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“The smarting in my arse is fierce,” she admitted.
“Does Madame Devereux still keep her poultices?”
“She does.”
“I shall retrieve some for you—”
“Perhaps later,” she interrupted, not wanting him to stir from her.
“Are you certain?”
“I am.”
He rolled onto his back. She turned to behold him staring up at the ceiling.
“What concerns you?” she inquired.
He glanced at her, then pulled out his handkerchief, which he used to wipe her face. “You ought not have requested the return of Master Ashley.”
She drew in a deep breath before saying, “I lied.”
He paused. “Pardon?”
“I lied. I never meant to turn your mother—your family—out of Merrybourne. I only said it to force your hand, to force the return of Master Ashley.”
For several seconds he only stared at her. She wondered if she had, by chance, made him more upset by her confession.
“And your arse regrets what you have done,” he said, his tone still stern.
She smiled. “Yes and no. I am more than happy with the return of Master Ashley.”
“Are you?” he asked in earnest.
“I spent, did I not?”
“Yes, but…you paid a price.”
“One I wanted to pay. I deserved to be punished for my wickedness, my corruption.”
Shaking his head, he let out his breath. “You never intended to throw my family out? It was all a pretense?”
“Forgive me. I could not resist.”
“I have a mind to give you another thrashing.”
“Please do.”
He groaned. Winding his hand into her hair, he pulled her down to him. “You are a very, very wicked lady, Mrs. Pennington.”
*****
After he had cared for her bruised and blushing derrière, Cedman assisted her into her garments. He had worried he had been too harsh with the paddling. Though he had enjoyed every second, had spent with a force and joy he had not known in some time, remorse and guilt had flooded him shortly after. He suspected Lady Pennington had a strength that Miss Julia had not. Nevertheless, the return of Master Ashley did not bode well.
But seeing her ladyship’s smile and the sparkle in her eyes when she looked upon him eased his anguish. He could still hardly believe what she had told him about her true intentions. The naughty vixen.
“I could not be so heartless,” she said when they talked of it again.
“You led me to believe you were. Had I known, I would have acted much differently.” He had purposefully sought to distress her, to provide her a set-down. She was fortunate he had not gone further.
