He settled into the leather as he unfolded it, smiling at the elegant script. “She was certainly taught well,” he chuckled, his mouth quirking. It started innocently enough, with gratitude that he had shared his plans ahead of time for their trip north. It ended more dangerously, for she had dared to say something in ink that he imagined she would find quite impossible when they occupied the same room. He touched the words with his fingers, wishing instead that he could caress her lips. “Though my back and neck are a bit stiff, I am grateful for your consideration last night and this morning. I slept more soundly than I have in some years, despite the chair.” At the bottom, she had signed a simple and gracious E.
He smoothed the note out on his blotter, knowing that she must have used his inkstand and paper to pen the missive. He didn’t mind, rather enjoying the thought of her standing at his desk, musing her words. Ashberry wondered if her body had curved into the chair or if she had bent over the blotter. Either way, his mind seemed to focus on the shape of her, so much more definite in his mind after that morning.
The arrival of the Sebastian’s phaeton from Harlan Chase gave him his first opportunity to see her. She seemed to want to question him, but the romping of all three brothers, after a day of driving, restrained her. Their bags were quickly taken up by the staff, for the two younger boys would remain at Ashberry House until Ellie and Ashberry departed, while both lady and lord endured knowing glances and smart comments until the marquess had seen enough of his wife’s reddened cheeks. “Spencer, Sidney, that’s enough,” he ordered, his tone brooking no disobedience.
The boys immediately stilled, quite familiar with their brother’s moods. “Well,” Sidney declared, “I believe it’s time to dress for dinner.”
“So it is,” Spencer agreed. “We will join you later?”
“Of course,” Ellie murmured. “In the salon.”
The marquess was the one who breathed a sigh of relief as they disappeared up the stairs.
“Shall we go up as well?” he offered his arm. Ellie accepted, her eyes on him as they climbed. “Are you sending them to your brother and the countess because of me?” she asked after the first few steps.
Ashberry looked surprised. “Why no, we’ve planned for some time that they stay in London to finish their education,” he admitted. “However, I’m afraid it is up to Sebastian and I to entertain them until you and I leave—their tutor has gone to visit his family in Wales and isn’t expected to return for another few days.”
“I thought you might come and find me, to tell me about Edward.”
He waited to reply until they reached the privacy of her sitting room. Closing the door behind them, he said carefully, “He was quite surprised that you told me. He had the impression that your father had extracted a promise from you as well, that you would not say anything about Edward’s part in your nightmare.”
She shook her head. “Only a more general promise to not say anything that would embarrass the family.” She shrugged before adding to his surprise, “You told me I could trust you—telling you was not a violation of my promise. But even so, you are my husband.” Her eyes were on him squarely. “Surely you remember that I promised you and God, with my father’s permission, even if it was reluctant, to obey you and that this morning you insisted I tell you everything.”
Ashberry’s voice was rough. “You have not yet failed to amaze me, Ella.” He came and stood before her, his hands clasping her shoulders. She did not try to hide from his touch now, and he gloried in the contact their eyes kept. “I think Edward was relieved that I knew, for he said that he need no longer worry that I might change my mind about you, or worse, try and take Charlotte from him.” His hands ran down her arms until he could take both hands in his. “And that he felt no pressing need at this time to talk to Charlotte about the experience.”
“But he could if he needed to?” Ellie was insistent on this point.
Ashberry smiled. “I reminded him that I had taken no oath of silence but would never risk your reputation or his and Charlotte’s. He knows he may discuss any part of the situation with me if he wishes.”
Ellie frowned. He had not given the answer she wished, but she supposed it was the best he could do in a single morning. “Is he angry with me, for telling you?”
Ashberry shook his head, lifting her hands and kissing the back of each one. “I explained to him that I had given you no choice except outright dishonesty, of which we both knew you were incapable. He accepted my version of events, and I expressed my gratitude for his role in your recovery.”
