Loving the Marquess (32 page)

“You will have every man present eating out of your hand,”
she said, knowing it wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

They turned at the sound of raised voices in the hallway.

“You can’t go in there—”

The door to the room burst open and Nicholas stood there,
his grandmother beside him.

“Thank heavens you are both dressed,” the dowager
marchioness said.

Louisa’s heart stuttered, then sped up at the grim expression
on her husband’s face. She’d seen that look many times during the beginning of
their marriage and had hoped never to see it again.

“What is the matter?” she asked, hurrying to his side.

His gaze swept over the room but before he could reply,
Catherine stepped forward.

“I think I would like to take some refreshment. You can all
return later to finish the fitting,” she said in dismissal to the modiste and
seamstresses.

Nicholas moved into the room as its former occupants filed
out. Louisa’s thoughts were centered, though, on what could have happened to
upset her husband and paid them no heed. For one heart-stopping moment, she’d
almost thought he was having another attack. It seemed she was still not over
her concern for his health, despite the fact there had been no further episodes
since Mary’s guilt had been exposed.

When the last person had left, Nicholas closed the door and
just stood there staring at her. The haunted expression in his eyes had her
imagining all sorts of horrible things.

“Has something happened? Nicholas, you’re worrying me.”

He gave a small, abbreviated shake of his head and swallowed
hard. “The doctor was here to see you.”

She frowned. “Yes. But why are you so upset?”

He grasped her upper arms. “Why was he here?” His eyes ran
over her before returning to her face. “If you are ill…”

Understanding dawned. After having experienced so much death
and having had to face the possibility of his own impending demise as well as
her own not that long ago, it was only natural that he’d jump to the worst
conclusions after hearing about the visit from the physician.

She rushed to reassure him. “Everything is fine. I am well.”
When he didn’t release her, she said, “You’re hurting me.”

He dropped his hands and took a step back, but her words
hadn’t comforted him.

“You’ve been tired lately,” he said. “And yesterday morning
you were ill. You must tell me—”

“No, Nicholas, listen to me. I am not sick.” She took his
face between her hands and smiled. “I am with child.”

It was several moments before her words sank in.

“You’re not sick?”

She shook her head. “Well, not exactly. I do feel a little
queasy in the mornings, but I am told that is to be expected.”

He drew her hands from his face and clutched them in his
own. He closed his eyes and Louisa waited.

“When Grandmother told me you’d sent for the doctor, I was
so afraid. I had to see you for myself. Make sure…”

He didn’t have to finish. She knew he’d needed to make sure
he wasn’t about to lose her, as well, just as he’d lost his brother and his
parents. He crushed her against him and she squeezed her arms around his waist,
hoping to impart as much comfort as she could with that simple gesture.

“Nothing is going to come between us. You are well and truly
stuck with me.”

“Thank God,” he said, drawing back to look down at her.
“You’ve given me everything. A family, a reason to live. And now a baby.”

The look on his face was one of wonder and Louisa felt her
heart squeeze. She loved him so much—more than she had ever imagined possible.

His gaze dipped and his expression changed. “What on earth
are you wearing?”

She followed the direction of his stare and felt heat creep
over her skin at the way her breasts were threatening to spill over the top of
the bodice.

“Madame Bonlieu is quite displeased with me. I appear to be
increasing in
every
way.”

Nicholas’s grin could only be described as wolfish. “I
heartily approve. Here, let me help you out of your dress.”

“We are in Catherine’s room—”

He didn’t give her a chance to finish before sweeping her
into his arms. He opened the door with ridiculous ease and carried her into the
hallway, which was mercifully empty. She wouldn’t have survived the
embarrassment of having witnesses to her husband’s amorous attentions.

It was not long, however, before Louisa’s thoughts became focused
solely on her husband and the lavish attention he was bestowing on her.

Thank you for reading
Loving the
Marquess
. If you enjoyed this book, please consider sharing it with a
friend. All honest reviews are welcome and appreciated.

I had a lot of fun writing this
book. I will admit, however, that I had some difficulty finding the perfect
poison that would cause the effects experienced by Nicholas during the course
of this story. I settled on the Datura flower as being closest to what I
needed, but I will admit that I took some liberties with the symptoms. For that
reason, it is never stated outright which plant was used by Mary Manning and
Harrison.

I will also admit to a special
fondness for the waltz, which in 1806 was still several years from being
accepted by British society. I have taken creative liberties by including it
here. As always, any mistakes or inaccuracies in the story are my own.

If you’d like to learn more about my
books, please visit my website at
http://www.suzannamedeiros.com
.
To learn when I have a new release coming, you can sign up for my newsletter at
http://eepurl.com/nmliD
.

Suzanna

Beguiling the Earl
—book 2 in the Landing a Lord series—will be released in summer 2013.

Turn the page to read a preview of
Lady Hathaway’s
Indecent Proposal
—book 1 in the Hathaway Heirs series—which will be
released in spring 2013.

Excerpt

Andrew Osborne, the Earl of
Sanderson, thought he’d gotten Miranda Hathaway out of his blood years ago. Yet
here he was, following her butler into the drawing room of her London
townhouse.

He told himself it was only curiosity that had led him to
accept her request for a meeting. They hadn’t seen one another in twelve years,
so why on earth would she ask to see him now?

