A Countess of Convenience (26 page)

His interest in such matters surprised Neil. He'd thought he favored city life, but since arriving at Aysbeck, he'd begun to suspect the life of a country gentleman was his real calling. If he had inherited a decent estate of his own and had a father to teach him how to manage it, he might never have squandered so much time and money in London.

In the last year, he'd often wished for a chance to start his life over. Could coming to Yorkshire be that chance?

Prudence gave a few last minute instructions to Polly and Hazel about serving the meal and then went to check the table setting. Tonight, she fully intended to show the earl that she knew her responsibilities as his wife and could fulfill them.

Satisfied that all was well in the dining room, she went to find the men. They were in the library, drinking port and talking.

Neil spoke with authority. “Snavely was right about the expense of jumpers. It'll take a small fortune to buy top notch breeding stock for them. What he was wrong about was selling off the foals from your present stock as soon as possible. Regan says he could have doubled the selling prices of those horses if he'd been allowed to train them before they were sold. Good dray horses are in demand, and you know how much a pair of matched carriage horses cost."

"But what about the cost of feeding those horses until they're trained?” Malvern asked.

"Regan says—"

The men noticed Prudence and stood. Malvern smiled at her as though he appreciated the fact she'd taken extra pains to dress her hair and change her frock. “Ah, Prudence. Would you care to join us for port?"

She shook her head. “Would you mind bringing your glasses to the table? I'd like to serve dinner while the food is hot."

He readily agreed and extended his arm to her. As they started toward the dining room, he looked over his shoulder at Neil. “Which one is Regan?"

"He's the Irishman who took care of the gig when you returned it today. He's really quite knowledgeable about horses. I think the only reason he worked for Snavely was his need to send money to his family in Ireland. Now that Snavely's leaving, Regan could be very helpful."

Prudence stopped and looked up at Malvern in surprise. “Is Snavely leaving?"

Malvern smiled and gently pulled her toward the dining room. “He expressed an interest in seeking employment elsewhere, and I encouraged him to do so."

Behind her, Neil laughed. “The odious little toad actually threatened to quit rather than follow Malvern's orders."

Although he continued to smile, Malvern said, “Yes, I may regret losing the only employee I've ever had who was more concerned about saving my money than I am."

As she waited for Malvern to handle her chair, Prudence said, “Well, I'm not sorry to see him go, but who will be in charge now?"

"Until I find another bailiff, I guess I will,” Malvern said. “Of course, I have to return to Parliament after the first of the year."

When they were all seated, Neil looked at Malvern with a sober expression. “I'll do all I can to help."

The wary expression on Malvern's face reminded Prudence of the uneasy truce that existed between the two men. Finally he said, “Have you learned enough in the short time you've been here to run an estate this size?"

"No, but I've learned a good deal about the men who work here. I know what they can do."

"Have you any idea who can clear the streambed before we have another flood?"

Prudence rang the bell and Hazel and Polly immediately hurried down the hall from the kitchen, bearing the soup course.

As they served, Neil said, “I think the tenants would help if we furnished horses and equipment and offered them day wages."

Polly, who was carefully ladling soup into Neil's bowl, paused long enough to say, “This time of year, my da's always looking to—” Apparently, she suddenly remembered Prudence's orders to take no notice of the diner's conversation while serving and clamped her lips together with a guilty grimace.

Prudence held her breath, waiting for Malvern's response.

He smiled at Polly and prompted, “To what?"

"To make extra money,” she said in a meek voice.

"Thank you for that information, Polly. Now please finish serving the soup,” Prudence softly commanded.

When the two maids had left the room, Malvern asked, “Are both of them Baileys?"

"Yes. I'm sorry she spoke out of turn, but she's only fourteen and tries very hard."

He nodded pleasantly. “If she's as bright as her brother Freddy, I'm sure she'll learn quickly."

