‘Give him your smiles, my dear, but never your sighs. Let him kiss you and make love to you, but never, never allow him to believe you care or it will be all over with you. He will be setting up his mistress and treating you like a bond slave. He will dominate and bully you until you are the unhappiest being in the world and he won’t even care .’
‘Who won’t care?’ demanded Sir Desmond, returning at that moment. ‘If you are talking of Lady R, then I care very much.’
‘Which just proves what we have been saying,’ responded Gwendoline lightly. ‘Men always want the one thing they cannot have.’
‘What nonsense are you telling my wife?’ demanded Gideon, coming up while they were all laughing.
‘Merely a few home truths, Brother, regarding how best to remain happy.’
‘My wife’s happiness is, of course, my chief concern.’ He made her a little bow and held out his arm. ‘Our carriage awaits, ma’am. I think it is time we said goodnight.’
* * *
‘I think that passed off very well,’ he remarked as they drove home through the dark streets. ‘And my sister introduced you to her friends?’
‘Yes. Including Sir Desmond Arndale.’ She drew a breath. ‘Is...um...is he her lover?’
‘I doubt it, but much of Anthony’s time is taken up with government matters and Arndale is useful when Gwen needs an escort. A harmless fribble.’
‘And is Lord Ribblestone jealous of him?’
‘Lord, no.’ He turned towards her. ‘Why this sudden interest in Arndale?’
‘I am curious to know how married women go on in London.’
‘Many of them behave scandalously.’ He leaned closer and reached out to cup her chin and turn her towards him. ‘But I don’t intend to allow you to behave like that, at least only with me.’
Her heart began to hammer as he kissed her and she raised her hand to touch his cheek, then pulled it back.
Men always want what they cannot have.
She must not show him how much she wanted him, yet surely he could hear her heart? She could hardly breathe it was thudding so heavily against her ribs. The carriage began to slow and he raised his head.
‘We are home,’ he murmured. ‘Be ready for me tonight. I shall come to your room.’
* * *
If Dominique had thought waiting in the drawing room for Gideon to finish his port was nerve-racking, waiting for him to come to her bedchamber was almost unbearable. She allowed Kitty to dress her in one of the soft linen nightdresses she had chosen with Gwendoline, then dismissed her and sat on the edge of the bed with only the glow of the fire and a single candle to relieve the darkness. The trunk she had brought with her from Martlesham was just visible in the gloom and when a sudden flare of the candle flame glinted on its studded lid she went over and opened it, rifling through the contents to pull out a gossamer-thin creation. This is what the unseen and unknown Agnes Bennet would have worn, she thought. But Agnes knew exactly how to tease a man into submission—witness the way she had bewitched Gideon into offering her marriage.
Put it on , whispered the seductive voice in her head. It will reveal your body and drive him to distraction .
But Dominique knew her slender form could not compare with the voluptuous curves of Agnes Bennet. Gideon might be disgusted with her—worse, he might even laugh. Quickly she put the wispy confection away again. The trunk must be removed, it was a constant reminder of the woman Gideon had wanted for his bride.
She heard a soft noise somewhere in the quiet house and ran back to the bed. Straining her ears, she picked up the sound of footsteps getting closer and she clasped her hands together nervously.
* * *
Gideon had not entered this bedchamber since he was a child. It had been his mother’s room and, apart from ordering that it was to be redecorated for his bride, he had not given it another thought—he realised a little ruefully that when he had issued those orders he had thought
‘Who won’t care?’ demanded Sir Desmond, returning at that moment. ‘If you are talking of Lady R, then I care very much.’
‘Which just proves what we have been saying,’ responded Gwendoline lightly. ‘Men always want the one thing they cannot have.’
‘What nonsense are you telling my wife?’ demanded Gideon, coming up while they were all laughing.
‘Merely a few home truths, Brother, regarding how best to remain happy.’
‘My wife’s happiness is, of course, my chief concern.’ He made her a little bow and held out his arm. ‘Our carriage awaits, ma’am. I think it is time we said goodnight.’
* * *
‘I think that passed off very well,’ he remarked as they drove home through the dark streets. ‘And my sister introduced you to her friends?’
‘Yes. Including Sir Desmond Arndale.’ She drew a breath. ‘Is...um...is he her lover?’
‘I doubt it, but much of Anthony’s time is taken up with government matters and Arndale is useful when Gwen needs an escort. A harmless fribble.’
‘And is Lord Ribblestone jealous of him?’
‘Lord, no.’ He turned towards her. ‘Why this sudden interest in Arndale?’
‘I am curious to know how married women go on in London.’
‘Many of them behave scandalously.’ He leaned closer and reached out to cup her chin and turn her towards him. ‘But I don’t intend to allow you to behave like that, at least only with me.’
Her heart began to hammer as he kissed her and she raised her hand to touch his cheek, then pulled it back.
Men always want what they cannot have.
She must not show him how much she wanted him, yet surely he could hear her heart? She could hardly breathe it was thudding so heavily against her ribs. The carriage began to slow and he raised his head.
‘We are home,’ he murmured. ‘Be ready for me tonight. I shall come to your room.’
* * *
If Dominique had thought waiting in the drawing room for Gideon to finish his port was nerve-racking, waiting for him to come to her bedchamber was almost unbearable. She allowed Kitty to dress her in one of the soft linen nightdresses she had chosen with Gwendoline, then dismissed her and sat on the edge of the bed with only the glow of the fire and a single candle to relieve the darkness. The trunk she had brought with her from Martlesham was just visible in the gloom and when a sudden flare of the candle flame glinted on its studded lid she went over and opened it, rifling through the contents to pull out a gossamer-thin creation. This is what the unseen and unknown Agnes Bennet would have worn, she thought. But Agnes knew exactly how to tease a man into submission—witness the way she had bewitched Gideon into offering her marriage.
Put it on , whispered the seductive voice in her head. It will reveal your body and drive him to distraction .
But Dominique knew her slender form could not compare with the voluptuous curves of Agnes Bennet. Gideon might be disgusted with her—worse, he might even laugh. Quickly she put the wispy confection away again. The trunk must be removed, it was a constant reminder of the woman Gideon had wanted for his bride.
She heard a soft noise somewhere in the quiet house and ran back to the bed. Straining her ears, she picked up the sound of footsteps getting closer and she clasped her hands together nervously.
* * *
Gideon had not entered this bedchamber since he was a child. It had been his mother’s room and, apart from ordering that it was to be redecorated for his bride, he had not given it another thought—he realised a little ruefully that when he had issued those orders he had thought
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