Page 33 of The Lady Was Lying (Greydon #3)

Chapter Fifteen

J ames was having a difficult time understanding what was happening. Or to be more precise, what wasn’t happening. Belinda seemed calm. Her color was normal, her body relaxed.

When she realized the full scope of his plan, he had expected a formidable reaction. He’d prepared for an explosion, and instead, she’d turned toward the window and fallen silent.

She hadn’t agreed.

Or disagreed.

It wasn’t necessarily a bad sign, but neither did it seem like a good sign.

The kidnapping itself had gone off without a hitch. Smoother than he’d dared to envision. She hadn’t fought him, and she hadn’t demanded they turn around. Not even now that she comprehended his intentions.

As he watched her stare out the window, he couldn’t fully relax because he couldn’t read what was transpiring behind those inscrutable green eyes of hers.

He wanted to keep conversing until he knew every thought inside her head. But he’d given her a shock. Multiple shocks, really, and it seemed smarter to give her a chance to process what he’d done than force her to discuss it. While he waited, he clung to the hope that she was considering his plan.

It was true that their courtship had been unconventional.

Not even a courtship by normal standards.

Half of society was convinced he was courting her sister, and on the outings they’d shared, Belinda had acted more chaperone than potential wife.

He hadn’t sent her flowers or done anything else a normal beau would do, but even though their relationship was atypical, he was nearly certain he understood her and what she needed from him.

Meeting under the cover of darkness.

Sharing private conversations.

Sneaking kisses.

Watching her interact with her family.

Kidnapping had been a calculated gamble, and taking the risk would be worth it if he got a lifetime with her.

He would have a partner.

A wife.

Someone to hold his hand, stand at his side, and love him for the rest of this life.

* * *

“We’re spending the night here,” Belinda said when the carriage came to a halt outside the inn where they were supposed to change horses.

She’d been quiet for so long that the sun had dropped low in the sky.

The silence had been unnerving, and he’d been perilously close to begging her to talk to him before they’d started to slow.

“What?”

“I expect to be indisputably compromised by the time my brothers find us,” she said. Then, without another word, she climbed out and disappeared into the inn.

It took a moment for James to recover his wits. Once he did, he almost stumbled in his haste to follow her. Quickly regaining his footing, he straightened his hat and then slipped quietly through the door in time to hear the innkeeper say, “Of course, miss.”

“Your Grace,” she corrected, as if she were already the Duchess of Avondale rather than a victim of kidnapping.

Even though he knew he was making assumptions, it was impossible for James to ignore the satisfaction those two simple words brought him.

Surely, she would only lie about who she was if she intended to allow his plan to unfold.

“Your Grace. Apologies,” the innkeeper replied. “Allow me to escort you to our finest set of rooms. Two bedchambers connected by a private parlor. You and your husband can dine in peace and then?—”

“No,” she interrupted. “One room is all we require. We prefer to sleep together.”

The innkeeper swiftly inhaled, but she didn’t even flinch.

James swallowed thickly. He’d already known Belinda was forceful, but witnessing the confidence she displayed when asking for what she wanted was a heady delight, and he didn’t have it in himself to argue that they needed to get back into the carriage and continue their journey.

Even though staying meant they risked being discovered.

Stepping next to her, he placed his hand against the small of her back and was immensely gratified when she leaned into him rather than moving away.

“Your Grace,” the man said, bowing as he turned his gaze toward James. “Our?—”

Belinda cut him off before he could say more. “Show us to a bedchamber we can share, or we’ll seek other accommodations.”

“Of course.” This time, the innkeeper wisely agreed, shuffling out from behind the counter and heading for the stairs. “Just this way.”

“We’d like dinner brought to us as soon as possible,” Belinda demanded as she trailed behind. “Something warm and hearty and then once we’re finished with our meal, I should like to bathe.”

“The chamber has a hip bath. I’ll see that water is heated and delivered by the time you’ve finished eating,” the innkeeper said.

“Thank you,” James responded.

“Yes. Thank you.” Belinda agreed, smiling over her shoulder at him.

The force of her smile radiated all the way to his toes.

When the innkeeper reached the second to last door in the hallway, he opened it and ushered them inside.

