stay and pray,” Tinker said.
“I accept your challenge,” Alexander said, and then walked away.
* * *
The next morning, Alexander stood outside Victoria’s bedchamber door. Determined to outsmart her, he carried a tray containing a pot of tea and a hot, buttered scone. He stepped inside the chamber, closed the door, and smiled at the lump in the bed hidden by the coverlet.
Alexander set the tray on the bedside table. “Awaken, sweetheart.”
“Go away,” grumbled a muffled voice from beneath the coverlet.
This wasn’t going to be as easy as he had thought. Alexander sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the coverlet down. His breath caught in his throat at her near naked body. Sheerer than gossamer, her nightgown hid none of her charms—softly rounded breasts with pink-tipped peaks, tiny waist, curvaceous hips.
Without opening her eyes, Victoria reached to pull the coverlet up. When he stayed her hand, she opened her fabulously blue eyes.
“Alex,” Victoria breathed, his name on her lips like a sigh, “I was dreaming about you.”
“How is your headache?”
Victoria stared at him blankly for a long moment. He could see her mind clear of sleep and appreciated her quick recovery from her near blunder. “I have a stomach ache and won’t be able to—”
“Drinking tea will settle your stomach.” Alexander poured tea into the cup. “The fresh air on the ride to church will revive you.”
Victoria sat up, leaned against the headboard, and realized her state of undress. She blushed but made no move to cover herself.
Alexander passed her the teacup. Victoria took a sip and smiled, not bothering to argue about church services.
And then Alexander recalled the duchess’s words to him. “Victoria never actually refuses to do anything. She agrees to whatever you want and then does what she wants.”
“I’m leaving for my estate in Winchester directly after church,” Alexander said. “I’ll return by Thursday to escort you to the opera.”
“I’ll miss you,” Victoria told him.
“Will you?”
“As your betrothed, missing you is my duty.”
That made him smile. When she finished the tea and scone, Alexander lifted the tray off the bedside table. “I expect you dressed and downstairs in one hour.”
An hour later, Alexander stood in the foyer with the others. Victoria hadn’t made her appearance yet, and he was becoming irritated.
“She won’t come down,” the duke told him.
“I have never seen Tory at any church service,” Rudolf remarked.
Alexander looked toward the stairway as if he could will her to appear. “Victoria will attend today’s service even if I—here she is now.”
Victoria had dressed in a high-waisted white gown, embroidered with pink roses at the hem and neckline. She carried a pink parasol and a white bonnet with pink ribbons.
Alexander had never seen anything so lovely. She was the essence of innocence, yet there was an air of sensuality surrounding her.
Everyone walked outside, their coaches in a line in the front courtyard. With Victoria holding his arm, Alexander glanced at Tinker and said, “I told you so.”
“Many mishaps can happen between now and church services,” the majordomo reminded him.
* * *
Victoria was silent on the way to the village. She despised going to church but knew she was trapped. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in God and certainly wanted to worship Him. Her inability to read the prayer book or hymns made her feel self-conscious and kept her away.
Reaching the village church, Alexander climbed out of the coach first and then helped Victoria down. The family was standing in front of the church and exchanging pleasantries with the vicar.
“Alex, I would like you to meet Vicar Small,” the duchess introduced them. “Lord Emerson is the Earl of Winchester and betrothed to my youngest niece, Victoria.”
The two men shook hands. Victoria curtseyed to the vicar.
“I didn’t realize there
“I accept your challenge,” Alexander said, and then walked away.
* * *
The next morning, Alexander stood outside Victoria’s bedchamber door. Determined to outsmart her, he carried a tray containing a pot of tea and a hot, buttered scone. He stepped inside the chamber, closed the door, and smiled at the lump in the bed hidden by the coverlet.
Alexander set the tray on the bedside table. “Awaken, sweetheart.”
“Go away,” grumbled a muffled voice from beneath the coverlet.
This wasn’t going to be as easy as he had thought. Alexander sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the coverlet down. His breath caught in his throat at her near naked body. Sheerer than gossamer, her nightgown hid none of her charms—softly rounded breasts with pink-tipped peaks, tiny waist, curvaceous hips.
Without opening her eyes, Victoria reached to pull the coverlet up. When he stayed her hand, she opened her fabulously blue eyes.
“Alex,” Victoria breathed, his name on her lips like a sigh, “I was dreaming about you.”
“How is your headache?”
Victoria stared at him blankly for a long moment. He could see her mind clear of sleep and appreciated her quick recovery from her near blunder. “I have a stomach ache and won’t be able to—”
“Drinking tea will settle your stomach.” Alexander poured tea into the cup. “The fresh air on the ride to church will revive you.”
Victoria sat up, leaned against the headboard, and realized her state of undress. She blushed but made no move to cover herself.
Alexander passed her the teacup. Victoria took a sip and smiled, not bothering to argue about church services.
And then Alexander recalled the duchess’s words to him. “Victoria never actually refuses to do anything. She agrees to whatever you want and then does what she wants.”
“I’m leaving for my estate in Winchester directly after church,” Alexander said. “I’ll return by Thursday to escort you to the opera.”
“I’ll miss you,” Victoria told him.
“Will you?”
“As your betrothed, missing you is my duty.”
That made him smile. When she finished the tea and scone, Alexander lifted the tray off the bedside table. “I expect you dressed and downstairs in one hour.”
An hour later, Alexander stood in the foyer with the others. Victoria hadn’t made her appearance yet, and he was becoming irritated.
“She won’t come down,” the duke told him.
“I have never seen Tory at any church service,” Rudolf remarked.
Alexander looked toward the stairway as if he could will her to appear. “Victoria will attend today’s service even if I—here she is now.”
Victoria had dressed in a high-waisted white gown, embroidered with pink roses at the hem and neckline. She carried a pink parasol and a white bonnet with pink ribbons.
Alexander had never seen anything so lovely. She was the essence of innocence, yet there was an air of sensuality surrounding her.
Everyone walked outside, their coaches in a line in the front courtyard. With Victoria holding his arm, Alexander glanced at Tinker and said, “I told you so.”
“Many mishaps can happen between now and church services,” the majordomo reminded him.
* * *
Victoria was silent on the way to the village. She despised going to church but knew she was trapped. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in God and certainly wanted to worship Him. Her inability to read the prayer book or hymns made her feel self-conscious and kept her away.
Reaching the village church, Alexander climbed out of the coach first and then helped Victoria down. The family was standing in front of the church and exchanging pleasantries with the vicar.
“Alex, I would like you to meet Vicar Small,” the duchess introduced them. “Lord Emerson is the Earl of Winchester and betrothed to my youngest niece, Victoria.”
The two men shook hands. Victoria curtseyed to the vicar.
“I didn’t realize there
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