Page 45 of A Whisper of Desire
“I’m just anxious about tonight.”
Her eyes would not hold his, as if she were trying to conceal something from him. He was so used to the straightforward Marisa that he immediately grew uneasy.
“There is no need to worry, little one. Hadley and Angelo visited the club last night and learned that Angelo is away for a few days. No one knows where he has gone, but we suspect he’s conducting his own inquiries.”
Before Marisa could respond, Susan arrived with her clothes.
“Oh, please excuse me, Your Grace, I didn’t realize you were here. I have the clothes ready.” Susan hurriedly hung them over the privacy screen.
“Excellent.” He pulled Marisa to her feet and began to untie the sash at the front of her robe. She batted his hands away.
“Your Grace, Susan and I can see to my dress.”
He took a surprised step back. He looked at his wife, who only two nights ago stood naked before him without a hint of embarrassment. It was almost as if she were reluctant to be naked in front of him. Perhaps it was Susan’s presence. “Susan, would you excuse us? I’ll call you when it is time to dress her hair.”
Susan looked briefly at Marisa, who simply shrugged.
Once they were alone, Maitland drew from within the deep pocket of his robe a wad of strapping. “If you’d take off your robe I’ll bind your breasts. It will be uncomfortable, I’m afraid, but necessary.” She fidgeted with the sash of her robe. “Come, little one, you can’t be bashful. Only two nights ago you stood unashamedly naked before me.”
Her face flushed to a tinged red. “The most humiliating moment of my life, thank you very much.”
His head jerked back at the depth of misery in her voice. He moved toward where she still stood, but she turned her back on him. He looked at her hunched frame and shame paid him a visit. He gently turned her to face him.
“The embarrassment should be mine. I was too tired to do justice to the pleasure you offered me.”
She studied him, assessing his words. Something flashed deep within her beautiful hazel eyes—distrust. “Priscilla told me your story. She told me why you could not, and still cannot, be together. It must be torturous to love someone but be unable to be with them.” She reached up and cupped his face. “There is no need to lie to me anymore, but I am not sure I can forgive you for misleading me, especially when you knew how important finding love is to me.”
“I never misled you. I told you I don’t believe in love.”
She frowned. “You’re in love with Priscilla.”
He almost laughed until he saw the devastation on Marisa’s face. He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. “You silly…Priscilla will always be special to me. I thought I loved her once and I would have married her all those years ago if she had agreed. I’m sure we would have been happy. But she is not the love of my life. Do you think I would let her condition stop me marrying her if I truly loved her?”
“You need a son.”
“If I loved a woman, nothing, nothing, would stop me marrying her. A son be damned.”
Marisa’s sniffles stopped. She lifted her head from his chest to look at him. “You truly do not love her?”
“I love her like I love Sebastian. She is a dear, dear friend, that is all. Part of me also feels guilt for what my father did to her, to us.”
“You cannot carry the blame for something you did not do.”
“Tell that to our villainess.”
Marisa sighed. “I hate that woman.”
“I also carry the blame for feeling relieved that she chose to marry my father. It set me free.”
Marisa hugged him harder and sighed. “She’s still in love with you. She admitted it. She thinks you love her too.”
“Is there any harm in that? She’s had enough misery in her life. Surely we can let her keep that illusion.”
Marisa pulled out of his hold and wiped the tears from her face. “You know of her feelings?”
“I’m the only man she trusts, the only man she sees regularly, and, on occasion, the man she shares a house with. Is it hardly surprising she still loves me? I don’t encourage it. I simply choose not to address the issue.”
“Now that you’ve married me, perhaps it is time. If we grow close, it will only hurt her.”
