He had, therefore, fallen back on the only other approach he could think of even though he had not been at all certain it would be effective. He had used her feelings for him to maneuver her into doing as he wished.
It had been a heady shock to watch her stalwart defenses crumple so swiftly when he had warned her that her actions might force him to risk his life in a duel. She must truly be in love with him. No other emotion could be powerful enough to overcome her deep sense of honor. For his sake she had abandoned her quest for vengeance.
Julian felt at once humbled by the obvious strength of her feelings and simultaneously exultant. There was no doubt but that Sophy had given herself to him—belonged to him, in ways that, until now, he had never believed possible.
But even as he gloried in that realization, he was grimly aware that she was very unhappy and he was the cause. It is just so blasted unfair. Nothing is going the way I had thought it would when I agreed to marry you.
Now, on top of everything else, she was quite possibly pregnant. He winced as he recalled that one of the things she had asked of him was not to be rushed into childbed.
Julian sank lower in the chair and wondered if he would ever be able to redeem himself in Sophy's eyes. It seemed in that moment that he had done everything wrong, right from the beginning. How did a man go about convincing his wife that he was worthy of her love? he asked himself. It was a problem he had not ever imagined having to solve and after all that had passed between himself and Sophy there was every chance the tangle could never be resolved.
The door opened behind him. Julian did not glance around the wings of his chair. "Go on to bed, Guppy and send the rest of the staff to their rooms. I intend to stay in here a while and there is no point in any of you staying up. I will see to the candles."
"I have already told Guppy and the rest of the staff to retire for the night," Sophy said, quietly closing the door.
Julian froze at the sound of her voice. Then he slowly put down his glass and got to his feet to face her. She looked very slender and fragile in a pink, high-waisted gown. It was difficult to believe she might be pregnant, Julian thought. Her hair was piled high on her head and anchored with a ribbon that was already beginning to untie itself. She smiled her gentle, beguiling smile.
"I thought you would be in bed by now," Julian said gruffly. He wondered at her mood. She was not crying, nor did she appear about to argue or scold or plead. "You need rest for your journey."
"I came to say good-bye to you, Julian." She halted in front of him, her eyes luminous.
A rush of relief went through him. Apparently she was no longer as distraught as she had been earlier. "I will be joining you soon," he promised.
"Good. I shall miss you." She traced the folds of his carefully folded cravat. "But I would not have us part with ill feelings."
"I assure you, there are no ill feelings. At least not on my part. I only want what is best for you. You must believe that, Sophy."
"I realize that. You are very thickheaded at times and stubborn and arrogant but I know you truly believe you are trying to protect me. But most importantly, I will not have you risking your life for me."
"Sophy? What are you doing?" He watched in amazement as she began untying the snowy white cravat. "Sophy, I swear to you that your going to the Abbey truly is the best possible course of action. It will not be so bad there, my dear. You will be able to see your grandparents and surely you have friends you will wish to invite for a visit."
"Yes, Julian." The cravat came free in her hands and she began unbuttoning his jacket.
"If you are indeed with child the country air will be much healthier for you than that of the city," he continued, frantically searching his mind for other good reasons to encourage her willingness to leave.
"No doubt you are right, my lord. The air of London seems to be constantly brown, does it not?" She started to work on his white shirt.
"I am certain I am right." The novelty of having her undress him was affecting his senses. He was having trouble thinking clearly. His breeches were suddenly uncomfortably tight over his swelling shaft.
"I find that men are always quite certain they are right. Even when they are wrong."
"Sophy?" He swallowed heavily as her fingertips found his bared chest. "Sophy, I know you find me arrogant on occasion, but, I assure you—"
"Please do not say anything else, Julian. I do not want to talk about the logic of my returning to the Abbey and I do not want to discuss your unfortunate tendency toward arrogance." She stood on tiptoe and offered her slightly parted lips. "Kiss me."
"Oh, God, Sophy." He took her soft mouth hungrily, dazed by his good fortune. Her mood seemed to have changed completely and although he did not begin to comprehend why, he was not about to question the turn of events.
When she pressed herself more closely against him, he managed to collect his senses long enough to speak once more. "Sophy, darling, let us go upstairs. Quickly."
"Why?" She nuzzled his throat.
Julian stared down at her ruffled curls. "Why?" he repeated. "You ask me that at this stage of events? Sophy, I am on fire for you."
"The entire household is in bed. We are quite alone. No one will bother us."
It finally dawned on him that she was quite prepared to make love right there in the library. "Ah, Sophy," he said, half-laughing, half-groaning, "you are indeed a woman of many surprises." He pulled the ribbon from her hair.
"I would have you remember me well while we are parted, my lord."
"There is nothing on this earth that could ever make me forget you, my sweet wife." He picked her up and carried her over to the sofa.
He set her down on the cushion and she smiled up at him with timeless feminine promise. When she held out her arms, Julian went into them with unquestioning eagerness.
A few minutes later when he found the sofa too confining, Julian rolled off onto the carpet, taking Sophy with him. She followed happily, the curves of her bare breasts and throat blushing a delectable shade of pink. Julian lay on his back, his wife stretched out sleek and naked on top of him and made a mental note to try the entire process on the floor of the library at Ravenwood Abbey at the earliest opportunity.
SEVENTEEN
Julian had been right, Sophy thought on her third day at Ravenwood. She would never admit it to him, of course, but things really were not so bad in the country. The worst part as far as she was concerned was that he was not with her.
She'd had plenty to keep her occupied in her husband's absence, however. The interior of the magnificent country house was badly in need of attention. Julian had an excellent and willing staff, but the members of it had been functioning largely without direction since Elizabeth's death.
Sophy greeted the new housekeeper with enthusiasm, pleased to see that the steward had followed the advice to promote Mrs. Ashkettle to the post. Mrs. Ashkettle was equally pleased to see a familiar face in charge and they both threw themselves into a frenzy of supervising the cleaning, repairing, and general freshening up of the entire house.
Sophy invited her grandparents for the evening meal on the third day and discovered the pleasure of presiding over her own table.
Her grandmother exclaimed happily over the magic Sophy had wrought during the previous three days. "An infinite improvement, my dear. The last time we were here everything seemed so dark and gloomy. Amazing what some polishing and cleaning and fresh draperies can do."
"Food ain't bad, either," Lord Dorring announced, helping himself to a second round of sausages. "You make a fine Countess, Sophy. I believe I'll have a bit more claret. Ravenwood's cellar contains some excellent stuff. When will your husband be returning?"