Page 49 of The Duke and the Scarred Bride

“What a way to greet your sister, Isa,” Louisa drawled, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She went to sit on the sofa. “I could say the same about you. You look even worse than I do.”

“I have a valid reason for that. Little Georgie is teething, and as you can imagine, it causes him a lot of pain. He was up all night, which means he kept us all awake,” Louisa countered, rubbing her hand down her face wearily while stifling a yawn.

“That must be quite difficult,” Louisa noted sympathetically, taking the baby from her sister’s arms when he flashed her a toothless grin. She cradled him against her chest, inhaling his soothing baby smell.

Seeing how adorable Georgie was, it was no mystery that his parents were willing to forego sleep in order to keep him happy and comfortable. But then he was probably one of the luckiest babies in the English ton because he had parents who loved him unconditionally and wanted to care for their children themselves, even though they could afford to leave such hard work to the nursemaids.

Most couples in the ton were content to wait for their children to start walking before getting involved in their lives.

“What is your excuse, then?” Isabella asked, snapping her back to the present.

“I am well, Isa. There is nothing to worry about.”

“I would wager my entire wardrobe that you are not well. You wouldn’t be here, visiting me in the middle of your honeymoon, with dark circles under your eyes so big that it’s a miracle they are not weighing them down.”

It was no use lying to Isabella. Not when she was the most sensitive member of the family. That trait, in combination with their unique bond as twins, meant that she could sniff out any lie before it even left Louisa’s mouth.

“I had a fitful night if you must know,” Louisa admitted reluctantly.

A mischievous smile spread across her sister’s tired face. “It seems that your husband kept you awake all night. If that is the reason behind those bags under your eyes, then it is quite acceptable. Perhaps Georgie will have a cousin very soon,” she said, giggling conspiratorially.

Louisa could feel her face turn red in embarrassment, but Isabella seemed to enjoying her discomfort because she laughed even louder.

“I do not think Georgie will have a cousin anytime soon,” Louisa replied dryly.

That statement immediately brought her sister’s laughter to a halt.

“Why?” Isabella asked, nonplussed. Her mouth dropped open in realization a moment later. “Do not tell me that you haven’t consummated your marriage.”

Louisa opened her mouth to answer but then was interrupted by the sound of the door opening and the nursemaid coming in to take the sleeping Georgie from her arms.

Isabella waited for the nursemaid to leave before standing up and shutting the door firmly. Then, she walked back to the sofa and sat beside Louisa. “Have you not consummated yourmarriage yet?” she asked in a hushed voice, concern etched on her face.

“Not exactly…” Louisa started, her face reddening with embarrassment. “He pleasured me, but we did not do the final deed. I am still a maiden. Perhaps he did not find me attractive enough to bed me.”

Isabella burst into laughter, laughing long enough that Louisa’s annoyance flared.

“Percival is attracted to you all right,” she said after her laughter finally died down. “The man was devouring you with his eyes on your wedding day. I was almost afraid he was going to ravish you right there on the altar when you kissed him. Your husband desires youa lot, trust me on that.”

“Then why does he avoid me and my bed?” Louisa blurted out in frustration.

“Well, because he is a man, and men do have a reputation for being idiots sometimes.”

“So how do I get him to come to my bed? The man is driving me crazy. One minute he is so kind, seducing me with his care and gallantry, and the next minute he is pushing me away. I came here to speak to you, see if I can get some advice, since you are married.”

“Well,” Isabella began, placing a contemplative finger on her chin. “I think the best way to solve this is to give him a taste of his own medicine. Ignore him while making sure to dress in averyenticing way.”

“And what if we just keep ignoring each other forever? I do not wish to drive him away.”

“That is where your attire comes into play. You are going to seduce your husband. Appeal to the primal, possessive part of him. Men sometimes do not realize how much they want something until it comes to their notice that other men find that thing attractive. It is in their very blood. Jealousy can be a motivating factor, sometimes,” she explained, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Somehow, Louisa suspected that Isabella had used this trick on her husband.

“I do not think I will succeed in using such tactics to seduce him,” Louisa sighed, avoiding her sister’s gaze as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. “My husband is a very confident man. I am more likely to embarrass myself, and he would laugh himself to tears. I would rather concentrate on the changes that need to be made at the manor. That will be a sufficient distraction until he deems it fit to visit my bedchamber.’’

“Whatever you say, Lou. Whatever you say,” Isabella drawled with a knowing smile.

Louisa immediately looked away in embarrassment. She knew what that smile meant. She might just be the one to visit his bedchamber and seduce him, after all. She just hoped it never came to that. She would die of mortification.

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