Suddenly enthusiastic, Kit hurried Elmina. A wild ride through the night was just what she needed to dispel her silly trepidation. The knots in her stomach would disappear once they were flying over the fields.
Pirouetting in front of her long mirror, Kit was pleased to approve of her husband’s taste. How had he known? A wry smile twisted her lips. Not only had Jack known she’d prefer to ride, he’d known she’d never refuse to wear the habit in such circumstances. As she’d once remarked, when it came to manipulation, he was a master.
When she appeared at the top of the stairs, it seemed that all of Norfolk had gathered in the front hall. Buoyed by the knowledge that she looked her best, Kit beamed upon them all. As she descended the stairs, an avenue opened from their foot, through the throng, to where Jack waited for her by the door. Even from that distance, Kit caught the glint in his eyes as they swept over her, appreciation glowing in their depths. Pride was etched in every line of his face.
She must have responded to the wishes of those lining her route for they seemed happy enough, but Kit was unaware of anything beyond Jack. He held out one hand as she approached and she slipped her fingers into his, dimly aware of the cheers that rose about them. Then Jack’s fingers tightened about hers and he drew her out onto the porch.
Some had noticed her dress and started whispering. The whispers turned to exclamations when the crowd, pushing through the door behind them, saw the two horses Matthew held prancing in the moonlight. Delia was a shifting black shadow, highlighted by the white flowers someone had plaited into her mane; beside her, Champion’s hide gleamed palely.
Kit turned to Jack.
He lifted one quizzical brow. “Are you game, my lady?”
Kit laughed, her nervousness drowned by excitement. Smiling, Jack led her down the steps and across to the horses. He lifted her to her sidesaddle before swinging up to Champion’s broad back.
Only Spencer approached them, all others too wary of the sharp hooves striking sparks from the flinty drive. He came between them, reaching up to squeeze Kit’s hand before placing it on her pommel with a valedictory pat. Then he turned to Jack. “Take care of her, m’boy.”
Jack smiled. “I will.” And that, he thought, as he wheeled Champion, was a vow every bit as binding as the ones he’d given earlier that day.
The horses needed no urging to leave the noisy crowd behind. Well matched for pace, they fell to the task of covering the five miles to Castle Hendon with highbred ease. Jack felt no urge to converse as the miles disappeared beneath the heavy hooves. One glance at Kit’s face had told him his bright idea had been a master stroke.
His lips curved. In his present state, being forced to traverse the eight miles of road between Cranmer Hall and Castle Hendon in a closed carriage with Kit, knowing they’d have to appear before the Castle staff immediately upon their arrival, would have been nothing less than torture.
Riding was far safer.
Beside him, Kit gloried in the rush of wind on her face. The regular thud of Delia’s hooves steadied her skittering pulse until it beat to the same racing rhythm. There was excitement in the air, and a sense of pleasure shared. She slanted a glance at Jack, then looked ahead, smiling.
They sped through the night, the moon’s luminescence spilling softly over them, lighting their way. For Kit, the black mass of Castle Hendon appeared before them too soon, bringing her respite from jangling nerves to an end. Grooms came running. Jack lifted her down before the steps leading up to the huge oak doors of her new home.
Her feet touched the ground, then she was swung up into Jack’s arms.
Kit bit back a squeal and glared at him.
Jack grinned and carried her up the steps and through the open door.
Kit blinked in the glare of lights that greeted them. As Jack set her on her feet, she adjusted her features and smoothly moved into the business of greeting her new staff.
She vaguely remembered Lovis from her single visit as a child. Jack hadn’t been at home at the time. Many of the other staff had family at Cranmer, so her progress down the long line was punctuated by explanatory histories. When she reached the end and acknowledged the bob of the sleepy scullery maid, Kit heard Jack’s deep voice just behind her.
“Lovis, perhaps you’d show Lady Hendon to her room?”
Lovis bowed deeply. “Very good, m’lord.”
