“I have no regrets for what I did, nor for having saved Leah from the miserable life that you had sentenced her to; my only regret is that as her father, you cannot wish her some form of happiness. Good day to you, sir,” said James. He headed for the door, doubting he would ever be received in the Shepherd family home again.
Outside in Duke Street, he put on his hat and took a deep breath. It was only as he climbed into his carriage that he let his temper finally get the better of him.
“Bloody hell,” he muttered.
Knowing Tobias Shepherd, it would take the best lawyers that the Radley family had at their disposal, and a very long time before he or Leah saw a penny of her dowry.
Chapter Forty-Four
Leah sat back in her chair and looked at James. With his gaze fixed on the last of his supper, he was oblivious to his wife’s quiet study of him.
He had come straight into the dining room as soon as he had arrived home late that evening from his work at the shipping office. With a few precious hours of painting ahead of him before bed, every minute counted. He had not taken the time to brush his hair or change from his work clothes.
“I am going to start painting theDerbyshire Twinstonight. I have used the sketches in my book to give me the basis for the outlines on the canvas, so hopefully that will be enough for me to get them underway. We will just have to wait until after Christmas to make the journey out to the woodlands in order for me to complete them,” he said.
Leah couldn’t fault James for his dedication to his craft. He worked long hours at the office, then returned home each night and continued with making his sketches from memory. She had stood and watched with pride as he and two burly footmen had moved the canvasses into place in the main drawing room upstairs.
James’s belovedDerbyshire Twinswere ready to be born.
She was interested in his landscapes, but at this moment she was more concerned with him. His brown hair was ruffled. If she knew James, it would be from having had his hands pushed through his locks as he worked the ledgers. She had seen him do it many times while standing, concentrating at his painting.
She sighed. He was lovely. Her warm, slightly scruffy husband made her all a silly mess inside.
He looked up, smiling when his gaze met hers.
“A penny for your thoughts?” he said.
Leah rose from her chair and came around to where James sat. Pushing his plate of supper to one side, she sat on the table in front of him. He moved the rest of his cutlery and wine glass out of the way.
He lay against her breasts as she rested her head on top of his, gently rubbing the back of his neck.
“I could tell you what I was thinking, but I’m sure you would prefer for me to show you. That’s, of course, if you have time for me,” she purred.
He lifted his head and whispered, “I will always have time for you, my love.”
The fierce desire in his voice was all the encouragement she needed. Lying back on the table, she untied the laces of her gown as James pushed her skirts up around her waist. A soft gasp escaped her lips as he set his tongue to her heated sex.
She would never get enough of this man.
Chapter Forty-Five
Leah hadn’t realized how far paint fumes could travel. Even with having the windows of the upstairs drawing room open while James worked, the smell of paint and oil permeated throughout the house. At supper the previous evening, she could have sworn she could taste it in her food. James’s assurance that she would get used to it was of little comfort.
“I need the space in which to paint the bigger pieces. They are what will bring in the money that we need and help me to gain a reputation with future patrons.” Her husband’s words and the kiss that came with them quietened Leah’s complaint.
It would take them time to adjust to the reality of being married and back in London. She just had to learn to be patient.
Money was tight. Hugh Radley had gifted them the house and servants for a year, but there were still other bills to be paid. The four days a week that James was working at his uncle’s shipping office brought in some coin but left him grumpy and frustrated that he was not able to devote his entire time to his artistic endeavors.
“I am sorry. I know I shouldn’t complain,” she said.
They were dressing early one morning a few days after James had begun to paint theDerbyshire Twins. Their bedroom was on the other side of the staircase to the drawing room, but even at this distance Leah could smell the paint fumes.
James took her into his arms, gently rubbing his hand up and down her back. They both knew why she was out of sorts, and the paint fumes were only partly to blame. With her mother and sister coming to pay their first house call today, they both knew Leah would be held to close scrutiny for how she kept her home.
“Finish dressing and then go for a walk. I always find that a stroll brings my nerves under control,” said James.
She had hoped he would offer to take her back to bed and use his fingers and tongue to calm her worried mind. But James had work today, and she couldn’t keep him from the one source of income they currently had.
