicions and mixed feelings about marriage and gentle wives kept him from requesting such a simple thing.

How had matters gotten to this point? He’d caught her—alone—in the garden, and surprisingly, she seemed suspicious of his presence there. If she was not meeting a man, what the devil had she been doing climbing out of the bushes? And, furthermore, what the hell had happened to his sane, predictable life?

He filled his glass with a tad more brandy than he normally indulged himself and settled in front of the cold fireplace, staring at nothing. He faced a conundrum. He no longer had a taste for a mistress, because the one woman he desired was his wife, who he’d been raised to believe was a delicate flower who would shun anything beyond copulating for procreation only, while he feared said wife might very well be enjoying more than procreation copulating with someone else.

Once stated that way, he finished off his drink and went to bed, his head hurting.

“Oh, I didn’t expect to see you at breakfast, my lord.” Eugenia entered the bright breakfast room, a picture of English womanhood. She was dressed in a red light wool riding habit, a pert little hat resting on top of her head, with a feather sweeping from the top of the confection almost to her lips.

Her blond hair had been swept away from her face and anchored in a chignon at the back of her head. Devon stood. “Good morning, my dear.” He pulled out a chair for her and signaled the footman to bring a pot of tea. “I don’t have any appointments t

his morning, so I’m afraid I am a man of leisure until my secretary arrives this afternoon to deal with correspondence. Hopefully, my presence does not disrupt your normal routine.”

“Not at all.” Eugenia turned and thanked the footman, then poured the liquid into her cup. The crystal blue eyes that had taunted him the previous evening swept over the sideboard. “May I please have a boiled egg and a piece of toast?”

The footman filled her plate and sat it in front of her, then returned to his place against the wall.

Devon took a sip of his coffee and set the cup down. “It appears you are off for a ride this morning.”

“I am. It seemed like the perfect morning for one. I thought I would hie off to Rotten Row and give Jennie a good run.”

“Since I have nothing pressing, may I join you?”

Eugenia broke into a smile that warmed him all the way to his toes. Lord, the woman was beautiful!

“I would very much like that, my lord.”

Devon threw down his napkin. “Excellent. I shall change, and meet you at the mews.” He found himself whistling and smiling as he strode up the stairs to his bedchamber. He wasn’t used to spending time with Eugenia during the day. Most days he went his way and she went hers. Of late, of course, he seemed to be more drawn to her. Not just as a wife who was fulfilling her duties, but as a woman with a charming personality that drew him in. Someone whose company he favored.

Unlike his parents’ marriage. From the time he could remember, they were no more than a man and a woman living in the same house. They’d barely spoken to each other at dinner, went to separate events in the evening, and spent no time together during the day. He was now beginning to wonder if the example they’d set for him was what he truly wanted and needed for himself.

It was something to ponder. A life with Eugenia could very well be different from his parents’. A wife who was both friend and lover. The thought shook him to his very core, decrying everything known to him. There were a few among his acquaintances who were known to have married for love, but he’d always dismissed them as muddleheaded.

But now, with Jake taking far too long to switch him from his day attire to his riding outfit, he batted the man’s hands away. “Enough, I am off.” With a sense of excitement, he hurried out the door to join Eugenia.

He followed the curve leading to the mews and spotted her right away. Rays of sunshine peeked through the slats of wood, highlighting her hair, turning it to burnished gold. She reached for her horse’s reins and smiled at the stable master. Devon sucked in a breath through his teeth as both heat and pleasure coursed through him.

Eugenia had become so much more than the business arrangement he’d planned when he’d proposed to her months ago. What, exactly, that meant or what he intended to do with that information, he’d yet to consider. All he sought to do at this moment was enjoy a ride on a lovely morning with his beautiful wife.

…

Eugenia smiled as the stable master brought Jennie out to her. Her heart always lifted at the sight of her horse. The striking chestnut mare had been gifted to her by her father on her sixteenth birthday. She stood next to the animal, crooning to her, running her gloved hand up and down her velvety nose.

A movement to her left caught her attention. Devon had arrived, looking handsome and ready to ride. Buff breeches, with a black waistcoat and jacket, displayed his muscular form quite well. Starched cravat, knee-length Hessian boots, and a tall hat completed his outfit. Her heart picked up speed, making her feel somewhat foolish. Not sure what had made him decide to join her, nevertheless, she intended to take full advantage of his presence.

Perhaps her parents hadn’t had a love match, but it had taken her only five months of marriage to realize what they’d had was not good enough for her.

The stable master turned from her and tugged on his cap. “Good morning, my lord, which horse would ye be riding this morning?”

“And a good morning to you, as well. I think it’s time Reggie had some exercise.”

The stable master nodded and returned to the stalls, his ambling gait spewing particles of dust into the air.