Page 24

Laurel donned her dressing gown and sat upon a wingback chair near the window.

The same window from which she had observed her husband's travels from the mine to their home.

A plan had hatched in her mind and she had gone into overdrive to make it happen.

She demanded a bath, insisting the footmen hurry with the buckets of water even if it meant abandoning their current chore of cleaning up after the visit of the destructive Tinnitus children.

She did not like being demanding, but the sight of Julian atop his majestic horse, as well as her own loneliness and swirling emotions, made her daring.

For all the good it had done her. She shook her head at herself.

Her attempt to seduce her husband had failed. Utterly and completely. It had taken every bit of boldness she could muster to preen in the nude in front of Julian, but she knew him. He was too honorable, too much of a gentleman, too bloody good, to break his promise to her.

And she needed him. Wanted him. Longed for him to take her in his arms and hold her. Make her feel something. Allow her to touch him all over and show him what he meant to her.

To beg him to take her and to never let her go.

"Upon occasion, it might be necessary for a wife to seduce her husband.

Of course, it is best if her husband does not actually know she is attempting to seduce him.

In most things related to gentlemen, it is best to allow them to believe they are in charge, even if we are the ones who lead them to that conclusion.

" Lady Katherine smiled as though recalling some particularly pleasant memories.

Laurel sighed. She had done everything short of running and jumping in his arms. Yet he had not reacted. Had not taken even one step in her direction. If he had shown just the slightest bit of interest, she would have persisted. Insisted.

But he had left. Pretended he hadn't even been there. Seeing her nude body—she had even allowed him a glimpse of her bare breast—had no effect on him whatsoever.

Was she so repulsive?

Apparently she was more attractive in the clothes she designed than without.

She had thought, particularly after his tender care of her that morning upon learning of her stepbrother’s death, that he had come to feel more for her than as a compatriot in a mutually beneficial scheme. However, when she heard the click of the bedchamber door close, she knew there was no hope.

Julian's rejection of her attempt at seduction simply compounded her dark emotions.

She allowed herself a few more minutes to ruminate and then dressed and joined the rest of the family. It was nearly time for tea and she was sorely in need of sustenance.

"Laurel."

She startled when Julian called her name. Additionally, she cursed herself for the thrill the sound of his voice sent through her. Traitorous body. Could nothing go her way this day?

Turning in the direction of his voice, she saw him standing in the doorway of his library and she moved in that direction.

He closed the door behind her and stood facing her. Laurel studied his expression for any glimmer of acknowledgement that he'd seen her in the nude, or cared one jot for her, but he was impassive.

"Kenley has returned from London with information on your stepbrother’s death," he said.

"Oh?" She rested her hand on the back of a chair to brace herself. "What did he learn?"

"His body has been disposed of already in the prison graveyard. There was no funeral."

To Laurel, this was like a punch to the gut. Not unexpected, necessarily, but shocking nonetheless.

Laurel woke to the comforting sensation of her husband's arm resting over her hip in a strong and protective gesture. His breath brushed her shoulder as he continued to sleep. It had been five days since news of Richard’s death, and the awkward rejection by Julian when she had practically begged him to take her.

He still remained distant and worked more and more hours at the mine, but his arm over her this morning gave her a sense of hope that perhaps she was not so repulsive after all.

The pillows still formed a barrier between their sides of the bed, but the pillows had a way of moving, particularly during the night and she often found herself spooned against Julian's strong body in the mornings.

In fact, on the rare occasion when she did not wake up in this position, she felt like something must be amiss and her whole day was off kilter.

She did not wish to wake him. Nor did she wish to leave the comfort of his arms. This bed, which had terrified her the first time she'd seen it, was now an oasis of calm for both Laurel and Julian.

An oasis of calm... and so much more. It had all the appearances of intimacy without any of the actual emotions attached. At least as far as her husband was concerned.

And the air hung heavy with what had not happened in the bed.

Laurel's pulse quickened and she laid her hand on Julian's forearm which rested on the curve of her hip, then she slid her hand down and covered his fingers with hers, entwining them.

Longing filled her heart, wishing she could draw his hand up to caress her body.

Beg him to touch her everywhere with his fingers and lips.

Warmth built in her core and she squirmed on the mattress. Under her sheer nightclothes, her breasts felt heavy and a soft moan escaped her lips.

She held her breath lest she wake Julian. Every morning when he woke up while she was still in bed, he practically ran to get away from her. Today, she wanted to prolong this bit of intimacy. This modicum of what it might be like in a real marriage.

With a growl, Julian tightened his grip and dragged her back against him. His powerful hand splayed over her hip as it connected with his lower half.

Laurel bit her lip to restrain another gasp as the fullness of his manhood pressed between the cheeks of her bottom.

Womanly awareness flowed through her and much as she wanted to roll over and kiss him, clasp her arms around him, explore his body as he explored hers, instinct told her to hold still so as not to break the spell. The magical spell created by his touch, their closeness.

Grinding his hardness into her, Julian lowered his mouth to her shoulder, much as he had done back when she had rebuffed him. Oh, how she regretted her actions that day, but perhaps the tide had turned.

No words were spoken, though Julian continued to make muffled noises against her shoulder as his lips trailed along her tender skin until he reached her neck, his tongue drawing lazy circles just below her ear.

Laurel clenched her lips together and did her utmost to calm her breathing.

Whether Julian was awake and aware of what he was doing or not, she did not know and frankly, did not care.

Nothing mattered to her except the sensations coursing through her.

Heat emanated from her core and skittered along the nerves of her body.

The urge to squirm and moan with pleasure grew strong but she managed to hold it back.

Fortunately, Julian had no such restrictions.

