Page 48 of A Duke's Unwanted Bride
“Oh.” Adele swallowed, her brow furrowing at the slight stir of disappointment in her chest.
“To that point, I will sleep on the chaise.” Warner gestured to the chaise by the fire, and Adele frowned at him.
“There is absolutely no way you will fit on that.” Adele moved towards it and gave Warner a meaningful look.
“It will be fine.” Warner shrugged off his coat and flung it over the back of the chaise. “I can use my coat as a blanket or take one off the bed.”
“I can sleep on the chaise and —” Adele began, but Warner cut her off.“No.”
Warner’s eyes were hard.
“Why not? It is scarcely big enough for me to lie out on it, let alone you.” Adele flopped dramatically across it to illustrate her point, her feet dangling over the edge. “You see? You would be hanging off most of it.”
Warner gave her a languid shrug. “I have slept in less comfortable places plenty of times in my life.”
Adele scoffed. “I find that hard to believe. I doubt you have ever slept on anything less than the finest mattresses money can buy.”
“Then you would be mistaken.” There was an edge to the Duke’s voice, but before Adele could ask about it, he continued, “Regardless, I will not have my wife sleep on a chaise while I sleep in a bed. I am not that kind of man.”
“Then we might as well share the bed.” The words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them. “We are married after all; it is hardly likely to cause scandal.”
There was a beat of silence. Adele swallowed, her fingers twitching as she shifted from foot to foot — unsure if she was more worried about him accepting or rejecting her proposal.
Warner canted his head towards her, his eyes dancing in the firelight.. “Do you really wish to invite me into your bed, Duchess?”
Adele sat up properly and attempted to give him a withering look that she suspected was undermined slightly by the heat in her cheeks. “Hardly. But it does not take a genius to know that if you sleep here you will wake up stiff and uncomfortable.”
“And you are concerned for me? How sweet,” he teased.
Adele rolled her eyes at him and stood up, moving towards the fire. “I simply have no wish to listen to you complain about a sore neck or a sore back all day tomorrow. Like you said, we have a long way to go, and the journey will only feel longer if you are whinging through all of it.”
“Then it is a good thing I do not whinge.” Warner grinned at her as he plonked himself onto the chaise and kicked his feet up.
“I suppose we shall see about that.” She shook her head and moved to the dressing table.
“What are you doing?” Warner asked, his eyes wide as she began unfastening her earrings.
“Getting ready for bed,” Adele replied trying to sound nonchalant even as her fingers fumbled the clasps of her jewelry.
“At least give a fellow a little warning.” Warner turned around, and Adele was pleased to see a faint flush to his skin.
“What? No offer of assistance?” she teased, even as she felt the pressure around her chest ease as he turned away from her.
Warner did not reply; instead he threw another log on the fire and poured himself a glass of wine. “Tell me when you are decent.”
“I am hardly indecent. I have only removed my jewelry.” Adele shook her head as she rifled through her suitcase.
She pulled out a dressing gown and her night clothes. She was used to changing by herself, but her hands were shaking so badly, she could only fumble with the fastenings on her dress. For a moment, she debated sleeping in her clothes, but she knew it would be frightfully uncomfortable, and she longed to be out of her corset.
“Warner,” her voice came out steady, “would you be able to help me, please?”
She heard the sound of coughing and suspected that Warner had choked on his wine.
She turned away before he could look at her and felt the rush of blood spread through her.Even my ears are flushed.She gestured to the attempt she had made to undo the fastenings, staring at the floor and wishing it would swallow her.
When there was no sound of footsteps, she turned to look at Warner, who was still standing by the fire.
“Please, Warner. I really do not want to sleep in this.” She gestured to the dress. “And I cannot do the dratted thing by myself.”