He kissed her forehead gently then added, “I invited he and Charlotte to join us for dinner tomorrow evening. I hope you do not mind?”
Ellie was surprised. “Why, no, I don’t.” She tilted her head, “Shouldn’t we ask Caroline and the earl as well?” The earl of Eldenwood was older than Ashberry, old enough that the first tinges of gray were beginning to show when he left off the powdered wig. He seemed reserved to Ellie, a silent man in the background of his young, vivacious wife, but he obviously adored her.
He smiled, “That’s up to you, my dear,” before moving them toward her dressing room. “There is something I’d like you to do for me, if you don’t mind.”
Ellie looked at him, surprised, for he rarely asked her for anything. “Yes?”
He opened the door and guided her through, waving Wendy back for the moment. The girl disappeared up the stairs to her room while his wife turned to face him. Quite deliberately, he slid an arm around her waist and drew her close, until their bodies nearly brushed. His head lowered, slowly, until Ellie’s mouth opened just slightly in expectation. It was all the invitation he needed. The marquess found her mouth willing, though a bit unsure. “Kiss me back,” he whispered after a long, silent moment.
Ellie heard a gasp in the room, realized it was her own only after a shocked second. She took another full heartbeat to respond, while Ashberry felt his life hang in the balance. Her mouth tilted up magnificently and she pushed her lips, just slightly open, against his.
Possessively, his hand angled against her spine, pushing her against him. He tangled his free hand in her chignon, pleased to find her small hands trapped between them, palms against his lapels. He could detect no resistance in her body, except perhaps that slight shudder he had felt when their bodies had at first touched. He pushed away the thought, concentrating instead on the responsiveness of her mouth. Her lips trembled delicately when he pulled away, just enough to see them slightly swollen from his touch. Her heart was beating faster as he smiled and whispered, “Promise me something.”
She waited, not knowing what he could ask, her mind whirling with thoughts. Finally, she rubbed her lips together, her eyes fixed on him.
His eyes wandered down over her shoulders and lower. “Promise me that you’ll tell me when I frighten you.”
Ellie’s eyes widened. “You haven’t, not since that first night,” she whispered.
Ashberry’s heart pounded violently at her words. The gasp, the shudders, they were not fear. “Not once?”
She nodded. “Not once,” she whispered.
“But you’ll tell me if I do,” he urged.
“All right, I will,” Ellie agreed. He realized then that even now, their bodies so close, she did not pull away, but submitted to the guidance and urging of his hands. Ashberry couldn’t help but position her more closely, until her breasts came into contact with his chest.
“Tonight, I’ll need to spend an hour or two with Sebastian. We have business to discuss and conclude before you and I leave, so I’ll send Aunt Lucy with you to the drawing room. Spencer and Sidney may choose to join you, but I suspect they’ll opt for the billiards room.” He whispered against her forehead, rocking her back and forth in his arms. “Please don’t forget that I would much rather play chess or billiards with my wife than discuss business.” He felt her nod against his shoulder and reveled in the weight of her against him, wishing as he did that she knew how dear she was to
him already. “When you retire, go ahead and get into bed. I’ll come and say goodnight when I can, though Spencer and Sidney will expect some of my time as well.”
“If I’m asleep?”
“Then it will be easier for both of us,” he told her softly. “We’ll all be going to church in the morning. I suppose your parents will be there.”
“Probably Edward and Charlotte as well.”
He pressed his lips to her temple and released her. “You and I, alone, will manage some time in the afternoon.”
Ellie nodded, standing still until he disappeared through the door to her boudoir, en route to his own room. Her mouth opened, her hand reached out, but she didn’t stop him. Instead, she turned and called for Wendy, wishing as she did that she had the courage to call him back. The loss of his warmth against her body had been almost painful.
