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What if I wooed my wife?
The thought made Elliot excited, thinking of more nights they could spend together, making love and talking. He wished to know her more, to share all the secrets they did not yet know about one another, but if he was to do that, then there was someone he had to see first.
There was a person in his life he had to sever ties with. Whilst the break would give him little remorse, for he knew why she coveted his attentions so much, he was a duke and he would still be respectful as he ended matters.
When Elliot reached the theatre that he was seeking, he left the horse tacked up to a gate adjacent to the road, then he traipsed behind the theatre. Here, there were houses and attic rooms where some of the actors stayed. He hurried up a set of steps and made a beeline for a door he had visited many times since coming home from the continent.
She was able to offer me comfort in her arms for a while, but that is not what I want anymore.
Elliot wanted something more than comfort. He wanted the burn that was between him and Ophelia.
After he tapped on the door, it was opened wide by the beautiful actress who smiled at him in greeting. Her dark auburn hair hung loosely around her shoulders, nearly as far down as her waist. Her gown was revealing, not covering her shoulders and exposing rather too much of her breasts.
“Your Grace,” she said with a breathy voice. “And here I was beginning to think you had forgotten my company.”
“Good day, Celeste. You and I must talk.”
***
Ophelia wriggled on the bed as her eyes blinked open. It was still warm between the sheets, where she and Elliot had slept all night. As she rolled over, she smiled into her pillow, thinking of all that had passed between them the night before.
This certainly doesn’t feel like a marriage of convenience anymore!
The heat between them was something special. Even now, she felt the same spiral of pleasure that he had caused. It reminded her of the way he had touched her to give her pleasure. The long night and the way they had talked had added to the intimacy of their time together.
Reaching across the bed, she tried to feel where he was, wondering what they could do together today. Yet her hand found only the empty bed sheets. Ophelia’s eyes opened wide and she sat up in the bed, the sheets falling around her hips as she looked around the room. She was the only one in the bed. Elliot was not there and there was no sign of him in the chamber at all.
Her brow furrowed as she stepped out of the bed, feeling strangely bare without him here now. She had hoped they would spend the day together, but clearly, that was not to happen now.
Did he really leave my bed without saying goodbye?
Ophelia tried not to be affected by it. He was a duke; he had business to attend to, and he had told her last night of the remaining debts he had to pay off. Surely that was where he had gone.
Fixing a smile in place, Ophelia tried to ignore the lingering feeling in her gut that something was wrong, and she ordered a bath. The new ladies’ maid, Miss Ruth Barge, brought up the water into her garderobe, while Ophelia stood nearby in a silk robe.
“Thank you, Miss Barge,” Ophelia said, holding onto her smile.
“Any time, Your Grace.” Miss Barge curtsied and walked to the door.
“Miss Barge, by any chance, have you seen my husband this morning?” Ophelia tried not to sound as keen as she was to know the answer as she sat on the edge of the bath and ran her fingers through the warm water.
“I believe Mrs Mouser said he left this morning. Quite quick, he was. Wherever he wished to go, he was intent on going there.”
“Oh, very well. Thank you.” Ophelia waited for the door to close behind her maid before she slipped into the water. It may have been an odd thing for Elliot to do, to leave so suddenly, but she was determined not to dwell on it.
All will be well, I’m sure.
Instead of thinking of it, Ophelia rested back in the bath and thought of what she would do that day. She planned to spend time with her new sister-in-law, and together they could buy more things to furnish the house.
I’ll make sure this house feels like a home.
***
“Talk?” Celeste said, her smile rising. “You and I don’t often talk.”
Elliot took her hand off his chest and moved it aside as he stepped past her into the room. This conversation was going to be strange enough as it was. He didn’t need her touching him throughout. Celeste giggled behind him as she closed the door.
“That’s better. You know I love your company, Your Grace, and we do not always talk.” She moved towards him, clearly about to kiss him, but Elliot kept his head firmly away from hers. He was much taller than her, and it was a task that was easy for him.
