Page 46 of The Marriage Debt
She stared round, instantly wary. It was a bedchamber, a dark, rich masculine room of simple lines and polished wood, heavy crimson hangings and comfortable, well-used furniture. A fire, almost down to the ashes, still fed a few flames in the hearth and one branch of candles stood on a dressing table, its light cast back by silver and cut glass.
‘Cosy?’ Theo asked, leaning back against the door panels.
‘Comfortable. Very masculine. I like it. Is this your bedchamber?’
‘It is.’
‘I cannot possibly stay here. You know I can’t sleep with you, Theo.’
‘You already have, once. If you mean that we cannot make love if you want an annulment, then that is quite correct. However, I have no intention of making love to you.’ He paused, those dark eyes resting on her like a caress. ‘Not tonight.’
Taken off balance Katherine snapped, ‘And why not pray?’ then blushed crimson.
‘Because I do not enjoy making love to very sleepy and thoroughly argumentative women.’ He was beginning to untie the sash of his dressing gown.
Katherine was seized by a sudden terror that he was wearing nothing beneath it. ‘And you have such a wide experience,’ she commented bitterly. Thank heavens. He was wearing a perfectly respectable nightshirt.
‘Now Kat, get into bed and stop trying to provoke me intoungentlemanly bragging,’ he said sanctimoniously. He began to snuff candles, leaving only the single light by the bed.
Reluctantly Katherine untied the knot of her wrapper and slipped out of it before scuttling into bed with more speed than dignity. She burrowed across to the furthest side and regarded Theo nervously over the edge of the sheet.
‘Is that the same nightgown?’ he enquired, lifting the bedclothes and getting in beside her.
‘That I wore in Newgate? Yes.’
He made no comment, but his low hum of appreciation was as real as a touch. Katherine closed her eyes. ‘Good night, Theo.’
‘Good night, Kat.’ He was smiling, she could hear it in his voice. She sensed by the sudden total darkness against her lids that the last candle was out and stiffened. Now he would touch her, hold her. The mattress shifted, the bedding over her moved, there were the sounds of someone making themselves comfortable, then only the faint sounds of the dying fire settling in the grate and Theo’s steady breathing.
Katherine lay there, stiff with what she realised was disappointment. She expected him to have held her, cradled her in his arms as he had done in that prison cell. But he’d had no choice in that narrow bed, she reasoned with herself. In this great four poster there was room and to spare. Comforted by the sound of Theo’s breathing and the warmth of his nearness, she turned on her side, pulled the sheets around her ears and slept.
Theo waited until the regular breathing on the far side of the bed settled down and then cautiously stretched, allowing his own breathing to resume its normal waking rhythm. This was an indulgence his peace of mind could ill-afford, he told himself smiling as Kat murmured in her sleep.
Sosweet,and so trusting, despite his error of judgment last night. He had sensed that her feelings towards him had changedsubtly and that his advances would not be unwelcome, but it seemed he was wrong. Her instincts were quite correct: he would never force her, never seduce her against her will, but how could he move that will, make her see that the course she was set on was madness?
He turned over cautiously, trampling on the urge to reach out and pull her soft, warm body against his so they curved together as they had in that prison bed.
He had kissed her three times now, each time had been different and each time she had answered him with an innocent passion which shook him to his core. She obviously had no idea of her own power to move him and that was powerfully erotic. Theo shifted uncomfortably and reminded himself that this purgatory was self-inflicted.
Why had he done it? Kat would have slept tonight in that chilly white bed, consoled with the thought of a new bedchamber the next night. But she would not have been comfortable, and he wanted to do whatever he could to make up to her for the situation she found herself in. Cautiously he turned over, moved closer to her until his body curled around hers without touching. She would not be cold tonight.
Katherine blinked awake and lay watching the play of sunlight over the crimson bed hangings. She was warm, comfortable, rested – and in the wrong bed. The source of the warmth, the long male body curled around hers, one arm flung over her waist, appeared oblivious of her wakening.
Somehow she had to get out of bed without rousing Theo and make her way back to her own chamber without being seen by any of the servants. Which was easier thought than done, she realised because the route by which they had arrived here last night was a complete mystery to her.
Carefully she inched towards the side of the bed. Theo’s armslid over the fine lawn of her nightgown easily enough. Just another wriggle and she could lower his hand onto the mattress and slip out of bed. She reached round, took his hand and found her own held very firmly.
‘Mmm?’ Theo enquired, pulling her back so that she arrived in a tangle of bedclothes nose to nose with him. His eyes were shut. ‘You smell so good, Kat.’
‘Please let me go, I must go to my room.’
Theo opened his eyes slowly, regarding her from under half-closed lids. ‘Why?’ One brow quirked. ‘I thought you were a lie-abed, Kat. Think of the trouble I had to get you awake and out of bed last time.’
‘That was different,’ she said, trying to ignore the fact that when he spoke his breath tickled her nose, he was so close. ‘I did not want the morning to come, there was too much reality to face.’ There still was, but at least this reality was not life and death. She hesitated, then, ‘Theo, I know your father will have much he wants to discuss with you, and you will have many duties, but please, I must talk to you.’
‘We are talking,’ he pointed out, obviously intent on teasing.
‘Aserioustalk. Out of bed. Dressed.’ He smiled and she found herself staring at the flecks of gold she had never noticed before in his eyes. ‘This is very distracting,’ she complained.
