Page 94 of To Pleasure a Prince

“I know, I know.” He rubbed his stubbled chin. “I truly thought it would be easier. I confess I have a greater respect for Miss Tremaine now than before. But if you’d just try—”

“Try!” Slamming the book shut, she leaped out of her chair. “How dare you! I’ve stared at these dratted books until my eyes cross and my bottom is numb from sitting, and you have the audacity—”

“You didn’t let me finish, dearling.” He hauled her onto his lap. “I know you’ve tried. What I started to say was that if you’d try not to think of it as impossible, we might get somewhere. Instead of being defeated before we even start.”

A little mollified, she touched her head to his. “I only think of it as impossible because it is. Why do you insist that I can do something I’ve tried for years with no success?”

“Because I have faith in you,” he murmured, nuzzling her cheek. “You weren’t given a proper chance to attempt it before.”

“I havenow,”she said. “Perhaps it is time to admit defeat.”

“No!” He drew back to scowl at her. “I won’t let you.”

Her throat grew raw and tight. “Why is it so important to you? Can you not bear the thought of your wife being unable to read?”

“That’s not it. If I thought you were content with such a state of affairs, I could be content, too. But you’re not. Admit it.”

“I should dearly love to learn to read, but it’s not absolutely essential, you know. Once our honeymoon is over, and Cicely is living with us—”

“We don’tneedCicely. If I have to, I’ll read to you myself.”

She stroked his cheek. “Don’t be silly. You can’t always be around to do such things.”

A stubborn look crossed his face. “I certainly can. And I will.”

“Louisa told me that you are far more involved in the affairs of your estate than the average lord. You won’t be able to drop everything to read the housekeeper’s menu or a set of instructions for me.”

“I’m lord of the manor—I’ll do whatever I please. I don’t want you always having to rely on your cousin. Either you learn, or I’ll read to you, and that’s that.”

She frowned. “Then what happens to Cicely?”

He shrugged. “She can live at the town house indefinitely. She’d probably prefer that—more things to do in town.”

“She couldn’t live alone. And anyway, I don’t want you reading everything to me. There are certain things a woman likes to keep private from her husband.”

His black scowl would have burned ice. “Like what?”

“Like correspondence with female friends.” A flush stole over her cheeks. “And information for ladies that is of a certain…delicate nature.” She could not endure having him read to her the latest description of a corset’s fine qualities, for heaven’s sake. “And when we return to town in a few days, I’ll—”

“What do you mean, when we return to town? We’re not going back to town anytime soon.”

Her heart began to pound. “But the season isn’t even over. And I thought you’d want to be in town for Louisa.”

“Why? She’s got the Iversleys.” He searched her face. “Unless you know of some other reason I should hurry back to town for Louisa.”

She forced a smile, though panic had broken loose in her chest. “No, of course not. But surely you want to be around to assess the other gentlemen who court her or offer for her. There’s only a month or two left.”

“I mean for us to spend that time here, so you can get comfortable with your duties as lady of Castlemaine.”

She hid her shaking hands in her lap. “We can do that once the season is over.” When Louisa would either marry someone or return to Castlemaine to await the next season. “But during this time of year, I prefer to be in town.”

“I prefer that you be here.” A muscle twitched in his jaw.

She tipped up her chin. “I could always go there alone, you know.”

“Not unless I allow it.”

A cold chill shook her. Until now, she had not seen any evidence of the tyrannical husband she had feared he might be. “You promised me I could come and go to town as I pleased.”