Page 8 of How To Seduce A Wife

“That’s good to know.” David nodded. “So you’ll be taking her to Madame Helene’s then.”

Nicholas stood and glared down at his infuriating friend. “Of course I will.”

David got up as well. “I’m sure you’ll find plenty of pirate heroes there.”

“Indeed.” Nicholas kept his face as blank as possible as he considered David’s outrageous suggestion. Madame Helene’s House of Pleasure catered to the sexual fantasies of the rich. He’d frequented her premises during his wilder days and had come to consider Madame Helene a friend. He wasn’t sure if his membership was still current. “Thanks for the advice, Captain Gray. Perhaps I’ll see you at Madame’s?”

David bowed. “I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

Nicholas nodded again and left, his thoughts in turmoil. David had proved as helpful as ever, and his suggestion of Madame Helene’s was inspired. Now all Nicholas had to do was go and visit Madame and find out if she would let him return to her exclusive establishment in Mayfair—with his far too innocent yet sexually frustrated wife.

CHAPTER THREE

“So there I was, darling, stranded in the middle of the ballroom with that obnoxious little toad, Lord Monkfish, on his knees in front of me searching for his false teeth!”

Louisa smiled obediently at Lady April Fotherskill and glanced at the ornate gold clock on the marble mantelpiece. She’d been at her sister-in-law’s house for over an hour, and she still hadn’t managed a complete sentence. April stopped smiling and stared at her.

“You seem a little distracted today, Louisa. Is there something wrong?”

Louisa took a deep breath. “Well, not exactly, wrong, but...”

“Is it my brother? Has he been behaving himself?” April’s handkerchief fluttered in front of her prettily flushed oval face. “Nicholas promised me that he intended to behave perfectly toward you, not like Papa treated poor, dear Mama...”

“Nicholas always treats me with great respect, April. It’s not that, it’s just...”

“Are you breeding? Oh, my word, that would be exciting news! Or have you come to ask me if you are? I do have two children of my own.”

In desperation, Louisa gripped her hands tightly together on her lap. “No, I’m not breeding, at least I don’t think I am. I did want to ask you about something, though. Something quite personal.”

April’s blue eyes, which were just like Nicholas’s, met Louisa’s. Beneath her artless chatter, Louisa had discovered April was no fool and that her affection for her younger brother ran deep and true.

“Is something wrong with Nicholas?”

“No, he’s in perfect health. Please don’t worry.” Louisa groaned. “For someone who prides herself on her intelligence, I’m not making much sense, am I?”

“Not really.” April leaned forward to pat Louisa’s knee. “Tell me what the problem is. I promise I won’t interrupt this time.”

Louisa cleared her throat. All at once her idea of confiding in April seemed ludicrous. She wasn’t sure how to approach such a delicate subject without implicating her husband. She had wit enough to realize that Nicholas might not appreciate his older sister being told he was inadequate in bed.

She managed an uncertain smile. “I wondered whether you would mind me asking you something about married life.”

“Not at all! We’re like sisters, aren’t we?” April rose to her feet and linked her arm through Louisa’s. “Let’s go through into my bedchamber where we can have a comfortable coze without fear of being interrupted.”

After another anxious glance at the clock, Louisa allowed herself to be drawn away into April’s fragrant boudoir. The lemon-and-silver-colored walls and bed coverings seemed a trifle bright to Louisa, and the amount of lace and ruffles that adorned every surface made her a little claustrophobic. She much preferred her own blue bedchamber, which Nicholas had decorated for her as a surprise on their marriage.

She studied April’s sympathetic face. She’d grown so used to asking April for advice that she hadn’t thought the matter through properly. How could she have imagined it possible to discuss such an intimate subject as her marital woes with her husband’s sister? Now she’d have to think of something that didn’t involve Nicholas at all.

But perhaps there was some more general information she could acquire...

“Well?” April inquired brightly as she sat next to Louisa on a small, yellow-striped chaise longue.

“It’s just that, I haven’t been married for very long and I wondered...” Louisa stopped talking and gazed at April, who made an encouraging gesture. “I wondered whether other women enjoy the more ‘physical’ side of marriage.” She finished in a rush and felt her cheeks heat up.

“Oh, my dear, there is nothing to worry about,” April said and patted her hand. “It is perfectly normal for you to enjoy that side of things, don’t let anyone, particularly your mother, tell you any different. If you are lucky enough to have married a man like Nicholas, who had ‘quite’ a reputation as a young man, then why shouldn’t you enjoy the benefit of his experience?”

“That’s not quite...”

“I have to tell you, that despite his outward appearance, my Gilbert is a most satisfying companion between the sheets. That man knows passion and I’m a lucky woman because of it.”

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