The Viscount and the Virgin (25 page)

‘Then you agree, for tonight, we must sleep apart? Just one last time?' he said, brushing a tendril of hair from her face. ‘Until we hear differently from another medical man, I refuse to put you at risk.'

‘Is it too much to ask that you just hold me?' she whispered.

He shut his eyes tight, as though he was in pain. ‘I do not think you understand quite what you are asking of me.'

She relented. ‘If you can be noble about it, then so can I. But after tomorrow…'

‘I am looking forward to tomorrow.' He grinned. ‘As I have woken up looking forward to every day since I married you.'

‘Oh,' she breathed, misty-eyed. ‘Have you?'

He nodded, laying his chin on his hands again and gazing at her with a fond smile. ‘It is hard to credit, now, that I was afraid that civilian life would be a dead bore! No chance of that with you in my life.'

Her spirits sank. She knew he was only trying to
lighten the atmosphere between them, but the truth was, she still felt like some thing of a liability.

‘If all the doctors say we must not sleep together for a while, I will go back to Shevington, and stay there, if you like,' she offered bravely. If he could make sacrifices, then so could she. ‘I don't want to be a burden. And I know I will most probably get into some dreadful scrape if I stay in town.'

‘First of all,' he said sternly, ‘I have no intention of sending you back to Shevington! Nor returning for anything but brief visits for the fore seeable future. I have achieved all that I can, for now. The tenants know I am not cut from the same cloth as Piers. The steward knows I am onto him and that I won't tolerate that kind of behaviour once I hold the reins. If he wants to keep his job, he will have to clean up his act! The twins have been sent to school…'

‘Oh, and how they hate me for it!'

‘They may do now,' he said soothingly, ‘because they have never known anything but the un healthy atmosphere that prevails at Shevington. Once they have seen some thing of the outside world and made friends, they will understand why you acted to get them out.'

‘Do you think so?' she said wistfully.

Monty nodded firmly. ‘And we shall make sure we are there for them, during school holidays. Show them we are their friends. They are not fools, Midge. They will come round.'

But a frown still pleated her brow.

‘And as for your propensity for getting into scrapes, well, I shall just have to stick to you like a burr. And you won't hear me complaining. You are an utter delight, to
me, Midge, exactly as you are. Funny, and impulsive, and kind and brave and warm.'

‘But,' she persisted, ‘you said you wanted to get involved with politics. You will not be able to do much of that if you are baby sit ting me!'

He stroked one finger along the curve of her cheek. ‘When I heard you had gone missing, Bonaparte seemed of less importance than a flea. There are plenty of other men arguing my point of view in the house. But I am the only husband you have. You and the baby, you are my family now.'

Some thing inside Midge felt as if it was melting. All her life, it seemed, she had been waiting to hear somebody say that. With tears streaming down her face, she knelt up on the bed and flung her arms round his neck.

‘Oh, Monty,' she sobbed, ‘I do love you so!'

‘Funny way to show it,' he observed with a wry grin. And through her tears, Midge smiled back at him.

And he finally knew that his father was wrong. In his heart now, instead of just inside his head.

Midge loved him. For himself. It did not matter who his mother had been or how much money he had or what title he held. She was plainly willing to follow him to the ends of the earth. She would even brave Shevington on her own, if he asked her to.

And best of all, he was head over heels in love with her too. And he did not care what his father might say. Nothing had ever felt so bloody marvellous!