Page 15 of Catching Captain Nash
The engagement party, she meant. After last night, he was considerably less troubled by what he’d found on his arrival. She’d been palpably out of practice when it came to the marital act.
“I’ll have to do something about clothes. I need to report to the Admiralty today, and it would be better if I don’t turn up looking like a tinker. I suppose I’m still officially on active duty.”
“But first you’ll...you’ll tell us what happened to you?”
“I promised, didn’t I?” He wished to hell he could avoid sharing his experiences with his family so soon after coming home. He’d feel much more prepared to tell the story once he settled back in England. In about twenty years, perhaps. “What time is it?”
Morwenna cast him a nervous glance, then looked away again. He realized he still stood before her, dick waving in the wind. But it seemed too jejune to scuttle back to bed like a pimply juvenile caught naked by a housemaid.
“Just past eight. I doubt if Caro and Silas are up yet.”
He’d lay a wager that they were—and waiting eagerly for him to tell them everything, damn it. “I’ll bet Amy was banging on the door at dawn.”
“She cares about you. We all do.” Morwenna didn’t smile, but her blush intensified, although he couldn’t imagine why. With a helpless gesture, she turned and scurried toward the door. “I’ll see you downstairs.”
* * *
Morwenna sat with Silas, Caro, Amy and Pascal in the breakfast room, looking out on a wet garden and waiting for Robert. Silas had sent all the servants away, so the family had privacy for what promised to be a harrowing session.
“But did he say anything more last night?” Caro asked for the tenth time.
Morwenna pushed aside her barely touched eggs and shook her head. “Caro, he was exhausted. It wasn’t the time or the place for a long conversation. I’m as much in the dark about where he’s been as you are.”
“And he wasn’t angry that you were planning to marry Garson?” She’d asked that question only half a dozen times.
“He didn’t tell me.” Although she’d noticed this morning that the edge was missing from his manner. Perhaps the satisfaction he’d found in her arms last night inclined him toward forgiving her for turning to another man.
Then you acted the complete fool. What a silly goose you are, Morwenna. One would think you’d never seen a naked man before. And you knew he was naked last night when he turned to you.
“So what did he say?” Amy asked. She hadn’t been as persistent in her questions as Caro, but it was close.
Pascal smiled at his tawny-haired wife, and Morwenna was struck again by his spectacular looks. Odd, though, how his beauty didn’t move her, whereas Robert’s much more rough-hewn handsomeness, even now when he was scarred and worn, always made her heart beat faster.
“She said he went to sleep, darling,” Pascal said. “It’s clear Morwenna doesn’t know any more than we do. Badgering her won’t change that.”
“It seems odd,” Amy said sulkily. “I’d have pestered him until he told me.”
“Undoubtedly, brat,” Silas said with a laugh. He reached out and took Caro’s hand. “I imagine we’re the talk of London this morning.”
“I’m sorry for Garson,” Caro said, then glanced horrified at Morwenna. “Oh, I beg your pardon. You probably don’t want to hear his name mentioned.”
“I feel bad for him, too, although I can’t be sorry that Robert’s come back to us.”
“And Robert slept through the night without telling you anything more? That’s just unbelievable,” Amy said, earning her a disgusted glance from her handsome husband.
“We went straight to sleep,” Morwenna said, hoping the heat in her cheeks wasn’t visible. Because of course they’d done more than sleep.
This morning when she’d got out of bed, a few twinges had reminded her that she’d done things last night she hadn’t done in a long, long time. And there were chafed patches on her neck where his beard had burned her.
He used to shave twice a day to save branding her, but last night, she wasn’t even sure he’d been properly awake when he created that glorious magic. He hadn’t spoken a word, although she’d gathered from his incoherent sounds of pleasure that she hadn’t disappointed him.
Or perhaps he just appreciated the availability of a warm female body, and any woman would have met his needs.
She didn’t like that idea at all.
This morning, she wore a dress with a high pleated collar. When Morwenna had come downstairs, Caro had settled a thoughtful gaze upon her gown, but for once discretion had won out. Which was unexpected. Her sister-in-law wasn’t renowned for her tact.
“Well, I think it’s unnatural,” Amy said.