Later, much later, Ashberry scowled at the mirror. Griffin had been intolerably cheerful that morning, particularly as it had been obvious that Ashberry’s bed had remained unoccupied all night. The nighttime rituals were even worse, with Ashberry’s belligerent stare the only thing that kept the man from whistling. Ellie had been discovered in his room this evening, reading by his fire. Griffin had taken great delight in delivering the information, along with Ellie’s book, which she had left behind when she retreated from Griffin’s knowing eyes.
Ellie was soundly sleeping when he slipped into her chamber. It was better that way, Ashberry told himself, pausing beside her in the bed. At the very least it would be less damning for him, less frightening for her. He couldn’t bear the thought of her facing the demons that haunted her sleep alone and yet explaining his solution had seemed nearly as impossible, given the causes and content, not to mention his promises. He moved to the other side of the bed, dropping his robe to the floor and looking with disgust at the nightshirt he had retrieved from its place of banishment in the back of his armoire. He had not dared to ask Griffin for the garment, for the man knew that Ashberry slept with nary a stitch of clothing and would question with suspicion any deviation.
Ellie was already shifting uncomfortably in the bed, so he slipped inside its curtains and between the sheets, his hands reaching out to draw her close. He held her as the nightmare wracked her frame, slipped his arms around her body and whispered softly in her ear until she shuddered and lay still. He said a small prayer of thankfulness when he was convinced she slept peacefully but did not leave her. Instead, one arm cradling her cotton-covered body against him, he laid her head on his shoulder and stared at the canopy.
* * * *
Her bed had never been so deliciously warm before, Ellie thought sleepily, turning to curl against the heat. She stilled almost immediately as reality returned to her foggy mind.
Cautiously, she opened her eyes to find a very male shoulder in front of her. Relief swept her when she saw he was clothed and still sleeping. After a very long moment, she slowly backed away and out of the bed, hardly daring to breathe lest she wake him.
Wendy’s smile was deliciously wicked when Ellie had told her they must be quiet and had turned to a grin when she had seen why. Ellie forewent the extra work of a bath, washing herself behind the beautiful paper Japanese dressing screen that was etched with pink roses—a useful amenity to the room in situations as these, she mused. A heavy dressing robe already covered her body when Ashberry appeared at the door, rumpled and robed. “Good morning, Ashberry,” she smiled at him in the mirror. His eyes softened as he watched Wendy brushing her hair into shiny curls.
“Good morning, my dear.” He tilted his head. “I will escort you downstairs, if you like,” he offered.
Ellie inclined hers in return. “I’ll wait,” she said serenely, taking a deep breath only when he returned to her chamber. She heard the door close behind him as he made his way into his own apartment, daring not to look at Wendy.
“What do you think,” the girl said after a few moments, “About your burgundy gown?”
“That would be lovely,” she replied, her heart finally slowing. “With the cream shawl to wrap around me during the service.”
The couple had no time to discuss Ashberry’s occupation of her bed. By the time he arrived in her sitting room, it was time to leave and Ashberry’s brothers were already settled into the carriage. Ellie and Ashberry settled into the forward seat alone but somehow Ellie found her body lodged closely against her husband, who even lifted an arm and draped it behind her, so that she sat pressed against his side.
The church service passed quickly. Afterwards, her family surrounded her, smiles wreathed on all fronts. Despite the hint of suspicious concern in her father’s eyes, she thought they managed well, especially because Ashberry stayed immediately by her side and guided her through the hugs and comments. Edward managed to whisper in her ear that they would talk that evening, at the same time smiling in a way that helped her to believe he was not upset. Even the rector examined her face carefully, appearing pleased by what he saw there.
“I haven’t been to see you since the wedding, Mr. Hughes,” she admitted.
“Have you felt a need to pray?” he asked very quietly, noting that Ashberry had turned his back long enough to greet Lady Whitney.
“No, not about the usual problem,” she said with surprise in her voice. “I suppose I haven’t.”
His eyes twinkled then. “Do not forget us,” the rector said with a pleased smile, “if you need anything?”