As Malvern continued to talk to Neil about work on the estate, Prudence watched him with growing amazement. What had happened to him: apologizing to her, being patient with inexperienced servants, and even giving her brother a chance to redeem himself? He hardly seemed like the same man who had falsely accused and then cast her out.

Firing Snavely after she had criticized the man was the most amazing of all. Had he actually taken her advice? But Neil had said the bailiff had defied Malvern. No doubt that was the real reason. Still, he had to have been calling Snavely to tasks for the man to defy him. Malvern had paid some heed to what she and Neil had said.

Was she judging him too harshly? At Wildwood Lodge, he'd been most considerate of her feelings, and losing his temper over Neil's trickery was understandable. Perhaps he regretted blaming Prudence so unjustly and had intended to apologize to her for that too, but she'd done nothing but quarrel since he'd arrived.

She should guard her tongue and give Malvern a chance to show his true feelings. After all, they were married, and until she produced his heirs, they would have to spend a good deal of time in each other's company. If he treated her respectfully, she should be pleasant in return.

She heard Neil say, “If you're still interested in jumpers, you should take a look at Squire Culpepper's excellent stock."

Malvern halted his fork in midair. “Culpepper? Which neighbor is he?"

"He's to the north. The biggest estate in the area."

With a nod, Malvern said, “I think I remember him. He has two daughters, one of them a cripple."

Neil seemed taken aback. “Miss Effie has a built-up shoe, but she's not incapacitated."

Noting the edge in Neil's voice, Prudence decided an interruption was in order. “The squire had a small dinner party shortly after we arrived to introduce us to some of the neighbors. He was very hospitable."

"Perhaps we can invite him here. Now that I'm a married man and don't have to dodge his eligible daughters, I'd like to get to know him better."

"His elder daughter is married now,” she said, not sure how to react to his reference to their marriage.

After taking a sip of port, Neil rejoined the conversation. “I'm sure the squire would welcome us anytime, and he can give good advice about hiring people."

"Yes,” Prudence added, “they recommended the cook we have now."

"That sounds like a good idea,” Malvern said, seeming sincere. “Neil, why don't you and I ride over there tomorrow?"

After making sure everything in the back of the house was settled for the night, Prudence hurried up to her bedroom. Hazel helped her get undressed and offered to brush her hair, but Prudence dismissed the girl and took on the task herself. She felt sure Malvern would come to her room tonight and knew Hazel's presence would make an awkward situation more so.

She told herself her only interest was proving to Malvern that she fully intended to do her wifely duty, but memories of their time together at Wildwood Lodge caused her anticipation to build. Would he be as tender with his lovemaking now as he had been then?

Removing the pins from her hair, she brushed it vigorously as she reminded herself how heartless he had been after their week of bliss. That was the true reflection of his character. Any man might play the gentle lover to obtain his own pleasure. She mustn't let herself believe achieving physical pleasure had anything to do with true feelings. Some women might be deceived by such actions, but she wouldn't be.

Hearing voices in the adjoining room, she dropped the hairbrush and jumped to her feet, thinking she'd be more at ease if she was already in bed when Malvern came into the room. Her excitement grew as she moved to the wall sconce near her dressing table. Using the snuffer that hung from the back of the sconce, she reached up and extinguished one of the candles.

A soft knock sounded on the door. Prudence paused with the snuffer still in the air and called, “Come in."

The door opened and Malvern hurried toward her. “Let me help you."

His hand closed over hers, his warm body lightly touched her back as he took the snuffer from her and moved it to the next candle. When all the candles were out and the snuffer replaced, he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her firmly against his chest. He rubbed his cheek against her hair and softly murmured, “I've missed holding you like this."

And she had missed being held, she realized as the vague excitement she had been feeling turned into definite passion.

He nimbly undid the buttons of her wrapper and then moved his hands over the thin linen of her gown. One of his hands closed over her breast and the other spread across her abdomen and pulled her hips so close that she felt the firmness of his manhood pressing into her backside.

He massaged her breasts and abdomen. With a sigh, she rested her head against his shoulder and let her body take control, moving her hips from side to side and pressing back against his firmness.