Kit hid a nervous grin, realizing there was a tradition to be upheld. Lovis led the way, positively steeped in ceremony. Kit followed him up the wide curving staircase. When she reached the bend, she was relieved to see her husband still at its foot, conversing with one of the male staff—the head groom, as far as she recalled. The thought that he would doubtless give her time to soothe her frazzled nerves before coming to her eased her skittish pulse.
Please, God, let it be slow and steady. Too often, their first encounters resembled a clash of the furies.
The chamber Lovis led her to was enormous. Castle Hendon had grown up about a medieval donjon. Looking about her, Kit surmised her room might well have been part of the donjon’s main hall. The walls were of solid stone, papered and painted over, the doors and windows set into their thickness. Extensive reworking had enlarged the windows; Kit felt sure that when she drew the curtains the next morning, the views the Castle was famed for would greet her eyes. Her sleepy, sated eyes.
With a start, Kit fell to examining the furnishings. They were exquisite, every one. She stopped by the four-poster bed. It was huge, covered in pale green satin, the Hendon arms carved in the headboard.
Kit wondered what the pale satin would feel like against her skin.
Abruptly, she remembered she had no clothes with her. In a panic, she flew to the massive mahogany armoire, pulling open doors and drawers. She found a complete wardrobe—dresses, underwear, accessories—all put carefully away, as if she’d always lived here. But none of them were hers. Her luggage was somewhere between Cranmer and Castle Hendon, with Elmina.
Puzzled, she drew forth a fine voile nightdress. Shaking out its folds, she held up the almost transparent garment. That her husband had chosen this wardrobe—for her—was instantly apparent.
Muttering an imprecation against all rakes, Kit bundled the shocking nightgown into a ball and crammed it back in the drawer. Her fingers pulled at the next fold of material. They couldn’t all be like that, surely?
“What are you doing?”
Kit jumped and whirled to face her husband. To her surprise, he was not where she expected—at the door from the corridor—but lounged against another door she’d yet to investigate. Presumably, it led to his apartments. Kit swallowed nervously. The smile on Jack’s face sent the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach into a frenzy.
“Er…” Think, dimwitl! “I was looking for a nightdress.”
As she watched Jack’s smile widen, Kit could have bitten her tongue.
“You won’t need one.” Jack pushed away from the door and started toward her, his smile growing more devilish with every stride. “I’ll keep you warm.”
“Er…yes. Jack, stop!” Kit held up her hand in panic. “Shouldn’t you send for a maid?”
The witless question had the desired effect. It pulled him up short. It also brought a frown to his face and darkened his eyes.
Jack stopped in the middle of his wife’s bedroom and placed his hands on his hips, the better to intimidate her into dropping her silly pose. He’d had enough. “What the devil’s the matter with you, woman? In case you’ve forgotten, I’m perfectly qualified to undress you. I hardly need a maid to show me how.” With that statement of intent, he stepped purposefully forward but stopped when he saw sheer alarm flare in Kit’s eyes.
What was the matter with her? Kit wished she knew. If he’d come to her as Captain Jack, she’d have been in his arms in a trice. Making love to Captain Jack had been easy. With Captain Jack there hadn’t been a tomorrow.
But there was no way she could possibly confuse the man standing in the
middle of her bedroom with Captain Jack. The physical manifestations were the same, but there the similarity ended. This was Lord Hendon, her husband. The superb cut of his coat, the fine linen of his shirt, the gleaming hair neatly confined, and especially the sapphire signet ring glinting on his right hand, all underlined the essential difference. This was the man she’d married, vowed to honor and obey. This was the man who as of this evening was all things to her. The man who now had legal rights over her far beyond those any other had ever had. Her mind was not capable of equating making love to this man with making love to Captain Jack.
It simply wasn’t the same. He wasn’t the same. Kit drew a shuddering breath. No matter what he thought, she’d never made love to him before.
Jack watched the expressions flit across her pale face and his confusion grew. She couldn’t possibly be nervous, but he hadn’t previously thought her such an accomplished actress. Her eyes were enormous pools of fright, skittering and restless. Her fingers were clenched so tightly on the door of the wardrobe her knuckles showed white. When a shiver of apprehension flickered over her skin, he gave up the fight against incredulity.