He took in the room’s luxurious furnishings as the butler
bowed and left to fetch his mistress. Viscount Hathaway had always made a point
of displaying his vast wealth at every opportunity, as was evidenced by the
amount of gilt in the room. He wondered if Miranda approved of the decor, or if
she, too, found it lacking in taste. The old Miranda would have believed the
latter. Or so he’d thought at the time, but that was before she’d broken it off
with him to marry the much wealthier older man.

Unease settled in the pit of his stomach, and annoyed at the
sign of weakness, he moved to the window and looked out onto the fashionable
Mayfair street. It was early for a social call and the road was quiet. No
doubt, most of Miranda’s neighbors were still abed, recovering from whatever
entertainments had kept them up the evening before. He would have been sleeping
as well if Miranda's message hadn't arrived last night before he’d left for his
club.

He resisted the urge to turn around and leave, just as she
had done that last time they’d seen one another. Once again, he was at a
disadvantage with her. In her house, at her summoning, no knowledge of what
this meeting was about. He was not, however, the same untried youth he’d been
back then. If Miranda assumed so, she would be surprised.

He sensed her approach and turned in time to see her enter
the room. He couldn’t help but notice that she still moved with the same grace
she’d possessed as a young woman, setting the Ton ablaze during her first
Season with her beauty and unaffected charm. It had been inevitable that she’d
captured his interest as well.

That was a lifetime ago.

“My lord,” she said, executing a fluid curtsey. Her
expression gave away no hint as to why she had sent for him.

He inclined his head in acknowledgement and watched in
silence as she sat on one end of the ornate settee. A chair was positioned at
an angle from her and it was clear she expected him to use it.

A need to ruffle her impassive bearing had him remaining
silent and ignoring the chair. He moved past her and sat, instead, beside her
on the settee. He left a respectable distance between them, but the way she
stiffened told him she hadn't expected him to sit so close. It was
self-indulgent, but he felt a small measure of triumph at her discomfort.

He watched, more than a little surprised, as she collected
herself, smoothing away all signs of discomfort. Her body relaxed, her expression
becoming one of polite cordiality as she held herself with an almost unnatural
stillness. It appeared that Miranda Hathaway had learned to control the
youthful exuberance she’d once possessed. He wasn’t sure whether to applaud her
for her newfound reserve, or mourn the loss of that vibrant, impetuous young
woman.

Silence stretched between them for several seconds before
she turned to face him. He was struck once again, as he had been all those
years ago, by her beauty. Her dark brown hair and the unrelieved black of her
dress called attention to her pale coloring, making it seem as though she were
carved from ivory. Her grey eyes were larger than he remembered, but she was
also much thinner than when he’d known her. Almost painfully so. He wanted to
ask if she was well, but resisted the impulse. He had no desire to hear about
how much she mourned the loss of her husband, whose funeral had been held only
the week before.

The only things about her that were still full were the
curve of her breasts and her unfashionably plump mouth. His eyes flickered
downward and he remembered with unexpected vividness just how those full lips
had felt under his. He’d been with many other women over the years, but he’d
never enjoyed kissing anyone as much as Miranda. Thoughts of how she could put
that mouth to another use sent a wave of unwelcome heat through him.

He’d miscalculated. He’d wanted to set Miranda off balance,
but being this close to her was having an unwanted effect on him.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation,” she said, cutting
through the uncomfortable silence. “I know it is early, but I can ring for tea
if you haven’t yet eaten.”

His wayward thoughts under control, he met her impassive
gaze with one of his own. “I think we can dispense with the niceties. We both
know this isn't a social call.”

Those luscious lips tilted ever so slightly at the corners.
“I see you are still as direct as always.”

“And I can see you’ve taken to hiding behind social
conventions. You were never one to dance around a subject. You asked me to
visit, and despite my reservations I came. You clearly have something you wish
to discuss with me.”

He was surprised when she stood.

“This was a mistake,” she said, taking a step toward the
doorway. “Forgive me for inconveniencing you.”

After a brief moment of hesitation, he rose from the settee
and moved to block her path. She stopped, but kept her eyes down.

“Miranda.”

She didn’t move. Against his better judgment, he placed a
hand under her chin and tilted her face up to his. They stood that way for
several long moments during which he was painfully aware of the small woman
before him. The woman who, he now knew, still had the power to cause him
discomfort.

He dropped his hand and kept his voice low, sensing she was
a hairsbreadth away from bolting from the room. “Why did you wish to see me?”

Dear
Stranger

Landing
a Lord series

Dancing
with the Duke

Loving
the Marquess

Beguiling
the Earl—summer 2013

Hathaway
Heirs

Lady
Hathaway’s Indecent Proposal—spring 2013

Suzanna Medeiros was born and raised
in Toronto, Canada. Her love for the written word led her to pursue a degree in
English Literature from the University of Toronto. She went on to earn a
Bachelor of Education degree, but graduated at a time when no teaching jobs
were available. After working at a number of interesting places, including a
federal inquiry, a youth probation office, and the Office of the Fire Marshal
of Ontario, she decided to pursue her first love—writing.

Suzanna is married to her personal
hero and is the proud mother of twin daughters. She is an avowed romantic who
enjoys spending her days writing love stories.

She would like to thank her parents
for showing her that love at first sight and happily ever after really do exist.

ISBN # 978-0-9918237-1-0

Copyright © 2013 Saozinha Medeiros

Cover design © Kim Killion

Edited by Victory Editing

This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination
or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or
persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Where such
permission is sufficient, the author grants the right to strip any DRM which
may be applied to this work.