Page 67 of The Devil to Pay

He tugged her hand, drawing her to the corner of what was her room where a table had been laid for two and set with a splendid array of little tarts and delicacies, and a bottle of champagne on ice.

More than willing to put off the inevitable for a few moments, despite her eagerness to be in his arms, Selina sat at the table and allowed her husband to feed her choice morsels from the array of dishes on offer.

“Try this one,” he said, lifting a tiny choux bun for her to try.

Obediently, Selina opened her mouth, and he popped the delicate treat inside, brushing her lips with his fingers. Chewing slowly, Selina let out a little sigh of pleasure.

“Divine,” she said happily.

She looked up to find him watching her, his green eyes suddenly dark.

Swallowing nervously, she licked her lips, and his gaze tracked the movement, making her insides squirm, though not unpleasantly.

Jules cleared his throat and poured them both a glass of champagne. “By the way, you remember I spoke to your father and brother the other day?”

“Yes,” she replied, wondering why he was mentioning it now.

“Well, I’m afraid I did a bit of digging, my love, and the pair of them are up to their ears in debt. It’s far worse than I had realised. You father made a shockingly bad investment in a stud farm, and a dozen other ridiculous ventures, and I need not tell you your brother is a loose screw, I know. However—”

“What?” Selina stared at him in alarm. “Oh, how could they? Oh, Jules! The house… Don’t tell me—”

Jules sighed, shaking his head. “Davenport, let me finish before you start fretting and making plans to avert disaster, for there is none, I assure you.”

“But you just said—”

“I just said,” Jules carried on firmly. “That they were in debt. They are not now.”

“Oh, no, Jules, they didn’t ask you?” she said in dismay. That he had been forced to pay her family’s debts before they’d even married was beyond mortifying.

“Certainly not,” he replied coolly. “I offered.”

“Why?” she demanded, perplexed. “Surely you know they’ll come to you at every opportunity now if they think you’ll keep them afloat.”

“That, they will not, and I did not simply pay their debts, Davenport,” he said softly. “I bought them.”

She stared at him, an odd sensation gathering in her stomach. “I don’t understand.”

Jules took her hand, twining their fingers together, his gaze fixed upon the gold band she wore. “The house, and the estate, love. It’s yours. It wasn’t entailed, so I bought it. I paid their debts and well over the odds for the place. They’ve funds to keep them afloat well enough if they don’t outrun their budgets. I’ve put the house in your name, Davenport. Hubert didn’t like it much, but he hadn’t much of a choice in the matter considering the type of people he owed money to. So, you can keep it or give it to one of the children if you choose, but it will be your decision. I know how much you love the place. So, I thought we could go there in the summertime. I’d rather like to see it when it isn’t perishing cold and raining, for one thing,” he added ruefully.

He looked up then, an expression in his eyes that made her heart feel as if it might burst.

“Did I do right, love? I rely upon you to tell me.”

“Oh,” she said, too overwhelmed to say another word. “Oh, J-Jules. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

She leapt up and ran to his chair, throwing her arms about his neck with enthusiasm. A touch too much enthusiasm as it turned out, as her weight bore them both back and sent them crashing to the floor, chair and all.

“Ooof!” Jules lay winded for a moment before giving a heavy sigh. “You’re very hard on a fellow’s bones, Davenport, not to mention the furniture. I daresay the staff shall think we broke the bed,” he remarked, chuckling now.

“I’m so sorry!” Selina cried, burying her face against his waistcoat. Good lord, but this was a fine way start to things. She’d nearly broken his head, and she was none too certain the chair had survived.

“I’m not,” he said, the words low as he nuzzled at her ear. He rolled her onto her back and stared down at her. “I’ve wanted to get you in this position for weeks, love. Don’t think I’m letting you up now.”

“But we’re on the floor,” she protested, nose wrinkling. “And I’m dressed.”

“The first thing is not a problem. The second, I mean to remedy.”

“Not lying down, you won’t. This corset is new, and I don’t have the slightest idea how it works, and the dress—”