Blame It on Bath Page 0,50

least for the first few days. I carried Her Ladyship out of London without more than a few hours’ notice, and Mrs. Dennis got her feathers thoroughly ruffled.”

“Aye, sir.” Bragg cleared away the dishes from dinner and brought out a bottle of port. “Her Ladyship seems the very model of a lady.”

He paused in the act of pouring the wine. “She is. That’s all you need to say about her, Bragg.”

“Aye, sir.” Bragg knew an order when he heard one. He carried out the tray.

Gerard brooded over his port. He didn’t want to worry about how his wife would get on in Bath. He was a fairly self-sufficient sort of fellow and had little patience for people who needed to be amused or coddled. In Sydney Gardens, they would have had privacy and space. She’d have to make the best of Queen Square. He swallowed the last of the wine and got to his feet. Perhaps he’d better go see how Kate was settling in.

And then he could take her to bed. Gerard’s pulse jumped as that thought crossed his mind. Yes, that sounded damned good right now. A good tupping would dissipate the last of the tension that had dogged him all day. He could still feel the shape of her in his arms, warm and soft, and he was suddenly exceedingly keen to fulfill his marital duties.

He opened the bedroom door and paused. Kate was sitting in the chair by the fireplace, her feet tucked up under her. Her face was turned away from him, but there was something very sweet and relaxed about her pose. As he watched, she started, rubbing one hand over her face before she rose from the chair and stretched rather sensuously. The firelight illuminated her figure through the night rail she wore. Gerard’s eyes slid over nicely rounded hips and a trim waist. His skin prickled in anticipation.

Kate adjusted the fire screen and turned to blow out the lamp before she realized he was there. He could tell the exact moment she became aware of his presence. Her back stiffened, her head came up, and her shoulders hunched forward, all before she even glanced his way. When she faced him, her expression was blank, her eyes watchful. She looked nervous—not that Gerard could think of any reason he might have given for it. Someday soon he was going to find out what set her on edge because he hated to think his wife was uneasy around him. Hopefully it was merely the awkwardness of unfamiliarity, which he was confident could be remedied by time . . . time, and some persistent seduction.

“Good evening, my lady,” he said. “I trust you’ve had your bath and a good dinner.” He could see she had; her hair gleamed like polished brass in the muted lamplight, the ends still curling damply. She gave a tiny nod. He pushed away from the doorway and closed the door. He could see the curve of her breasts through the nightgown. He very much hoped he and Kate were compatible in bed, for he was finding her more intriguing by the hour. “Very good. Then let’s go to bed.”

She didn’t move. Her color faded, and Gerard knew she took his meaning. He shrugged off his coat and tossed it on a chair. “Are you nervous?”

“No,” she said. “I’m not a virgin.”

He grinned. “You’re fond of lovemaking, then?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it.

“I thought so.” He shed his waistcoat and began unknotting his cravat. “I beg you will remember I am not Lord Howe.”

“I would never confuse you with him,” she said, her voice a little strained.

Gerard unwound the cravat and let the linen fall to the floor. He crossed the room and laid his hands gently on her shoulders. He felt the small shiver that went through her. “You should enjoy it. I mean for you to enjoy it, with me.”

Her pulse beat like a hummingbird’s wing. “I’m sure it will be quite pleasant.”

His mouth curled. Somehow, whether she intended it or not, Kate knew just how to provoke him and taunt him and push him to make good on his words—better, even. “We’ll have to see, won’t we?”

She swallowed.

His blood humming now, Gerard took off his boots, then his stockings. Kate watched without a word, her hands clutching fistfuls of her nightdress. When he began pulling off his shirt, she inhaled deeply. “I’ll put out the lamps,” she blurted, and rushed to blow out the nearest one. He