Page 75 of Made for the Marquess (Second Sons of London 4)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Minta awoke inthe night.

Percy was gone.

She sensed his absence before feeling it. His scent still lingered, both on the pillows and on her skin. Bereft, she curled into a ball, thinking on what had passed between them as she drifted off.

When she opened her eyes again, morning light streamed through the windows of the spacious bedchamber. She glanced about it, still amazed at how large it was, not to mention the huge closet and dressing room and separate bathing chamber.

She had no idea what she should do. Was she to breakfast with him? What was she supposed to do with her day? They had never talked about anything involving their day-to-day lives. In fact, everything from the past few days had occurred so fast, she didn’t even know what day it was.

Ringing for Bertha, she allowed the maid to dress her. Usually, they bantered back and forth, but Minta was in no mood to do so today. She had much on her mind.

Last night, in particular.

Making love with Percy had been the stuff dreams were made of. She had felt womanly and treasured as he kissed and caressed her. And yes, he had touched places on her that Minta hadn’t dared to touch herself. Being with a husband was mysterious and thrilling and exciting beyond measure.

Tonight, she wanted to explore him as thoroughly as he had explored her.

“Would you like a tray in your room, my lady?” asked Bertha.

“No, I shall go downstairs to breakfast.” That is, if she could find where the breakfast room might be.

A footman directed her to it once she reached the foyer. Minta entered, finding her new husband already there, halfway through his meal, the morning paper resting beside his plate.

“Did you sleep well, my lady?” Percy inquired formally.

“Yes, thank you.”

They only spoke a few times during the meal, all very stiff and proper. She did not know if it was because several footmen and the butler, Tate, were present or if this is how Percy always was unless with his friends. She still had so many things to learn about this man she would spend entire decades with.

She placed a hand against her belly, wondering if they might have made a baby last night. If they had, her focus should be on the child. Yet Adalyn was with child again and had already given birth to another and she behaved as a woman totally enamored with her husband. So did Louisa and Tessa, who also had children. Frowning, she wondered if Percy would allow them to become close as the Second Sons were with their wives. Surely, he would. At least she hoped so. Right now, they could be strangers having been placed at the same table for all the interaction between them.

Did Percy want a truetonmarriage?

Minta hadn’t thought so, especially not after their lovemaking last night. But she feared things behind closed doors might be different than when they emerged from them. She still was a bit put out that he hadn’t stayed the entire night with her. Though her aunt and uncle kept separate bedchambers, her parents never had and from what she gathered, neither did the Three Cousins. Minta had merely assumed it would be the same with her and Percy.

Now she feared they wouldn’t be.

He dabbed his beautiful mouth with a napkin and addressed her. “I will be gone all day. I have business to attend to. Have Mrs. Tate show you about the house and see if there is anything you wish to do to it.”

“Do?”

He shrugged. “Redecorating. Or buying new furniture. Whatever you wish to do, my lady. You could even ask the Three Cousins to tea if you wish. The day is yours to do as you see fit.”

Her heart sank. She had hoped they would spend the day together. After all, they had been wed less than twenty-four hours. Though they weren’t embarking upon a formal honeymoon, she had supposed they would spend more time together.

Her husband stood and came to her, brushing a kiss against her temple. “Have a good day.”

After he left, she brooded a bit, picking her toast apart as she sipped on her tea. Finally, she rose and asked where Mrs. Tate might be at this time of day. Tate took her to his wife.

It took a good two hours to tour the townhouse because it was so large. She lost count of the number of rooms it contained. The library was impressive, with shelves of books that reached the ceiling. The conservatory was warm and damp and full of beautiful blossoms. The ballroom was large and she wondered if they might host a ball this Season or wait until next year. She would have to ask Adalyn about that.

Returning to her suite, she sank into a plush chair. She didn’t wish to invite her friends or aunt to tea. They would be full of questions that she would find too awkward. Besides, her mood was far too glum and would reveal just how unhappy she was.

She thought on that. If she had made the kind of marriage she had thought she would at Season’s end, it would have been to a man she liked but did not love. She had expected them to lead fairly separate lives, only coming together for social events and in bed at night in order to make an heir.

Now, she found herself wed to a man she loved who apparently did not love her in return. He had given no indication of having those kinds of feelings and she had kept to the vow she had made to herself and not spoken of her true feelings for him. Minta promised herself to work hard tonight and show Percy just how much she truly cared for him. She would chip away at the armor he encased himself in, protecting himself from the world. She wondered if he was simply shy by nature or if something had occurred in his childhood to make him this way.

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