She nodded quite seriously. “I will,” she promised, her smile brightening when the cleric bid her well. Ellie turned to Ashberry, her eyes on her husband as the two men spoke.
The carriage ride back to the house was quiet, with Ashberry inwardly focused and Ellie watching out the window. The twins debated quietly who would win at their afternoon game of chess, their voices low and subdued despite the cold.
It wasn’t until they had dispersed into the house that Ellie wondered what plans Ashberry had for them, remembering his promise made the previous afternoon. The house was mostly quiet; a cold buffet lay in the dining room as most of the staff had the morning off. Still, Ellie ate alone. The younger brothers refused lunch after having shared a large breakfast while Ellie and Ashberry slept. Ashberry reluctantly prepared his plate and trailed his siblings from the dining room after Sebastian arrived, his expression apologetic despite Ellie’s encouragement to spend time with his brothers. All four were engaged in an intense discussion about two horses the marquess had recently purchased and closeted themselves in Ashberry’s study to consider the contracts.
She was amazed that the marquess permitted his brothers to question his judgment of the mares but supposed that it was yet another difference between her family and his. Perhaps, she mused, the difference was because Ashberry, Sebastian and the twins were brothers and not, as in Ellie’s family, a father and his sons.
After her lunch and a slow examination of the plants in the adjoining conservatory, Ellie made her way to the music room, knowing Ashberry would find her if he wished. She sat by the fire in the music room reading for some time but soon moved to the pianoforte, her fingers seeking the keys in a reverent melody that spanned the centuries.
Ashberry’s three brothers immediately froze when the music began to drift into the room.
Sebastian’s eyes flew to his older brother’s, his mouth turning to a grin at his sibling’s expression. “Go ahead, man,” he teased, “Spend some time with your bride.”
The marquess did not need to be told twice. Without a word, he left the room, hardly a word passing his lips. Sebastian leaned back in his chair and met the eyes of his two younger brothers. “That, dear brothers, is the look of a man infatuated.” He sighed and rose, the two brothers following in his wake as they made their way into the library. “Chess, cards, or billiards?”
Across the corridor, Ashberry closed the doors behind him and took his seat by the fire, his eyes already fixated on Ellie. She did not acknowledge him but continued to play until the piece ended, the notes endi
ng softly and soothingly. When she looked to him, his words were quiet. “Come here.”
She did, of course. Ellie was rarely confrontational and she had no reason to disobey him. When she stood before him, he took her hands in his and spread her arms wide, his face impassive as he examined her from head to toe. “You know you look fabulous in this gown,” he finally sighed.
“Why?” she asked, her skin tingling at the intense focus of his eyes as they settled on the curves of her torso and hips.
“Why do you look fabulous?” he mused. “I suppose because you are a beautiful woman in a gown that complements—”
“That’s not what I meant,” she stopped him, her cheeks reddening. Even then, the words were not accusing, simply flustered.
He knew quite well what she was asking, so he drew her to his side, pushing her down to sit on the end of his knees. “I couldn’t bear the thought of you facing your dreams alone,” he admitted. “I let you fall asleep before I came in—I believed it would be easier for you that way.”
She looked to her lap, nodding. “I suppose it was—easier, I mean.”
“Are you angry?” he asked softly.
Ellie looked at him, surprise on her face. “Why would I be?” she asked.
He tilted her head. “It wasn’t your choice.”
She nodded, agreeing with him, but then shocked him with, “I wasn’t upset at all. I was surprised at first, but there isn’t anything improper in it, you know.”
The marquess nearly laughed at the color in her cheeks before he turned the top of her body to face him and took both of her hands in his. The feel of her thighs and bottom on his knees, not to mention the sweet smell of her hair and body, was having an unanticipated impact on his senses and he needed to finish the discussion quickly. “It is tonight, Ellie. If you would rather me not share your bed, I will stay in my own chamber.”
Embracing Ashberry Page 15