She was nervous.
“Hell!” Jack turned toward the bed, running one hand through his hair, disarranging it. Absentmindedly, he tugged at the black riband and freed the long locks, dropping the riband on the floor. He shot a glance at Kit, all but petrified by the wardrobe. If she was nervous, he hoped she’d keep her gaze level, and not let it drop to the bulge he was well aware was distorting the perfect cut of his inexpressibles. Hell and the devil! This looked set to be a long-drawn act, and he wasn’t at all sure he was up to it.
“Come here.” He struggled to soften the raw desire in his growl and only partly succeeded.
Kit’s alarm flared again, but when he held out his hand, imperiously beckoning her forward, she hesitated, then came to his side, slipping a trembling hand into his. Smoothly, Jack drew her into his arms, turning to clasp her fully to him.
“Relax.” He breathed the command into the soft curls by her ear. Now that he had his hands on her, he didn’t need any further confirmation of her state. She was wound tight, quivering with tension. He wasn’t fool enough to ask for explanations. Instead, his lips found the pulse point beneath her ear.
Kit shivered and wondered how she was to obey that order. His lips traveled her jaw, placing gentle kisses along the curve. Reassured she was not about to be devoured, she leaned into the warmth of his embrace, yielding her mouth to his expert attentions.
When her lips parted automatically to receive him, Jack clamped an iron hold on his reactions. What sort of hell on earth had he landed himself in this time? Not only did she need to be wooed gently, but her responses were ingrained, a natural part of her that he’d taken care, in their earlier engagements, to encourage. Now they looked set to drive him to the brink of madness. Every time he thought he had their relationship pegged, she invented a new twist to torment him. Mentally gritting his teeth, Jack set about the task of seducing his wife.
Unaware of the trouble she was causing, Kit felt the knots in her stomach ease as Jack’s hands commenced a leisurely exploration of her fully clothed form, his tongue probing the soft contours of her mouth unhurriedly, as if he was willing to spend all night in such intoxicating play. She knew he wouldn’t, but it was a comforting sensation. The kiss deepened by almost imperceptible degrees, his caresses becoming increasingly intimate until she was warmed through. She was glad to slip her arms free of her jacket. Snuggling closer, she pressed her tingling breasts to his chest. His hands roamed her back, molding her to him until her thighs were wedged firmly against his. The evidence of his desire pressed strongly against her stomach. Kit felt a familiar ache grow inside.
What followed was a carefully orchestrated journey into delight. Throughout, Jack held tight to the reins of his desire, not relinquishing his grip even when Kit lay naked beneath him, gasping with desire, her thighs spread, her hips tilting in unmistakable invitation. He sank into her welcoming heat, his jaw clenched with the effort to remain in control, determined that, whatever the cost, she’d have a night of loving she’d never forget.
He filled her and Kit sighed deeply. She closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of being so thoroughly possessed. Her skin was alive, her swollen breasts ached, her body yearned for completion. When Jack moved within her, she bit her lip and held still, sensing his strength, his hardness, his unrelenting need. Then she moved with him, letting her own need flower, feeding and assuaging his. She wrapped her arms about him, wound her legs about his hips, and let the dance consume them. Their bodies strove, intimately locked, heated and slick. As the glory drew nearer, Kit gasped and surrendered—to passion’s flames, to mind-numbing delight, to incandescent sensation.
When, at last, they lay spent in each other’s arms, and Jack felt the last of Kit’s sweet spasms fade as her breathing slowed into blissfully sated slumber, triumphant possessiveness streaked through him.
She was his. He’d recaptured his wild woman. He’d never let go of her again.
With a sigh of contentment, deepened by the glow of achievement, of satisfaction in a job well-done, Jack turned on his side, taking Kit with him, carefully resettling her against him.
Halfway back from paradise, Kit felt his weight shift but was too deeply sated to protest. She’d forgotten what it was like—to lose her wits, to surrender her senses to the conflagration of their desire. Slow and steady she’d wanted; slow and steady she’d got. Jack’s loving was a potent brew; she was addicted beyond recall. There was no hope of denying it, so she might as well accept it as her lot.
