Page 45 of The Marriage Debt
Theo threw himself down in his chair again and eyed her ominously. ‘It seems we have a stalemate.’
‘No, we have an agreement,’ Katherine said. ‘And in twenty five days you are going to honour it.’
Silence. Then Theo let out a huff of frustrated breath. Katherine curled up more tightly in her chair and waited.
Eventually he said, ‘Why couldn’t you sleep? Are you worried about Father?’
‘The duke? Why no, I like him.’
‘You do?’ His brows slanted up in surprise.
‘Yes of course. You are very like him. And Robert, of course, I like him too.’
‘Then what is it?’
Katherine bit her lip. ‘Oh dear, this sounds so rude and ungrateful. But it is my bedchamber. It is so…so chilly.’
‘Then we must have a fire rekindled, fetch you some warmer bedcovering. Tomorrow I will have the sashes checked, there must be a draft.’
Terrified that he would ring for servants on the spot, Katherine protested, ‘No, it is not the temperature. Oh, this is so foolish of me.’
Theo was on his feet. ‘Come along, let me see for myself.’
‘But Theo, we can’t walk about the house together at this time of night.’ Katherine let herself be pulled to her feet because struggling did not appear to be of much use, but she quailed at the thought of being seen walking about the corridors at twoin the morning in her nightclothes in company with her…with Theo.
‘Whyever not?’
‘But the servants.’
‘Yes?’ His eyebrows rose with all the unconscious arrogance of a marquis in his own home. ‘You are my wife. Why should I not walk where I wish with you?’
He was already halfway to the door, her hand held firmly in his. ‘And when they find out about the annulment? What then?’
‘They will assume I am insane,’ he said grimly, stepping out into the hall. ‘Provided they keep that opinion to themselves, that is their privilege.’
The snores from the porter’s chair ceased with a grunt, and a tousled grey head emerged around the edge, rapidly followed by a shaken-looking man in livery, scrambling to his feet. ‘My lord!’
‘Good night, Grimshaw,’ Theo said cheerfully as they passed. ‘Time for your rounds, I imagine.’
‘Yes, my lord. Er, goodnight, my lady.’
Katherine found herself being towed remorselessly back to her own chamber. Theo threw the door open and walked around touching a candle to the various branched candlesticks which stood on surfaces round the room. In the flickering light of perhaps thirty candles the Lake Suite stood revealed in all its icy magnificence.
He rotated slowly on his heel, staring around him, then went to peer closely at the painting of the virgin sacrifice. ‘A tactless choice of subject, one cannot but feel. I had forgotten this room. Like being inside an ice sculpture, isn’t it?’
‘You think so too?’ Katherine asked in surprise. ‘I thought perhaps it was just that I am not used to grand apartments and was being foolish.’
‘Well, I would not care to sleep in it if I had the choice.’ Theo was striding around the room, snuffing out candles as he went. ‘Iwill talk to Heron tomorrow.’
That was a relief, she could surely manage to sleep one night in this room, knowing she could move tomorrow. Theo blew out the last candle. ‘Oh, now I have nothing to see me to bed,’ she protested.
‘You have me.’ He bent, hooked on arm neatly under her knees and the next thing Katherine knew he was shouldering open her door and carrying her off down the corridor.
Chapter Sixteen
‘Theo.’
‘Ssh, the servants will hear.’ He was so obviously teasing her that Katherine gave a gasp of outrage before she found herself being set on her feet just inside a room.
