His Jilted Bride (Historical Regency Romance) by Rose Gordon Page B

crumpling the edges. Henry knew. Whether it was his
glib tongue or perhaps something far more subtle, Elijah had
somehow revealed himself to his brother and for a reason he
couldn't explain, being vulnerable right now was the last thing he
wanted. “Stop,” he warned in a low tone. “I have no further wish to
talk about the icicle I married.”
    “ Mayhap you just need to seduce her.”
    Elijah ground his teeth. “Don't you
think I've tried that already?”
    “ No. I envisioned you just telling her to take her clothes off
and get under the covers.”
    “ Do you have feathers filling your skull? I told you earlier
that she turns cold at my kisses and pulls away from my
touches.”
    “ Then you're doing something wrong,” Henry said simply,
knocking the sides of his leather boots together. “I might regret
asking this, but—”
    “ Then don't ask,” Elijah barked, slamming his hand, and
consequently the parchment, on the table.
    “— how exactly are you touching her?”
    “ With my hands. The same part of your body that will soon be
holding a pistol at the opposite end of a field from me if this
conversation continues.”
    Henry threw his hands up into the air.
“Someone has to give you advice. You seem to be unable to get the
task done.”
    “ And what makes you an expert about such matters? Unless I
missed something, I didn't see you sneaking off to any brothels,
either.”
    Henry neither confirmed
nor denied his charge as he brought all four legs of his chair back
to the wooden floor with a sharp snap. “Forgive me. I was just
trying to help you lose your virginity before you reach an age
where your concern won't be if your partner is willing, but
if you're able.”
     

Chapter Twelve
     
     
    “ Oh, there you are,” Edwina said to Amelia as she sauntered
down the hall to where Amelia was standing outside the library
where Elijah and Henry were inside discussing her with no cares or
morals. “You're welcome to go in there if you'd like.”
    Amelia cleared her throat. “I already
did,” she lied. She gave an exaggerated sigh. “As it would happen
Alex and Caroline don't keep many books that would hold my
interest.”
    “ No?” Edwina asked with a grin. “Do you not find grasshoppers
and honeysuckles as fascinating as those two do?”
    Amelia's lips bent into a watery
smile. “No. I'm afraid I don't.”
    “ Surely we can find something that does.” She looped her arm through Amelia's.
“Come, I'll show you where I hide the novels.”
    Amelia dug her heels into
the carpet. The last place she wanted to go was into the library
where Elijah and Henry were discussing her. Or more specifically,
bedding her. Embarrassment flooded her as the snippets of phrases
she'd overheard sounded in her head, “...I've married an Ice Queen and short of hell itself,
nothing seems to warm her up...My wife has more interest in winning
boons and eating cake than wanting to be intimate with me...I have
no wish to further talk about the icicle I married...”
    Tears sprang to her eyes. How dare he
have the audacity to speak of her in such a way? Even if he had no
love for her, she was still his wife. Did that not command even a
kernel of respect? Just enough not to go around and talk to his
brother about the intimate side of their marriage? Shame and rage
boiled inside of her. What must his family think of her that Elijah
thought so little of her to say those damning remarks about
her?
    She blinked back the hot tears and
noticed Edwina's head was cocked to the side in interest; her dark
brown eyes, studying Amelia's face. Edwina broke eye contact for
just a moment, long enough to peek through the cracked door and
into the library. When she met Amelia's eyes again, they were full
of compassion.
    Edwina gave her arm a gentle squeeze.
“Come with me,” she whispered.
    Amelia allowed Edwina to lead her to a
private sitting room farther down the hall.
    Once inside, Edwina was the first to
take a seat and then patted the