him a few moments to
ponder what she had said, and then began again. "Adam, we should not be
wasting our time together in this way," She inched closer to him, easing
the wrapper off her shoulders and reaching into her bodice, offering one plump
breast to him. "Surely we have better things to do than discuss your
wife?"
Adam stood up hastily. "Louisa, I can't stay, as
much as I would like to. I'm afraid I have some matters to attend to. I will
have my banker send you a draft, and I will wait on you again soon." He
pressed a quick kiss to her lips and left the room.
Lady Manning glared after him with narrowed eyes. She
thought her shafts had struck home, but was distressed that her attractions had
not kept him longer at her house. "You will be back very soon, Adam,"
she murmured, her eyes hardening. "I'll see to that."
Adam returned to Gravesmere House to find Allegra gone,
attending to social calls. Emily had returned to her bed, at Allegra's worried
urgings, and was napping. He found that he had no wish to go driving, nor to
visit his club. He attempted to read, but his attention was not held by the
book he chose. He found the face of Lord Gresham rising before his eyes, and
cursed heartily.
"I beg your pardon, Your Grace?" said a footman
who had entered the room.
"Nothing," snarled Adam. "What do you
want?"
"You asked me to tell you when Her Grace came
home," said the footman. "She has returned and gone to her
bedroom."
Adam closed his book with a snap. "Thank you,"
he said to the startled footman. "You may go. No, wait--ask Her Grace--no,
go, go."
In her room, Allegra was mournfully changing her dress.
Her calls had been highly enjoyable until one Mrs. Crowley, a rather vulgar
woman encountered at Lady Cushingham's, had mentioned the Duke of Gravesmere's
visit to Lady Manning's box the previous night.
"Such a handsome man, your husband," she had
told Allegra. "And charming, too. Why, he kissed Lady Manning's hand with
such grace. It was quite a sight to behold."
Allegra had dealt her a severe snub, but the remarks had
cut. She had thought perhaps Adam was beginning to enjoy her company, but when
he had left her to go to Half Moon Street that morning on receiving Louisa's
summons, she had been wounded. The knowledge that he had visited his mistress's
box the previous evening only added to the hurt.
"Is the Duke home?" she asked her maid.
"Yes, my lady, he came in a little while ago,"
she said. "Do you wish to see him?"
Allegra hesitated. "Yes," she began, but then
her she felt a prick of pride. She had done nothing she should apologize for;
let him seek her out. "No, I think not, Merriwether. I will encounter him
soon enough."
Chapter 7
On the Brink
Adam walked down the
hall towards his wife's boudoir, a smile on his lips. He had spent the
afternoon in deep thought, and had come to the conclusion that he and Allegra
had reached the beginnings of an understanding the previous evening. He felt he
had put too much stock in Louisa's words; surely Gresham meant no more to her
than any of the other pups who gathered at her heels. He still regretted, of
course, that Louisa could not be his wife, but perhaps sharing a house with
Allegra could be enjoyable.
She had a clever way
with words and made him laugh with ease, and he was starting to enjoy her
company. And she was very beautiful. More and more he found his mind wandering
to the dreamy look in her blue eyes, the gentle curve of her hip beneath her
skirt, the way her breasts swelled upward out of the neckline of her dress. He
felt a tightening in his groin and realized with a shock that he wanted
Allegra, and had since his first glimpse of her, an unknown woman riding a
stallion in the park. The realization startled him, and then he grinned. She
was his wife, after all. If he wanted her, he had only to take her.
He entered his wife's
boudoir without knocking, to find Allegra standing in the middle of a pool of
candlelight in her white lace underdress. Her
ponder what she had said, and then began again. "Adam, we should not be
wasting our time together in this way," She inched closer to him, easing
the wrapper off her shoulders and reaching into her bodice, offering one plump
breast to him. "Surely we have better things to do than discuss your
wife?"
Adam stood up hastily. "Louisa, I can't stay, as
much as I would like to. I'm afraid I have some matters to attend to. I will
have my banker send you a draft, and I will wait on you again soon." He
pressed a quick kiss to her lips and left the room.
Lady Manning glared after him with narrowed eyes. She
thought her shafts had struck home, but was distressed that her attractions had
not kept him longer at her house. "You will be back very soon, Adam,"
she murmured, her eyes hardening. "I'll see to that."
Adam returned to Gravesmere House to find Allegra gone,
attending to social calls. Emily had returned to her bed, at Allegra's worried
urgings, and was napping. He found that he had no wish to go driving, nor to
visit his club. He attempted to read, but his attention was not held by the
book he chose. He found the face of Lord Gresham rising before his eyes, and
cursed heartily.
"I beg your pardon, Your Grace?" said a footman
who had entered the room.
"Nothing," snarled Adam. "What do you
want?"
"You asked me to tell you when Her Grace came
home," said the footman. "She has returned and gone to her
bedroom."
Adam closed his book with a snap. "Thank you,"
he said to the startled footman. "You may go. No, wait--ask Her Grace--no,
go, go."
In her room, Allegra was mournfully changing her dress.
Her calls had been highly enjoyable until one Mrs. Crowley, a rather vulgar
woman encountered at Lady Cushingham's, had mentioned the Duke of Gravesmere's
visit to Lady Manning's box the previous night.
"Such a handsome man, your husband," she had
told Allegra. "And charming, too. Why, he kissed Lady Manning's hand with
such grace. It was quite a sight to behold."
Allegra had dealt her a severe snub, but the remarks had
cut. She had thought perhaps Adam was beginning to enjoy her company, but when
he had left her to go to Half Moon Street that morning on receiving Louisa's
summons, she had been wounded. The knowledge that he had visited his mistress's
box the previous evening only added to the hurt.
"Is the Duke home?" she asked her maid.
"Yes, my lady, he came in a little while ago,"
she said. "Do you wish to see him?"
Allegra hesitated. "Yes," she began, but then
her she felt a prick of pride. She had done nothing she should apologize for;
let him seek her out. "No, I think not, Merriwether. I will encounter him
soon enough."
Chapter 7
On the Brink
Adam walked down the
hall towards his wife's boudoir, a smile on his lips. He had spent the
afternoon in deep thought, and had come to the conclusion that he and Allegra
had reached the beginnings of an understanding the previous evening. He felt he
had put too much stock in Louisa's words; surely Gresham meant no more to her
than any of the other pups who gathered at her heels. He still regretted, of
course, that Louisa could not be his wife, but perhaps sharing a house with
Allegra could be enjoyable.
She had a clever way
with words and made him laugh with ease, and he was starting to enjoy her
company. And she was very beautiful. More and more he found his mind wandering
to the dreamy look in her blue eyes, the gentle curve of her hip beneath her
skirt, the way her breasts swelled upward out of the neckline of her dress. He
felt a tightening in his groin and realized with a shock that he wanted
Allegra, and had since his first glimpse of her, an unknown woman riding a
stallion in the park. The realization startled him, and then he grinned. She
was his wife, after all. If he wanted her, he had only to take her.
He entered his wife's
boudoir without knocking, to find Allegra standing in the middle of a pool of
candlelight in her white lace underdress. Her
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