The room was rather plain, the only color coming from the knitted blanket that stretched across the expanse of the bed, but it was clean, and the fire was already laid.

The chill immediately started to dissipate after a young woman appeared in the doorway and made quick work of lighting it.

Two wooden chairs flanked a small, scratched table and one of the tiniest baths he’d ever seen was pushed into the corner closest to the door. They would be undoubtedly cozy for the evening, unable to avoid the intimacy that Belinda seemed determined to explore.

“I’ll have my son collect your bags and bring them up,” the innkeeper said.

“No need,” Belinda replied, unaware of how well he’d prepared. “We?—”

“Our belongings will be delivered to us by our coachman,” James interrupted. It hadn’t taken him much to convince Jane to pack a trunk for Belinda. “Just point him in our direction.”

“Excellent,” the other man said.

“We appreciate your hospitality,” James added.

“Of course, Your Grace.” The man bowed and backed away, following the young woman out of the room and pulling the door closed behind him.

“One bedchamber? One bed?” James raised his brow, attempting to appear composed while he was anything but.

She grinned. “Ravishment requires proximity.”

Her words made him uncomfortably aware of the scrape of his clothes against this skin. How marvelous would it be to strip off the layers of fabric covering them both? “I wasn’t intending to ravish you,” he managed to say.

“Ever?” she asked.

“Today,” he clarified. He didn’t require a mirror to confirm that he was blushing. The heat in his cheeks provided ample evidence.

Without drawing attention to his obvious embarrassment, she slipped off her pelisse and draped it over one of the chairs before sitting down on the bed and removing her right boot. “There’s no time like the present.”

“It isn’t necessary for us to rush,” he stammered. “We can progress as slowly as you’re comfortable with.”

“I don’t want to progress slowly. I’m more prepared for my first time than any other woman alive,” she declared, wrenching her left boot off and placing it on the floor next to the other.

With the way she had approached kissing, he’d assumed he’d have to be patient and allow her to grow used to the blossoming passion between them before they explored further. Apparently, he had been wrong. At some point, he should probably get used to being surprised by her.

Pacing across the small room, he rolled his shoulders in an effort to release the tension he’d been holding. It didn’t work. “You aren’t nervous?”

“Why would I be nervous?” She paused. “You thought I was innocent?”

He’d had no reason to think otherwise. “You aren’t?”

“I am untouched in that way. By another, at least,” she clarified, licking her lips.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter to him whether she’d been with anyone else, but it did add a layer of responsibility. He could still disappoint her if she was inexperienced. It wasn’t as if he were an expert lover himself.

As if she could hear his thoughts, she said, “I know my body and what it enjoys. Additionally, I’ve done my fair share of research on the matter.

The library at Greydon Hall provided me with a book that offered helpful illustrations and guidance.

I stole it and practically memorized it, replicating as much as I could on my own.

Naturally there were things I couldn’t attempt without a partner, but thankfully they weren’t necessary for me to achieve satisfaction. ”

What exactly had she done on her own?

Curiosity flamed, but so did apprehension. He so desperately wanted to please her.

“If I can bring myself pleasure, I’m rather confident that you’ll be able to manage it too.” She casually gestured at his midsection. “You have the proper equipment.”

He blinked and then blinked again.

“You should not be so shocked,” she added when he remained silent.

“It’s not that I’m shocked.” Although he certainly was.

“If you aren’t shocked, what are you?”

“What if you’d rather do it by yourself?” he blurted. He was trying not to panic, but in all his preparation, he hadn’t once considered that she’d be interested in copulating at the very first inn they came to.

The pressure to please her was not insubstantial.

If he failed, would she change her mind about accompanying him to Scotland? Would she refuse to stumble upon a willing blacksmith?

Would all his plans be ruined?

Her chin lifted. “You aren’t much of a kidnapper if you balk at ravishment.”

“I’m not balking,” he stated. “I’m simply trying to recalibrate. It took us weeks to kiss, and I assumed…I’m a patient man who assumed we would move forward at our own pace.”

“Our relationship has evolved quickly. This morning, we were barely more than acquaintances and now we are to be married.” It was an immeasurable relief to have her confirm she intended to marry him. “Our physical relationship can evolve as we wish,” she added.

“We were more than simply acquaintances this morning,” he argued.