Page 147 of The Language of Love

Chapter 26

Annis’s mind seized like a piece of machinery that had undergone so much stress it simply ground to a halt.

“My lady?”

She looked up from the book she’d been blindly staring at to see Grace hovering uncertainly in the doorway of the dressing room.

“Yes?”

“Don’t you want to get ready for dinner? It’s already—”

There was a brief knock on her door before it opened.

Henry strode into her room. “Ah, here you are. I’m glad I caught you before you changed for dinner.” He gave her the warmest smile she’d had from him in weeks—not since those early days when they’d gone for their illicit drives. “I’ve ordered dinner for us in my chambers tonight. You’ve been working too hard, my dear, and I think you’ve earned a leisurely evening.” He turned to Grace. “Have a bath sent up to my room immediately. Set up the tub in front of the sitting room fire and make sure it is blazing. Once the bath is prepared, no one is to disturb us until I ring for dinner. After you’ve done that, you are at liberty for the rest of the evening; Lady Rotherhithe won’t need you again tonight.”

Grace looked as startled as Annis felt but dropped a curtsey and hurried from the room.

Henry dropped to his haunches beside her chair, giving her such a sweet look that she felt even sicker inside at what she was going to do tonight.

He caressed her jaw with the back of his fingers. “I shall be your body servant and bathe and dress you before we enjoy a relaxing dinner in my chambers.”

Annis knew she was gawking but couldn’t shut her mouth.

He chuckled. “You look as if you doubt my lady’s maid skills?”

“You don’t have to do that,” she said, feeling worse by the minute.

“I want to,” he said, taking one of her feet and removing her slipper. “And I am your lord and master, so you have to submit to my ministrations.”

His hands looked bigger than ever on her shoes, which he carefully set aside and then stood, lifting her to her feet.

“Come,” he said, leading her to the dressing room, where he proceeded to strip her with an ease and skill that could only have been gained by doing the same thing for many other women over the years. The unwanted thought made her burn with jealousy.

Still, any emotion was more welcome than terror or shame at this point.

“I can’t image where you have become so conversant with ladies’ stays, my lord,” she couldn’t resist saying when he got her out of hers both faster and more nimbly than Grace.

“I read about it in a journal.”

Annis laughed.

“That’s better.” He dropped to his knees in front of her.

Annis’s breath hitched as she stared down at him. On his knees, he wasn’t much shorter than her own five foot one and five-eighth inches.

He took her foot and placed it on his thigh, and then untied her garter, his expression rapt as he slowly stripped her leg.

Annis couldn’t resist running her fingers through his thick dark hair, surprised to see a strand or two of gray in among the dark brown.

“Mmm, I like that,” he purred.

“How tall are you?” she asked.

“I think perhaps six feet and two inches.”

“I’m over a foot shorter than you.”

He chuckled. “You’re only noticing that now?” He finished rolling down the second stocking, leaving her in nothing but her chemise. And then he stood, towering over her. “Lift your arms.”