Page 49 of The Rules of Matrimony
Ian stretched out his long legs, crossing them at the ankles. “You make a good point, but I am too stubborn to believe England can’t see the benefit of this change. I cannot consider failing as an option.”
The candlelight flickered, making Amie’s eyes sparkle just as she smiled at him. “I want to help you.”
He chuckled again, pleasure seeping into his chest. “Will you?”
She nodded. “Romilly accomplished change. While opinions are firm on the subject, there is hope that your efforts might lead to similar progress. That’s worth the chance. If you’ll let me, I would love to continue to be your scribe. You’ll have a great deal of letters to write if you intend to persuade all of Parliament, so I can copy pages, too, if need be.”
How could he say no with her so enthused about her idea? “Very well. You can help.”
“Good.” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her knees covered by the quilt. “Now, tell me more about Romilly.”
His mouth twitched. “Aren’t you ready to sleep?”
She shook her head.
He cleared his throat to keep from noticing how sweet she looked and tapped his letter. “When Romilly died, Sir James Mackintosh, whom we wrote to earlier today, took up the torch. I have a great deal of respect for both these men. They might not have seen the success of their actions, but they have certainly paved the way for us. Sir James is a Whig and Mr. Peel a Tory, but if we can unite them, the two could persuade the different sides of Parliament. It will be our only hope.”
She stifled a yawn and lowered herself back on her pillows, curling up on her side. “Does it have a chance if it passes to Lords or on for the royal consent?”
He tried not to notice her new position on the bed. “You’re catching on already. I believe our greatest stumbling block will be the House of Commons. I have far more connections in Lords.”
Amie yawned again, quickly covering it with her hand. She looked like a rabbit in a burrow of blankets, ready to drift off to sleep.
“Enough for tonight. I’ve kept you awake long enough.”
Amie raised her head. “Please, tell me you won’t sleep on the floor again. I promise not to put any pillows anywhere. They’re clearly dangerous.”
He set his papers on her nightstand. “Sorry, I’m not brave enough to sleep with my head on the bottom of the bed.”
Amie frowned, studying the bed as if it had been the reason for her tossing and turning the night before. “What if you slept across the bottom?”
His face hurt just visualizing it. “Need I remind you, you kick in your sleep?”
She had the gall to look affronted. “I have shared a bed with Mama for years, and she never complained about me kicking. I did not feel well last night, and I slept poorly. You have nothing to be afraid of tonight.”
Maybe she was right. He reminded himself once again that during the storm, she had hardly moved an inch, and the floor hadbeen terribly hard last night. “Shall I put my head on the farthest side from your feet?”
She grinned. “An excellent idea.”
He was glad he had pleased her, but she was not the one risking getting beaten up in the night. Blowing out the candle, he stripped to his shirtsleeves and trousers and lay across the foot of the bed, atop her cover, with a second smaller blanket across his own body. The bed, however, was not square, and his feet and lower legs hung off by at least a foot.
Heaven help him. It was going to be another long night.
Chapter 24
Amie sat beside Lady Kellenthe next morning at tea in their small drawing room. Lord Kellen sat on the opposite sofa, a newspaper in his hands. Ian transformed back to being Lord Grumpy whenever his father was around and was just now leaning sullenly against the mantel. There was no fire, as the morning was warm, but he seemed content to keep a distance from all of them.
The dark circles under his eyes testified to another long night. She did not think warm milk agreed with her. She, too, was exhausted. It wasn’t as if she had planned to kick him all night and send him back to the floor. The very idea forced a small moan from her lips.
“Are you well, Amie?” Lady Kellen asked. She had taken to calling her that at the wedding, and Amie rather liked it. Even if liking it meant nearly breaking rule number two.
She could feel both Lord Kellen’s and Ian’s eyes suddenly on her. “Yes, perfectly well.” She put her tea cup to her lips and took an obligatory sip.
“Forgive me,” Ian said, snapping his fingers from across the room. “I had forgotten. I promised Amie I would take her riding.” He pushed away from the mantel and came toward her, his hand outstretched. “I apologize for my forgetfulness, darling. Shall we?”
Darling? That was a far cry from the ordinary terms of acknowledgment she received. But he did not have to ask twice. She set her teacup down and eagerly reached for his hand. His large one circled around hers, his grip strong, just as she had imagined it from the fewtimes he had helped her in and out of carriages. Not that she had wondered regularly about what holding his hand would be like, only once or twice.
“Will you excuse us?” Ian asked his mother. “We won’t be long.”
