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Isabel threw up her hands. “I amnotwith child!”
“And how am I to be certain?” The insufferable man raised his brow.
“When the babe is not born in nine months, that would be your first clue,” Isabel spat irritably.
“Not unless we consummate our marriage right now.”
Isabel let out a frustrated breath. “I am not looking forward to the act. Believe me! I just thought you wouldn’t want to delay.”
“I don’t. But in case youarewith child… Well, it could save us the unfortunate task altogether.”
Isabel squinted at him. What was he on about?
“We are already married. No matter if the child is mine or not, he—if it’s a he—will be legally my heir.”
“I amnotwith child! How many times do I need to repeat myself?”
“I need a better assurance than your word.”
Isabel’s mouth fell open. He didn’t trust her. Not even a little. “Why would I want to spend the night with you if I were with child? Without necessity, I’d avoid it like the plague.”
“Maybe you wanted to pass off the brat as mine. You can never be certain how I’d treat the babe. And I certainly cannot be sure you are not that cunning. I need to be certain. I don’t mind a cuckoo in the nest. But if it removes the need to bed you, that would be just splendid.”
Heat crept up Isabel’s neck in utter humiliation. “You cur! I wish I were with child to forever avoid your touch!”
“Wouldn’t that be lovely?” Vane grumbled under his breath and turned away. Then he added in a louder voice, “On the off chance you’re telling the truth, come to me in a few weeks… with the evidence.”
He walked away and closed the door behind him with a soft click.
Isabel watched after her husband with eyes wide like saucers.With evidence?Did he mean her bloody sheets? Well, she’d be certain to show him evidence, the pompous cad!
“Ugh!” She fell against the pillows, her mind working out a plan on how to get back at him.
How had she ever thought that beast would be gentle and accommodating in bed with her? She’d make certain to not let him into her bed at all. If he didn’t trust her and sought to humiliate her, he’d have to live without an heir.
Her heart wept at the idea of never having a babe. But until the cur apologized, she would not let him into her bed. And that was that.
* * *
The next day’s travel didn’t go much better than the previous one. Isabel silently watched Millie chatter away with her nursemaid, happily bouncing around the carriage, paying Isabel little heed.
So Isabel took out her embroidery and moved closer to the window to get more sun. She moved the curtains out of the way at the same time as the marquess passed the carriage.
He sat in the saddle straight as a lance, his form impeccable as though he hadn’t spent the entire day before in the saddle as well.
As good as a rider as Isabel was, she’d be hurting the next day if she spent an entire day atop a horse. Her husband didn’t seem to have the same issue. He seemed relaxed and quite comfortable. The reins rested loosely in his long fingers, and he controlled the horse with barely noticeable twitches of his thigh muscles.
Isabel’s gaze fell to that part of his body. She swallowed as the powerful muscles seemed to want to burst from inside the confining fabric of his breeches.
A loud thud inside the carriage startled Isabel, and she snatched her gaze from the enticing physique of her husband. She looked at the nursemaid, who looked back at her in confusion. Then Edith slowly bent down and picked Isabel’s embroidery from the floor.
“Oh,” Isabel exclaimed as she took it in her hands. “Apologies, I got distracted. I completely forgot I was holding this in my hand.”
Heat crept up Isabel’s neck and up to her face. She hoped the nursemaid noticed neither her blush nor what had caught Isabel’s attention outside the carriage.
Isabel turned to Millie in her attempt to break the tension and take her mind off the embarrassing incident. “Are you good at embroidering, Millie?”
The girl narrowed her eyes at Isabel before muttering, “It’s Millicent.”
