Page 36 of Unbound Duchess

His grip on the nape of her neck and her waist tightened, and she gasped, pleasure flooding back into her gaze as their bodies slid back into one another.

“God, do I not want to,” he muttered. “But it is your first night. You have been through so much and I…”

He floundered, caught between saying the words he wanted and not wanting to trigger any of Ellen’s horrible memories by saying them.

“Thank you,” she said.

Her words not only saved him from his dilemma, but surprised him.

“Thank you?” he echoed.

Ellen’s smile was soft as she nodded her head, some of the lust dimming in her eyes.

“For not wanting to rush me,” she explained, stroking her fingers affectionately through his hair. “I wanted to kiss you again, maybe even needed to. But as far as what else husbands and wives are meant to do…”

Laurence nodded, understanding what she was trying to say so politely. He placed one more soft kiss on her lips, then gently moved her off of his lap.

“You really should rest now,” he said, willing his body to stand despite its more primal needs to stay and seduce. “I wish I could tell you there is not much for you to do, but as you are a duchess now, there is much to learn. There are other parts we both must play outside our quest for revenge.”

“In fact, I am looking forward to it,” Ellen said, her readiness clear in her gentle voice. “I enjoyed running my father’s household. I was good at it. It will be a joy to feel useful again.”

Laurence’s brows furrowed as he looked down at her.

“You were never useless, Ellen,” he stated.

She let out a small sound of acknowledgement as she curled her legs underneath her and rested her head in her hand.

“Maybe not. But for a moment, Benedict had me fooled into believing precisely that,” she muttered.

Laurence leaned down and lifted her chin with the crook of his finger until she was looking him in the eyes.

“We will make him pay for all he’s done,” he said firmly.

Her answering smile was so brilliant it stole his breath.

“Yes,” she agreed. “We will.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Imust say, Your Grace, you have a talent for running a household.”

Ellen smiled proudly as she heard Mrs. Bradley’s praise. The housekeeper at the estate had been kind but skeptical the first day Ellen called the staff to a meeting, but now, after a week of managing the house, she had been thrilled to see that her talents for such a thing had not gone unnoticed. At least not by the staff.

As for Laurence, though…her good mood dampened as she thought of him. She had agreed that she needed time to adjust to her new life, but she had not imagined that he was going to disappear entirely. It had been five days, and there were no shared meals, no conversations…no passionate kisses by the fireplace. In fact, she had not seen him at all.

It was only through Mrs. Bradley’s reports that she even knew His Grace was still living in the house. She could have sought him out, she supposed, but the thought died as quickly as it came. He had already done so much by giving her his protection. She felt it selfish to ask for anything more. Even though their last kiss had her thinking there could be more.

“Your praise is most appreciated, Mrs. Bradley,” Ellen said, using the conversation to force her mind away from her estranged husband. “In truth, I find the work most satisfying.”

“Very good, Your Grace,” Mrs. Bradley replied with a polite bow of her head. “So, shall we go through the afternoon report?”

“Please,” Ellen urged, gesturing toward the open seat across from her.

Mrs. Bradley, a dainty, modest woman with mousey brown hair swept up in a bun and warm brown eyes, took the seat and pulled out her notebook.

“The maids have changed the bedding and curtains in your quarters. As you requested, they switched the summer fabrics for something heavier in light of the strange weather we’ve been having,” Mrs. Bradley began.

“It has been strange, has it not?” Ellen said, glancing up at the large panes of glass in the room. The sun had been hidden by gray clouds for several days now, and the temperature had cooled substantially despite it still being late summer.