Page 48 of Denying the Duke (Lords and Ladies in Love 3)

And her mind.

“Would you prefer dinner in our room, or if you are not too fatigued, we can eat in the private dining room.”

Although she was weary from the day, the thought of eating dinner while staring at the bed drove her to perk up a bit. “No, not at all. I think after a wash and a change of clothes, I will be more than happy to eat downstairs.”

Alex bowed. “As you wish. I will leave and send Polly to attend you. Send her down when you are ready, and I will come up to escort you.”

“That is unnecessary. I can certainly walk downstairs myself.”

His appearance and bearing changed once again to the demeanor she’d seen before. Anger, mixed with impatience that she questioned him.

It was taking her some time to come to grips with this man who was so different from who she remembered and had dreamed about for years. But then, he’d gone through a war and had unexpectedly been thrust into the title of duke. Of course, those circumstances would change a man.

“No, sweetheart, you are to wait for me. Understand?” He touched her lightly on her cheek, and she had the urge to lean her face into his strong warmth. In fact, with her fatigue and the closeness they shared all day in the carriage, she found the idea of them sleeping in the bed quite pleasing.

“I will wait for you, then.”

She splashed warm water from the pink-and-white flowered pitcher into the bowl while Alex went below to summon Polly.

Polly helped her change from her dusty gown and pelisse into a pale blue muslin gown. Instead of bothering with the topknot again, Polly brushed her hair and tied it at the back of her neck with a deep blue ribbon. Quite pleased with her restored appearance, Patience sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Alex to escort her. While she remained in the room, she again examined the oddness of her husband’s behavior. The abrupt disappearance at their wedding, and then again at the inn earlier. Then his seeming annoyance at her merely suggesting she was capable of walking from her room to the private dining room.

Alex pushed the door open and entered the room. “Polly tells me you’re ready.”

Patience’s breathing halted. Apparently, he’d found a place to restore himself since he had also cleaned up and changed from his traveling clothes. No man should look so good. He wore snug tan breeches over powerful thighs, and a white linen shirt—minus a waistcoat—underneath a well-fitting dark blue jacket that no tailor had to add padding to. His cravat was loosely tied, giving him a rakish appearance. He strode from the door to where she sat, mesmerized.

Reaching his hand out, he smiled what could only be called a wicked smirk. “Has my angel turned to stone?”

My angel.

If this was courting, he was certainly doing it right.

“No.” She jumped up, taking his hand. Instead of placing her arm in his, he kept their fingers intertwined, his favorite way to escort her, as he led her out of the room and down the stairs. The private dining room was snug and well lit with two large candelabras next to a table covered with a white linen cloth and set with the inn’s best dishes.

Alex closed the door behind them and took her in his arms. With one arm wrapped around her waist, and the other around her shoulders, a devilish look came into his eyes as his lips seared a path from her shoulders, her neck, then up to her lips. Thank goodness he gripped her tightly since her legs were not doing their job of holding her up.

“What do you say we skip dinner and investigate that bed upstairs?” His lips had moved to her ear, sucking lightly on the lobe and causing gooseflesh to rise on her arms. She moaned softly and began to think that might be a very good idea when the door from the common room opened and the innkeeper’s two daughters arrived with their food.

They both came to an abrupt stop, the girls running into each other. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Your Grace.”

Alex recovered as if he were discovered kissing a woman with such passion every day. He smiled at the girls. “Not at all, please go ahead and serve. Her Grace and I are hungry.” He gave a choked sound at his own words.

“Are you well?”

He winked at her. “Yes.”

Patience thought it was high time he stopped kissing her in public. It was becoming a bit discomfiting that they were always discovered. She patted her hair and clung to Alex’s arm as he escorted her to the table. It was a good thing, too, since she was having a hard time walking. This nonsense must stop.

The fare was tasty. They were served baked trout in cream sauce, boiled turkey, macaroni, broccoli, and apple tarts, which Alex noted were not as good as Cook’s. He ordered a bottle of wine that they shared. The initial tension when she first sat down at being caught by the innkeeper’s daughters faded as she enjoyed the food and they spoke of their arrival in London.

Patience poured the rest of the tea from the teapot into their cups and looked across the table at Alex. The flickering candlelight emphasized the golden strands in his brown curls, urging her fingers to brush them back from his broad forehead. He sipped his tea and regarded her over the rim of the cup. Of a sudden, she felt her skin flush and a light flutter in her stomach.

She took a sip of her tea and put the cup into the saucer, noticing her hand shook. Alex reached over and covered her hand with his large, warm one. “Patience?”

Taking a deep breath, she looked up from their joined hands to his face. “Yes?” She gave him a falsely bright smile, trying to control the emotions flowing through her.

“Let’s retire to our room. It grows late, and we have an early start in the morning.”

As if in a trance, she nodded, then rose from the chair and took his hand. It seemed to her there was something she was supposed to remember about them, but the thought vanished as he put his hand on her lower back and led her through the door of their room.