Who knew what lay in store—for her, for him? After tonight, whatever happened, she’d have to face it acknowledging that, for her, only one man held the power to open the doors of paradise.
Her husband. Jack—Lord Hendon.
Chapter 25
The next morning, Kit entered the breakfast parlor already flustered by the lateness of the hour. It was not her habit to keep servants waiting on her but she’d slept in, drained by Jack’s method of waking her.
Instantly meeting her husband’s all-too-knowing gaze, and his slow smile, did nothing for her composure. Drawing dignity about her as best she could, she busied herself at the sideboard, praying the blush she could feel warming her cheeks wasn’t visible to the reprobate at the end of the table.
She’d thought he’d have left the house by now—doing whatever it was that gentlemen did—but she’d donned a new morning gown just in case. The delicate primrose shade was a favorite—she hoped he appreciated it. He was looking as hideously handsome as ever, lounging in his chair, long fingers crooked about the handle of a cup, yesterday’s paper spread before him.
Her plate in her hands, Kit turned. The question of where to sit was answered by Lovis, who held the chair at the other end of the table. Ignoring her husband, Kit sat and picked up her fork. From the corner of her eye, she saw Lovis dismissed by a languid gesture.
Jack waited until the door closed behind his butler to remark: “I’m glad to see your appetite’s returned.”
Kit glanced down at her plate, seeing for the first time the mound of rice pie she’d piled on it, two kippers nestling on one side with a serving of kidney and bacon on the other. A slice of ham was laid atop, a dob of pickle in the middle. Head on one side, she considered the sight before replying: “Well, I’m hungry.” It was his fault she was. How dare he tease her about it?
“Quite so.”
Kit glanced up in time to catch his proprietary gloat before Jack substituted a more innocent expression. Her eyes narrowed. She wished she could say something, do something, to wash the smug glint from his eyes.
When she continued to stare, Jack’s brows rose in deceptive candor. “You’ll need to keep up your strength,” he offered. “I suspect you’ll find the role of Lady Hendon unexpectedly tiring.”
Warning flames flickered at the back of Kit’s glare. Jack laughed and, setting down h
is cup, rose, coming around the table to stand by her side. “I hadn’t intended to leave you so soon, but I’m afraid I have to hie off to inspect some fields. I’ll be back by midday.”
Kit remembered her morning engagement and bit back her request to go with him. She looked up at him, her expression blank. “Mrs. Miles is to show me over the house this morning. No doubt I’ll be so entralled I won’t even notice your absence.”
Jack tried to keep his lips straight and failed woefully. A rumbling chuckle escaped him. He put out one finger and wound it in the curls by Kit’s ear. Then he bent his head and whispered: “Never mind. Why not use the time to consider the more interesting aspects of Lady Hendon’s duties? Perhaps, when I get back, we could discuss those?”
Kit stiffened. He couldn’t mean…?
Jack’s fingers drifted down the sensitive skin beneath her ear. His lips followed, leaving a tickling trail of nibbling kisses. Before she could gather her wits, he tipped her chin up, kissed her full on the lips, and was gone.
Stifling a most unladylike curse, Kit wriggled her shoulders to dispel the delicious shiver he’d sent rippling down her spine, drew a deep breath, and applied herself to her breakfast.
Her morning went in the inescapable task of being ceremonially inducted into the workings of Castle Hendon. The staff was pleasant, clearly pleased to find a local filling Lady Hendon’s shoes. The business of running a household was second nature to Kit—a legacy from her grandmother. She dealt with the staff with an innate confidence that had the inevitable result. By midday, the domestic reins were firmly in her hands.
Jack was not at the luncheon table; Lovis confirmed he’d not yet returned. Used to solitude, Kit walked the extensive gardens, then, tiring of such tame exercise, went upstairs to change into her new riding habit. The day was fine, the breeze beckoned—what better way to spend an afternoon than riding her husband’s lands?
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