Page 61 of An Innocent Bride for the Duke

“So do you,” Benedict murmured, stopping on the sand and looking at his wife-to-be. “Are you not afraid?”

“I was frightened at first,” admitted Louisa. “I was afraid of you, afraid of myself, then afraid for all of us after Lord Ashbourne…There are so many things that frighten me, but I realized that I am not alone and that has made it better.”

“You are not alone,” he responded, his hand reaching out of its own volition to touch her face and smooth her hair. “I am here.”

“Benedict,” Louisa breathed, closing her eyes and not pulling away.

How he wanted this woman! Yet Benedict must not yield to his desire, however strongly it urged him to lead Louisa along the path into the woods. Her cheek was as soft and warm as a damask rose petal in the sun, and he supposed that the skin of her breasts and thighs would be equally delectable to his touch…

Little Ezra’s voice sounded at just the right moment, breaking the powerful tension.

“I want to swim!” the boy shouted as a previous disagreement with his nursemaids suddenly became a vocal argument.

“Not without Father,” said Fanny. “You have to paddle until Father comes back. He said there must be two men in the water to swim. Mr. Hughes is only one man.”

Benedict and Louisa both sighed ruefully and turned towards the voices. One of the nursemaids was holding back the wriggling, struggling child in the shallows as the other nursemaid, the young footman and Fanny paddled in the water up to their ankles.

“But I want to swim! It’s not fair!”

“I think my services are required if we don’t Ezra’s screams to scare away all the wildlife,” Benedict told his bride-to-be, raising her hand and kissing it lightly. “A swim would be good for me.”

Louisa nodded and Benedict was glad to see the regret in her eyes at his departure, secure in the knowledge that she desired him too. There was also a hint of that unexpected tenderness again. Benedict felt another flash of heady desire as he imagined seeing the same expression on her face at the moment their naked bodies conjoined.

Yes, cold water would do him good…

Chapter Twenty-Five

“The rain has finally stopped,” Seraphine observed, standing at the drawing room windows and gazing out across Rosemere.

“Yes, you’re right,” agreed Louisa, coming to stand beside her cousin. “Look, there’s a patch of blue sky again, and the wind is blowing the clouds away to the south. How lovely it looks!”

She loved Rosemere in every weather. Now in perhaps her final weeks living here, Louisa was determined to enjoy and impress every moment on her memory.

“After three days, it’s about time the rain stopped,” grumbled Damien. “The children are going mad from being so much indoors and I’m likely to go the same way.”

“This is normal weather in the lake district,” chuckled Lady Esher. “It is the rain that gives us such greenery and scenic lakes. We are used to it, aren’t we, Louisa?”

Louisa nodded contentedly, thinking of how the gardens would thrive after the rain and how beautiful Rosemere lake itself would be after such refreshment.

“Anyway,” continued her silver-haired aunt, “the rain has given me much time to finalize preparations for the engagement party. All is now in place for the flowers, musicians and food, unless you or His Grace have any further thoughts?”

Laughing, Louisa shook her head, glancing across the room towards the Duke of Northwick, whom she could have sworn was looking directly at her only a moment earlier. Aunt Beatrice seemed to have talked of nothing but the engagement party for days and although Benedict was polite, Louisa could tell that his patience had long worn even thinner than his interest.

“You have already arranged everything wonderfully, Aunt Beatrice,” she said. “What more could I ever ask?”

Except that this was not happening at all, Louisa added to herself, and found to her surprise, that even this thought had lost its sting. She supposed that she must be getting used to the idea now, and her mind had resigned itself to the fact of her marriage.

“If the weather is turning, why don’t we go out for a ride?” Benedict suggested, standing and joining the two ladies at the window, likely hoping to further ward off the chance of another interminable discussion of flower arrangements or dresses.

“Yes,” Louisa agreed. “I should like to check on Storm first. I have not been to the stables for some days and it can’t be long now until her foal comes.”

“You won’t ride her today?” asked Seraphine and Louisa shook her head.

“Not in all the mud, and not for a long ride,” Louisa answered. “I’ll take Moonlight and you can have Starlight, Seraphine. Hector will do well for Damien, as long as his foot is recovered. Will you ride Thunder, Benedict?”

The Duke of Northwick grinned and nodded.

“Yes. I believe that he will be longing for a gallop across the fields just as much as I am.”