His hand moved from her hip and slipped beneath the fabric of her nightgown skimming over her stomach, the calluses on his palm rough against her unblemished flesh and a quiver of anticipation moved through her as his fingers continued their quest and his palm covered the globe of her breast.

Flames of heat licked through Laurel's body unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The ache between her thighs increased and her toes curled. Her fingers fisted the bedclothes and her feet wiggled back and forth with pent up energy.

Julian's fingers kneaded her breast, drawing the peak out and rolling it between his thumb and forefinger.

Laurel bit back a moan of pleasure.

Just when she thought she would not be able to hold still any longer, Julian rose up on his elbows and rolled her onto her back, then he leveraged himself above her, his knees on either side of her thighs.

Happiness washed over Laurel. Finally, her husband had let down his guard. This was the intimacy and closeness she had been longing for.

Glancing up at Julian, she noted his eyes were both closed and his patch was missing. His nightshirt had fallen open and she could see more clearly the path of scars that moved from his left eye deep below his covering.

Passion unleashed inside her and her inhibitions fell away.

With her right hand, she reached up and caressed the left side of his face, her fingers trailing over the ridged flesh.

Snaking her hand around the back of his head, she drew his face down to hers until mere inches separated them.

"Oh Julian," she whispered, "I have wanted this for so long.

" Her heart nearly burst with emotion and she shifted her hips beneath him, brushing against his powerful thighs that bracketed her legs.

She lifted her face, closing the gap between them and inviting him to take her lips in a kiss. His mouth touched hers and she framed his face with her hands. His kiss devoured her and when her mouth parted the kiss deepened while passion erupted inside her and she raised her hips toward him.

Suddenly she felt Julian go still beneath her touch. His good eye flew open and stared at her. He jerked his head from her grasp and glared at her, horrified.

"What have you done to me?" he rasped before vaulting from the bed and charging into his dressing area.

Stunned and devastated, Laurel lay against the pillows, eyes blinking as she stared at the dressing room door and listened to her husband fumbling around for his clothes and cursing profusely.

She sat up and pulled the blankets over herself when he opened the door. She had no idea what to say. Questions and apologies spun in her head but mostly she was mystified.

She looked to Julian for some guidance but instead of meeting her gaze, he hurried to the other side of the bed, fished around in the blankets until he found his patch, then left without a word to her.

An hour later, Laurel entered the breakfast room. In the past, she always looked around hopefully for Julian. Even though it was rare for him to appear at breakfast, she remained optimistic.

But today she knew better. They way he had flown from the room, as though shot from a cannon, left her in no doubt as to his feelings regarding any sort of physical closeness between them.

Had he been sleeping the whole time? Had he imagined she was someone else, perhaps the golden-haired Lady Edna, his former love?

She had splashed cold water on her face in an effort to diminish the effects of the bitter tears she'd shed once she was alone in the big bed. She was in no humor for curious looks or questions from Penny or Lord Ebersole.

Her morning brightened when she noticed a letter next to her plate. The prospect of mail vanquished at least some of her despair over the state of her sham marriage.

The temptation to rip open the envelope was strong, but since Lord Ebersole and Penny were both waiting for her to join them before they commenced their own meal, she refrained.

She wished them both good morning and then took her seat.

"Are you not dying to know what your letter says?" Penny asked, her gaze focused on the missive next to Laurel's seat.

"Perhaps our newest family member would like privacy for opening her mail, dear Penny," Lord Ebersole reminded his granddaughter.

Penny blushed under the admonishment. "Of course," she replied. "It is none of my business, though I do adore letters in the mail, especially if they are unexpected."

Laurel smiled. She had been tempted to order up a tray and hide away instead of having breakfast with Lord Ebersole and Penny, but she was glad she had joined them. Their company, in addition to the surprise of receiving a letter in the post, had lifted her spirits at least a tiny amount.

"I am curious, but I believe the treat will be all that much better for waiting." She did sneak a glance and recognized Cassie's elegant hand on the letter.

"That is the sign of maturity," Lord Ebersole said to Penny. "The ability to wait for a reward rather than instant gratification."

"Is that why you have not turned the mine over to Julian yet?" Penny asked, catching Lord Ebersole and Laurel off guard.

"My reasons for what I do are my own and of no concern to you," he said, then he playfully tugged a lock of Penny's hair, making the girl smile and softening the tone of his rebuke.

Mercifully, Lord Ebersole had a meeting with the housekeeper to discuss plans for his birthday party and Penny had a dance lesson, so neither of them lingered over the meal leaving Laurel alone with her letter.

Though she did not wish to return to the bedchamber she shared with Julian, she also felt the need for as much privacy as possible and it was the only room where she could be certain of no interruptions.

Closing the door behind her, she allowed her gaze to roam the room. Despite his efforts to flee, the bedchamber clearly belonged to Julian and even the air smelled of his soap.

If only things could be different between us, she thought, taking a seat near the window.

Her heart soared when she noted several pages of Cassie's fine handwriting and she settled back to learn all the news from her friend, though as she read through the missive from Cassie, Laurel could not help but feel the sting of her own situation.

There is so much about married life I am dying to know, but it is not the sort of thing one can write in a letter. Next time we see each other, I shall expect all the details.

Cassie had double underlined 'all the details.'

Laurel flushed realizing what it was her friend hinted at. And then her heart sank knowing she had none of the experience which Cassie believed she did.

I have planned for you to return to London with us after the fête, but if you decide to stay longer, I will certainly understand. Cassie had underlined ‘I will certainly understand’ twice.

The more Cassie prattled on about how happy she was for Laurel, the more Laurel's spirits flagged.

Cassie was fully aware of the arrangement between Julian and Laurel, yet she seemed adamant in her belief that all was proceeding as a normal marriage.

If only…