He groaned softly and broke the contact between them. With a few deft moves, he sent her robe and her gown rippling to the floor. Still behind her, he again pulled her against his body. Her bare flesh welcomed the downy softness of his velvet robe. As his hands closed around her breasts, she writhed against him.

He pinched and rolled one nipple and pulled her hips against him until she felt a velvet ridge filling the crevice between her buttocks. His fingers slipped between her legs, touched the little nubbin that sent shock waves through her, and moved on to part her already moist lower lips. Prudence gave in to the hot pleasure his hands delivered, moaning softly as she moved and pressed and strained in search of more.

In a husky voice, Malvern murmured, “Yes, this is the passionate Prudence I've dreamed about."

She reached back, giving him full access to her body and pulling him even closer. Concentrating on his ministering hand, she let the fires he fed consume her and moaned in joyous release.

Resting her head limply against his chest, she felt him kissing her neck, cheek, and ear. “Did you like that, sweetheart?"

"Um huh,” she breathed. Turning in his arms, she said, “And now I want to please you.” She easily opened his robe and found him naked as she'd hoped he would be. His manhood jutted out eagerly. She closed both hands around it and moved them back and forth, as far as the tight skin would allow. “Do you like this?"

His breath exploded through lips that formed an “Oh!” and lines gathered around his eyes as if he were in pain. “Wait—not yet—the bed."

He grabbed her arms. When she resisted his attempt to remove her hands, he began backing toward the bed, pulling her with him. His posture was awkward and his steps stiff. Knowing that she was now causing him to lose control made her laugh.

Through gritted teeth, he managed to say, “You'd better stop, unless you want me to spill my seed on the carpet."

The thought of having to explain such a stain to Hazel or Polly caused her hands to spring away. In two steps he swung her around and tipped her onto the bed. Climbing over her, he said, “Now I'll put it where it should go."

She greeted him eagerly and he slipped inside her. Propping on his elbows, he began slow strokes in and out. She could see his brow knit in concentration and knew he was once again trying to control her reactions. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down and pressed her lips to his. When his tongue advanced, she sucked it into her mouth and caressed it with her own.

His deep groans vibrated into her mouth as his body began to pump faster and rougher. When he was truly out of control, she let herself go and spiraled with him through fiery skies until she convulsed and cried out, “Oh, Anthony, Anthony."

Her body relaxed and she felt his weight on top of her, his hot slick flesh withdrawing from her. She had just called him by his first name. She had resisted doing that in the past, wanting to keep a level of formality between. Had something just changed?

He rolled onto his back and sighed with contentment.

She nestled against his body with her cheek resting on his chest, marveling over the magical way their bodies responded to each other. She had rejected her tender feelings for him, which had developed during their week at Wildwood Lodge, by telling herself it stemmed from her reaction to this new type of physical intimacy. Once the newness wore off, she'd expected their lovemaking to become a routine part of their relationship, not the soul-sharing experience she'd just had.

Malvern ran his hand over her bare shoulder. “I knew a good tussle between the sheets would make things right between us."

No. Nothing had changed. “Why—why is it like this with us?"

"I've never been the kind of man who cares only for my own enjoyment. I learned early on that part of my pleasure comes from my partner's."

As the words “never been” and “early on” rumbled through her mind, her feelings of contented euphoria totally fled. “So, you can cause any woman to react the way I just did?"

"Well, no. Each woman has her own passionate nature, and yours is commendable."

Prudence rolled away from him and stared up at the canopy covering the bed. “Are you saying I'm a wanton?"

Malvern raised himself on one elbow and looked down at her with a startled expression. “Certainly not. You are my wife, so our actions are proper. I'm glad we're compatible in this way. Aren't you?"

How foolish she was, thinking something special caused the response between their bodies. She was just the current end of a long line of women he'd driven into lust. And what more could she expect? After all, he thought her no better than a thief for tricking him into marriage.